I WILL TRY AND ANSWER THE QUESTIONS...

So I am so happy to hear that Paula’s farewell went well! That is so good! I wish I could have heard it, but it’s a little difficult to do that while living in a foreign country! Ha-ha I can´t believe that she leaves on Wednesday, and then Justin in May!!! Oh my heck that is so weird! And Cooper Richins got his call!! That’s awesome!!! I think it is so cool how many people are going on missions!!!!

So to answer the question about the weather here.... from about November to April is the rainy season. But the main part is in febrero. But after this until the end of junio is the ice season where at night it is extremely cold!!! So I am not looking forward to that! But we will see how it is! Haha.

So the living conditions here vary, in part of my area we have some pretty nice houses with tiled floors and nice things, but in the other part we have mud adobes with dirt floors, it just varies from part to part, but I actually like the adobes more, the people are nicer haha.

So in my ward we do have a ward building, and we have about 500 members in my ward, but only about 200 are active and attend in Sundays, so we have a lot of rescuing to do. As for the animals, there are a lot of stray dogs, you can´t walk anywhere without seeing one. I can´t even count how many times I have almost been bitten, and how many times I have defended myself by throwing rocks at the dogs, because that is the only way to get rid of them.

We do have on about every corner of the street is a little store where we can buy just about anything we need, and we have a big convenience store about 5 minutes from our room, so we buy a lot of soda and junk food. Haha!!

So I have not received my last package yet with the papers and all that, but I should get it this week.

And since I will have the new card I will need you to put some money on it for me,
I need to be able to withdraw at least 150 dollars, because I am going to Macchu Picchu on April 15. So that I can go before the new president. And about half my zone is going that day also! Haha every one is scared that with the new president we won´t be able to go!

So I am so excited that Ashley is going to have her baby soon! I can´t wait to see pictures of him!!! I love babies, and the babies here in Peru are so cute and chubby!!!  For some reason the kids when we are at someone’s house, they always come to me, so I am always the child entertainer during the lesson haha; it is quite interesting to teach and babysit all at the same time! Its preparation for when I am a parent, haha the mission prepares you for everything!!!

So this week we did have our reunion de cambios, and I did not have a change, but guess what! My zone leader from the MTC Elder Aiono a big Tongan, he is in my zone now! Freaking he is the best!

So this week also we had to drop 2 of our investigators because they weren´t progressing, and that is like the worst feeling in the world!!! I know it was necessary so we could work with others, but it was so hard to do because I have been working with them since I got into the field!

What else happened.....so every single person we talk to that I have known since I arrived has been telling me that my Spanish now is excellent, they say that I sound like I have been speaking Spanish for a lot longer than 4 months, so that is a good confidence booster, and it makes the work more fun when you can talk with people, because you can participate and it helps the time to pass by!!

But I read the poem Paula sent me like every night, and it helps me realize why I am a missionary, and it truly helps me to understand that Christ did go through everything that we are going to go through. I know that siempre; we can rely on our savior!!! He can help us with everything if only we have faith!

Well I love you all so much! And I miss you, but guess what; I know I am in the right place right now in my life!

I can´t wait to hear from all of you soon! Have a great week, and don´t forget to read your scriptures and say your prayers, because only when we do those things and keep the commandments can our heavenly father help us!!!!

I LOVE YOU!!

LOVE ELDER GOASLIND

P.S. don´t forget the 150 dollars so that I can go to Macchu Picchu!!

I love you!!!!!!

 

BAPTISM COUNT...5

Hey everybody!!! How is everything going??

So I am soooooo sorry to hear about everything that is going on back at home right now, those are some extremely difficult situations to deal with, but thankfully we have the happiness and influence of the gospel in our lives to help us through these things that we go through!!! But we need to remember that everything we go through is for a reason, and that God has a plan for every single one of us!

I think this quote will help a little bit:

¨God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest and most valiant children...make no mistake about it-you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time than there is of us...the final outcome is certain-the forces of righteousness will finally win. But what remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future will stand in this battle-and how tall we will stand. Will we be true to our foreordained mission? ¨

President Ezra Taft Benson

I hope that quote helps, I found it during my personal study the other day and I loved it!! We all have a foreordained mission in life, and everyone is different. But in one aspect we are the same, we are all sons and daughters of god, and each of our plans was created by god. As we rely in the lord he will help us to feel comfort and overcome the things we are going through. But I know that as we remain faithful and prayerful we can know the will of the lord for our lives.

So I have not received my package yet, but I think I will tomorrow en la reunion de cambios (at the change meeting). And don’t worry I don’t have a change yet. But my district leader told me today that for the next change he is going to recommend me to be a trainer, so we will see what happens, who knows, maybe in 6 weeks I could be a trainer!

So yesterday we had 7 investigators in sacrament!!!!!! Plus my convert received the Aaronic Priesthood!!! How cool is that!!!

Also on Saturday my investigator Flabio was baptized so now in total I have 5 baptisms in the mission so far!!

