February 6, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

I'm in Olvarría right now because my companion has a meeting in Bahía Blanca tomorrow. And so they're putting me in a trio with the companions of the other missionaries that are also going to the meeting.

I travel a LOT in my current area. I'll explain. Every Monday, we take a bus at 11 at night to Trenque Lauquen for District Meeting in the morning. We get there at 12 and I sleep on a mattress on the floor. Then in the afternoon, we come back to Pehuajó. Every two weeks, we come to Olavarría for a Zone Leader Meeting that Elder Arias has. We leave at 12:30 in the morning, get in at 3:30 and sleep...on mattresses on the floor. That's all regular traveling. Then there is all the unexpected stuff like right now.

This week was great though! There were 28 people in church and 6 of them were investigators! I have never had more than 3 investigators in church at one time. And here in Pehuajó we had 6. This next Sunday, Nelida Bolaño, a lady we found through our recent convert, will be getting baptized. She is very, very poor. She lives with her son, Juan, who has mental disabilities. They have several dogs and a bunch of chickens and they all share a bedroom, I think. But she is incredibly dedicated and faithful and is progressing very well! We are very happy for her. And Hector Pedalino, our recent convert that sent us by her, is going to baptize her!

And if all goes well, the following week we could have up to 7 people if they come to church and everything. So pray for María and Roberto so they can get married, for Vicente so he can quit smoking and get baptized together with his grandson Jonathan, and for Juan They all came to church yesterday. Then there is Antonela and Humberto. They didn't come to church, unfortunately. They are struggling to progress. Antonela is 17 and Humberto is the husband of Rosa who just got baptized. They both smoke and struggle to make it to church Sundays. But if they change that, they can get baptized.

It's so important that they can get baptized though! Christ said that nobody can come to the Father but by Him. He set the perfect example for us. He humbly obeyed the will of His Father in every moment of His life, including when we was baptized, regardless of the fact that he was sinless and perfect. How much more important, then, is our need to be baptized, being imperfect? Much more. That's why we work so hard to help our investigators develop their faith in Christ and get baptized like he did.

Thanks for the support and for the letters! I love you all!

-Elder Ryan Garrison