June 23,2011

MARSHALL IS HOME IN PASCO!!! He arrived in Pasco WA just after 3:30pm! Our family was accompanied by Grandma and Granddad Goodrich, Delbert and Mary and a few of the kids. We left for Rexburg ID the next morning to go spend some time with Shayanna, Steven and our new granddaughter/niece Naomi Brooke Barclay born a week before Marshall came home!!! We stayed nights with the Randy Smith family in Blackfoot ID. We got home yesterday afternoon and now we are getting into our summer routine. We enjoy having Marshall home, but know his staying home depends on the job he ends up with and which school he wishes to attend and when!!!

6-13-11

hey mom and dad

things r going pretty good here. we had a good week. we found this guy - we were just walking and he stopped us and asked if we were mormons and if he could get a book of mormon so we went and got him one and we taught him and he's prepared and interested in learning about the restored gospel. his ex girlfriend is a member and he went to church with her a few times and he really liked how the church is organized and he read everything that we left him and he said it all makes sense and he really likes wat he's learning; he's pretty awesome. we then taught a few other ppl. well the visit with the murrows was awesome; the farris's were also with them. it was pretty much like old times. it was great. we ate at a cuban restaurant and it was pretty good and it was good to talk with them, and lindsay and mindy were doing good as well. theyre both going to uvu so that should be cool. i miss them and huntersville but i'll visit them sometime soon after the mish - we'll see. they said the huntleys r doing great as well which is awesome to hear. i bet yall r finally excited school is done with - the girls seem really excited. well its good to hear that yall finally got the lawnmower fixed so u can finally mow the lawn haha. thats sweet that yall got to see t and ryan - how r they doing? so now that school is done, wat do u plan on doing with ur summer mom? dad, hows work been going for u? hey mom can u look into more stuff for uvu - im pretty sure thats were im gunna be going. wow thats crazy that scarlett is 16 now. when is she getting her license? so how is miles doing? hey mom, scarlett said she is getting her ipod before yall go to idaho. do u think miles can get my itouch before we go as well or soon? man its so weird everyone is talking to me about going home and it still hasnt hit me which is weird. i feel im at home here so its weird talking all this home stuff haha, but i'll be excited to be home. thats fine that we're going the next day i get home eventhough theres no time for me ur right haha jk. i would luv to see shayanna and steven and her baby. how long r we going to stay there? it should be fun to go to idaho and visit ppl there i know - me and miles have a few friends there so it should be alright. well hopefully shayanna keeps doing good and that everything goes well with her pregnancy. wow camping is the 1st thing i wanna do when i get home haha jk its a joke. thanx mom for the money and im going to get that stuff today. well, im really gunna miss this place. i luv the members here and theyre awesome and have helped me out a lot and ive become great friends with a lot of them. well im glad to hear everything is going great for yall back home. c yall soon

luv yall so much. have a great week

elder goodrich

5-16-11

hey mom and dad

those r some sweet pics dad. i hope u enjoy the yankees-orioles game. that should be fun. i would love to see the yankees play. thats sweet that tomasi got u great seats for ur flight. ya its been pretty warm here as well. we've had some big storms here lately and this week the storm knocked down a ton of huge trees. it was crazy. our week was pretty good. some of our investigators were outta town but we found a few new ones and i think they have a lot of potential. they were asking all the right ?s and see all the confussion in the world about religion and we told them that we're different from other churches and that they can come closer to their savior and find the truth if they pray and they seemed very interested, so it was neat to find them and teach them. we're still working with some investigators we've had for a while and they r coming along alright - still trying to get them to church. our l a (less active) teaching is going pretty good. a few of them r coming to church and one guy we're teaching we're really good friends with his family and he's way happier than he has been, which is awesome. dad, so wats this thing in baltimore again? wat r ur plans while ur there? thats fun that u get to skype with the fam and do all that fun stuff. technology is amazing these days, wat we can now do is awesome. thats sad about jims mom but it seems shes happier. tell the nielsens hi for me. well dad hope u have a fun week in baltimore and learn some new things for ur job. mom thanx for the updates. that's sad to hear about coach mac. he was a good guy and a good coach i guess. wow yall had floods. crazy. did anything get damaged? well hopefully karen gets feeling better soon. well it sounds .like yall r doing pretty good staying busy and all that fun stuff and working hard in school and all that. everytime u email me it seems that u and the girls always go shopping haha. i guess its just a girl thing haha jk. thats crazy that lewis leaves so soon. im gunna have to write him soon or something. im gunna miss that kid. well things here r going pretty good. we have a lot of ppl we're teaching and the work is going alright and theres awesome members here and the area is way sweet. wats ur tupperware party thing for? well hope u have a great week eventhough dad is gone. im sure itll be fine. hows miles and jordan doing?

well hope yall have a fun and good week. ttyl

luv yall

elder goodrich

Great Mothers Day Phone Calls!!!!

We all had a wonderful time talking with Elder Marshall! We were able to use Skype so we could see and hear him! It was extra special, too, because Grandma and Granddad and Uncle Delbert and his 3 kids were all here and were able to say hello to Marshall, as well!!! We had our desk computer going with Skype talking to Cameron and our laptop going with Skype talking to Marshall. At one point we got both Elders Goodrich to see and talk to each other!!! We enjoyed taking the laptop around our house to show both of them our house, since neither of them has seen it. We also showed them Miles's "man cave" in the playhouse in our backyard that he has been working so hard on with Jordan. It was a wonderful day spent with family and our missionaries!!

