Merry Christmas Ya Filthy Animal

Christmas time!
Time just goes so fast. I cannot believe it is Christmas again. I don't think this one will be as fun as last year, but it will still be good I am sure.

This last week was a bit slow, but yesterday was just great. Church was just so good and me and my companion had the opportunity to bless the sacrament. I love when we are asked to do that. A member also brought her friend to church and we were able to go to tea at their house last night which was great. So flipping trunky, but also a lot of fun. (They just remind me so much of all you guys haha) But her friend Jenny loved church and is coming to the carol service on Christmas eve.

We are excited for Christmas. We are going to several homes over Christmas eve Christmas day and boxing day. I love the members here in York. They are just so great. If I had to live in England it would probably be either in this ward or Huddersfield. But I like this city a lot better so we will say York. Maybe I will do a semester abroad!
 
Anyway I hope you guys have a great week and we will talk to you soon!
Love you!
Elder Gurney

Hannah's baptism on the 11th!
....yeah I have gotten fat....I am scared to get on a scale...good thing I don't know what a stone is.

December 15, 2014: York, beautiful York!

Wow this is the most beautiful city I have ever been to. I would show you pictures, but my camera bit the dust this week, don't send me one! Boxing day is the day after Christmas and it is like the black Friday of the UK, so I will get one then.

​Saying goodbye to Hugh Moses. He is a boss. He was baptised in September, but he acts like he has been a member his whole life.

This week we had a huge miracle. Hannah was baptised.

Hannah is a student who met the missionaries when they knocked on her roomates door. She was not interested at all at first, and hated church the first time she went. But the Spirit worked on her and she decided it was right. York has a great YSA that has done great to fellowship her.

I love being a missionary.
Love you guys!
Elder Gurney


PS sorry we messed up reserving the computer times again this week so I don't have time to write back individually. Next week!

December 1, 2014: I am off to York!

Well....I have to leave Huddersfield.....and I am not too stoked. But I have heard really good things about York.

37 Granville Terrace
York NYORKS
YO10 3DY

Huddersfield is exploding. We have had a lot of success this last week....so thats how I knew I was leaving. But it is all right. I will go teach all the posh people of York. I will also be serving with someone who came out with me. He grew up in North Carolina and England, but his family now lives in American Fork. His name is Elder McGee. Good kid. I am excited.

I don't have many stories this week...hmmm how about a spiritual thought.

So the world is so concerned with truth, and they are obsessed with finding it with as little work as possible. So they ask friends and families and neighbors. and google (probably the worst source of truth ever). and as soon as they hear something they like, they accept it. As long as it has enough backup, whether it is actually true or not. Lots of people will even join the church this way, which isn't inherently bad, because it is true. People even followed Christ because they saw the miracles. So lets bring up truth again.

Jesus Christ asked his apostles "whom do ye say that I am?
And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven."

Flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.

Truth can only be found through sincere prayer. It cannot be argued with. It cannot be changed. It cannot be hidden. Try though the world might, its efforts will be in vain.

I love this gospel. I love truth. I love my Saviour Jesus Christ for all he has done for me and for you. Seek him and you will find him.  He is the gift of this season. I love you guys!


Elder Gurney

November 24, 2014: Hey thur friends!

What a week! We have really seen miracles this week.

It has been a good week! I am really happy. I love my companion with all my heart but he struggles with english, so he gets frustrated. Maybe if you guys could say a prayer or two for Elder Korenkov (kah-rain-cough) It would be appreciated.

I have really hit a turning point this week. I am so happy working now. I just love it. I got a bit complacent. I have had the same assignment for nearly a year now, and it is easy to get complacent. I have gotten a lot more involved with my purpose this week.

I love the scriptures. I love studying. I cannot read enough. I have read the entire missionary library and a marvelous work and a wonder, now I am reading Articles of Faith. I have been reading the scriptures a lot as well. I have read the Book of Mormon twice and started a third time but then I moved to the new testament. I am in the gospel of Luke and loving it. I don't think I am a slow reader, but I want to understand everything, so I don't read a whole lot during study. My scriptures look like a coloring book. Mom, thank you for the example you set of scripture study. You always talked about it and I do remember. For a long time I wanted to know all the deep doctrine and things (every missionary hits that at their six month mark) but to be honest all I study now are the simple truths of the gospel. I love Preach My Gospel and I hope you guys study it often.

I do love hearing about home. Don't worry I am long past the homesick thing. I do miss you guys, but I love my mission. I love being a missionary. Mostly I am just tired. All the time. It is a weird feeling to be able to sleep no matter what time of day it is. I don't even know what it is like to have physical energy anymore. I think I spent all of that by my year mark. Now I am just running on spiritual power. That sounds lame but it is true.

I love this gospel. I know it is true. I know it intellectually and infinitely more important, I know it spiritually. Through the Holy Ghost. I know it not just because I have studied it, but because I have applied it. I love bringing the gospel unto peoples lives.

I went on exchange at the beginning of the week and I realized that I waste a lot of time. I am here to baptise people. So when I came back to my area we just hit the ground running. Well walking really fast, then stopping and talking to someone, then walking really fast, then stopping....you get the picture. We found a family!

So Ahmed and Shirin are the parents. He is from Pakistan and she is from Persia. They have a 13 year old son named Hamzeh. They are solid! The mom was almost baptised a few years ago, and she loves the church. The dad is so open minded and loved the idea of searching out a new religion, telling us the Qur'an actually teaches people to do that. So yeah they are muslim, but I don't think they really practice. So me and my Russian friend are excited for that.

We had a mission presidents fireside last night for the stake and we filled the room full. 285 people. I have no idea what that compares to a utah ward, but for a fireside that was record breaking here. Literally. This is the 6th and last one of the year and we had the most attend. So it was really exciting.

Hmmm what else. Hugh went to the temple this week! So did Jess. They both loved it. It kills me being so close to a temple (45 min) and not being able to go.

Well I love you guys and miss you!


Happy Thanksgiving!

Elder Gurney

November 17, 2014

I haven't seen the sun in a long time.

Look outside. Yep there is sunlight. Not here!

Well anyway despite the lack of sunlight Huddersfield is fantastic. This has been my shortest area, but one of my favorites. I told the assistants the other day that if I got transferred on December 3rd I would cry. Like real life tears. They said they would keep that in mind...it is easier to convince the APs than God though. We will see what happens.

I was reading the last chapter of John this morning, well skimming it, I didn't have much time. But I was thinking about Peter and all he had been asked to do and leave. I watched Holland's MTC talk "feed my sheep" which is fantastic if you can find it. Once we are called. It is forever. Sure a mission is 2 years but our call as disciples of jesus christ is for forever.

