I Will Go and Do : Week 60: Exchange Week

It has been a very busy and very fun week in Western Mass! Elder Harris and I went on 3 exchanges this week and were able to interact with many missionaries and new people. Our zone is continuing to do very well and I have loved being a zone leader because I am now able to inspire, bless, and learn from so many more missionaries.

On Tuesday, I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Benson (from Sandy) in Springfield's area. It was a very fun exchange and we were able to do a lot of good work. I am excited to see how much progress Elder Benson will have in the coming weeks with the commitments I left with him. The very next day I went on exchanges with Elder LaRocco (from Layton) in our area, Ludlow. Elder LaRocco is the man! We got along so well and even though a lot of our appointments didn't work out, we had a fantastic day. One of the highlights was being able to teach a man named Earnest. He was very skeptical about the Book of Mormon but after a lot of resolving his concerns, he agreed to read it and search for an answer. And last, Elder Harris and I were able to go on exchanges with the AP's (assistants to the president) in Boston! I was able to spend the day with Elder Xiao (from California). I was able to learn a lot from Elder Xiao and it was great to be able to get to know him. He is a convert to the church and has a great conversion story. Serving in Boston for the day was very interesting. The people there are either kind and interested or harshly rude, so it made for some memorable contacting and tracting. One of the greatest things I learned from Elder Xiao was that the most important thing I could do as a zone leader is to love the zone members. If that is my first priority, then I can help them and bless them as the Lord would want me to.

Elder Harris and I had such a great day yesterday. We were struggling to get any of our investigators to church, until yesterday. We had been teaching a lady name Djamilla for a couple of weeks. Every week she has been out of town but yesterday she came to church! She absolutely loved the ward and the ward members fellowshipped her very well. She is going through so many hard things right now and it was great to see her put God first in her life, knowing that He would help her with the rest of her problems. She is doing very, very well and we are hoping to set a baptismal date with her this week!

Things are going very well. I've never been so tired and exhausted though happy and full of purpose on my mission. I'm very grateful that the Lord is all-knowing and watching over those that we are coming in contact with each day. One of the greatest lessons that I have learned as I have been serving here is that my problems/trials in life are so small. God has truly blessed me and I cannot imagine my life without this Gospel. There is real happiness and lasting peace in our lives when we focus our lives on Christ. I know that He lives and that He is always there for us when we need Him.

Love,
Elder Gutierrez