March 26, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was interesting. All the missionaries in our house got sick. Including my companion. And our baptisms that we had planned for this past Sunday fell through. Victoria and Gabriel Acuña were going to church with their Grandma but their inactive father thinks they need to learn more and go to church more times before getting baptized. He would know after all since he's been inactive for like 30 years. But it's okay. They continue going to church so they will be able to get baptized in the future.

It's kind of funny because everyone here learns English in high school. But they learn even less than a person would by taking high school Spanish in the States. The point is, the general population relates the church with the United States of America because so many American missionaries talk to them either in the street or at their door. So quite frequently, thinking they're super funny, all the kids in the streets shout random bits of English at us.

"Hello! What is your name? Hahahahaha." When I first arrived to Argentina it kind of annoyed me because I pictured myself doing the same thing to some random Mexican guy in Taco Bell and how rude that would be. But now I use it as an excuse to talk to the kids about the gospel.

So last week we talked to these three kids, one of which is named Agustín Casanova. So we went to his house a few days later and taught the whole family and they're awesome!!! Agustín came to an activity in the church and loved it. He also went to mutual. And then the whole family came to church yesterday and loved it. They are planning on getting baptized by the Priesthood Authority on April 8th. We're stoked.

We are also teaching all of Agustín´s friends and their families so it is going great. Agustín is setting a good example for all of them and keeps telling them to go to church.

Well that's all I've got. I am really loving the area and especially all the members. They are very strong and work hard to magnify their callings in the church. They treat us with a lot of respect and recognize that if they work hard with us, that more people with start coming to church. So I really am loving Viedma. Even though it's freezing cold.

Thank you all for your letters and support! I love you all!

Elder Garrison

March 19, 2012

Dear Everybody,

Thanks for the random bits of US/World news mom. Except, no one told me that we pulled completely out of Iraq! I found out yesterday from this new missionary that lives with us and basically realized I am way out of the loop. Not that I care. But still, no one told me! Haha.

This week was great. Our investigator, Emilio Hernandez, got confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. We also had several other investigators in church that are progressing towards baptism. If all goes well, we could have 3 baptisms this Sunday. They are Felipe Alan along with Victoria and Gabriel Acuña. My area is great because there are 4 huge apartment complex neighborhoods that surround the church building which is well placed right on the corner of this big round-about. So it's like a 2 block walk to get to church for almost half the Branch and basically all of the investigators that we have. The members are still very excited about the missionary work. I have never seen so many members faithfully bring their friends to church! There is a new face in church almost every week!

But at the same time, they struggle because the members know very little about the church doctrine and even less about how the church functions. Imagine this: There were 60 people in church yesterday, and in spite of that, the missionaries prayed, blessed the sacrament, gave talks, and confirmed the new convert. It was a miracle that the Gospel Principles teacher came to church or else we would have taught that as well. In Pehuajò there were 25 of us in church and Elder Arias and I didn't ever do a single thing! So we are praying a lot for the members and trying our best to find the proper way to make those changes without stepping over our bounds. We're just the missionaries!

Well that's about it. Please pray for me and for my companion so we can teach with unity and also for our investigators so they can make good decisions according to what we teach them! Especially those that I mentioned that may be baptized this week. Thank you for your support and prayers :)

Hasta luego,
Elder Ryan Garrison

March 12, 2012

Dear Family,

This week went by super fast! We went to Bahìa Blanca and it was great. I saw all the other missionary leaders and the office missionaries (including Elder Howard my MTC companion who is currently spending his 5th transfer in a row in the office), did splits with one of the assistants to president, learned a lot about how to be a leader in the meetings, and got to see Elder Arias who told me that the couple that we were teaching who was going to get married, did in fact get married and then got baptized! And two kids from Paraguay that we were teaching named Juan and Manuel, were about to be baptized as well. It made me super happy hearing all the good news from Pehuajò.

Here in Viedma, we did splits with some of the missionaries as well. Our Zone sort of only half exists. Many missionaries that were supposed to arrive last transfer did not come because of visa issues. So we have a district leader on the other side of the mission waiting for a companion to arrive and unable to work with the missionaries of his district. So Elder Calarco and I have to work with them and help them. Which I like doing.

This upcoming transfer 6 more missionaries will come in and then we will really be a functioning zone.

