Wild Week

Dear Family,
Well we got to do some travel this week with zone conferences. While in Yuma I got to see one of the brothers that I helped teach and baptize. It was great to see him and his family doing so well. On a brief similar note, last night we had a fireside for investigators and the elders in Chandler brought their investigator who has a baptismal date scheduled, and it turns out that they're teaching the brother of one of my former investigators. We planted that seed almost a year ago. It was so cool to see him there!
Last Monday we picked up an issue of the newspaper for the Mormon community in Arizona and saw me and my companion on the front page with two other missionaries! It was so cool. Someone in our stake took our photo a few weeks back and said, "No guarantees that you'll make it but I'm sending this to the editor." It was fun hearing people make comments about it, even when I was in Yuma on Tuesday. I'll have to show you a copy.
Saturday night we had a very interesting series of events. We planned to attend a baptism in Spanish at 6pm and to attend another in English at 7:30, with different investigators obviously. Well to make a long story short, the baptism in Spanish was the most irreverent I've ever been to, and I've been to a lot in Arizona. The member sister of our investigator was cringing the whole time. I thought it must have been impossible for her to feel the Spirit. But I kept praying for the best anyway. Well afterward we chatted about it and told them that we were about to go to another baptism in English, and the sister who's a member said, "We're going with you!" The difference was incredible. The second service was so much more peaceful and reverent and uplifting. It was so striking to notice the contrast. The investigator appreciated it a lot more, even though she's still learning English. One of the things that the experience made me realize is that without the Holy Ghost, we're like any other church.. With no connection to heaven but our desperate prayers. Yet I know that God speaks to His children through a living prophet, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored, and that all can enjoy the blessings of the Holy Ghost in this life as we make and keep our baptismal covenant. I'm so grateful to be a part of the conversion experience for so many individuals and families. It's a thrill and a joy. And it's a thrill and a joy to be part of the Gathro Family. I love you all. Thank you for everything. Have a Spirit-filled week!

Love,
Elder Gathro

Mormon Miracles

Dear Family,
Well I feel like this week kinda took us for a wild ride. The mission is more exhausting emotionally/spiritually than physically. We had some issues with the new zones that were brought into our mission upon realigning our mission boundaries. Tuesday we did exchanges with the two sets of zone leaders in Phoenix and worked through some of their concerns. And at the end of the exchange, President Toone called us and said he wanted to talk to us about some things he read in the weekly letters from Phoenix. He was alarmed and not sure what to do but was really comforted when he heard that he had just finished exchanges with them and discussed those same issues We saw it as a miracle that in the moment when our mission president most needed it, the Lord had already prepped two servants to be ready with insights. So we had a zone conference with the Phoenix zones that did lots to improve the communication and spirits of the missionaries, as well as the little frustrations over new mission rules. We had a really uplifting experience in each zone we visited. As part of the zone conferences I did a training with each group trying to teach how to sustain one another in becoming more powerful teachers. The plan for  the first day and a half was to have the missionaries do two role-plays on their own, but something on day 2 told me I was doing it wrong, and that I also needed to demonstrate to them the principles I was trying to convey. So I put myself on the spot, made myself a bit vulnerable, and asked them which concern they would like to see addressed in a role-play in which I was the missionary. I was a bit nervous before each one, especially because they could pick any concern they wanted the investigator to have, and I've got zero prep. But it made the role-play seem much more real and constructive. I noticed that God really did strengthen me in those teaching moments this week and gave me the words I needed in those role-plays to be an example to the missionaries. I could sense that He was using me beyond my natural abilities. It was a neat feeling, one of the most rewarding that someone can have. I'm excited for the other zone conferences this week. We're driving down to Yuma this afternoon actually. Road trip!
So Friday night a member took us out to dinner at a Mexican restaurant and when we walked in the manager spotted us out and said, "Buenas tardes." Then after we ordered our meal, he brought out an appetizer we hadn't ordered, for no charge and just to sample. Then after our meal he sent the waitress out with a fruit dessert. We stopped him and after saying thank you several more times we discovered that the manager's wife is a member and he just wanted to be nice to the missionaries. I was a really nice surprise, our member liked it too :) Then we went straight over to the Visitors' Center for a lesson and after an awesome teaching moment we ran into 4 people (in 2 separate groups) from the Spanish ward that I served in while in Mesa, including one sister that my companion and I had helped reactivate. It was such a nice evening, and very rewarding. We had a great week!
I love you all, keep on keepin' on!

Elder Gathro

About His buzzness!

Hey Family!
President Toone is absolutely wonderful. He's such a happy, humble giant. We got to see him interact with the missionaries this week and he has just been so great. He says he has no clue what  he's doing but he's keeping it together pretty well. For the most part he doesn't intend to change anything for the first little while in the mission. He's just observing and getting the swing of things. He asks a lot for recommendations, which is probably what I would do too. But he has the final word. Elder Perez and I were trying to remember what we decided on for July district meeting trainings and give a bit more direction but we were kinda stuck. Then we asked him and he said he wanted us to come up with it since we are more familiar with the needs of the mission and what has been trained on recently. But once he gave us the official assignment, ideas and clarification just started to flow. It was incredible. Whenever President Toone says or does something like that, we say ,"That's why you're the president!" He always laughs, but we know it makes him feel like he's doing things right.
On Thursday we had a meeting that I was asked to train in, and of course the training topic was left up to me to decide. For some reason the phrase come to mind of "Revelation in Leadership." And I couldn't let it go. It sounded right and felt right but I didn't think I had much to go off of. But I really tried to prepare for it well and spend time gathering my thoughts. Then when the time came, the training went a lot better than I had imagined. It just came together and words were given that I hadn't planned. Everyone there was participating well and we felt the Spirit teaching us what was right and what we needed to do. I feel strongly that the Lord will bless us with guidance as we seek it. Elder Eyring says, "If you want revelation, you gotta do your homework." And that homework can be described as to ask, seek, and knock. It's a pattern of receiving revelation that the Lord expects us to use, especially in leadership roles. And all of us can be leaders. We should be. Who are we inviting to be with us in the eternities? I know that our influence is magnified when we asked for direction from the Lord and act on what is revealed. The Spirit will consecrate our efforts to the benefit of ourselves and others. He's often the missing ingredient and yet the most important one by far.
Well, I'm learning a lot and having a blast! We were talking to a white lady last night about 40 yrs old, and I asked her why she thought there are so many churches in the world. She responded, "To be honest, I think it's redonkulous!" Haha people say the funniest things.
Miracle among many: At the start of church yesterday one of the greeters grabbed us and said, "The girl on the back row is a non-member getting baptized in 2 weeks." What? She's not our investigator. I've never seen her before. Well we met her and figured out that she has been taught by the sister missionaries at the Visitors' Center and wants to get baptized on the 27th of July. God be praised! Blessings are raining from the skies. She's a great gator it seems like and we're teaching her later today. Hope all goes well. Thanks for everything fam! I love you lots! Have a great week!

