April 27, 2015

Hey Mom, 

This week was really good! We had stake conference too.  So again we didn’t have church services in our chapel!  So, lots of notifying people this week to NOT go to our church building.  The stake conference was really good. President Arrington made an appearance and gave a very good message about reaping what we sow. He shared that at home he had a garden.  In his garden he planted "corn," but after several weeks out came the plant from the earth…tomato plants. He went on to explain how none of us thought that somehow a tomato came out of a corn plant. We all thought he messed up or we did not understand him…but he was right.  

We reap what we sow, So, we must be careful to sow what we want to sow.  

There were other good messages about the overuse of technology, filling up our spiritual tank more than just once a week on Sundays.  

Overall we found  2 investigators this week, a mother and daughter Marioli and Belen.  They accepted our invitation to come to conference and absolutely loved the meeting. They were just walking home one day and met them.  They shared how the elders before us had talked to them and set an appointment but had to cancel.  Unfortunately no called them back to reschedule. Probably mishap occurred during transfers.  They read the whole booklet and even filled out the questions at the end!!!! They’re awesome! We are going to be taking good care of them and involving the members a bunch! If all goes well they should be getting baptized on the 16th of May.  

Andrea and Sergio were out of town this week for a family gathering but they seem to be moving towards finding their answer.  Please keep them in your prayers and pray that they find the truth. 

Dixon and Fanni are great. Their oldest child however is a bit under the weather.  They recently discovered the poor guy has asthma.  He’s getting treatment now, but they had a pretty big scare. We shared with Dixon about the benefits of marriage, temporally, and spiritually.  We shared the Mormon message about expression of love https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2011-08-014-expressions-of-love?lang= .  He mentioned to us how they always had marriage as a goal but over the 9 years they have been together, they’ve never had a enough $$$ for the big celebration for the wedding they would like to have.  They’re going to talk about it as a family and pray. Dixon is eager to pray now! He definitely has felt the spirit.  

We've seen in the last week that when we teach simply who God is, who Christ is, and who the Holy Ghost is, the spirit is super strong and the people progress. Elder Oaks was right. TEACH THE BASICS. This also ties into the "reap what you sow" from President Arrington us. 

It's starting to turn into a brisk autumn here, especially right with the water! We’re both rather polar bearish.  However, our water heater was broken for a week and a half so showers were shorter than they were at the academy!!! The fastest in and out of the shower in the house is always the Chilean elder, Elder Letelier, who averaged under 45 seconds. BUT nobody got sick so it was a success!!!  

Okay, That was the week! Hope you have a great one too! 

Garrett

 

April 21, 2015

Hey Mom, 

Had a great week. We’re super focused on gracias a que Él vive!  Really focusing on the Atonement and converting people to Christ and not the Church. We had a special conference with Elder Dallin H. Oaks this week.  He really stressed that point exactly. Teach people to follow Christ, not just the social aspect that comes with the church activities.  It was a super spiritual experience.  Especially, when you go into a conference like that with questions about how to be a better teacher. He guided our focus on to ASSUME NOTHING. Start from the basics, because not everyone believes there is a God.  If they do, they may not understand our relationship to Him, His Son, or the Holy Ghost.  The true teacher and converter of people is the Holy Ghost.  We should strive 100% to have his help.  He is the one who confirms what we are saying comes from God.  

President Arrington has really been encouraging us to FIND FIND FIND!  He knows that’s how the Gospel gets spread. We had a zone conference this last week.  He sent 2 elders out to the street and said., "Alright, you have 15 minutes to bring someone back here to the church and teach them."  Well, 20 minutes later, a joven named Max stepped into the Chapel and another companionship taught him and showed him the “Because He Lives” video. We all got the point of the exercise. We have to be in a hurry to find, these are the latter days!   

We have also taken to heart and have our vessels prepared to receive the Holy Ghost.  We are also working with our ward to do the same. When the ward is good, the Lord will bless us with prepared people. 

Glad to see you got to check out a ball game with the Mariners! Elder Miller (the army cadet) will be super jealous.  

We had a really powerful lesson with Dixon, the father in one of the couples we’re teaching.  We taught him about our relationship with God, His son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. They are chosen, I can just feel it.  We need to make sure we take care of them because they are very special people.  

