September 15, 2014

Dear family,

Well it has been another fantastic week as a missionary.  We are still working with L.  and he wants to be baptized on the 27th.  We actually met with him a couple times this week.  He is doing great and loves to learn.  We taught him some of the commandments this week and he is already living them.  It's not very often when your investigator doesn't drink coffee or tea or something like that.  

There is member in our ward who was baptized about 2 or 3 years ago and she usually has a "missionary dinner" at her house every month.  She invites the family that fellowshipped her and there are usually a couple of non members that she invites.  We went over for dinner this week and she invited our 94 year old investigator and her daughter.  It was a great dinner and we were able to teach the restoration at the end.  Earlier in the week we went to a family history training for Elder Bartlett (They train all the missionaries in family history so that if we need to we can help someone get started) and I had a few minutes to look at familysearch while they did the training.  While I was looking I found out that we are possibly related to two of our investigators.  They mentioned their ancestors once before in one of our visits and it just matched up perfectly.  Of course it is probably 7 or 8 generations back, but I decided to mention that to them at the dinner.  They actually got quite excited and said they would have to find out if it's the same people.  It was the same name, place, and story so there is a good chance it's the same person. 

J. who was baptized at the beginning of August, received the priesthood on Sunday.  His fellowship did the ordination and we could tell it was really special for both of them.  We visited with J. earlier this week and taught him about the priesthood and he could tell how special it really is.  He is also really excited to go home teaching.  He is super friendly man and loves to serve others.  We also stopped to see him another time this week and he just happened to have a childhood friend over.  We were able to teach his friend about the restoration and answer a few of his questions.  His friend wasn't interested right now, but it was a great opportunity for this new convert to do missionary work and talk about the church with his friend.

There were some other exciting things that happened this week, like random non members coming to church.  It is always exciting when that happens.  We also found out that one of our wards is getting a new bishop next week.  Bishop Anderson has been an amazing bishop and is a great example of a loving priesthood leader.  The Val Vista stake and these wards have amazing leaders and I'm grateful that I am able to work with all of them.  I'm excited to find out who the new bishop will be.

I didn't realize how much it actually rained last Monday when I was emailing, but there are still parks full of water.  I took a few pictures of one park in our area that probably had 7 or 8 feet of water in some areas.  It was pretty cool.

I'm excited for this next week!  I'm sure we will see many miracles!  It's great to be a missionary!  I've learned so much and my testimony grows every day.  Thank you for all of your prayers.  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy

This is what all the rain did to one of the large parks in our area.

September 8, 2014

Dear family,

It has been an eventful and exciting week!  First, we had transfers!  My new companion is Elder Bartlett.  He is from Saratoga Springs, Utah.  That will be my fourth companion from Utah.  There are a lot of missionaries from Utah.  He just graduated this year and something interesting about him is that he likes to ballroom dance.  I guess he did competitions and stuff like that.  He is really excited to be here and get to work!  He is not shy and is very out going. 

We started teaching a new investigator this week.  We first met him at the ice cream social that the ward did.   He requested to take the missionary lessons so we set up our first appointment early this week.  We ended up meeting with him three times this week!  After each lesson he tells us thank you for coming and says that he is excited to learn more.  He is wanting to move into the ward really soon.  Unfortunately if it's going to be a while till he moves, we are going to give him to the missionaries in his area so they can baptize him there.  We are hoping to find out this week if he is going to be moving or not.  The ward mission is really excited since the week before the ward mission leader was telling everyone that he felt there was someone ready right now.  They are also excited to see something happen from the social they put together.  Not surprising at all, they are planning another activity at the end of the month.

We met with J. a couple times this week.  We had a great lesson with him before Elder Jewkes was transferred.  We read Alma 36 where Alma the younger tells his conversion and how he repented.  He really enjoyed reading it with us.  It's great to still see him grow in the Gospel.  He is looking for a job right now, but it's amazing how much faith he has that Heavenly Father loves him and he knows everything will be okay.

