What happened last week? Read and See!

So you were probably thinking last monday, "wow, Elder Gaughan couldn't even spare 5 minutes to say how busy he is and that things are good." BUT, here's what really happened: I wrote a nice longish email last week and was feeling really good about it, and then, with 1 second left on my computer time at the library, I couldn't get the mouse on the "send" button and my session ended. So, with a few edits to update for this last week, here's my letter.

Well, it's been in interesting week! My new area is Dallas 5th South, which is in a little town in Dallas County called Seagoville. The apartment is awesome--we have tons of room AND a washer and dryer. haha you can't really choose the settings on the washer and you have to use a wrench to turn it on, but there are worse things in the world. My companion is Elder Trujillo--He's from Spanish Fork, is about to hit his year mark, and he's awesome. He's really focused on the work, knows how to get results, and is fun to be around. He comes from a hispanic family, so he helps me a lot with Spanish.
   Our ward is Dallas 5th. It's bilingual, which I didn't even know existed--apparently that's how most of the wards in the satke are here. It was pretty weird talking to white members again and hearing the meeting conducted in English (I think I like it better in Spanish now). There's a sister from the ward that usually translates in sacrament meeting, but we get to do it when she doesn't come. Elder Trujillo did it yesterday, but I'm hoping I get a chance sometime this transfer just for the experience. I found out yesterday that an ENORMOUS portion of the ward is inactive, so I want to try to make helping those members a bigger priority than we did in Oak Cliff.  
   We started off on a great foot too--I got transfered in right as Elder Trujillo and his old companion found a miracle investigator. Her name is Alejandra, and when they contacted her she told them she has a brother that's a missionary in Peru. Elder Trujillo and I visited her on Wednesday, and she showed us a letter from her brother that said over and over again, "look for the missionaries." She's really open to listen, as are all four of her children that live with her. They came to the ward trunk or treat 2 weeks and the kids came to church yesterday! She works on Sundays so we'll have to find a way around that, but she and two of the kids have a baptismal date for December 21.
   Then this last week we had another miracle. We decided to knock right up until 9:00 pm when we have to go home. We started at 8:30 in a trailer park, and everyone until the last two doors either didn't answer or wasn't interested. We finally had a good conversation with someone around 8:55, and we got their information to visit at another time. We had it was 8:59 when we finsihed the conversation, so we decided to knock the neighbor's door and call it a night. We knocked, a guy named Hector answered. He was really nice, and said it was a little late but he would happy to have us come by the next day. We came by for our appointment the next day, and he and his wife told us they are looking for God's true church. We taught the Restoration which they seemed to understand and enjoy, and then Hector said, "so when are you going to invite us to church?" They even fed us after the lesson! They couldn't make it yesterday because Hector got called into work, but we're going by tomorrow.
   Being a zone leader really isn't as taxing as I was anticipating. Haha I remembered Nick's stories about staying up in train stations all night to pick up missionaries for transfers and wasn't looking forward to that kind of stuff, but the biggest sacrifice is just a few more meetings and getting home late Sunday nights when we have to do reports. 2 weeks ago was my first day of doing absolutely no missionary work except for a few contacts--we had a leadership meeting all day and a zone party/meeting that night. It was really interesting though, during the time with zone I quickly grew to love them and got really excited to work with them. I've felt the Lord truly increase my capacity to love and lead.
  We're getting another apostle next week! L. Tom Perry is coming to reorganize our stake. I'll tell you all about it next monday.   
  I know this work is true, and the rate at which it progresses is determined mostly according to our faith, diligence, and love. The Lord works miracles according to our faith--when we determine that we want to accomplish righteous objectives, invoke the powers of heaven, and exercise our faith, the Lord provides the means and miracles to accomplish them. Heavenly Father wants to see us take initiative, and oftentimes requires it before He blesses us ("ASK and ye shall receive, KNOCK and shall be opened unto you"--see also D&C 58:27). The Lord is preparing people in very real ways. I can't tell you how many people I've talked to that have had dreams or revelations that prepared them to receive the restored gospel. The heavens are open.
    Jesus is the Christ, and it is only through accepting His gospel and atonement that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. 
I hope y'all have a great week! Love ya!

More Pictures!

More pictures this week!!  Yeah!

