Elder Goss----W:100 (Aug 3 2020)

Wow, week 100. Can you imagine that? 100 weeks since I was last home. Well, only two more to go! I am super looking forward to seeing everyone, and I am going to miss a lot of things here too. 

This morning, Elder Smith and I went to the Temple, and wow that was good. If anyone hasn't had the chance to make it to the temple since Quarantine, you've got to go! Make that a priority. When We arrived, we were pleasantly surprised to see our Mission President, his wife, the AP's and SSTL's (all missionary leadership assignments) there as well! So we got to go through the Temple all together. 

The days before that, we had a unique meeting with our Zone and President, and after the meeting, he took turns accompanying the missionaries' various teaching appointments, including Elder Smith's and mine. That was pretty fire. 

As a spiritual thought, I really want to share my testimony. At the Temple, I was doing some serious pondering, and contemplation. I was thinking about what we were doing, and the promises being made. And I want to testify that regardless of anyone's opinion, complaints, or skepticism, I felt nothing but goodness and purity in the Lord's Holy Temple and his work. I might not know all the answers, and even during the session I had questions, but the atmosphere and the holiness were unmistakable. I cannot express what a pure and clear sensation that feeling was. I testify that God is real. I testify that the Temple is the Lord's holy house. I testify that the promises are genuine and real, and should be regarded with the utmost reverence and dedication. I know there are many problems and doubts that I will find, and troublesome questions I run into, but I cannot doubt or discredit that feeling. Pure. Wholesome. Righteous. Glorious. Peace. Strength. I testify this church is true. 

Thank you so much! I'll see you all soon

Elder Goss---W:98 Good morning everyone (Jul 20 2021)

It's great to report to all you once again! We've had a good week. Let's see. 

Well for starters, we put one of our friends who we are teaching, Stephanie, on date for Baptism! She's nine, so still young, but we are really excited. I think we put her for August 7th.

Additionally, we were able to meet with a lot of other friends that have been hard to get a hold of, so that was great.

Unfortunately, we've had some trouble with our ward, and certain resistance with the Missionaries. Nothing big, but that can be disappointing. And on that note, please, the least you can do is be friends with your Missionaries. I've worked in good units and bad units, and I don't know about you, but I don't want to ever be responsible for contributing to a partial and unhelpful ward. I definitely wasn't the best member-missionary back home, but I know what I want to do when I get back. 

For all those who have served missions before (or who can imagine what it is like to serve a mission), remember the members you worked with. Do you remember those absolute member heroes who were amazing? Do you remember how many people had to be dragged into missionary work? Now ask yourself who you are. What would the missionaries say about you? Please, they need help gathering Israel. 

I love you all! Be the absolute best you can be. You won't regret it. 

Elder Goss---W:97 The Baptism of Michelle (Jul 13, 2021)

This week has been so crazy. This weekend we had a Baptism! Neither Elder Smith nor I know her very well (Elder Smith got here just 3 weeks before I did), but we planned and scheduled everything. There were a TON of Missionaries at her service (at least over half), and some other Elder did the baptizing. I did have to play the piano, and man that was rough.  

I'll be coming home soon! Half-way through August. It is a weird thought, but true nevertheless. And reminding myself that I won't always be here doing this often sparks a sense of energy and urgency. Is this how I want to finish my mission? Is there anything I missed? If I have any regrets, how do I spend my time to compensate? Do I FEAR the end of my mission?  

It has made me reflect over my past, and helps me decide what I want to do for my future. I think a similar exercise would be wise for all of us. Life isn't forever. If I were to die today, would I feel fear? Disappointment? I mean, really think about it. If you feel ANY sense of urgency, or pressure, or dread, you and I have some changes to make NOW. Some possible points to consider: a change in focus, a change in perspective, or a change in character. Live like you were going to stand before God tomorrow. With that knowledge, what changes would you do today? 

I love you all! See you next week.

 

Elder Goss---W:96 Back to Bonita! (Jul 6, 2021)

Hi everyone! Remember last year, when I was transferred to a place called Bonita? You probably don't. Anyways, today was transfers, and I got assigned here again! It's pretty rare to return to an area you've already served in, at least for English and Spanish work, and it's the second time it's happened to me! Crazy. I'm even back in the same exact apartment.  

They actually closed the Elders' area up in Encinitas (where I just was), so Elder Bullock went to the Valley. It was sad to say goodbye to the Branch. Most of them were just coming home from vacation, so we really didn't get to say goodbye.  

My new (and final) companion is Elder Smith! Huh, who'd have thought? He's been out a little bit, and seems pretty chill. We'll just have to wait and see! And apparently, this area has received a lot of already-taught people (from changing ward boundaries), and I think we have someone scheduled for Baptism this weekend, so stay tuned.  

The day's getting a little late, so I gotta go. A quick reminder about families; they are the greatest! Eternal families have so much more weight and blessings than I think we realize. I want to testify, that even if your immediate family refuses God's grace, nobody is exempt from the blessing of eternal families, providing that YOU try to be the best family member you can. I don't know exactly how all the logistics work, but when I pray and think about it, I feel without a doubt that you and I will be 100% completely satisfied and joyful. Of this I testify.  

I love you all! Have a good week!--

Elder Goss

Elder Goss---W:95 June 29th (Jun 29, 2021)

Hi everyone! This week, we have been great! The weather has fluctuated quite a bit recently, but mostly, it has been super great. That's San Diego for you. 

As far as work goes, we've had a bit of lessons planned this week, and most of the member lessons happened! We had exchanges with the Assistants to the President (AP's), which I haven't ever done before. It gets harder and harder to find new people, because there appears to be a finite amount of areas where we can find people who speak Spanish, and we keep visiting those areas over and over. Of course, we can do English work at any time, but we try to focus on our assignment.  

I'm sorry, I don't have much to write about this week. For a spiritual thought, I wish to relay a message we gave to Hermano Atempa yesterday. Together, we talked about goals, and setting plans. All of us want a life we can look back on with fondness and peace. How can we do this, if we never amounted to anything? If we never climbed any mountains, or fought any battles? The only thing that every person cares about, whether they realize it or not, is how far they've come. How much one has learned, and improved. After all, that is our purpose. Nothing is more hopeless than feeling your wasted potential slip away. As if our past mistakes have permanently decided who we will become and what life we will lead. And although these feelings are misplaced, they are so tragic and heartbreaking. And the sad thing is, many people that feel trapped in the grave they've dug themselves (and after feeling all the pain and remorse for ignoring their future), continue to neglect making plans and setting goals to turn their life around.  

If you have felt this way, STOP. Your future is still your future! There are no certainties! If you wanted to, you could get up right now, walk out the door, and be whoever you wanted to be! You can literally do a thousand things; become someone great, learn from your lessons, and live an amazing life, but you have to start somewhere! At one point you have to decide when you want to start improving your life. Who cares if you've waited "too long"? The rational thing to do would be to start now, instead of delaying such happiness even longer. Why live in mediocrity when you hold the keys to your own chains? If you have dreams, make plans. If you feel dreamless, make plans. And if you are somewhere in-between, guess what??? You catch my drift. No matter where you are, you can improve your life and who you are by setting goals, and sticking with 'em. For YOUR OWN SAKE, save your future! I promise you, it turns into the present.  

