Week 8 Babahoyo - Written on May 3, 2010
Hey! How are things going? I am doing really good we have three baptisms planned for the 15th of May so that will be cool. We should be having a wedding this week, but we will see what happens because we had a few setbacks in the paperwork. If we can´t get the problem fixed for this week then we will marry the couple next week and he will get baptized on the 15th. So we don´t have to change the baptism date yet, so that is good. So things are pretty good here. We have been working really hard this week and things are going so good. I am really going to miss the mission when I have to come home. Well I am going to send this and then we can chat for a bit, ok?
What else is going on with you? It sounds like you have been really busy to get all these baptisms and marriages ready. Please tell us more about the people you are baptizing and teaching.
Well, I told you about them last week a little bit, but we have a girl that is a member and she ran off with her boyfriend and then after a week and a half came back. So now she is repenting and we are teaching her boyfriend and they are going to get married and he is going to be baptised on the 15th of May. His name is Danny Pincay and her name is Roxana Tomala. We are also teaching a young girl. She is 11. She is a niece to Sandy and Wendy and a cousin to Nayely. Her name is Madelene. She is also going to be baptised on the 15th of May. The last one is a 17 year old girl. She is a reference of a few members that gave us the reference at about the same time, but she likes the church, is reading the Book of Mormon and has prayed about it and received an answer. Her name is Andreina Aguirre and she will also be getting baptised on the 15th of May. The other weddings I thought they were going to come through fast for us, but they are coming along a lot slower. So we are going to have to wait a little longer but I hope they come through in the end. I hope that answers your questions.
When I was asking them if their new house had room for me I was joking but I am still thinking about what I am going to do when I get back I am thinking that I might go back up and live with Grandma and Grandpa Goode they are all alone now and are going to need someone there so I could live with them and I could go back to work with Jerry at Central Valley. This isn’t sure but that is what the latest thoughts have been.
That is cool. The reason that they have two surnames is because they take one from each of their parents, so my whole name would be Curtis Craig Goode Parkinson That is how they do the names here in Ecuador. Just about all of them have two names and they all have two surnames. I am sure that Clain is excited about the temple.
Okay. That might be good, but I would make sure Jerry is willing to let you do more welding and use your skills and that he will pay you a higher wage so you can save some money up for school. I would like you to look at some of the welding jobs closer to home and maybe there will be something that will pay more down our way. It is true that Grandma and Grandpa would love the company again especially if you were more willing to help out with the things they need done around the house and yard. They have mentioned a number of times how much they miss you.
Working for Skyler might be a good option, but don't rush off to do it right away. He is making really good money down there, but then you would have to pay more for living expenses than you would if you were home and you would have travel expenses back and forth. I am not sure if you have any interest in selling insurance. You have been selling the best kind of insurance there is, eternal life with Jesus Christ, and you have been fairly successful at selling it. Maybe there is a future in that for you. I don't know.
Have you thought about being a Seminary Teacher. That thought keeps coming to me, like it would be a good place for you. I don't know. Lots of people have tried that option, but ended up in regular education instead. I know it is only a select few who make it into that profession. I wonder if there is something at the church offices that would appeal to you. You would of course need a degree of some kind, maybe something in computers. Have you considered that option? You are quite talented with computers. Another thing that has been in my mind for you for a long time is a job as a body guard for the Prophet. I have had a couple of dreams about it that were quite interesting. Anyway, consider lots of options before you make any decisions.
I will have to think about it, but don’t worry I will want to stick around at home if it is possible, but I just think about grandma and grandpa up there all alone and I would like to have someone there close by in case something happens. I sure hope nothing happens, but if it does and they are the only ones there. I don’t know I think that we are going to need someone there to keep an eye on them.
You are probably right. Michelle has been checking on them as often as she can. Shara may have to step up and stop more often on her way to and from work. Don't let that be your only motivation for going up there. I know there are always girls to motivate you and that is a good place to find some, but there are some sweet girls here closer to home and some that are interested in you. We will talk about that later. I am not sure if they are your type or not, but a couple of dates would let you know. Let me just say there are girls anxiously awaiting your arrival home.
Have a really great week. I love you and miss you. Thanks for being such a great son!
Love always and forever,
Mom
P.S. I have to go to Farmington now to swap phones. I thought you were done emailing for today, but if you should still be on, I would love an email telling me just how much you love and miss me!!! Thanks son.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Success in Babahoyo
Week 7 Babahoyo Written on April 26, 2010
Hey, so how are things going? I am doing really well here in Babahoyo we have been having a hard time but we have been having lots of success too. We have two baptism dates for the fifteenth of May a cousin of Wendy and Sandy and the boyfriend of a member they are living together so we are helping them get married and then after they get married then he can get baptized and a year from now they can go to the temple to be sealed as a family. We also have three other couples that we are working with that aren´t married we have to do a last will and testament for one couple and then they can get married and be baptized. We have another couple that he is a less active member and she isn´t a member and they aren´t married so we are going to help them get married and to do that we have to get a paper that she doesn´t have so that we can get then married. and the last couple he is living in Quevedo and she lives here and they want to get married and then be members of the church but the problem is they don´t have any money so we found him a job and now we are working on finding them an apartment and then we can get them married and get them baptized so right now I feel a little bit like a lawyer and a church employment officer we have found work and we are finding an apartment for them we have done papers and marriages so we are working hard for our baptisms but it will be worth it in the end. Well I love you lots and hope that all is going well.
Love,
Elder Goode
I think that is awesome Curtis. You are learning a lot about what it is like to be a Bishop. You have to help people fix a lot of their problems in their lives in order for them to be happy living the gospel. If their physical environment and situation are not good, they can't focus on the spiritual part of their lives very well, but when you help people get into a better situation where their physical needs are being met, then they can focus their efforts on improving spiritually. I think this is going to be a lot like what I will be dealing with as a Relief Society President. I have to help them to have hope in Jesus Christ. The hard part is that you can't do everything for them. You have to teach and then let them make decisions in their lives based on those teachings. We still have to let them exercise their agency and the church's plan is that they should help themselves as much as possible. It is hard when people don't follow through and do what is best for themselves.
I am glad you are working so hard and that the Lord is blessing you with some success. It will be a huge blessing to these people later in their lives to see what you helped them to achieve. I hope they are all able to stay active and progress to the temple. That would be the ultimate blessing for you.
