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

Change Day

Today we had changes. I'm going to write fast, because it's three o'clock and I'm STARVING. We went to Santiago, because I've had a change. I'm still in Los Andes, but now I'm with Elder Ortiz, from Mexico City. Elder Ortega was a little sad that he had to leave, but the mission is full of changes.

We had some great experiences this week. We taught Sergio (I think I talked about him before) the Word of Wisdom this week. At first, he said he was going to finish off his coffee and then he'd leave it first. But then yesterday he decided to give me the coffee that he had and he also committed to stop drinking alcohol. We gave him a blessing to help him out. It's incredible to see his faith. I am convinced that without the gospel, he wouldn´t be able to stop drinking.

Anyway, I'll try to write a little more next week. I was given three birthday cakes again this year, so it was a good birthday. 

 

Until next week,

Elder Garrett

Stake Conference

We had a lot of great experiences this week but I don't have time to write them. I had the privilege of ordaining Lalo an Elder and giving him the Melchizedek Priesthood yesterday.

We had an awesome Stake Conference, the Spirit was so strong. It was awesome because I knew about half the people there, since I've served in almost half of the wards of this stake. 

The Stake President gave a really powerful talk. Among other things, he gave us an analogy. We shouldn't just put our feet in the swimming pool, we should jump in and enjoy it. An investigator I was teaching a long time ago was present and felt the Spirit during the talk, and announced just after the meeting that he wants to get baptized with his family. 

I also loved something else he said. He said "If I was baptized, it was forever. If I received the priesthood, it was forever. If I went to the temple and made covenants, it was forever. If I was sealed in the temple, it was forever. If I served a mission and taught the gospel and baptized people, it was forever. We can't go back. Those things were meant to have changed us forever. We can't go back to who we were before."

I know that this church is led by Jesus Christ. We live in dangerous times, but we should have hope for a bright future. 

Elder Garrett

My turn to have a bike accident

This week it was my turn to have a bike accident. I kind of accidentally used the front brakes (just remember that in 13 months of riding a bike in my mission, I've never had an accident) and I flew over the handlebars. It was right in front of the church that I fell, in front of all the young men, who were going to play soccer. So they all laughed at me. The funny part was that the bike landed and stayed standing up, as if we were going to change a flat tire or somehting. Anyway I had a couple bruises and scratches and my shoulder hurt so I've been wearing a sling whenever I feel like it.

This week me and my companion got hit by a bug and we were stuck inside all day on Thursday. We tried to get out and work but we always had to go running back. But now everything's under control. Don't worry. 

We have seen lots of little miracles and we are having good success. Yesterday, Lalo had his first baptism. He baptized his niece, Daniela. I think he was a little nervous but he did a great job and was very happy. I was asked to sing again, and ended up singing the same song as last week. I sent you the picture.

On Saturday, we ran into Sergio, an older man. He called out to us "Hey, why don't you say a prayer for me?" We stopped and started talking to him, he invited us to his house, and we started talking. He said that four years ago he'd read the Bible of Mormon and the Pearl of Great Price. He said that one time an Elder gave him a blessing and healed his arm. He said he wants to get baptized for the remission of sins, the way Christ was baptized. We extended a baptismal date and explained that we're going to be teaching him some things to help him prepare.  He came to church, met the bishop, made some friends, and then came to Daniela's baptism. It was a miracle for us. And we are super excited to work with him. 

Anyway. Thanks for the birthday wishes! I'll send you fotos next week if I can. 21................ woah.

Elder Garrett

I don't have a lot of time. We climbed a hill on our bikes and took pictures, and now we're going to go eat with all of the elders in the ward.

Yesterday was Paty's baptism. It was very awesome. She had asked me to sing for her, so I sang "Cuando Me Bautice" in the baptismal service.... I can't remember the name of the song in English.... it's from the Primary... and they sang it in my baptism, I remember. 

 

Paty's baptism!!!! her son Diego baptized her! (He's wearing on of the
other elders' name tags).  Elder Ortega's first baptism... and his eyes
are closed in all of the pictures..... 

We're having lots of experiences that are building our faith.... haha.  When I get home in a couple of months, I'll share some more details from all the things we've gone through. 

Anyway that's about it. I'll try to write more next week...

Elder Garrett