New Beginnings

Dear Family and Friends,

I have had such a great Christmas! I hope all of you have as well! We had the storm of the decade for this area and as a result our church meetings were all cancelled :( That was kind of weird but we were able to be productive in the mean time. 

Earlier this year I asked some of you to send your testimony of the Book of Mormon to add in the copies that we give to people. I want to thank each of you that did that. This morning I was really studying the Book of Mormon and thinking about how I really feel about it. I learned so much in such a short time. Mostly I learned how much my testimony has strengthened this past year. I want to just write a part of what I wrote in my journal this morning: 

I would like to add my testimony to 12 others that you can read in the front of the Book, that the Book of Mormon is the voice of God to his children in all the earth. His voice through many of his Prophets has come forth to witness to the World that the Kingdom of God is again on the earth in it's fullness. The Book of Mormon is also a witness of God's love for his children which is manifest perfectly by the Savior Jesus Christ, his Only Begotten Son, of whom this book so boldly testifies. I know that this Book is true by the power of the Holy Ghost. I know that it is true in the same manner that Peter knew as exhibited in Matthew 15:16-18 that Jesus is "The Christ the son of the living God." This is the Spirit of God which reveals all things to the earnest seeker of truth. I also know that the Book of Mormon is true because it has changed every aspect of my life for the better. This is not my testimony alone, but it is echoed by millions across the world today and many more ancient and modern disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ and sons and daughters of the Most High God. 

It's not word for word, but I just felt like I needed to share that today, especially at the start of this new year. The opportunities to learn and change and become better are before us all, we have but to choose to reach out and take advantage of them. As we follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ our efforts are not only magnified, but they are intensified by a great urgency to become who we have been created to be. Simply put, to return and be in God's presence, as his sons and daughters with eternal life before us. There is still the warning to change what we are now, into what Christ himself taught us to become. To change is to repent, and turn ourselves back to the course on which we started out in this life, which is more than just getting by day to day. Life in the eternal perspective is beautiful, with all of the challenges and trials along the way. 

I hope that each of you have a great beginning to the new year. As Thomas S. Monson says, "The future is as bright as your faith." I also add my testimony to that. With the world we live in today, that is a pillar of truth that encourages us to look upward and onward undaunted and with confidence.

Elder McGarry 

 All Elders in our Zone on Christmas Morning with our "New to you" Ties :)

A view of ​the mountains called The Organs. My camera lens has such a wide angle it's hard to tell, but they look like organ pipes, and they are amazing!

Merry Christmas!!

Dear Family and Friends,

I am now serving in Las Cruces New Mexico, I have  a new companion who has been out for 5 weeks (Short transfer for Christmas) and we are serving in the Dona Ana & the Picacho wards of the Las Cruces stake. I am so excited to be here, ans we have already seen so many miracles just this week! There are two investigators planning to be baptized in January, and another young couple just moved into the ward of which the Husband stood and said "I'm not a member yet but I want to be Baptized." During Priesthood. Good things just seem to happen when you're doing what the Lord wants you to do, right? Not to say that all is rainbows and butterflies because it's not. I am often running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Yet everything seems to be so in order. The spirit guides and directs as we are in tune and willing to comply with it's promptings. 

Ok, My new address is 3240 Venus St. Apt 14 Las Cruces NM, 88012. I am actually living right next to the chapel again so that's nice! My companion is Elder Schmitt originally from Colorado (Near Denver) and more recently from Bransen Missouri. He is a great Elder, just out of the MTC. He came pre-trained in a lot of ways though. He is a great teacher and a great people person. I am excited to get to know him better and serve our hearts out here in this great area. The people here are pretty friendly for the most part. The first person I really talked to on my first day was a guy fixing his car. He said "I don't believe in anything", and that caught me off guard because I'm new to the whole OYMing thing again. But we left him with at least a bit of encouragement and a Christmas card. 

I'm excited to be in a new area again, but not excited that 14 months of my mission have flown by. I'll be enjoying every minute of these next ten months. I hope that all of you have a merry Christmas and I'll talk to a lot of you very soon!

