Well that was an exciting service project.

Well, this past week was a little bit interesting. On Wednesday we went to do a service project for a member who isn't from our ward, but is taking care of an old woman who lives in our area. We went to mow the lawn for her. I was mowing with an electric-lawnmower while my companion was whacking down the lawn with the weed whacker. I felt like we were mowing down the safari, the grass was so long. The extension cords weren't that great on the lawn mower and came unplugged many times and I had to replug them. The last time I did it... well... I didn't have as much luck. As I reached down to plug them in, less than a split second before making contact, I noticed that the plug had separated and that there were wires exposed. Too late. I then felt a current of electricity shoot into my whole body starting in my left arm. It was literally as if time slowed down almost to a stop. I heard a horrid screaming sound, and then realized that it was me who was screaming. I could feel the electricity run throughout my whole body and I could not let go. It's kind of dumb to say I saw my life flash before my eyes, but I really actually did. It's hard to explain everything that happened. Fortunately, the sister from the ward came and whacked the extension cord out of my hand freeing me from the electrical current. I asked my companion how long I had been screaming and he said about 5 seconds. Those were probably the longest 5 seconds of my life. After getting released, I fell to my knees. My companion hadn't realized what was going on, and had thought that I just got mad at the lawnmower because it didn't work very well. After helping me up, I felt a little bit like a superhero that could shoot electricity out of his hands. That was probably the only cool part. I then laid down for about an hour.  I had a headache for about 4 days, but now I'm doing okay. At least it was something out of the ordinary to write in my journal. Just one thought. What matters most in life? All of the memories that shot through my head involved my family. I don't know how close I was to dying or anything, but it made me think about my priorities in life. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that I have of the gospel that allows me to trust and feel safety in knowing that death is just another step in God's plan for us. I'm so grateful for a wonderful family and I love them so much. I'm grateful for wonderful friends who always helped me make good decisions. I'm grateful for teachers who worked tirelessly to help me learn and become a better person. I'm thankful to the Lord for the wonderful blessing that is serving a full-time mission in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I invite all of you to really contemplate what really matters, and if you are putting those things aside for things that are enjoyable, easy, or convenient, you need to make a change. I guess another thought. When I get home, I plan on never mowing the lawn again.

We had a little bit of a hard time finding new people to teach this past week, I'm not really sure what changed, but we weren't as good at finding new people. This week we've planned a lot of new ways to find people, and we're going to be focusing a lot on visiting inactive members that we don't know as well as using Family History work to find new people to teach.

Juan Domingo is the gentleman that was unable to be baptized because he was living in the same house as his ex-wife. He is so great and has so much faith, that after speaking with us, he decided to go find a new place to live, and will be moving in with his sister and his niece on Tuesday. We are planning his baptism for this Sunday. It really is incredible how much can be accomplished if we will but have faith.

José is 15 and a friend of a member here. We have the signed permission to teach and baptize him. He went to church yesterday and really liked it and is going to go to mutual tomorrow. We are working to help prepare him for baptism as well.

I love you all and I hope that this letter finds you well wherever you may be. May the force be with you.

Love,

Elder John William Garrett

Buenos Aires, Argentina

 

Bienvenida la Primavera

Yesterday was the first day of Spring, so happy Spring to all those on the southern hemisphere!  

On Thursday we were visiting with Carmen and Ronald and they are just so great. They are so happy and they say that they can feel the Spirit so strongly in their lives. Carmen is sharing the gospel with friends and is really excited to be able to go to the Temple. Ronald is really excited to go on a mission, he only has to wait 7 more years, and I'm pretty sure he is counting the days.

Juan Domingo had a baptismal date for yesterday, but unfortunately was not able to be baptized because of a few complications that weren't foreseen. He was pretty disappointed, but we are doing our very best to help him continue progressing and be able to be baptized.

Diego (Carmen's nephew) also had a baptismal date for yesterday, but was not baptized either. It turns out that he and his girlfriend moved in together recently, something he never told us as we talked about the Law of Chastity almost daily. The good news is that he wants to be baptized so they are going to try and get married as soon as possible. He is a really great guy. He doesn't have a whole lot, but what he has he shares with us because he told us the other day, "when I serve you two, I feel like I'm really serving the Savior Jesus Christ." It was a really spiritually powerful moment, and I am so grateful for this privilege to wear His name on my chest and be one of His official representatives. Yesterday when we came to his house to teach him we met his cousin, Cristian. Diego had been teaching him all about the Restoration and had been reading with him a lot of chapters of the Gospel Principles Manual. When we showed up, Cristian had questions for us and was already wanting to go to church and learn more. After meeting with us, he accepted a baptismal date and also wants to go on a mission. He is 17, but turns 18 on October 5. It's pretty incredible to see how the Lord carries out His work.

