The Bike Accident

This week was... a thriller. One of my companions ran into a parked car... We were both in front of him so neither of us saw the accident. But he said he thought the back wheel had a problem, so he was looking back at it, and right when he looked forward again he crashed into the car.

I heard him yell "Elder!," and when we turned around and went back to him he had the bike on the ground and his head down, when he looked up, his face was... a little bloody.... So we called the stake president, a doctor, and a member with a car to come pick him up. The member took him to the doctor, and we took his bike back to the house and hurried to the doctor. 

He had several cuts on his nose and forehead, and cut open his lip right beneath the nose. He was lucky he didn't break his nose or lose his teeth. Unfortunately, the helmet didn't really do him any good... because he kind of face planted it. He just ended up with four stitches. 

I think from now on we're going to wear football helmets.

This past week I finished reading the Book of Mormon again. I asked God to strengthen my testimony. The scripture says that we recieve testimony after the trial of our faith. It was kind of a tough week... and we almost couldn't do anything because my companion had to rest and we couldn't find members to go on splits.

But on Saturday night God answered my prayer by prompting me to share with an investigator how I recieved a testimony of the Book of Mormon. As I shared the experience I felt the spirit testify strongly, and felt my testimony grow. As I reflected on what had happened to me, I knew even more that it is true, and I won't be able to forget it. 

I guess that's about it. 

Elder Garrett 

18

This week we ate too much meat... had too many barbecues... I think if I eat more meat I will be sick. Haha. That's what happens the week of September 18 here.... it's like July 4... but they celebrate for three days... this year it was Wednesday, Thursday, Friday... and then obviously there was the weekend. They like to celebrate...

On Wednesday we had a barbecue, and then we went to the ward activity... from 4:00 to 10:00. Before lunch we went to help prepare the food... about 500 shish kabobs.... we weren't planning on helping but we saw that they had so much to do and so little time so we offered our services. they started eating them about 10:00 so they gave us some as we left and then they continued doing karaoke and dancing the cueca until about 1:30 in the morning. It might have been a little more fun in Batuco, where I knew more people, but it was still fun.   

On Thursday we ate the leftovers from Wednesday's barbecue.... like I said, lots of meat. 

It's a little bit hard to teach during fiestas, but we were able to see lots of little miracles. For example, yesterday we found a woman who's mother had recently died in August and who had a lot of questions about life. We taught the plan of salvation and in the end she was a little teary eyed. She said she feels like her whole life has been a long search and that she is trying to find her way back to God. We told her that we have found that way back for ourselves, and she committed to ask God if what we taught was true. She was very impressed that we can do something to help our loved ones who have died so that we can be reunited with them. 

Elder Garrett

San Felipe, Week 1

Well, yesterday, we had a zone training, so today is our preparation day. Tomorrow is the 18th of September, which means barbecue, empanadas... all that kind of stuff.  The 18th is like the 4th of July, except that it lasts 3 days, the 18th, 19th, and 20th. We'll be going to the ward activity tomorrow.. it should be really fun and nice to get to know the ward members a little better.

On Thursday we had to go to a meeting in Santiago, so we woke up an hour early to take the bus at 8 to try to get to Santiago at 10.  In the end, we had to take a taxi from the bus station to the chapel and we got there about 10:05.  The meeting got over about 5:30 and we had to wait for the bus at 6:10... so we got back to San Felipe about 8:00.  It was a long, tiresome day, and I had a bad cold this week, so that was fun.

The other day we were teaching a lesson to a lady who was speaking a lot.   She mentioned something about how she felt that when she met with us something pulled a weight off of her heart and she felt better.  We explained to her that she was feeling the Spirit, which was testifying of the truth. 

Another lady had mentioned something similar. A scripture popped into my head when we were inviting her to come to church.  I shared Matthew 11:28-30 and told her that our invitation is to come unto Christ... that as she comes unto Christ through what we teach and invite her to do, He will ease the burden that she feels she's had her whole life. I t was interesting to see her reaction.  Because I followed direction from the Holy Ghost, she felt the Holy Ghost and got really quiet (she usually talks a lot... haha). 

Anyway that was my week. 

Elder Garrett

To San Felipe

Today we had changes, and I have returned to the zone of Los Andes.... I am in the barrio Almendral, which is in San Felipe. So here I will be celebrating the 18th of September... it should be awesome. I am in a trio again, with Elder De Castro (Brasil) and Elder Zuñiga (Peru)... 

I will be completing one year in Chile this week... 14 months in the mission... and I'll be celebrating my second and last 18th of September.... it should be better this year because now I understand what people are saying to me... haha. 

I don't have tons of time because we arrived a little late in San Felipe... 

It's been a long weekend, with the goodbyes, packing the suitcases, and all the traveling.... and I'm very tired. I'll miss Batuco and the great people I met and the great friends I've made, but I'm excited to work in San Felipe.

Elder Garrett

The other day we were on the bus headed out of Batuco and I saw a member we've been working with that was headed in to the doctor. She turned around and I waved to her. She later told me that in that instant something told her to look behind her, and just in that moment, I passed by in the bus and waved to her. It made her day, so that was cool.

We did two exchanges this week with our district leader. The first day I worked with him in Batuco, and the second day I went to Colina. That day it was so hot that in the night time I didn't even put on a jacket. Normally at night I've been wearing a sweater and a coat. I got to reminisce with Elder Willoughby about the MTC because he's also in that branch in Colina... so that was fun. They didn't have bikes and live about thirty minutes from their sector... it wore me out... I think riding bikes is much easier... and I've gotten used to it. 

I found out last week that an investigator from my last sector got baptized. I haven't heard yet what miracles happened, but I remember having fasted for a miracle several times for her, and I know that there is great power in fasting. 

Elder Garrett