President Crapo thankfully put me in a trio with two zone leaders Elder Flygare, who is my buddy from the MTC who is going home in two weeks, and his companion Elder Cardenas. Our area is called ¨Quatro de Febrero¨ which is the name of the main colony we work in. We have seen so many amazing things already.
The first couple days were some of the hardest days ever to be honest. I was a little homesick, but the anxiety I had from doing a complete 180 of my daily life was insane. I´ve never had anxiety before or stress like that and it was almost unbearable. The mission is already so different from normal life, plus a lot of the things I remembered about the mission had changed. The way we work and the weekly routine. Not drastically but it was just another thing that was different and made it more difficult. I definitely thought at one point that there was just no way that I could do this.
Wednesday night I prayed so hard. I just prayed that my head could clear and I could focus again on what I came back to finish and what I am to accomplish as a missionary. I prayed that I could leave all of my personal problems and focus on the people that I was suppose to be serving. It was difficult, but then I read in the Book of Mormon Alma 7:11-12 ¨And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind. And this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and sicknesses of his people... That he may know according to the flesh how to succor (comfort) his people according to their infirmities.¨
Although those first 2 or 3 days I felt as if no one could really understand what I was going through, it was then that I realized, again, that the Savior always knows our pains and afflictions. He understands them better than we ourselves understand them. I woke up Thursday morning and all the anxiety and stress was gone. I felt totally back to normal and accustomed to the mission again. I was honestly maybe the most thankful that I have ever been in my life, that God answered my prayer.
There´s honestly so much I want to share with you all. But my time is limited so I´ll end with one last spiritual thought. I read this week as well in Mosiah 15. Verses 7-8 prophecy of the Atonement and Crucifixion of Christ. It says, ¨Yea, even so he shall be led, crucified and slain, the flesh becoming subject even unto death, the will of the Son being swallowed up by the will of the Father... and thus God breaketh the bands of death...¨
Jesus Christ did not want to suffer the pain that he suffered. He asked His Father to ¨let this cup pass from me¨. But he says ´nevertheless not my will, but thine be done´. One thing that I feel I can be proud of in these past few years is always trying to do what the Lord wants me to do. I knew how difficult it would be to come back but I know doing what I want to do isn´t how I become closer to my Heavenly Father, but by doing His will for me.
I love Him with all my heart. And I know this year will be tough at times, but I know 100% that this is where I´m suppose to be. I can´t wait to continue to see the miracles that will happen in this next year. I know this church is true with every ounce of my being. I know I am on the Lord´s errand doing His work. I love you all with all my heart! Talk to you next week!
Love Elder Gurksnis
Some quick family pics before Elder Gurksnis headed out.
Letter from Elder Flygare
These will be the best three weeks that I will have in the mission! Well we are in a trio again BUT with one of the best missionaries that I know! First look at the picture that I sent and see if you guys remember where you have seen this person! Well his name is Elder Gurksnis... and he came back to the mission! He's from my group! I was so excited when president told me that he was going to be my companion! President told me that he was going to be my companion 2 seconds before I saw Elder Gurksnis. We were in a meeting with the leaders of the mission and he told me outside and then I walk inside the chapel and Elder Gurksnis was right there! I can't tell you guys how happy I am to have him as my companion!I hope that I can be a good example for him in these last two weeks so we can have success and so he can be excited for this next year to teach everyone that he finds and to baptize a ton of people!
> Also, this Sunday we were able to have 5 investigators in sacrament meeting! And out of these five people, one of them was someone that we taught just the day before. The story of how we found her was that we were talking to someone on the street and we noticed that a man was passing by us carrying cement blocks, so after we talked to the person on the street, Elder Gurksnis asked if he would like us to help him with the blocks, and he told that we could help him, so we went to where he had all of the blocks and we had to take the blocks to his house which was like 80 steps of stairs to go down to his house because he lives in a ravine. So we helped him move 100 blocks that were bigger than the normal sized blocks and he and his wife then gave us lunch for free for helping them! So we then taught them and the wife told us that she was going to come to church with us so she came with us! The husband had to work so he didn't come.> Well also this week I have been reading in Alma, and in this week I was reading in Alma 48 and it really impacted me what I read! Because this chapter is talking about one of my favorite leaders in the Book of Mormon and it's talking about Moroni!Alma 48:11-13 & 1711 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn with an oath to defend his people, his rights, and his country, and his religion, even to the loss of his blood.
> In these three verses it talks about he is a man! A man of God! It says the word man 7 times in these 3 verses! and its really important that each of us, man or women can become like him. and why should we become like him? well in verse 17 tells us why,17 Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
>
> If we are men and women of God like he was, we will see more miracles in our lives and we will see that we won't sin as much. We need to be converted unto the Lord like Moroni and we get a conversion through scripture study, prayers, fasting, and our family home evenings. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I know that he showed us the perfect example that we need to follow.
> Elder Flygare
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