Philosophies mingled with scripture

Family and friends,

Last Tuesday we went on exchanges with the zone leader. It was a blast. The elder I was with is a great example of how to have fun while working hard. We talked to a couple people that had some strange ideas, including the "ancient astronaut theory." It might just end up being the leading religious theory in the world...if we find more evidence of 12 men coming down in rocket ships to mix their DNA with ours millions of years ago. And along similar lines, my companion and I spoke with several people on Thursday that shared a lot of our beliefs. They had a lot of truth mixed in with their assertions. It was amazing. And every case could be solved if they would just read the Book of Mormon and pray to know that it's true. Much of what they said agreed with the Book of Mormon, but they were reluctant to exercise faith and accept Moroni's challenge. It was good to have those interactions though. I feel more prepared to share my testimony of the Book of Mormon and of Jesus Christ.
Also on exchanges, when we were on bikes, we got some rain. We weren't in it for very long but it was kind of exciting. That was my first time being really rained on while biking.
Well we received a referral this week from the Mesa Temple Visitor's Center. We stopped by on Wednesday with a lesson plan for potential investigators. After meeting with the family for a couple minutes we discovered that they are already members. They moved into our area in February and have been inactive since 2007 I think. But they either requested or consented to have the missionaries come over. We had a good visit with them, although they didn't come to church yesterday. But we'll keep working with them. The less-active work in our branch is really getting some momentum. Our elders quorum held a 40-day fast, with a different member of the quorum fasting each day within that time period. And now we're seeing the fruits of that faith. Ademas, a former investigator just showed up at church yesterday with her inactive member boyfriend. And another less-active just happened to show up yesterday as well and asked us when we are going to come by his house. His hand is guiding the work for sure.
Well I think that's the best I have to share. Thank you Rachel for your package. The cookies are delicious :) I'm excited to talk with you all next Sunday. Merry Christmas!

Much love,
Elder Joshua Gathro

Greetings

Family and all,

It was a great week. Great personal and companion studies and interesting interactions. Thursday night my companion and I accompanied an investigator and her daughter as well as a member to the temple lights in Mesa. It was fantastic and exciting to spend time with them there. They are progressing well and the mother is certainly diligent in her efforts to receive a confirmation that the Book of Mormon is true. She's such a solid investigator that she even bought us a 2-ft Christmas tree with lights and ornaments.

We went back to the temple lights on Saturday night just to help out. They assign certain missionaries to go certain nights to be on the temple grounds talking to people and helping them around. To be honest I was pretty nervous about chatting with people in Spanish, and for a time I was separated from my companion by about 15 ft, left up to my own Spanish. But it was great. My first time not having my companion's Spanish as a crutch. And people were excited to be there and see the lights. It was a blast chatting with people and helping them out. There must have been thousands of people. Ben, did you ever work the Christmas lights in Mesa?

Something neat this week happened Thursday night when we had to get a car wash - because zone conference was Friday, when they have car inspections. We went inside to pay for the cheapest car wash and they attendant took a second, then handed us a receipt and said "Have a nice night." Turns out she is LDS, and let us get the more expensive car wash for free, without us saying anything about it. It was really small, but it left an impression on this little greenie.

Zone conference was wonderful, with some really good training and it left us with some good direction for us to take. The most influential note I jotted down was a quote that president shared with us from Elder Neal A. Maxwell. "If you are serious about your discipleship, the Lord will require of you that which is most difficult for you to do." I hope that can help someone as much as it helps me.

A lady that we talked to this week on the street was telling us about herself and her husband. Before their wedding, the two of them felt really uncomfortable using the words "till death to you part." So in the wedding ceremony, they had the officiator change the wording around. It was interesting to hear. People want what we have but can be so reluctant to enjoy it all. The truths of the Gospel make explicit that which is already implicit in our nature (Stephen Covey's words, not mine).

One more thing before I sign out. A sister asked us this week what we wanted for dinner yesterday. With Carrie's delicious chicken enchiladas in mind, that was my request. But I have to say that I think Carrie's recipe packs a little more flavor... But still delicious nevertheless, and they gave us European cookies as a Christmas present. Awesome family :)

Enjoy your week, everyone!

Elder Joshua Gathro

Well, well, well

Family,

Well the weather is getting nippy. It was cold and rainy on Saturday and down to 43 degrees yesterday. I thought that wasn't supposed to happen? But this will still be the most mild winter of my life I'm guessing. So I can't complain.

First off I want to share something funny that happened at dinner this week (and pardon my Spanish). I had a question in mind, so I said to the member, "Estoy curioso." Without me really catching it, the member said, "No, esta bonita, Elder." They all started laughing, then filled me in on what had just happened, and we laughed even harder. It turns out I had said, "I'm cute" and her response was, "No, you're handsome, Elder." It was a fun way to learn a Spanish lesson.

This week I realized that I see a lot of the negative that happens around us, and not enough of the positive. One night this week I prayed that I would see the miracles that inevitably take place right before our eyes. Well the miracles came and the day was much more enjoyable. It made me realize that the negative is always there and it will never make you happy. But if you look for the positive you can feel God's hand in your life.

