We got robbed

Monday, February 24, 2020 6:33 AM MST

Our zone leaders were coming up here Tuesday night to do a split with the district leader.  After sector in the evening we were going home, expecting to let the zone leaders into the house, but we got home and they were already in there.  They said the door was open when they got there and they thought we left it open for them, but we didn't.  So then we saw that the lock on the door was busted and we knew that we got robbed.  Whoever it was took 2 cameras, 2 bags, and Elder Holland's money.  Luckily I didn't lose anything.  We got all the locks and stuff replaced so that's all good, but they probably won't ever find who did it.  An interesting way to start the week!

This Saturday we had a baptism!  Our companionship had 1 and the other had 5, so it was a big one.  And it went great!  We had a lot of members come out and support these new members, which we were really excited about.  We were so happy for our candidate Honore, and he was happy too.  He was the first one to get up and bear his testimony at the end and we were so proud of him.

This week we had a lesson with our ami Pelogi and it really hit me hard.  Pelogi has one leg that is normal, but the other leg is really short and makes it difficult for her to walk.  But this lady has so much faith that it doesn't stop her from doing anything.  She is the ami that lives the farthest from the church, but yet she walks to church with her 4 kids every week.  And when we went over for the lesson, she was saying that she was late to church, and that she needs to do better.  She holds herself to such a high standard, she's got to have the most faith of anyone that I've ever seen.  We all have little setbacks and obstacles that we can use as excuses to not try as hard or to not do what we need to do, I know I do.  But I'm going to try a little harder to be more like Pelogi, and not these little things, or big things, Satan puts in my path to get in the way.

I'm loving life up here as a missionary in Kpalime!  I love the experiences that I have, and how much my testimony has grown.  This is just my life now, and I'm loving it!  I hope you're all having a good time back at home, I love you!  Have a good week!

Elder Goddard

Election Week

Monday, February 17, 2020 9:37 AM MST

This past week kind of took a toll on us.  The air up here is really dry and dusty and we both have had a cold because of that.  It's not bad though just something to deal with.  I don't know how you Utah people deal with dry air!

Also, it's election season here and there's a lot going on with that.  There's posters going up everywhere, people driving through with loud music and handing out stuff to people like it's a parade.  And the power keeps going out a lot and apparently it's tied to the elections.  It's a little crazy and it all ends with the election this Saturday, where it's supposed to get even crazy.  Apparently each election ends with a riot in the street so we're not supposed to go out this Saturday because of that.  

But we scheduled a baptismal service this Saturday without thinking, so we have to go out.  We gt approval to go out for it and then just go right back after.  It won't be a problem, especially because we're far from the capital, so I don't think much happens here.  But it will be an exciting day for us!  The other companionship has 5 baptisms set up, and we have one for our ami Honore.  I didn't help much with teaching him since I'm new here, but I am happy to see him take this step forward in his life!  He's so ready and we're excited for him.

This week I was reading in Acts chapter 3 when Peter and John heal the man outside of the temple.  What stood out to me was how after the man was healed, he remembered why he has healed.  He knew that God had blessed him.  So after he was healed, he went into the temple and was praising God.  We can learn a lesson from this man, we need to remember the Lord when he blesses us!  When life's going well, it's too often that we can forget that it's because God is blessing us.  We can often get too self centered and forget what He's done for us to get us there.  I think we all could do a little better with that.

No camera still but we heard there might be a place where we can buy one, so we'll check it out and hopefully I should have some pictures for next week.  Anyways, love you all and hope you have a great week!

Elder Goddard

This is a picture Elder Goddard sent to us before his camera broke.
Cute story...Elder Goddard's "son" randomly wanted a picture with this Elder who happens to be Elder Goddard's new companion Elder Culotta!!  So cool! :)

Kpark City

Monday, February 10, 2020  8:10 AM MST

This past week saw me say goodbye to my birth sector Adidigome.  Since I left on Wednesday, Tuesday gave me one last chance to go and say goodbye to everyone that I've gotten to know over the past 5 and a half months.  It's sad for sure but I was excited to move on to my new sector Kpalime.

