I'm alive and Well :)

Dear Friends and Family,

This week, I am writing to tell you that I am alive and well. My new address is: 4400 Presidential Dr. NE Suite E Albuquerque NM, 87109. I'll just be getting mail from the mission office now since it is very near where I actually live. I will likely be staying in this area, the La Cueva Ward and the Rivers Edge YSA for the remainder of my mission! That's exciting :)

We are teaching a few people right now, most of which I have not met yet... But I'll keep you up to date on that. I read Alma 5 this week, and it works great for those who have thought to themselves "Man, I'd really like to have a personal interview with a Prophet." Lots of questions on that chapter that can really gauge where we stand with our father in heaven. 

Love you all!! Have a great week!

 

Elder McGarry

 

Hike on the Top of the Sandia Mountains!! Beautiful, and Cold!! It must have been 50 degrees or something!!! ;)​

Understanding

Dear Family,

Apparently there has been mix up on my most current address. Sorry about that! My mailing address is 12 North Country Club Rd, Santa Teresa, NM 88008. Now before ya'll get gun happy and send a bunch of things, We have transfers on May 2 so I may or may not be moving again. We'll find out as that day approaches, but I don't fully anticipate leaving. This makes a perfect prelude to my topic of insight today, that is understanding. 

Matt. 13:19, 23 talks expressly about the parable of the sower of seeds. It talks about how understanding is an essential element of progression, just a place of dirt is an essential part of a plant's initial start in development. We spoke to a lady this week who was a very devout baptist, and had great faith in Jesus Christ. We commended her for that and proceeded to ask how that faith has blessed her life. When the moment presented itself, we asked her if she had heard of the Book of Mormon, to which she replied yes. We didn't get anywhere after that as she seemed to shut out anything we said. Had she listened and even gave a moment of opportunity to think about the words that we said, she would have at least been given the privilege to ponder the reality of Christ's divine Atonement and Resurrection and a biblically prophesied second witness of that Eternally life altering event. Since the seed had already been considered and cast out as a thing of no worth, when it was brought into view it was quickly ignored and again rejected. This is the sad reality of how many people view such a simple truth, thanks to the misinformation, confusion, greed, pride and any number of other characteristics and devices that the devil uses to blind the eyes and harden the hearts of people today. 

How can anyone overcome such a nemesis that has so deeply rooted and so thoroughly intertwined itself with nearly all that is good and true in this world? By simple and pure knowledge of God's eternal laws, of the divinity of life and our potential as literal sons and daughters of the most High God. But just telling someone that will not drown out the voices and continuous and monotonous drone of the meaningless comparisons and advertisements of our world. This is something that must be shown to someone in a personal way, and in a setting where they may feel comfortable and open to learn what it means to be a son or daughter of God. Where they can practice without fear of ridicule, or despair because they feel like they are the only one even trying. Is not this why we have been commanded to reach out in love to all those around us? We may not change the world by making friends with the neighbor down the street who lost a loved one recently. Nor will we be given any pay raise for seeking to lighten the load of a coworker who is struggling to make ends meet. But it will make an everlasting impact on that one person. Which is more than anyone can say about winning an Olympic Gold Medal, or even the Nobel Prize. Not to discount these prestigious achievements nor anyone who has reached a level of acclamation, but these things are merely remembered for long. So my question to pose would be, are we happily allowing the knowledge we have to waste away in self gratifying procedures of "holiness" or are we doing something about becoming some small measure closer to the example of Christ in selfless service and devoted care to all who are in his path. This is what I would want someone to ask me as I tend to count my blessings and smugly express gratitude for them in the quite solitude of the lovely home I live in. To understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ is an eternally significant blessing, what are we doing to help those around us see this? It takes more than giving a Book of Mormon, It takes more than inviting them to Church. It is not very hard either! It takes a true friend. Someone that cares, that gives, that shares, and then encourages to do the same. The Gospel will roll forth with power as we allow it to in our own lives and the lives of those directly around us in whatever place we may be. If we all truly understood this, then it would be glorious day. That is my hope and prayer. 

I send my love and my thanks to each of you. You are all such fantastic people and great examples! Let's keep getting better each and every day, but let's not forget the race is not to get there the fastest, it is to get there with those we love, and he who loves much will receive the same in turn. 

Have a great week!!!

 

Elder McGarry

 

 I ran into a good good friend at the mission office this last week! He was in my first area, Brother Raya!

