January 12, 2015

Hey mom!  

Thanks for the fantastic birthday wish!  I will be sure to enjoy the pizza :)  

The work has slowed a bit in our sector.  The other elders are on fire though!  I’m super happy for them because last cambio it was kind of the other way around. BUT, we have a renewed desire to work with members to help them help themselves, their family, and their friends learn and share the gospel. 

It has proven to be a slow process but the Missionary bear also gives them motivation.  The kids want him to bring him home to their house but he only comes if you are going to help the missionaries.  

Our investigators are all out of town so we work with a lot of less active people who did come to church. I actually gave a talk this Sunday because most those who were assigned talks were out of town.  I talked about how we are in a fight for our lives. The talk was centered around a scripture found in Mosiah 20:11:  “And it came to pass that

the people of Limhi began to drive the Lamanites before them; yet they were not half so numerous as the Lamanites.  But they fought for their lives, for their wives and for their children; therefore they exerted themselves and like dragons did they fight. 

We are fighting for our eternal reward!!  We are enlisted into the army of God upon our baptism and the end goal is reaching eternal life with our families.  Satan is very clever and in many ways his disguise is not very obvious.  He can deceive us to thinking what is good is in fact evil and what is evil is in fact good.  He is here trying to tear down the souls of men and women and families.  I am personally learning that we need to be more aware and cautious of what we do, what we see and what we hear.  We have Christ on our side.  Nothing is worth losing the opportunity to live with our families forever.  Nothing!!!

Love, 

Elder Watts

January 5, 2015

Well HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYBODY!!!!  

Hope the resolutions of eating better and going to the gym haven’t already died off. If they have, well there’s always next year right?  

But this last week mom you had your b’day. Cumpleañps feliz FELIZ FELIZ te deseamos a ti A TI A TI cumpelañps LILA. Que te cumplas FELIZ! Thats happy birthday in Spanish. I hope you had an awesome birthday.  

Thank you Sister Pickens for the sign you made my mom on her special birthday. 

This last week we had a pretty good week. E Villasanti, my new comp from Formosa Argentina is trying really hard to learn English.  He already knows a lot, so every other day we speak only English. The plan is that by the end of our time together he speaks more gringo than Latino English. As a house we celebrated new years in the apartment with a fantastic view of the fireworks and Chinese confetti cannons in the house.  That was not a very smart idea because we had to clean them up the following morning.  

We are teaching a new family of 5, Gabriel and Inese the grandparents, Mabel the mom, and the two kids Maxi and Fernanda. Maxi and Fernanda are SMART.  They understand everything. The parents and grandparents are slower to understand or act but we have the faith they’re chosen and will progress. 

This week, I also had the sad mark to become 6 months old on the mish.  I left on July 2^nd and Jan 2^nd  has already passed.  One fourth of my time is already gone and it went by sooooooooo fast.  I had the ceremonial tie burning to commemorate the "joyous" day. 

During studies this week I have been trying to enjoy the Spanish Bible I got for Christmas (reading the New Testament).  I have also started Jesus the Christ over again along with it. Very goood stuff.  I would recommend to all.  I love reading the Book of Mormon every day.  I’m really trying to study and not just read the scriptures so the process is obviously slower.  

This is Elder Siaosi. He wanted a picture with me at the Christmas activity the mission held. 

The work goes on and I love it. We will be instituting Ward Home evenings soon in our ward to try to help strengthen it from the inside out. Hopefully the ward likes it because we’re very excited about it!!!! 

Love ya all and KEEP YOUR RESOLUTIONS!!!!! 

Elder Watts

 

 

 

December 29, 2014

Dear Mom, 

Well, I hope the rest of Christmas ended splendidly and you had a great time!  Looks like you got a very white and chirstmassy Christmas after all mom! I’m very happy for you. I didn’t even have the pre-Christmas anticipation that normally precedes the Day. There’s obviously a difference in temperature, but the South American continent in general celebrates Christmas different than we do.  

