Opening Our Eyes

Dear Family and Friends,

Transfers this week brought a new elder into our apartment. (I am lucky enough to be in one of three mission houses that has two companionships living together). Elder Chamberlain moved in to be companions with Elder Smith, AND they are our new Zone Leaders! So that's exciting, but it's not even the best part. Elders Chamberlain and Smith are both from Holiday Utah and Elder Christensen and I are both from Logan Utah. Needless to say there is a lot of love and we are all so excited to be serving and working our hardest to bring people closer to Christ.

As we went through this week  we had very high goals and standards hoping to keep momentum building from our best week the week before. With that way of saying it you already know where this is going. We felt like we hit a brick wall. Plans did not work out, everything that we thought and prayed to be able to accomplish just seemed to be falling apart. The only thing that we had going for us was that we were both determined to keep working. A couple of times we had to stop and pray that we would end up where we needed to be. If there is one thing that I learned this week, it is that prayers are answered. We may not have had the member involvement that we wanted. But we as a companionship grew closer together through these powerful and trying days. Not only that, but at the end of each day looking back we had great success, just not the way we planned it. Now looking back over the week, we had a great week and thought it seemed like we didn't get a lot done, we had just about as much success as we did the week before! The Lord helped us find three new investigators! And THREE (not all new ones but still) investigators showed up at church this Sunday. That may not sound like a lot, but this ward has not seen that many new faces in a while.

Church was a whole other deal. While Elder Christensen was playing a piano solo, I got called out to give a blessing (the first of three over the course of the next two hours) to a recent convert who has been through a rough week too. He was questioning his testimony and seriously thinking about not coming back. His family kicked him out when he got baptized. The family he lives with is in the Ward and the dad was there to help. We had a good talk and one of the most powerful blessings I've ever heard was given to him. That brings us to Monday. This young man, while still struggling I can only imagine, came out with us to do splits. He went to two investigators who are both in some serious life situations, and even potentially fatal circumstances. This was the eye opener. One is leaving a gang and they are not happy about it. The other is caught up in so much addiction he is slipping into despair and losing a hope for this life. This is what power the adversary has. He will not let up. He will not stop trying to fight against everything that is right and true. This Testimony is what I want to share: I know that the darkest hour comes always before the ray of light. Just as it did when the True Gospel of Jesus Christ was about to be restored in this dispensation, in the moment when despair was ready to overcome and sweep away all hope, a pillar of light came into the grove of trees where a young boy was ready to begin this great work. I know that our Savior will allow us to struggle and despair, only so that we can fully understand and comprehend the fulness of Joy and happiness that only He can give. Everyone has trials. Everyone will be pushed through things that they are not sure that they can bear. This is happening all around us and by listening to the Holy Ghost, our companion in promise, we can all be instruments to help up those that are down. Doctrine and Covenants 76: 22 "And now after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony last of all which we give of him, that HE LIVES." Galations 5:14 "For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even this: Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Helaman 5:12 "Oh remember, Remember, ..." These scriptures have helped me so much and have pressed on my mind so much this wee and I felt prompted to share them.

I love you all so very much and I hope that you can each find a brighter ray of light in this coming week through the gift that you have the privilege to carry with you. Remember, and open your eyes to the miracle of life and understanding.
I'll look forward to hearing from all of you and I hope that this Christmas Season is Merry and white (OR at least bright for those of us that don't get so much of the white :P) Until next week!

-Elder McGarry

 This is the best. A tumble-weed as big as I AM!

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