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I all tricked you on the title of the email huh? My humor is just horrible haha, but hey I am a missionary that is a good excuse right?

I don't even know where to start with this email, so how about a story? There is a family in our area who goes to the Vietnamese branch even though they are Khmer and don't really know how to speak Vietnamese. The Viet Elders took us over to their house to visit and invite them to the Khmer branch and it was an experience. Long story short the mom made us a drink that literally had sand and water mixed around. I guess it is supposed to stop you from having arthritis, to imagine the experience of this drink, you would just go to the beach and spooning sand in your mouth and drink a water bottle to get it down. But the beach as one advantage, a cool breeze, which is never happening here. 

For some reason, the branch always asks us to help them sing. Well I can't sing and I haven't gotten any better on my mission, (in fact probably worse) so while the sisters taught and my comp played the piano I was just joking around with this way cool kid from the primary. We found a toad by the door so I thought I would try to pick it up, but as I made my way back into the church the thing just peed all over me and my shirt! Way fun time sitting in Branch council meeting with my shirt soaked from toad pee! Yay!

I won't bore you with any more stories, but this week was a good one! We had zone conference on Thanksgiving and it was a really fun time to celebrate America the Beautiful for a little bit and learn how to be a better missionary. Things are actually moving a little bit slow in the area right now, which can be frustrating, but it is just life sometimes. I feel like sometimes Satan just does everything he can (for lack of a better example like he is playing basketball just putting up triple doubles out here), but at the end of the day, we always go home happy and hopeful because we have the gospel of Jesus Christ. The most glorious message that can truly change lives. I love this area and the members here. We were supposed to have a baptism this Sunday, but the Branch President didn't want to change the ward council meeting so we will just have the baptism this week instead haha..... First, father-son baptism of the mission so super excited!

Lots of thoughts going through my head right now and stories to type, but the only thing that really needs to be said is that I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church of Jesus Christ! I know that without a doubt. I am sorry I didn't do anything super special about expressing my gratitude for all of you and especially for this gospel, but during this season I want y'all to know that I am so thankful. Thankful for my family, my friends, sports, Duke, Utah, and especially my Savior and His perfect gospel. 

Mosiah 2: 20-21

  20 I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should 

live in peace one with another—

21 I say unto you that if ye should serve him who has created you from the beginning, and is preserving you from day to day, by lending you breath, that ye may live and move and do according to your own will, and even supporting you from one moment to another—I say, if ye should serve him with all your whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants.

Quote of the week from a missionary named Elder Tvetton: "Sometimes reading the Book of Mormon is like taking medicine. You don't want to do it and it isn't very enjoyable, but when you do it you receive hope and healing, and it makes everything better." I love the Book of Mormon!

Love,

Elder Gochnour