We went caroling, which was awesome. The missionaries fromm the stake went to the hospital and sang to all the kids and people there. And guess who was Santa Claus?.. yes..me.  Twas two days before Christmas and all through the hospital, lots of missionaries where singing.  They too were laughing, because I almost had a heat stroke. Naaaah just kidding.  It was hot but not that hot. I was very grateful for the opportunity to serve and bring all sorts of smiles to the children’s faces. El Viejito Pasquero was very excited to visit the Concepcion hospital.  The two girls in the picture are a recent convert and another young wwman from the ward that decided to show up and sing with us at the hospital.  Left is Fernanda Recent convert and right is Fàtima. 

ANTONIETA GOT BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  and she’s suuuuper happy. She reminds me a lot of Granda Herwig.  It will be fun teaching her and helping her get with any questions she might have as she studies the Gospel. 

E Del Rosario is leaving, he heads out to Linares (3 hours north and very country area) tomorrow. We worked well together and I will miss some things about him... other things well.... not so much. Naw, he’s a great missionary and I love him a lot.  I wish him all the best and I will be tending the garden he had in our apartment (yes garden in apartment).   My new companion is E Villasanti from Argentina. MY SPANISH WILL NOW BECOME PERFECT!  

New cambio, New companion, new year, new beginnings, new everything.  Lets get to work shall we? :) 

Happy new Year to everyone!

Elder Garrett Watts

 

 

 

 

 

December 15, 2014

December 15, 2014 

Hey mom! 

So, this week was very busy! Lots of activities, lots of lessons, not a lot of time to think.  

There was a number of rehearsals (of which I was placed in charged and directed) for the ward choir ) which was for our Christmas activity this past Friday as a ward. There was also a concert in downtown by some Americans along with some local people (the pianist plays for the Tabernacle Choir in General Conference.  We took our little abuelita investigador Antonieta to the concert and it was a good time. Thursday we stood in one of the plazas here sharing “He is the Gift” with over 600 people. I think there are photos on the mission blog. It was really fun to be able to show people right then and there what it is exactly what we believe in.  It made us all think how easy it would be in the U.S. to share the gospel where you can walk with your iPad and boom, share with people right there through video our beliefs . It’s different here, but we’re here for the right reason.  Then we actually had the ward activity on Friday.  

Despite the variety of activities, we still taught a lot of people. We found 2 more abuelitas (a grand total of 4 now) this week named Inez and Ramona, both by using the “He is the Gift” video form the church. Inez has a member friend who lives 2 doors down and already accepted being baptized.  Inez however had a family emergency and couldn’t go to church Sunday.  Anyways it was really cool to get to know her. We  spent the whole lesson with only her talking (we talked in whispers and REALLY moved our lips because she lip reads.) We left her mostly stuff to read and hopefully (fingers crossed), she takes what she reads to heart! 

We have been having some contention in the house, just different types of people, but I think its smoothed over now.  

Also, got the package from the Primary and Bishop. Please tell them thanks! 

This week I studied the story of Jacob and Esau in Genesis, about selling/trading their birthright from something as measly as a bowl of soup. Apply it to our eternal birthright, the chance to live with God, and trading that away from something a stupid as a cigarette and sleeping in not to go to church. Lots to think about.   The Adversary is very smart and he knows exactly what will tempt us to give up our eternal reward.  So grateful for the Atonement! 

lots of Love  

Elder Watts

 

 

December 22, 2014

Hey Guys!!!  

Good news: Sounds like you’re having fun and keeping busy. We are doing the same. If Antonietta passes her interview today, which she will, she’ll be baptized this Saturday!!! Happy Birthday Present to Jesus in the words of Antonietta!  

I have taken a new initiative to eat healthy.  I make fruit smoothies in the morning and I must say they’re absolutely fantastic!  There’s a big farmers market in our area so we go there and get fresh everything for super cheap!  Gotta save them pesos somehow right? 

I have managed to follow the rules and not open a present. 

Bad news: I HAVE FLEES.  I itch constantly.  

I look forward to talking with you on Christmas!!! 

I love you mom!