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
Monday, January 30, 2012
Auf Wiedersehen, Januar; Hallo, Februar!
Monday, January 23, 2012
Being "in tune"
Liebe Familie und Freunde:
Meine Güte! Diese letzte Woche war echt wunderbar! Ich habe so viel erlebt; es ist wirklich unmöglich alles zu erklären und erzählen! Ich bin so dankbar für die vergangene Jahr, und ich habe viele Hoffnung in der Zukunft!
I can't believe that the year mark of my mission came and went... time just flies by! Every moment needs to be enjoyed- even the apparent "un-enjoyable" moments need to be appreciated, for they are for our good, for our benefit. I have seen that these last few weeks, especially this week. And the greatest summary of it all comes down to this: The Spirit is key, and being "in tune" is essential
I am so grateful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the teaching we learn about the Holy Ghost- not only is the Holy Ghost a third member of the Godhead, but also a personal counselor, guide, and comfort. He bears witness of the Father and the Son, as well as warning and directing us on the straight path toward exaltation. As a personage of Spirit, the Holy Ghost can be with us to testify of and confirm truth. But with the Gift of the Holy Ghost, that special gift given to us after the sacred ordinance of baptism, we are allowed and blessed to have this guidance and support always. Always! Our Father wants to have more- and that includes communication from Him. That's why I treasure the gift of the Holy Ghost so much. It is not just the thought of "Yeah, I can feel good all the time", but so much more "I can receive revelation now", "I can be inspired in the very moment I need it" or "I trust that when I need to be warned, I will be". I have seen and experienced this week, and I know that the gift of the Holy Ghost is one of God's greatest gifts given to us, His children.
I have come to find a difference between "Feeling the Spirit" and "Being in tune with the Spirit". As a missionary, serving people and teaching the gospel all day every day, the presence of the Spirit naturally comes with it. I am so grateful for the presence of the Spirit in my daily life. But I have found a difference between just feeling and being "in-tune". Hopefully I can explain my thoughts and feelings correctly, and for that I go to an analogy. I loved looking up at the starts and planets and galaxies with my telescope before my mission, sometimes waking up at 3am to catch Jupiter in the right spot in the sky! The deep space things were always so cool to find and look at, but the moon will always be one of my favorite night-sky wonders to look at. With my telecope, I could point it at the moon, and even without it being in focus, I knew I was looking at the moon- it's the biggest and brightest thing in the sky! But when I used the focus knobs and the fine-focusers, I could see the mountains and craters and details of the moon. It was still the moon, just in sharp focus. And even when I didn't have the telescope in focus, I knew it was the moon I was looking at. That's similar to my thoughts recently about the Holy Ghost- I can feel the Holy Ghost with me, and I know it is there- I feel good, I feel happy, I feel at peace. But when I am really in-tune to the Holy Ghost, do the work to focus in, then the details come- the revelation and inspiration flows, and the vision of this work unfolds as the physical work does. And that kind of focus takes work, but the Lord has blessed me so geatly for trying to focus in, and not being content with just feeling the spirit and benefiting from the good feelings. Revelation is key- our salvation depends on it.
We have been able to meet with so many people recently: Br. Maus, Gabriel, Katja Gerlach, Rabekka, Chigozle, Amo, Sebastian, Julian, SueEllen, and Andre. We have met some new people that want to learn about the Gospel this last week: Guang and Tia. I love these people! I wish I could explain each in detail, about their lives and how they have changed because of the Gospel, and especially because of developing a testimony that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that we are led today by a prophet. This work is going forth!
I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and love- I say that a lot, but it's because I mean it :-)
Alles Gute,
German Frankfurt Mission
"Shall we not go on in so great a cause?" D&C 128:22
Monday, January 16, 2012
A Week of Weeks!
