Three Baptisms plus one More!!!

Have you gotten the Valentines packages yet?

Yes, I got the valentines packages the Wednesday before I got transferred.

Have you given many blessings? Tell us about some of them, please.

I have given a few. The last ones that I gave were, one for my companion, Elder Alvarez. He has just about the same problem that dad had a while back. His knee is pretty beat up and he needs to have surgery, but he wants to wait until after the mission and since this is his last change that will be ok. So he was hurting and asked if we could give him a blessing. I sealed the anointing and gave the blessing. After, another Elder that lives in the house with us, wanted a blessing and he asked me to give the blessing. He was having chills and he had a fever, so I gave the blessing and after two hours he was feeling better. Blessings work.

Did you have your three baptisms?

Yes, we had three baptisms this week. That was pretty cool.

Did your zone have all eight baptisms?

No, we ended up having three baptisms as a zone.

What are some of the new things you do as a Zone Leader?

I am now in charge of a zone instead of a district. I have to make sure that everything goes good here as a zone and take care of any problems that there are here. I am the eyes and ears of President now, here in Babahoyo.

What is the best part about being a Zone Leader?

It really isn´t much different than being a district leader, just that I have more responsibility. I guess it would be that I got to eat McDonald’s when I went to Guayaquil last Friday for the Zone Leader Conference.

When do you get to go to a Zone Leader Conference?

I went last Friday and I learned a lot. We talked about the stuff that President and Sister Gamboa want us to make sure that all of the missionaries know about.

When is your next Zone Conference?

The Zone Conference will be later in the change, I think the fifth week of the change.

Tell us more about your companion.

He is from Bolivia. He is going to finish the mission this change, so I will for the first time kill a missionary. He has spent just about all of his mission in Guayaquil.

He was in Quevedo for a few changes and now this is his third change in Babahoyo.

Tell us about the sector you are working in. What part of Babahoyo is your sector in?

I have the entrance to Babahoyo and I have part of the road toward Guayaquil. I have to a city that is called Jujan (who han).

I can’t see a lot on Google Earth because it sits underneath the big white cloud, the same one that blocked out Balzar and Valencia. But I can see it on the map and there are a few photos of the city that come up. Are you in the city part or out on the outskirts of the city?

I live somewhat in the center of the city and my sector is part of the city, but not the center just houses and then I have all of the outside parts, too, till Jujan.

Is it cooler there than Portoviejo?

No, it is way, way hot here. I am sweating like crazy here.

Are you in a ward or branch?

I am in a ward. The ward is called Barrio Lindo, ( Barrio also means ward).

Do you meet with the stake leaders now?

Yep, we had a meeting with the Stake President and all of the Bishops last week.

Do you have more investigators you are working with? Tell us about them.

We have lots of investigators that we are working with. We received the reference of an investigator when we first got here and he came to church the first Sunday and yesterday, too. He wants to get baptized. So he is going to get baptized this Saturday, so it will be like two weeks to the day that we found him until he gets baptized. He is the brother of a recent convert and his aunt and some cousins are members of the church. We have about five couples that we are working with and preparing them to get married and then get baptized, so sometimes when we are teaching, I feel more like a marriage counselor than a missionary.

How many missionaries are in your Zone?

We have a very small zone. We are 12 missionaries here in Babahoyo.

Do you live with four missionaries or just two?

Here there are three houses and in the three houses live four missionaries, so three times four is twelve, so it works out pretty good, right?

You said you were in Barrio Lindo. I searched for that and it shows it way down near Guayaquil. Is that correct?

NO!

I thought you would be closer to the City of Babahoyo. I also searched for Barrio Olmedo and it was close to where Barrio Lindo was on the map. Does the Babahoyo Zone cover a really big area?

No, we are in Babahoyo and we do cover some big area but my sector is here in Babahoyo.

The translation for Barrio Lindo says it means Pretty Neighborhood. Is it a pretty place?

Not really, but the people are awesome.

The translation for Barrio Olmedo is Neighborhood with Elm Grove. Is that because there are Elm trees there?

I haven´t seen many trees here, so I don´t know about that translation.

Are you back to eating all chicken again?

Yes.

Is there anything you need?

If you feel up to it, I could use a new pair of shoes. I found out that if you have holes in the soles of your shoes that means that water can enter and get your feet wet. Who would have thought? If you want to send shoes, the pair that we bought in Logan, but the ones that we only bought one pair of, the Rockports, that are waterproof.

Are you happy and healthy?

Yeah, I am doing ok. I miss my fish and seafood diet, but I will live.

