September 12, 2016

Good Afternoon Family and Friends!

Here in Florida it is still hot as ever but that is what makes it unique so I love it! We have had a great week this week. The highlight of the week was the baptism for sure. Gladys got baptized on Saturday and then she got confirmed on yesterday. Elder Nilsen baptized her and then she asked that I confirm her so that was fun. Everything went pretty smooth and we had 2 of our investigators there. A member came with her friend that we are teaching named Rosie. She really liked it and she is looking forward to being baptized on the 24th if everything goes as planned. 

We have had a hard time getting Kyonna and Antwan to church. We had a good lesson with the family this past week with bishop there as well and they also came to Youth night on Thursday but coming to church has been a hold up. We are going to focus on that. Keep them in you prayers as always. 

We had good Zone Training Meeting this past week and we trained on Principles and the importance of being principle based. The Lord has always taught principles and had us govern ourselves which I am grateful for because it leaves a lot of room for growth rather than being told exactly what to do and how to do it. (D&C 58:26-29)

In my studies this past week I came across a really good scripture in the Book of Mormon. In 4 Nephi 1:16. It explains how we can all have true happiness. the people of Nephi were able to receive happiness because they were obedient to the commandments of God. They lived like God wanted them to and kept the first and second great commandments. Love God and Love your neighbor. If only we could all do that in our lives and realize how happy we are. I believe that is what makes missionary work so enjoyable and happy. We are able to live the Gospel and experience that happiness and also teach others and see the happiness that comes into their life by living it. Not only us missionaries can experience it but everyone can. The only thing is we need to be able to sacrifice things that the natural man wants and do what God wants. I know that is true. 

I love you all and am grateful for your prayers on my behalf.

Elder Gardner

September 5, 2016

Good afternoon family and friends!! 

This week was a strange one but it was good! This past week there was a big storm that came in to Florida and so we had to stay in doors for a lot of the week which was a little rough. It was on and off so we were able to leave some of the day and then came back in doors when it got bad. On Thursday we had to stay in doors for 9 hours... We found productive things to do like clean the apartment and Iron shirts and weekly plan. I am glad for nice weather. 

Things have been going good as far as investigators. Kiona and Antwan have been doing pretty good they have read the Book of Mormon but were not able to come to church yesterday which was a bummer but they are still progressing.

We met a lady named Mikayla through her Boyfriend who she lives with and she is a lot more prepared than he is. We had a really good sit down lesson with them and were able to teach the restoration simply since she doesnt have much of a religious background. She was able to feel the spirit really strong. We stopped by on Saturday night and invited her to church and explained about it. She explained how she thinks that it will be good for her and said she would but we were not expecting too much but she came! Not only her but she also brought a friend as well and she seems pretty interested too! We introduced her to Bishop and members of the ward. She really enjoyed it and is looking forward to coming in the future too. 

Gladys is getting baptized this weekend! We have been teaching her since I got in the area and she has been taught for a month or two previous too. She didnt really even want the Book of Mormon the first night they met her and then they kept following up and telling her more about it and how it will bless her and then she came to the Gladys Knight event in May and ever since then she has been really solid. A member gave her a quad set of scriptures and that is her pride and joy. She is a crack up.

An investigator named Lori that I taught in Hudson right before I left is getting baptized this Saturday! I will send photos of that next week.

We had a meeting with all the leadership in the mission this past Friday which was amazing. We counciled on how we can help the missionaries out and what will work best for the Lords work to Hasten. We got taught a lot about principles and how that is what we are taught and then we have to use our agency to follow it or not. That is how God has always worked and how he always will. He does not micro manage us but trusts us. One of the things that stuck out to me was that "the greater the agency, the greater the growth." That has been one of the many things I have learned and gained a testimony of the past 22 months. A testimony is to know, Conversion is to do or to act. I have acted on the things that I know to be true and as I chose to do that I have grown so much. Change is something that we need every day. I love being a missionary and experiencing the many life changing lessons every day. 

I love you all!

Elder Gardner

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A church in the area

August 29, 2016

Hello Everyone! 

Wow did this week go by fast. Probably one of the fastest on my mission thus far. We had a lot of good things happen which I am excited to tell you about. 

