See you soon!

Dear Family and Friends,

Not much time today. Transfers are all underway and we are geting things wrapped up! 

​Tomorrow I'll be at the SLC airport there have been some lapses in Itineraries getting where they need to go, but my flight is Delta #4862 from ABQ to SLC departing around noon. From there it's truly a new begining. 

Thanks for all of you who have supported me, and encouraged me. I have gained much from you and I am so grateful for each of you!​

--

Elder McGarry

My Last Car Selfie (From this side)​

104

Dear Family and Friends,

This week begins my last week #104 approximately (I haven't really counted). I can say that these last two years have literally changed my eternity. The 15th of October this week marks the two year to the day that I was dropped of at the MTC by my family. I still remember like it was yesterday the feelings of the unknown and the excitement and energy. I have been blessed to serve in the greatest cause known to man and the whole purpose of the initiation of creation, to bring to pass the salvation of souls of God's children. It is hard to believe that two years have gone by so fast, but the best is still yet to come. I have learned to trust my Heavenly Father through thick and thin. Through challenges I didn't think I could possibly overcome at times, the Lord has magnified my best effort and made me a better person. 

I have had an outpouring of the spirit this past week in providing blessings and teaching people about pure simple truths that make an eternal change in people's lives and I am so grateful! I have felt the spirit confirm that thought there is much to do elsewhere my work here is nearly finished. I can feel him preparing me to make this transition and the allegory of the olive trees comes to life here when I think about being grafted into another part of the vinyard. I am excited for the change, yet still I am sad to go. I have grown to love the people here in Albuquerque and the surrounding regions so much. I will always have a part of my heart here in the southwest! 

Looking forward I have an eye of faith knowing that the challenges to come will stretch and grow me beyond what I am rigth now. I think it's perfect for me to see that 104 could be a percentage of effort that needs to be put in. I want nothing more than to please my Father in Heaven and return home to live with him again. I know he loves me, I know he is ready to support me in every trial, to help me use the gifts and abilities I've been given to help those around me wherever I am. 

To those who may be considering a mission, Do it. No questions asked I would not trade these experiences and time I have spent here for anything in this world. To those I'll see soon, I'm Excited to see you!

Mark your calendars-

My homecoming talk will be given on Octpber 30th. Chapel and meeting time:

Bridgerland Park 3rd ward, and the meeting begins at 11 am, 280 W 1200 N. Logan, Utah. I would love to see all of you there if you can make it, if not I understand and look forward to seeing you at another time. 

 

In case I don't get a chance between running around with new missionaries next week I'll say now thank you. Thank you to all of you who have supported me and given me the encouragement and love that I needed in times you may not have even known I needed it. I am so grateful to know each of you and I love you!

Have a great week! Catch you on the other side..

Elder McGarry

My companions and I this morning after our workout.

 At the Office

Pure, Simple, Powerful

Dear Family and Friends,

I have missed almost more weeks than I've written it seems these past few times. As you can imagine, I've had a lot of time to reflect these past few weeks on the time I've spent here in New Mexico. I am humbled and sincerely grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission. This General Conference has been on of the most powerful and yet one of the most simple that I have ever been able to watch. I was very touched by the frequent and earnest invitations to make our prayers more meaningful and more faithful. How true is that? It is so easy to let the daily prayers we offer become more and more of a checklist item, especially if we are "too busy" to take time to ponder and take real consideration for the specific needs that we have, or the specific blessings we hope to obtain. At least for me I have too common taken the approach of praying for the strength to do it on my own, not considering the essiential element of Grace that enables us to do things beyond my own abilities. I have seen miralces in my life, yet if I were to go back and restart now, I would exercise greater faith in the possibility of greater and more frequent miracles. That being said, I now know that with this lifeline of prayer and with the desire to see the kingdom of God roll forth in greater haste will bring greater miracles to come as I exercise that faith from this time forward. 

