*GULP*

April 23, 2012…Dear Family,

 
 

This is hard. This is officially the last time I will be writing ya'll while on my mission. It's hard to imagine that this day is already here.

I feel that my last full week went very well. Elder Gebhard and I saw more success with the members than in the last few weeks. A lot of great things are going to happen here.

Pauly is doing okay. We taught him a once last week. He talks about baptism and is excited whenever we discuss it. He is still working on overcoming smoking and coffee. We pray for him all the time. During our lesson on Thursday we gave him a calendar to keep track of how many cigarettes he smokes, and cups of coffee he drinks each day. If he uses it each day it will provide more motivation to quit. We reset his baptismal date for this Saturday. This will work if he quits his addictions by tomorrow and stays clean. I really hope he can!

President Barry came and worked with us on Thursday. I really enjoyed it. He is a really wonderful man. He has a great love for the people and the gospel.

Yesterday in sacrament meeting the speakers all talked on being a disciple. They were all really wonderful talks. There are many things which I enjoyed. They talked about how a disciple is someone who embraces and shares the teachings of another. The Bible Dictionary defines a disciple as a pupil or learner. All these are wonderful. When we become a disciple of Jesus Christ, as defined above, we will become happier people. We will be able to do His work, His way. I feel that right now I truly am a disciple of Jesus Christ, and I will be forever.

 
 

Love Always, Zach

 
 

 
 

--
http://mormon.org/me/2k0m/

Book of Mormon

April 16, 2012…Dear Family,

 
 

On Wednesday we had a zone conference out here. Zone conference is where two or three zones, about 60 missionaries total, get together and learn from President and Sister Barry, the assistants, and sometimes zone leaders will give trainings.

During the conference I was privileged to give a training. I was able to teach the missionaries how to help their investigators gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon. I loved it! The wonderful thing is that we all gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon the same way. We read it, from the beginning. Think about what we read. Then pray and ask if it's true. This can be applied over and over.

Overall I enjoyed the conference. The entire conference, not just my training, was focused on the Book of Mormon, which is one of my favorite things to focus on, and our testimonies of it. I've mentioned it many times, and I will continue to do so, but I love the Book of Mormon. I've seen my testimony of the gospel grow immensely through reading the Book of Mormon, pondering the things I read, and praying to know if they are true. It is full of treasures both great and small. Everyday I read I feel the Spirit gently nudging me in the right direction.

The work in our area went well last week. We were blessed to be able to teach many of our recent converts and to help several less-actives.

Pauly is doing well. He had a set back with the Word of Wisdom, but is working on it. We're hoping to be able to set another baptismal date with him soon.
We've actually seen more success teaching less-active members lately. Many of them are doing really well. It has been very rewarding watching, and helping, them progress.

Andy was confirmed yesterday, and Joey met with the bishop to talk about receiving the priesthood. 

On Saturday we had another "moment" with Joey. We asked him why he was excited to receive the priesthood. He said,"I'll have the power to help other people." I don't know how, but he has a way of putting things so simply. For some reason his little declarations are profound and touch the heart. The priesthood truly is "the power to help other people."

We also had a neat lesson with Andy, his wife, and a few other members. Where Andy lives there are a lot of young member couples. We set up a pseudo-FHE on Saturday night. We played a little game and then shared a message relating to the game. Afterwards there were snacks. At one point while snacking I took a moment to look around. All of the members were talking with one another and enjoying themselves. It was a very satisfying moment. Hopefully new friendships will be forged from that experience.

 
 

Love Always, Zach
--
http://mormon.org/me/2k0m/

Time keeps moving...