And while setting financial goals or school goals are great (and can be helpful), you and I know that ultimately those things are hallow, if we ignore the more important goals. Be a better parent. Learn to be a patient child. Gaining an independent testimony. Becoming the best friend in the whole wide world. These are the goals that will leave you looking back on life with fondness and peace, AND enjoying the present. The sooner you start, the faster your future will come.  

I love you all! Take care!

Elder Goss---W:93 Fun P-day (Jun 15, 2021)

This week, like all weeks, has had its ups and downs. The past couple of days have been a bit toasty, between 75-90. For many places, that's nothing. But here, that's pretty warm.  

Today was a pretty exciting p-day! We got together with our district and played mini-golf. That was really fun! I didn't score very well, though. I think I got 53 or something for 18 holes. For those who are bad at math, that's basically 3 hits per hole. The heat was a bit oppressive with the humidity, but it worked out. We then ate buffalo wild wings at a park together and played Frisbee. It was great! Elder Bullock really likes a lot of company, so it was refreshing for the two of us.  

Elder Bullock and I continue to walk in parks and speak to people online to find people who want the Gospel, but that's going a little slow. Please continue to pray for people to be found! Having a teaching pool is really important for a new missionary, and we don't really have one. Hopefully, we will teach Jimmy and his family soon.  

I'd like to refer you to Jesus's line of questioning Peter while eating fish together for a spiritual thought. Three times, the resurrected Christ asked Peter, do you love fish more than me? If not, love my sheep. I sometimes reflect that Peter was confused with Christ's meaning. After all, fishing wasn't a bad thing. Couldn't he love fishing and love Christ? Couldn't he fish and feed Christ's sheep?  

I invite you to think about that for a little. Why did Christ ultimately invite Peter to essentially abandon the harmless thing he loved? If you need a little prod, consider the following:

* Where was Peter's heart? Did he have the guts to follow Christ and lead his church?

* Was fishing a distraction? Should Peter have had higher priorities?

* Exactly who were Christ sheep? Why are they more important than fish? 

I love you all! Take care. 

Elder Goss

Elder Goss---W:91 Training Transfer (Jun 1, 2021)

 Hola todos! como estan? bien, bien. Pues, you tambien! Well, this week has been a very interesting chance of pace, getting a greenie missionary and all! At first, it was a bit rough. If Elder Bullock didn't know what to do, he would just hover over you and watch what you were doing. He's pretty clueless. He's getting better at finding stuff to do, in between activities. He's never exercised seriously before, so the morning routine has been really good for him. He enjoys it, which is great. 

His spanish isn't as poor as I would have guessed, and is much better than mine was when I started. We've taken to learning spanish songs for some fun language study. Spanish hymns, the Coco movie songs, and even a couple from the Spanish version of Tarzan. It's been fun. 

I am now the oldest Missionary in our 4-man apartment. In fact, I have more time out than all 3 Elders combined. That's pretty wild to think about. I dare say that 75% of all missionaries out right now attended the MTC in their own homes. That is so crazy to me! I wonder if in the future, they'll keep home MTC an option for certain missionaries. It wouldn't surprise me. 

Elder Bullock and I have also been semi-toutoring another Elder while he's in his home MTC here. We'll take him to some lessons that we have, and it is probably a good thing, becuase he needs a lot of practice with Espanol. It is a bit wack teaching a lesson with 2 complete gringos who begin each sentence with "yo se que..." (just kidding, they're better than that). 

Anyhow, I hope you've all had a great week! keep up the good work! 

Elder Goss

Elder Goss---W:92 (Jun 8, 2021)

Hi everyone. Welcome back to another weekly report of San Diego!  

This week, we had a really fun English class! Three people showed up, along with some members. This week was the first class we've ever done, so that was relieving. The Sister missionaries and us plan to switch off every week teaching, so next week, Elder Bullock and I will be the teachers. We'll review the alphabet, and then learn some basic phrases.  

Additionally, we stopped by some of local latin markets, and handed out a surprising number of family history pamphlets and English lesson invitations. Hopefully, next week, we'll have even more friends! 

I don't have too much else to say today. If you want an excellent spiritual boost, give Mosiah 24 a read. It is amazing.  

Take care! I love you all.

Elder Goss--W:90 2nd last Transfer (May 25, 2021)

Well, transfers greet us once again! And there is some exciting news. I am staying here, and I am training a new Missionary! His name is Elder Bullock, and he's from Utah. Elder Searle has gone to an area that I once was in. The other two Elders who live with us haven't changed.  

So it will be my first time training! It is kinda interesting, because I've never dealt with someone who was so clueless. I anticipate that it will be fun, but also exhausting. I'll have to be sure he's doing all the new Missionary studies, and activities, and programs, and stuff. Hm. We'll see how it goes. 

My phone is super slow, so I might not type a lot right now. But this past week, we were able to visit with some members we really hadn't met before, so that was cool. We also had some frozen yogurt with one family, and that was really nice.  

We have been trying to find a lot on walks, and yesterday we had a guy call us over, only to cuss at us. It is so sad how angry some people are. I am reminded that regardless of how much you disagree with someone, you cannot justify hostility, ridicule, or conflict. If you leave feeling further apart, no amount of correctness will vindicate your behavior. If you truly stand for truth and light, you will leave any confrontation feeling peace and love. And if not, you still have some learning or adjusting to do in your own life.  

I love you all! Enjoy your days, and plan for the future! Don't waste a second. 

 Elder Goss

Elder Goss---W:89 San Diego let's go (May 18, 2021)

 

I really couldn't think of an interesting title. But San Diego rocks, so it played out nicely. 

Well, this week, we didn't have the sacrament! I bet at first that sounds surprising. Is Elder Goss disobedient? Did they run out of bread? Nope. Instead, we had our Stake Conference! It was great. The last speaker had an incredible message about following the prophet. 

However, just as the first half of the paragraph above was written out-of-context, which led to confusion or concern, so can other truths! Information can be easily equivocated when details are left out. Don't take any news or "special new thing" for its face value. Remember that, kids! Don't try this at home.  

For P-day today, we went to an Ice-skating rink! But we didn't ice-skate. Just kidding, of course we did. It was lots of fun, and there were a surprising number of Missionaries who were really fire on the ice. I fell down a couple times, but no bruises (surprisingly). And this actually leads me to my spiritual thought. 

While there were many proficient ice-skaters, there were also a couple newbies. They were very unfamiliar with the sensation of locomotion on a slippery surface. Sorry, I'm lapsing into fancy language. I remember when I struggled on my first times roller-skating. It's embarrassing. Especially, when all your peers surpass your level by a mile. It is in human nature to enjoy things we are good at, and equally so to dislike and loath activities where we aren't talented. I was very impressed with the few Missionaries who stuck at it, slowly sliding around the rink with a firm grip on the rail. They were laughing and smiling, even as their friends whizzed past.  

And I found myself wondering why. I know that for myself, on a bad day, I would have just sat on the sidelines and found something else to do. I really don't enjoy pretending to like something I'm not good at, or enduring the well-meant-but-slightly-condescending encouragement that newbies often get. I also just don't want to have to struggle, especially not openly.  

