Joy is not the absence of sorrow but the presence of Christ

The pressure to sum up my whole mission into 1 email is daunting. I might as well just send you pictures of my daily journal if I want to even scratch the surface from these past 2 years. 

Actually.

It is impossible and I won't even try...BUT I can leave you with something even more important than my journal....(after a quick update of my week!;)

1. JARED GOT BAPTIZED. That was such an amazing miracle. There were many rocky experiences and challenges along the way but it was worth every single drop of sweat. He was elated to take upon himself the name of Christ. He literally introduced himself as "Jared Jesus Christ." I love the enthusiasm to literally take upon himself the name of Christ.

2. For those wondering, Dajuan is still getting baptized this week. In fact, he will get baptized Wednesday morning at 8am!!! Hahaha we will have to up at 5am to fill the font and then we are gonna skirt right after the baptism to transfer meeting. 

3. I hit 24 months as a missionary on June 25th. I can't believe 2 years ago I was hugging my family goodbye and hopping onto a plane to Brazil...can I say it feels like yesterday or would that be blasphemy to my mom who thinks it was at least 2 decades ago? 

I'm so grateful for the Virginia Richmond mission. I'm grateful for its inspired leaders and loving examples. I'm grateful for the opportunities. Although I'm extremely grateful, that is not why I chose to serve a mission or even why I chose to come back out and stay out. I came because of Jesus Christ. He is the reason I made the small sacrifice to serve a mission. 

Someone told me this past week that "Joy is not the absence of sorrow but the presence of Christ." That is my mission in 12 words. It is completely true! I think it would be fitting to end with my testimony of Christ. And to throw a spin on it, I know that the Book of Mormon is the best way for us to learn about and come unto Jesus Christ. Therefore, I wrote my testimony of Christ ONLY using direct quotations straight from the Book of Mormon. (Is that plagiarism? I'll ask Nephi for forgiveness in the next life) 

"He shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of Heaven and earth.¹            

Christ shall come among the children of men,² for he shall grow up...as a tender plant³ born of Mary.⁴ He dwelleth in flesh...having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father⁵ in all things from the beginning.⁶

And He doeth not anything save it be for the benefit of the world, for He loveth the world.⁷ And lo, he shall suffer temptations and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer⁸ to bring about the bowels of mercy.⁹

Because of his loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men,¹⁰ an atonement should be made¹¹ to deliver from that awful monster, death and hell.¹²

And behold, he cometh to redeem those who will be baptized unto repentance, through faith on his name¹³ and the reception of the Holy Ghost.¹⁴

And he inviteth...all to come unto him and partake of his goodness...black and white...male and female.¹⁵ And he knoweth their prayers...and he knoweth their faith...¹⁶and through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance...to the end.¹⁷

He saith: 'Come unto me all ye ends of the earth.¹⁸ Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you.¹⁹ I have compassion on you.²⁰ I am he that comforted you.²¹'

Wherefore, my soul delighteth concerning Him.²² Yea, come unto Christ and be perfected in him;²³ turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart, and put you trust in him, and serve him with all diligence of mind...and he will...deliver you out of bondage.²⁴

Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.²⁵"

I love this church and I love this gospel. They are true! 

 Elder Gardanier  (one last time) 

¹Mosiah 3:8  ²Alma 34:8  ³Mosiah 14:2 ⁴Alma 7:10  ⁵Mosiah 15:2  ⁶3 Nephi 11:1     ⁷2 Nephi 26:24  ⁸Mosiah 3:7  ⁹Alma 34:15

¹⁰1 Nephi 19:9  ¹¹Alma 34:9  ¹²2 Nephi 9:26

¹³Alma 9:27  ¹⁴3 Nephi 27:20                     

¹⁵2 Nephi 26:33  ¹⁶Moroni 8:24  

¹⁷Moroni 8:3  ¹⁸2 Nephi 25:13  

¹⁹3 Nephi 9:14  ²⁰3 Nephi 16:7  

²¹2 Nephi 8:12  ²²2 Nephi 25:13  

²³Moroni 10:32  ²⁴Mosiah 7:33  

²⁵2 Nephi 2:6

Seeing the End from the Beginning

Do you know how life would be so much easier, calmer, and full of more patience if I would just see the end from the beginning? 

I've found myself asking myself (hehe) this exact question multiple times throughout the week. I've been reviewing a lot of my journal entries during my mission and I wish I could so badly leave a note, or reach through the papers to give myself a pat on the back and encouraging words to myself 2 years ago. 

Or even, this week we have been going through a lot of ups and downs with Jared as he is preparing for baptism. I just want to grab him by the lapels of his collared shirt and tell him "Trust me! This is what you will want not only now but well into the future and for eternity." But I can't. Or I get impatient when we have a few appointments fall through and I want to kindly embrace these people and say, "You don't realize what you're turning down! You need this gospel and you need it now!" And I especially want to help less active members see the end from the beginning as they kindly tell us to never come back and that they aren't interested. 

How can these people not see what I see? In fact, I'm sure this is what God thinks daily. However, he IS patient. He IS perfectly loving and forgiving. He ALWAYS IS willing to forgive us even though he knows there is an easier way. 

