To Walk On Water, You Have To Get Out of The Boat

Weekly questions from home. The elder responds in his email:

Q1. Are you in need of anything at this time?

A1. Nope.

Q2. Have you received Uncle Pati's letter/email? Aunty G is resending it.

A2. I did receive it, thanks. I'll write the 'commander of the army' in Sandy :)

Q3. Did you receive the box (w/white dress shirts for elder Perez and Moodie, Royal BYU shirt for you, and gospel talks on DVD)?

A3. I did thank you. They were very thankful and very touched.

Q4. How did your talk assignment go in Stake conference? Was it on Sunday or Saturday? Did the Pres and sister Harding, missionaries, zones attend? We thought about you all week/weekend.

A4. I'll answer in my letter (below).

Q5. Who can we pray for this week in our personal and family prayers?

A5. J.L., the Elders seem to be making progress with her. Additionally, we have added 2 sets of sister' companionship's in the Whitewater ward so we have 6 missionaries for this very divine woman.

Peter, trusting in the Lord, said "Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto
thee on the water." And Jesus said, "Come," as He ALWAYS says to his disciples.

Wow so true! GOTTA GET YOUR FEET WET, GOTTA CLIMB THE MOUNTAIN, GIVE ME THIS MOUNTAIN! This principle of stepping outside of our comfort zone and relying on the Savior is incredible. Let me share with you an experience that just happened in the Whitewater Ward demonstrating this.

Elder Perez and Elder Moodie Fayetteville Zone Leaders Photocred: GAM

B. a recent convert was a disfellowshipped Jehovah's Witness, who for 25 years did not feel worthy to pray and talk with God. The past 25 years she said "I hated waking up in the morning." During this long period of time, "I prayed that I would not wake up in the morning." Everyday so terrified of a life filled with guilt and shame, she never went outside, EVER. One day she felt a prompting to go outside to work in her flowerbed. When she did, Elder Perez & Elder Moodie (Fayetteville zone leaders) who earlier that morning prayerfully planned out their day and with great faith went out on the rescue stepping outside their comfort zone after noticing B. started a conversation. This inspired meeting was 4 weeks ago. During this first contact the Elders quickly invited her to come to the Savior and be baptized by the Authority that has been restored to the Earth. 2 weeks ago B. was baptized. Her sins and burdens she carried for the last 25 years were removed from her. She literally feels that she is a daughter of God. B. rejoices and has a completely different outlook on life now that she is a member of the church and can partake of the Sacrament at church, something she looks forward to each week. "I'm stronger this week..to do what I wasn't strong enough to do last week..and the last 25 years." THERE IS NO WAY YOU CAN TELL ME THE GOSPEL IS NOT TRUE, THIS IS HIS CHURCH! B. went and did baptisms for the dead at the Atlanta temple with the Fayetteville Zone this last week. WE CANT AFFORD TO MISS PEOPLE LIKE B.!!! IT'S NOT AN OPTION! People will not likely change unless they are INVITED to do so...that is why we are here upon this earth and blessed with the Gospel, to INVITE people to Come Unto the Savior. Think of it this way...If the Savior stood in front of you, what would he tell you? I would imagine it would go something like this...."Go and talk to that person or this person and first, let them know that you represent me; second, let them know of my love for them; third, invite them to follow me and be baptized so that I can help them!"

I was the first speaker in the Sunday general session of the Georgia Fayetteville Stake Conference. The conference was broadcast to the 5 other buildings here in the Fayetteville stake. It was a neat experience for me as I feel so much love for President Parker, Brother Griffiths (High Councilman over missionary work), and the saints here. What was really cool is that I had a whole week at the temple to prepare spiritually. When Sunday rolled around I found I had so many great things to share yet I didn't know what of these was needing to be shared most...all I knew was that I had been EXACTLY OBEDIENT. I went up with just my scriptures to speak and all of a sudden the Lord put into my mouth (D&C 33:8) what was the most important message to get across to the people.  It was a powerful stake conference the theme of each meeting was the "Hastening of the Work." 

A little interesting perspective on the Fayetteville Zone. When I arrived here a-year-and-a-half ago...this was the zone that nobody wanted to go to. Fayetteville and surrounding communities has a high concentration of affluence, many whom are set in their ways. Let me just testify to you that this is flat-out COUNTERFEIT thinking employed by Satan and those who would follow him! He wants the members and the missionaries to think that the work of salvation is impossible or simply too hard here! Rather than take that view, we must rely on what the Lord has said! The Lord said in the Doctrine and Covenants (section 4), "THE FIELD IS WHITE ALREADY TO HARVEST." In the Lord's vineyard, there are no terrible or give-up-on areas. Fayetteville is now the highest performing zone in our mission with nearly 60 missionaries. They are hoping to finish off the month with 35 baptisms. A year ago it would have been out of the question to think that they could achieve more than 6 in one month?! The Lord is Hastening his WORK!!!

 

How Faith Correlates With Works

Let me close with an invitation to contact the full-time missionaries and ask them if they have any investigators that can be taught in our home and volunteer to bring an investigator to church if they go to our ward..I promise that if you will do this the powers of heaven will be brought down even more abundantly in your lives..great missionaries make more opportunities than they find. GOTTA GET YOUR FEET WET RIGHT?!

