Auf Wiedersehen, Januar; Hallo, Februar!

Liebe Familie und Freunde:

Ich kann nicht daran glauben, dass übermorgen Februar ist! Meine Güte! Wo ging die Zeit!?! This week was a busy one! I loved it! Yesterday was a great end to a great week. There were three baptisms from three eight year olds in the Military ward. It was real special, because I was baptized yesterday 12 years ago. It was so great to think back on my own baptism and remember all that has happened since then, concerning becoming a deciple of Christ. I understand more now what we mean when we are taught that baptism is the gate throught which we enter, and then continue along the path of enduring to the end. If baptism was all we had to do... well, I don't even want to think of where I would be right now! The simple pattern of the Gospel is just that, simple and a pattern! It has always been so, and always will be, that the beginning of a follwer of Christ's life starts at baptism and is followed by the reception of the GIFT of the Holy Ghost. But that is just the beginning! Then comes the actual living of the covenants, the progression in life, and the learning. The baptism covenants of Remembering, Taking His name upon us, and Obeying, are the foundation of all that we do in the church. I am so grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost that helps me keep and live these covenants, and keeps me on the right way.

We were able to meet with so many wonderful people this week! Guang, who is loving the Book of Mormon and prayed so beautifully! Tia, the girlfriend of a young man in the ward, who felt the spirit for the first time as we talked about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith. Evalin, who grabbed on to the counsel given to us by King Benjamin to believe in God and to believe that He is and created all things, as she is going through a very difficult, trying time right now. That simple faith becomes an anchor to our souls, and she is now firmly grounded. Chigozle really wants to learn more and begin finding out if the Book of Mormon is true, and if what we are saying is a big lie or the truth... for it is either on or the other, it can't be in the middle.

This mission experience is so great! I love every minute, especially the spiritual confirmations that what I am teaching and living is true. It can't really be explained, this Gospel. it must be expereinced and felt. If all we know is what we learn from books or what somebody else tells us, then we won't know very much. That's why, as teachers, we create a revelatory environment for the students to learn, not to be told. That's why the Book of Mormon says to pray and ask God to find out if it is true, to obtain that knowledge from on High. And that's real knowlegde.

Ich hab' euch so viel Lieb! Die Zeit geht so schnell vorbei- geniess jeden Moment! Ich weiß, dass Gott lebt. Jesus ist der Christus. Präsident Monson ist ein echt Prophet Gottes. Das stimmt!

Alles Gute!
--
Elder Nathan D. Garlick
German Frankfurt Mission
"Shall we not go on in so great a cause?" D&C 128:22