Okay/  Have a fantastic week and take care! 

Send everyone my love! 

Garrett

April 13, 2015

Buenos Dias! 

This week was awesome! We started our ward family evenings in the church with a scavenger hunt for clues throughout the church.  They all eventually led to the baptismal font. But, the doors were locked, AKA you need the proper authority. It was a descent turnout, about 20 people came.  Everyone said they’d be coming back and bring their friends the coming weeks. 

Remember Angy? She got baptized last Saturday! I’m really excited for her and glad to see her start on her journey!  

This week we also had a bit of a wrench in the system. We didn’t meet in our chapel but the one onthe top of the "hill".  Elder Bennion and I were like those guys on the runways with the giant glow sticks, directing traffic up to the other chapel.  Less people came to church because of money to get up there by bus.  Still a surprising amount of the viejitos made it up there.  

The other snag this week was that we’re finding great people to teach who really seem like they are going to progress... the only downside is not a single one of them is married and all cohabitate.  We plan to have the discussion on the Plan of Salvation and how families can be together forever through Temple marriage. 

This week in studies I’m in the war chapters of Alma, Moroni and Helaman.  They are real tacticians and were successful with the guidance of the Lord. Also, I was quite impressed by the humility of the Chief Judge, Pahoran who received a reprimanding letter from Moroni. He didn’t take it personally and knew it was written in the right spirit. I’d like to develop that kind of humility.  

10th of May is the big day.  Just making sure we’re all good for the Skype call.  

Okay, I love you bunches. I can’t think of anything else except this (crazy story)  

Last night we’re on the top of a "hill" the size of one of the Appalachians that we visit people on, we hiked the valley to get to the other "hill" to go to another lesson. But the only problem was 1. we're dressed like missionaries (shirt and tie) and 2. Its’ like pitch black.  We manage to get down the valley and at the bottom there is the creepiest little house just chillin at the bottom of this valley. We are going to cross and climb the other side and as we’re climbing my companion almost falls into blackberry bushes (which have very large points).  Miraculously he doesn’t fall.... we came to the conclusion that the creepy old house had a creepy man or something that saved him, that or an angel. One of the two.  

Also I almost got run over by a bus and this week we chopped down trees off the side of one of those hills. 

LOVE YOU  

Garrett

 

Talcahuano, Chile: Very beautiful.

 

Ok, I can't help but think of the RM movie!!!!

How many strokes does it take with a hatchet?  Where is the buzz saw?

 

 

 

April 6, 2015

Hey Mom, 

Elder Bennion comes from the Sam side.  We already asked hermana bennion last week in my letter :P 

Thanks for the genealogy help. There’s a big push for FH work here. It’s actually pretty fun once you get started.  

This week Andrea and Sergio came to conference.  They are a family with a down syndrome baby named Leon (yes his name is Lion it even beats brock in coolness).  They had a good time but left early because Leon was like most kids that having problems sitting still for so long. But Sergio is a member that inactivated when he was really young.  Now he wants to come back and Andrea his wife is preparing for baptism. They’re awesome and could really help the ward if they keep uniting themselves with it.  

We also had a nocvhe dehogar Thanks to Elder Oso, I love that guy, he’s the best. The night went off great.  The friend the family invited seemed really interested.  Now we've just got to follow up and keep teaching her. The family that Elder Oso stayed with just moved here 4 months ago from Venezuela.  They’re so awesome. Hermano José and hermana Adelina and their two small kids are super excited to help us out! 

OH! After 20 long years and over 50 some odd books. We found Waldo. He is a Chilean fisherman who knows nothing about that fact that everyone is looking for him. He told us not to come back, to stop look ing for him, and to destroy all the books that we mentioned..... But Mission Accomplished. We found Waldo!  

Conference was really good. God answers the questions we offer him. I received a lot of answers to some serious questions like how can I invite the spirit more in lessons, and how can I be a better companion now, and after the mish during marriage. 

But we got a good week coming up.  We start our Ward Home evening in the chapel this week on Friday.  Hopefully it’s as big a success as it was in Lorenzo. Speaking of Lorenzo, I saw Hmo Del Río yesterday at conference, it was really good to see him! 

 

Pictures from the Lorenzo Ward.  Sure love these members.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, I love you !!!