Christmas Week - Monday December 29, 2014

This week was wonderful! My first Christmas away from home :)

 On Monday we taught Adrian and it was amazing!! He is progressing so
quickly and he felt the Spirit strongly during the lesson and as he
offered the closing prayer. That was so cool.
   On Christmas Eve every missionary in the mission gathered to the
chapel in Livonia for a Christmas party of sorts! It was great getting
to see all of my fellow missionaries in the Michigan Detroit Mission.
For the talent show I sang "In Christ Alone" it went pretty well, and
Sister Gerber accompanied me! Tyler Haven sang and played "Brother
I'll Follow You" from the Nashville Tribute to Joseph Smith! That was
so great. Then Elder Redd sang a song he wrote about the mission and
it was pretty good! It was just a great time to unwind and relax and
reflect on our Savior and all He has done for us. That night, some
members took us to Pizza Hut for dinner and they left a very generous
tip on the table and we sat in the parking lot and watched our
waitress get it, she was ecstatic!
   Christmas was wonderful! Skyping my family was great. I imagine
some mothers of missionaries just blubber in sadness over skype and
stuff but mine didn't! It was a conversation full of happiness and not
a tear was shed, at least while the cameras were on :) We got fed a
VERY RARE prime rib for dinner so I choked that down, I don't like
rare meat very much! But we taught a lesson afterwards so that was
awesome!
   The rest of the week we tracted a lot! We did 12 hours this week.
One awesome miracle occurred while we were out Saturday evening: We
were tracting in the evening Saturdayand had been out for a while
and we weren't going to head home for a couple more hours. So we are
getting shut down at almost every door, and I really had to use the
restroom. So I prayed, as we walked up this next driveway, that
someone would be nice enough to let us use the restroom. We knocked on
the door and they answered and said, "We're Catholic we send our kids
to Catholic school, it won't work on us guys. But is there anything we
can do for you? Want some Coffee? Some Tea? Water? Anything??" I
responded, "I hate to ask, but would it be okay if I used your
restroom?" They let us in and we talked for a while about missions and
other things! It was an immediate answer to my prayer! When we pray
for something and God provides, I think He often provides a way for us
to achieve our goal or answer our question ourselves. We could have
just said to those Catholics, "Nope! We don't drink Coffee or Tea,
thanks though. Happy New Year and have a great night!" But since I had
prayed, I was looking and searching for that answer, and therefore was
able to recognize it when it came!

   I hope you all had the best of Christmases this year! Let us
remember Jesus Christ who is The Gift to us throughout the rest of our
year, and not just through the end of this Christmas season. I love
you all and thank you for all of the support I feel from you! I am
lucky to have so many people back home and in other places that care
about me. Have a great week, I know I will! :)

-Elder Goff

Elder Goff and Elder Hatch

(Selfie in the mirror, but we take what we can get)

Elder Redd and Elder Goff at the Christmas Eve Mission Party

Christmas Package from Nick's friend Katie Hall

Christmas Day December 25, 2014

We got to Skype with Elder Goff for about an hour!!  At the end of our conversation our computer actually shut down and we thought our time was up so we couldn't say good- bye!  Then, the member whose house he was at texted us and asked us to call back because he really wanted to say good- bye to us!  So we did and had a few more minutes with him, yay!!!  It was fun to see him and hear his voice and see his happy face.  Thank goodness for this opportunity!  We are so grateful and feel blessed to have him out there sharing the gospel with the good people of Michigan!!

Monday December 22, 2014

So this week was awesome, just like every other week, but I have
started training this new Elder so that has been interesting as well
haha. His name is Elder Hatch, he's from Lancaster, California.  Great kid, I love him!
 I can't believe Christmas is coming up so soon, it feels like I've only been out for a day.

   We taught our investigators Mark and Susan, Adrian, AND Beth this
week! So on Tuesday we had an awesome miracle:We were sitting in the
car with our good Bishop, Bishop Cook, and our appointment for the
night had just fallen through. So we are sitting in the driveway and
then one of our investigators lets us know that we could come over and
teach him right then! But that's not all. This woman that has been
coming to our ward for a few months now but has not been previously
interested in taking the lessons texted us and said something to the
effect of: "Elders I signed up to feed you dinner on Thursday.
Afterwards, do you think that you could start teaching me the lessons
so I can be baptized?" We're like uhhh let us check our planners...
YES, we can teach you!! It was wonderful.