Here is Marshall's email sent on Monday 5-09-11

hey mom and dad

thanx for ur testimony and the pics. those pics were really cool. well it was good to talk to yall yesterday. it was fun and i enjoyed having gma and gpa and delbert and the kids there. it looks like yall r doing really well. the house looks really good. hows work going for the both of yall? well we had a pretty good week. we taught quite a few ppl and we're working with some really sweet peeps and theyre working hard and hopefully they can come to church and get baptized soon but we're working hard to find the elect. well we pretty much talked about everything lastnight. any ?s u got for me?

well hope yall have a great week. luv ya a bunch and thanx for being the awesome parents u r and all the things uve helped me with

luv, elder goodrich

5-2-11

mom and dad,

ya i had a pretty good week. we found a few more ppl to teach and one guy, his name is fat fred, thats just wat he goes by. hes way cool. he has always been friends with missionaries and likes wat we do. he talked with them a lot in california and is a way cool guy. he invited us to have a bbq with him this week - good mexican food:) we then taught elizabeth, that lady i think i told yall about last week and it went good. shes really interested in learning more about the gospel. we taught some pretty good lessons and on saturday we had our day of service and we went around collecting food for the food bank and that went pretty good. good things r happening and its great to see wat comes from hard work:) u watched miles for 3 hrs trying on shoes. wow that must have been so much fun haha. so is schroeder off his mission? thats good that miles got to visit with him and got close to him. haha, a normal day is we study, go out for a bit, tract or teach, come home for lunch and then go back to tracting and teaching and then come home for dinner (usually with a family in the ward-this ward is awesome) and then visit l.a. members or investigators - thats a normal day for me:) haha, dad with his head shaved. ur gunna have to send pics. i had to wing our gospel principles yesterday, like usual, and it was on baptism and it went pretty good, ive had to wing so many lessons in church, so hopefully we get a new teacher. no we're alright but there has been a lot of storms going on lately and we've been blessed to not be effected by them and cameron probably gets more storms than i do. it was sad to see all the stuff that happened in raleigh and alabama. sounds like yall had a pretty good weekend hanging out with each other and playing bocce ball. miranda sounds like shes doing really well in softball and having a fun time and scarlett is turning into a great singer. she told me about hopefully making chamber choir. thats sweet that cameron got to have a mtg with elder oaks. hes a great guy and apostle of the lord and it was great to meet with him. that would be cool if elder oaks remembers our last name and when he talked to cameron, say i met ur brother in charlotte haha that would be way cool. gma and gpa r so lucky that they went to hawaii. a member here went and she said that everybody NEEDS to go to hawaii cuz its such an awesome place. im sure they enjoyed their trip to visit with them. how long have they been living in hawaii? dad, i feel ya. im always tired, so its all good. i will hopefully skype and i'll call hope fully in the evening time maybe around 8 here so it would be 5 there. would that work? that would be sweet to see them. i cant wait to talk to yall either. so how is shayanna doing? hopefully shes doing good. i havent heard from her in forever. hope her and the baby r doing great. haha that would be a great investment for gma and gpa and he could take it every where and u can even print stuff through wifi so that would work great for him. he'll get into the 21st century before long :)

well hope yall have a great week luv ya a bunch

elder goodrich

4-25-11

mom and dad,

i had a pretty good week besides the fact that i had flat tires on a bike i was borrowing and my bike was getting fixed so we walked everything and it wasnt too bad. we found this awesome lady named elizabeth and shes really good friends with this lady in charlotte and whenever she goes over there the missionaries r there so we talked to her for a while and she has a book of mormon and is reading it so things r looking up for us here. its been a while since we've found someone like that so i was happy and grateful to find someone whos ready. its awesome. um i decided i'll probably leave my bike here and sell it cuz i probably wont use it when i get home a whole lot. ya im so grateful for the atonement as well and we had a great lesson in church yesterday about hope and it was grate and how faith, hope and charity r all connected to each other and if we have faith, well have hope and charity and through that hope we can get through anything cuz we have that hope that christ did for us and lives and can make it through rough times in our lives. so yall got hail too? how big were they? well for easter we had a good program at church and then had dinner with a family in the ward and theyre a great family and we had ham and all the stuff yall had and it was pretty good. well sounds like yall had a great anniversary as well. mom how did u like shooting those guns? is that the 1st time ever? dad im sure ur were so happy haha. took u 23 yrs for mom to go shooting with u haha jk. its fun isnt it mom:) im glad yall have had a great 23 yrs and fun and im grateful for the awesome parents yall have been for us kids. yall r the best and i think about yall a lot too. so hows work and everyday life going for yall? im doing pretty good here. yall got my package right? thanx for looking up that stuff for me on uvu. my comp went to uvu and he said its a bit cheaper if u live in utah so we'll see. hopefully i could stay with shane if that would work. thats good that yall got to see billy for a little bit. hows he doing? well the last thing we did for service is last week we helped a member rake pine needles all day and it was fun and we're doing a lot more service here as of late and i enjoy doing it. well thanx for everything yall do for me. im so grateful for wonderful parents:) hope yall have a great week. ttyl, luv yall

