An Exciting Week!

Well it's been an exciting week! On Tuesday our zone had breakfast at the mission home and went to a session at the Dallas temple. It was definitely nice being able to go back! just another 6 months until I can go again. On Saturday and Sunday our stake, East Dallas, had L. Tom Perry preside over Stake Conference to call a new stake president. The Saturday night session was great--all about hastening the work of salvation (aka missionary work). You may not have heard about it, but there was a church-wide broadcast by that name back in May that talked about how members and missionaries can better work together. The speakers on saturday talked about the same thing and had some great insights. One of the best things I heard was that when the Lord asks us to share the gospel, He isn't asking us to squeeze one more thing into our busy schedules--rather to change the way we do the things we already do. I was also struck by Elder Perry's closing remark. After an hour long talk, he closed with the promise that those who participate in the work of salvation will feel unworthy of the blessings they'll receive, especially in pure joy and happiness.

     My testimony has grown a lot recently about the power of prayer. It seems like day after day I'm seeing real, definitive answers in a way I haven't before. yesterday morning is a great example: we were desparately looking for a ride for one of investigators. It was a complicated situation with stake conference, and everyone was busy or not answering.  Just before we left the house, I said a silent prayer that we would find someone available. We said a prayer as a companionship as we always do before leaving, and literally seconds after we said "amen," Brother Smith, a member we had called earlier that didn't pick up, called us back and happily agreed to give us and our investigator a ride. 

    The biggest change is that it got freeeezing this week. On Friday, the temperature dropped from around 65 in the afternoon to 35 that night, and it's stayed there ever since. haha we've had some investigators go cold with the weather too--a family of 3 we've been teaching suddenly stopped answering the phone or the door, along with two dads from part-member families. That's ok though! We started teaching a 17 year old named Jason that's been awesome. He's made some mistakes from the past and wants to get rid of the guilt, and it seems like he's been humbled and prepared by the Lord.

     The gospel is true, and I've never experienced a greater joy than watching people accept the gospel, follow the Savior, and begin to live the commandments. I know this is the path of happiness, that we can apply the miracle of the Atonement each day, and that the Lord will support and guide us as we strive to share that beautiful, perfect message with our friends, family, and others around us.

 

Elder Gaughan

 
Transfers are in two weeks--December 10 is the date. Right now I'm in Seagoville, in the East Dallas Stake.