Elder Gathro

P.S. I can't believe I forgot! Saturday I was able to go to the temple and see one of the young adults I baptized last year get endowed! It was incredible! Such a joyful experience. It was Maria Perez in Chandler. She speaks English too, so when I get back you all can talk to her. OK, well, paz fuera! :)

Mission Leadership Counsil

Toone in with the Spirit

Dear Family!
President and Sister Toone arrived this morning! They are wonderful! President Toone is huge though. He is exactly 7ft tall. Big guy, happy and humble. We love them already. They're from American Fork, UT but originally he's from Alberta and she's from California. Everyone is so excited to meet them and work with them. This week will be a little bit crazy because we'll be visiting all 8 zones in our mission tomorrow and Wednesday. Then Thursday we have MLC, which will be a first time for our mission president. But Elder Perez and I are really excited for everything that awaits us this month. It's going to be a great experience and I think I'm going to learn a lot. 
I should tell you briefly about what happened yesterday in our YSA ward during the 3rd hour. (Oh, we had 2 visa-waiters going to Peru spend the day with us yesterday and it turned out to be a blast! We took them to the airport this morning and off they went.) So our bishop took the time and really taught us powerfully about the need and the how of being a member-missionary. He rolled out so many questions that he had previously come up with that we can use to start conversations about the Church. Some were simple questions like, "Have you been to mormon.org before?" "Do you know anyone who converted to Mormonism?" "Have you ever seen a Book of Mormon before?" Just a ton of simple questions that you could ask to anyone. He really made the point that we need to make everything a missionary opportunity, even cleaning the church on Saturday mornings, and participating in the choir. It made me think about how I can be better as a full-time missionary and as well among my friends from home. The phrase Ask, Seek, Knock has come to mean more recently. I believe that that is the pattern if we want to have missionary experiences in our lives. Ask for them in prayer, seek for them, and knock on someone else's bubble by inviting them to do things that will expose them to the Church and help them increase their faith. I hope that you all pray for missionary experiences and can recognize them this week as they come. I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Gathro

The Work of Salvation

I hope all of you were able to watch the broadcast last night. We've been hearing and talking about it for the past month and it was terrific! We don't know when our mission will actually be given instruction to start using the internet to proselyte, or what will happen with opening meetinghouses to do tours. We already do tours with investigators or anyone we meet who's interested, but it sounded like they want missionaries at the building during the  day in case people just show up hoping to check it out. But we'll wait for the word. Aside from that news, it was surprisingly familiar. We hear and talk about the need for us to work more closely with members all the time. And like was said, after all that has been said, our greatest and most important duty is to preach the gospel. And we can do that as we live lives in which the Spirit can guide us in our service to others. To be honest, I felt like if we just "do good," everything will fall into place. Yes we have to be more proactive and shine a little brighter, and INVITE others to do that which will increase their faith, but that means just being more faithful disciples. I'm super excited that the Brethren are renewing the focus. Our ward mission leader came up to us after the broadcast and said, "Elders, our ward mission needs to start setting goals with you guys. And I need to be filling your planners." We're stoked! Our new YSA ward is already really missionary-minded, so they'll do great in moving the work forward.
Oh, didn't you like the videos they showed? Especially the example of that family where all the family members were helping out their friends and acquaintances. It helps to set the vision. But I believe that vision will grow as we prayerfully study it out. Please do. May we think about how we can take a greater part in the work of salvation. I know that the Spirit will fill our lives in greater measure as we do. Thanks for everything,  family. I love you guys. Have a great week!

Elder Gathro

Here You Go

Dear Family,
"This is my first last best chance to have any hope for a fresh start at a new beginning for the first time again." This is my last first day of the transfer. I've been thinking a lot about the goals I want to set and what I want to still accomplish and become before my time runs out. I set some exercise goals too, and this morning I had to wake up and haggle my companion a little bit for him to get up early with me and run. Really, you get what you go for. If it's a priority, you'll do it. So we'll see what happens.
This week went really well. Monday night we had skit night for FHE that we participate in with our investigator. So much fun! And afterward we sat down for a short lesson and it turned out that he was having doubts about his baptism (scheduled for this past Saturday) because of some opposition from his mother. So we decided that we would do a fast with him on Tuesday, and it worked miracles! When we met with him after the fast he was picking out people for his baptismal service. There is power in fasting. I know it. His baptism turned out really well! It was a really spiritual event.
Last night we had the mission president's fireside at the local institute. Elder Perez and I decided we wanted to translate, which I was excited for but a little worried because I don't use my Spanish nearly as much. But the translation came out really well, and I talked to a few native-speakers there. With them the Spanish still flows no problem.
Transfers are this Wednesday so things are a bit crazy around here. It's all coming together but there's sure a lot going on. I really gotta get better at administering. Any advice?
Anywhooligans, that's been my week. Thanks for everything, Family. You the best siblings and parents I've ever had! Enjoy your week!

Much love,
Elder Gathro

Road Trip

Hey familia,
My whole mission I've heard about this one town in the middle of the desert where missionaries have to take a shuttle to get there. Not a lot of action, just a small ward. Kinda dead but somehow magically fun. Well, I got to go this week! The missionaries who cover the town also cover another small town so my companion stayed with one of the elders and the other elder and I took the shuttle down to Ajo, AZ! It's also always been my dream to teach someone on a bus. Well it was a dream come true. Except that the guy I was talking to and teaching wasn't very interested haha. But it was cool anyway. The town actually has a lot of work right now. The members are fantastic and the bishop has a vision for the ward. The missionaries are teaching this cute little family in which the husband is a bit hesitant but is progressing well. I wish I could have stayed another full day. Although after the exchange I felt like I had just come back from a campout, because the place the missionaries stay at down there is a little shack that a member owns. Food was scarce but I learned how to make microwaved pancakes...with honey they're not too bad :) 
We did another exchange with some Spanish elders in our zone and it was more challenging than I thought it would be. I have not ceased to learn how very important communication is. As our mission president says, the degree to which we communicate is the degree to which we teach, which is the degree to which we can lead, which is the degree to which the Lord can use us in blessing the lives of others. And for some missionaries in our mission, it's very difficult to communicate. For me at times it's still hard, especially in unfamiliar situations. But I firmly believe that the Lord can help us overcome those barriers. It's basically a question of how can God help us improve our weaknesses. As we've been reading a lot in the Book of Mormon recently I found again the scripture that says, "Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it." (Enos 1:15) I believe that. I know that the Lord is eager to aid us in whatever our struggles  may be, even to the farthest extreme. And I believe that as me make it a matter of consistent prayer and focus in our lives, God will bless us to become stronger. A lot depends on our faith and vision of what we think we can accomplish with the Lord.
I did my first baptismal interview in Spanish yesterday! Things are going great in our wards. We have a baptism coming up this Saturday for a young man who's been learning for several months. He's a really great guy, a student at ASU, and he's making evident changes in his life. It's hard to upload photos because I don't have a cord, but I'll see if I can borrow one to shoot you a few pics. I love you all and wish you a wonderful week!

Elder Gathro

Week Tras Week

Dear Family,
This was a really good week with some good personal growth. We did an exchange early in the week that I kinda felt sloppy about just overall. Like it wasn't very purposeful. But then we did another exchange on Friday that was very different. I insisted that before we went to bed Thursday (it was an exchange from Thurs night to Fri night) we had to identify what we wanted to get out of the exchange. Then when it came time to exchange back and we evaluated how the day went, we had something to measure it against. And we were all looking for ways to improve on things. It was really uplifting. I'm learning week after week more about "vision". When we can see what God sees, it makes us powerful in what we do. We can know the will of God and how we are to carry it out. I'm finding a lot of connections to that subject that I thought possible. It's an answer to prayer.
Our mission right now is attempting to read the entire Book of Mormon before our mission president and wife leave. We started this week in our district meetings and are focusing on the Atonement of Jesus Christ as we study. It's another answer to my prayers because I really want to become even more knowledgeable of the scriptures and know how to use them better in my teaching. So this is forcing me to make it a greater priority. And it has already make a marked difference. I can't help but feel like the Spirit is working more closely in my missionary service. What a blessing! :)
Good to hear from you all and thanks for the video, Ben! I love you all!

