So another week went by in my process of enduring to the end. I find that Heavenly Father really wants me to learn patience. So I'm trying my best to learn and learn. That or Heavenly Father trusts me with some rebellious companions because I would say that I have really only had 2 companions who really wanted to work haha I wouldn't say that things are good but I mean I'm sure that they could be worse so I'm counting my many blessings. My companion just really doesn't want to be here. All that he talks about is how much he wants to go home, how he hates the mission, how he hates the area, the zone, and the south in general. I legit asked him like why do you hate it all so much. And he said that he is tired of not having authority in the mission and wants to be a leader in the mission so that he can have some responsibility.... I was just like well maybe if you show Pres. Bowler that you are a good missionary you will become a leader. I love this little goober so much. I really truly think that he is great, but I'm also grateful that this transfer is almost over and that I will have someone new to work with. The countdown is 9 days...
But this week was good. For the little amount that we are limited to doing, we had some really good success. We have like 5 investigators who are really great. 1 is Carlos. He speaks fluent English and hates speaking Spanish, so I literally teach him it all in English. He has gone to church 2 weeks in a row, he does all of his homework and we even go to his house and find him reading the Book of Mormon on his own! I love that guy. He has a date for the 13 of August to be baptized. Then we have some other really great people who are seriously awesome. Some people that were meeting with the missionaries from like years back but never progressed because she wasn't married and not willing to get married. Now she moved out and we swooped right in!! She already has a testimony of it all!! Then we have some teenagers who are super awesome. It just feels good to know that even though we aren't working like we should, God is still blessing us.
I've really been thinking this week about how great this gospel truly is. How perfect it is. How even the most lost people can come back to the straight and narrow path. I was able to really bare my testimony to someone this week. She asked us how much we get paid as missionaries and we told her nothing. So then she was like why do you do it. I just told her with a very strong firmness in what I was saying ¨because I know this is really all true¨. Like every missionary comes back home and they say all of the cool things that they have learned. But I think for me, my first year in the mission just really reaffirmed everything that I already knew. I know that God loves us all. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and the path in which we can only go back to the presence of God. I know that this really is the only true Church on the Earth. I know that no matter how lost we might be, when we focus on the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we will always be able to make it back. These were all things that I already believed but now like I said before I really do know this is all true. I love the mission.
I love you all!
Elder Garry
Monday, July 25, 2016
Tuesday, July 19, 2016
Week 54 Thanks for the prayers!
A better week!! A much better week!! I prayed a lot and I know that you all prayed for me so thank you for that!
It is still kind of sketchy sometimes but over all he and I are finally speaking! Like I dont think that he will stab me with a prison make shift knife now so that is a win! So that Monday he was already better and from that day until yesterday we were all good again. Then I told one of the areas in my district that we are going to do divisions and my companion just freaked out! Basically screaming that if we do divisions he will just sit in the house all day. I just told him to just try and he said no. So I will probably just leave with one guy in the morning and come back in the afternoon and then leave with the other one later that night while my companions stays home. But I mean even today he and I are fine. I finally figured out that the way to make him happy is to tickle him hahaha if I see him pouty I just attack him and talk in like the super ghetto spanish and try to tickle him and then he and I are buddies again. I would say that it has a 100 percent success rate. Pure revelation for sure haha
Some highlights.
We had zone conference... and everyone in my group from the MTC is down in the south. So for the first time since August, I got to be with everyone from the MTC at once!! We all just got into this huge group hug and took some cute photos. I just love those guys. And the conference was really good as well. Normally it is always focused around numbers and what we can do to have better numbers. This time it was like way more spiritual. We talked about revelation for our areas and how we can use the spirit better. And inspired questions. It was a really good conference. Very spiritual.
Also we did divisions this week. My companion didn't like that either. Might be the reason he doesn't want to do divisions this week. But I went with an elder named Elder Clark from Utah. He had been assigned in my area about 6 months ago so he and I went to all of his old investigators and we reactivated a ton! So just that day we had like 5 new investigators who are actually super positive. What I love and you will find this in every place in the world. IT is that when you go and start teaching someone and stop visiting them, they start to really want us in their lives. With everyone that we visited, we found that in every case. They all just said how much they missed having the missionaries home so we are more than willing to go back and teach them!!
