well all the rumors are true, i'm in living at the MTC for my secound time. Wednesday was really crazy, I started off with early going to the Las Vegas Temple which was amazing, and then i had to catch a flight to salt lake. when we walk out of the airport it was like a huge reunion. All of the mexico visa waiter were standing on the curb waiting for the bus to pick us up. it was awesome to see all of my MTC Mexican again. we sat at the airport for a couple of hours waiting for everybodies planes to come in. It was cool at first to hear about everybodies missions but, about after the first half hour it got really old. I understand now why people get tired of hearing, "Well, in my mission we did this...". If you can only imagine 30 greenie missionaries who just got a little taste of the field, and you slam all of them together. these past coulple of days it has been better but man i was so sick of hearing from these missionaries and how we think we are cool because we've been out of the mtc. I don't know, i guess its a good thing to be so excited, but we still have no clue what we're doing. Its been intersting being back here, we've been able to go back and see our old teachers, and for some reason i can understand them so much better. I am back with my old MTC comp, elder pound, not sure how that happened but I was happy cause he is realy good about helping me with spanish. he told me that my spanish was a lot better, so i guess there is process being made. we went to the mexican consulate yesterday, and signed our promisos. they told us that they should process them by monday. but i still don't know excatly when i'm leaving, but we think its going to be this early this next week. after our visit to the consulate it made me very anxious. I've been studying hard to use this time to prepare as best i can before we leave.

i've been thinking a lot about 1 Neph 3:7 these last couple of days.
"...I will go and do the things which the lord hath commanded, for i know that the lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."
He has always provided a way, and he will always provide a way. in a time when we need comfort to know that things will all work out, we can kown that if we are completle obiedient the lord WILL provide a way. some blessing come soon, some come late, and some don't come till heaven, but for those who trust god they come.

I love you all so much and can't wait for the tiem i wright you from mexico. god speed

Elder Gardner

o yeah i've seen a bunch of people here at the mtc, a lot of kids from high school, byu i, and boise. I saw trent burch the other day, he seem to be doing great, he's excited to leave in a couple of weeks for chile. tell his mom that he's doing great. I also saw hermana Mckenna, it was really crazy cause she looked so fimillar, and then when i saw her name tage i knew exactly who it was. we talked for a little bit, it was awesome to see her.

Hola from Las Vegas for the last time,
I love you all so much I don't have a lot of time since i'm packing, because i have a flight that i want to catch to Salt Lake. it finaly came, i've been going crazy!! i'm so pumped, but ready to pee my pants at the same time. i have a meeeting with the mexican consolate in salt lake on thursday. I'm headed back to the MTC, can't wait to get some of that food again. I'm going to the temple at 700 tomorrow mournig then to pres. house at 1000, then my flight leaves at 1207. its not officail yet but you might be hearing from me tomorrow mourning, if not i'll wright you next week with more details. it's going to be weird driving by american fork on the way to the mtc. its crazy, but life is good and i'm excited for what ahead. I'm a little sad to leave this place, I've met a lot of people whom i'll have to come back and visit. i love you all. Keep smiling!

Love
Elder GArdner

Hola from Las Vegas

Alright i getting very concered of the situaltion i'm in right now. I'm growing rapidly!! and i'm not talking about my height. I first recognized the problem when we were at a members house the other night and the hermana asked me how much weight i'd gained. she told me that i don't look like the same bean poll i was when i got here. I thought things were going alright, but after that comment i've been wieghing myself in the mournings. lets just stay i came out wieghing 190 lbs. i'm now clocking in at a pugey 210. 20 flipp'n pounds. the scary thing is I can't stop it, we at least have 2 meals every night at least. and you know how mexican food is, greasy. I'm hoping that when i get to mexico that because we will be walking that i can loose some wieght. i think its the sitting in the car all day that kills me. anyways about the mexcio visa thing, i know absolutly nothing. i heard a rumor that will be out by the end of october, but november is coming up quick. One of the elders that i flew out hear with is now living in the same apartment as us. we've had many rants about how we can't wait to leave, and how bad it stinks to be a visa waiter. but it hit me hard the other day, if i never got my visa would and was reassigned to vegas would i stay out here. it kind of made me think of why i came out here. i didn't come on my misson to go to mexico i came out here cause i want to serve, and i want to do my part and invite others to come unto christ, regarlesss of where i'm at. I compare my misson and this situation to the Zions camp march. god commanded them to go to missouri and redeem zion only to turn around once they got there. i've read a couple of things on zions camp, and it talks about how that was a time to sort out the people who dedicated to being obeitdant and following god, and those who were out there for them selfs. I come to the conclusion that even though i want to go to mexico so badly, i'm out here to be obeidant and to serve where i'm called, and for the time being i've been called to serve in the Las Vegas West mission. I have no doubt if god wanted me in mexico he would send me there, he has power to get my visa.