Elder Gathro

PS- We went hiking this morning right by ASU Stadium. From the top of the hill we could see the entire Phoenix valley. Quite the sight! And my first time hiking since I've been in Arizona.

Before I forget, we had a really funny moment this afternoon. Our mission president took us out to lunch with another companionship today, but he wanted to go to the nearest Ihop which is in the Mesa mission. So we went there and were walking up to the door when a car of 4 Mesa missionaries drives past slowly. President Howes just waves and says, "Hey elders!" before we walk in. They looked so confused. It was classic :)

Whoa, so weird to hear that Brandon is now a married man. I'm impressed he managed to pull it off, haha. And Brad too. YSA wards talk about that stuff a lot. But otherwise its pretty sweet being in YSA wards as missionaries. We're getting to know the members really well now. In Gospel principles class I was meeting the person in the seat next to me and she said, "Oh yeah you guys are new. In ward council they said you're super solid missionaries." Sweet! What's sad is that we might get a new ward when the mission splits. But wherever we're needed. "The kingdom of God or nothing."

So we had a really powerful training this Wednesday with two reps from the Missionary Department who came down to train us. Dad might recognize their names. It was Tracy Watson and Lee Donaldson. Absolutely fantastic! They addressed the fact that our mission is splitting and prepped us so that the handover between mission presidents doesn't result in a drop in the work. Tracy shared a lot of general advice as well. He is the director of proselyting for the church and used to be the Mesa mission president. He said that missionaries do best when they focus on just 2 or 3 things that they're working to integrate into their teaching and lives. And that when we set our focus, we must be loyal to it. Do not give up until you achieve what you set out to do. Hit it again and again until to get what you want. It inspired me to focus more on the most important and to be diligent in my efforts. The same counsel goes for anyone. Stay focused always and stick with it. Ask and ye shall receive. 

One more quick thing, and you can ask me more next week. But those reps from the missionary department also came down to initiate a test in one of the districts in our mission for electronic area books and planners. Those missionaries are 8 of 44 in the church now using ipads and iphones, and who are instructed to proselyte on Facebook! It's wild, but apparently President Monson's reaction was this: "I don't see any problem with that. Do you?" We got to go to the training to witness it. Things are changing. God is hastening His work. It's a blessing to be a part of it. 

I love you all. Stay safe, work hard, and have fun. Happy summer!

Elder Gathro

Dear Family,
Boy oh boy, what to say. The only thing I got are recent experiences
and insights. And I know that Dad is already filled with insights so
there's not much new that I have to offer. But, this week Elder Perez
and I went on exchanges with two companionships in the Yuma zone. It
was nice to be back down there for a little visit :) I actually went
with a companionship down to the little border town of San Luis. We
had a great time and it was really uplifting as well. We worked hard
and had fun. All the missionaries in that zone now are Spanish
missionaries so I tried setting the precedent that we speak Spanish.
That's one of the things on my agenda for the mission. President says
us Spanish missionaries have to "get [our] swagger back." Well, we
better start speaking the language more then. Honestly, I feel that we
slip out of speaking our mission language because it's just gotten so
common. In gospel principles yesterday I made the connection that
often that's a reason we give in to sin. The adversary tries to
distort our perception of what is right and wrong in an effort to
hinder our ability to make righteous decisions. How wonderful is the
gift of the Holy Ghost, available only through baptism, which aids us
in forming an eternal perspective, like that of Heavenly Father. It's
a valuable gift we ought to appreciate.
Oh! I've been meaning to offer this update. So do you remember the
story of the family in Yuma who's son was living a bad lifestyle and
felt the Spirit during our visit, then came to church and wanted to go
on a mission? Well I didn't tell you of the events that followed. The
week after his deciding to serve a mission he slipped back into old
habits and old friends and we lost him. His family as a whole suffered
during those few weeks; honestly one of the saddest experiences of my
mission discussing the situation with his dad. Well, a week ago, I got
word that the elders got ahold of the young man again and his WHOLE
family came to church. He was like a totally different person, just
like he was in those early visits we made with him. It's a miracle and
an answer to prayers. The family is back on the path. I know that God
hears us and works even harder than we do to make good things happen.
Never lose faith and always trust that when we do our part, Father
does His. Keep on keepin' on and have a great week!

Much love to all,
Elder Gathro

Relaxation

Hey Fam,
So good to talk to headquarters yesterday. Send my apologies to the other
agents for not utilizing visual correspondence to communicate with them :)
It's been a wild week. On Tuesday we were with the new missionaries
all day long which was a blast. One of the funnest days in a while. In
addition to the normal amount of missionaries, we got 8 elders and
sisters who are temporarily here as they wait to receive their Visa
for Argentina. Everyone was so excited to be in the mission field
finally. We took them to different areas to do some street contacting
and basically just dropped them off in companionships after giving
them a few pointers. They came back with their own adventure stories
and really loved it. Wednesday transfer meeting was crazy! Just with a
lot of changes in prep for the mission split. But we got through it
all.
Hmm, I'm trying to think what you would really want to hear about the
week. I shared most of it with you guys last night. It's been a
stressful and tiring week, but a fun one too. I like change. New
experiences help us grow. I know that the Lord is the one who opens
doors in our lives when we just follow what He says. He will bless us
as we exercise our faith. I love you all. Be safe, work hard, and have
fun. Hasta luego!


Elder Gathro

Zone Conference

Dear Family,
Como estamos todos? This Tuesday we had a zone conference down here that was fabulous. Our mission president is the ultimate role model. Sad to think that he'll be leaving us after one more transfer. But he talked a lot more about the power of testimony as a primary tool. I've been thinking about that a lot lately. And actually Tuesday one of President's assistants came out with us and we had a dynamite lesson with a less-active teenager in our branch. She got baptized a few years ago and flame starting to die down so she stopped attending church. We helped her remember the feelings she had at baptism, what her experience was like leading up to it, and how she knew that it was the right thing to do. We testified of the power of the sacrament and it's inherent promises and blessings. It was a spiritual and uplifting experience. We're having some of the other youth that know her help in the rescue.
Thursday we got up at 4:15am to get ready and drive up to the mission home for an all-day meeting. Other than us being completely exhausted by the time we got back to our area Thursday night, it was well worth it. President wants us to launch in action a plan for greater member missionary work. It's up to us now to get it rolling in our zones, and it looks to be a momentum booster. Speaking of changes in the mission, the church missionary department has told mission presidents to call "sister training leaders" as soon as is reasonable. Because of the influx of so many sister missionaries, companionships of sister missionaries will be called to watch over a certain number of other sister companionships and go on exchanges with them every transfer. They also help to train at meetings and participate in mission leadership meetings. It's weird because it's different. But I suppose it's needed. The majority of missionaries entering our mission in the next 2 transfers are sisters. Crazy.
While we were biking Saturday morning a car drove past us then suddenly stopped so we biked up to them. It was a member and she said, "Elder, I signed up to have you eat at my house on Wednesday for your birthday! What do you want to drink? What do you want for dessert?" It caught me off guard but was a fun encounter. I set a goal to hand out 21 copies of the Book of Mormon in one day this week as something fun to do for my birthday. We'll see how it goes :)
Well, gotta fly. I love you all. Take care. Keep the faith!

