These last few weeks have been filled with many wonderful experiences and perhaps even more opportunities to grow; in essence, everything has been great! Elder Olsen and I have been busy as of late with many exchanges, meetings, and preparing for our upcoming zone conferences this week. However, as I think over the experiences I have had recently, there are two things I feel worth mentioning.
This last week, I received something that offered me some perspective on just how fast time is passing. To say it short, I received my flight plans for going home. As I held the piece of paper in my hand it reminded me of the day in the MTC I acquired my flight plans for going to the mission field. I'm not sure how it has happened, but my mission seems to be coming to a close. Since the day I received that letter I have been working even harder to fulfill my calling. I am determined to finish much stronger than I started and use all of the resources the Lord has blessed me with to the best of my abilities.
The second thing I feel is worth sharing has to do with a man named R. Gamit, who is our branch's Elders' Quorum President. When I arrived in my current area, President Gamit was struggling and was actually less active in the church. However, as my companion and I worked close with him, he has since returned to the church and is fulfilling his calling wonderfully. He has made it his goal since he has returned to the church to help as many others as he can to return as well. Thus, he has been visiting all of the less actives (there are numerous to say the least) he knows and making a great difference among the members he is serving here. Last week, circumstances happened to lead us to his home where we were able to share a lesson and express the Lord's gratitude for all he has been doing. As we did so, he shared a story so profound that I feel it worthy mentioning to you as well.
The Gamit family was baptized a few years ago which at the time consisted of Brother and Sister Gamit and their two sons. After a couple of years though, Elder Gamit applied to take a job abroad with the hopes of better providing for his family's temporal needs. In order for him to apply, it required much needed money, and quite a bit of time taking tests and filling out paperwork. He waited a long time for the call to come telling him a job had been set in order from the agency in Manila. In the meantime, he and his family prepared to be sealed in the temple. At last, after months of preparation, the week arrived of the temple sealing. And, just as they were about to go to the temple for their sealing, President Gamit got a call on the phone. As I'm sure you might suspect, it was from the job agency in Manila and they had a job for him. And, to make circumstances even more interesting, the date they set for him to go abroad was the very same day of their temple sealing.
President Gamit had found himself in quite a dilemma, and he didn't know what to do. He said he knew there would be time to be sealed after his two-year contract abroad, but he also wasn't sure if he wanted to take the chance. With the question in his mind as to what he ought to do, he prayed and went to branch president for advice. After counseling together, President Gamit made the decision to stay. In consequence of his decision not to take the job, the job agency removed his name off of their lists, making all of the time and money he had spent but a waste.
About a couple of years later though, his decision to stay became one of the most important he had ever made in his life. In spite of many prayers, blessings, etc. his dear wife of many years got sick and passed away. To make matters worse, their oldest son, Ryan (who just came home) was out on his mission. President Gamit's heart was reportedly broken, and the only thing that brought him comfort was knowing that he and his wife were sealed for all time and eternity in the temple. Moreover, due to the comfort Ryan also felt because of their sealing, he made the decision to stay in his mission and finish strong.
As I have considered the story President Gamit recounted to me, I couldn't help but think about how important decisions really are in life. What if President Gamit had valued money over the temple, or if he hadn't been humble enough to receive his leader's counsel? Indeed, every decision is important. And if we ever find ourselves making a decision between following the Lord's plan or another, we must always follow the Lord.
I am inspired by President Gamit's story and his obedience to the counsel the Lord Himself ultimately provided us in saying that our "heavenly Father knoweth that [we] have [temporal needs] but [that we ought to] seek...first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto [us]" (3 Nephi 13: 32-33). As President Gamit followed this counsel, he proved to be comforted more than any temporal thing could have ever provided.
Have a wonderful week and happy Fathers' Day! I am more grateful now than I have ever been before for the wonderful father I have been blessed with.
Love,
Elder Pulley
