Last Week in the MTC - Leaving for Argentina next Monday!!

DEAR FAMILIA Y AMIGOS

Hey everyone! Sorry this is a couple days late but the entire MTC has been switching the curriculum and that included entire schedule changes that changed the way my day goes! And also moved my P-Day from Tuesday to Thursday! So that leaves me with a LOT to tell you! First off, I fly out on Monday NOT Tuesday. I got my travel plans last Thursday which was super exciting! Everyone says you get them the Thursday of your 8th week and that's what happened! I am meeting at the Travel Office at 10 AM (which is lucky, often people have to be there at like 3 AM) and my flight is at 1:50 PM and I land in Atlanta, Georgia at 7:32 PM. I have a layover until 8:40 PM when I fly straight to Buenos Aires, Argentina and land at 7:45 AM. I have no idea what time zones those are but I THINK they are the times in the place I actually land. I'm flying Delta. So I can call you from Salt Lake and from Atlanta!!! As for Buenos Aires, we'll see what my Mission President says. Oh and I think I might have said I get to call for only 10 minutes? My Branch President said we can call for as long as we want and as long as we feel is necessary but only if it doesn't prevent me from making my flight! So, expect a call on Monday :))

As for the package mom, I hope you sent it already and that it comes on Saturday. I think I normally get them only 2 days after the post marked date! Otherwise, I can buy my own calling card at the bookstore here. I haven't looked but I think they sell them. And maybe they have them in the airport too?

I was also wondering about my shot and Elder Howard went the other day to check on that and it turns out they were sending out slips that day. So I got it today and it charged 71 bucks to my card. I'll need you to put that back up to 100 dollars from wherever it's at because I'll be traveling and may need money if there's an emergency. Tomorrow I'll go get the insurance slip and mail it to you along with the temple names! I kept forgetting them or doing other things but I got 4 done today so I hope that makes you happier.

So anyway, about my week, WE HAD TWO APOSTLES COME! Elder Richard G. Scott, one of my favorites, came last week! He was amazing. I loved his talk and was so grateful I got to hear from an Apostle before leaving since I had yet to hear from one! While he was here, he asked everyone who was learning one of the almost 50 languages they teach here to raise their hand and BAM, invoking his Apostolic authority, he conferred upon us the Gift of Tongues!! I have never felt the Spirit stronger than in that room. It was so amazing and I'm really grateful. Our district testimony meeting afterword was also super powerful and every single word was in Spanish! Then this past Tuesday, Dallin H. Oaks came and spoke as well! TWO WEEKS IN A ROW! His talk was also very powerful and He talked a lot about our duty as missionaries for the Lord.

As for Easter, it was nice but there was nothing out of the ordinary scheduled. Our lessons, Sacrament, and Devotional were all just based on Easter.

As for Kevin Woolf, tell him congratulations and be sure to tell me when he knows where he's going. Jordan Wheeler is up at BYU Provo now and his papers are in too in case you were wondering!

Dad – thank you so much for the letters in Spanish. I understand your grammar and everything; I only had to look up a few words. The pictures were basically the one's I wanted so thanks again.

And that's about it! I can't wait for Monday but we had this lesson with my teacher Hermana Alvarez and she just wanted to stress making the most of the time we have. A lot of times, people get caught up either anticipating the future or fearing the future. And as they do that, they lose sight of their focus on the present. And when that point in the future comes, they've wasted the past away! I personally do this all the time and then end up regretting wasting my time. So rather than regretting the past or focusing on the future, we've got to keep a perspective of making correct choices FOR our future but living in the moment and making the most of our time here so we don't have to look back in regret. Que esté donde está. So like I said, I´m stoked, but I´m focusing on making the most of the time I have left to prepare myself for Argentina.

And now you know.

Thank you everyone who wrote me! I HOPE I can write everyone back today, it's the only time I have to write and I wasted a lot of it waiting for a shot! I really appreciate everyone's letters and support. Argentina in 4 days.

BYE.

-Elder Ryan Garrison

MTC Week 7

DEAR EVERYONE THAT I LOVE VERY DEARLY,

This week went by so fast! I can hardly remember it really. The Spanish is coming along but apparently, like everything else in life, you have to work very hard to get good at something. My district was kind of half expecting that we could sit back and it would just come. And that, of course, is very wrong. But we are now speaking Spanish all day long (or at least attempting). The hardest part at this point is my incredibly limited vocabulary. I know the rules and verb tenses and conjugations but putting it all together is really hard. I talk to the natives on my floor all the time though, which is super fun. The other night we were trading tongue twisters and it was hilarious.

