Week 49

Hi!  I have been thinking a bit about home just these last couple of days and it's really weird to look at life back home as a third person, almost. I feel kind of like a volleyball on the other side of the net from America and I just have to serve for two years and try to become this perfect volleyball before I get picked up and put back into play in the real world. I think about work, about education, about where I want to live, who I am going to date, about who will be my friends, but I realized that I don't need to think about that all right now, I just need to give the Lord everything he asks of me and then He will give me the best route in this life and the world to come! It's funny that you mentioned about not seeking for riches in this life and seeking for wisdom; because, this week I saw this watch that I fell in love with in a store and I felt like I needed to buy it but my comp said I needed to wait until we see some other ones and look around and what not and I just have trouble being patient sometimes, but I know it's best that I wait! Also, I have been reading the Liahonas (church magazines) from a  couple months back until this month and they are soo awesome and so inspired, just perfect tools to guide a persons life in these wild and unpredictable days! I have been studying really hard and trying to be the best I can be so the Lord can bless me with the things He knows are best for me!  Also, I have studied about faith a lot and how our fear and doubts can be like an umbrella blocking the blessings the Lord is trying to rain down on us. We just need the courage to toss the umbrella away! Well anyway, you guys are what makes me most happy! I love thinking of the wonderful day it will be when we will see each other again!

Love,

Anzianio Goode

Dear Dad,

Wow! I cant believe you have driven from Utah and back three times this summer! That's insane! I will probably do that if i go to school there just to catch the best surf sessions of the year! I miss surfing sooo much!  I have been like dreaming about surfing and then just waking up disappointed that I wasn't actually surfing! It looks like Nathan is really getting tall in the Camp Kolob picture that I saw of him! Don't let him get too tall, at least not until I get home so I can romp on him a couple more times! Today we are going to play volleyball, it should be really fun! I didn't hear about the Formula 1 race at all..but it is awesome that Ferrari won! I have heard that they have a race here in Tràpani evey year called (corse monte erice) or in the olden days ( targa florio) you should try looking it up and let me know if its cool!!  Well thanks for the weekly emails. By the way, I sent another video let me know if you get it!  I love your Camp Kolob beard!!

Nice Scruff!

Hi Leah...

Week 48

I love you guys sooo much! I am so proud of you guys!! It looks like Nathan is having some growing pains or something and Leah looks like she is having fun!! So anyway, this week was tough, like every week, but this week especially. I discovered I need to read the Book of Mormon again! It's truly the cornerstone of everything we believe in! So, I am already in Mosiah, after starting just this week! I will speed read it so that I can pray again to know of its truthfulness because I know that it's hard to ask investigators to do that if you aren't doing that consistently as well. Also, I have been reading General Conference talks that are great!! We must choose to act for ourselves! D. Todd Christofferson gives a great talk about that in the November 2014 Liahona (magazine). It's really pretty good!  Thanks for the email, I hope you guys have  good week and a good riposo (rest)! I'm trying to be the best example for my new companion, but it's hard when they come so prepared out of the Mission Training Center! haha! Well I love you guys! 

Anziano Goode

P.S. After this week I will have less than a year to go in the mission!

Sicilian Watermelon

Week 47

So this week was really good! I got my new companion fresh from the MTC! His name is Anziano Lapray and he's from Idaho Falls, Idaho.  He likes to play basketball, soccer and ping pong! He's a pretty smart guy, he studied at BYU for a year before coming out on his mission.   He has definitely been helping me work hard! He asks me a ton of questions and helps me realize the reason I do things and if there is anything more efficient that we could be doing! So, I think this next transfer will be the hardest one yet just because I will be teaching my companion everything, but I think we will see the most miracles as well!  We pretty much just said our goodbyes to the old companions on Thursday morning and welcomed the new ones coming in on a train from Rome. I can tell we are going to get along well. This week I will do another baptismal interview with a lady that some Anziani in my district are teaching! I will do that on Saturday and let you all know how it goes! Also one of our investigators has decided to be baptized the first of Agosto! It should be really cool! I know you guys are at Camp Kolob, so let me know how everything went when you get back. I hope everything is going well!  Anyway I hope you all have a great week and be safe! I love and miss you all!

Love, 

Anziano Goode

Saying goodbye to Anz Ferraro

My new comp, Anziano Lapray

Sunset in Sicily

Letter from the Mission President

10 July 2015

To the Family of Anziano Goode

Your missionary, Elder Goode ,  has recently been assigned to be a "New Missionary Trainer".  In this assignment he will be the companion of a newly arrived missionary.  This is a very important responsibility.  Trainers have a profound and lasting influence on the development of a new missionary's attitude and habits.

I am confident that Elder Goode will do an excellent job in this new assignment.

Sister Waddoups and I thank you for your faith and prayers on behalf of our mission and for all you have done to prepare such an outstanding missionary.

Sincerely,

Michael G. Waddoups

President

Italy Rome Mission

Week 46

Oh my goodness!! So this week was great! I got news that I will be staying in Trapani for probably 3 more months and I will have a baby missionary! He will most likely be from America or from Brazil, we will see! I'm super excited and it's too bad I don't have like any time; but, I just wanted to say how much I love my mission president and all of the members that I have met here! Today we ate lunch with a member who explained basically how the Mafia works and it was the craziest thing in the entire world!! So I hope you all had a great week! and a happy Independence Day!! I also wanted to wish you a happy anniversary! I look forward to the blessings of an eternal marriage!! Thanks for the letter! I've got to go, I'll write more next week! 

Love, Anz Goode

On the beach in Trapani