I forgot to say last week but we have an investigator named Gladys that is getting baptized on the 10th of September and she grew up in Tampa and went all her life to a Missionary Baptist church and sings in the choir there. The missionaries met her a couple months ago and she has been coming to church for a while. She still goes to her church mainly for the choir and comes to our church 3 out of the 4 weeks. All week last week she had a revival where a pastor came from Texas and preached every night. She invited us to one night so we went. It was pretty much just what I imagined. The Preacher was really into it and there was a lot of singing and amens and hallelujahs! We were the only white ones in there of about 100 people. They were all really nice though. I love seeing what other churches are like. It makes me appreciate the peace we feel in Sacrament meeting where we can really focus on our own commitment to follow Christ. 

Kyona and Antwan are doing really well. We saw them a couple times and were able to introduce the Book of Mormon to them and committed them to read it and promised that it would bring them closer as a family. It was great testifying of that because I have really seen that in my family. Waking up at 6am every morning to read the scriptures as a family has really been able to make an impact on my life. I will never be able to forget that as long as I live. Did I want to wake up to do it every morning? I cant say that I did want to 100% of the mornings but I can say that it has brought us closer as a family and has helped me to know the importance of the Gospel in the family unit. 

Our mission was super blessed this past week. We were not only able to receive training by one General Authority but two. Elder Foster from the seventy trained us as well as Elder Costa of the Seventy did too. Them and their wives were able to train us on how to be more effective missionaries. They trained a lot on member missionary work but what I was able to pull out of it that was my favorite part was that when us as humans can understand ourselves in relation to God everything changes within us. He explained how God showed Moses the many worlds that God has created in the Pearl of Great Price and He did that to show Moses his relations with God and the potential that he had. I believe that is what really moved Moses to be such a great prophet. He understood his relation with God and his life changed and because of that he was able to bless the lives of many others. That is what I love about being a missionary but really all of us as members of the church. We know our relations with God and we are to help others to understand and see that. It is my testimony that we all are in a great world. We have a reason why we are here and God has made a plan for our eternal happiness. 

I love you all!

Elder Gardner

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Tampa Zone

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Companion came to visit the mission

Family from Guam

August 22, 2016

Hello Family and Friends!

Today I just hit my 22 month mark of being a missionary! I am 11/12 of the way done with my mission! Time is going by really fast and It will only go faster as time goes by! I have really been feeling that lately. This week went by really fast. 

Elder Chugg got transferred this week so now it is just down with Elder Nilsen and myself. Things have been going good in our area and a lot of things were able to happen. About a week ago I told Elder Nilsen that we will have to baptize a family before we go home and ever since we have been finding family after family both big and small! It has been amazing to see, pretty much this whole week we have been teaching families. And Boy are we busy, God has been blessing us big time.

We have been teaching a lady named Tanya for a little bit now and she grew up in the church when she was young and loved it but never got baptized. She committed to come to church this past week so we were excited to see her and her family there and then about 2 hours before church started we called her and she said she got called into work... We were a little bummed out but we said a prayer and then 30 minutes before church started we got a text saying that her manager told her she doesnt have to come in til later so she could come! She and her boyfriend and 3 kids all came to church and really enjoyed it. 

Another family we taught this past week is an African American family that the husband used to be Jehovahs witness but not active. We taught them once or twice and they committed to come to church and to prepare to be baptized on the 24th of September so we got them a ride to church. Not the whole family came but 2 of the kids, Antwan (14) and Kyona (18), both came and seemed to really enjoy it. 

This past Saturday morning I was able to participate in a baptism in the Hudson ward. I got a call from Elder May on Wednesday and he told me that MallyRose from the family from Guam wanted me to baptize her! It was really a great service. All the hard work that we do is really all worth it when people like that get baptized. I am so grateful that I have been called to serve as a missionary in such a great area of the world! I am grateful that I have been able to be in great areas and to participate in quite a few baptisms throughout my mission. Being a missionary has been the best experience of my life!

Thank you for all the love and support!

Elder Gardner

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A Luau, cooking the pig

New companions

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Last photo with Fred

Pic with Gino

August 15, 2016

Family and Friends! Hello!

