From Elder A. Goff - "Hey Again My Dearest Family"

Hey Everyone,

So I talked to you on Christmas, but we didn't talk about a whole lot. It was sure nice to see you though, it's been a few days...20 months. Transfers were hectic and busy, we had a lot to organize and get together. So when transfers were complete Elder Heywood and I treated ourselves to some Fuddruckers, a sweet burger place. It was way good and worth the 10 bucks I spent. :) Last P-day we were so busy in the office doing stuff that we only had about an hour of p-day. So that is one thing that really stinks about being assistant. We don't have anytime to go play basketball or dodge ball with all the missionaries. Bummer. It's always nice to dink around for a little while on P-day. So it would be nice to have time to do that.

Picking up the new missionaries was quite the experience. I really enjoyed it. We got to pick them up and drive to the rimrocks over looking Billings and our mission home and see their faces. Then we ate lunch and did some orientation stuff. It was great. Elder Heywood and I went over the White Handbook with them and talked about our mission and how it is a mission of obedience. A mission that has set the tone for many lives and we plan to keep that culture of obedience. After all of that I wished I was training again. :) Oh well..

We also had conference calls with all of the Zone leaders, and one with the New District Leaders and another with all the Trainers. We got to talk about things we felt were important they understand that we had gone over with President previously. It went well.

Christmas Eve and Christmas were all right, but it's still not home. That's where the party is at haha. Next year Sawyer and I will both be there. I tried and tried to get through to talk to Sawyer and it wouldn't work. It just kept saying that it couldn't connect us. So I waited a while and tried again and tried a bunch of different ways. And at last it went through and Sawyer answered in Spanish. It sounded like jibberish to me. The only way I knew it was him is because it sounded like him. His voice..Not the language haha. It was nice to talk to him though. We talked about our missions and the differences and it was way cool. He sounds exactly the same. All is well here. I'm for sure sending you some pics today. Sorry I never did last week. Love you all.

Love, Elder Goff

Current Area: Billings, Montana
Current Companion: Elder Heywood

From Elder S. Goff -"Christmas"

So, Christmas went really well.  It was cool to be able to talk to everyone I was really happy that I got to talk for a little bit on the 24th as well to a little more family. The work was really slow this past week but it was still good. I enjoyed the time I spent with some inv on the 24th and hanging out with the ZL on the 25th for awhile. It was way cool talking to Austin as well on the 25th he sounds just like Glen. It had just about been 20 months that I had talked to him. We talked for about 50 min or so but it was great. It made me even more excited talking to everyone to go out and work even harder.

We had an appointment last night with a guy named Joel that will be baptized on the 31 on this month. He thinks it’ll be cool to do it before the New Year so we are pretty excited for that. He is a way good guy. he is 22 years old and has been going threw some bumps in his life and came to church and felt a peace that he had never flat before and loved it there and so now he is going to be baptized. Not to sure for when hna. Lupita and fam. Villanueva are going to enter the water but I really hope I will be here for it. Transfers are this coming week on the 3rd I think it is. It was crazy in church yesterday we had 5 inv there just about more inv then people with the priesthood. The husband of hna lupita came for his first time as well Lorenzo. He seemed to enjoy it. I'm stoked to visit them this week and see how it went and hopefully put a date for baptism that will work for them. Everything is going great and I am loving life today is the last p day of this change and then only about 4 more changes. Time flies when you’re working. I hate that it goes by so fast but I have a lot to do it the little time that I have left.

I love you all and hope you guys enjoy Christmas this year as much as I did. Have a great new years and I promise you I will too :) I love all you guys.

Elder S Goff

Current Area: Victoria City, Mexico
Current Companion: Elder Tec

From Elder A. Goff - "WOWZERS...What a week."

Hey Family,

So a lot has changed and things are a lot different. Now I know a little better about what goes on behind the scenes for a mission to function properly. On Monday night at about 7 I got a call from President Gardner. He asked if I would be willing to come to Billings to work with him. He asked me to be his assistant. He asked me to pack my bags and be to billings the following day. We needed to be to Billings on Wednesday for Elder House anyways because he had a Dr's appointment. The hard part about it all was not being able to say bye to all the people I have grow to love In Worland. I was able to say goodbye to the Snyders, Trombleys and Richard Ramos. That was it. I packed my bags as quickly as I could and then we left to Billings Tuesday right after district meeting.

