Mom,
I love you. Thank you for sending me a package :D And Happy Easter to everyone.
This
week was great!! We failed in finding new investigators (we only found
6)
but it was because we were so focused on the Casanova family.
They
got baptized!!! It was a very happy day. Every day this week we passed by to
teach them the commandments. We spent lots of time updating the members on
their progress and asking specific members to come with us to each lesson.
Because they had been reading the scriptures daily and doing their family
prayers every night, they accepted everything we taught them right away.
Thursday,
on divisions I went with Elder Cross from Idaho and we taught the Word of
Wisdom. We NEVER knew but it turns out the dad smoked! We were still waiting to
find SOMETHING not perfect about these people. However, he accepted everything
and said he would quit!
The
problem? He had 3 days before his baptism and a smoker can't get baptized until
they quit. So when he expressed his desires to quit, we offered to give him a
Priesthood blessing. He accepted and has not smoked a single cigarette since!
He gave me his pack and lighter without us even asking. Miracle.
In
their baptismal interviews, my district leader Elder Hoyos from Salta,
Argentina was able to talk to them individually about their experiences and
later explained to Elder Calarco and me what they had said about their
conversion to the restored Gospel. The mom, Carolina, had always wanted to the
family to go to a church but the father always said, "nah...someday in the
future maybe we'll go...or something..." And then one day, he came home in
a bad mood, cursing and everything, and she explained to him that God loved him
and blessed him and had no need to be mad. Well that same day, my companion and
I met Agustìn and gave him a pass along card with a picture of Jesus which he
brought home explaining to his mom that we'd be passing by to teach them. The
father was very skeptical but as he began to see changes in their home, realized
it was true. Agustìn said that he didn't realize before, but he had always felt
empty and lost. The first time he went to church, he was filled with so much
happiness, he knew it was true. He says he now feels complete. And Jennifer,
the daughter, said that during the Saturday afternoon General Conference
session, one of the talks helped her so much, she felt a huge burning feeling
in her chest that was so strong it made her cry. That's straight evidence that
the Holy Ghost testifies of truth.
Sorry
for the novel but they are so AWESOME I could go on and on about them!
We
had 11 investigators in church, several of which are members of the other
family we are teaching which is the Llaupi family (shah-oo-pee).
Pray
for them!! They are going to get baptized the last weekend of this month :D
Anyway,
I'm off to Bahìa Blanca for the Leader Council meeting. I will see Elder Arias
there. Legit. He baptized like 15 people this last transfer in Pehuajò since I
left. A family of 11 and a few other people. Next thing I know they'll be
building a church building there!
I
love you and appreciate your support! Thank you so much for your prayers and
letters and love.
Chau,
Elder
Garrison
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