I hope the subject line is kosher to use. It means the field is ripe, all ready to harvest. And that is the truth. During companion study this morning my companion and I received a phone call from someone who said, "I want to take the missionary lessons." ...What?? I couldn't believe it. His friend is a member of our ward who gave him our number. We'll see what happens. There are great things taking place among the hearts of the children of God. Angels are preparing them.
We made a lot of progress this week I feel. The members are helping us forward the work as we align our goals with theirs. God is blessing us to be in the right place at the right time. The scripture D&C 68:6 has become real to me.
This week our zone had a temple trip scheduled. We forgot to ask a member to drive us there so the we had to use our car, and when we pulled out of the apartment complex at 6:45am we realized we didn't know how to get there. And I had no idea whether or not we would make it for our session. We called other missionaries and one of them gave us some help but we still felt lost and pressed for time. So it was a miracle to walk into the temple with just enough time to make it in the session. It was relaxing to feel the peace of the temple in contrast to the intense worrying just minutes earlier. I believe the Lord helped us find our way so that we could enjoy His sacred house.
I was reading in the November Ensign and found this quote from Elder Scott: "Scriptures can calm an agitated soul, giving peace, hope, and a restoration of confidence in one's ability to overcome the challenges of life. They have potent power to heal emotional challenges when there is faith in the Savior. They can accelerate physical healing." Trust in the scriptures and the powerful influence they can bring into your life.
Enjoy your week of miracles and find joy in the struggles!
Elder Joshua Gathro
Monday, January 23, 2012
"Pre-Columbian warfare is what it's all about"
Hey Fam,
Well it was a good week. I'm not sure if I have very many updates.
Although one of our investigators is making significant progress
toward baptism. It's a thrill! And I feel like I really have little to
do with it. We found him through a referral from the temple Christmas
lights - although we didn't really "find" him. He was given to us it
seems. He works with a member of our ward and they are great friends.
The member is helping him understand and feel comfortable with the
Church. The Lord has just put this one in our hands.
I know this is probably the shortest email I've ever sent but that's
the weekly highlight. Moroni 8:3
Elder Joshua Gathro
Well it was a good week. I'm not sure if I have very many updates.
Although one of our investigators is making significant progress
toward baptism. It's a thrill! And I feel like I really have little to
do with it. We found him through a referral from the temple Christmas
lights - although we didn't really "find" him. He was given to us it
seems. He works with a member of our ward and they are great friends.
The member is helping him understand and feel comfortable with the
Church. The Lord has just put this one in our hands.
I know this is probably the shortest email I've ever sent but that's
the weekly highlight. Moroni 8:3
Elder Joshua Gathro
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The real reason for the flood
Salutations,
This week was exciting and we made a lot of progress. We received 9 referrals from the Mesa Temple Visitors' Center and one of them turned out to be less actives that are not on our records. Another is a really cool guy in his 20s who has been trying to arrange a time with his wife for us to stop by again. And another is so eager to learn about the gospel. We stopped by and he said, "Hey can we set up a lesson for tomorrow?" I was actually on exchanges the following day but the lesson went through and we said that he will absolutely be baptized, but wants to see a baptism take place before deciding on a date. Pretty incredible right? And he works with a member of our English ward so he's already got someone he can turn to for questions and support (a man from England who is a hoot). It's amazing how prepared some people are. Hopefully I'll have more to add next week about him.
We are teaching a 12-yr old right now that has a lot of family troubles. My companion thinks that the mother is crazy :) Our lesson early last week had a lot of distractions from her family and she was really unsettled about religious things. Her brother told us she seemed really bitter about the Church because some other family members had discouraged her. But when we came back a couple days ago it was drastically different. The lesson was reverent, free of distractions, and she told us about things she had done to help her family, and be more of a peacemaker in the house. It was wonderful. She seems to be understanding the teachings of Jesus Christ in relation to her life and she is recognizing the Spirit.
Last night we were cruising the streets and walked past a husband and wife sitting outside. We couldn't see more than the husband's outline and the wife was the one chatting with us. She said English missionaries had been by a couple weeks ago, but her husband couldn't learn because he only speaks Spanish. So we turned to where he was sitting and starting speaking Spanish. He stood up and walked over to us and accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon. Our brief conversation with him made me think about the need to explain first that the Book of Mormon testifies that Jesus is the Christ. First and foremost it leads all people to the Savior. And our words should first and foremost do the same.
Well there are many more experiences taking place out here but I hope you enjoy and are uplifting by these. I love you!
Elder Joshua Gathro
This week was exciting and we made a lot of progress. We received 9 referrals from the Mesa Temple Visitors' Center and one of them turned out to be less actives that are not on our records. Another is a really cool guy in his 20s who has been trying to arrange a time with his wife for us to stop by again. And another is so eager to learn about the gospel. We stopped by and he said, "Hey can we set up a lesson for tomorrow?" I was actually on exchanges the following day but the lesson went through and we said that he will absolutely be baptized, but wants to see a baptism take place before deciding on a date. Pretty incredible right? And he works with a member of our English ward so he's already got someone he can turn to for questions and support (a man from England who is a hoot). It's amazing how prepared some people are. Hopefully I'll have more to add next week about him.