What is going on in your Zone? Are all of your elders doing well? How is your companion doing?
As a zone we are doing really good we are having success. We had two more elders train here in Babahoyo so now every sector but mine has a new elder in it so that is kinda cool I have the chance to help a lot of new elders to progress and become better we really don´t have many elders that are very old in the mission there is Elder Casas and then me and my companion and the rest are at the year mark or younger so we have a really young zone but that is good they are obedient and teachable so we are having lots of success.
I am glad things are going well in your zone. Keep on being a fine example for the young missionaries. You had great examples to follow when you arrived in the mission. I am sure they will look to you to know what they should do and how they should act.
Are you doing very many interchanges with elders right now?
Tell us more about your ward and your companion please.
Have you heard anything about plans for coming home? dates? tickets?
We haven´t been doing very many interchanges but we are going to start doing them this week I will stay in our sector and elder De Leon will go to the other sectors and well thing will work out well. I haven´t heard much about coming home dates or tickets or anything like that I am sure that it will be in the process but that is Elder Elwood’s job not mine so he takes care of all of that I will hear more about that next change they usually don´t give us much notice before hand. The ward here is doing really good we are having lots of success as a ward the members are coming out to church we have regular assistance of between 150 and 180 members each week so that is good we are working to get the number up to 200 that is my goal before I leave here in Babahoyo so I hope I stick around a bit longer so that I can achieve this goal. We have lots of members that are helping us out a lot and this is why we are having so much success.
That sounds really great. I know the missionary work must go smoother when the members help. Otherwise the investigators don't have any friends and ties to the ward and will get lost when the missionaries move to another area. We are doing more missionary work in Relief Society, trying to plan some activities specifically for those inactive members we are targeting. I think with this new program we will get even more involved in missionary work.
Hopefully you can get involved with it when you get home.
Do you need anything?
Are you happy and healthy?
No, right now I am doing good. I don´t need anything else right now but can you do me a favor can you see if you can find a few fruit for me? You don´t have to buy them just see if you can find them to buy. Maracuya, platano, the tomato from the tree, narajilla, Zapote, Pitahaya, tuna or the cactus fruit, Guanabana, guava, and Mangos. I want to see what there is available for when I get back.
I think you may be disappointed in the quantity and quality and price of these strange fruits.
Why do you say that? Can you find these fruits in Utah?
So what time do I need to call? If it is five there that means that it is seven here?
I think so. Is that too late?
No, that is ok I just couldn’t remember the problem is that is one of the best times to visit with investigators Sunday at seven. I will see what I can do to not set up any visits for that time but we will have to see when we can do it.
Would it work better earlier in the morning? I will have a meeting at 11:00, but we could do it before that like at 9:00 or 10:00. That would be 11:00 or 12:00 your time. That would be great and might make it easier if we have to go up and get Taylor that evening. The girls wouldn't be here, but they probably won't be even after church. Jeff always has to do financial stuff and with Shara going to the conference, she probably won't come down either.
It would work better. Eleven is when we are leaving the church and we are doing less productive things at that time, so I think that when I leave the church it will be eleven thirty or so and then I can go call and talk to you. In the morning will be much better so that I don’t have to give up our appointments that night.
Dear Curtis
How are things? Did you have any baptism Saturday? It looks like we will be going Prong Horn Hunting in September. We drew out and we also all got our deer tags. Andy Kay is going to be taking us, maybe Ted, too. Clain twisted his ankle Saturday jumping on the tramp. Mom is going to take him to the Doctor today at 12:30 to have it checked. We are going to go see Michelle’s Picture she had to for her last project tonight right after school. Well let us know what is new and exciting that you have been doing? I Love You!
Love,
Dad
That is cool! I am really excited to go hunt. It has been a long time since I have been, over two years now. I just gotta wait another four and a half months and I´ll be there. Has Skyler talked to you yet? He sent me an email and said that he wanted to buy me an elk tag down there in Arizona, but he needs my hunting info. If he hasn´t talked to you yet could you get a hold of him and give him my info so that he can buy it if he is going to. Thanks. We didn´t have any baptisms, but we have two planned for the fifteenth and we have about five more that we are working on marriages, so that they can get baptized. So we should have some more baptisms in May. Well thank you. I love you lots.
Elder Goode
Hey, so how are things going? I am doing really well here in Babahoyo we have been having a hard time but we have been having lots of success too. We have two baptism dates for the fifteenth of May a cousin of Wendy and Sandy and the boyfriend of a member they are living together so we are helping them get married and then after they get married then he can get baptized and a year from now they can go to the temple to be sealed as a family. We also have three other couples that we are working with that aren´t married we have to do a last will and testament for one couple and then they can get married and be baptized. We have another couple that he is a less active member and she isn´t a member and they aren´t married so we are going to help them get married and to do that we have to get a paper that she doesn´t have so that we can get then married. and the last couple he is living in Quevedo and she lives here and they want to get married and then be members of the church but the problem is they don´t have any money so we found him a job and now we are working on finding them an apartment and then we can get them married and get them baptized so right now I feel a little bit like a lawyer and a church employment officer we have found work and we are finding an apartment for them we have done papers and marriages so we are working hard for our baptisms but it will be worth it in the end. Well I love you lots and hope that all is going well.
Love,
Elder Goode
I think that is awesome Curtis. You are learning a lot about what it is like to be a Bishop. You have to help people fix a lot of their problems in their lives in order for them to be happy living the gospel. If their physical environment and situation are not good, they can't focus on the spiritual part of their lives very well, but when you help people get into a better situation where their physical needs are being met, then they can focus their efforts on improving spiritually. I think this is going to be a lot like what I will be dealing with as a Relief Society President. I have to help them to have hope in Jesus Christ. The hard part is that you can't do everything for them. You have to teach and then let them make decisions in their lives based on those teachings. We still have to let them exercise their agency and the church's plan is that they should help themselves as much as possible. It is hard when people don't follow through and do what is best for themselves.
I am glad you are working so hard and that the Lord is blessing you with some success. It will be a huge blessing to these people later in their lives to see what you helped them to achieve. I hope they are all able to stay active and progress to the temple. That would be the ultimate blessing for you.