Last night I felt God's guiding hand. We had a lesson scheduled but the investigator wasn't home. So while we were walking back to the car I said, "Hey Elder let's knock on Vladimir's door." The thought was no different from other thoughts, and had no added urgency or distinction. But it turns out that Vladimir was home. Finally. We've been trying to meet with him ever since I arrived in Arizona. He's an inactive member and we had a wonderful opportunity to build some trust with him and teach a principle. He is committed to coming to the branch Christmas party this Friday.

All on a similar note, this week I studied the blessings that God has promised us if we live the commandments that we teach as missionaries in Chapter 4 of Preach My Gospel. There are scriptures for every single one, and several for each one. God really wants to bless us. It's like Christmas for Him year round. He wants to give His children the best presents He has in store, and they are more grand then the lists we write to Santa. All of the blessings of heaven are available through the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope we will be worthy to receive those more fully in this holiday season. I love you all. Enjoy your week!

Elder Joshua Gathro

Four months

Dear Family,

My Thanksgiving was delightful. We actually had a lesson that morning with a new investigator that went great. She showed up at church with a Spanish-speaking English member and wanted us to come by this week. She has already been to the Mesa Visitor Center and read from the Book of Mormon. Her first question to us was, "How can I know what the truth is?" She is willing to be baptized with she feels a confirmation that this Church is true. I was amazed at how prepared she was, and I still am. It was really encouraging to know that God has prepared individuals to hear the Gospel. And what is interesting to note is that we work our hardest to find people, and then God puts someone in our path that we would have never found through our own efforts. It's a reminder that we are dependent on God for everything, that He gives us the success, and that He does reward us for our efforts to serve Him.

The rest of Thursday was just an eating fest. I have never been so frequently full in all my life. After one lunch and two dinners, it was painful. Luckily we got to burn some of it off at an activity that night with some other missionaries. At the first "dinner," we sat in front of a lady from the Dominican Republic. They have a reputation for speaking quickly, but she wasn't too fast. And I was able to have a conversation with her and understand it all.

Here's a side note for Erin: I watched a Mormon.org profile video this week of the owner of Communal in Provo. His name is Colton Solberg (not sure on the spelling). You should check it out. The Church has an ongoing media campaign right now, and hundreds of videos are up on the website for people to view and become more familiar with what Latter-day Saints are like. Members are encouraged to make their own profile and direct their friends to check it out, as well as check out all the information about the Church on the website. The Spanish version will be fully-operating in February, but the English one looks good. I recommend taking a minute to visit Mormon.org.

Well, that's all I have for this week. Best of luck in your missionary efforts. I love you all!

Elder Joshua Gathro

Seasons greeting

Hola familia,

Well, as some of you have mentioned, it's starting to feel like holiday season with Thanksgiving (dia de dar gracias) this week and the cool weather. Unfortunately, that has yet to mean that we have more lessons in the week. They're always falling through. BUT, Father is blessing us for our efforts nonetheless. Yesterday, a Spanish speaker from an English ward came to our Spanish branch with her non-member friend from work. The lady is interested and seems pretty open to the Church. Elder Morris and I estamos animados (are excited) for the lesson with her this week. The greatest is when people have a sincere desire to learn the will of God and change.

We had a lesson last night with a couple that are so friendly. We shared with them the first lesson, about the Restoration of the Gospel. It was fantastic, the Spirit was present, and they accepted the invitations we extended. It was the best example of a first lesson that my companion and I have every had, even in his 10 months of being on the mission. Part of what made it so excited for me was that I could understand everything they were saying. My Spanish has really improved recently, or at least my comprehension. That in turn means that I can contribute more in discussion and teach more effectively. It's incredibly exciting. When I got to Arizona I felt like I could speak more than I could understand, and it was hard to recognize individual words. But now it has reversed, and I can understand more than I can speak. Life continues to improve for those who love Father and do His will. One of my favorite scriptures is Doctrine and Covenants 78:17-19. I hope verse 19 has special meaning as we approach Thursday. God loves us. His perfect plan is motivated by His love as a father. When we remember that, life takes on a new perspective.

Thanks for everything, family. It sounds like you all are doing well. Have fun, stay safe, and know that I love you.

Elder Joshua Gathro

P.S. Happy Birthday to my friend who will see this on the blog

Helped by an angel

Buenas dias a todo,

Sorry for any who haven't been able to find an interpretation to my Spanish in some of these emails. I hoped that Google Translate would be your aid in learning a word or two, but my Spanish is probably too poor for Google Translate to recognize. The opening line says "Good morning to all."

Well we finally got our car back yesterday morning so we were on bikes all of last week. And Ben, you were right. Tengo que comprar llantas con kevlar (I have to buy kevlar tires.) I had a flat every day last week. And while it was annoying to replace the tube tan frecuentemente (so frequently), it was una oportunidad para ver el mano del Senor en la obra (an opportunity to see the hand of the Lord in the work.) Friday night my tire went flat and we were probably 5 miles from home. After saying a prayer, making some calls, and walking half that distance, an English member noticed us walking our bikes and pulled over. When he saw that my tire was flat, he said, "Let me drive home real quick and get my truck to drive you elders home. I'll be right back." We were planning on having to walk home, then call a member of the Spanish branch to drive us to Walmart for a replacement tube. But when the member came back with his truck he said, "Hey what size is your tire? I've had this tube in my garage for years and always felt like I should keep it." It was the right size. He was an angel for us when we needed one. (Hebrews 13:2)

