Lovingly (not lovely, though that may be true too)

Dear Family and Friends,

 

This week has been a whirlwind, starting out with a new companion, training, the Socorro area opening and two elders crashing at our pad for two nights. I can't believe the things that the Lord helps us to accomplish every day that we devote to him. My new Companion is Elder Dunn. He is from Spring Creek Nevada (North East) and he is awesome! We are looking forward to a couple of Baptisms, Angela and Marvin will be the next ones I foresee.

 

I had a super awesome experience last week. We had come up for transfers and were staying in Albuquerque for the night with the District leader. We had one hour before we met up with that companionship to go on visits with them and I had a feeling we should stop by Donald from my last area since he was nearby. Normally I wouldn't just do that but the circumstances and the prompting made it such that I couldn't pass it by. We had a short and powerful lesson. As we were leaving Glorya, his mother, told us that they had needed a visit. They were going to call the elders but felt that they couldn't and so she had prayed for a miracle. She told me that just as soon as she offered up that desire she heard what she thought was the neighbor slam their door, but really it was my companion and I getting out of the car to visit. I know that the spirit speaks to us, and if we listen we will be in the right place at the right time.

 

The Spirit teaches us to do things out of Love. Sometimes they don't make sense, in fact more often than not they could make us feel awkward. It has been witnessed to me this week that the Gospel is not something that we live because it makes sense. Even though when we live it truly it does make sense. We live the Gospel because it is true. We had two people we talked to at a Pep Boys as we got our oils changed. The first was an atheist. We got hi talking by asking him his perspective. I was able to share a scripture that I had just underlined from 2 Nephi 2:9-13 ish. The principle is that if there was no law there would be no God. If there is no God then we would not exist. Looking back I think, man that doesn't make sense to share that with an atheist. But the Spirit told me to do it, and the conversation that he lead was what introduced the scripture. It is so cool to me that if we love the Lord and our fellow men enough, then there will be a way provided to instill a fragment of truth and to do so lovingly just as the savior would. That doesn't make it easy, and it may not even make any difference in the moment, but over time it is all for a purpose. I wonder at the meticulous care and attention that he pays to each of our lives. I hope that each of you can see his hand in your lives as well. I know that he loves you, as do I.

 

Ayoo' Aniinishni

 

Elder McGarry 

Elder McUne's last view of Alamo

Elder Dunn's first view of Alamo (squinty eyes from bright sun :)​

Unexpected :/

Dear Family and Friends,

 

This past 12 weeks has flown by! I am glad I got to serve with Elder McUne. He is going to be transferred tomorrow, which was a little unexpected, but the Lord does what he needs to. My new companion will be coming from the MTC so that should be exciting. I will be fairly brief today because of time.

 

As for the week, we had a some interesting experiences. We were called out on Thursday night to go and bless a home which has been having some strange things happen. Their Father/Husband died a few years ago and since then the husband's family has been trying to take everything they possibly can from this family. We met the one guy who has been kind of the ring leader of all the trouble. We were told to go visit a relative of a member named John. We did and on the way found out that the nephew is the one that is causing all the problems. We decided that it was best to go, and we had a great meeting and they told us we could dome back. As we were driving away, though, the nephew stopped us and told us that we could not come back to their property. He said that they don't want us bothering their uncle. It is so sad to see how hard people's hearts can be. It is one thing to refuse the message of the gospel for yourself, but another entirely to refrain others from hearing the message. The good news is we talked to the Navajo Police and he told us that it is perfectly fine for us to go back and that he can't prevent us even if he wants to.

 

Another thing, turning back to the scriptures, in Alma 5 he talks about the holy calling by which he is called and also a mighty change of heart. I have been seeking a mighty change of heart for me and also praying a great deal for the people I serve. I have noticed that a gradual increase in Church attendance is notable, as well as an overall sense of acceptance and openness from a great deal of people. I know it is gradual, but I know that it works. :) I pray for you and I hope that everyone is getting settled and arranged for everything with school and shifting schedules and all that good stuff. I am excited to start a new transfer and to continue serving here in Alamo!

​​

Ayoo' Aniinishni

 

 

Elder McUne and Me

A big trail ride event that we stopped by for a minute. (Everyone asked us, "Where's your horse?" Others said, "You should have told me we have two horses at home you caould have ridden!" OH MAN, If only it wasn't against the rules... Oh well, soon enough!)​

 

 

Doing Many Good Things

Dear Family and Friends,

 

First and foremost, next week is going to be the beginning of my 8th Transfer. As a result we will have e-mailing and preparation day on Monday instead of Tuesday. Consider yourselves duly warned :) I hear we are going to have a surplus of missionaries from what we now do, and the Socorro New Mexico area is going to be opening up. That means I will be in a NEW DISTRICT almost no matter what. I was kind of hoping to make it a whole year in the same one, but oh well :)

 

**Spoiler Note: If you have a easily unsettled stomach continue with caution, or skip to the stars and read after that.** On another exciting note, I participated and assisted in slaughtering a sheep yesterday. That is a common thing to do for celebrations in Navajo culture. The thing about this is that nothing goes to waste. Not even the blood is wasted. I realize that this may be a sensitive topic so I will forebear the details, but I want to mention that is was so cool to see a family work together in such great unity. Everyone knew what to do, and did it. All the way down to eating it and staking claim on the different parts (Something I have only heard of but never witnessed nor thought I would.) I want to also share the list of things that I tried.

