🙌🏻💎I've Been Out So Long They Look Like Up Too Me💎🙌🏻 Week #99

What's good family,

man I've written soo many emails I don't even know how to start them off anymore without sounding like I'm repeating my self hahahah

So,
well here is another document of words telling you how my week went!! Lol.. first off, week 1 of my last transfer is now in the books!! Not much happened this week, we have just been out trying to find more people to teach and taking care of the Less Actives and Recent Converts. We have also been doing lots of service!

So to update you on the little 11 year old kid we have been teaching, his adoption is slowly moving along, it will probably be a month or 2 before he can get baptized. Hopefully I'm still here. Either way I love that kid and he will do big things for the church, he's a smart kid and he loves when we come over and teach him.. he knows soo much! I'm happy I have the time that I do to be able to share something I love with him! 

We have been doing a ton of service, from volunteering at a thrift shop to volunteering at a food bank to helping members move cause this ward is sooo old so they can't do it haha it's been good it's always good to help people out. It's what Christ did!! 

We had a couple of people we found this week that may have potential moving forward, hopefully we can start teaching them. One of them is a sister of a member and she said she would like to take the lessons soooo we will see where it can go. The other one gave us a fake number but as she was giving it too me I pulled out the phone and as she was saying it I dialed it and called her but her phone wasn't ringing, she saw that I was trying to call her sooo she was like just give me your number and then she called us...her actual number and the 1st number she gave us were soooo different, anyways we got her number who knows where it could go hahah not my first time I've been given a fake number out here hahaha

Something I want to share this week comes from a talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Will we give up after knocking on a door or two? A floor or two? Or will we keep seeking until we have reached the fourth floor, last door. God “rewards those who earnestly seek him,” but that reward is not usually behind the first door. So we need to keep knocking. Don’t give up. Seek God with all your heart. Exercise faith. Walk in righteousness. I promise that if you will do this--even until the fourth floor, last door--you will receive the answers you seek. You will find faith. And one day you will be filled with light that grows “brighter and brighter until the perfect day.” God is real. He lives, He loves you, He knows you, He understands you, He knows the silent pleadings of your heart. He has not abandoned you. He will not forsake you.

5 short weeks to go, 36 days but who counting hahaha I'm trying not to be trunky but it's literally impossible. I'm just so close! I'm still happy to be out here serving the Lord, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. I love my mission and I love this work! Even if I'm not the most motivated in the world!

 Shout out to my little brother in Alaska just because I love and miss him!!

 The scripture i would like to share this week is 3rd Nephi 14:7-8..... 7 Ask, and it shall be given unto you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. 8 For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened. Love this scripture, love you all!! Have a Great week!

Elder Gentry

FOM

Me and Elder Birch after Church  1/22/17 

🙌😝PREACHIN' FOR THE FINAL 42😝🙌 Week #98

What up family, your favorite missionary from Florida, Elder Gentry with another update! My time is short I'm now entering my last six weeks of my mission, the final 42 days. Elder Birchell and I will be staying together for my last transfer. We had a great transfer together so I'm looking forward to this next one! We saw a lot of success in the work that we did, and I've got some good things coming in the future. I'm trying so hard to stay motivated, but I'm sooooooo Trunky! LOL it will be OK I think I will make it. Here are some good things that happen this week!

Aundre was Tized!! This week we have been going over all the necessary preparations for Aundre to get Baptized, he has his interview and everything was good to go!! We had the Baptism at 9:00 so we had to get to the church early to fill the font! The sisters didn't tell us that we needed to turn the hot water heater on so about the time it was full is when we found that out!! The water was COLD!! The program went really good, the sisters had a killer musical number!! Brother Abbot baptized him 1st try! We were so happy to see Aundre make this step closer to Heavenly Father in following Jesus Christ!!

Baptism was really the best thing that happened this week, another than that we have been just working with the people we have and we out here searching for the lost souls!! Spreadin the Word!

Something I want to share comes from General Conference comes from Elder L. Tom Perry "Bring Souls unto Me" The gospel is centered on the Atonement of our Lord and Savior. The Atonement provides the power to wash away sins, to heal, and to grant eternal life. All the imponderable blessings of the Atonement can be given only to those who live the principles and receive the ordinances of the gospel--faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. Our great missionary message to the world is that all mankind is invited to be rescued and to enter the fold of the Good Shepherd, even Jesus Christ. No other message has such great eternal significance to everyone living on the earth today. All of us need to teach this message to others with power and conviction. It is the still, small voice of the Holy Ghost that testifies through us of the miracle of the Restoration, but first we must open our mouths and testify.

6 Weeks left, I'm not gonna lie, I never thought I would be at this point hahaha it just blows my mind!! I'm super excited and pumped to do what I can these last 6 weeks! I love this Gospel, I love my mission! The scripture I would like to share comes from Doctrine & Covenants 18:16 16 ​And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the ​​​kingdom​ of my Father, how great will be your ​​​joy​ if you should bring many ​​​souls​ unto me!  Love this scripture, love you all have a great week!!

Elder Gentry

FOM

Aundre was Baptized :) 

Aundre and Brother Abbott

                                                       
 

Elder Bigler and I ..

Cousin on my Dads side and her daughter was fun to spend a little time with 

🙏🙌Sting Of Death Is Swallowed Up In Christ🙌🙏 Week #97

What up Family, coming at you with another update in the "lyfe" of Elder Gentry! We have had some good things happen this week, i went on another exchange with Elder Wilde... that was fun!! This next week is the last week of this transfer, I will find out what's going to be happening for my last transfer this Saturday, I think that Elder Birchell and I will be staying for another transfer but we will see!! You never no what will actually happen!! 

