He Will Carry You

The elder provided an update with the recent announcement of new missions created: The Church announced the opening of 58 new missions one of them being the reopening of the Macon mission here in Georgia which will probably effect our mission boundaries and some missionaries. The Lord is hastening His work! Hoorah for Israel!!!

Good Morning Family,

Yes a lot has gone on this week here in the GAM. With the faithful prayers and efforts of our missionaries we were able to see miracles happen to President and elder Pasiaka who have been at Emory hospital. Our mighty leader, President Harding continues to inspire us all doing missionary work even in the Hospital -- it's pretty funny. The Assistants said that President while resting in his hospital room had his white shirt, tie and hair fixed with his tag on sharing the gospel with so many there at Emory.

The work continues to move forward here in the Fayetteville Zone. We are finishing off a great month of missionary work and are finding so many new brothers and sisters who will receive the blessings of the Atonement in the upcoming month of March. One of those who we are extra excited about are the L. family who we have been working with here in Whitewater. They have made so much progress and are starting to have incredible spiritual experiences with our Heavenly Father as well as with the ward here in Whitewater. Bishop Kennedy has such a great love for all those whom he serves including the L. family. Its been super exciting to see the Whitewater ward get excited about missionary work!

This week I also had the opportunity to go on an exchange and help out a struggling companionship in our Zone find new people to teach. We were able that day through unwavering faith and love find 7 new investigators for them. From the exchanges the elders have caught the vision and found new investigators every day since -- it's so AWESOME!!

Congratulations to Ry on achieving and earning his Eagle. I'm excited to hear about where Ry is going to LEAD and INSPIRE! I'm thrilled as well of the news about little Miah's baptism. It is a neat experience to witness this sacred ordinance and know it's true meaning and impact on our lives. HOORAH!! Lil' Kelee's haircut looks great!

Have a Great Week!,

Love Elder Gautavai

On Wisconsin!! Elder Richard Gautavai

Good Morning,

Thanks for your email, and update on the family! It sounds like everyone is doing really well, and there are a lot of good things going on in Bountiful!

I'm very grateful for the opportunity that I have to be able to communicate with each one of you today. I hope that each of you can be able to pull something out of some of my thoughts and impressions over the past week.

I'm staying really busy here in Wisconsin w/Elder Wright. We have a lot of stuff going on with the vision of the mission, and the various different committments that have been extended to each Elder and Sister mission wide. It has been a very humbling experience to have the opportunity to be front row in everything that is going on here in the mission. It has been really neat for me to be able to work alongside President Jones, and see how righteous he really is. To many he may seem overbearing and very awkward, but to me, he is a very worthy and knowledgable leader for the mission.

The work here in the Parkway Ward is going pretty well. I've been pondering a lot about why the Lord sent me here, and what talents does this Parkway Ward need, and it has really hit me the past couple of days. I'm not 100% sure on what/how I need to move the work forward, but I had some good impressions about the need to develop the trust amongst the members by loving and serving them. It was the way that I did it in Sun Prairie, and it's the way that I feel impressed to do it here in Parkway is to serve the members. I am excited to see where the Lord will take me through these times!

We're working with a young man by the name of K. R., and he is a remarkable young man. He has been through a lot, and a lot of missionaries as well, but I feel like he is finally going to make solid progression in the coming weeks. We are focusing on finding a solid friend for Khallid from the ward, and then allowing the friend to support him in his journey. He is a very nice young man, with lots of ambitions, and little does he know, the Lord loves him and wants to help him.

I read a great section in Preach My Gospel this morning that talked about how the Gospel blesses families. It stated something to the affect that a home that is built upon the principles of the Gospel will be a place of refuge and safety. I pondered over this, and what it truly meant. One thing that really stuck out to me as I was pondering is this idea that the world is full of so many shifting morals, and what was accepted today was not accepted yesterday. In a world of so many shifting morals, a home that is built upon the fundamental principles of the Gospel becomes a Liahona to the family. When a home is built upon the Gospel of Jesus Christ it was always provide the refuge and safety, and will always assure each member of the family of God's eternal love for them. I know this is true.

