Suivez l'esprit (Follow the Spirit)

Monday, March 2, 2020 9:57 AM MST

We just finished week 4 up here in Kpalime, and it was good.  It wasn't really an exciting week, I can't really think of much of what happened, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm having a blast up here.  I don't know what it is about being up here, but I love it!  I'm so happy to be up here, I love the guys that I'm with right now and just love the atmosphere.  I'm really hoping that I'll stick around this sector for a while.

This week was probably the best week we've had in terms of our amis progressing.  We just had good lessons where we feel like they were really interested and really understood what we were trying to say.  And I feel like we've just been following the spirit well, doing different things because we feel like the spirit is pushing us to.  The spirit's really been pushing me to just testify a bunch this week, which I love.  When I testify, I know I'm doing my job.  At that point I've presented my message and they know what I believe.  And then it's up to them to decide to follow us or not.  But I know that I've done my job and what God wants me to do.

This week I was reading in Romans and I found a scripture I really liked.  It's Romans 12:21, "Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good."  It's a really simple scripture.  We need to overcome evil.  But it's not just avoid evil or don't take part in evil, it's overcome evil.  And how can we do that?  We have to do good.  It can seem kind of obvious, but it's actually a problem today.  There's too much that we can do today that's not good, it's just neutral.  Playing on our phone, watching tv and stuff like that.  So we need to make sure that we make time for things that are actually good in our life, because if we don't, we're letting evil stay.  But if we do good in our life, we'll be overcoming evil at the same time.

I love you all have a good week!

Elder Goddard

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! :)