THE BIG NEWS ABOUT THE TRANSFERS!!!! ARE YOU READY!!!!

So first of all, today all of your emails were amazing!!! I feel so uplifted right now, and all I want to do is go and teach everybody!!! So I am sure that you are all dying to know about where I am, who I am with, and how is everything!!! But first of all, at the transfers meeting I met Anna Bailey’s cousin, Elder Nichols, or something like that. And also, Jamison Wagner one of the people in our stake who I was in mission prep with, he is now in my mission!!! How crazy that is, I know so many people here!!!!! 

 

So now about the transfers, all of you know that I was taken out of Puerto Maldonado, which is okay, and now I am serving in JULIACA it’s a zone with 28 missionaries, a ton, and we are one of the 100 stakes here in Peru. so Juliaca is absolutely freezing cold, we are in the season of the ice right now, basically it’s like the coldest day that you can think of during the winter in Utah, but without snow. And it’s like that all day basically except for like 2 hours in the afternoon if you are out in the sun!! But I absolutely love Julicaca, besides the fact that it is way cold, I love it the people here are so nice and our ward is awesome, they help a ton with the work!!! Also here, there are a ton of people that speak Quechua, so I am learning a little bit of that, just a couple words and like 2 phrases, but I can actually understand a  lot of the stuff they say in Quechua, I just can’t talk back.

 

So now about my companion, and all that fun stuff. 

So actually in Juliaca I am opening a brand new sector that has never been open before, so I have to do a ton of stuff like find room, get the desks beds, and all that stuff!! Right now we continue living with the other elders. My sector is called Alborada 2. It’s awesome, 

ALSO!!!  I'M TRAINING A NEW MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am finally a trainer after wanting that for so much time!!!!!!

AND, MY COMPANION IS GRINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My comp is Elder Bentson, he is from Riverton Utah, and has 19 years. He is way cool; the only challenge is that he is learning Spanish like all other gringos. But that’s okay. So I have a ton of weight on my shoulders opening a sector, training a gringo, and teaching him Spanish!!! But it’s awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

 

So Juliaca is about 6 hours away from Cusco, and has a very high altitude. So that’s where I am. 

Now about the spider that was in our room in Puerto, we ended up trapping it with a broom and then stomping the broom bristles on it to kill it!!! It was so gross!!! But oh well in Juliaca there aren’t bugs, it’s too cold!!!!

So mom like you said, I can’t believe how many people are serving missions right now!!! It’s so crazy but it is awesome!!!! And I am so happy!! Because right now is the time when the lord has prepared his people for us to teach them!!!!!!!!! I love the work of the lord, the mission is a once in a lifetime experience that you will never have again, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. 

 

This Saturday pasado (last), we had a talent show with the stake here, and as a zone we did a talent interpreting stories of the Book of Mormon and  making them funny, and everybody loved it!!! It was so funny, I was the missionary studying the stories and then the others would come on stage and interpret what I read. On the mission there are so many good bonding experiences it is incredible!!!!! So I don’t have a lot of time to send pictures today because my zone leader is hovering over my shoulder watching the time, but I will try and send some! 

 

But just know how much love I have for each and every one of you, and also of my love for the lord!!!!! With him in our lives everything is possible!! I believe that with all of my heart!!! I hope that you guys believe it too!!!! I LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU!!! Have a great week, and I can’t wait to hear from you all next week, and hear about all of your awesome experiences!!!!!! 

TRANSFER TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello to everybody all over the world that is receiving this email!!!!

