Week 47

It's June!

Summer has officially hit, and it's not so bad here in the Fresno area!  It's been a good week, things are still crazy and quarantined but we're slowly returning to normal.  Elder Grant and I have been finding on Facebook and meeting new people, teaching lessons.  Elder Grant and I go out walking and biking around town, it's good to get our image back out I'm sure people were asking themselves where the Mormons went when the quarantine hit.  One morning, we were on a street corner, and some guy called out of his truck "It's the Facebook guys!", so looks like it's working!  We met a new guy this week, he's retired, he said he recently found out he had cancer, and he wanted to hear the message of the Restoration.  We met him at a park to give him the book of Mormon, it was so sick.  Elder Grant and I found a masonic lodge, that was cool.  I ate at Betos this week, I had a huge "California Burrito", packed with french fries, asada, and guacamole.  There were nice sunsets, yoga sessions, I had an exchange and hungout in Reedley for a day, that was fun.  We got some good family history time in this week, not a whole lot of new stuff.  The work is moving forward.  I'm doing another church history study, I'm reading the Revelations in Context on Gospel Library, it's very interesting to see into the lives of frontier New York and surrounding areas.  I've felt the Savior's love this week.  I've felt the Atonement change me.  I know that as we rely on Jesus Christ, we can be changed for the better.  I love Selma, and I love the people.  God's children are everywhere and people are being prepared NOW to receive the gospel.  The church is true.  Jesus is real.  Families are forever.  I love you all.  Write meeeeeee!

Love 

Elder Gneiting

 

Week 46

Good morning,

I hope all is well, wherever you are.  Life is moving gently forward in Selma, I hope you're all finding ways to stay focused on what's important.  This week was not bad.  We've been having more lessons, we have a progressing friend, she's cool, she likes to learn and her friends join our video call, we've had over 20 people contact us this month out of the blue, it's crazy to see how many people have been looking to connect with God during this time.  It's definitely a good time, if you ask me.  I know that I've had moments on Mount Sinai as I've studied the scriptures and asked God what His will is for me.  Times are strange, there's no doubt, but this is the Lord's plan.  I hope you all have an opportunity to look at your life, where you are with your family, with God, and make adjustments where necessary.  Now is the time.  I read Elder Eyrings talk This Day earlier this week, and thought about what I should be doing now to be more Christ-like.  We had a conference call with the Area President last night, Elder Pearson and his wife, they spoke to us about the principle of alignment.  Power from on high comes as we align our will with God's, we have to understand His WI and make adjustments.  He defined faith as the result of obedience.  It was cool to hear his perspective, I've been thinking about God's will for me.  I've been doing some repenting, you know how it goes, to pray better, to be more kind to my fellow missionaries, to align my will again.  It's not easy.  It really isn't.  I was reading in Alma when Aaron teaches Lamoni's father, and he converts to the gospel, I've been trying to follow his example in identifying the "wicked spirit" and having it "rooted out of" me.  We all have vices, large and small, but we also have resources to cleanse and purify us.  I have a testimony of the Christ's Atonement, I know we can feel changed when we ask the Lord for help.  Elder Grant and I are still trying to figure out the Facebook thing, it's still foreign, but people are seeing our posts and we're teaching people so as far as I'm concerned, it's working.  We had plenty of walks and bike rides, it was over 100 a few days this week, that's been fun.  We have a re-assignee in our apartment now, he was serving in Chile, he and I do yoga to end the night and it is insane, I've never sweat that much from standing and bending, but I've also never felt better.  It's nice we have so much time to workout through out the day.  One evening this week, there was a local church having a small concert in the parking lot across the street, they were rapping for Jesus, it was very cool.  We stood out there for a good part of the performance, watching from our balcony, they had speakers blasting, and you could hear it throughout the city.  That was fun.  Please stay safe out there, I'm doing fine where I'm at, pray for peace, and ask yourself what you can do today to show you're a disciple of Christ.

Love ya, 

Elder Gneiting

Some pics of me, just for fun, the Hanford flea market, and baby Yoda gang