What is going on in your Zone? Are all of your elders doing well? How is your companion doing?
As a zone we are doing really good we are having success. We had two more elders train here in Babahoyo so now every sector but mine has a new elder in it so that is kinda cool I have the chance to help a lot of new elders to progress and become better we really don´t have many elders that are very old in the mission there is Elder Casas and then me and my companion and the rest are at the year mark or younger so we have a really young zone but that is good they are obedient and teachable so we are having lots of success.
I am glad things are going well in your zone. Keep on being a fine example for the young missionaries. You had great examples to follow when you arrived in the mission. I am sure they will look to you to know what they should do and how they should act.
Are you doing very many interchanges with elders right now?
Tell us more about your ward and your companion please.
Have you heard anything about plans for coming home? dates? tickets?
We haven´t been doing very many interchanges but we are going to start doing them this week I will stay in our sector and elder De Leon will go to the other sectors and well thing will work out well. I haven´t heard much about coming home dates or tickets or anything like that I am sure that it will be in the process but that is Elder Elwood’s job not mine so he takes care of all of that I will hear more about that next change they usually don´t give us much notice before hand. The ward here is doing really good we are having lots of success as a ward the members are coming out to church we have regular assistance of between 150 and 180 members each week so that is good we are working to get the number up to 200 that is my goal before I leave here in Babahoyo so I hope I stick around a bit longer so that I can achieve this goal. We have lots of members that are helping us out a lot and this is why we are having so much success.
That sounds really great. I know the missionary work must go smoother when the members help. Otherwise the investigators don't have any friends and ties to the ward and will get lost when the missionaries move to another area. We are doing more missionary work in Relief Society, trying to plan some activities specifically for those inactive members we are targeting. I think with this new program we will get even more involved in missionary work.
Hopefully you can get involved with it when you get home.
Do you need anything?
Are you happy and healthy?
No, right now I am doing good. I don´t need anything else right now but can you do me a favor can you see if you can find a few fruit for me? You don´t have to buy them just see if you can find them to buy. Maracuya, platano, the tomato from the tree, narajilla, Zapote, Pitahaya, tuna or the cactus fruit, Guanabana, guava, and Mangos. I want to see what there is available for when I get back.
I think you may be disappointed in the quantity and quality and price of these strange fruits.
Why do you say that? Can you find these fruits in Utah?
So what time do I need to call? If it is five there that means that it is seven here?
I think so. Is that too late?
No, that is ok I just couldn’t remember the problem is that is one of the best times to visit with investigators Sunday at seven. I will see what I can do to not set up any visits for that time but we will have to see when we can do it.
Would it work better earlier in the morning? I will have a meeting at 11:00, but we could do it before that like at 9:00 or 10:00. That would be 11:00 or 12:00 your time. That would be great and might make it easier if we have to go up and get Taylor that evening. The girls wouldn't be here, but they probably won't be even after church. Jeff always has to do financial stuff and with Shara going to the conference, she probably won't come down either.
It would work better. Eleven is when we are leaving the church and we are doing less productive things at that time, so I think that when I leave the church it will be eleven thirty or so and then I can go call and talk to you. In the morning will be much better so that I don’t have to give up our appointments that night.
Dear Curtis
How are things? Did you have any baptism Saturday? It looks like we will be going Prong Horn Hunting in September. We drew out and we also all got our deer tags. Andy Kay is going to be taking us, maybe Ted, too. Clain twisted his ankle Saturday jumping on the tramp. Mom is going to take him to the Doctor today at 12:30 to have it checked. We are going to go see Michelle’s Picture she had to for her last project tonight right after school. Well let us know what is new and exciting that you have been doing? I Love You!
Love,
Dad
That is cool! I am really excited to go hunt. It has been a long time since I have been, over two years now. I just gotta wait another four and a half months and I´ll be there. Has Skyler talked to you yet? He sent me an email and said that he wanted to buy me an elk tag down there in Arizona, but he needs my hunting info. If he hasn´t talked to you yet could you get a hold of him and give him my info so that he can buy it if he is going to. Thanks. We didn´t have any baptisms, but we have two planned for the fifteenth and we have about five more that we are working on marriages, so that they can get baptized. So we should have some more baptisms in May. Well thank you. I love you lots.
Elder Goode
2010_04_19 Finding New People
Week 6 Babahoyo - Written on April 19, 2010
So guess what I am still in Babahoyo and I am still with Elder De Leon. This last week has gone by so fast I can´t believe that I only have three changes left. That is 18 weeks. It is going to go by so fast. In the changes, Elder Dayton left and Elder Amaya and Elder Aucapulla. We got in place of Elder Amaya, Elder Hansen from Texas. He is fairly new in the mission. I think that Elder Olson and Elder Casas are going to train this change, but they haven´t said anything sure yet, but I guess we will see.
We had our baptism Saturday, so I ended this change with five baptisms, not bad at all for opening the sector with Elder Alvarez. We have a lot of new people that we are getting to know that we have high hopes that they will be able to progress and be baptised this change.
We have been working a lot outside of Babahoyo. We have been going to Jujan and to the Reform and a few other places to find people that haven´t ever heard the gospel. Here in Babahoyo there have been missionaries for more than thirty years, so just about everybody knows who we are and has listened to the missionaries at some time in their life. We are trying to know other places so that we can find new people and we are having lots of luck. We found a new investigator that we challenged to pray about Joseph Smith and she did it and received an answer and we are going to work on preparing her to be baptized. She just needs to come to church. Yesterday she didn´t come because she forgot about going to church until it was too late. The church here is from 8 to 11 am, so it is hard for a lot of people. They think like I did when I was young, that if I get up early all week long to go to school that I deserved a day that I could sleep in and they all use Sundays to do it. I have found out that if you get up at the same time every day even though you are tired in the morning, your body gets used to it and you feel better all of the time. Well I hope that all is going well with you out there and I am really surprised about dad’s talk. He never was one to talk much in public, but twenty minutes that is really pretty amazing for him.
Well, I love you lots!
Elder Goode
Hi Curtis,
Great to hear from you. Congratulations on your baptism. That is neat. Can you tell us more about the person you baptized?
Tell us some of the neat experiences you are having with teaching the gospel. What else exciting is happening down there? Give us a typical day in the life of a Zone Leader.