 

So you guys have a ton of questions for today and I really hope that I am going to be able to answer all of them!!! So first about Lima, so yes last week I was in Lima, it was just as much of a shock to me as it was to all of you! Sunday night I had to travel to Cusco, and no I wasn’t alone I went with Elder Johnson, my companion from the CCM. so that was nice, all day Monday we had pday in Cusco, and then Tuesday morning Elder Johnson and I, and a group of 20 other missionaries, so in all 22 we flew to Lima, we ended up doing paperwork all day Tuesday, and half a day Wednesday, but guess what so after we received our Peru ID’S we were supposed to fly back to Cusco Wednesday in the afternoon, we got to the airport to go, and the person with our boarding passes from the church wasn’t there waiting for us, so we missed our flight!!!  And so our person in charge from the church told us we would be staying another night in a hotel, so we finally flew back to Cusco Thursday morning, but then I was in the mission office literally all day Thursday until the night I traveled back to Puerto. And got to Puerto Friday morning, so almost an entire week I was gone from my sector, let’s just say we didn’t get a whole lot done that week. but guess what, while I was in the office Presidente Harbertson sat down on the couch and talked with me and another elder for like an hour, just stories from his mission, he asked about our sector’s and all that and it was neat, he didn’t ask about grandpa, I think because the other elder was there also, but it was cool to talk with him one on one and not in a huge group.

 

So Friday morning I arrived in Puerto, and we worked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, then guess what happened!!!! Sunday the zone leaders called and told the transfers, I HAVE A TRANSFER!!!!!!!!! I will no longer be in Puerto, and guess what they are only leaving my comp in our sector, they are changing the other elder who was in our trio so my comp will have to show the sector to 3 people now!!! So I was up until 3 in the morning with the other elder getting our luggage ready because today we have to say good bye to people, so I am extremely tired today, and I hope I can sleep on the bus tonight traveling to Cusco AGAIN!! There is never a dull moment here!!!  And I realized that I have so much crap in my suitcases I have started to leave a bunch of things that I have never used now that I know what the mission is like. But I knew this day was coming, after the last baptism of Luz Marina y Miguel Angel, I had this peaceful feeling come over me telling me that my work here in Puerto Maldonado was finished. So it won’t be a painful transfer because I know I completed the things I came to do. It’s interesting how the spirit helps us to know things. And the peacefulness that we can feel while listening to the spirit. 

 

Oh and no I haven’t done my drivers license yet because the mission office has to make a copy of my ID. But I will do it soon I hope.

 

So I am glad you got to see my friends the other night, that’s always good, they told me that Nicole made a video of all of us, I want to see it, it would probably be better to send it in a package though!!! 

Oh and that news about lucky made me so happy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s a little weird to think that he looks so unhealthy but in reality he’s healthy. Ha-ha oh I miss my fat little stinky dog!!!!!! But trust me there are plenty of dogs here in Peru just roaming the streets!!!

 

So really I don’t have any good stories from this week because I was gone like the entire week, but we did have the chance to go to the temple while we were in Lima, and that was good, it was basically just Missionaries there and the spirit was so strong it was incredible!!!

 

Well I don’t have a lot more time and to be honest I am like half asleep right now because I only sleep like 3 hours in the night and I was waken up because one of the elders feel of the top bunk of his bunk bed at 5:30 in the morning and I couldn’t sleep after!!! So it’s been an interesting day!!!! But ya, I will be traveling from Puerto to Cusco tonight with 10 other missionaries from Puerto, and next week I will let you all know where I am serving and who my is comp and all that good stuff!!!!! I love you and miss you all like crazy!!! But I am in the right place, and I don’t want to say this to make you sad, but I honestly don’t think of home that much I have been so focused in the mission and the work that there isn’t enough time to think about things going on at home, but I do love you and miss you all!!! I may not always think about home, but you are always in my heart!!!

 

I LOVE YOU!!!

LOVE ELDER GOASLIND!!!!!! 

 

Ps. I am sending some pictures, the one with the spider, the spider was in our room the other night and it was bigger than my hand!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

BAPTISMS 16 & 17

So the title of this says baptisms 16 and 17 but I don’t know if that is right, I have lost count now. So how is everybody doing this week!!! I hope that everything is good because if not I will have to hunt you to find out why!!! Haha. 

