Really quick, I want to share a crazy trick that I learned while meeting the new district that came to our zone the other night. One Elder sat on a chair, with four other Elders surrounding him. Each Elder put two fingers forward, and tried to lift the center Elder together. Of course he wouldn't budge. Then each Elder alternates putting one hand over the head without touching anything, until all 8 hands are in the air. Starting from the top, the hands are removed one at a time. Then they all try to lift him with eight fingers again, and the middle Elder is lifted with no problem. It's the weirdest thing. We've tried it at least six times with some HEAVY Elders. When my district tried it with me, we almost made a hole in the ceiling. Era muy loco. Also, if you play Rock, Paper, Scissors with someone (1, 2, shoot) and ask what color their shirt is right before you play, they will ALWAYS choose scissors. 24/25 success rate with that one, and I'm pretty sure the other Elder knew about the trick already.
Okay, out of the shallow part of the letter. :) I'm getting much more comfortable with Spanish. Our district tries really hard to speak Spanish all "proselyting hours" and saving English for personal time. It's really helping a lot! Last Wednesday, we were excitedly talking about how much faster and more accurately we could speak. There's a lot to learn, but we're starting to get really excited about it. Last P-day, we met a temple worker who asked where we were going, and was excited when he heard that we were all heading to Argentina. He's from there, and spoke to us in Castellano the whole time. I love Argentine Spanish. I don't know what Cole's problem with it is. :) We could understand a whole lot of what he said, and his accent was incredible. The "ll" sound sounds like a "sh" just like I was told, but "más suave" than the ways gringos, or "yanquis" as the Argentines call us, pronounce it. My mind just works in Spanglish now, and sometimes the Spanish word for something will come to my mind faster than the English word. It's a weird feeling considering that I've spoken English for 19 years, and Spanish for really only about 3 weeks, but I'm really gaining an appreciation and testimony of the gift of tongues.
Sunday was a fast Sunday, so we had a fast and testimony meeting. I had the strongest feeling to get up and bear my testimony to my zone. I'm a little ashamed to say that I waited about 20 minutes before I obeyed, but I got up to bear my testimony about the work in Spanish. My testimony wasn't even anything special with my limited Spanish, a very short and humble testimony of a new missionary, but the Spirit was so strong. I know that, sometimes, Heavenly Father just wants to see us trying and pushing ourselves. He will always help us when we need it if we don't hesitate to show our faith. I've learned that when I doubt my own ability, I'm actually doubting the ability of the Father to help me when I need it. That's not something that I want to happen on my mission, so from here on out, I'm giving it 100%, receive that help, and allow the Spirit to accomplish great things among God's children.
On Tuesday, I got to sing in the choir again, which is still one of my favorite parts of the week. Brother Eggett, the regular choir director was back, and he taught us a unique version of "Sweet Hour of Prayer". He told us to think of a specific prayer that meant something to us, and told us a story of when he was leading the choir at General Conference, praying that his legs wouldn't shake on camera. He said that he realized how trivial the prayer was and told Heavenly Father not to worry about it, but his legs wouldn't shake the entire Conference. He realized how good Heavenly Father was to us, at that moment I made a promise to never allow a prayer to go by without thanking Him for more things than I asked of Him. Heavenly Father is the busiest Person in the Universe, but He wants to bless us with anything that we ask of Him in humility. That's absolutely amazing. Later that night, we watched the movie Joseph Smith: the Prophet of the Restoration, and I felt the Spirit the entire time. I'm so grateful for the people who gave so much for the beginning of this Gospel in our time. I've realized, however, that the only person that we've needed to fully rely on was our Savior. God could have found another person through which he could have restored the church, or given revelation to, or to serve a mission, but the only person that was irreplacable was Jesus Christ. He was the only Person to have been literally Begotten of God, to have been entirely Sinless, and to have been perfectly humble enough to perform the Atonement. Everything about the Gospel comes back to our Savior. I have a testimony that God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are perfectly unified in the cause for our salvation and exaltation. I'm so glad to be involved in this work. I know that the Lord wants my full "heart, might, mind, and strength" but doesn't need it, however I'm ecstatic to offer it to him. I bear testimony that Christ made it possible for us to return, and He with our Father in Heaven will do anything to help us along the way through the work of the Holy Ghost. Estas cosas digo en el nombre sagrado del nuestro Salvador, Jesucristo, Amén.
¡Hasta la semana próxima!
-Élder Goff
Also, Elder Fillerup accidentally sent this to me. I think it explains him better than I could in words:
--Sent later that day--
I don't have a whole lot of time, but I had an interesting experience in the Temple that I want to hurry and let you all know about. I've been reading everything about Grandpa and Grandma that you've been giving me, and I started to think about it in the Temple. I prayed several times that Grandpa and Grandma could make it through this change in their lives, and I felt at peace the entire time. While in the Celestial Room, I pondered about the change that seems imminent, and I begun to gently cry. I know that a lot of trials are about to happen. I love my family, and I want to see all of them when I get home, but I know that I may have to wait a little longer.
The interesting thing was, though I wanted to sob, I felt the Spirit so strongly. I've never understood the natural process of death so well before. But in reality, it's a happy thing. It's a necessary step that we must take to shed our mortal life, and begin our immortal life. Resurrection has been promised to all those who've made the choice to come to earth, and because our family has been sealed by God's holy Priesthood, there's no risk of not being able to see Grandma, or anyone else for that matter, again. It's such a beautiful thing, and I'm eternally grateful to know of the reality of my Celestial Family.
Thinking that someone doesn't have knowledge, and that many assume that when someone meets death, they cease to exist, is heart-shattering to me. I can not imagine the grief that would be associated with such a thought. I'm adding this to one of my many desires to serve as a representative of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: that though He died, He lives. And because He does, we can again too. And He promised that we will. And that we can do so with our entire family in a perfect state of happiness for eternity. I know this to be true with my entire soul. This I testify in the name of our holy and magnificent Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.
-Élder Goff
Alma 36:24
Alma 36:24
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