So I am not really sure what else to talk about! This week was good, we have some really good logros (achievements), and we have 15 new investigators, so we are working with them now! I hope that at least some of them can progress! We found this one lady and taught her the restoration, and the spirit was absolutely incredible!!! She told us that she is going to pray and if she receives and answer that this is right, then she is going to get baptized. Also we committed a 9 year old to baptism for the 30th of March, we are activating her family right now and they are so cool!!! I am sorry that this email isn’t very long or informative, but I felt the need to write some other people to, so I did that,

But how are things going in the family? I hope everything is good. I can´t believe how close Ashley is getting to having her baby!!!

So this week I have been watching youth videos, and I have felt like crap, I realized that as youth there is so much you can do in the church! The youth are so important!!! Mom and dad, I am sorry that I wasn’t the best son, and that church wasn´t always my favorite thing. I wish now that I had been better, but I promise that I am going to work so hard on my mission and after to make up for that!!! I realize now how much of an influence the church has in our lives as youth! And I want to be the best person I can be to live up to our Heavenly Fathers standards!

I want to share my testimony with all of you.

I know that we are in the truth. This church has been restored by Joseph Smith, and he suffered much to restore it for us!!! I know that missions are so important in our lives, and that we can bring others unto Christ through the mission!!! I know that families are eternal, and that I can live with my family for time and all eternity because of the temple ordinances that we have made!! I am so grateful for our Savior Jesus Christ, and I know that he lives!!! We need to walk in the light of our Savior and we will understand what things we need to accomplish in our lives. I love you all so much, and I am so grateful for all of your love and support!! Remain faithful and prayerful, and the lord will bless you because he loves us!

LOVE ELDER GOASLIND!

PS give all my love to the Nielsen family and the Gilbert family please!! They are in my prayers!

 

ARANAS!! (Spiders)

Hey how are things going!!!

I love reading your letters and your testimonies mom and dad!!! And right now it sounds like everything’s going well back in Utah!!!!! Things are going really well in Peru, the work is moving along. We set a goal this morning to have 31 baptisms in the month of Marzo (March) with todo la zona (around the area). I hope that we can do it because that is a very high number. So this is the last week of the transfer and then we are going to get 23 new elders y 7 hermanas. It’s going to be very interesting!!!

Not much happened this week, but president lifted the rule, so now we are able to contact, and be out until 9:30.

So I am really excited because now we can work more.

I have been sick for the past couple days, but it is nothing more than a bad cold, hopefully it will be gone soon, but it’s hard because it rains freaking every day here!!!

So I am starting to get a tan line on my neck where my shirt collar is, so it looks really funny when I where t-shirts.

Also this week we helped a family move on Saturday, and another one yesterday. So no I am really good at moving big furniture with just 2 people because for the most part it was just me and my comp.

Yesterday was fast Sunday and I really enjoyed the fast, I felt the spirit very strong and we saw the lords hand in the work. Also during the sacrament I was thinking and I came up with a list on how to fast.

1. Did you start with a prayer?

2. Do you remember your questions in your prayer?

3. Are you watching for answers to your questions?

4. Are you watching for the blessings?

5. Did you attend sacrament meeting and take the sacrament?

6. Have you paid your tithe?

7. Did you finish with a prayer?

8. Did you remember the lord during your fast?

I thought of those during the sacrament, and I think it is a very good guide when we are fasting. In the next fast Sunday try those steps and siempre remember the spirit.

Also during my studies I found some quotes I want to share. .....when we understand why we serve, we will not worry about where we serve..... Pres. Howard W. Hunter...

also.....give me a young man who has kept himself morally clean and has faithfully attended his church meetings. Give me a young man who has magnified his preisthood and has earned the duty to god award and is an eagle scout. Give me a young man who is a seminary graduate and has a burning testimony of the Book of Mormon. Give me such young man, and I will give you a young man who can perform miracles for the lord in the mission field and throughout his life.....Pres. Ezra Taft Benson.....

I found that last quote and I was very proud to say that I have completed all of those requirements that an apostle of the lord has asked. when we do what the lord asks he can perform miracles through us!!!!

So this Saturday the sisters that we share a sector with have a baptism and I got to baptize him. It was so cool, and he has such a strong testimony. I love seeing people’s lives change in the mission, and I am so proud to be a servant of the lord here in Peru!!!

Well I don´t have much else to say, but I will let you know when I get the package, and the debit cards.

I am so happy to hear that you are going to go to the temple as a family! I truly have a testimony of the power of the temple and I know that when we make time to do things of the lord he will bless us more than we can receive!!! Let me know your experiences in the temple!

Well not much else. Let me know how Paula’s farewell goes when it comes around!!!

I can´t believe that that this week on the 7th I will already have 4 months in the mission, the time is flying by and I can´t even believe it!

I love all of you so very much and can´t wait to hear from you!!!

Sorry if I didn´t answer all the questions, it’s hard to read and remember!

have a good week!

LOVE ELDER GOASLIND (tù hijo favorito)

PS we had a HUGE spider in our room this week!!! ahhhhh!!!!!