So dad you wanted to know for the baptism last week what was their conversion basically, honestly, I can't really put a specific point or lesson with that, for them is all just kind of built of and clicked one day and we started everything, one day we were talking and they just said that they know it’s true.  But they are awesome, one of the men received the priesthood yesterday but the other wasn’t there they had to go to Juliaca to visit family. 

Now the big question that mom and dad both asked, YES I did get to meet Presidente Harbertson and his wife, they came to Puerto on Friday the 5th, and we had a training with them, his wife, does not speak a thing of Spanish, the only things she can say is mucho gusto, which basically means nice to meet you. So she was sticking with the gringos to be able to talk in English. but they are very nice, he talked with each of us personally for like 3 minutes, and I didn’t even have to say anything about grandpa or Mark, he automatically recognized my name and started asking about them, so it was interesting, but all the elders after were like, what did he say what did he say!!! He knows you???? If was funny to explain! Haha. But he is cool, I am a little scared everyone is saying that because he knows me I am going to get put in higher positions, so we will see haha. But the transfers are next week, I think it is Tuesday the 16th, so we will know that Sunday before on the 14th who has change, and it would be nice to have a change of comp. we get a long but our personalities are very similar and so we get very stressed and upset with each other very easily because we are both the type A of person that has to have every answer correct and we know what we want, so it’s interesting but we work good together! So we will see. 

So guess what on the 11th of this month it will be one year since I received my mission call!!!!!!!!! HOW CRAZY IS THAT!!!!!!!!  I can’t even believe how fast that time has passed, I don’t want it to pass by I love the mission with all my heart it is the best!

So on Saturday we didn’t have the baptisms, we had to finish all of the lessons so we ended up having the 2 baptisms Sunday in the afternoon, but it was amazing!!! Luz Marina and her son Miguel Angel are the best!!! They are so prepared for this!!! And I absolutely love them!!!!!! Sorry I forget my camera today, so I will have to send the pictures next week, but remind me in your emails to send them!!! 

This baptism was awesome we have so many members that have started helping us because they have seen the success we have been having and its way good because the baptism was full!!!!!!!! So we are going to keep working to help invite others to come to Christ!!!!!

Oh guess what!!!!!!!! WRITE NOW I AM WRITING YOU IN CUSCO!!!!! HAHA

So I am writing you in Cusco because tomorrow I am going to be going to Lima again to finish all of the papers for my Peru ID, so I am on vacations again!!!! HAHAH I have decided that my mission is pretty relaxing there are so many things that help pass everyday here haha!!!!! Well I don’t have a lot of time to write more and as you can see the computer doesn’t want me to write more because it already sent the first part of the email, but I love you all so much!! And I can’t wait to hear from you next week! And tell you if I have a transfer or not!!! But I love you all so much; say hi to everyone for me!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!! Have a great week, talk you later!!!

LOVE YOUR FAVORITE MISSIONARY

ELDER GOASLIND!!!!! 

BAPTISMS 12,13, 14 & 15!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So sounds like all is going well back at home!!!!!!! I hope that everything continues to go well. First I just want to say again, happy birthday mom!!!! I hope it was fantastic!! And I hope that this week and the coming week that Kolby, Mercedes, and Sarah all have great birthdays!!!!!! One year older and wiser too, happy birthday too you!!!!!! Haha. 

So as a lot of you know, as of today PRESIDENTE HARBERTSON took over the mission Peru Cusco today!!!!!!!! How weird is that!!!! I don’t know what things will change if any, but we will see in time!!!! One thing we are all hoping for is that he will get cell phones for all the companionships!!!!!! We will need it because it is so hard to communicate with leaders, and investigators, so pray for cell phones please!!! Hahah

So dad about that new area, we haven’t worked in it because we still don’t feel like it is very safe to go there, the people haven’t quite calmed down yet after that whole rebellion thing when we had to move rooms, that’s why it was closed before, but maybe we will go soon, I don’t know. 

