Sunday, January 10, 2016

2016.01.04 Independencia

Dear mom,

Wow there is a lot of stuf that has happened this week, holy guacamole. First of all, about BYU. We had an activity in the mission offices today, and the whole mission went! That´s never happened before, but it was pretty cool. There Sis. McArthur told me about your email, and I went to talk to pres McArthur. He said that our original release date had been pushed back from aug. 31 to sept. 7, but that I, for school, could go home on the 18th of august. Turns out that Elder G is also going to go home a bit early and is going to go to school too, and I could actualy room with him. 

I´m not too stressed about leaving a week or two early. To look on the bright side, any of my friends could go to my homecoming talk before they head to school as well. I remember my farewell talk was in the end of august, and some of my friends had already left. Maybe this would allow more of them to come and I could share some of my experiences to feel the spirit. Anyway, you can talk to Elder G´s mom about that. I will probably be a bit nervous to go to school, just because I´ll have to speak english, I don´t have to speak english here which is nice.

The activity we had was basically just a bunch of sports, we had a soccer tournament, and President spoke to us for a bit and then we had hotdogs. it´s pretty cold right now, and it was raining on firday and saturday. No tengo frio, y eso está bien. I was able to talk to alot of my old companions at the Activity, such as Elder Hernandez and Elder T from Cienega de flores, Elder R and the missionaries from the MTC. I found out that A, my convert from Cienega, recently recieved the Melchisedec Priesthood! O from Nicolas Bravo is now a Teacher as well! K is also doing well in Nicolas Bravo, and it´s very good to hear that they´re all active, and even more important, happy!, in the church.

Yesterday, we had a baptism! M. A. was baptized. He´s an older guy, not as old as Hno. J but he´s still an older folk. I was able to baptize him, and it was a very special moment. The water was lukewarm, but with the air getting out was very cold. I asked him how he felt, and he said VERY COLD! I didn´t feel that cold, I felt full of the spirit. After changing I asked him how he felt, and he told me "I don´t feel guilty of anything, I feel content and peaceful." That is a good feeling, and I was very greatful that he could feel that. Quick question, is it greatful or grateful? I´ve never known...But anyway, We can always feel as Hno. M. A., without guilt, if we repent and make a covenant with our Father in heaven to be obedient. If we are baptized we can recieve that peace of conciousness, as the people of king benjiman felt (Mosiah 4:2-3) and everyone can recieve it, as did the once wicked lamanites, who repented of their sins and changed their ways (Alma 19:36) If we mess up afterwards, we can always repent again and partake of the sacrament, and renew our covenant. Our Heavenly Father truly loves us.

I also became fond of the hymn 273 "Truth Reflect Upon Our Senses" It helps us understand the importance of not judging one another, but loving one another and taking out the beam from our eye before taking the mote out of another´s eye. I guess that it is something important for me to do as a district leader. I need to improve my weaknesses and keep getting better, rather than telling other missionaries what they´re doing wrong. if I can get good at doing that, then people could follow that example and take out their own beams, and that would work much better.

anyway, I have a lot of pictures I want to send, but this computer doesn´t have a place to do it :/ I´d like to send pictures of the baptism too, but I´m going to have to do it next week then. But don´t worry!

I love you! Happy new Year!

Elder Garner

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