Ministering of Angels

My Dear Family,

On Saturday the 29th of August 2015 Gerardo, and Rosa León were married after 17 years together and then, with their son Gerardo Jr., were baptized by immersion for the remission of their sins. On Sunday the 30th of August 2015 (Rosa's birthday) Her and her family received the Gift of the Holy Ghost, the greatest gift that they had ever been given. They were confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and received priesthood blessing by the laying on of hands.

I have never seen anyone so happy. Their love for the Gospel is greater than anyone I have every known. They understand the ordinance of baptism and confirmation. Brother León described his confirmation saying that his head was opened spiritually and God talked to him directly saying he was His son. I look up to this family a lot. I lack so much spiritually what they have developed so purely as they have become converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  

The room with the baptismal font was more full than any other baptism Id ever been to. 50+ people came and supported this family. The ward loves them and next week Brother Leon will receive the priesthood and will soon after bless the sacrament. They invited their family members who are not members to their baptism and soon brother Leon will baptize them too. 

3 Nefi 7:4 -  Now behold, there was no man among them save he had much family and many kindreds and friends; therefore their tribes became exceedingly great.

3 Nefi 7:18 - "... for it were not possible that they could disbelieve his words, for so great was [Nephi's] faith on the Lord Jesus Christ that angels did minister unto him daily."

Moroni worte about the ministering of angels in Moroni 7: 25-32

25 Wherefore, by the ministering of angels, and by every word which proceeded forth out of the mouth of God, men began to exercise faith in Christ; and thus by faith, they did lay hold upon every good thing; and thus it was until the coming of Christ.

 26 And after that he came men also were saved by faith in his name; and by faith, they become the sons of God. And as surely as Christ liveth he spake these words unto our fathers, saying: Whatsoever thing ye shall ask the Father in my name, which is good, in faith believing that ye shall receive, behold, it shall be done unto you.

 27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?

 28 For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.

 29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.

 30 For behold, they are subject unto him, to minister according to the word of his command, showing themselves unto them of strong faith and a firm mind in every form of godliness.

 31 And the office of their ministry is to call men unto repentance, and to fulfil and to do the work of the covenants of the Father, which he hath made unto the children of men, to prepare the way among the children of men, by declaring the word of Christ unto the chosen vessels of the Lord, that they may bear testimony of him.

 32 And by so doing, the Lord God prepareth the way that the residue of men may have faith in Christ, that the Holy Ghost may have place in their hearts, according to the power thereof; and after this manner bringeth to pass the Father, the covenants which he hath made unto the children of men.

I believe in miracles and in the ministering of angles. I have witnessed the power of the Trinity as saving ordinances were performed this weekend. Jesus Christ suffered for us so that as we repent and take the sacrament we can be cleansed time and time again. 

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Gehring

 

 

Luz

Dear Family,

Are you ready to learn more Spanish? If you don't speak yet, you've still got a few months to learn because I'm set on only speaking spanish when I get back. Here's my week... in spanish.

Primeramente me enfermé. Bolivia no cesa de darme infecciones intestinales. Yo pensaba ese barco ya había zarpado. Aparentemente no. El jueves me sentía un poco cansado al terminar el día. Dormimos como normal a las 22:30 y viernes el 21 me levanté mal. Trabajamos aún porque no quise quedarme en la casa durante mi cumpleaños. Mi compañero, con todo el amor que tiene, dijo a la pensionista que era mi cumpleaños y en la tarde me compraron una torta. Ya estaba mal de mi estomago pero iba a sentir mal si no lo comía. Comimos torta y visitamos hasta las 19:00. Fuimos a la correlación misional y dentro de 30 minutos de estar sentado sentía como si estuviera a punto de desmayar. Me dieron una bendición y tomamos taxi directamente a la casa y me eché en la cama. Desde las 20:30 hasta 02:30 estaba muriendo de dolor, vómitos, etc. Por fin a las 02:30 no aguantaba más y fuimos a la clínica. Me pusieron suero y dijo el doctor que estaba muy deshidratado. Mi presión de sangre estaba baja e hicieron varios exámenes. Me dejaron salir a las 07:00 el sábado y descansé hasta las 16:00 mas o menos y de allí fuimos a trabajar de nuevo! Todavía estoy un poco mal y no quiero comer mucho pero estoy bien!! No se preocupen!

