Love & Rescue

Good Morning!

This past week has been crazy with transfers and all!

The new area that I'm currently serving in just said goodbye to a stellar missionary by the name of Elder Pinter who was a former Assistant to the President. It is amazing to see the relationships that he built here with the members, and the work that we have as well. I do feel like I was assigned to serve in this Parkway Ward for a reason, and I'm trying to figure it out each and every day. Elder Pinter's shoes are some big ones to fill, but I am working at it one step at a time.

My companion, Elder Wright, is a stellar missionary! He has done a wonderful job of incorporating myself into the work immediately. He has allowed me to work with each of the individuals that we have dates with so fast, and has allowed me to serve them as well. He does a phenomenal job of having faith in anything that we have planned. Often, with the busy schedule that we have, we have to do a lot of things on the fly, and Elder Wright has done a phenomenal job of having the faith of whatever we prepare.

Being a Zone Leader has been lots of fun! I was tossed right into the mix with a zone conference yesterday, where I was able to conduct the meeting, and where Elder Wright and I were able to give a training as well. It was great to see the enthusiasm of the Milwaukee North Zone Elders and Sisters. I do feel very blessed to be able to influence them, and help them to grow closer to the Savior. We have really felt the Lord pushing the work forward here in the Milwaukee, Wiconsin mission, and we have also felt the adversary fighting back. It is an honor to be able to engage the work of the Lord in a front row seat as a Zone Leader!

We are currently maintaining 9 baptismal dates. It has been tough to help every, single, individual person to prepare for baptism. We have seen how the adversary does not want these elect individuals to partake of the fruit of the Tree of Life. Elder Wright and I have found ourselves doing anything, and everything in our power to help them to progress towards baptism. The one thing that I'm really striving to work on is developing more love for the people that we are teaching.

It was very hard to say goodbye to Sun Prairie, but it is all part of the mission, and definitely a trial of your faith. I have come to know that the Lord is no respector of persons, and no matter who you are he will put you where he wants you. Elder Wright has really done a great job of allowing me to engage the work here in Parkway, so that I will be able to know and love the area.

Our Zone Conference yesterday was wonderful! We had some great trainings on how we can better work with the members of Wisconsin, and how we can strengthen ourselves as well. President Jones shared a great clip of a talk that Elder Holland gave at the MTC not too long ago that was very motivating. I could feel the presence of the Spirit strongly, pleading, and asking to do a little more, and sacrifice a little more as well. It was a great Zone Conference to really recommit, and make new goals and plans for our investigators.

This week is looking to be a really good week too! We have a lot going on, and we'll also be exchanging with the Spanish Elders in Milwaukee. I will be on exchanges with an Elder by the name of Elder Gibbs, while Elder Wright will go to Spanish's area with Elder Oldroyd. We will also be going on exchanges with the Elders from Lake Michigan who guess who is there...Elder May! I believe the plan for now is to have Elder May come to Parkway with Elder Gautavai. It has been really fun to work with Elder May the past few days.

Man, Rylito is getting gigantic! He looks huge! It looks like he had a lot of fun on his trip to Provo, and I'm happy for his commitment to Brigham Young University. It is neat to see how he will be able to engage the work of the Lord, and also play football at the same time!

In Alma 4, Alma exercises an extraordinary amount of love, compassion, care, and humility. The people of Nephi are beginning to develop feelings of pride, and the scriptures say that they, ". . . began to be lifted up in the pride of their eyes, and to set their hearts upon riches and upon vain things of the world, that they began to be scornful, one towards another, and they began to persecute those that did not believe according to their own will and pleasure." Seeing the iniquity that is beginning to arise among the people, the Prophet Alma steps down from his place as the chief judge and devotes himself to the work of the Lord.

In this society today there are many people who may be lifted up in pride, and have their hearts upon their own riches. Often times we just think that someone else will deal with them. We may think that their families are responsible, or higher church leaders will reach out to them, or even the full-time missionaries. But Alma teaches us a great lesson here where he is the one who comes down as the chief judge to rescue those who have fallen. As members of the church each of us can come down to those who feel they have traveled away from God, or who are willfully traveleling away. Alma teaches us that we can do this by ". . . bearing down in pure testimony against them." The work of the Lord is hastening is the world, and it should be in each one of us as well. I know this to be true.

Love you guys,
Elder Gautavai

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