Elder Goss---W21: Trust God (Jan 28, 2020)

Hola todos. This week's got some ups and downs. Typical. BUT, Elder Smith and I are hanging in there. 

Adriana, our new investigator, canceled on us AGAIN. Jobs and all that. :/ We didn't get to teach much this week. But yesterday, while we were driving to go teach Armando, we were discussing how we might drop him, because he wasn't keeping any commitments. But when we pulled up, I saw him reading the Book of Mormon, and after talking a little, he told us how he had accepted the fact that if he wanted to learn anything, he's got to read and find out for himself! Which threw me off guard. I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe we might hold on to him for a little longer. ;) 

Ana came to church this week! We didn't have a whole lot of time at church, so we missed talking with her, but the fact that she made it is awesome. She's great. Go Ana!

Hmm. I'm trying to remember something else exciting that happened this week. We went to a member's house and played some board games (my favorite!). That was really fun. I won. 

During our lesson with Armando, we talked about faith. And after reading 1 Nephi chapter 3 with him, and what a great example of how Nephi had faith. I love how after doing his best, he had to let go of his own personal judgement and trust God. In life now, it's SO hard to do that. Armando has a hard time believing that God will compensate him for going to church instead of working. A youth might struggle with trusting in wearing appropriate clothes, because she really wants to be accepted in school. Really trusting God is hard. The complete surrender of one's personal judgement or desires. That's not easy. But I encourage you all to trust God. He knows what he's talking about. ;) 

Love you all! See you soon.

Elder Goss

Sister Goss---W23: Twisty-tervy handlebars (Jan 27, 2020)

What's up everyone? How are you all?! I miss you all so so much!!

So this is actually my second time writing this because I finished writing this entire email, attached the pictures, sent send, and it didn't go. After some clicking around next thing I know I deleted the draft. :/ So take two! 

The sickness finally came. For those of you who know me, my throat completely gives out when I get sick so the entirety of Wednesday I had no voice woohoo! But we managed. I took my vitamin Cs and all the other wonderful supplements provided by my Mom and my sickness is now just a weird raspy throat. ;) Sometimes it just gives out at random moments while talking to Sister Gugelman or teaching a lesson, etc. It's been fun! But kudos to my Mom who knows what she's doing! ;) Thanks Mom.

This week we met with Ronnie, a referral we were given and haven't been able to meet officially! We biked to Ronnie's apartment, but he wasn't there. We started to head back when we passed this guy and Sister Gugelman said "isn't that Ronnie?" We stopped and I said, "I don't actually know. I can't remember what he looked like. But just in case he is, let's go back." Sister Gugelman replied "well that might not be him, plus it would be awkward if it was because then he'd see us again and..." But I was walking already. She laughed nervously and we walked back to his apartment. In her words, "Goss dragged me back." Turns out it was him! We read Moroni 10:1-8 and invited him to bring his wife to church! He loved Moroni's words and it was a super great lesson. Walking away, I realized strengths Sister Gugelman and I had. She remembers faces and things well and I am bold enough to embrace awkward. With the two of us, we're quite a team!  :) She is so awesome.

Bike update! We got a call last week that we're getting our car back!!! Some other sisters, who have a more flat area, are sharing their car instead. They also give rides to the bike sisters anyway so it makes a lot more sense. Sister Gugelman sunk to the floor crying when we got this call (for a completely different reason this time hahaha!). ;) So Thursday was our only day on bike when we met Ronnie. After Ronnie's lesson we started biking to our next appointment when all of a sudden I felt my handlebars twist completely backwards and upside down. I stopped and Sister Gugelman and I started trying to twist it back. We accidentally twisted the gear shifts a ton and couldn't get the handlebars to budge. I thought, "eh it's fine. I'll be good." We kept going and as I was trying to get back into the bike lane, I attempted to grab the brake handles and felt nothing but thin air. In a split second I realized my brake handles were on top of my hands and I swerved just in time to miss the big pole. So that was fun! ;) Then I realized it probably wouldn't work for me to bike too well for the rest of the night so we started walking our bikes home. Pretty sure everyone thought we were weak-sauces walking our bikes home because we were too tired to ride them hahaha! After walking them home, we looked at the time and realized our next appointment was coming up and it was 3.2 miles away. So we started walking. Needless to say I got my 5k in for the day!

