May 26, 2014

Dear family,

It's been another great week!  The first exciting news is that we got a new ward mission leader in the Emerald Bay ward.  His name is Bro. Snuka.  He use to be a pro wrestler.  He is a really cool guy.  We'll miss working with Bro Nicoll, but we're excited to work with Bro. Snuka.  He loves missionary work and wants to get the ward excited and have fun doing missionary work. 

We taught R again this week!  He is doing great and it's only two more weeks until his baptism.  We got a new investigator this week.  We taught him this week and have another appointment this week.  We talked to him on the street a couple weeks ago and we haven't been able to contact him until this week.  We found out he had a crazy work schedule so we were stopping by when he was sleeping or at work.  He is a really great guy and really humble and wants more peace in his life.  We're excited to teach him again this week!  We were able work with a couple less active members this week also. 

This week we were invited to help teach relief society.  Their lesson was on Elder Ballard's talk this last general conference about follow up.  I've never been in relief society before but it's much more lively than priesthood.  The talk is really great and shows the importance of follow up.  Inviting is really important, but following up is just as important.  In Preach My Gospel it says,“extending an invitation without following up is like beginning a journey without finishing it or buying a ticket to a concert without going into the theater. Without the completed action, the commitment is hollow."  Elder Ballard said in his talk, "If we follow up, the Lord will not let us down. I have seen the unspeakable joy that accompanies testimony-driven inviting and faithful follow-up among members of the Church the world over."  We taught them about the willing and brief invitation that I believe I have mentioned before.  We're hoping they use this invitation as they follow up with their friends that went to the open house.

I love being a missionary!  I learn so much everyday.  Thanks for all your prayers.  I love you all so much!

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy

May 19, 2014

Dear family,

It has been another great week here in Arizona!  The weather is now in the triple digits and will probably stay that way.  It is still going to get hotter, but it's not too bad.  I'm definitely getting use to the hotter weather!  This week we had stake conference and it was great!  Pres. Nattress spoke and a counselor in the temple presidency.  This is a great stake to serve in!  There are so many great leaders and so many great examples to look up to.  One great thing about serving in Gilbert is because of all the members that we get to work with. 

We taught R. again this week and he is definitely ready to be baptized.  They have picked a time and everything for June 7th!  We've had several great lessons this week!  One person we taught is going through a lot of challenges right now, but we were able to teach them about Heavenly Father and how he loves us and that we can pray to him.  It was amazing to see them exercise their faith and to see the peace and comfort that came.  

I was reading this morning in Alma 29:10 "And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me."  As we see others come unto Christ, it reminds us what Christ has done for us.  I'm so grateful every time we teach an investigator that has such a great desire to change and come unto Christ, because it reminds me how grateful I am for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It's amazing all the things that we learn as we read the scriptures!

Thank you for everything!  You are all great examples to me.  I love you all!  Hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy

May 5, 2014

Dear family,

 

It has been a great week!  It seems like the work here in our area has started to pick up.  We were able to pick up four new investigators this week!  We started teaching the part member family that I mentioned came to church in my letter last week.  When we went back over this week they bought new sunday clothes for their kids and agreed to take the lessons.  The first lesson went really well and the mother had a lot of questions.  We are excited to start teaching them!  Everytime we schedule an appointment one of the kids always asks us if we can come back the next day.  

We also taught another of our investigators again this week.  He is doing awesome!  We don't know exactly when he will be baptized because of his work schedule, but we will find out this week!  We have some great investigators right now and some potentials that we hope to start teaching this week!  

 

This week we had transfer meeting.  Since our mission is so small the whole mission gets together and our mission president trains us.  Pres. Nattress is so awesome!  We have zone conference this week and we get to be taught by him again and I'm so excited! 

 

Things are going well and being a missionary is amazing!  Thanks for all your prayers!  I love you all so much!

 

Love,

 

Elder Joshua Gandy

April 28, 2014

Dear family,

 

It's has been a fantastic week!  We went to two expanded zone conferences.  They did almost the exact same thing at each zone conference, but I enjoyed each one and learned something new each time.  They showed clips from Elder Ballard's talk about following up and how important it is to follow up.  They also showed another clip about what a simple invite can do.  To help people know how to follow up they talked about using what they call a willing and brief invitation.   So you might say something like, "would you be willing to listen to a brief presentation about_______."  The presentation could really be about anything like the temple, family history, the Book of Mormon, ect.  We had a pretty busy week with the zone conferences and other events and appointments going on. 