We had a few minutes left after finishing planning on Sunday night at the office, so we decided we would stop by the gas station to wipe some bird droppings that had situated themselves on the front windshield with some siginifcant amount of adhesive white matter which was obnoxiously obstructing our view. As we were there we had time to talk to a few last people, and after having a few come and go, not too interested I engaged a young man who was just returning from the convenience store to his vehicle. After talking for a few minutes he opened up and asked what I had meant about the prophet and apostles on the Earth today. He asked if they perform miralces, and for some examples. I then proceeded to portray one of the most marvelous miracles of our day when a 14 year old boy, earnestly seeking to know God's will sought his council through sincere, meaningful and faithful prayer. As a result he saw God our Eternal Father and his Son Jesus Christ, he proceeded from that time forth to hearken to the voice of the Lord in the most exact and diligent way he possibly could. Eventually that lead to the revelation of a book, some 531 pages after being tranlated from ancient reformed egyptian by the power of God, for the boy had but a 3rd grade education and couldn't hardly form a dignified sentance let alone an entire book, no matter what the size. The Book of Mormon is truly one of the most miraculous miracles of our day. As we spoke the spirit descended and he was visibly touched. A little fear came over him as he realized a couple of things. Since 4 years ago he had recovered from a heroine addiction which he had fueled daily totaling in cost of about a half a million dollars as he described, in order to do that he had to rely on the faith he had fostered in Christ and his study he regularly engaged in with the Bible. He said that there are times that he doesn't understand the bible and he wants to be able to grasp that first before he tries anything else. While the spirit did touch his heart and he did learn some important eternal truths, he was not invested and excited to accept the message. He casually accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon and confirmed that the spirit had witnessed the truth of the things we had taugth him. This is something I share to imply an important point. One singular event in a persons life CAN create a pivitol turning point and lead them home. But with so many voices, and so many distractions and deceptions in the world we live in it is almost an instictive natural man kind of thing to become desensitized to the truth. To become so far removed from the sorce of light and truth that even a ray of light seems dismal and even annoying to those who may enjoy the darkness. But as with anything, if it is persistant it will always cause us to react even if we didn't choose to act in the first place. In that same perspective as someone reacts to that light and their eyes are able to adjust to see more clearly hey may catch a vision of what is awaiting them if the come to the light and allow it to envelope their lives. This is what the power of a member missionary can do. As a full-time missionary we may come in contact with some great number of people on a day to day basis teaching and testifying and shedding light on the confusion and decepctions of today's daunting world. Yet someone who has not had time for their spiritual eyes to adjust is simply annoyed or possibly just temproarily looking in the right direction but immediately they are surrounded by the same influences and confusions they had been dealing with before. But someone who can wrap their arms around that person and be with them, meet them where they are and then regularly and possitively shed that light with some gradual degree of increasing intensity will make changes that cannot be made by one singular glimer of light. I hope with all my heart that the light we hold as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will not be set under a bushel. I pray in faith, knowing that each of us KNOW already someone who can use a greater measure of that light in their life right now, that the spirit will give us the courage and the clarity to meet them where they are and to gradually shed that light in their lives so that they can recognize and partake of the joy this Gospel brings. I hope that each of you have agreat week, and that you may recognize the hand of the Lord in performing the greatest miracle of all, the miracle of conversion, each day in your lives and the lives of those around you. 

Elder McGarry

 

 

Divine Identity

Dear Family and Friends,

We've had a whirlwind of spiritual feasting this past little bit. We recently had a special MLC with Elder Kevin W. Pearson of the 70. He had some profound wisdom 

​ that he imparted to us. Actually it's not anything we didn't know before and he made that very plain, and so does the Primary song "I am A Child of God." He emphasized that this is the most important thing we can teach to anyony and to do that simply and powerfully we have to understand "Who" we are. It is easy to identify ourselves as such, but to understand it and act like it is something immensly more powerful than anything else we can do. When Satan came tempting Moses the response was quick and undaunted "Where is thy Glory, for I am a Son of God." Yet the Master deceiver still today is skillfully and craftily blinding so many from what and who they really are. This causes us to become objects victim to whatever circumstances we may find ourselves in. In reality we are all agents, given the gift of Agency to act and to choose liberty and Eternal Life. It is a diliberate action to be faithful, not just a happenstance that some people fall into because they were born to a family, or in culture were people beleive a certain way. Yes these things do influence us, but they are not the sum total of who we are nor who we are to become. Our true identity is reflective of our divine destiny if we so choose to follow the path which allows us to return home to the presence of our Eternal Father. 

