Joseph Smith was a "Searcher"

Miss you Taylor!

 Hey Family!

Sounds like you had a fun time with the family in Utah! I'm jealous of the snowboarding. Good thing I’m not near the snow here. I did get your package yesterday! Thank you so much! I laughed soooo hard at Jordan Vogan’s story of almost being robbed. I can totally see exactly what he did acting dumb and running away yelling like someone off the ringer. Hahaha... Good to hear he is doing good.

I had a super, super good week this week. I did indeed get to see Elder Frost! He's doing way good! Definitely one of the most knowledge filled and spiritually progressing weeks of my life though. It really is amazing when you have the chance to personally meet a member of the Quorum of the 12. Especially one of my favorites like Elder L. Tom Perry. Elder Perry told me, when I met him that he loves Mesa and has been there many times. Elder Richard Maynes of the presidency of the seventy was with us too.

So last week I told you that we basically started all over here. Well Elder Perry is straight up inspired. That was the advice he gave us. He said we need to drop investigators if they don't progress and give them a break till they do progress. It definitely reassured us that we were doing the right thing.

He also told us to find those Joseph Smith's out there. He was a perfect investigator if you really think about it. He was a "searcher". Elder Perry said "don't sit around and worry about being dropped or if an appointment falls through because there are way too many searchers out there." He said that we can't have THEM come to us. WE need to go to them. So there should really be no minute of the day where we can't find something to go do.

After that, we had a dinner the following day. It was with our investigator Jose. It's kind of a funny story but it relates perfectly. I finished my juice in my cup and he was filling up the other cups. And then puts the juice back. He then looks to me and says, "you come to me and ask me for more juice. Don't wait for me to give it to you." And I was like, hey, that's what Elder Perry said.

At the Mission Conference Elder Maynes asked us "Faith or Fear? Which one is higher? Because they directly relate to each other." And it really made me think, if I have more fear, then I won't talk to that extra guy on the street, but if I have more faith I will talk to him. We need to increase our faith until it is greater than our fear. 

Life is way simple. Cold, Darkness, and Evil DO NOT exist. Crazy huh? Let me explain....cold is just the absence of HEAT. Darkness is the absence of LIGHT. Evil is the absence of TRUTH. So how bout we just go increase the heat, light and truth. The truth is once again here on the earth. We just have to bring it to those who don't know it yet. And how privileged we are to know that ALL TRUTH has been restored to the earth again. I know that with my whole heart. THAT is why I am leaving for two years to serve my heavenly father. Because Joseph Smith saw God and because we have the priesthood once again on the earth.

Like the Bible says in Genesis 19:17...."Look not behind thee". Forget the past and continue with the future. There will ALWAYS be discouragements, but it is when we look towards the future with "a perfect brightness of hope" that's when we are truly happy. I am doing my best to apply that to my mission right now. Forget those non-progressing investigators and all those who yell at me on the street, like Elder Perry said. And Look Forward. There are so many prepared people in Los Banos that I need to find NOW.

Thanks Mom for supporting, loving and teaching me, and dad too. But like President Hinckley said to the missionaries, "be the missionary your mom thinks you are". Mom, I love you and I am trying my very best to be that missionary you think I am.

That's what I learned this week....      Boom.

Love,

Elder Gygi