Elder Uchtdorf explains this principle perfectly as he explains the concept and godly virtue of patience:

     "Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience...

...patience is a purifying process that refines understanding, deepens happiness, focuses action, and offers hope for peace...

...Our Heavenly Father knows what good parents come to understand over time: if children are ever going to mature and reach their potential, they must learn to wait."

Another lesson I learned about patience and preparation came through Anitha and Venkat. Anitha was going to get baptized this Saturday on the 26th but due to the language barrier and her wanting to be more prepared, we are pushing it back! But we found some missionaries who speak Telugu and now are teaching her! However, yesterday was a great day as Venkat came to church and we had the opportunity to confer the Aaronic priesthood to him!! He is all set to baptize his wife when her time comes!! (Soon) 

Love you all and I can't believe this is my last full week as a missionary!! Time to soak up every moment 

-Elder Gardanier 

Pt 2, Is Jared actually on date for Baptism?!

Funny story. Remember last week how Melissa put her husband on date for baptism for June 26th without him knowing?! Well, we went into our lesson this week with guns a-blazing and taught him about the gospel of Jesus Christ and really emphasized the role of the Holy Ghost. To end things, we slid a paper over to him and invited him to make a pro and con list for being baptized. 

Immediately, Melissa busted up laughing and I thought I had messed up 🤦‍♂️BUT turns out, this is the exact thing that Melissa did to Jared when they were deciding if they should get married or not...a pro/con list. Jared received just another witness that this is the right path.

Fast forward, Jared looked at us and let out a sigh of frustration and said, "Well, there are no cons to baptism, how do you expect me to write something down?" We all kinda smiled and looked at him as he processed what he just said! 

Long story made short, Jared decided to be baptized on July 10th! (But wait, there's more). We were so excited for him and this date but then Melissa said "Elder Gardanier, when do you go home?" I responded the 1st of July and told them that I could zoom in! Jared then shouted, "Nope! That isn't going to work. You need to be here. How about the 27th of June then?" 

So. Moral of the story. Jared is going to be baptized the 27th of June!!! He has had quite the journey and so many missionaries to prepare him for his baptism. I'm so grateful to be one of many influences that has helped him towards the covenant path! 

     

Also, funny story. We were doing some street contacting this past week and I was looking at my phone to get us to an address and low and behold, I stepped in a pile of horse poop. I was so scared that I jumped super high with a little unintentional karate kick and then let out a scream. When I turned around this lady sitting on her porch in a rocking chair just stared at me in disgust and completely horrified. I felt bad for making a scene...that might've been why she wasn't interested in hearing our message. 

Have such a good week!!!! 

Elder Gardanier 

 

P.s, if you all could keep Anitha (June 26th) Jared (June 27th) and Dajuan (June 29th) in your prayers, that would be AWESOME!! They all are in need! 

The time I got a million dollars

 Okay...^^that might've been click bait BUT let me tell you how this week was even better than a million bucks:

So. Many. Things. Happened. This. Week. 

     First off, I'm not a fan of Bible or any type of bashing. We went into a lesson with our friend Steve and that is exactly what he did. I'm not exactly sure how he didn't even pass out because he talked so much that breathing was a burden for him! Well, knowing that our meeting was cutting into valuable time to find new people to teach and other lessons, the Spirit pricked me in a rather unusual way. Before I knew it, I had raised my hand and immediately Steve stopped talking and called on me. I told him that we admire his devotion to the Bible and he knows it so well; I then proceeded to tell him our goal as missionaries and how it's different than his agenda. We ended in prayer and got on to finding more people!! 

     And catch this miracle...we are working with a part member family. The husband just was baptized and his wife hasn't learned much about the gospel because of a pregnancy and health issues the past few months. Well, she has finally recovered and we taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and invited her to be baptized for June 26th! We are excited for her...the only struggle is she speaks Telugu and her English is still improving. Catch me on the Duolingo grind!!! 

     Christian's baptism happened!!!!! It was spectacular. His family brought a few people who weren't even members and they were able to participate! Christian enjoyed the baptism and really loved the Taco Bell afterwards too. Nothing is better than being a new member of the church and a cheesy Gordilla crunch!! 

     ^^Not only did the miracles stop there...his mom is married to Jared whom we are teaching. She wants him baptized so badly and texted us today saying "That's it, what do we need to do to get Jared baptized for June 26th?" I love the determination!! Let's just hope that Jared knows his wife signed him up for his baptism on the 26th  

     But in all seriousness, I've learned this past week that discipleship and conversion is an active and personal process. No one can force you to follow Christ despite how much you desire it. Even Alma the Older exhausted his resources to aid his son. However, his efforts weren't in vain! The angel told Alma the younger "Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth..." 

     I'm discovering that being a converted disciple of Christ is not one big decision...in fact, it's made up of thousands of daily decisions that are Christlike. It's getting up at 6:30 as a missionary, it's choosing to spend 30 mins in the scriptures rather than your favorite TV show, it's choosing to take time to listen to the Holy Ghost after you pray, and it's every other fiber-like decision that is woven together to create a tapestry of conversion. It takes diligence--steady, consistent earnest, and energetic effort. 