​We had a cool Miracle on Saturday. A media referral came in for a girl named Natalie. As we taught her about the Godhead the spirit filled the room. It was a powerful lesson and I was so grateful for the good example of friends that she has had up to this point in her life that got her to where she is now. Something else that I have heard a lot recently is a qoute from President Kimbal I think that says "I've seen a lot of miracles in my life-time, but the greatest miracle of all is the miracle of converesion." I agree with that wholeheartedly. Natalie agreed to be baptized, and we will work toward a date in the coming weeks. We've had very little time in our area, but the Lord still provided a way for us to reach our goals. We have been riding bikes as often as time permits which is so great! I wish I had taken the chance to do that earlier in my mission, though I guess it would have helped to have a bike. The work rolls on. Tow more zone conferences this week, and general conference this weekend. I'm ready to have that refuel of the spirit to boost me up even more to where I need to be. I love you all and hope you have a great week!

 

Elder McGarry

 

 

 Last week in El Paso

 

Our Zone at the Temple Yesterday

 

 

A Day in The Life, Sort of :)

Dear Family and Friends,

It is a Beautiful day in New Mexico! I wanted to share a brief glimpse of a Monday in the life of Elder McGarry. After finishing planning with President Guffey for the next four weeks to keep up to date on everything we return to our apartment to set goals and then plan our day to be filled with proselyting activities and meaningful ways to go spread the gospel (A good day always starts with a good plan). By that time, it's later than I ever feel like it should be (Does time just disappear?). Then I journal for the day, and we take full advantage of the only allowed ​"​nap time​"​ in our schedule. After an unknown amount of time we get up to pray and start exercising at 6:30. I have recently taken to eating cereal in the mornings which I have grown less and less fond of, but due to its convenience and timely preparation, or lack thereof :)​,​

 it is a regular occurrence. We study the scriptures, and this Monday was unique in that we returned to the Mission home to do some training conference calls​.​ Two of those last two hours each, in which the trio of my companion, myself, and President Guffey instructed some of the other leaders in the mission as to their specific duties and counseled on meaningful ways to fulfill them. We learned a lot form that. After that we discussed the upcoming transfer and ​planned​ a jump start on preparation due to the massive influx of missionaries coming in​, 25 with only 9 going home​.​

​ ​

S​poradically throughout the day we took calls from

​ ​

​m​issionaries asking about ​a special MLC on Friday, and about other questions they need addressed pertaining to specific things with the work. ​​And I decided that is getting a little boring. Anyway, it’s been fun. 

My point in writing some of this down is that my companion and I weer talking about how nothing else really seems real. Missionary work is all we think, talk, dream, or even breathe. At dinner last night there was a conversation some children were having about super heroes and even that was just a step in to an alternate reality. I feel yet, I know it is there and I understand it, it's just so far removed from who I am and what I do. I can't help but think that with that perspective I can see a little bit better how much our Father in Heaven pays attention to us, and how much he cares. I can imagine that as was stated by Jeffery R. Holland, "The first and great eternal truth is that God loves us with all his might, mind, and strength." His focus is simple, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Nothing else matters as much to him as the simple invitation to "Come Home", or in other words, "Yea, come unto Christ and be perfected in him." This is not to say that God doesn't care about the little things that we care about, but he wants nothing more for us than to be passionate about our own personal conversion, and the conversion of those that we have power given to us to influence for good. 

