Week #61 - 2 baptisms & a transfer

Hey everybody,

I'm super happy lately and just excited for all the work that is going on in our area. We had two amazing people get baptized this week diego and Thalia Vega, and as well their mom will be coming soon to it. Sadly I won't be able to be there because I am getting transferred I'll be going to cocoa beach with an elder named elder peay, I am extremely extremely excited he is super cool and I haven't heard a bad thing about them yet! He is from Australia and so I'll be able to grace you with his wonderful accent next week I'm going to send a recording next week with him. I am excited to be by the beach so hopefully I get out of there before spring break because I could get a little sketchy but who knows I'm just excited to be able to find out how the work is done there. I'm pretty sure the missionaries don't do personal finding in this area, they totally rely on the ward apparently the ward is fantastic at giving referrals and bringing people to the missionaries but I guess we will find out I don't know if I can go without just talking to people on the street a lot of fun and I just feel like it needs to be done, the savior needs us to talk to people each and every day.

I wanted to share a very amazing quote from Ezra Taft Benson I bore my testimony on this before I left the area and it truly truly believe this and have a strong testimony of it. I know people can change and I know that the Savior wants them to change it will help them change if they're willing I know anyone that feels like they can't it's because the devil has told him that. I've seen people give up the hardest of substances and turn away from the world completely in order to follow Jesus Christ it's not hard if you're willing to give up things but if you're not willing it's always going to be hard that's the thing really does want to say you're done the Lord will help you be done and you can last through it all with joy and happiness tonight to test for that because omission seems hard to people but it's really not if you're willing to follow the Savior and everything you do makes it amazing.

“When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to be changed."

“The Lord works from the inside out. The world works from the outside in. The world would take people out of the slums. Christ takes the slums out of people, and then they take themselves out of the slums. The world would mold men by changing their environment. Christ changes men, who then change their environment. The world would shape human behavior, but Christ can change human nature. …

“Yes, Christ changes men, and changed men can change the world.

Baptism of Diego & Thalia Vega...mom coming soon 
A bunch of people I absolutely love & will miss 

A morphed Pututau face 

Week #60 - There is nothing we can't overcome

This week has been pretty great my companion and I are getting along a lot better which is amazing and we are seeing sooo much success. We have 3 baptisms this week, the Vega family and ye are really really awesome! I've been able to see myself mature a lot and I truly know the power the atonement has. One crucial thing I learned is week is that the devil tries to tell us that the bad qualities we have are just a part of us and will never go away and they will always torment us but that is not true at all. We were created and came to this earth so that we could return to our Heavenly Father. We all have the opportunity to return to him in full glory. I've been able to see bad qualities in myself go away and the struggles of handling them not be near as hard. Everyone can be cleansed from their weaknesses and sins and come to a point of perfection, maybe not in this life but the savior commanded us to be perfect even as him. I know this day will come, but the point of progression starts now and continues into the afterlife. I know EVERY single person reading this email needs to repent of something and improve, whether it's small or big...until we are perfect, we are imperfect. I encourage everyone to please push yourself and improve, it can be extremely hard but I can promise that with the savior it can be made is easier. He loves you and is FIGHTING for you to have all the blessings of heaven, whether you believe that or not, it's undoubtedly true and all those who have been to the earth or are coming will know this truth. 

I love you guys, please make the choices to guide you home. 

Exchanges with Elder Bagshaw 

 Exchanges with Elder Paiva & Anderson 

Week #59 - PLEASE PLEASE SEND ME PICTURES

Hey everybody!!

I don't even know who reads these anymore haha prolly no one ;) jk I know you guys are out there somewhere :) but for real how is everybody doing? I love hearing from people when I can it makes my day! I can receive your emails all da ever da so don't feel like you just need to respond on Mondays I love when an email comes in on other days too :)

Guys the weather has been cold over here and its just been so fantastic, yet no snow but I still pray for it ;) Well this week we had the opportunity to teach soooooooooooo much and it was awesome, elder terry was gone the entire week while we did exchanges so that was awesome to meet some new missionaries. I learned a lot of valuable lessons this week, one of them being that if you truly have a prayer in mind and truly truly desire for to come to pass, and this prayer be a righteous prayer, then its going to happen. We must do all we can in order for it to come to pass. it reminds me of a quote I really love, Pray as if all depends on God, and work as if it all rides on you. That was this week and man did heavenly father throw us miracle after miracle after miracle it was amazing!!!!

Guys I need some pictures Ive looked at the same ones to many times haha but for real it is so relaxing being able to look at pictures of family and friends from back home so thank you for everything, I hope everything goes well in your lives this week and I cant wait to hear from you....

LOVE YOU ALL!! :)

On exchanges with Elder Blakcham

Elder Treddinick w/the Ken Dahma. This thing is awesome, it's a ball & cup game. I started getting pretty good at it, but it's mad hard. Elder Treddinick is a magician with it haha

Went to the Temple for Baptisms :)

Elder Johnson

Week #58 - Homesick

Hey everybody!!

I hope life is amazing back home, it sure sounds like it with everybody getting married!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO KAITLIN MOWREY ON HER ENGAGEMENT, AND BAILEY HOLMES ON HIS!!!! As well i think there was like 5 these past few weeks. Its crazy to me how fast life is going and the crazy things that are going on, like literally i will be coming home to a brand new world and in all honesty I will have to find a lot of new friends. When people get married you're still like friends but not really, because you cant hang out like you used to and the responsibilities you have is more than people realize. I am not down to come home and hang out with married couples...like at all haha it is going to be soooo weird!!! Where my singles friends at, you better hit me up when i get home, just kidding you should get married...that is thee most important thing. I cant wait to be married, but i kind of have 11 months left ;) awhhh this literally is so weird to me, its gonna be a whole new world when i get home (Aladdin Reference) Seriously though, so happy everyone is either deciding a mission or marriage its so amazing and both set your life up to make the best choices. 

