Elder A. Goff and Elder S. Goff: From Elder A. Goff - "50 Piece Nugget. 2 Large Fries and Two Large Drinks."

Elder Goff

Hey Everyone!!! AHH!!! I have so much I need to write about this week. I hope I have enough time. It took me half an hour just to read all of the e-mails I got this week. There were a large number of them. Thank you to everyone that e-mailed me.

First off I would like you all to understand the heading of this e-mail. We were visiting a lady this week who is a non-member. Her daughter and son in law are. Well her son in law came by while we were teaching and gave us some money and told us to go get some lunch. So that's what we did. We went to McDonalds and got a 50 piece, two large fries and two large drinks. Elder House and I finished the meal in 10 short minutes. The rest of the day we both felt like we had been hit by a train. Not to mention we made covenants with each other that we would NEVER do that again. :) Mission accomplished. No reason to go back and do it again. However we did extend a Zone Challenge to all who think they can eat it faster. :) Some of the zone are taking the challenge this week.

Next I would like to talk about how Elder House and I got to go help Brother Paris, (our Ward mission leader in Worland 2nd ward) out at his farm. He had us taking down fences and stuff. It was fun and all, but man barbed wire hates me. haha I got a couple cuts. I have to admit..one on my right forearm looks pretty rad. Someone even asked me if I got bit by a dog. I told them it was a small wolverine. :)

This week was amazing! Elder House and I were working our tails off. We ended with 24 lessons taught and 8...yes 8 new investigators. We have never got 8 new investigators in a week. I guess we still didn't. God was helping us the whole way. We were praying a lot for something great to happen and it did. There is one story in particular I would like to share with you all. It happened on Friday night around 7PM. It was Worland High School's Homecoming game, so I was convinced no one would be home, and Elder House wasn't feeling so hot. We didn't know what to do. Go watch the Football game with the rest of the town, or go to the dwelling so Elder House could lie down. Well we didn't do either. We decided to go tracting. We went to an apartment complex that Elder Hinton and I tracted a few weeks ago and only a couple people answered. We pulled up and had a prayer asking that we would know the words to say. We got out and starting knocking doors. We had very little happen the first 24 doors. We had talked to a few people and had a lot of people not answer again. So after 24 doors we had one more building left with 4 doors. 3 of which Elder Hinton and I had already talked to. So we went to try one last door. We knocked and a young boy answered the door. We asked if his parents were around and he said yes. His Mom leaned forward from where she sat on the couch, and we introduced ourselves. It was my turn for this door. We always take turns to begin a conversation at a door. I told the two of them that we were sharing a message of Jesus Christ and how he has made it possible for the relationships we enjoy as families to continue on after this life. We also told them how they could know it was true, and asked if we could teach them more. She invited us in. We asked their names. Her name is Tessa McClain and her son is Victor. I told her how one of my best friends just married a girl named Tessa. Anyway...So we sat down and told them what we do as missionaries, where we are from and how what we have to share can bless them. We started teaching about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ had been restored, and about eternal families. She then told us that she believed she could be and related to us how her son who was younger than Victor passed away a couple of years ago. We taught her more about God's plan and towards the end I told her how Elder House and I had knocked on every door of those apartments and not one person let us in. I told her that I had not spoken to one person we talked to at any of those doors about eternal families, and how as soon as I started speaking those are the words I spoke to her from God. I told her that I believed that us knocking on her door was no coincidence. Then I started crying. My entire mission I have not had an experience like that while tracting. Elder House and I both bore testimony of eternal families. We then sang to them Families can be together forever, the first verse, had a prayer and left. With much more that happened as well. I only shared a portion of all that was said. We left and I was so in awe I could hardly function. We started driving away and then we pulled over and thanked God for that great experience and prayed they would get their answer. The next day we were watching conference and I had a feeling we should fast for Tessa and Victor. So Saturday night we began our fast and broke it Last night. We haven't talked to them yet, but we have faith that they will pursue the answers to the questions they have. So that's the spiritual experience for the week.

Conference was great; there were a lot of great things said. I can’t wait to get the ensign next month. That's always my favorite. I have the conference ensigns I carry with me to each area from April of '08 to last April. I love them. Seems like you all enjoyed it too. I would like you to all know that I saw Aunt Bonita 7 times during conference. I was marking down in my planning each time I saw her. haha. And you are right Tiff. I was looking for Aunt Bonita. :) Elder House now knows what she looks like. I pointed her out all 7 times.

Now for an e-mail that Tiff sent me. AHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! Haha I can’t believe you hung out with the Snyders!!!! Sister Snyder got home last night and we sat and talked to her past our bed time and she didn't mention a thing about seeing you guys! I'm glad you enjoyed them. I love living with them. They take good care of us. Plus it's great for when we have doctrinal questions. He is a stake President. Very smart. :) I'm glad they like me. Haha Sometimes I wonder ;) Sister Snyder likes to tease me about not eating green beans. So every once in a while I’ll eat a bunch of them just to tell her I ate them. You and Jason will for sure have to come back up with me. :) That would be fun. I already told them someday I'll move into their basement with my wife and 13 children. :) I still can’t believe you got to hang out with them. That is going in the Elder Goff history books.

Mom. Thanks for another e-mail. Glad you listened to some of the conference. It was way good. Go back and listen to the stuff you missed. :D

Pops. Glad to know you are still working your butt off. That's a lot of hours though 80+ hours?! I thought it was funny you said you were trying to get in good with the new bishop too. Haha that made me laugh.

All is well in Worland. I love you all. :D thanks for all the love.

Love, Elder Austin Gene Goff

"Buffalo Rider. Kinda of like Eragon"