*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/

He's ALWAYS there!

Dear Family,

  The weeks continue to fly by! Each week when I sit down to write this, and my other emails, it feels like I just wrote. At first I can't think of what to write. Then as I reflect on my week I realize I have a lot to write about. Then the struggle becomes one of adequately relaying it all. At times I feel like Nephi, "...neither am I mighty in writing, like unto speaking..." (2Ne 33:1)
  Elder Gebhard and I continue to be blessed in many different ways. Each day presented challenges and opportunities. The hardest day was Friday. We had four of our five appointments cancel. Despite the cancellations we were able to still teach two lessons. As I knelt, in preparation to pray, on Friday night I reflected on the day. I found that there were many things to be grateful for. I was able to better recognize the blessings I had received. I was then able to offer up a more heartfelt prayer and have gratitude. It was another experience that shows that despite the struggles we face each day there is much to be thankful for.I know that Heavenly Father is ALWAYS watching over us whether we recognize it or not.  I'm very thankful that Heavenly Father has trusted us with many people to teach. We continued teaching PJ last week. We even set a baptismal date with him! He is going to be baptized this Sunday. He is so excited! I have loved being able to teach him.

  We also started teaching a young man named Joey. We got a really great phone call from him on Friday night. He first called to talk to us because he was angry at someone and wanted to talk to us so he could calm down. We were in a lesson and couldn't answer. When we got out we called and talked to him. He said that he decided to go and read the Book of Mormon when he couldn't get in touch with us. He explained that once he started reading his anger was replaced with peace. He was able to calm down and find joy. He was also able to identify that it was the Holy Ghost which brought him that peace and joy. Being able to teach him has brought me joy. He has already come a long way.

  Well, transfers are coming up next week. We get calls this Saturday. I mention this because there's a chance I will be transferred. I hope I'm not, but I've been here for three transfers. Also, usually missionaries aren't zone leaders for their last transfer. We'll see soon!

  One last thing, never underestimate your potential! Remember who you are, and what you stand for! You are a child of God and He loves you. He's always there to wrap you in His love. 

Love Always, Zach

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

St. Augustine Ward...

February 27, 2012...Dear Family,


Exciting things are happening here in St. Augustine! The biggest news I have is that the ward split. Before the split there were about 700 members total. I'm not sure how many there are now, but from what I understand they split it evenly. So 350 members per ward, give or take a few. The new ward is the St. Augustine Shores Ward. The Sister missionaries will be serving in that ward. Elder Gebhard and I will still be in the St. Augustine Ward. It will just be a lot smaller.


With the Ward splitting it offered another opportunity to recognize the Lord's hand. Over the last month and a half I have been working mostly in the northern part of St. Augustine. That's where all of our investigators are and we have been really blessed as we've worked in that area. Well, when we found out about the ward splitting and where the new boundaries are we immediately noticed that all of our current investigators are in the ward we are in. The Lord has been guiding and preparing us for this moment for quite some time.


Last week we found some great new investigators too. One of them is PJ. He is a young man and his best friend is a member. PJ is almost always at his friends house and is pretty much a part of their family. We taught him twice last week. After the second lesson we asked him how his mom felt about us teaching him. He said that she is really happy for him and excited for him to join the Church. Then he said he is excited to join the Church. Elder Gebhard and I are excited too! We haven't been able to set a date for his baptism, but will be teaching him tonight. Pray that we will be able to help him set a date and get baptized in March.


Things with our other investigators were a little slow. They all had a bunch of things that came up. It's okay though. We did have at least one good lesson with most of them. It's been really wonderful having many people to teach.


On Friday we went to seminary and the young men & young women got to ask us questions about our missions and missionary work. They had good questions. It was an enjoyable event. A lot of their questions gave me an opportunity to reflect on the last 22 months. As I did so, I was very uplifted. I was able to see the growth in my testimony, and the growth of those I've taught. I was able to bear testimony of many things, and share the joy that I have felt while out here. I'm grateful I have the privilege of bearing the name of Jesus Christ upon my chest every day. Even when that tag is gone I will bear his name because it is engraved upon my heart.






Love Always, Zach

Press Forward!

