Hello everyone well they kicked me out of Linares haha and I am going to a place called Cudico. I will be senior comp there. It´s the farthest northern part of are mission. So it´s a bitter sweet feeling leaving a sector. I am content with leaving because we had a baptism with Nora. It was so great to see the changes in her. Well I tried to send the pictures but the stupid computer doesn't want to read my memory card so I will send them next week. Well I have decided that I hate saying goodbye to people it really sucks. But I have gotten really close to some people here and it will be hard to say goodbye. I have felt like my email have just gotten worse and worse as time goes on. I have really learned a lot here in Linares more than I ever thought I would and I will use every bit of it for the future.
Well this past week I was sick had a fever that was fun NOT but hey I'm still alive and doing great. I am sorry for my crappy emails but I will write more next week in my new area and send the pictures. Well I love you all and thank you for your emails and your love and concern.
Love Garrett
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
October 11, 2010
Lots of Pictures!
Alright so these pictures are from what we did last p-day. We went up in the mountains and explored. We went up in this little van bus thing. There were 19 of us that fit in that little car, it was nuts but kinda fun at the same time. It was really pretty up there I am sending another email with just pictures because I couldn't last week. Also there is a picture of me with a bees suit on because we went to this place where I was in the middle of a bee hive and ate the honey straight from the bees. It was so fresh and natural and just amazing.
So I got a story that is pretty cool that happened last night. So my comp and I had walked all over yesterday and only 2 of our people that we are teaching were home so we taught them and by this time it was like almost 9 at night and that is the worst time on a Sunday night when you have nothing to do. But we had a back up plan, we were on our way there and I was not sure if we were going there or somewhere else but I asked my comp if we could go to this teenage boys house who is 14 he goes to church by himself and was having some problems so I asked if we could go there and he said, yeah I was thinking the same thing. So we went to his house and he wasn't there, but we went in anyway and sat down. All of him family are members but he goes alone. Anyways we went in there and started talking and this kids older brother asked if we could give his 2 year old daughter a blessing because she had been sick. He then said how he knew that the Lord guided us here for that reason. We told them that we had never really passed by there house in the past. I gave the daughter a blessing and then we shared a scripture. The brother who is not active gave the closing prayer and asked to help them go back to church and to say their prayers again. He got all chocked up and the spirit was defiantly there. It´s just a simple story but was really powerful for me.
Well I gotta go right now but I hope your weeks goes great for you.
Love Garrett
Alright so these pictures are from what we did last p-day. We went up in the mountains and explored. We went up in this little van bus thing. There were 19 of us that fit in that little car, it was nuts but kinda fun at the same time. It was really pretty up there I am sending another email with just pictures because I couldn't last week. Also there is a picture of me with a bees suit on because we went to this place where I was in the middle of a bee hive and ate the honey straight from the bees. It was so fresh and natural and just amazing.
So I got a story that is pretty cool that happened last night. So my comp and I had walked all over yesterday and only 2 of our people that we are teaching were home so we taught them and by this time it was like almost 9 at night and that is the worst time on a Sunday night when you have nothing to do. But we had a back up plan, we were on our way there and I was not sure if we were going there or somewhere else but I asked my comp if we could go to this teenage boys house who is 14 he goes to church by himself and was having some problems so I asked if we could go there and he said, yeah I was thinking the same thing. So we went to his house and he wasn't there, but we went in anyway and sat down. All of him family are members but he goes alone. Anyways we went in there and started talking and this kids older brother asked if we could give his 2 year old daughter a blessing because she had been sick. He then said how he knew that the Lord guided us here for that reason. We told them that we had never really passed by there house in the past. I gave the daughter a blessing and then we shared a scripture. The brother who is not active gave the closing prayer and asked to help them go back to church and to say their prayers again. He got all chocked up and the spirit was defiantly there. It´s just a simple story but was really powerful for me.
Well I gotta go right now but I hope your weeks goes great for you.