So mom yes the elder in my apartment is way trunky!!!!! All he talks about is how many days he has left in the mission and what he will be doing in his house soon!!! and it’s horrible, I honestly can’t wait for him to go because he is making my comp think about home and my comp doesn’t want to study, work, nothing so I have been dragging him behind me for like a week!!!! But that’s okay, because he goes this week and then we start the trio I think. 

Oh good news!!!! We are moving to another apartment today!!!! We have half of a house that is in back of an old spa, haha, but we are going there today, and it is so much better than the room we have right now!!!! So that we will be a boring pday moving all our stuff but oh well, you gotta do what you gotta do.......

So now about the baptisms!!!!!!! So last week, on Saturday my comp and I had 2 weddings, and 4 baptisms!!!!! Jacinto, and Rocio, got married and also Lucila and Wilington. It was really weird honestly I don’t like how they do marriage ceremonies here, the people getting married sit at a table in front with their backs to the audience, and a person from the government reads all these rules from a big book about marriage, and then he says now we will sign the documente, so they do all this paper work in front then they kiss and that’s it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! All of that stuff we did for like a 4 minute ceremony!!! ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh well they got married, and the funniest is I had to do all the wedding decorations, haha, in there house, and in the chapel where the ceremony was. But the best part was the baptism!!!!! So we had about half of our branch there, and all there family members that were in the wedding, and it was awesome!!! So we had Jacinto, Lucila, and Wilington that got married, who were also baptized, Rocio did get baptized because she is already a member, but her daughter Carmen got baptized!!!! And along with that the other elders in the branch had 2 baptisms, so we had 6 in total this week for our branch!!!!! So I baptized Jacinto, and Carmen, but funny story Jacinto is huge, and I am little, and he didn’t want to wait when I said amen for my hand to be on his back to support him, so I said amen, and he doubled back and went in the water, so I had to try and fish him out but he was on the bottom of the font, so it was a little hard because he’s so fat!!!!! But it was a funny story him and I were laughing about it for like 3 hours after it happened!!!!! haha. 

So then we had there reception in there house and it was packed which was good because that morning we helped to cook food for about 300 people!!!! So they all danced and ate, and we just watched because we can’t dance but it was fun to see them because it is different than in Utah!!! 

So on Sunday, we took from 9:15 until 10 to do all 6 of the confirmations, then we had the sacramente, and we ended for Sunday school!!!! haha. But it was the best thing ever!!! They are now talking about their goal to be sealed in the temple in 1 year!!!! They are a family of gold!!! I have such a great love for them; they are like my second family here!!!!!!!

So mom I hope that was a good present for your birthday!!!! haha

But then one of our investigators came up to us after the baptism because she came to see it, she came up and ask if her and her 2 kids that have 8 and 9 years can get baptized this Saturday, so this Saturday we should have 3 baptisms if everything works out, and if we can finish teaching everything!!!! But the work is progressing here a ton!!!! And I am so happy not that I have baptisms, but that I am helping these people come unto Christ and understand their purpose in life!!!! 

So I can’t believe that we are already in Julio!!!! It’s insane!!!!!! 

Oh I remembered something else!!!! The month of June as a zone in Puerto Maldonado, we had 30 BAPTISMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is about 3 for every companionship, and presidente told us we should always have at least 2 for every companionship and it’s very rare to reach the number 30 it doesn’t happen a lot!!! But that’s all for this week!! This week was great, and I am going to keep working hard because the time in the mission is short!!!!! And I have to help as many people as I can to come unto Christ!!!! I love you all and hope you have a great week!!!!!! 

LOVE ELDER GOASLIND!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

CRAZINESS HERE IN PUERTO!!!!

(email June 24, 2013)

Hola from Puerto Maldonado!!! 