I want to share some thing that i was studying this mournig. this is a talk from pres. uchtdorf back in 2007 called, "have we not reason to rejoice"

My dear brothers and sisters, there will be days and nights when you feel overwhelmed, when your hearts are heavy and your heads hang down. Then, please remember, Jesus Christ, the Redeemer, is the Head of this Church. It is His gospel. He wants you to succeed. He gave His life for just this purpose. He is the Son of the living God. He has promised:“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28
).“For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall not depart from thee” (3 Nephi 22:10
). “I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer” (3 Nephi 22:8
).My dear friends, the Savior heals the broken heart and binds up your wounds (see Psalm 147:3
). Whatever your challenges may be, wherever you live on this earth, your faithful membership in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the divine powers of the gospel of Jesus Christ will bless you to endure joyfully to the end.Of this I bear witness with all my heart and mind in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."
this talk is based off one of my favorite scriptures Alma 26:35. Even though times are difficult, even though the world that we live in is fulll of hatred, and dirt. we have have reason to rejoice, think of what this gospel means to you, and the knowlege we have of the eterneral happiness we are promised if we endure. Mom I love you, and i hurt to know that the family is going through a hard time, but i rejoice because i know that it will be all right in the end. I know god Loves us, He understands our struggles. thank you for who you are and the example you are to me.
I love you all so much
Elder Gardner

It has been a heart churning week. we had mission confernce on monday, elder Kevin W. Pierson of they 70 spoke to us. I have never seen or felt a general authority thrash missionaries so hard before. it was very neccesary, and has helped my realign my life. boy did he ripe into us. I love that man, the guidance he gave us under the direction of the spirt has changed my life. i wish you all could have been there. I have a very specific message that i want to share with you that i've been thinking about all week. the first pricicle we try to teach is that god is our loving heavenly father. He is our Loving Heavenly Father. when we can get people to understand this principle every thing else will come. many people that we talk to say "if god loves us than why does he let us suffer". my heart burns when i hear this cause i know that they aren't understanding. He loves us so much that he gives us these challeges, so that we can become better. he know our potential, he konws how much happiness we can have. I know that everything that our family is going through, is not because god doesn't care about us, its because he loves us. he has plans for all of us, we have to show him we are obiedient. I read a talk by elder maxwell back in 1999, its called something like Laman and lemuel. please check it out. I know that we have a Father in Heaven, his power is above all others. he loves you, he knows you and your challenges, and he has given us every thing we need to succeed. I love you all so much, and I miss you. I hope all is well

With everything i've got
Elder Gardner

thanks for the package i've not recieved it yet but i'll let you know. thanks so much
- Show quoted text -

Hello from Vegas

OK, i'm sorry about not sending pics, but you have to understand that i don't have a lot, but i'll send you some next week. If i send you pics you've got to send me some, i want to see whats going down with everybody (I'm still waiting to see marcs new ride).
speaking of seeing home, i've seen a lot this weekend. we watched this movie about the history of the pioneers, and how they settled in salt lake. at the end of it they were showing all these modern pictures of satl lake and the whole valley. I thought i saw grandmas house. and then during priesthood session i hear that the mtc choir is singing, followed by seeing so many people that i know. during all the songs, when the camera was showing the choir, i couldn't help but point out all of the people i knew, "that kid is in my ward, thats one of my best firends from high school, and that my brother-in-law." it was awesome to see MIke Morris, Josh Stewart, and Drew. I was a little disappointed, it would have been awesome to be there singing with all those missionaries. Between the movie and conference and the letters you forwarded from all my firends, i started to have this realy weird feeling. my compaion later diagnosed me with a small case of trunkiness, its not to bad though, i doing a lot better know. that was really the first time i had expirenced it.
I don't think i've every enjoyed conference so much, it was very much needed though. I was reliefied to find out that we were watching it in english. we went over to a members house and watched all 4 session. they treated us really well, with lazy boys to sit in and bottomless food. I tried to enjoy it as much as i could cause i'm pretty sure that that isn't going to happen down in mexico. it still wasn't as comfortable as waking up to soggy bottom biscuits and working on that yarn cat with the girls during the sessions. you talked a little bit about the talks that you enjoyed, I too can't wait for the ensign to come out and reread all of the talks. I sorry to say mom, that you missed out on the priesthood session though, it was amazing.
Well, I been here in Vegas for a whole transfer. last saturday we got transfer calls and to no surprise i'm staying in redrock. i'm staying with elder sullivan, and Elder Bello is headed up to Tahoe. And then we are going to get an illegal elder on tuesday. staying in the three some. to be honest i'm ready to move on, i'm tired of being the "third wheel". i'm ready to actually start leaning spanish. its tough, but i guess there are still lessons to be learned here in the desert. thanks for your prayers, don't worry about the visa it will all work out.
Sorry again about the pics, but if you send the razor i promise a some pics next week. Mom i need you to do something else for me, i've been thinking resently about the Hegermans and especialy Jack. could you give sis. Hegerman a call and see how they are doing, and let me know. thanks
I learned alot this weekend and many of my questions and prayers were answered. for me the overall message was we have to follow the prophet and the leaders of the church. it seems to always come back to obiediance. i can't wait to go through all of the talks agian in the ensign.

I love you all. thanks for everything

Elder Gardner