 

We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ to one of our investigators and the lesson went really well.  He is doing great and is still excited to join and have the priesthood in his home.  A week of two ago we met a part member family.  The father is less active and the mother and kids are not members.  We stopped by and invited them to church on Saturday and they ended up coming.  It was awesome to see after sacrament meeting several people came up and introduced themselves.  The non-member mother wasn't planning on staying for the whole time, but she ended up going to sunday school with two of their neighbors.  It's always exciting to see the members in the ward excited to introduce themselves and invite them to sit with them.

 

This week is transfers, but I'm staying in the same area.  I'm glad I get to stay for another transfer!

 

Thanks for all you prayers! I love you all!

 

Elder Joshua Gandy

April 21, 2014

Dear family,

 

It's been another great week!  We were able to do a lot of service this week.  We helped several people move and we also helped a non member pick the grapefruit off their grapefruit tree.  We also had one of the expanded zone conferences this week.  It was really amazing!  They had videos, recent converts speak, a chance for the members to role play, and showed how to invite people to meet with the missionaries.  The recent converts had some amazing stories of how they were invited to meet with the missionaries and how they were converted.  I'm excited for the two expanded zone conferences that are happening this week. 

 

It has been a great week with Easter.  You have probably seen the video on facebook already, but it's called Because of Him.  It was a video that the church put out this week for Easter.  It has been a great way for members to share it with their friends.  There is one member in the ward that as soon as she saw it she ran over to her non member friend's apartment and showed it to her friends.  I think she almost started knocking on doors to show it to people.  Missionary work is a really exciting work!  We were able to take another person to the Easter pageant this week and while we were there I saw someone we taught in my last area.  He was baptized at the end of March and you can tell he is so happy.  It was great to see him again!

 

So yesterday I was able to give a talk in church.  I'm grateful that I was able to study for the talk and learn more about the atonement.  I thought a lot about how we show our gratitude for the atonement.  One way is to share it with others.  Pres. Howard W. Hunter said, "Any time we experience the blessings of the Atonement in our lives, we cannot help but have a concern for the welfare of others..."  I also learned while preparing my talk how useful Preach My Gospel is when you give a talk.  It's an awesome resource!  I'm reminded of that everytime I read it.  That quote can be found on pg 13 of Preach My Gospel.

 

It's been a great week and we have a lot of things going on this week!  I'm excited for the lessons that we have set up and the potentials we have to visit. 

 

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

 

Love,

 

Elder Joshua Gandy

 

P.S. How many wards do the missionaries in our ward cover?  Sometimes it can be hard to find things to do when you have a small area.  I would find out their names and include them in your prayers also.

Pictures from Gilbert

Helping with yard work.

On the way to a baptism.

April 7, 2014

Note from Gayleen:  If any of you would like to write about your conversion (even those of you who were "born in the church") Joshua would appreciate receiving them.  Please send them through regular mail so that he can have a hard copy.

Dear family,

 

Conference weekend is the best!  I love to hear the words of the Prophet and Apostles!  I'm so excited for the Ensign so we can read and reread the talks and to continue to learn from them.  I wish I could tell you all the things that I've learned, but unfortunately I don't have that great of a memory and I don't have my notes on me.  One thing I do remember is how important it is to love and serve everyone around us.  We should always try to be more Christlike because like Elder Holland said "Christ-like love can change the world."  It was also fun to have Gilbert mentioned a couple times in conference!

 

This week we taught Bro. P. again.  He is doing great!  He is excited to learn and find out for himself if the Book of Mormon is true.   We also taught a couple we're working  a couple times this week.  We always do some service in their yard and then we teach them.  The wife is starting to progress little by little.  I believe she has started reading the Book of Mormon before, but I don't think she has really gotten into it.  When we went over this week she actually had questions and was excited to find out more.  We have several other people that we're working with also.  We also found another potential investigator this week and it was another example of how when we follow the spirit we can be in the right place at the right time.  

 

We're having another expanded zone conference in a couple weeks.  We had one back in October and we invited all the ward councils.  This time we are inviting everyone, but especially the youth.  When Elder Anderson came in September he said we would find great success through the youth in our wards.

 

I'm learning so much every day. I'm so grateful for this chance to be a missionary especially at this exciting time.  Thank you so much for all of your prayers.  I love you all so much!

 

Love,

Elder Joshua Gandy