It has been a fast week with a lot of meetings. On Wednesday we had zone conference which was incredible. Then we had stake conference during the weekend, but prayers were answered and my talk got canceled:) We had an area seventy, Elder Charles, presiding and it was a fantastic meeting. Hugh Moses, the man who was baptised on September 20th gave a talk and it was incredible. I don't want to sound biased or anything but I think his talk was the best one there...he spoke about how the missionaries came around and all they did was ask him to read and pray and he kept saying God has stopped talking to me. But finally he did it and it was the trick. He very quickly gained a testimony and was baptised after that. We had the privilege of having lunch with them after church and it was so great. I love that family so much. The gospel has improved their home so much. They are such an incredible family without the gospel and the gospel in their home has made it even better. I think I got a glimpse of the promise in D&C about great shall be their joy in heaven.

Anyway I love this gospel. I know it is true. It makes me so happy to know that. I know that one of the best ways to grow close to the Saviour is to embrace his Atonement and study his life.

I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

November 10, 2014: Bon fire night!

This is a holiday the states definitely needs.
(Brother Pollentine, his nephew, Alicia, Elder Carrano, Sam, Emily)



its kind of like an english 4th of july, but on the 5th of November

anyway it has been a good week. Elder Korenkov was sick at the beginning so it was kind of slow, but this weekend made up for it. Our investigator Shay came to church yesterday and she loved it. We have been teaching both her and her mom and she is determined to be here next sunday with her mom. I am really scared I am going to get transferred on the 3rd of dec. I love this area and this ward and this companion. That is why I am so scared I am leaving.

Well sorry that it is so short, I love you guys!


Elder Gurney

November 3, 2014

Hmmm what to write about.....

Well Hugh Moses blessed the sacrament on sunday, that was so great. I love that guy.

Hmm We had a ward halloween party that was a lot of fun. A truck or treat, out of the boot of the cars. I still don't get it.

Well I am happy and I love Huddersfield and never want to move.

Love you guys!

Elder Gurney

October 27, 2014: I am staying in Huddersfield!

Great news! I am staying here with my Russian friend Elder Korenkov!!
So I am happy.

It has been such a good week. We have been doing a lot of teaching which is nice. It is crazy how an area can change so much in just a couple of weeks.

We had a great lesson with our investigator Robert this last week. He is the partner of a less active member, but they are both so good. We usually see them together but Tamy had to go out and we just got to talk to Robert about faith and scripture and the purpose of life. It was such a great lesson and I learned so much from him. He is such a good humble man.

Well I just love being a missionary. I love sharing the gospel. I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

October 20, 2014

What a week!

There have been so many miracles in Huddersfield. Our teaching pool is growing very quickly, so we are happy. It is such a blessing when people will open their doors to you and will listen to the restored gospel.

We have met a lot of Africans this week so hopefully this next week will be full of some good cookin!

So yesterday was super busy. We went to church and then after headed straight to an appointment with an investigator and a member was coming with us. The flogged so we decided to actually eat some lunch. Then we went and saw Annette and the appointment was great. She is so excited to follow the gospel and she committed to be baptised on the 22nd of November. Then we went and saw a woman, Letti, who we met on the bus. She is great! She is 78 and loves Jesus Christ. She doesn't believe it was coincidence that we met and she is so excited for church. Then we had ward correlation and went home. It feels so good after days like that. I love being a missionary.


Love you!

Elder Gurney

October 13, 2014

Another good week in Huddersfield!

winter is coming, starting to get cold! hmmm let me think of some stories...So me and Elder Faingata'a were on exchange this week and we had a great time. We taught a less active member named Lynn Murphy. She was a temple worker years back and she is just fantastic. The Spirit was so strong. We have visited her two or three times, and this last lesson she said she feels like she is coming out of a dark tunnel. She is so excited to come back to church, just like the old days. It was incredible. That is what missionary work is about. Then she was at church yesterday and loved it.
The work is moving forward! I love being a missionary. Love you!

Elder Gurney

​Chinese back massage

Yes that mark is there from him messing up the first time and burning my back!

October 6, 2014

So it has kind of been a slow week here in Huddersfield, but to be honest there isn't really such thing as a mission being slow. So it was great!

Conference was great. Still haven't watched the last session but I will soon. I just loved the talks. I don't know if the General Authorities are getting more bold, or if I am just listening more.

Did you know it is easier for me to give a talk than to write this email? I just thought I'd throw that out there. I never know what to say.

I love being a missionary. I love living where the church is small.

Oh something really interesting happened this week! So a few weeks ago we received a referral from the mission office. We tried to contact him several times but only ever found his daughters in. The family was Sikh and the daughters just told us to come to their Sikh temple one night to meet their dad, so we did. We got a tour of the temple and had a chance to see and experience their culture. Then they gave us pizza. They were all such nice people and it helped me realized how nervous people must feel when we invite them to church (I was nervous and I am a missionary!). Now I can sympathize a bit better. In the end the man wasn't actually interested in the gospel, but it was still a great experience.

Love you guys!
Elder Gurney

Where did these come from?

 

Not bad to be honest.

September 29, 2014

Hey there folks!

Ah such a good week here in West Yorkshire! Let me tell you about Jessica.

So Jessica started to come to church with her neighbor friend Emily Pollentine about 4 years ago. She was 14 at the time and she really wanted to be baptised, but her dad said no. She kept coming faithfully to church and all the young women's activities until she turned 18. Which was last week. Her testimony has grown during these 4 years, and she has worked really hard to show her parents this is what she wants. Well she was baptised yesterday and it was incredible. There were over 200 people there to support her. Normally we are lucky to get 30 people to a baptism. It was such an incredible thing to be a part of and the Spirit there was so strong.
A couple hours before the baptism we had the opportunity to teach her with a member named Isa who was baptised 5 years ago and ended up serving a mission. We read 2 Nephi 31 and talked to her about the covenant she was about to make and the importance of enduring to the end. It was so great to speak to two great converts about this, and to hear their conversion stories.

Well I love you guys and hope you have a great week!

Elder Gurney

​Elder Powell, Elder Carrano, Jessica, John Pollentine, Me, Elder Korenkov


September 22, 2014

Ah what a week!
Hugh Moses was baptised!! I will attach a couple of pictures. He is incredible and I love his family. Hopefully they will follow soon.

I love my Russian Companion! He is so full of faith and desire. I am really happy here.

So a member in our ward was companions with Stephen Covey when he was on his mission, so that was interesting to hear.

