Dear Family,

Hey well this has been a really amazing last week. We have seen a lot of different miracles since the last e-mail I sent. We got a couple new investigators and just had great experiences. To start off with some news is that Elder Everett got transferred. He got a call last Thursday and left yesterday. He is going to be the recorder so he is the one that puts in all of the numbers. Right now I'm companions with Elder Peterson and Elder Tipton. Tomorrow I will find out who my new companion is for this next transfer but I'll meet him on Thursday.

It is going to be a little interesting with some change now. I'm still staying in Oita for another transfer. Its going to be awesome though. The work in this area is progressing so quickly at the moment. We have some amazing people to work with. Which brings me to some more big news. There was a baptism yesterday! Her name is Sister Shaku. We met her at the very beginning of this transfer. She was actually a referral we got from a member.

Sister Shaku is actually in a wheelchair but the way she found out about the church is because it was written on the back of her chair. When we first met her she was really depressed because she had been living in a hospital for the past year. The next time we had a chance to meet her we walked in and the Book of Mormon we had given her was marked and just full of notes. She was studying so much it was mind blowing. After that she committed to a baptismal date. We finished teaching her the lessons and she is just so happy now. It was so amazing to see the change in her in just a little over a month. This last week Elder Everett and I were trying to think of how we could baptize her because she is in a wheelchair. So we talked to the mission president and finally decided what to do. So both of us got to be in the font and help her. We had to hold her up and then lower her down into the water. It was cool having all of us in the font. I got to perform the baptism and Elder Everett did the confirmation. It was definitely a spiritual experience. The ward members were so helpful and very welcoming. She is going to become such an amazing member. She has already started helping us with missionary work.

Yesterday we also had the stake president and a area seventy at church. It was just a wonderful day. I love the mission and helping Heavenly Father's children in the area that I'm serving in. Miracles really are happening everyday. I love you all so very much.

Love Elder Gandy

Note from Gayleen: Here is another small excerpt from Elder Everett about Joseph. I thought you'd enjoy reading this as well.

Oita really has been a special place and I'm deeply grateful for the chance that I had to serve there with so many great people. Elder Gandy was there for most of the ups, the downs, the miracles, the baptisms, the best time I have had on my mission. It was a little sad to see him off... but he's going to be a stud of a missionary (not that he isn't already, but he can only get better from here!). I know that Oita is being left in good hands with Elder Gandy and his new Companion that I still haven't told him who it is... he's going to have to wait just like everybody else (even if your old companion is now in the Honbu).