Anyway, nope Mom they haven't called me in for my immunization yet but a lot of others in my district have gone in for theirs already so mine should be soon! If I don't receive a notice soon, I'll go and ask someone about it. As for luggage, no worries, I'll make sure it all weighs under 50 lbs. because there is a scale on my floor of the residence hall just for that. And calling cards? Spaced it. Sorry!! You might just want to send me one anyway!

I plan to buy Dr. Pepper at the airport. It will be the best day of my life. I'm not sure how other missionaries manage to get it but I don't care at this point. If I don't have any more flights in Argentina, I MAY just have to buy like six DPs in Dallas and bring them with me. After I go through security, of course.

Hosting is the best thing ever though!! (and I get to host again tomorrow) We are the missionaries waiting on the curb for the new missionaries. We take their bags and welcome them and their family to the best place on earth. And once they say their goodbyes, we escort them all over to get everything! First they go to the main building for their tag, ID card, etc. And after that we take them around to their residence hall, the bookstore for all their language books, scriptures, etc which are in bags, and then drop them off at their class. It was a weird experience being on the receiving end of the curb drop off, but at the same time I loved it because it renewed my excitement to see their faces as they took this new step in their life. After all, I'VE BEEN HERE FOREVER. Pero me voy a Argentina en dos semanas! And I am very excited. Today we met with the Argentine Consul and signed some stuff. He also talked to us and opened it up for any questions we had. He described, quite openly (which surprised me), the flaws in his country such as the constant power outages, the horrible police forces and lack of enforcement of the law, and the terrible mail system (which he flat out advised not to use). He said he wanted to prepare us for the major shock we were going to go through upon entering a country that is not the US. BUT once again I am very excited! He loves Argentina (and has lived in California for just over two years) and all of us were just about ready to board the plane right then and there.

What was great about the meeting though, is that some of the missionaries I became friends with my first couple weeks here have been serving in the Salt Lake City Mission (one of them) and they came back because they are also waiting for VISA's! It was amazing to see the growth they have made in the time out there! The three of them combined have had 6 baptisms. It was inspiring. They'll be heading to Argentina at the same time as me: May 2.

And what do I learn, mom? Everything! We learn how to teach investigators using the Spirit as our guide. We learn how the gospel can apply to ANYONE'S life and that if we use the Spirit, we can bring the message that those people need to hear from us. I've learned so much about my role as a missionary and that through faithful obedience I can be blessed and become a tool in the Lord's hands! I read the scriptures constantly and know them so much more now. It is amazing how they can apply to any situation and I can receive answers to any question I have through them. As for specific things I've learned, I can hardly say because it's so gradual.

Mom, Hermana Aguilar said she talked to you but she's already gone! Thank you for doing that for me. I don't know what Easter will be like, I'm sure we'll just have a MTC Conference with the Presidency (who I love) and the cafeteria will make some attempt at a nice meal.....Haha.

Dad thanks for the letter in Spanish! Please keep sending them that way. However, Dearelder makes all the accented letters turn into question marks. I still understood it though! Thankfully, I'll be heading to Argentina on time! And will then be eating good food.

Anyway, thanks to everyone who wrote me, I really appreciate it! I miss and love you all!

And that's all until next week! I'm surprised I had so much to say!

-Elder Ryan David Garrison

Some Pictures

With Elder Uribe

Same Scheme Sunday - Everyone had to wear red

MTC Week 6

DEAR EVERYONE THAT I LOVE,

Mom I get on and print my emails in the morning and then sign off! I read them and come back later when Elder Howard and I have time and write my email! So length is no problem, don't worry! Thank you again for the package with all the food!! I shared with all the other Elders and they loved the brownies. They were super good. I was sitting in class and one of the Sister missionaries, Hermana Gurecki, says, "Elder Garrison, you just look so happy sitting there reading your scriptures and eating your candy!" Hahahaha it was true. So thanks. I have seen a couple Elder's wandering around with Dr. Pepper though...the real stuff...I wonder how they got it.........................

Padre, los misioneros no pueden usar "tu" o "vos." Siempre necesitamos usar "usted." Pero con los bendiciones y las oraciones, usamos "tu." Entonces, necesito entender las frases con "tu."<----------SPANISH!

So England sounds awesome!! Of course I have heard of Bath. I'm super jealous that you got to go to all those places; I would love to visit them. Next time you can take me with you. And speaking of Kings' Cross and Saul Marquez, I saw him on the first day right as he was being escorted by his host to his room! I see him at almost every meal because I go in to eat as he leaves! He's doing good but he's definitely a greenie haha. Tomorrow, I will be a missionary host who escorts the new missionaries around campus and show them the ropes! Elder Howard and I talk about it every week about how much we want to host! And just now we picked up the mail and found out we get to.

