December 19, 2011

Dear Family and Friends,

Yeah no worries I recovered from being sick really fast. And now I tell everyone I get sick from tap water. Then they give me soda. I feel guilty because that makes me happy. Haha.

Anyway, Christmas is coming! You can hardly tell here. Because it's ridiculously hot and humid at all hours of the day. Including night time. Our fan broke last week so we're currently suffering as the office sends us money to buy a new one. This week was great. We didn't have very many lessons but we found several people that could very easily start coming to church and get baptized.

Like this little 10 year old girl named Fernanda Arce that came to church with the Branch President's family last Sunday. We taught her last Sunday and set a baptismal date. She was super excited and we were going to work with that family to help her.

Then out of nowhere her family moved.

So we did everything possible and had the Branch President's family do some calling and they found out where she moved to! We passed by Friday and asked her if she'd like to get baptized on Sunday and she said yes. So we taught her everything else super fast, had our District Leader travel in for the interview Saturday and she was baptized yesterday! We were very happy.

All the members are seeing changes. It scares us though because now they now want changes they are definitely not ready for. Like change from 2 hours of church to 3 hours of church before they even have someone to teach primary (the primary kids current spend the first hour watching videos and drawing on chalk boards and they are a third of the attending members). But we're working with the leaders, helping them understand the vision as well as the need to take certain steps before achieving that vision (like finding a primary teacher).

This week is going to be sweet because on Thursday, we'll be in Mar del Plata for SUPER P-DAY. To celebrate Christmas. And on Sunday, we're going to try and baptize the granddaughter of a member that brings her almost every Sunday. We finally had a chance to teach her this week!!

I am excited and the Lord is truly blessing Pehuajò. And all of your prayers are definitely helping us! Thank you all so much for your letters and I apologize if I didn't have time to respond to a couple! Mom, I will call on Saturday to set up a specific time for Sunday. We get 15 minutes to do that the day before. So if some strange number calls, that's me. I AM FREAKING EXCITED. My companion and I are trying to not get "trunky" thinking about it hahaha. I would also like Jake, Maddy, and Carly to come listen! So someone, tell them when I am going to call.

I love you all!

Talk to you Sunday!

-Elder Ryan Garrison

December 12, 2011

Dear Everyone,

I'm sitting here laughing because you all said that you hoped I had a great birthday...let me explain... This week, everything came against us all at once. I think Satan is a little unhappy with the success we've been having here in Pehuajó.

It started with me finding a FROG in the shower Thursday morning. I basically shouted because I stepped into the shower and something on the floor started jumping toward me! Obviously I had no idea what it was at first because I didn't have my contacts/glasses but after I realized, we chased it out of the house with a broom. After I showered, my companion was afraid of catching some sketchy frog disease and started pouring chlorine everywhere!! And then he showered!! The problem was is that with the hot steamy water he started to inhale chlorine vapor!! Smart move. So he got super sick and slept all day. Then, we went out in the evening even though he still wasn't feeling so great because we felt like huge sinners not having worked all day. Well we went to see these investigators that we have that almost got baptized a few years back but never could because they are living together but not married. (I believe Jesus was quite clear about not doing that).

We taught them the Plan of Salvation.

They gave us water.

I drank the water.

THAT WATER WAS TAP WATER!! Which here in Pehuajó has arsenic and like 50 bazillion other harmful chemicals. So I woke up on Friday morning at 4 am more sick than I have ever been in my life. Long story short, I ended up having to call President Deletsen's wife, and then the mission doctor, and then go to the hospital where they put me on one of those drip things that flows into your blood stream, and then take all kinds of medicine.

I drank water all day and then for my birthday I ate plain crackers all day and stayed in the house.

But the Brustle Family loves us so Sunday morning when we passed by to go pick up investigators together in their car (we go each Sunday morning an hour before church and drive all over with them to invite investigators to church) they pulled out a cake and sang to me! So I did eat Argentine cake after all :)

Well that was my week! Thank you all for the birthday wishes, I am 20 now and feel the same. My week was sad but this week we are going to work super hard and find more people to baptize!