I realized this week that the mission really is a time of self-discovery. It turns out I'm a fan of creamy peanut butter, cocoa-rich chocolate milk, and bread that compresses on itself just slightly when bitten into. I hope that can catch that visual :)

I read this week a line from PMG that I wanted to share. On page 189 it says, the best way for an active latter-day saint to help recent converts in the church is to be their friend. I always appreciate statements that help us now that most effective way to help or improve. I also stumbled on the scripture 3 Nephi 18:32. If any of you are struggling to help less active members, or friends who seem reluctant to learn more about the Gospel, I hope that verse helps. We do not know what it will take to help others establish their connection with heaven and experience the joy of the Gospel, but our efforts are never wasted. God delights in blessing those who serve Him, and He will reward us for our diligent service and love.

Speaking of love, I found a quote this week that I would have to say is now my favorite dicho (quote). President Joseph F. Smith said, "Charity, or love, is the greatest principle in existence. If we can lend a helping hand to the oppressed, if we can aid those who are despondent and in sorrow, if we can uplift and ameliorate the condition of mankind, it is our mission to do it, it is an essential part of our religion to do it." May we let love be the motive for all we do. Only then will we truly come to be like the Master.

With move love for each of you,

Elder Joshua Gathro

Me fui a pie

Hola a todo!

Esta semana ha estado bien. No mucho paso diferente. I should have reread my journal entries from this week to remind myself of everything that happened. Well, our zone had interviews this week with the mission president. It was nice to feel more love from President Howes and to see him more relaxed with a smaller group of elders. He's a good man.

One of the most exciting things this week was our cena en sabado. We have several members in our branch from El Salvador, and one of the best meals from there is pupusas. Everyone loves pupusas and starts salivating when they are mentioned in discussion. Pues la familia Erazo hecho pupusas para nosotros! They had to work for several hours on Friday preparing it for Saturday. And they were absolutely delicious. Me fui a pie (literally that means 'I went by foot,' but the phrase means we ate without utensils). But I had the biggest stomach ache despues. Hermana Erazo said that to her family, the missionaries are angels. Another family said the same thing last night when in prayer they thanked Father for the angels that could eat with them. It puts into perspective the great responsibility we carry, and is an added incentive to work hard.

Because our car is in the shop, we have been on bikes ever since last Sunday. It's not as convenient, obviously, but it's more exciting and more work. Although we haven't had a lot of teaching oportunidades this week, one family we're working with is still progressing. It's exciting and nerve-wrecking at the same time because they are like friends now, and we don't want to mess up in helping them see the beauty of the Gospel. We pray for them often and try to sense their needs. But something that helps me is to remember is that they were God's children first. He will help them, too.

A note about the weather: it's cold. Fifty degrees right now and this morning it was raining. I know fifty can be refreshing, and at Utah State that would be flip-flop weather, but after being on bike for several hours my fingers are so numb. Friday night we had a dust storm move through the area. For us it was just really, really windy, and visibility was limited to probably a mile or less. But towns further south were told to stay inside if they could. We were all safe though, no se preculpe.

I bore my testimony yesterday in la reunion sacramental. It was terrifying, haha. But our investigator appreciated it. And no hispanic will ever make fun of you for trying to learn the language.

Well, that's all I have to share for now. I'm sure I left something out, lo siento. Best of luck in your missionary efforts. I love you all.

Elder Joshua Gathro

Que milagro!

Hey family and friends,

A lot went on this week. And right now there are 3 elders behind me waiting to use this computer so I'm gonna have to skip some things. I had exchanges with another companionship this week which was really fun. That was all English work which was different and I was more outgoing, but I managed to start up some chit-chat with two Mexicans. The Spanish continues to get better. I understood a lot yesterday at church, which is the real testing grounds. Three hours of native Spanish :)
Friday we had the mission tour and it was absolutely wonderful. We talked about simple things but took them deeper. Things like prayer and church and the scriptures. Those three things are so critical for us to give our attention to. The Spirit was really helping me learn from that conference. With all the missionaries that met up there, our mission vehicle coordinator gave us a brand new 2011 Corolla with 43 miles on it. Then on the way home, we got in an accident with a 60-yr-old woman. It was more of a side-swipe so no one was hurt. But it took a while to sort out and now we're on bikes. But bikes I think are actually more excting. Saturday was a blast on bikes. There are more opportunites to stop and talk to people. One lady stopped us and asked for a pamphlet. She and her daughter are trying to get on the right path. She would be taught by the English elders so we gave her their number. It's exciting to see people ready and eager to learn the Gospel. Which brings me to my next exciting note. There is a family we're teaching that came to a cultural fiesta Friday night (with hundreds of people and tons of Latin American food) and had a great time. They also came to church yesterday and really enjoyed it. They helped teach us during Gospel Principles by sharing testimony and explaining principles on tithing! They are so ready and humble.