Love you lots,
Mom
I baptised an eight year old girl. She is the niece of Wendy and Sandy. Her name is Estefania Nayely Piza Arbelay. Her mom is a sister of Wendy and Sandy, but she isn’t a member of the church because she is living with a man. But they aren’t married, but it isn’t the dad of Nayely. It is another, so Nayely lives with her grandma and with Wendy and Sandy so we were able to baptise her, because technically her mom and dad aren’t members so that makes her a convert baptism so that was cool. We are having lots of success. We have been doing lots of exploring. We decide that we are going to go to a place to see what it is like and then we start to contact people. And then we ask the people for references where we can go to visit what people we can visit. And they usually tell us someone and we go visit this person and then we ask them for a reference and we go and go until we run out of time and it is time to take the bus back to Babahoyo so that we can work the evening in Babahoyo. But we have been led to some chosen people working like this. I know it is a little different how we are working, but it really helps. I also found another way to teach the Book of Mormon that is helping us to introduce the people to the Book of Mormon and they are accepting it a lot easier. We usually introduce ourselves and then talk to the person for a bit and find out what religion they are and if they assist the church and then we ask them if they like to read the bible. And if they say yes, then I ask them if there was another book like the bible that talked about Jesus Christ if they would be interested in reading it and they usually say yes they would. And then I tell them that I happen to have another book and then I start to tell them about it and they are usually really, really interested in knowing more about the Book of Mormon. For me the days are normal. I really don’t do anything differently. I get up, get ready, study and then leave to work, eat lunch, keep working and then at night I go back to the house, plan, eat something and then get ready for bed and then pray and sleep and then repeat. Well I hope that answered your questions. If not, let me know. Ok?
Bye,
Elder Goode
Well the Reform in Spanish is Reforma, so maybe that is why you didn’t find it, but Jujan is a city. It reminds me a lot of Balzar because it is kinda by itself and ghetto in that there isn’t much there. The Reforma is about five minutes outside of Babahoyo and then you have to walk a half hour on a dirt road to a place where there is about twenty or thirty houses. The other missionaries have baptised a lot of people from this place, so we aren’t having much luck there, but we got the idea to find other places where they haven’t ever heard the gospel from this place. A missionary found it and him and his companion baptised about twenty there, so we are hoping to find a place and do the same, baptise lots of people, but we will see how things go.
Dear Curtis,
How are you doing? Did you have any baptisms Saturday. My talk went really good yesterday I was to talk about 10 minutes but I went 20+ minutes. I have not been feeling very well I went to the doctor on Wednesday I was home from school 3 days last week. I’m still not feeling very well. I am really tired. Mom has been really busy this past week with her new calling. I think things will settle down as time go by. Tell us what is happening in your area with the people you are teaching? Are any more getting closer to baptism? Use your time wisely now. Now is when you will be the most effective. I will check back later. I love You!
Love,
Dad
I had my baptism it worked out really good. It was the first time that I have had to repeat a baptism in all of my mission. She was a little girl. She comes up to about my waist. When I baptized her, one of her feet came out of the water, so I had to do it again and this time I stepped on her feet so that they wouldn´t come up. So that was a first for me. I am really impressed that your talk went for twenty minutes. I´m sure that it was really good. I´m sorry that I couldn´t be there to hear it, but don´t worry mom gave me the shortened version in her letter. I love you lots and hope that all is well.
Love,
Elder Goode
So guess what I am still in Babahoyo and I am still with Elder De Leon. This last week has gone by so fast I can´t believe that I only have three changes left. That is 18 weeks. It is going to go by so fast. In the changes, Elder Dayton left and Elder Amaya and Elder Aucapulla. We got in place of Elder Amaya, Elder Hansen from Texas. He is fairly new in the mission. I think that Elder Olson and Elder Casas are going to train this change, but they haven´t said anything sure yet, but I guess we will see.
We had our baptism Saturday, so I ended this change with five baptisms, not bad at all for opening the sector with Elder Alvarez. We have a lot of new people that we are getting to know that we have high hopes that they will be able to progress and be baptised this change.
We have been working a lot outside of Babahoyo. We have been going to Jujan and to the Reform and a few other places to find people that haven´t ever heard the gospel. Here in Babahoyo there have been missionaries for more than thirty years, so just about everybody knows who we are and has listened to the missionaries at some time in their life. We are trying to know other places so that we can find new people and we are having lots of luck. We found a new investigator that we challenged to pray about Joseph Smith and she did it and received an answer and we are going to work on preparing her to be baptized. She just needs to come to church. Yesterday she didn´t come because she forgot about going to church until it was too late. The church here is from 8 to 11 am, so it is hard for a lot of people. They think like I did when I was young, that if I get up early all week long to go to school that I deserved a day that I could sleep in and they all use Sundays to do it. I have found out that if you get up at the same time every day even though you are tired in the morning, your body gets used to it and you feel better all of the time. Well I hope that all is going well with you out there and I am really surprised about dad’s talk. He never was one to talk much in public, but twenty minutes that is really pretty amazing for him.
Well, I love you lots!
Elder Goode
Hi Curtis,
Great to hear from you. Congratulations on your baptism. That is neat. Can you tell us more about the person you baptized?
Tell us some of the neat experiences you are having with teaching the gospel. What else exciting is happening down there? Give us a typical day in the life of a Zone Leader.
Love you lots,
Mom
I baptised an eight year old girl. She is the niece of Wendy and Sandy. Her name is Estefania Nayely Piza Arbelay. Her mom is a sister of Wendy and Sandy, but she isn’t a member of the church because she is living with a man. But they aren’t married, but it isn’t the dad of Nayely. It is another, so Nayely lives with her grandma and with Wendy and Sandy so we were able to baptise her, because technically her mom and dad aren’t members so that makes her a convert baptism so that was cool. We are having lots of success. We have been doing lots of exploring. We decide that we are going to go to a place to see what it is like and then we start to contact people. And then we ask the people for references where we can go to visit what people we can visit. And they usually tell us someone and we go visit this person and then we ask them for a reference and we go and go until we run out of time and it is time to take the bus back to Babahoyo so that we can work the evening in Babahoyo. But we have been led to some chosen people working like this. I know it is a little different how we are working, but it really helps. I also found another way to teach the Book of Mormon that is helping us to introduce the people to the Book of Mormon and they are accepting it a lot easier. We usually introduce ourselves and then talk to the person for a bit and find out what religion they are and if they assist the church and then we ask them if they like to read the bible. And if they say yes, then I ask them if there was another book like the bible that talked about Jesus Christ if they would be interested in reading it and they usually say yes they would. And then I tell them that I happen to have another book and then I start to tell them about it and they are usually really, really interested in knowing more about the Book of Mormon. For me the days are normal. I really don’t do anything differently. I get up, get ready, study and then leave to work, eat lunch, keep working and then at night I go back to the house, plan, eat something and then get ready for bed and then pray and sleep and then repeat. Well I hope that answered your questions. If not, let me know. Ok?
