BAPTISM #11!!!

(June 10, 2013 Email)

Hey everybody!!! So as mom wrote me in the email, yes I did complete 7 months in the mission the other day!!! I am starting to feel a little old especially because my comp pointed out the other day that my 20th birthday is only 5 months away now, so I not only have a lot of time in the mission, but a lot a years in my life!!! Ahhhhh!!! Ha-ha. So to answer all the questions you have. So we got the new elder in our apartment he is from Lima, and this is his last transfer and he finishes his mission, but he leaves 2 weeks before the change because he has to start at the university, so we will be in a trio for those 2 weeks I am assuming. No I have not got the package yet, but that is because it gets to the office, and they wait to send it until there are other things to go, so it doesn’t get her very fast. I can’t believe school is out for you mom!!! What are you going to do with yourself this summer!!!!! So I am using revelation that Steve and Kristen are going to have a boy this time, ha-ha. 

I was sad to hear that Harlan Hammond got released from young men’s, he was great I learned a lot from him, and I don’t think I would be the missionary I am if it wasn’t for him pushing me along those last 3 years in young men’s!!!! Tell him thank you for me!! So dad no the bus does not stop when traveling it is 10 hours straight through, but it is a big tour bus!!! Elder Brey is doing good, his Spanish progressed a lot he is talking really well now!!! No I still haven’t got the license papers done yet, because I think I have to go back to Lima to finish paper work for my card, and then I will get that. The new area that we are allowed to work in is the area where all the people were rebelling, and throwing rocks, we couldn’t work there before because it was property of the military, but it isn’t now so we have permission but all of us are scared to enter so we haven’t gone there yet. And we still meet in the same place for church! 

So now guess what happened in our mission!!!! We have 6 assistants to the president!!!!!!!!! 2 elders and 4 sister’s missionaries!!!! How crazy is that!!!!!!  So yesterday was the birthday of my companion, so I planned with this family to have a dinner, and cake and all that and he didn’t know, he thought it was just an appointment so we got there and I had told them his favorites foods, so they prepared those, and bought a huge cake and it was awesome!!!! And I bought him a gift and then gave him one of my ties, so I hope he liked his birthday, also the branch president surprised him with another party and cake the afternoon before the dinner, and today we had cake with the zone!!! So I have eaten a lot of cake yesterday and today!!!!! 

So yesterday also I gave my first talk in the mission. I have been out for 7 months, and yesterday was my first talk. President of the branch asked me to speak for about 10 minutes about obedience. I thought it went really well. It was the first talk I have ever given without writing it word for word and it was all in Spanish so that was interesting, but it went well!!!!! 

So not a whole lot happened this week BUT WE DID HAVE A BAPTISM!!!! We were supposed to have 2 but one of them his mom wouldn’t sign the form for permission! So we only had one, but her uncle was baptized about a month ago, so now there are 2 members in that family. But it was a cool experience!!! I got to baptize her, her name is Karolyn. And she was so excited about her baptism. I know I always count how many baptisms I have but it’s not because I want a lot, it’s because I am counting how many souls I have helped begin their journey to Christ!!! So this week was very slow, but it ended well so I am happy with that!!!! 

So I read the talk from Elder Holland yesterday that he gave in this last conference, and I realized that not all the time is necessary to know that things are true, if we can just start with a belief we will continue to grow and grow! And I loved that!! It is true! When we teach people they don’t know for sure if things are true, they pray and start with a belief that what we are teaching is true, and through their life they come to know!!!! Throughout the mission I have learned so much and everything that I learn has helped me, Paula said this in her email but I want to repeat it because it is true. I have learned and matured so much during the mission then I could have ever imagined, and these things that I am learning I KNOW will help me for the rest of my life!!!! this church isn’t just some other church that people attend to say .-----I believe in god------- no this church is true, we are a part of the church of JESUS CHRIST it is his church, and we are a part of it because we have prayed to know the truth. And if you haven’t prayed to know I encourage you to do so. Because it changed my life and I know it can change the lives of other people too!!!! 

I am so proud or as Grandma Goaslind always says we shouldn’t be proud, we should be happy! I am happy that I am a part of the truth and that as a missionary I have the opportunity to bring others into the truth!!! The mission is something special that you can’t experience unless you serve!!!! I love my mission and I know that I am no better than anybody else, I am just here as an instrument in the hands of the lord!!! 

I love you all so much!!! And I am so happy that I am a part of the truth!!

I hope you all take the time to pray and ask god if these things are true even if you have done it before do it again to strengthen that testimony and then help others to strengthen their testimonies also!!! I LOVE YOU AND I LOVE MY SAVIOUR!!!!!!!!

CON MUCHO AMOR

ELDER GOASLIND