Teaching People and Not Lessons

G-Pa  & Rylee

Good Morning!

Man...the National Football Foundation and College Hall of Fame ceremony looks like it was pretty sweet! I can't believe all of the recognition that Rylito is getting, it's crazy! But the more and more I look at it, the more and more I see how he was more than prepared to receive all of the recognition he is currently receiving. I'm way proud of him!

This week was a pretty good one for us. I felt like we were able to impact the lives of a lot of people. I've recently been very impressed by the principle of Teaching People, Not Lessons. It has really rung a cord with me lately, and it has brought a lot of peace and comfort as I've focused on this principle.

I have been overwhelmed many times while serving here in Parkway because of the Zone Leader responsibilities that we have, as well as the responsibility to build up the Parkway Ward in any way that we can. When I first arrived into the area, I didn't feel at all that the missionaries were connected with the members, and it was pretty discouraging for me, as I grew a great love for the people of Sun Prairie. We've really worked on building a solid relationship with the members, and it has come by way of focusing on people, and not the numbers!

I've really enjoyed doing missionary work this way, because I feel it takes a lot off of us as Zone Leaders. I've felt if the numbers aren't showing, then we need to focus on the concerns of those being taught, and if there's no one being taught, then we need to focus on the concerns and needs of the missionaries in our zone. It has helped a lot! Although it does take a little more time than focusing on the numbers, I guess you could say, it has really helped to bring a greater sense of peace and comfort into my life. I feel like focusing more on specific people, has allowed me to receive greater revelation for each one of them as well.

Left to Right:  Elder Loertscher (Madison Zone Leader), Elder Johnson (Assistant),
Elder Scott (Milwaukee North Zone Leader) & Elder Gautavai (Milwaukee North Zone Leader)

I've also been very impressed lately by the small and simple things that compile the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I've been impressed heavily by this lately because of all of these, "deep" thinkers we come into contact with ha ha, and they are so funny. I have felt I have met more people while I've been serving in the Parkway Ward, who just think they are these way deep and super intellectual masterminds, especially when it comes to exalting themselves above others and their personal beliefs. We've been meeting a lot of people like this lately.

It was neat, because this morning while Elder Scott and I were doing companionship study he told me he felt this was the case, because it is what the members here in Wisconsin face on a daily basis. I never thought of it that way, but when he said that, it all made sense to me. I thought to myself that this is literally what the members have to go through every single day, especially the youth, so no wonder why referrals don't just magically appear. Because Elder Scott and I have been faced a lot lately with people who have asked so many questions to find holes in our beliefs, it has helped us to strengthen the members even more, and help them to see how simple the principles of the Gospel are, so simple a child can understand them. If a child can't understand what these other guys ares teaching, then it must not be the Gospel then!

We really have been meeting so many people lately who have been trying to cut our beliefs down, and use their knowledge for their personal gain, and not to build anyone else up. We've really been seeing this a lot as we've visited with the members, especially with the youth. The youth always have stories for us of how they were smothered in the previous weeks by an onslaught of Gospel related questions. We've been helping all the members to take everything for what it is worth, hold their peace if they don't know the answer, and continue to focus on people.

Everything else is going pretty good too. We had to drop the Mack family, but are still working with them. We're not quite sure what kind of vision we have for them quite yet, but we're definitely working on it. We're trying to focus a lot on balancing everything out from working with less-actives/recent converts, members, finding on our own efforts, and working with part-member families.

I was reading in 2 Nephi today and Nephi has these words that really impacted me, he said

". . .yea, behold I say unto you, that as these things are true, and as the Lord God liveth, there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved."

"And now behold, I say unto you that the right way is to believe in Christ, and deny him not; and Christ is the Holy One of Israel; wherefore ye must bow down before him, and worship him with all your might, mind, and strength, and your whole soul; and if ye do this ye shall in nowise be cast out."

"And, inasmuch as it shall be expedient, ye must keep the performances and ordinances of God until the law shall be fulfilled which was given unto Moses."

I really like this because it says it is only in and through Christ that we can find eternal peace, we do this by developing faith in him, and we put our faith in him by keeping his commandments. I know this is true.

Love you guys!
Elder Gautavai