In the MTC I set a goal to read the New Testament in 40 days and I finally finished it last Saturday. That was exciting for me. Also exciting was the two dreams I had this week in which I participated in conversations in Spanish. It was nice :)

Someday this week we had an appointment with a new investigator. Usually his huge rottweiler is locked up in the backyard barking like no other, but when we pulled up, he was roaming the front yard...so we didn't dare go inside the gate. But we said a prayer and stepped out up to the gate. The dog wasn't barking at all and was just mozying around. We saw the backdoor light turn on so I shouted out, "Eduardo!" A minute later he came outside and talked to us. Unfortunately, his Jehovah's Witness brother who owns the house won't let us meet with him. But it was helpful for us to make contact with him. And the moment we stepped away from the fence the dog started up barking like he usually is. It may not sound significant, but in reality it was an obvious miracle. God is guiding us in His work. May he do the same for all of you.

Much love,

Elder Joshua Gathro

P.S.- Happy Halloween!!!

Amados Hermanos Mios

Familia,

We had a solid week esta semana. Ups and downs of course, but we finished out strong with 4 investigators at church and 3 teaching opportunities last night, one of them being a new investigator. It was awesome after having three days of our lessons getting dropped. At first I was a little nervous about multiple investigators at church, but it went really well. Unfortunately for us Spanish speakers, the sacrament meeting was in English yesterday because of the Primary program. The man I sat with yesterday didn't understand anything they were saying, so I showed him the scriptures they were reading a tried translating a few things that I felt would be helpful for him. It was nice experiencing a different part of missionary work, because yesterday was my first Sunday with having those that we're teaching at church. The work is getting better.

The Spanish is continuing to improve. Sometimes I have a really difficult time understanding, but other times I'm practically a native. Last night was incredible. We were in a lesson and the girl was firing off in rapid Spanish and I just sat there thinking, "She is going so fast but I'm actually catching most of it!" The gift of tongues is real and the Lord watches over His children.

Well of course I'm low on time. But we're working hard and having a great time. We have a mission tour this week with Elder Wilson and his wife. I'm not sure who that is but it will be exciting. Health wise I'm doing well. I've only gained 5 libras desde Augusto and I made a new personal record of 20 pull-ups. Oh, and they sell Darigold chocolate milk down here! Best mission in the world :)

Much love,

Elder Joshua Gathro

P.S. - Mom, sorry I couldn't reply to your email other than this one. But I read every word :) Best of luck to my team in Florida.

Fooled by the weather

Hola todo,

It turns out that all the perfect weather we had was just a cold front. Temperatures this week have been up to 100 degrees. But it's really not the bad yet. 100 degrees in Florida is much worse, in my opinion. But next summer I'm sure I'll be sick of the heat.

The Spanish is coming poco a poco. It's still really hard to make out everything the people say, especially when they talk for an extended amount of time. But I'm learning and trying to be obedient. The Lord is mindful of His children. We bike about every day, but so far we haven't biked for more than 2 hours at a time. We usually use the car because our area is a little bigger and our appointments are spread out. But my bike is working fine and she's treating me well.

We had several lessons fall through this week, which was disappointing, but we have a lot lined up for the start of this week. We currently have around 20 investigators, and our most solid married couple were planning on coming to church yesterday but a water pipe in their trailer park broke, so as managers they had to fix it. They are really humble and I believe they have felt the Spirit, or at least the husband. We invited them to be baptized and the wife was hesitant, but the husband said, "If I receive my answer before she does, I can get baptized before she does." It's exciting to see him feel the Spirit and decide to act on it.

A lot of people here don't want to talk to us. It's amazing how bitter people can be. I think it all boils down to the fact that we have the truth. Alma 24:30 sums it up well.

Funny story and then I have to take off. Last night we were driving around looking for a street and my companion said, "I have NO idea where we are. Where are we?" Then we look up at the street sign: "Escondido," which means "Lost." Yep, haha, but we soon found our way. Things are progressing, I'm learning, my companion is awesome. Please pray for the people we are teaching. And thank you for all of your prayers already.

Best of luck in your missionary efforts. I love you. Romans 13:9-10

Elder Joshua Gathro

Estoy en Arizona!

I'm finally here! I made it! The flight out here was terrific. Before I even sat down I started talking to the man seated next to me and we talked for the whole hour and a half long plane ride, minus about ten minutes. We just talked about life and I asked a lot of questions. We chatted about the mission, and a little bit about the Book of Mormon. I asked him for advice for my mission and he had some good things to say. When we landed, the mission presidency and assistants were there to welcome us. We had a brunch at the chapel next to the mission home and there was a lot of orientation to go through. There were 19 missionaries who entered the Arizona Tempe Mission this week, 4 of which are Spanish-speaking. It turns out we have almost 200 missionaries here and only 32 are Spanish-speaking. So we're the minority but there are a lot of Spanish speakers in Arizona. My Spanish is coming along slowly but surely. I have a hard time understanding everything that is said during the lessons but I can catch a bit, and my companion helps me to know what is going on. I can understand his Spanish perfectly. I think the reason is because his Spanish isn't as fast as the natives. My companion is awesome, by the way. He's from Pocatello, ID, has been out on his mission for 9 months, has great Spanish and a solid understanding of our purpose and how to accomplish it. We get along really well and can joke and tease each other. He's a pleasure to work with.