This Blessed Assurance the Spirit Doth Bring

Hello Family,

It's so exciting to hear of the blessings that are coming to each of you as we truly put our trust in the lord and look to the Savior in everything we do and witnessing Him making good on His promise to direct our paths. What a comforting, reassuring feeling to know that we are lead by our Savior Jesus Christ who through a prophet has restored the authority to be able to access His power here on earth strengthening and enabling us to have everything good in this life.

This week has been another busy week with Zone Training meeting at the front end of the week as well as follow up with each companionship ensuring we are all clear of the vision, culture, and effectiveness of the mission. Over the last couple of months I have really grown to love PMG CHAPTER 8, "How to Use Time Wisely," and how to set goals and using key indicators to help us realize and bring to pass our purpose as mighty warriors here in the ATL mission. I have such a strong testimony of the key indicators and how they help us bring souls unto Christ. Without a vision the people perish. It is like this in life and in the gospel if we dont have goals (Destination, Route, etc.) we have no direction leading us to where we need to go. As Moroni, we continue each week to make preparations and to fortify spiritually in what we have and where we want to go.

Coming up on 8 months tomorrow (Feb. 20th). It's crazy to see the changes that I have experienced. As we were sitting in the lobby of a hospital a TV was playing in the background and my head started to hurt, I wasn't feeling well. The other missionary that was with me felt the same way and we both went to a little conference room where we could read and be away from the world. It's really crazy how we are literally set-apart to live at a higher level, and as we are exactly obedient putting full trust in the Lord He fills us with more of His power through the authority which we hold; then to be sensitive and alarmed through a simple thing such as a tv in the lobby has really given me a much greater appreciation for the power of the gift of the Holy Ghost.

I am doing well and am still not wasting away what precious time I have been given, doing the best work on the face of this planet. I continue to send my love to each and everyone of y'all and cant wait to hear from y'all next week.

Love Elder Gautavai

President's Day - See Y'all Tuesday!

President Monson's 5 Year Anniversay Highlighting Ministry

Do Your Duty With A Heartful of Song

(I mentioned to the elder that I would be traveling to Tampa, Florida today, his P-day even as he was reading the email letter. I told him it would be cool to know that we would be in the same time-zone for a few days..haha) 

Hey Family,

(Dad) You're just right next door a couple of hours away that is cool! The pictures of  Ry's signing day is incredible. Oh my how Bountiful high school has changed since I was there. Ry's decision to play this year and get a head start in school is exciting! I know this is part of the Lord's will and plan for him and that he will influence the lives of those he comes into contact with at BYU. Moreover, the experiences he will have at BYU will help him on his mission and throughout life.

This week has been a really busy week as it is the first week of transfers as always. I continue to serve as a solo Zone Leader. With this I have been assigned to lead the zone with the help of our Heavenly Father. On Tuesday I went on a short, brief exchange in Sharpsburg and was able to talk, teach and preach one last day in the area in which I have called home for 6 1/2 months. While there I recieved a call from the Assistants requesting my assistance in picking up our 24 new missionary warriors from the airport that day. The missionaries were scheduled to arrive in the ATL at 1 pm, however, because of delays didnt arrive until 10 pm that night. The beam and excitement of these missionaries was so incredible! This is the first set of missionaries since the Prophet announced the lowering of missionary service age option. Amongst these mighty warriors were 9 new sister missionaries who are a powerful force and will provide a much needed boost to our units. After delivering the missionaries to their residence for the night ending about 1 am, we realize there was still a lot that needed to be done. With permission from President, we continued to press forward the rest of the night. I continued to help the Assistants get things done for transfers the next day. It was about 5 am when we finally arrived to our home. After a quick power 45 min nap which is about all the time we had, we were out the door at 6 am to pick up the new missionaries and take them to the meetinghouse.  