We also had dinner at a non members this week.  A couple weeks ago part of our district helped someone move from one apartment in our apartment complex to another apartment.  They wanted to make us dinner to thank us for helping.  We had a great dinner and we were able to share a message with them.  We weren't able to set up another lesson, but we invited them to our mission choir concert on Thursday.  We hope to see them there!

Overall it's been a great week with teaching and finding some new potentials.  I'm trying to get into training mode.  I realized it has been a while since I trained last or even served around a new missionary.  I'm really excited though, and I remember how much I learned the last time I trained.  I'm probably going to learn just as much this time too.  I'm grateful for all that I've learned on my mission, especially what I've learned about the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know it's true.  I believe I told you about the mission website arizonagilbertmission.com.  They had all the missionaries write their testimonies and they are putting it on the website.  I don't know how many are on the website yet, but it would be great to check out! 

Thank you for all of your prayers.  I love you all so much!  Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy

P.S. So it rained a lot here last night.  It has been a while since it has rained that much.  It's kind of cool because a lot of parking lots and parks are flooded now.  On the way to email we saw some kids swimming in a lake that use to be a park.  As soon as the sun comes out it should dry pretty fast. 

September 1, 2014

Dear family,

I haven't heard about transfers yet so I'm hoping I hear about it before I'm done emailing.  It has been another great week with a lot of exciting things going on.  We met with a couple of part member families this week.  One of them accepted the commitment to read and pray about the Book of Mormon.  They said we could follow up with them this week.  The other family just moved in and they have been meeting with missionaries on and off for the past sixteen years.  That is a long time, but hopeful we can help them accept the gospel.  They were telling us all about all the different missionaries they have had.  It was interesting.  We got a referral from that ice cream party I told you about last week.  A member in the ward is dating a non member and inviting him to the party.  He came to church last week and this week.  We found out that he wants to learn more so we are going to meet with him on Tuesday!  

This week we were able to talk to more people on the street than usual.  I don't know if just more people were outside or what, but it was really great!  We saw some great miracles this week!  We found a couple of potentials and were able to teach one person about the restoration on the street.  It is always great when you have a lot of people to talk to and invite them to come unto Christ.  

I ended up singing in sacrament meeting yesterday in one of our wards.  When I sang at Jamie's baptism a couple of people in the ward decided to tell the music chair or whoever assigns musical numbers, so I was asked a couple weeks ago.  I ended up singing Lord, I Would Follow Thee.  They found me an arrangement that was really nice.  We also had our first mission choir concert.  It went pretty well for the first one and it ran quite smoothly.  We had a full chapel of people there so it was a good turn out.  Hopefully we have more people there next week!  This week I was also asked to do a solo or put together a group number for transfer meeting.  I decided to do a group number instead of doing a solo.  I had hard time deciding what song the group should sing, but I think I learned a little bit about revelation this week from that experience.  We really have to be willing to do whatever Heavenly Father needs us to do.

We taught R about the priesthood and we had a great lesson.  He wants to bless the sacrament in one of the coming weeks.  His experience with the priesthood was a big part of his conversion starting with the priesthood blessing he and his family got around the time that their baby was born prematurely.  He had already learned a lot about the priesthood, but it was neat to talk about the duties we have as priesthood holders.

This week I also went on exchanges with one of the elders in my district and with the zone leaders.  It has been a busy and exciting week!  It is amazing all the blessings we receive from the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is truly for everyone!  What a great blessing to have it in our lives.  I know it's true.

Thank you for all of your prayers!  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy

P.S.  I found out about transfers!  I am staying and Elder Jewkes is leaving.  I also found out that I am training a new missionary!  I'm so excited!  I have been in this area a long time and I get to stay for at least another transfer!  I was not really expecting to stay but it's going to be great!

I'll let you know about my new companion next week!