Elder Gathro

Wedding Bells and Baptisms!

Dear Family,
This was an excellent week! Our investigator from El Salvador who has been living with a member for years was married and baptized this weekend (and confirmed!). It was cute to see la hermana so excited for her special wedding day and all the excitement that came with the changes. I wasn't sure how it would turn out with the wedding just being kinda small and so early in the morning (9 am!). But the branch really surprised us. We were all grouped in the relief society room as the branch president performed the service. And my companion convinced me to take non-stop photos with his camera so that we could give the memory card to the newlyweds. Except I didn't catch it when they kissed so they had to do it again, haha. The baptism went like a charm as well. The talks were excellent and the feeling was right. Israel, our investigator-now-member, was told me over the stall while we changed to dry clothes that he knew God had guided him into making the decision. It was a happy morning. I'll upload some photos if I have some time.
Aside from that, we had a funny run in this week after coming out from a visit. We saw 2 young guys standing by their car and we started talking to them. After a few moments they said, "Hey, wanna buy some cheesecakes?" What? One of them opened the back of the SUV and there was an array of cheesecakes that looked like they were melting. "How much are you selling them for?" I asked. "$10, and made with the finest ingredients. Made with love, too." Haha we didn't buy any but this week they're meeting the missionaries who cover that area :)
It's been really cool seeing how things play out with our assignment. Even though we're helping the branch significantly with their records, we still need to be better about recording the results of our visits. And also, sadly, we need to work more with the members to help fellowship the weak. We're getting in with a lot of families though. Actually, it seems that somehow we keep finding members who aren't actually on the ward roster because their membership is in Mexico. There's really no way to find those lost sheep except by being guided to them. But slowly we're gathering the flock. And several came to church yesterday that haven't been in a long time. Success!
So while on exchanges this week we had a lesson outside in the evening and I started to get really cold. When we were back in the car the temperature read 72 degrees. Crazy! Something's not right..
So I read a scripture in 1 Nephi 10 this week, toward the end of the chapter, about how when Lehi spoke to his sons by the power of the Spirit which he obtained through faith, Nephi felt desires to see, hear, and know of those things as his father did. It stood out to me as the real pattern of how to help others change. Starting with our faith, we earn the companionship of the Spirit, which as we serve the Lord, is felt by others. The Spirit works His magic and the ball is in their court. It's simple but a real challenge. I hope that in all your interactions and responsibilities this week that others are able to feel the Spirit that you bring. Happy Monday and enjoy your week! I love you all!

Elder Gathro

Make It Happen

Querida familia,
Hey we had a really good week! The most exciting and different piece of news was what happened on Friday. At about 2 in the afternoon we got a text from the sister missionaries saying that their investigator could no longer be baptized because he was suddenly moving to Alaska for a business offer. Now we had been hearing about the progress of this man for the past several weeks and he was right on track, really making changes, exercising faith, and being converted to the Lord. So half joking-half serious I said, "Can he be baptized tonight?" My companion thought I was joking as well. But somehow the idea actually unraveled when it hit the open air and we started asking some serious questions. Has he been taught everything? Would he want to be baptized tonight? Why is he moving? What spiritual experiences has he had? How does he know that this is Christ's church? Is it ok with the mission president and can the bishop come for the font-side confirmation? His interview? Even with so many areas to check and coordinate, everything gave a green light. And sure enough he was baptized and confirmed Friday night. The service was thrown together last minute of course, but it was actually very spiritual. And this new member told me afterward, "Thank you so much for accomodating me. Everyone seemed to know what to do and it flowed really well. I know this is what God wants me to do." It was a sweet experience. Sweet in the Gospel sense :)
So we've started this week a series of "missionary workshops" to help the members develop their missionary skills. It's going to be a few weeks long and cover a variety of ways to invite, testify, find, fellowship. Yesterday we had a good turnout and after the role-plays we did everyone was smiling and agreed that it had been fun. It was really exciting to see and feel some more enthusiasm in our branch. We need that. As does everyone. Enthusiasm is contageous!
Hey something to look forward to is the wedding this Saturday! And a baptism to follow! The boyfriend of the part-member family we're teaching will be getting baptized this Saturday following his wedding at the church. He and his bride-to-be are funny to watch because their really excited, and they're like 50 :) I'll let you know how it goes.
I think that's about it. We had a few funny things happen, like a guy that rejected our message but gave us some high 5s before turning away. And an old snowbird couple that showed me how they kiss eachother when I held the door open for them at McDonald's. It was classic, haha. 
Well, thanks for everything. I'll talk to you next week! Adios!

Elder Gathro

Conferencia!

Hola a todos!

Hey how was your week? We're still not boiling but little by little it's starting to simmer. But it's still a blast down here. These week was pretty miraculous and at the same time challenging. We went into it trying to have a lot of appointments set with the members and being involved with the branch. Last Sunday a sister randomly brought her recent fiancee to the church and now we're teaching him. He's a really smart guy and pretty religious, but he's interested in what we teach. He asked us how it works for marriages to happen in the temple. He came to a session of General Conference yesterday and seemed to really like it. We'll see how it goes. Did I ever tell you guys of the member family we found a couple weeks ago just because we decided to knock one door? They were baptized in Los Angeles and stopped attending church when the moved here years ago. Well the dad never got baptized, even though, as we found out, he was suited up to get in the water with his family but backed out. Well we went by to visit his wife this week and she was asleep but he was outside so we started to teach him. We set up a return appointment and he and his wife were waiting for us when we came again. Then we set up another appointment for last night and there he was sitting outside again. We taught the Restoration (the Gospel Art Book is fantastic!) and talked a lot about the Doctrine of Christ and the flow led us right into helping him accept a baptismal date for the end of this month. The Spirit was really strong and there was an excitement not just in us but in him too. Even better, the lettuce season just ended and he'll be able to come to church ever week. It was terrific: I mentioned church, he asked what time it started, I said 9am, and then he said with a smile, "That's a good time." With a similar grin I agreed :) 

So we kinda got the feeling this week that there's a lot that the branch needs to boost the enthusiasm again. After hearing General Conference we're stoked to apply what we learned, especially of selfless service. Too often we look inward and focus on our own struggles or weaknesses and maybe feel some pity for ourselves. Dwelling on the negative aspects of our lives to the point that we feel hopeless or kinda give up. But we can follow the example of the Savior, who in His moment of greatest difficulty and suffereing thought about others and was motivated by a love manifested by service. We're trying to be an example of service as well that will help the members think of Jesus Christ and in how they too can look outward to the needs of others. Please pray that the members here can feel desires to serve faithfully to the end. And may we all look for ways to do so. 

I love you all. Thanks for everything!

Elder Gathro

Happy April!

Dear Family,

I was up at the mission office this week and our mission president got a letter recently about a policy change on email usage. I am now currently allowed to email anyone outside the mission, and recent converts within the mission by approval of the president. So that includes friends and priesthood leaders from home. Crazy huh? So to the siblings and whoever, feel free to email me directly whenever you wish. I'm still limited to an hour though, so the more letters I read the less I'll be able to respond.