Being an assistant we do A LOT of stuff to help President Gardner. I never realized how much behind the scenes stuff is done to make sure a mission runs the way it is supposed to. When I first got here President took me into his office and talked to me about why I was made an assistant. I found it all very nice. I enjoyed hearing what he had to say. He explained that I will have many responsibilities and he expects the 2 assistants to do it without being asked. My companion is none other than the Famous Elder Parker L. Heywood from Gilbert, AZ. Haha we are pretty excited about being companions. Neither of us thought it would ever happen. And look at us now.

After I met with President Gardner I started working on Transfers. He had me sit at this big white board in his office with every missionary in the mission on it. Then we talked about the Elder and Sisters. I don't know all of them. I know about 2/3 of the missionaries in our mission right now. SO I gave input along with Elder King (the assistant before me) and with elder Heywood. It took days to feel good about the companionship's. Then I got to start on the route. Which is not an easy thing. I'll send pictures of what I drew out on a white board in our office. It's all color coded and has names of those being picked up and dropped off. It took quite a while. Then I had to go over it and over it with Elder Heywood to make sure we didn't forget anyone along the way. There is so much to Transfers in our mission. It's so spread out that you have to use a lot of planning and communication. So it's been a great learning experience.

As an assistant Elder Heywood and I will travel around the mission with President to the meetings and present training to the missionaries. Plus we cover a ward here in Billings. This week was crazy. There has been so much to do. I haven't gotten o bed until after 11:30 PM every night and have been awake around 5:30AM every morning. And we are busy all day everyday. I had a tough time staying awake in church yesterday. I have got to talk to all the Elders I trained which has been fun. All 3 of them have now trained. :) My lineage is growing. Everything is good though. I like billings, but I sure miss Worland. It was hard to leave. The family we live with are nice people, but they just aren't the Snyders. The Snyders were great and humble and fun. The Mom here that we live with just tells us what we can’t do in her home and all kinds of stuff...kind of a snob. I don't like that very much. I wish I could have stayed another transfer in Worland, but oh well. I got an e-mail from Pops and he said he knows this is where I'm supposed to be. I liked that, I know I need to be here. Doesn't mean I won’t miss WORLAND!! :D There are such great people down there. And I have already met great people here. I like working so close with President too. It's really cool to see how he works, and the inspiration that comes to him. I have a lot to learn this is going to be a fun couple of transfers.

We also got permission from the First Presidency to use SKYPE on CHRISTMAS!!!!! AHHH!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know how it works so y'all need to let me know what I need to do. I LOVE YOU!!! If you have questions e-mail me. LOVE you and I'll send pictures later today. Left my cord at the house. We have been so busy I haven't even unpacked my stuff yet!! Haha Good times.

LOVE YOU!!! LOVE, Elder Austin Gene Goff

Current Area: Billings, Montana
Current Companion: Elder Heywood

From Elder S. Goff - "Feliz Navidad"

Hello everyone well first off just want to say feliz navidad. I can’t believe it’s already my 2nd one here in the mish. It’s nothing to special. It’s just another day but its crazy to me that a whole year has passed by since the last one before we all know it I will be home once again.

This week was a pretty good week got a few things done but not to many people want us this time of the year. They are to busy giving thanks to the virgin Maria Guadalupe (she isn’t even the lady that gave birth to Christ it’s another one) they are too involved loving her to remember that our savior came into the world this time of the year. It’s pretty crazy cause we found a lady this week and she told us that she use to be catholic and I was like well for what motivation did you change your religion and she told me and she read the bible! Haha BURN is what I thought.

This week I did divisions with my buddy elder Ruska one of the zone leaders and I really enjoyed it. We put a baptismal date and found 4 new inv. it went really well I really liked the way that he teaches.  He teaches people and doesn’t teach just lessons. He finds there needs and teaches in the direction. It was like a quote that elder Jeffery Holland said when he came to the MTC and I was there he said the people don’t care how much you know till they know how much you care.

