This week was a good one for sure. I have some more fun stories and some sketchy stories so I hope you all enjoy.
So this week we got to visit our golden investigator who we found underneath a lamp post at night a few times. Each time gradually got crazier and crazier. The first time was great, we went, got to talk to her about how she liked church and it was really normal. talked about baptism a bit more and she didnt understand why she had to be baptized again so we explained it and she was like oh okay yeah i got it. So it was chill.
Then the next time we went, her and her whole family tree were all hanging out at her house so that was exciting. Usually I try to avoid circumstances where there are a lot of people because they always just try to tag team on us and try to bible bash and it just really isn't a good experience. So we were about to head out and then her friend basically just challenges us in front of everyone and says, "salvation is personal, so then why do you baptize for dead people and get sealed to dead people". I was just like ughhh I really don't want to have to explain this really deep doctrine in front of like 6 people who are all very very crazy religious in their churches. So I was like okay I wanted to back out and then the guy goes "no, tell me why you think that" and he was angry. And I was just chilling in my seat with some Cheetos and a coca cola in my hands and I was like I just don't know what to do. Fast back to like an hour earlier. We had gone to the bathroom at our house and I just sat down and read my patriarchal blessing. It says that I will be a great teacher who will proclaim the gospel well. I got in my feels thinking what am I lacking to be this great teacher. What do I need to change to become this great teacher. So I said a prayer asking for help to know what to do. Then we left and went with the golden investigator. Now back to the story. I was there with my Cheetos and coke thinking what do I do. and the Spirit told me "Teach with authority, you are a representative of Jesus Christ, you know this is true so do not be afraid. The answer to my question came to my mind and in that moment, I set the Cheetos and coke on the ground, grabbed my bible, and just taught it all. I have never in all of my mission, taught with such vigor and confidence. To the point that I had truly showed them that salvation is personal, but we as people who are already saved need to go and help others become saved. I explained it all. And at the end, everyone was just sitting there staring and they all told me, "how beautiful is the doctrine of Christ". Teaching with that authority, is the key to become that great teacher. I wish I had learned it earlier but now I know, and now I will never be afraid to teach something ever again. Our investigator understood it all because the Spirit was the teacher, not me. A great moment.
Then with the same people just a few days later, we went back. And this time the family reunion ended and it was just her and her daughter. We got to talking and she told us about how that friend who challenged us really isn't her friend. That he is basically stalking her and she doesn't know what to do. He challenged us to basically try to run us away because he doesn't like that we are there with her. I guess they were friends for like 6 years but for this past year, he has just gone crazy and now stalks her and doesn't leave her alone. So she was like begging us to help her and I just don't know what to do in that moment. I basically had to tell her that our job isn't to be a body guard but to help people spiritually but we recommended that she talks to the bishop so that he can get some other people involved. And it all just made sense why when he is there, she like shuts down and doesn't want to talk to anyone and just looks really bored because she is trying to ignore him. But that day that she told us about this, she was completely different. So we have been praying a lot to help her know what to do but other than pray, there really isn't much that we can do.
This week was just great. we are teaching a ton, finding a ton of people and just having fun here.
I love you all
Elder Garry
Monday, August 29, 2016
Monday, August 22, 2016
Week 59 Contacting Stories
So this week was just fun of little fun stories. I will start with a member named Martina.
So we were contacting an area that is super poor. Like houses made of sticks and mud. Like the mud still has like pieces of grass stuck in it. And everyone kept asking us if we were looking for someone named Martina and i was like uhh no. I'm looking for you guys! haha so after we finally went and knocked on the door of this Martina. I didn't know if it was a member or an old investigator or what. So we went there and she comes strolling out and she sees us and just gets super angry. She is an old lady and apparently got really sick and no one came to help her. So she said that we aren't allowed to come when she is healthy because no one came when she was sick. And she goes, "unless you bring me food I will not receive you guys here" and slams her little wooden stick door. I was afraid her house was going to break. My comp just looked at me like what do we do. I was like "didn't you hear her? She wants food! So we ran and bought some bread and a juice and went back!! She sees the food and just starts smiling soooo hard and laughing and brings out to buckets to sit on. And she told us her story and how she got baptized like 2 years ago and then went to the temple a year ago and then got sick and almost died. But now she loves us. We went and did service in her house cutting her lawn with a machete. Which is harder than it sounds hahaha walked away with a nice blister and a great friend named Martina who even went to church the next Sunday after about 6 months without going!!! We went and got her and we were 30 minutes late to church because of how slow she walks but we went!
