October 24, 2016

Hello Friends and Family,

This week was filled with mixed emotions, but a very fun and exciting week. This week, I had a work change with Elder Valdez from Cochabamba, Bolivia. It was really fun to teach with him for a day and I learned so much. This week, we also had interviews with President Williams. I was able to ask him lots of questions I have had on my mind about our area of Demetrio Acosta. We talked for a long time and it was an uplifting experience. President Williams gave me the strict order to find a new room because our old room only got water at certain times each day. This week was spent using my mom's real estate skills looking for a new room. When the people see a gringo trying to rent a room here everybody starts to clean the spare room in their homes so we can rent it haha.  We looked hard and long and were finally able to find an amazing room that has a water tank, so it gets water all day long. This week is changes and Elder Salas and I both have changes. That was hard to take because I love this area so much and we have so many good Investigators. Our entire p-day was spent taking pictures and saying "chow" to everyone. The Zone leaders are going to move here to our area in the new room that I was never able to live in! haha. I'm not complaining, I promise. Hermanas will be moving into the old area of the zone leaders. My companion is going to Reque in La Victoria. I will be moving to CHACHAPOYAS!!! I am just a little excited. Chachapoyas is the coolest area in our mission. Its nine hours away from our mission home, up in the mountains and jungle area.  Leaving to Chacha is helping me take the sting away from leaving Demetrio. On the bright side, I know the zone leaders will do an amazing job with all of our investigators. I'm so excited to see something green and experience a new culture in Chacha. I leave tomorrow morning at eight and I will be traveling all day. My mind is running around in circles. I'm looking forward to starting a new chapter here in the mission field.

Love,

Elder Goold

October 17, 2016

Hello Friends and Family,

This week was fun and we were able to find and teach many of our investigators. I had and exchange this week with my CCM companion Elder Bagley. It was so much fun to teach together and talk about all of our missionary experiences. Here in Demetrio Acosta, we also had a good week. Manuel (our 80 year old investigator) is doing well and he is understanding more and more. We were able to teach him with a member that is 92 years old! The lesson was super funny and it was fun to see them talk. We also have another amazing investigator named Humberto. This week, we should be able to visit him more to help him progress and come to church. He has a strong desire to change his life and be baptized. We are still working with Luis. He has a strong testimony and always comes to all the church activities. I'm worried that he will return to Spain and not be able to go to church because of work. He is the best investigator I have ever had on my mission.

Funny Story: This week on the way home from Morrupe (the extremely poor, sand dune village) I stepped on something hard getting into the combie (van). Not thinking much of it, I just sat down and looked at the man next to me. In a very polite manner, he told me I had just stepped on his goat. I looked below at my feet and sure enough I had stepped on the poor man's goat. I felt sorry but he let me take a picture anyway.  Here in Peru, it is not uncommon to share a seat with an animal haha. I love Peru! I know I'm growing closer to my Father in Heaven daily. I feel so fortunate to feel the spirit every day as we testify of the restored gospel.     

Love,

Elder Goold

P.S. That is my shoe and pant leg and don't worry the goat lived. The chickens are alive too. Always makes for an interesting ride. :)

October 10, 2016

Hello Friends and Family,

This week, we had zone meeting which is always a very spiritual experience. I love hearing from all the missionaries and to learn from them. They always have so many amazing suggestions and comments to help us in the missionary work. One of the best parts about being a missionary is simply being with other amazing missionaries that love to preach the gospel. On the downside, our entire zone was plagued with the flu. Each one of us got sick but we are all now recovering. We were able to find a few more investigators this week as we contacted a different side of our area. Luis Alberto is progressing so well. He comes to church and all the church activities including almost every session of general conference. He is someone that truly was prepared to listen to our message. Sadly, he returns to Barcalona the seventh of December. I'm not looking forward to that at all. The picture inclosed is a picture of us at a church activity. 

We are still teaching Manuel. He comes to church every week and he waits for us daily to come and teach him. He is almost 80 years old and he doesn't remember the things we teach him too well. I don't really know what I can do to help him remember more so he can pass his baptismal interview. haha!  The work is going great here in Demetrio Acosta. I'm learning to trust in the Lord more and I feel like He is starting to put more trust in me. Sometimes, my favorite thing to do is to just sit with people in the street and talk to them about life and become their friend. I'm gaining lots of new friends and seeing lots of new smiles.           

Elder Goold

September 26, 2016

Hello Friends and Family,

This week was full of new and interesting experiences. I went to Morrupe for a day with Elder Glauser. I love Morrupe so much. It’s a small sand dune village of extreme poverty. We taught with pictures the entire day because the people do not know how to read. It was a very humbling experience. We are having great progress with our less actives. We had three this change, the most I have ever had in one change. Luis Alberto is an amazingly prepared investigator but he says he wants to get baptized in Barcelona. He is coming to church and progressing well. We were also able to get a few references from the branch this week, which makes missionary life so much easier. Elder Salas and I have been practicing some new teaching methods that are working. I love learning and trying new things. I can't wait for conference this week. Conference is like the super bowl for missionaries! Funny story for the week. On the same corner, of the same street, every day, there is a group of drunks. They always want us to preach to them. We always tell them that God loves them. Their reactions are always so funny. They all grab their hearts, like they can feel the love and they hug each other crying. I'm really going to miss that corner when I leave this area. I love this work and I know I will remember all of these experiences for the rest of my life.      

Love,

Elder Goold

September 19, 2016

Hello Friends and Family,

This week was a super fun week. The highlight of the week was that on Thursday I was able to spend the entire day with President Williams. Thursday morning, Elder Salas and I went to the office so he could work on his migracion papers.  I was left in the office with nothing to do, so President Williams took me to his new house to help him in his office. It was so fun to be able to spend the entire morning with President Williams talking about lots of topics. He taught me a powerful lesson about kindness and we also talked about our families. His house is like an American home, I honestly felt like I was in the United States. In the afternoon, the same day President Williams came here to Demetrio Acosta to go teaching with us. He arrived late, so we were not able to teach our investigator Julia but the spirit led us to where we needed to go. We went to the home of Raisa. Raisa is a young less active and has been struggling with a few things. We taught an amazing lesson and the spirit filled the mosquito filled room. We bore testimony on the power of the atonement and Gods love for his children. We taught a few more lessons with President Williams and it was so cool to see how much love President Williams has for people he doesn't even know. We laughed and had a great night. This week, we were also able to find a good investigator that just returned home from Spain. He was taught a few of the lessons in Barcelona, and he wants to hear more. His name is Luis Alberto. We will teach him on Wednesday.  We were also able to rescue another less active member, a returned missionary. My testimony grew so much this week. I know God will always give us the energy we need to complete his work.

Love,

Elder Goold