Elder Nathan D. Garlick
German Frankfurt Mission
"Shall we not go on in so great a cause?" D&C 128:22
Monday, January 9, 2012
Building the Kingdom
Liebe Familie und Freunde:
In my scripture study the last few weeks, I have been studying the war chapters in Alma- what an adventure! In companionship study each morning, Elder Sheppard and I spend some time sharing with each other what we learned and how we can use it in our day. I love giving him "the daily update of the Kingdom!" Moroni and Lehi, Teancum and Ammoron, Amalickiah and Morianton- stratagem, armies, the Title of Liberty- this is the greatest adventure of all time! Each day, the evil fight against the good, cities are fortified and protected, taken over and won back, prisoners transported and given the chance for peace. I love it! It has been so neat to read the Book of Mormon with an "application" eye- every chapter, every verse was written for us in our day, meaning I am in it- you are in it, standing along side Captain Moroni in the land Bountiful or along the strippling warriors on the way to battle. Satan is a real force, and he isn't backing down any time soon. One of my favorite parts of this section of the Book of Mormon is when Moroni fortifies all the cities, and strengthens those cities that had previously been destroyed by the Lamanites. When the Lamanites come to take over the city Ammonihah, "how great was their disappointment" (Alma 49:4), for it was no longer the whimpy, vulnerable, take-over-able city it used to be. The Lamanites were unsuccessful in taking over the city a second time. I love that! We learn in Ether 12 that when we come to the Lord, He helps us make our weaknesses become strong- and He doesn't put a limit to how many, how weak, or how varried. From the example of the city of Ammonihah, we can become so strong in a place previously so terribly weak, that when Satan comes with that tempation again or a similar tactic, or a similar difficulty or struggle in life comes, oh! how disappointed he will be! How frustrated the Deceiver gets that something once lost and weak is now strong and fortified. I know that to be true. This truly is the Church and Gospel of second chances... and third and fourth chances to strengthen, to fortify ourselves, to build the Kingdom; even to thwart the strategy of Satan, keeping him miserably disappointed :-)
In other news in Wiesbaden, it has been raining and raining and raining! Last year at this time, all this rain was snow... the Lord is so good! He knows my lack of snow appreciation- I guess cold rain is a good alternative!
Yesterday was such a great day at Church- I have really come to understand fasting, and how it can be so effective, and how the Lord grants the desires of our hearts.
The absolute highlight of the weeks was when the Sisters and us went to visit SueEllen Valdez and her son in Nierstein- she met with missionaries before, and we got back in contact with her, and she needed some help done in her house. She made us fantastic German pancakes and potatoe salad! We were able to help her get some things in order in her house, and clear things up from when her basement flooded 3 times in a week... It is always feels so good to serve and help people do things that the couldn't have done on their own- we could see in in her eyes, how much it meant that we were simply there. But the greatest was the time I had with Andre', the young man. During the service time, we got to talking, and he asked many questions about God and about my view of... everything! He opened up to me and told me about some concerns he has with life and friends, of fitting in, and feelings of wanting to find more knowledge and direction concerning spiritual things- very similar things to some of what I felt in my life at his age. He asked some big questions, and I paused. I felt his trust, a feeling that he would believe anything I said, and take it as truth. I haven't experienced that before, knowing that whatever I said, this person would absolutely believe- complete trust. So I didn't say anything- I went to my bag, and pulled out a blue, hard-back copy of the Book of Mormon and asked him if he liked to read. I explained that this was my favorite book, and I wanted him to have it. He first was apprehensive to take my favorite book, but after explaining that there are many more copies, he took it in his hands, and read "The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ", then said "I have never heard of this book before." I explained very briefly what the Book of Mormon is, and how it came to be. I looked him square in the eyes, and promised him that this Book will answer his questions. He got quiet, started flipping the pages, and asked some questions about the Book of Mormon. I was honored to explain how the teachings found in it are true and pure, not changed by councils of men, and what is written is exactly as it happened. He was overjoyed! This mature 16 year old boy felt it, the power of the Book of Mormon, just by holding it in his hands. He asked more about the additional light and understanding that comes from the Book of Mormon and if we had any other books that give us even more. I smiled and simply said "How about you read this one first!" With a restatement of my promise that all of his questions would be answered by reading in the Book of Mormon, I shook his hand and smiled, raising my eyebrows over to the empy chair in the room- I returned back to the others where we were filing papers, and he sat on the chair and began reading :-)
This is what I am here for. This is what the work of the Master is about. The building of the kingdom is done one by one, one heart at a time, one soul filled with the light of the restored gospel at a time. And I wouldn't want it any other way! How honored and humbled I am to be here at this time. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world, doing anything else.
My testimony has been so greatly strengthened this last week of the power of the Book of Mormon, the truthfulness of it, and the miraculous means by which we have it. I know it is true. I know it is the word of God, just as the Bible. I know it, becuase I feel the comforting, confirming power of the Holy Ghost every time I read it, and I just can't deny it. Oh, how disappointed Satan must be!
I sure love you all! Thank you for your love and prayers- I can feel it!
Alles Gute, und bis nächste Woche!