Bye,
Elder Goode
Well the Reform in Spanish is Reforma, so maybe that is why you didn’t find it, but Jujan is a city. It reminds me a lot of Balzar because it is kinda by itself and ghetto in that there isn’t much there. The Reforma is about five minutes outside of Babahoyo and then you have to walk a half hour on a dirt road to a place where there is about twenty or thirty houses. The other missionaries have baptised a lot of people from this place, so we aren’t having much luck there, but we got the idea to find other places where they haven’t ever heard the gospel from this place. A missionary found it and him and his companion baptised about twenty there, so we are hoping to find a place and do the same, baptise lots of people, but we will see how things go.
Dear Curtis,
How are you doing? Did you have any baptisms Saturday. My talk went really good yesterday I was to talk about 10 minutes but I went 20+ minutes. I have not been feeling very well I went to the doctor on Wednesday I was home from school 3 days last week. I’m still not feeling very well. I am really tired. Mom has been really busy this past week with her new calling. I think things will settle down as time go by. Tell us what is happening in your area with the people you are teaching? Are any more getting closer to baptism? Use your time wisely now. Now is when you will be the most effective. I will check back later. I love You!
Love,
Dad
I had my baptism it worked out really good. It was the first time that I have had to repeat a baptism in all of my mission. She was a little girl. She comes up to about my waist. When I baptized her, one of her feet came out of the water, so I had to do it again and this time I stepped on her feet so that they wouldn´t come up. So that was a first for me. I am really impressed that your talk went for twenty minutes. I´m sure that it was really good. I´m sorry that I couldn´t be there to hear it, but don´t worry mom gave me the shortened version in her letter. I love you lots and hope that all is well.
Love,
Elder Goode
2010_04_11 What to buy for Clain's Mission
Week 5 Babahoyo Written on April 11, 2010
Hey, so guess what this week has really flown by and I really can’t believe that I have been here in Babahoyo for almost a whole change I feel like I just got here and it is time for changes again. Time is going to start to fly by I know it Clain will be going on a mission here soon and then I will be getting back and wow how time flies. I remember when I left Taylor was just a little baby of nine months and now she is a little girl running around and talking and wow. It is amazing how things just change. President Gamboa is always saying the quote from President Monson that the most constant thing in life is change. How true it is. I still can’t believe it, twenty months in the mission. I am getting so old. Two years is such a short time. I still have so much to do here in Ecuador, but there just isn’t going to be the time to do it. I am running out of time.
Some advice for Clain when he is in the mission is that he should never waste any time. Always have something to do even if you are walking from one place to another, memorize scriptures and quotes. Just stay as busy as you can so that you can have the most success in your mission. I miss you all very much and I love you lots. I hope that all is well and that you can feel the blessings of the Lord in your lives.
As far as things that you should get Clain, find him a really good over coat that he can take with him. It rains a lot in Oregon and he needs something that is going to keep him dry. Here in Babahoyo, it is raining so much and all I have is a little umbrella. It doesn’t do much when it is windy and the water is coming down in buckets and buckets. Get him a good overcoat. Make sure that you have good shoes, but it shouldn’t be as big of a problem for him. His feet are smaller than mine and he will be in the states where it will be easier to get new shoes in his size. Make sure that you send him with lots of anti-diarrhea pills. They are life savers here in the mission. You take two of those suckers and you don’t have to go all day long, which is a good thing as a missionary. Well, I will keep thinking of other things that he will need as a missionary, but I have been quite well with what you sent me with, so don’t worry too much. The name labels work pretty well. They peeled off of the socks, but the rest of them are still where you put them. As far as the back pack, the one that I have been using is one that the mission was having custom made for the missionaries. It has the shoulder straps, but the bag sits at about waist level and isn’t really all that big. I have used the bag that Clain gave me, but I do like the other one better, because it is smaller and easier to use. I would suggest that he finds one that he likes that sits at waist level and that looks good but that will depend on him. He can choose which one he likes. His companions will help him figure all of this out. He will need a backpack for the MTC that is for sure, so make sure that he has one, but he might be able to wait to buy his proselyting bag in the mission. Well I love you lots!
Bye,
Elder Goode
I love you Curtis. Thanks for the info. Do you have time to tell us about your week and your baptism? Did your baptism work out? How is the other one coming that you have planned later this month?
Well we postponed the baptism for this Saturday so it should work out. We have a baptism planned for the 24th of this month. His name is Christian and he pretty much asked us to baptise him. We are also working on a few other baptisms that we will have for later. We are helping one family write up a will so that when they get married they know who is going to receive all of the things when one of them dies, but I called a lawyer from Portoviejo. She helps all of the missionaries with our legal matters and she told me what I have to do so that we can get the papers ready and then get them baptised. We have another family that we found that the missionaries were visiting before and they are working on a divorce so that they can get married so that she can get baptized. So we have a few more baptisms that are going to come.
That is so wonderful son. I am so happy the blessings are coming to you. I know your hard work is paying off. I love you so much. Thanks for honoring us as parents by being so obedient and strong in the gospel. I wish you could have been with us in the temple Wednesday, but I know that you are where the Lord needs you and the sacrifices we make will bring huge rewards to us in the end. Take care this week. Always remember who you are and that you are so very loved.
Love forever and always,
Mom
Hi Curtis! Are you still on?
I am still here. What is up? How are things going? I am doing good here. It is a little hot right now, but it isn´t raining, which is a good thing.