Overall a much better week!! Keep praying for me though! I really appreciate it
Love Elder Garry
It is still kind of sketchy sometimes but over all he and I are finally speaking! Like I dont think that he will stab me with a prison make shift knife now so that is a win! So that Monday he was already better and from that day until yesterday we were all good again. Then I told one of the areas in my district that we are going to do divisions and my companion just freaked out! Basically screaming that if we do divisions he will just sit in the house all day. I just told him to just try and he said no. So I will probably just leave with one guy in the morning and come back in the afternoon and then leave with the other one later that night while my companions stays home. But I mean even today he and I are fine. I finally figured out that the way to make him happy is to tickle him hahaha if I see him pouty I just attack him and talk in like the super ghetto spanish and try to tickle him and then he and I are buddies again. I would say that it has a 100 percent success rate. Pure revelation for sure haha
Some highlights.
We had zone conference... and everyone in my group from the MTC is down in the south. So for the first time since August, I got to be with everyone from the MTC at once!! We all just got into this huge group hug and took some cute photos. I just love those guys. And the conference was really good as well. Normally it is always focused around numbers and what we can do to have better numbers. This time it was like way more spiritual. We talked about revelation for our areas and how we can use the spirit better. And inspired questions. It was a really good conference. Very spiritual.
Also we did divisions this week. My companion didn't like that either. Might be the reason he doesn't want to do divisions this week. But I went with an elder named Elder Clark from Utah. He had been assigned in my area about 6 months ago so he and I went to all of his old investigators and we reactivated a ton! So just that day we had like 5 new investigators who are actually super positive. What I love and you will find this in every place in the world. IT is that when you go and start teaching someone and stop visiting them, they start to really want us in their lives. With everyone that we visited, we found that in every case. They all just said how much they missed having the missionaries home so we are more than willing to go back and teach them!!
Overall a much better week!! Keep praying for me though! I really appreciate it
Love Elder Garry
Monday, July 11, 2016
One Year Down! Countdown is on!
lol so this week was worse. There were a few highlights but in general, a worse week than last week.
I don't know what it is. Maybe my companion hates the area, the members, the entire south in general, me, or just being a missionary. But he doesn't want to do anything. Like literally nothing. This week I probably did the least I have ever done in a week. Lets see Monday a lot of nothing. Tuesday we did do some stuff!! Then Wednesday we were at the temple all day (I'll talk about that later). Then Thursday we had district meeting and we worked a little. Friday (I got a year in the mission) and we honestly did a whole lot of nothing again. That Friday night I called the zone leaders like "you guys have to help me". So that Saturday we did divisions all day with the zone leaders. One of them talked to my companion. And he apparently told him a lot of great advice...... nope, I think he just angered him hahaha that whole Sunday he was ticked off!! We may have talked for like 10 minutes in total yesterday. I asked him in the street "hey are you okay?" And he responds "what do you think?".... and I was like oh great. So I asked if he was mad at me. He says, I don't know yet. So I said if you angry you can hit me in the shoulder to cheer you up! He just didn't respond to that at all. So I called the zone leaders in a panic like "what did you tell him" and so they actually came and slept over at our house yesterday. I legit thought my comp was going to try to stab me with a make shift jail knife yesterday. I definitely said like 100 prayers yesterday. And well he didn't stab me so that is good. Fast forward to today. This guy is all rainbows and sunshine.... he is talking to me, jokin with me, and he even gave me a hug. I am just so confused as to what I need to do with this guy!! I would appreciate a lot of prayers from you.
So good things!!