All in all, the mission is full of ups and downs, but it is the most incredible work that I have been, and will ever be a part of. I love it so much. 

Que la fuerza les acompañe.

Love,

Elder John William Garrett

Obstáculos están para superar

This was a very nice week. We had a lot of obstacles placed in our path, but were able to overcome them with the Lord's help.

This week we were preparing Carmen and her son Ronald to be baptized. Carmen works from about 10 am to midnight four days and then has a day off, then works four days and has a day off. It had been somewhat of a challenge to teach her. With her baptism being this weekend, on Monday we were faced with the task of teaching all of Lesson 4 (the commandments) in one appointment. The appointment ended up being about 2 hours long, and we had to really rely on the Lord to help her resolve her doubts on the Law of Chastity. Fortunately the Holy Ghost is the teacher and not us, so we were able to help her overcome that fear and accept to live the commandment. 

However, Carmen would be unable to be baptized on Sunday after church because she has to leave immediately after church to be able to travel to Vicente Lopez to work. We had thought that maybe she could be baptized Saturday night, because it would be a few weeks before she had a Sunday off again. I called the Bishop Monday night and he said no, that she should sacrifice going to work for being baptized. That was kind of an interesting situation, because being a single mom with two kids and not having any financial support from the father she needed to work and didn't really have any other option. Anyway, I called President Ayre who holds the Priesthood keys for the convert baptisms Tuesday morning and talked to him about the situation, and he said that he was on my side and that that was unfair of the Bishop and that he could call the Stake President and talk to him about the situation if I wanted him to. I told him I would call him back in a couple days, becasue we had received a text from Carmen telling us that she wasn't sure if she was ready to be baptized because she wasn't sure she'd be able to live the law of tithing. After praying really hard, we sent her a stream of spiritual texts since we couldn't call her at work, and set up an appointment for Wednsday morning at 9 am. We were praying a lot.

Wednesday morning when we showed up she told us that she had actually had a dream and received an answer from the Lord in regards to the law of tithing, and so she was ready to be baptized on Saturday. We were really excited and grateful to the Lord for answering her. However, we still had the problem of the Bishop. President called me at the beginning of an appointment with Ronald (I had to talk to President, so my hijo taught the whole lesson in Spanish basically by himself. He's pretty great). We talked about the situation and we decided it would be best to try and talk to the Bishop again before pulling the trump card so we could maintain a good relationship with him. I set up an appointment with the Bishop for later that night, and after praying hard about what to say, we came and even without saying much, he decided that it was alright and that we could have the baptisms be on Saturday. It was pretty incredible all the work that the Lord was doing this week. We had prepared a lot for the lesson with Carmen that in the end we didn't have to teach, and prepared a lot for the meeting with the Bishop that in the end we didn't have to say much.

Anyway, during this whole week Ronald was doing great and was really excited for his baptism.

When Saturday came around, during a service activity in the morning, the ward mission leader called and let me know that he wouldn't be able to come to the service, so we would have to work it out by ourselves... yikes. Then about every member that had told us they would go when we passed by told us that they couldn't, leaving us without witnesses for the baptismal ordinance. Then the Bishop let me know that he wouldn't be able to go to the service either, so 40 minutes before it was to start I had to call one of his counselors to ask if he could come preside, which he did. After not expecting very many people to come, a lot more people came than we thought originally. It was a really beautiful baptismal service, and the Spirit was really strong throughout. Carmen had asked me to baptize her, and Ronald had asked my hijo, so he was pretty excited about that. Diego (Carmen's nephew) was telling everyone that he would be baptized this coming Sunday, so he's really excited. After it was all over, we walked home in the rain, which couldn't even dampen our happy mood, and ended up buying ice-cream to celebrate the week.

Baptism! Elder Garrett, Carmen, Ronald and Elder Lawyer

Yesterday Carmen and Ronald were confirmed members of the church. Diego came to church and is excited to be baptized this Sunday. Juan Domingo also came to church and can't wait for Sunday to come to be baptized as well. It pretty much rained all day and we got soaked and were freezing, but it was a fantastic week.

