2015.11.09 Letter from the Mission President

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAYS SAINTS

                                                                                                                         November 09^th, 2015

Dear Elder Garner´s Family:

It is my pleasure to inform you of a recent leadership assignment given to your son, Elder Garner. He has been assigned to serve as a district leader in the Mexico Monterrey West Mission.  Elder Garner has demonstrated fine leadership qualities and a strong testimony of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

A district leader sets an example for the missionaries in his district through his study of the scriptures and the gospel, obedience, hard work, proselyting skills, and other aspects of missionary work.  He carries a full proselyting load in his assigned area and strives to baptize weekly.  He supervises, teaches, and inspires the missionaries during district meetings and companion exchanges.  He also interviews baptismal candidates. He practices Christ like love, looking after the well-being of missionaries in his district.  He demonstrates effective planning, and teaches how to work with local priesthood leaders and members.  He also follows up with the missionaries, holding them accountable for their efforts. We depend on our district leaders to motivate the other missionaries and to be good examples, setting their own goals higher and “going the extra mile.”  A conscientious and hard-working district leader has an immense impact on the entire zone, in fact it has been said that the success of a mission depends on its district leaders.

Sister McArthur and I appreciate Elder Garner, for his efforts to carry forward the work of the Lord in this new assignment.   We express our appreciation to you for having raised such a fine young man.  One who loves the gospel, loves the Lord, and serves him with all of his heart, might, mind and strength.  It has been my pleasure to get to know him and to work with him in this great and important work of the latter days.

May the Lord bless you while your son is away serving in this marvelous work. 

Sincerely,

            

President Daniel D. McArthur                              Sister Bunny K. McArthur

President, Monterrey West Mission                                               Sister McArthur, Monterrey West Mission

                                               

               

                                          

2015.11.23 Independencia

Hey mom!

Firstly, I don´t even remember what Thanksgiving is, but that´s whatever. I´ve started to sing Christmas hymns in the lessons, and in the streets and such. It´s starting to get a bit colder, so now I can put on a sweater and use more blankets. That´s pretty neat I guess, because now I don´t sweat through every pair of clothes I wear. that´s about it BYE! 

[Davis sent a second email.]

nah just kidding, this was a pretty good week. We´re getting in the Christmas spirit now. As a mission I guess we are trying to do as many service projects as possible for the Christmas season. Our District did one this Wednesday. We headed over to another area, and we helped an investigator cut down some trees and clean up his backyard. I guess the most reliable and only tool that they use here in Mexico is the machete, so there was some hacking and some Missionaries pretending to be Ammon protecting the Flocks of King Lamoni. (Luckily there were no missionaries pretending to be lamanites scattering the flock.) It was pretty fun, and I´m pretty sure that it will help that investigator feel a lot better about what we do so he can continue to progress.

We haven´t been finding many people to teach, but we have two investigators that are progressing, and that is exciting, because they both have th the goal in their mind to get baptized. One of them is "A", and he came to church again this sunday. He is feeling a lot healthier and a lot closer to God, and a lot less shy. That makes me pretty happy. Changes are coming up in three weeks, and I don´t think that I will be able to see "A" get baptized, but I want to keep helping him progress and recieve the blessings of the restored gospel for as long as I can.

There´s this one video that I really like (actually two, but the both have the same song and basically the same message.) We have been sharing it with the members, and have been encouraging them to look for opportunities to serve in this Christmas season. I feel really good everyday, full of joy, because I am trying to help all recieve this gladness, and the Lord is blessing us more and more, slowly but surely, with more opportunities to help mankind, in spite of the large gatherings of people for Catholic traditions. I want to share the video(s) with you, and make the same invitation:That you all can go looking for ways to serve, and that you can help spread the Spirit of CHRISTmas

What Shall We Give? - Christmas Music Video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fH9nK_9OBDg

this one has President Monson speaking (both good for Family home evening, and up there with the family for thanksgiving)

What Shall We Give? President Monson

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FSQuHDIsVw

OK so just a heads up for an awesome week.

I love you all,

Elder Garner

2015.11.16 Independencia

Elder W and I (Elder W was in the MTC with me and is from Redondo Beach CA)

"huh...so many stairs.."

