Rich-what??

Speaking of basketball movies, this week was the worldwide Mormon Helping Hands day of service! So we got to help lots of people get rid of trash from their houses and take it to dumpsters. And I got a sombrero. Attached are some bathroom mirror selfies with my sombrero.

Today we had to drive to Concord to have our car inspected because of a Chevy recall. And as a result, our pday is a lot shorter than it usually is, so I'm not going to write everyone I usually do...but I will next week, or sometime before the year ends.

This week we picked up a couple new investigators through our current investigators. The nice thing about being in a YSA unit is that everyone's willing to bring their friends to lessons. It's super awesome.

We have an awesome investigator, Henry, who is still on track for his baptism on the 18th. And another investig8r, Nick, came to church for the first time in months! He's getting baptized on the 17th. Yahoo!

The branch is terrific. It's pretty small, but there are some really terrific people here. And I also like my sombrero.

Faith is some really good stuff. The writer of Hebrews teaches that faith is "the substance of things hoped for, evidence of things not seen." We teach that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the way that we can find true happiness in our lives and eternal life in the world to come. Have we seen Jesus Christ? I haven't. But many prophets have, and they have testified of His reality. I wasn't there when God and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith, but in His mercy, God has granted me faith, or "evidence", that this really happened. Faith is knowing that there is a Savior, and He has restored His Gospel again. This knowledge is a gift from God to all who diligently seek Him. I have learned for myself that Jesus Christ is the Savior. I have learned for myself that by obedience to the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel brings lasting joy- the kind of joy only God can give. It is real. Heaven is for real. May God bless you "that ye may begin to exercise your faith unto repentance." - Alma 34:17.

Stay faith-exercising.

Elder Gillie

Elder Willis and Alex in Brentwood

This week was great!

Here's some of the highlights of this week:

1. We 4 new investigators, set a date with one of them, and worked our derrieres off.

2. In Sacrament meeting, one of the speakers said, "Christ was the perfect example of humidity...humility." And I just about died.

3. Everything else this week was good too.

Spiritchal thought of the week: Be humble, our else your tummy will rumble.

If your keep your desires centered on the Lord, you will most certainly not be bored.

Remember that you need his help every day, and with great blessings He will pay.

Be willing to do His will, and your spiritchal wallet He will fill.

Love other people even though they're weak, and you'll great the blessings that you seek.

Just do it, like S Truett.

Have a great week everyone! 

Stay sharp.

Elder Gillie

April 14, 2014

Hey people.

Richmond is AWESOME! Coming from Brentwood, Richmond is like another world. Here are some really cool highlights from this week.

1. I haven't been shot yet.

2. We work with young single adults instead of old people. The branch is super cool! There are about 5 active ysa's, and about 5 couples who attend. Yesterday we had a fast and testimony meeting, and the Spirit was super strong. The active members of this branch have really strong testimonies.

3. My companion, Elder Boakye-Yiadom is super cool. He's from Ghana, and he's A-frican awesome missionary. 

4. Our investigators are super cool! We set two baptismal dates this week, with Nick and Henry. They're super cool guys.

I absolutely love this area. People here are pretty friendly and humble. The hills are super pretty. The Gospel is true here too. 

Spiritchal thought of the week:

The Savior is able to make us whole if we have faith in Him. Sometimes it takes a long time for us to see the results of our faith. But we have His promise that we can be healed of all of our sorrows. To put faith in Him means to consistently make choices that bring us to Him. Although we all sin, we can make choices of repentance. We have been given our agency-our ability to choose Christ and eternal life or to choose Satan and misery. We can choose to keep the commandments and to continue in sin. When it seems impossible to keep the commandments, we can choose to focus our thoughts on Christ instead of fear. In all situations, we may choose to follow the Savior.

This week I have felt the love of Christ in my life. I know the Savior loves the people here in Richmond, but I only feel a tiny bit of the love He feels.

Have a great week, and choose eternal life!

Stay eternal-life-choosing.

Elder Gillie

Transferred!

What a surprise, I'm getting transferred out of Brentwood! Even though I've only been in Brentwood for 6 weeks, I'm sure going to miss it. The members here have been terrific. Attached are pictures with two of my favorite families in the ward, the Needhams (first one) and the Bergs (second one.)

My new area is going to be...Richmond YSA branch! I'm going to be with a friend of mine from the MTC, Elder Boakye-Yiadom. He's super cool.

In our last week, we had the opportunity to teach a part-member family and commit two of them to be baptized! Yahoo! Our friend Khiari is on track for baptism this coming Saturday as well, so I'm leaving a healthy Brentwood 3B area.

Richmond is going to be pretty challenging I think. I don't know much about it, but they say it's a really nice area, sort of, except for the nice area part. So I'm looking forward to working in a different environment. It's going to be awesome.

Conference was awesome this week! My faith in Jesus Christ was strengthened a ton. I know that we are led by a living prophet of the Lord, Thomas S. Monson, and twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. One reason we have been given prophets and apostles is to keep our faith rooted in the Savior, especially during these turbulent times. Our leaders are not perfect, but they have been called of God. The Savior himself directs His church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know this by the Holy Ghost. When the prophet and apostles addressed this weekend, I felt the Holy Ghost touch my heart and confirm to me this truth.

I love the Lord. He is my Redeemer, my Savior and King.

Stay built upon the rock of your redeemer (Helaman 5:12)

Elder Gillie