Then a really awesome experience that Santacruz and I had contacting. It was Monday night at like 8 40. We were both just tired and we were debating just going to the house early. I told him that we need to knock on 5 doors more and then we can go home. We knock on 4 really fast and everyone was rude and didn't want anything to do with us and we were even more ready to go home. Then we turn the corner and we see a lady sitting on her porch under her porch light doing nothing. I look and my companion and jokingly tell him that she is ready to be baptized. We went and she was literally golden. Just full of questions. Questions like "what is the true church of God" "where can I find it and how" and "what is the Book of Mormon" so we went and taught her the lesson about the restoration. She was like "wow, I love it all" and then we went another day and loved it. Then she even went to church with us yesterday with her best friend!! I am just speechless!! She is amazing. Her name is Gisenia and she is just great!!
And another story is that we have a family that we are teaching and they invited us to help them build a wall, also out of mud and sticks. So we went on Tuesday. we get there and the dad was like "you're right on time, I just got back with the CocaCola" so I was like right on haha we basically just talked the whole time and didn't build anything. The wife said something really cool. She told us that never had the missionaries been able to build a relationship with the dad before but with us we are joking around and just having a good time. Shout out to my magic card tricks by the way hahaha and the dad goes "I want you all to know that my house is open for you at any time of the day and any day." and he says that he and his whole family will go to church with us this Sunday! It was a really great teaching opportunity for my kid because I was able to show him that being a missionary doesn't just mean showing up and teaching but really getting to know them and love them so that our message is more personal to them. Our whole purpose is to find the need of every investigator and if we just show up and teach without knowing them, how will we ever find the need?? A great moment for sure!
Other than that we had a good week. Our baptism fell again which is frustrating and I don't think he will be baptized this Saturday either but we will see. We are working a ton. Like a ton. My poor kid is just dead everyday all day but at least he will learn how to work hard and have fun!
I love you all!
Elder Garry
So we were contacting an area that is super poor. Like houses made of sticks and mud. Like the mud still has like pieces of grass stuck in it. And everyone kept asking us if we were looking for someone named Martina and i was like uhh no. I'm looking for you guys! haha so after we finally went and knocked on the door of this Martina. I didn't know if it was a member or an old investigator or what. So we went there and she comes strolling out and she sees us and just gets super angry. She is an old lady and apparently got really sick and no one came to help her. So she said that we aren't allowed to come when she is healthy because no one came when she was sick. And she goes, "unless you bring me food I will not receive you guys here" and slams her little wooden stick door. I was afraid her house was going to break. My comp just looked at me like what do we do. I was like "didn't you hear her? She wants food! So we ran and bought some bread and a juice and went back!! She sees the food and just starts smiling soooo hard and laughing and brings out to buckets to sit on. And she told us her story and how she got baptized like 2 years ago and then went to the temple a year ago and then got sick and almost died. But now she loves us. We went and did service in her house cutting her lawn with a machete. Which is harder than it sounds hahaha walked away with a nice blister and a great friend named Martina who even went to church the next Sunday after about 6 months without going!!! We went and got her and we were 30 minutes late to church because of how slow she walks but we went!
Then a really awesome experience that Santacruz and I had contacting. It was Monday night at like 8 40. We were both just tired and we were debating just going to the house early. I told him that we need to knock on 5 doors more and then we can go home. We knock on 4 really fast and everyone was rude and didn't want anything to do with us and we were even more ready to go home. Then we turn the corner and we see a lady sitting on her porch under her porch light doing nothing. I look and my companion and jokingly tell him that she is ready to be baptized. We went and she was literally golden. Just full of questions. Questions like "what is the true church of God" "where can I find it and how" and "what is the Book of Mormon" so we went and taught her the lesson about the restoration. She was like "wow, I love it all" and then we went another day and loved it. Then she even went to church with us yesterday with her best friend!! I am just speechless!! She is amazing. Her name is Gisenia and she is just great!!