On Mon, Nov 16, 2015 at 5:24 PM, Davis Garner <davis.garner@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hey Mom!

Well I guess I will be in independencia for one more change at least! wow, that´ll be almost 6 months then...like Nicolas Bravo. This change will end one week early though, because the change would have normally ended on the 21st, but there are no flights for the missionaries going home, nor the missionaries coming to the mission, so it will be one week early. but, I will still be here in Independencia for one of the biggest mexican holidays: Day of the Virgin Maria Guadalupe. 12th of December is supposively her birthday, but has started since the end of october. There are many traditional dancers, dancing parades, pilgramiges, and it´s all so abundant here in our area because they have the largest catholic church here in Independencia, called the Vasilica. Coming closer to the day, the parade and pilgrimage groups are now every day and more frequent. I´m not one to complain, but the most busy day is sunday, and they all pass by our small chapel to reach the center, so you can imagine taking the sacrament while people are passing by banging drums and chanting prayers. I do like that they sell churros all over the area now, and they´re very cheap... Mmmmmm....Churrrros!

It sounds like Thanny did a really good job in his last race this season, and that he has developed some good mental strength. He does seem to be more crazy than me. I think that If I came home right now, I would be too serious of a person. My companion said that I´ve been a bit too serious. I guess that obedience and diligence doesn´t have to come boxed with being super serious. Maybe my "a bit too serious" is not that serious, but I´m really trying to learn that there is a time and a place for everything. I guess when a pilot tries to adust his flight settings, he wavers a tiny bit to the left and to the right, so I´ll waver a little bit as I try to find the perfect fit.

Anyway, what else. J got the Aaronic priesthood last week (SICK DAWG) he didn´t come to church this week because he had to go to the clinic to check his leg that day, but he is just a lot happier, a lot of members visit him and he has a lot of support. Alexis had to work more and couldn´t come to church, that was sad, and he was sad, but we will try to encourage him so he never gives up.

Hmm, not the most spiritual email, sorry. You can read my journal when I get home (or when I send it, cuz I´m about to finish this one.)

Talk you you next week!

I love you

Elder Garner

2015.11.09 Independencia

We didn`t go to Cerro de la silla today, but we did go to a famous park here "Parque fundidora" and I`m not thirsty anymore.

 

J and the empanadas that he makes

Hey Mom!

It was a good week! Another change has ended, so I have yet to wait until the night to find out if I stay or if I go. That`s probably what I don`t like. But hmmm where do I start...

With this...15 MINUTES AGO I SAW 2 GREEN JAYS!!!!!! Finally!!!! It only took 14 months! yeeesh! They were super cool, and I actually saw them with Elder Jones in the offices. it was a good last moment with Elder J, because he has finished his mission and will be home on wednesday. I`ll send the less than average picture that I got.

You have to look carefully for the Green Jay in the branches.

 Anyway, There was a good experience that we had with A. He has been progressing slowly, with reading and quiting smoking, and we went to visit him on friday. When we got there he was feeling terrible, having a relapse of some sort due to the lack of cigarettes, he didn`t feel like eating anything, and he tried to smoke a cigarette but it was just too gross for him, so he threw it out. Now, he was feeling terrible, but I was pretty happy that he was going through that and all. Not that he was in pain, but that I knew that he could his faith could grow greatly right then. I guess I felt like Ammon, when he saw the panicking servants of King Lamoni:

 29  Now  they  wept  because  of  the  fear  of  being  slain.  Now when  Ammon  saw  this  his  heart  was  swollen  within  him with  joy;  for,  said  he,  I  will  show  forth  my  power  unto these  my  fellow-servants,  or  the  power  which  is  in  me,  in restoring  these  flocks  unto  the  king,  that  I  may  win  the hearts  of  these  my  fellow-servants,  that  I  may  lead  them  to believe  in  my  words.

Anyway, sorry about the big font, copied off of lds.org. But there we offered to give him a blessing, and to go over to the chapel and do it.  We explained to him what a blessing was, how it worked, and how, by his faith, he could be relieved. We read part of Alma 15 together before as well, talking about Zeezrom sick in bed and Alma coming to heal him. This was probably the most important part:

 6  And  it  came  to  pass  that  Alma  said  unto  him,  taking him  by  the  hand:  Believest  thou  in  the  power  of  Christ unto  salvation?

 7  And  he  answered  and  said:  Yea,  I  believe  all  the  words that  thou  hast  taught.

 8  And  Alma  said:  If  thou  believest  in  the  redemption  of Christ  thou  canst  be  healed .

 9  And  he  said:  Yea,  I  believe  according  to  thy  words.

sorry again. But we gave him a simple blessing, and talked a little bit before finishing the lesson with a prayer. He didn`t look exausted nor burdened anymore, more calm and content. He told us that he felt much better, and He finally came to church this sunday! He had a good experience there as well, which makes me feel very happy. I hope to see A's faith continue to grow by his actions, because he is doing really well right now, even in his trials.

J is doing well as well, he has been able to understand so much more, now that he has the gift of the holy ghost. He was confered the aaronic priesthood as the office of a priest yesterday, and it was funny because the bishop did a priesthood inventory yesterday of how many priesthood holders of each office there were, and when he called priests, J was the only one paying attention, so he appeared to be the only priest, just being ordained seconds before. Way to be J, maybe I didn`t tell that story too great. We gave him a triple as well and he was grateful for that.

Sounds like Nathaniel is doing awesome! I`m super happy that they are doing so well and I hope that they can make it further than we ever did. I also hope that Seth goes farther in football than I ever did (I think he already has.)

ok I don`t have much left, except a dumb joke... in spanish.

¿Qué fue el último animal que Dios creó?

¿El delfín por supuesto!

So it says "What was the last animal that God created?

The Dolphin of course! it`s a pun because while EL delfín means the dolphin, El del fin means the the last one. HA

Love,

Elder Garner

2015.11.02 Independencia

2015.11.02 Independencia

Hey Mom,

This week was pretty good, and it wasn´t too hot. Lemme answer your questions:

1. Capacitation is like a conference basically. as in capacity, not as decapitated, decapitation.

2.Elder Pieper did come, and many of the missionaries DID think that they were going to get decapitated instead of capacitated. I felt pretty capacitated, with my head fully incontact, so that was swell. He talked a lot about the Mexico Area Plan and how we as missionaries take full part of it. Then he just answered questions that we had. he was super good at teaching, and he could answer our questions and then some! I hope more general authorities come to the mission before I finish.

3. I think we are going to try to do it next week. We got permision so that´s good.

4.Hmm, well the story would have been a lot cooler if A had come to church this past week, because he didn´t. It was neat because he wanted to come to church, but he had recently started to work and he worked on sundays. We had talked about praying to be able to have his day off on sunday, so that he could come. Last friday, I recieved a call from him, in which he cancelled our appointment, but he told me that he had talked to his boss, and that his boss gave him the day off on sundays! (Que Padre!) So now he doesn´t work on sunday, there´s a little miracle, now he just needs to get to the chapel hahahaa.

J was confirmed a member of the Church yesterday, and I had the blessing of confirming him. It was a very special moment for me, because I had never confirmed anyone before. I was a bit nervous, but as I began I could feel the Holy Ghost with me, and I knew that he could feel it when I said "Recieve the Holy Ghost:" (well I didn´t say that, I said: Recibe el Espíritu Santo.) The chapel was full of the spirit during that fast and testimony meeting, and J bore his testimony, talking about the importance of prophets and his gratitude towards us as missionaries.

I guess you could say this area is kind of hard, but that´s not really important. We haven´t really found many people to teach this week, which is kind of a bummer but it´s no big deal, well keep on truckin´.

This morning we went to some restaurant that a member of our area has to go eat. We ate a bunch of tacos de barbacoa and got super full, and it was cool because it was all free (for us hahaha) The family is inactive, but they´re really nice and Elder T and I are visiting them to help them come back to church. It´s a family business, and the son is really full of spunk and a super funny guy.

This halloween wasn´t anything special. Last Halloween someone threw eggs at us, and this year nothing happened...está bien.

I started the Book of Mormon again, so that´s fun. I´m trying to learn about the examples of pride and how destructive it is so I can avoid it better.

