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