Well, it's been a good last week in Duncanville. We found a couple named Leo and Clara Monriquez that seems to have a lot of potential. They told us they've been searching for the true church for years, and every church they've looked at in the past has a mixture of great things and "human corruptions" as they put it. The husband has some ideas we'll have to work with (it doesn't matter what church you go to, you can baptized as many times as you because it's just an expression of dedication to God, etc.). They're really open to learn and they both said they would be baptized if they receive an answer. The big miracle this week happened with Elder Powell and Evans from our district. On Thursday night we had a meeting at the church, which they got a ride to from a member. When they got back and were getting ready for bed, Elder Evans looked out the window and saw that their bikes were gone. They called the police who came by and said they'd help out, but we all assumed that the guys that took them were long gone and they'd probably never find the bikes. Obviously we all prayed for the elders that they would be able to find them, but that was about all we could do. Then, a little after 10:30 I got a call from Elder Evans saying that they found the bikes! he and Elder Powell were searching the area around their apartment, and they found two guys riding them around. Elder Evans talked tough to them for a few minutes, and they guys finally gave the bikes back when he said they were stealing from missionaries of God. Heavenly Father really looks out for His missionaries and answers His children's prayers!

      We got transfer calls this week and I'm going to Dallas 5th Ward in Mesquite! My new companion is Elder Trujillo. I'll meet him tomorrow when we have transfers and send a picture next week. I was also called as Zone Leader, which was about as shocking as when I got the call to train. I'm excited for the challenge and opportunity to serve, but I know I'll definitely need the Lord's help!

   Love ya!

Elder Gaughan


Update-Added Later:

The family is the Garcias. She's the sister from our ward in charge of the food calendar--her son Jonathon went out with us a few times and we had a family home evening with them once. I didn't mean to send that one but there it is. Also... I just found out Elder Powell and Evans were pulling our legs about how they found their bikes. They forgot them at the member's house that took them to the meeting. But technically our prayers were still answered!! Also, this should be a picture of our district this transfer on our last Sunday together (I was also District Leader which was a great experience--I learned a lot).

 

Weekly Email with Pictures!

From this week forward, no more shoddy, 1 paragraph emails. I promise. 

Here's the miracle I was going to tell you about last week:

We've been having trouble getting investigators to church this transfer. Like, a lot. We've been working with some great part-member families and investigators, and they've all promised to come to church, but up until last week we still hadn't had a single person actually come. I finally decided last week that I had to exercise some more faith if we wanted anything to change, so I started a fast that those over which we had stewardship would come to church. We had a part member family, (the familia Hernandez), a couple (Roberto and Gabriela Lopez), and a young man named Tommy who seemed pretty solid, so I was especially praying for them. We had another part-member family I prayed for in a "Thy will be done" attitude, because I had only seen them come to sacrament meeting once to get their baby blessed, and we hadn't taught them that week. 

    When it came time for church to start and we were greeting everyone at the front, I learned once again that the Lord answer our prayers in His way, not in ours. Instead of the two families we were expecting and Tommy, the Mendoza family, a less-active sister, and a less-active couple showed up! The less-active family, Ruben, Nancy, and Maria Valle, was the biggest miracle. Ruben was baptized about 7 months ago, and he and his wife were called as ward missionaries.  we had only visited them once, and it didn't seem like things were going to change any time soon. But there they were! And they not only stayed for all three hours--they attended the coordination meeting for ward missionaries after, Sister Valle came out with us for a lesson three days later, and we had dinner with them last night. 

   For a long time I honestly didn't understand the principle of fasting or see it make much of a difference in my life, but the experiences I've had like this have showed me that it's precious commandment the Lord has given us in order to bless us. It's so important that we take fast-Sunday seriously, choose specific things to fast for, pray with faith, and trust in the promises of Heavenly Father.

    That's the most exciting thing that's happened recently. Last night Elder Sanchez and I knocked three doors and got three lessons, which almost never happens. It's also finally starting to cool down, which has been a huge relief. Other than that, it's just missionary life as usually--insanely busy, slightly stressful, and extremely rewarding when we do it right.

