Sr Zone Leader - a_RISE UP! and SHINE, Shout!

Hello Family,

Our Heavenly Father is good and the love He freely gives is beyond comprehension. He is aware of our concerns and challenges we all face. Through His only begotten son Jesus Christ the Savior and Redeemer of the world He enables us to bear our trials and tribulations with patience; and as we bear it with patience the Lord in His timing will bless us a hundred fold! The news of Rylee's scholarship offer was relayed to me by dear brother Patrick haha over our dinner. The feeling of joy that came with the announcement was one filled with peace that our Heavenly Father had answered our prayers showing His tender mercy and love for us. I'm looking forward to getting season tickets for 2015-2016 BYU fall football season!

This week has been a good week. I am still in Sharpsburg and am excited to continue to find and bless those the Lord has prepared here in our area. My new companion is Elder Price who came out with me from the MTC. Elder Price was in my district and housing although we were not companions in the MTC. He was someone I hoped I would get the opportunity to serve with in the field, and now we have the chance to serve together. He is from Kingston Utah, and loves to work hard which is great. He likes to run in the mornings so I guess it's time I start running too. I look at it as another plus, health-wise :)

After a few changes in leadership and missionary departures with transfers, elder Price and I have been planning a lot on how we are going to use our time wisely, serving with greater love and urgency, and adjusting to being on the phone in what seems like all hours of the day haha. Our greatest desire is to get to everyone Heavenly Father wants us to reach and to BE the standard here in the Sharpsburg area. We are so excited for this transfer! The ward too is excited and pumped up about missionary work making it even more thrilling.

Elder Corbridge of the Seventy will be here holding Zone Conference as well as leadership training, which will be a very neat experience. I am definitely looking forward to hearing from him regarding his gospel message and gaining insight to his article, "4th missionary", a talk I constantly read and study each day. We also have the opportunity to go to the temple in the next couple of weeks as part of our Zone leadership council -- I am very excited for this. It seems like forever since I' ve been able to go to the temple.

Yesterday, P. was able to confer the Aaronic priesthood to B.S. which was an incredible experience to be apart of. P. is a fantastic missionary and is truly one who has partaken of the Atonement. We were able to give them both the new member lessons on the Plan of Salvation last night and invited them to pray about someone who like them they could invite to partake of the fullness of Gospel and the Atonement.

I bear witness to what Dad testified of, that our Heavenly Father IS GOOD, that He has extended His love and has revealed His gospel to His children through a latter-day prophet, and that we can have a knowledge of this truth through the Book of Mormon.

Continuing to Pray for your Success and Strength!

Love Elder Gautavai