I want to encourage everyone who reads this to feel okay. It is okay to not be the best. It is okay to be the worst. As I skated past those missionaries, I wanted to tell them that every one of us, even the professional skaters, started at that level. The only difference is, they just happened to start later. There is no shame in taking the first baby steps towards mastery, even if you need training wheels. And even if they never end up gaining adequate experience to become a master, they had something that many others in that rink didn't have: the ability to enjoy oneself even in the most alien and embarassing of places. Their satisfaction didn't come from competence. Those missionaries decided (most likely a long time ago), that they would be happy regardless of where they were, what they were doing, or how good they were at it.  

Follow their footsteps! Even if you need training wheels! You got this.  

I miss you all!

Elder Goss

 

Elder Goss---W:86 (Apr 27, 2021)

Hi everyone! This week was nice. And short. We went on a lot of walks along the beach. There are a lot of people with very bold opinions! Ha ha. There were also some nice people too. Our friends (investigators) once again have been busy, so we're looking for ways we can teach them across the phone. 

This P-day we did a lot! Played whiffle ball, soccer, and hiking along the coast, and shopping. Pretty full. 

Our mission President asked us to read a talk given this last year called Waiting on the Lord by Elder Holland, and for my spiritual thought, I'd like all of you to read it as well. There are many applicable insights and truths within. Enjoy! And if you are REALLY feeling up to the challenge, try praying before and after. I promise you'll find something amazing!

Thanks so much! Take care. Bye! 

Elder Goss---W:84 Howdie everyone! (Apr 13, 2021)

How are you all doing this Tuesday? This week has been pretty good for us.

First, I was finally able to go to my first in-person Sacrament meeting inside the chapel since last spring! That was pretty fun. Elder Searle and myself blessed the sacrament. There were maybe 4 families that came! Tiny Spanish Branch. Unfortunately, none of our friends (investigators) came. 

We had a lesson with one of our friends, named Hermalindo, which turned out great. It is very hard to get in contact with him, but sometimes he'll randomly call us in the evening and expect us to spontaneously meet with him. But we oblige. Anyhow, near the end, we asked what we could do to help him, and he said, that he wanted to stop drinking. Oh, cool! How can we do that? 

"Well, meeting with you guys really makes me want to stop drinking. So I guess just meeting with you more would be great." Needless to say, it was awesome to hear that. Of course, we haven't met with him since, and sometimes it's just all talk, but hopefully this turns out good. 

Anyhow. I miss all of you! Please keep me in your prayers! I love you. Bye!

 --

Aaron Hyrum Goss

Elder Goss---W:83 Follow-Up (Apr 6, 2021)

 SOOOO, it's been pretty fun this week. General Conference was pretty amazing. I loved the first session so much! I watched the last session in Spanish, and I'm going to have to go back over and read it, because I unfortunately didn't understand everything. But I plan to do that anyways. 

Well, I have something exciting to ask you!!! Get ready! It's kinda weird, so be prepared; How are your New Year resolutions coming??? Remember how most people forget their yearly goals a few months in? Well, how are you doing? Do you need a reminder? How might you change your goals? Hm. Give that some thought. For me, I've basically forgotten everything. So I had to review it all myself. 

Next Sunday, we are going to have in-person church!!! YAY!! I haven't had in-person church inside the actual building since the quarantine began last year. So I am really hyped! Alright, thanks so much. That's all for right now. 

Here is a pic of Elder Poulson. I'll try sending one of Elder Searle and myself next week!

Thanks

Elder Goss---W:82 Emergency Transfers are so FUN!!! (Mar 30, 2021)

Sorry, but that's a bit sarcastic. Last Sunday, we were in a lesson, and President Gimenez called us. So afterwards we called him back, and he informed us that Elder Poulson (my companion) was getting emergency-transferred to a new area, because there were some Elders leaving, and he's filling in the vacancy. Normally, transfers would be happening in 2 weeks from now. But that's the joy of ET's. 

So today, we dropped off Elder Poulson, and picked up Elder Searle! (kinda like "swirl", but without

the w). He has been serving about 7 months, and is the first originally-called-to-San-Diego-missionary I've had since last summer. Wow! He is from Texas. He loves futbol. 

So, now I get to recalibrate my routine and adapt to yet another Companion! Not the funnest job, but who's to say he isn't going to be the best companion ever?!? Encinitas is a pretty fun place, so I really can't complain. 

We haven't met with Renee or Jime this week, sadly. But we've had some bomb lessons with members. If any of you want to watch a really awesome testimony in Spanish, we recorded an amazing sister here bear her witness of Jesus Christ. If you go to Facebook, and search Venir a Cristo en San Diego page, her video should pop up here soon. Also, while you're at it (again in Spanish), there's another bomb video about "The School of Life" that Elder Poulson and I made. You are all welcome to like and share the page, even if you aren't from San Diego. 

I love you all! Take care!--

Aaron Hyrum Goss

Elder Goss --- W 81 (Mar 23, 2021)

Dear friends and family, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, brothers and sisters, hombres y mujeres, dogs and cats, and ALL things which are above and beneath heaven and earth....

Hi. 

Here is your weekly report from Elder Goss here in San Diego: whether is nice. Although it is almost always super cloudy in the mornings, it becomes clearer in the day. For California, surprisingly cold, sometimes beneath 40°. And always windy. But I'm sure that is because we are so close to the coast.

 We didn't have as many lessons this week as we wanted to, but we DID have a great lesson with Renee, Jimy, y Roberto. We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them. We went over faith, and repentance, and after that baptism and the Holy Ghost, and finally endure to the end. Throughout the lesson, they we nodding their heads, agreeing how important it is that we have faith and repent daily and be baptized, etc. And when we were wrapping up, we asked them if they would consider being baptized in the future. It was almost funny to see their whole disposition change. They went from completely agreeing with how important all this stuff is, to shocked realization that we were actually asking them to APPLY it. They understood the theoretical aspect of Gospel stuff, but they never gave it much real-world thought. It was scary and intimidating. They nervously chuckled and gave a tentative "maybe," and we gave them something easier to do. But it was good to put it in the back of their minds, and help them recognize and FEEL the Gospel is real. 

The Gospel isn't just theoretical, abstract explanations that you believe or not. It truly is the rules by which the universe functions by. Science just hasn't caught up yet. But the more we discover, the more we find that the principles of the Gospel are slowly, one by one, being backed by science. Science isn't the standard of truth, but it will (if given enough time) support the Gospel principles. 

God has never been wrong, in theory OR principle. Trust God this week! If you hear or read something that leaves you disturbed, and questioning what you know, just relax. Take a breath. Whether you know some detail or not doesn't change the Truth. Misinformation and unclear context is real. Don't be scared. One day, EVERYTHING will be explained. So trust and study. 

Thanks so much! Take care.  

--

Aaron Hyrum Goss

Elder Goss---W:80 Loading... loading.... (Mar 16, 2021)

Well, this week wasn't too brilliant. We set up a lot of appointments, but most of them fell through. Elder Poulson and I are thinking we ought to do more finding, in order to just start talking with more people. Hopefully, we'll find more people to teach. 

For P-day today, we went shopping through some thrift stores, and that was fun. I missed having plaid shirts, so I bought one! I look forward to wearing it next P-day or service project. 

For a spiritual thought, we were listening to a Devotional, and something stuck out at me. You know the question "how do I know what is a prompting compared to my own personal feelings?" It is a very genuine question. God speaks to different children in different ways. How does God talk to me? What way(s) do I hear him personally? The answer found here in James 1:4

"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth ot; and it shall be given him."