But wait! The bike news isn't over - there's more! Saturday we show up to service and the APs come over and explain, "so.... a sister in the mission who was borrowing our car backed into a pole and dented it. Which means we have to take it into the shop for 4-5 days. And we need a car soo...." Yep. We're back on bike. Poor Sister Gugelman keeps crying. Gotta love mission transportation!

One highlight of my week was being part of the lesson at church for the young women of the ward! The YW Teacher asked us to give a demonstration of the Restoration lesson, so two laurels role-played people we're teaching. It was so awesome! It reminded me of the MTC all over again; role-playing with members, practicing asking questions, and using scriptures. It was a lot better than what I've done in the MTC though haha! ;) The Spirit was really strong and the young women expressed how much they loved hearing Joseph Smith's story again. I am so grateful I got to participate in that lesson and be that example for the young women. I remember seeing sister missionaries when I was a youth and really looked up to them. So now being able to be that person for someone else? :) So worth it. Hopefully I also got to show them that we aren't weird; we're actually very normal people hahahaha. 

But yeah you all are the best! I miss you so so much. Being a missionary is so amazing! I LOVE being a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! This is the greatest work anyone could be a part of. :) Every night I'm so excited to go out and share this message of Christ's restored gospel to the world! I LOVE IT! :)

Love you all so much! Keep on keepin' on!!

Sister Mary Goss

Butterfly wall

Service Pic

The best area!!

Us at church!

Helping Sister Shirley at a meeting

THE RICHMOND VA TEMPLE TO BE BUILT I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

Elder Goss---W20 (Jan 21, 2020)

Hey everyone. It's your favorite missionary named Elder Goss from San Diego. Because you probably don't know any other Elder Goss from San Diego. So now I get to be everyone's favorite. Yippee. 

Man, this week we did a lot of service. We did some park service with other volunteers from many churches, we helped at the food bank, we served some members, and more. It's really great because, just like Christ, we don't just teach. We serve. And we aren't trying to force anyone into our beliefs, or get anything from it, and it really shows others that we're not just trying to get their membership, but we care about them. 

Also, our car needed to go to the shop this week, so we took it to the mechanics, and a day later they said they can't do it, so yesterday morning we took it to the OTHER mechanics, and now we've gone 2 days (and counting) without a car. We are doing our best to get around, but there's only so much other Missionaries and members can do for you in your busy schedule. But we're working it out. 

Oh, and last Friday, our zone did a youth-missionary activity, and it was so neat! There were a lot of youth and so (with propper promision), I took 3 young men (two of which are in the Spanish branch), and we went street contacting. It was the funnest (or most fun, for all you grammar peoples) tracting I've ever done. I mean, yeah, I did the majority of the work, but these kids were fun, and were willing to take part, and they had a quiet enthusiasm that many Elders lack. And we placed a Book of Mormon while we were at it. It was a blast. 

As a missionary, you quickly learn this truth: when you are happy, life is a blast, whether or not your day went well. And when you're a slob, gloomy and depressed, life sucks hard, even if you had a great day. And I know that what I learn here (especially how to be happy) will be beyond valuable after my mission. And I encourage you all to find that happy mindset. And if you are doing what you need to be doing, the rewards will sneak into your lives. You'll see it. Sometimes that happy mindset is hard to get. But you go for it! Attack it! If you find yourself thinking negatively, force yourself to fight those thoughts. Happiness is not cheap. You have to get ugly with yourself sometimes. But IT IS WORTH IT. Happiness is ALWAYS worth it. 