That was the manner that Ruska was teaching. He would talk to them show them that he cares for them and then teaches towards the things he feels they need. I have been trying it do the same in place of just going right into the lesson and putting another number in my planner of another lesson taught I take my time to talk to them find out theirworries and their needs then try to help them see that the gospel of Christ meets all of those things. It’s going pretty good with the few people that have let us in this week.

Elder Tec and I went to go do a service project this week with hna Lupita/ fam. Villanueva. We cut a ton of grass and weeds that were in a lot next to where they live. They are getting kicked out of their house and are going to build next door a house for them to stay in. We are trying to help them get everything ready that we can. We went and cut with machetes for a couple hours then she invited us to eat. This family doesn’t have much at all but hna lupita made us some soup and Elder Tec and I ate a bowl and we were stuffed. I know it was made with love cause we were starving and we ate a little bit of that and we were full enough to go the rest of the day with out eating we felt like we were going to blow up. We even cancelled our food that we had that day cause there was no way we were going to be able to eat it as well. It was really amazing and I had never had something like that happen before. hna lupita and here grand daughter have their date for baptism this Saturday Christmas day. We are really excited for it.

This week went week and I will remember w few things forever. I'm so great for the places I have been and the people I have met. I love it. I hope all of you enjoy you Christmas and the holidays as much as I will. I love you all.

LOVE Elder Sawyer Garrett GOFF

Current Area: Victoria City, Mexico
Current Companion: Elder Tec

From Elder S. Goff -

Hello

Well this week went well. Elder Tec and I have 4 baptism dates for the 25th of December. 2 are for sure and 2 and maybes but we will work with the 2 who aren’t sure to show them its something good. that means I’m going to be busy getting things ready that day and I guess I wont be able to talk to you guys to much oh well haha jk ill figure something out.:) I’m really excited things are going well. It’s getting cold and not fun. The cold here is different then back home. I feel like it is worse here. Everyone thinks that every where on the other side of the boarder get like 30 feet of snow everyday. They hear Nevada and think my house is covered in snow. I always have to explain to them its not like the in my house it snows more north of my house but then again sometimes I'm just like yeah there is a TON of snow in my house cause that’s what they all think. We went ice skating today in down town they put up an ice rink and its free so we went to try it out my comp couldn’t really do it at all but it was fun. he gave up fast and didn’t want to try anymore cause he was falling so much I thought it was great I loved watching him gave me a good laugh. I saved a few lives as we were doing it that would be going by and just about ready to eat it and I grabbed them. It was a lot of fun I thought more elders were going to show up but it was just me and my comp so it was alright. This week we have to find some golden people if we really want to complete our goal of 8 baptisms in this month. We will be working our butts off to do it that’s for sure. Not too may people give us a time of day around this time of the year but the ones that do usually progress

Great so I’m excited. I love you all and hope everything is going great.
Con Amor ELDER S GOFF

GOFF-DROP

Current Area: Victoria City, Mexico

Current Companion: Elder Tec

From Elder A. Goff - "4th area, 3rd transfer, 5th week"

HELLO MY DEAREST FAMILY!!

Elder House and I had a BUSY week! It was wonderful. I really enjoyed the e-mails this week from you guys. Joli made me laugh out loud a couple of times. Talking about David Archuleta, and how he is her future boyfriend. How Tiff gave her a dating CD that she thought was pretty funny and how she won’t let boys disrespect her! :) She is a good girl. Then she talked about how us boys would beat up on her. So she knows how to beat a boy up if she needs to. :) ATTA GIRL!! Plus she is a Goff. ;)

Kirby is getting old huh? That's too bad, she is for sure a good dog. Going to the Mo-tab thing will be cool. I can’t wait to be able to go to those kinds of things again. Last week Elder House and I got a tour of the Pepsi plant here in Worland. It's a pretty neat place. Brother Dave GOFF Frahm showed us around there. HE has worked there for a LONG time. It's really amazing to me that all of the computers and equipment can all work together and make things like that. Then today we went to Crown Cork and Seal. The place where a tons of pop cans are made. It's very impressive to see it all. I never would have guessed that so much work goes into making soda and the cans. It's quite the process.