So from all of the emails it sounds like everything is going good at home!!!! So first off, I did not know that Elder Brey got moved to the office, they don’t tell us those things until the next change. But he got moved there as personal secretary I think, because the secretary is going to finish his mission at the end of this change. So that’s why he is there now, the assistants chose him. But that’s cool!!! I think he will do a great job at that!!! So dad to answer your question about when we are going to meet the new president, we have heard that he should be coming to Puerto to visit us the 5th of July. So we will see if that happens, I can’t believe that Presidente Calderon is going to be finishing his mission!!!! In fact yesterday he was in Puerto and after the transmission of all the leaders we had a devotional with president and all the members in Puerto. And afterwards he told all the missionaries to meet us at a pizza restaurant and he spent about 400 soles and bought us all dinner. And we didn’t get back to our room until about 12 at night. So it was way fun to say our final good byes to Presidente Calderon. He was an awesome president.

So I am sorry to hear about Grandpa Van. That’s not fun at all!!! Don’t worry I will keep him in my prayers, and I hope that he heals really soon. Mom you as well, you have to stop getting sick!!!! You need to go to bed early and stop watching The Big Bang Theory and reading your books late into the night, please get better soon and know that I am praying for you!!!! Yes I finally got my package!!!!! Thank you so much for that!!!! 

So what did you have to eat at the Peruvian restaurant that you went too? Was it good? I LOVE PERUVIAN FOOD!!!!!

So yes we did get to watch the transmission yesterday and it was AWESOME!!!!!! It was amazing to see all of those missionaries and to feel the power that we have as missionaries, but also to know that the members are to help us out we can’t do it alone!!!! Some of the things they said were a little surprising like, in due time the missionaries are going to be able to use Facebook and computers to communicate with investigators and members, to find new people to teach. So we will see when all that happens!!!!! Presidente Calderon after that had us all sing Called to Serve in front of all the members, and the spirit was absolutely incredible, all the members whipped out their cameras and were filming and taking photos of us, and I love the fact that I am a missionary!!!!!!! 

So now about my investigators, so this week the 2 marriages and 4 baptisms are still on track to go through. We are waiting on 1 paper more and then everything will be ready!!!!! They are all really excited for their marriages and baptisms. And so am I!!! It’s so nice to see the hard work pay off with bringing others unto Christ!!!! So we talked with the relief society and the presidency is going to cook a wedding cake of 3 levels for the wedding, and we have a ton of other people helping out and giving ideas for everything, so it’s way nice!!!!!! And I am going to take a little money off my card as a gift to buy some decorations, not a lot just something small.

So along with Jacinto, Wilington, Lucila, and Carmen that are going to get baptized this week. In total, our zone, we have 18 people with baptism dates for this Saturday, so starting tomorrow as a zone we are going too fast for all of these people so they can get baptized. I know that if its gods will, through our obedience, and power he will make sure that these people get baptized, because they are ready!!!!! So it is going to be really cool to have that fast as a zone. And please all of you pray that we can get everything done for these marriages, and baptisms because they are ready!!!!! 

So this week we had basically no time to find new people to teach it was insane!!!!!! We have been doing all sorts of papers for the weddings and planning everything with them, and so this week we are going to work really hard to find new people because if we don’t we are not going to have anybody to teach because they are going to become members. So we are going to try and work with the members this week to get some references going and have them help us out like we learned yesterday in the training!!!! 

But the work here is going good, I love my duty as a missionary, and the fact that I get to see people repent and change their lives every day that we teach them, and I know that as I continue working the lord will bless me with the wisdom and spirit I need to help these people!!! You guys have no idea how rewarding a mission is until you have served. But there is a way you can find out a little. And that is to be a member missionary help the missionaries, give references, go with them to their appointments, and they will be ever so grateful for you guys and you will all see the blessings that come from working for the lord!!!! 

As children of god we all have a responsibility to help our brothers and sisters, if you had a family member that wasn’t a member, or wasn’t attending church, wouldn’t you want to help them know the truth or come back to the truth?????? Why can’t you help your other brothers and sisters, WE ARE ALL CHILDREN OF GOD!!!! HELP THEM!!!!!!! 