See you all soon! 

-Elder Goss 

--
Aaron Hyrum Goss

Sister Goss---W22: Say hello to the bikes (Jan 20, 2020)

Hi everyone!!

This week has been somewhat hilarious. That's another way of saying it was pretty difficult and I laughed my way through it (you think I'm kidding...). God blessed us in so many ways and I really did find joy in the journey! We laughed so much! ;)

The title really says it all. The bike sisters in our zone were injured and needed time to rest and heal. So that fateful Wednesday we saw a call coming from the APs (assistants to the president), and they asked the big question: "will you go on a car share with them?" I was initially excited because this will provide a lot of opportunities and hidden blessings, but poor Sister Gugelman sunk to the ground crying. The next day we said goodbye to our Toyota Corolla, said hello to our bikes, and attempted to go! Well, let's just say you can tell neither of us have ridden our bikes in a little while. A LONG while. I was so embarrassed, there was nothing I could do but laugh as my shoulder bag kept getting in-between my legs and my skirt kept getting caught and I couldn't get my footing, etc. Quality. If y'all would have seen it you never would've let me forget it. That first night we biked about 10 miles, biked up 400 feet, and biked for 2.5 hours. Yes, we're slow. We'll get there. ;) Wooohooo!

I also lost my wallet this week and that was quite eventful. Thankfully I found it the next day! But losing your wallet in SoCal where there are homeless people walking around was not the most comforting thing. I said a lot of prayers that day haha! It ended up being stuck in the other sisters' car, so all is well.

Despite the challenges, we saw a lot of miracles this week. Last night we found out that our zone (Riverside zone) beat the mission record for the amount of new people we find to teach in a week! 76 new people said yes to letting us teach them!! Our zone has 22 missionaries in it, and we are all so excited! Next week is going to be super awesome. Hurrah for Israel!!! Our friends are doing well and I love meeting with them. They are such a blessing to me!

I just want to bear quick testimony of how much God loves us. He knows us. He knows where we are. He knows what we're feeling. He LOVES us. He gives us what we need. Trust Him. Learn of Him. "Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my spirit, and you shall find peace in me." -Doctrine and Covenants 19:23

LOVE YOU ALL!! Keep on keepin' on!!!

Sister Mary Goss

1) Moonwalking in our sweet shoes

2) Hermana Thompson and I

3) The 4 man!

4) Attempting a dance...

5) Bikes woo hoo

6) Last day in the car

7) Bike night last night

Elder Goss---W19: Lots of good, scrumptious California food! (Jan 14, 2020)

Goooooooooooooood morning everyone! What's up? Elder Smith and I are doing good. We had a pretty interesting week. I forgot to mention a couple weeks ago I had the opportunity to try crickets! They were extremely crispy, and salty. But not bad. Elder Smith ate like 15 of them. I ate a few mostly for the experience of it. The two Hermana (sister) Missionaries declined, which is funny because one was from Mexico and the other from Ecuador. And here were the two straight-up Americans eating the very non-American food. I also ate squid. That was weird. It was spiced up, but the texture was weird. It wasn't chewy, but it was kinda hard. Hard to explain. 

Yesterday, we went to this member's house who feeds a bunch of Missionaries occasionally. We ate Pho (sounds like 'faw'). That was pretty good. It's this Asian, noodle soup. Tasted great. We also got to try Baloo. I have no idea how to spell it. Baloo is the chick cooked inside it's shell, and it was gross. NOT my style. It tastes kinda like eggs, with a gross texture. AND THEN, due to this kind Lady's tradition of every new missionary who eats at her house gets to eat a Thai Pepper, I had a first-hand account of what an erupting volcano feels like. :) at first, nothing worse than medium salsa. And slowly, like spreading flames, the acidic properties sunk deep into my soft flesh. I had to get up and get 3 glasses of milk. Go ahead, call me a whimp. It burned. Like the bowls of Diablo. 