It was a good week. My companion Elder Sawyer the Beloved is now in the area that I came from, and I'm down here with another awesome new companion. He's from Chicago, been out 10 months, great work ethic and sense of humor... AND his middle name is Daniel too! We're having a great time although it seems like we've been busy non-stop. We're trying to squeeze out the gray areas and be the most obedient and faith-filled that we can. It's just the little things that we're working on but it's been really refreshing. My companion is helping me be more diligent with my time and not be lazy. Today we'll be able to get more organized and stop to take a breath. Preparation Day really is a sanity-saver :)

One of the things we want to do as a result of our current assignment is find the sheep who's records we don't even have. There's not a specific way to do it other than have God put them in your path. Well yesterday afternoon we had one of those ocurrences. It's a good feeling. And we were guided to another house that he didn't know how to find. And the day before we hit all green lights when we were running late for dinner :) Some of the greatest news this week is that a man we've been working with (he is currently living with a less-active member but they're not married) has decided to be married and baptized this month! We're working closely with our branch president as well to make sure things work out properly. It's exciting.

Thank you for the Easter package yesterday and for your emails today. I love you all so much. Have a great April Fool's Day and enjoy your week with General Conference!

Elder Gathro

New Transfer

Dear Family,
So we got transfer calls last night, and I thought that we were safe, but it turns out that my companion is being transferred on Wednesday, probably to Mesa where I came from. It's a bummer because this is his last transfer and we're both stoked about just working the Spanish branch, but the Lord has called him another way. He'll do well. And the assistants already let me know that my new companion will be one of the missionaries that's already in my zone. He's a really solid missionary, but he's only been out for like 10 months. I'm excited, he'll be a good companion.
So a couple weeks ago during a lesson, one of our investigators made the comment that my companion and I are both ignorant and naive. It stayed on my mind for several weeks actually. Just mulling it over. One of the things I've learned on my mission is that I'm not nearly as smart as I thought I was. Though I'm improving :) But in ways, the investigator was right, especially when it comes to current world events. And since last week we had stake conference, with a member of the 70 presiding. While he was speaking and since then, I've realized how much greater a role the prophets have. Because I know that there are definitely things that me in my own world am not aware of. Yet I can't be the only one. And God doesn't leave us clueless. His chosen prophets are very aware and have communication with God, avising us of the things we need to be watchful of, and warning us of dangers in the world. I realized that I need to seek knowledge as much as I can, but meanwhile, God's servants will help keep me safe. I'm very excited for General Conference in 2 weeks!
Ok, ready to be blown out of your seat? So last Sunday night as I told you we went and visited this family with a father and his 4 children, the oldest an 18-yr-old son. Well the following day we returned and taught the message of the Restoration, and when we invited them to ask God for a confirmation that this is the true church, the oldest son started to bear his testimony. "I already know that this is true. I felt it yesterday when you guys came over. It was something I can't really explain, but I just felt happy. And I know this is true..." Talking about that experience yesterday he said that he could sense something different the moment we came into the house. That was really interesting to me because we didn't do anything very different, but he recognized it. And he's thirsting for the Gospel. He came to church yesterday, talked with the branch president (a great man, by the way), and now is thinking to go on a mission. He was inactive a week ago! It's an absolute miracle. And all we've done is brought the Spirit. His family is happier and are taking steps of faith. It's so much fun and such a joy to see :)
Not sure if I have much more. Well, yeah, more happened, but those are the highlights that readily come to mind. I'll give you more next week. Thanks, I love you all. Happy Easter!!

Elder Gathro

To the Rescue

Dear Family,
It's starting to get toasty down here, almost in the 100s already. But every day is sunny and gorgeous. There's always people out and about; it really adds to the enthusiasm of our zone and gets us eager to work. The missionaries down here are terrific. We work hard and have fun.
So we got to visit a lot of families in the branch this week. It was mostly just first visits and we haven't gone to many for a second appointment but it's picking up. Some seem challenging but others that we are visiting seem like they are hungry for more. We had a really awesome experience last night for example. We set up an appointment earlier this week with a father and his kids for Sunday. Well the dad wasn't there but we asked if we could still come inside. It was our first time visiting them and we knew we better make it good or the 2 teenagers won't want us to come back just to be bored again. But boy did God give us some help. We went in and got to know them and tied in what they said with a scripture in Mosiah 5:2. After teaching a bit more and testifying, the 18 yr-old said, "While you were reading that I was thinking how it describes me. Just while I'm trying to change too." You could tell the Spirit was there during our visit, and we left them with a small section to read and asked when we could come back, they said Monday (today). The son even volunteered to offer the closing prayer. And while we were leaving he said, "I hope you guys come back tomorrow. Our family really needs this. We need something to help us out." It was incredible. There's not a feeling quite like the one you get when you know that you've done Father's will. And earlier yesterday we were talking to the ward clerk and we told him about the new assignment. He said that while we were talking to him he could feel and he knows that this is exactly what the branch needs. He was excited and grateful and filled with hope. It was remarkable.
We had an extra good lesson on Saturday with a 16 yr-old kid that we meet like 2 weeks ago in an apartment complex. It was actually really fun to teach him because he was asking so many perfect questions, and I felt like the answers were coming out simply but with power. It was really neat to see a youth who's dropped out of high school and kind of a punk still be really interested in doing what God wants. One of the coolest things was to notice how the Gospel could answer every question he had. God's plan is flawless. It's almost too perfect. Sometimes I think about how even super heroes, as good as they are with all the special powers they possess, even they have at least one weakness. And we're so used to dealing with people that have weaknesses. But Jesus Christ is perfect, no weaknesses. Any "it would be cool/perfect if" statement, is realized in the Savior and His Gospel. It's the best thing that can be.
Well, we'll see what this week has in store. I love you all. Good luck with everything. Enjoy life!

