Elder A. Goff and Elder S. Goff: From Elder A. Goff

Elder Ika and Goff in the car

Hey everyone,

So last P-Day Elder Ika and I didn't do a whole lot. It gets pretty lame with just one set. We sat at home the whole time wishing we had got mail the week before so we could write some letters. :) We cleaned the house really well so that was good. Brother Alexander talked to President Gardner this week when he was in Lander for church and told him that the Elders staying with him are "EMACULATE". I think he was exaggerating.

I was going to beg Glen to see if he could find me one of those Green lasers off of E-bay. I have wanted one forever. It would be sweet if it was one of the pen style ones. I had one before I left and broke it. So if you can find one that would be awesome.

On Wednesday Elder Ika and I went to visit a member named Brother Banner. He is an older guy and the other set of Elders stayed with him when they were here. He misses having them around so when we get time we will visit him. Anyways he was sitting at his computer playing a game of solitaire and I was playing with a can of that compressed air used for dusting your keyboard or whatever, and he said you know what that is for? I said to dust. He said no it's to remove growths from our bodies. So I was confused and he points at a mole on his arm and says see I have one right here I need to do. So he uses basically like the wart remover stuff except it is cheaper this way. You turn it upside down and use a Q-tip and spray it. When he told us that I said I'm covered in moles. I'm very spiritual and covered in moles so they call me HOLY MOLEY. haha well no one calls me that but that is what I told him and so we froze a couple of moles and they are now non-existant. Holy Cow though it's a painful process. It only stings when you freeze it but a few hours later it blisters and gets huge and ugly. (Good thing I didn't do the one on my face.) haha Then it basically falls off. However I am going to keep the rest of my moles. It hurts too long to do anymore. :D

Apparently Lander is the place to be for the 4th of July. Well I guess 3rd of July. There is a member here named Brother Bills who puts on his own show, and has for years. He uses the same equipment they used for the Olympics and at Disney world. It is all we have heard about for the last month at least. We got to go help test some cables. We find out transfers on the 2nd. So we should be around until the 4th which ever one of us gets transferred. Either one of us could leave. Who knows but God? Anyways. Each 3rd of July Brother Bills has this show and has the Elders Serve Ice Cream and Watermelon to people who come. There are usually around 10,000 people that go. So they are coming from all over. Lander only has about 7000 people. Elder Ika and I will get to stay out past our curfew to serve Ice Cream, by permission from President of course. Plus we will get to watch the fire works. Last years I was in Hardin for the 4th and we watched the lame fireworks from the windows of our single wide trailer. :D

On Friday we went up to DuBois because it was our last chance to go up there before transfers. It was really good this time. We went through the branch list like we did with the ward list here in Lander and got to meet a few people. Then on Saturday we went to the Barnes' in DuBois for dinner. They had a bunch of the Single adults there for a little party and Elder Ika and I felt a little out of place. haha. Nothing like a bunch of cute girls to make Elders feel uncomfortable. We roasted hot dogs and made tin foil burgers. It was fun, but weird. As missionaries you just avoid girls who are cute. Well if they are members haha. It was a good time though.

Sunday Elder Ika and I made it to 4 different LDS Chapels. We started in Dubois and went to sacrament meeting there. Then we had to leave because we were asked to speak in Fort Washakie. So we drove there right after sacrament in Dubois. Our talks went well. Both of us said after that we hardly used our notes. I only used one thing I wrote down. Then the spirit took over. I spoke on Prayer and Missionary work. How we use prayer and how members can use prayer as well to find people ready to receive the gospel or to come back to the gospel. I love in the Bible Dictionary how it defines prayer. It starts by talking about where it came from and all that then toward the end there is a part that talks about how many of the so called difficulties about prayer arise because we forget our relationship to God. It's pretty neat. LOOK IT UP! :D After Fort Washakie we went to Lander and made it for the last meeting in 2nd ward. Then that night we went to Riverton for a musical fireside that was put on by the Riverton Missionaries. So I think that has got to be some sort of a record. 4 in one day. I was impressed when I thought about it last night as I wrote in my journal.

All is going well. I have loved my time with Elder Ika. He is a great guy and a great missionary. He will be a leader. I have a feeling that we will be split up after this week. We have already been together for 3 months! Time flies. I don't know if I will be here or somewhere else next transfer, but whatever happens I have hope that no matter what it will work out for my good and for the good of those I will serve.

Thank you for the brick of pictures you sent Tiff. I got them when we checked mail after church yesterday. JoliAnn looks like she is flippin 18. Every missionary who sees Joli says, “OOH man how old is your sister? Can I write her?" haha I love seeing their faces when I tell them she is 15. It makes me laugh. I tell everyone that my family likes sending me pictures of all of the fun things they do without me. :D haha

Now the last thing I need to talk about is why my subject for this email is "Testicles". Well Elder Ika and I finally got to try Rocky Mountain Oysters. The Bird's asked us what we wanted for dinner when we came over again and we told them rocky mountain oysters. So they made some for us and giant steaks. Now you are probably wondering if they were good, and I tell you that I am a picky eater and they were actually really good. They were sliced and breaded and fried. We dipped them in sea food sauce to eat. They were really good. I'd eat them all the time. You guys gotta try them.

I love you all. Hope all is well.

Love, Elder Austin Gene Goff

Some red rocks between the fort and dubois