Me and Elder Korenkov have been teaching a girl named Jessica who has been investigating the church for 4 years. She started coming with her best friend, but her parents wouldn't let her be baptised till she was 18. She turned 18 last tuesday so she will be baptised on Sunday. Teaching her has been such a great experience, she already knows everything really so we get to focus more on strengthening her already growing testimony. Yesterday we got to teach her about the benefits of tithing and fasting and it just rang to clear in my head the principle of obedience. We do things because our Heavenly Father asks us to. All the blessings we receive are just icing on the cake.
Anyway, I love this church and know it is true. Alma 5:45-46

Love you,

Elder Gurney



Clockwise from left: 

Declan, Darius, Hugh, Anthea

Millicent, Jahrod, Larissa



September 15, 2014

Well it has been a good week!

We had transfers last week and our area split. So now I have a new companion, Elder Korenkov from Russia, and he doesn't speak a whole lot of english. He has been out for about 17 months, and I just love him. He has so much faith and desire. I am so grateful I can serve with him.

Hugh Moses is getting baptised this Saturday. I am so excited for him. He is going to be such a great member of the church.  They split our area though this last transfer so he isn't even technically my investigator anymore but I don't mind. As long as he is baptised.  (Better mark the calender for 1 year though so I can come to his sealing:)

Well I am really happy. I love being a missionary.

Love you!

Elder Gurney

GO read your scriptures or something.

Saying goodbye to Elder Lee and Elder Carrano

​















Sent from my iPad

September 9, 2014: I'm Staying!

Yay! Another transfer in Huddersfield! I am so excited.

So the ward is getting another team of Elders and my companion, Elder Carrano, and I are splitting up. He is going to train a new missionary in the ward, and I will be getting Elder Krankov from Russia! I have just been scoring with companions.  That makes; Sweden, Denmark, U.K./Canada, Germany, Utah, Italy, and Russia! I think I am going to have to go on a world tour some day.

It was a good week. We saw a lot of people at church which was great.I just love being a missionary.

So I can't remember if it was this week or last week, but we were knocking one morning and this Jewish man let us in. He was very friendly, but he did NOT believe in Jesus Christ as the son of God. We had a good chat and I learned a lot about the Jewish faith. It made me realize how many misconceptions I had before had. We invited him to pray and ask God if Jesus Christ was his only begotten son and he said he wouldn't.
Then the other day we got talking to a muslim man who was one of the nicest people I have met. He runs a little fruit and veg shop and he says he will give us some apples next time we come by. I just really love people.

Anyway I am happy!

Love you guys
Elder Gurney

September 1, 2014

What a week here in Huddersfield!

So Thethe, our investigator from africa is being baptised on the 13th, Hugh Moses (the dad of the family) is being baptised on the 20th, and Jessica, a dry mormon, is having her baptism on the 28th. She has been coming to church for years, she just has to wait till she is 18 because of her parents. It is busy over here! But good.

I am really happy. I love being a missionary.

Love you,

Elder Gurney

Study?

mmmm rootbeer float.....

August 26, 2014: Do you know how hard it is to come up with a new subject line every week???

Or a first sentence for that matter.

What a week!

I am sick, so that is no fun. But Huddersfield is great!

I had to give a talk on sunday and I was told it was supposed to be 20-25 minutes and I ended up with only like 10 minutes (I was the last speaker), so that was alright. I had to speak on "Why share the gospel".

The Moses family is doing better than ever. We had a FHE with them again last night and it went so well. We spoke about baptism and committed them all and they are willing to take the lessons and prepare to be baptised! They are just such a fun normal family. Solid kingdom builders. So we will come back in about a year and go through the temple with them!

I am really happy.

Love you all!

Elder Gurney



Saying goodbye to the leeds 1 elders flat!



We found a Cadillac!

 

August 18, 2014: The Calm Before the Storm

Hey Everyone!

Ah what a week! I haven't been this busy my entire mission. I love Huddersfield. Traveling is terrible compared to my last areas though. We live a 15 minute bus ride from town and we have to travel to town and then usually about another 15 minutes on a bus to pretty much anywhere we need to go. We spend a lot of time waiting for busses.

The Moses family is doing fantastic. Hugh (the dad) can't come to church for the next few Sundays because of work, but the ENTIRE family came to sacrament meeting yesterday without him. Including the two teenage sons. Ah it was incredible. Few moments on a mission are as good as sitting in church with a family of non members.

I really love my mission. I love the whole idea of progress. So much of a mission is focused around progressing our investigators, and ourselves to be better missionaries. I have noticed recently that the scriptures and the teachings of the prophets are all about progressing as well. It is an eternal principle that we are to envelop ourselves in, in mortality.

I have been studying for a talk I have to give next week on "why share the gospel". I was reading in 1 Nephi chapter 2:

16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, being exceedingly young, nevertheless being large in stature, and also having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore, I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers.
17 And I spake unto Sam, making known unto him the things which the Lord had manifested unto me by his Holy Spirit. And it came to pass that he believed in my words.

18 But, behold, Laman and Lemuel would not hearken unto my words; and being grieved because of the hardness of their hearts I cried unto the Lord for them.

I love how Nephi after he came to know of the truthfulness of the gospel, immediately wanted to share it with his brothers. Even those who wouldn't listen, he prayed for. What a lesson to learn. I also love the fact that he mentions he is young. Now this I feel can refer to him as young in age, in testimony, in membership. I have found some of those who are best at sharing the gospel are recent converts or those who recently find a testimony in a specific area (ie word of wisdom, tithing, etc.)

Anyway I have written a novel, but I love the scriptures so much. I cherish the hour I get each morning to study them, and I am scared of the day I might be too busy to do that everyday.

I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

August 11, 2014

Hey everyone!

Well we enjoyed the tail end of your hurricane yesterday.....not. That was some of the worst rain I have seen on my mission. Good thing we had a tea appointment during the worst of it:)

I love Huddersfield. It took me a little while to adjust to it and the ward, but it is fantastic. This ward is so diverse in every way, I love it. There are everything from generation old member millionaires to the most humble of converts. The two common factors are that they share the church, and they share the same joy and light that only the gospel can bring. I love it here.

So the Moses family came to sacrament meeting yesterday! Well all except the 17 and 1 yr old sons. They loved it. The ward fellowshipped them incredibly. The father Hugh is ready for baptism but he is teaching a course at the college for the next 3 weeks, on a Sunday. So we will help him prepare to be baptised right after that, and hopefully his family will be ready to join him by then as well. Elder Carrano and Elder Fangata'a are going to do a FHE there tomorrow night because I am going to Halifax for the next couple days. It is going to go great.