Elder Joshua Gathro

A lot of alone time

Dear Family,
Wow I have a lot to say today. It was a fantastic week and the most interesting weekend. Just a funny anecdote, one day this week when we were at the gym we asked the Hispanic guy behind the front counter how to say "to scan" in Spanish. He said, "It's the same: scan." I said, "Seriously, in Spanish?" "Well there's another word for it but we're right by the border." It was hilarious! Spanglish is pretty common down here. Another time this week we pulled up to a stop light, and my comp looked over at the car next to us and said, " Hey he's a member." So I figured they knew each other, so I rolled down my window and shouted out, "Hey I'm his new companion, my name is Elder Gathro!" He said, "What?" So I shouted back the same intro. And then I hear my companion starting to laugh, which is when I pieced it together. My comp confused the other drive with someone else, but he was just a random stranger. We just bust out laughing and luckily the light turned green :) Ok, one more story. We were talking to a lady on her porch in Spanish and I was explaining what we do as missionaries, and I said "We help others to learn and apply" but it came out funny and the lady immediately stopped me because she thought I said "we help others to learn to sin." Kinda embarrassing but super funny. It was classic :)
I also had some neat experiences this week in our visits. I was in another elder's area on Wednesday and he had been given an assignment from the bishop to visit a lady in the ward that no one really knew anything about. So we went by, and from the first impression(s), she seemed absolutely nuts. She had coffee in her hand and broke into a hysterical laugh every minute, literally. But toward the end she opened up a bit and said that she has really missed the family feeling within the Church and has been thinking about returning. So I said, "Well here are two brothers calling you back to the fold." You could tell her eyes started to get a little watery and before we left she thanked us sincerely and said, "You don't know how timely your visit was." It was really neat, and I believe the power of our visit came from following the assignment of the bishop.
Speaking of assignments and less active members, here's where it gets interesting. We had interviews on Saturday with our mission president, and before meeting with our zone he met with the stake president down here. President Howes asked the stake president what he could do to help, and they started discussing the needs of the Spanish branch that we're serving in. As their discussion developed they came up with a plan. At the end of zone interviews our mission president sat down with both me and my companion and told us about their discussion. He will be releasing us from all of our assignments, except that of zone leader, and wants us to be 100% dedicated to help strengthen the branch and branch president. In two weeks when the transfer ends, we will no longer have a "proselyting area," but will cover the entire valley visiting branch members and helping out in any way that the branch president desires. As if we were his counselors but not, because it's a stake not a district. We met with the stake president yesterday too, and he wants us to make sure that every member of the branch - single, married, family and kids, active, inactive, even the branch president's family - receives the 5 missionary lessons, ideally within the next 3 transfers. We're aiming to transform the branch, strengthen the members, help everyone receive the ordinances that they are missing. We're kind of like investigators too, finding out the situation of every family in the ward, and helping to bring to the surface those who may have fallen through the cracks. Elder Sawyer and I are absolutely stoked about all this! It's never been down in our mission before, and it was not thought of prior to their meeting on Saturday morning. So it's still very fresh and we're shaping it as we go along. Probably be having Family Home Evening every Monday night, helping people in their callings, in home teaching assignments, being very much involved in their lives, even in ways that we honestly don't want to. It's a heavy load, but Elder Sawyer and I feel really privileged and we recognize how much the Lord is trusting us in this. Our faith and obedience and that of the members will be the driving force I believe. I'm not sure if I've explained it all very well, so feel free to ask questions about it. My life for the next few months will be different than what I've gotten used to. It's exciting!
Well I've used up all my time. Thanks for everything! I love you all so much! You're the greatest!

Yours truly,
Elder Joshua Gathro

Howdy

Dear Family,

First of all, pass the message along to the firstborn in the family that I wish him a very happy birthday! I hope it results in cheesecake loaded with cherries and a crazy activity with no one hurt :) Thanks for all you do, Ben!

The photos you saw, Mom, are probably accurate. This is a great little town down here. I remember telling people 2 weeks ago that I might be sent here and they said, "What did you do wrong??" But for the missionary lifestyle it's a blast! The weather is absolutely perfect by the way. It's a pretty old city with a lot of history it seems. Yeah it's got a slight western feel, and about half the population is Hispanic (score!). I went to California this week too! A portion of my area extends to a small indian reservation town just across the border. I'm hoping I'll be down here for the rest of my mission. My companion finishes his mission after the transfer following this one, so in May. I'm hoping I'll just stay for my last 2 transfers after that. Oh, you may have noticed in Church News recently that there will be 50+ missions created this year, and two of them in Arizona! Our mission president talked to us about it a few days before it was published. They will be creating the Arizona Gilbert and Arizona Scottsdale missions on July 1, which will naturally affect my mission, Mesa, and Phoenix. So for the last month of my mission I will have a new mission president and possibly be in a new mission. That'll be crazy. But back to the area, the members are terrific. I forgot to tell you that I'm in a YSA branch as well, which is kinda different. But we had a baptism in that branch this past weekend. It was for a 20 yr-old young man who had been invited to church and over several weeks recognized the difference it was making in his life. Just one invitation and the Spirit did the rest. (By the way, how did it go with inviting Clem to that church concert? I forgot the name of the singer.) But after his baptism Saturday night when everyone left he wanted to play the piano a little bit, and he's really good. We started our fast all together as well. Neat experience overall.

We took all day Thursday to drive up to the mission home, have a meeting for the zone leaders, and drive back. It was a long trip, and we had to find someone else to do the driving. I hate asking people to make so much sacrifice, but we found someone who was terrific. He just talked the whole way about life, telling us stories from his experiences (some funny some spiritual). He took us to grab a bite to eat on the way back down, and by the end of the day, we had all really enjoyed ourselves. Our meeting was actually worth having as well :) Though it seems like there's always so much to work on. "Little by little the grandma paints the coconut." Apparently that's a Guatemalan phrase which means it takes time.

One more thing, the young man that got baptized and confirmed this weekend shared his testimony yesterday and said that hard work is kinda deceiving. Because there's no guarantee that the result will be a success or not. But he said it really doesn't matter, because we still worked hard, and grew along the way. We should just work hard all the time. I'm trying to get better at that. Just an idea for the road. I love you all so much. I'm kinda jealous that over the next few months you guys will be together so much as a family. I'm with you in spirit :) Thanks for your tremendous examples of love and faith. Keep on keepin' on. Hasta la vista!

 

Love,

Elder Gathro

Que Paso!

Dear Family,
It's been a great week! Transfer meeting was this week...The higher-ups have banished me to YUMA! Haha I love it down here. And with companion that I already had about a year ago. He's awesome! We get along great and I feel like he empowers me, as in he helps me to reach my potential. My companion from Mexico is down here too! The area is way cool, the small town has a lot of personality. I know that a lot of Arizonans don't give this place much credit, but for a missionary it's a blast. We're working with a lot of people in this area who are progressing well toward baptism, and are overall more receptive to the restored Gospel. One middle-aged guy we're teaching "was" Buddhist, and comes from a family that has been Buddhist for generations. And he's a really smart guy who thinks deeply about things. Well he referred himself to the missionaries to find out a little more, and after several visits he finally decided to have a heart-to-heart with God in prayer, and suddenly he saw doors being opened that were basically miracles for him. Apparently after that experience he told the missionaries, "Hey, pencil me in for baptism - no, sharpie me in!" He kinda reminds me of Uncle Mike actually. Great guy.
We're teaching a handful of other people that I haven't been able to get to know very well because of my short time here, but I feel a lot of enthusiasm. Our zone only has 12 missionaries, all of which are Spanish-speaking except 2, and there's a lot of unity among us. I've  been more pro-active while interacting with potential investigators, and bearing my testimony is a lot of fun. Sometimes I mention you, Dad, just how you were blessed in so many ways by seeking truth and following it. Something I've been realizing over the last several weeks is how we must hand over our will to God. And how what we want doesn't really matter if it's not what God wants. I'm learning the importance of searching to know God's will and do it, and I try to teach that to others. Really that's how people learn our message, by asking God, listening with their heart, and acting on what they feel. It keeps us alive spiritually, and keeps us close to our Father.
Funny story I heard today. A missionary left a street contact with a scripture to share, but there was misunderstanding. So instead of 1 Nephi 3:7, the man read 3 Nephi 3:7. And when the missionary returned, the man said that he didn't want to talk to them at all anymore. The missionary was really confused and read the scripture in 3 Nephi and realized the mistake. You gotta read that verse, it's hilarious.
Well, thank you so much for everything. That's about all I got now, or all I can remember. The mission just got a lot more exciting :) I love you all, have a great week!

Elder Gathro

Miracles

Dear Family,
Transfer calls came last night...am I staying or leaving? I'll tell you further in the letter.
So it has been an eventful week. I told you last week about our investigator who got scared about baptism by his dad and that things were a little shaky with them. Well it didn't last long. We had a Family Home Evening at our relief society president's house, with the bishop and his wife there as well. We watched the hour long Joseph Smith movie and had a mini impromptu testimony meeting afterward that was very spiritual and powerful. Our investigator - Tygart, 14 yrs old - was confident that this was what God wanted for his life, even though his grandparents have almost disowned him and the dad is very skeptical. But we were able to see him everyday this week, and one night I talked to the dad, man to man :) and it was a really good conversation. The baptism was this past Saturday and he was confirmed yesterday. My companion Elder Hernandez gave an outstanding talk which even led Tygart's dad to cry. It was a happy weekend. Oh, and get this. So an investigator that my companion taught in one of his old areas finally got permission from President Monson to be baptized, despite some serious things with the law. Our mission president gave us permission to return for the baptismal service, and a member couple drove us down and back (2 hour round trip). It was a really uplifting experience as well, and for the member too. He was preparing for a talk that he gave yesterday and said that he received a lot of revelation that afternoon. I know he was blessed for his apparent sacrifice.
The Dominicano who will be baptized this coming weekend had a miracle also happen this weekend. So we taught him the Word of Wisdom last week and gave him a blessing to withstand temptation and be able to live this commandment. He was very sincere and knew that he needed to quit. Well he's a baseball player and was playing on Saturday night and gave in to a desire for chewing tobacco. So he put some in his mouth and immediately had an urge to vomit! He couldn't use it anymore. He is done for sure! And he knows that God is helping him stay on this path. It was a miracle no doubt. Just like Mom said, miracles are still happening today. God is still our loving Father. It is amazing to see and they strengthen my faith.
Returning to the other big piece of news, my time in Mesa has come to an end. I'm being transfered! And there are only two other Spanish ZL areas, and most likely I'm going to Yuma! That would be a blast! And I would be with my previous companion Elder Sawyer, who is like a best friend. I'll let you know where I am next week, but hold off an any mail till then...in case someone was planning on sending any, haha.
Ok one more thing and then I gotta sign out. So it's a very common occurrence in this mission for members to pay for you when they see you in a restaurant. Especially in Gilbert where there are so many members. Well my comp and I had to visit some companionships out in Gilbert on Saturday and when we finished it was already lunchtime, so we figured we'd go out with a companionship and "faith-dine." That's a missionary term meaning to have faith that a member will offer to pay. We picked Cafe Rio where members always go to eat. And walking in things looked good, some BYU logos, a member saying "Hey Elders." But coming to the cash register, nothing. Haha it was probably just our luck and punishment for our conniving ideas. But it was a delicious meal nonetheless.
Oh, I almost forgot, one of our investigators gave us like 8 bottles of her alcohol so us to dispose of. So we brought it back to the house and poured it all down the sink. It smelt terrible! So disgusting. We made a few videos too. Don't worry, Mom, I'm taking photos. I'll send them to you when I can.
Well I love you all so much. Thank you for everything. Have a great week!

Elder Gathro

"So much time, so little to do - strike that, reverse it

Dear Family,
So this morning my companion and an elder we live with went to get haircuts from a member and it ended up taking a few hours, and we still have several things to do today. So I don't have much time to write. I thank you so much for your letters, for your support, and your faith. I'll reply back to Tyler's letter next week. Dad, you have a good point that I have felt as well. It's hard to put into practice so many things that I have learned, all at one time. Mom, hang in there. Disappointments are bound to happen. Difficulty is necessary. But keep your eye on the Savior and seek encouragement from His example and His words. As President Monson says, we must never forget during challenging times that Heavenly Father has not left us alone. Remind me and I'll share more thoughts next week if you'd like.
Well we had zone conference this week which was outstanding. We also had some setbacks, but at the same time we saw some miracles. The investigator from the Dominican Republic that I mentioned wants to be baptized on the 23rd. He's so solid, very sincere, and a great guy. It's a joy to watch him embrace the Gospel as he is. We met with some other people that are progressing along really well. One of them just got scared out of baptism last night by his dad. Even though we tried hard to involve the father in everything, he still has fear that he will be loosing his wife and son. Please pray for their family.
I have to finish up already. I love you all. Even though hard times come, we can have hope for a brighter world. Ether 12:4. Thank you for everything. I'll talk to you next week!

Love,
Elder Gathro

Spring Time

Hey Fam,
I dont know it the groundhog saw his shadow or not, but It already feels like springtime. The weather here is perfecto! I woke up a bit chilly from the fan so I started my run with a hoodie, but it seems like I don't need that anymore. What's the weather like there? We picked up a new investigator this week, who I think I already mentioned, and he's from the Dominican Republic. He says that it's a super cheap flight down there and the exchange rate makes the dollar worth way more, and the environment is beautiful. Maybe if you guys have the family reunion down there I'll come along :)
This week was pretty eventful. So on Tuesday Elder Hdez and I walk into the English class and within minutes get a call that a member of our zone had a nasty bike accident and was shaking like crazy. So we peeled out of the church parking lot headed to the accident site and ended up following the ambulance to a local hospital. Our mission mom met us there as well. He hit his head pretty bad but he's doing a lot better since the crash. It was kinda scary for a bit though. We ended up giving like 3 blessings while we were at the hospital. And I think we administered like 3 other blessings this week. A lot of people have been sick recently.
We've been trying to find more people to teach through Saturday soccer games at a park adjacent to the church, but despite the perfect weather, we only had one person come, a 19-yr-old investigator we have. So we kicked the ball around for quite a while then slowed it down and ended up talking about Gospel topics. It was a really unique setting, just chilling on the grass and chatting about the Gospel, like about things really important and moving. And the kid was really thinking deeply about what we were saying. We could all feel the Spirit. It was a sweet experience. Combined with other recent teaching experiences it has made me think more about the need to receive answers from God. We always invite people to pray about our message, which is such a simple thing, and yet people are reluctant or hesitant to do it. It's sad and often frustrating. Yesterday while visiting someone we asked if they would be willing to make changes in their life when they know that our message is true. She hesitated a lot and didn't seem on board. It seems to me that if we have faith in Christ, and if we really believe Him, then we will be willing to go wherever he takes us. We can have confidence that despite the unknown, God will guide us in true faiths. It's challenging to help people understand and act. But I know that the Spirit is helping us in our efforts. This work is true. Our Father has a plan for His children. It's a thrill to be a part of this work. I pray for each of you and wish you a happy week. Thanks for everything!

Much love,
Elder Gathro

Yuma!