Wednesday we went over to the stake center,  I found my new companion Elder Culotta and then we were off.  The 2 hour car ride up here wasn't as bad as everyone makes it sound, it was kind of nice actually.  It just reminded me of driving up in the mountains at home.  I like the vibe up here, it's a lot more chill.  Adidigome was down in the captial and was really dense with lots of people.  Kpalime is more spread out and not as busy.  It feels like the African Park City and I'm liking it a lot.

As soon as we got here, I just went and set my suitcases down in my room and we went out and got to work.  We've got quite a few amis here and the work is going well from what I can tell.  We've been pretty busy, going from one lesson right to the next, and it's making these days go by really fast.  I've gotten to know all of our amis already, so I'm excited to take the next steps with them and help them gain a testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.

This week I've been reading the teaching of Gordon B Hinkley and I liked a part when he talked about how we need to be examples to the world.  The world is going to continue to get more and more evil, and become farther and father away from our standards.  But just because the world is changing doesn't mean that we're going to change.  We need to stay strong and hold to our standards.  And our standards will keep becoming weirder to the world, and people will judge us and make fun of us.  And that's exactly what we see in the Vision of the Tree of Life, the great and spacious building will mock us.  But we need to keep the faith and remember that it's not our standing in front of man that matters, but our standing in front of God.

Well that's about it for this week.  I'm safe and sound and happy in my new sector and I'm loving the work more than ever.  I love you all at home and I hope you all have a good week!

Elder Goddard

It's Village Time

 Monday, February 3, 2020 8:54 AM MST

Saturday we got our calls, and after 5 and a half good months here in Adidigome, I'm headed 2 hours up north to the village Kpalime, where there are waterfall baptisms, mountains, bikes and cold weather!  I've got to say, I'm pretty excited.  And everyone I've told is pretty excited too.  It seems like everyone's family here is from there.  There were gasps in sacrament meeting when I said I was going there.  Everyone loves Kpalime.  I'll be headed up to work with Elder Culotta from Mississippi.  He's an older missionary with only 3 transfers left, but he's already a good friend of mine and I'm excited to start working with him.  Transfers are Wednesday morning so I'm still here for now.

Just a fun fact...Elder Mputu invited this Elder to take a picture with him and Elder Goddard kind of randomly. 
Well this is Elder Culotta!  Elder Goddard's new companion!! Haha!
 So Elder Goddard with his current and future companion.

So this turned out to be my last week here in Adidogome, but I went out with a bang.  We had 3 baptisms this Saturday!  We baptized Frere Pascal, Soeur Noelie and her mom Mawulawe.  We were rarely anywhere else but their houses this week making sure everything was set for Saturday.  But at the end of the day, everything worked out great, and we were so happy to see them make these covenants with their Heavenly Father and begin on the path of discipleship.  I couldn't have imagined a better way to end my time here.

But leaving this area means saying goodbye to all the friends that I've made here, and wow that is not fun.  I love these people so much, and who knows if I'll ever be able to see them again.  It's crazy how quick you can come to love people you didn't even know 5 months ago.  I'm gonna miss this place and these people a lot.

I was talking this past week to an Elder who left the MTC with me, and we were talking about how the mission isn't always fun, but it's so important.  We talked about how this has strengthened our testimonies so much.  I thought I knew the church was true back home, but I know that without any shadow of a doubt now.  I know everything that I'm teaching to my amis is true, and there's nothing more I want than to share that with them and live what I preach.  All this is so important and I'm grateful that the mission has allowed me to see that.

Thanks for all your love and support and have a great week!

Elder Goddard

Frere Pascal, (Espoir's cousin who Elder Goddard baptized last month)  Elder Mputu,
 Soeur Mawulawe and Soeur Noelie (wife and daughter of Koffi who Elder Goddard baptized in September)

Elder Dent and Elder Goddard
They will miss being roommates!!

Espoir and Pascal with Elder Goddard

Elder Goddard, Marc and Elder Mputu

Our favorite buddy Saleem who we got to talk to many times on Elder Goddard's P-day. 
We will miss seeing him and being able to talk to him.

Elder Goddard, Papa Jaja and his wife