 

First  I got sick.  Bolivia doesn't cease to give me intestinal infections.  I thought that boat had anchored.  Apparently not.  Thursday I felt a little tired at the end of the day.  We slept as usual at 22:30 and Friday the 21st  I woke up ill.  We went to work anyway because I didn't want to stay in the house on my birthday.  My compaion with all the love that he has told our landlord that it was my birthday and in the afternoon he bought me a cake.  I was sick to tmy stomach but he would have been hurt if I had not eaten.  We ate cake and visited until 19:00.  We went to missionary correlation and 30 minutes after sitting down I felt like I was about to faint.  They gave me a blessing and we took a taxi direct to the house and I went to bed.  From 29:30 to 2:30  I was dying of pain, vomiting etc.  Finally at 2:30 I couldn't stand it further so we went to the clinic.  They gave me  fluids and the doctor said I was very dehydrated.  My blood presssure was low and they did various examinations.  They let me leave about 7:00 Saturday and I rested until 16:00 more or less and then we went to work again.  I am still a little sick and I don't want to eat much but I am all right.  Don't worry.

 

 

Aparte de todo esto, el miércoles tuvimos el consejo de líderes. Hablamos de la apariencia, urgencia, y reverencia de nuestros llamamientos en preparación para la gira de Elder Uceda. El martes tuvimos una reunión de oficinas con el Presidente y cambiamos un poco del horario de cambios para el mes que viene. Estoy animado por la misión.

 

Aside from this, Wednesday we had leadership council.  We talked about the nature, urgency and reverence of our callings in preparation for the visit of Elder Uceda.  Tuesday we had a meeting of our positions with the President and we changed a little the list of missionary changes for the coming month.  I am excited for the mission.

El área de Abundancia sigue fuerte. Los miembros son los mejores y el Líder Misional está más animado que nunca. Este sábado que viene la Familia León se va a bautizar. El próximo sábado una referencia de un Converso Reciente se va a bautizar y el siguiente se bautiza una familia nueva que son amigos de la familia que se bautiza este sábado el 29 de agosto. Bautizaremos cada semana en nuestra área. No hay mejor sentimiento que el de ver a una familia hacer sus primeros convenios con nuestro Padre Celestial. Entiendo un poco mejor mi llamamiento como Elder. Doctrina y Convenios 20:38

 

Aside from this, Wednesday we had leadership council.  We talked about the nature, urgency and reverence of our callings in preparation for the visit of Elder Uceda.  Tuesday we had a meeting of our positions with the President and we changed a little the list of missionary changes for the coming month.  I am excited for the mission.

A pesar de mi enfermedad, el área, etc. pude conocer a mi Salvador aún más. Estaba leyendo en Mosíah capitulo 16 y me cambiaron la vida los versículos 4-9. Para ayudar al presidente en las conferencias de zona que vienen nos pidió que estudiáramos acerca de ''Luz''.  Ni estaba buscando por ''luz'' pero lo encontré. Lo voy a copiar en ingles para que lo puedan leer. 

Because of my illness, the area, etc. I have been able to know my Savior even better.  I was reading in Mosiah, chapter 15 and verses 4-9 changed my life.  To help the president in the zone conferences that are coming up, he asked that we study about "Light".  I wasn't looking for "Light" but I found it.  I am going to copy it in English so you can read it.

4 Thus all mankind were lost; and behold, they would have been endlessly lost were it not that God redeemed his people from their lost and fallen state.