February 20, 2012…Hello Family,


Many blessings are coming to us here in St. Augustine. There are so many things I could write about, but time is so limited! The whole week went well. One very satisfying thing is that we were able to teach many lessons to members and investigators. The week goes so much better when we teach a lot of lessons.
    After all, that's what I have been called to do!

We were blessed to find some more new investigators. We also started teaching Zay again. This time we're going to do a better job teaching to his understanding and at his pace. Repentance is such a wonderful blessing...

The new investigators are really great. One is Tessa and she is the non-member wife to a less-active member. They have three kids. One of them is eight and will be getting baptized within the next month. Hopefully Tessa will be able to get baptized with him. They're a great family. We had two lessons with them. After the first lesson they committed to reading the Book of Mormon as a family daily and praying together. That was on Monday. We then taught them again on Friday and followed up with their reading. They had already seen blessings coming from daily family scripture study and prayer. Both the member, Doug, and Tessa mentioned that their kids had been getting along better and that there was more peace in the home. We then shared a short lesson about the many blessings that come to families as they study and live the gospel together. It was a short yet powerful lesson.

The other new investigator is Chris. He is a single man that is trying to completely change his life. He's very different than our other investigators. He will have a lot more temporal struggles to overcome, but is so sincere and has pure intentions. He is another good person that went down the wrong path and is now fighting an uphill battle to get on the right path. I know he will be able to do it as he relies upon the Lord.

That's the beauty of the gospel. No matter what we've done or where we are there is always hope. There is always a way to get back on the right path. We can take comfort in knowing that we are not alone in that quest. Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost are there to help us. To lift us when we are feeling weak. They are there to strengthen us when we feel we no longer have the strength to press forward. I've felt that lift and strength so many times, and I pray that each of you may feel it as you go throughout your daily lives, especially in these trying times.

With the deaths of Grandma Davis and Grandpa Snow some of your heads may be hanging low. But be of good cheer, and take comfort in the knowledge that we can be with them again. Until that time let us, "press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men." -2Nephi 31:20


Love Always, Zach

The Prayer of Faith...

 February 13, 2012... Dear Family,



What a great week it turned out to be. The Lord blessed Elder Gebhard and I in many wonderful ways. I think the biggest success came with the members. One fun thing we did with many of them was we role played. I used to hate role plays! I felt so uncomfortable and awkward. However, now I really enjoy them. They are a fabulous opportunity to get all the mistakes out and be led by the Holy Ghost. Some of the members were hesitant at first, but we would give them an example and then they would be more excited. By time we were leaving they were all fired up to share the gospel!


We had some great miracles. We were able to find two new investigators through talking to everyone. They are sisters. We taught them on Saturday and invited them to come to church with us on Sunday. They did! They really enjoyed it, and things went well.


However, Elder Gebhard and I felt that, because they are women, it would be better for the Sisters to teach them. It was a hard decision, yet at the same time it wasn't. I was pondering about it right before personal study on Sunday and was thinking to myself,"What would be most beneficial for them. What would give them to best opportunity to truly accept the gospel?" As I knelt to pray I knew before the words even left my mouth. I knew that having the Sisters teach them would be best. The hard thing was that they were the first people we had found in quite some time. I was being selfish and lacked faith at first. However, I was able to trust the Lord and it was a great learning opportunity.


We also had another great thing happen. There were twelve non-members at church on Sunday. One of them was the son of an active member, however we didn't know for sure while at church. I felt the prompting to go and stop by at this member's home, even though it wasn't in our plans. When we got there the member welcomed us in and it was almost as if he had been expecting us to show up. He didn't act surprised at all. He called in his son, PJ, and we sat down and had a lesson. During the lesson we taught some simple and basic truths. We also had the opportunity to give PJ a blessing. I annointed and the father sealed it. It was a tender moment between father and son. At the end of the lesson we knelt and asked PJ to say the closing prayer. He was hesitant at first, but through encouragement he said it. It was an exquisite prayer. It was very humble and heartfelt. Immediately afterwards PJ had more joy than before and the Spirit was there. It was a humbling and powerful experience.


I had a lot of humbling yet powerful experiences. I felt more in tune with the Spirit and had more faith in following promptings. I didn't know why I was being prompted to do things most of the time, but I followed and blessings came.