Dear Family,


Where does the time go?!?! It's hard to believe another week has gone by. The days blur together and fly by. I always get to this point in my letter and can't think of what to say. I wish I could share everything. I can't though.
I'll start with a funny and incredible story. To start, Mom sent me a big bottle of Aqua Di Gio for Christmas. I wear it and only do two sprays in the morning. One before I put my shirt and tie on, and one after. This means I put on the cologne around 7:45 Sunday morning. That night we stopped by to see a member around 7:15. We talked with him for a few minutes. Then out of nowhere he said,"Elder, are you wearing cologne?" I laughed and explained about the cologne. He then proceeded to identify what kind of cologne I wear! I couldn't believe it! I don't know how he could smell it. I'm still amazed.
Pauly is doing really well. We had a few very powerful lessons with him. During one of the lessons last week we asked him what he thought of the Priesthood Session of General Conference. He loved it! When President Monson spoke Pauly said he felt great peace and it carried with him throughout the night and into the next few days. He also said that night he slept better than he can ever remember. The Spirit was powerful. He also recognized it was the Spirit which he felt that night. He too was out of town this weekend. We're hoping and praying that he is living the Word of Wisdom now. If so he will be ready to be baptized this Sunday. Keep him in your prayers.
Andy wasn't confirmed yesterday because he was out of town visiting his wife's family. He is going to be confirmed this Sunday.
The highlight of the week was Joey getting confirmed yesterday. His life has changed in both great and small ways. After his confirmation we asked him if it was what he expected it would be. He said, "No. It was much better. I felt the Holy Ghost a lot more powerfully than I expected." He is also very proactive. A few weeks ago we taught more about confirmation and asked him who he would like to confirm him. He chose Bishop Lusk. Later that day he called us and asked for Bishop Lusk's phone number. He then called Bishop and asked him to do the confirmation! Then yesterday he went on his own and asked Bishop Lusk what he needs to do to get the priesthood.
There is a funny story there also. When we taught him about the priesthood we asked if he had any questions. These are his words,"I only have one question. I'm just so excited to get the priesthood." That's Joey in a nutshell. He is simple yet can be very profound at times. He is true to his word.
Overall the week went well. Yesterday, Easter Sunday, was especially great. There was an added measure of the Spirit at church. I'm so thankful for Jesus Christ. Below is part of my testimony, and feelings, regarding Christ and His Atonement. I put it on my facebook page a few days ago.
It's hard to put in words the love I have for Jesus Christ. There are a slew of different thoughts which come to mind. I am eternally grateful for His sacrifice. Through the ups and downs of life His loving hand has always been extended to me, and always will be. I have felt His presence warming my heart and soul. He comforts me when I am in need. As we follow Him, "mercy can satisfy the demands of justice, and [encircle us] in the arms of safety..." (Alma 34:16).
All of this enables me to press forward each day. Because of Him, truly "my cup runneth over."
Love Always, Zach
--
http://mormon.org/me/2k0m/

The Lord has spoken!

Dear Family,

Sometimes we need to have hard weeks to better enjoy the good weeks. As I write that I am humbled. I better recognize how much the Lord truly has been blessing Elder Gebhard and I. I also recognize a greater desire within myself to do ALL that is required and expected of me. Mediocrity is unacceptable. Excellence is expected.
This isn't a game we're in, it's a battle for the eternities. Both for our eternity and the eternities of our brothers' and sisters'.As in any battle we must follow our leaders. With that being said, I loved General Conference. It was a spiritual feast! If you missed it go here:

 http://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2012/04?lang=eng Whether you're trying to figure out how to raise a family in this tumultuous world, or wonderig what the purpose of life is, there are answers. Start finding them by listening to General Conference.

 I received answers to many of my questions and further direction from the Holy Ghost. I know that I was listening to God's Prophet, Apostles, and chosen leaders. When they spoke it was as if the Lord was speaking. In Doctrine and Covenants 1:38 it says,"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."

I enjoyed Elder Evans' talk about learning to share the gospel both naturally and normally. As I've been out here I've recognized how the gospel impacts every aspect of our life. As we live the gospel we will see how everyday things, like going the speed limit http://aswhitesnow.blogspot.com/2012/03/speed-limit-25.html, can be tied to the gospel. Because of this sharing the gospel can be both natural and normal.