Love Garrett
September 27, 2010
Hey everyone up north how are we doing? I have been a bit under the weather these past few days. Hahaha yeah I have been a little sick with a runny nose and a headache which I never get. It´s great working when you feel like garbage. But The beginning of the week we found some people who were really interested, we basically just walked in the door it was cool. For those of you who remember Jore we taught his wife the other night and she is so great and she told us that her and Jore never trust anyone but they trust us. She started crying as she was talking to us the other night about how Jore does not have the best of friends that he hangs around and drinks a little bit. He left the other night before we got there because he was ashamed because he drank a little bit. She told us he has changed a lot for the better from what he was. She has a lady who she works with that is a member and then Jore works with a member who is a return missionary from a few months ago. But the other night we had a good lesson about the sacrament with his wife and how important it is, she really liked it. She told us to come back the next day so we could teach Jore because he would be home and she was there too on her lunch break. We watched Finding Faith in Christ. It is a really great movie, Jore lost one of his friends last week. His friend got murdered so he was a little down and so at the end of the movie we gave them a plan of salvation booklet. They committed to coming to church and you know what, they both did!!!!!!!!! It was so great. Also that the lady Nora came to church as well. The cool thing is that Maryum his wife had to work at 11 and church started at 10 but she came for almost the whole hour. They are both excited about general conference next week.
The only problem that happened on Sunday during church is that like 5 little kids decided to have exercise class during sacrament meeting and they were running laps around the whole room. It was so loud and the parents didn't seem to care and they were yelling and laughing and I just felt so embarrassed. Now I know where the line is of little kids being little kids and where the line is of to where it´s a problem, and it was way passed that line. I am grateful for my Mother that she would take me out and spank me and what not when I acted up in sacrament meeting thank you MOM. I just thought it was a funny story for everyone.
This week we had zone conference and I got to see a lot of the missionary's and a lot of my friends, it was really great. Our mission was invited by Elder Scott to read the Book of Mormon in 2 months. The mission is going to buy Books of Mormon for us to read in our own language and we have to mark it every time it is referencing Christ. I am really excited to do this and I know it will help and we will receive lots of blessings from doing this. I hope all of you are sharing the gospel with your friends who are not members because it truly is an important work and the missionaries need your help because they can´t do it alone. I Know this gospel is true and I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that the only way back to him is through the things that he taught and we have to do them if we want eternal life. Hope all is well and I love you all so much and love hearing from you.
Love Garrett
ps I might be on the tv when they talk about Chile during general conference so look for me
ps I might be on the tv when they talk about Chile during general conference so look for me
September 20, 2010
Life is pretty funny sometimes. Especially on the mission when things happen and there is nothing you can do about it. For example like a month ago we were eating lunch at this old ladys house and she was giving us fruit and I was reaching for a bananas and someone took it and I was like shoot I wanted a banana but I wasn't sad or anything. So she took that as oh, he is unhappy and wants a banana, but I was just fine and so she went out and bought me a banana. The funniest part of the story is that it was on Sunday and we tried to stop her from going but she wouldn´t. So I felt kinda bad, but it was kinda funny. Then we ate there yesterday for lunch and this week in Chile has been there Independence week and they always eat empanadas and all sorts of stuff and BBQ and what not. I was expecting to eat a bunch of empananads on the 18 because that is the real day of their independence. But I didn't eat any on Saturday, the same lady asked me if I ate lots of empanadas that day and I said no and just kinda went off a little bit about it, but I was just messing around. I figured that it would be ok because everything is usually closed and you cant buy anything on Sunday because of the holiday. But she told me she would make me some before I leave the area I am in and I was cool with that. She goes back into the kitchen and then we hear this door open and we hear her leave and then about 2 minutes later she comes back in and we hear the microwave going. She comes back in the room and I was like ¨ Where did you go?" She was ignoring the question and long story short she bought the empanadas. I am not going to lie they were pretty good but I was still kinda mad at her. This is an active member she just loves to make the missionaries happy and will do anything to do that. We all got a good laugh about that.
So this week I was on mini changes 2 different times out of my area so I wasn't here to much. But anyways Nora got an interview and she needs another one with the mission prez so I hope she can pass it and everything will be ok. Gioconda didn't come to church this week neither did Nora. It was a holiday week this week here they had their independence on 18. My investigators are like a roller coaster always up and down. Juan has not come to church in like a month we taught him like a week ago but I don't know what his problem is, he told us he would read the whole book of Mormon this past week, I hope that he did it. It´s almost like having kids and trying to direct them in the right path because you know whats right and you have walked the path yourself. So we have another really cool lady we are teaching but she hasn't come to Church yet but I really hope she will because her life is really hard right now. Other than that I am just here in Chile trying to fight the good fight and Satan is pulling out some big weapons and not just here in Chile but on some people that are close to me and all we can do is just fight it off with prayer and with reading the Book of Mormon, but not just reading it but really studying it. I say the Book of Mormon because it´s the only book that Jesus Christ himself has testified is 100% true. I hope all of you are reading and doing your best to fight off Satan and his temptations.
