Logan is so amazing

Hey guys, It was a great week to be a missionary in Logan. The fall season here is so so amazing. I love how much the leaves are changing color. It is finally cooling down and it is awesome. Elder Freitag and I are getting along so well and we are working super hard. We have been seeing a lot of amazing things happen. I love it! :) 

First things first, I want to make a shout-out to my most awesome brother, Jake McGrath. He is getting ordained as a Priest. Congratulate him through Facebook!!!! 

Well, this past week has been so amazing. Jeffrey R. Holland (yes, the Elder Holland from the Quorum of the Twelve!!!!) came to our mission! We had all of the missionaries from the entire mission come together in Logan (in the Aztec building) and it was so awesome. I have learned SO SO SO much from listening to Bishop Davies, the Area 70 for Utah North area, AND Elder Holland. Elder Holland was so amazing. He talked so much about converting ourselves. These are the things I have learned from him:

- What does your mission mean to you? Do you want to remember it for 53 years and 364 days? Jeffrey R. Holland told us that he counts every day and the day that he spoke was when he was about to hit his 54th year after returning from his mission. Isn't that incredible?

- "Once a shepherd, always a shepherd. We don't have time to worry about our shepherds. The sheep are enough" 

- If you  have served right, you will never be the same you were before. This is as close to REAL LIFE as you can be. 

- My favorite one: Why is the work hard?

   + "Why is this so hard? ... I am convinced that life is hard because Salvation is not a cheap experience!! Salvation was NEVER easy! Why would we believe, we would we think that life would be easy when it was never, EVER easy for Him?!"

That last one struck a chord in me. Life is hard for everyone but the Gospel provides much strength we need in this life. 

Nikki Jackson is doing so amazing! He s on date for September 27th and he is so solid! We taught him the Law of Chastity and the Word of Wisdom and he is accepting everything. He has been saying a lot that everything makes perfect sense to him. He is definitely going to get baptized! 

We are also working with Nikki's father, Ron, and his step-mother, Lyndsay. They are planning on being sealed in the Logan temple on November 1st, 2014! They are struggling a little bit so please keep them in your prayers. We have been going over there every couple days to help the family out in any way we can. 

Nikki really likes hanging out with us. When Elder Freitag, Nikki and I played basketball together last Saturday, Nikki was talking about what he wanted in his future and he said that he is considering about a mission, even though he is only 15 years old. We are going to take him out on splits in the next couple weeks so he can get a taste of what we do all day. It will be so awesome. 

Paul Warren was doing SO AMAZING! We had two lessons with him last weekend and last Saturday night, we had an awesome friend of Paul there with us and we asked him about church and he said that he is planning on going. Sunday morning, as Elder Freitag and I were heading to his ward so we can go through church with him, we got a text from Paul's friend saying that he can't get in touch with Paul (his friend was going to give him a ride) and we started worrying. He wasn't answering our phone calls or text. We even snuck into Aggie Village (you need a pass to get into it) and went to his dorm and knocked on it. He wasn't there. To this moment, we are still trying to get into contact with him. Like, he dropped off grid. Because he wasn't able to go to church, he can't get baptized on September 27th. :( Please keep Paul Warren in your  prayers.

We have found some new investigators last week and we are teaching a lot of families and working our butts off. We are trying to get into contact with all of our potentials but we are so so so busy with all of the lessons we have so it is difficult to contact them. 

I love the feeling of working so hard. I love feeling super exhausted. I love being a missionary so much. I love being the Lord's servant. I love serving the Lord with all of my heart, might, mind, and strength. YOU CAN DO HARD THINGS! 

I love you all and have an awesome week. Stay strong. Please keep Nikki Jackson, Ron Jackson, Lyndsay Jackson, PAUL WARREN(!!), Cherry Lui, Aaron Marez, Dan Hall, Derek, Biegelows, Miya Autry, CJ Pink, Gay Burge, and Chad Whitcome in your prayers. They need your prayers. 

Thank you all for everything you have done for me! You are awesome! I love you all! Love, Elder McGrath