Well I love the mission more and more everyday.

I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

August 4, 2014: Hello from Huddersfield!

 I had to say goodbye to Leeds last week, which was really hard, but I am loving Huddersfield! It is a weird town. I was told it is the largest town in the UK. They won't class it as a city because it doesn't have a cathedral. The people are friendly though.

We have a massive teaching pool here. The biggest I have had on my entire mission. I am serving with Elder Carrano from Italy! He is so good. He just makes super good Italian food all the time. The ward is massive as well. Maybe 120-150 members. Biggest I have had. It is just us two to the ward as well so we get fed really good. Our flat is a dump though. Can't have it all I guess!

We are teaching a family of 7. The Moses family. Hugh, the dad, had a background of Jewish beliefs. The kids range from 17-3 and they are all so good. Well the17 year old is a punk, but apparently he likes to ski so we will have something to talk about. Deckland, who is 15 is going to come play basketball today with all the Elders in the zone.

Well I am really happy. I love all of you, have a good week.

my new address:
520 Leeds Road
Huddersfield HD2 1YW
England

Elder Gurney

ps still waiting for a lot of you to email me about that challenge.

July 29, 2014

It has been such an incredible week! I am really sad to say, but I am leaving Leeds! I am going to Huddersfield. Another big city. But I am excited! I don't know my address or anything but I will let you know next week.
This last week has been incredible.We have seen so many huge miracles. We met and started teaching this young family from Ghana, and they are incredible. They are so prepared and so willing to do all we ask. I can't wait to see where it goes, I am sad I won't be able to be a part of it anymore.

Peter is now working towards getting back to the temple. It was so hard to say goodbye to him. He wants to serve as a missionary at the temple in Provo, so that would be cool.

Okay I have a challenge for EVERYONE:

Read 1 Nephi 19:9
Write me back and tell me why you think this is the case in the world today.
nicholas.gurney@myldsmail.net

You don't have to be a member or active or even a Christian to do this. I just want to know what your opinion is. Thank you!

I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

July 21, 2014: Welcome to Sunny West Yorkshire

Hey what a good week! It is so warm! I am not a huge fan of this humidity thing.

We saw miracles this week. Do you remember Peter? The Semi active member we work with. Well he took the sacrament for the first time in 5 years yesterday. He is finally moving forward. I am so happy.

We also knocked into a lady yesterday who was just so friendly. She is so prepared for the gospel. We were able to bear testimony to her about the Book of Mormon and it was incredible. Her name is Kath.

Sorry to make it so short, but I love you guys! Thank you for everything.

Elder Gurney

July 14, 2014

It is getting warm! I don't remember it getting this hot last summer. But hey, its been a good week.

I have been studying a lot about faith recently. It has really changed the way I view the Gospel. It makes me think about the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 82 "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." We have control over what happens. Maybe not over every little detail or trial, but we can control the outcome. That is the blessing of agency.

I am going to attach a picture of the war memorial in the little part of Leeds we live in called Headingley. The memorial have all the men who died in the war that were from Headingley.

Well I am really happy, the mission is the best thing I have ever done.

Love you guys!

Elder Gurney

I found this in a skip!! So stoked. #4front

July 7, 2014

Well another week in Leeds! I love it here. We have been doing a lot more finding lately and it has been a lot of fun. We found a Slovakian family! The Bodnars. The father is from Hungary and the mother is from Slovakia. They are incredible. Me and Elder Jensen were walking through a pretty dodgy part of our area and we saw a man sitting on his porch and we approached him. He didn't speak much english but we communicated well enough to ask us for a picture of Jesus Christ. We told him we would bring him one. Anyway me and Elder Hobby were on exchange and we went by and his family was there and it was one of the most powerful lessons of my mission. The son Richard spoke a little bit of english, but mostly we just taught them out of the Book of Mormon in Slovak and google translate. Even through the language barrier the Spirit was so strong. Part way through the lesson the family was trying to explain something to us but we couldn't understand. They invited us upstairs to the top of their tiny terraced house and they showed us 3 of their 5 children who were in bed, severely handicap. As we spoke to them we were able to testify that this is what they need in their life. This is what they were looking for. I will never forget that night.

Well I am doing good. I am happy. I love being a missionary.

"Whether or not you choose to keep your covenant to always remember Him, He always remembers you." Always - President Henry B. Eyring

Love all of you.

Elder Gurney

June 30, 2014

What a week! I love the church in England.

We had a ward BBQ on saturday and it went so well. So many non-members came and really enjoyed it. That was some of the best food I have had on my entire mission.

I was sick for a few days last week which was no fun, but I am feeling a lot better now. We had some really interesting lessons in the week. We went by a less active member in a super posh area a few weeks ago and he was really friendly and so was his wife so we decided to go back a few nights ago and see if we can teach them. It was an interesting lesson. They are both extremely atheist. We didn't do much speaking, and there really was no need for it. The only thing that popped into my mind was the story of Korihor in Alma 31. This man was so nice. He was a good father, honest husband, and a hard worker. But he has become so hardened to the gospel. He told us how he reached a pointed growing up where he decided to hope the church wasn't true. It really made me think about how if you give the adversary an inch he will take a mile. In the end we were able to bear testimony and share with him and his wife something that cannot be contended against. It certainly was a lesson I will never forget, and a lesson that has strengthened my faith.

I love this church. I know it is true. I love sharing with people all about how it can change their lives if they let it.

Love you,

Elder Gurney

June 23, 2014

Well it is warming up! We also have a new rule, suit jackets, all day everyday. It is brutal. But it still is only like 75 degrees. So glad I am in England.

The world cup is crazy. We had to be in at like 7 last Thursday when England played and we might have to be in at 4 this Tuesday. We were walking past a pub a couple days ago during the world cup and it was straight up like the great and spacious building. Ridiculous.

Last week we were doing a garden for a members neighbor and her neighbor came over and started talking to us. His name is Maher and he is from Iraq. He is so good! We taught him after we did service and he came to church with his two boys on Sunday and loved it. Such a good family. I love being a missionary.

Well I am pretty sick and am really tired so sorry to make it so short.

I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

PS President told us the first one to get a picture in a Rolls Royce Phantom got taken out to dinner by him and Sister Pilkington. We were about a day late:(

LEEDS A ZONE!

June 16, 2014

Okay I just want to talk about Peter.