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is His church. There is no other church that He is at the head of. Keep Climbing! We are all enlisted 'til the conflict is o'er Happy are We!

Love, Elder Gautavai

Open Your Mouth - Invite All To Come Unto Christ

Sound The War Cry!

Greetings from down South!

I continue to find joy in laboring here in this part of the Lord's vineyard. He is absolutely hastening His work, we can either get on board or be caught in the wave!

This week was another busy week as they all seem to be that way. We picked up two Temple Square sisters who will be serving here in the GAM the next two transfers. We love the Temple Square sisters! Each of them have brought a huge boost to our already growing army. Thursday we attended the temple as a mission leadership group. There we sought answers to 5 simple questions that we believe will help us crack-the-code on bringing thousands of families to the waters of baptism.

1. How do we achieve 30 blessings and 5 new investigator families each day?

2. How do we plan and set up 35 lessons each day 20 lessons with members present in members homes each week?

3. How do we get the Ward Council to save the 3rd and 4th pews in Sacrament meeting for investigator families? (research from the Church says this is the best spot!) And to have members pick up investigators and bring them to church? 

4. How do we invite and maintain 4 baptismal dates each day?

5. How do we baptize 2 people a companionship each month, yet make plans to baptize weekly?

As we went through the temple and our leadership council meeting we sought answers to those questions and collectively declared war on the adversary to get the members involved to hold the 254 baptismal dates this month. As a leadership team for the month of September we set a goal for 101 this month.  It's really quite amazing that goals reflect the desires of our hearts. Some may say it's too high. However, we have come to know as a famous writer once said "the problem with most people is not that they aim too high and fail to reach it their target, but that they aim too low and reach it." This is the Lord's work and therefore there is no need to put limits on what He can do so long as we are righteous. The scriptures assure us when we are righteous we may then access the powers of heaven whereby we can do all things that the Lord commands!

We are all enlisted till the conflict is o'er! Happy are We! Keep Climbing!

Love, Elder Camree Taualai Ieleiwae Gautavai

Hope of Israel - Rising Generation

Good News That We Bring!

Releasing The Power of The Gift of The Holy Ghost in Your Life

Weekly questions posed in our email letter to the elder this morning. His response in his email:

Q1. How did the climb for August end up?  Did y'all reach your goal of 70?

A1. We ended up for the month of August with 56 baptisms. We had a couple of families postpone Saturday morning. 56 is our all-time high now in the mission. Last August (2012) we had 18. Through Miracle week we accomplished our goal to prove to the Lord that we are worthy of even more miracles.

Q2. That is an amazing surge and increase in missionaries (love it)..did that cause you some longer days getting things in place?

A2. Yes. With the large influx in our mission we had to open up 24 new areas and find 50 trainers. In addition to the increase we didn't have anyone leave last week. Our days our longer now but that doesn't bother me at all as President Harding says we are 24/7 for the Lord...No greater time to do it! It was incredible to see the army of missionaries in the airport! A lot of heads were turning!

Q3. Do you need anything at this time?

A3. Umm, not at the moment.

Greetings from the South!

It has been a great week for the GAM as we finished off Miracle week very strong and on a positive note. As you are aware we didn't have Preparation day yesterday. instead we held our, "Laboring for the Lord day of proselyting." Holidays are great opportunities to meet families at home so with the adjustment of P-day and with our army of 235 strong, we marched out onto the battlefield in search and rescue of those families who have been prepared to receive the blessings that flow from the restored gospel.

As we were traveling throughout the mission yesterday I was amazed to hear of and see miracles happening everywhere, missionaries talking with people at library parking lots, in parks, grocery stores, hundreds and hundreds of missionaries representatives of Jesus Christ bringing the Savior's love and blessing to the people here and inviting them as the Savior would to follow Him and be baptized.  

President & Sister Harding and the Assistants (Elder Steele, Elder Gautavai) Photocred: GAM

Transfer Meeting Photocred: GAM

Transfer meeting this last week was packed! There were in attendance 174 missionaries as we introduced the "Fab 50" into our army signaling and encouraging each to hasten even quicker the work here in the GAM. With this influx in missionaries, Elder Steele and I have done a lot of traveling around the mission picking up necessities for apartments and delivering them to the areas. One night we cleaned out 4 Walmarts stock of Airbeds. Seeing the look on peoples faces wondering what in the world we were doing with so many airbeds was priceless.  

This week we are heading to the Atlanta Temple for mission council with the Zone Leaders & Sister Training Leaders. The following week we will conduct our monthly Zone Training Meeting week at the Temple! The Georgia Fayetteville Stake Conference is coming up on the 15th of September. I received a call from the Stake President's Executive Secretary who extended an invitation to talk on the Hastening of the Work in the Sunday morning general session. This should be interesting!!!

As we continue to move forward in our lives may we always remember to return and give thanks to our Heavenly Father for all that he has provided for us. We are who we are today because of either the influence of the gift of the Holy Ghost in our lives, or the lack of influence that it has played in our lives. May we never forget the glorious message we share is that the Savior has restored His Church and authority to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. There is NO OTHER WAY!

Love, Elder Gautavai

Georgia Atlanta Mission Area