Missionary scripture of the week: "Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost." (Alma 36:24)

Love,

Elder Gaughan

1. Personal study!!

2. El Si Hay--the missionary-voted the Greatest Taqueria in Oak Cliff

3. There's not too much o see in Duncanville, but the sunsets are usually gorgeous

Questions and Answers

Mom Asked: 

1. Are you still in the same area you were when you first came out? What's the name of the area? 

2. Why are you so busy--emailing other people?  Playing soccer? Contacting in the library?  Just curious.

Elder Gaughan's Responses: 

1. Yes, kind of. I started out in Oak Cliff West, which included the former Oak Cliff South area (which we literally almost never visited). After my first transfer when I got called to train Elder Ericson, they divided West and South again, and we went to South and pretty much reopened it (let me tell you, it was a project cleaning up the apartment). That's where I am with Elder Sanchez right now. I've been in the same ward, Oak Cliff 1st, the entire time.

2. Well, most preparation days we play basketball or something and go do emails after, and we almost always still have a long list of things to do after that. Or, like last week, we put it off until the very end of the day. and emailing other people/president Durrant. Also, I'm a very, very slow writer.

The best thing that happened this week was yesterday at church. What the--session ending, sorry. I fasted and saw miracles. Bye!

Contacting on a train

Conference was reallly, really, good. I especially enjoyed the Saturday sessions--I don't think they've ever flown by so fast for me. What I realized more than anything this conference is just how much love the leaders of the church exhibit. I did not understand just how much suffering, heartache, sin, sadness, obstacles, and problems of all kinds there are in the world. I can't count the number of people that have asked me to pray for them--and really need it. I had never considered before this weekend the spiritual and temporal load that our church leaders at every level carry, and I'm inspired by the way they do it with so much love, patience, faith, and diligence. Sorry, it's going to be short again this week. So quick recap: went on exchanges with Elder Powell from my district, and get this: he worked for a fishing cabin near Gustavos, Alaska! He was talking about Point Adolphus and everything. Also, contacted on a train for the first time this week--I was pretty uncomfortable with it at first, but we got a good number of referrals and had a chance to teach a few people. That's all I've got for this week, but I love you all, the gospel is true, and look for opportunities to share it! 

More From the Field

Not too much to say about the work this week anyway. We have a good couple we just recently found and a guy in his early 20's, Tommy, that accepted a baptismal date for November 8, but I'll talk about that more next week. 

   We live in a 1 room apartment right across from the local high school. It's a pretty good place (especially because we have the ENORMOUSLY good fortune to have our own washer and dryer AND a dishwasher). We also have a 6-month-old Chevy Cruz, so you could pretty much say we're the bourgeoisie as far as missionaries go.   
    Let's see... one of our investigator's cars burned up this last week. That was pretty crazy. The owner, Juan, is this hilarious old mexican guy we've been teaching for about a month. He's been studying the Book of Mormon like no one I've ever seen, but he accepts all churches that talk about Christ, and doesn't believe there's one true church. 

     I don't think I told you about how insanely young our district is. There are two other elders that have been out as long as I have (a little under 4 months) and the other three are still being trained! 

   Anyway, one last thought as a followup from last week. Unfortunately I don't have my scriptures on me, but as I've been studying the process of conversion, I've come to realize that God has very little interest in insuring that we DO everything perfectly. Yes, we need to keep the commandments, and yes, we will be judged for our works, but the scriptures very clearly teach that unless you repent and allow the power of the Atonement to change your heart, mind, and soul, all the church-going, charity work, and scripture-reading in the world won't do you any good. We will be judged for our hearts as much as anything. Our purpose as missionaries is not to get people to do things--our purpose is to help people come unto Christ and become a new person. The goal is not to get people to stop sinning--it's to help them lose all interest in it whatsoever (see the stories of King Lamoni and his father).

    The work is true! Thanks for all the support and prayers!

Elder Gaughan

Um… mission things

Subjects lines were never my specialty.

Thing went good this week. Sorry, not much time again. My new companion is.... Elder Sanchez! He's from Arcadia Califonia, and already knows Spanish! He's fantastic--I've never been in a lesson with a missionary that speaks so sincerely and makes the Gospel so real, personal, and applicable. We definitely have different tastes and personalities, but I'm excited for the transfer. Not much to report besides that! The Spanish is coming along really well, but I still have to pay close attention to understand everything.

     The Lord really loves us, and watches out even for the small things. I wish I had to time to tell you all the miracles. I've been thinking about the heart and desires a lot recently, and came to realize at a deeper level this week the whole purpose of the Gospel and the Atonement. I'll share more next Monday.