We are teaching a 12-yr old right now that has a lot of family troubles. My companion thinks that the mother is crazy :) Our lesson early last week had a lot of distractions from her family and she was really unsettled about religious things. Her brother told us she seemed really bitter about the Church because some other family members had discouraged her. But when we came back a couple days ago it was drastically different. The lesson was reverent, free of distractions, and she told us about things she had done to help her family, and be more of a peacemaker in the house. It was wonderful. She seems to be understanding the teachings of Jesus Christ in relation to her life and she is recognizing the Spirit.
Last night we were cruising the streets and walked past a husband and wife sitting outside. We couldn't see more than the husband's outline and the wife was the one chatting with us. She said English missionaries had been by a couple weeks ago, but her husband couldn't learn because he only speaks Spanish. So we turned to where he was sitting and starting speaking Spanish. He stood up and walked over to us and accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon. Our brief conversation with him made me think about the need to explain first that the Book of Mormon testifies that Jesus is the Christ. First and foremost it leads all people to the Savior. And our words should first and foremost do the same.
Well there are many more experiences taking place out here but I hope you enjoy and are uplifting by these. I love you!
Elder Joshua Gathro
Friday, January 6, 2012
Transferred
Hey family!
I was transferred this week to a new area and I love it! There's a lot I could say and I hope it comes out clearly. Our mission rearranged a lot of areas within zones and whatnot, and my new companion and I have been "white-washed," meaning that it is a new area for both of us. We cover a Spanish ward as well as an English ward, which is also a new thing for both my companion and I. When we were transferred on Wednesday, the mission hadn't arranged an apartment for us. (The Spanish branch was split so a new companionship came in to the zone which they needed to accomodate for). So we crashed with some other elders and finally moved into our aparment Saturday night, although the only thing we have besides our luggage is beds. And now toilet paper thanks to the member's custodial closet. But we're getting by just fine. The area that we're in is full of Mexicans. It is awesome! There are even street signs in Spanish. And because we're His servants in a new area, the Lord is helping us greatly. The day we started working in this area I had better Spanish than ever before. My companion and I have about the same level Spanish, so there's a lot more need for me to understand what the people are saying, as opposed to Mesa where I just turned to my companion when I didn't understand. It's making me be a lot more involved, which is something I have realized that I love. And I didn't realize how uninvolved I was in Mesa. I can already feel personal growth simply from being more engaged in the work. There is a lot more that can be learned. The wards here can use a lot of work. There are a lot of inactives and several good leads on people interested in the Church. I honestly hope they keep me here for a long time.
Side note: Tyler was in my dream last night and we were speaking Spanish. Also, last week I had a dream that the whole family was called to a Spanish speaking mission and Mom had fluent Spanish only after like 2 months. It was awesome, Mom!
We're staying busy and I'm being a lot more involved, which is really helping me become the missionary I want to be, even in the few days that we've been here. It's a struggle being so unfamiliar with the area, especially nightly planning, but the Lord is helping us. The Bible Dictionary says that where there is true faith there are miracles. We are showing our faith as we work, and I am excited for the continued miracles we'll see. I love you, all! Happy New Year!
Elder Joshua Gathro
I was transferred this week to a new area and I love it! There's a lot I could say and I hope it comes out clearly. Our mission rearranged a lot of areas within zones and whatnot, and my new companion and I have been "white-washed," meaning that it is a new area for both of us. We cover a Spanish ward as well as an English ward, which is also a new thing for both my companion and I. When we were transferred on Wednesday, the mission hadn't arranged an apartment for us. (The Spanish branch was split so a new companionship came in to the zone which they needed to accomodate for). So we crashed with some other elders and finally moved into our aparment Saturday night, although the only thing we have besides our luggage is beds. And now toilet paper thanks to the member's custodial closet. But we're getting by just fine. The area that we're in is full of Mexicans. It is awesome! There are even street signs in Spanish. And because we're His servants in a new area, the Lord is helping us greatly. The day we started working in this area I had better Spanish than ever before. My companion and I have about the same level Spanish, so there's a lot more need for me to understand what the people are saying, as opposed to Mesa where I just turned to my companion when I didn't understand. It's making me be a lot more involved, which is something I have realized that I love. And I didn't realize how uninvolved I was in Mesa. I can already feel personal growth simply from being more engaged in the work. There is a lot more that can be learned. The wards here can use a lot of work. There are a lot of inactives and several good leads on people interested in the Church. I honestly hope they keep me here for a long time.
Side note: Tyler was in my dream last night and we were speaking Spanish. Also, last week I had a dream that the whole family was called to a Spanish speaking mission and Mom had fluent Spanish only after like 2 months. It was awesome, Mom!
We're staying busy and I'm being a lot more involved, which is really helping me become the missionary I want to be, even in the few days that we've been here. It's a struggle being so unfamiliar with the area, especially nightly planning, but the Lord is helping us. The Bible Dictionary says that where there is true faith there are miracles. We are showing our faith as we work, and I am excited for the continued miracles we'll see. I love you, all! Happy New Year!
Elder Joshua Gathro
Monday, December 19, 2011
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
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
Monday, December 12, 2011
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
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)