   So that was the highlight of our week for sure! We have been trying
to show "He is the Gift" to everybody that we meet, the work is
hastening for sure and this is a great and simple way to do it! I love
you all, thank you for all of the support I feel from you! The video
from the Priest Quorum of the Vienna Woods ward was just spot on, so
good!! Hahaha and the part where my Mom's sentence is looped 3 times,
PRICELESS :)

   I wish you all a merry Christmas! Let us focus on the true meaning
of the season, that Jesus is the Living Christ, the immortal Son of
God. He is the Great King Immanuel who stands today on the right hand
of the father. He is The Christ. He is Christmas. He is the Gift. I
know that His Church has been restored today built upon the foundation
of Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the Chief
cornerstone. I love you! Thank you for all of your prayers and support
for me and all of the other missionaries around the world.

-Elder Goff

Monday December 15, 2014

Transfer Calls: Elder Redd is leaving, I am staying. President then called me yesterday morning to tell me that I will be training this transfer! So I'm getting a brand new missionary as my next companion! :) I am super excited to be in Brighton for more time, it's awesome here! So if you want to mail me anything the 615 Flint Rd Apt. #1 Brighton, MI 48116 address will work :)

   This week we were fed dinner every single day! We were spoiled, it was the best. On Monday we went to the Hogge's home and they have a son who is 14 who's been a type 1 Diabetic since he was 3! He's got this super sick touch screen pump called the T-Slim, Mom we've gotta look at our options when I get back :) It was so cool.. I felt like an old person trying to figure out Windows 8 when he let me check his pump out. So that was pretty cool, then his mom gave us SO MANY GROCERIES, oh man, we are set on bacon for the rest of this transfer probably. 

   We received a member referral on tuesday and taught the guy named Adrian on Wednesday and Friday this week, he is so awesome!!! We have been blessed with him for sure. We had Zone Conference on Thursday and it was awesome as always! President Gerber gave a lot of good instruction. Then on Thursday night, Brother Hinds a ward missionary, comes and picks us up to go on splits, usually he's driving a 2016 Buick that is camo shrink wrapped so people can't see the details of the pre-released car. But no, not this time. We look out there, and it's a 2015 Red Camaro SS, it was fast, that's all I will say :) So that was super awesome.

   We went on exchanges on Friday and Elder Beckstrom came down to Brighton with me and we knocked tons of doors :) I love missionary work and the mission life, it doesn't get better than this. Then on Saturday we helped Brother Edwards and his wife pack up his moving truck for their trek to Utah this next week. After the 2 hours or so of service, Brother Edwards came up and tried to give us  $20 bill and we were like nooo we don't take money! But he insisted saying, "You know if I had time right now I would go and take you to lunch, but I don't have time, I have $20 so take it!" We said no still, so he shoved it into Elder Redd's pocket hahaha it was awesome. We went and bought some delicious Jet's Pizza. My first day in the mission Brother Edwards bought us Jet's Pizza so that was pretty cool to end a transfer like that too!Saturday night was the Christmas party and that was so awesome, the cultural hall was decked out like Bethlehem and everyone including us were dressed in "Biblical" attire, it was sweet. After that we got transfer calls! Elder Beckstrom is leaving and Elder Varner is training, the Chelsea sisters are both staying, Sister Hulewsky is leaving, Elder Redd is leaving and I'm staying AND training :) 

   I'm super excited for this next transfer, it will be amazing I'm sure. Thank you for all of your support and love that I feel from you! It buoys me up on the hard days out here in Brighton, Michigan. Love from Michigan!!

-Elder Goff

Monday December 8, 2014

This last week has been so great! I don't want to leave Brighton, we'll see what happens with transfers next week :) I had a great birthday, thank you so much to everyone who sent me packages and letters, it meant so much to me! I love you all so much, here is my week:

  We have been sharing "He is the Gift" with every person we come in contact with! The response has been very positive, and I know that it is such a great tool that has been given to us to help hasten the work as members and missionaries!