As for skype, yes it is available here. I have to find out if it's allowed. I have heard of missionaries using it in my mission but that doesn't necessarily mean anything! Anyway, I'm super stoked to be able to talk to everyone because it sounds like you'll all be there! :D :D :D

BYE

Elder Ryan Garrison

December 5, 2011

Wow. She sent me a package?! That's the coolest thing I've ever heard. Tell her thank you so much and I will let you know when I get it! I have very little time again but this time because I was reading Tanner's letters. They are super funny and it's hilarious to hear about his experiences in the same country as me. His English is terrible! I can see when he uses Spanish grammar to speak English!

This week was fantastic here in Pehuajò. The Pedalino family got married! Well the parents haha. And then the Branch through them a party and there were tons of people there! They were baptized Saturday evening and confirmed members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and received the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands yesterday during church. The Branch is getting really excited and we are seeing a lot of progress in the weaker members as their testimonies are strengthened and a lot of progress as well with the leaders in the Branch. The Brustle family (from Bahia Blanca) goes out with us for 5 hours every Sunday to visit people with us and share their testimonies of the church. They are incredible and help so much in the lessons we teach.

I turn 20 this week and my companion completes a year in the mission field. So yes we will be doing some celebrating :D And the members found out about my birthday and are going to make cake :D Argentine cake is so much better than dry american cake so I am pretty stoked.

Anyway, thank you all for your support and your letters. Mom and am excited for your success in your new job! The Lord blesses us always when we patiently bear our trials. I know He loves us and that is why He restored His church and His authority through a prophet.

Dad, I got your email, thanks for the update! I am super stoked to talk to everyone on Christmas! You'll have to call me Elder Garrison though because I am not entirely sure I'll respond to Ryan anymore...

I love you all!

Chau

Elder Garrison

November 28, 2011

Dear everyone,

Argentina had another holiday on a Monday and we spent a half hour searching for an internet cafe that was open! Ridiculous. Ask any Argentine why they got the day off and they won't even know. Hahaha. It cracks me up. The more I'm here, the more I love it!

I have had so much to say recently I'm not sure if I have talked about Marcela, the lady we have been teaching here in Pehuajó. Well regardless, she was baptized this Saturday in a super old, portable baptismal font by the first counselor in the Branch Presidency. It was incredible. She went from a completely different life beforehand full of several life styles that can make even the strongest person feel worthless, identityless, and a lack of self-confidence, to a happy, shining light to all those around her. The baptismal service was incredibly spiritual and I could literally see the light in Marcela's eyes after she had been baptized. The Lord is constantly blessing us here in Pehuajó with miracle after miracle. Elder Arias and I struggle to believe it at times.

This week on Friday, a couple that we have been teaching is getting married in the morning. There little daughter got baptized in July and then they stopped going to church. But we passed by and they are very prepared. The whole Branch is going to come and support them at the wedding and throw a party later on in the night. I am going to lend my suit to the man, Hector, and the member that moved in from Bahia Blanca who is now Relief Society President is going to dress up the lady, Alejandra. And Saturday night, we are going to have a baptismal service for them!

Dad, my mission has 9 zones. Three in Bahia Blanca, three in Mar del Plata, Santa Rosa, Tandil, and Olavarría. I am part of the Zone of Olavarría which yes, is 3 hours away in a bus. Super far. My district is Trenque Lauquen, Pehuajó, and Carlos Casares. We are the farthest from anything here in Pehuajó and practically part of the Buenos Aires South mission! For that reason, Pehuajó has a bad reputation amongst the missionaries for being a place where very disobedient missionaries get sent to end their missions alone hahaha.

Being with Elder Arias is great. I literally do speak Spanish all day long. I have no choice. I am learning a lot and my accent is improving too. And my English is hurting! The only problem is that his silly Chilean accent rubs off on me.

We thankfully, we have a good relationship and talk about everything and anything that happens. We try to stay on the same page in everything and support one another so we don't go crazy here all alone in Pehuajó!

Mom, you are right about change. The thing Elder Arias helped me understand the other day is that if I don't progress individually here in the mission, if I don't give it everything I've got while I'm here to become a stronger person, when I am released and the authority of being a missionary goes away, I will go back to being who I was when I left. And if that happens, it will be too easy to fail in the future when life throws some change at me. But if we are spiritually prepared, our temporal circumstances will never affect our testimonies. And if we are spiritually strong and obedient, the Lord will bless us both spiritually and temporally. We just have to exercise faith. And if we do, we will always have the strength to cope with change.