I dont know what else to say, we're preparing some people for baptism. hopefully we can have 4 more baptisms before February 9th. Keep me in your prayers, Im struggling a little right now and i could really use them. Missin home, all aspects of it music movies dates chillin haha but it will pass there is so much joy in the missionary work and i dont have much time left in the mission so i need to make it the best! It is going so well to, just in one of those phases, but i love you all! Hopeully some pictures and videos i can see ;) 

Week #57 - Sleepoverrrr

Hey everybody,

So it's been pretty awesome lately, we helped a guy on exchanges cut down like a 50 foot tree it was huge!! Besides that we have been having our recent converts teach us and they are soooo awesome, they dressed up like missionaries and made power points, even this last time they taught us the plan of salvation and we played jeopardy plan of salvation edition.

Elder Terry loves Taylor swift so I kind of lost respect there but he is on top of it with the work so it's so fun bahah and he just got his iPad and camera stolen so keep him in your prayers! His camera had all two years of his mission photos  and he didn't back them up! Lessons learned here.

I spoke in church this week and it went really wonderful, I choked up pretty bad talking about the fam, my topic was missionary work and I can't wait to baptize some people when I go home and bring others back to church....you know who you are ;) start preparing yourselves for reactivation and baptism :)

Love you guys!!!!

Oh, also I get to do a sleepover with Elder Egan and Elder Pututau tomorrow because their ride home after MLC would be too long haha so I am sooooo pumped you couldn't even imagine.

Elder Black on exchanges

P "Reese" thood bars from our investigators 

Me slamming Elder Terry's face in his birthday cake

Elder Terry on exchanges

Week #56 - Zone Conference

  Waxed Elder Terry's legs bahaha 

Elder Tucker 

Elder Pututau

Elder Cotton

Week #55 - Christmas, Bad News & the best news!

Sooooo my companion is out :( Elder Pututau is getting transferred and we are pretty surprised by that and we both were like dang it's not gonna be the same with any other companion because we were tight haha. It was awesome serving with another Polynesian.

It was amazing seeing and talking to a bunch of you guys on Christmas. It was literally the best day of my life hahah CONGRATULATIONS TO MY MOM SHE IS ENGAGED!!!!! OH ITS THE BEST THING OF MY LIFE, I CANT EVEN EXPRESS THE SUPREME JOY. CONGRATULATIONS TO MY BRO WHO GOT ENGAGED AS WELL AND IM GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER NEPHEW!!! Such an amazing blessing to see so much joy and love this wonderful season. I don't really know what to say just so much going on and we have a lot of finding to do in order to have baptisms monthly.

But any questions just let me know, as well thank you for all the gifts it made me so happy for all you have done for me and the love you show. I couldn't be more happy with my life right now, only hope that the trunkiness passes soon because it's been hard to focus. 

But guys I really really miss you, and let the countdown begin til I'm home ;) 

Pututau opening Christmas packages

Our investigators phone case hahaha

The Yates on Christmas :)

Our cheezy Christmas card pic haha HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Pututau opening Christmas packages

Crossbow

Merry Christmas

Love,

Elder Godinet!

Week #54 - Happy Holidays

Me holding a turtle! :()

Baptism

Ward Christmas Party

Brother Stumph

Stockings in an investigator's house

Week #53 - 1 Year mark!!!

Hey fam and friends!!

I miss snow... That's the only negative that's gonna be in this email bahah well this week has been intense, we found six new really awesome people to teach this week and they have some awesome questions. We have 3 baptisms this week in our area, 4 in the zone and hopefully 4 next week. We are so pumped!! The zone is just really doing awesome and we hope that they can really put in work this week, especially with the holiday season next week, it's gonna be a little difficult. I can't wait to call some of you on CHRISTMAS!! Can you believe it's that time of year already?!? It is definitely not the same out here, but it's nice to be able to see lights and trees. I hope everything is going great for everyone back home, and I hope to send some gifts home if I get a chance, it's just hard in the field haha especially because we are sooooo busy.

Oh also met a guy named John that has been traveling the east of the Appalachians for ten years! He feels like God has been speaking to him and he started reading the Book of Mormon and really loves it. We talked to him about being baptized and he said he would but he travels too much, he was awesome and for some reason I felt really connected to him. I hope to see him again on the other side of the veil but he literally reminded me of forest gump.

But I love you guys, can't wait to hear back and thank you for all the happy birthday letters/emails!!!

The Traveling Man, John Fain aka Forest Gump
(SUCH A COOL GUY)

Skyping with President Berry. Business on the top, P-day on the bottom bahaha :)

Exchanges with Elder Pyle

Elder Rowley exchange

Selfie

Week #52 - Happy Birthday Week!!

Pre-Tism selfie

Caution wet floor....

The Reese Family

Selfie, haven't taken one in awhile haha

Birthday party presents - the Reese family

Genesis Vargus

Birthday Cake & card from the fam

Engraved tie clip - soooo sick

Presents from my investigators

Pututau broke his chair hahaha

Customized M&M's, so awesome!