I got busy this morning and forgot to email you mom sent me a text and said you were on. Did you have any baptisms this week? Everything is going good. I won the first old bird race Saturday from Ft. Hall. I took 1st and 2nd. After school I have to take Clain down to get his Driving Record to send to his mission. I hope you are still there to read this. I Love You!
Love,
Dad
We didn´t have the baptism this week we moved it to this weekend because no one knew about it and we wanted everybody to come to the baptism. That is cool that you won the race I know that you will win a few more this spring too.
That will be good to get as many people there for the baptism as you can. Mom is going to be busy with her new calling. It will be good for her.
Hey, so guess what this week has really flown by and I really can’t believe that I have been here in Babahoyo for almost a whole change I feel like I just got here and it is time for changes again. Time is going to start to fly by I know it Clain will be going on a mission here soon and then I will be getting back and wow how time flies. I remember when I left Taylor was just a little baby of nine months and now she is a little girl running around and talking and wow. It is amazing how things just change. President Gamboa is always saying the quote from President Monson that the most constant thing in life is change. How true it is. I still can’t believe it, twenty months in the mission. I am getting so old. Two years is such a short time. I still have so much to do here in Ecuador, but there just isn’t going to be the time to do it. I am running out of time.
Some advice for Clain when he is in the mission is that he should never waste any time. Always have something to do even if you are walking from one place to another, memorize scriptures and quotes. Just stay as busy as you can so that you can have the most success in your mission. I miss you all very much and I love you lots. I hope that all is well and that you can feel the blessings of the Lord in your lives.
As far as things that you should get Clain, find him a really good over coat that he can take with him. It rains a lot in Oregon and he needs something that is going to keep him dry. Here in Babahoyo, it is raining so much and all I have is a little umbrella. It doesn’t do much when it is windy and the water is coming down in buckets and buckets. Get him a good overcoat. Make sure that you have good shoes, but it shouldn’t be as big of a problem for him. His feet are smaller than mine and he will be in the states where it will be easier to get new shoes in his size. Make sure that you send him with lots of anti-diarrhea pills. They are life savers here in the mission. You take two of those suckers and you don’t have to go all day long, which is a good thing as a missionary. Well, I will keep thinking of other things that he will need as a missionary, but I have been quite well with what you sent me with, so don’t worry too much. The name labels work pretty well. They peeled off of the socks, but the rest of them are still where you put them. As far as the back pack, the one that I have been using is one that the mission was having custom made for the missionaries. It has the shoulder straps, but the bag sits at about waist level and isn’t really all that big. I have used the bag that Clain gave me, but I do like the other one better, because it is smaller and easier to use. I would suggest that he finds one that he likes that sits at waist level and that looks good but that will depend on him. He can choose which one he likes. His companions will help him figure all of this out. He will need a backpack for the MTC that is for sure, so make sure that he has one, but he might be able to wait to buy his proselyting bag in the mission. Well I love you lots!
Bye,
Elder Goode
I love you Curtis. Thanks for the info. Do you have time to tell us about your week and your baptism? Did your baptism work out? How is the other one coming that you have planned later this month?
Well we postponed the baptism for this Saturday so it should work out. We have a baptism planned for the 24th of this month. His name is Christian and he pretty much asked us to baptise him. We are also working on a few other baptisms that we will have for later. We are helping one family write up a will so that when they get married they know who is going to receive all of the things when one of them dies, but I called a lawyer from Portoviejo. She helps all of the missionaries with our legal matters and she told me what I have to do so that we can get the papers ready and then get them baptised. We have another family that we found that the missionaries were visiting before and they are working on a divorce so that they can get married so that she can get baptized. So we have a few more baptisms that are going to come.
That is so wonderful son. I am so happy the blessings are coming to you. I know your hard work is paying off. I love you so much. Thanks for honoring us as parents by being so obedient and strong in the gospel. I wish you could have been with us in the temple Wednesday, but I know that you are where the Lord needs you and the sacrifices we make will bring huge rewards to us in the end. Take care this week. Always remember who you are and that you are so very loved.
Love forever and always,
Mom
Hi Curtis! Are you still on?
I am still here. What is up? How are things going? I am doing good here. It is a little hot right now, but it isn´t raining, which is a good thing.
I got busy this morning and forgot to email you mom sent me a text and said you were on. Did you have any baptisms this week? Everything is going good. I won the first old bird race Saturday from Ft. Hall. I took 1st and 2nd. After school I have to take Clain down to get his Driving Record to send to his mission. I hope you are still there to read this. I Love You!
Love,
Dad
We didn´t have the baptism this week we moved it to this weekend because no one knew about it and we wanted everybody to come to the baptism. That is cool that you won the race I know that you will win a few more this spring too.
That will be good to get as many people there for the baptism as you can. Mom is going to be busy with her new calling. It will be good for her.
2010_04_11 Clain's Mission Call
Week 5 Babahoyo, Written on April 11, 2010
Mom,
I don´t know about the wd 40 in my shoes but don´t worry I will see if here in Babahoyo there is a place that can fix the other pair that has a huge hole in the sole and maybe I can keep using them. Don´t worry too much. As far as dads talk, I know it sounds kinda harsh, but it is how he has been blessed by me being in the mission, not how I have been blessed in the mission, so he needs to think and meditate in the blessings he has received. I can´t tell him his blessings. He has to count them. I know it is hard, but tell him to count his blessings. How is his health and how is the family doing and his pigeons and things like that? What type of example has my going on a mission held in our family and in the ward? What did his mission do for him in his life? How did he learn and grow as a missionary? I´m sorry but I can´t write this talk for him, but there are some questions that he can think and ponder about to start his talk.
Love,
Elder Goode
Curtis,
Guess where I am going? You're right Ecuador! Just kidding! I am going to the Eugene, Oregon English speaking mission I leave on June, 23. How are things going down there? I have one more term of school left then I will be graduated and ready to go to Oregon. I am excited to get out there and serve. We are going to be going camping before I leave. How is your new companion? I am paying for my own mission so it will be more meaningful to me.
Sincerely,
Clain
Hey Clain,
I am so excited for you to have the opportunity to go on a mission. I know that it will be an awesome experience for you. I am a little disappointed that you aren’t coming to the best mission in the world, but I guess the second best will have to do. I bet it will be easier for you to talk to the people when you get out there than it was for me. You don’t have to learn a language. I love you lots and hope you the very best. I guess I won’t be seeing you for a little more than two years from now huh. Take care buddy.