Well, that's about it. Mom, I'm working on getting my rain gear from Bahia Blanca so we'll see. As for Tanner's letters, yes, send me a few!! Everyone gets to read about me but I feel like I know nothing about anyone else!

And I can't believe it either! December already. I am almost 20 years old and like Dad said, almost a year ago, he came and got me from BYU and I opened my mission call. Y así es.

Thank you all for your letters! I love you all and will continue writing and sending letters as soon as I get money.

Chau!

Elder Ryan Garrison

November 21, 2011

Hey,

I love Pehuajò. It's officially my favorite area so far. In Bahía Blanca the people are really cold and stiff. It's sort of a rich city. And I don't know, more than that, the people are just really closed. They like their house and their ideas and minding their own business. It's like the Dursley's. Everyone in Bahía Blanca was like the Dursley's. Here in Pehuajò, we asked a lady who was mowing her lawn, the name of a street and she turned her lawn mower off, walked over, said hi, gave us directions, and sent us on our way. It was incredible. I was so used to Bahía Blanca I got very confused that someone could be so helpful and kind! And not just her, everyone!

Long story short, I like it.

Elder Arias and I are working really hard here too. On Saturday, it rained all day. Somehow, in my hurried rush to pack and leave, I left my rain coat and my umbrella in Bahía. So I got soaked. Drenched. But we worked anyway and I at least had my winter coat. And it turned out to be the most productive day in my mission!!! We found 5 new investigators in one day, had 3 other lessons with members present and taught 9 lessons overall. It was incredible. But the whole week was that way. We also had lunch with the members every day! And there are only like 10! Hahaha. But things are changing. We are training our Branch President. The other elders tried to confront him and point out his flaws. But he only got defensive and they lost the Spirit, fighting. Elder Arias and I realized quickly, though, that President Uriona knows absolutely nothing about the Gospel. And even less about being a Branch President. He was called just as they were about to close Pehuajò because he was the only Priesthood holding, active member!! We started by having a meeting with him and his counselor and the family that recently moved in from my old area who are the Branch Secretary and Relief Society President. We explained what needed to change and that we are all in it together to support one another.

It was interesting because we talked about little things like saying hi to everyone at church, arriving on time and stuff like that. But President Uriona got so animated, it was great!

Yesterday at church there were 19 of us instead of 13. President Uriona did all the little things we asked him to do and the environment was so much different. There was so much more order and the spirit was so strong that our investigator Rosa, who has known about the church here in Pehuajò since 1994, said she had never felt what she felt in church yesterday. And went on for like 5 minutes about how nice it was that the "director" came up and said hi to here and gave her a beso (kiss on the cheek, it's what they do here).

So things are changing slowly. God does the same with us. He pushes us through hard times so we can struggle and grow. But he never makes us overcome that which we don't have the ability to overcome. He does it because He loves us and wants us to progress. He is doing it with me, with Elder Arias, with Branch President Uriona, and with each one of us. His plan is so huge and perfect; it's literally incomprehensible for us. We just have to trust in Him and trust that He has our best interest at heart.

Elder Arias has already been my most influential companion so far. He has baptized more people in his 11 months here in Argentina than any other missionary in the mission. He is about to break the record of most baptisms in the mission and he isn't even half way done. He has baptized almost every week of his mission. Yet he does it because he is incredibly humble and has the deepest love for the people: he desires nothing more than their salvation. That is the pure love of Christ. Christ suffered and died to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. He desired nothing more than our salvation and for that He gave His life. I, on the other hand, am struggling with that but for that reason, I am grateful to be with Elder Arias because he helps me by pushing me to grow and learn.

Thank you so much for always writing and praying and helping! Happy Belated Birthday, Mom, you're 29 again! I love you all and will be talking to you on the phone very soon! Weird.

CHAU!

 Elder Ryan Garrison 

November 14, 2011

Life is crazy in the mission.

