Week 1 of 3

May 29, 2017

Well this week was pretty interesting. Let`s start with the little's,

1. Well my new companion`s name is Elder Valle. He`s from Bolivia (my second boliviano). He has 14 months in the mission and he works hard so that is good.
2. My companion forgot his suit coat back in his old area so he went to church this week in a short sleeve shirt (face palm) and the entire time the members from the church kept asking him if he was cold or if he was just super hot. It was pretty funny.
3. The area where our house is called Villa Libertad and this week the entire area of Villa Libertad was celebrating some sort of Catholic holiday. I have no idea what it was (it`s probably some sort of Latino thing) so nobody wanted to talk to us this week and we had to avoid the giant crowd of Catholics. But I think the kool thing is that they burnt this giant stick thing a couple of days ago and in the end a little cross flew up in the sky like a fire work.

Well I had really high expectations for this week but we had an amazing miracle happen. So we were walking down the street where our house is at and we had to go inside so that my companion could use the bathroom. We were pretty disappointed because the three lessons that we had planned all fell through. But as we were entering our room I had an impression to go into our study room to look at our giant map. Well after some time I had another impression to watch a certain video. as I was watching it (el plan de salvation y la obra missional) I started to see our church building. after some more time I saw a house of one of our investigators. after that I saw a park that I had past by the last week with my old companion. After that I had the best feeling ever that we should go to that park and just contact. Well I was almost literally running to the park while my companion was dying trying to keep up. When we got there there was some people around and so we decided to start walking around contacting. We eventually found someone who we taught right then and there in the park. this experience really reinforced my testimony that this is the lord`s work and that he knows each and every one of his sheep.

I miss you all tons and love you tons,
Elder Garbett

New transfer

May 22, 2017

Well this last week was pretty interesting. Let`s start with some interesting things:

1. We were invited to a class where one of the general authorities was teaching the lesson. He was talking about how we are supposed to do blessings and ordinances and while he was teaching it he would turn to us and ask us the how the certain prayer was to be said. Oh man am I glad that I use my study time wisely. 

2. We washed a dog this week and we washed him in the shower. With no lease or collar and he`s a huge dog. Bigger than mine back at home and my companion wanted to just control the water and shampoo. So guess who was stuck in the shower with the dog trying to keep him in the water. This guy. 

3. I had a talk this week where I got to choose my topic. So I decided to talk about charity. Well I had the opportunity to see the reaction on my companion`s face while I was the giving my talk. I will say that it didn't look very good and the more I talked the worse his face looked. At the end of the meeting we were talking and I asked him why he reacted like that. Well he told me that, that was exactly what the ward needed and that I burned them really bad. I wasn't really trying but I did. Score!

Well this transfer was really good. I won`t say it was perfect but it was really good and I think this transfer I learned tons. Especially about the language. I can practically speak fluently. Now I don`t know a lot of the words but I can get by. My companion is leaving and I am getting another companion for this next transfer of three weeks. President will be leaving at the end of this transfer and we will be receiving our new Brazilian president, President Amato. 

 

I miss you tons,

Elder Garbett

 

Goodbye Elder Martin

 

 

Feliz Dia de Madres!!

May 16, 2017

 

Well this week was pretty amazing! Let´s start with some kool stuff:

1. We went to a KFC in my area this week. And even though its an american restaurant my companion and my pension´s husband tried to get me to eat certain parts of the bone that as Americans we don´t usually eat. So it was a interesting experience.

2. Last p-day we were taught how to make ice cream in our blenders. Well that night we went out and bought all of the necessary stuff to make it and we made it. I´ll just say that as men when it comes to making stuff in the kitchen it doesn't usually turn out well the first time but we eventually got it and we made chocolate ice cream with bananas.

3. Like I've probably said before, our area is Huge! So we usually are walking tons in our area and our legs are really taking the pain out here. So much that one day after kneeling down to pray my companion literally could not get up because his knees were killing him. I´ll say that I was a little mean by taking a video but it was totally worth it. I´ll see if I can send it to you all.

4. Well this last Saturday our Ward had a ward mission/ mother´s day night. We only had permission to be at the ward mission night part but as we were leaving our ward mission leader got up and announced to the entire ward that the next testimonies that they would hear from was us. About mother´s day. Mainly about our mothers. and how we are away from them for 2 years. -_- Let me just say...... Qué Tronky!

5. This Sunday after all was said and done in our area for the day we got to Skype home to our families. I´ll just say that it was super awesome to talk to my family and now 2 skype calls down 2 more to go. But after I called my family it was my companion´s turn to call his and so what we did was that when they answered the call I would be sitting there and I would start talking to them like I was Elder Martin. Well it started out by me saying ¡Hola papi! and then you could hear everyone in the back just go ¡AWWWWWWWWW! But then right after that My companion´s dad yell out ¡Qué Feo! (how Ugly). I´ll just say that that hurt a little bit.

Well this week was pretty amazing. But this week I got invited to another baptism in one of my old areas. It was one of my Old Investigators (more like 2) in Santa Anita (where I was for only 3 weeks). It was super disappointing that I showed up after 5 weeks and literally nobody from the ward recognized me. But as we were talking my old investigators showed up and when they saw me their faces just lit up. They were soooo excited to see me and well it was actually good to see that somebody actually remembered me. But after all was said and done one of them got up and bore her testimony about how she got to know us. It was super kool because it was my first day in the area and our first contact. But what truly hit me that day was that when we received news that I was going to be leaving that area and our investigators I kept wondering why I was only there for 3 weeks and I came to the conclusion that I really wasted 3 weeks of my mission in that area. But I realized, and it hit me super hard, that we are in these areas for a reason. Maybe for 3 weeks or maybe for 4 and a half months we will be in those area but God places us in these area for a reason. I am always reminded of a scripture that says that God´s ways are not always our ways. 