August 25, 2014

Dear family,

It has been another great and busy week!  There were quite a few activities this week for members to invite their friends and neighbors to.  The Emerald Bay ward had their annual ice cream social which had a great turn out.  There were at least four part member families that came and a few non members that members invited.  The ward missionaries in the Crystal Shores ward put together ice cream making party.  They called it an ice cream freeze off.  It was at one of the ward missionaries houses and they had a great time making ice cream and then eating it.  They also had a great turn out.  There were probably around 20 to 25 people there and probably close to half of them were non members.  We were able to meet almost everyone we didn't know at both of these activities.  There was also what they called a "Mormon Movie Night."  It was a movie night put together for the youth to bring their friends.  They have done it every month this summer and every time there are about fifty youth and several non members.  The stake actually wants to continue doing activities like that every month.  It seems like all the activities just happened to be this last weekend. 

We started teaching a former investigator and her two kids this week and have an appointment for this week.  We also have a couple appointments set with part member families and some less active members.  It should be another busy week!  I'm also going on exchanges twice this next week so that should also be fun!  We also have the first mission choir performance at the reception area that our mission put together at the church right next to the temple. 

This has been a great area to serve in and a lot of great things have happened here.  This is the last week of the transfer so next week I'll let you know if anything is changing.  I've been in this area for a while, but who knows maybe I'll stay another transfer!

It's great to be a missionary and there are miracles that happen every day!  I'm grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is also the last week for the Book of Mormon reading.  Thank you for all of your prayers.  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy

August 18, 2014

Dear family,

It has been another great week!  I can't believe it is already half way through August.  It feels like the summer just started.  This summer really doesn't seem that bad.  Maybe that's because it is my second summer.  We didn't have a lot of lessons this week, but a lot of cool things happened.  The Emerald Bay ward had a scout dinner for all of the cub scouts and boy scouts.  The family we're working with came and they are really getting to know more of the members.  We stopped by to say hi and we noticed a lot of people we didn't know.  They were several less active members and non members there and their parents.  Hopefully we and the members can invite them to start coming to church.  The ward is also having another ward social next week which I am excited about.  We were also able to do service for a part member family on Saturday.  We helped them move their yard and trim some large over-grown bushes in their back yard.  They were very grateful for the help.  We don't have an appointment to start teaching them yet, but it was a great start to getting to know the missionaries.  It was also nice to get in some service clothes and do some yard work.  I am not usually a fan of yard work, but it was fun.

We stopped by a less active family this week to set up an appointment.  We were not able to meet with them yet, but the wife came to church this week with their kids.  They probably haven't come ever since I have been in the area.  Now I don't know if us stopping by had anything to do with them coming to church, but I have seen that happen before.  Stopping by and just saying hi and then see them at church that Sunday.  One visit can really make a difference.  Just going a little out of your way to say hi to someone that you haven't seen at church in a while might make a big difference for that person. 

There are some great things happening in this area and we have a busy week ahead of us!  It will be exciting to see what happens!

Another cool thing that I forgot to mention is that the Gilbert mission is putting together a choir.  I guess the choir is going to perform each week at the reception area at the stake center by the temple.  We have had a couple rehearsals so far and I think the first performance in on the last Thursday of the month.  It's going to be a lot of fun.  Another benefit of having a small mission!

It's exciting to be a missionary!  As everyone that has been on a mission probably knows, every day brings something different!  Each day, week, month there is something to learn, progress to be made and faith to build.   I'm grateful for this opportunity!  We will be finishing the Book of Mormon pretty soon as a mission.  I don't think I have every read through it in such a short amount of time.  It has been great to read and study it again.  Also to focus on the Gospel of Jesus Christ as we have been reading through it. 