Dear You,
This week was a blast! We had our Spanish training down in Yuma on Thursday so we left from our mission home Thursday morning about 22 of us Spanish missionaries from the valley. I got to drive the "Action Van" 12 passenger beast. It was a little awkward to get used to but I had hundreds of miles to get comfortable with it, which turned out to be pretty fun. When we got down there we had a training from the Yuma zone leaders, the mission president, and the local Spanish branch president. They focused a lot on serving the members and building their confidence in us so that we can then rely on them as sources of missionary work. President said that the fundamental principle of leadership and influence is serving others and gaining their trust. Think about the Savior too. I think he's right. So after the training and dinner (lasagna!!) we split up with different companions in different areas with a member of the branch. A group of us went down to San Luis, a hispanic community on the US-Mexico border. The member I was with said that the only white people in that town are the missionaries. EVERYone speaks Spanish. How crazy is that! It was my first time being out of the valley and being so close to the border. Kinda cool and way fun. It was a good learning experience as well.
Back home at the Table (mesa), things are going well. Our English ward is building up more and putting plans together to improve the work. Our Spanish ward hasn't had a ward mission leader in 4 months, so we've been pleading with the Bishop constantly. And finally, after some intensity about missionary work in our priesthood meeting, Bishop says we will have a new ward mission leader next week. We really need it. But at the same time we're starting to work better with members to help them be better missionaries and participate in the work. We've been presenting families the idea of making a "family mission plan," in which they strive to have the Spirit tell them with whom they should work and how to work with them, in a missionary light. We've been inviting them to also consider including our investigators in their list, and to brainstorm ideas that will help them to fellowship those that we're already teaching. So far it seems to be going pretty well. We'll be doing more follow-up this week.
Oh! So we started playing soccer as a way of finding people to teach and to help members bring their friends to activities by the church. And this past Saturday was our first time. It's been my dream since the beginning of my mission to play soccer with some Mexicans, and it finally came true. Their was just me and my companion and 4 young men, but it was also raining, so a lot of people didn't show up for that reason. But it was a blast!
I love you all, have a great week. Stay righteous and keep the faith!

Much love,
Elder Gathro

Warming Up

Hey Family,
Happy Martin Luther King Day! The weather is perfect! This morning I went running with an elder I live with and we just had running shorts and a T shirt. This week went pretty well too. We're having some trouble maintaining contact with all of our investigators, but thats not really something new. We did pick up several new investigators as well. And one of the single mothers we're working with is progressing really well. A member told her that she wasn't ready to be baptized and she told us later that she was thinking, "You don't know me!" Haha. She is really seeing the blessings of the Gospel. She says that before we come over she often feels really stressed and life challenges weigh her down a lot. But when we're there and teaching about the Gospel she feel relief and at peace. Now she wants to be baptized Feb 9! The Gospel is gonna continue blessing and transforming her life. It's so exciting to witness. And it's a thrill that she has changed is trying to keep making changes.
So we got home one night this week and there was water all over our study desks and in the bathroom and kitchen. We started freaking out and called the emergency maintenance line. The upstairs neighbor's washing machine broke and had flooded her house as well, so the water seeped through into our apartment. We ended up staying really late because they had to call a guy to come and clean up the water asap, and he brought in some super loud industrial fans to dry out the carpet. This morning we just had some guys come back and replace the stuff underneath the carpet. Kind crazy. And I finally figured out a couple weeks ago how to use the video on my camera, so I took some videos :)
Well I don't really have much to say. Oh, my companion just reminded me that this Thursday all the Spanish missionaries are going down to Yuma for a training and to do some less-active work with the Spanish units down there. We're carpooling down there and the assistants told us this week that I'm the only one who will be allowed to drive the big 12 passenger van :) It's gonna be sweet! We're staying there overnight as well, so it's kind of a big trip. Oh, and we had a fireside last night that Elder Hdez and I translated for. It was kinda tricky. But a guy told me at church yesterday that I speak perfectly. And actually, that guy will be a new investigator this week. He just moved in with a member, he's from the Dominican Republic, and he used to play for the Kansas City Royals. Pretty legit. So we have some good things coming up this week.
Well, I love you. Have a great week. Choose the right!

Elder Gathro

Chilly Willy

Hey Mom and family,
About carpet vs hardwood, I'm more a fan of carpet. I think it's easier to teach in a carpeted home because the noise doesn't echo as loud, or something that has to do with the sound effects of hardwood.
Well this was quite a week. We had transfer meeting on Tuesday and there was only one Spanish elder in the mission who got assigned to serve as zone leader, so it was pretty easy to figure that one out. He's from Canada, but his parents are both from El Salvador,so he grew up speaking Spanish and English. He's only got 2 more transfers in the mission before it ends, and I really hope to stay with him the whole time. I never really knew him except from what I had seen at meetings and such and he always seemed like a big goof-off. But he's actually one of the best missionaries I've met. He's incredibly effective at pretty much everything he does. He teaches with power and he's smart too. I know I can learn a lot from him. I have realized that I'm not as smart as a led all you to believe before the mission :) But it's like he just jumped into this area with a lot of enthusiasm and the know-how to get things done. The work is going well and we're finding more people to teach. Last week I told you about a family, specifically a mother, who we visited when she was going through a really hard time in her life. Well over the weekend she talked with her best friend, a member in California, and when we saw her again on Monday she told us that she wants to be baptized, and her 13-yr-old son wants to as well. It was a miracle to see it all unfold; I feel like I was just in the right place at the right time. She still has things that she's struggling with, like smoking and coming to church, but God led us to find those who he had prepared. Two other new investigators this week came from two different members who have befriended people and invited the missionaries over to meet them. It's really amazing to see how God puts different people in our path, and He makes the best of the path we're in.
Well, the car thermometer said 37 degrees this morning, and I'm freezing! Once my hands get cold it takes a lot to heat them back up, and at nights it's pretty chilly. A couple times this week I saw ice in people's yards. I thought this was Arizona?? I definitely prefer heat to the cold. It's fun though, and we're doing what we can to keep God's work moving forward. I hope you all have a great week and that Ben gets home safely :) Adios!

Elder Joshua Gathro

Puchica!

Dear Family,
Holy cow! What a crazy week! So like I told you, my companion Elder Morris finished his mission this week and flew home Friday morning. It was an early release because of school starting today, and transfer meeting isn't until tomorrow. So I've been companion-less for the past few days. I live with two English elders who have helped me, and the members have too, so I've always been with someone but it's definitely not the same. In some ways it's liberating not to have a companion, because whatever I do in my area is up to me. But mostly I'm realizing what a blessing it is to have someone at your side who can help you out with the so many things we have to do for our area and ward and zone. It's crazy. But it's been a good learning experience.
So speaking of experiences, we've had a few crazy ones this week. Starting this out I'm not sure how many I can squeeze in with the time I have, so if you want to know about all my stories you'll have to write me a letter and ask :) Friday afternoon I was with a priest in my English ward and we were driving to see a potential when we started approaching the house of a former investigator (that I hadn't met yet) and I told the priest to pull over so we could visit her. When we knocked the door the 13yr old son answered and said, "My mom's a little jumpy right now but I'll go get her." Moments later she came to the door balling and crying like crazy. Whoa! "Eve what happened?" Then she started to unravel some issues with her 17-yr-old son that she had JUST found out about. We went in, comforted her, shared a scripture and prayed. But before the prayer, in walks the 17-yr-old....it was intense. The mom said that this is the second time the Mormon church has reached out to her in the exact moment that she needed it. It was really a miracle that we had stopped by and it was a new experience for me to learn how to deal with a situation like that. They committed to coming to church and want to start taking the lessons. We're supposed to be having an FHE with them tonight.
Another cool short story was Saturday morning when I was with an English elder. We went to visit a referral, but it was like the 4th attempt and so far no one has yet to answer. So I decided to knock the Hispanic house two doors down, hoping that they might know eachother and could help us out. Turns out that the neighbor is a former investigator from so far back that we don't have her record, but she still reads in the Book of Mormon, has been to church and the temple grounds before, and is willing to have us come back. It was a crazy encounter that I know God lead us to have.
Thanks for everything, family. I gotta go. Have a great week!

Elder Gathro