July 14, 2014

Dear family,

It has been another amazing week!  I'm pretty sure all my emails start that way, but every week really is great!  We have continued teaching J. (our new investigator) this week.  He moved this weekend into the same apartments that we live in.  Good thing that it's still in the ward.  We talked to him yesterday and he ended up going to the Mesa Temple visitor center all by himself.  I didn't even know he knew about the visitors center.  He said he talked to the missionaries there for about an hour.  He is really loving all the things he is learning and has been reading the Book of Mormon.  Yesterday when we were talking to him he also asked us for a reading assignment from the Book of Mormon. 

Yesterday we also had a really great lesson in the Gospel essential class.  We were teaching the lesson and we felt it would be good to watch the restoration video.  We ended up having a non-member and a less active member in that class that we were not expecting.  The non-member took the lessons almost a year ago, but on Saturday night she called her member friend and said she wanted to come to church.  There was a really great discussion afterward the video for about 15 to 20 minutes.  The less active member was a convert and she ended up telling her conversion story.  It was really great lesson!  I also sang in sacrament meeting in one of the wards.  I sang If the Savior Stood Beside Me.  I think it went well.

We had interviews this week.  It's always exciting to have interviews and talk with Pres. Nattress.  We were able to be trained there by some of our leaders and by Sis Nattress.  I also went on exchanges this week with one of the elders in the district.  It has been a pretty busy week!  This week will be exciting too.  We get to go to the Gilbert temple on Tuesday and we will find out about transfers on Sunday.

It rained for the first time this week since I believe March 1st, the day of the cultural celebration.  When it rains here it sure can rain.  We were coming out of church when it started raining and in about 10 minutes it started to pour and the parking lot was full of water.  It has been a long time since we have seen rain! 

The Book of Mormon reading is going great!  I always look forward to the time that we get to read.  I think all the missionaries here are really enjoying it.  

It sounds like you had a good time in Japan!  It's awesome to hear about missionary opportunities!  That's really cool that Joseph gets to travel around to different temples.  Well when he comes to Mesa he will be able to feel the warm weather here!

Thank you so much for all of your prayers!  I love you all so much!  It's great to be on a mission and to teach people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is amazing the blessings and joy that they see in their lives. 

Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy