2015-07-27 Independencia

Pine Grosbeak and Sooty Grouse? [Birds that were spotted on a family trip and reported to Davis.]

I feel like when Elder J told me that he saw a chestnut crested warbler and a slate-throated redstart...jealous. Hahahaha that´s super cool though.

Looks and sounds like it was pretty fun. This week was pretty tough. We had a lot of lessons and taught and found a lot of people, but no results in church. Hmmm, well maybe We aren´t having success now, but soon we sure will be! I did have some really cool experiences this week. One was on divisions, when we were going up some stairs, and I saw a young boy. He was less than 8 years old, but I felt impressed to talk to him. I asked him if his mother was home, and he went to fetch his mom. She invited us in, and told us that she had listened to the missionaries before, and had a book of mormon. We decided to share something with her in the book of mormon. She told us briefly that she was having a lot of problems and troubles in her life, and so I wanted to share something that would give her hope. I really didn´t know what, but I went to Mosiah 24 and we talked about the people of Alma in bondage by Amulon, and how through their faith they were relieved of their tasks, and they could do them easily and go through their trials with patience, and be freed by their God. She felt very impressed by this scripture, because all of her problems were due to the bad decisions and consequences of others. I was surprised in how she felt after reading that part. We then talked about how she could have this relief like this people by making a covenant with God, because God remembered the covenant he made with the people of Alma. We then talked and invited her to baptism. After the lesson We left, and I was just kind of dumbfounded on how little I did, and how much the spirit did.

The ward here is super awesome, they´re super supportive and loving. The Bishop is pretty young, he´s about 30 and he only has about 5 years as a member, but he is a Go-Getter. He took us to some batting cages today hahahaha. Elder R had never played baseball before, and so it was something new for him, but it was super fun!

Hillside view in Independencia

Batting cage

The New Mission President, President McArthur is super great. He has many poems memorized and he shared on with me in his letter to me:


If you think you are beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don’t
If you like to win but think you can’t
Its almost certain you won’t.

If you think you’ll lose , you’ve lost
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow’s will
Its all in the state of mind.

If you think you are out-classed, you are
You’ve got to think high to rise
You’ve got to think well of yourself
Before you’ll ever win a prize.

Life’s battles don’t always go
to the stronger or swifter man
But sooner or late the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

I don´t have much else to say. but I hope you´re all doing great. Let me know what you learn in church and all of that stuff, and everything else that happens in the week.

Love,

Elder Davis Garner