  On Wednesday we went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders Elder Sale and Elder Kunzler, Elder Sale came to Brighton with me and Elder Redd went to Ypsilanti with Elder Kunzler. It was a great exchange, I learned so much from Elder Sale.  He's an extremely obedient, diligent, and faithful missionary, and that is what I'm trying to be as well. We went to Mark and Susan's tonight but it was only Mark there because Susan had a meeting at her Church. It was a great appointment, Mark asked us "how is getting baptized in your Church any different from being baptized in my Church?" Then Brother Barker the Elder's Quorum President of the Brighton Ward basically taught Mark the Restoration and showed Mark his own personal Line of Authority of the Priesthood. So Mark is very clear on that now, the only thing that is holding him back from being baptized is that he doesn't want to hurt the people that are so close to him at his Church. I know with faith and trust in the Lord he can overcome that and everything will workout. 

   On Thursday we exchanged back so Elder Redd came back to Brighton! We went out with one of the ward missionaries to visit some less active members and members who's records we had just received to invite them to the ward Christmas Party! We got to the last house, and this couple let us right in and they talked to us about how they moved into that house in June, and have been waiting for missionaries or someone to show up!! Haha they have been less active for a while now and want to start coming back to Church! It was so awesome. They ended up coming to Church on Sunday too! And they sat with the ward missionary's family, it was great.

   Friday was my birthday!! It is weird to say that I am 19 now. I can't believe it, time is flying by! I had a great birthday, I got a lot of mail, we had a GREAT dinner and birthday cake with the Welling family, and it was just an overall good day. I am so grateful for my supportive family back home and all around the country, I love you guys so much! Thanks for showing me your love and support for the work I am doing here in Michigan. I know this is where God wants me to be.

   Sunday was very good. Mark came to Church again, the family that we met on Thursday came to Church, and we had great meetings throughout the afternoon. Elder Redd and I bore our testimonies! We both received strong direct answers from Heavenly Father today in the Gospel Principles class. We prayed that Mark would be able to receive an answer to his questions and prayers at Church and then Brother Hinds who is the Gospel Doctrine teacher taught exactly what Mark needed to hear, it was great. In the evening we stopped at a few people's homes and followed up on some prior commitments we left with them, they are all doing well. 

A challenge has been issued by our Mission to memorize The Living Christ document before the 24th, so I already have it down, but I am helping Elder Redd get it too! he got the whole first column in 2 days! There's a miracle right there in itself. This week has been wonderful, I am confident in my ability as a missionary and I know I am doing the Lord's work. I love this Gospel so much! I know that Jesus is The Living Christ and that His Church has been restored built upon the foundation of Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. How great the importance it is to share that message with everyone we know (2 Nephi 2:2) I love you all so much, have a great week!

-Elder Goff

"All my Birthday gifts!"

Visiting George Romney grave site

Elder Redd and Elder Goff with Mark, an investigator

"I made blueberry cheesecake!!"

Happy Birthday Elder Goff!!!

It is Elder Goff's Birthday today!!  We are missing him but so grateful to know that he is well taken care of in the Brighton Ward.  He mentioned that a family there is feeding them dinner tonight for his birthday!!  That is very comforting for us parents!!
He wrote a letter yesterday that came in the mail and it said this:

"If there is one thing I have learned about family on my mission so far, it's that I've got a darn good one, and a very supportive one.  Some missionaries have parents that don't support them.  I have a wonderful gospel centered family who is fully supporting me on my mission.  Even though my extended family is not all members of the church, they still support me on my mission by sending me letters, emails and packages.  I know I am loved and supported by all of my family, and for that I am so grateful!  This is what I shared at Thanksgiving dinner at the Aeschbachers house.  What a great set up I have got."

What a great thing a mission is!!  It teaches these young men and young woman to serve, to love and most of all to have gratitude!!!  Our hearts are full of gratitude today that this boy was born into our family 19 years ago!!  We love him and miss him and we are over the top proud of him for what his is doing and who he is becoming!!!

                             

He is the Gift

Here is a link to the message Elder Goff refers to in this weeks letter!

http://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HPFR112814529

Monday December 1, 2014

First, if anyone wants to send me a letter or package or anything, please send it to the Mission Office, the address is 33505 State Street Farmington, MI 48335 instead of sending it to my apartment because I don't know if I'll still be in Brighton after this transfer!

