October 1, 2012

Este...

This week went by super fast. Elder Howard and I went to Bahía Blanca for a Zone Leader meeting and lost two days in our area because we left Monday morning and returned Tuesday night. Then on Friday, we had to travel to General Pico to do a baptismal interview. We were trying to have as much time in our area as possible so we left at 3 in the afternoon in a bus, got there at 5:30pm, Elder Howard did the interview, and then we took the 6:10pm bus back, arriving at 8:40pm. We were cutting it all super close but we needed to get back to Santa Rosa! We spent 5 hours on a bus just for the interview but regardless it was all worth it because she had an amazing testimony of the gospel and was able to get baptized the next day! It is an amazing thing to interview a person for their baptism and hear them explain the changes in their life as they came to know the restored gospel. So the stake here in La Pampa is on fire because in total, 18 people were baptized this month and that means 106 people have been baptized this year. The stake goal was 80 so everyone is super excited, seeing as we already passed that and still have three months to go! The members are excited because they have the hope of spitting the stake in two. The Church of Jesus Christ is growing here.

We worked a lot with Sergio this week even though we lost a lot of time in the area. He is progressing well. He trusts us a lot and recognizes that we are servants of God. The first time we taught him he told us, "I see a lot of light in your eyes." He has so much knowledge and love for the Bible; however, it has been hard for him to accept the Book of Mormon as the word of God. But Elder Howard and I are slowly but steadily showing him parts of it, reading it with him, and explaining the background of the book so that he can have that desire to know if it is true. He made it to church this Sunday and I think he liked it. Of course, it was nothing like he expected seeing as he is used to lots of loud singing, shouting, clapping, hallelujahs and amens, and pastors "casting out demons by the laying on of hands" as they are such fans of doing here in Evangelist churches. We explained to him beforehand the importance of the Sacrament and the importance of reverence. He felt good and everyone said hi to him and shook his hand and introduced themselves. He was caught off guard by the changes I am sure but with time, he will feel that it is true if he has not yet felt it.

We are working with him so that he can overcome his desire to drink. He is an alcoholic. And is always drunk. Of course, that would stop him from feeling the Spirit very much at all and will hinder him from really feeling that the church is true until he can sober up. We are praying constantly for him so that he can stop, inviting him to read and pray constantly. He is a little stubborn but we are bold, yet loving, so that he can understand how important the Book of Mormon is and how much it will help him to overcome his addiction.

Pray for him!! He is awesome and I truly hope that he can make it to his baptism on the 20th. This week is General Conference so he'll be able to see how big the church truly is and that there are prophets and apostles on the earth today.

This week we also found tons of other investigators that we are going to be teaching and hopefully they will make it to church on Sunday! Thanks for the letters and support!! I love you all.

Chau,

Elder Garrison