Earlier in the week we had zone leader council. As a mission we're focusing on the Book of Mormon this month. There is no better way to end my mission. I get to focus even more on what helped me become active and eventually have the opportunity to serve the Lord. I love the Book of Mormon! I know it is the word of God!

The rest of the week is a blur. Time goes by so quickly!

Our investigators are doing well. Especially Pauly. We saw some great progress with him. He committed to quit smoking and drinking coffee on the 8th of April and to be baptized on the 15th! Whenever I see him there is a glimmer in his eyes that wasn't there before. I've been able to see this same thing in many of the people I've been blessed to teach.

That's everything for now. Have a wonderful week!!

Love Always, Zach
--
http://mormon.org/me/2k0m/

Standing: President Myers, President Barry, Elder Tenney, Elder Bushman, Elder Craig, Elder Graham, Elder Gebhard, Elder Morris, Elder Neville, Elder DiCristofano, Elder Barnes, Elder Crosby

Kneeling: Elder Allred, Elder Suttner, Elder Snow, Elder Reid, Elder Mecham, Elder Grant

http://floridajacksonvillemissionnews.blogspot.com/

The Waters of St. Augustine

Dear Family,
There is nothing quite like having the privilege of helping another child of God enter the waters of baptism. Yesterday Elder Gebhard and I were privileged enough to help two of our brothers enter those waters. Joey and Andy have both taken a big step in following our Savior, Jesus Christ. I can't adequately explain how grateful I am for the opportunity I have had in teaching these two wonderful men. As I mentioned last week, Andy and Joey are two very different people, and their baptismal services were very different as well. Joey's had roughly ten people in attendance. It was a simple and quiet service. Andy's was much larger. There were about sixty people at his. However, once again, despite the differences in services they both were Spirit filled. Both Andy and Joey were radiating after their baptisms. I'm excited to see how they progress. I also pray that they will stay strong until they can be confirmed on April 8th. Once they are confirmed I will be relieved.
Several non-members were able to attend Joey's baptism. One of them is an investigator named Paul. He is an extremely humble man. We have been teaching him for two weeks. We're hoping to be able to help him get baptized within the coming weeks. Coming to Joey's baptism was a wonderful step in the right direction.
Everything else went well last week. We were busy teaching Andy, Joey, and our other investigators. I love being able to teach many people!
One of those other investigators is a man name Greg. I think I wrote about him a few weeks ago. I really can't remember though. Anyway, we did service with Greg on Thursday and then took him on a tour of the church. It was an interesting few hours. The service portion was very simple. Getting him on the tour required us to be patient and persistent. We eventually got him there. He enjoyed it quite a bit. He is a very unique man. We never know what we're going to get when we meet with Greg. There are usually several times when I have to do this---->
On Friday we got a call from the Sister missionaries. They asked if we could go give one of them a blessing. We did. I had the honor of performing the blessing. It was incredible. After the blessing I was pondering the priesthood and blessings. It's hard to explain how great it is giving a blessing. The words spoken truly are from Heavenly Father. It's incredible how the Spirit impresses things upon the mind during the blessings. I can't even imagine how it must be to be a Patriarch.
I'm really excited for General Conference this weekend. I'm hoping I will be able to partake of some delicious blueberry muffins...only time will tell. I'm most excited about getting to listen to the inspired words which will be spoken. As I come prepared the Spirit gently whispers to me. It speaks comfort when needed and helps me see ways in which I can change. I absolutely love it! I hope you will all be able to enjoy it as well. It's worth making sacrifices! What will the Spirit whisper to you?


Love Always, Zach


--
http://mormon.org/me/2k0m/

Unique...

Dear Family,


It was a very unique and full week. There are a lot of different things I could write about. I'll give a general overview then focus on some of the main events.
Based on all things which happened we had a balanced week. Our investigators were able to continue to progress and we found some really wonderful new people to teach. Time was very limited on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but we were blessed with miracles during the time we did have.The gospel truly does bless EVERYONE who lives it. Andy and Joey are proof of this. They are two totally different people, with completely different backgrounds and personalities. Yet they both have felt the promptings of the Holy Ghost. They have recognized God's love and guidance in their lives. They are both excited about their baptisms this Sunday. As we taught them during the week they each brought smiles to our faces in their own unique way. I love it!