 

Why don't you just ask him? Have you ever prayed to God, asking him in what ways he answers you? Give it a shot! Find out for yourself. 

Thanks everyone. Take care!

--

Aaron Hyrum Goss

 

Elder Goss---W:79 New life in a new area. (Mar 9, 2021)

Well, it has been a blast here in Encinitas so far! Del Mar is pretty pretty. There is a member here who has an backyard gym, that let's Missionaries come over and work out every morning. My companion, Elder Poulson, LOVES to work out! He is massive. In addition to playing sports (particularly football), he would also spend 3+ hours at the gym back home. Wow. That's crazy! It really has been a blessing for us. 

We are trying to find people to teach right now. We are in a branch, so the number of Members is very small. We have been going to a lot of parks to go on walks or do studies, and that's been pretty fun. Although I typically enjoy studying indoors more, I agree it is better exposure to the public. 

Man, you really learn a lot about yourself on the Mission! For all you who are waxing or waning, give it a shot. For example, I realized that by nature, I am an introvert! While I am great in short settings, I find that unending contact with lessons, people, and especially companions is EXHAUSTING. My few "alone" moments are so precious, with just me and God. Of course, I'm getting better at that. But I never considered myself to be an introvert before. 

And I think ANYTIME you put yourself in a new environment, you'll learn something new about yourself. How you think, who you like to be around, where your heart is, and why you do things the way you do them. This type of reflection can be intimidating, but it is very healthy. It is much easier to grow content and snug if you've been in the same area, doing the same things, seeing the same people, for years. It can be hard to change ourselves and improve, when our environment remains stagnant. That's one reason I think that the older a person gets, the less they are willing to diverge from their lifestyle or beliefs. 

Even a small change in regular routine and the people you see can teach you remarkable things. I'd encourage you, to do something new sometime. And not just a one-time thing. The longer you remain in an unfamiliar atmosphere, the more you are going to learn. If that idea sounds unappealing, it probably means you are a bit too comfortable and complacent. Be bold! Exercise courage! You will only conquer your fear by facing it. What you learn will be worth the effort. 

See you all next week! 

Elder Goss

Sister Goss---W81: Changed forever (Mar 8, 2021)

We made it!! The time has come! I fly home tomorrow morning and will be released as a missionary Wednesday morning, exactly 18 months since the day I landed in California. Before I go into more detail here, here's a recap of my last week in the mission: 

Monday we played all sorts of games including kickball, lego contests at President's house, Bang, and foosball! It was so much fun; a perfect pday! We also said goodbye to the Salbatos and Lynn. <3 Tuesday we had district council and sang the traditional "God Be With You Till We Meet Again" for those poor unfortunate souls who are going home. Tears were definitely shed. District councils have become one of my most favorite meetings. :) Wednesday we had a pizza party at Souls 4 Soles and then zipped down to Lake Elsinore because Ashley came back from Hawaii to be baptized!! Woohoo! She's so awesome and I'm so blessed; the timing couldn't have been better. :) Isn't that so awesome?? I'm so proud of her!! Thursday I officially started packing, we had a lesson with Samantha and taught her about the Plan of Salvation, and chatted at the ASL social that night. Friday we served at Salvation Army and taught Taylor at the church building. Taylor asked to say the opening prayer and she expressed, "I'm so excited to be baptized. I want to be a missionary." My heart melted; she's so cool. :') Saturday we cleaned the streets of Riverside (which happened to be the first service I ever did in the mission, and now it's the last as well!), ate lunch with Charlita, and watched stake conference with the other missionaries. And Sunday we had stake conference ... 

But most importantly, this week I invited people to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. We found, we taught, and we baptized! I obeyed the command of the Savior: "For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; and he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved" (Mormon 9:22-23). This week I was a missionary. :) 

I've done this every week for the past 81 weeks. And it's been the most rewarding experience of my life; nothing can even come close to comparing to it. <3 Words can't really describe how I feel about my mission. It was not your typical mission, nor will it ever be to me. The best way I can describe my mission is that it was my First Vision experience. :) I have been changed forever because of what I've learned, who I've met, and the things I've done. And all the glory goes to God. "Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel" (Alma 26:16). 

I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's true and living church here on earth. I know that through baptism, we can be saved because of Jesus Christ and His Atonement. :) I know Joseph Smith saw what he said he saw; he is a prophet of God! And we have a prophet leading the world today! I know the Book of Mormon is true and "a man [will] get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by other book." It has given me the testimony I have. :) 

I LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you for everything you've done for me while I've been out here in California! I can't wait to see you again; keep on keepin' on and working hard. :)) God loves you! Never forget that! <3 

Love, Sister Goss

 

Elder Goss---W:78 Transfers to the North (Mar 2, 2021)

 Howdy howdy everyone! I got some exciting news! Today was transfers, and boy is it crazy! I am being transferred to Encinitas CA, which is top north along the coast. It is sweet, because it is in the mountains (kinda), the area is very nice, and although there's only a small spanish branch here, I am excited to meet them.  

My new companion is Elder Poulson, and he's from Colorado. But the craziest thing is: our apartment. It isn't even that clean or big, but check this out: we got a car (Toyota carolla), a garage FOR the car (no more parking troubles), we have our own washer and drier, we have a massage chair (SWEET), A stocked pantry and fridge, and best of all, it's a QUAD apartment! Elders Wren and Norris are going to be with us. So I am super hyped for this transfer.  

For a small spiritual thought, I was reading some of Paul's epistles to the saints, and I loved 1st Corinthians 3:16 "Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?" It also references the same in 1st Corinthians 6:19. And I know that it can be easy to forget that. It can honestly be really hard to take good care of yourself. Exercising, eating HEALTHY, keeping your brain sharp, and abstaining from harmful things can be REALLY hard sometimes, even exhausting. Sometimes it doesn't feel worth it to keep it up. But I know that of you do, your future self will thank you. If you can get past the current cravings or feelings of laziness, it will so be worth it. That's called discipline. And self-mastery is very rewarding and fulfilling. So keep at it! 

See all of you next week. Bye! 

--

Aaron Hyrum Goss

 

Sister Goss---W80: I finally made it to Hemet (Mar 1, 2021)

 At the beginning of my mission, I always felt like I would serve in three places: Riverside, Murrieta/Temecula area, and Hemet. ;) As the months and transfers have gone by, I've visited every zone in the mission except Hemet! Just when it seemed that would never happen... it happened. And boy what a week it was. ;)) Let me tell you about it!! 

Wednesday and Thursday were awesome because we had multi-zone conferences! With half the mission each day!! "But wait Sister Goss, aren't you only technically in one half at a time?" you might ask. Well yes, you're right! Sister Noall and I got to go both days because President asked us to give a Facebook training with Elders Vance and Campbell. :) Huge blessing if you asked me; not only was it fun to give the training, and an incredibly spirit-filled meeting both days, but that means I got to see everyone in the mission once more before I come home next week. :) That is a super rare blessing. AH it was so awesome! Multi-zone conferences are some of the most spiritually-charged meetings I've ever been in. Having tons of missionaries gather together, train together, learn together, practice together, and feel the power of the work behind us is indescribable. I LOVE THIS WORK! 