Oh and about calling you and calling cards, I'll see if they sell them in the bookstore (they sell everything and I get a major discount so I bet they do) but regardless, my branch president says we have permission to call for ten minutes at each airport I go to! So I'll be calling in SLC, Dallas, and Buenos Aires! I'll let you know about what times those will be at when I get my travel plans (HOPEFULLY this week). As for my VISA, I have a meeting on Friday with the Argentine Consul and a meeting next Tuesday about VISA stuff also! I think that means I'll be getting my VISA in time!! Saul had to fly to San Francisco today with his district to meet with the French people.

So on Sunday, the BYU Men's Chorus came and sang/performed for us for the Sunday Devotional and it was AWESOME! I saw a bunch of kids I know! Michael Chamberlain and Jacob Lythegoe (my old roommates), Roger Chu who is the BEST and killed it on his Asian flute, and Brayden Crump and his roommate Mason, as well as Chris Turley and Jacob Barazoto from my BYU wards. I booked it over to talk to them after their performance. It was awesome to see them. They all report within the next month or so!

Anyway, I am still loving it here! Every day, my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ grows as does my testimony of its truthfulness. I work each day to apply its principles to my life so I can become a better tool in the Lord's hands, a better representative of my Savior, and a better person overall. I am certain that through faithful obedience to His gospel and commandments, comes the guidance that I will need as I serve Him and bring His gospel, and the happiness that follows, to those in Argentina who need it. I know that His hand has been in my life, and will continue to be as I continue to give every ounce of myself to His work and to His cause. Thank you everyone for your support, letters of encouragement, and advice. I love hearing from each and every one of you and thank everyone that takes the time out of their lives to write me a letter. I wrote all of you back today so expect letters!

I'm sick of this food. I am ALWAYS tired. But I love where I am.

Less than 3 weeks until Argentina!

Love,

Elder Ryan David Garrison

MTC Week 5

FAMILY! AND FRIENDS!

So I think it was the first week of the MTC but we were in class and this guy comes in and tells us that our district has been chosen to be featured on a KSL (Utah TV station) documentary on the MTC for its 50th anniversary which is coming up in, I think, December. So the next day my district did our weekly service assignment, which can involve vacuuming buildings, cleaning bathrooms, dusting, scrubbing stair tiles, EVEN scrubbing the bricks that Elders often rest their shoes on, etc. And this time we had a camera following us around! It was way cool. Well between Conference sessions on Sunday, they played the documentary on KSL and GUESS WHAT. My foot is in it. Vacuuming. Yeah, the rest of my district got interviewed or huge shots of their faces, but my companion and I only got our feet in it. Look it up online though, Mom! And anyone else who cares. It shows the inside of the MTC, the bedrooms, the classrooms, the cafeteria, everything.

Anyway, speaking of General Conference it was awesome! I took 26 pages of notes hahahaha. I loved every single talk and felt like they were talking directly to me! It was a very exciting experience to sit in the huge meeting hall with 2500 missionaries all watching conference for 8 or 10 hours in two days. I loved it. My teacher Hermana Alvarez had us write a list of questions we had before Conference and promised they'd be answered during it and BAM! They were. Every single one. And then Elder Holland's talk mentioned how that was the case. I learned a lot from Conference and plan to practice the principles I picked up on so I can become a better missionary for the Lord.

Speaking of becoming missionaries, Saul comes in tomorrow right?! So exciting. I'll definitely see him but tell him good luck for me! He's going to LOVE this place. I do. But wow only 4 more weeks until Argentina. I signed some paper a couple weeks ago in the Travel Office and they said that means my VISA should be coming. Hope so! Or else I'll have to serve state-side for a while! We'll see though. I seriously cannot wait. My friend Elder Gomez from Rosario, Argentina left today to serve in Mesa! Super weird, we're trading places almost. He has got me SO excited about Argentina, the food, the people, everything. Except the humidity. But he's super hilarious so if you see him or get a chance to talk to him at any point, let me know! And be sure to mention me, he'll remember me!

Dad, thank you for the dearelder, I appreciated everything you said. I seriously love it here and I love learning about the gospel all day long. I will admit I am jealous of you and Mom going to England. And then to, what, Costa Rica in June? Cool. Mom, thank you for sending Tanner's letters, I told you he's the funniest person alive. And thank you also for all the stories from home. I love to hear.

I also loved Elder Robbins talk about being and doing! It was super interesting and very insightful!

Anyway, thank you to everyone who wrote me an email or letter it means soooo much and I LOVE letters. I have already written responses to most of your letters so look out for those! I'll also send more pictures home. Love you all! I'll have much more to say when I'm in Argentina!

-Elder Ryan Garrison