Aloha Everyone,
What a week it has been for Elder Davies and I. It couldn't of ended any better with one of the most spiritual baptisms I've ever been apart of. It has not just affected the now new member but the entire ward and all of her friends and family. I've never seen so many big tough boys be touched so strongly by the spirit. Almost the entire ward came together in support of the baptism and the desire to do missionary work spreading like a wild fire throughout the ward. Not to mention this weekend and is now the last week for Elder Davies as he now starts his new chapter in his life. Luckily I still have a year to go and hope to become the incredible missionary he has become who has influenced not only and entire ward as he has the last 6 months but all the islands of Hawaii. He has been an example to many, and I find myself quite fortunate to have been able to serve by him day after day the last 4 1/2 months! Just one of those people that enter into your life and leave an endless mark for the better. I know myself and the ward that he will be greatly missed and remembered in our hearts forever.
Love, Elder Gardner
02 October 2011
12 September 2011
Aloha everyone,
What a week it has been for Elder Davies and I. It's hard for me to gather my thoughts on what to say each week cause i can't even remember what happened just a couple days ago. Everyday is pack with something that wasn't in our plans. I guess that's just preparing me for the future, at least that's what I hear from parents and families.
I never realized how much goes into the church and what the leadership has for responsibilities to take care of. I get them a lot more credit now as I've been working hand in hand with Bishops, Stake Presidents and Area Seventies. Would never have thought before my mission I'd be accounting with and Area Seventy. But besides the point, there really is a lot of sacrifice and love that is put into every activity, event, and just the weekly Sacrament meeting. Just a thought I was pondering about. The organization of the church blows me away. You know the church is true when you can get a 19-25 year old boy to get up at 5:00 a.m. Go to meetings and church till 2 in the afternoon and then get back to work the rest of the day. Testimony for sure.
Zone Conference was this week! I never realized how much went into a zone conference especially when it's off island. There always a spiritual boost that keeps the fire going. Elder Davies and I trained on the importance of Following up on all commitments. So we did a demonstration by pulling up 2 Elders in front and gave both a waffle cone and a big scoop of Ice Cream symbolizing the commitment we gave then. Then 1 of the Elders we allowed them to eat there Ice cream because we followed up with them, while the other one we said all you could do is watch your Ice cream melt, not only that we got an advisory tool by blowing a heater on it because He will do all he can to prevent the work from progressing. It ended up being a good way to show everyone the importance of following up so they can enjoy ice cream, or the blessing that come from keeping there commitments. It was over all a great Zone conference as they always are. Can't believe that the next one will be for Christmas.
On the other hand we had an awesome week as out baptism date from Sept 17 is looking really solid! We're stoked, as Elder Davies will have his last baptism on his last weekend before he goes home with a super solid investigator who wants him to baptize her. What a way to end the mission with a bang! We're really looking forward for this coming Saturday.
Thanks for everything, Love Elder Gardner!
02 September 2011
29 August 2011
Aloha everyone.
We had one of our more successful week. We have been working so hard the last 5 weeks or more and haven't seen any success. But as we always do we just keep working, and then all it takes is last week a member who saw an missionary opportunity came and got us and introduced us to his friend and invited him to meet with us this last week. As a result we had one of the most spiritual lessons. These are the moments that make the gospel worth it. When you teach someone who is so humble and is wanting to keep commitments. As of right now we have a baptismal date Sept 17, 2011. The Last Sunday for my companion Elder Davies. Just that lesson alone made all that hard work worth it. It seems to be that way with life. We seem to go through so much and then the blessing comes. Elder Davies always says, "live for the moments that make the gospel worth it." What a true statement.
Thanks for all the support!
Love Elder Gardner
23 August 2011
23 August 2011
Aloha Everyone,
This week was quite the exhausting week, with many unexpected events that happened. It first started out early in the week with a missionary in the zone. He was feeling really sick and went into the doctors. Which later turned to him being rushed to the E.R. and several tests where taken. And I learned that if your not about to die they take for ever to take care of your needs. Maybe it was just that night but he had many tests and then later that night around 1:00 am he had his appendix taken out. It was quite funny though cause there was no one in the hospital really with this nurse testing him and the Elder asked her how many have tried to run away from the hospital and she replied," How may have tried or Succeeded?" and we asked succeeded, and she replied back that 3 have successfully succeeded. Right then the Elder said," It's about to be FOUR!" while trying to sit up with all these cords attached to him. It was the funniest thing I'd seen in a long time. Plus it was late and by then everything is funny. So that is how the start of my week happened.
I love my mission though! I've learned so much! Have an awesome week
Love Elder Gardner
11 July 2011
11 July 2011
Aloha everyone,
I just have a short story to share with you this week from a member and how the gospel has changed there son's life. There son had been struggling with dyslexia his entire life in school even till he reached in high school. And the father shared with us how they tried multiple programs to help him, but there wasn't any direct results from there efforts. But as the father and mother prayed together to see what they could do, they felt a strong impression on something so simple. That they need to read the Book of Mormon as a family every day. Something so simple and something we're all asked to do. Yet this time the family gained an added measure of strength with the impression they felt. And every sense then they haven't missed a morning where they gather together to read as a family. They mentioned that it definitely wasn't easy or got a lot read at times but they always had family scripture. After months had passed the teacher of the son approached the family to share with them that she doesn't know how but there son has improved drastically in his ability to write, read, and understand the material given in class. Just a small and simple thing that seems to always bring great things to passed.