Peter is one of the most wonderful people I have every met. He is semi-active member I have been visiting since I came to Leeds. He is 69 and He joined the church 20 years ago this summer. He progressed well and gained the Melchizedek Priesthood and went to the temple and held callings and did his duty better than most men. All while being a bus driver. About 12 years ago he started slipping up. Stopped reading. Stopped praying. Stopped going to church. Slowly he just fell. He was miserable. He would drive the busses, and just cry. He would go home and turn on the TV and just sit. Or sleep till his next shift. He recognized that the adversary had got him. He was miserable. SO he started reading a chapter out of 2 Nephi. He still felt terrible. So he read it again. Terrible. 3 times he read it and nothing. So he went to sleep. He woke up and read it again. Nothing. So he turned a few pages and read a different chapter. He felt The Spirit for probably the first time in a long time. That was 12 years ago. Peter's testimony is incredible. He can hardly read the words of the Saviour without tearing up. Now Peter might still struggle with a few things. Not with commandments or anything we might view as wrong, but he struggles. But this man loves his Saviour. He loves his God. He is one of the many reasons I am on my mission. He has made an impact on me that I will never forget.

I love this church so much. I am starting, just starting to figure it out. What all of this means. As Boyd K Packer spoke of in his last talk, I am starting to learn things that cannot be taught.

Love,
Elder Gurney


Moroni 7:45-47:

45 And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail—

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him.

June 9, 2014

Hey there everyone!

What a week! Full of ups and downs, but mostly ups, so it is okay.

We recently met a family from Pakistan. Khalid and his son Yasir. They are so incredibly prepared for the gospel. The only problem is we have to find out if they are in danger or not, and if they are we can't teach them....and there is a really high chance they are in danger. I am praying everything will work out.

I had the opportunity to interview a man named Ranjit (Ron-Jay) yesterday for baptism. This man is incredible. He has been coming to church for a 2-3 months and he is such a good man. He has had a really hard life and he just hit rock bottom when his wife left him for another man, and took nearly everything he had. Me and Elder Olsen were talking about how when God's children really need him, he will send us to them to share with them the gospel. We experienced this as well when we met a man who was drunk and had just been beaten up really bad.

I know that this church is true. I know that the restored gospel changed peoples lives into exactly what they need, even if they don't know it yet. I love this church, and I feel it such a privilege to be out here every single day representing my Saviour.

I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

 

This country is beautiful.

 

 

June 2, 2014

It has been such a good week! I am excited it is my birthday tomorrow, and all I want for my birthday is to not write this email. hahaha I love you guys but this group email is always so hard to come up with. I love all of you and i am really happy. It has been a good week.

Elder Gurney

hey look, its the district! 

Elder Olauson, me, Elder Jensen, Sister Zurcher, Sister Kuhn, Sister Jodicke, and Sister Arreve

May 27, 2014: Hey Everyone!

Ah I just love being a missionary! This is such an incredible experience. 

We had zone conference last week. We talked about so many different things. From stress, to family history, to laughter. It was really good, gave me a big boost, which was needed.

So the other day we were out knocking and we got in and taught a lady named Donna from the philippines. She was so nice! I love meeting people from the Philippines because they always know about the church. It is huge over there. It was nice because I had just read the article about the church over there, that same morning! 

Last night we had a mission wide "power hour" where everyone in the mission went out finding. Including President and Sister Pilkington, and all the senior couples. There were so many miracles. President went with an elder in sheffield and they got in and scheduled 4 or 5 slovakians for baptism. (there is a huge slovokian branch over there) and at the same time I met a slovakian on the bus in Leeds. So much fun. So many miracles.The church is true. 

I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

May 19: Hello Rocky Mountains!!!

What a week! I am so happy.

I have reached an interesting point in my mission. Just everything makes me happy.I used to get sad about all sorts, and even a little homesick. But now I just am happy. I love missionary work. It is so much fun to talk to people and to visit with people. 

Yesterday we were knocking this street we felt really good about. The weather was beautiful and we talked to some really nice people, I got to thinking though. We are literally going door to door asking for people to let us help them, with anything! But they won't usually let us. That just blows my mind. But hey such is the work.

I am really happy. I have been studying a lot about virtue and a pure heart lately. I was studying Alma 31 this morning about how Alma was so pained because of the Zoramites sin. It makes me want to gain that same desire. To help people that badly. 

I love you guys and hope you have a good week!

Elder Gurney

May 12, 2014: Happy Mother's Day!!!

Ah I love this holiday. Moms are just the best.

Anyway it has been a tremendous week here in the wonderful county of West Yorkshire. I LOVE being a missionary. I am having a huge mind block of what has actually happened. Let me look at my planner.....

OH. We went to the bishops daughter for tea last week and it was so much fun. So she is married to a nonmember Rob. He is an interesting fella. Super nice, but just so not bothered about church. It was just so nice to visit with them though. They are super nice and Rob is so funny. We just talked about cars for like the entire appt (We weren't really allowed to "push the gospel on him") that was the deal for the appt. It is just nice making friends on missions.

It was the 50th anniversary of the chapel here in Leeds over the weekend and that was incredible. In just 50 years the church has grown from one branch in the Manchester stake of 30 people to an entire stake. I just love the Yorkshire people.

This is a place called Malham Cove. It is pretty cool I guess.Harry Potter filmed here and stuff.

Love you guys so much!

Elder Gurney

May 6, 2014

Ah I am staying in LEEDS! I am so happy. Me and Elder Jensen are staying together! In fact all of the 8 missionaries in the ward are staying the same. That means out flatmates stay as well! I am really happy.

Me and Elder Jensen were out last night doing some knocking and we saw so many miracles. With in the first 6 doors we had 2 potentials with return appointments and a new investigator. We didn't even have time to finish knocking but we will when we are back there on thursday. I have really just learned to love knocking on doors. We taught this guy last night named Joseph and he is a rastafarian. Not like some chav who smokes weed with his friends but a real life Rastafarian. He is so nice and he is so good with music. Such a boss.

I am really really happy being a missionary and I love the people of England.

Love you guys!

Elder Gurney

ps sorry I forgot my camera today...

April 27, 2014

Hey Everyone!

So it has been a good week! I have been really happy. I just really like being a missionary.

I don't have any huge stories this week or anything super surprising, but I just feel that my testimony has grown a lot this week. I really have learned the principle that "knowledge is gained by obedience" (Bruce R McKonkie). I know that as I try and be as obedient as I can, my testimony grows and so does my conviction to share it with others.

15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

-Isaiah 49

I know that the Lord really is there and that he loves us and cares for us more that we can ever understand. He knows exactly who we are and wants to give us an opportunity to live with him and our Father in Heaven again. He will forgive us and set us free.

 30 And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto himself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are bfree; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a knowledge and he hath made you free.

-Helaman 14

I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

April 21, 2014: From Leeds with Love

Hey everyone!

What a week! I cannot believe it how fast it has gone. It is all just a blur.

England is starting to warm up, on some days. Yesterday is one of the best P days I have had on my mission (it was a bank holiday and the library was closed, that is why I am emailing today) and I didn't take a single picture! I am really upset. We went to the APs flat and had a BBQ. They and another team of missionaries just moved into this new flat with a back garden that opens right into a massive park. It was so much fun. Sometimes it is just really nice to relax with other missionaries.

This Easter weekend has been something special. Church on Sunday was so good. Elder Vingoe who is one of the institute couple missionaries spoke and it was so powerful. It really is a special time of year.

So let me tell you about Kay. Kay is a less active member who we were referred to though mormon.org. It turns out she served a mission back in the 70s and she was still in touch with an old companion, who referred her. She has been less active for about 10 years but she wants to come back so badly. She came to church on sunday and she loved it, and when we taught her about the nature of God last night, The Spirit was so strong. We just discussed for over half and hour about the relationship we have with God and what that really means. It really made me realize how we all need to understand this relationship, even if we have been in the church for 30 years. It is important to reflect on it often.

We Are Everything To God

"This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within out breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation-worlds without end- within our grasp. And it is God's great desire to help us reach it." -Dieter F. Uchtdorf

I love all of you. I love this church and I know that it is true. I know that God is there and that he loves and cares for us so much. 

Elder Gurney

April 14, 2014

It is spring time!! Nothing feels better than walking through Leeds in a white shirt and tie!

Wow what a week! Me and Elder Jensen have been working ourselves like crazy this weekend. We had a goal yesterday to place 12 book of mormons after church. We went out and I was having doubts in the first 30 min but we worked really hard and we did it! we placed the last one at 8:48. It was so much fun. 

I had the chance to bear testimony of the Book of Mormon so many times yesterday and it made me so happy. I love that book. We talked to so many uni students and I just love how they all have an opinion. The Lord really does love all his children and the book of mormon is such convincing evidence of that. Read it. If you're not, start. If you've read it, start again. If you memorized it, read Jacob 5 again and enlighten me.

Love you all so much!

Elder Gurney

England has the terrible habit of building roads, then blocking them off.....

April 7, 2014: Springtime!!

Hey everyone!

Wow where did winter go? Time just goes way too quickly!

Such a good week! My new companion is named Elder Jensen and he is from Richfield Utah. He is way good and I am excited to have a companion that is older than me for the first time in like 6 months.

So we have been teaching this less active member named Peter since I got to Leeds and he is so good. His doctrinal understanding is top notch. He was baptised about 20 years ago and studies for nearly 2 hours a day. Lately we have been trying to help him get back to church and get back to the temple. It really has built my testimony about acting on the knowledge we have. Everyday we should study and then write down the things we are going to do or change, because of what we learned. After every zone conference our mission president has us email him a list of the things we are going to do because of what we have learned. I am going to do something similar and create a list for myself of things I am going to change because of general conference.

I watched all of the sessions, except the sunday afternoon, but I will start watching that soon. But conference was incredible as usual.

Well I am happy, I love it here in Leeds, I love being on my mission.

I love and miss all of you!

Elder G

April 1, 2014

Hey everyone! What a week!!!

drum roll................................I am staying in LEEDS!!!! Yay!!!!! But my German friend is going..I am getting my first companion from the states, and the worst part still......UTAH! hahaha nah I am excited! My new companion is from Richfield Utah! The same place as the one and only ELDER MCALLISTER! We will have so much to talk about. I am proper chuffed.

So this week has been crazy. We have seen so many miracles! So the other day, me and Elder Schwarzkopf had about an hour and a half after study till we had an appt so we decided to knock. The SECOND door we knocked is answered by this girl named A.K. and she invited us in! We taught her a bit about the book of mormon and she is reading! So we decided to continue down the street a ways and knock again, the first door we knocked this man answers and starts to invite us in, but then he girlfriend tells him no....so that sucked but hey he was super nice. I have really just learned to love knocking doors. Especially in a student area. Even if people aren't bothered they will still let you bear your testimony to them which always feels good.

I am so happy I love being a missionary.

Love you!

Elder Gurney

March 24, 2014

So it has been a busy week in Leeds. A busy transfer! I cannot believe it is week 5 of the transfer. I felt like I just got to England five minutes ago!

I want to tell you today about the Rojas family. Alex and Elizabeth Rojas are from Chile and are here so that Sister Rojas can teach English. They have been here for like 4 or 5 months. We meet with them like maybe once or twice a week. Brother Rojas is not very good with English but is learning. He is such a humble man. They literally have nothing here in England but Brother Rojas has been to known to give missionaries the umbrella from over his head and the tie off his neck. I love this family so much. The reason I wanted to talk about them today is because they helped me realize how privileged we are to have the gospel. They have nothing but the church in this country, and it is all they need. Everything else just seems to work out. We all have so many worldly things we want, and yes they are nice to have, but all that really matters in this life is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that is where true happiness comes from. It is not just a nice idea that helps us through hard times like I am told everyday by those who don't have a faith, but it is the ONLY thing that can possibly get us through this life, back to our Heavenly Father. 

I am happy here doing the Lord's work. I miss all of you terribly but I know this is where I will be happiest. I know the Lord is watching over all of you and I know that if I keep working hard he will continue to do so. Don't take this gospel for granted. You need it.

I love you guys,

Elder Gurney

March 17, 2014

Wow another week gone by! It is ridiculous how fast weeks pass by.

Well I am really really happy. It seems like just yesterday I was rebuking everyone for telling me a mission is easy. I now understand. We really need to rely on the Lord in this work.

This week has been interesting. Friday morning while I was shaving, the phone rings. It is President Pilkington so I answer with shaving cream all over my face. He asks if we will come open the front door for him. The flat was a mess. I hurried and got as ready as I could (This was during breakfast) and opened the door. Everyone disappeared. Ha so anyway he stayed and observed some of our planning. It was a nice time, I learned so much. I will tell you, the flat is clean now. 

I have been learning a lot about obedience lately. Especially about the spirit of the law. Me and Elder Schwarzkopf have been trying to be perfectly obedient to mission rules and we can see the blessings of it. I have specifically been trying to not find loopholes or using any little bit of justification in my obedience (spirit of the law) and it has been showing. Maybe not in baptisms, but I notice when we go out finding we have better conversations, people are nicer and are more interested.