We had another incredible miracle on Wednesday too. To start on Wednesday and Thursday we had a leadership training meeting. Because it was a two day meeting the missionaries who had to travel from the further areas stayed with missionaries who didn't have to travel as far. So, Elder Gebhard and I had three missionaries come and stay with us. Wednesday night Elder Gebhard went out with two of them and I went out with an elder named Elder Drake. They went and taught a member named Chris. During their lesson they did a role play with Chris. He role played inviting a friend named Skyler to church. The lesson went really well, and Chris was excited to invite his friend. Meanwhile Elder Drake and I were on the other side of town trying to have a lesson with some members. We worked for a few hours, but not much was happening. Towards the end of the night we were tracting by some members in an apartment complex. We knocked on a door and nobody came. Just as we were walking away I got a phone call. It was from the member Elder Gebhard had taught earlier that day, Chris. While I was talking to him a man got home from work and went up to the house we had just knocked on, however he was locked out. While I was talking to Chris, Elder Drake went and talked to the man. I didn't hear their conversation except one part. I heard the man say Chris' name. I was in shock! I was talking to Chris on the phone and this man talking to Elder Drake just said Chris' name! I went right over and asked the man who he was. He told me," Skyler." I immediately put the phone on speaker and informed Chris who I was talking to. They talked over the phone for a second and then Chris invited Skyler to church. It was incredible. There was no way something like that could have been orchestrated by any of us so perfectly. It was a clear sign that THIS IS THE LORDS WORK! What a special experience!


My faith has been greatly built over the last week. I've been a part of many wonderful things, and had my prayers answered. I know that as we all pray and act on those prayers that we will be guided and blessed.


Love Always, Zach

New Opportunity...

February 6, 2012… Dear Family,


I got my new companion on Wednesday. He is Elder Gebhard and he is from Grand Junction, Colorado. He has been out for nine months. We've done really well together so far. I'm excited for the many miracles we're going to see while together.


That's one new opportunity I have. The other one is that I am now an online missionary. Which means I now have a missionary facebook account and will be sharing the gospel on there. I also will be able to start a blog if I decide I want to. I'm not sure if I will do the blog. Now that I'm on facebook I'm going to disable my other profile. I can also add you, family, as friends to my missionary profile. However, I won't be able to interact with you on there. Also please don't say anything about me coming home. I don't want distractions. You can comment on my posts, but again I won't be able to communicate directly with any of you. I'm really excited to be able to share the gospel online. It will be a great opportunity to reach out to people and get them more involved.


With all that being said, the week went well. Paul is doing really well. We taught him and his wife, who is less-active, about the Sabbath day. We invited Olivia, the wife, to pray to be able to get work off on Sunday. At least long enough to come to church. She works and that has been keeping both of them from coming. If they could come on a consistent basis it would be really wonderful. Please keep them in your prayers.


Zay isn't doing as well. We didn't get the chance to see him last week. We tried a few times, but we couldn't catch him. Hopefully we will be able to get back in contact with him and help him get back on track.


Our big focus last week was working with the members more. We were able to help a few of them start their own family mission plans. They were really excited to be able to share the gospel with more focus and to work towards specific goals.


Yesterday, for fast Sunday, the missionaries and members fasted for the opportunity and courage to invite someone to church this upcoming Sunday (the 12th). I'm excited to see how it goes. During fast and testimony meeting I bore my testimony early in the meeting regarding missionary work, the power of fasting, and inviting others to church. It felt good. Then throughout the meeting many other members bore testimony about missionary work and how it has blessed them. The bishop even got up and bore his testimony regarding the opportunity to fast. It was a really powerful meeting. A little later in the meeting a sister bore her testimony and announced that her non-member husband, Andy, had recently decided he wants to get baptized in March. It was really exciting! Later that night we were having a lesson with some members and the meeting came up. They said it was one of the best fast and testimony meetings they had ever been to!


This week while studying I read in True To The Faith under "Scriptures." In there it says this,"Daily, meaningful scripture study helps you be receptive to the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It builds your faith, fortifies you against temptation, and helps you draw near to your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son." I love studying the scriptures and as I read that passage the Spirit bore witness to me once again the importance of reading, pondering, and praying about the scriptures daily.


