Day 76

Wow, such an incredible week. Last Monday Elder Cruz went to get his hair cut by a "professional." It honestly looked horrible, so when we went back to the pension I helped him out a bit, and then I allowed him to cut my hair with his clippers machine things. I only let him cut the sides and the back though, because I don't know how I feel about buzzing it all off just yet. Maybe next transfer when it will be really hot. 

So I guess the big news this week was we were supposed to have a baptismal service for Carmen on Saturday. It was quite the experience. Elder Cruz and I went to the chapel to begin filling up the font at 3 o'clock, because it takes about 2 hours to fill and the service was to be at 5, and then we went off to some other appointments. We went back to the pension to grab my baptismal clothes, because I was to do the ordinance, and pick up Carmen to bring her to her baptism because she lives across the street from us. We got to her house at 4:45... and no one was there. We waited around for about a half an hour and she still didn't show up. We didn't know what to do, so we just decided to pray. As soon as Elder Cruz finished the prayer, we received a call from the other Elders in the ward saying that Carmen was already at the chapel waiting for us. We didn't know why she was there because we said we'd pick her up... but we didn't complain. We then ran many many blocks to the chapel. Because we were so late, we decided we would do a joint baptismal service with the other ward in the chapel and the missionaries from another area. When it came time for the ordinance, we found out that there was a problem with the drain, and the problem was that it wouldn't stop the water from draining out... so we didn't have a full font. Well, we were going to do the baptisms anyway, so we decided to make do with the water that we did have. It was about 2 and a half feet... so I needed to perform the service on my knees, and Carmen needed to sit down in the font. The problem was, Carmen is 64 and has bad knees and bad hips, so that was impossible. She was basically laying/floating in the font with only her head and neck above the water. I recited the prayer and went to submerge her, but she was kind of fighting me for air and thrashing around a tad bit... so we had to do it over again to submerge her whole body completely. This time another Elder from the other ward came into the font to help hold her up during the prayer and this time it all worked out. Despite all of the things that didn't go as planned, it was an incredibly spiritual experience and Carmen is really happy. She was confirmed a member of the church yesterday and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, and it is incredible to see the faith that she has. It was a really good experience, and I have quite the story to tell of my first baptism in the mission. As Elder Reina and I were changing out of our baptismal clothes after, he laughed and said, "vamos a bautizarles si o si!" (We are going to baptize them yes or yes).

We got a reference from a member this week that was incredible. He accepted everything, and in our first visit he honestly said, "what more do I need to do to be baptized?", and "I want to read all of the Book of Mormon and I'll start reading tonight." He has a smoking problem, but yesterday after our lesson on the Word of Wisdom, we gave him a blessing to help him stop smoking, and he said he isn't going to smoke anymore and everytime he has the temptation to buy a packet of cigarettes he is going to buy bread instead. It is really cool to see that the Lord is preparing people to hear our message and as we are obedient and try to do our best and follow the Spirit we can help these people come to Christ.

The Spanish is coming easier every day, and the members in my ward are shocked... jaja. I am really enjoying the mission right now and I love studying and preaching the things that have brought me the most happiness in my life. The church is true.

Elder Garrett (Argentina)

Day 69

This has been an incredible week. Last Monday was interesting. We played futbol with a bunch of kids from the ward. It was pretty much my first time playing futbol, so I didn't know what I was doing. Also, there were always people shouting stuff at me, but it's in Spanish, and I couldn't understand what they were shouting, so it was definitely a funny experience. After we got done playing futbol we played a little basquetbol. I was really excited to show them that I do play sports and dazzle them with my "skills." However, playing basquetbol with Latinos is a lot different than basketball in the MTC. They don't know the rules or anything about how to play... they think the rules are the same as futbol, they don't understand fouls, and I was confused if we were playing basketball or rugby, to be honest. Also, none of them really know how to shoot, so they would just chuck the ball at the backboard and every now and then get lucky. It was hilarious.

On Wednesday we had a meeting in San Fernando at the offices with all the trainers and new missionaries with Presidente Ayre. It was incredible. I had come to realize that I was too worried about my struggles with the language. As I was worried about this, I became more and more discouraged, and little things started to bring me down even further and further. I haven't really been happy since I got here. However, during the meeting Presidente Ayre reminded us of our sacred calling, and our right to receive revelation and divine help. He also said that we don't need to worry if we can't speak perfect Spanish, when we are doing the right things, the Spirit can testify through us just as easily as through our Latino companions. After the meeting I decided that I wasn't going to be sad and discouraged anymore. I decided that I was going to be happy, and always be smiling, and have the same enthusiasm for the work that I had when I entered the MTC. As a result, I have seen small miracles happen this week. As I'm happy and enthusiastic, I have begun to not be scared to open my mouth and speak and testify. As I'm happy the Spirit is with me more. As I'm happy I have been able to help strengthen others. Also, as I am happy I have actually had an easier time understanding what people say, and speaking with people, not only about the gospel. This meeting on Wednesday changed my mission for me. I've had incredible lessons with less-active members and investigators since that day, starting with Indio on Wednesday. We taught the Plan of Salvation, and I taught half the lesson. I was able to testify about the joy and happiness of this plan of happiness, and it was more powerful because I actually was happy and Indio was able to feel the Spirit.