elder goodrich

4-18-11
mom and dad
sounds like yall had a great week and fun with shay and steven. ya we heard about the tornados and we've had a couple tornado warnings here lately but thats it and nothing happened to us so we're safe. just that one thing i told yall was the closet thing and it was way freaky. thats great that yall got to go to the temple. i miss going there a lot. thats sweet that yall saw the bruneels - tell them hi for me the next time yall see them. mom, sounds like ur still pretty busy with ur callings - 4 hrs of vt stuff. so hows miranda doing in softball? i enjoyed the pics u sent me and it looks like miranda is doing really good. i sent a package home and it should be there this week. ur welcome for the letters mom - it was about all we could do:) so dad hows ur trip in baltimore going? have u made it to a yankees game yet? i would love to go to a yankee game. so how was miles's surprise bday party? hope he had a great time. yesterday a youth gave a talk about the sabbath and how it blesses us when we obey it. thats great that the baby shower turned out better than wat yall expected. i bet yall enjoy being close to costco now. i remember when we would take a big trip with the fam to go there haha. i bet its way nicer with everything alot closer. im glad shayanna enjoyed all her little gifts and seeing all her friends. thanx for reminding me mom haha, jk. its crazy that i dont have long left. i thought this day would never come but its coming quick. i got a new comp. his name is elder faust and yes hes realted to elder faust:) hes way cool and we get along good, im gunna miss elder smith though. he got transferred closer to charlotte for when his visa comes. hey mom or dad, can u look up stuff for utah valley university for me? that would be great, thanx. so when does steven get done with school? didnt shay mention something about when the baby is born and a while after she wants to go to school? do u know how long they're gunna live in idaho? well this week was pretty good. we found a few cool ppl to teach and we're still working with a few of our other gators and its going good. its starting to pick up again which is good. the ward here is great and theres alot of great members here that we're way good friends with. well hope yall have a great week, soon to be grandparents:) luv yall a bunch. have a great week
elder goodrich

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

Mission legend

Big Storms!

4-11-11
mom and dad,
ya it's been a little rough lately but my whole mission has been rough and i've been able to get passed my trials so it all works out. ya i know all i can do is share the message and give ppl their agency. thanx for the advice. i needed that. we have a few good ppl we're working with and really wanting to change and come closer to the savior. it's great so the work is going alright. we all have to go through trials on our mission and i know that, so i'm not worried but i get frustrated sometimes but it's all good. ya the south is growing, there's a lot of good things happening here and its amazing to see all the miracles happening and ppl changing their lives. haha i never expected me to have this kinda success either but i knew if i worked hard and did the things i needed to that the lord would bless me and things would happen and they have and i'm very grateful. i will do my best to have a positive attitude cuz i know it's all up to me. haha the pic (on the front of the new era), she's like a missionary legend haha jk. that's wat we call her. just something silly:) thats sweet that ur gunna be in md, dad. that should be a lot of fun. how long u gunna be there? well it sounds like yall had a great spring break and had a lot of fun with the family and hanging out with other families. sounds like yall enjoyed the park and hiking and all that fun stuff. well if yall keep fasting and praying for opportunities, they will come and u will be blessed for ur hard work. i got to teach gospel principles again and i taught on the church of jesus christ today and it went really well and how the knowledge that we have from the restoration and all the blessings that come from the restoration r wonderful and im very grateful to be in this church. the savior is the best example for all of us and can help us through anything. i bet yall can't wait for shayanna and steven to come. that should be very fun and the shower should be good for u mom, not dad haha jk. this week was pretty crazy. we had 2 huge storms - the 1st, our power was out for about 10 hrs and then on saturday we had a tornado warning and then it was crazy. we were on our bikes and im a faster biker than elder smith, so i waited for him at the entrance of our aprt complex and like 10 seconds later lightning hit about 100 ft from us. it was so freakin loud and it looked cool but it scared the crap outta me and later i was talking to our dl and he said it was a blessing that i stopped cuz i usually dont stop and wait for elder smith in the aprt complex and im very glad i did, the lord was watching over me. then we had a huge hail storm. it was sweet. they were the size of golf balls and a little bigger. well it sounds like yall's week was good and got everything prepared for this upcoming week. how's work going for both of u? well it's good to hear miles & jordan r doing better. they're great kids and they're awesome. they'll figure it out.
thanx for the pics mom. i just found that healing pic in an ensign and stuck it in my pmg, my pmg is way legit. it's sweet and i'll be looking forward to the little package thing in the mail. thanx so much.
well hope yall have a great week. luv yall so much
elder goodrich

4-4-11
mom and dad
it was good to watch conference this week. it was great, i learned a lot. pres monsons talk during priesthood was really good and they talked a lot about marriage which was crazy haha, telling all of us to get married fast and start our fams. ya there where a lot of great talks and i learned a lot. i'll be studying my notes for the next little while. the prophet and apostles r such great speakers and teachers and i know theyve been called of god and receive revelation for us and how we can become better and things to work on and prepare for. thats sweet that miranda is doing good in softball. tell her nice job. ya miles seems to be doing a lot better and he will be a great missionary. sounds like yall r really enjoying the new ward and things r going great. i guess it'll be sweet to meet the new ward but w/e. it'll be weird for me. i really miss moses lake, A LOT. well im not training again cuz he got his visa and so did elder measom and, elder smiths is almost here and when he leaves i think i'll be training one of the ones that just came so we'll see but w/e happens i'll be fine with it. well thats great that u still have ur job, mom, and that things r going good - u were probably ticked at ur boss haha and i know HF watches over us and when we're living right and doing the things that we need to he'll help us and guide us. thats crazy that he's (elder whatcott) married to his (president thomas's) daughter. i'll let him know that today haha. thats way cool.i will continue to do my best to be a great missionary and work hard. we had a rough week. we hardly taught ppl and the stocks, the fam we were teaching for a long time and were great, the husband isnt ready and the wife and kids r and he told us its not time for him and he didnt want contact from the church and that really ticked me off. i was really mad but things like this happen and we gotta learn and move on. saturday and sunday were good too. we had some awesome members feed us, theyre way cool and great fams. ya dad i'll do my best to be enthusiastic about the work and ive been getting better at it. thats awesome to hear dominic is going to brasil. thats really close to elder fox's mission. thats sweet. dom is a great kid. thats crazy that andrew and mackenzie and nick r engaged. tell them congrats for me if yall see them. so hows life and work and all that going for yall? i bet shayanna and steven r looking forward to coming and visiting yall and having a great time
well hope yall have a great spring break and have fun
luv yall
elder goodrich

