Week 64: Bridgeport, CT

     My first week is already almost over here in Bridgeport, CT!  I absolutely love this area and couldn't be happier with my companion.  (I feel like I say that a lot, I've really been blessed with the best companions).  Elder Sprehn (pronounced Sprain) and I came into this area completely blind, not knowing what to expect and we already love it.  The ward here is sooooo awesome and the work is going great.
 
     My last couple of days in Springfield were the best.  It was pretty hard to leave Springfield because of how many people I loved there, but I know Elder Harris will keep the miracles and work going.  Djamilla is still doing amazing and is super excited to be baptized on the 30th.  She has been one of my favorite investigators to teach because of how much faith she has despite the trials she has seen in her life.  Rolline as well is doing great, the Elders hope to get her to church in the coming weeks.  I cannot thank Elder Harris enough for all the outstanding things he taught me while I served with him.  God definitely has great things in store for him and I'm so grateful I got to serve with him and learn from him.
   
     On Wednesday, Elder Sprehn and I arrived in Bridgeport, CT.  Here's a little about Elder Sprehn;  he's from West Point, UT and went to Syracuse High School.  He has been on his mission for 23 months and this is his last transfer.  He has served in both of my past areas Warwick and Springfield.  He is huge into wrestling and weight lifting.  Here's a little about Bridgeport; Bridgeport is a pretty highly populated city for how small it is with around 150,000 people.  There is an English ward and a Spanish Ward here.  We only cover two cities, Bridgeport and Stratford.  There are 2 sets of missionaries in the Spanish ward and 1 set in the English ward.  Bridgeport consists of all types of ethnicities including:  Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Mexicans, Jamaicans, Africans, and basically everything else.  We are right on the coast and we are close to the ocean most of the time.  Bridgeport is known around the mission for being a great area.  Elder Sprehn and I already love it here!
 
     Because we knew nothing about the area when we got transferred here, we made an effort to meet all the investigators that were previously being taught by the Elders and find some new investigators.  The previous Elders were teaching a very funny lady named Wanda who we were able to teach twice this week.  She has a baptismal date for the 30th which we will most likely have to move back, but she's very fun to teach and we hope to see her continue to progress!  We taught her the Word of Wisdom yesterday and we are now helping her to stop smoking.  While finding new investigators, we were also able to see a huge miracle.  We received a media referral for a lady named Jackie who ordered a Bible.  Saturday night we were able to meet with her and share the Restoration.  She is an awesome Jamaican lady.  She loved the message and agreed to be baptized and to come to church!  After the lesson, she even bought us some Jamaican Jerk chicken, which is Elder Sprehn and I's favorite.  We are really excited to be teaching Jackie.
   
     Well it has been a very busy and crazy week!  It has actually been very fun to "shotgun" this area.  Elder Sprehn and I already have a great relationship and we hope to see at least one baptism before he goes home!  Also great news from Elder Little in Amherst (my old area), Amanda, our investigator, will be getting baptized this upcoming Saturday!  I love this Gospel and I truly love my Savior.  The power that comes from His life is the greatest blessing I have received and I am so humble that I get to share that with those in this area.  I love you all!

Love,
Elder Gutierrez

Reading my Dr. Seuss Book of Mormon book at the Dr. Seuss Museum

Free Creepy Nativity Set?  Don't mind if we do!

The Solo Family

Our Investigator, Rolline

Our Investigator, Djamilla DeSousa

Saying Goodbye to Elder Harris - September 13th, 2017

Elder Sprehn and I, first time serving in Connecticut for both of us.

Words of Wisdom from Andrew - must be my mom's banana cream pie!

At the ocean - all the time!

"Jamaican Jerk Chicken Mon"

Mission Church in Springfield, MA

Week 63: Surprise, Surprise!!

     This week Elder Harris and I are finishing up our first transfer together.  We have seen so many miracles in the short 6 weeks we have served together.  We got some pretty shocking news that yet again I am being transferred!  Ha ha, nobody saw this one coming. . . I will be heading to Bridgeport, Connecticut to be the Zone Leader of the New Haven Zone.  My new companion, Elder Sprehn and I will be "shotgunning" the area before he ends his mission at the end of this transfer.  Shotgunning means that we won't know any of the investigators, any of the members, or really anything about the area at all!  I'm pretty sad to be leaving such a great companion, but my new area has tons of work and my new companion is a great missionary.  I guess President needs me there . . .or he just likes to move me around! ;)
   
     This week was a fantastic one!  We had a zone conference and a Mission Leadership Conference.  We were also able to see great things happen in the work here.  I am very grateful to have made an impact on some lives here.  Most of our investigators are doing very well.  At the beginning of the week, we had zero investigators with baptismal dates and by the end of the week we had 3.  Including our investigator, Djmailla, who is just the best.  She is such a bright and happy person even though she faces so much adversity and trials.  Her date is September 30, which she is very excited about.  The other two investigators we were able to set dates with are Nancy and Narralie, a mom and daughter who we have been working with for a couple of weeks.  Their baptismal date is October 14th.
   
