Easter April 25, 2011

For Easter we didn't do anything out of the ordinary, we did missionary work like we do everyday. I was thinking about Easter all day, not about the egg hunt that we always do at home, but the significance of the gospel and the atonement, it's more then we can imagine. It's really hard to explain, but in Jesus the Christ it explains everything so well. How blessed are we to have the gospel in our lives, we only have to make one choice and that is to do His will, no more and no less. We as God's children make life difficult we know the answer but we make it difficult to follow Him.   We know that we need to change but we think we don't know how and the answer is just DO, follow the commandments, live healthy, keep ourselves pure and faithful, never have a moment of doubt. Life would be so much simpler if we just do what God wants us to do.

-Oh and people don't feed us dinner, only lunch... don't worry I'm eating.

 I did get an email from uncle Mike and aunt Lynette, tell them thank you so much and sorry that it took a while for me to reply. Send them my love and tell them I say thank you. I need that support... its not the same life that I had back home.

 So this is the address you need to send packages to:

Elder Timothy Gomm

La Misión Uruguay Montevideo Oeste

Enrique Martinez 1167

Montevideo, Uruguay C.P.11.800

and you know the pouch address the first one above is a little bit faster for mail as well but it isn't as safe as the pouch, but you cant sent packages through the pouch.

If you send another package, could you send a calender for me to hang up on the wall?  Something with pictures on it or better yet of Christ? Also can you send me some genealogy work, I would really like to see that!

We found three new people yesterday, and wow!!! No one has ever gone by there before, and they have so many questions, if one of our citas didn't fall through we may of never found them. They are great people, there is a man and his wife and his sister and they are ivestigadores oro!!! They are fantastic, there is no way that I'm going to let them go! they have all the right questions and are truly searching! Blessed be the name of My God!!!

 Nature pictures of my area here in Tacuarembo, Uruguay

 Stream of water, Who is your living water?

 A HUGE thunder storm rolling in.

 It was a little bit freaky...

 but awesome at the same time!

Me jumping across a ditch in the path.

Well I didn't make it... that's ok, I'm still alive!!

Mom's note: Good thing there wasn't any water in it.

Love you all,

Elder Timothy V. Gomm

The Missing Shoes - April 18, 2011

All is well here, I've been doing really well with the language and with being a missionary. Before I literally tried to open my mouth so that the spirit can talk through me... but my companion would just laugh because that's not what it means, plus I just looked like a dork.  Then I started to say words that I knew and all of a sudden I was talking a foreign language, it was pretty cool!!! Here is the story of the missing shoes:

My companion got his shoes stolen a few weeks ago. They were sitting outside in the back, the thief must of jumped the fence and ran. So yesterday we saw a kid with the exact same shoes as Elder Ferrin, he made eye contact with us and started to walk the other way faster then normal. The little kid he was playing with said, hey where you going? The kid that stole the shoes said, "quiet".  As soon as we said "hey" he started to run as fast as he could. We couldn't run because, well we`re missionaries. We lost him around a corner so we asked some little kids, where did the running kid go and they innocently pointed to a house. We went to the house and explained the situation with the parents there, they got mad, we tried to explain so that they would not get even more upset.  Long story short those parents came by our house last night and told us sorry.  They made up some story about him buying the shoes. The shoes have been gone for a long time and my comp was really up set about it.  So as soon as he saw that kid start running I had to hold him back. Well that  is that story of the lost shoes. I love it here.

Oh and I was in the middle of my first old lady bicker fight.  I just got so confused.... it was about marrying a Latino girl or a  American girl... I just laughed.

ok so I got my package as you can see.  HAPPY EASTER!!

Elder Gomm and Elder Ferrin are getting FIRED up about Missionary work!

 

God helps us do hard things!  Art work.

 

Missionary work... haha! Are you sure we should go that way?
 

 

Let me know about when you would like to call on Mothers Day.  They say its best to get a phone card and have you guys call me. We only get 45min. to an hour to talk.

Love you all,

Elder Gomm

April 12, 2011 Still in Tacuarembo

I am now in my second change, I am in the same area with the same companion, Elder Ferrin, but he is now district leader. So we are going to work extra hard. Wow its been almost 4 months, the older elders always say that time will go by faster than  you think, for me sometimes it does.... but the other times it just takes forever.  Besides from only having one belt hole left before my belt will be too big for me, we had our baptism on Saturday and it went perfectly!!! My companion was the one to baptise Maria, that was his first time in the water his whole mission. I gave a special music number, I sang "I'm trying to be like Jesus"... in Spanish and it was really great. We changed it around a bit to give it a different feel, I have really grown to love singing. I'm trying to be a better singer by the time I come home. There is a difference from having a great voice and being a great singer. The voice comes naturally, usually, but I have been learning a lot about how I can change a few things with my way of singing.  Maria and her husband invited me to go with them to the temple in a year or so to see them be sealed for time and all eternity. By then I'll be able to have a full  conversation with them in Spanish. There have been those random flukes that we just started talking and I just say everything perfectly. Gosh, I love obra de misiònal!!! Answers to dads questions--- things are great as you could probably see, we have changes every 6 weeks. I work by where the el presidente de la misiòn wants to put us.  The only time we take a vehicle is when we go to district meeting, we walk everywhere else.   The people don't like religion too much down here, some just listen to us to ´´be nice´´ and others just run away or ignore us.!  Then there are those few that are ready to hear what we have to say and accept us like Maria, who just got baptised.  Now moms questions------ I really don't know what to share with the ward family... just to always strengthen your faith and restore your testimony as often as you can, when you finish ready the Book of Mormon, pray to know if it is true even if you already know it is. When you pray don't pray like you are a recorded message, get down on your knees and pray with a sincere heart. It is a communication process between you and our father, and if you just wait in your quiet places he will answer.  Our Father in heaven know each one of us personally, and he really wants to help us and commune with us, but sometimes we just take a prayer for granted, its not a ritual that we have, its a literal way to talk with our Father in heaven.  Have faith and you will receive your answers, renew that which you already know!

Tell Devin "Don't think, just go and do!" I have already seen to many missionaries go home because they thought they could not do it.

 

I get my mail every district meeting, it usually takes 2 weeks to get to me. I haven't gotten much for the last two weeks but that's all good. It makes me work harder so that I can get to next week and see if something is there.  Everything is sent to the mission home then to us and it would be best advised to put a Mother Mary or 2 on the package because they usually don't open those ones.

Tell Emily Happy belated Birthday for me and tell her that I'm so sorry for spacing and not telling her happy birthday last week. I was really planning on telling her that. Wow, I'm getting old... she is already 13... and I'm going on 20.  Man, I was just 12 yesterday.... that is just so weird.... well, time to grow up huh?  So, I'm still alive and speaking Spanish.

I love you all,

Elder Gomm

Where is Elder Gomm

From momma 4-11-11

Oh where in the world is Elder Gomm? We didn't hear from you today, are you okay? Are you transferring? Are you ill? Rest my mamma's mind and let us know what is going on. We LOVE you dearly, Momma

Sorry, we have p-day today because we had changes yesterday. I'll email in a few!

Love you all! Elder Gomm
 

We have a baptism on Saturday this week, and I can't wait! Maria is the best investigator ever!!! Oh man, she has all the perfect questions and she even teaches us alittle!!! I am so excited I don't know what to say, I'm for a loss of words... I love it here!!!  I'm sure that I am losing alot of weight, because we only eat lunch most of the time and we have so many hills to hike every day to get to places! BAPTISM WOOHOO!!!! Sorry, that's just one more person that will be with Heavenly Father once again! So we went to all the sessions of General Conference, and the priesthood session was in Spanish, I caught on to the main parts, its really great how the spirit helps you to understand.  General conference is so different on a mission then back home. Wow, talk about a life changing experience! I loved all the talks, but I'm sad... I only have 3 left during my time as a missionary. There were a lot of talks about marriage, and all the missionaries were complaining, but its all great! It looks like that I'll have to get married as soon as I get back home. haha! No but the ones that I really liked were the trial talks, those are helping me so much. Gosh, I'm a Missionary! and time is just flying by.  I need to get a move on, but I'm am so glad I went on a mission. God has a plan for me and I tell you it hurts sometimes, but I know that the reward will be far greater in the end.  How can there not be a God, who loves us and helps us with our trials,  that we may be refined into something better. I LOVE THE GOSPEL!!! I have seen things that I have never seen before. Blessed be the name of My God. Tell everyone that I'm doing fine and thanks for the emails and letters. They are a great help to me.  I think a blog would be fine, just don't put things that might make other moms or parents upset, I don't like to make people jealous.  I love you all and know that everyone of you are in my prayers!

Love,

Elder Timothy V. Gomm

 

ok time to explain the pictures!

Elder Gomm hiking the steep hill to that big rock!

I'm looking for those in need of my help with my cape!

 

Yeah its the Uruguay flag

The big rock on the Tacuarembo sign!

Missionaries hiking to The Rock! March 28, 2011

 

The big Rock itself! That was an extreme hike... for the other missionaries because I have so many hills like that in my area, so I was ready!

 

A cattle drive with gauchos on the side of the road, that was cool!

 

Me and my hat, I like my hat, do you like my hat?  It fits me pretty well. I might have to wear it home... haha!