We are planning on having a Tism this Saturday, we have been working with Aundre all transfer, he was a member find! He has worked really hard to overcome smoking and a couple of weeks ago he told us he wasn't sure if he believed Joseph Smith was a true prophet but he has come to know the things we have taught to be true and wants to make this apart of his life. He loves the people at church and how they have really welcomed him into the ward Family!!! We are happy for him and the progress he has made from day 1.

We were able to see Sylvester this week and had a really good lesson, we went over the Baptismal Interview Questions and we actually learned a lot, like the areas we can help him grow and prepare for baptism, we set his baptismal date for February 25! We will be working with him and helping him in any way we can! He really is a tough guy on the outside but he has a good heart and a strong desire to do good! He is very intimidating guy but as we have got to know him over the past 5 weeks he's not as tough as he seems!! Haha

This week I received some really sad news from my former companion Elder Russell, the family we were teaching in Olympia who is still currently being taught lost their 20 year old daughter in a car accident this last Friday. She was really cool and we taught her a few times, we got to know her pretty well. She even came to church one time while I was there Fortunately, her mom had developed a rock solid testimony of the Plan of Salvation and that has really helped her out. She said the things she's been learning came at the right time and she appreciates it so much. You sometimes don't realize how important this knowledge is to people until things suddenly get real. Please include the Bernard family in your prayers.

Something I wanted to share this week comes from a talk, "Death is part of our existence here on the earth. Nevertheless, through the Atonement and Resurrection of His Son, Heavenly Father has provided a way for us not only to overcome death but also to be comforted and healed. Through the power of the Atonement, “the sting of death” can be replaced by the peace that the Spirit brings. we are dependent on the miracles of Christ’s Atonement if our souls are to be made whole from grief, sorrow, and sin. … Death’s sting is softened as Jesus bears the believers’ grief and comforts them through the Holy Spirit. Through Christ, broken hearts are mended and peace replaces anxiety and sorrow.” 

Another Week in the books, last week of the transfer coming up and then I will start my last transfer!! Crazy how fast it's all going, I love this work and I love my mission and the people I've been able to grow close to!! The scripture I would like to share is Mosiah 16: 7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection. 8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ. I love this scripture, I love you all have a good week!

Elder Gentry

FOM

Don't have any pics once again, I'll try to get better hahaha.... here's this good looking pic of me ;) lol

The caption above might sound a tad conceited although he is not (hence the lol)  Just LOTS OF HARD WORK FINALLY PAYING OFF 91lbs later!!!    This picture is him a year before his Mission/Last Years Christmas/And Today..   He has worked REALLY HARD to be HEALTHY!!!  
He should be PROUD OF HIMSELF!!!
(The Momma Proud of him and all his Hard work!) 

🙏🙌New Year, New Dreamz🙌🙏 Week #96

Happy New Year everyone, 2017 is here. Can't believe I will be home this year!! I'm gonna miss 2016 without a doubt, definitely one of the best years of my life! I know this next year will be great. Well this past week we had a some good things happen! 

Ok so check it, this area has had a guy named Sylvester that has been being taught for the last 9 months.....we call those eternigators!! Well he's a good guy but very prideful and just a little out of the box. He says he doesn't feel anything like emotionally soo it's been pretty hard to teach him. The reason we do still teach him is cause he comes to church every week!! He loves the people and is always willing to help! This last Sunday we could see that he was talking to bishop so we wait till he's done to go say hi to him, well we start talking and he's like "just asked bishop when I can get baptized and he said talk to you guys!" It was a shock to us haha hope he's not playing with us! This week we are going to talk with him some more and set a date to be tized!! 

So since I've got here we've been just trying to get to know the ward really well and get to know our area and the peeps around us! Well we have been getting pretty tight with the werling Family.   The werling family consists of Sister Werling; Sister Werling daughter and her two kids and her nonmember boyfriend! Sister Werling was talking to Elder Birchell and I one day and told us how much Gene (nonmember boyfriend) really likes us and thinks we are the coolest missionaries that he's met!! We hope to capitalize on that and start teaching him soon, he did come to church this past week! Sister Werling said "the whole family really loves you two missionaries and it's because you guys are loving, companionate, respectful and know how to have fun".............. What am I doin'? Oh yeah that's right, I'm doin' me, I'm doin' me I'm living life right now man and this what I'm do 'till it's over 'til it's over! Hahaha

Just a little update on Andre, He is doing well! Still working on his struggles and working towards baptism, we've had some pretty good lessons with him lately and have focused a lot on feeling the spirit and how that will let us know what is true!!

Something that I liked that I read this week comes from a General Conference talk given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, God loves you this very day and always. He is not waiting to love you until you have overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles. He is aware that you reach up to Him in heartfelt and hopeful prayer. He knows of the times you have held onto the fading light and believed--even in the midst of growing darkness. He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short or failed. And still He loves you. And God knows of your successes; though they may seem small to you, He acknowledges and cherishes each one of them. He loves you for extending yourself to others. He loves you for reaching out and helping others bear their heavy burdens--even when you are struggling with your own. He knows everything about you. He sees you clearly--He knows you as you really are. And He loves you--today and always!

New Year brings changes!! Let us all be changed for the better, I'm thankful for this past year and the growth that I've been able to have in myself! I'm looking forward to this next year! I love my mission, I love this work!! The scripture that I would like to share comes from Alma 5:13 13 And behold, he preached the word unto your fathers, and a mighty change was also wrought in their hearts, and they humbled themselves and put their trust in the true and living God. And behold, they were faithful until the end; therefore they were saved. Love this scripture, love you all!! 

Elder Gentry

FOM

Longs drives, Dangerous Selfies

Don't have any pics to send sooooo here are some lame Selfies 😂 😂