In our work right now, we are seeking to find people to teach. Many of the people we were working with have cut off contact or are too busy to meet as of late. Much of what we are doing is working to build ward mission plans and coordinate with the members, then working on finding efforts of our own. 

Miracles are happening throughout the mission! It's great to see!

I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder McGarry

                                                            Last MLC        

                                    A friend from a previous area, ALAMO! :)​

Missed One!

Dear Family and Friends,

Sorry I missed my main e-mail last week. We got tied up with some long lists of things to do for this week, so unfortunately I wasn't able to get one sent off. 

As for the work here, it is really cool being able to have a portion of foresight in preparing for things to come in the next few months. I have really come to love the principle of planning, even though I am not the best at it I realize more an dmore how important it is in our everyday lives. I really hope and pray that for the major goals we have set in our area that we'll see the miracles yet to happen through applying what I have learned thus far on my mission. Truly learning is an eternal process, and I am grateful for that. I love the fact that transfers are much like any phase of life. Somtimes you know where you're going, sometimes you don't. Either way the Lord has a plan and it will usually work out in the long runeven if it's not the way we anticipate. Ok enough rambling.

This week my Testimony has been strengthened on the principles of faith and prayer. Many prayers have been answered before my eyes and many others that I may not even be aware of that I believe are for the good of all God's children who seek to love and serve him. I have also realized more what it means to hear the voice of the Lord. In D&C 18 it talks about the call to seek out the 12 apostles, and how they can be recognized. It says by their desires and their works you shal know them. Further it explains that the words that are written are the words of Christ. Those that have desire to know can ask and receive. The words that are written plainly express that it is only by the power of God that we can have them. It was really powerful to read that. Bold and very loving as the words of truth are. Manifested by the spirit and by the power of God it has brought peace to my soul knowing that revelation continues today. Too often we get into the Groove of things and we get scared to step outside of the way things are supposed to be. STOP it. The Atonement is all for the purpose of change. If we are alwys doing the same thing and hoping to get different results we are just insane. The blessings of true and complete repentance are releif, peace, great confidence in our Father in Heaven's love for us despite our weaknesses, as well as a fresh perspective on life, ourselves, and the world around us. Through prayer these and many other blessings can be ours on a daily basis. Real intent is teh key. Tiyng back to a previous statement, God knows our real intent by our desires and our works. No-one else will know perfectly, or can know our deepest desires but our Father in Heaven does. And oh how he wants our righteous desires to become a reality! We just don't allow him to when we choose to follow a different path. I hope and pray that each of us may recognize more clearly the voice of the Lord in our lives and partake of the peace and blessings abundantly available. Recgnize the beauty of creation. Actually take a minute to stop and think about it. Right now. I love you all! have a great day!

 

Elder McGarry

 

 Our current Trio, Elder Garnder​, Larkin and McGarry. Or McGardkin :)

 

Albuquerque Sunsets. The running joke is that if there was nothing below the horizon New Mexico could be one of the most beautiful states!

 

 

Peace in This World

Dear Family and Friends,

It was quite a shock to hear of my grandmother's passing last night. I can honestly say that one of the hardest things I have ever done was to say goodbye to my grandma not knowing if I would see her again in this life. She was one of my closest friends. Someone that I grew up around, and laughed with, and served (albeit begrudgingly at times), and above all someone that helped me see more of my own potential than I could have grasped on my own. It doesn't feel like it has really sunk in yet. I just want everyone to know how much I love her and how much I look forward to seeing her again on that beautiful bright millennial day. Most of what I feel can't be put into words, but what I can describe is a reassuring sense of peace. The few times I considered the possibility of this happening I imagined that there would be pain, and sorrow and anguish. While admitting I am indeed saddened by the occurrence, I am yet swallowed up in the joy of the resurrection. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ" "For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 

I send my love and deepest wishes of peace for each of you that have been affected by her passing. 