3-28-11

hey mom and dad,
things r going pretty well for us here in catawba 2nd. i got some news, im training again for the 4th time and he's a visa waiter haha, so i have a pretty good feeling that austin is gunna come here and im gunna train him right before i go home haha jk. that would be way sweet though. ya that video was pretty crazy and they took everything to the extreme and i was laughing a lot cuz they were just saying a bunch of crap. my 2 comps r elder measom and elder smith, elder smiths bro got the video terminated cuz he thought it shouldnt be on there cuz it was way racist and he told us a little about the israelites and how they believe theyre leaders r reincarnated ppl from the bible like paul, the comforter and elijah haha. its some funny stuff but w/e. we have gone back once when i was at a mtg in charlotte and my comps and another missionary went back and they didnt really say much and they got in a little arguement. (ticked) off elder smith but w/e - glad its over. sounds like work is going pretty good for both of yall, keeping yall busy i guess. thats good right? haha jk thats a good point mom. ive never really thought about that but i'll do it from now on. haha thanx for talking about me in rs mom jk. i guess thats a good example of not backing down haha. so u both teach class every week? do yall enjoy it? ive had to teach classes at church a few times and its pretty sweet. ya some stuff happens and its frustrating but it happens and we have to deal with it. this last week was pretty good. we found this sweet girl, we knocked on the door and her sis answered and was a little rude and then we left and we were tracting down the street and they pulled up and said that her daughter wanted to talk to us and she asked if we would go talk to her. we found out that she has some problems and wants to change, we taught about the atonement and about christ and how he can heal us. it was a pretty sweet lesson and we went back and she read everything we left with her and she hadnt done anything since we left so shes changing and wants to change, its pretty sweet how the lord works and prepares ppl. after we left, talking to her sis, she asked who were those men and they told her that it was ppl from the church and she felt that she needed to talk to us. we tauhgt some other lessons and we teaching this fam thats crazy (not literally) but theyre way cool and we're way good friends with them and have been helping them for a while and they came to church it was pretty sweet. ya we talk to ppl a lot on how satan works and how he works - its sad wat he does but it happens but we have christ who can heal us. shayannas been tlaking a lot about going back to moses lake and where ever steven lives to visit yall. im sure she'll really enjoy that. well the work is going pretty well here and the ward is way sweet. i love this ward. well hope u have fun doing ur baby showers in these next few weeks. wow 22 mile trek. im sure the girls will enjoy that hopefully. haha im sure you'll learn soon enough to put music and stuff on the itouch - its pretty easy. thanx for the letter and i'll be sending home a big package today so yall should be getting it later this week or something like that.
well hope yall have a great week and thanx for all the quotes and advice. luv ya a bunch
love, elder goodrich

3-14-11

wow yall r getting all this new technology haha. ya theres a few peeps that use it as well to teach class and other things in church. dad dont get frustrated. they're teens and will be like that probably til they leave for their mish but i know that miles is trying to figure things out and i know he will - so patience:) jk. i dont need to be telling u this. u already know it. so do u still have the ipad u got from work? sounds like things r going pretty good for yall. sweet. do yall like the new car? ya i got my 'sprint to the finish' letter on sat. its so weird and i will work hard til the end of my mission haha. im sure cameron wont get trunky. he's a great missionary. well yall r being blessed cuz yall did a great job raising us so props to u guys:) haha dad u will never get me away from 'call of duty' haha jk. ive always loved war things. mom sounds like ur getting better at the comp and learning about it. wow thats crazy how miles is already 19. time is going by so fast im sure he'll have a good bday with the elders and others there. wat r yall gunna do with him. ya the summer time sounds like it will be busy for a lot of us especially shayanna having her baby and all that jazz. well elder oaks came and it was way sweet. we got to shake his hand and i talked to him for a bit and he told me about our family - well, our name and that it comes from vernol ut and he said that its a big name in the church. he's a great guy and leader in the church. we had a good discussion with him. we talked about revelation and how it works and how it can help us. he told us some funny stories. ive never really listened to him before in conference but i will now. he's a great teacher and it was a priviledge to be in the presence of an apostle. i'll never forget this experience. sounds like the girls r doing pretty well in school and their activities that they're in and thats good that they enjoy wat they do. ya my mission has meant a lot to me and ive learned so much from it and i know that ive changed and its awesome - not gunna be the same person back home hopefully which im fine with:) ya it was good to talk to miles at christmas and im glad i could help him and i knows he'll be great and get things figured out. he's a smart kid even though he does stupid stuff. we all do stupid stuff and learn from them. ya i got to teach gospel principles in church yesterday and it went pretty good. yesterday we went to a church in charlotte called calvary church. its the biggest church ive ever seen in my life, we went with randy finkle the guy we baptized at christmas and it was sweet. the church is beautiful. ya the yoke of christ is way better than satans and i hope i'll always choose christs yoke
mom im sure u were great and in the u.s. its just hard to focus too. ive struggled with that my whole mission but im getting a little better at it. we had a pretty good week. the work is going alright and some peeps we were teaching r slowing down and its ticking me off but im trying to be patient and get help and pray so i know wat we need to do to help them progress
sounds like yall have a lot of food storage saved up and thats really good since we dont know about these times. the tsunami in japan - that was crazy
well thanx for everything yall have done for me. its great and hope yall have a great week. luv yall a ton
elder goodrich

