Amazing Week, Amazing Missionary

Taylor likes his "Arizona's"

Hey Family!

I had a really amazing week. The highlight of the week was our mission conference up in Modesto with Elder Ballard. It was about a two-hour drive up north from Fresno. And yes, I was the one who drove in in our Fusion. That is where Elder Frost is serving. I told him he better get transferred to be my companion. Transfer calls are this Saturday the 23rd. And I was not able to go on the exchange to Sanger last week. But it's okay, because I get to go tomorrow! Oh, and I became a level 27 Mason. Not too sure what that pertains to. But it sounds cool.

Elder Ballard was amazing. He was the Apostle who set apart President Gelwix an entire year ago. They are pretty close. My favorite part was when he said, "even though over half of the Quorum of the 12 are in their 80's we're still fairly cool". He told us a bunch of stories that he had while he was mission president in Canada. The whole theme of the conference was that each missionary is an apostle with a lower-case "a". Elder Ballard told us that we literally have the same power to call down the powers of heaven to assist us. He gave us apostolic promises as a mission, and gave us a new outlook on everything. At the close, President Gelwix told us to go to our areas as apostles. And act like one. It was a life changing conference for me. I loved it.

Last night I had one of the most amazing experiences of my entire mission. No crazy story, no blood, no danger, no Quorum of the Twelve. It was the miracle of having the opportunity to hear one of my very own recent-converts bear pure testimony. Yesterday afternoon we got a call from some other missionaries asking us to do a little lesson during their baptism while the others were changing. So we agreed and came. 

Little did I know as to who would be there. It was a baptism for the Sanger Ward. We walk in a little late, but right as we get there I see Ramona, Eva, and Aide sitting down, and I just smiled. All of them saw me except for Ramona. Right before the baptism, they announced that Ramona would be giving a talk on baptism. 

She gets up and gave an amazing talk. At the end she went to bear her testimony. And here's a little side note...about two months ago when I first got back to Sanger on an exchange, we went to Ramona's house and she introduced me to her sister. She said that she had cancer and it was getting bad fast. They asked me if I would give her a blessing. And I gave the blessing for her, and then we left.

So last night Ramona started to talk about her sister. About how severe it got. It was on stage three. And she said that they got a call on Thursday night saying the cancer had just gone away. And now they were just going to do treatments to prevent it from coming back again. I was completely awe struck at what she said. She said she was grateful for the power of God to heal.

But my absolute favorite part was at the end. She was bearing her testimony about how she knows this is the only true church on the earth and how grateful she is for it. And then she said, "I'm so grateful for my two angels that came and found me and my family, Elder Gygi and Elder Rodriguez. I will forever be grateful for my angels." She looked up and saw me, and we both just started crying. It was the first time in a very long time that I cried. She continued by bearing testimony about how her choice to be baptized was the best decision she had ever made. 

This experience has built my testimony for my entire mission. I KNOW why I am out here on a mission. It is to find those people I PROMISED I would find. Just like Ramona and her family. I am grateful for that one night that Elder Rodriguez and I were led and knew what to teach them almost an entire year ago. I know how true this gospel is. And I know that a true testimony is founded upon by the power of the Holy Ghost. No miracle can convert. Only the Spirit. And I am so eternally grateful for my mission, and this chance I have had to help change lives as I am guided by the spirit. The Lord loves this work. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Love,

Elder Gygi

Taylor's favorite German bologna had a face

My Three Sons @ So. Mountain