Friday was quite the interesting day. We had companionship exchanges, so my companion went with the district leader Elder Buxton to his area, and Elder Buxton's companion Elder Cutipa came to my area with me. That meant that I was "in charge" of the area because Elder Cutipa didn't know his way around or the people. I don't really know my way around either... but we got around just fine. It was a really good day for me. Elder Cutipa is from Peru and doesn't know any English at all, so I was forced to speak in Spanish and try and understand what he was saying. Elder Cruz, my companion, knows some English, so when I don't understand something, occasionally he explains in English, but when I didn't understand something Elder Cutipa said, he would explain it in Spanish. It was actually fantastic, and I was able to understand a lot. Since the people in the area only know me and not Elder Cutipa, I was forced to take the lead in the lessons and talk more, and it was wonderful to see that it wasn't hard and I can communicate more than I thought. That night we also had a talent night at the chapel with the ward. It was to start at 7:30, and in Argentina I guess that means that everyone should come at 8:30. There are four of us Elders in the ward, so we shared a spiritual thought, did a couple of silly boy scout sketches that miraculously the people thought were funny, and then Elder Cutipa and I had to leave in order to get back to the pension in time. It was a successful evening though, and Carmen was able to attend and loved it, so that was good. Her baptism is supposed to be this Saturday, so we are hoping that she will feel ready, because her big issue lately is that she doesn't feel ready.

Yesterday was "el dia de la Madre," or Mother's Day in Argentina. It's kind of interesting, because in every other country in the world Mother's Day is in May, but not Argentina, here it is in October. A lot of members asked us when we got to call our families, so we had to explain that we call in May and not October. After a while being asked the same question over and over, Elder Cruz just started telling people that we already called in the morning, jaja. We had an excellent rest of the day. We taught a lesson with Carmen, a different Carmen who lives in the Villa, who is in old investigator. We talked a lot about prophets, and the Book of Mormon, and I was able to contribute a lot to the lesson. She decided that she wanted to come to church next Sunday, and she accepted a baptismal date as well. At the end of the lesson I felt prompted to tell her that we don't want her to go to church and be baptized for us, but we are representatives of Jesus Christ, and He is inviting her to follow Him. It was a really great lesson. Much later that night we went to contact a gentleman we had met a few days previously. He wasn't there, and as we were waiting we saw an older woman across the street with a dog that was staring at us. Elder Cruz wished her a Happy Mother's Day, and then she came over and started talking to us. Her name is Nelly, she's 68, and she is incredible. We shared a little bit about what we believe, and mostly just talked to her about her. She doesn't work on Sunday's, she wants to go to church next week, and she accepted a baptismal date. Incredible. All of this happened because Elder Cruz felt prompted to wish a stranger Happy Mother's Day. 

I had an awesome experience this morning. We are encouraged to pray a lot to know if the Book of Mormon is true, even if we have done so previously. I finished the Book of Mormon again this morning, and afterwards I prayed for about 20 minutes to know if it is true. I received a powerful witness of the divinely inspired book, and it was actually all in Spanish. I know the book to be the word of God. It was translated only through the power of God, through a person that was humble enough to be a tool in the hands of God. This book can help bring us closer to Christ more than anything else can.

Something cool is that I've been dreaming in Spanish for about a week now, and I am thinking in Spanish pretty much all the time. It's amazing what can happen when you decide to be happy, decide to enjoy the mission, and have a positive attitude.

Elder Garrett

Day 62

I guess technically today makes 2 months in the mission since it is the 14th, even if this is technically my 10th week. Time flies doesn't it?

I had a cool experience with personal revelation this past week. On Sunday during our daily planning session we prayed to know what our goal for numbers of new investigators should be on Monday. I received the number 3. Later on Monday we met with this man who works in the building of a member, and we asked if there were others that could join us and he said his two boys could, ages 8 and 10. We were able to teach them the first lesson and Indio was very receptive to all of it, and all three of them accepted the commitment to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and be baptized. In other words, 3 new investigators, which was the number that I received the night before. It was a pretty cool experience for me.

On Tuesday we went to the Zoo Temaiken. It is in Escobar I believe, and we had to take many buses, trains, and run a lot to catch all of them. The running wasn't very fun due to the broken up sidewalks, but we got there and all was well. We were about half an hour late to the mission conference due to trains that were cancelled, but we were able to catch most of it, so that was good. The zoo was incredible and really big. We spent 3 hours there before we left. I bought 1/2 kilo of ice cream... I shared some of it, and I don't know how guilty I should feel because I don't know how big of a measurement that is... not sure if I want to know... We didn't get back to Constitucion until around 8, so we didn't have much time to visit people which was too bad. By the time it was time to return to the pension and go to bed we were totally exhausted, but it was a fun day.