Love Garrett
So this week I was on mini changes 2 different times out of my area so I wasn't here to much. But anyways Nora got an interview and she needs another one with the mission prez so I hope she can pass it and everything will be ok. Gioconda didn't come to church this week neither did Nora. It was a holiday week this week here they had their independence on 18. My investigators are like a roller coaster always up and down. Juan has not come to church in like a month we taught him like a week ago but I don't know what his problem is, he told us he would read the whole book of Mormon this past week, I hope that he did it. It´s almost like having kids and trying to direct them in the right path because you know whats right and you have walked the path yourself. So we have another really cool lady we are teaching but she hasn't come to Church yet but I really hope she will because her life is really hard right now. Other than that I am just here in Chile trying to fight the good fight and Satan is pulling out some big weapons and not just here in Chile but on some people that are close to me and all we can do is just fight it off with prayer and with reading the Book of Mormon, but not just reading it but really studying it. I say the Book of Mormon because it´s the only book that Jesus Christ himself has testified is 100% true. I hope all of you are reading and doing your best to fight off Satan and his temptations.
Love Garrett
Monday, September 13, 2010
September 13, 2010
Hey everybody,
I am not going to write much today, but I will tell you all that I was very happy yesterday. But here is why. There is this lady named Gioconda and she was always depressed and so sad because she didn´t have work and never wanted to come to church because she was scared and had to find work and was very depressed. My comp and I when I first got here found her and it´s been about like 4 months and never made much progress. We went over there the other night and she told us that she found work and she was smiling and happy and just a different person. We taught her a quick lesson but it was really good and invited her to church. Ill admit she was really scared but knew she had to at least go and try it. We told her we would come pick her up in a taxi in the morning and she agreed. So we came there the next morning and she was up and ready to go. I was so happy I just felt just complete joy. Also NORA came to church with a member who went and got her and she stayed for all 3 hours and loved it. Gioconda could only stay for the first hour but she told us she would stay longer the next week. She really liked it.
I know that miracles exist and that they are real and that this is Gods church and he leads and guides it through the prophet who is on the earth because God is the same yesterday today and forever and never changes. Nora is really excited for her baptism for the 26th so hopefully that all goes through according to plan. I love this gospel and I know it´s true and I know that God has his plan for us and the only way we can return to live with him is if we do exactly what he says and we cant have our own beliefs on how to do things in this life and say God accepts me for who I am and my choices even if it is in contrary to what he said. If that is how our thinking is then it´s wrong, because what was the point of God sending his son? Anways I love you all and hope and pray that you all can make good choices and follow Christ in your life and listen to the prophets because they are Gods mouth piece.
Love Garrett
I am not going to write much today, but I will tell you all that I was very happy yesterday. But here is why. There is this lady named Gioconda and she was always depressed and so sad because she didn´t have work and never wanted to come to church because she was scared and had to find work and was very depressed. My comp and I when I first got here found her and it´s been about like 4 months and never made much progress. We went over there the other night and she told us that she found work and she was smiling and happy and just a different person. We taught her a quick lesson but it was really good and invited her to church. Ill admit she was really scared but knew she had to at least go and try it. We told her we would come pick her up in a taxi in the morning and she agreed. So we came there the next morning and she was up and ready to go. I was so happy I just felt just complete joy. Also NORA came to church with a member who went and got her and she stayed for all 3 hours and loved it. Gioconda could only stay for the first hour but she told us she would stay longer the next week. She really liked it.
I know that miracles exist and that they are real and that this is Gods church and he leads and guides it through the prophet who is on the earth because God is the same yesterday today and forever and never changes. Nora is really excited for her baptism for the 26th so hopefully that all goes through according to plan. I love this gospel and I know it´s true and I know that God has his plan for us and the only way we can return to live with him is if we do exactly what he says and we cant have our own beliefs on how to do things in this life and say God accepts me for who I am and my choices even if it is in contrary to what he said. If that is how our thinking is then it´s wrong, because what was the point of God sending his son? Anways I love you all and hope and pray that you all can make good choices and follow Christ in your life and listen to the prophets because they are Gods mouth piece.