Friday was the day of all days! Are you ready for a story?? So our ASL district decided to film our "He Reigns" music video in Idyllwild, the mountainous area in the Hemet zone. There are 7 of us in the video, plus 3 film crew members. None of us had enough miles to all drive the 2 hour trek (which is a lot for our mission because our mission is small!), so this idea popped into my head. I immediately called President and explained the situation, to which he said "yes that is no problem at all! Way to save miles!" :D Wanna guess what the idea was? So Friday morning, all the 8 other elders pulled up in the mission 10-seater transit van, picked us up, and we road tripped up to Idyllwild together! HAHA! It was soooo fun!! :D We were gone basically all day and stopped in 7 different locations up there, filming all sorts of shots. And the video looks SO good! Make sure you see it when it goes live! :) So not only was it a crazy drive up, but I finally made it to Hemet, Idyllwild, and the famous James Burrito locations I've heard so much about. It was the best ever. :) Wooooohooooo!! 

Our branch also grew this past weekend. :) We had not only one, but TWO deaf baptisms! It was so awesome!! The Spirit filled the room so much; I've never witnessed quieter baptisms, and yet they were packed with power. It was really neat to see the baptismal service and confirmation done in ASL. It was amazing. :) The work continues to move forward! Taylor, a new deaf friend, wants to be baptized at the end of March and totally loves and understands the Restoration of the gospel. Samantha is reading the Book of Mormon everyday. The members we're visiting are inviting friends over and they're asking questions and pointing out things they love about the message we share. We met a deaf woman in Walmart today, started teaching Romona from Instagram (who also loves the story of the Restoration and is so excited to read the Book of Mormon), had another referral come in from elders in Ohio, and just kept seeing the miracles pour down. They continue to come. God is so good! This is His church! I love it!! 

I'll write one more weekly next week, don't worry. :) I'm not dead yet. But I truly know this work is true and I'm so grateful for the experiences I'm having and the people I'm meeting; my life is changing everyday for the better! I hope you all are continuing to do well; make time to nurture your testimonies and faith; that's the most important possession you have. Love you all so very much! Keep on keepin' on! 

Love, Sister Goss

Elder Goss---W:77- W:??? Long time, no see (Feb 23, 2021)

 Hi everyone. It's been super long. Gosh, I forget what week I'm on now. All I know is that by next week, I'll have passed 18 months. Isn't that crazy??? I don't know another year and a half of my life that has felt like an entire lifetime. Super bonkers.

The past few weeks have been good. We have had a lot more lessons, particularly with the members here in Loma Verde ward. Additionally, we're teaching English to a lot of people. Sometimes it is hard to keep track of them! We have not had a lot of new people we are teaching, but that's okay.

We did have an awesome Food bank service last Friday, which was fun to hand out food to people in their cars. Oh! We also had a super cool Devotional, where Garry E. Stevenson talked to the San Diego Mission, which was fun.

As a spiritual thought, here's something I've learned on the Mission: planning is important. While there are somethings you don't need to plan in life, there are others that you really should! For me, I like to wing things. I like to skip planning and just go for it. And sometimes they come out fine. But being a planner will make your life easier. You don't always have to plan out your entire day to the minute; but you should have a general plan. You don't have to plan out the week and month EXACTLY, but you should have a general plan. You don't need (and probably shouldn't) create a detailed plan for your entire life; but you probably SHOULD make goals. Planning alows you to evaluate yourself. You force yourself to come up with specific times you want to resolve certain problems, or complete certain projects. Without any planning, you'll never get anything worthwhile done. You'll take it day by day, without worrying about tomorrow. But someday tomorrow becomes today, and nothing about your life will have changed. To me, that's called insanity. And when that tomorrow comes, you'll ask, "what happened to yesterday? what have I done with all those years of living day by day?" And I can guarentee you, you will not be impressed with the results.

Live with no regrets! Make a plan, so tomorrow is BETTER than today. Don't waste your life. Squeeze every moment of it working hard, becoming better, and enjoying it (yes, all three). Think of your future. Don't worry TOO much about it, but be mindful and prepared. It WILL come.

I love you! bye!

--

Aaron Hyrum Goss

Sister Goss---W79: 18 months (Feb 23, 2021)

 Yes, I hit 18 months on Sunday! August 21st 2019 - February 21st 2021. Wow. I consider everyday now an added blessing to my life. :) You'll all get a sappy, reflective, deep email soon, don't worry. 

But wow what a phenomenal week it's been!! First and foremost, you might be wondering why I'm sending this on a Tuesday and not Monday. That's because our mission was incredibly blessed yesterday and all the unendowed missionaries were given the opportunity to go to the Newport Beach temple with their parents for the first time! My heart is so full for them!! I miss the temple more than I can tell and I'm so grateful they were all able to go. <3 So pday this week is Tuesday :) 

Some other highlights for this week was having a BBQ with the zone at President's house last pday (wooooowooooo!!), attending Zoom MLC even though I'm not a sister training leader anymore (we're training for zone conference yay!!), being able to communicate effectively during the Zoom ASL socials, having interviews with President, serving at Keep Riverside Clean again (throwback to last time I was here!), practicing for our ASL video "He Reigns," picking oranges with our zone and brushing up on my juggling skills, having our first dinner at a deaf member's with our district, and teaching all our friends. :)) Sounds like a great week, doesn't it? Yeah. It was. <3 

We're teaching Brooke, Ernesto, Kimberly and Alexandra, Samantha, Ricardo, the Roas, Sal, and more! I love having lessons with them; it's so special to help them see how much Jesus Christ means to us and to them. :) Last night we actually had an amazing lesson with a new friend named Taylor! She's deaf, and apparently she's met with some missionaries before. She's wanted to get baptized before but her mother wouldn't allow it, or something along those lines (I pick up on most of what she says, but not everything haha). The zone leaders met her first so we taught the lesson together about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's so simple: all we need is to have faith, repent, follow Christ's example and be baptized, receive His Spirit, and endure to the end. :) We invited her to be baptized and she said yes! She's so sweet and genuine; you can tell she's wanted this for a while now! It was awesome!! I'm really excited for her. :) 

We are so blessed to be able to search for truth. We are so blessed to be able to read and pray to find answers. I'm so grateful for the simple Gospel of Jesus Christ that allows me to obey His commandments and allow His grace to work in my life. I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ! I know He lives! :)

Love you all so much! Hope your week has been fantastic and that this upcoming week is even better! :) 

Love, Sister Goss

Sister Goss---W78: VP + Equinox + everything tech (Feb 15, 2021)

 

Woah I feel like I wrote you all yesterday. Has it seriously already been a week? Wow!!

Well hello again! How was your Valentine's day? And wonderful mid-February week? Mine was amazing. Like every other incredible week here. :) 

We filmed not one, not two, but three ASL quality posts this week! Sister Noall and I made one that we're posting tonight or tomorrow. :) And the other two we made were QUITE the something. Hoh boy. Haha!! We made them with the ASL elders as episodes 5 and 6 of Missionaries Without Arms With Arms... :0 You can go watch episodes 1-4 on ASL Disciples of Jesus Christ in Riverside County FB page. Stay tuned for ours; you'll have a great laugh, we can promise... 