We went to the temple!!! I had been looking forward to the temple this whole week because of the madness going on. We had to wake up at 4 to get to the temple by 9. I was so tired!! I literally got on the temple grounds and just got slapped in the face by the spirit. We went through the temple and when i got to the celestial room, I just straight up started crying. Luckily I was the first one so no one saw me, but I just looked in and started crying because of how frustrated I was. Then I did my prayer, and then I just sat there for like 15 minutes. And I just relaxed. That was so nice. It was so awesome just leaving behind all of the problems that i had for just 15 minutes. I just love the temple. I just prayed and just talked to God about how hard my week is, how hard everything has been and then I wiped my tears and I just relaxed. I got some really cool ideas. I was sitting there waiting for like the answer to tell Pres. Bowler or to ask for emergency changes but instead, what I got was just to love him more. So after that day I started trying to do everything for him. I tried to be a better friend. And I guess it is getting better because he is happy for the moment. That was just a good day.
And I got a year in the mission!!! What a ride it has been! I mean this has been the fastest year that I have ever had. I was waiting for this point to come my whole mission and I always thought that once I got to a year, the time would be soooo much faster and that I would need to start packing to go home! But on Friday I just realized that I have to do my mission all over again! hahaha I was like oh shoot, I am really not that close to going home. But the truth is that I don't want to go home yet. I still feel like there is so much for me to do here. I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface. I feel like there are just so many more people for me to impact and change. And so I am really looking forward to this next year. I look forward to all of my new adventures and new stories. I got to burn a shirt as well. I don't know what it is. Maybe the type of shirt it was or maybe just that it had a years worth of sweat in it but that thing just burst into flames! I mean it singed my eyebrows a little!
SO yeah, pray for me that I can know what to do. I love you all!
Elder Garry
I don't know what it is. Maybe my companion hates the area, the members, the entire south in general, me, or just being a missionary. But he doesn't want to do anything. Like literally nothing. This week I probably did the least I have ever done in a week. Lets see Monday a lot of nothing. Tuesday we did do some stuff!! Then Wednesday we were at the temple all day (I'll talk about that later). Then Thursday we had district meeting and we worked a little. Friday (I got a year in the mission) and we honestly did a whole lot of nothing again. That Friday night I called the zone leaders like "you guys have to help me". So that Saturday we did divisions all day with the zone leaders. One of them talked to my companion. And he apparently told him a lot of great advice...... nope, I think he just angered him hahaha that whole Sunday he was ticked off!! We may have talked for like 10 minutes in total yesterday. I asked him in the street "hey are you okay?" And he responds "what do you think?".... and I was like oh great. So I asked if he was mad at me. He says, I don't know yet. So I said if you angry you can hit me in the shoulder to cheer you up! He just didn't respond to that at all. So I called the zone leaders in a panic like "what did you tell him" and so they actually came and slept over at our house yesterday. I legit thought my comp was going to try to stab me with a make shift jail knife yesterday. I definitely said like 100 prayers yesterday. And well he didn't stab me so that is good. Fast forward to today. This guy is all rainbows and sunshine.... he is talking to me, jokin with me, and he even gave me a hug. I am just so confused as to what I need to do with this guy!! I would appreciate a lot of prayers from you.
So good things!!
We went to the temple!!! I had been looking forward to the temple this whole week because of the madness going on. We had to wake up at 4 to get to the temple by 9. I was so tired!! I literally got on the temple grounds and just got slapped in the face by the spirit. We went through the temple and when i got to the celestial room, I just straight up started crying. Luckily I was the first one so no one saw me, but I just looked in and started crying because of how frustrated I was. Then I did my prayer, and then I just sat there for like 15 minutes. And I just relaxed. That was so nice. It was so awesome just leaving behind all of the problems that i had for just 15 minutes. I just love the temple. I just prayed and just talked to God about how hard my week is, how hard everything has been and then I wiped my tears and I just relaxed. I got some really cool ideas. I was sitting there waiting for like the answer to tell Pres. Bowler or to ask for emergency changes but instead, what I got was just to love him more. So after that day I started trying to do everything for him. I tried to be a better friend. And I guess it is getting better because he is happy for the moment. That was just a good day.