I'm over at a member's house right now using their computer. Mondays are our preparation days. I'm not sure what you all would like to hear. We do similar things everyday, visiting less actives and investigators. The members here are sweet. The first night, our branch mission leader told us that because he's out of work right now, he only had 16 dollars in his bank account when we was supposed to pick us up from the mission home that morning. Because he was concerned about using gas, he suggested to his wife that he ask someone else to pick us up. She told him that God would provide and not to worry. After dropping us off at our apartment (which is way nice, and we have a car, but we use bikes too), and arriving back home, his neighbor starting talking to him and offered to loan him $7,000 so our mission leader could pay off his truck payments. I couldn't believe it. How awesome is that!

One more quick story and I have to go. Last night after dinner we were walking in the street when a little boy about 4-years-old called out to us and said, "No one will play with me." We stopped and started talking to him. We told him that even when he's alone, Christ can help him, and we gave him a pass-along card with a picture of Jesus. Then he asked how Jesus could help him. We told him that he can always pray and asked him if he knew how to do that. After he told us that he didn't know how to pray, we taught him in a couple seconds, and had to take off. It was so cool to feel that we were going "about doing good."

Oh, I should note, the weather here has been beautiful! The day I arrived was the first day of cooler weather, and it has been so nice since. The cactus are huge! Twenty feet, some of them. I'm loving it here and I'm stoked for the work!

Elder Joshua Gathro

Final Week

Well I'm in my final week here at the MTC. It does not feel like 2 months have gone by. Just so everyone knows, I fly to my mission next Tuesday, Oct 4.

I forgot to email a funny line from Elder Nelson last week. He said all the Authorities are in town for General Conference and that they're excited for it. Then he said, "We're excited that 2 weeks from today it will be over."

Rachel I listened to the talk on Tolerance and Truth by Elder Oaks. You're right, that was really interesting. I thought about it several times this week, actually. And Carrie and David, thank you so much for your paquete de amor. I loved the taste of my Provo home :) Thank you so much for advice about goals. I really appreciated that. I'm becoming more collected in my purpose, especially after this week when we've all given more thought to the fact that we'll be in the field in just a couple days. Best of luck with your play Erin. I can't wait to hear about it!

As always I don't have much time. But I'll try to type everything I have planned to say. Last Friday Elder Jose L. Alonso, a recently sustained member of the First Quorum of the Seventy from Mexico, was doing a tour of the MTC and came to our classroom. He listened to us in a teaching exercise for a few minutes then spoke to us for about 5 minutes in Espanol, and we understood almost all of it. It was the coolest. Then we saw him in the lunchroom and he and his wife and a district president came and sat with us and we talked more in Espanol. It gets better - He will be speaking in General Conference this weekend in the Saturday morning session. When you see him, you can remember that Elder Gathro had lunch with him last week. I think he's my favorite General Authority now.

I've been meaning to share this for a couple weeks. I was reading in Alma 7 and verses 19 and 22 really stuck out to me. In verse 19 Alma says that the people are in the paths of righteousness. Then in verse 22 he says "I speak unto you to awaken you a remembrance of your duty to God." The lesson it taught me was that even if we've been members for 10, 20, 50 years and are walking in the paths of righteousness, we have a duty to God to strive for improvement and look for ways to be even more faithful. How does that scripture apply personally to you?

So I came up with a quote this week, or I think it's mine: "This is a spiritual work. And we're doing it as family."

Repentance means there's always a better tomorrow. "Repentance is a positive experience that brings joy and peace." PMG, 8.

I'm learning a lot here. The MTC is a wonderful place and is one of the brilliant ideas of the Father. I feel prepared to hit the field. Thank you for making home a Pre-MTC.

I love you all. Thank you for everything. The missionary life is the life for me, and I'm stoked to leave for Arizona next week :)

Elder Joshua Gathro

Un otro apostol

Hola,

Muchas gracias por tantas cartas. Les amo.

Mom, I believe the letter from ATM says that my bike and belongings are supposed to be at the mission home two weeks prior to my arrival. I have everything I need here, including a hoodie, so you can send everything as soon as you are able. That would be great. Jessi I don't have any advice for the sleepover or Spooktacular. Just have fun by helping others have fun. That's pretty much the way life works. True happiness is found in laboring for the happiness of others. Mom and Jessi, I'm sending you each a letter with more of a reply.

I finished el Libro de Mormon again last Sunday. It's true. And I have a the solution for all of those contestations in Ether: Family Prayer, Family Scripture Study, and Family Home Evening. I hope that's going well back home.

In all my years of living in San Mateo, I never realized that the name of my neighborhood was Spanish for "Saint Matthew."

Just by way of information, Darci Tenney's (I know her last name is different now) younger brother is here in the MTC as well. And I ran into Camille Jacobsen a couple of weeks ago in the cafeteria and she restocked the cheesecake for me since they had run out. Catherine Jones works in the cafeteria, too. When I first saw her I was speaking Spanish until she said, "I don't know what you're saying." I hadn't even thought about what language I was speaking, which is good, because I want the change to happen. Speaking of which, this week has not been total Spanish. Majority is, but several times a day I throw out an English phrase(s). Sometimes it's really frustrating. Especially when I'm trying to get a point across to my companion and he's trying to sort through my poor grammar. But I can feel God helping me as I learn. And struggling is part of the process.