03-07-11

hey thanx for the package - it was great - elder smith made the brownies for me. ya i had a great bday - we had dinner with my favorite fam - theyre awesome and they made a cake called earthquake - it was good. thats crazy that half the fam r in our 20s - wow time is flying. yall r always having busy weeks but i like when things r busy - makes things go by faster. the kitchen looks good now. i was just thinking last week that yall got my papers when i was looking through stuff and i was like wow my fam already has my flight papers and stuff like that - it doesnt feel that my mish ends soon which is way weird.
haha thats funny they're still getting him and me mixed up haha. sounds like yall had a good time shopping and getting a few things for the house and the girls. im sorry for roselee and i know she understands and hopefully everything gets better for them. its hard to just let heavenly father take control cuz he always has different plans for us but he knows wat he's doing. thats sweet that yall r looking for opportunities to share the gospel - thats great. ya the black israelites r pretty crazy but w/e -they can think wat they want haha. wat u were talking to cameron about - its amazing wat ppl will do for us even if theyre not of our faith - there r great peeps everywhere and the south is full of them. the apostles and prophet always have stuff for us to learn - its great - i luv listening to their councils cuz they're for us to help us become better and happier as a fam
wow that is pretty weird that shes (miranda) gunna be in hs - things r moving so fast. it seems since ive been out things have happened so much faster than i realized - its crazy. ya it just matters if all we do and we'll be successful and im so greatful for the chance ive gotten to serve the lord - its an experience i'll never forget - we were talking with a member yesterday that im good friends with and he told us that he still thinks about his mission all the time so i know the affect these 2 yrs have on us - its crazy
ya i dont get the jewelry thing but u probably dont get my shoe thing either haha
that will be good when yall get the new car - now yall will be able to drive more comfortably
haha wow mom u got a gun sweet and ur right ur gunna have to learn how do shoot it looks like dad will be able to get more practice to help u learn - i see how u work dad haha jk
ya its hard to teach ppl and u know theyre missing something and we have it and they dont want it but they will eventually find the gospel sooner or later
ya i luv pres thomas - he's great and he's taught me a lot
well things r going good for me here and the work is going aight - its getting a little hard right now but things r gunna pick up soo. elder oaks is coming this friday and that should be a sweet experince
well thanx for everything - yall r they best parents ever - hope yall have a great week - luv ya a bunch
elder goodrich

A month of catch up! (as we received them!)

2-28-11
hey mom and dad
well things r going pretty well for me here and i luv it here
and no i cant believe it - time is going way too fast it seems:(
things r going pretty good for me here - we had a crazy week on tuesday - we ran into black israelites, theyre crazy - theyre racist cuz god hates white ppl - that wat they said - they proved in the bible and all this stuff about how the bible is only for israelites. we were trying to say stuff but they wouldnt let us and we tried to kinda bash and bring up points to make them think but it was pretty lame and as we were walking off they cursed us in hebrew and they said a lot of crazy stuff to us and told us that were gunna get destroyed and related us to the jacob and esua story and all this crazy stuff - i was laughing at them most of the time cuz they wouldnt even give us a chance and telling us we're gunna be slaves and all this crap so our week started crazy and then it got better - we taught some sweet peeps and found a lot of cool ppl to go and teach so things r going pretty good for us here the work is going pretty good.
thats crazy that austin (francis) leaves soon for his mish and that would be sweet and even sweeter if he came here and i train him haha - that would be sweet
hey dad thats a pretty sweet thing about the story u sent about the missionary knocking the door and the story u just told about george washington taggart and that we have a lot to live up to - its totally true
sounds like yall had a pretty good week chilling and going shopping and all that jazz. i bet miles is finally glad he got his packers blanket
that is pretty weird no more kids in primary - we're all growing up and it sounds like yall r having a fun time planning for shays baby shower. how do u yall feel that yall will be grandparents soon???:)
mom dont remind me haha jk - thats crazy parker's already home and soon every else -crazy. tell grandma and grandpa thanx for everything and their prayers and everyone as well
ya my mission means a lot to me - ive learned so much about the gospel and life in general - its great and i'll never forget these 2 yrs
well the weather here has been in the 70s and close to the 80s - its awesome - i luv the weather here - its great
thats would be sweet mission to go to and im sure miles will go somewhere awesome and hell luv it. sound slike him and jordan r staying busy with work and all that
thats good that dakota came to church with them hopefully hell come along since hes had great examples
thats awesome that delbert is getting married to her - she sounds like a great lady - cant wait to meet her
well thanx - cant believe i'm about 21 - its crazy haha and i'll be watching for stuff haha thanx
well hope yall have a great week - yall r the best - luv ya a ton
hey dad - ur office at work looks sick:)
luv yall
elder goodrich