     This week we were able to witness a very cool miracle while finding more investigators.  We found this large government housing area with loads of people around.  Elder Harris and I knocked on a door and a 30 year old man named Nate answered the door.  We told him our purpose as missionaries and asked him if he would like to hear our message.  He agreed to listen and we sat down on the steps to his door.  As we were talking to him, he told us about how he used to be heavily involved in the gang life.  He said that he was even shot, he them pulled up his shirt and showed us the scars on his stomach from the bullet hole. He said that when he was shot he had to be revived 3 times and that even though he was about to die, he felt peace.  He knew that this peace was coming from God and that He was with him.  He survived the experience and gave up the gang life and soon became homeless.  He told us that even though he experienced many trials he never doubted that God was there.  After a powerful Restoration message, we invited him to pray and ask if our message was true.  He was very hesitant to pray, though he agreed and began to offer a very sincere prayer.  Throughout the prayer, he paused many times.  After closing, he jumped up and his whole character had changed.  He then said, "Are ya'll magicians, how did you make me feel like that?"  He then told us that he felt very calm and peaceful while praying and that it was the same feelings he had when he was shot!  He said he hadn't ever felt those same feelings since.  He knew it was from God and knew that what we had to share was special.  Elder Harris and I left that experience so excited and amazed at the miracle from God we had just witnessed.
   
     Last night, we were able to have a great experience.  We are teaching a man named Carlos.  It has been very hard to meet with him and his understanding isn't the best.  We were planning on no longer teaching him.  As we were talking to him a week ago, telling him that we would no longer be able to come by, we both felt prompted that it wasn't right.  We decided to continue to try and teach him.  Last night we stopped by and began talking to him.  He lit up when he saw us and told us that very morning he woke up and desperately felt like he needed to be closer to God.  He said that he was even in tears.  He thought about how we made his home feel when we came by and desired to have that feeling all the time.  In his broken English, he told us, "You two are different . . .I can see it . . . It's like you're holy, like you're angels . . . seriously"  It was such an eye opening experience to realize that we truly are representatives of Jesus Christ.
   
     I have absolutely loved serving here in Springfield, MA.  The Ludlow ward has been by far one of my favorite wards and I am very grateful for the experiences I have had here.  This upcoming week is going to bring a lot of change which I am excited to face.  I am anxious to see why the Lord needs me in Connecticut.  I know that this Gopsel is true and that because of Jesus Christ we can really change our lives.  I love you all!!

Love,
Elder Gutierrez

Ludlow Zone Conference, September 5, 2017 - Elder Gutierrez serving as Zone Leader with Elder Harris

Mission Leadership Conference - September 8, 2017

Elder Harris and I at Mission Leadership Conference

Our Investigator Austacia

Our Investigators, Anthony and Amber

Springfield College, the Birthplace of Basketball

Week 62: "I Must Be About My Father's Business" - Luke 2:49

     Happy Labor Day!  It has been another exciting week here in Springfield!  One of the challenges we face in this area is that there is such a large turnover rate with our investigators.  We have no problem finding people to teach, but trying to find them again for another lesson is the struggle.  This week though we were able to see a lot of our investigators again and we are seeing great progress in their lives.
   
     One of the investigators that I am particularly really excited to be seeing again is Rolline.  Elder Harris and I found Rolline our first or second week together.  She is a single mother of 5 who is going through many struggles to raise her children alone.  We had not seen her since we taught her our first lesson, but we finally found her home this week.  We explained to her again our purpose as missionaries and promised her the blessings that the Gospel would bring into her life.  She agreed to start meeting with us twice a week.  We are excited to see how her life will change in the coming weeks.  Keep her in your prayers!
   
     This week we had interviews with President Miller.  Every interview I've ever had with him, I leave with some bit of mission changing advice.  During my interview, we were discussing how the mission as a whole was doing and how I was doing personally.  The advice he gave me was to follow Christ's example and always "be about my Father's business".  He encouraged me saying that there will come a time when missionary work will not be my top priority, but now is not that time!  I loved his advice, it reminded me how sacred and important my calling is and that sharing the Gospel should always be my top priority.  With this advice, I am excited to continue to progress as a missionary.
     
     Something that I have recently learned and focused on and has helped me improve my own life and the lives of those we are teaching is determining what our greatest desires are.  Elder Oaks said, "Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions.  The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming."  I invite all of you to evaluate your lives and determine what your greatest desires in life are and do everything you can to change your life so that you will be able to see those desires become a reality.
   
     Things are going well, thank you to everyone that has supported me in this work.  There really is nothing I could be doing that is more important than this work at this time in my life.  I love you all!!

Love,
Elder Gutierrez

Jamaican Food Truck

Jamaican Kola

Eating Jamaican Jerk Chicken

Teaching a Part-Member Hmong Family