🙌🏻Olympia in The O South Zone🙌🏻 Week #80

What's up everyone,

 Things are shaking up here in the Florida Orlando Mission for Elder Jordan Gentry, I will be headed to Olympia!!! My new companion is Elder Coon! He has been on his mission for about 20 months. I have heard really good things about him so I'm pretty excited!! Olympia is near the temple so that will be awesome!! I am really going to miss Deland, I've really enjoyed my time here and the people I got to know. I'm really going to miss this Ward, it's been a lot of fun! I'm also going to miss Willie, he has become a really good friend. He's definitely become one of my bro's!!! I'm excited to go to the O South Zone with Elder Gubler who's really become a bro up here, we're really tight!! there's going to be a ton of homies like Gillen, Leishman, and Gubler I will see them multiple times a week because of Temple Service and Service at a food pantry!!

This last Sunday was stake conference and we had a member of the 70 come, Elder Klebingat He gave a really good talk in October 2014, anyways he was so awesome! It was really cool because he didn't have anything prepared but he just went with what the spirit directed him to talk about which was amazing, He gave a great analogy, He said "imagine a little toddler drawing a picture and when the child comes to you with the picture you say it's great even though it is just a bunch of scribbles. It was the best the child could do at that time so you don't compare it to other children's drawings or anything because it's the best that child could do at that time. We need not to compare ourselves to others because we need to be doing the best we can and focus on that and using the Atonement to the fullest! I really loved this so much because it always happens, we comparing ourselves to each other! But we have to just focus on the things we can control which is ourselves! 

On Sunday Elder Klebingat held a special meeting for the Recent Converts and Investigators, We had Willie attend and he really enjoyed it, Elder Klebingat asked him after the meeting if he would share his testimony during Stake Conference, Willie has a powerful testimony and its been really great getting to see him grow! He said "I feel a close Relationship with My Father and my older Brother, God and Jesus Christ, they are close to me!! 

Something I wanted to share this week comes from Elder Jörg Klebingat "Approaching the Throne of God with Confidence" Take responsibility for your own spiritual well-being. Stop blaming others or your circumstances, stop justifying, and stop making excuses for why you may not be fully striving to be obedient to Gods Commandments. Accept that you are “free according to the flesh” and “free to choose liberty and eternal life” The Lord knows your circumstances perfectly, but He also knows perfectly well whether you simply choose not to fully live the gospel. If that is the case, be honest enough to admit it, and strive to be perfect within your own sphere of circumstances. Spiritual confidence increases when you take responsibility for your own spiritual well-being by applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ daily.

Deland has been a really great experience and I'm happy about the time that I got to spend up here and the people that I've grown close too I'm going to miss it here!! I'm excited for the change! I love my mission and the people that I've got to know!! I'm still doing really well! The scripture I would like to share this week is 2nd Nephi 2:27 Wherefore, men are free according to the flesh; and all things are given them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to choose liberty and eternal life. Love this Scripture, Love you all!!! Have a Wonderful Week!!

Elder Gentry

FOM 

🙌🏻I'll Admit It, I'll Admit It🙌🏻 Week #79

Hey Everyone,

 I'll Admit It, I'll Admit It!!! JESUS IS THE CHRIST!!!! 

Once again Elder Gentry coming at you like a Hurricane, haha just like a hurricane that was supposed to hit us this week! We all good, we still alive and well!! It has been super Rainy all this week but still hot and muggy!! This week we've been able to get out and testify of Christ. We have had some good lessons and were able to help a lot of others! 

This week we went to the Temple with Willie, he was so stoked to be able to make it to the temple for the first time! It was so cool to the amazement he had for the House of The Lord. I love going to the temple and the feeling I feel when I'm there. A member from the ward, Bro Rodriguez was able to help us in many ways, he has really been good fellowship for Willie. He has given him a lot of great advice as a new member. I remember having dinner with Bro Rodriguez and Willie, Bro Rodriguez told him a story about how he refused to work on Sunday's and how he had to take that stand. Fast forward to Willie going to his new job interview and he refused to work on Sunday's because of that great example he had from the member!! Members have a key role in building up the Kingdom of God!!

So this last week we had a really good lesson with this guy named Clay, Brother Stringham from the ward asked us to teach him, we started out by asking him why he wants to meet with missionaries? He said "I had a dream that my deceased mother was blowing a gold trumpet just like Angel Moroni and for the last 3 months I kept looking at the clock and it would say 11:11"..... (As he was talking I just thought that's cool I wish I had that many times to make a wish!! Hah).. "as I read the introduction to The Book of Mormon I learned that there was a total of 11 witnesses so I took it as a sign" Hey, God Works in mysterious ways!!! Well we thought that was strange but cool!! Well it doesn't matter how he got introduced to the Gospel it just matters that he did! We hope we can continue to teach him and help him learn and love the Gospel!

