December 26, 2011

Hola de La Colmena

So the rumors were true, I'm not in Valle Dorado.  It is the neighboring zone to the one I was just in.  So I didn’t move very far, but it is crazy how much different this place is then Prado's.  It is straight up hills.  My comp is Elder Castro.  He has 22 months on the mission, and we get along really well.  I'm excited to be with a Mexican again because my Spanish really needs it.  All I know about this area is that it is doing horrible right now.  From what my comp told me the ward is dead.  We have a couple of possible, but really new, investigators.  I'm so excited for 5 o’clock today, because we are going to hit this area so hard.  

It was great to talk with everyone. Dang, Skype is so much cooler than the phone call.  It would have worked so much better, but the problem was my computer.  My comp was Skyping on a different computer in the same house, that's why it was so slow.  My comp said that when I got off, it worked so well.  The picture was clean and the audio was quick.  The problem was just that we were using it at the same time.  For mothers day we've got to do it again.  It will be so much better if my comp and I don't go at the same time. 

Mom, I do worry about you guys.  But at the same time, I know it will all work out. That confidence comes because I know my parents are worthy of God’s blessings.  When we do our part, God will always bring us forth Conquerors.  How lucky our we to be part of a family where everyone is sealed in the temple and striving for the same goals (eternal families).  Worried about the challenges that our family has? Yes.  Absolutely sure that God will take care of us? ¡YES!

I was super shocked about what happened with Vance.  He´s a tough kid and will make it through it.  No doubt the prayers are coming from Mexico. 

I love you all so much. 

Elder Gardner

CTR

December 19, 2011

I'm super psyched to talk to you guys, but I hope it goes with out problems.  We are looking in to a back up plan if the computers don't work.  Ok, so I know nothing about Skype but we are going to use the computers at some awesome members house.  I'm going to use their account. I guess you have to send a friend request.  Their account is arciniega.ordona but the hermana wrote super crazy so it could be arciniega.orduna just a change of the o to u. Quien sabe, try them both.  Elder Davidson and I are thinking to call at 4 on Sunday, which will be 3 your time.  Hopefully that works out for you guys.   We are going to have an hermana email you to make sure everything checks out.  The bummer is that we only have 40min to talk. 

It’s crazy to me that Garrison and Braden are home. Have you talked to either of the two? I'm pretty dang sure that this is my last week in Prado's.  I will know the changes by the time I talk to you on Sunday.  My 6 months here have been with trials, pains, and frustration, but I also think that I've learned the most in this area.  I love this barrio and the area, and it will hard to leave the converts. 

We had a lot of people lined up to go to church this Sunday, but at the last minute it fell apart.  We ended up bringing one family to church.  Vicente and Francesca, they're awesome.   We found Vicente from a contact that we had.  The guy understands everything really well, but he has a couple of things that we need to work on with him.  He is a big time smoker, but has the desire to give it up.  Something else that had us worried was that he has a room in his house that is dedicated for the Santa Muerte, the holy death.  Super sketchy.  When we asked about it, he told us that it’s a tradition and it’s not bad.  Look up the Santa Muerte online and tell me it’s not bad.  We will  look in to that a little more.  Him and his wife are awesome, and hopefully the will keep going.  I will let you know on Sunday how it goes with him.

I’m excited to talk with you on Christmas.  Hope all is well and that you’re happy.  I love you. Nos vemos Domingo

Elder Gardner

¡la Iglesias es verdadero!  

December 12, 2011

Thanks Mom I love you so much,

They have the Feliz Navidad "I want to wish you a marry Christmas"song playing in this cafe, it has a whole new meaning for me now.

So get this, I just got an email from Pres. and he says we can use Skype for the call home. Not sure if that is easier, but my comp says that it’s completely free, you just have to set up an account. I think it would be cool to do the Skype but have a backup plan just in case something goes bad. Tell me what you think.

So this is the lesson I learned this week. "Your task is to live worthily, pray fervently, and learn to recognize and follow courageously the spirits guidance." The spirit is the most important aspect of the obra misional, and that definitely rolls into our everyday lives, well your everyday lives, because this is my everyday life. I have had such a struggle trying to discern when I'm receiving revelation and what that revelation is. I remember a talk that Elder Bednar gave in the MTC. He said about following the spirit, "Be a good boy, Be a good girl and God will guide you." If we are doing what we should be doing God will help us understand his will. It’s something we all need to learn and master; listening to the spirit and following it. We decided to knock some doors on Wednesday.  We had a long street that we had previously decided to knock and we were about to knock the first door.  I then got the most subtle and irremovable feeling to knock the door on the other side of the street.  We did it and knocked the door of a señora named Sandra.  She is what we missionaries call GOLD.  She was waiting for someone to come and tell her what to do to come close to God and to help her understand which of all the doctrine is correct.  She has almost finished the Book of Mormon which we gave to her on Thursday.  What would have happened if we knocked the other door first? I'm not sure but for some reason we were led to Sandra, one of Gods escogidos. I didn't know that she lived there, but God did and because of the spirit we were able to find her. I'm trying to be better at acting when I get these subtle feelings, it takes a lot of practice, but to have the guidance of the spirit is essential for this life.  I know God loves us and wants to guide us, for this he has given the gift of the holy ghost to all that make covenants to obey. I love you all.  Thanks mom for an awesome email. cuidate mucho

Elder Gardner

December 5, 2011

No worries mom,  I'm glad that you’re feeling better.  I can’t even believe that Garrison is coming home, how is that even possible?  His letters are super good.  I love reading them.   What an awesome kid.  That's crazy about the Goodman's. I don't know where the time is going. 

Well, big announcement!  We went to Wal-Mart today, and it was incredible.  Not sure if you have walked into a Wal-Mart lately but dang they are super nice.  Not sure if that means that i have become Mexican, or that I've just been eating way to much chile with my candy.  I found a jar of peanut butter for 40 pesos. I almost died i was so happy! After we went to Sam's club to eat pizza, lets just say I'm a happy camper. 

These past weeks have been very humbling.  Elder Davidson and I are still battling it out with Satan here in Prado's.  We have had some difficulties that have demanded some big changes from us.  I feel like there are major things that my heavenly father is trying to teach me.  I know that God is aware of each of our circumstances, he loves us and wants celestial happiness for us.  I'm in that phase where God is smoothing out some of the major weaknesses I have.  When we give up fighting for what we want and just completely surrender to the will of God, that is when he can mold us into the instruments he needs, and in the end will create eternal happiness. 

I love you so much, hope all goes great this next week,

Elder Gardner

So i have a request from Elder Miron for a package of beef jerky.  He is the only Mexican I know that likes the stuff, and he wanted me to ask for some.