Here is the address for Elder Jameson's mission blog.  He is Joseph's companion and this week there are some good pictures that you might enjoy seeing.

http://elderjaromjameson.blogspot.com

September 29, 2013

Dear Family,

This last week has been just another really good week. We actually got to fly up to Okinawa and have interviews and training with Pres. Gustafson. It was all super great we talked about the importance of planning and talked about different tips or ideas we could use. It also gave us a chance to meet the missionaries in our zone. 

Other than that we keep meeting with our golden investigator and keep having great lessons. Yesterday at church we started teaching her the commandments. She also brought her younger sister to church as well. It was her first time to meet with the missionaries but I`m sure that she had heard a lot about us. We taught both of them about the word of wisdom and they both accepted to live it right there on the spot. The sister said that she has a lot of interest and wants to learn more. However she lives in a different area but we found out her information and gave it to the missionaries over there. We are hoping that the entire family will accept the gospel. So that is pretty exciting to see how everything will turn out. 

We had a good number of teaching opportunities that went really well. Sorry this week is kind of short but I love you all very much.

Love, Elder Joseph Gandy

P.S. By the way less active work is going really well. The couple missionaries are super great at helping less active members.

September 22, 2013 - SUBARASHI!

Dear Family,

Well this last week has been amazing that I hope that I`ll be able to write everything. Last week a member from the stake presidency came down with his wife. We were able to do some work with them and we also had a family home evening with them which was super fun. 

Towards the end of the week they left but the new volunteer couple came and they should be here for about two months. Their name is Iwama and both are super fun and hilarious people. It was funny, we talked about a lot of different things right from the start and found so many interesting connections. They showed me pictures of one of my former companion's wedding. We also found out that they know some people that live in Joshua`s mission.  One is the Scott Family whose son is serving in South Tokyo. The other is their daughter who lives in Chandler Arizona (I`m not sure if that is in the mission but its close).  Her last name is Bodily. I think it would be kind of cool if he knew them or was working in their ward. 

So I`m actually super excited to be working with these new missionaries for the next little bit. We also had a lesson with one of our golden investigators who is now preparing for baptism. She has honestly been prepared to hear the gospel. When we first met her she opened up and told us that she was thinking about joining the Catholic Church but decided to stop and wait for a little bit. Later she also told us about her son who passed away seven years ago and how she feels that he has been guiding her to the truth. Of course the message of the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation sparked her interest. Yesterday she came to church and it was just a wonderful experience. During our first lesson I decided to testify at the beginning of how Heavenly Father loves each of us. From that point the Spirit entered the room so strongly and just lead the rest of the lesson. 

The Lord has been preparing people to hear and accept this gospel. There are so many different ways in which people are prepared and the Spirit will guide us to know how we can help them. The other day we had a baptismal service for two young men. It was amazing to see them enter into the waters of baptism. These two young men were people that me and my previous companion started teaching last transfer. 

This is such an amazing time to be serving a mission. This last week I have learned a lot of different things relating to missionary work especially from Alma chapter 26. I feel like I can really relate to what Ammon says in verse 12. I know that this is the Lord`s work and am glad that I have this opportunity to be an instrument in His hands. I love you all so very much and am grateful for all of your prayers.

Love, Elder Joseph Gandy

September 15, 2013

Dear Family,

Thanks for the e-mail I haven`t been in touch with too many friends recently. Except for Mikey who sounds like he is doing great. I`m glad to hear about how well Kyle and Braden are doing as well. In fact something interesting happened the other day. A member from Okinawa came down and when he met me asked if I had an older brother who served in Sapporo. Daniel would probably remember him as Fukuyama Chourou. He was a bean and Daniel was his zone leader. I asked if he knew Braden as well and he told me that he was Braden`s zone leader when Braden first came into the mission. It really is funny to have small connections like that and I`m sure it will be a lot of fun to speak in Japanese when we get back. 

As for this last week we spent a good amount of time finding and found a large number of new investigators. As a district we found 12 new investigators and also have a lot of really good potential investigators. It has been so much fun with another set of Elders.  We actually have been seeing some great success and with it being such a small island I`m surprised that we don`t run into each other that often. 

This last week a couple from the stake presidency came down to help us with our work. They will be leaving in a few days but after that a couple missionary is coming down. I`m super excited to be working with them and to have their help. I feel like the mission is really trying to strengthen the smaller branches so they`re sending in as much help as they can. We have been doing our best to work with the members and branch president. I believe that the work here is just going to keep accelerating faster and faster. 

I love every minute out here and hope that we will be able to help some of God`s children. I love you all so very much.

Love, Elder Joseph Gandy

Elder Gandy and his companion, Elder Jameson

So, do they look like they could be brothers?

September 8, 2013

Dear Family,

Well it sounds like it has been a good week back home. I enjoyed the pictures that Bryce sent to Joshua and me.  It is so fun to look back on how we were back then. 

To answer some of your questions, the hospital was actually really nice and to fix my toenail they had to cut off a portion. It wasn`t bad even though I`m not very good with medical stuff. After that it was just taking the medicine which I finish taking today. 

Miyakojima definitely is a vacation spot.  I have met a couple people that have come for travel. I think it depends on the time of year because there haven`t been a lot tourists yet.

This last week has been great.  We have been meeting and finding some great people to start teaching.  A lot have a hard time understanding because not very many people know anything about God or Jesus Christ.  We have been talking to people a lot about Heavenly Father`s love for all of us. Everything seems to be working out super well.

We also had 19 people at church the other day which is the most I have seen so far. That kind of gives you an idea of how small our branch is but all of the members have strong testimonies. 

Well I love you all so much and hope you have another great week.

Love, Elder Joseph Gandy

P.S. Some people have been saying Elder Jameson and I look a lot alike. My previous companion also said I look like Brad Pitt. I think Daniel had someone tell him the say thing.

Note from Gayleen:

This is the picture that Bryce found and sent to Joseph and Joshua.  It was taken while Bryce was on his mission to Peru (2004 to 2006).  They asked me to take the picture and send it to their big brother on his mission so he could see how much they looked like missionaries.  

September 1, 2013

Dear Family,

Well there is no surprise but yes my new companion is Elder Jameson right from the MTC. He is has great faith and a strong desire to do the work. I`m sure that we will have an amazing transfer. If I remember right he actually entered the MTC the same day as Joshua. 

I have now been on Miyakojima for about 3 months. It has been a really fun area so far. We spend most of our p-days playing ping pong because it is mainly too hot outside to do anything else. I have actually been getting pretty good except for the fact that Elder Nara (Elder Nakabe`s new bean) has played for 12 years so it is impossible to beat him. 

Also typhoon season is pretty long but the most typhoons come in during september I think. 

Things however have been going really well the past few days. Elder Jameson and I saw a lot of miracles in these past couple of days. We went to visit a lot of investigators who ended up not being home so we did finding around those areas. The miracles were that there were people in those areas being prepared to hear the gospel. We found so many people that seem interested in learning more. It is really exciting and I`m excited to work with them. 

I think I`ll mention how a couple of them have been prepared. One was a man who met missionaries ten years before and liked Christianity so he sent his kids to a Catholic Preschool. Another had a friend in college who introduced him to the Book of Mormon but never got a chance to actually read one. I know that the Spirit leads us to where we need to go and helps us know what to say.  

I love this work and I know that the Lord is pushing it forward. I love you all so very much.

Love, Elder Joseph Gandy

P.S. I also had my first experience at a Japanese hospital because I actually had a pretty bad hangnail. Although now things are all taken care of.