Other ASL news: we drove out of the mission up to Fontana to visit our branch president's wife! Woohoo! A *legal* leaving the mission boundaries. ;) It was pretty fun; I loved driving and seeing the valley from a different point of view. AND guess what!! For those of you who don't know much about deaf culture, they use video phones! I mean, it makes sense. They can't hear so... Video phones are really hard to get because you have to be deaf. So our mission only has two, but three sets of ASL missionaries. Sister Noall and I have just relied on Zoom since the beginning of the transfer, but due to some slight changes, the zone leaders moved in with the other ASL elders and gave us their VP! Yaaaay!!! It's so fun! I've loved getting familiar with the culture and VP; it feels way more official haha. :)) ASL is literally the coolest. 

Of course, none of this comes close to the HUGE miracle I witnessed on Saturday night. Literally witnessed. ;) Mary decided to be baptized!! YAAAY!!! Wow she blows me away. She was so excited to see me again and it filled my heart with so much joy!! She bore her testimony at the end and started sobbing as she expressed her gratitude for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When she testified of Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon, and President Nelson, I couldn't help but cry with her. It was the sweetest moment. She even sang a song about her conversion to finish and it was beautiful! I love her!!! (Plus going back to Murrieta and seeing my old friends was such a treat!! #Reddishs #Snells #Doolittles #zoneleaders #SisterHicken #othersisters #Maryherselfobviously). ;)) <3 So so so so so so so soooo good and blessed. Wow. 

I also got to see Michelle from Soles 4 Souls again! She found out when I was scheduled to volunteer there and showed up with snacks. :) We surprised Art too; he didn't know she was coming haha! It was a fun little reunion. Last but not least we swapped out our old little Corolla for a new car! Guess what kind? 2021 Chevy Equinox... :O It's insane getting into it every time. The next time I'm going to drive a 2021 will be in 30 years! Haha... :))  

We are teaching so many friends! Samantha Saldana is our deaf friend and she's so cute. We introduced her to the Book of Mormon and she loved it! She gave us sign names, but for our first names so we don't use them haha. :) We're also teaching the Roa family, Samantha Barnett, Ricardo, Rosie, and many others. The work never stops! <3 

Love you all! Have a super phenomenal day and week! :))

Love, Sister Goss

Sister Goss---W77: Downtown for the IG (Feb 8, 2021)

 Hello friends!!

It's been another fantastic week here in Riverside!! :D Including the weather, with some nice, sunny, 68-degree days... See pics below. ;)

I've had some pretty exciting meetings this week, including one not for my mission. :O Yep - for the Scotland/Ireland mission!! WHAT I know!! When Sister Henriod made it there, the advertising team of elders immediately asked her, "Sister Henriod, do you know a lot about FB ads?" She said, "no, but my companion in California does!" So I had a Zoom call with their mission and helped answer questions about advertising on Facebook hahaha!! The things you NEVER thought you'd do or learn! :D So fun!! We also had zone introductions and our amazing zone leaders bought us all pizza! Woohoo! They're the best. We ate dinner with some of my favorite people too. ;) On Saturday we went to Lynn's with the Canyon Crest elders! :D And on Sunday, President and Sister Watson invited us over! Wow!! Such a treat. :) It was so fun talking to all of them; they're amazing.

On Friday Sister Noall and I practically had the best afternoon EVER. I'm telling y'all; missionary work can be the most fun thing in the whole world and I can't believe how much I love it. :)) We spent a couple hours in downtown Riverside, prepping for Instagram work! We took all sorts of videos, pictures, and clips for Instagram posts, stories, and reels. If that's not the most entertaining way to do missionary work, I don't know what is! It was awesome!! :D We went to the courthouse, butterfly wall, Mission Inn, Tio's Tacos, and more. So stay tuned for our awesome Instagram work there @findjesus.inlandempire! ;)

Lastly, we had some amazing lessons with Samantha Saldana, Ricardo, Charlita, and so many others we're teaching! Woohoo!! Both ASL and English. :) And I'm understanding most of it, even if they only sign with one hand because they're holding their phone with the other hand lol. :) The gift of tongues is real. We are both so surprised how blessed we are this transfer, with lots of friends to teach (about 15!), friends coming to church, videos being made, and the work going forward! It's the best!!

Last but not least, I went on exchanges!! And I wasn't the STL!! Haha woohooo!! :)) I went with Hermana Neider (we lived together in Murrieta) It was a huge blessing because we got to have our exchange in my very first apartment here in the mission (the old Canyon Crest apartment!). :D Talk about nostalgia woah! I loved every second of it. My very first exchange was there, in that apartment, going to Spanish land, doing studies by the pool, and drinking Polar Pops with Hermana Weston. My last exchange was there, in that apartment, going to Spanish land, doing studies by the pool, and drinking Polar Pops with Hermana Neider. I couldn't have asked for anything better. <3 So so so SO many wonderful memories there. Wow.

I love you all so much; keep up the awesome things you're doing. Don't forget to do the little things - say your prayers. Read your scriptures. And go to church. It's important. CPR for a reason. ;) Miss you! See you next week!

Love, Sister Goss

Sister Goss---W76: ASL galore, viral IG reel, BoMs left and right (Feb 1, 2021)

HOLY MOLEY hey everyone!! :D How's it going?? Life is absolutely phenomenal right now for me!!! This week has been amazing!!

We've been totally packed with doubling in two areas, working on the social media team, and learning a new language haha!! :)) Our week was full of lessons, home visits with members, meetings, studies, service, and more. 

Language: ASL my friends! It's coming along!! I'm still very new, but I'm understanding (usually) more than I think I would've. On Tuesday we had about 5 straight hours of ASL, including district council, ASL class, an ASL Zoom social, and my first ASL lesson! Later on this week we had another ASL lesson with Ricardo that went for an entire hour and get this: I understood!! And communicated with him for an hour!! *yeeeeessss* I'm making it a priority each day to watch some sort of ASL video to understand comprehension better, and Sister Noall and I have a goal to use sim com (simultaneous communication: you speak and sign at the same time) from 8:30am-9pm unless we're 1) driving, 2) in a different room, or 3) planning an English lesson. It's NOT easy but I'm going to be so much better by the end of this haha. Huzzah for ASL!

Service: we went to my favorite service place EVER this week, and it may sound a little familiar... Remember Soles 4 Souls?? Yes!! We unloaded this massive semi-truck for several hours and it was so much fun!! I have about 10 bruises on my arms still, but 100% worth it. No biggie. :) We also served at Salvation Army, Billion Graves, etc. Sadly Valencia and Feeding America are closed for service because of covid, but maybe I'll see if I can visit. :)

Meetings: I gave my last trainer/trainee training on Tuesday! It was bittersweet. :) I tag-teamed the training with some other wonderful sisters so they can do it in the future. I have loved having the privilege of consistently sharing my testimony of the power of this work, especially through social media, to new missionaries and their trainers. I have felt so much power doing so. :)) <3 We also had zone accountability, social media council, and 5 straight hours of Zoom church on Sunday morning (that's what happens when you cover both a ward and a branch). But relatively less meetings than usual for me haha! More language study time ;)

Fun: some big time fun things this week included a birthday party for Elder Wolfert (the missionaries in our complex went to a central picnic table and ate cake together), working on ASL translations for songs on the ASL page with our district, making an Instagram reel that hit 5k people in about 0.2 seconds (go check it out!!! @findjesus.inlandempire), and enjoying some bee-au-tiful weather ;)) Woooowooo!!

