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)