I need to clarify something that has been in confusion. Then I won't bring it up again because I don't want to dwell on it. My I will be flying home on October 19 around the middle of the day. Exact times during the day will be given the week before I leave, otherwise I will refer you back to this statement. That being said I'll shift gears to missionary mindset. 

The past week has been spent on exchanges with all the Zone Leaders throughout the mission. 11 companionships in 5 days is a fair amount to coordinate, luckily this is the Lord's work and he makes things work out the way they need to. I have been made more abundantly aware of what great missionaries and young men we have as Latter-Day Saints. To add to that I have seen first-hand the mighty change of heart wrought in a dear friend who was recently baptized. Chris shared his testimony with me and two other missionaries and the spirit pierced my heart. I haven'e felt the spirit so strongly for quite a while, and the amazing part is that his words were plain easy to be understood by anyone who would have heard. Yet the power truly shook me to the core. Faith in Jesus Christ is essential first. Repentance is change wrought within us; both a commandment and a blessing it allows a way that we don't have to suffer, we don't have to hurt, we don't have to have the pain of guilt and shame. These are not the exact words Chris shared, though in similar fashion I echo the message that was witnessed to by him. Though I have learned a lot this week, much yet do I lack which encourages me to push forward undaunted by the weakness of my flesh. The spirit carries us through when we learn to rely on it and trust in our Father and His Plan. By so doing we shall have peace in this life and following the Gospel plan allows us to be heirs of Eternal Life. Potential to become like our Father in Heaven.

I love you all! Have a great week!

 

Elder McGarry

The Bands

Dear Family and Friends,

First and foremost the biggest changes as of late is the transition of our Mission President, as you know President and Sister Miller have completed their service and will be greatly missed. The Lord knows what he is doing though, and President and Sister Guffey have surely been prepared and qualified for the stewardship bestowed upon them now. In use the first day of interacting with them we have felt a great deal of love and appreciation for them. I look forward to serving with them and continuing serve in this great mission!

I learned a very important Lesson from our stake president this last week. He was teaching about the experience Nephi had in the Book of Mormon when his brothers bound him with strong cords and decided  to leave him for the wild beasts a return to Jerusalem. He prayed to the Lord that he could be given the strength to burst the bands. In this there is insight alone, that he was able to recognize his own need to put forth great effort to obtain the desired result. In this he still realized that he would likely fall short he sought the help of his Father in Heaven early, before he had even engaged in the action he was about to perform. The response was immediate and possibly a little unexpected as "the bands were loosed." At that moment we realize his pure intent was not just to get away form his brothers or the harm that they constantly try to inflict upon him but rather to stand forth in the truth of what is God's will. He stood forth and spoke to them admonishing them to keep the commandments of God. later as they are on the ship traveling to the Promised land he again is bound and fastened to the mast of the ship amidst a terrible raging storm. He must have thought to himself "how long must I endure this, I have been in a similar circumstance before and the outcome was as I anticipated." On this occasion we know that he was retained by these cords which rubbed his wrists raw and caused swelling in great measure. Yet still he was patient in his tribulation not once murmuring against the will of God, in whom he trusted perfectly. So I our lives we have storms that come and go, but in all things our relationship with our Savior is what will carry us through. Our first response may be to react with natural questions of, How is this possible, why, what is the reason for this, who would do this, what will I become of this, why is this so hard, can I really make it through this? To these questions the only solace that is lasting and eternal stems from one pure doctrine which is central to the reason for everything that has ever been or ever will be, the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He, the creator of worlds, condescended below all of creation, suffered in an unfathomable way for each and every one of us and then rose above every challenge, temptation and trial, sin and even death. What greater hope for peace can one have? What greater motivation can anyone find to love, pure and unrestrained, a person who would do such a thing simply because he loves you. he just asks us to hold on, to recognize that without tasting the bitter, the pain and the suffering that we would not be able to even understand, let alone appreciate the good. We can try to bandage wounds, and that may hold for a time, but the only way to be healed is to let Christ take you into his arms, and fill you with his love. That is something that is worth waiting for, whether it be on a boat tied to the mast awaiting the storm caused by those whom we are trying to love and help, or in our world so full of people yet having a feeling of hopelessness and loneliness or indifference because no matter what, in a world of comparing and contrasting there will always be someone somewhere who is better, or smarter, or cooler, or prettier, or richer, or (insert comparative category here) in some way. To these feelings and thoughts the Savior offers but one simple phrase with perfect authority and power;
"Peace, be still."

