One of the missionaries I live with is going home tomorrow morning and he commented that one of the many things he has learned on his mission is to appreciate his family. It made me think about how much I appreciate all of you. Thank you for your heart-warming letters and for letting me know how you're doing. It sounds like each of you are staying active and making progress in life. Jessi, I don't know where that book is. I doubt I have it any more. Tyler, you're a stud, in every good way.
Well we had several dust storms this week. One was on Saturday, pretty intense. Ben, do you remember having all those? They're visible from a distance because the sky gets cloudy with sand and it keeps moving closer. They just bring a lot of wind and sand and occasionally rain. It makes things exciting.
Elder Valdez and I had a good solid week. Our investigator with a baptismal date is so excited! She came to the baptism of someone else in our ward on Saturday night and just loved it. She's meeting members of the ward and is understanding more about God's plan. She genuinely seems happier. It's a thrill to witness. Those are the most cherished moments and the sweetest memories.
After the leadership meeting from last week, we have been more diligent with inviting others to be baptized. It makes a noticeable difference with their progress in learning the Gospel. And it helps us to address their concerns and for all of us to be on the same page of understanding. It sets the expectation and then we can help them along at their pace. One lady in particular has been very receptive this week. She is willing to learn and make changes as she receives answers from God. That is so critical. We talked to someone last night - who's attitude represents a majority of people here - who refused to accept, in a sub-conscience way, that he needed to make any changes to his current lifestyle. The Lord can do nothing with us if we do not remove the blindness, humble ourselves, and give Him our hearts. My friend this week sent me the talk "His Grace is Sufficient." The Savior doesn't ask us to repent because He wants payment; He doesn't expect repayment. He knows that repentance starts a developmental process of becoming more like Him. Our purpose in life is to become more like Him and prepare ourselves for eternal life. He is like a parent who has paid for our piano lessons and just wants us to practice. And if we don't practice, we'll never become pianists.
It was a great week. We got transfer calls last night (the summer is flying by), and I'm staying in the same city. I'm not sure if I'll ever leave :) But I like it here.
Keep your hope and press on with enthusiasm. Life is good. I love you all dearly.
Yours truly,
Elder Joshua Gathro
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