Love you all!

-Elder Gardanier 

Maskless!

 I'm blessed. We blessed. Another blessed week. I have so much to share but here are the highlights!! 

1. My last Zone Conference has come and gone. It was surreal. One of the best parts was when President Droubay said, "if you have been vaccinated, you can take your masks off." WHAT?!?!?!! Yep. We have entered phase 3 as a mission which basically means normal missionary work...kinda. We don't have to wear masks as long as the majority of the people in a crowd feel the same way. We can finally start to find people to teach in ways before COVID. I never thought this day would come!! I've got 4 weeks to grind out some work. God is good. 

2. Miracle two is a BIG testimony builder for me. One night while praying, I some how fumbled my way on my phone and onto a random area book record. I thought it was strange but I set a time to reach out to Sid. We called the next day and I immediately saw God organizing a miracle. Turns out, Sid's wife was a member but she had passed away the same day I had a feeling to reach out to Sid. Even before anyone knew about her passing we had planned to reach out. It was amazing to see how God was already orchestrating a plan to show his love for Sid. 

     Sid went on to explain that he lost a son 2 weeks ago and that he is going through a really rough time. And towards the end of the call he said, "You would make me super happy if you could lift my new electric wheelchair into my house so I can use it." We cleared our scheduled and booked it over there. I was so humbled to see how God's timing is perfect and he can cause great things to happen even from the smallest promptings. God is good. 

3. Remember Christian Dempsey? Well we have been praying and fasting that his biological dad would give him permission to be baptized. And guess what? HE DID. And not only did he give Christian permission to be baptized BUT he is getting baptized this Saturday on June 5th!!!! God is good. 

     Then, later that day we went over to Larry's house. We taught about the importance of the sacrament and how after we are baptized, we have the Spirit to ALWAYS be with us. We asked if that was something he wanted and he said, "Yes! I want to be baptized!" So Larry is scheduled for July 17th!! God is good. 

   Moral of the story, we have been majorly blessed with miracles this past week. There is almost no better feeling than following a prompting of the Spirit. I am grateful that I ALWAYS have the gift of the spirit to be with me. 

Love you all!

Elder Gardanier 

White: the absence of color?

We went into this military base and went up this lighthouse. And then we also went to the exact spot where the first settlers of America landed

 --Some quick stats for this week--

Food of the week that I slept on: 2 Bananas! 

Times that I've seen the beach: 1!!

Times that we have done a 2 hour drive: 4 🥵 

Chick-fil-a: 2 🥴🤤

     Basically this week was CRAZY and so eventful. My two new companions are Elders Allred and Gilbert. These two are a bunch of goons and we have a good time. We have a joke about this standing lamp in our house that is always in the most inconvenient place...It's been surprising to see it when I step in the shower in the morning or see it in my bed when I go to sleep. Who knows where is next?! 

     We had an interesting yet miraculous lesson yesterday! Backstory: Melissa is a member who withdrew her records from the church a while back BUT has been trying and working with leaders to join the church again. She is weeks away to being re-baptized! Her husband, Jared, is NOT a member but he is way fun and interested in learning. 

     Recently, he has been confused on how HE can fit into the church. It's been hard because he can't see himself as a "cookie cutter" member. He also believes that his sins and mistakes have shaped him into who he is and he doesn't want those experiences to go away. In fact, he used an analogy how he has different "colors" that paint his past. He's learned about red, or has experienced blue, and many studies have brought him to green. He doesn't feel like he fits in because he isn't the same "shade" or "color" as the other members.

     My companions and I jumped on this analogy and all of a sudden my 6th grade self remembered the essence of white light. I told him that white represents purity and that is our goal. People think that they need to be washed free from their experiences and growing up in order to fit the model...HOWEVER, I told him, that white light is actually made up of red, blue, and green. His experiences, and the experiences and colors of other members, can combine to make up the White: Jesus Christ. 

     No. I am not saying we don't need to repent and be washed clean from the stain of sin. Nope. Not one bit. BUT I am saying that past experiences of green or blue can be made pure through the red blood of Christ. He can make us pure and unique as individuals. I love how Elder Holland sums it up by inviting us to claim the glowing embers of the past and not the ashes. Christ can justify us from our sins and fill the gap, however, the process of being sanctified is A PROCESS. It takes effort, time, trying, falling, brushing your knees off, and committing yourself to never give up. 

     The beauty of the Atonement of Jesus Christ is that it can and should be woven into every aspect of our lives. I am discovering that Christ is in the details and in every moment of my life (more to come on this next week;) 

     SO. (To tie things up together). Jared can still be a member of the church WITH his appropriate habits and customs while still being able to be made pure. The key to doing this is reading in the Book of Mormon daily and APPLYING these teachings. We have been given THE BEST roadmap for our lives, and I'm sad to say, I have not utilized it to it's fullest in my life. I'm excited for the future!

Beach Vibes and Michael Jackson

 My last transfer has finally arrived and I can't believe it. I'm excited to work my tail off because I'm so lucky to be a missionary! 

