Happy New Year!

Yesterday we had a zone conference, that's why I didn't write. But don't worry, I may be a little bit sick, but doing well, and very happy. Christmas was really awesome and exciting. I received like seven pairs of desperately needed socks... haha. 

 

On Christmas Eve we had an asado, a barbecue, with a convert from the ward and all of the missionaries. On Christmas we had an activity in San Felipe with all the missionaries, and then we ate lunch with Lalo. Then we did the video call as you already know. 

 

It was a pretty nice Christmas... my last Christmas in the mission... 

 

Anyway I hope you have a Happy New Year and all. I have six months left now....

Elder Garrett

I'll be speaking with you in two days, so I'll be keeping it brief today. We went to San Esteban today to a really cool place. We had to climb a hill on our bikes and it just about killed us. Then at one point we left the bikes and walked to the top. We took some pictures that I´ll send. We went with some of the other elders from the ward. 

 

 

At some point on Wednesday we'll be doing our google hangout. I think it will be sometime between 3 and 5 is when I'll be getting on... so hopefully everything works out alright. For now our plan is doing it in the same house where the other elders are going to do it.... and since they spoke first we have to wait for them so we can do it.... unless we can change our plans. We'll see what happens... then again we might do it while they eat lunch... which would be between 2 and 3 o clock... I don't know... we'll see....  

 

So on Saturday we were doing exchanges, and I was with Elder Florez from Colombia.... I love the Colombian accent by the way.... but that night we were talking, when all of a sudden we heard a loud noise.... and we got a little freaked out because we thought it was going to be this huge earthquake. But the noise was bigger than the earthquake. It was just a temblor, not a terremoto. It only lasted a few seconds, but it was the strongest one I've felt yet. 

 

That's about it. Merry Christmas!

Elder Garrett (Andino)

Christmas is Coming the Goose is Losing Weight

It's so hot right now I couldn't rightfully title my email "Christmas is coming... the goose is getting fat." I think we're all melting a little. It's just as hot as last year, so it doesn't surprise me very much. I'm lucky to spend two summers in the hottest part of Chile, right? Yes, because it's my favorite part of the mission so far... even though it's way too hot.

Yesterday we had a baptism! Eduardo (Lalo) got married to a return missionary about a year ago, and started listening to the missionaries. It was a great experience, and I think the happiest one of all was his wife. She thanked us after the baptism and told me that in few words and little time (two weeks) we were able to achieve what she's been waiting and hoping for for many years. She's now a step closer to forming an eternal family. It was a very happy day for all. 

 

Lalo and the missionaries

Lalo and his wife Veronica (Verito)

 

I am doing well, working hard, and looking forward to Christmas. I'm also very tired, but I think that's normal. I'm trying to remember what else happened this week but i just cant think of anything else..... so that's it for this week. Enjoy the fotos. 

Oh yeah, yesterday I spoke in church. I found out I was going to speak when I showed up. I spoke about many miracles I've seen in the mission, especially when members participate in the work, and encouraged them to invite their friends and family, and promised that even though not everyone will come or listen, they will see miracles.  

Elder Garrett (CSN) 

Getting Lost

Well on Monday I spent the night in Santiago. Then on Tuesday we went to the office and waited outside in the sun for about an hour because they didn't want our trainees to see us. That was kind of lame because it's really hot right now. But then finally they let us in and we sat down in the chapel. Elder Verón and Elder Riches are also training. We were companions here in Los Andes one year ago, so we were really excited to see that we are all trainers now.

Elder Veron, Elder Riches and I with our trainees
 

They asked me to play the piano and everyone stood up and we sang "Called to Serve" as the new missionaries came in. Because I was playing, I didn't really get to see them, but the ones that I saw looked really nervous and uncomfortable. Then President and Hermana Essig gave some speeches in a mix of Spanish and English. At one point, President forgot to translate into English, so the new gringos just kind of missed out on half of the story.... but I guess they should just get used to that since they're not going to understand anything for a while.

