Friday, August 23, 2013

Excerpts from emails on 8/12 and 8/19



August 12, 2013

So this week we have __'s baptism. We're excited. 

I really only speak Spanish when I'm around members or Spanish people... or when Elder Erickson and I want to speak and don't want anyone to understand haha. We do a district language study everyday where Elder Erickson and I teach the others Spanish principles. 

This past week at transfers president announced something cool. We now get to go to the temple every 6 months instead of year and 2 years. I get gypped out of 1 trip, but that's still 3 more. Erickson and I are irked cuz now we have to go with the 6 monthers and 1 1/2-ers. We want our year trip to be special dangit! Oh well.

We do service every Wednesday in a place called Prospect Park. Some of us wear our vests; others don't. I don't because I'm doing this for service, not to bring attention to myself. Plus it looks like a group of convicts picking up trash as a punishment.

I MISS KYE SO BAD. I take advantage of every single dog I see! I miss my puppy... who isn't a puppy anymore.


August 19, 2013

[In response to a comment I made about how my comps and I didn’t ever see other missionaries during the week and sometimes only once a month.]  Yeah, Dad, it is interesting how in other missions you are never close with the other missionaries. We see each other every day for long periods of time.

Well things here this week have been worth it.  A lot of crap happened, but it was all made worth it by the fact that __ got baptized on Saturday. It was hectic and stressful, but it worked out. There was drama about who from the ward was doing what, but it all turned out fine. Sister Franklin and I sang a musical number, and I gave a talk; Elder Adams baptized and Elder Rogers confirmed on Sunday. Now it took me till Sunday to really realize that everything had turned out alright. Before sacrament meeting (and the confirmation) __ came up to me and said, "Elder Goates, I brought my tithing!!!" We had only taught about tithing briefly and definitely did not tell him to bring tithing. The kid is 11 and wasn't even a "member" yet and wanted to pay tithing. He really is amazing. He then went to tell me that "last night I prayed and I felt something really different! It was so cool!!!" I love him so much. He is truly amazing. He is the true definition of what missionaries want. I am incredibly lucky. Later his mom talked with Elder Adams and told him how when she was watching her son get baptized she felt something amazing and knew this was right. The next Sunday she was there and paid her tithing too. The truth is that during the baptism I was worried because it felt hectic, and I didn't feel calm and spiritual, so I thought that no one else did. I was wrong. So this is a reminder to me not to sweat the little things and how this baptism was for them and in no way for me (which I never thought it was in anyway before, but just a reminder.)

The other day we went stopped at the beach on our way home. It was incredibly relaxing and wonderful to just get my feet wet and walk on the sand. The serenity of the night sky with the sound of the ocean was really nice. Of course not as nice as it would be with the family, but it was a good reminder of times at the beach. It is also really cool because there is a nice little boardwalk with shops and restaurants. The specific area we were in is a fairly Russian area, and when we came up and washed our feet off, we saw a large group of people on the boardwalk and music. We went over and there was just a bunch of people of all ages dancing to the Russian music. It was awesome. People talk of the cool cultural things that happen in their missions, and I realized this was the one of those things that I would talk about and never forget. It was really cool. It was also recently the Muslim holiday, and it was really fun to see all the festivals and attire. It was just awesome. I'd always wanted to attend one of these festivals, and I did haha!



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