People: We're actually teaching several people and I've already come to love them so much! Gabriel Roa is a father who has wanted to be baptized for a couple years now and is waiting for his wife. We met them yesterday and their whole family is so cute. :)) Ricardo is our ASL friend we have lessons with and he's so funny! And patient with me haha... Brooke is a sweet 11 year old who was recently baptized and she wants to introduce her other friend to the church! Let's gooooo Brooke!! <3 And there are several others too. Keep praying people's hearts will be open and they will be led to the church! There are so many miracles left and right - God really is involved in the details. :) We gave out four copies of the Book of Mormon and a Bible this week! Already!!

Miracles: 1) Albert, our apartment maintenance friend, fixed our heating and said as he was leaving, "can I have one of those books?" pointing to our bookshelf with the Book of Mormon copies! He said he wanted to read it with his daughter. 2) We were leaving a certain service that "happened" to cancel and ran into a man outside who waved us down named Romero. He said, "what's your tag mean?" After some discussion, he said "do you have a Spanish copy of the Book of Mormon I can read?" We just "happened" to have a Spanish copy in our trunk and swapped numbers. 3) Every person we tried to contact last night answered or allowed us to share more and introduce the Book of Mormon to them. This is AMAZING!! Oh and 4) our reel went crazy for a second!! Hooray for Instagram!!

Okay I know this email is super long already. Thanks for reading :)) and supporting :)) y'all are so so so awesome!! Keep shining Christ's light and be willing to ask the hard questions. Ask them and find answers through His Spirit; life is so much better that way! Have a FANTASTIC week!!!

Love, Sister Goss

Elder Goss---W:73 Guitar and Unity (Jan 26, 2021)

Unfortunately, not much happened this pass week. We've been trying to reach out to people we don't know, and logically that lead to a lot less lessons. But that's okay. We DID lead the Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) last night, and Elder Schlenz really enjoyed that.  

Well, since not much happened this week, I'll tell you a little bit about Elder Schlenz. He has had 3 months on the mission. Pretty green! He's from Texas, he likes acting a lot. He also is a guitar player, so sometimes we'll "play together." But it's not super great. More importantly, I just need to find a Duet piece, but I don't know how common a guitar duet is. I guess we'll find out.  

For this past week's District Council, we talked about Unity, and there is a great talk by Sister Sharon Eubank last October 2020 Conference that I love stupendously. It's called "by Union of feeling we Obtain Power with God." One specific point she states, and I love it, mentions the necessity of mercy if you want Unity. Mercy, huh? I never thought of that. But, it makes sense that your ability to forgive should govern how much peace and empathy you share with someone. If you have hard feelings, you won't forgive, and you won't be unified. A united relationship is a merciful relationship. And I liked that.  

I love you all! I hope you all are staying safe. Take care.

 Elder Goss

Sister Mary Goss---W75: HOME AGAIN ❤ (Jan 25, 2021)

HELLO everyone!!! :D I'm on cloud nine right now because I am writing live from home, sweet home: Riverside, California!! WOOOHOOOO!! My last transfer starts today and after 6 wonderful, blessed, happy months in Murrieta, I am now back with my roots in Riverside to finish. And I couldn't. be. more. excited. Practically jumping up and down in the air right now. But first, let me tell you how this last week in Murrieta went! ;))

Fantabulous!!! Oh it was so, so, so good!!! Life just gets better and better and better. :)) We had an incredible amount of lessons and home visits with our friends because both Sister Henriod and myself are leaving. So our schedule was *packed!!* We also had exchanges on Wednesday/Thursday with Sister Wall! Turns out *drum roll please* that will be my last exchange as an STL. But again, more about that later. :) Sister Wall is amazing and it was so good!! Thursday night we had another lesson with Mary and ate poke together. She has the strongest desire to be baptized, it blows me away! She just keeps saying "I want to be baptized because I don't want this feeling to go away. I want this feeling forever. It's so good." :') She is so amazing. And she came to institute with us right after our lesson and LOVED it! Institute helps me feel the Spirit so strongly; I always come away feeling empowered and grateful for the gospel. This week Brother Decker taught us about the Doctrine and Covenants 3 and the 116 pages. I learned new things and it blew my mind!! I love Joseph Smith and am so grateful for his humility. Wow. 

Friday we had our fun horse service at EQUU8 again, but we invited a less active friend and Lindsey to come! We all got Subway afterwards and it was so neat to see Lindsey take our friend under her wing and love her for who she was. I am constantly inspired by the goodness of the people I am around each day. That night, Sister Henriod asked us to go seeking with faith in Old Town Temecula! We started walking and believe me -I still get SUPER nervous street contacting. It's just not something I'm great at. But we full-sent it and ran into a sweet girl who was a member, hanging out with some non-member friends! It was definitely a miracle and we talked for a good 30 minutes! :)) Seeking with faith works, even if we are scared out of our wits. We just have to do it. :)

The rest of the week was just amazing, as I've already mentioned. All the dinners (Amulek again, Reddish's, etc.), church, our friends (like Ashley who is SO COOL and I love her SO MUCH), the members, my companions, the zone, etc. I love being here. I love doing what I'm doing. And I'm SO EXCITED for this next transfer!! So excited, in fact, that I accidentally flung my phone across the room and it is most definitely broken. The screen does not work. At all. But guess what!! Sister Henriod just *happened* to get a brand new phone for Scotland this week and didn't know what to do with her old phone. So she gave it to me! Talk about tender mercies?! ;) My good 'ole phone has been through more than what it signed up for haha...  

So quick update! Yes - I'm in Riverside, but not only that; Sister Noall and I are the first ASL sisters for the CRM! :O Yes, I am now assigned American Sign Language!!! :D No, I didn't really know it before the mission. Yes, I learned most of it on the mission through ASL classes with the ASL elders. And YES I'M SO EXCITED!! I've been released as STL after 8 transfers :'(, but I am still the chair on the social media team and still heavily involved in both Facebook training and Instagram work! This has literally been a dream since day 1. Dreams come true my friends. :') Again, I'm on top of the world. Also fun fact: it snowed coming home from Walmart! :O

I miss you all so much! I'm going to miss Murrieta and the YSA ward with all my heart, but incredible things are in store and I'm so very blessed. Email me if you have any questions, complaints, thoughts, or whatever! I love y'all!! Have a WONDERFUL week!!! :))

Love, Sister Goss

Elder Goss---W:72 Transfers again??? Whaaaaa... (Jan 19, 2021)

Yup! Here we are at 72 weeks. Crazy! And what is more crazy than Transfers, am I right? Well, as sad as it is, Elder Hubbard has been called far, far away into the Valley, to the same apartment and area I was at! We did a bit of a swap. And now, I have the pleasure to meet Elder Schlenz, who has been out 3 months. Whaaaaattt??? That's right. He's a greenie. And one of those Homeschooled MTC missionaries too. Man, homeschoolers are weirdos.  

Our district and zone have had massive changes this transfer. Our district now only has three companionships. I have also been assigned as District leader, which is cool. I enjoy helping other missionaries. In fact, ever sense last April, I have either been a District leader, or been the companion of the District leader. I got a streak going! It's pretty fun to track. But who's counting? 

I want to remind you all to keep writing in your journals (mostly because I need a reminder myself). Sometimes it is a chore, but there are many hidden benefits from doing so. Upon reflection, I've noticed that writing in MY journal has helped me become more eloquent, and better at putting my thoughts into words. I've also notice that it helps me with a lot of my problems, being able to reflect and evaluate my environment and myself. And I am sure there are more. So knuckle down and get to it! You'll thank yourself later.  