 

This is the truth.. Green Chile addict for life. :)

Closeness

Dear Family and Friends,

I am going to be brief this week. We have been kind of all over the place with conference, and then a trip to Albuquerque for council meetings, then Zone Training on Friday. We had a couple of good lessons last week.

First was with Frank. He really is not progressing anywhere very fast. We have been pretty discouraged about how to even help him, and ultimately we feel that he doesn't understand the importance nor the requirement, nor relative simplicity of repentance. I have said more and more, if there is one thing that I want people to learn from meeting with us it is to repent. Repent early, repent often and repent completely. It's not worth living life bogged down with guilt and shame, and the burden of our own weakness and stupidity when through the atonement of Christ we can be free from all of that. I love the talk from Conference that related how in the sense of welfare and people feeling entitled or expectant of relief when they are further away from the source the help is coming from. The same is very true in our lives as we withdraw from being close to our Father in Heaven and the reality of the Savior's Atonement we are more likely to be expectant and demanding in the things we think should happen in our lives. Another Lesson was with Eric. We taught of being humble by choice rather than being compelled. We also committed him to quit smoking and with his permission and willful consent, confiscated and destroyed his pack of cigarettes he had bought that morning. That is a repentant heart. Thought the journey is not always easy, it is both a commandment and a blessing to allow us to become better and stronger than we have been ever before.

The way that I have had to draw closer to my Father in Heaven is through more meaningful prayer. I relate it to Rock climbing. When you approach a climb you study and identify the route which will provide the most effective ascent. Before you aver start, you attach yourself to the anchors with your harness and a rope that is connected to another person who is there to catch you if you fall, and offer a wider perspective of the rock face as you are clinging onto a portion and you may not be able to see what is around you. Before you begin, you double check ropes knots, and lock gates on the belay device to make sure they are all in proper order. In prayer, I have had to slow down and ponder on the path that I have walked during the day, and the route which I am going to try to take the next day. Then I have had to double check my "gear" being my heart and intent before I truly approach the throne of our Eternal God and Father. This is my way of drawing closer to Heavenly Father, and it may not be the same for everyone. I invite you to ponder on your prayer, and to consider how you can make it more meaningful, heartfelt and truly sincere. I love you all! Have a great week!

 

Elder McGarry

 

 Wrestling with a rattlesnake

 We finally found a way to cool off outside! Thank goodness for windows that roll down ;)​

 

 Bonus pic sent by text message this week

Cohesiveness

Dear Family and Friends,

I'm going to try to do things a little differently this time. As I was waiting for my companion to use the restroom during a hymn in a conference session I started to fill his water bottle. A few thoughts went through my head: First, I wish I had my water bottle so I could get a drink. Second, no then I'd have to go to the bathroom and I'd miss out on a good talk! Third, But I need to stay Hydrated like sister Miller said! Fourth, What am I doing?!! I don't need a water bottle to get a drink I can take a drink right now while I'm at the fountain! 

A few things I learned here. Stay hydrated. That's just a good thing to do. Another thing is sometimes I have a one track mind and I get so focused on one way of doing things that I forget to just be where I am and do what needs to be done right now. I had gotten so wound up in what I was going to do later about what I was preparing now that I nearly neglected to do what I should have just done right then. 

Looking at a spiritual standpoint, I think that in some ways we try to bottle up all the good stuff to share and to give to people that we want to help and forget to allow from the abundance of God to partake of his goodness ourselves. Sometimes I want to help someone so badly that I just ache inside and I forget that the goodness of Christ is for All times, even when we have the Godly sorrow that he wants us to have which inspires and urges us to become better. 

Cohesiveness is another term I like to use for spiritual, social and emotional interdependence. Just like nature has it's natural disasters, it also has it's natural way of sorting things out and bringing balance or homeostasis. This is described also quite beautifully in Mosiah 18:9-21. In our missionary work we are mostly looking for new investigators right now in our area since the ones we are working with are not making any real steps forward. As we do that I have come to realize that we have been imbalanced in not being a cohesive unit with the ward. Just taking a step back and realizing that the spirit is there, and is guiding so many things in my life is such a comfort, and I know that there are many people who are just waiting to be found as we work together in cohesiveness. Or in the words of Alma, with our hearts knit together as one. May we all strive to be more cohesive with the spirit and with our surroundings and always be ready to give an answer of the hope that is in us. I love you all! Have a great week!

-- by

Elder McGarry

 Helping the Hermanas move​

Breakfast

Bonus pics that were sent this week from the Edwards who are a CES missionary couple, they said Elder McGarry helped with a record time move for some sister missionaries between conference sessions. They love serving with Jacob. :)