Something I wanted to share this week comes from a talk given by Elder Walter F. González titled Learning With Our Hearts... "By coming unto Christ, every soul can see, feel, and know of a surety that Christ suffered and atoned for our sins that we may have eternal life. If we repent, we will not suffer needlessly. Thanks to Him, wounded souls may be healed and broken hearts may be mended. There is no burden that He cannot ease or remove. He knows about our infirmities and sicknesses. I promise and testify to you that when all doors seem to be closed, when everything else seems to fail, He will not fail you. Christ will help and is the way out, whether the struggle is with an addiction, depression, or something else. He knows how to succor his people" I'm Bout to say a True Thang!! Jesus Christ Loves all of us and he wants us to be free from burdens, he wants to help us and he's the only one who can!!

I'm Not New To This!!!! Wow can't believe I'm back again with another week 6, these transfers just slip away!!! It's all good tho I'm doing well and I will find out what is happening with transfers this coming Saturday! We should have some good things ahead of us in this area. Anyways the scripture I would like to share this week comes fromMoroni 7:44........and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity. Love this scripture, love you all have a great week!!!!

Elder Gentry

FOM                                        Elder Reyes, Willie and Me  Temple tour

                                                   Love my man Willie!!

                                                   My Companion and I .. Elder Reyes

🙏🏻"What A Time To Be Alive"🙏🏻 Week #78

What's Up everyone,

 If i was a Sister I would be Home Right Nawww!!!! It's all good tho I'm excited for the next 6 Months! Wow Oh Wow I can't believe I only have 6 Months! You know I'm gonna be Grindin' till the day I fly home!!! Hah ummmm at least I'll try.....ok enough Trunky Talk! This past week was ok, a little slow but it's all good. We are trying to build this area and figure out where we want to take it. We did have some good things happen!! 

This Week we had Zone Conference! It was pretty good, I really liked President Clark's Training, he talked a lot about being positive and all that we do in the aspects of our missionary work. He also touched a lot on loving our companion and how important it is to have the spirit in our companionship. It is so hard to teach by the Spirit when you don't get along with your companion I'm so thankful for the companions that I've had and the great friends that they've been!! :) I also really loved my boi, Elder Christensen's training on Faith in our planing shout out to him!!! 

We had a decent lesson with this new investigator we are going to be teaching hah it was kinda rough but we made it through haha.. As we were teaching Elder Reyes went off hahah he kinda confused himself.... He was explaining how Prophets work and said "its just like talking to your mom the phone is the Prophet and your mom is like God and that allows you to here what she is saying" hahahahaha it was pretty confusing, Elder Reyes is a good teacher it was just one of those moments hahaha. her name is Brooke and she is 11 years old, she is the niece of Brother and Sister Rodriguez from the ward. She is interested and overall I think she understood the lesson for the most part. We hope to keep teaching her and we can see where it goes!! 

This next week should be good, We will be going to the temple with Willie, it will just be a temple tour. We want to get him to the temple soon to do baptisms. Bishop wants him to learn his priesthood responsibilities first, so this last week the young men in the ward helped him learn how to pass the sacrament. Willie is the Man. Makyla our other investigator on the other hand isn't doing as well. We were unable to see her this last week and she didn't make it to church, we're hoping to see her this week and we hope everything goes good.

Something I wanted to share this week comes from a talk titled "Gospel Learning and Teaching" by David M. McConkie.....President Thomas S. Monson taught: “We watch. We wait. We listen for that still, small voice. When it speaks, wise men and women obey. Promptings of the Spirit are not to be postponed.” You must not be afraid to exercise your agency and act upon the thoughts and impressions that the Spirit of the Lord puts into your heart. You may feel awkward at first, but I promise you that the sweetest and most gratifying experiences you will have as a teacher will be when you submit to the will of the Lord and follow the promptings you receive from the Holy Ghost. Your experiences will strengthen your faith and give you greater courage to act in the future.

Well everyone I'm still doing good, it was weird hitting my 18 month mark and just knowing that I only have 1/4 of my Mission Left. I love it tho so I'm happy to continue serving the Lord and Growing in the best way that I can!! BLESSED, the scripture I would like to share this week is Helaman 5:30 And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul   I know it is important to listen to the Spirit in all we do, especially missionary work. I love this scripture and I love you all have a good week!!

Elder Gentry

FOM                                   Me and my Homie Thornock on our 18 Month Mark!!
                                                        We were at the MTC together!!

                                                            Me and The Goob!