Elder House and I had the opportunity to teach Sister Butterfield. She is a non-member whose husband is an inactive member. There is a member here named Sister Casdorf, a great lady. I've heard a couple of members refer to her as SAINT TONI. Toni is her first name. She has picked up the Butterfield's kids for activities for a long time. And Sister Butterfield started coming to church 3 weeks ago. Then she wanted to meet with the missionaries. She has met with them before, and had a lot of confusion. Plus, her father is really against the church, and he is the one who raised her. She has concerns about that. We taught her on Friday morning. She had questions about temple sealings, repentance, the atonement and what having a testimony is. Just great questions. We were able to explain what we wanted to teach and what she could expect to get out of our meetings. She has really taken to us. SO now I am really not excited for transfers. I'll find out this Friday if I'm leaving Worland or if I get to stay for another. Just like every other time I would love to just stay. Not a big fan of being transferred, but I have learned to just do what I'm asked. It will work out and I'll love my new area just like my last 4 :) We taught Sister Butterfield for the second time this morning. She had great questions again. Coffee, beer, so Word of Wisdom Questions. Kingdoms of glory and progression after death and spirit world. Then towards the end she asked the best question yet. What things do I need to do to be baptized? :D :D :D :D : D so we went over the baptismal interview questions. It went so well. She is so prepared. For whatever reason she wasn't ready before, but now she is. And Elder House and I get to teach her. She really likes us. She told us to tell President Gardner that we couldn't leave if we were transferred because she needs us. She told us we explain things much better and more simple than the missionaries she met with before, and she isn't scared to ask questions, because we told her to ask questions. We said that we are her guides, to help her learn and if she has questions she needs to ask or we aren't going to know what she needs. So she asks question after question. And she enjoys and understands our answers, given to us from God. Sister Casdorf has been a huge blessing too. She is such a help in answering questions too. :) SO Sister Butterfield is on her way.

Now business, :) Tiff, Mom said that they got a letter from Dixie saying I needed to pay the application fee to apply. But online it said it was already paid. You sent that right? I don't know if you could call and talk to someone or what, but I thought you had sent it so I'm just checking. :) I still haven't completed the BYUI one. I will soon though. I haven't had a lot of time on P-day to dink round with it. Elder House and I got a lot of info about the Firefighting thing too. I'm going to apply online as soon as I figure out when I'll need to be back up here. The Snyders are funny too, they said that I can live with them when I come back too. :) They must like me or something. I'm pretty excited about the idea of doing this for the summer. It's going to be a tough job, but good money. Which will be nice for college, and possibly a car. I want a reliable car. :) So I'll have to see what I end up with after the summer and go from there. I don't want to have to take out loans if I don't have to. So I'll be working my bootie off during the summers which will be fine.

Things are going well. I guess we will see what happens for transfers. All of my packages will be late now I'm sure, if I get transferred, they will all come to Worland and I could be elsewhere for Christmas. Haha I'll have Christmas after Christmas. I love you all.

Current Area: Worland, Wyoming
Current Companion: Elder House

From Elder A. Goff - "4th week, 3rd transfer, 4th area"

Elder Goff and Elder House

Hey again,

All is well in the town of Wonderful Worland. Elder House still has a large hole in his abdomen, but it's healing little by little. This week we are going to get back after it. We spent this last week laying low after he was re-opened. Didn't want anything else to happen. It has been a pretty boring week. Had some good online lessons this week. A couple good lessons out of the house too. Last Sunday when Elder House was in the hospital again, I called Brother Cady to go with me to an appointment we had set up. HE said he would and came to pick me up at the hospital. We went to the Rasberry's house. Brother and Sister Rasberry are members, Elder Hinton and ran into when we were tracting a while back. Sister Rasberry said she would like to start coming back to church and would like her 2 oldest kids to be baptized. So we started teaching them. It's gone really well so far, they always have great questions. Brother Cady was only baptized 3 years ago, but was married to a member and all their kids have always gone to church. Brother Cady started investigating the church and did a lot of praying and stuff before he joined. So he was able to share the importance of prayer with the Rasberrys. It was a great person to take. I'm glad I called him.