Thursday was a jam packed day! We drove out to Interlachen and did some baptismal interviews, went back to our area to work for a few hours, and then went up to the Stake Center to do a role play training with the Stake High Council. What a great experience! The Stake leaders thoroughly enjoyed the role plays. At first the idea of training the Stake High Council was a bit overwhelming. Despite this we prepared diligently, and once again the Lord blessed us and all went well.

Friday and Saturday we participated in the Lions Seafood Festival. Friday was a little slow, but Saturday was very busy. We were able to introduce a lot of people to family history and help others who already enjoy it. It was a great success! Over the course of my mission I have felt a greater desire to do family history. I want to know my ancestors. I want to know their stories and to learn from their experiences and testimonies.
Love Always, Zach
--
http://mormon.org/me/2k0m/

Elder Snow, Elder Gebhard and Elder Elliott

http://floridajacksonvillemissionnews.blogspot.com/

Enduring to the End…

Dear Family,

Most everything here is still progressing. I'm happy with how the week worked out.

Elder Gebhard and I had a neat experience. Earlier in the week we got a call from a student at Flagler College and she is doing a report for a class. She wanted to ask some questions and attend a worship service. We worked out the details and she came to sacrament yesterday. She didn't stay for the classes, but came back later and we sat down to go over some of her questions. It was wonderful. The questions she asked were relatively simple to answer. Afterwards Elder Gebhard and I were talking about it and he compared it to when President Hinckley talked to Mike Wallace. We then got a good laugh. We were hoping she would become a new investigator, but it became apparent that right now she's not searching. However, I feel it was a very positive experience for her and us.
Unfortunately PJ wasn't baptized on Sunday. Everything was going really well and then on Saturday we got a call. It was a member who is fellowshipping PJ, and we were informed that PJ's parents had decided that they want him to wait to be baptized. The member suggested that we go and talk to his parents. After I got off the phone with the member I felt totally at peace. It caught me off guard a little. In the past I would have panicked, or felt very stressed, but the Spirit brought me peace and I know that it will all work out.
We weren't able to talk to his parents, but PJ told us that his parents don't feel he has learned enough. PJ is still optimistic and wants to join the Church, and I feel confident that he will. After we talked to him on Saturday he asked us to pray that he can still join the Church. We did and still are. His desire to do the right thing is very admirable, especially at his age. The plan from here is to meet with his parents and talk about their concerns.

Andy, another investigator that is scheduled to be baptized, is excited for his big day! Yesterday I was talking to him at church and he was telling me that he already has most of the program figured out for his baptism. He makes me laugh. He knows so much about the Church and how it is run. He participates in classes at church like he has been a lifelong member. He is going to do great things in the Church.
Joey continues to surprise Elder Gebhard and I. On Thursday we taught him the Word of Wisdom. Joey smokes and we were concerned that overcoming his addiction would be hard because it is for most people. Well, as we were teaching we originally set a goal for him to be done smoking by March 18th. I thought that was optimistic and he liked it. Then a few minutes later he looked at us and said,"There is no reason to wait, I'm going to quit tomorrow." He did and has been staying strong since. Out of all the people I've taught I have seen a greater difference in him. It has been about two weeks since we met him. At that time he looked miserable and was not in a good state of mind. It was clear that he had a lot of pain and sorrow in his life. Now he is at peace. He looks happy and is happy. There is a light in his eyes that wasn't there before. Yesterday was his first time at church and he was there in white shirt and tie. He looked like any other member.
Transfer calls came and I am staying in St. Augustine for my final six weeks. I'm really grateful I get to stay! I love it here and I enjoy being companions with Elder Gebhard. He is very thoughtful. He really looks to minister to all. He is a great example of humility and love. I look forward to learning even more from him.

 
 

Love Always, Zach
--
http://mormon.org/me/2k0m/