    And as for my last transfer...I will be heading down to VIRGINIA BEACH! I have always wanted to serve there but the zone leader spot was Spanish speaking BUT they changed it my last transfer so you can say that God is good! I'm actually trading my good friend Elder Seegmiller spots so that he can fill the big shoes of being Assistant to the President! I can't wait to go on exchanges with that Elder!

     This last Sunday was a tough one because I had to say a lot of goodbyes to such amazing members! I felt so much love from each of them and I was given the perfect send off...during our 2nd hour meeting, this lady raised her hand to make a comment. Since our 2nd hour is also broadcasted over zoom, we use a microphone so all can hear. This lady grabbed the mic, cleared her throat, and began to hum the most beautiful melody. After a few minutes she started singing "We Are the World" by Michael Jackson. She brought the biggest smile to my eyes because 1. I love that song 2. I never thought I would hear a live performance of it during church! The Richmond Branch definitely brings some of the richest experiences!

     As for myself, I have been doing a deep study on pride AND it's antonyms Humility and Meekness. I realized that I am super prideful. I have so much to work on. I can get better in almost every aspect of my life. HOWEVER, I know the blessings of being humbled and meek WELL out weigh the consequences of pride. 

    Helaman 3:35 lists a bunch of blessings when I humble myself "Nevertheless, they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God."

I love how Humility keeps me on my toes. It helps me to stay on the edge of my seat and not settle. President Benson stated this perfectly when he said, "Do you know what peace and prosperity can do to a people--it can put them to sleep." 

And. To sum it up, C.S. Lewis encapsulates an aspect of pride when he said, "Pride gets no pleasure out of having something, only out of having more of it than the next man."

I invite you all to keep me humble because I know humility qualifies me for Christ's grace WHICH is essential!

Love you all!

Elder Gardanier

We snuck into a hospital

Okay, maybe we didn't actually sneak into a hospital but it definitely was a surreal experience being in a hospital ESPECIALLY during COVID. 

     We got a call from the Jamestown ward and they told us of a member who is in the VCU hospital and wanted a blessing. They asked US to go and give her a blessing since Jamestown is like 1.5 hours away. I was so humbled.

      First off, parking in Richmond is horrendous. I definitely murmured because we had to pay $5 to park in a parking lot that was .75 miles away from the hospital. But after our visit, that $5 was worth every single penny...

    For anyone who has been in a hospital before, those things are SUPER confusing and just add COVID on top of it and it made it all the better. They were checking out temperature, we basically were drinking hand sanitizer, and going in random doors hoping it would lead us to our destination. I was worried the nurses were going to mistake our well dress and name tags as the doctors and I would've found myself extracting an appendix from someone in the operating room;)

     But in all seriousness, we found our way (after asking too many nurses for directions) and we found this member not very conscious lying on her bed. She has had a lot of trials thrown at her recently and I couldn't help but to be blown away by the opportunity to be the answer to her prayers and the hundreds of prayers being said by family, ward members, and friends.  I knew that God was able to send her angels in the form of two 20 year old missionaries. We were able to give her a blessing and then waltz out of the hospital full of the spirit and humbled at the amazing opportunity we were given.

    My companion and I have recently been trying to crack the code of how we can help missionaries or even people we are teaching have a greater desire. A desire to learn. To grow. To progress. To be an effective missionary, etc. We decided after reading Ether 12:4 and Moroni 7, that a desire comes from the joy and satisfaction of living the gospel...or in other words after good works. And in order to get to the good works we need a hope in Jesus Christ and we know that hope is strengthened as we have faith in Jesus Christ. Everything comes back to faith. The faith is the root to this tree. Our faith is able to grown when we soften the dirt through humility and meekness. AND things such as Preach My Gospel, studying, prayers, etc are all "the branches and leaves." However, we know, just like trees, that the leaves can provide photosynthesis which in turn strengthens and feeds the trees and allows the roots of Faith in Jesus Christ to grow. This analogy has been an even stronger testimony to me that Faith in Jesus Christ is the basis for everything.

Love you all!

Elder Gardanier 

My man Marshall!!

      I finally figured out what I want to do with my life. I want to be a dissembler...you know. Someone who takes things apart and destroys things. Let me explain:

     This past week we went back to Habitat for Humanity to do some volunteer work. This place is honestly a big stress reliever because they make money off of salvaging metals. So our charge is to disassemble whatever comes through and it is a grand ole time. I've gotten pretty good with a Philips screw driver--you can say that I'm a big deal ;)

     However, the part that makes this place so worth it is the people. I made a new 82 year old best friend named Marshall. Our first week together I commented how I loved his button-up shirt. He looked confused to be hearing this from a millennial. Well, turns out Marshall has the biggest heart and that week he washed the shirt, he even air dried it, and he gave it to me in an authentic cardboard Nordstrom box. I considered that the highest honor at Habitat for Humanity. I love his example to me of service and charity. 

     And not only did he give me literally the "shirt off his back" but he also brought his band. He brought his trombone, a clarinet for my companion, and a tiny keyboard for me --only 5 of the 26 keys actually worked ;). We turned that warehouse into the streets of Louisiana as we played "When the Saints go Marching in." Catch us and Marshall touring the country for our album's debut.

