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