September 17, 2013

It was a pretty fun week!  We had Elder Robert C Gay of the 70 come through on a mission tour.  It was so great to hear all the advice and direction he had for us.  He had volunteers go up on the stage a few times and he called me up there twice without me volunteering, Ha Ha. I would make a comment or answer a question and he would call me up and say why don't you come help these missionaries figure this out, Ha Ha.  It was a lot of fun!   Then the next day we got to hear from him again and he talked about how important our mission meetings  should be and that everything we talk about in those meetings should be of the utmost importance. Missionary work is a lot more member oriented now, they want us working with members and helping them to succeed in their calling as finders.   It was amazing to see how bold he was when talking about everything.   I'm excited to be apart of this big change that is happening in missionary work.  We have been witnessing a ton of miracles here lately.  We have had a few new investigators move in in different areas that all want to be baptized.  We have 2 baptisms scheduled for Sunday and 1 in another area on Saturday.  Then another 3 the next weekend in another area.  We have a lot of potential for October as well.  Such great work.  There always seems to be so many miracles at the end of the year.  The Lord makes up the rest after we've given all that we can.   We push ourselves to the end then when we think we have nothing left to give he gives us just enough determination to take the next step.  It's so amazing to witness the Lords hand in all things and to be a part of His kingdom.   What a blessing we have as members to participate in gathering His lost children.

Love Elder Jach-Goates

September 9, 2013

It's of coarse been a great week!  We have a few investigators that are progressing toward baptism and they came to church on Sunday so that was awesome.  We should have two baptisms next Saturday the 21st.  They are all progressing really well.  One of our investigators is very nervous about everything but is still so willing to learn and meet with us.   She has a great understanding of everything we teach and always has great questions.   She took notes during church for some questions that she had and says we can go over them this week.   There is a member family that is fellowshipping her and is doing a fantastic job.  I'm super excited to see her progress and to be able to help her feel the spirits guidance!  This gospel is amazing!

Love Elder Jach-Goates

September 4, 2013

I am now serving in Cedar Rapids!   This was my first zone when I came out, sadly Manchester my first area is no longer in this zone.  There were too many missionaries so they split the zone a few months ago.  My companions name is Elder Weiss he's from a small town in Nevada between St George and Vegas.  He's been out for 9 months.  He's a way cool kid and a great missionary.  I feel really old in this zone!   Luckily there is an Elder in my district that is going home in October so I don't feel as bad, but everyone else besides one other sister has been out less than 9 months.  So crazy!!!  It's great serving around so many eager missionaries though.  Keeps me working hard!   We live in a house with 2 other elders its a blast!   One of them just got done being trained by my son Elder Bagshaw and is now training a new missionary going to Brisbane Australia.  My companion was trained by my trainers trainer so in missionary terms I live with my uncle, my grandson and my great grandson, ha pretty sweet!  Love you all!

Love Elder Jach-Goates

August 26, 2013

Transfers are on Thursday so we got transfer calls on Friday.  It turns out Elder Tall and I are both leaving the area and 2 new elders will be coming in to replace us.  Luckily Elder Tall and I didn't do anything wrong.  There is just a lot of stuff happening in the branch that we know about that missionaries should not know.  We are leaving to help the branch cool down a little.  Luckily we have members working with all our current investigators so we know they will be well taken care of.  Now these next 2 transfers are going to go even faster with a new zone and new companion.  I'm excited to see more of the mission and meet more missionaries.  On Saturday we had the privilege to go to Nauvoo with a recent convert and her non-member son.  We didn't go to the temple but we went through the visitors center and went to a few of the old Nauvoo houses.  It was a lot of fun!   Then at the end we watch Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration.  It was great and the spirit was strong!   One of the temple sisters talked to the non-member son for a while after and gave him a BoM to read and told him to read Enos.  He read it as soon as he got home and decided that he was going to read the entire BoM!!!   He said to his mom after they dropped us off that he felt like it was all true!!!   So excited to see the progress of others in the gospel!   This recent convert is the only member in her family and it would be SO great for her to have her son baptized!   I'm bummed that I won't be here for Quashawn and  Krystal but I know they will be baptized in the future.   I love this work and am so thankful for the comfort the spirit brings!

Love Elder Jach-Goates

August 19, 2013

We had a great week!  We were able to go on 2 exchanges with some elders.  It was a lot of fun!  On Saturday the college here in town had their move in day and all the Churchs in the area go and help the people move in.  So we went and were there from 9 till about 2:30.  We met a lot of cool people and found a potential that said he wants to come to church. Quashawn and Krystal are both doing great.  They came to church yesterday and we had a lesson with them this morning in a members home that went great.  They have been praying about being baptized on September 28th and they said they feel good about it so far.  They are still worried about getting married but they are doing awesome.  I'm super excited to continue to see them progress.    In Ames there was a boy we were teaching named Austin that was friends with a member family the Greenes.  He started emailing me a few weeks ago and said he has decided to be baptized on September 7th.  SO exciting!!  He also said he has been thinking a lot about going on a mission.  How cool is that!   He is such an awesome kid and its so great to hear that he is doing so well.

Love Elder Jach-Goates

August 12, 2013

We have had a pretty busy week.  We had a meeting an hour and 20 minutes away in Iowa City on Tuesday than a meeting 1 hour and 15 away in Osceola on Thursday than another meeting 1 hour 15 away in Des Moines on Sunday, ha ha it was a travel filled week.  We had a zone training meeting on Thursday in Osceola and it was awesome!  Such a spirit filled meeting.   The trainings were on sanctification and on helping our investigators feel and recognize the Holy Ghost.  It was related to describing and elephant to someone who has never seen one.  We decided we would just take them to Africa to see one so during the week we have received word that everyone has been taking their investigators to "Africa!" ha ha it was awesome!   We also had an amazing opportunity to teach a non-member family in a members home.  They invited them over for dinner along with us and we had a lesson on the BoM and they were reading out of it and asking questions.  It was SO cool!  They will most likely be a slower process but are such nice people that we are excited to work with them. That same member family has been trying to share the gospel with SO many different people all the time it has been great.  You will now start to see missionaries in light colored suits and without back backs.  The 1st presidency has decided that we look to much like the feds and not very approachable.  No more backpacks because we look like we are going hiking in the mountains.  We are now to use side bags or to carry our things in our hands! =) pretty crazy! This work is changing, change is part of this life.  The appearance on the church might change to remain involved in this ever changing world but one thing is for certain the Gospel standards will forever be the same.

Love Elder Jach-Goates

August 5, 2013

We were able to go to the pageant on Saturday.  The last day of it.  It was SO cool!   We went with 3 investigators.  They all LOVED it!  It was such a cool experience.  We went through the visitors center when we first got there and I got to see Sister Hall.  It was SO fun!   There were some members from one of my previous areas that I got to visit with as well.  It was such a great day! We had so much fun and the investigators were so excited.  The spirit is so strong on temple grounds and in Nauvoo.  You can feel the difference when you drive up and see the temple.  Martie, one of our investigators, noticed the different feeling she had and how happy and comforting it was.  She loved the visitors center and wants to come back when they have more time to go see all the different buildings and learn more about everything.  It was such a fun experience!   We were so blessed to be able to have all of that work out.

Love Elder Jach-Goates