Elder House and I got to watch the Christmas Devotional last night. It was SO good. And the whole time in y head I was saying, "Holy Crap, My family is at this right now. They can see the Prophet speak, and the Counselors! I only saw Aunt Bonita once this time. :) During conference I have a lot more chances to see her. I really enjoyed President Uchdorf's talk. He always makes me laugh. I like speakers like that. He is in the first presidency and still cracks people up...that's my kinda guy.

So, I have been thinking..since I have time to do it. I would love to go to Dixie State, but I have been thinking I will probably be better off going to BYUI. Surrounded by Mormons would be good for me. I hear Dixie is kind of a party school. I don't want to be around that kind of stuff. I'm sure I could avoid it, and I'm sure If I wanted to find it at BYUI it would be around too. Ever since Elder House went to the hospital I have been thinking about going into Pre-Med. I always thought that kind of thing would gross me out, but I have come to find that I'm not grossed out by it. I'm fascinated by it all. I think I will be come an anesthesiologist or a nurse-anesthetist. Both seem like pretty good gigs. Plus I think it fulfills my patriarchal blessing. I still don't know what I'll decide, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to go into the medical field. I'm pretty set on that. Just what school to go to now? UGH...DECISIONS STINK! :D haha

Thought you all would like to know about that recent discovery I made. I hope you all enjoyed the Christmas Devotional. I know I sure did. On Wednesday we have Zone Conference in Lovell. Then Thursday we have to go to Billings for Elder House so they can stick a camera up his butt. :) haha He isn't excited about that, but he is happy he will be asleep for it. And I'm happy I'll get to ask him questions when he is coming out from anesthesia again. He is pretty funny when he is high as a kite. :) Love you all. Hope you are doing well. Love you.

Love, Elder Austin Gene Goff

Current Area: Worland, Wyoming

Current Companion: Elder House

From Elder S. Goff - "Hello Everyone"

Elder Goff has Bunker relatives so he wanted to take this pic :)

Well, this week went pretty good elder Tec and I were able to have a baptism so we were happy about that. the girls name is Joana her husband is a member but has been less active. He is a great guy but he have some bad habits that he is trying to leave behind but it’s tough for him. he really wants to get sealed to his wife in the temple someday but he needs to straighten up a little bit before that happens. We are trying to help him out but it has to be his desire to change not ours. Joana is going to be a great member and I think she will help her husband out. Her husband (nestor) shared his testimony in the baptism and it was awesome. The spirit was so strong and I could tell he really knows it’s the truth but Satan is pretty strong and has ahold of him still.

We spent a lot of this week hitting doors looking for people. We dropped a lot on the inv that we had and are now looking for new ones.  It’s kind of tough because we really aren’t finding anything but we are trying.  Hna. lupita the Fam. Villanueva that we have been working with for some time are doing great as well. We went by there house Saturday to invite them to the baptism and to say hi as well. we got to talking and hna lupita dijo that she had been wanting to talk to us and told us to sit down. she was like what are the questions that they ask you before you get baptized. I was like well we can good over then with you if you want to know them. I read each one of them to her and she answered then all great. at the end I was like hna do you want to get baptized? she was like yes!!! I was so happy when she said then cause really I have never loved a family or a person in the mission as much as I love this family. I was so happy she wants to be baptized. we didnt put a date with her cause she wants to buy a white dress first for it but I'm thinking it might be Christmas day that she gets in the water. that would be so great if we did. everything is going great here me and Tec are loving life trying to do our best to keep on going. we went to the Christmas devotional last night and I was superexcited to show all the elders my aunt but I never saw her so they all think I’m a liar ): ni modo.

Well, I love you all and hope that everything is going great.

LOVE ELDER S GOFF

Pictures - (the bunker bar) those pioneers went all over the place didn’t they?? (I was so excited when I saw it I just had to take a picture.

And the, baptism of Joana in the pic is Me, Nestor (su esoso) Joana, Elder Tec (my 2nd born), the dad of Nestor, and the brother of Nestor.

Current Area: Victoria City, Mexico

Current Companion: Elder Tec