And I got a year in the mission!!! What a ride it has been! I mean this has been the fastest year that I have ever had. I was waiting for this point to come my whole mission and I always thought that once I got to a year, the time would be soooo much faster and that I would need to start packing to go home! But on Friday I just realized that I have to do my mission all over again! hahaha I was like oh shoot, I am really not that close to going home. But the truth is that I don't want to go home yet. I still feel like there is so much for me to do here. I feel like I haven't even scratched the surface. I feel like there are just so many more people for me to impact and change. And so I am really looking forward to this next year. I look forward to all of my new adventures and new stories. I got to burn a shirt as well. I don't know what it is. Maybe the type of shirt it was or maybe just that it had a years worth of sweat in it but that thing just burst into flames! I mean it singed my eyebrows a little!
SO yeah, pray for me that I can know what to do. I love you all!
Elder Garry
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
99 problems companion struggles
This week wasn't the greatest. My companion is deader than a zombie. I would say he is like a zombie but at least the zombies have a desire to walk and catch people to eat. My companion doesn't want to walk, or teach, or visit people, or do anything. It sucks. But I know that President Bowler put me with him because he knows that I can help this guy. But sometimes I just wish that I could have a good companion who wants to work. Literally I have had like 7 companions and only 3 have wanted to work. its tough. I feel like I have this guy on a leash. We didnt get anything done this week either. We basically wasted our whole week away. We do have one investigator that is progressing, but we teach him in english. We do divisions with one of my zone leaders to teach in english. So the only highlight of the week is when I get to work without my companion.
I'm just tired, annoyed and sad
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
Week 51 Pictures
I'm pretty sure that when Lehi and his family were coming to the Americas to hangout in the promised land, they 100% did not pass through Choluteca, Honduras. There is nothing "promised" about it, just a crazy sun burn and heat stroke. It is literally so hot here. But I feel so free. There are like no rules here. The girls all have kids at like 14 years old, the guys are stoners until like 100 years old, no one is married and I think the best part is that like no one sleeps in a bed, they just sleep in hammocks because of how hot it is. I mean it is really something different here. But there is a Wendy´s and Burger King and KFC here so I will not complain. I cant even tell you how much I missed a hamburger haha
So my new companion is Elder Hernandez from Copan Honduras. So now I am only mission a companion from Costa Rica and Panama to complete the whole central america list! He is so funny. Let me just say that his process to become a missionary had to have taken longer than most peoples. Like if you name a drug, he has 100% done it. It is hilarious listening to his stories. Like now he is more mature and a stellar missionary. I thought he was going to be super rebellious but he is so awesome. I guess his last companion was finishing the mission and just didn't want to do anything at all so for the last two transfers he basically hasn't done anything. I walked in the house for the first time and dumped my bags down and he grabbed his stuff and was like "You ready to go?". So I already know we are about to go and work like crazy. And our area is literally HUGE. My last area used to have 3 sets of missionaries, my area now used to have 4 sets. And it is all like little tiny towns with houses made of sticks and mud. I love it!! I feel like I am back in my first area and I loved it there!! So I love it here already!
The only problem is that my district just doesn't do missionary work. I guess Pres. Bowler just threw me a curve ball and gave me this mess. Last week as a district, the contacted 34 people. There are 8 people in the district. that means that they each did about 2 last week... and they had a combined 10 lessons taught... if I tried, I could beat those stats in one day. I did the verification on Thursday in District Meeting and not one district had a progressing investigator. I had a class prepped, and instead i taught a class on setting goals and accomplishing the goals like I did for my first class. And I like had to bite my tongue a lot because I wanted to just scold all of them. But I will love them all and together we will make this district the best district that there is!!
Another cool thing is that my whole group from the MTC is down here in the south! Elder Anderson, Pickron, Baller, Boucheger, Hernandez and Sister Saldivar. So we all got to see each other for the first time in like a year!! It was like a really fun family reunion.
Lets see. Funny things about my area you ask? There is a lady here named Martha, She is like 50. When we went to go visit her, she was watching TV with this dude who is ancient. Like one swift wind and he is gone. He is 98 so you know. So trying to create small talk, I asked about her family. She told me that she was married, she has kids. And I asked if he was her dad... nope. Hes the husband. So I was like trying to justify it in my mind. Like maybe they knew each other when she was like 20 and he was ....68. And I just gave up and realized that Honduras is the best country ever and I never want to go home hahahahaha
I love you all!