5 But remember that he that persists in his own carnal nature, and goes on in the ways of sin and rebellion against God, remaineth in his fallen state and the devil hath all power over him. Therefore he is as though there was no redemption made, being an enemy to God; and also is the devil an enemy to God.

 

6 And now if Christ had not come into the world, speaking of things to come as though they had already come, there could have been no redemption.

 

7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.

8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.

 

9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.

Cristo es la luz, Cristo es la vida del mundo. Lo conocí más esta semana y por medio de Él, la muerte no tiene aguijón. 

 

 Christ is the light.  Christ is the life of the world.  I came to know Him even more this week and because of Him, death has no sting.

Hurra por Israel!

 

Elder Gehring

A week of Miracles

Hello dear family,

My companion and I were transferred to an area that has been what you could call ''dead'' for quite some time. There haven't been baptisms in a long time and the ward was a little down as far as excitement goes. This week I have prayed more than ever, walked more than ever, talked more than ever, and been guided by my Heavenly Father more than every.

We started with the Bishop. We went by his house and shared with him our joy for being in the ward. We read him 3 Nefi 11:1 which has inspired us this week. (Because our ward is called Abundancia (bountiful) ) He opened up a lot and I feel like it helped us gain his confidence. We then asked him what he needed: where to start, who to go to, and what his desires were. He gave us a few assignments but nothing huge. We gladly accepted. He then expressed his longing to baptize. He wants so much for the ward. We shared our goal of baptizing every week and he was thrilled. Together we felt that it was possible and that together we are going to reach our goal. He then invited me to play the piano on Sunday. I was honored to do so. I felt his confidence. He wants more than anything a ward that baptizes each week. So we went to work.

I don't think I've ever been so tired. Elder Allasia and I worked like never before, but there is even more to do. The first few days of the week were hard. We hardly taught anyone. We spent hours talked to every single person in the street and setting times to pass by their homes. Friday and Saturday were full of visits. From 10 in the morning till 9 at night. The thing I realized though is that a lot of people fell through. We didn't teach like we were hoping but the miracles came Sunday. First at 8:30am when we showed up to church. We tried to pick a brother up to go to church with us but he didn't come. We were disappointed but had a lot of faith. As we approached the chapel, a family of investigators (with a fecha for the 29th of ago) walked in with a new family. A young couple with a 2 year old and a baby on the way. They stayed the 3 hours and this week we are going to commit them to the 6th of September. They loved the classes, the ward supported them, the ward mission leader now knows them and the bishop is excited for the progress. Then another family of 4 came without anyone passing by their home!! They even came on Saturday to clean the chapel! Investigators who clean the chapel!! I've never seen that!! 

Then the biggest miracle was when we did divisions with our ward mission leader and another Elder in the ward. I went with our ward mission leader and we met Nicolas a new investigator who accepted baptism and is going to come to church. Elder Allasia met a new family who now have a baptismal date for the 12 of September. The Lord worked with us this week. I think I was blind until Sunday but I know He was there. If we hadn't worked so much the rest of the week I know Sunday would have been different. I know we have a long way to go before we baptize every week and are worthy of the Lords help in every moment, but we feel beyond blessed for the Lords hand in our area this week. 

I love you all. This week I need your help!! Look for any scripture with the word ''bountiful'' that I can use to excited the ward!! for example: 3 Nefi 11:1. 2 Corin. 9:6, Proverbs 22:9, etc.

Love you all,

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Gehring

Here's the office staff. from left to right.

Elder Jimenez (Sec of Records), Elder Galli (Health Sec), Elder Winterholler (Sec to Pres), Elder Gehring, Elder Allasia (my companion), and Elder Solis (Finance Sec)

 

Semana de Cambios

This week has been full of work. I was put into a Trio with the Presidents Secretary ELder WInterholler, and with the Finance Secretary Elder Solis. We have been stuck in the offices until late almost every day this week. And today we are in the middle of transfers. President had me work on a few projects for the mission while he was in Tarija and then we helped him with a new missionary and trainers meeting. I had the privilage to have a council with the trainers to see what it is that they need to be better trainers.We got some good ideas. Im nervous for this coming week. We have leadership council and its our job to train the leaders of the mission. We'll see how that goes. 