In our teaching we have been greatly blessed with finding a new investigator named Dustin. Also two others we have been working with are preparing to be baptized on July 16th. more updates to come. I love you all so very much, and hope you have. A fantastic week!

--
Elder McGarry

Pics Coming
​P1 - President and Sister Miller at the Mission Home before departing. ​
P2 - Our new phrase for pictures taking is "Do something you'll remember..." Results? disastrous but I decided I'll share anyway. :)

Lack Excuse

Dear Family and Friends,

I am serving with another awesome companion named Elder Gardner. He is from South Jordan UT, and he has served in almost every ward in this stake. We also served in the El Paso 5th ward as our most recent previous area. So that's pretty awesome! I'm excited to be here with him. 

As for the area, we just got dropped by one of our main investigators yesterday. That is sad. The other people we are teaching are making slow steady progress. One is named Chris, he is from the San Felipe Pueblo just North of Bernalillo County and has been meeting with missionaries for a LONG time. But he is super awesome. The biggest thing that keeps him form being baptized is that he doesn't feel like he'll be able to keep reading and praying every day. He doesn't want to be a hypocrite basically. How true, I think sometimes we get far too complacent, and let these things slip by with the justification of doing more important things. I read from Jesus the Christ this morning and I wrote this quote on my planner for the transfer: "Never seek to excuse yourself by the despicable but all too common subterfuge of presumptuously charging culpability on another." I think that in any case excuses are such an unsuccessful way to do anything. If all we ever do is offer up excuses for our shortcomings we will remain stagnant, and even digress. If instead we are willing as it says in James 5: 16 to confess our faults to ourselves most importantly and also to those around us, then through effort and substantial and meaningful prayer we can truly grow beyond our own imagination. That I testify of. We all have faults, it's no secret. If we are to become one in mind and in heart, or in fact to reach any level of Zion, we must start by offering our own weaknesses and shortcomings on the sacrificial table. Our own disobedience must be rectified, especially before we go trying to tell another how to move forward. I had the chance to take a departing missionary around for part of the day yesterday and I loved that he told me in essence one of the biggest things he learned on his mission is to live the gospel. It's hard to describe the true sense of that phrase without experiencing it. Some of the results are shown in things like: A deep desire to serve those around you setting aside your own wants and even needs at times, A strong pull to go to the temple and learn of the truths of the Kingdom of God regularly, A necessity and longing to partake of the sacrament knowing our need for the grace of Christ in our lives and still being conscious of the changes we must make in our character to be more like him, and many more things like these. 

The teaching will continue to go forth and we will be preparing to do MLC this week and Zone conferences coming up in the middle of May. I am going to have lots to write about, but not much time to write!! But know that I love you all and appreciate your letters and support! Have a great week!

Elder McGarry

​P1- My last companion, and my current companion at the switcheroo :)

P2- We took a quick trip to visit to Alamo for district meeting last 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. :)

Trusting in the Lord

Dear Family and Friends,

Thanks for all your letters and support. I am very blessed to have each of you in my life! This week has been kind of interesting. Really I thought or at least hoped it would be the most normal week of our transfer up to this point. If you don't think God has a sense of humor, try telling him what you are going to do tomorrow. Most everything this week has gone in a path alternate to my original presumptions. We had an investigator from Nigeria, who we fully felt would be Baptized before she left to Nigeria on March 7th, and that has been changed to the first week after she gets back from Nigeria in April. That will be a good thing overall. She is going to take a Book of Mormon in her native language of Yobura to her mother who is in Nigeria as well. She will then bring her youngest daughter back to the US to be with the family (and to witness her Baptism)!

