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
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