Hi Curtis,

Thanks for the answers. Tell us more about the people you baptized on Saturday. What are their names and a little about each of them.

Tell us more about your investigators. What are their names? Do they have kids? What do they do for a living? What are they like? How are your lessons going with them?

Being a marriage counselor might be a nice career for you in the future. There certainly is a lot of need for it right now with divorce rates as high as they are. Hopefully you are learning lots of things about marriage that will help you avoid all of the problems in your own marriage someday.

I am grateful you were able to perform these priesthood blessings and that the elders felt comfortable in asking you to give them. I hope you wrote about the experiences in your journal. I know without any doubt that Priesthood Blessings work. They may not always heal, but they always provide comfort.

Are you walking a lot in your new area?

Are the members helping you a lot with the work?

I am glad you got your packages. Are all of your shoes worn through the bottom? I will see what I can do about another pair of Rockports.

Which other elders live with you in your apartment.

How come the other five baptisms fell through?

What food did you eat at McDonalds? Did they have French Fries or beans and rice?

Tell us more about your companion, besides the fact you get to kill him. Guns? Is that all you think of? Ha! Ha! How many in his family? Has he been a member all his life? Girlfriend? Plans for after the mission? Is he funny? Happy? He isn't smiling in any of the photos I have of him. Take a photo of him smiling and email it to us.

When are you going to send me some more photos? I want to see more of your happy smiling face!

The other missionaries that live in the house with me besides my companion are Elder Amaya and his kid, Elder Merchan. Elder Amaya is from Colombia and Elder Merchan is from Ecuador. He is not the Elder Merchan that I lived with in Portoviejo. I don’t know for sure why the baptisms fell through, but they did.
I ate a Big Mac with fries and a little apple pie thingy for desert with orange soda to drink.

Elder Alvarez has I think, four years as a member. He has a girlfriend waiting for him. He is from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the southern part of Bolivia. I would send you more pictures, but this computer doesn’t have a USB drive that I can get to. I am sorry.

Okay on the photos today, but find a better computer next week. And, please send me a disk of photos like you promised.

Are the hamburgers as good as in the states?

The hamburger was good, not quite like in the states, but still good.

I am glad you enjoyed it and got to eat a few French Fries, too.

Are there any other missionaries that have been in your previous zones that are serving with you in Babahoyo? I didn't have photos of any of the elders you mentioned last week, except for Elder Alvarez. I probably do have some of them in photos, but don't know the names to go with the faces in earlier photos. If you can, take a fun Zone Photo and send it home by email. Tell us who everyone is.

Did they take photos at the Zone Leader Conference?

Did you get to see Elder Bartolomei there? Where is he serving now?

Are any of the other missionaries from your MTC District serving as Zone Leaders?

I did see Elder Bartolomei in the Consejo. He is in Zona Orquidias with Elder Carlos and Elder Machuca. Elder Felt is a Zone Leader and Elder Williams is in the office. Elder Fewkes is in the mission Charlotte North Carolina and Elder Smith, I don’t know where he is. Elder Adamsom and Elder Walke weren’t in my district, but they are Zone Leaders, too. I haven’t served with any of these elders before, so I am getting to know new elders here.

That is great that you got to see so many of the elders you came out with. Do you know Elder Thomas Hall? He came out with you also, but I never hear anything about him. What is Elder Frye doing? He started his mission the same day you did, but got to Ecuador earlier because he must have already known some Spanish.

Did you take photos of you with your original MTC district? I sure hope so. You need to take advantage of opportunities like that. If you did not, please do it next time.

Yeah, I know Elder Hall. I forgot about him. He trained last change and I am pretty sure that he got changed this change, so I don´t know where he is. Elder Frye is a District Leader in Duran Sur. I forgot to take pics, but there will be a next time, don´t worry.

Okay, just remember to take advantage of those moments because you can't ever go back and do them again. Someday you will look back and think, "Wow, I am grateful to have that photo of all of us together."

Have a really great week, son. Keep working hard and being great. I know the Lord will bless you and be with you. I love you so very much.

Love,
Mom

Zone Leader in Babahoyo Zone

Week 1 Babahoyo

Hi Mom! So guess what? I am not in Portoviejo anymore! I am in a place where there are lots of mosquitoes and lots of water and bamboo houses on stilts over water and bridges of bamboo. That’s right! I got transferred to Babahoyo! And guess what else? I am not District Leader anymore. I am now Zone Leader here in Babahoyo!

