April 20, 2015- More tears than the first time I watched ¨Charlie¨

¡FAMILIA!

This week was insane. I don´t know if this P-day will do more good for my feet or my tear ducts. I´m gonna man up and confess that I cried a lot this week. Because of joy, because I felt the Spirit, and sometimes in a terrible pain for the suffering of others.

We´ll get the worst out of the way. There is an incredible couple in this ward that has been working for months to get married so they can get baptized, but are getting slammed with paperwork, deferrals, and frustration. But in the meantime, they´ve stayed positive, and active in the Church. They are beloved by the ward members, and regularly give us lunch. At the beginning of last week, we left their house stuffed, and happy, giving their three adorable kids high fives. A few days later, we were told that the three year-old, Bastian, had died after being run over and dragged by a motorcycle. We sang the hymn ¨O My Father¨ through the phone to the sobbing mother. I felt the Spirit so powerfully as we sang the fourth verse:

When I leave this frail existence,

When I lay this mortal by,

Father, Mother, may I meet you

In your royal courts on high?

Then, at length, when I've completed

All you sent me forth to do,

With your mutual approbation

Let me come and dwell with you.

Rest in Peace, Bastian. D&C 137:10

Also, please give my condolences to Sister Prince. I loved Brother Prince as my own grandfather. I pray that he will rest well in Spirit Paradise and prepare for his eternal marriage with Sister Prince in the Celestial Kingdom.

Mom, you also made me cry a lot. Your letter to Noemí (with back pain) was incredible. When we brought the translated copy to her, the whole atmosphere of the house felt wrong. There was more smoke than oxygen, the girls were crying, and Noemí had eyes redder than I have ever seen. She told us that she didn´t want to see us, and she didn´t want her daughter to investigate anymore, so I started babbling something about how much we loved her, and awkwardly gave her the note. There was silence for several minutes. She must have read it ten times. She faintly smiled and humbly thanked us. When we left, her eyes were as clear as someone who hadn´t smoked in years.

The next day we came back, Noemí told us of a dream that she had. Mom, you were standing next to her in bed, free of pain, encouraging Noemí to endure the pain. I showed her a picture of our family that I always carry with me, and she pointed directly to you, and said ¨That´s her. I never thought in my whole life that someone would love me enough to send a letter from a country so far away. I need that letter in English. I know I won´t be able to understand it, but I need that letter before my surgery.¨ I promised her that I would bring a copy of the original, and told her through tears how happy my Mom would be that she could help someone even though she herself was confined to a bed.

This work is incredible. The Plan of Salvation still blows my mind. How great is the mercy of our Heavenly Father. I know that God´s work is to bring about the greatest happiness to every human family for all eternity. I´m so grateful to be a minister of the very Gospel that will make that possible.

I love you all so much. Hasta la próxima semana. ¡Hurra por Israel!

-Élder Goff

P.S. Pictures:

2093- Probably the only time that I´ll ever have everyone in the District at a District Meeting at once.

2094- I have no idea where this frame came from. But it made for a cute little family picture. :P