                                               Willie Looking Sharp!!    and message from Willie

🙏🏻🙌🏻"Peace In His Holy House" 🙌🏻🙏🏻 Week #77

What's up everyone, 

Elder Gentry coming at you from the land of Deland!!! We have officially finished half of the transfer and this next week I hit my 18 Month Mark!! Elder Reyes and I have been puttin' in the Work! Things have kinda been a struggle lately but I know the Lord will bless us as we continue to work hard and show love to the people we are workin' with! This week we had some good things happen!!

Willie received the Aaronic Priesthood and it was pretty cool to be a part of that and to see how far he has come from the day we found him to now! The members have done a really good job at helping him, we had 3 members that bought him some clothes to wear to church. We also had a member just take off his suit jacket and just give it to him, it fits him perfectly. The members have been really good to him. This next Wednesday we will continue working on his Family History so we can get him to the Temple soon.

Things are going ok with Makyla, we are still visiting with her and were doing are best to help her progress. She has been struggling a little bit and hasn't been reading but we hope things pick up and she continues to do the things that will bring her closer to her Father in heaven!

This week I had the Privilege of attending the House Of The Lord!! I always love going to the temple, this was my 3rd Temple trip of my mission! There is always a special spirt that you can feel at the temple that you can't feel anywhere else. I feel so close to my Savior Jesus Christ as I attend the temple, I really feel that this last visit has really given me that extra motivation I need to continue working hard and finishing these last 6 months strong!

Something I wasted to share this week comes from a talk given by Bishop W. Christopher Waddell titled "A Pattern For Peace" Each time we attend the templej--in all that we hear, do, and say; in every ordinance in which we participate; and in every covenant that we make--we are pointed to Jesus Christ. We feel peace as we hear His words and learn from His example. President Gordon B. Hinckley taught, “Go to the house of the Lord and there feel of His Spirit and commune with Him and you will know a peace that you will find nowhere else.” I know that attending the temple is very important not only for the work that we can accomplish but to give us that peace we need to keep moving forward in our lives!! I love the Temple!

Well another week about to begin, we do have some things going in this area. It has been though lately but we will continue to put trust in the Lord and we will work. I love this great work even when it's tough I know that the Lord has qualified me to do this!! The scripture i would like to share this week comes from Revelation 7:15 Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. Love you all have a great week!!

Elder Gentry

FOM

We Goin' Zero to 💯 Real Quick WEEK #76

What's up everyone, 

Elder Gentry and my boi Elder Reyes are doing very well, this week has been tough! We have had a ton of appointments cancel on us and it's just been one of those weeks haha. Hey it's all good tho, we will bounce back and kill the Game!!! One thing that's cool is even in the bad weeks you still can see the Lords hand in your work and you have some good things happen! So even tho it was a tough week I can say good things happened!!

So update on Willie, He is doing very well and he just had his interview with the Bishop yesterday and will be receiving the Aaronic Priesthood next Sunday!! He's been doing really good and he has told us that he feels super Blessed, he just got a new full time job and he said he's already seeing the blessing of tithing! He said I like these blessing but I want to help others have them too! He told us this week that we the missionaries are his new superheroes!! This is the reason I love this work, bringing blessings I've seen in the Gospel to other people!! I love my brotha Willie!!

We have done a lot of finding this week with all of the appointments canceling and it's been tough and really has tested my patience. I know that there are prepared people and we just have to find them. We will keep doing are Best and pushing through!!! 

We had a really good lesson with Makyla, it was on the Word of Wisdom and we were able to talk about how are body's are temples and we need to take care of them and keep them healthy, we also answered her question about tattoos and helped her understand why we shouldn't have them. She's doing really well, we did move her baptismal date back to the 17th, she said she has been worried about it and she's not sure what happens at them, the other Ward is having a baptism next week and she said she would like to go to check it out. Makyla is awesome and we know the Lord will bless her and help her make this right decision! 

Something I wanted to share this week is from a talk given by Elder Randall K. Bennett, "Your Next Step" The Lord more than matches our willingness to act in faith. Our willingness to take a step is not just met; it is exceeded by the Lord’s promised blessings. Heavenly Father and our Savior are eager to bless us. After all, They ask only for one-tenth of what They bless us with and then promise that the windows of heaven will open! Whenever we willingly act with faith in Jesus Christ and take another step, especially an uncomfortable step requiring change or repentance, we are blessed with strength. 

Things here in Deland are going good, I love my mission and the blessing that come from this great Work!! Elder Reyes and I will keep pushing forward with faith and do the best we can to help build up this area!! The scripture I would like to share this week is Mormon 9:22 For behold, thus said Jesus Christ, the Son of God, unto his disciples who should tarry, yea, and also to all his disciples, in the hearing of the multitude: Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; Love this Scripture, Love you All!! Have a good week!