My new companion is Elder Alvarez. You know him from Quevedo. This is his last change. So guess what? I get to kill an Elder for the first time in my mission! I am in Barrio Lindo. We are opening a sector together. Elder Alvarez was in Barrio Olmedo, but they called him to be a Zone Leader, too, so we are new Zone Leaders in a new sector and it is kinda hard.

So this is what happened. They called Elder Sanchez to be the new Assistant and Elder Janampa (brother to the Elder Janampa that was my District Leader) had more time in the sector, so he left, too. So I came to be the new Zone Leader and replace those two. So we don’t know the sector very well and the people. We are trying to find them to keep teaching them. But you know what is really cool? I have three baptisms planned for this Saturday and as a Zone, we have eight planned. So we have lots of work to this week to get all of the investigators interviewed and ready for baptism.

Well I am going to send this letter off and wait for your response to my new change. I love you lots!

Elder Goode

Curtis,

That is awesome news!!! And a huge responsibility and trust put in you by the Mission President. I know you will do great! You are a leader! You will set a great example for the elders who are looking to you for guidance and encouragement. Be the kind of Zone Leader you have liked and respected. Learn from the examples of all the Zone Leaders you have had and combine all the best parts of each, but be yourself, too. The Lord placed you there for a purpose.

Congratulations!!!

Write more please!!!

Did you have any baptisms before you left Portoviejo?

Love,

A very proud mom

I didn’t have any baptisms before I left, but I left lots to do for Elder Garcia. His new companion is Elder Perez, that was in Bahia. They changed him to my old sector and Elder Garcia became Senior Comp now. Elder Parkinson also got a new companion and Elder Avila went somewhere else. I don’t know where. I am really excited to work here in Babahoyo. It is really neat from what I have seen! I am excited! Really I am!

Your new companion is Elder Paul Alvarez? Where is he from? I have on my list that he served in the office in September 2009 as the Secretary of Materials. Tell us more about him.

What other missionaries are in your Zone?

Is your apartment nice? Hot water? Clean? Insects and Rodents?

Yes, he is he is from Bolivia. Yep, he served in the office. There is Elder Baum from Quevedo too. Elder Dayton, he is new, a gringo. Elder Mamani, Elder Casas, Elder Amayo, and I can’t remember the rest, but Elder Amayo and Elder Mamani and Elder Baum are going to train this change, so I will have three new elders in my zone.

The house is in good shape, two bathrooms, two bedrooms, the kitchen and a room to study in, so it is pretty nice. The house doesn’t have hot water, but I am used to showering with cold water now. It is so darn hot outside anyways, who wants to shower with hot water. There aren’t any bug problems or rodent problems either. Things are good in the house. I have another toilet to fix, too, but that won’t be hard, just another flush handle.

Do you share the apartment with another missionary companionship or just Elder Alvarez?

I am glad you are able to deal with the cold water and not complain. I am glad the apartment is nice. Keep on fixing those toilets. Leave Ecuador a better place than you found it. Should I make tags and send, "This toilet repaired by Elder Goode on (date). Happy Flushing!!!" You could really leave your mark on the mission that way. Ha Ha!

Where in Bolivia is Elder Alvarez from? Tell us about his family, what he likes to do, girlfriend, plans for post-mission.

Is your new email account working okay? I didn't change it to Spanish, but you could in the Options menu at the top. I think it is on the General Tab.

Did you move today or sometime last week?

They called me Thursday night and I left Friday morning, so I have been in Babahoyo since Friday at about two in the afternoon. President Gamboa called me to tell me that I was going to be Zone Leader here in Babahoyo, so I knew where I was going to be going in the changes, so that was pretty cool. I also knew who Elder Alvarez was, so I knew who to expect and what he was like. The third companion of Elder Alvarez was Elder Alcocer. What a coincidence and when Elder Alcocer left the sector with Elder Alvarez, he came to Balzar with me.

Hey, I gotta go! I love you lots and I hope you have a good week!

Love,

Elder Goode

You, too. Be extra GOODE this week!

Love,

Your proud mother

P.S. You know I am always proud of you! This just feels like a very special day for you! Congratulations!!!

2008_12_01 Week 6 Balzar

Mom wrote to Curtis on Mon, 01 Dec 2008 00:11:53 -0700
Curtis replied back on Monday at 9:01 am

Hi Curtis,
Just a few questions today, then please tell us about the past week. Have you gotten the packages I sent? If yes, what condition were they in?

No

Have you gotten any letters or Dear Elders? Who are they from? What dates are they from?