Love Garrett
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
September 6, 2010
You know those days when you wake up and your really happy and in a good mood just because it´s so nice outside? Well thats how I feel, also because I am staying here for one more transfer. I felt that I still had not completed everything here that I needed to, so I am going to work really hard this last 6 weeks while I am here. Also we are getting a new zone leader here and he was my comp in Dichato when the earthquake happened so I am way excited to see him again. hmm what else well I am doing good, I almost hate how much food they give us here because I can see the effects haha. Sometimes we will go into somebodys house and they want to give you something to eat but you don't want anything but some water. You can´t deny it and they will give you bread with some cheese or butter and some stuff that taste like coffee but it´s not, it´s called ecco it´s actually pretty good but anywho it´s impossible to deny it especially to the old sweet lady's who are just so nice and you just cant tell them no. sorry I am kinda rambling but this is just some things that are kinda funny that happen here.
O and on friday and saturday I ate liver from a chicken. On saturday we had some salad with it with mashed potatoes and lets just say I ate a lot of salad with the liver hahaha.
Last week I talked about that guy Jore and sadly we didn't get to teach him last monday but we went back another day and he was sick and he still let us in and that never happens , not even members do that, it was pretty cool. And then with Nora we only taught her once this week because we could not find her in her house this week. But we did get to teach Juan this week so that was really cool. We read Alma 5 it´s basically a personal interview. I Invite all of you to read it and think about the questions that it asks in it. It was very good for Juan to read this with us. at the very end it says this verse ¨´I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life. Now that hit him pretty good. At the end of the lesson I told him so now you know about what your parents think does that change what you feel? He said no and he told us that he had a huge test to get into the air force and I promised him that he would pass it if he got baptized. He said he was thinking about that before I had asked him. But it never did happen but he does have a date for this sunday so I hope and pray that he can find in his heart to do it and receive the guidance from the spirit to do it.
This week we went by this inactive member who is living in a tiny room with his friend. This guys name is Cesar and is about 34 and has had a rough life and has cancer and was baptized like a year ago. We has no contact with his family and his cancer is pretty serious and he has been drinking and smoking and just trying to make himself feel better. We have been visiting him for a while now and has only came to church once. It was extremely sad. I have just been learning that life is real and that people can decide their path they want. This guy had the gospel in his life and was doing good and then just started going down hill again after he had found the truth. When we went over there the other day I had no idea what to say or do. My comp was teaching the word of wisdom and it was really good and then it was my turn to talk and it was rough because I had no idea what to say. I listened to the spirit and just talked. Afterwards I was just thinking about that for a long time and his situation and how people are without the gospel in there lives and what happens when we stop trying to progress as members and stop learning and stop reading our scriptures and stop going to church, things like that happen. SATAN has FULL power over US. Just like is says in 3Nephi 18: "And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall do these things. And if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock. 13 But whoso among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my rock, but are built upon a sandy foundation; and when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall, and the gates of hell are ready open to receive them." This is exactly what will happen, and I am saying this because I don't want this to happen to any of you. And if it has you can always get back on the rock of Christ. I know this is true I love you all and hope all is well for you this week.
Take care
Love Garrett
O and on friday and saturday I ate liver from a chicken. On saturday we had some salad with it with mashed potatoes and lets just say I ate a lot of salad with the liver hahaha.
Last week I talked about that guy Jore and sadly we didn't get to teach him last monday but we went back another day and he was sick and he still let us in and that never happens , not even members do that, it was pretty cool. And then with Nora we only taught her once this week because we could not find her in her house this week. But we did get to teach Juan this week so that was really cool. We read Alma 5 it´s basically a personal interview. I Invite all of you to read it and think about the questions that it asks in it. It was very good for Juan to read this with us. at the very end it says this verse ¨´I speak by way of command unto you that belong to the church; and unto those who do not belong to the church I speak by way of invitation, saying: Come and be baptized unto repentance, that ye also may be partakers of the fruit of the tree of life. Now that hit him pretty good. At the end of the lesson I told him so now you know about what your parents think does that change what you feel? He said no and he told us that he had a huge test to get into the air force and I promised him that he would pass it if he got baptized. He said he was thinking about that before I had asked him. But it never did happen but he does have a date for this sunday so I hope and pray that he can find in his heart to do it and receive the guidance from the spirit to do it.