And another story is that we have a family that we are teaching and they invited us to help them build a wall, also out of mud and sticks. So we went on Tuesday. we get there and the dad was like "you're right on time, I just got back with the CocaCola" so I was like right on haha we basically just talked the whole time and didn't build anything. The wife said something really cool. She told us that never had the missionaries been able to build a relationship with the dad before but with us we are joking around and just having a good time. Shout out to my magic card tricks by the way hahaha and the dad goes "I want you all to know that my house is open for you at any time of the day and any day." and he says that he and his whole family will go to church with us this Sunday! It was a really great teaching opportunity for my kid because I was able to show him that being a missionary doesn't just mean showing up and teaching but really getting to know them and love them so that our message is more personal to them. Our whole purpose is to find the need of every investigator and if we just show up and teach without knowing them, how will we ever find the need?? A great moment for sure!
Other than that we had a good week. Our baptism fell again which is frustrating and I don't think he will be baptized this Saturday either but we will see. We are working a ton. Like a ton. My poor kid is just dead everyday all day but at least he will learn how to work hard and have fun!
I love you all!
Elder Garry
Ivette
Monday, August 15, 2016
Week 58 Great week and pictures
So this week was really great! It was full of hard work, great advice, the Holy Ghost, and not that many niños asking me if i want coffee. Overall pretty good if i say so myself!
So Elder Santacruz and i are like the 3 muskateers but there is just 2 of us. He and i get along so great! I feel like i am in my training again how much i love my companion. It is so fun just being with someone so new because they copy you exactlly. The way that i contact, teach, give examples, or even eat, he will just copy it all. He is just like a smaller latino version of Elder Garry. So hes basically already the best haha This week we had a ton of success. We found 9 new people!! and a complete family!!! It has always been my dream to be able to bring a family into the Church and then hear about how they all get sealed together a year later. like it has always been my dream and i can seriously see this family getting baptized!! They are all so great. The key of it all is the father of the family. He really does love his whole family. ANd because of that, they are more willing to do things together like listen to our messages! THis week we taught the Book of Mormon which is usually a make or break lesson. ANd by the end they were like "so when are you going to give us one of these books??" and that day it was raining so hard so we didnt bring any with us because we didnt want them to get soaked. So today we stopped by and gave them the books and they were so happy! Its times like these when you just really love being a missionary!
Except when it rains, that sucks. and this whole week i have just been wet from rain. But like it says in Garry 3:16. "If thou wilst labor in the rains, your wife will be more attractive" so basically im alright about it.
And then this week we all had interviews with President Bowler. I honestly love him and his wife with all of my heart. So that day i had to give a class about Inspired Questions, Challenges, and Testimonys, and it was so great. Like it was the first time that i 100% felt comfortable giving a class infront of all of the missionaries. And then in my interview it was so great as well. I had been feeling really really stressed lately. Just the expectation to train and make him a great missionary was tough. I felt like i had to be the best example and make sure that we are always doing something and it was hard. So i was really looking forward to my interview. And Pres. Bowler really gave me some great advice. 1. That these arent MY investigators nor are they MY members in the ward. But they are all Heavenly Fathers children. And that i dont have to be worried about it because if i am doing my job, God will fill my mouth with the words that i need to say to help them all. 2. is that when my appts fall, that is a clear sign from God that it is time to go and contact and not get sad about all of the appts that arent working out. those two things really really helped me out a lot.
Overall a really good week. I think this week we will have a baptism. His name is Carlos and this week we did a fast together to help him get over coffee and his other problems. It was a really spiritual experience for all 3 of us.
I love you all!
Elder Garry
It's raining like crazy but I'm okay because my wife will be beautiful!