 

Elder McGarry

 

 All four of us served on the Res! Alamo or Laguna​

 My New Companion Elder Schmitt

Vortex (Transfers again)

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Transfer news first: I received a call to a new area with another Brand New companion from the MTC! This is such a bittersweet moment. With so much going through my mind and happening in my life right now, I can only understand that the Lord is in control and he will put me where he needs me to be. I will send updated address and contact info as soon as I am settled in next week. All of your prayers and letters are greatly appreciated, I'm "feelin' the Love" I guess you could say. :)

 

It is an exhilarating time of year and there is never a moment to spare. If you think about how many things are competing for your attention right now, it could bring reasonable doubt for any hope of believing there can be peace and stillness in our lives. Yet with an understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ there is a perfect stillness and purity that rises above all else. Eternal Life is what we all came here to achieve, and yet there are so many things that when we get focused in on them our vision becomes blurred and we forget the simplicity of pure truth. What voice are we really listening to? The voice of the spirit will clearly lead us in the path to this greatest gift of God, Eternal Life.

 

We had a mission conference this week, it was very powerful. For me I have to examine myself through yet another view of the refining process. To start where we are is the only reasonable request any servant of God can make. God doesn't expect perfection over night, then how or why could we ever expect it right now from others and then simply excuse each of our shortcomings and often similar mistakes to those we see in others. A view of indicators of conversion can help us to quickly identify where to improve. Elder Bennett who addressed us in the conference outlined four characteristics of God's Elect right now. First they must hear the voice of Lord (D&C 1:38 "...whether by mine own voice, or the voice of my servants it is the same.") Second they must Harden NOT their hearts. Third we must be Willing to believe that which we hear. Lastly, we must harken unto the council. Would it not be sin if we knew something could be true and we did not try to apply it? This is God's pattern. He will never coerce or deceive anyone into following him. Instead, we by our own will and desires are lead to "strange roads" through life because of our own hard heartedness or doubt or willful ignorance of and against pure simple truth. Again I add, we start from where we are now, and TRY our best to follow the Lord, and he will powerfully and perfectly testify to us in a very personal and individual way that what we are doing is pleasing unto him. With this witness we are strengthened in our Faith and we have built upon the Rock of Revelation which is the fountain of all truth and knowledge, and wisdom. This is how we are more lead to a deeper and more meaningful conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This I have seen countless times as I have served among the wonderful people here in Alamo. I have learned much from the people here, and I will ever be grateful. I feel like I am leaving a little piece of my heart behind. My Mom once taught me that she was scared to have her second child because she didn't feel like she could "divide" the love she had for her first child. After giving birth she realized that she did not have to divide her love, instead it would be multiplied and magnified in this new venture. That is how I feel right now.

 

I am excited for a new adventure, and who knows what awaits! May each of you be blessed and truly find peace this Christmas season not because of the season, but because of the reason. As my favorite Scriptures says (No time to write it all) 1 Peter 3: 15-18. Needless to say, the Gospel of Jesus Christ is perfect and it brings me such peace, no matter what vortex of the world swirls around.

 

Ayoo' Iniinishni

 

Elder McGarry 

 Us and the senior missionaries assigned from the Stake. Elder and Sister Kinsley.

Me and Elder Summers (From Tremonton UT!) up the canyon on P-Day​

Revelation

Dear Family and Friends,

 

I want to start off by saying that this week I am e-amiling early because of a mission conference tomorrow. Also, next week is transfer week (One week early) because of Christmas the week after that.. ALREADY!!! Where has time gone? Can I please just stay here forever? My heart is breaking a little thinking about how short the time is. But I know I will be where the Lord wants me to be when he wants me to be there because I trust that through his revelations comes all knowledge and wisdom, worlds without end. Sorry, that's just a piece of my soul out there, but I couldn't stop it. So what you need to know is two Monday P-days in a row, this week and next week. I don't know if I'll be transferred or not yet but time will tell, and I'm not going to worry about it.

 

This week has been pretty emotional for me. So many things going on that are just little tests from the Lord and through each of these experiences I have felt his love and mindfulness of ME more than any other time can think of. You know those times when you just feel like it can't get much better than this, well I'd say that but I know God would just laugh because this doesn't even begin to compare with eternal life.