Well I got a little bit of an update this week which is always good. We had transfers this week and I thought I would end my mission in Hudson but I got transferred... Elder May is now training a new missionary in the Hudson area and I got transferred to the Tampa 1st area in Tampa of course. I am now serving as a Zone Leader with Elder Nilsen. Elder Nilsen and I were actually in the MTC together and has been a great experience. We also have another companion named Elder Chugg in a tripanionship. Elder Nilsen is from Gilbert Arizona and Elder Chugg is from Ogden Utah. 

The area seems really good and I am really excited to work here. We have been able to teach quite a few people and there is a baptism that is going to be this Sunday after church. 

We had a Hawaiian Luau this past Saturday as well and were able to have 7 investigators come to that! We were thinking of telling everyone that we are having a Luau every Sunday at church so that we can get more people to come. Just a different Luau right? Feasting on the words of Christ instead of pork. It was good getting to introduce myself to members at the Luau and chat a little bit there so they know me on Sunday. 

This week I have been studying in Heleman in the Book of Mormon. In chapter 15 it explains about the wickedness of the ways of the Nephites and the faithfulness of the Lamanites. The Lamanites were able to see miracles every single day in different ways. It explains how they were able to see them in verse 5 & 6 it says they walked "Circumspectly before God" or Exactly obediently and also they were striving with "Unwearied Diligence". Diligence and Obedience is how they were able to see miracles and add to their numbers daily. I know that is the same for us in these days. If we want to see miracles daily we have to be willing to sacrifice and be diligent and obedient to the commands of God. I have truly been able to gain a testimony of that throughout my mission.

I love you all! 

Elder Gardner

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Ice cream with the Cobell's, Aleicia, Mally Rose, and Leep year

mini golf

August 8,2016

Family and Friends! 

It is great to hear that you all had a great week and some were able to spend time at a family reunion. I look forward to those in the future. After all Family is ordained of God... But we are His favorite!

As far as this week goes we were able to have a lot of exciting things happen! The first exciting thing is that we just ended a transfer and I got notified that I am transferring. We don't find out until tomorrow where we are going and who we are going to be with but we will see how it goes. Transfers are always exciting. 

The family from Guam have been doing good. It was Alecia's (mother) birthday this past week so the senior missionary couple who are good friends with her took us all out for ice cream. They were not able to come to church due to Alecia being called into work last minute. Satan works so hard! They have a baptismal date of the 20th and are looking forward to it. 

We got a media referral this past week of a lady named Jada. We called her and set up an appointment and had a lesson on Friday and she asked if we could get her a ride to church and we said of course. She came to church on Sunday and loved it. It was fast and testimony meeting and she got up and bore her testimony... That was a first for me. 

This week we had 12 people that were all confirmed for coming to church as of Saturday and then Sunday came around and all but 3 fell through or had something come up that they couldnt make it to church. Its amazing how much power that Satan has on the lives of the people that we teach. After every contact we have with people Satan works double as hard to try and get them to forget about the spiritual time they had with us. It is not something that is unusaul though, it has always happened all throughout time in the scriptures. Moses and the Israelites were able to witness a huge miracle of a sea parting and then later when Moses came down from talking with the Lord on a mountain top only to find his people worshiping a golden calf. They had forgotten the Miracle they had just been able to see and fallen into transgression. Satan has a lot of power. We need to be on our toes at all times and be sure to constantly examine ourselves and our own personal commitment to follow the Lord. If we do so, we will "prosper exceedingly" the scriptures say. 

I love you all and thank you all for your prayers and love,

Elder Gardner

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Teaching Eddie to tie a tie 

Cheryl at the temple

August 1, 2016

Family and Friends! 

August 1st already. The last month of the summer and then it will start to cool down and that I am looking forward to. It is really hot and sweaty here. Its ok though I like sweating it means I am working hard. 

Vernita actually dropped us this past week due to an issue she had to take care of in another state. There was a big seed planted with her though. 

The Family from Guam is doing very well as well. They all came to church this past week and seemed to have a great time. You can tell that the gospel means a lot to Alecia, the Mother, and she wants her kids to see the blessings and be raised in a good environment as well. The Gospel truly blesses families. 