Dad, Ben, Tyler, David, Dennis, Rachel - This week I've been thinking about goals. I am very interested to hear of any goals you had while on your mission. Please just throw me an idea or two and I'll adapt it if I feel it would be appropriate for me. And I'm referring to any kind of goal. Memorizing, acts of service, specific spiritual goals, language goals. The invitation also goes for anyone who has a sweet idea.

I heard this phrase on Sunday referring to a need for prophets, specifically Joseph Smith: God sent Moses, not the Ten Commandments, to lead the children of Israel.

I read Ether 3:25 this past week, where the brother of Jared is shown every person to ever live on earth, and thought, "Why?" I understand why the brother of Jared qualified to see it, but I thought it interesting that God would show him everybody. I decided that one of the reasons is because if God wants to show the brother of Jared all of His creations, and show him His finest work, we are it. What greater thing to reveal than the individual, and every one of them that he has created. We are God's greatest creation and have divine, limitless potential. Imagine Heavenly Father showing the brother of Jared all of His children and then saying, "Pretty good, eh?" Father's plan is for us.

This morning I read 1 Nephi 5:4-6 and saw something new. Lehi used testimony to comfort his wife when she was doubting God, and when she was scared for her children. We all have friends that need to be comforted. We should use testimony and what we know about the love of our Heavenly Father to comfort our brothers and sisters. Turn their thoughts to the mercy of Christ.

Elder Nelson came on Tuesday night and spoke about the Book of Mormon. I could sense the power he has in his character. There's nothing more to say really.

I love you all, dearly. Thank you for your prayers and support. I makes a world of difference.

Elder Joshua Gathro

P.S. - We get our travel plans today! They just tell us what time during the day we fly out, but still exciting. And yes, I leave October 4th.

Muchas cartas electronica

Mi amorosa familia!

Yo recibi el 'package' esta semana! Muchas gracias! Fue en sorpresa y una bendicion recibir tantos fotos. The letter thing seemed like it would have been fun to write. And Dad should stop writing about those kinds of things in his talks (I think that was con la ayuda de Dennis :) The other elders in my district wanted to see the photos and now everyone knows que yo tengo algunas hermanas bonitas!

Well I caught word from my branch president this week, who is the epitome of a man of God, that the MTC president doesn't want elders to be trading ties. I wasn't disappointed though. That's easy to obey. And I have some really good ties right now anyway.

Two quotes from Preach My Gospel: Commitment is an essential part of repentance; Goals reflect the desires of our hearts and our vision of what we can accomplish. When I read that I thought, "What does that say about me then if I don't have any goals?" And I didn't have many specific ones either. But now I do. The biggest one is with my companion. We decided last Saturday night that we wanted to speak solamente Espanol for the remainder of our time here in the MTC. So except for English hymns or brief occasions when we have to use it, we're used strictly Spanish. And it has been such a blessing. We want our minds to switch over into Spanish, and it's starting to happen. It is so cool! I feel so much more comfortable speaking Spanish now. I can understand all the teachers here when they slow down enough, and I can explain most anything I want to. It gets frustrating sometimes, especially if my companion and I are sharing ideas and one of us doesn't understand. But it has helped me take a breath and be more patient. I've been called to preach the Gospel in the Spanish language, and when I get to Arizona in the middle of a lesson, I won't be able to resort to English anyway. The Lord is blessing me with the gift of tongues.

Elder Ballard came this week. He has several good things to say, but I don't have much time and they're are other precious experiences I'd rather share. Monday my companion and I were to teach a sister in our district for about 5 minutes. We were given the prompt to invite the Spirit in discussing lesson 3, and then our teacher said "Go." We had no time to think and we started with a testimony and asked about three questions. When I asked her one that had come to my mind, she was silent, her eyes started to water, and she gave an answer from the heart, where she had felt the Spirit. It was absolutely wonderful. Afterward she said it was the perfect question, just what she needed. The Spirit can do that. The next night we had a similar practice with a Elder Schmidt, who will be serving in Tempe as well. After we concluded the 5 minutes with a sincere prayer, we asked "Como siente ahorita?" He said, "The best I have my whole life." How does that happen?! Through the Spirit.

I don't have any more time, but I found a comforting scripture last night. Enos 1:17. Hopefully that is heartwarming for any of you. Think about Enos 1:3-4 as well. Enos went out to hunt but ended up praying. Sometimes food for our bodies isn't as important as nourishment for the soul.

Best of luck in your missionary efforts!

Elder Joshua Gathro

More MTC

Hola Familia,

Thanks for your letter, Mom. And thank you for the emails Erin and Dennis. Carrie and David I'll shoot you a letter today. I didn't know Jessi was taking Driver's Ed but that's terrific that she's doing so well at driving. I like the hike idea, tambien. I hope Ustedes are able to make that happen. Mom it was weird too think about how soon my bike will be out there. I hadn't thought how soon it really is coming. But I'm looking forward to the 12-foot tall cacti :) I haven't gotten the second shot yet but they'll call me in for it next week probably. I'll make sure it happens. Brandon and I haven't contacted each other. Mom, could you send me his mission home address? And has USU granted me residency yet? Thank you.

I've been meaning to tell you all, but there's an elder in my zone who is headed for Jacksonville, Florida! Spanish speaking as well. His name is Elder Evans, a tall stud. Look out for him starting the week right before General Conference.