Another thing I studied was from the Gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet. It says that God sent Jesus Christ "into the world to show us how to live meaningful and happy lives and experience eternal joy after this life." The term "meaningful" stood out to me. I want to have a meaningful life. A meaningful life is more than going through the motions. It's a life of continual progression. A meaningful life is an abundant life. I know that living the gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to have a meaningful, and abundant, life. That means a happy life here as a family and in the eternities as a family.


Love Always, Zach

Sin is Sin!

January 30, 2012...Dear Family,

I'm happy to say that last week started really well. I'm sad to say that it wasn't sustained very well. We had a lot of good things happening early on in the week. We had some great lessons and even had a date for this Tuesday at one point. Elder Mecham and I were able to see a lot of little miracles and great things happened. I think one of the things that hurt us this week is we rode bikes for a few days. We had to bike to save miles due to the trade-offs we've been on. It definitely is different planning for a day on bikes compared to planning for a day with the car. I did really enjoy riding my bike.

The weather has been beautiful lately. It gets in the mid 70's and at night it get relatively cool. Having this kind of weather makes riding bike in a suit much better.

 Paul is still doing really well. He continues to progress and has a lot of great questions. On Tuesday night we tried to set a specific baptismal date with him, but he wouldn't. However, he said his goal is to "make it happen." Basically, he plans on being baptized, but doesn't feel ready to set a date. He was able to make it to the adult session of stake conference this weekend. Which means Elder Mecham and I were able to go. It was the first time I have ever gone to the adult session. I really enjoyed it, and Paul said he had some questions to ask regarding stake conference. I'm excited to hear what they are.

Zay is having a hard time. We had a really great lesson with him on Tuesday and even set a baptismal date for this Tuesday. Later in the week we called to set up an appointment and he said he isn't ready to be baptized. We haven't been able to see him since. We've talked to the members that he is close with and they said he's pretty confused about what to do with himself. I pray that we will be able to see him again soon. I feel like we could have done a better job teaching to his needs.

Last night we went to a wedding at the church. A recent convert named Anastasiya married her boyfriend Mason. It was great! Mason is a convert of a few years from Georgia. This was the second wedding I've been to in St. Augustine. Maybe there will be more in the future.

Yesterday we had stake conference. It was a regional broadcast. It was good. Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke. He talked about howevery member needs to be a missionary and share the gospel with those around them. Elder Walter F. Gonzalez and Bishop Richard C. Edgley spoke as well. They were all really wonderful. My favorite was Bishop Edgley's talk though. He was really fired up! He talked about sin as part of his talk. He basically said that regardless of what the world thinks is okay and not okay, sin is sin.It doesn't matter if the world thinks something is appropriate. If God says it isn't, then it isn't. Case closed. There is no debating or justification. It was very powerful. There are some people we're working with that I wish could have been there. They needed to hear that talk. 

We got transfer calls on Saturday night. Elder Mecham is being transferred and I am staying. I will still be a zone leader for the Jax South Zone. It's incredible how fast this transfer went...actually how fast the last nearly three months went. I'm afraid that the next three months may go even faster.

Transfer meetings this Wednesday will be strange. There are five missionaries going home and I have been really close with four of them. Two of them are former companions, Elder Failner and Elder Jacobs, and the other two I have served around for a long time. They're all really great missionaries too! One of them is Elder Todd. He's from West Jordan too. I think he lives by Uncle Mark and Aunt Angie. Pretty close to home...hint hint Emma ;)

My studies are continuing to go well. One thing I truly love about the gospel is how so many things are cyclical. It's just a matter of getting on that cycle and making sure we stay on. I have a testimony that it is the small and simple things which help us stay on track. As I establish a pattern and have more order, good things happen which lead to other good things.

