Opposition in All Things

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been a little bit of an adjustment period. I have enjoyed getting to know my new companion! We have only a few similar interests which is a little different than my previous companion, but we have one purpose and one goal. To serve the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. I have had to really focus on serving my companion and showing that I love him. I know that we can't do the Lord's work if we are not perfectly unified and open in communication with each other. I have already gained a strong connection with his testimony of his Family and the life experiences that he has had to get him where he is. The Lord blesses each one of us so much. I am grateful to have Elder Hardy. We cam out on the same airplane from the MTC so we have both been out only 3 months. That makes us possibly one of the "youngest" (I know I'm not young out here! Haha but I love it!) companionships in the mission :)

This area is exploding still. I can't even count how many investigators we are working with, and we got 5 more new ones last week. I feel overwhelmed that the work is so fantastic and the Lord is blessing us so much for our diligence. One miracle story from yesterday, we had planned on going to meet two potential investigators (on top of the 5 new last week) and they fell through. We were driving to a less active in the area and I felt a prompting to stop by a part member family who's son Jesse was a new investigator from two weeks before. He had told us he would contact us when we could meet again and the time had passed on Sunday so we had to check in. He let us in and we had a very powerful lesson on the priesthood and his mother shared a very powerful testimony. Then his daughter (Katelyn: 9 years old) asked us "what is the purpose of Life?" WHAT?! A 9 year old really? That was amazing, we shared a piece of the plan of salvation and told her that she would get to see her mother (April passed away July 5, 2012) again. Another powerful moment. Yet still I was asked to give Jesse a blessing and I cannot put in words what feelings I felt as that blessing spilled out of my mouth. I know that the Lord will fulfill all his prophesies! All that those who are willing, he will accept. I love this work.

My thought for this week is actually about the priesthood. I have had a lot of conversations about it this week. A 12 year old is going to be baptized and another 16 year old we are trying to help get active to receive the office of a priest. There is power in the priesthood. A worthy twelve year old boy, ordained to the priesthood by someone holding the authority, has more authority than the president, or any wordly ruler of nations or people this world has ever seen. He has the authority to command the Angels of Heaven to administer to those in need of the Lord's blessing. That is only the beginning. We are so blessed to have that to bless the lives of those around us. 2 Nephi 27:23 "...I am a God of Miracles..." That is a truth and he blesses us according to our faith and obedience. May we all follow the council in D&C 123: 17 "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do‍ all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation‍ of God, and for his arm to be revealed." By showing that diligence and then the patience to God we will witness mighty miracles to come. I Love you all very much and I can't wait to hear how you are doing and about your lives and lessons. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder McGarry

The District out for Lunch after District Meeting

The Alley of Red Chilies in Old Town​

New Beginnings

Dear Family and Friends,

Transfers were quick and efficient and we are settled in with the start of a new transfer. It's very refreshing, like a new year, or a birthday or a holiday, or any day really! We have the chance to reflect and recommit ourselves to living better. My love for my companion Elder Christensen is not going to diminish. We have the privilege now of learning new lessons from new people and new circumstances. My new companion is Elder Hardy! He's from Springfield Virginia! That's about 10-20 minutes outside of Washington D.C. I am so excited to get to know him and work with him, especially when there is so much momentum in this area and the spirit that is here. I have included a picture right after we were assigned together. Not only do I get a new companion, Now I get to drive! That's weird having driven since I was 16 (Ok it was really 14 or maybe even 13) I think that is the longest period of time I have been without driving.

The work is going so well. We are looking forward to Lisa's baptism on the 31st and even though we don't get to teach her, we get to be there for that wonderful day. We have an investigator, Marie who will attend and she has a date for Feb. 14. We have had a hard time getting in touch with Andrew because his mother wants him to play soccer and his games are on the weekends when he normally comes to stay in our area with his grandparents. But He is very excited to be baptized, and very prepared. We just need to get the date set and have a few more follow-up lessons.

My thoughts right now are, WOW where does all the time go? There is never enough time to get done everything that I want to. I have missed three days in my journal this week. Most since I got here. The Lord has truly blessed me with so much but I still do the best that I can. Life continues to teach me and I just try to absorb everything that I can, and remember it. :)

This week I feel prompted to share the principle of grace. We learn grace for grace and line upon line. Precept upon precept. We have to learn this way. We cannot be expected to live the laws that God live right now because we are not able to. But as we learn a small piece then we are able to master it and learn another. D&C 50:24 "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." How much hope does that bring. WE as imperfect beings can achieve perfection. But only by constant or diligent application of simple things that compound on each other. We can be purified. If we are not learning or progressing, then we have need to repent. There is something that we are not getting or not doing. I have seen that in my life and I felt like I really needed to share that this week. D&C 50: 40-41 the promise. Rely on the Savior. I hope and pray that you all have a great week.

Love,

 

Elder McGarry

Change and Momentum

Dear Family and Friends,

I am so happy. I can't choose one thing that I am happy about. I am also a little bit nervous. The 20th of January is our next transfer, and I am just finishing my 12th week which is the "training" period. That means I will most likely get a new companion. Who know what the Lord has planned though, I just excited to be a part of any piece I can be. The momentum in this area is perpetuating. Last week we had 43 lessons and it was only possible because the members are enthusiastically supporting us and helping to get the work done. I want to add in here, I don't care about the number of lessons we had. I care only that each one of them had a significant impact on my life and the lives of those we are teaching. I am continually amazed that the Lord can make anything happen.