     

     Of course, this week flew by and it gave me so many memorable moments. One of them in particular came from church. Going to church here in the Downtown Richmond Branch is a surreal experience. Out of our 2 hour church, I think I stopped smiling only for 5 minutes of it...and that was to breath. There is something so special about the people here. They aren't perfect, they don't say their prayers perfectly, they don't wear the expected Sunday clothes either, and sometimes they call themselves "idiots" (and some other explicit words) as they try to take the sacrament and accidentally drop their water cup into all the other water cups in the tray. They take some of the unneeded culture of the church out and they can bring a sweet spirit. It reminds me of what Elder Ballard said this past conference when he emphasized the fact that "We are ultimately more alike than we are different." I know that the true race is between God's family and sin...not between us and our neighbor. These are just a few reasons why the Richmond Branch is so refreshing!

Also. Remember this timeless advice from Alma 59:9 that says, "It was easier to keep the city from falling...than to retake it from them." And to apply this to our individual lives, President Benson said, "It is better to prepare and prevent, than to repair and repent."

Love you all!

-Elder Gardanier

P.S. I tried to prank my companions by putting onions in their pillows to sleep on BUT it backfired and while I wasn't looking their switched the onions and now I can add to my count that I have slept on an onion without knowing...

Another week of Amazing moments

 Here is my count for the week:

-Number of COVID vaccines: 2/2

-Number of nights I slept with a potato in my pillow without knowing: 6/7

-Number of wheel barrows full of horse manure I scooped and emptied: 3/3 🤧

-Number of times we went on a walk after 8pm on April 20th: 1

-Number of times I REALLY regret going on a walk at 8pm on April 20th: 1!!!!!!!

Overall, this week was a win. Some things this week left me shaking in my "custom made baby seal leather boots" and others had me leaping off the walls. I truly am loving every moment as a missionary!!!

To start off, the 2nd COVID vaccine was amazing!! I mean, I definitely do not want to take it again but I'm so grateful for it!!! I woke up at 3am the following night with some major chills and didn't really sleep at all BUT that is okay. My wounds were mended as we laced up our boots the next day and volunteered on a farm. Hank the horse is my newest companion and we definitely did a boot scoot and boogie as we hauled off loads and loads of some fresh manure! 

This week, two of my most favorite moments happened on Sunday. The first one involved our friend Troy. He actually was a member of the church but after some crazy events, he left the church completely and joined the Community of Christ (aka the RLDS church). After meeting with him the past few weeks, we invited him to come and see us at church...just for a week! He consented but pulled out last minute Sunday morning. But to my surprise he walked in RIGHT as the Branch meeting started. He loved the meeting and it was especially impactful when he went up to Sister Rawlings--who gave a talk about loving everyone and kindness--and gave her the BIGGEST hug and just sobbed on her shoulder. They talked for a solid 15 mins and it was exactly what he and she needed!

     Then, I went up to our friend, Carl, who has been taking the missionary lessons for a few months now. He really is excited and anxious to be baptized but because of some past events, he needs special approval for baptism. However, he is such a solid person and I can't wait for the day that he is baptized. However, I had a feeling to go up to him and ask if he would fellowship and make conversation with Troy when he came to church. He looked at me, paused, and his eyes filled with tears. He said, "That as a blessing already to me Elder Gardanier. I want to be a part of this church." Carl just needed an opportunity to serve. He needed to feel needed. It was such an amazing moment!

Love you all!

Elder Gardanier

Mack and some cash money moments

 

Ahhh how is it Monday already?

     Truly, this week was one to never forget! It started off with my man Mack! He was someone who was progressing super well and we were calling him almost everyday. BUT...the classic Richmond curse came upon and right at the beginning of April he couldn't pay his phone bill and his phone got cut and we couldn't get in contact with him! We tried so many things but NOTHING. We finally put in time to stop by his house and knock real quick and to our surprise there Mack was to greet us! He said, "I had to get a new phone and didn't have you number so I prayed that you both would come by...and here you are!" It was a great testimony builder to me of being led by the spirit without really knowing we were.

     Also. We had zone conference which means I only have one left. Crazy thought. and....I'm done thinking about it now!

     Fun fact, we got an estimate for our car crash the other day and the guy at the shop said he could only estimate the damage done that he could see (aka he couldn't do any internal estimate). SOOOO looks like it was at least $4,000 of damage 

     To close things out listen to this miracle. My sister Aimee and brother-in-law Hughfasa went to Virginia Beach to celebrate their anniversary. I texted my President last week and they were able to stop by real quick and drop off some Cheez-its 🏼 and say hi! It was so amazing. It was surreal. They are so solid and I love them bunches. I think I have almost been fed by them more than I've been fed by this branch the past 2 transfers hahaha. I just think it's crazy how this quick hello made the past year feel like 0.2 seconds. It shows that life will become life again SO quickly and what a unique opportunity I have to be a missionary. You know, only .0009% have served missions out of God's children which is a pretty cool statistic. 