 

Love Always, Zach

Faith

January 23, 2012…Dear Family,

Last week flew by faster than ever! There is a good reason for it too. I went on three trade-offs with other missionaries. For two of them I went to their area and the other one we were in my area. For the one in my area I was with Elder Allen, one of my former companions. It went really well. It's incredible to see the growth that can happen. He has really changed and is an even better missionary.
The other two were pretty good. They were all very different from one another.
For one of them I was in a little town named Interlachen. It reminded me a lot of Lake City, only it was more country. Just about every road we went on was dirt.
 I learned a lot from the trade-offs.
One thing that stands out is the importance of virtue. It is such an essential Christlike attribute! I would recommend each of you to study it, and then set a goal to improve. Good things will come!
Other than the trade-offs Elder Mecham and I saw great things in our area. We have some really wonderful investigators. I don't know if I've mentioned Zay, but he is a young man we're teaching. He has been practically adopted by one of the active families in the ward. They treat him as one of their own kids. It's a great environment for him. We've invited him to be baptized a few times and he is praying about it. Whenever we talk about baptism he is all ears!
Another wonderful investigator is Paul. He is the non-member husband to a less-active sister. We've been teaching them for a little over a week now. All of the lessons have gone really well. We've also invited him to be baptized, but he feels he needs to learn more. We think he knows the Church is true. He just needs that extra nudge from the Spirit. Last Thursday we taught him and his wife. We had a member with us. Actually, we had the first counselor in the bishopric with us. It was a really wonderful lesson. We talked about baptism and the member likened it to joining a gym. We can't expect to be able to use all the equipment and get the help from trainers and such without first joining the gym. It's the same way with the gospel. We can't expect all the great blessings that come from living the gospel unless we are baptized and then continue going. At one point the member said, "You've gotta join the gym. I need you to spot me." It was great!
In my studies I've been studying about faith. I was reading in the Bible Dictionary and this is something it says,"All true faith
must be based upon correct knowledge or it cannot produce the desired results. Faith in Jesus Christ is the first principle of the gospel and is more than belief, since true faith always moves its possessor to some kind of physical and mental action; it carries an assurance of the fulfillment of the things hoped for. A lack of faith leads one to despair, which comes because of iniquity." I know that we can obtain the correct knowledge necessary to have true faith as we read the Book of Mormon, pray, and go to church. As each of you do this you will see great changes in your lives, wonderful blessings, and the strength to endure all things.

 
Love Always, Zach

Study Up!

 

January 16, 2012…Dear Family,

 
 

Hmmm....I'm not quite sure what to write about at this very moment....

Well, the week was great! Elder Mecham and I were blessed to find some really great new people to teach. Most of them came in one way or another through the members.

On Wednesday we had a zone conference. It was a really uplifting experience. I learned a lot of wonderful things. One thing that stood out to me is the importance of everyone. It wasn't spoken of during the conference, but it was impressed upon me by the Spirit once again. It goes right along with what I wrote about last week. I feel a greater desire to see everyone as Heavenly Father sees them, and not as the world sees them. Brother Beckstead wrote me a letter and in it he had a quote from President Monson. It says, "I find there is a little bit of sainthood in everybody, and I look for it." I really believe this and want to do better with looking for it.

I went on another tradeoff with one of the district leaders. This time I went with Elder Wheeler in Palatka. It was a really wonderful experience. We were able to find some great people in his area and the Lord bestowed upon us many tender mercies. I was very humbled by something that happened. At the end of exchanges we have an evaluation. I evaluate with the missionary what happened, what was learned, and then help them set goals to improve. Well, while talking about what was learned Elder Wheeler shared that what had happened on the tradeoff was an answer to his prayers. That his faith in finding invested investigators was low, but that through the things that happened his faith was rekindled. It was another humbling experience. To know that I had in some way helped answer someone's prayers.

This morning I was studying in Preach My Gospel. I was studying chapter two which talks about studies. I read this,"Always begin your gospel study by praying for the Holy Ghost to help you learn. He will bring knowledge and conviction that will bless your life and allow you to bless the lives of others. Your faith in Jesus Christ will increase. Your desire to repent and improve will grow. This kind of study prepares you for service, offers solace, resolves problems, and gives you the strength to endure to the end." There are some really wonderful promised blessings in there and I know they're not promised just to missionaries. I know that as each of us diligently study the scriptures each day we will see great and wonderful changes within ourselves and our lives. I pray that each of you will make time to study and ponder the scriptures everyday.

 
 

Love Always, Zach

Treasures..

