Thank You

To all who have read my emails these last two years, thank you. This is my last email, to those of you I will not see in the near future goodbye and I wish you the best this life has to offer. 

I have mixed feelings as my mission comes to a close. Principally, I'm extremely grateful. I'm grateful to God for allowing me to serve these 2 years. I'm grateful for God's help, love, guidance, and deliverance. I'm grateful to have met so many wonderful people and to have come to know new cultures and to have learned Spanish. I'm grateful and joyful for the success during my mission and I give all the credit to God. Despite my many imperfections I'm grateful to have seen so many miracles and feel the Holy Ghost each day. 

I'm also sad, sad to leave the people I've served, my companions, and the missionary lifestyle. It will be sad to not be able to wear my missionary name tag and to go out and share the good news of the gospel.

I feel satisfaction. I feel as Paul "...the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my mission (course), I have kept the faith" (2 Tim. 4: 6/7) I glory in the Savior, He is the Light, the Life, and the Truth. My satisfaction is in the service I've done for Him, and the benefit its had for other people. I direct all success to Him. I have never felt satisfaction as sweet as I have during my mission. I feel at peace with my myself, with my fellow men, and with God. 

I am excited! I have missed my family and I highly anticipate a joyful reuniting this Thursday! I am excited to return home to the great U.S.A. and to enjoy all the things that come with living in the land of the free and the home of the brave. 

I feel confident. I have prayed much and I have fasted to know the truth of many things, and by the Holy Spirit I have come to know that God lives and that Jesus Christ, his Only Begotten Son, is the Savior of the world. I know that He died so that we might have happiness and joy in this life and salvation in the life to come. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's true church. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet.

It has been a pleasure to serve a mission, what an awesome opportunity it is to do so. 

I will see many of you soon, may God bless you all. 

Elder Gardner

The Joy of Working

I was happy this week! We had very few distractions and we were able to work all week long and we saw great progress with our investigators and less active members. I like going out and visiting all day long, for me the work is the best part of the mission, I enjoy more than my p days, meetings, and other downtimes. 

I understand that I only have 10 days left, I as I went throughout the week it made me a little sad to think that my wonderful little protected life of visiting people, reading the scriptures, and helping people to be happy all the time will come to an end. But, reality always comes knocking at the door. So, I've been trying to enjoy each day and soak it all in. 

We had 4 investigators come to church and one of our investigators will be baptized next saturday named Michelle. Her Mom was a less active member but since we found them my second day here they've come to church every single week. She is excited to be baptized and has good support from her family so that will be a good event next saturday.

I should be fed well this week, we have been invited to dinner every day this week. 

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I feel uplifted and I learn each time I read it. I hope that we may all read it and strengthen our foundations of faith. 

Elder Gardner