Elder Garry
So my new companion is Elder Hernandez from Copan Honduras. So now I am only mission a companion from Costa Rica and Panama to complete the whole central america list! He is so funny. Let me just say that his process to become a missionary had to have taken longer than most peoples. Like if you name a drug, he has 100% done it. It is hilarious listening to his stories. Like now he is more mature and a stellar missionary. I thought he was going to be super rebellious but he is so awesome. I guess his last companion was finishing the mission and just didn't want to do anything at all so for the last two transfers he basically hasn't done anything. I walked in the house for the first time and dumped my bags down and he grabbed his stuff and was like "You ready to go?". So I already know we are about to go and work like crazy. And our area is literally HUGE. My last area used to have 3 sets of missionaries, my area now used to have 4 sets. And it is all like little tiny towns with houses made of sticks and mud. I love it!! I feel like I am back in my first area and I loved it there!! So I love it here already!
The only problem is that my district just doesn't do missionary work. I guess Pres. Bowler just threw me a curve ball and gave me this mess. Last week as a district, the contacted 34 people. There are 8 people in the district. that means that they each did about 2 last week... and they had a combined 10 lessons taught... if I tried, I could beat those stats in one day. I did the verification on Thursday in District Meeting and not one district had a progressing investigator. I had a class prepped, and instead i taught a class on setting goals and accomplishing the goals like I did for my first class. And I like had to bite my tongue a lot because I wanted to just scold all of them. But I will love them all and together we will make this district the best district that there is!!
Another cool thing is that my whole group from the MTC is down here in the south! Elder Anderson, Pickron, Baller, Boucheger, Hernandez and Sister Saldivar. So we all got to see each other for the first time in like a year!! It was like a really fun family reunion.
Lets see. Funny things about my area you ask? There is a lady here named Martha, She is like 50. When we went to go visit her, she was watching TV with this dude who is ancient. Like one swift wind and he is gone. He is 98 so you know. So trying to create small talk, I asked about her family. She told me that she was married, she has kids. And I asked if he was her dad... nope. Hes the husband. So I was like trying to justify it in my mind. Like maybe they knew each other when she was like 20 and he was ....68. And I just gave up and realized that Honduras is the best country ever and I never want to go home hahahahaha
I love you all!
Elder Garry
That's me with the freaking dopest 12 year old you will ever meet named Axel.
My girl squad!
My two best friends in the mission. I almost cried when I said goodbye to them.
Elder Anderson(middle) and Elder Pickron(right side)
Monday, June 20, 2016
Week 50 Headed to Choluteca
Alright so we have some new items to discuss this week!
To start off lets just talk about my week in the mission. So it has literally been raining here like crazy. Like we get back to the house and it looks like I got pushed into a pool. So my agenda got totally destroyed because of the rain, all of my money got soaked, my wallet soaked through my pants and even left a wallet stain on my undies hahaha my companion laughed so hard when he saw that. Also it ruined my temple reccomend so now I am not longer worthy haha I had to call President Bowler and he was laughing so hard. He just said "well I'm glad to know that you are working in the rain!"... he thinks he´s funny hahaha. We had a family home evening activity where like the whole ward was sopposed to go and bring investigators but literally like only me and my companion came. Then like an hour later a family came so my companion and I just played a game with the members there and called it good. I feel bad because I was soaking wet and the member told me to sit on her couch. And then we had another activity the day after and we were told that the whole ward was going to bring a ton of investigators and that the plan was to have 100 people. Because it rained like 30 came. We walked in the pouring rain with 3 investigators!! It was so funny because one of the investigators is the sister of a recent convert so she and I are like buddies. She was talking on the phone the whole way and I was holding the umbrella for her while the rain was falling down on me haha #missionarywork
At that activity we were finally able to bring an investigator named Marlon Flores to an activity. This guy is 17 and loves talking to us and loves the doctrine but he just is afraid of going because he says that if he goes, he wont like it and wont want to talk to us after. So after like 3 months of working with him, he finally went to an activity. I think we won him over with the free food haha but he loved it and I know that he will now start to progress and we will baptize him and his sister!