An elder in my district said this last week: I didn't know the French had a language; I just thought they had snooty laughs. Speaking of languages, I realized this week that everything sounds funnier in Spanish, or at least for a gringo trying to learn that language. Dad, I've started reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish and I'm at 1 Nephi 9, if you want to read along.

That's so cool that you're going to be in a play, Erin! I'm sure you still have you talent. I haven't heard of Fellwarefell, but have fun down there at the Little Theater in San Marco. And Dennis, I'll pass on the tip to Elder Fife, he would appreciate that.

Last Friday my companion and I had to go out into the real world for a doctor's appointment. And it was the neatest feeling to think that while sitting in the waiting area, we were representatives of Jesus Christ. The same thing is true of all members of the Church, but it had a different feel as a set-apart full-time missionary with a name tag that bears His name. Everybody was willing to talk to us too. People just walked up to chat for a minute or two. It was sweet. It's all about the people (Alma 31:34-35)

Last night a sister in my zone shared the analogy in Ether 6:8 of the winds that drove the Brother of Jared and his family to the Promised Land. Sometimes it feels that the winds never cease, for a week, 344 days, or longer. But Father knows where He's directing us. And what He has in store is a land of promise, a place prepared for those who follow him and submit to His will. Elder Jay Jensen came this week and mentioned that he once asked Neal A Maxwell what Christ-like attribute he most desires. Elder Maxwell replied without hesitation, "Submissiveness." If you want a good talk to read, try "As A Child" by President Eyring.

I have a question if anyone is up to the challenge of helping me find the answer. Christ heals us physically, but where is the support for that truth? I know I read it this week in one scripture, but I don't remember where and I don't know where else that can be found. So the question is for anyone, even if you're just reading this on the blog.

One last thought from my studies: 2 Nephi 26:24. Can that first statement be said of all of us?

I found Rachel's and David's birthday mentioned in Alma 14:23.

Mom, could you send a photo of the family? I don't have any photos of anyone but my Brother. And I'm taking a couple photos here every now and again. My camera hasn't had any troubles!

I love you all. Thank you for your prayers. I pray for you as well.

Best of luck in your missionary efforts.

Elder Joshua Gathro.

I'm going to zoom through responses so I can give you as much info about experiences here at the MTC.

Yes I go the hair putty and it's the exact kind I like. Thank you. I'm not sick any more. It was really just a sore throat and a runny nose. I've put on 5 lbs already but I'm putting a stop to that. I only have a bagel and chocolate milk for breakfast and usually a wrap or sandwich for lunch, with a salad or entree for dinner. But its really weird that I don't get hungry with so little food. Oh, and I have ice cream a couple times a week. Every time I have some it goes to waist...my waist :) Yo bromeo.

The cupcakes were a delight! I shared them with my class in celebration of our teacher's birthday the following day. And the brownies from Emma were a total surprise, too. My district loves her now.

Erin- You spelt it correctly. Ideally it's "niños" but no worries. That's awesome Dennis published his book. Let me know when it hits the bestseller list :) Keep up the job search too. Look at the last verse in Ether chapter 1. Dad do you remember the FHE lesson you gave about that verse? It was probably ten years ago so I doubt you do.

Jessi, you little anklebiter! I hope you enjoy physics as much as I did. And I bet you can come up with some other good names for Ying Tang - with his permission of course. Have fun being an upper classman! Good luck with school and life :) By the way, Jess, at the MTC we are always told to Speak Your Language whenever you can. Your email was a perfect model for what they mean by that. My Spanish is coming along but I have to use it more. I need Spanish to come to my mind before English does. And that will happen if I speak more often.

Carrie is quite the thinker :) Thank you for your letter. I really appreciate the advice you sent. I thought about it during the week. I'm learning from the missionaries here. I feel like the Orlando Temple is my temple, too. Although I'm only 19, so I don't know if I've got enough experience to really claim one yet. Anyhooligans...

It is really nice to have the cares of the world pushed aside. I actually enjoy not having a cell phone. And I love having so much time to dive into the Book of Mormon. Mosiah is a complicated chapter because of all the history, but I'm figuring it out. Maybe in two years I'll be a scriptorian like Mom and Dad.

I don't have my study journal nearby, which is like my treasure chest (Speaking of treasure, I've traded for some awesome ties recently. I now have 3 more ties than when I came into the MTC, and I haven't purchased any...), but I'm learning all the time. There's a promise on page 185 of Preach My Gospel that was pointed out to me yesterday. If we "listen with love" to those we teach or interact with, then the Spirit will tell us what to say. That is so important. I desperately want to ask better questions in the lessons so that our investigators with open up more and so we can know how to best help them. Listening with love is important as a missionary and as a family member. After all, we should always be looking for how we can help the other person.

Cool thought then I have to go: The two most important events in the history of the world started out with prayer - the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the Restoration of His gospel. There is no substitute for prayer. Read Enos 1, verse 13 I think. Pray diligently and you can experience revelation through prayer.

I love you all, por siempe y siempre. I think about you all and what you mean to me. I am so glad that I have a wonderful relationship with each of you, especially as a missionary called to teach how the Gospel blesses families. I want to live with all of you forever. Podemos hacerlo.