​ The two biggest lessons of this week. (See things are hastening because now there are two lessons for the week, That's double! Or I'm just a slow learner so I have to have double duty.) Diligence and Obedience. ​I know that obedience is the Only way that we can receive the promised blessings of the gospel. We are not only rewarded by obedience, we are protected. There are very real forces both seen and unseen in this world that we all know of that are around us trying to exert their influence. I have felt very strongly this week that the only way that we can be protected from these influences is by strict obedience to God's commands. Just as it says in the scriptures over and over, if we live according to God's command then we will prosper, if not we will be cut off. Being left alone by our own choice. What a sad thing that is for our Father in Heaven to see. Yet His arms are stretched out still! By being obedient we are strengthened not only in our own efforts but by the efforts of those others who are striving to bring about the works of righteousness. That doesn't mean that it will be easy though. In fact it is more often quite the opposite.

Diligence. This is where it becomes imperative that we make our choices based on the promptings of the Holy Ghost. The adversary sees that when we are making progress in our lives that our light is growing. he will go to any measure to slip in deception or an easy way out. We may feel like we gave it a good effort. We might think that God will understand 'this time'. By recognizing that we have a purpose and that God Can Not do it for us (or he would cease to be God) it helps give strength to push through. Diligence is an important key, and a Christlike attribute that is often left on the shelf. Only dusted off to be used when there is an Emergency or we Really need something. So if we are to be fully obedient and obtain the Lord's kingdom, we must seek diligently his words and the guidance of the Holy Ghost. It is not easy but it is possible. Alma 5:46, Alma 40:3. All great things are brought to our understanding through Christ-like attributes applied with diligence. Faith, Patience, Love, Humility, Virtue, Knowledge and all these things shall give us experience. That is the beauty of life. Momentum is just a great blessing that comes from constant application of diligence. It's easy to keep it going if it's already started.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Know that I love you and that those that are working to bring about the Lord's kingdom are far greater than those that are not. Though it may not seem that way at times. Rely on the Savior and his peace will fill your heart.

 

Love,

Elder McGarry

Sage and Rio Grande Zone Leaders!

Lesson with Sisters Cortez/Clark and Investigator Carmelita. ​

Hastening of The Work

Dear Family and Friends,

I gave my farewell talk on the hastening of the work in these latter days. I want to reiterate the sincerity of my talk that the work of the Lord is expanding and growing. I am happy to be part of it in some small way. The Albuquerque NM mission has a goal of teaching and helping 850 of our Father in Heaven's children to the knowledge of the truth, and entering into the covenant of baptism and enduring to the end. I know that it will be a great work. Most importantly though, it is about the journey that we are all on. We have this short window of time to prepare ourselves to reach our potential that we saw before we even came into this world. Let us remember that and each push forward :)

I am both exhilarated and sad for the baptism of Michele, she is going to have to move as soon as she is baptized because her father will 'dis-own' her. She knows very much the importance of our Father in Heaven's plan and so the sacrifice is worth it to set the example and bring the testimony of the gospel's truth to her father. We originally planned on the baptism this Saturday but she is not 18 until Sunday and she has to move out then also because of her decision. So much to our sorrow, we decided it would be best that she get baptized when she get's settled in Oregon. The hard work and growth and bond is much harder to let go than I thought. But the Lord's will is what matters most and I would rather she be prepared and calm going into such an important moment rather than trying to scramble it in amid all the commotion. So pictures will com eventually of that day but I've included one of us all for now.

As I sat in sacrament meeting at the first of this year, I couldn't help but allow my mind to open and recognize our father's love for each one of us and the choices we make. We had a lot of people that have not been to church in a while show up. Even if that's a new year's resolution and doesn't really last, our father is still happy. I was brought to tears just with that realization and it helped me grow a much deeper love and care for these people. The next week is already all booked out pretty much because our members are helping so much and because there are so many people that want to have the Lord in their lives. I can't even express how many times I go to bed or leave a house wishing I had more time to help, more time to Learn, more time to grow. The Lord is so wonderful. 

 

My thought for this week comes from the end of Alma 34. I love it when the scriptures unfold before me. Work out our salvation with fear and trembling. Phil 2: 12 & Alma 34: 37. But fear is not of God right? Right! The Lord only wants us to recognize that he wants what's best for us and we can't have it if we don't harken and really listen to his voice. So he gives us trials and tribulations to increase our opportunities to exercise attributes that Christ had mastered. Growing grace for grace and line upon line. D&C 98 talks about tribulations and Alma 35 was really cool to me too because the people just kept their faith no matter what came their way. Some people lost all they had and had to leave their homes. Others gave freely of what they had been given so that these people might have means to survive and serve the Lord. That is a Zion attitude. Brigham Young taught that Zion is the state of a man's soul. So if our hearts are on the right things, then treasures on earth will be of no worth in comparison to the treasures of heaven. I have a lot to learn and not enough time to learn it all as usual. But Hey, steps are always good. Life is about the journey, not so much the destination. I love you all so much and hope that you have a great week.

Love,

Elder McGarry

Michele and Joanna

Moon over the Sandias!