First was the "Bible" which is a part of the internal stomach. It get's it's name because it has flaps similar to pages on a book. This is eaten raw, and Yes I did gag. Next I helped make twister, which is a sheet of abdominal fat cut into strips and wrapped with the small intestine. It literally tastes like Bacon. I also tried the heart, stuffed liver, kidney, tongue, and blood sausage. The last on is made by taking all the blood, straining it and mixing it with potatoes, red chile, habanero, and putting it all into the cleaned out stomach and boiling it for two ours. That was an experience that I will remember.

**

This week I have been feeling a lot of strength in just coming to terms that this life is not always easy. I don't expect it to be either. In fact I like the thought I heard once that we should never pray for the Lord to take away our challenges, but pray that we may have the strength to overcome them. We are all called to go through trials and tribulations, also known as the refiners fire. Often during these times the real struggle can be not knowing if the path we are on is the right one. It is at times like these when I would turn to D&C 58 and read that we should all be "anxiously engaged in a good cause." There are a lot of things in this life that do not make a truly significant impact on our eternal destination. Many of the choices we make in life are completely our own to make. These are things that can often cause frustration and anxiety or sadness because it's hard to get a really definite answer through the spirit, at least in my experience. If we are living the commandments and striving our very best to serve God then we need not worry. I would take this scripture one step further and say that instead of doing many good things, to do many of the "best" things.  Our God takes priority over anything else, and when we put him first then our Natural course following would be to put our families as our next priority. Just as I saw this family work together yesterday to bring this food to their table, we can work together in all things.

 

One other quick experience, I had the opportunity to give a priesthood blessing this week to a new investigator. He and His partner have been together 30 years and are now planning to get married in September which is how we met them. My first day here in Alamo they cam e to ask if they could use our church to do it. I can't give any specifics because of the sacred and personal nature of the information. In giving him that blessing though, I can say without a shadow of doubt I know that Jesus Christ lives and directs this work. It is by his power and his mercy that we are all here. The Priesthood is real. After we gave them each a blessing, the sister mentioned that they (including their son) want to be Baptized! Just another perk of being where you need to be when you need to be there.

 

I love you all :) I love hearing from you! So many good stories. So much of the best things in life are right now! Keep me updated on life and adventures. I miss hearing from some of you, so you're not all off the hook ;) I am loving the work here and it is Always challenging, But the Lord is my strength and in him I will trust now, and forever.

 

Ayoo' Aniinishni

 

Elder McGarry

 

Berwyn and the little one Helping Supervise :)

Me gettin' my "Explorer" on :) (everything but the coke)

 

Washout

Dear Family and Friends,

This week we have had a few disappointments. We also had a Crazy rain storm that caused serious washout in the arroyos, and washed out number of driveways of people that we visit regularly. That causes a slight issue. :) Fun stuff though. It happened during the last half hour of church and then no more than 30 minutes after it started it was gone and the skies were blue and sun was shining. Welcome to the beginning of Monsoon season :) Pictures will be attached!

​Storms like that are a good reminder of the power of God. I can hardly imagine or even comprehend it, but I can see it when in just 1 hour there is such drastic change and potential devastation. ​The small things we see each and every day are easy to become complacent with. Gratitude is something that should be an attitude and not just something we express when things go the way we want them to. This life has been given to us as a gift from God and we are just stewards. The time that we use should be spent in building up and bettering ourselves and others. That is how we glorify God. He already has all Majesty and Might and Power. His happiness is magnified when we are happy. I love this simple truth. 

My testimony this past Sunday was on stewardships. I am so grateful to have the responsibility and trust to be here in Alamo. It is a tremendous trial most days, but an even bigger blessing. I also have been blessed with many other great stewardships. I know that in all things we must be wise and I encourage each of you to consider the stewardships you have been given and seek the Lord's blessing and guidance in being a wise and faithful steward. A story that came to my mind this past week is one of a King that held a race in his kingdom. All of his people gathered together and prepared for this long race and finally it commenced. Along the way, one traveler near the lead of the contestants happened upon a big pile of rocks that had slid onto the pathway. He had seen people in front of him go around a somewhat precarious side path but he decided it would be safest and more important to clear the path so that others could get through. Many passed him as he labored to clear the path, yet none stopped to help him. At the bottom of the pile he found a bag with a substantial stash of gold coins in it. He thought that maybe one of the travelers had dropped it as they crossed so he having cleared the path completely, thus removing the hazard, then finished the race determined to find the owner of the coins. Upon completing the course he found that he was the last to finish the days journey and the King told him that the money he found was the prize for the winner. 

This story is not word for word of it's original source, nor do I know the source of it (if any of you do, I'd love to find out). It illustrates a very important point though. This life is not about who makes it back first. In this case it was the one who cared enough to try and make the path a little easier for everyone else that really go the reward. SO it is in this life. We must not be so focused on where we are going so as to miss the immediate and significant lessons we can learn exactly where we are. I love you all and hope that you have a great week!

Ayoo' Aniinishni

Elder McGarry

One hour after it STARTED raining

Three hours after it started raining. (Usually it's completely dry...)