dein Bruder, ElderGarlick
Elder Nathan D. Garlick
German Frankfurt Mission
"Shall we not go on in so great a cause?" D&C 128:22
Monday, January 2, 2012
2012: My Year of Faith
Liebe Familie und Freunde:
Frohes Neues!! Happy New Year! It was a great week of ending the year, and already a great start to the new! President Monson asked that all missionaries be in at 6pm on New Years Eve, and take that time to sit and ponder and pray and reflect. I am so grateful for this 3 hour pause that we had, to sit and think and feel. In the course of my thoughts and feelings, the topic of FAITH kept coming back, and I was able to read about faith a little in the scriptures and wrote my thoughts down. I felt the great need to increase my faith- to develop and exercise and LIVE true faith, that centered on Jesus Christ, and shown in the living and doing and being. Thus came my goal/theme for 2012: My Year of Faith! I felt the spirit confirm my plans, and I am excited to have a greater faithful focus on everything I do in 2012- This week marks the exact one year mark until my time is up here in Germany (there were some cycle changes in there, making my time 2 weeks shorter than planned). And this is the time to GO and DO! This is the time to LIVE my FAITH! I have learned so much this last year, I can't even begin to explain! But how grateful I am for the fastest year of my entire life... It seems like yesterday, really, that we were eating barbeque and that amazing chocolate raspberry cake for my 19th birthday and then drove to Huntsville to be set apart as a missionary. How can time go by so fast?! The work of the Lord knows no earthly bounds, and I testify of that- I have seen that, I have lived that.
Saturday was also our DEEP CLEAN day... when we purged our apartment and cleaned every nook and crany. There is a "Mission Legend" about the Wiesbaden Missionary Apartment. Kinder Egg Toys are little plastic figures that are inside of chocolate eggs, that you can buy at the store. The Suprise inside is a small figure or put-it-together toy, many of which make large sets- elephant families, under water life, hippo companies... fun quirky toys to collect. Well, aparently, there are hundreds and hundreds of these kinder egg toys here. We weren't quite sure what to think, but decided to venture down into the cellar to see what we could find. This cellar was definitely build before any wars came to Europe, and it was like we were treasure hunters of pirates in these dark damp stone caverns beneath our apartment. We have a locked cellar room that belongs to us, and we opened it up, and found a bunch of junk, like old couches and chairs and such. We started cleaning it out, and looked down on the ground of what we wre walking on- there were THOUSANDS of these little plastic toys! Each in their own plastic wrapper, some sorted, some dating back to 1994, full sets, THOUSANDS of Kinder Egg Toys! It was crazy! We went back up stairs and got a huge bag and filled it up... then we got the laundry basket and filled that up too! Then, just when we thought we had found them all, we cleared away some more rubbish and found stacks and stacks of these collector boxes full of full sets of these Kinder Egg Toys, all organized and categorized! It was completely Bizarre! Just look at the pictures! We have no idea what to do with them, and we have no clue how they all got to be here... but the legend is true! I took a set of these German bears wearing Lederhosen and playing in a band - What a fun find! It was quite an adventure!
Rabekka came to church, even after going to the YSA dance in Frankfurt and the time change to 9am! She loves this Gospel- we can just tell! She is so busy, but really wants to keep meeting and learning about the Gospel. We will teach her the Plan of Salvation next- and answer her questions about why we are here, where we came from, and where we are going. It is such a humbling experience to see someone accept the gospel of Jesus Christ! Also, we will be meeting with al lot more investigatore from the German ward now, and it will be exciting to get to know many new people and help them all come closer to Christ. Please keep praying for Rabekka!
The "Missionary Merge" as we call it with the sisters and the wards is going so well! At church, we were able to talk with both wards about our thoughts and plans- they were so excited! The Americans meet from 9-12, and the Germans from 2-5, so it makes for a big Sunday, full of the Spirit, members, and missionary work! I love it! There is an excitement that is deep and driving- somthing real and tangible, that confirms to me that the work is picking up speed, that it really is like the rock King Nebakudnezzar saw in a dream that grew to fill the whole earth. A marvelous work is about to come forth- even greater and bigger than we have ever seen or experienced before! And we really are just at the beginning, just scratching the surface!! I can't wait! I'm not going to wait! We can't wait! P-Day is always good to take the needed mental and physical break, but I am so excited for Tuesday! and Wednesday! and Thursday! Each day, more faithful than the one before, add up to a year of Faith, a year of Miralces. There is so much work to do! Let's do it!
Light and Love and Life- three beautiful things that the Gospel of Jesus Christ offers, and for which everyone yearns. Jesus Christ is the Light we share, the light we reflect, the light we have in our eyes. His is the Love that is shown through His atoning sacrifice, which offers us the opportunity of becoming clean and pure and which He freely offers to us all. His Life then was one of perfection and service, His Life now is one of reality and faith and hope, signifying that we, too, will live again. He lives! He loves me! He lights my path every moment I allow Him to! I am so grateful to wear the nametag which bears His name and that of His restored Church. I know it is true.
This is just the beginning! The beginning of a new year, a new commitment, a new resolve to smile and make someone's day, to lift the tired and weary arms that hang down, to BE followers of Jesus Christ. Let's do it- together!
Danke schön für euer Liebe und Gebete. Es hilft mir so viel! Alles Gute!
--
Elder Nathan D. Garlick
German Frankfurt Mission
"Shall we not go on in so great a cause?" D&C 128:22