2-22-10
To Mom and Dad:
When the 70 come they always say stuff that can help us out and things to learn. Ya he's coming (Elder Oaks) it's pretty sweet. I thought I'd never get the chance to meet an apostle but it's an honor. It's great. I'm sure I'll learn a bunch. Sounds like work is going good and I don't think you need to worry about a plane hitting your work since it's not that big haha but just in case:) There will always be things that we can work on and that's what the restored gospel of Jesus Christ helps us with true principles to live our lives by. It's great. People try to save us all the time. We got in a pretty good bash with this guy for a while cuz he thought we weren't going to heaven and that we're on a different path so he tried to talk to us and we brought up stuff that he thought that clearly contradicted the bible and we told him he's missing out on the Book of Mormon. Isn't it great how people like that REALLY care about us? haha Love it:) That's the only thing people really have against our church is Joseph Smith and if they give it a shot they won't be confused any more but they're just ignorant. Well thanx to you and mom for helping our testimonies grow and taught us right. This week was pretty good. Elder Maughan left and now I got another visa waiter Elder Measom. He's way cool and we get along good. The work here is coming along well. We're teaching some sweet peeps but sadly we had to let a few go which was a little hard cuz they were good people searching at 1st but then kinda feel off. The Stocks are coming along good. She's still searching hard and I think she's a bit closer than she thinks:) They're a great family. Man, it's so weird that me and Cameron are both 20 now and that I turn 21 soon. It's so crazy haha. Elder Measom is from Dallas and he said that Cameron's new area is really nice so he's lucky haha. Um, for my bday I don't want any gummy stuff or things like it. I'm now about 228 now so I'm doing way good on losing some weight haha. Some money would work for some shoes I want haha, and maybe to start sending some stuff home since I have a lot of stuff haha. I was thinking about muddy buddies and maybe some little treats and pics would be sweet. I didn't do a whole lot for vday as well. I totally forgot about it, haha, but things are going well. So my 1st niece is gunna be named Naomi. That's a creative name. That's cool though. I'm sure it'll take yall a while to plan the baby shower haha since it always takes a while haha haha. Steven's not excited cuz once the baby is born there goes his sleep and he's gunna be tired haha. That's sweet that yall checked out the car. So is that the one yall are getting? Looks good though. So do we still have the Avalon and the other car? Yall's trip to Moses Lake should be fun - visit a bunch of people and say by to Austin before he leaves. I'm gunna miss that kid a bunch. I bet yall will have fun with photos and all that haha. Well I'm doing great and I love this area and the members are awesome. It's great. Thanx for everything mom and dad. Yall are the greatest. luv yall
elder goodrich

Getting another Visa Waiter...

2-14-11
hey mom and dad,
That's sweet that the stake is splitting. It's the biggest stake I've ever seen haha. Miracles are great. We ask for them all the time cuz we can't do anything with out them. The gospel is full of miracles and the Lord is just waiting for the right time and then he'll give them to us. I didn't worry about my ticket at all. It was about time I got caught - taught me a lesson haha. Thanks so much dad for taking care of it. You're the best. Ya Sis Hugentobler told me about your ticket but I bet you weren't going 30 mph over the speed limit haha, jk. So I can't drive the rest of my mission haha. I'm fine with that. That's sweet that yall went to the temple. I can't wait to go when I get home. Ya Crystal told me about raising $ for that fam. That's a great act of service they did for that fam. I'll keep her in my prayers. Sounds like they went tracting all day - what I do all the time haha. The members here help us out alot with the work. There's some great families here. How's the missionary work going there? How's Miles doing with everything and his papers? Elder Maughan got his visa so he's leaving today and I'm getting another visa waiter so idk what's up with me getting all the visa waiters haha. We had a pretty good week - found some sweet peeps and taught some good lessons. The Stocks are doing good and she's coming a long. They're a great fam. So when are yall getting that car? Looks good - nice choice. When I get home I wanna get a Scion tC - they're sick cars:) Helping people change and accept the gospel is great. Nobody will ever change if they're not invited to do so - something I've learned since I've been out here. A little desire is all it takes most of the time - "through small and simple things are great things brought to past" It's so weird that it's already valentines day. It's crazy man. Mom you're sick every week. That stinks but sounds like you got a schedule you're on to help you get rid of them quick haha. That's good to hear that work is going well for the both of yall. What were the talks with Miles and Jordan about? haha I've always been a speeder. Thanx dad jk How big is the Tri-Cities? That's good that yall are seeing longtime friends in the tri-cities - that's pretty sweet. It sounds like there's a lot of people going to Brasil lately. Brasil is growing so fast and the work is awesome down there. They're ready for the restored gospel and the south is growing faster and faster. Do yall remember when Spencer W Kimball said that there would be a day when the south would have over a million members? I think we're starting to get there - miracles are happening here. Ya I heard Shayanna is having a girl. It's sweet though, I'm fine with that haha. Ya it's weird that it's coming to a close. It feels weird cuz I still feel that I have forever left and I love the mission. I've learned so much. Like I've told you before, my knowledge has grown of the savior and it feels nice to take breaks from the world for a bit. I'll do my best to make these the best months for me. Well I'm glad to hear that all is going well with yall. Hope yall have a great week. Luv ya a bunch.
elder goodrich

2-06-11
Dear Mom and Dad
We had a pretty good week. I'm training again. Another visa waiter going to Brasil. Elder Smith - he's way cool - we get a long good. That's good that Scarlett is settling well into things and yall in school and at HAPO. Wow Cameron finally got transferred. That's good. I have a feeling that this will be my last area (7 1/2 months) as well but I luv this area - the ward is awesome - great people and we're teaching a lot of sweet people and families right now. That's a pretty sweet lesson you gave, dad. Ya it's weird to think have we left everything to follow him. I'm doing my best. So dad, do you teach every week? Man there's still snow there. That stinks - it only snowed once here so far and I hope it doesn't snow again. It's been in the 50s and 60s here so I enjoy it since I hate wearing my big winter coat cuz it's so humid here haha. Man that's crazy that Braden's already home. Too bad yall can't go to his homecoming. That would be really neat to hear him speak Hungarian or w/e (whatever)language that is haha. That's sweet that Grandma Flavia's money is all figured out now. That would be a good thing to get for you to remember her by (a piece of jewelry). What does a Mazda CX-9 look like? Do all 3 cars still work these days? Ya those Civics are pretty tiny but that would be sweet to get one of those.
Well this week was pretty good we had a zone conference and it was pretty good. I learned alot that will help me out as a missionary and to be a better follower of Jesus Christ. I'm doing my best to be good and do good so it's going good. Pres Thomas is awesome. He's the best mission pres ever. He's a great teacher. Haha Miles is a goofball. The Bears should've been in the Super Bowl instead of the Packers but I'm just glad the Packers won it cuz I don't like the Steelers. Sweet, Wilks will have fun down there in Brazil. What mission is he going to? That's crazy that Austin leaves so soon. He'll have fun as well. I'm learning some Portuguese. It's pretty sweet. I almost got the 1st vision down. Well we had some good lessons with some people this week - the Stock family is doing great and are really progressing. Her kids want us to talk to them more and teach them so they're coming along great and she's always had questions that haven't been answered and we got the answers for her and how this will help them as a family. They're solid. They're a great family and I luv'em. I've learned alot from them. Well that would be sweet if Miles went there but he'll stay in the US like his bros haha. The Lord already has where he's going and he'll luv it. Ya I can't wait for Shayanna's appt as well. It's a boy - I just know it haha. So how was yall's week? You should send some pics and $ soon. I'm doing alright - got 2 Brasil missionaries and I always have money issues so a little will help. Thanks so much. Hope yall have a great week. Luv yall a bunch
elder goodrich