Love,
Elder Goode
Hey mom told me that you are way, way excited for your call. I hope you are. It will be the best two years of your life. I know it will be hard and that you will have lots and lots of problems, but remember something that a missionary taught me here. If you want to have muscles, you gotta lift weights and the problems and trials and tests in this life are our spiritual weights. If we lift them right and do what we are supposed to, before and after, we can turn into Hercules, but we just have to be obedient and it will happen, ok? Remember, just be obedient and do what is right. I love you lots buddy.
Elder Goode
Curtis,
Thanks for the email. I will need to start gathering some of the things I will need for the mission. We are going camping as a family the week after school gets out. Then Braxton and I have a camp we are going on the week before I leave. It is to where we rafted the river before you left. I am going to go to the temple next week. I am very excited!!! How are things in Ecuador? I hope you have a (GOODE) week!!
Love,
Clain
Cool I hope you have a really cool experience in the temple it is something really, really, different and will help you a lot in your mission and your life. How was general conference? I got to watch all five sessions and it was really amazing one of the best I have heard. Well buddy keep excited to go and get everything ready so that you can go, ok? I love you lots.
Elder Goode
Curtis,
We watched all the sessions of general conference. Shara, Rob, and Taylor came Saturday and Michelle and Jeff came Saturday night and stayed late Sunday night. We are out of school this week so we cleaned the attic out and organized it. The temple was great, but it wasn’t what I expected, but it was a neat experience. Have you had or heard of a drink called "GUADANA"? It is a Brazilian drink. The Greenwells gave us some when we had dinner at their house today.
Love,
Clain
What great new experiences have you had this week?
This week I have been working hard we are trying to find new investigators and we are having a lot of sucess. We now have two baptism dates, one for this Saturday and the other for the 25th of April. The one for this Saturday is the niece of Sandy and Wendy that I baptised. The one for the 25th is a friend of Sandy and Wendy and a couple of member girls that live near by. She prayed and recieved an answer to her prayer, so she wants to get baptised, but she was kinda nervous to accept a date really soon, so we had to put it out a few weeks, so that we have time to teach her everything.
Were you able to find any new investigators?
We are finding people. It is kinda slow, but we are finding them.
How are your new converts coming along?
They are doing good. Sandy and Wendy didn´t go to conference, but Jessenia and Linyker went and learned a lot, too.
How are you and Elder De Leon getting along? Please tell us more about him, his family, his interests, etc.
We are getting along really fine. He is a little strict. Some times he looks down on all of my jokes and pranks and things like that, but we are getting along fine. He likes the gaming world, so we have lots to talk about. He had a Gameboy SP and played Pokemon and Zelda and lots of other games that I have played, so we have lots to talk about. You know I have figured something out in my life. I am kinda well rounded. I like to hunt and fish. I like to play games and do lots of other things, so I can get along with just about anyone and talk to them.
Did you get to see all of the General Conference Sessions?
Did any of your investigators attend and watch with you?
We had seven investigators in the Genereal Conference this weekend. It was pretty cool. I didn´t get much out of the Sunday morning session, because the other gringo missionaries are still kinda new, so they don´t understand all of the Spanish yet, so they wanted to listen to the conference in English. So Saturday we got out the tv in the church and watched the conference in Engish, the four of us together. That was pretty cool to hear the conference in our own language. But Sunday morning is when everyone comes to the conference. I think that they don´t understand that the conference isn´t just one session. It is five, but anyways they all came to the Sunday morning session. So they took our tv and put it in another classroom and put it in Spanish so that the moms with their kids could go in there to listen if there were noisy children so what we did is we put the conference on the speakers overhead in spanish so that the moms could hear in Spanish and then we put the tv in English and turned the volume down so that we could hear it, but not really loudly. So we watched the conference with lots of children crying and screaming. And I could hear the conference in Spanish and in English at the same time, but it was really confusing me, the two languages at the same time. So I had to sit farther from the tv, so that I couldn´t hear the conference in English, just in Spanish, so that I could understand it better. But it was still really hard because there were still the kids screaming and crying in the room with us. But oh well, I guess I will get the Liahona to read and then I can pick up what I missed.
How are the missionaries doing in your Zone?
Our missionaries are doing really good we are having lots of sucess here not as much as we would like to have but we are getting there.
Do you have Zone Conference this week or next?
Tomorrow is Zone Conference and it is here in Babahoyo, so this is a first for me. I think that it will be cool. I think that Sister Gamboa will probably inspect our houses, too, so we made sure that today we cleaned the house really good.
Tell us something funny that has happened to you lately.
Yesterday we went to an appointment after the conference and it started to rain. We taught the lesson and then I pulled out my umbrella and a poncho and I put on the poncho and I gave Elder De Leon the umbrella because he had forgotten his and we left to go to the house. We got outside of the house and we were standing on the side walk and we looked at the street and it was a running river we had no choice but to start walking and like Elder Mitchell said in his letter, waterproof shoes are awesome, but when you are in a little water but when the water comes up to your knee waterproof shoes just don´t do any good. So yesterday we got really wet and it was lightning and thundering, too, so we were really hoping that we didn´t get hit with lightning standing in a foot of water.
Do you have any advice for Clain?
Well I could tell him lots of stuff, but that would just ruin his surprise to find out what the mission is like. I will tell him to just work hard everyday, do his best and the Lord will do the rest. I am a poet and I know it. ha ha ha. (in spanish ja ja ja).
Mom,
I don´t know about the wd 40 in my shoes but don´t worry I will see if here in Babahoyo there is a place that can fix the other pair that has a huge hole in the sole and maybe I can keep using them. Don´t worry too much. As far as dads talk, I know it sounds kinda harsh, but it is how he has been blessed by me being in the mission, not how I have been blessed in the mission, so he needs to think and meditate in the blessings he has received. I can´t tell him his blessings. He has to count them. I know it is hard, but tell him to count his blessings. How is his health and how is the family doing and his pigeons and things like that? What type of example has my going on a mission held in our family and in the ward? What did his mission do for him in his life? How did he learn and grow as a missionary? I´m sorry but I can´t write this talk for him, but there are some questions that he can think and ponder about to start his talk.