This week went really well. We were able to see a lot of miracles come from being obedient and talking with everyone. Literally everyone we see. We were driving to an appointment we had just this past week on Wednesday and saw a guy on the corner of a street and offered a prayer with him. He had a lot of rough events happen to him and was humble and ready to accept the Gospel. His name is Gino. He had one of his friends who was homeless stay with him for about a month and then the homeless man made himself look like Gino beat him up and called the cops and the cops took Gino to jail and the homeless man took over his house. He got out of jail and that is when we talked with him. After we prayed with him things got back in order and now he is back in his home and is safe. He explained how we were put there at the right time because he feels like this is the right thing for him and now he is preparing to be baptized at the end of this month. I have seen countless times when we are placed in the right place at the right time but if we do not talk with everyone then we will pass over the miracles that are standing on the corner. 

Also another Miracle!! Cheryl who was baptized just this past month went to the temple to do baptisms! She was able to do some family history research and get the names of her sister and mother and be baptized in their behalf! She had an amazing time she said. She is moving to Pennsylvania today. I told her when she hits her year mark of being a member I will fly out to where she is at and go through the temple with her when she gets her endowments out. 

A famous story in the Bible is the story of Job. Job was a completely faithful and obedient man. He lost literally everything he had and he stayed faithful and didnt blame God for the things that he went through but he knew that it will all be for his good. In Chapter 28 of Job he says that "Wealth comes out of the earth- Wisdom can not be purchased." That is so true. A lot of things in life can be purchased but wisdom can not. Job learned a lot from those humbling experiences I am sure and he could not have purchased the wisdom he had gained from them. God is all knowing and knows what we need to go through and when. I have been able to gain a lot of wisdom over the past 21 months and It is wisdom that I would have never gained without coming on a mission and for that I am grateful. Being a missionary is the best! 

I love you all and am grateful for the support and encouragement!

Elder Gardner

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July 25, 2016

Hello Family and Friends!

I can not believe that this is the last Monday of the month! Next Monday it will be August, a new month and new experiences. Time never ceases and never will. 

First off I hope you all enjoyed your trip to Lake Powell and didnt get sun burned too bad. I hope nobody did anything too crazy or got hurt too bad. Every year there is always a couple scrapes but nothing too bad hopefully. I pretty much forgot that you all were at Lake Powell until today, I just have been really focused on doing the best that I can do with the time that I have left. 

We had a great week and were able to see a lot of miracles! As far as people that we are teaching we got a media referral this past week of a lady named Vernita. She requested a Book of Mormon online and we dropped it off to her the same day we got it. She has family members that are members of the church and has been needing some spiritual guidance and her father suggested that she gets a Book of Mormon so she did. We introduced it to her and she started reading it and by the next night which was Wednesday she knew it was true. She came to a scripture study class at the church that we teach and then we showed her around the church after. She unfortunately woke up late so she didnt make it to church but she felt so bad. She has a baptismal date set for August. We teach her every night to prepare her for baptism. Keep her in your prayers. 

We also have been teaching a part member family that is from Guam. A mother who is a member but cant find her records just yet and then her 2 kids Mally Rose (10) and then Leap Year (8). They are really shy but are opening up to us as we go by. They also have a baptismal date set for this next month. 

Yesterday for Pioneer Day a lady gave a really good talk on the pioneers and their trek over to the West. I remember in the past I used to hate stories of the pioneers and thought they were boring but I love them now. Did you know that the odometer was invented by a pioneer? A man named William Clayton tied a flag to a wagon wheel and then as they would go he would count how many times it would go around and calculate the distance. It became too tiring so he invented a machine to count it for him called the Odometer. It is just amazing the suffering and the anguish that all the early church went through and they did it all because of their testimony. The work of the Lord will never be stopped and the pioneers are a great example of that. I am grateful to be a member of this church, the true church of God. Sure, I may get rejected for sharing the gospel or kicked out of a parking lot for preaching the Gospel, but I will never have to go through the trials and tribulations the early saints went through and I am grateful for their sacrifice. I am ultimately grateful for the infinite sacrifice of Jesus Christ.  

I love you all and appreciate your love and support!