Elder Winterholler is great. He is my grandson in the offices! I trained his trainer as secretary to President. And now I was able to work with him, help in what I could but I couldnt do much. Hes got the whole secretary thing down better than I did. 

This week I will be in my new area with Elder Allasia . He is my new companion for good. We are going to be in Abundancia (Bountiful). The goal is to baptize every week. We are going to work our tails off to deserve the help of the Lord. Im excited. 

Just quick I wanted to share what Presidente WIllard shared with us in his weekly letter today. It has to do with change, repentance, etc. Its half in spanish so I hope Google Translate helps a little. 

      He said: ' “Cambios.” ¿Cómo es posible que una palabra puede evocar tantas emociones diferentes? La palabra en ingles (transfers) no tiene el mismo significado. Un “cambio” en la misión se refiere a un periodo de tiempo donde algo o alguien debe cambiar. Si nada cambia, no puede ser un verdadero “cambio.” Según la doctrina de Cristo, la palabra es … arrepentirse. 

Hace poco escuché un discurso del Presidente Russell M. Nelson donde explicó el significado de la palabra “arrepentimiento” del Griego:μετάνοια.

GR Meta (cambiar, change) Noeo - noes (la mente, mind) gnosis (el conocimiento, knowledge) pneuma (el aire, air, el espíritu, spirit) pen (respirar, breathe)

Cuando me arrepiento, estoy cambiando mi mente, mi conocimiento, mi espíritu, aun hasta la manera de respirar. Este tipo de arrepentimiento es una conversión real, un proceso que continua hasta que yo llegue a ser “aun como El es.”

In English: “When I repent, I am changing my mind, my knowledge, my spirit, and even the way I breathe. This type of repentance is conversion, which is a process that will continue until I become “even as He is."

I love the letters from him every week. I hope this transfer I change. Its the goal. I hope I change, so others change. I hope I change so my companion changes, I hope I change so my future changes. I love change. It purifies us and lets us become who He sees. 

Love you all lots,

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Gehring

Crazy Cambios

Hey,

I don't have much time today. Things are crazy here in the offices again. This past week the offices that were once in Torres Cainco are now changing. The old chapel where the barrio Cañoto used to meet now is the Church Offices headquarters where the mission office now also is. We have been helping organize everything. We have had a few meetings with President to go over the transfers this week that is coming and he has put me in charge of a few things in the offices this last week before the new missionaries get here. I'm excited to get some more stuff organized here in the office. A lot of what we are doing is to help the new President that will be here in one year. We are preparing everything so that in one year, everything can be handed over in such a simple way that the new President can adjust without problems. The hardest thing to do is make things simple. We'll see how it goes this week. 

My camera memory card is messed up for good now. I'm not sure what I'm going to do. I hope I don't lose the 2000 fotos I've taken up to this point in my mission. I've saved it and am going to buy a new card today. 

Just a quick thing Ive learned this week. Its has everything to do with my purpose as a missionary: Baptize. Baptism is an ordnance. Ordinances are physical acts to represent spiritual promises. And I learned so much from the word ordnance. Order. God organizes His people through ordinances. As we progress spiritually by making higher covenants through sacred ordinances, we receive a higher order in the eyes of God. If we want a life spiritually in order, we have to perform ordinances. Which of course, can only be performed by the Priesthood which has been restored. Everything is related to the Restoration and to Jesus Christ. Christ was baptized not because he was imperfect but because he needed to be part of Gods order, He had to be obedient. 

My purpose is baptize. My purpose is invite everyone to make covenants through ordinances. I have the priesthood to help others organize their lives the way God wants them to. 

Hurrah for Israel!

Love,

Elder Gehring