Willing to Mourn with those that Mourn - Week 36

May 14, 2017 - Mother's Day

SO... this week we had transfer calls and I found out that I will be staying with Elder Vilchez for another 6 weeks! Staying in North Nampa! I was also asked to take a leadership position and be a District Leader as well. This will simply mean I have more things that I need to prepare for throughout the week! I am excited as it should be fun! 

This week was a particularly depressing week it seemed. Many of the people that we talked to just had really really sad stories to tell/ events that just happened. (Divorce, death of a loved one, death of a pet, relationship breaking off, anger towards God) 

It really light a fire underneath me however.. I wanted more than anything for them to realize that the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ could really help them if they would allow it to. We had a Family home evening with a Part member family and it was really powerful as we talked about how the Savior is their to help us.. but the key is we have to "let him" I just love that visual. To see our Savior with his hand stretched forth waiting for me and all of us to simply grab hold of it let him pull us up! 

I really love how a mission has allowed me to simply catch a glimpse of how our Heavenly Father loves and cares about each of us. In these situations of those that are going through great turmoil and trials.. I have better understood what exactly it means to mourn with those that mourn. Iam sad because I love these individuals and watching them suffer is hard.. but our Savior.. he knows and really does feel that pain and sadness. And that is truly incredible. 

My investigators are progressing well and im excited to see where they go as they have said they feel excited before we come over, since there is a special spirit about us. I just love how the spirit is so strong being a missionary and getting the opportunity to teach others about the gospel. Its in these moments that being a missionary is wonderful, but its not all fun! We are still outside when no one else wants to be outside.. why? Its because of the Saviors love. 

My hope and my prayer is that our investigators can feel that love and press forward to be baptized and have the full blessings of the Gospel! I love all of you dearly and I hope you are continuing to keep a watchful eye for missionary opportunities now is the time for members and missionaries to work together! 

Keep Smiling,

Love Elder Gerrard

https://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages/mountains-to-climb-2

Mother's Day Call - Loved our Chat

God Speaks in Silence - Week 35

May 7th, 2017


This week was a really neat experience. Multiple times it was pretty clear to me that we were exactly where we needed to be. We ran into a family outside that met with the missionaries in Caldwell Idaho and they kinda fell through the cracks when they moved to Nampa! We decided to walk to our next location and we caught the Wife waiting for her kids to get off the bus from school! So hopefully in the next couple of weeks we will be able to begin teaching them! We also tracted into the Bartollomei family a few weeks ago and we are beginning to teach them in their home! They are a super awesome young family and they are progressing super well as well. I'm just grateful that the Lord has blessed our area and put us in the path of those that are truly prepared. 

My thoughts this week truly center around the Holy Ghost. Through out my mission to no surprise I have encountered quite a few very sincere people that take it upon them selves to try to convince me why the very Gospel I am teaching is wrong. I have grown to love many of these individuals and good friends with them still. 

The issue that becomes very apparent is they are soo caught up in the factual things, historical evidence, and history of our church that they fail to remember that we need to allow the Spirit to teach us! I love the story the Savior gives when he asks his disciples,"whom say ye that I am." We learn that Peter learned that Jesus Christ was the Son of God because it was reveled to him by the Holy Ghost. I have made it a goal to truly come to know the Holy Ghost. We know that, "If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves."-Joseph Smith

We also need to come to know our personal Savior, because he was sent so we could return to our Heavenly Father. But the fact of the matter we can't really know them with out the Spirit! 

I am grateful for my mission as it has really helped me see just how the spirit personally speaks to me. Its a wonderful experience to feel the Lords hand in our labors. I would encourage all of us to read,"The living Christ" Its truly a blessing to be able to have the Holy Ghost in our lives. I love you all!

Keep Smiling,

Elder Gerrard

Sunset's in Nampa

Knocking doors with Elder Vilchez

Week 34 - Blessings to Reflect Back on

May 1, 2017


This week will truly be a blessing to reflect back on for the remainder of my life. It was an awesome experience to be able to see Jaden  be baptized this Saturday in my old area. I remember the night that Elder Candland and I found him. It was a Sunday night and we just got done talking to a youth that was going on a mission. We had plans to  have him come out with us for an appointment for the next week. When we finished he said," well... 8:50 pm good luck finding anyone to talk to!" We laughed and decided to try and visit a few people that we knew in the neighborhood over before we biked home. No one answered so we decided to bike home.. This was during the fall so it was pitch black at night, and we biked passed someone on the corner of the road. Elder Candland and I were almost out of the neighborhood when we both agreed that we needed to talk to that person. It was Jaden. We invited him to church and two weeks later he showed up to church for the first time all by himself. We are so grateful that we followed the prompting of the spirit to talk to Jaden! God's plan is truly wonderful. 

This week we unfortunately found out that one of our investigators passed away from the cancer that he had. We really grew to love that man, but I'm glad he doesn't need to suffer any longer. We were able to attend the funeral and it was just a interesting opportunity to see how others view this step which must happen for all of us. I'm grateful for the knowledge of the plan of salvation and a understanding of how our Saviors suffering and sacrifice plays a role in this great plan. This week I have found my love for the saviors atoning sacrifice grow and deepen as I have been studying about grace from the Book of Mormon. I have grown to understand better just how through the Saviors sacrifice I can improve every single day!