Ninos doing Nino things
My Tongan Zone Leader...he is the dopest!
Proof that I work hard
Group selfie on the bus
So Elder Santacruz and i are like the 3 muskateers but there is just 2 of us. He and i get along so great! I feel like i am in my training again how much i love my companion. It is so fun just being with someone so new because they copy you exactlly. The way that i contact, teach, give examples, or even eat, he will just copy it all. He is just like a smaller latino version of Elder Garry. So hes basically already the best haha This week we had a ton of success. We found 9 new people!! and a complete family!!! It has always been my dream to be able to bring a family into the Church and then hear about how they all get sealed together a year later. like it has always been my dream and i can seriously see this family getting baptized!! They are all so great. The key of it all is the father of the family. He really does love his whole family. ANd because of that, they are more willing to do things together like listen to our messages! THis week we taught the Book of Mormon which is usually a make or break lesson. ANd by the end they were like "so when are you going to give us one of these books??" and that day it was raining so hard so we didnt bring any with us because we didnt want them to get soaked. So today we stopped by and gave them the books and they were so happy! Its times like these when you just really love being a missionary!
Except when it rains, that sucks. and this whole week i have just been wet from rain. But like it says in Garry 3:16. "If thou wilst labor in the rains, your wife will be more attractive" so basically im alright about it.
And then this week we all had interviews with President Bowler. I honestly love him and his wife with all of my heart. So that day i had to give a class about Inspired Questions, Challenges, and Testimonys, and it was so great. Like it was the first time that i 100% felt comfortable giving a class infront of all of the missionaries. And then in my interview it was so great as well. I had been feeling really really stressed lately. Just the expectation to train and make him a great missionary was tough. I felt like i had to be the best example and make sure that we are always doing something and it was hard. So i was really looking forward to my interview. And Pres. Bowler really gave me some great advice. 1. That these arent MY investigators nor are they MY members in the ward. But they are all Heavenly Fathers children. And that i dont have to be worried about it because if i am doing my job, God will fill my mouth with the words that i need to say to help them all. 2. is that when my appts fall, that is a clear sign from God that it is time to go and contact and not get sad about all of the appts that arent working out. those two things really really helped me out a lot.
Overall a really good week. I think this week we will have a baptism. His name is Carlos and this week we did a fast together to help him get over coffee and his other problems. It was a really spiritual experience for all 3 of us.
I love you all!
Elder Garry
It's raining like crazy but I'm okay because my wife will be beautiful!
Ninos doing Nino things
My Tongan Zone Leader...he is the dopest!
Proof that I work hard
Group selfie on the bus
Monday, August 8, 2016
Week 57 New companion & Pictures
Hey so this week was the week that I became a father!!! I have a kid! They call training having a kid so that is why I say I'm a father! So his name is Elder Santacruz from Ecuador!!! He reminds me a lot of my first companion Elder Reinoso. Just like super goofy and they even look alike! But he is so great. I love that guy so much!! I really do feel like he is my kid or like I'm babysitting kind of haha when we go out and work he is like "wow it is realllly hot, can we just get some water and stand in the shade for a minute" so I'm like sure little guy!! I'll buy you a little juice box if you want?? And in the lessons he panics and freaks out a lot he will just look at me and like shake his head and say no. Then I will just continue teaching haha the funny thing is that he is just like how I was when I was in my training. Like super scared to teach, really nervous and timid. Now I'm a fire ball. So I hope that I can bring out his inner fire ball and turn this guy into a future AP of the mission haha that would be cool. Another elder in my zone is training a gringo and I just feel so so so sad for that guy. I think I forgot how hard the mission was at first. This guy speaks like zero Spanish and speaks like a TRUE gringo haha I just try to help him out as much as possible with translating and things like that.
But this week I worked my new guy like a dog. He just says how tired he is all of the time hahaha it's super funny. I put him in charge of teaching all of the retentions. So he is in charge of choosing the scripture and teaching it and then I come and then testify of what he said. It is that way because the members are more relaxed and wont say anything crazy like an investigator would. And with our investigators, I put him in charge of putting the baptismal challenges. He put 4 this week!!! And they all said yes!! He just has the magic touch!
I love being with someone that is really motivated. I'm glad to be out working again and enjoying the life of a missionary. I am so happy to be a trainer and a dad!! Every time I call for him, I never say Elder Santacruz, I always say like "hey mijo" or "aye zipote" which all translate to hey my son or hey kid. I love him so much!
I love you all so much!
Elder Garry
But this week I worked my new guy like a dog. He just says how tired he is all of the time hahaha it's super funny. I put him in charge of teaching all of the retentions. So he is in charge of choosing the scripture and teaching it and then I come and then testify of what he said. It is that way because the members are more relaxed and wont say anything crazy like an investigator would. And with our investigators, I put him in charge of putting the baptismal challenges. He put 4 this week!!! And they all said yes!! He just has the magic touch!
I love being with someone that is really motivated. I'm glad to be out working again and enjoying the life of a missionary. I am so happy to be a trainer and a dad!! Every time I call for him, I never say Elder Santacruz, I always say like "hey mijo" or "aye zipote" which all translate to hey my son or hey kid. I love him so much!
I love you all so much!
Elder Garry
Monday, August 1, 2016
Week 56
So this week was just another weird week. Lets get to it.
So basically another up hill battle against my companion. Like on Tuesday, we actually fought for like 5 seconds and for like a day and a half we did not speak at all. Like I was just fed up with him so I called the zone leaders and asked for divisions again so that he could go and chill out with Elder Javier. Hes from Rhode Island, I didn't even know that people lived there hahaha but after that he and I just became best friends. Like to this point right now, he is so awesome to me. We get along great now. I don't know if I am the bipolar one or if it is him, but everything is great now. Best news ever though, we are having transfers!!! He is going off to Danli and I am staying here. So after like the hardest 6 weeks of my life, it should all be better. My new companion will be straight out of the MTC.... thats right! I'M TRAINING!!! I will have my son here by Wednesday!!!! The Garry blood line will live in the mission through my new child hhaha I dont know anything about him yet but I am literally SO excited to go and get the kid and train the crap out of him!!! So that is super duper fun! Really looking forward to that!!
As far as working, it is still a struggle to get him to do anything. We were able to do more this week though. We did a ton of lessons surprisingly and our investigators are really progressing quickly! I'm pretty excited about that because it means that my new kid will have a baptism in his first transfer in the mission hopefully! The only bad thing is that none of them went to church yesterday. But they are all still good and all have more than enough attendance to become baptized. We are all just waiting on the 13th so that they can get baptized!
I hope that you all have a great week!
Love Elder Garry
So basically another up hill battle against my companion. Like on Tuesday, we actually fought for like 5 seconds and for like a day and a half we did not speak at all. Like I was just fed up with him so I called the zone leaders and asked for divisions again so that he could go and chill out with Elder Javier. Hes from Rhode Island, I didn't even know that people lived there hahaha but after that he and I just became best friends. Like to this point right now, he is so awesome to me. We get along great now. I don't know if I am the bipolar one or if it is him, but everything is great now. Best news ever though, we are having transfers!!! He is going off to Danli and I am staying here. So after like the hardest 6 weeks of my life, it should all be better. My new companion will be straight out of the MTC.... thats right! I'M TRAINING!!! I will have my son here by Wednesday!!!! The Garry blood line will live in the mission through my new child hhaha I dont know anything about him yet but I am literally SO excited to go and get the kid and train the crap out of him!!! So that is super duper fun! Really looking forward to that!!
As far as working, it is still a struggle to get him to do anything. We were able to do more this week though. We did a ton of lessons surprisingly and our investigators are really progressing quickly! I'm pretty excited about that because it means that my new kid will have a baptism in his first transfer in the mission hopefully! The only bad thing is that none of them went to church yesterday. But they are all still good and all have more than enough attendance to become baptized. We are all just waiting on the 13th so that they can get baptized!
I hope that you all have a great week!
Love Elder Garry
Elder José L. Alonso and his wife visited with our district
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