I don't have time to write much! This week we had two funerals here in the ward. I was able to do a musical number in one of them. I chose to play "Oh My Father."  It was very nice, and it was nice to hear about the lives of these really faithful members, who were both pioneers here in Los Andes.

Sorry that it's so short. I'll write more next week. 

Elder Garrett

Strep

I guess the big news this week is that all weekend I suffered from strep throat.... I'm still a little bad, but I'm doing much better. I had the privilege of receiving a priesthood blessing from Lalo, so that was really awesome. He asked if he was going to do the anointing and I told him "No, I want you to give me the blessing." It was really awesome and he told me that everything depended on my faith.

Oh wait, the big news is really that the Aburto family was baptized on Saturday! Unfortunately I couldn't be there but I was very, very happy to hear about it and see the pictures. 

Things are going really well, other than that I spent some time being sick. But I'm sure this week will be better. I know that God answers my prayers because He has done it time and time again. 

Take care,

Elder Garrett

Three More Months

I realized that I have three more months in the mission from yesterday. Wow, it seems like it's going by really fast. I guess you could say I'm starting to get a little nervous about going back to the university.... but I'm sure God's going to help me.

This week we had some great experiences. Maybe the best part is that I've been making Mexican food for my Mexican companion. Haha. Yes, I'm the one cooking the food. Haha. I've made tacos several times and guacamole and things like that. 

The other day, I felt prompted to go visit an investigator. We never made it to her house, because we ran into an investigator we'd taught three months ago. In the end I felt like God had sent us that way to find this old man, and that it wasn't really to find the woman I thought we were looking for. 

We went to visit another lady, and her mom came out and said she wouldn't be able to meet with us that day. She couldn't either, because someone was coming to pick her up to take her to a doctor's appointment. As we were talking to her, her mother (our investigator's grandmother), who is 88 years old, came over, and said "If nobody's going to let you in, I will, because your visits do me good." I was really impressed by this 88 year old woman. She said "I can hardly see you, and almost can't hear you, but your visits do me good, because I know you're called of God, and He comes with you."

Anyway, those are just some of the great experiences we had. Have fun.

Elder Garrett

I found out today that an investigator we found a year ago in Centenario was baptized. It's interesting, because, about three months ago, I was riding my bike, and I felt a prompting (TURN RIGHT!!)... I did so, not knowing why, but I felt the Spirit. I ran into this girl and talked to her a little bit. This happened again about two weeks later (TURN LEFT!!) .... I ran into the same girl. I found out a little afterwards, that she got back in contact with the missionaries and had accepted a baptismal date (When we'd taught her, she had not received permission from her parents, so she hadn't continued with the lessons.) And yesterday she was baptized. It's amazing how the Lord works! When I'd called the elders to give them the reference, they'd already made contact with her.

We've been experiencing a lot of earthquakes lately. The other day I woke up in the night and everything was shaking. It was the strongest one I've felt in my life, but it really wasn't that bad. Everyone thought it was going be worse, and started freaking out, but I was fine. I didn't even get out of bed... ha ha. 

I guess that's about it. See you in June.......

Elder Garrett

 

 

 

Evidences of God

Family and Friends,

Greetings from Chile (Paradise).

I thought that this week I would just relate a short story that shows me that God really exists and is a part of our lives.

The daughter of an investigator we are teaching (Lalo's niece) was in the hospital because she was having problems with one of her kidneys. The mom asked us to come give her a blessing yesterday. 

Lalo took us to the clinic and we waited for his sister to show up. Because it was Sunday, the clinic was pretty much empty. In fact there were only three cars in the parking lot. 

As we waited, a familiar car pulled in and parked. It was Laura Aburto and her son. It was kind of a surprise to me that they showed up out of nowhere. Her son was having a problem with his allergies. 

She was a little worried, thinking that I was sick, but we explained to her we were there to give a blessing. Lalo's sister also showed up and Laura mentioned two miraculous instances in which priesthood blessings had healed two of her family members. (One of which I had given a year ago.) She said the doctors were surprised at how miraculously fast they had recuperated. 

Anyway, the point is that right in the moment when I would need a lot of faith to be able to give this priesthood blessing, God sent me someone from the past to us to remind us of the power of priesthood blessings and the miracles she's seen.

I know that God lives and I cannot deny it, and I can't shut up about it. I've seen too many evidences of his existence, some too sacred to share in an email that will be posted on the internet. I also know that Jesus Christ lives and that His atonement truly works in our lives. That is my witness to the world, that I know it without a doubt.

Elder Joseph Garrett