Elder Gardner

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pulling the plug, water was yucky

New baptism font in someone's swimming pool

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Baptism of Fred

July 18, 2016

Greetings Immediate Family and Lake Powell Family! 

Well, Its going to be hard to keep focused when I know that you all are going to be reading this later at the best place on earth... But its all good because nothing that is good ever comes easy, there is always a price to pay. I am willing to give up 2 Lake Powell trips to do the hardest but most rewarding thing that I could ever do and that is to Serve the Lord. 

Well this past week Fred got baptized! Normally baptisms are great but this one was fantastic! We got had a pretty busy day on Saturday and went to go set everything up at the church for the baptism. The past two baptisms in the area the water had been normal and clean but then this baptism, just like the first baptisms in this area, the water ended up being brown. We started filling the font and it was clean but then half way through the water turned brown. I had to get in the font and drain it and we had to improvise. We had another pool baptism! Heavenly Father always knows how to keep things interesting. 

I was able to confirm him a member and that went well. Fred is now a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! After 10 months of missionary visits he is now a convert of the church how cool is that?! I love being a missionary! 

I feel like Elder Holland this past General Conference when he said "I am the only one standing between you and the ice cream you eat after each General Conference, I feel the weight of that burden." Except I know its not Ice cream, Its Nutty Buddies! (Love you Hansen's).  

Over the past 21 months I have been able to realize a lot. I have been able to see a lot and I have been able to feel a lot. In the past 21 months I have been able to experience pretty much every emotion that we can experience as humans. I have experienced Sadness, Anger, Frustration, Anxiety, Fear etc. But the emotion I have been able to feel the most has to be Joy and Happiness. It is a different happiness than enjoying the sun at Lake Powell, it is an eternal joy rather than a short time happiness. This Gospel is meant for us all to be eternally happy if we follow it exactly. Although we all may have trials that come into our life we all have a way to make those trials easier and it is through obedience to the commands God has given us. We are not made to be like robots but to have true happiness. God is a God of happiness otherwise He wouldn't have so freely given His only Son to Atone for all of our mistakes. 

I know that we are all Children of the Most High and as such, he wants us to be the best that we can be. He knows the immense potential we all have and he has a road map on how we can do that, but we have to do a little work on our part. Never forget the potential you have. 

I know that the Book of Mormon is evidence of Gods love to all of His children, that He cares for each of us and He has not left us alone in the dark to be confused about different doctrines, But that He has restored His church in full back to the earth.

 

I also know that what happens in Lake Powell stays at Lake Powell, but I also know that God is watching over all of us and knows our each and every move so keep that in mind you unmarried hooligans! ;)  

I love all of you and y'all best be prepared for next year that's all i'm going to say... WAYHO!

Elder Gardner 

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Jeane, Coral and her kids and Elder May

July 11, 2016

Family and Friends! 

What a great week we have had here despite the heat and humidity! I thought last summer was hot but this one seems a lot worse. I have never experienced the heat like I have in Florida. But I love it. And I am glad I get to experience it with my white shirts and ties! 

We had a pretty normal week for being a missionary which is my favorite. We have been able to teach a lot of new people and had a lot of people drop us but that's to be expected when you are doing the Lords work. He was rejected so His representatives will likewise be rejected. But we did see a lot of miracles as well due to our exact obedience. 

We have been teaching Fred ever since I have gotten in this area and he has been on probation so we were not able to baptize him. He got off of probation not too long ago and he is going to be baptized this weekend! I am really looking forward to that one. He has been taught for about 9 months or so and has been to church for that long too. He is a "Dry Mormon"... Until Saturday that is! He has a girlfriend who is a member and just yesterday we had them both come to a lesson we had. He is not even a member yet and is willing to come to a lesson with us! 

This past week we saw another lady named Pearla walking down the road so we pulled over the car next to her and offered to pray with her. She accepted and then said you are Mormons right? We said yes. She explained how she loved the church when she lived in Puerto Rico and in New York but has not been to one here. She accepted to prepare to be baptized. We had a lesson that Fred and Judy (Fred's girlfriend) came with us to. We taught the restoration and she is insanely prepared. I shared the First Vision in Spanish and she felt the spirit so strong she said. We left her with a Book of Mormon and committed her to read the introduction page. She called us later at night and left a voicemail that said she read the testimony of Joseph Smith and thought it was amazing! 