 

So what happened? Well we have had a couple of days that were really bad because of so many events going on that people from the Res just disappeared. In those moments if you don't have revelation you might as well be a rock in the middle of the road because that is how I felt a couple of times. And just in one such moment as that we felt that we should go to a less active that we can never catch at home. So with the member driving we headed that way (to Egypt as we call it because it opens up into a big flat plain). At the top of a hill there was a truck that ran out of gas right in the middle of the road. We go tout and helped push them to the side and then they switched gas tanks (Don't know why they didn't think of that sooner) jumped their truck and they went on their way. After that we got to the member's house and they were not home. Well at that moment was when the Lord reminded us of a former investigator family who lived close by. As we got there we were invited in for the first time in who knows how long. We taught one of the most powerful lessons on the restoration I have ever been in. We gave a blessing to each of their children and by that time the I just felt like commanding a mountain to move because I knew I could. Well, wait a minute! slow down there my friend, I didn't actually do that because I know it was not really me doing any of this. But I do know, by this and countless other experiences, that God speaks to his children! If we are willing to listen and act on the promptings that we receive then we can know that with a perfect knowledge. My companion said something that applies to this. It was something along the lines of "A testimony that we keep to ourselves is not a testimony at all. If we share it we not only keep it, we strengthen it. If we do not share it, we lose it." It is as simple as that. I hope that each of you are seeing the revelations of God in your life, if not (Mosiah 4:10-12) there needs to be a change because you are living FAR below your privileges! That being said, there is no depth, nor breadth, nor height that can escape the understanding and Love of God. I love you all so very much, and I hope that this week is fantastic for each of you. Though life is not always like a warm summer day, peaceful and calm, our hearts and souls can be with a knowledge of our Father in heaven and his Son Jesus Christ who made it possible by his atoning sacrifice.  

 

Ayoo' Aniinishni​​ 

 

Elder McGarry

 

 A little blurry but this is of Exchanges with Elder Walch (and Elder Dunn creepin' in the background.)​

The view from the front porch of our trailer this morning as the sun rose.

December

Dear Family and Friends,

 

I know you already know it's December but I was reminded this morning by a chilling zero degree temperature outside! I did not expect that at all, but it's not entirely surprising. God kind of does things his way and that's all that needs to be said about it.

 

For Thanksgiving I was privileged to take part I a sheep slaughter yet again :) That is going to be a memory that I never forget! The rest of the day we spent with several different families in the Branch and had an overabundance of food, true to typical holiday experiences. Not to take away from that by any means my favorite part of the week was on Sunday because there were some talks that really gave me the uplifting that I needed. One quote that I remember specifically is from a conference talk we listened to in our combined third hour by President Uchtdorf "Gratitude is the catalyst of all other Christ-like attributes." I realized how true that is. Another thing that I liked from this talk was the recognition that if we cannot find something to be grateful for in every circumstance then we have great need to repent. There is always something to be grateful for.

 

I am not going to endeavor to recount all of the things I am grateful for, but I do want to tell each of you that read this, you are reason enough to be grateful for a lifetime. All of you are such a strength to me and I wouldn't be who I am today if not for you. 

 

The work on Alamo is progressing. We are finding a lot of success with members that are truly turning to missionary work with full force. One Our branch Presidency is so very supportive and they sacrifice so much for the well being of the members and investigators here. It is humbling to see that week after week month after month, year after year their service has been dedicated and patient and loving. We also have a couple of members that are on fire. To quote one that goes out with us twice a week nearly every week "If you really give your whole heart and your whole soul to God, he will help you." I love that. My mom always taught me that the Lord really doesn't require much, just your heart. I know that this is true and I am glad to be able to say that I represent Christ in some small way. Not because I am perfect, in fact I am far from it, but because as it says in Psalm 19:7 "The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple." I sure try to overcomplicate things but the Lord reminds me daily that the simplicity of his Gospel is perfect wisdom. This month is a time to reflect on the birth of our savior, and I would add your birth and every day up until now. Everything about Heavenly Father's plan is perfect and so right now for each of us is a perfect opportunity to follow His plan and be committed to live our lives in Glory to his name. I love you each very much! Have a great week! 

 

Ayoo Aniinishni 

Elder McGarry

The Sheep of choice for the day. (It jumped over me when I bent down to stop it's charge the first time​!)

I'll refrain from sending the others. I'll take some more and send them next week!