1-31-11 To Mom & Dad:
Ya but Thank you - I'll always go back to you and mom and the good job yall did raising us kids:) That ("born again") is such a confusing topic haha jk but for people out here it is. We run into so many Baptists it's ridiculous, I'm so glad I was raised in this church and now that I've been on my mission I can see how much the world is confused about the scriptures and how they see them and they're just so close minded and won't even give the truth a shot but ya, born again is something we get asked about a lot and talk about with other people cuz they always ask us. Ya without the atonement we're nothing and it means the world to me cuz I mess up a lot and always need to be doing better. So what's your calling in the ward now? Our stake has 17 units right? So are they making another stake? How many are there in the TriCities area? Was the garage still pretty messy from the move? That's how it always was at our old house. haha That's sweet that you got to fix John's computer. Sounds like your job is going great. Ya there is a ton of peeps that have such nice houses out here. Yall will have to check them out sometime haha. Ya repentance is the best and most people probably fear it cuz they always mess up and all that we run into less active people and they won't come to church cuz they're doing things but they won't come til they stop what they're doing. I've learned a ton about the gospel and repentance and all that so far and I'm still learning a lot. Wow that's crazy that Braden is coming home. Are yall going to his homecoming talk? Time flies - it's so crazy. That's sweet for Miles. I'm way excited for him:) When does he have his interviews? Well this week was aight. It started out good. We taught the Stock family and they're totally gunna get baptized:) But then we have teams cancel, my chain broke, people that were legit and ready for the gospel wouldn't let us come back and to top it off, we got mooned haha. but then it ended really well. We found some good peeps - this fam, she's from WA and her husband was drafted by the Diamondbacks so I thought that was way sweet. We're teaching some really cool people right now so it's going pretty good - lovin it:) That's sweet that you signed up to volunteer at the prison. i read an Ensign article about churches in prison and how it helps bring hope into their lives. It's so cool what the atonement can do for us. When would you find out if you get to go teach there or not or volunteer there? Well thanx for everything. Sounds like yall are doing great. Well, hey mom sounds like school and work is going all good for you. I think I did fine in school. I wasn't the most motivated kid but I still did my work. Ya it's probably good that you weren't pushy like your mom cuz I know it was rough for you and you didn't want us to be like that so I'm glad you just nudged every now and then;) Wow our stake is way huge. I've never heard of one that big. Does Miles go to the singles ward there? Wow you're still doing a ton of laundry - sounds like things haven't changed too much haha jk. That would be good to get the crosstrainer in the house. Since I've been on my mish exercising has helped me so much to wake up in the morning - it's crazy. Well something pretty sweet - I'm now down to 231 so I've lost close to 30 pounds now. I got up to around 260 - that was ridiculous, but I'm doing good. Thanx for sending me the letter and the other stuff. So is the house still pretty crazy? How's Jordan doing? Shayanna wrote and she finds out in a week about the baby. I hope it's a boy:)
I've been loving my mission and the experience I've gained. We bashed with a few peeps this week. People kinda tick me off when they think we're totally wrong and they think they know everything about our religion but I stuck them back in their place jk. My testimony strengthens everytime people start talking about stuff like that cuz it helps me realize how confused and off they are but I do my best to help them with the restored gospel. And all we can do most times is put the ball in their court and thay have to chose but like you told me one time, dad, one of the only things we can do is bear our testimony. Well hope yall have a great week. luv yall so much
elder goodrich

01-17-11 To Mom:

Well that sounds pretty tiring haha. I've been tired forever soI can feel yall's pain. Well those elders are lucky to be serving in our ward. You're the best cook ever:) I love those garlic breadsticks too. So Scarlett is just selling your food at school. Looks like you found another job haha. Well that's good that he arrived safely back in Pasco. So he was on the flight w/ Leah's baby and its new parents? That's pretty cool. Well that's good that Shayanna and the baby are doing a lot better. It's close to finding out if it's a boy or girl. I'll be praying it's a boy. That would be sweet. So she's taking Steven's job calling ppl? I guess that's better for her than working at the UPS store and working harder. Well Elder Fox got his visa to Brazil last week and now I'm with another visa waiter, the missionary I trained Elder Maughan. It's weird but it's aight haha. Haha dad has like a million guns now. He should find a better hobby haha. jk. That's a good one to have since the times are getting worse and worse. They're good protection haha. What's Steven's book about? One he wrote? Well that's good that yall get a day to chill and be a family and no one is working. I bet that's nice. Well on Monday we didn't do anything so we were bored outta our minds so we just chilled. It stunk way bad. Dad is always getting a new phone it seems like. So his old phone is just an itouch now. That's cool. Does Miles still have the one I sold to him? Well this week was pretty good. We found some sweet ppl and had good lessons with them. We have this family we're teaching - the dad is less active and his wife and 2 kids aren't members and they've been coming, so we have high hopes for them. Things are going pretty well here for us cant complain working hard so well see wat happens

well thanx for everything mom. Luv ya- have a great week

elder goodrich

To Dad:

Well it sounds like work is going crazy and that you're working crazy hrs. What were yall working on? Ya sacrament mtg is the most important mtg and I luv taking the sacrament - helps me a lot. That's a pretty good thing to talk about with members and others have been talking about missionary work as well. It's a really important thing and members are the best way for missionary work. Have yall had any experiences with non-members lately? What book is it called you are reading? I've wanted to read a Miracle of Forgiveness but i just haven't had time. maybe when I get home. Ya something that reminds me of what you said, about you being mushy, Joseph Smith said about teaching the ppl of the church. I just teach true doctrine and principles and I let them govern themselves but you taught us well. Thanx for everything dad. You're the best. I've been reading Jesus the Christ lately and I luv learing about Christ and his teachings and especially about the atonement - best thing that could've ever happened to man kind. Ya I hate wearing my coat cuz it's cold but at the same time it's humid so it doesn't help too much haha. Well Elder Fox got his visa and my new comp is the missionary I trained in Asheboro - Elder Maughan. It's kinda weird but I enjoy serving with him. He's a great missionary - teaches me a lot about relying on the spirit and being humble. He's a great guy. So does Miles still go out with the missionaries a lot? Has he started his papers yet? Sounds like Shay is doing a lot better now. Hopefully everything goes well with them. I hope it's a boy sooo bad - I'll teach him to be a sports superstar like me haha jk. Well I haven't seen pres for a while but we have interviews this week which is sweet. We haven't had them forever so I'm excited for that. Well things are going good here. Thanx for everything you've helped me out with, dad. luv ya

marsh

01-10-11 To Mom:

Ya I heard about you going to Idaho. Sounds like you had a great time being with Shayanna and Steven. Sounds like they're doing good. That's good that they have a really good relationship.

Well sounds you're doing great in your new calling and having a good time - as long as you're not the prez haha. Sounds like Shay and Steve are doing great as a couple and are very happy together. I'm glad for them. That's sweet that you're having the elders over and that Jordan is coming back. Sounds like yall really enjoy him being there. Well I'll pray for Shayanna and her baby and that all will be ok. How along is it? Well it sounds like things are going pretty good back home and that work and church and all that is going good. So what's been new with yall? I was on lds.org and looking at some stuff. How big is our stake? Well this week was pretty good. We found a few peeps and we worked hard and are working with some less actives and they came to church. I love to see when the atonement works on ppls lives and helps them change and become followers of our savior. My new comp is Elder Fox from Utah and he's way cool. We get along great. He's waiting for his visa to go to Brazil - same as one of my other comps I trained. The ward and area here is sweet. I love serving here. Well thanx for everything you do for me and help me out. Thanx have a great week. luv ya

marsh

To Dad:

Wow that's crazy working 7 days in a row. Ya I hate missing the sacrament. I'm learning about it too and know what it means and how it can help us. Ya, that was one of the 1st things I really picked up is you can totally see his influence out here and I didn't really see it back home but w/e (what/ever). Ya and another thing I've realized is, he copies the savior's power and that's how he deceives. That's sweet that you're getting a new iphone 4. I bet you love your job haha jk. Well this week was pretty good- we found a few new ppl to teach. The work is going a little bit slow. We were tracting and we we were talking to this lady and as we were getting ready to leave and she told us that her husband's ex was a Mormon and that she's retarded. It was funny. We started laughing. My new comp is Elder Fox from Utah and he's way cool. We get along really well. He's waiting for his visa to Brazil. Meals, um, we had some way good enchiladas and chicken. There's some good cooks here:) but not like mom's haha. Something I learned from Elder Clayton is how to have the spirit more cuz when we bash or argue the spirit isn't there and how to have charity even if ppl are dumb. He was a really good missionary - fun to serve with. Well sounds like everything is going pretty good back home. Hope you have a great week. Thanx for everything, dad. luv ya

marsh

01-03-11 To Mom:

Man it's so weird that it's 2011. I got 5 1/2 months left. I'm weirded out. Ya I think yall told me you're going to stay with Rodebacks. I bet you really enjoyed that. How are they doing? Snow - well I hate it, but I can deal with it. Shayanna and I have talked about it, as well, so i might apply to BYU-I. So there's a bunch of snow there. That stinks - it's been like 60 the last few days and sunny - I luv it here - not to make yall jealous or anything. Do they know if the baby is a boy or girl yet? I'm doing the best I can to focus eventhough I get distacted sometimes. I work hard and the work is moving. We found 2 sweet couples tracting and miracles are starting to happen. It's sweet. Elder Clayton is getting transferred so I'll have a new comp. I'll send pics of him and our baptism and others next week. I've already had some things I've regretted and things I've done but I've forgiven myself and have been a lot better, so I dont let those things bother me anymore. Well how's work and all that going? Did yall have a good chrsitmas break and new years? So how was your trip to Rexburg? Well things aer going good here and I'm loving the work. Well have a great week. luv ya

Oh we had a special mtg with Elder Giddons of the 70ty. It was pretty good - learned a lot.

Well thanx for everything. luv ya

marsh