January 9, 2012...Dear Family,



Whew...it was a good week. I think it was also one of the busiest weeks I've had in a long time. It feels like Elder Mecham and I were in meetings just about all day last week. We have three districts in our zone and we went to all three district meetings. I also went to work with another missionary in his area for a day. It was a really great experience. We were also able to teach a lot of lessons. So, overall we were very busy. We were constantly on the go.


There are a lot of little things I could write about, but there is something that I heard in sacrament meeting yesterday that has stayed on my mind.


Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting. The first person who stood up was bearing his testimony and in it he said something along the lines of, "I treasure you as friends." I thought it was interesting the he used the word "treasure." I realized that the real treasure in life isn't money, cars, or anything material, but it's people. Our family and friends around us are the real treasures in our lives. That is why God's work and glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:39). That is also why "the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father" (D&C 15:6). I was humbled by this little experience I had. It helped me take a step back and look at what really matters. It helps me better understand that I am a child of God and everyone else out there is too. They are loved just as much as I am. That's why it is so important that we first find the truth for ourselves and then once we're converted that we share it with those around us. That we help them feel the love of their Heavenly Father.


Love Always, Zach

2012…

January 2, 2012...Dear Family,

Wow!! It's already 2012!
2011 flew by. I have been able to learn so much and have seen a lot of growth within myself.

The last week of 2011 went well. On Wednesday I was in Jacksonville for another Zone Leader Council. It was really wonderful. It was different than in the past, but enjoyable. Whenever there are Zone Leader Councils the day goes by quickly. We were at that meeting most of the day. When we got home we were able to work for a few hours, but then had some other meetings at the church.

This last week we were also able to get things back to a more regular schedule. It has been rough getting appointments with people the last few weeks because of the holidays. However, things should now return to normal.

This has nothing to do with anything I'm writing, but we were watching this video on lds.org and I like it http://lds.org/pages/we-can-live-with-god-again?lang=eng

As the year came to an end I was thinking about any goals that I could set for the upcoming year. I couldn't think of anything in particular. Then on Saturday morning I was studying and had to go to the Topical Guide to look for some scriptures I could share. While there I remembered that in the Topical Guide there are 52 different topics referring to Jesus Christ that have scriptures that go with them. At that moment I knew what I could set as a goal. There are 52 weeks in the year and I'm going to study a different topic referring to Jesus Christ each week. I started yesterday and am enjoying it so far. I know that studying more about Jesus Christ will help me in all aspects of my life. I'm excited to learn and grow!

The other day Elder Mecham and I stopped at CVS to go to the bathroom. It was a one person bathroom so I waited while he was in there. While I was waiting a lady walked by on her way to the women's restroom I said, "Hi." She looked really upset and quietly said, "hi" back. Elder Mecham soon departed from the bathroom and I proceeded to enter. On my way in the lady yelled out of the women's room, " Sorry there is a disgruntled ___ in here." I was caught off guard. I didn't say anything. I felt really bad for her. She was so unhappy. I was trying to think of something I could do to cheer her up and help her find happiness. I was hoping I would see her on the way out, but didn't. Instead I wrote a little note on a mormon.org card and left it by the door on the way out. I really hope she found it. If not, maybe someone else will and it can help them. Either way, there are so many little opportunities to help other people out and share the gospel everyday.

Last night we had a funny experience. We were tracting in a trailer park at the end of the night. We stopped to talk to a couple guys and quickly realized they were drunk. To make a long story short I am now an official "prayer warrior." I'm not sure exactly what that means, but I am happy with it and thankful to all those people who made it possible for me to obtain that title. Basically the guy asked us if we were "prayer warriors" and we said, "Yes." We then stood in a circle, held hands, and said a prayer for them. It was one of those experiences that only happen on a mission.

 

Love Always, Zach
@hotmail.com


Back: President Barry, Elder Grant, Elder Tenney, Elder Neville, Elder Graham, Elder Craig, Elder Maxfield, Elder Crosby, Elder Bushman, Elder Allred, Elder Reid

Front: Elder Barnes, Elder Rowley, Elder DiCristofano, Elder Marquez, Elder Snow, Elder Mecham.
 
http://floridajacksonvillemissionnews.blogspot.com/