January 13, 2014

Dear Family,

 

It has been a very exciting week!  First, we had an unexpected baptism!  We had this investigator who wouldn't commit to a date and she kept on telling us she wanted to learn more because she wanted to be a good member.  We kept on trying to resolve her concern and help her feel ready for baptism.  It seemed like nothing we said would work.  Last Monday we met with her and out of nowhere she said that she decided that she did want to be baptized on Saturday.  I can only imagine the expression on my face because I was not expecting it!  Earlier that day and the day before she was helping another member in the ward get things ready for a funeral.  As they were putting things together they had a couple hours to talk.  This member helped her feel the spirit and helped her realize that she didn't need to know everything.  At every lesson we try to have a member there so they can have fellowships.  That just showed me how important it is for an investigator to have a fellowship.  This week we got everything ready for her baptism and I got to baptize her and Elder Gardner got to confirm her!  It has been amazing to see her change as we have taught her.  We first met her at the end of August and started teaching her at the beginning of October.  We found her when I accidently switched two numbers in the apartment number of a referral.  I think she is one of the people I would have missed if I didn't come on my mission at the time that I did.  

 

We also had the multi mission conference with the Mesa and Scottsdale missions.  Elder Holland was going to come, but last minute he was unable to make it.  We still had a seventy come to speak to us and it was an amazing meeting.  All of the mission presidents and their wives also spoke to us.  I also saw Sister Willahan!  

This week we were also able to give service to a less active member.  We have been looking for service opportunities for a long time and we finally found someone that would let us help them.  So we raked a yard full of leaves.  We've had a really great week and showed a couple of less active and a part member family the temple presentation that we have been showing people.  We also set up a time to show a non-member the temple presentation.

 

The citrus trees are full of fruit and we have more oranges and lemons then we can eat!  There is so much citrus that I'm not sure what everyone does with it. 

 

Thanks for all your prayers! I love you all so much!

 

Love,

 

Elder Gandy

 

P.S. I was wondering have you heard about the book The Power of Everyday Missionaries by Clayton M. Christensen?  All of the members here talk about it and say it's a really good book, but of course it's not on our approved reading list.