I had a cool experience on Thursday with the ward family Danilenko. They are from some country around Russia and only speak Russian with the exception of one of their children who has learned some Castellano. I'm not entirely sure why they are in Argentina, but it was a cool experience to share a message with them in Castellano, have the boy translate it into Russian, and really see that the Spirit testifies in every language.

Friday I spent all morning in San Fernando and San Isidro working on some papers to become legal in Argentina. A bunch of the other new missionaries were there as well, so it was nice to see some familiar faces from the MTC.

I've eaten some really good food lately, and some food that hasn't been too good. I'm finally used to eating a gigantic lunch and not eating dinner, so that's good. The only problem is, now when I finish my plate and feel really good about myself that I accomplished the feat I am stuffed. Then the Hermana dips me up more food. It's a challenge to eat it all, but I'm trying my best. I guess having more food than I can eat is better than not having enough food to eat right?

Carmen was able to come to Church on Sunday, and she loved it. I believe she has gone before when she was in Uruguay, but it was cool to have her come with us, and we were also able to review the first lesson with her. Right now she feels like she isn't prepared for baptism and wants to review all the lessons, so we're doing that and hopefully she will feel prepared within a couple more weeks.

Unfortunately, Gady, one of our progressing investigators, told us on Saturday that she doesn't want to meet with us anymore. She has a lot of doubts, and her mom and Jehovah's Witnesses have been telling her all sorts of crazy stuff about our church. There isn't really anything we can do other than testify of the truth and invite her to find out for herself, but right now she doesn't seem to be interested. Perhaps with time she will come to know the truth, and maybe for now we have just planted a seed.

I have really come to appreciate the importance of faith in this work and not getting disappointed or frustrated when I don't understand what people say. I find that when I try my best to be positive and happy all the time, it is easier to understand and I am able to feel the Spirit more. This is something I've been working a lot on lately.

Elder Garrett

Día 55

This was a really great week. Some interesting things about Argentina that I have discovered this past week, is that there are all sorts of extremely old, rusting cars everywhere that have just been abandoned for years and people steal parts of them. It´s kind of interesting. Also, the apple juice here actually tastes like apples, so that is really awesome, and much different from the U.S. No one follows the lines on the road, so I´m just glad I´m not driving the buses. Also, there is music from the states being played everywhere... so that´s interesting. A lot of it is the new stuff, but I also hear a lot of Elvis, and Grease is playing right now in this internet café. (and now Billy Joel)



Sister Ayre, Elder Garrett, and President Ayre at the Mission Home
 

We pretty much walk everywhere, but occasionally we take buses when we are going to an area that is a long ways away. Pretty much we are always walking though, and I´m pretty sure I´ve lost weight. I´ve had to tighten my belts, so that´s interesting. Our pensión is pretty big, but not too glamorous. It serves its purpose. We´ve got beds, so I just have my sleeping bag laid out on the mattress, and then I sleep with a sheet and a blanket on top. My companion is pretty great, he makes pancakes almost every morning, and we eat them with dulce de leche... we pretty much eat everything with dulce de leche though... that´s how people can tell that we aren´t from here. My shaver ran out of power and I didn´t have a power converter, so I didn´t shave one day and then borrowed one from the other gringo in our area. He goes home in December, and he said he would give it to me when he goes, so that´ll be nice.

 

Overall it has been a really good week. I still don´t understand a whole lot of what people say, but it´ll come, and I think I´m understanding more than the first week, so that´s definitely progress. Conference was absolutely fantastic. I got to watch it in English with 3 other gringo missionaries. It was almost like we stepped out of Argentina for 2 hours each time. We didn´t get to watch the Priesthood Session, because it is at 9 o´clock here... so that´s too late for missionaries. I think we´ll be watching it in a zone conference soon. Something funny happened this week, I had a member tell me I was really handsome, because I don´t look like a gringo. I guess that´s a good thing, but it´s also a curse, because the people here assume that I know how to speak the language because I don´t look like the other gringos in the zone who all have blonde hair and blue eyes. Oh well. 

 

 

Elder Garrett and Elder Cruz

We were supposed to have a baptism for Carmen yesterday, and Elder Cruz told me I was going to do it. I was really nervous. Unfortunately, Carmen didn´t come to conference like she said she was going to earlier in the day, so we didn´t have a baptism. Also, she isn´t going to go to church on the 20th because it´s mothers day here, so we probably won´t be able to baptize her for a couple weeks. We´re doing our best to find people to teach, but it´s difficult because once we find people that are interested, when we go to their house for the appointment, they are never there and we can´t find them again. I´ve really grown to appreciate the importance of patience in this work, because it definitely isn´t easy. I know that there are people out there who are looking for the message, we just need to find them. 

It´s starting to get warmer here.

I love you all.

Elder Garrett