  20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

 21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

- D&C 130:20-21

I know that the Lord loves us so much that he desires to bless us. We just have to let Him.

I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

 I love knocking

Teaching drunks at a bar!

Selfies with Jews     

March 10, 2014

Ah I am so happy this week!

I am really just loving England. So winter decided just to not, so the weather is incredible. Warm enough just for suit coats most days!

Me and Elder Schwarzkopf decided to work a lot harder last week and this week and we can already see the joy from it. The success as well. I love this area. We have been teaching a man named Darren (yeah he spells it wrong) and he is the biggest miracle. We just got him as a referral from the office so we assumed mormon.org. Well he told us that we was just sitting outside his house and he asked a lady if he could use her phone, which he did, and she just went to her car, grabbed a Book of Mormon and gave it to him, so he called the number on the inside! (the mission office stamps all the BoMs) He is such a good guy. He has definitely had a rough past and has been homeless for most of it. He has such a desire to change and I am so excited for him.

I just love how the gospel changes people. I have met so many people who have just left old lives behind to become a disciple of Jesus Christ and I can just see the light emulating out of them. They are happy. They have goals and hope for the future. The world doesn't have that, and if it does it is centered around money.  People need this joy weather they know it or not. "No words are wasted" I really believe this. 

Gordon B. Hinkley said, "When all is said and done, the only real wealth of the church is in the faith of its people.". I love this quote and I love finding this wealth in my own life and helping others find it in theirs.

Your Heavenly Father loves you and I do as well. I know this church is true and that knowledge makes me so happy. Let it make you happy as well.

Love you,

Elder Gurney

Me and Elder Schwarzkopf after a very long and tiring and enjoyable week.

ps dont notice the messy flat.

March 3, 2014

Well I really should quit waiting to send the group email till last because it just suffers when I do.

It has been a good week! I will tell you quickly of one miracle because I have to go any minute. Last night we had about 20 minutes of time before we went into the flat and it was just pouring with rain.

Me and Elder Schwarzkopf decided to be obedient and talk to people before we went in. We talked to like 3 people but they didn't really wanna stop in the rain but then we talk to this guy Mark from spain and it was a miracle. He wants to meet with us! so we got his number and will call him today. 

There can be miracles when you believe.

Love you!

Elder G

Feb 24, 2014: Leeds 1!!!

Hey everyone!

So sorry my emails have been slacking lately, the last few p days have been crazy.

Leeds is fantastic. I cannot imagine two more different places that leeds and north shields. We live in a place called Headingly, which is just a university part of town, full of students. My new companion is from Germany and he is so good. I am just so happy I haven't had an american companion yet.

Teaching is a lot different here. We have an institute building that we teach almost everyone in. The ward is like huge. Maybe 130 people. and 60% are students. Massive YSA, but they are all so good, especially at missionary work.

So we had lunch at a members home on Saturday, the Bowes-Taylor family from South Africa. Yes, mom, they know Anita. What a small world! They are just so normal and nice and good. It feels good to be in like a normal family home, there weren't many families like that in NS. I am just so excited to work for this ward and in this area.

Well I am happy and I love you all!

Elder G

February 18, 2014: I am off to Leeds!!

So I am getting transferred! I am going to serve in the Leeds 1 Ward. My companion is German! My new address is

Flat 6

2 St. Michaels Lane

Headingly, Leeds

LS6 3HS

England

I will write more soon but I have to cut email really short today, Sorry!

Love you guys!

Elder G

February 10, 2014: From the sunny North East!

Hey everyone!

So I don't have a lot of time again, I am afraid my emails will be getting shorter and shorter as my mission goes on.... I will try my best to keep them uplifting!

So this was a busy week, but we are still struggling with people to teach. This is a sacred land though and the Lord shows me that through miracles all the time.

So monday we taught a FHE lesson then had a while to kill afterward. We decided to walk home and talk to people rather than take the bus. It was getting late and we were walking home and I felt impressed to walk the long way home, even though there was less people that way as well. Me and elder sim started walking and we prayed to be directed and I felt so impressed to knock on a door. The home owner was not interested and not happy we knocked on his door so late we kept going. Me and elder sim started talking about the killers and brandon flowers and this guys about our age started walking past us and I was just like "have you heard of the killers?" and they got all excited and we talked about them for awhile then we got talking about the gospel and they were so interested. We scheduled a return appt and got their numbers. In the end it didn't work out but i know that the Lord guides us. It was a much needed miracle.

I love this church and I love this gospel. It makes me so happy to share it with people.

Love you all

Elder G

January 20, 27, February 3

February 3, 2014

So the computer cut my time short so I only have like 7 minutes. I will try and log back in but we will see. 

This week has been really slow. Me and Elder Sim have both been sick. First him then me. But we have also seen a lot of miracles as well.

So Jeane is a friend of Christine a member from church. Jeane has started attending church, even when Christine can't (health problems) and she even came to a baptism last week! We will hopefully start teaching her soon.

I am really happy and I have been thinking a lot about progress lately and I have been seeing myself become a little more complacent so I am going to really focus on just improving on the little and big things this week.

Love you guys!

Elder Gurney

January 27, 2014

Another week in the great north east!

Well Elder Sim was sick for like half of it so it was actually not very busy. But on Wednesday-friday I was in Newcastle on exchange. Such a great city. We probably walked 500 miles. I was there with Elder Richards and I learned so much. We saw so many miracles and talked to so many good normal people.

We have been teaching a guy named Karl for a couple weeks now and he is so good. He is 20 and he is a baptist by choice. But he is really interested and has been reading and praying and when people do that they tend to receive an answer. Which is just so handy. 

I have seen a lot of little miracles this week. I don't have any mind blowing experiences but I have just felt the Lord's hand in the work so much. I have been reading in Alma lately and I just love the humility of those who receive a testimony. The Lord is only liberal to those who ask if they actually have a righteous desire to receive.

Well I don't have too much time to write this week but I am so happy and I pray for you all the time. Love you guys!

Elder Gurney 

January 20, 2014

So this has been such a long week, I don't even know where to begin.

I also don't have a lot of email time left so we will see how much I can write in 10 min.

So we had interviews on tuesday and they were so good. I love President Pilkington. He is so inspiring. We then had the priviledge to have Elder Goodwin to come out with us street contacting in our area after the meeting. He is one of the APs. He was so powerful! We had so much success finding it was incredible. We have been doing a lot better since then as well. I learned so much. 

We then did service for our bishop for like 5 hours on wednesday. We moved stuff up and down stairs for forever. It felt so good though. I love service.