My thoughts from the week come from the opportunity to we had to meet with Elder Bednar as a mission and it was a very insightful experience to be able to learn from the spirit. He showed us that their indeed is a wonderful pattern that exists in the gospel as well as how the Holy Ghost works in teaching us. We were shown that when we come to anything prepared to learn and to share that is when the spirit comes in and helps us learn. One thing that I really enjoyed about what Elder Bednar had us do is first to not write anything that he said down, because it doesn't matter what he says. He wanted us to write down the promptings that we received or thought of by the spirit. I found this interesting concerning when we might try to write down things we like in sacrament talks, or general conference, but when we do this we are so worried about writing it down that we miss the spirit telling us things we need to hear. I also really loved how Elder Bednar explained that we need to stop playing the "guess whats in my head game" When we teach to often we ask questions wanting a specific answer that intimidates people to share what they think the answer is. I was shown the power that comes when we allow others to share what they learn and to let the spirit testify to them the truth. I have felt so much closer to my Heavenly Father as i have allowed the spirit to be the true teacher in our lessons more than me. 

My prayer is that we can all allow the spirit to be the true teacher in all settings that we might find ourselves in.

--

Keep smiling!

Love, Elder Gerrard

Elder Candland, Elder Denney, and I in the car

All the companions that taught Jaden with me (Elder Shoemaker & and Elder Candland)

Jaden and Elder Gerrard

Week 33 - No one is Beyond his Reach

This week was a really awesome week.  I would like to share wth you all an entry in my mission journal.

Journal Entry on: October 12, 2016 - Day 57

"Today was pretty interesting day we ran into a lady named Beth.  She was a member a long time ago. But after something happened she just had some issues with the area or something and was planning on taking her name out of the church until the missionaries she was super close with left so she became heart broken.  So we talked with her for a while and her out look on the situation is pretty sad.. as she simply doesn't believe she can come back to church but at the same time she isn't willing to change so we need to pray about her and that her heart will be softened.  We had a powerful experience when talking about the age of accountability being 8 they brought up their thoughts about how they don't think they really know what they are doing a that age.  I just bore testimony that I may not have known exactly what I was doing, but when they put their hands on my head to confer the Gift of the Holy Ghost I just knew right then and there that the Holy Ghost was real and that what I was doing was the right thing to do.  We also met with Bishop Young concerning our vision and the Area plan that has come and is just really hastening the work.. big time... I'm loving being here great things are in store!"

Our first visit made a lasting impression on me as I told her with tears in my eyes that the Holy Ghost is real and I was raised by my parents to at least know one thing that the feeling that came over me in that moment was the Holy Ghost and I recognized that.  Beth also started to cry, but she said it was because of her strokes.  This was the very first day that Me and Elder Candland met Beth.  She was in the side yard of her trailer home so we decided to ask her if she needed help.  She saw us and welcomed us with a unusual excitement say, "Elders! Please sit!"  We talked to Beth for a while during this first visit hearing her story and talking about her views about the church and other topics.  She believed that the Bible was simply just good stories.  She smoked a lot and told us that she knows she quit but she didn't want to quit and has no plans to quit ever.  She also said, "My mom can go to the celestial kingdom.. but I'm fine staying in the Terrestrial Kingdom."  Many of the members that came on visit with us to see her told us that she wan't worth our time.... she is just too set in her ways.  But I kept feeling that this wasn't the case.  She was feeling the spirit and I knew it!

Before I left my area we got Beth to come to church.  192 days later.  I was given the privilege to baptize Beth to renew the covenants that she once made.  She told me, "You started me on this journey ... you are the one to finish it with me."

Beth is and always will be a testament to me that no one is beyond the reach and grasp of our Saviors Atonement.  Beth thought she was beyond his grasp that she did to many bad things in her life to be able to come back.  Her heart softened.  She quit smoking.  And how great is my joy to see Beth take that step once again.  It makes me think about the scripture Moroni 6:1-4

"1. And now I speak concerning baptism..Behold, [Beth was] baptized; and [she was] not baptized save [she] brought forth fruit meet that [she was] worthy of it. 2.  Neither did they receive any unto baptism save [she] came forth with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, and witnessed unto the church that [she]truly repented of all thier sins. 3. And none were received unto baptism save they took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end. 4.  And after [Beth] had been received unto baptism, and [was]wroght upon and classed by the power of the Holy Ghost, [she was] numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word o God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and finisher of their faith."

I'm also excited to hear that Jaden will be getting baptized next Saturday from my last area as well!  How exciting!  This week we will get the opportunity to hear from Elder Bednar visiting the mission as well!

Fun facts of the week:

     * I got bit by a small chihuahua this week.
     * With the help of a priesthood blessing I wasn't sick at all the next day!
     * We got to work with the Youth in the seminary buildings this week!  They are truly
         prepared individuals for Heavenly Fathers work!

Keep Smiling,
Love Elder Gerrard