Saltando en los charcos...with elder lopez (new companion) and elder patey (last companion)

This past week was an adventure. We've been working really hard to get to know more members and help them participate in the work here in Suárez. By doing so we've received a lot of referrals and have found many new people to teach. This week we've been teaching a lady named Inca (Filomena) who is 66 years old. She went to church a few times about 5 months ago. She had been searching to find peace in her life and has told us that as she reads the Book of Mormon and prays, she has been able to feel that peace. 

A miracle from this week is that we started visiting an inactive member. He smokes 40 cigarettes per day. He didn't really want to pray or read the scriptures or go to church when we first met him, but yesterday when we visited him he had read 4 chapters in the scriptures and had planned to go to church yesterday (he didn't end up going because... well... I'll get to that). During our appointment he didn't even smoke! It was a miracle because before he would smoke about 3 cigarettes during our 30 minute appointment. It is so incredible to see how the Lord helps people change.

On Friday, while on our way to an appointment, we were walking down the street and a little family saw us and the kids came running up to us and said, "We're Mormons!" The Godoy family is from Rosario and they just moved to Suárez 2 weeks ago. It is a really big family and not all of them got baptized in Rosario, even though they were attending church every week. They wanted to know where the chapel was here in Suárez, so we arranged to help them get to church on Sunday and they were really excited. In the end... well... they didn't end up going because... well... I'll get to that.

Sunday morning there was a huge rain storm and it poured! My companion and I went looking for the Godoy family and we got drenched! By the time we got to church we were soaked all the way through all the layers of our clothes and freezing! At 9 o´clock there were only about 30 people at church, and over the next hour the members slowly trickled in. When it rains here... no one leaves their house. Overall it was kind of a rough day because no one wanted to leave their house and talk to us. Fortunately, Elder Patey had left his rubber rain boots in the pension when he left, so I put them on and jumped in every puddle I found to stay smiling and happy. It was the first time I had ever worn rain boots, so it was fun.

With Elder Lopez (new companion) and Elder Patey (last companion)

 The down side is that I woke up today pretty sick... so that's not fun. Today we only have 2 hours to write to the family and then it'll just be a normal day, because on Friday we are going to go the temple with the zone. It's going to be really great! Overall, it was kind of a rough week, but we're still working hard and I know that the miracles are going to come!

I love you all!

Elder John William Garrett

La Gran Misión Buenos Aires Norte