God never ceases blessing us. 

I take talking with everyone seriously because you never know who is prepared and who is not! The only way we can find out is by talking to them and teaching them. I love being a missionary with all my heart. I just wish everyone can experience the joy of this Gospel. Sure we might have trials in our life but that is to be expected! If you are at all struggling with any trials or tests that you are going though just remember that the teacher is always silent during a test. But if you endure it, then it will give you experience and will be for your good. D&C 122:7 

I love you all and hope this week is great! 

Elder Gardner

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New Mission President:  President Cooper

July 4, 2016

Happy Birthday America!!!! Let Freedom Ring!!!! 

Well happy 4th of July to all of you friends and family! It has been a pretty good day for us here in Florida as well. We had a ward pancake breakfast in the morning that we went to and had a lot of fun. Ward activities are my favorite. It is just a fun time with the ward members. 

Our Mission President, President Cusick, got replaced this past week. The new Mission President is President Cooper. We had a meeting where we got to know him and he is a really good guy. 

We had a really good week. I felt like either the work had been slowing or the enthusiasm was slowing because the past week was a little difficult for us as a companionship. We went on an exchange with the Zone Leaders and I was able to speak spanish again for a day. It was a great exchange and we were both able to improve. After that we have been really doing some great work and seeing miracles. 

Kevin who we had been teaching for a while got some anti information from friends and got stuck on revelations 22:18 and wouldnt drop it so we had to drop him. It is so sad because he has been to church and felt the spirit and he has felt the spirit reading in the Book of Mormon but doesn't care anymore. It all hinges on the Book of Mormon. 

Before I had mentioned a family that we found through the non member husband who we met in a parking lot. Well turns out that the ward can not find Coral's, the mother of the 6 kids' records. We will have to re baptize her so that will most likely be within the next couple weeks. 

Miracle time! Anytime we see someone walking down the road and we are driving in our car we just pull over and yell at them to come say a prayer with us. We did that to one lady and she came over to our car and prayed. After the prayer she was in tears because she had prayed the night before to have God put someone in her life that would help her improve her life. It was powerful testifying that we were put in her path for a reason. Miracles like that happen all the time. Unfortunately satan works really hard on them after that and it is usually hard to get in contact with them again and then they forget the miracle that happened. Really though they are not much different than all of us. We all forget the miracles God gives us when the stresses of life come in. We are too busy with work or think we dont have time for God or some thing bad happens and we complain. It is sad but we all do it. I would say every day even. I am really working on not complaining to God and really giving Him the respect that He deserves.

June 27, 2016

Family and Friends! Here we are again, the close of another month and I can not believe it! 

I'm not going to lie this week was a little rough but I am not complaining because we have been super blessed recently with baptism and people progressing. We had a lot of things fall through this past week and a lot of rejection but we are still keeping our heads held high. On Saturday we actually had a couple hours of finding time so when we have some spare time we go to parking lots of shopping plaza's and talk with everyone there since we meet a lot more people there than tracting. We got kicked out of 3 different shopping centers and rejected a lot more than normal but we are still going to go back because the work of the Lord never stops even when we are rejected. When we are rejected we know we are doing things right because Christ was rejected His whole life. 

Alex was not able to get baptized due to his depression hitting him hard this past week. He went into the hospital on Friday and has been in there since. I will give you more updates as we get more information since we don't know much currently. 

Fred, who we have been teaching since I have got here finally got off of probation so now he is ready to be baptized! He has his baptismal date set for the 16th of July and really needs your prayers because he still needs to stop smoking. He has not missed a sacrament meeting since he has showed up here and everyone that meets him thinks he is already a member. He volunteers to help people move and all that good stuff. He is really a dry Mormon. 

My testimony this week is that of true Happiness. In 2 Nephi 5:27 the people "lived after the manner of Happiness." How is this done? It is done by living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 

My least favorite word in the English dictionary is the word "try". We are not here to try and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ we are here to live it and if we truly do live it we will live after the manner of happiness. Jesus Christ didn't try and die for all of us, He DID die for all of us. My encouragement to all of you is to eliminate the word try out of your vocabulary and do, or do not. 