We also had interviews with Pres. Bowler this week! I love him so much. I only had one question in my interview and that was how can I use my time wiser because I work super hard every day and I just feel unsatisfied after every week with what I did. And President really helped me with that. He looked at all of my dats over the past 6 weeks and tells me that we are working really hard. His only advice was to just contact more. So we did it a lot more this week and I feel more satisfied but still I feel like I could give more. It is tough because I dont know where I am losing the time.
And now the fun part. The transfers have come and I am going to Choluteca! It is like the hottest part in all of the world. And there is like no food, no paved roads, no electricity so I will literally be like camping in my new area!! So it has been a pleasure knowing you all. I will see you in the next life..... but everyone says that my area is really cool and that there is this lady that will cook for us and the food is delicious so I guess that is a win! Only bad part is that once again, I am getting a very rebellious missionary. I get one good missionary after like a year and then they just throw me back in with some crazy guy. And the worse part is that I already know him. He and I were in the MTC together and in the same zone so I feel like he will just get comfortable with me really quick and start to try to be lazy. I swear President is just testing my patience hahaha but it will be good! I know that he and I will work really hard and have a good time down there in the inferno!
I love you all so much!
Elder Garry
To start off lets just talk about my week in the mission. So it has literally been raining here like crazy. Like we get back to the house and it looks like I got pushed into a pool. So my agenda got totally destroyed because of the rain, all of my money got soaked, my wallet soaked through my pants and even left a wallet stain on my undies hahaha my companion laughed so hard when he saw that. Also it ruined my temple reccomend so now I am not longer worthy haha I had to call President Bowler and he was laughing so hard. He just said "well I'm glad to know that you are working in the rain!"... he thinks he´s funny hahaha. We had a family home evening activity where like the whole ward was sopposed to go and bring investigators but literally like only me and my companion came. Then like an hour later a family came so my companion and I just played a game with the members there and called it good. I feel bad because I was soaking wet and the member told me to sit on her couch. And then we had another activity the day after and we were told that the whole ward was going to bring a ton of investigators and that the plan was to have 100 people. Because it rained like 30 came. We walked in the pouring rain with 3 investigators!! It was so funny because one of the investigators is the sister of a recent convert so she and I are like buddies. She was talking on the phone the whole way and I was holding the umbrella for her while the rain was falling down on me haha #missionarywork
At that activity we were finally able to bring an investigator named Marlon Flores to an activity. This guy is 17 and loves talking to us and loves the doctrine but he just is afraid of going because he says that if he goes, he wont like it and wont want to talk to us after. So after like 3 months of working with him, he finally went to an activity. I think we won him over with the free food haha but he loved it and I know that he will now start to progress and we will baptize him and his sister!
We also had interviews with Pres. Bowler this week! I love him so much. I only had one question in my interview and that was how can I use my time wiser because I work super hard every day and I just feel unsatisfied after every week with what I did. And President really helped me with that. He looked at all of my dats over the past 6 weeks and tells me that we are working really hard. His only advice was to just contact more. So we did it a lot more this week and I feel more satisfied but still I feel like I could give more. It is tough because I dont know where I am losing the time.
And now the fun part. The transfers have come and I am going to Choluteca! It is like the hottest part in all of the world. And there is like no food, no paved roads, no electricity so I will literally be like camping in my new area!! So it has been a pleasure knowing you all. I will see you in the next life..... but everyone says that my area is really cool and that there is this lady that will cook for us and the food is delicious so I guess that is a win! Only bad part is that once again, I am getting a very rebellious missionary. I get one good missionary after like a year and then they just throw me back in with some crazy guy. And the worse part is that I already know him. He and I were in the MTC together and in the same zone so I feel like he will just get comfortable with me really quick and start to try to be lazy. I swear President is just testing my patience hahaha but it will be good! I know that he and I will work really hard and have a good time down there in the inferno!
I love you all so much!
Elder Garry
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