So this week has been amazing. I have seen God's hand in our lives so much, and I am so grateful for all of my many blessings!! On Tuesday we went to the library and watched the "He is the Gift" video that the Church pre-released for the Missionaries to see. It is an AMAZING video about the true meaning of Christmas. I encourage all of you to go to christmas.mormon.org and watch the video, it is absolutely amazing, I love it! Then we taught the Restoration to this potential that we found through tracting and he enjoyed it! We are going back in a couple weeks. On Wednesday we had district meeting and President and Sister Gerber showed up unannounced so I'm sure Elder Redd was pretty nervous! Haha, they came to instruct us on some ways to use "He is the Gift" in our missionary efforts and they gave us over 150 pass along cards specifically for the "He is the Gift" video. The Church is making a big push with this video!! The home page of Youtube has been bought out for December 7th, so that video will be the only one on the home page. Billboard spots in Times Square New York have been reserved for it as well. It is estimated that 220,000,000 people will have the opportunity to watch the video and experience the true meaning of Christmas. How amazing is that!?! If we have a question of "What do the Apostles and Prophet want me to be doing to help hasten the work?" This is your answer. There are 9 pass along cards included in each Ensign, so get the word out! Elder Bednar has invited us yet again, to "Flood the Earth" with this good news.

 Later in the evening on wednesday we went to this hardcore Catholic lady's house and showed her and her husband the video. Afterwards she says, "But I thought you guys don't believe in Jesus Christ as... Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Savior of the world?" Her husband shoots back, "Honey did you watch the video?" That was great, and now she does know that we are indeed, Christians. We saw Mark and Susan also, and that was great! On Thanksgiving morning we went to the Welling's, and we shared the video with them, and Sister Welling invited us over to their home for my Birthday next Friday! We went to the Aeschbachers for dinner around 2:00pm. It was great, and we shared "He is the Gift" with them as well. On Friday we went to Mark and Susan's home for Thanksgiving leftovers and had a big discussion on the Plan of Salvation with Susan! Mark gets it and totally understands, it is easy for him to accept it because it all makes sense. But Susan is a little more stubborn! Haha we are on the same page now though, it was good. Mark shared with us that as soon as he got his deer in the morning, he fell to his knees and gave thanks, and cried to Heavenly Father! We shared 1 Nephi 16:32 with him after that which is an extremely similar experience which is way cool!! The Scriptures relate to us in so many different ways, it is awesome. He told us that he is going to try to quit coffee. So that means if he does choose to be baptized, he will meet all of the requirements to do so. Sunday was probably the best day of my mission so far. Mark met us at Church and Sacrament Meeting was great.

After dinner, we went to Jim and Thelma's house to share "He is the Gift" with them. We came just in time to enjoy some homemade Apple Crisp with them, it was so good!! They loved the video. Then after we left there home, I had this distinct impression to go to Paul and Kay's house and share with them the video. We met them more than a month ago and they didn't necessarily want us to come back but they didn't NOT want us to either!  We decided to go anyway and we knocked on the door and Paul answered and let us in promptly! We soon found that they had 2 grandsons over and one of their daughters as well. We shared the video with all of them, and then their daughter started asking us really sincere questions about our Church and what we believe. After that, I said the closing prayer. After we opened our eyes, we saw that her eyes were full of tears. She came over to me and gave me a hug saying, "thank you so much for coming tonight!!" I don't know what I said, but she was ready to feel the Spirit that night, and she did, very strongly! She invited us to come back anytime, and we left her with our phone number. Then we went to a less-active's house who wasn't home earlier in the day, but when we went this time she was home. We committed her to begin reading her scriptures daily and promised her that she would be blessed for doing so. It was a productive day to say the least.

I am so grateful for all of my many blessings!! It feels so wonderful to be a full time servant, and representative of Jesus Christ. To top it off, Elder Dallin Hilton's farewell talk was on Sunday back home as well, and Ms. Kennedy's baptism was on Saturday. I only have reason to be happy this week, I truly have been blessed, and have had prayers answered. I love you all, thank you so much for all of your support and love towards me and my efforts as a missionary.

-Elder Goff

This is Nick's favorite teacher that he invited to his farewell who ended up taking the missionary lessons and got baptized this past Saturday!!  Ben, Courtney and I were able to go and it was a wonderful day!!!

The missionaries that taught her here in Middleton Idaho, Elder Rhoton from Mesa, AZ and Elder Haws from Riverside, CA  What great missionaries!!!

Decorating a missionary apartment for Christmas!!

Stockings and Christmas countdown that I sent to Elder Goff and Elder Redd

Elder Goff and Mark, an investigator who is an avid hunter!!  Elder Goff loves this man!!