Love,
Elder Goode
Curtis,
Guess where I am going? You're right Ecuador! Just kidding! I am going to the Eugene, Oregon English speaking mission I leave on June, 23. How are things going down there? I have one more term of school left then I will be graduated and ready to go to Oregon. I am excited to get out there and serve. We are going to be going camping before I leave. How is your new companion? I am paying for my own mission so it will be more meaningful to me.
Sincerely,
Clain
Hey Clain,
I am so excited for you to have the opportunity to go on a mission. I know that it will be an awesome experience for you. I am a little disappointed that you aren’t coming to the best mission in the world, but I guess the second best will have to do. I bet it will be easier for you to talk to the people when you get out there than it was for me. You don’t have to learn a language. I love you lots and hope you the very best. I guess I won’t be seeing you for a little more than two years from now huh. Take care buddy.
Love,
Elder Goode
Hey mom told me that you are way, way excited for your call. I hope you are. It will be the best two years of your life. I know it will be hard and that you will have lots and lots of problems, but remember something that a missionary taught me here. If you want to have muscles, you gotta lift weights and the problems and trials and tests in this life are our spiritual weights. If we lift them right and do what we are supposed to, before and after, we can turn into Hercules, but we just have to be obedient and it will happen, ok? Remember, just be obedient and do what is right. I love you lots buddy.
Elder Goode
Curtis,
Thanks for the email. I will need to start gathering some of the things I will need for the mission. We are going camping as a family the week after school gets out. Then Braxton and I have a camp we are going on the week before I leave. It is to where we rafted the river before you left. I am going to go to the temple next week. I am very excited!!! How are things in Ecuador? I hope you have a (GOODE) week!!
Love,
Clain
Cool I hope you have a really cool experience in the temple it is something really, really, different and will help you a lot in your mission and your life. How was general conference? I got to watch all five sessions and it was really amazing one of the best I have heard. Well buddy keep excited to go and get everything ready so that you can go, ok? I love you lots.
Elder Goode
Curtis,
We watched all the sessions of general conference. Shara, Rob, and Taylor came Saturday and Michelle and Jeff came Saturday night and stayed late Sunday night. We are out of school this week so we cleaned the attic out and organized it. The temple was great, but it wasn’t what I expected, but it was a neat experience. Have you had or heard of a drink called "GUADANA"? It is a Brazilian drink. The Greenwells gave us some when we had dinner at their house today.
Love,
Clain
What great new experiences have you had this week?
This week I have been working hard we are trying to find new investigators and we are having a lot of sucess. We now have two baptism dates, one for this Saturday and the other for the 25th of April. The one for this Saturday is the niece of Sandy and Wendy that I baptised. The one for the 25th is a friend of Sandy and Wendy and a couple of member girls that live near by. She prayed and recieved an answer to her prayer, so she wants to get baptised, but she was kinda nervous to accept a date really soon, so we had to put it out a few weeks, so that we have time to teach her everything.
Were you able to find any new investigators?
We are finding people. It is kinda slow, but we are finding them.
How are your new converts coming along?
They are doing good. Sandy and Wendy didn´t go to conference, but Jessenia and Linyker went and learned a lot, too.
How are you and Elder De Leon getting along? Please tell us more about him, his family, his interests, etc.
We are getting along really fine. He is a little strict. Some times he looks down on all of my jokes and pranks and things like that, but we are getting along fine. He likes the gaming world, so we have lots to talk about. He had a Gameboy SP and played Pokemon and Zelda and lots of other games that I have played, so we have lots to talk about. You know I have figured something out in my life. I am kinda well rounded. I like to hunt and fish. I like to play games and do lots of other things, so I can get along with just about anyone and talk to them.
Did you get to see all of the General Conference Sessions?
Did any of your investigators attend and watch with you?
We had seven investigators in the Genereal Conference this weekend. It was pretty cool. I didn´t get much out of the Sunday morning session, because the other gringo missionaries are still kinda new, so they don´t understand all of the Spanish yet, so they wanted to listen to the conference in English. So Saturday we got out the tv in the church and watched the conference in Engish, the four of us together. That was pretty cool to hear the conference in our own language. But Sunday morning is when everyone comes to the conference. I think that they don´t understand that the conference isn´t just one session. It is five, but anyways they all came to the Sunday morning session. So they took our tv and put it in another classroom and put it in Spanish so that the moms with their kids could go in there to listen if there were noisy children so what we did is we put the conference on the speakers overhead in spanish so that the moms could hear in Spanish and then we put the tv in English and turned the volume down so that we could hear it, but not really loudly. So we watched the conference with lots of children crying and screaming. And I could hear the conference in Spanish and in English at the same time, but it was really confusing me, the two languages at the same time. So I had to sit farther from the tv, so that I couldn´t hear the conference in English, just in Spanish, so that I could understand it better. But it was still really hard because there were still the kids screaming and crying in the room with us. But oh well, I guess I will get the Liahona to read and then I can pick up what I missed.
How are the missionaries doing in your Zone?
Our missionaries are doing really good we are having lots of sucess here not as much as we would like to have but we are getting there.
Do you have Zone Conference this week or next?
Tomorrow is Zone Conference and it is here in Babahoyo, so this is a first for me. I think that it will be cool. I think that Sister Gamboa will probably inspect our houses, too, so we made sure that today we cleaned the house really good.
Tell us something funny that has happened to you lately.
Yesterday we went to an appointment after the conference and it started to rain. We taught the lesson and then I pulled out my umbrella and a poncho and I put on the poncho and I gave Elder De Leon the umbrella because he had forgotten his and we left to go to the house. We got outside of the house and we were standing on the side walk and we looked at the street and it was a running river we had no choice but to start walking and like Elder Mitchell said in his letter, waterproof shoes are awesome, but when you are in a little water but when the water comes up to your knee waterproof shoes just don´t do any good. So yesterday we got really wet and it was lightning and thundering, too, so we were really hoping that we didn´t get hit with lightning standing in a foot of water.
Do you have any advice for Clain?
Well I could tell him lots of stuff, but that would just ruin his surprise to find out what the mission is like. I will tell him to just work hard everyday, do his best and the Lord will do the rest. I am a poet and I know it. ha ha ha. (in spanish ja ja ja).
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