I love you all and thank you all for your love and prayers!

Elder Gardner!

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Cheryl's Baptism

mission party on the beach

June 20, 2016

Hello Family and Friends!

This week will be a little bit longer than last week. Last Preparation day was really great we all got together as a mission and had a get together at the Beach. We all were fully clothed which made it really easy to spot our group. It was a hot day and most of all the missionaries im sure got sun burned on their calves from wearing shorts as well as on their necks from the dress shirts! I know we did. 

We had a great week and ended the week of great with Cheryl's baptism on Saturday. Brother Peterson who is the member that we teach Cheryl with was able to baptize her and then she asked me to confirm her. She was super excited and it really was a great baptism. There was quite a few people at the baptism as well. We had 3 investigators at the baptism and they all loved it. 

We should have another baptism this weekend of a guy named Alex. He lives in our apartment complex and the previous missionaries were teaching him but he had to go to the hospital due to a lot of depression issues he has. He got out and has come to church the past couple weeks and he brought up to us that he wanted to be baptized on the 25th because that is his birthday. He was at the baptism and loved it! Good things are happening! Keep him in your prayers that he doesn't have any depression problems that make him go back into the hospital so he can be baptized.

A couple weeks ago we found a guy in a parking lot and got a return appointment with him and went to that and found out that his wife and mother in law that live with him are both members! They are the best. They Him and Coral (his wife) Have 6 kids all under the age of 6... and the last 2 are twins. After we met them they have been coming to church since and they were at the baptism as well. They got up and bore their testimony of how they know that this church is true. It almost brought me to tears knowing that it was because of a simple contact that we brought a whole family back to church and they love it. That is what being a missionary is all about! There are so many miracles is we just talk with everyone and be obedient! I have a huge testimony of that. 

During the baptismal program the kids that she has were a little rowdy and then when we went to the actual ordinance when we opened the doors to see the baptism the room was completely silent. The spirit was so strong and you could tell the kids felt it too. 

Sorry its just a tadd late but I would love to say Happy Fathers Day to my father! I am extremely grateful for the many lessons I have learned from my Dad. He has been a great role model as to how to laugh, how to work hard, how to have fun, how to be an example, and most importantly how to love. He has always been my number one fan in anything that I do and he always wants me to be the best at everything I do. Happy Fathers Day Dad. 

Much love from your favorite Elder,

Elder Gardner 

June 13, 2016

Family and Friends!!

Sorry this email is going to be short but I promise it is with a lot of love! We are having a mission summer party and going to a beach! I am really excited! We get to wear shorts with our white legs! 

We got a text from Alex who was supposed to get baptized on Saturday and he said he had his father in town so he couldnt get baptized... That fell through but we have a baptism of Cheryl this weekend and I am really pumped for that! She is so prepared.

We have had a great week and I am looking forward to this one! 

Elder Gardner!

pics

Alex

June 6th, 2016

Greetings Family and Friends,

There is a tropical storm that is coming into Florida today so we have to stay indoors for the rest of the day. We have to cancel all the appointments we have set. This should be exciting! 

I hate that it is already June! Not really though because this month should be good with baptisms! We started the month out right with Bill's baptism! It was a great experience. He asked me to baptize him and then a member of the church that fellow shipped him well was able to confirm him. 

Alex has been doing great as well. We have been meeting with him quite frequently to teach him everything. He is not sure if he wants to have the baptism this weekend or next but we could have another one this weekend and then Cheryl's baptism on the 18th as well. The Lord has been blessing us a lot and I am really grateful for that. 

This week I learned a valuable lesson. We had Bill's baptism on Saturday and that was fantastic but then after the baptism the appointments that we had set all canceled out. We parked the car and then got on our bikes to try and visit people and talk to everyone on the way. Everyone was rejecting us and it was hot and sweaty and I was wearing a shirt and tie and a goofy helmet that no one wears except missionaries. I just got to the point that in my head I complained to God and said "really God?! Come on!" I had forgotten that we had a baptism earlier that day. I had to repent of my ungratefulness. 