Thank you so much for all of your prays.  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy

August 11, 2014

Dear family,

Well it has been another great week here in Arizona!  J. was baptized on Saturday and the baptism went well and ran smoothly.  It was a great spiritual experience for him.  The missionary  work in that ward has really been picking up.  The bishop and the ward leaders have been getting more excited about missionary work.  A family we've been working with came to church on Sunday.  They ended up only wanting to stay for sacrament meeting, but afterwards there were several ward members that talked with them and they ended up staying at talking in the chapel for a little while.  There was also a part member family at church and we found out another part member family just moved in.  There were several non members there in sacrament meeting and they were able to see J. be confirmed.  I guess that is one miracle for having it moved back a week.  There have been a lot of things happening.  I'm excited to see what will happen this week!

We had zone conference this week.  I always love zone conference and I wish they could happen more than every other transfer.  Pres. Nattress started by asking everyone to share one scripture in the Book of Mormon that is meaningful to them.  We went around the room and shared the scripture that we chose.  It has been really neat to read the Book of Mormon and highlight the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is amazing how it testifies of Jesus Christ on every page.  There were a lot of really cool things that we talked about in zone conference and I wish I could just give you my notes.  At zone conferences one of the stakes make the missionaries lunch.  It ended up being the Val Vista stake's turn.  One of the members that helped make the food is the fellowship for our 94 year old investigator.  The investigator ended up helping her make some of the food and the fellowshipper,  invited her to come to the zone conference and meet some of the missionaries.  It was kind of cool to see her talk with a lot of missionaries.

I guess the mission created a website and a facebook page and they want you to check it out and like the page.  The website is arizonagilbertmission.com and I'm not sure what the facebook page is, but I'm sure it's not too hard to find.  It should be pretty cool!

It's great to be a missionary!  I'm so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I love being here and sharing it with everyone that we can.  I hope everyone has a great week!  Thank you for all of your prayers and I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy

P.S. Bryce, I had dinner at an older couple's house this week and they served in Lima Peru south mission about the same time as you as office staff and they said they knew you.  Their last name is Plowman.  Do you remember them?

August 4, 2014

Dear family,

It has been an amazing week!  It didn't turn out the way that we planned, but it was great and we learned a lot.  So J. was suppose to be baptized on Saturday, but it has been pushed back a week.  We finished teaching him the lessons and he had his baptismal interview and he was all ready, and then on Friday he was electrocuted at work.  Don't worry he is doing fine.  He ended up getting two large cuts on his arm and had to get a lot of stitches and he wasn't suppose to get them wet for over 24 hours.  So he is going to be baptized this Saturday.  I believe that this is all happening for a reason and that we will see miracles from it.  He is still doing great and loves coming to church and learning about the Gospel!  We also met with a part member family this week.  The wife who is the non member in the family,  had questions about church last week and had a couple of concerns.  We had a really great visit and were able to teach and answer questions.  While we were there she actually shared a scripture from the Book of Mormon with her husband.  We shared the scripture (it was Ether 12:27) with her last week and she liked it so much she put a bookmark on the page.  It was really cool to see that she remembered that and wanted to share it with her husband.  We also had another new member lesson with R. this week.  He has had a problem getting work off on Sunday but he has come the last two Sundays. 

I feel like I've learned a lot of different lessons this week and I wish I had time to tell you all the stories.  While we were sharing a message with one member family they were talking about how they find peace when they serve.  I realized that it really is hard to worry about yourself and your own little problem when you only thinking about others and serving them. One day we didn't have a dinner appointment and not much was happening that afternoon.  I was kind of having an off day and probably wasn't in the best mood.  Right before we went in for dinner we decided to stop by one more family.  As soon as they opened the door they asked us if we wanted a bowl of soup.  They ended up feeding us dinner and we had a great lesson with them at the end.  It turned my day around.  I felt great afterwards and I was excited to go out and work that evening.  That was actually on Friday and I'm glad I was in a better mood before I found out about J.  That was a miracle and it shows that God really does know all of us and knows what we need and wants to bless us.

It's amazing to see all the miracles that happen every day and that the Lord's hand is in His work.  It's amazing to be a missionary and to serve in this way.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is amazing and truly changes us.  I love you all so much and thank you for all of your prayers.

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy