Ben 5/6/13

***Here is Ben's email.  They had transfers and he is staying in Clermont and getting a new companion.  I guess I need some suggestions for good church music to send missionaries. I took songs off the CD's from EFY and some I bought to use at girls camp for the past few years and sent them to him. So that is what he is referring to when he says that after listening to the second half of the CD he is sure he is a Daughter of God! LOL He cracks me up! He is writing to Matt about his birthday party on Saturday. Matt and his friends went hiking and to do Baptisms at the temple.  He is talking to Nate about a picture we took of Nate wearing all of Ben's clothing. Swimsuit, D state hat and shirt. Another picture we sent was of Nate wearing Ben's Cowboy hat. He is giving Nate advice about a friend he is trying to help because his friend is struggling right now.  Next week Ben gets to call home for Mothers Day!  I can't wait to talk to him. ENJOY!***

***I am sending Ben a box for his Birthday May 29th. If you want to email me a note or letter, I will print it and include it in his birthday box. Or you can mail one directly:

Elder Ben Gottfredson

Florida Orlando Mission

10502 Satellite BLVD. Ste. E

Orlando, FL 32837-8426

Happy Transfers!!!

So I'm staying in Clermont!!! Elder F. is leaving and my new comp is Elder D. I'm tryin to think, picture like your boy in the upper left hand corner of the picture you sent me of Nate's choir in the tabernacle. Really nice smiley guy don't know him too well, but I'm really excited! I got things I'm supposed to do here in Clermont!

Matt after reading your workout, you and Nate will both be body builder status here pretty soon! I'm glad you had a fun birthday!!! Nothing better than your best friends and a slew of ladies hiking the red mountain and doing baptisms for the dead right? I can't believe you're a teenager! What a beast! You have a good group of friends that's for sure! Its good to see my little bro with the red rocks of the promised land in the background! Got good things coming your way! I love you so much big guy! I can't wait to talk to you soon!

First thing I saw was Nate in my D-state get-up! hahahahaha thats awesome! I hope you showed Mega and breezy! Man, you shut up and rep almost as good as your big brother haha! What is up with you using my cowboy hat to swoon women??? I like it dude! Nothin' like some home grown Santa Clara women right? hahaha I'm glad you're enjoying football. So who all is on the staff now??? Matua, Burke, Loo, who else? Is Nowatski? Gubler? I know you said Brown isn't right? Give me the roster they got layed out right now as far as positions. Besides a mission, there's nothin' else like the lights!!! You're going to have a blast!!! Boys of fall right? You're a senior man. Leadership time.

"Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say?

Father save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour."

Nate with your friend you are trying to help... I would just try to invite him to hang out with you and your friends. Ask a girl and one of her friends to double date him or something. The most frustrating part about missionary work is Agency. The missionaries purpose is to: Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel (faith, repentance, baptism, Holy Ghost, endure to the end, etc.) But lets just look at the first part. (Matt this is to you too!!!!!) What verbs are ours? Inviting others, and helping them. That is our responsibility to do to the best of our ability. They have to Come unto Christ and receive the restored gospel. We can't force them. Some of my biggest mistakes on my mission have been sticking with people who aren't progressing for too long. It takes great faith to walk past someone who will listen to you, to find someone who is prepared for you. Now I'm not saying to give up on your boy, but I'm telling you what you can do. You can invite, you can help, and the best thing for you to do for this young man or for anyone else in the world right now would be to bear them your testimony of Jesus Christ and his atonement. You can promise them blessings, happiness and peace. That's the best thing you could do for mom and dad and Matt and chase and barrack Obama, and anyone else. Nothing else you can do for anyone would be more beneficial. Crazy right? Pray about what steps to take, but if he is choosing not to accept that hand pulling him up off the ground, I can promise you there is someone else around you who could benefit more from your time and testimony.  

29 on your ACT?! I'm done talking to you! Love you bro! 

Pops and Momma you guys are awesome!!! I got Smiths invitation and I never thought I'd see him take suchfwam glamour shots!!! If I was there I would give him such a hard time! That's just how our friendship was. I miss the little guy. Man I am so excited for him though!!! My best friends going to Brazil! We have some Portuguese areas in our mission so hopefully he does his visa waiting here like Brady and Dilly! That still blows my mind!!! I bet they are making some awesome memories! I'm glad you're listening to my music! I listen to your music and do the same thing! Every time I listen to the first half of the CD I am so proud to be your son, and by the second half of the CD, I am sure that I am a daughter of God. So yeah you guys expect my call in less than a week!!!!! Super stoked!

So you guys know that the word I have had stuck in my head my whole mission is Vision! Matt you know that from the picture I sent you right? Well I see you have opened presidents email, so you know that the mission has caught up. We are focusing on Vision. Vision, Goals, Planning, Accounting, is our mission focus. I know it's inspired council we're receiving because I have been thinking about how I can better myself in these areas for a while now. Love it. I would invite you to read his email if you hadn't already. I can't believe my time with Elder F. is over. Oh yeah, remember how I was supposed to train? We only got 1 Elder this transfer, 13 sisters.

Last night we committed Kiesha to baptism! She was raised catholic but she has a sincere heart and the spirit testifies of the message of the restoration. We taught about the Atonement and how we access the Atonement and it was a great experience and now Last Hurrah for Elder F. and I. We were very comfortable and it was almost too easy to get along with him, hence why he is transferred haha. Can you guys give me D-Levs Address? I hope you had a blast at the Fathers and Sons! That sounds like fun right now! 

I love you guys so much!!! I'll talk to you soon! 

Love Elder Gottfredson