But now, aside from some stomach cramps, I'm doing great! Got to love spicy, right? 

Well, to enlighten y'all's minds, I thought I'd share a quote I heard the other day:

Talent is God-given. Be humble.

Fame is man-given. Be grateful. 

Conceit is self-given. Be careful. 

-John Wooden

We always need to check ourselves. In our strengths, we must be careful of self-praise. In our weaknesses, we must be careful of self-disapointment. In our jobs, we must walk the line of doing the best we can, but not making it our life's priority. In fun, we must be careful of distractions. Always check yourself. You will never do anything perfectly, but you can do everything better. 

Love you all! See you soon!

Elder Goss

--
Aaron Hyrum Goss

Sister Goss---W21: Riverside forever (Jan 13, 2020)

Hey!! :)

Transfers were this week and guess what!!! I'm staying in Riverside!! ;) So this means I'll hit my 6 months in the field here. Isn't that crazy?? Can you believe it was back in September when I got here?!? Wow... time is ridiculously funny as a missionary. But I'm so excited I get to stay here! Riverside is the BEST and I love the people in my ward, the people I'm teaching, the area, and the missionaries here. I'm so happy; there's no other spot I'd rather have 1/3 of my mission in. (I know... I've only ever been here. But still! Everyone else tells me the same thing: I'm lucky and I believe it!) :)

This week went super well. We've had a lot of lessons and have made a lot of progress with the people we're working with. This week we met a new person to teach and her name is Carolyn! We taught her about how God has restored His truth to the earth today and speaks to prophets as He always has and read 3 Nephi 11 in the Book of Mormon with her. She was surprised and excited; her heart was very open! She accepted a baptismal date and set one herself! We are super thrilled for her and can't wait to teach her more.

Quick miracle story! Two, actually. They are simple, but God works in simple ways. :) One day this week I was struggling to stay awake in study time. I really wanted to have a productive study, but couldn't seem to keep my eyes open. So I paused and asked in sincere prayer for His help in giving me strength. I opened my eyes and continued reading. Within 3 verses, I found a verse that was so interesting to me it led to a 40 minute search for truth and I was wide awake for the rest of the time; I didn't want to finish! It was a blatant and uncoincidental answer to my prayer. The second prayer miracle involved trying to find a house I knew we needed to knock on in a certain neighborhood. I had felt impressed to knock there, but didn't know which house and we didn't want to knock on every single door. So we said a prayer in the middle of the sidewalk right then and there. As I finished, Sister Gugelman pointed to a home and said, "they have a minivan!" When I looked over, the minivan had a sticker that said Classical Conversations on it (the homeschool group I was a part of for a couple years!). What are the odds that as soon as we opened our eyes, the home was right in front of us and we could be confident we knew it was the right home? God WILL answer prayers! Every time! It won't always be as convenient or at the exact moment as my stories, but I know He always answers prayers. Always.

The rest of the week consisted of loading trucks with shoes at Soles 4 Souls and family history work! There's a new feature on FamilySearch.org where if you look at your tree through fan chart view, you can see what countries your ancestors are by color. It is SO COOL!!! I have huge family groups from Isle of Man and Jersey, little islands between Ireland and the UK and France. As well as all the countries I knew about, such as Denmark, England, etc. Go to FamilySearch.org and make a free account! It was so exciting to see my ancestors and where they lived at what time period!

Love you all lots and lots and lots! 6 more emails until I officially only have a year left haha. That's weird. That makes it sound both forever away and really close. You choose! ;) Miss you! Have a great week and THANK YOU for your support! 

Email me; I'd love to hear how you're doing or what's going on!

Love, Sister Goss

Riverside mission picture woohoo

Hermana Thompson, Hermana Longshore, and me

Hawaiian food with the 4 (wo)man

Riverside Zone

 

MY SHOE PICTURE I PROMISED. Don't you love them?? Haha!!