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." --Edmund Burke

-Elder Gardanier

  I can't express enough how much I love Richmond and how much I love the Elders I live with! Truly, the mission is so good right now. 

     This week I saw miracles rain down from Heaven. I know that God is giving me opportunities to increase my faith in Christ. I love what Elder Ballard said when hope is an EXPECTATION that will eventually come to past through our faith in Christ (or something along those lines...;)

     BUT. I have been doing something super simple to increase my ability to hear him. I felt the need to share it! 

1. Sincere prayer. I realize that my prayers are wordy. My prayers are vain. I needed to simplify my prayers. I needed to pray with my feelings rather than my words. So...rather than saying something like "Please provide me with the ability to accomplish thy plan in my work here through different means and ways..." it has turned into, "Father, I need help. Help me remember my studies so that I can teach with the Spirit." 

     I know that this is something SUPER obvious but it's just clicking. BUT...then step #2

2. I listen. I ask and then listen. I WRITE down my impressions. I am realizing the Spirit speaks to me SO subtly. He speaks to me in simple nudges of spontaneity. He speaks to me in stretching out of my routine and out of my comfort zone to do something good!

3. I reflect. I spend a little bit to reflect in my nightly prayers. I go through my prayer list and see exactly how God has answered the prayers that I have saying to him. I have been blown away to see that God DOES answer my prayers. 

     If you're like me, you have probably already hit a spot in life that you feel like God has stopped speaking to you. But I can testify that as I actually open my heart through FAITH and ACTION, I see that God is speaking to me...not only a few times a day but in ABUNDANCE. 

     I just had to share because this week was full of so many of those small nudges from the Spirit. I realized it was Him after I acted and saw the blessings or saw the end result. I am just grateful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost.

Anyways. Congratulations if you have read this whole email. I want to know what patterns YOU have recognized to feel the spirit stronger in your life! How does He speak to you?

Love you all!

Elder Gardanier 

CAR WRECK...april fools?

Listen. I'm not a fan of click bait^^ SO read this:

1. BUT BEFORE. This Sunday was incredible. We got up at 6am and sprinted over to the church building to fill up the font for Adriana's baptism! We boiled a lot of water to make sure the font was extra warm. Adriana was precious. She had her box of tissues during the entire baptism. So many came out to support or even watch over Zoom. She gave the sweetest testimony at the end and can't stop talking about the temple! She is such an amazing example to me of courage and faith. She truly believes in Christ and is taking the steps necessary to follow even EVEN without completely knowing for herself...she walks by faith!

     Adriana even ended the service with her testimony and it was amazing to hear her conversion story all stemming from a missionary on Facebook asking how to make guacamole in group! God is good!

2. Also. I learned today that Bea Quicke (from a few months ago) decided to be baptized and got baptized this past Saturday as well! I love planting seeds! AND, I also found out this guy named Joao Vitor, from Brasil, got baptized as well! He was a youth we taught for a bit and he wasn't too interested but it's amazing what persistent work adds up to!

3. The 1st dose of the COVID shot. What. A. Blessing. Call me a goof ball or not, but I felt the spirit so strong as that little needle penetrated my skin and injected me with the COVID fluid. That tiny shot wasn't just a cure but it was a symbol of the billions of prayers said during the past year. It was a representation of the tears that God has been counting and promising to recompense from the past year. It was the worldwide fast. This shot was God's mercy. I am so grateful for modern medicine and the ingenuity that God has given to man to combat sicknesses, viruses, etc. In all reality, this shot was made possible because of Christ's Atonement. He knows how to succor us. At times, that succoring comes through the Holy Ghost, sometimes through Him directly, and other times through angels in the form of man and their inspired inventions.

4. Now. Here is some juicy stuff. Let me say that this has been a week of SO much protection. Here's one of those experiences:

     We had just pulled out of the McDonald's drive thru to celebrate the COVID shot with some vanilla ice cream (and yes, the ice cream machine WAS working). As we pulled away, we slowed to a stop at a red light...BUT our man Steve behind us didn't see that apparently and slammed into the back of our car. Luckily, the only casualties were the recently bought ice cream, a sore neck, and the back of our car. God still showed us that he is a God of miracles because right behind Steve was a cop and so he flipped his lights on, got the accident and paper work all sorted out within 30 mins and we were able to make our lessons that night! 

This was an incredible week here in Richmond! Here is the start of a new transfer and the last 12 weeks of my mission 

-Elder Gardanier

BACK AT IT AGAIN with the Acai!