This week we went by this inactive member who is living in a tiny room with his friend. This guys name is Cesar and is about 34 and has had a rough life and has cancer and was baptized like a year ago. We has no contact with his family and his cancer is pretty serious and he has been drinking and smoking and just trying to make himself feel better. We have been visiting him for a while now and has only came to church once. It was extremely sad. I have just been learning that life is real and that people can decide their path they want. This guy had the gospel in his life and was doing good and then just started going down hill again after he had found the truth. When we went over there the other day I had no idea what to say or do. My comp was teaching the word of wisdom and it was really good and then it was my turn to talk and it was rough because I had no idea what to say. I listened to the spirit and just talked. Afterwards I was just thinking about that for a long time and his situation and how people are without the gospel in there lives and what happens when we stop trying to progress as members and stop learning and stop reading our scriptures and stop going to church, things like that happen. SATAN has FULL power over US. Just like is says in 3Nephi 18: "And I give unto you a commandment that ye shall do these things. And if ye shall always do these things blessed are ye, for ye are built upon my rock. 13 But whoso among you shall do more or less than these are not built upon my rock, but are built upon a sandy foundation; and when the rain descends, and the floods come, and the winds blow, and beat upon them, they shall fall, and the gates of hell are ready open to receive them." This is exactly what will happen, and I am saying this because I don't want this to happen to any of you. And if it has you can always get back on the rock of Christ. I know this is true I love you all and hope all is well for you this week.
Take care
Love Garrett
August 30, 2010
Hey Everybody,
Wow today was wet. this morning we all went and played volleyball in the rain in the back of the church with the poles we have. We played in a soccer court. But wow it was wet and especially since it didn't start raining until after we left the house so we didn't bring any rain gear. but hey it´s all good it was pretty fun anyways. Then we went and bought some food to make lunch because we didn't have much money so we bought some rice and little sausages and some bread and some eggs and cooked that all up. The elder from Columbia cooked the rice and he kinda screwed it up a little bit but it was still an interesting meal to say the least but in the end it was good because I was hungry.
So this week was pretty good. When the Lord puts trials in front of us he always has to bless us after. We were doing contacts on wednesday and we yelled from the gate, because thats what you do here, and the lady opened her window and I started to talk to her and buses kept driving by so I asked if she could come to the gate to talk to us. She let us in to her house and we started talking with her and getting to know her a little and she said she was catholic, but really didn't know what she believed in, almost like most catholics. Anywho she is very humble and very sweet and it was cool because she said asked us what she needed to do to go to church and how could she feel better. It was amazing and she doesn't know to much about who God is or Jesus Christ. So we have gone back twice now and we gave her a Book of Mormon and I hope she will read it. Her name is Nora. The next day we were doing contacts in this area and knocked on the door and a man came out and he said that he was busy but we could come back the next day around the same time and tons of people say that so I really didn't think much of it. So the next day my comp and I started walking somewhere after an appt and I was like, where we going, and he said to Jores house and I had no clue who he was. So we get there and we go into his house which was way cool. We start talking and he tells us he is catholic. So we ended up teaching him about the restoration and he was understanding so well. Better than almost anyone I have ever taught. After we got done talking about the apostasy he asked us,´¨ so when is God going to restore the power and his church¨ . That question was AWESOME so I went right into telling him about Joseph Smith and the story and he liked it a lot. He believes it is true and so we put a date with him to be baptized. He has an 8 year old daughter and a wife and so I am way excited. And he seemed so real about it. So we asked him when we could come back and he walks over to his calender and was going through his schedule out loud and said that monday would work. So thats today we taught him on friday. So I am really excited to teach him and he said his wife will be home also.
Well I gotta go so we can to the the appt on time but I love you all and hope you like the pictures. Some are just random and others are from an activity where we made a Chilean hot dogs they are called completos. And another day we ordered pizza and that is the sub from last week I was talking about. One of the pics with me and my comp and a Columbian is the celebration of my 1 YEAR mark.
Love Garrett
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