I love you all. Hopefully life hasn't been TOO crazy for the rest of you. Take care!

Sister Goss---W74: Horses, ASL First Vision, big lake time (Jan 18, 2021)

Hey hey hey everyone! Welcome to this episode of Sister Goss's weekly special!! ;) It's been a pretty amazing week and sometimes I can't help but just take it all in and feel SO GOOD INSIDE. :)) I've honestly never been happier in my life. God is so good. <3 <3 <3 

So this week we volunteered at this horse service place for children's therapy! I was absolutely in love with being there and hanging out with the horses (man I miss riding in Virginia so so soooo much!!), baby goats, pigs, doggies, etc. We were there with our entire zone and it was so much to just be out and hanging out with the animals. I got to brush up on my mucking skills and all the good stuff. ;) Woohoo!!! 

We also had zone conference in Riverside and I felt the Spirit SO strongly! Our training, along with both sets of zone leaders, built up to one big role play consisting of finding, lesson planning, and teaching a full lesson! All the leaders had a character play and I took advantage of that to its fullest. Hahaha you know me... ;) It was so amazing to see teaching skills in action and feel the Spirit testify through you and the other missionaries. At the end of zone conference, President Watson said "Sister Goss, can you tell the First Vision event of Joseph Smith in ASL yet?" I said yes, so he called me up along with every other language represented in our two zones (Murrieta and Temecula). The eight of us stood up at the front and starting with English, Sister Searle started: "I saw a pillar of light..." Down the line, we started the First Vision account in our language. It only took a minute and because so many languages were going you couldn't hear them individually (except ASL, of course!). But when we finished and looked up, there were tears in everyone's eyes. The Spirit that was in the room was palpable. Having 8 different languages testify that Joseph Smith did indeed see God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ helped us see the reality of the gospel spreading to every nation. It was a very special moment that I will remember forever. <3 

Big news! Sister Henriod is leaving to Scotland and Ireland next week!! We found out this week and it's been a big sad, but also a big happy!! She's both devastated and so pumped; I totally understand haha. We also had dinner at the Bayles in the Ortega, Lake Elsinore ward! They're YSA representatives so they invited us over along with Sister Gugelman and Sister Gunnell. :) So fun!! The Bayles live way up at the top of the Ortega mountain, so it was a very nostalgic and beautiful drive. :) 

I have so much more I want to say but today is CRAZY so I don't have time to write it out. But let me just say that I'm having the best time, the best lessons, and the best experience ever! God is amazing and He loves you. :) He lives! See you later!!

Love, Sister Goss

Elder Goss---W:71 Hm. Crazy week? Nah. (Jan 12, 2021)

As my detailed title implies, nothing crazy has happened this week. Our friends that we're teaching has been out of contact. HOWEVER, we have been setting a lot of appointments for this upcoming week, so there's that to anticipate. 

Additionally, today was pretty fun. First, we went to another Elders' appartment, and I cut one of the Missionary's hair. Although I've done it once or twice before, this was an actual, honest to goodness, decent haircut (and NO, I DIDN'T buzz him). So that was cool. Afterwards, we took some other Elders who will be returning to their original missions out to drive by the beach, and to get some tacos. That was fun. They are great to hang out with. 

Funny enough, now that I mention it, we didn't go shopping today! Ha ha. Well, we'll work it out. 

Well, for a spiritual thought, I'd like to turn your attention to the scriptures. All scripture, no matter how obscure or uninteresting, has hidden value. In stories, in epistles, in poems, in prophecies, etc. Today, I want to challenge you to find the most boring chapter you can find, and study it. Find the hidden gem. It's there! And if you pray and study with the Spirit, he will teach you something new. 

I love you all! Take care. ¡Cuídense! 

Sister Goss---W73: Walmart miracle (Jan 11, 2021)

Heyo everyone! :)) Happy happy week!

It's been another wonderful week here in Murrieta, Cali! I am so blessed to be here. It's amazing.

Update on our friends: AWESOME. Awesome, awesome, awesome!! Lindsey continues to blow me away with her immersion in the church; she's close to page 400 in the Book of Mormon, comes every week to institute and church without reminders, and is volunteering at every service she can (including Bishop's Storehouse). She just got a calling too! :)) I'm so proud of her and it's incredible to watch her grow so much! <3 Ashley moved to Hawaii and is connected with the Elders in her area (who happen to be the AP's). #soblessed :) Mary, our other amazing friend, came to church this week! And guess what? It was her birthday!! And she still came! She looked like a supermodel and our wonderful Relief Society counselor announced her birthday to the congregation. :)) Mary loved it. ;) She's reading and praying and seeing answers to her prayers! <3 And Sarah!! We got back in contact with her! :)) She wasn't texting us back for a really long time. So finally we dropped off a treat and she was there! She said she doesn't have time for the lessons and doesn't want to feel pressured, but still loves us and the doctrine. :) AND-- she is still reading the Book of Mormon! On her own!!!! <3 Oh I could've cried when I heard that!! YAY!!!! I know I sound super excited and peppy writing about my friends but they are just so cool and I'm so happy God put our paths together. They are amazing. :)) 

We've done lots more service at Western Eagle (where we juggled gum containers), Bishop's Storehouse (where our wonderful district leader made sure I followed through with my goal in drinking more water... I got so waterlogged haha), and more. Service feels so good. I also had two exchanges this week and have come to love the missionaries here so much. <3 Lastly, we attended several meetings on Sunday including zone conf prep, ward council, MCM, stake MCM, church, etc. Being a missionary is the best occupation in the world. 😊

Do you want to hear two quick miracles that happened today? Okay cool. So 1) we went to Panera for lunch and right as I was about to order, a sweet woman walked in and exclaimed "Sisters!!" She was a member of the Oso Oro ward in the Murrieta stake and asked to please pay for our lunch! All 5 of us!! :O WOW that is seriously so nice!! :)) So so so sweet! And 2) we were standing in Walmart and this woman with bright pink hair walked up to me and said, "I don't mean to be rude, but are you from the Mormon church?" When we enthusiastically said yes, she said "do you recognize me?? I'm Darla from the Ortega area! I've met you before!" I was trying so hard to jog my memory, but I couldn't remember meeting her before. I asked if she saw my tag and she said, "no, I just felt like you were from the Mormon church and I recognized you from behind. I want to come visit your church again--my son is a bishop and I still remember everything you've taught me!" We swapped numbers and I promised we'd text her! With further research, turns out she was going to be baptized September 2019 but didn't. She was taught by sisters (including my trainer, Sister Preator) that looked like me! The last time she talked to missionaries was April right during covid, and guess who she talked to on the phone? Me!! But then she got a new number so missionaries lost contact! So yes I'm the last one to have talked to her, but I've never met her in person until today.

If you ask me that's a huge MILAGRO right there!! Ladies and gentlemen, this is God's work. His Spirit is so very involved!! :) It blows me away to see His hand in the little details; I mean, what are the odds Darla would be shopping in Murrieta, be at the store for hours, and then recognize me when we've never met before? Only the Spirit could've done that. It's the best. :)

I know this email is longer! Thanks for reading and I love you all; have an amazing upcoming week! Catch you next Monday!! 

Love, Sister Goss