Elder Gentry

FOM

🙌🏻🙏🏻Way, Way, Way Up!!🙏🏻🙌🏻 week #75

What's Up Everyone,

This is Elder Gentry coming at you from Deland!!! This has been a great week, My new Companion Elder Reyes is a great guy and we are going to get along really well! Elder Reyes is Super funny and he loves to laugh so it always makes the day better. The work here is going pretty good, we have some good things that will be happening this Transfer and I'm excited to do the Lords work!!

Willie is doing really well!! He is pumped and fired up to share the Gospel, he has already handed out 2 copies of The Book of Mormon to some friends of his. We brought Willie out to a lesson with us and it went really well. He was excited to be there and told us after the lesson how thankful he was that we took him out with us to teach. It's been so cool to see someone recognize the blessings of the Gospel in their life just in such a short time. Once again Willie is the man!

So the lesson we brought Willie out with us we went and taught Makyla and she is awesome she is 15 years old and her Grandmother is a Returning LA! We taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and we invited her to be baptized and she said "Yes" we set a date for her to be baptized September 3rd!! Willie helped a lot in the lesson and he was able to testify to her how much of a blessing it has been in his life to make the decision to be baptized. She made it to church this past week and said she really is enjoying it. We will be seeing her 2 X's this week and were excited to help her and work with her. 

Something I wanted to share this week comes from chapter 1 of Teachings of the president "Howard W. Hunter" ...If our lives and our faith are centered upon Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right. …Brothers and sisters, you have and will have worries and challenges of many kinds, but embrace life joyfully and full of faith. Study the scriptures regularly. Pray fervently. Obey the voice of the Spirit and the prophets. Do all that you can to help others. You will find great happiness in such a course. Some glorious day all your worries will be turned to joys.

Im doing really well, The work here in Deland is moving forward and I'm enjoying it, I'm happy to be grindin' the streets with my bro from the Bronx!!! I love my mission. Shout out to the Goob (Elder Gubler) for sharing this scripture with me!! The scripture this week is Mosiah 5:4 And it is the faith which we have had on the things which our king has spoken unto us that has brought us to this great knowledge, whereby we do rejoice with such exceedingly great joy. Love this scripture, love you all have a great week!! 

Elder Gentry

FOM

😂🙌🏻Wet Willie🙌🏻😂 Week #74

Hey everyone,

 This week was Amazing!!! Things are going really good here in Deland!! I'm super happy to be here in this area. So news with transfers, Well Elder Olsen is going home and I've really enjoyed my time with him and I wish him luck!! My new companion is Elder Reyes!! He's from New York and he's 28 years old, I've heard a lot of good things about him so I'm super pumped!!

Well the best news of the week! Willie  was baptized! It has been so cool to witness all of this and see the change in him from day 1! Elder Olsen and I ran into him the 2nd day I was here and he has just progressed so much. It was an honor to be able to baptize such a wonderful person and a "Straight Homie" He was so happy and everything with the baptism just went perfect and it all worked out!! Willie is the most kind hearted person I've ever met and he's so respectful to everyone! The ward has done a really good job at a being his friend and making him feel welcome!! I'm thankful that the Lord put Willie in my path!! 

So I received some sad news yesterday, Elder Hawkins my last companion, gave me a call to let me know that Brother John Moore passed away. I was very sad to hear that. He was a great man and I'm happy I got to spend the time with him that I did! I always loved putting a smile on his face! And I will miss our Awkward Hugs every time I left his house haha. Elder Hawkins and I had some good times with Brother Moore and I'll never forget them! I know God has a plan for him!

Something I wanted to share this week comes from a talk given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Hope Of Gods Light...Your Heavenly Father knows that you will make mistakes. He knows that you will stumble--perhaps many times. This saddens Him, but He loves you. He does not wish to break your spirit. On the contrary, He desires that you rise up and become the person you were designed to be. To that end, He sent His Son to this earth to illuminate the way and show us how to safely cross the stumbling blocks placed in our path. He has given us the gospel, which teaches the way of the disciple. It teaches us the things we must know, do, and be to walk in His light, following in the footsteps of His Beloved Son, our Savior. Light Overcomes Darkness Yes, we will make mistakes, Yes, we will falter, But as we seek to increase our love for God and strive to love our neighbor, the light of the gospel will surround and uplift us. The darkness will surely fade, because it cannot exist in the presence of light. As we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. And day by day, the hope of God’s light will grow within us, “brighter and brighter until the perfect day

WOW!! Another transfer in the books!! This last transfer has been amazing! We have seen the Lord bless us countless times for our efforts! This work is great and I'm happy to be a part of it. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything!! The scripture I would like to share this week is found in John 8:12  Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. I'm so thankful for my savior Jesus Christ and the Light he gives to all of us!! I love you all have a wonderful week!!

Elder Gentry

FOM                                     Willie Was so Pumped!!

                                             This Experience has been a blessing!!

  Got too see My Man Tyson Stiggins!!! 

                                            I will miss Brother Moore, Such a STUD!!!