First week in Ypsalanti, Michigan

Dear Family and Friends,

I got transferred to the Ypsilanti South area which is in the
Ypsilanti Ward here in Michigan. My new companion is Elder Iverson.
He's from Las Vegas! He's a great guy, teaching me the ropes of Zone
Leadership and everything else! I have been adjusting to the area
pretty well, I like it a lot! Our apartment is NOT very
clean/organized though but we also don't really have time to make it
the way I want it sooo we'll just have to live with it haha.
   So we had transfers on Tuesday and I got settled in a little bit
and we went out to see a few people and tracted a lot! Elder Iverson
is so good at talking with people, it's made me realize how bad I am
at it! Hahaha sometimes as missionaries you can fall into the trap of
just talking TO people but really our purpose is to talk WITH people,
and understand them so that we can teach them The Gospel according to
their needs. So I have been learning a lot from him. It is weird being
with a companion who knows what he's doing and is a super solid Elder
because now the focus for me is to keep up with him, to be on the same
page as we teach. Whereas when I was training the transfers before
this it was more showing my companion how everything works and
shouldering most of the companionship I guess. So I assume I will
continue to adjust and hopefully be able to keep up with Elder Iverson
sometime soon!
   We just did a lot of tracting this week and had quite a few
appointments too. Most people we are helping have some pretty big
problems in their lives such as their girlfriend is on crack, they are
dealing with alcohol and tobacco addictions, bad financial situations,
and lots more. The thought that keeps coming to me is this: The Gospel
will NOT fix all of your problems. But it will give you the tools
necessary to overcome them. Sometimes we can all get into that mindset
where we're living the Gospel, doing alright, but then a problem comes
up and we get all mad about it. But The Gospel will enable us to
improve the quality of our lives and overcome the problems and
challenges we all face. So when something does come up, we should turn
to the Savior, and go to work in the Gospel! Not just assume that the
problem will fix itself because we are living right. That is what has
been on my mind!
   I hope you all have a great week. Know that Our Savior Jesus Christ
loves you and will help you through all that we face in this life.
   My new address is 46121 Village Green Ln. Apt #131A Belleville, MI
48111 if you want to write me or send me anything!

-Elder Goff

My last week in the North Shores Ward!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Shoutout to my good friend Tristan Strickland back in Idaho who just
got his mission call to the Japan Fukuoka mission, he will do great
things there!
  Well we got transfer calls on Saturday night and I'm leaving!! I was
surprised! I thought I was staying for sure. So all week I had this
reoccurring thought coming to my mind that I would be a Zone Leader
next transfer... But I was like nah Elder Goff you've gotta strip
yourself of your pride! But then I got a call from President Gerber
early Sunday morning and he asked me to serve as a Zone Leader! So
that was kinda cool. That should be fun, more responsibility for sure.
I'm excited but I'm sad to leave this ward so fast too, there are so
many great people that I have come to love here!
   We had interviews with President Gerber this week and they were
great! I learned so much. President said something that stood out to
me. He said, concerning Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life: "You cannot
beckon others to come and partake of the fruit if you are not already
at the tree yourselves." We can't go down to the banks of the dirty
river and play around in a little sin to try and help the people who
are down there out, because they will pull us in with them! We can
call out to them as we are at the tree, and they will see how happy we
are, just as most of Lehi's family did. I have felt our district grow
a lot closer together especially after interviews, I love it! It makes
it harder because I am leaving though.
   We had exchanges this week with our Zone Leaders Elder Slack and
Elder Whitney, they are both great guys! I went to the Sterling
Heights area with Elder Whitney and we killed it! He's from St.
George, Utah. It was super fun, Elder Slack is getting transferred and
Elder Whitney is staying so it's possible that I'll be companions with
Elder Whitney next transfer! :)
   We had an AWESOME Restoration lesson with a lady named Angela this
week, she had lots of great questions and it was just a great lesson.
At the end we asked her to pray and she was really apprehensive but we
assured her that she would get an answer if she was sincere and asked
a specific question. She asked, "Was Joseph Smith really a prophet?"
And after the prayer she said she felt it as she asked the question,
she knew the answer was yes! So that was a wonderful experience, I'm
happy for Elder Stubblefield and his next companion who will be able
to keep teaching her.
   Anyways, I had a great week! We were able to teach lots of lessons
and talk with lots of people. I'm loving the mission life. If you are
debating whether or not to go on a mission, take it from me and just
go. As you forget yourself in the work, you find yourself. I love my
Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He redeems us from all of the effects
of the Fall of Adam and Eve, and as we have faith in Him and repent of
our sins continually, we will have Eternal Life.
   Have a great week everyone! It is a great time to be alive in these
last days when we have the fulness of the Gospel on the Earth :)
   If you want to send me anything send it to the mission office!
33505 State St. #101 Farmington, MI 48335.