Soles 4 Souls picture

 

 

Mt Rubidoux with Sister Gugelman

Riverside!

View on top of Mt Rubidoux

 

Elder Goss---W18: Transfers... Psyche!! (Jan 7, 2020)

Well, transfers were today. Yesterday, our Zone (a big group of Missionaries) got together to open transfer docs, which is basically a list of what missionary will be paired with who, and in what area. And I was a little nervous, because my area (Linda Vista) is all I've really known, and I had the butterflies when I thought about how I might be moved to a different area. But I expected to, because I've been here for two transfers, and knowing that most greenies get transferred after their second transfer. And when I opened Transfer docs, I read... (extremely dramatic drumroll. I think every transfer deserves a drumroll) Elder Goss & Elder Smith in Linda Vista! So I get one more transfer here. With same Elder Smith! It's going to be great. 

We actually have a new interested person, and she's awesome! Her name is Adriana, and she has 4 kids. We met with her at a member's house, and we had dinner together. When we were talking with her, she said that all her life she wondered why there were so many churches, and which one was right? Elder Smith and I were all, "well, we know someone who had the same question..." and we had a really great lesson. We look forward to talking with her more. 

Well, I have been studding a lot about Faith recently, and likely the next few spiritual thoughts will include it somehow. Well, as I study a lot about Nephi, I recognized that when Nephi tries to inspire his brothers, he frequently refers to Moses, or the scriptures, or other examples. And the word Knowledge appears very frequently. Or the phrase "ye know that." And I think that a big part of having faith like Nephi is having knowledge. He knew the scriptures, and sought to discover the mysteries of God. And because he did it, he was able to see with the spirit, and he gave God credit for things that others could have credited as happenstance or Man's genius. But I encourage you to study with the intent to seek knowledge. And remember what you learn. 

Have a great week everyone!

See you later!

Elder Goss

Sister Goss---W20: No more complaining (Jan 6, 2020)

Hi everyone!

This week will be shorter than usual and I apologize; I know that might be a disappointment to some of you. ;)

Lynn is doing incredibly well and we are working on going towards the temple soon! Yaaaayyy!!! We are so thrilled and excited that Lynn asked if we will go with her. She had her temple recommend interview yesterday and we are helping her find names through family history now. She asked Sister Gugelman and I if we can have study sessions together about the Book of Mormon so that she can learn more and contribute in Sunday classes. I love Lynn so much!! 

This week was hard when it comes to keeping appointments and finding. We're having a lot of people dropping us and not wanting to talk, but that's missionary work! We're keeping our heads up and moving forward! New years day was deep cleaning day, where we spent about 6 hours cleaning our apartment. I actually LOVED it and it felt so good!! I missed my family more than I thought. ;) Every New Year's day we would switch rooms and listen to "A Brand New Year" (a church youth album). I sure missed it.

Tony is getting ready to quit smoking at the end of the month, and Sister Gugelman recommended that we both decide to give up something with him. Repentance is a continual and lifelong process, and there are always things in our life God asks us to get rid of. After a lot of thought and prayer, I received several spiritual promptings concerning what I can permanently give up for the rest of my life. I've decided that I can give up.... drumroll please..... complaining! Nothing good comes from complaining. Christ never complains! Nephi never complained! 1 Nephi 3:7 says "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth him." Sometimes we complain about things that others would be so grateful for: such as heat, cooling, food, events, etc. So rather than complain, I'm going to be grateful. I realize this will be more difficult than I anticipate because sometimes I complain to fit in with a social crowd. But I can be different. I can be the one to not complain, but rather look at the positive. And remember others would be grateful for that thing. And know that I can grow from it, whatever it may be. 2020 is a year of change for me!

Thanks for reading through these emails and supporting me! I'm so grateful for all of you who have blessed my life! :) HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Love, Sister Goss

 Sunsets of SoCal

Baskin Robbins!

New Years Eve