E ai gente? What's up everyone? Well let me tell you what when down here in Richmond. I found my favorite Facebook group. "Brasileiros de Richmond." That's right, I have been chatting up a storm with all of my Brazilian friends on Facebook. I even asked if there were any authentic acai places in Richmond and I got a ton of responses. Long story short, this Brazilian man came to our house with some of the most REAL and AUTHENTIC and delicious acai. I got major feels and flashbacks as I was on the road chattin' to him a bit in Portuguese and even turned it into a gospel discussion (us missionaries are pretty good at that hehe). But eating acai was the perfect celebration this last week with my companion to celebrate the time I had in Brazil. It's been 1 whole year since I've returned from Brazil and that is blowing my mind! Transfers are this week...so is Easter, General Conference, and ADRIANA'S BAPTISM. She is amazing. Just blows me away. She sent us a text talking about her Book of Mormon study highlighting 4 main points and covenents she found in the Book of Mormon: 1. The Priesthood 2. The Sacrament 3. Obedience 4. The temple WHAT A PROFOUND THOUGHT. Not to mention, this is her 2nd language and 1st time reading through the Book of Mormon! We even taught her about the law of the fast and she totally crushed it yesterday to see if she could even do it. I have never seen someone so prepared for baptism. This next Sunday will consist of us getting up around 5:30am to fill the font for her baptism before conference! God is soooooo good! To end, read this scripture from Alma 31 about how stellar of a missionary Alma was. He truly desires the salvation of his brothers and sisters. "O Lord, their souls are precious...give unto us, O Lord, POWER and WISDOM that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee." How amazing, right? Instead of asking from instant conversion for the Zoramites, or even fire and brimstone to rain down from heaven, Alma asked that he can have power and wisdom to then help his brethren recognize the truth. That is faith! God can work through those who are willing to work! Love you all! Elder Garda

Teaching a lesson but minus the teaching

Great things are happening down here in RICHY!! I'd say that one of the only things greater than that us missionaries are eligible to get the COVID shot soon is that I made and ate brussel sprouts and actually enjoyed them. I have now awarded myself with the sous-chef award despite my burnt quesadilla. To report, Adriana is progressing so well for her baptism on the 4th of April (Easter, General Conference, her son's birthday, and her baptism... shall there be a better day than this?). AND we had a stellar lesson with Nichole to prepare her for her baptism on the 17th of April. We decided to teach the law of chastity and we invited this AMAZING member to help us out. Before we got on the lesson, the member had a conversation like this with us: Member: "So I have been studying, reading in Preach My Gospel, and even researching on the churches website. I am going to teach Nichole the Law of Chastity, read some scriptures, and then I will turn the time over to you all to decide what the next move is and to wrap things up." Us: *jaw on the ground* And that is exactly how the lesson went. The member taught one of the greatest lessons on the Law of Chastity and we were able to testify to what the member said. Infact, last minute the scripture 1 Nephi 3:7 came to my mind. This is a classic scripture and I felt that Nichole NEEDED to hear it. I pulled it out and I had no idea how impactful and powerful that scripture is. I guess it's because I see it with new eyes but listen to this line... "The Lord giveth NO commandments, save he SHALL prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them." What a promise? What does that mean for us then? It means that if you have no money to pay your tithing, PAY IT. The Lord will provide a way. It means that if you need to decide between living with your boyfriend or finding out a way to live separately to keep the law of chastity, DO IT. And it means that if the world thinks it's cool to disobey and disrepect your parents--backstabbing, gossiping, etc--reread through the 10 commandments and LIVE THEM. I love that we are invited by modern day prophets and apostles to "choose the harder right rather than the easier wrong." Love you all! Elder Gardanier

"A Woman that Feareth the Lord, she shall be Praised"

Did mother's day come early this year? I feel like every day this past week I found myself so grateful for all of the women in my life. I have thought about so many specific people (at home, in Brazil, in Virginia, church history, etc) and even just women as a whole are amazing haha. swear their energy is nonstop and their ministering abilities are incomparable. In fact, here is the sweetest story you will read this week about 2 amazing women here in the Richmond Branch: We are teaching Adriana who is scheduled to get baptized on April 4th. 2 short months ago, she lost her husband after he got the COVID shot...so suddenly. They had just opened up a Mexican food truck which sells the yummiest burritos and smoked meat. (My mouth is salvating just thinking about how amazing her food is). Well Adriana works 15ish hours a day every single day. She is nonstop. We even called her this last week to check up to see how she was doing and she couldn't talk for long because with the limited food, time, and money she had she decided to make food for the homeless. Amazing, right? BUT. My companion and I got a Sister from the branch on a video call with us and Adriana--her name is Sister Edwards. We decided to teach a commandment that is difficult for some and even more difficult for those struggling financially: Tithing. As we explained this sacred and amazing commandment, Adriana with NO hesitation said "oh, I love paying tithing! I even pay more than 10% when I have the money." 😮 Sister Edwards then talked about her recent struggles as she has been laid off twice and traveling coast to coast to find a job. They both related with their struggles to keep their feet under themselves financially. However, the part that touched me the most as these two amazing women just cared for each other was when Sister Edwards learned about Adriana's sacrifice everyday. With no hesitation, not thinking twice, or even contemplating, Sister Edwards asked Adriana if she could help her clean her taco truck each night to take that burden off her back. While Adriana declined, Sister Edwards has gone 2 times this past week for lunch to support the taco truck and even is bring all 4 of us missionaries this week. What an amazing example to me. This was just one of A TON of experiences of how women truly are needed in this gospel. I am so grateful for them all!!! And in the spirit of downtown Richmond and recent shocking events...J. Edgar Hoover perfectly sums up the antidote for animosity: "The cure of crime is not the electric chair but the high chair." Love you all! Elder Gardanier

