Momma you asked for Pictures. September 12, 2011

So when mom asks for pictures she gets them!

 We found a statue that we thought was just waiting to hold the Book of Mormon. He looks good huh.

 This is the back of our house we live in here in Dolores Uruguay.

My home away from home....Dolores, Uruguay.

I bet you are wondering who took this picture.... So is my mom.

Elder Gomm and Elder Menchaca - What great missionaries!

This is the church building here in Dolores, Uruguay

A game of jenga on our P-Day. Oh we are good huh.....

Having a great time with the other Elders here in Dolores. 

This is for Grandpa Johnson... There are some really old cool brick buildings here, thought you would like this picture.

Elders will go anywhere the spirit tells them to.  Dolores, Uruguay

So cute little birds we saw the other day.

Happy Birthday Elder Laycock, he is one of the other missionaries serving here in Dolores.

Enjoying cake with Elder Laycock

Where to now, I don't think there is much out here...

Elder Gomm from Boise Idaho. Almost 9 months into his mission and serving in Dolores Uruguay

September 12, 2011 We went to a park for our P day today. Here I am with Elder Laycock. 

I am pushing it getting this close to the water huh.

Dolores Uruguay Missionaries are found in a tree.........What monkeys they must be.

There are lake and pond at every park it seems like.

The end of a fun day with the missionaries here in Dolores.

We'll keep smiling until next time.

My dear family,

Another week has passed and we are having great fun. Today we had a big companion study with the two companionship's. We were talking about the attributes of Christ and I think right now I need to work on patience.  Patience is probably the most hardest to achieve of all the attributes of Christ, because it is a part of every attribute. I'm speak more Spanish then ever, me and my comp are talking more and explaining why we feel different ways, especially after  lessons.  Things like how we feel it went, and what can we improve next time. We are having loads of fun. 

So I have had many experiences this week such as speaking with the spirit and talking of those things that our investigators need to hear. We also have zone conference coming up soon, and we are having a blast. oh  man, I love speaking Spanish and i love these people. I have made it a goal to say to adversity, come what may and love it.  Its hard to get some people to church, but we just have to try to keep incouraging them. 

I love you so very much, you all are in my prays. Don't get in trouble and always look up so that the soap doesn't get in your eyes. When ever you get a feeling that the presence of temptation in near sing a hymn or think of you favorite scripture it helps a ton.

I love you all so very much,
Elder Timothy V. Gomm

Grateful for Grandparents - September 6, 2011

Well, first off... I haven't been sick for a while now, so no worries. The reason why I'm losing weight is because I'm walking every where I go. I always have my filter water bottle with me, and I'm getting enough to eat. I don't have a picture of me and Elder Menchaca yet, we haven't had time.

So this week we had so many spiritual moments, every time I felt the spirit speak through me to each and everyone of those we taught. I always remember the advice Grandpa Johnson gave me, to tell someone something that is true, or so they can understand, you need to speak from your heart through your eyes, to their eyes and their heart. I have used that time and time again, and it works.  I love all of my grandparents, they have given advice that I have used and will keep using.  I am grateful for them giving me fun and hardworking experiences. Thank you Grandma and Grandpa Gomm and Grandma and Grandpa Johnson, I love you all.

Well my Spanish has been sky rocketing, but sometimes my companion tries to knock down myself confidence, but I'm just ignoring that. I going to have a little talk with him here soon, maybe I'll get something into him to stop saying that I can't talk very well.... his a great guy and a great missionary. I'm always  adjusting with every companion that I have.

I love you all!  I loved you mom and dad! Make sure you guy say I love you twice a day and go play in the dirt for at least an hour. I love you all so very much, and if Malorie is around tell her to never give up family time, its more important then painting her nails, haha, I'm kidding Mal, love you too, haha!

Love, Elder Timothy V. Gomm

"Thank you" 8-29-11

Dear Family of mine,
Wow! This week was pretty fast paced. We did a lot, it was all go, go, go. We ran all over the place, I'm glad that my feet still fit in my shoes, I thought that they would be too swollen to fit. This week I've have some big news flashing, and some conversations with the Holy Ghost on  Losing myself in the work. What does that even mean? to lose one´s self in the work? Well to me it means to not think of yourself, not to complain of the adversity and trials, to not find yourself thinking of home 24/7, to be out there giving it your all for the work of the Lord. As I was thinking of this, a picture came into my mind. I saw Heavenly Father, as well as Jesus Christ, standing in front of me ready to give me a hug and to welcome me home.... Then I thought how great it would be to have given it my all and then to have them whisper in my ear and say.... "thank you".

