Happy Preparation Day! So glad I get to email y'all today. I hope you
all had a good week! I love reading your emails and pictures you send.
I look forward to every single email I get. Thank you for sending
them!
This week was a pretty good week! The 4th of July was a lot of fun and
I'm happy we were able to spend it with other missionaries. A lot of
times, well actually most of the time, we don't get to see other
missionaries a lot because we are so far away from everyone! Our Zone
is the biggest zone geographically. So that was a lot of fun. Elder
Christensen and I are the zone leaders, so he needed to be down here
in Gilmer so we could both go to a meeting with the Stake President on
Tuesday. For this meeting we have to make a report that takes DAYS to
make. I'm always so happy when the report is done, haha! But Elder
Christensen stayed with me while Elder Lu went to Paris, Texas for
Tuesday. That night we went to pick Elder Lu up and Elder Christensen
still stayed with us because we had Mission Leadership Council in
Dallas the next morning.
Brother Spencer picked us up bright and early in the morning to take
us to MLC! The meeting was pretty amazing. I usually really like MLC
but this one was just so great! One of my favorite meetings! It was
all about the Book of Mormon. It's the tool we use for the gathering
of Israel! It brings us so close to Christ! It has nearly 4,000
references to Jesus Christ! I actually finished the Book of Mormon
this week for the third time on my mission and I love it. I know the
Book of Mormon is true. It's brought me so much closer to Christ as I
have abided by its precepts. The meeting was a lot of fun. I got to
see my MTC companion again, Elder Douglas! It was good to catch up
with him! After the meeting ended, we went to eat dinner with Brother
Spencer at Raising Canes. It's a fried chicken place that is one of
those "Texas Staples you HAVE to go to." It is pretty good. On the way
back we also stopped at Buc-ee's! (It's the huge gas station here in
Texas). It was a really fun trip to Dallas!
The next day, Elder Christensen still stayed with us as we had to plan
our Zone Meeting the for the next day! We woke up super early again (I
feel like I've lost so much sleep from waking up early this week) to
go help Bishop Sullivan and his family. They needed us to move 4
refrigerators up and down a hill and into the house. They also needed
us to tear apart their swimming pool that broke the previous day. When
we got there, they had made us some breakfast! Bishop Sullivan was so
grateful we came to do it for them that he was in tears when he prayed
for the food. I love Bishop Sullivan and his family. They are such
great people and good examples to me! We spent the morning doing that
service for them. Later that day, we went to help Brother Alldredge
and do some service for him. We had to level his house! Haha! It
didn't take too long and they ended up making us a ton of food for
lunch. It was so good too! We were then able to teach his wife who is
not a member! Her name is Sylvia. We taught her the Restoration and we
each testified of the truthfulness of the message and of the Book of
Mormon. We are hoping Sylvia continues to open her heart so that the
spirit can testify the same to her too.
That night we went and taught Cherri and her family. Cherri is the
mother of Lily (one of the 9 year olds who got baptized last month). I
have come to love this family so much. Teaching them is a blast too
(for the most part, when the two youngest aren't being crazy). Cherri
has just so much real intent and a good heart. She asks so many
questions and is learning so much as we come to teach. I am learning a
lot too from it!
Friday we had Zone Meeting! It all came together really well! It was
centered around the Book of Mormon and some things coming up that we
want to do as a Mission with the Book for Mormon. We are wanting to
have a flood of the Book of Mormon by making 1,000,000 invites in one
month using the Book of Mormon (missionaries AND members). We were
wanting to push for the members inviting over social media in order to
make it happen. After President & Sister Taylor felt impressed to do
this as a Mission, they got an email saying that our mission is now
going to be a pilot mission for Facebook! WHAT! We're getting Facebook
within the next month or so. It was a cool confirmation from the Lord
that we are going in the right direction as a mission and that He is
very aware of our efforts. I was jumping around with excitement as it
boosted my testimony of this work and of my Savior! After zone
meeting, Elder Christensen was finally able to go back to his area!
Haha! It was one of the longest exchanges we've been on! It was a lot
of fun though.
Sunday was great because Zack got the Priesthood and Cherri and her
family came to church! Her kids really loved coming and had a good
time. She seemed to have a good time too. I was so happy they came to
church and we're able to feel the spirit that is there, especially as
we take the Sacrament. We didn't have any investigators come to church
which made us kind of sad, but we know as we keep staying diligent we
will find those prepared to hear he Gospel. We are looking! We did so
much finding this week. Regardless of if we found anyone yet, I know
the Lord has a plan and is pleased as we put our all into the work. I
love serving here in Gilmer. No other place I'd rather be serving
right now! I love the Lord and I know He lives. He has suffered for
all of our pains, sicknesses, afflictions, and sins. We can be clean.
We can be pure, and forgiven.
I love you all so much! Starting Wednesday, I have exactly 10 weeks
till I'm home! Can't wait for that day! Have an amazing week!
Elder Joshua Needles
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