I have learned a lot about relying on the Lord lately. We need to reach the point where we are working so hard that we cannot do it alone. We need to reach the point where we cry out to the Lord "Without thee I will fall". This is not just with missionary work but should be our drive our entire lives. We need to quit being complacent and comfortable and start progressing. Too often do members sit in their little slumps. We are always moving and if you aren't moving forward you are moving backward. You cannot stand still in this great work. But the blessing of it all is that we can find such an incredible joy in being uncomfortable. In working our absolute hardest. Someone once told me that you served a good mission if by the end you have worked so hard you cannot physically do it any longer. I believe it is the same with our lives on this earth. We need to move from amen to action.

I love you guys and I am so happy

Elder Gurney

13 January 2014: Solid week being a missionary

Hey I just love being a missionary. It is so much fun and so rewarding. This is great.

Chandler is going to Lisbon, Portugal! What up! I am so pumped for you man. You're going to be such a good missionary.

Well last week was transfer week, so I don't remember anything that happened. Always such a crazy week. We also have new planners so I can't look back at the week because I left it back at the flat.

So last night I was talking to this young man in the ward named garrath. He pulled out his phone and showed me what was playing on his ipod. Brand New! I was so proud of him. If I could do anything for the young men I work with, it would be to get them on a mission. If I could do two, it would be to get them to listen to brand new. The young mens leader also likes them but hasn't listened to them much since he got married. Reason #1 to put off marriage as long as I can.

Natasha and Kevin are doing great. Natasha was really sick all week and Kevin was away for the weekend so we only saw Natasha once. But they seem to be really happy. Her kids are just the cutest. Tom is 5 and Lily-Grace is 3.

So miracle of the week. We went on splits with Brother Spedding and Brother Arkley and I went with Brother Arkley home teaching. It was short notice so we were just trying by people. We went by one person on his list and they brushed us off so we were in his car trying to decide what to do. We called everyone on his list and they couldn't meet. We then looked through people I had been working with to go by, but they couldn't meet either. Then we started just thinking of any members we could visit. We called a few and they couldn't meet. Then probably after making 30 phone calls we called Linda, a member. She is just a very solid member. She works in primary and she comes every sunday but she said she would love for us to come by, and she didn't live too far either. We went to her house and she invited us in and it wasn't long before she just started crying explaining that she had just been praying for a blessing. She had been struggling with a few things lately and she really just needed some comfort. Brother Arkley and I were able to give her a blessing and she felt a lot better.

Me and Brother Arkley were talking on the way back to the flat. We talked about how we had to make 30 phone calls before we actually decided to call her. She was on my mind the whole night and the few days before that as well. I think it is so interesting how the Lord doesn't just want you to do whats right. He wants you to go above and beyond. Go the extra mile. Show you deserve that direction and revelation. I wish I could even just grasp the concept of faith. One day...

"Wishing will not make is so. The Lord expects our thinking. He expects our action. He expects our labors. He expects our testimonies. He expects our devotion."

-Thomas S. Monson

I know that this church is true. I had the opportunity to speak again in Sacrament on sunday (yep, twice in one month) and I was asked to speak on the first vision and the impact it has on us today. I found out about 30 minutes before church. Anyway I was giving my talk and I was kind of giving it lacklusterly (is that a word...?) and then I realized Christine Steele, a member had brought her friend Jeane to church. I realized that she had never heard this before. This is such an incredible event! I realized that this talk would determine weather she wanted to hear more or not. So I gave it my all and tried my best to bear such a strong testimony. She is meeting with the other missionaries on tuesday. Such an incredible miracle. The Lord really fulfilled his promise.

 6 For it shall be ^agiven you in the very hour, yea, in the very moment, what ye shall say.

The Lord really does hear and answer prayers. He knows what we need and he wants to bless us. If only we humble ourselves before him. 

 19 And this he did that he himself might go forth among his people, or among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them, to stir them up in remembrance of their duty, and that he might pull down, by the word of God, all the pride and craftiness and all the contentions which were among his people, seeing no way that he might reclaim them save it were in bearing down in pure testimony against them.

The testimony we have is powerful and it should be used as a gift. Why would the Lord give us the gift of a testimony, if we wouldn't use it to help people and help them to come unto Christ? 

Sorry for the novel. I love you guys! 

Elder Gurney

7 January 2014

Hey everyone! 

I am staying!!!! Another 6 weeks in North Shields, I am pumped!

I hope everyone had a good New Year. This week has just flown by. New years we were allowed to play video games, as long as they weren't too dodgy so we played MarioKart for like all day at Sister Thompsons. We also played Monopoly. Which I still suck at. Sister Thompson won, but only because Elder Bagwell helped her. Mom she loves your Christmas present. She is always talking about it.

So some of the biggest miracle last week were Kevin and Jonathan. So Kevin is Natasha's fiancee and he asked to hear the lessons after her baptism. We taught him for the first time on Monday and it was incredible. He is so much more prepared than he thinks he is. We taught him again on friday and it went just as well if not better. He came to church as well yesterday and he loved it. That family has so much potential. Especially Natasha's kids. I can just see little Tom growing up and going on a mission. Honestly I could have no more success my whole mission and I won't feel like I wasted a minute. 

Jonathan was another big miracle. We were teaching a man named Brian in the chapel. The chapel is normally all locked up with a gate around it but while we were in there for 50 minutes, a man named Jonathan walked in. Apparently he was baptised about 10 years ago and he had went inactive when he moved away. Well now he is back with his girlfriend and he wanted to show her the church, we just happened to be there at the same time. Huge miracle. We should be meeting with him soon.

I have learned so much these last few weeks. My testimony is growing so strong in just knowledge. I know that we are here to learn all that we can. The fantastic privilege I get is sharing that knowledge with people who have never heard it before. I love this church. It does so much good for people. I love this gospel. It shapes people into the person they want to be. So often do I see people get in the way of themselves or their family and it makes me so sad. I know the joy they could be feeling and they won't learn simply because of ignorance and pride. This church is true because of the fruits of it. Look how happy people are when the embrace Christ as their Saviour and then you tell me there is no God or that he doesn't love his children. Kevin has seen it in Natasha and that is why is wants it as well. God is so aware of us and he love us. He puts us in situations that try us and our faith, but he will always bless us with the strength and power to endure. "God doesn't give us what we can handle, God helps us handle what we are given." -Norman Johnson

I love you guys!

Elder Gurney

Me and Elder Bagwell ( My DL) checkin out lighthouses on new years eve while we made our boys study!