Good morning family!
Well, a lot of great things this happened this last week. In every branch that I have served it has been a recurring theme, even at the MTC, for the first Sunday to be fast and testimony meeting and then the following week I have given a talk. It came as no surprise when this was the exact way that things transpired yet again here at Malta. I spoke about the tree of life in Lehi's dream and the love of God. I noted throughout the week on many ways that we can feel loved, but I also learned that there is one thing that every single person has within them; that is, the infinite desire to feel loved. Thanks for all of your prayers and letters because I always feel loved from all of you. The highlight of the week was probably yesterday on a companionship exchange with Elder Garvin, who is from Elko, Nevada. We saw more people yesterday than I saw in my first week-and-a-half here at Malta and we worked really hard, I learned a lot. We went and saw a kid named Raul. He's fourteen-years-old and is investigating the Church, a pretty remarkable thing. He's a big gamer and loves to talk about just about anything. It was really cool because our lesson and message with him was sort of all over the place and it was hard to help him understand what we were trying to teach. Then there was a small pause and he explained to us that he spends his days playing a lot of video games with the newest graphics to make things seem real. He says it gets pretty cool sometimes because it feels as if you are even there. Waiting for a Sonic the Hedgehog comment or something to that effect we waited carefully. Then the Spirit moved into the room with us and he said, "But when I read the Book of Mormon, I can just feel it... I know that this is real. It's something that is actually real." It was so strong and it was undeniable that he had received that testimony by the power of the Holy Ghost. I was so amazed to see how infinite the capacity is of the Holy Ghost to guide us in all things. Another sign was last night on our way home when we were afraid of missing our bus but needing to hurry to make it to a certain stop. We would race from bus stop to bus stop in hope that the bus would not arrive while we were walking speedily in between them and thus leaving us without a ride home and on the street for the night. After a good twenty minutes of this nerve-wracking return, Elder Garvin and I both stopped and hesitated at a bus stop, we knew we needed to wait there. So we did, for five or ten minutes we waited. Then we shoved off what we knew we both felt and continued to walk until the next bus stop. Sure enough, like it always goes when we second guess a prompting by the Holy Ghost, right as we were smack-dab in the middle of the tunnel the bus passed, having no bus stop to stop it. It's incredible the gift of the Holy Ghost. From helping Raul to know that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God or from trying to help two stubborn Elders trying to get home on time, there's never a situation that we can't look for the help. This week is Easter and you all know how much I LOVE EASTER!!! The Maltese people also love this season and the island is packed and filled with Easter exhibitions and small processions with the Holy Mary and whatnot. It's definitely a different experience, even more-so than that of Christmas time in Italy, but I read something this morning that really stumped me. Elder Christofferson explained that,"Without a knowledge and a testimony of the Lord's Resurrection...there is no meaning to life." It's hard for me because so many people are celebrating the Lord's Resurrection this weekend and so many festivals are being done, but again I ask myself, "What are they really celebrating?" I hope I can help someone find the love and joy that I have found in this Easter season. The culture here is extremely Catholic. You can go to a different church here every day for a year and still not visit them all. But there are families to be found and work to be done.... thank goodness! I love you all and I just want to share with you how thankful I am for our Savior, Jesus Christ. The beauty in the words of, "Oh death, where is thy sting?" just ring in my ears during this season. We've been away from each other for quite some time now, but I know with a certainty that because He laid His life down to take it up again, that we too can be together forever! How great is that! It's true... it's all so true! Have a great Easter! I miss you!
from the middle of the Mediterranean,
Anzjan Gatchell
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