I think that´s all I have for you this week, let´s hope that this week something funny happens,

Love

Elder Davis Garner

2015.10.26 Independencia

Dear Mother of mine,,

This week was "pretty darn good!" Where do I start?

oh I know where to start. Thanny sent me an email! It was the size of a text, but "It was worth it!" Tell him that he´s rocking the running and that he can get under 16:20 the next time he goes to Mt. SAC.

This week we had a baptism. I wasn´t exactly expecting hermano J to be ready, but he was. I don´t know if I´ve told his whole story before. More than a year ago, he found the missionaries and asked them to come visit him. They did, and were visiting him for about two weeks, and one night he was on his motorcycle on the freeway and got in a terrible accident, and his legs were bassically destroyed. Rigth before he was taken to the Hospital, he layed there stairing at the Temple here in Monterrey. For about a year, he was recovering, in the hospital, in a wheelchair, going to physical therapy often and such. About two months ago, he came to church, and we got to know him there, and We started to visit him. He wanted to learn, and he loved to read. He´s not the typical investigator that I would expect, always asking semi-odd questions and taking his time in accepting and understanding gospel truths. I sometimes would be a little frustrated in lessons because sometimes he would start talking about some random subject that had absolutely nothing to do with the lesson. It did take quite a bit of effort and patience for me to teach him, although for my companion Elder R, and now Elder T, it´s not that much of a problem. I guess I have learned that people aren´t always going to learn the Gospel how you want them to, or aren´t going to understand it in the same form you will. He is a chef, and right now, being stuck in his house while he isn´t at therapy, makes super good empanadas de fresa which is basically sweet bread with pockets of  strawberry. So his baptism was a bit of a hassle, or I would say. It was a little bit disorganized, and not very fluent. Jesús was baptized by two people, being that he didn´t really have much strength in his legs, and that he picked a member that´s 70 years old to baptize him. So there was another member in there to help him go under and lift him up. Goodness gracious it was a bit crazy, but above all that, He had made a covenant with God, and he had cleaned himself of all sin. I later focused on what was really important. He was happy that he could be baptized, even in his situation with his legs, and he felt the support of the members, so he had a good (birth)day. (It was his birthday too.) I remember earlier ago, asking the Lord if he could be miraculously healed so he could be baptized without a problem. I studied about it and prayed about it. Wouldn´t that be a great story to bring home? "Hey arise and walk!" like Peter...well the Lord said no, being much more wise than I could be. I read something in D&C about this that explained alot to me in

Baptism of J

J´s case. D&C 42:51-52

 51  The lame who hath faith to leap shall leap.

 52  And they who have not faith to do these things, but believe in me, have power to become my sons ; and inasmuch as they break not my laws thou shalt bear their infirmities.

Maybe I lack the faith, or the humility, that he should leap, and possibly him as well. But there is still power to become one of the sons of God, and I remembered then a scripture in the Book of Mormon that explains how we become sons and daughters of God: Mosiah 5:7

 7  And now, because of the covenant which ye have made ye shall be called the children of Christ, his sons, and his daughters; for behold, this day he hath spiritually begotten you; for ye say that your hearts are changed through faith on his name; therefore, ye are born of him and have become his sons and his daughters.

We can see that the Lord can teach us things in many different ways. I learned that a miracle didn´t have to happen for jesús to be baptized, but that he could have faith sufficent enough to become a son of God without any of that. We´re going to keep helping him strengthen his testimony and progress. He will recieve the holy ghost and offically become a member of the Church this upcoming sunday, as well as hopefuly recieving the aaronic priesthood.

I don´t have that much time to tell you about all of the other things that have been happening, but remind me to tell you about Alexis next week. This week Elder Pieper of the Seventy and the Mexico presidency will be doing a mission tour, and we will have a capacitation with him on thursday, so that should be fun. Also, President McArthur gave us permission to go up Cerro de la silla next week, so we´ll see if we go (I hope so!)

Cascada!

Any questions? It´s started to rain a bit and it´s getting cooler, which is nice. It rained super hard on saturday, and here all of the streets turn into rivers because they´re all slanted on the hill, we found a waterfall that day!

I love you all,

Elder Garner