The next day we had Mission Council to prep for our Zone Training meeting Tuesday. I also had to do a number of Baptismal Interviews throughout the Zone. On the next day Elder Ulisses Soares the new Seventy over the Southeast Mission spoke to the entire mission which proved to be a neat experience. The brethren have so much love for missionary work, the gospel and the atonement and really want to be right out there with us teaching and preaching to those here in the mission, it is really cool! This week we had 4 baptisms in the zone and to show support for our missionaries and their investigators I attended each one -- man do I love BAPTISMS!  

WOW!! It's so awesome to hear of faithful brothers and sisters back home who know the plan and are allowing the Atonement of Jesus Christ to strengthen and heal them enabling them to do things that on our own we cannot do. I testify of the Atonement and of its neccesity in our lives, the power to CHANGE to become more of who need to BE.

Love Elder Gautavai

Predicad Mi Evangelio -- It Is The Same

Hello Family!

It's so exciting to hear from y'all and of your experiences especially the blessings flowing your way. Y'all look to be doing very well and I am grateful to our Heavenly Father for His blessings bestowed upon us all.

This has been a very good week despite being a little under the weather.  We were lead to 9 new investigators this week and did a lot of teaching which is fantastic. I was able to go on an exchange with the Spanish elders even though I cant speak a lick of Spanish lol. My Spanish companion helped me read in Spanish so I was able to participate. I testify to y'all of the spirit I could feel! It is the same in the Spanish appointments, and just as strong as when we teach in English! It's simply AMAZING!

I have taken on Elder Bednar's challenge of reading the Book of Mormon with a question and then underlining all the things that have to do with that subject or question. The power of the Book of Mormon is incredible reading it every day gives me the strength and arms me with a shield to fight off the adversary.

I am very grateful for the opportunities and the responsibilities that our Heavenly Father has entrusted me with. With total trust in Him, and complete faith in Him, I know He will provide a way. HOORAH for ISRAEL!

Love, Elder Gautavai

Armor Up! (Ephesians 6:10-18)

So I didn't know this at first but the Bishop of the Whitewater Ward is Greg Kennedy president of customer service at Delta Air Lines, and a UTE! haha

Hello Family,

Definitely a surprise but nonetheless a fantastic one to receive an email from you dearest mother. Yes 'mam, Patrick is a stud. He mentioned that he talked to you over the phone and that all ya'll are fixin to go out to eat when he comes out there. Incredible update regarding Ry and his mission call coming soon in addition to the in-home visit from BYU Football Coach Mendenhall and Tidwell. I'm sure it will be a strengthening and uplifting experience. Mekelee doing well in school and working hard in his sports and school play is also welcomed news!

This has been another great week full of demonstrating exact obedience and exercising a lot of faith. Its really so remarkably simple. Everything is in our favor! We succeed when we unconditionally surrender ourselves to the Lord's way. We are destined for success. Through stripling warrior like obedience, and unwavering faith like captain Moroni we were lead this week to 12 new investigators; and committed 8 souls to enter to the gate of baptism onto the path of eternal life.

I am so excited about the changing culture of our mission. It's changed from when I first arrived last July. The change that has come about is effecting the Mission and the lives of the people here in Georgia in such an amazing way. Currently in our Zone we have 25 baptismal dates committed and scheduled!!! Hoorah for Israel!! I have really grown in leadership in the mission and learned how to set personal proselyting goals through focusing on LEAD indicators to get us to our LAG indicator or vision. The vision being "baptism for a remission of sins to be endowed with power to qualify for eternal life."

Transfers are on Feb 6. Its been a long and very uplifting transfer. I will hopefully be completing the Book of Mormon yet again by next week. I love the Book of Mormon and the power it has to change our lives for the good and better.

Let me finish with my love for each one of you and my continued prayers for your success -- you truly do walk on water!

Love Elder Gautavai