 

And then at the end, President announced who was going to be with who. My companion is Elder Preciado, from California. He just found out this week that his last name is a word in Spanish. His dad is Mexican so he kind of looks Latino. 

 

Yo y Elder Preciado con los Essig

He slept basically the whole way to Los Andes, which is not a surprise because of the flight. He was originally going to Argentina so he didn't do the MTC here like all the others. But he was reassigned to our mission.

 

When we got off the bus in Los Andes, I thought to myself, "I know where I am, but I don't know where our house is or how to get there." I said a little prayer along the lines of "Please help me, I have no idea where to go and I don't want to carry all his luggage all over Los Andes looking for the house."   About a minute after, a car pulled over and asked if I needed help. I showed them the map and the address but they didn't have any idea. Another truck pulled over and I yelled to my companion "Talk to him."  The poor guy looked really nervous. "Ask him what is name is," I said, because I thought for sure he was a member. And then my companion says "He says his name is 'Bishop' " That made me laugh. We put the luggage in his truck and it turns out that he's the bishop of our ward. He took us to our house and then took us to San Felipe to pick up my luggage. So that was a wonderful answer to my frantic prayer.

 

Since we didn't know anyone, or even where we were, we got lost several times the first couple of days... but everything's under control now. I'm riding around on Brother Memmott's bike, which is a little small for me, until my new bike comes on Tuesday. We should be having a baptism this weekend, so we are very excited.

 

We went to Santiago on Thursday for the mission tour. A seventy from Argentina spoke. They served us stuffed chicken and rice with peanuts and raisins. The next day, everyone was sick.  My companion woke up twice to go to the bathroom... luckily I slept well. We called president and he basically told us that the whole mission was also sick.

Anyway I hope you're enjoying the cold and the snow, because all of the snow in the mountains here melted several weeks ago and it is really hot right now. 

 

Elder Garrett (Viva Chile y su gente)

Return to Los Andes

Well today is change day. Right now I find myself in Santiago. I'll be here for the day and then tomorrow I'll be headed back to Los Andes. I will be in Barrio Los Andes, my second sector in that city.... I'll be passing another really hot summer in Los Andes. I am very excited. It looks like I'm going to spend about half of my mission in this zone.... which is fine with me, because I like it a lot more than Santiago. I guess you could say I'm an Andino haha.

I still don't know who my companion will be.... because I will be training a new elder. I will meet him tomorrow. We'll have a meeting with President tomorrow, they'll have their first interview and then we'll find out who our companions are.... and then we go straight to work..... well, after a two hour bus ride to Los Andes, and a detour to San Felipe to pick up my luggage which I left behind. Elder de Castro will also be training but he's staying in Almendral. 

So that will be exciting. And new. 

They told us we were going to receive the changes Saturday night... then Sunday morning... then Sunday after church.... and in the end the assistants called us at about 7:00 last night. Because our zone had forty missionaries, it took us about an hour to receive all the changes and call everyone in the zone. 

Then last night we were up until one o'clock talking over the phone with the office trying to get everything set up for the changes today. We are the most complicated zone because of our size and distance from Santiago. In the end we got everything worked out, but it was all a big headache for us.... we were on the phone almost all morning coordinating everything.... while trying to shower and pack. In the end... I didn't have time to finish packing... so I'll be going back tomorrow to pick up all my stuff and take it to Los Andes. It's kind of a relief that I'm not going to be zone leader anymore.    

In the end we only had about two hours to say goodbyes and take pictures with a couple of people. I'll see if I can send a couple... next week.... 

I guess that's about it. Christmas is around the corner. My last Christmas in the mission. And I'm going to be spending it in Los Andes again.

 

Elder Garrett (Chile)

 

Me and Elder Hart in Los Andes.... 

Lunch with Adela and family

One of the sisters that remembered me from Centenario

that I saw in stake conference... Hermana Erica