Brazil, Bullying, and BOOYAH

So. The answer I have been waiting for for 9 MONTHS now concerning my fate of going back to Brazil or not. I received a text from my President that I have been permanently reassigned to the Virginia, Richmond Mission which I am super excited about. Of course I have bitter sweet feelings but I know the work is the same in any part of the world and any side of the veil. I love being able to represent Christ to my brothers and Sisters. So now that is out of the way...I have this crazy cool story about getting bullied BUT how God turned it into a missionary moment: To start off this story read this amazing scripture in 2 Corinthians 12:10 "Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." ^This is how I feel right now because this past week I was cruising doing some Facebook work. My tactic is friend a bunch of people and message all of them too...it works quite well I might add. Well some lady got offended at my friend request and instead of simply "declining" it, she decided to make me a public example over social media! She screen shoted my profile and warned all of her friends of guys like me. She said "Why? Lol no I'm not accepting a friend request from a dude that's gonna try and tell me about Joseph Smith." I mean, that's fine because she's right...but then the comments got super nasty and it was crazy seeing people talk so bad about the church!

BUT then there was a friend she has on facebook who started standing up for me in the comments. She was so surprised that he was because he is this tattooed, rough looking drinker, who admitted to a lot of things in the comments. However, he stood up for me. He is a member who has lost activity and any more direction in the church for many years now. And not only that, we started messaging back and forth and he said that when he saw his friend post about me and ugly comments going off, he had "an awakening." He felt like he needs to pursure the course with the missionaries again because he felt God guiding him. Fast forward a few days, I passed his number and profile to some missionaries who live in his area and they were so amazed because he had already gotten in contact with them previously and wanted to start things up again with the missionaries and the church do to "some recent events" that caused this awakening in him. I just think it's so neat that God uses our persecution and trials in order to move forth his work. If anyone walked away with a bigger smile from some cyberbullying it was me!!! I'm willing to take that beating everyday in order to be a representative of Christ and reap the blessings of his gospel!! We learn about this same example (but on a much higher scale) in Alma 14 where innocent children and women were being burned in Ammonihah. However, Alma testified saying "the blood of the innocent shall stand as a witness against them, yea, and cry mightily against them at the last day." Love you all! Take care!! Elder Gardanier

Who's Your Beverly?

Downtown Richmond is where the party is at. I started out this transfer SUPER great by losing one of my suitcases at transfers, my driving card, and the charger to my razor so I'd say I'm off to a good start!! The area I am in now is COMPLETELY opposite to my last area. We are in the downtown branch with a bunch of married college students from Utah so I feel like I'm at BYU! Our friend Adriana has a date to he baptized for the 4th of April but we are going to try to move it up tonight! We are blessed by lots of teaching appointments and willing people who recognize their need and dependence on the gospel and Christ. I couldn't help but share this AMAZING and powerful lesson we had with Beverly. We found her through our Area Book and turns out she is struggling! She had to cut the heat to her house because she is poor and will stop her phone bill too in March. She is looking for any source of strength. We taught the Restoration and as a missionary, I always get worried that the person we are teaching isnt liking it or understanding or even feeling the HOLY Ghost. However, I took comfort from D&C 50:21-22 which promises that the teacher and the learner will be edified TOGETHER through the Spirit. I also love In Alma 7:17 which mentions the same principle--"I know that ye believe them; and the way that I know that ye believe them is by the manifestation of the Spirit which is in me." Back to Beverly...my companion shared with her the First Vision and I always feel the spirit strong when I imagine those we are teaching hearing this message for the first time in their lives. I then remembered these scriptures and knew that Beverly was feeling the spirit--because I had felt Him. As we continued, I had felt very strongly to relate WHY the First Vision will bless Beverly specifically. I felt that I need to emphasize WHY the Book of Mormon is such an immediate answer to her prayers. I shared with her that because of Joseph Smith's vision it means that we can live as families forever; it means that Christ will strengthen us as we obey the things he teaches in his church; and it means that God loves us individually. I then did the same thing with the Book of Mormon and said "Why is this book important to you? It's important to you because in the introduction it says that men may 'gain peace in this life and eternal salvation in the life to come.'" I asked her if that was something she wanted for herself but the answer we received was silence. We sat for a few mins and heard her crying on the other end. She composed herself a bit and told us how she now feels warmth can finally see a light through the dark years of depression she's dealt with. She stuttered and tried to convey what she was feeling but ultimately gave up and said It all through this single statement that she exclaimed to herself: "You have been listening to my prayers Lord. Thank you." What a humble statement. I cant even imagine the hard days, weeks, months, and even YEARS that she has been going through just needing the message of the gospel. She was in need of God's love and I couldn't been happier to have been part of that process. Beverly is just an example of the millions of God's children who are looking for truth and dont even know it themselves until the Gospel presents itself. We could almost physically hear a hole in her heart being filled that she never knew existed! I invite you all to go to churchofjesuschrist.org/share and find just ONE idea of what you can simply do to find your Beverly. To find THE ONE. Love you all!! Elder Gardanier