Elder Joshua Gathro

Week 1 Over

Hola familia!

I'll try not to use as much Spanish in the email, but sometimes it just comes out. I was writing in my journal this week and looked back at what I had written and noticed that I spelt "instruction" as "instruccion" but I didn't remember doing that.

No the food isn't gassy, yet. But they say the orange juice and potatoes will get to you after awhile. And at night in our residence halls it gets pretty hectic, pretty much a party. We even have cookies getting passed around from boxes that elders get from their families. Tie trading here is crazy, almost addicting. Every night you can trade out a new tie if you want. I managed to snag several good deals, it's awesome:)

El CCM is the MTC in Spanish. The TRC is still here with it's same name. "Pues" is "well" in Spanish. It's also a filler word. "No me diga" means "No way!" And "Diga me" means "talk to me."

Special note for Tyler: Brother Porter Ellot is a teacher for one of the districts in my zone. So I see him regularly and I bore my testimony to him in Spanish one day.

My Spanish is continually improving here which gives me a lot of hope. My companion struggles more than I do with Spanish and I try to help him. We get along well and are working on becoming best friends. Last night we had our third leccion with our practice investigator Mario about el Plan de Salvacion and we couldn't use any apuntes (notes). But it was so exciting because we were able to use the limited Spanish we know to communicate to him. We inviting him to be baptized as well and he said yes, and that he wants to learn before being baptized.

I'm sorry to hear that Padre is having a rough time with his back. That's not good news. Pero con fe in Jesucristo, podemos be healed physically. I'll pray for Dad. Keep my updated por favor. That's so exciting Meshak has been baptized! I never met him but he's my brother, too.

Tuesday night we had a devotional with Elder Cecil O Samuelson and his wife. Because of the Spirit, I walked out feeling inspired to be better and with a realization of what things I can change in my life. It ended up being a real teaching moment for me when I reflected on how I felt. To feel the need to be better and then to act is to repent. Even if my actions before still allowed me to feel the Spirit. But having a refocus in life and feeling fresh in my resolve to do what's right is a great feeling. And that is repentance. Repentance brings happiness.

My physical mailing address is

Elder Joshua Gathro

MTC Mailbox #389

AZ-TEM 1004

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604.

But, there's a website called DearElder.com that lets anyone write to me here and I get the letter that day. It's more convenient than taking time during my 30 min of computer time to read emails. Feel free to look into that. Carrie knows how to do it. She sent me one yesterday. Thanks Carrie!

I'm not sure if there's anything else I need to respond to. I love you all and I'm having a great time! I get to go to the temple today which I'm super excited for. Have fun when you get to Utah!

Elder Gathro

Hola!

Hola mi familia!

I'm loving it here! I was feeling overwhelmed on Tuesday and Wednesday before I came in, but I think that's due to the fact I had a lot of time to think about how permanent this change is in my life. But now that I am here and have something to do, I am soaking it all in without hesitation. Wednesday night, they divided our incoming group of elders y hermanas (500 came in on Wednesday, the largest group all summer) into two groups and we each were in a room with practice investigators. We were introduced to them and got to see them in character (investigators came in individually), then the floor was ours to teach and discuss based on their needs that we recognized. It was powerful and the Spirit was there.

We've jumped right in with Espanol. It is so much fun to hear Espanol todo el tiempo y practicar cada dia. Something that frustrated me yesterday though was that we were told we would not be taught the basics of Spanish. The system is for us to have personal and companero estudio based on what we will be teaching our practice investigator, Mario, then learning the Spanish necessitamos ensenar el. Mi companero, Elder Fife de Cedar City, UT, y yo already had nuestro primero meeting con Mario yesterday. We had to speak to him in Spanish which was scary but so much fun. We'll be working with him for a while here. At el CCM, we plan, study, and teach. I believe it's inspired and I trust it will be the best preparation to enter the mission field.

So far we've had gym time twice, both times spent playing futbol. It's a lot of fun interacting with other misioneros aqui. I have run into probably 20 other elders that I recognize, mostly from Utah State but also three from Florida y Georgia. Meals here are good, especially the wraps! I love those! Yesterday at lunch the elders in my distrito managed to tap into my uncontrollable laughter, for all those who are familiar with it.

I'm not sure what else to mention. Just know I'm having a great time and I am excited to be here! My preparation day after this week will be every Thursday. I like everything I have experienced thus far. Please forward this to Carrie as well; I don't know what her email address is. Also if you could check that the other emails are correct that would help. I love you all. La Iglesia is verdadero. Christ is our Savior.

Con amor a todo,

Elder Joshua Gathro

One Week

I have been called to represent Jesus Christ as a missionary in the Arizona Tempe Mission, and will preach the Gospel in the Spanish language! I report to the MTC one week from today. It is somewhat scary, pero estoy emocionado! I know I will be guided by my Father and blessed more than ever before.
My sister Jessi has been left in charge of this blog. She's going to post my family emails so that anyone who is interested can visit the page to see what I'm up to in Arizona. Letters are always appreciated, but I don't know what kind of time I'll have when the work gets going. Hopefully this blog will be fun to read and will inspire many to engage in the work of the Master.
Alma 31:34-35.