April 15, 2013

Hey Ya’ll!!!

I AM GETTING TRANSFERRED. OK, I hope that broke the suspense. So, DON'T WRITE any letters until you get my new address. I will be in my new area Tuesday and will send some letters with my new address. Good Bye Lincolnton.

This is a bitter sweet transfer. I really love the people here in Lincolnton. Yesterday at church was a hard day with many tears. I was humbled to realize how many lives I have touched here and how many hearts I had the opportunity to help change. For awhile I felt like a failure because I didn't baptize anyone, even though I knew I tried my best. But I found that success isn't about how many baptisms you have its how many souls you help bring closer to Christ. I got to see that yesterday and my joy is full as was Ammon’s. 

I am excited to go to my new area. I know where I am going and am really excited!! You will have to wait till Tuesday for my mom to post where I officially am. Just like Paul or Aaron, the Spirit of the Lord is calling me elsewhere; my work is done here. Elder Call is going to see great success. Something big is about to happen in Lincolnton. I am really excited for him and the diligent Sisters in this ward to reap the harvest of so much sowing. I am really going to miss Elder Call, he and I are best buds! Please pray for him and his success that he and his new companion will work miracles here. And I give a shout out to all of the people of Lincolnton, God be with you till we meet again. I love you all!

Farewell Elder Call

Now for some words of wisdom that I learned this week. We were blessed to have the opportunity to attend Stake Conference. The stake president gave a great talk on how we all can "catch the wave".

To you members of the Church, there are 3 things we can do to simply do our missionary work, and they are:

1. Know the names of the full-time missionaries in your ward. If you haven’t done so introduce yourself and invite them over for dinner. It’s beneficial for both parties. The missionaries don’t have to eat Top-Ramen or peanut butter as much. ;) And the members get to be edified by the missionaries and have authorized representatives of Jesus Christ in your home.

2. Know the names of each of there investigators (people learning and investigating the church with the missionaries). This isn’t too hard to do. Pray for the missionaries, pray for their investigators by name, and pray for your own missionary opportunities.

3. Invite! Invite people into your home. Invite the missionaries’ investigators into your home. Be a friend to them. They are often making new and difficult changes in their lives, and they could use someone to help lift them up. This is so simple. You have dinner as a family every night, I hope? How hard would it be to have someone over into your home to sup with them and have the missionaries teach them in the comfort of your home? As members of the church our homes should be the most sacred place next to the temple of God. There is a wonderful spirit in member’s homes; they have all the blessings of the restored gospel. When an acquaintance comes into your home, they feel the warmth, the peace, and the love that is there and they then are no longer acquaintances. They become our friends, our brothers and sisters. We have what they need. I see it every day! So invite! Invite people, to church, to meet the missionaries, to come eat with you and your family, invite to Family Home Evening, and invite them to learn the message of the restored gospel. Trust in the Lord; imagine the trust he has in you. If we open our mouths he will fill them.

 7 Yea, verily, verily, I say unto you, that the field is ^awhite already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength.

 8 ^aOpen your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as ^bNephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness.

 9 Yea, open your mouths and spare not, and you shall be laden with ^asheaves upon your backs, for lo, I am with you.

 10 Yea, open your mouths and they shall be filled, saying:^aRepent, repent, and prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for the ^bkingdom of heaven is at hand;

 11 Yea, ^arepent and be baptized, every one of you, for a^bremission of your sins; yea, be baptized even by water, and then cometh the baptism of fire and of the Holy Ghost.

Doctrine and Covenants 33:7-11

Brothers and sisters if we can do these three simple things, I promise that we will see miracles!!! The heavens will open and blessings will be poured out upon us. Let us rejoice with our brethren, in the fullness of the Gospel! Jesus is the Christ and he has restored his gospel!!!!

Love,

Elder Gomm