I want you all to know how much I love each and every one of you, and how big of examples you all are in my life, and I hope that this week is fantastic for you!!!!! Share the gospel with someone this week, or give a reference to the missionaries, it’s our duty as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. If we are to follow the example of Christ we must do these things!!!! 

I LOVE YOU ALL!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!! 

And mom I hope that you have a great birthday this Saturday!!!!!!! How old are you??? 25....again!!!! Hahah I love you have a great birthday!!!!! I hope all your dreams come true!!!

CON MUCHO AMOR

ELDER GOASLIND

 P.S.  Tell Liz and Boyd that their friend Van Evans says hi from Puerto Maldonado. I met him the other day in the plaza and he recognized my last name!!!! Haha the world is so small!!!!!!  

FELIZ DIA DEL PADRE!!!!!!!!!!!!! (HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!)

Hey first off I hope that you had a great father’s day dad!!! Sorry I couldn’t be there, but I am busy doing the work of my father in heaven bringing my brothers and sisters back to him. But from your emails it sounds like you had a great day!!!! 

So guess what, I BOUGHT A DR. PEPPER THIS WEEK!!!!! We went to the market, and they had one there and I broke down and bought it, 7 months since I have had a Dr. Pepper and it was amazing!!!!!! I am getting pretty tired of orange Fanta every day!!!! HaHa. So the other day we went with our district to do service for the city because we have a contract with them so that marriages are easier, and we were cleaning and some old guy came up to the sister missionary and pointed at me and said... look that gringo is Satan.....so apparently I am Satan!!! HaHa and then when he left he walked by me and called me Satan again. Gotta love the people here!!!  

 

So I hope everything went well with grandma’s birthday, sounds like everything was good, you are all gomers in the family picture HaHa but that’s okay because that describes our family, we are all very interesting people!

 

So mom asked if I have been working on the new part of our area, honestly no, we haven’t done any contacting lately we have been so busy with investigators its insane, this month for the 29th, we are going to have 2 marriages, and it is a pain to do all the paper work here and get everything ready to go for those marriages that we have been working with them a ton to get them ready for the 29th, so we have two marriages, and 4 baptisms planned for the 29th, and it all depends on if we get the paper work done in time!!! AHHHHHHHHH!!! I am so happy that the marriages in the USA are easier!!!! But we need to find new people to teach because when they get baptized we won’t have anyone. The first couple is Lucila and Wilington, the other is Jacinto and Rocio. But Rocio is member so she won’t get baptized again, but her daughter Carmen is going to be baptized that day as well so those are the 4 with date, and they honestly are the best people ever, I do not want to leave this sector because these families are the best people ever!!!!!! I feel like they have become my second family here!!! Yes the jungle is still all hot and humid and every day I sweat off about half of my body weight!!!!!! But no it is not raining every day like your iPhone says; it hasn’t rained in about 2 weeks or more, so that’s why it’s so hot here!!! 

So about Ronaldiño, we still don’t have the permission from his parents so we don’t know when he is going to be baptized but I hope that it is soon. Because he is awesome!!! And he has the biggest desire to be baptized so we are still working with them to get the signature from his parents because they have to sign the baptism record because he is only 12 years old. But we are working hard here, and let me just say it’s very tiring!!! Emotionally giving all sorts of advice to people every day, and physically in how much we walk and how hot it is. But that is the life of a missionary, and that is how we receive blessings is by helping other people receive blessings!!!! So I love you all and I am sorry this email was kind of short, but I loved hearing from you, and I hope that I hear from you next week as well!!! I LOVE YOU!!! Have a great week and keep moving forward!!!!

LOVE ELDER GOASLIND!! 

Sorry there aren’t pictures today, the computer is being dumb and won’t accept my memory card, but oh well, I will send some next week!!! 

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