I just have to say I absolutely love reading the Book of Mormon, I always feel the spirit and then there is always something that stands out to me that I can work on that day in becoming what God wants me to be or a lesson I need to learn. It seems so simple, but all of us know who have put it as a priority it some how blesses us in our unique way.
I love you all, thanks for all the support and love.
Red head,
Elder Gardner
29 June 2011
27 June 2011
We had a touching experience with the recent baptism we had last
Friday. As this passed week we had a follow up lesson with her about
how the Holy Ghost works within us. Toward the end of the mission she
shared with us something she recognized as the Light of Christ that
prepared her toward baptism. She shared how a friend has invited her
to stay in the mainland this passed spring and summer. At first she
was stoked to go but afterward she shared how she had this distinct
feeling that she wasn't suppose to go. That something was resisting
her to go with her friend. As a result she followed the prompting and
expressed to her friend that she wouldn't be going with her but will
rather stay back in Hawaii. Well just that next week she met Two new
friends through soccer who are apart of the singles branch we cover.
To make a long story short, those two friend became the pivoting point
of her life as they invited her to listen to the missionaries, and she
now is one of the most recent converts of the church who couldn't be
happier. The exciting part of this all is that she recognized how God
paved the path for her because she listen to the spirit and stayed in
Hawaii. No one knows what would of happened if she went, but we do
know what would of happened if she stayed.
When I think of missionary work I like to refer to 1 Nephi 8:12-16.
Lehi is a great example of the attitude toward missionary work. In vrs
12 just think of how wonderful the gospel has been in your life and
how it has shaped you. We all have those moments to look back on when
we have partaken the most sweet, the most white, and most desirable
fruit above all other. Whether it was the influence of the atonement
in our life, or just that simple moment in the room feeling the spirit
by a sincere prayer.
But I love the first thing Lehi does after he partakes of the
fruit, that he casts his eyes around for his family. He looks for
missionary opportunities around him knowing that we are all brothers
and sisters under God who is are loving heavenly father. That as it
states in vrs 14 "they stood as if they knew not whither they should
go." I've really come to find on my mission and as I look back when I
was in Utah that there really are people who want a better life but
don't know where to go to find it. Yet the cool thing is that we do
and we can be that tool in God's hands and answers to searching
prayers.
How do we do that? Lehi once again shows how in vrs 15 as he
beckons with a loud voice to come and partake of the fruit. Just by
simple invites to come to church, a family home evening, a dinner to
show we are normal, or ward activities. It's by small and simple
things that brings great things to pass. Just as vrs 16 states as they
came and partook of the most desirable fruit!
Truly missionary work has brought the greatest happiness in my
life because i've learned the greatest joy come from the success of
others. What better success can come into a person's life then the
gospel of Jesus Christ and the comfort to know God's perfect plan! I
love all of you and I"m grateful to have seen how the gospel truly
does bless families as we live faithful to what God asks us.
Love Elder Gardner
Friday. As this passed week we had a follow up lesson with her about
how the Holy Ghost works within us. Toward the end of the mission she
shared with us something she recognized as the Light of Christ that
prepared her toward baptism. She shared how a friend has invited her
to stay in the mainland this passed spring and summer. At first she
was stoked to go but afterward she shared how she had this distinct
feeling that she wasn't suppose to go. That something was resisting
her to go with her friend. As a result she followed the prompting and
expressed to her friend that she wouldn't be going with her but will
rather stay back in Hawaii. Well just that next week she met Two new
friends through soccer who are apart of the singles branch we cover.
To make a long story short, those two friend became the pivoting point
of her life as they invited her to listen to the missionaries, and she
now is one of the most recent converts of the church who couldn't be
happier. The exciting part of this all is that she recognized how God
paved the path for her because she listen to the spirit and stayed in
Hawaii. No one knows what would of happened if she went, but we do
know what would of happened if she stayed.
When I think of missionary work I like to refer to 1 Nephi 8:12-16.
Lehi is a great example of the attitude toward missionary work. In vrs
12 just think of how wonderful the gospel has been in your life and
how it has shaped you. We all have those moments to look back on when
we have partaken the most sweet, the most white, and most desirable
fruit above all other. Whether it was the influence of the atonement
in our life, or just that simple moment in the room feeling the spirit
by a sincere prayer.
But I love the first thing Lehi does after he partakes of the
fruit, that he casts his eyes around for his family. He looks for
missionary opportunities around him knowing that we are all brothers
and sisters under God who is are loving heavenly father. That as it
states in vrs 14 "they stood as if they knew not whither they should
go." I've really come to find on my mission and as I look back when I
was in Utah that there really are people who want a better life but
don't know where to go to find it. Yet the cool thing is that we do
and we can be that tool in God's hands and answers to searching
prayers.
How do we do that? Lehi once again shows how in vrs 15 as he
beckons with a loud voice to come and partake of the fruit. Just by
simple invites to come to church, a family home evening, a dinner to
show we are normal, or ward activities. It's by small and simple
things that brings great things to pass. Just as vrs 16 states as they
came and partook of the most desirable fruit!
Truly missionary work has brought the greatest happiness in my
life because i've learned the greatest joy come from the success of
others. What better success can come into a person's life then the
gospel of Jesus Christ and the comfort to know God's perfect plan! I
love all of you and I"m grateful to have seen how the gospel truly
does bless families as we live faithful to what God asks us.
Love Elder Gardner
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)