Yes both from you the one I read today was about the wheat and dry ice

Who is your District Leader? What elders are in your district? Who are their companions?

in my district there are 16 elders
me and my companion
Elder Williams and Sanches Gringos
Elder Norgran and Anderson Gringos
Elder Janampa and Jargerui Elder Janampa in my district leader
Elder Fuentalba and Estrada
Elder Arana and Ricconi Elder Arana in our Zone leader and Elder Ricconi is the other district leader
Elder Moran and Verastegui
Elder Chiza and Faundes
Elders Chiza and Moran are otavalanios natives of Ecuador they are allowed to keep their hair long while they serve their missions

Who are your Zone Leaders?

Elder Arana is my zone leader

In the photos you sent last week, can you identify the elders for us? At least your District Leader and Your Zone Leaders.

Elder arana is the elder on the far right and there are two elders between elder janampa and elder arana and Elder Ricconi is directly above elder janampa

Why does the elder on the front row on the left have on white pants, a vest, no tie and white slippers?

I am not for sure why he is dressed that way but he is one of the otavalanios elder Chiza and elder Moran is on the top row on the left

Did you get a photo of the six people on the motorcycle? That had to be funny! It is funny just to imagine it.

No but I see all the time motorcycles with four and five people on them

Thanks Curtis.
Love,
Mom

This saturday we had scheduled 3 baptisms but one Carlos De Barco he will be in Guayaquil at school so we will re schedule the other two are Allison and her brother Christopher the baptism will be moved to sunday morning because with allison and christopher two members are getting baptised and one of the two wont turn 8 untill sunday so we changed all of the baptisms to sunday so that they didnt have to come to balzar twice Allison asked me if I would baptise her so I will have another baptism this sunday. this last wednesday I had an inter cambio where elder arana took my place in balzar for 24 hours and I took his place in Quevedo with his companion Elder Ricconi it was neat to be able to work in a different place and with different people. Today is the cambio but No one in our zone got changed everybody is staying where they are at.

Thanks Curtis. Tell us more about what you are doing. I have to run upstairs and check on some switches that don't appear to be working. I will hurry, but while I am gone, please just write more about what you are doing. Why did they do the inter cambio? Does cambio = transfer?

Cambio is change or transfer yes. They do the inter cambio so that the leader of the zone gets a chance to check on our area and the people we are teaching and it is a chance to learn new things from other people. There is an elder that is leaving today for utah that is done with his mission he is the one that trained elder bejar his name is elder Jeremy Ruppe he lives in orem 208 East 2000 North Orem, utah 84057 his phone number is 1-801-221-7955 and his email address is the_gleameye at Hotmail.com talk with him about the mission he should be able to tell you lots about the mission. Check out the web page www.megn.org select my name and the password is ******* this site is the one I can order things on

Okay. I will get hold of Elder Ruppe. It will be fun to talk to someone who has been down there and really knows what is going on. I will also check out the web page you sent. Did you get to talk to Elder Ruppe much at all?

How come you are on the email earlier today? Do you have plans to do something different today?

No I didnt talk to him at all but he trained Elder bejar so he would know a lot about elder bejar too you could also check out the web site www.pepsi.com.ec or ecu I cant remember which but this is the site that was on a bottle of kola galleto so I think it will have all of the pepsi products in Ecuador

Cool. I am looking at the www.megn.org site right now. I will have to translate to understand much. One entry looks like your passage to go get your sense, one is something about light and one is focus for the house of the fourth. What is that? The home page has a message that I think is from the old mission president. What kinds of things do you use this site to order?

that is refunds one is for my passage to get my senso the other is a lightbulb for the house a foco and the other is the electicity for two months

Sorry, I was wrong. The home page has a message from Elder Arana. Maybe he is replacing someone else that was serving in the office. It also has a message from the Nurses about requesting medicines. What medicines do they send out to you?

what ever you need my companion recieved lamacil for atheletes foot from the enfermeras

Cool. It looks like they have a place for you to put in referrals that you get to other areas of the mission. And it looks like there is a place to track how well the members you baptize are being retained or kept active in the gospel. There is a place to place orders and a place for reimbursements. What does Giro mean? The translator doesn't have that one.

Giro is the money we recieve every two weeks it is called a giro. well I gotta go I love you lots Bye

I love you, too. I hope to hear more from you next week. Write more of your experiences when you can. Have a great week.

Okay. It is good to know that you can get the stuff you need to help you with your health. Do you have to have shots for anything or wormer medicine while you are there?

I dont think so but before I leave the mission they will give me a strong pesticide that will kill anything that I have gotten during the mission aparently it is so strong that they cant get it in the states well I gotta go by mom I love you Remember Who You Are

Thanks Curtis. I always try to remember I am a daughter of God. You are His son and He is proud of you!