Its sad to say but how often does that happen to all of us? How often do we all have something so great happen to us which is a blessing from God and then right when something bad happens to us we are already complaining to the very Creator that gave us those blessings? We need to always examine our thoughts and make sure we are not falling into being ungrateful for the things we have. God is great to all of us we just need to open our eyes and realize it. 

I love being a missionary! 

Elder Gardner

pics

Steve, who Tadd and Elder Bowden taught

Tadd's next Jeep

May 30, 2016

Hello Everyone! 

Weeks are flying by in the service of the Lord! I love it but hate it at the same time! Missions go by so quick because we are constantly doing something. From the moment you wake up til the time your head hits the pillow you are constantly doing something and if you are not then you should be. I love being productive. 

We have seen a lot of good things happen this week which is good! Bill came to church yesterday for the 2nd time so he is going to be baptized on Saturday! Hallelujah! He asked if I would baptize him so that pumped me up! We will send pictures of that next week. 

Alex has been doing good as well. We met with him quite a bit and he loves learning more. He wasnt able to come to church but he is still on track to be baptized next month. If everything plays out as planned we should have 3 baptisms in a row. Bill, Alex, and then Cheryl. The Lord is blessing us big time! 

Miracle time! We teach Bill every night at Mcdonalds and the other day we walk in and see a guy about to leave wearing MMA shorts so I talk to him a little about his life and turns out he is a pro MMA fighter. He then asked us about our life and he said wow I have been looking for a church with the name Jesus Christ in it and I had a dream about going to McDonald's this morning... Miracles Never cease! Unfortunately people forget all about those miracles when they hear that we are Mormon's... 

This past week in my personal study I read a scripture that stuck out to me. 1st Corinthians 11:28. But let a man examine himself,  and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. 

How often when the Sacrament is passed around do we just eat of the bread and drink the water and not really focus on what is important? We are to examine ourselves and focus on what we need to improve to become better disciples of Christ. That is my challenge to all of you is to in Sacrament meeting this week examine yourself and see how much more uplifting your Sabbath is. 

God is good! I love being a missionary!

Elder Gardner

pics

Companion's first time in the hot Florida sun

New companion Elder May at the Gladys Knight concert

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Cheryl and the Peterson's

Ward BBQ fundraiser

WML - Brother Rossell and his wife

Alfonzo, Faith, Godtime and I

May 23, 2016

Hello Anyone and Everyone! Family and Friends!

This week was great!!! First of all we had transfers this past week and I got a new companion and when I say new companion I do mean it. He is fresh from the MTC. I am training him to do missionary work. My new companion's name is Elder May. He is from Gilbert Arizona and is really white. His first full day we were biking around and he got really sun burnt. You will see a picture of that. 

Elder May's first day we were biking to an appointment and talked with everyone on the way. We met one man named Alex, he is 21. We yelled at him from a distance and offered to say a prayer with him and he accepted so we went and sat down at a table by where he works and taught him the restoration and set his baptismal date. We met with him the next day and committed him to come to church and he did. He loved it too. he is another one on the radar. 

Bill wont be able to be baptized this weekend either due to his work causing him to have to miss church. It will have to be pushed back another week. June looks like a good week for baptisms! 

Cheryl is doing great still, she loves the Gospel so much. We had a lesson at the Petersons home again and they cooked dinner for us. Ill tell you what there is nothing better than a home cooked meal and then teaching a lesson at members home to a really solid investigator. That is the missionary dream right there! Next to baptisms. 

Gladys Knight came to Florida!! She came to our mission and our stake and did an event with her choir she conducts. I had never heard of her until now but wow that was one of the coolest experiences I have had on my mission. I have never really heard too much Gospel music but it was great! It was like Motab but a little more exciting so it got me pumped up! She gave her testimony as well on how she came into the church. Her kids started investigating the church before she did. They got baptized and then told Gladys about the things in the church so she came and it all went uphill from there. It was a HUGE missionary tool. In order for members to get a ticket they had to invite a friend. We are excited to see the effects from her testimony. 

We may not be famous but we all do have a testimony that we can share. It is the most valuable thing that we posses, more valuable than anything that money can buy. I would advise you all to share that. You better believe that I am! I love being a missionary!!!

Elder Gardner