As for our investigators, Emilio Hernandez got baptized yesterday! He is 11 and is the cousin of a kid in the branch who is getting ready to go on a mission named Kevin. Emilio lives with his grandma who goes to church so we had him start going with her and we baptized him! Kevin performed the baptism. Then after church we had a miracle. We passed by the house of this 12 year old girl named Victoria that went to church with her grandma. She isn't a member. So we taught her and her family and they accepted a baptismal date for the 1 of April. Then, at about 8 o clock, as we passed this house that had their curtains open and I thought about how we should knock on it because there was a man older than 18 inside. At the same time, my companion thought about knocking on it because we always walk by it. As we walked up, their little dog practically bit our feet off so we didn't knock on it! But then, we stopped, went back and knocked on it anyway, avoiding the little dog. It was the best lesson ever!!! They let us in just as half time of a huge soccer game hit. They turned off the TV; all sat down in front of us, participated, and accepted everything! There were 9 of them. They are the Leguizamòn Family. Pray for them so they can get baptized!!

Well that's it. I gave a talk in church yesterday about being humble and obeying the will of God. When we are humble, grateful for what God gives us, and recognize that we depend on Him, He will bless us. We are His children and we obey His commandments because we love Him. And as we share the gospel with others, we show our love for others. That is the best way to fulfill the great commandments of love thy God and love they neighbor. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ was restored in these latter days by a prophet of God who was Joseph Smith. God in His love, like he has done for thousands of years, raised up a prophet to show us the way to obtain happiness in both this life and the life to come. I love Him for that.

Thank you for all your support and letters! We got to the internet cafe and had to wait forever for the computers to open up so I couldn't respond to anyone, I will next week! Chau,

Elder Garrison

March 5, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

So I am writing early today because the only bus to Bahia Blanca leaves at 1:15 in the afternoon. So much for having P-Day. Elder Calarco and I are going to the monthly Leadership Meeting. I am going to learn how to be a better Zone Leader.

BUT YEAH. I HAVE BEEN GONE FOR EXACTLY ONE YEAR AND THREE DAYS NOW. I can't believe it. Actually, I can't even remember life before the mission. It feels very far away. Yet at the same time I feel like I have been gone for a very short period of time. I really prefer not to think about it, though, so I didn't do anything special on the day I hit the one year mark. My companion started at the very same time as me, so he, as well, finished his first year the day after me.

This week was great; we found some really great investigators. The coolest thing that happened was that we found this family and taught them the first lesson about the Restoration. It went really well and they accepted the message quite well. They are Nilvia, Jennifer, Sharon, and Rodrigo (the dad stayed in his room) .The mother, Nilvia, had a lot of questions as to why so many churches lack so much of what is found in the Bible. It was perfect, because that is exactly what the first lesson explains! As we finished the lesson, we invited them to a baptismal service of the other two missionaries that was on Saturday morning, as well as to church. When we passed by Saturday evening, the 10 year old son, Rodrigo had read what we left him to read, as well as everything from the beginning of the Book of Mormon all the way to 1 Nephi 2!! The mother then explained that she felt bad because he had asked if they could go to the baptism and they didn't go!! So due to that, and the insane desires that Rodrigo, as well as his sister Sharon, had, they came to church together on Sunday!! Basically due to the faith of a 10 year kid, the whole family is committed and is much more interested! By the next day in church, Rodrigo had read through 1 Nephi 8 and the Nilvia and Sharon had also read.

They will be getting baptized on the 25th of March :)

The Branch here is amazing. They are getting really excited because the four of us missionaries have been working hard together, bringing new people to church, boosting the attendance, and working a TON with the members. They respect us a lot. In fact, we had Branch Council meeting last night and THIRTEEN of the Branch leaders came because they are so excited!!  I have never seen more than 3 or 4 come in my whole mission!! We took pictures it was so great. The members have amazingly strong testimonies of the restored gospel and are very willing to help out in the Branch with their callings.

Well, I have to get going! Thank you for your letters and support! I love you all and know without a doubt that what I am doing is the true work of our Heavenly Father. He loves us and has blessed us with the gift of His Only-begotten Son, who died, was resurrected, and lives. I know it.

Hasta luego,
Elder Ryan Garrison