We love empanadas!

This week I really learned to appreciate the Lord's hand in this work. Every obstacle was overcome. I felt somewhat like Nephi who expressed, "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do. Nevertheless, I went forth." God hears and answers prayers. He knows every one of His children in a very personal way and knows their needs. I am so grateful for a Savior who has been working side by side with me for these 13 months and whose name I proudly carry on my chest. There is no better work than this. "I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my JOY." (Alma 29:9)

Que la fuerza les acompañe.

Love,

Elder John William Garrett

This past week was fantastic. We are having so much fun finding new people to teach, preaching the gospel, and seeing miracles. Carmen and her son Ronald are doing great.  They've got a baptismal date for this Sunday, so keep them in your prayers! Diego is doing well also... but he slept in late and didn't get up to go to church... and didn't wake up when we tried to wake him up... so that pushes back his baptismal date... be sure to keep him in your prayers as well.

This week we found a man named Juan Domingo who is pretty great. He's 54 and has diabetes. He dropped about 125 pounds in 8 months and now weighs 155. He's had a really hard life and can hardly walk. He's accepting everything and we brought him to church yesterday, which he also loved.

We met a friend of a recent convert's on Saturday, and I don't think I've ever met someone so excited to go to church. She was literally giddy. She enjoyed it a lot, and we're excited to keep teaching her.

Yesterday I met a less-active member who has been going through many challenges lately, and she asked us to give her a blessing. I have given more blessings in my mission than I can count, and I have felt the Spirit every time, but this time was different. I don't know that I've ever felt the Spirit so strongly while giving a blessing, and all throughout the blessing and afterwards this dear sister was bawling. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that is so aware of every one of His children. The Priesthood is real. 

Today we spent P-day at the Batalla family's house, and they live in the richest private neighborhood in all of Argentina, in Nordelta. It was pretty awesome. They have a private lake. When we got there Sister Batalla said, "so, I bought asado to eat, if that's okay"... of course it's okay! It was an awesome day.

I hope all is well wherever this email may find you! I love you all! Que la fuerza les acompañe!

Love,

Elder John William Garrett

Dios contesta nuestras oraciones

Well, for those of you who didn't know, I am still in Pacheco and am now training Elder Lawyer from Orem, Utah. He got here from the US last Tuesday, so he's pretty new. His mom is actually from Buenos Aires, she met his dad as they were both attending BYU, so that's pretty cool. He's 19, a month older than me, shorter than me, and went to BYU for a year before coming out on the mission. He studied Spanish a little before the mission, but it's still been quite the change for him. Sometimes I think, "wow, did I have that hard of a time with Spanish when I got here?" And then I realize that he speaks and understands a lot better than I did, because I barely knew anything. This past week we met a man who asked us if we believed in the gift of tongues and I replied in the affirmative. I am a very firm believer in the gift of tongues. All of the gifts of God are given in order to carry out His work, and I am so grateful for the gift of tongues in my life. It is incredible to think that missionaries can learn languages as fast as they do. I am especially grateful to my Heavenly Father, as I have had to teach a lot more and pretty much do everything a lot more. Speaking more was a change when I became senior companion, when I trained a Latino, but training an American is even more different. God is so great:)

My new hijo, Elder Lawyer

In our first week together we have seen a lot of success. About two weeks ago Hermana Castro from the ward met a woman named Carmen in the barber shop. We tried to contact her a few times unsuccessfully, but then Hermana Castro brought her to church last Sunday, and she came with her two children. We then set up an appointment to meet with her. This past week visiting her has been really great. I have a firm testimony that God is preparing people here for us to teach, and Carmen and her 11-year-old son have both accepted baptismal dates for the 14th. We also met Carmen's nephew Diego this week. When we showed up to his house, he told us that he had been praying the night before for God to send him his disciples so that he could return to His path. I think it's probably for that reason that he is accepting literally everything. He's already read a lot in the Book of Mormon, had a serious girlfriend and accepted the Law of Chastity, went to church on Sunday and is preparing to be baptized on the 14th. He loved church and is excited to go every week and prepare to receive the priesthood.  Miracles happen. God answers prayers. I know He loves us.

Anyway, I love you all and I hope all is well wherever you might be!

Que la fuerza les acompañe.

Love,

Elder John William Garrett