I have seen this week how communication is so critical. I have seen how planning is essential to effective time management. I have been studying Charity and Virtue. I know that we are nothing without Charity. Virtue is often applied directly to moral purity, though it is so much more than that. Certainly it is found as the deepest and innermost thoughts and intents of our heart and are of pure and honest intent. I think of the Woman who thought if she could but touch the hem of Christ's garment she would be healed. So she did, and so she was. Upon the instant that this transpired, Christ asked who it was that had touched him, noting the he had felt "virtue" leave him. This I interpret that because Christ's only and pure intent was always and ever will be to heal those who truly come unto him with faith, this miracle was brought to pass. Thus we see that virtue applied to all aspects of life is a purity with intentions no matter what we are trying to accomplish. It is no question that immorality then would be a direct indicator impure intent, it being a selfish and lustful desire from it's very root. Christ taught us by his example that with that purity of intent we can ask for whatsoever thing we desire from the Lord and he will give it to us because he knows our intent and the purity thereof. Honesty is an open and outward expression of Virtue, and therefore is also very important. Virtue cannot exist without Honesty. I trust that the Lord wants what is very best for each of his children and this is why he has done anything that he has done. It is also the reason that he Allows us through his gift of agency to choose our own path. If we follow him and keep his commandments we will not want for anything. I know that is true. I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder McGarry

​P1- The Border fence to Mexico! My area is in New Mexico and Texas and touches the Mexico Boarder. I literally through a rock into mexico from here! :)

P2 - Fathers and sons! My companion's son is with my son in my last area right now. Fun stuff! 

Following Up

Dear Family and Friends,

This week I have had So many things going on, and I am so amazed at the little things that I have learned. First we had two exchanges this week, and I realized during the first one how much more important it is to use time wisely and to have a plan. Our day was planned out and we had a really productive day, but I, being forgetful as I am sometimes, forgot to plan how to build a better relationship with my companion for a day. I felt bad afterward looking at how many different opportunities I would have had to support, encourage and compliment my companion for a day. I have decided that I need to be very much better at acting in the moment that I am needed no matter what the circumstance may be. I also heard a brief story of a young man of 15 who is a recent convert to the church. He was on a stake trek activity when in his tent a bunch of boys started talking about things that were not the most fit for any conversation. He was the only one who stood up and said anything about it. That was an inspiring and thought provoking instance of acting in the moment that he was needed. Usually we have only a few seconds to act on a prompting, and if we hesitate, or doubt the source or our own ability to complete it then it will be gone and the spirit will withdraw to allow us our agency. 

Also I would speak a little about humility. I felt like a failure for a little while this week. I admittedly felt that I did not know why I was here. That night and through the next morning as I prayed and listened to the spirit, I realized that there was one simple thing that I have neglected far too much and far too often in my life. It is especially important in missionary work. It wasn't because I was not doing the things that I should have been doing that I felt like a failure. I have been putting every ounce of my energy into this work. It was simply that I was not showing my care and concern to people by following up and asking what had come from the lessons or commitments extended. I have been expecting results in a manner best illustrated by an example. If you needed your car to be fixed, would you drop it off at the mechanic and tell him what needs to be fixed? Obviously. What would then happen if you never went back to check on your car or to ask if the fixing had been completed? Well quite simply you would not have your car. (Unless of course they were really good at following up and had the car delivered, but let's be honest how often does that happen?) So I am trying again, to learn the basics of missionary work. And also remembering how merciful and full of love and grace our Father and His Son Jesus Christ are and have been to me and all creation. 

I love you all so very much! Thanks for your letters, support, love and encouragement. 

Elder McGarry

​P1- The Zone at the Top of Mt. Franklin

P2- The Zone at the trail head for Mammoth Rock​