-Elder Goff

Basketball with the District

Elder Goff with the Blanchard Family

Elder Goff with the Applonie's, Sister Applonie's parents live

 in our neighborhood in Meridian Idaho!!

Elder Goff with the Kulka family.

Elder Goff and Elder Ross

New Apartment and a some teaching appointments!! Great week!!

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was pretty eventful! We went on exchange Tuesday morning
and I received a phone call at like 9:30 from the mission office
saying that we were supposed to be moving apartments today but
President Gerber must've forgotten to let us know! Haha so we packed
the whole apartment up and moved to a new one and let me tell you, it
was an upgrade for sure. An Elderly couple just finished their mission
and there was like 3 months left on their lease so President switched
us over here! My new address is: 39123 Prentiss St. #104 Harrison
Township, MI 48045. Transfers are coming up though so if I move my
address will just be changing again! So to be safe you can send stuff
to the mission office: The mission office address is: 33505 State St.
Suite #101 Farmington, MI 48335. So that was a big change this week,
it is a super nice apartment though so we aren't complaining. We
actually have access to a gym in the complex so we get to use that to
workout so that has been really great.
   We had a great lesson with one of our investigators named Daniel on
Thursday! He really doesn't have a faith in anything yet and we had
kind of just been moving along with the lessons but I had a distinct
impression during my personal study that we should prepare a lesson on
Faith for him. So we did, and it went great!! He just needs to get
into the habit of daily prayer and scripture study and he'll get the
faith he is seeking for for sure.
   We had a lesson with this lady named Calneisha this week! I love
the black names haha :D She had a pretty rough childhood but she wants
to change and have a better life. We can't tell if she will actually
keep her commitments but I know that if she does her study and prays
sincerely that she will receive an answer from Heavenly Father!
   We had a meal at our Ward Mission Leader's home this week and it
was great. Brother Leindecker is his name. Such an awesome guy. I'm
looking forward to working with him more and coordinating the
missionary efforts of the ward with him.
  On Sunday we broke our fast with the Kulka family! I love them so
much, they are an amazing family. Their son Tyler just got his mission
call to the California Oakland/San Francisco Mission! They are just a
great example of a family that is centered in the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. My future family will be like that too!
   I hope you all have a great week, I know I will! The Gospel is
true, let everyone know it! :)

-Elder Goff

General Conference and Easter Weekend

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was kind of rough, it was really slow! We worked pretty hard
but felt like we didn't accomplish much. General Conference was a big
pick me up though! I loved it. I can't even pick a single favorite
because they were all so good and inspiring. Elder Holland and Elder
Bednar's talks were great as usual though. I learned a lot! I have
developed a deeper love for my Savior this Easter Season, I hope you
all were able to do the same.
   We watched the Saturday sessions at the Church building.  On Sunday
we went to a member's home for the 1st session and then to another
member's for the 2nd session. Then for Easter dinner we went to
another member's home and a few families came there too. All of the
husbands of the families are Residents either in Orthopedic Surgery or
General Surgery so it was really cool to talk with them about what
they do, since I want to do the same thing.
   It's hard to believe I've been out for almost 7 months, time is
flying by! I heard that one of my friends from back home named Josh
Thompson got his mission call to the MDM too except he's speaking
Spanish! That's awesome, I'm looking forward to him joining me in the
mission field.
   I love serving The Lord! 2 years is the short amount of time that I
have been given to give Him my all. A small repayment of what He has
done for me. The least I can do is try my hardest and help bring
people unto Christ.
   I don't have much else to say, I just love all of you and thank you
for all of your support of me. Don't forget that you can be a
missionary too! We have been given so many tools in these Latter Days
to help us do missionary work, we would be foolish not to use them. I
hope you all had a wonderful Easter and Conference weekend, I loved
hearing the Lord's words from His servants. Have a great week.

-Elder Goff

Snow this week!!

Lake St. Claire (3 pics below)