Here on the mission you are thrown at every turn. You are literally attacked at the core but its just like on a sail boat where it takes time to get the strength and balance to stand and not fall over every time a wave hits you. That has been a difficulty of mine. I have recently been learning and gaining my strength. This isn't just for the mission, its for the rest of my life. Our propose here in this life is to follow the commandments of Our Father in Heaven, with our families. We are to have a undying faith in Christ, we are to repent and be made clean, and maintain this state the best that we can.  We are to make covenants with God and keep them. We are to listen and converse with the Holy Ghost. Though the list can go on, we need to Live this way till the end. Yes, living the gospel can be hard, the church can be  hard, but no one ever said that it was easy. But how much more of a pleasure it is when we accomplish the hardness of life. Its like woodwork, yes its hard to design and build something, but afterwards what a joy it is to have it and to appreciate it.
I want to say thank you, to you Emily and Gideon, for being the younger ones always getting me in trouble, but always bringing the fun into my days.  Malorie for always being there in my life, in school always a grade younger then me, making me try to do well so that I wont be in the same grade as you, and being there to talk with and to share a few tears, laughter and fun, from our secret hand shake when we were little, to now in our letters. To you mom and dad, for raising my up in the gospel, to find my testimony, to help me the best that you could, making me the best that I can be.  Though I was the guinea pig, I just wanted to say you did a fine job, not failing once. Thank you, I love you all with all of my heart!
Elder Timothy V. Gomm

PS, We were walking the streets yesterday and I said "Hello: to some old guys sitting on the corner, I don't know why it was so funny, but he said "Hello, Mormon". It was great, mostly I think because I wasn't expecting it. ha ha!

Here are some pictures of our house in Dolores, Uruguay

Laundry: Socks hanging to dry.

  The kitchen and dinning areas.
  Check out the Microwave next to the sink, that's funny! (Mom)

This is my bed and I love my warm Uruguay Blanket

Our work stations aka desks

    The bathroom has a toilet and a bidet

  My homemade Pizza, kind of.

This is a statue of Artigas, the founding father of Uruguay

These are pictures of the street where we live. As you can see it is rainy.

Thank you for all the letters and postcards from back home.  They are very much needed and appreciated.

 Love Elder Timothy Gomm

Speaking Spanish 8-22-11

Dear family,
I feel like the mission has entered my body and things are starting to become routine. Well, my family, I am here in Uruguay still alive, thankfully. Just yesterday I was able to give my first talk in church speaking Spanish, it was very nerve wrecking. Everyone says that it was the best talk that was given... I don't know about that. ha ha!  I spoke on arrepentimiento, repentance, and it went very well. There were a couple words that I stumbled on, but I was able to get my point across.
It has been really cold here this past week and the humidity doesn't help very much. Yesterday I got sick, just a little bit, and I'm a little bit under the weather today. I'll make it through.
So today we cleaned the entire house, mopped floors, dishes, bathroom, bedroom, well everything got done. Then I made some grilled cheese sandwiches for the four of us missionaries here in Dolores. We only have four missionaries here in the entire city and the area is pretty huge. I am in the same house that Elder Siegel and I were in.
You asked about soccer here, well the soccer season is basically all year round.  The people here in Uruguay go crazy for fùtbol, soccer. Mom you asked about laundry facilities and the answer to your question is that there is a hermana, sister, that does it for us.  Some times it take forever for her to wash it, so we usually do it by hand in a  bucket. Its fun to do.. at times. wooh!!
I am almost to my 8 month mark, that's crazy!!! Time is just flying. I just left home it feels like, but its true, every 6 weeks there are new missionaries coming in and older ones leaving.  Where is the time going?
Well, family I love you, Gid be carefully in high school and Emily, you make sure that Gid is beating the boys off with a stick. Mal you're going to have alot of stress and fun up there in Rexburg, just make sure you don't get into trouble while I'm gone, because your big brother wont be there to protect you, but after the mission I will ;) ha ha! I love you mom and dad, thank you for raising me the way you did.
I love you all,
Elder Timothy V. Gomm

English Fast 8-16-11

Well, another exchange has passed and now I'm heading into my 4th. I can't believe how fast time is flying by... this next change I'll be hitting my 8th and 9th months.  We haven't had much success with this area, but I'll keep working hard.  I'm getting a new companion,  his name is Elder Menchaka  he is from Panama.  I'm so excited and nervous at the same time, this means that my Spanish is going to sky rocket, but also that I'm not going to have much to talk about in English. So if I'm starting to loose my English, you'll know why. ha ha! We are having a great time here, but yet no one is wanting to come to church. That is probably the only thing that is stopping us from having success here. I have to find out a way to get then to want to go to church.

Things at home sounds great, like the garden it is doing really great! I was telling my companion, " yep, that wasn´t there when I lived there!" ha ha! It is really great that it is growing, and pretty fast too. I remember the picture when it first got set up, wow! that grew fast! well, I love you all, Em, Gid and Mal, don't get into trouble, I'll know if you do, I´ve got my connections from high up. ha ha! I love you all!
Love Elder Timothy V. Gomm