I miss you all very much but love you more,

Elder Garbett

Rosanna and Mario's Baptisms

Rowan and Elder Periera

Chocolate Banana Ice Cream

 

This week.....

May 8, 2017

Well this week went by really well.

1. Well first off I went on splits with another gringo in my zone. It seemed a bit odd to be with an american speaking English but it was soooo amazing. Also his pension´s daughter was opening her mission call that night so I got the opportunity to see her open it. We went around and guessed where she would go. I literally thought temple square but when my companion said that Trump is making it difficult to have people go into the states I changed it to Chile. But when she opened it, it turns out that she is going to temple square. Just goes to show you need to listen to the spirit all the time. 

2. We had a baptism this week. His name is Jair and the first thing that I saw (which I'm not sure if you can all see) was his little cross on his forehead. Sometimes President tells us that the escogidos have a big "E" in their foreheads but I think that this was a little different. But after his baptism you could feel the spirit so strongly. So strongly because he was trying to hold back his tears of joy. 

Well all in all this week went by really good. It started to get into the cold season but that isn't stopping our progress. Our ward mission leader found a friend from work and we finally had a lesson with them this week. We showed up to their apartment which was on the 19 floor (I was trying so hard not to look out the window because I would start to get a little sick) and they just started to ask us questions. What exactly do you do exactly? What´s the difference between your little churches and the big ones (temples)? What´s the true story of Joseph Smith? Well we answered all of their questions, including the word of wisdom (uh-oh) and then invited them to come to church the next day. They accepted and actually showed up. They felt the spirit so strongly that they want to listen to us even more. I know that this church is true and that when people are ready and prepared to listen to the spirit he will reveal the truth of all things.

 

I love you all,

Elder Garbett

 

Jair's Baptism

 

Rowan's video Clip of the Week

 

 

Miracles truly happen

May 1, 2017

Well this week was pretty kool. Let`s start with the little stuff:

1. We are starting to come into the cold season. I haven`t taken a picture of it yet (nor any other picture. sorry) but it gets so cold here that around 2 or 3 in the afternoon part of the hill near our room is covered by clouds. The cold doesn't really bother me in the night but I've started to wear pants to bed. 

2. We had stake conference yesterday and our mission president and his wife spoke. Hermana Boswell spoke about reading the scriptures and how it helps strengthen our faith. Then our mission president got up and started to talk about the mission work as a member. Holy cow!!!! He spoke about how it is our responsibility to help bring souls unto Christ and to work hand in hand with the missionaries and the thing is that he is so powerful when he speaks that one of the youth that usually comes with us came up to us and told us, "Man am I glad that I go with you guys to your lessons." 

 But man this week we were getting ready to go do a service project and the phone rang. I picked it up and someone on the other line asked for "las Missionaras." when I told her that there were Elders in the area she asked me if we could visit her. We wrote down her address and then hung up. Not even a minute after that she called us back. She asked us if she could attend institute. When I heard that I thought I could hear the Hallelujah chorus. Right after all of that we looked in the area book to see if we could find her. But she wasn't in there so we went and found her. Oh my gosh! She is a chosen and then she actually attended church this Sunday. I don't know what we did for her to feel like she needed to call us but man it`s so awesome.

I love you all,

Elder Garbett

Coming up to a fourth

April 24, 2017

Well this week went by pretty good. Here are my highlights:

1. We had splits this week and I went with one of our Zone leaders, Elder Anhuaman. It was super kool because I went on a split with him back in Vitarte back when he was training my old companion from the CCM. I could definitely see the difference between us from our first split together. 

2. Well let me just say that as a missionary I absolutely hate doing the last point of weekly planning. Inventory. It`s pretty much when we try to solve out our differences as a companionship. Back in Vitarte the WWB fighting was super popular and we would see them just while walking in the street. So Elder Salazar and I would describe it as doing inventory. But this week I was super excited to go through it because I had so much to tell my new companion (Elder Martin). I had it all planned out and I knew I was going to win. Boy was I wrong. But I learned so much from him. Pretty much everything that he is doing is because he is trying to change me into a missionary who works hard. I mean I knew how to teach, and how to lead, but not with my entire body. One of his favorite ways to get me to talk, and one of my favorite ways (kinda) is to get on a bus and then he says to everyone "Hey we have a message for all of you and my companion is going to say it while I hand out cards." 

We had what was called a Capilla abierta this week in our stake center. It pretty much was a open house where we went and invited a bunch of people and they came through the building and we explained everything. In the end we were the only people between them and the refreshments asking them about their experience. We received over 50 references and about 30 of them were for our Zone. In our last group we had the stake president in there with us. He has been a stake president for 7 consecutive years. As my companion and I finished what we were explaining, the stake president got up and said that he felt like he needed to tell his conversion story. He ended up telling us that all he did was go through the Lima temple during it`s open house and that it changed him. He later sought out the sister missionaries and got baptized within 2 weeks. It was super spiritual and in the end many  people came up to us personally (not through the reference cards) and asked for us to visit them. 

It was super kool to see all of the things that happened this week and I know that I am going to learn so much with my companion. 

 

I miss you all,

Elder Garbett

 

 

 Rowan and Elder Anhuaman