Letter to Norm Longhurst

Hey Brother Longhurst. This is Grayson Gurksnis, Matt Gurksnis' son! I wanted to write you just to be able to thank you for the many things you have done for me and for my family. I dont know how much you know about my family, but I have been out here serving in the São Paulo North Mission for about a year and 5 months now and I'm really starting to realize how this whole thing works. I've realized that all of us owe the blessings of the Gospel that we have to some 19 year old young man who once had a very big impact on the life of someone that came before us. I almost feel lucky that for my dad that experience came fairly recently if you look at it in a timeline of a church that was restored almost 200 years ago. I always remember hearing about an Elder Longhurst that sacrificied so much during his mission and had such a strong testimony of eternal families that made my dad want to be baptized. I feel like I've passed through some tough things on my mission but I couldn't even imagine the things I know you passed through. But you should probably already know and feel that your sacrifices were well worth it. To me they still are very very worth it. Because I honestly don't know where I would be if my dad hadnt joined the church in that moment. I don't know if I'd be alive, much less on a mission. And that almost scares me because I really couldn't imagine my life if I wasn't serving this mission. I couldn't imagine missing the blessings and missing the opportunity to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ to these people. I couldn't imagine not being able to be an instrument in the Lord's hands to be able to change lives. I couldn't imagine any other worldy thing better than this.

So to say the least, I feel like I owe a bigggg thank you for the difference you've made in my dad's life and consequently in my life. I have felt that my mission has been a blessing in not only my life but for so many in my family. I have seen my whole family be strengthened in the Gospel while I'm out here serving. I hope you know of the fruit of your labors and I hope you feel happiness in that. Of all the things here on the mission, that is the thing I have most deeply searched for, is the fruit of my work. I've strived to teach people to persevere in the Gospel and that there are still so many blessings waiting for those who continue on the path. 

And because of the work you did with my family, we have been able to persevere and I feel like I've been able to pay that work forward a little bit. I've been able to help quite a few people be baptized here in Brazil. Although I'll be the first to say that sadly some have already fallen back into worldly temptations, there is a good portion who have continued. I've been able to help other families/couples, including a family of 6 that will be sealed in the Campinas temple in June. These are the things that make me most happy as a missionary. Seeing that these people were affected by the message of the restored church and felt that they needed to really apply it in their lives. So I hope you know that what you did continues to have an impact on my family, but also on other people throughout the world. I know you will receive infinite blessings in this world and in the world to come for your diligence and your sacrifice. 

Elder Gurksnis