On Friday, I was stressing hardcore about the packages I send weekly because I didn't have enough boxes of the Book of Mormon to send to everyone who wanted them (not that Elder Howard didn't have the money I needed to send the shipments anyway he needed to go to the bank) and thinking about the investigators in my area, Villa Mitre Alto. We were working hard with Rodolfo and involving the members as much as possible so he could find his desires to progress by coming to church. But then, at about 3 in the afternoon, Elder Johansson, the secretary and my District Leader, got off a phone call and shouted, "emergency transfers!!" He looks at me and says, "Garrison, you're headed to Pehuajò with Elder Arias, go buy a ticket in the terminal, teach Elder Sancho how to work with Materials, and pack your stuff. You're leaving. Tonight." And just like that, I was gone. I literally did all that in hours and hopped on a bus at 8:00 to go to the tiny city of Pehuajò, Argentina.

Pehuajò (Pay-wa-ho) probably has about 40 to 60 thousand people I would guess. It's a ton like Balcarce. And beautiful. The only thing is, there is no church. They rent a tiny little house and currently have 10 active members. The church here is very fragile, the attendance is quite low, and they were going to close the area completely about a year ago but Elder Aidukaitis of the Seventy felt the prompting to not close it. But what happened this week is that the missionaries here had an argument with the Branch President and President took them out and was going to close the area. But instead, he decided to send Elder Arias and me here.

Elder Arias is amazing. He has two more transfers than me but is on the verge of breaking the record of baptisms in the mission. He was a zone leader in Bahìa Blanca just recently and got pulled out like me before the transfer ended. He has incredible faith and determination. As well as a full understanding of his purpose as a missionary. He loves the people with all his heart and is the most obedient companion I have had. He is humble and wants to succeed so that the Lord's church here on the earth can grow. He is 24, from Chile, and studied Law before the mission. And he is hilarious. We are going to be great friends.

We are going to change Pehuajò, though. We plan to triple the attendance by the end of the year. And we are going to work as hard as possible to do it, too. Oh and the one strong member family that lives here, happened to move here about 4 weeks ago FROM Villa Mitre Alto. So I already know them very well!

Anyway, I'm already out of time because I took so much writing President, but I am super excited to be here even if I will miss the office. I know the Lord has a purpose in everything and He is constantly involved in this work. Because it is His work. I may be here for a while but I am going to do all I can to constantly serve to my best ability so that the church in Pehuajò can grow. Thank you all for your letters, I'll do better at responding next week. I love you all!

-Elder Ryan Garrison 

November 7, 2011

HEY

So I went to get all the mail downtown with Elder Howard on Thursday. I always drive. It's legit. Anyway, Elder Howard is in charge of money but was running out so he only brought 300 pesos. Turns out we got 14 packages in the mission!! Which was going to cost about 2000 pesos and take hours to pay for, etc. (Everything is super slow in this country) So, what did we do? We paid for mine and left the rest for another day! Hahaha. So yes, I got my package. It only took like 3 weeks, mom! That's what I thought anyway. I think I should have explained the tax system on packages though...They make you claim the price of the contents like you did. Then they convert it into pesos and make you pay half the price as a tax. So I now owe the mission 202 pesos. But I don't care because that package was the best thing I ever got!! And I am really impressed with the ties you picked out, too. The other office elders were really jealous of them. So thank you so much for everything in it and for getting all those letters together! :D I realize that's my birthday present but I don't mind opening it early. Every day is the same here. On the other hand, I WILL wait for the Christmas one so no worries.

As for the news thank you for that too, mom. The Argentines always ask us about politics for some reason when they find out I'm American. I am still going to tell them I know that I don't discuss that as a missionary but I like knowing some of what is going on!

As for this week, it was super hectic with office things like normal but it's really fun. All the leaders came into town for big meetings and as the materials missionary I had to give a presentation. I mostly liked seeing all my friends though. As for the investigators, Rodolfo still didn't come. I don't understand. We managed to teach his girlfriend who is equally as smart but knows nothing about religion except her own with is Catholicism. She understood well and we tried our best to apply the message to her current needs and struggles. So we were hoping that instead of being an impediment to Rodolfo that she'd actually help him get there. But nope, he'll come to anything we set up during the week but somehow it is impossible for the guy to get out of bed and come to church on Sunday mornings!

Our other investigators are this couple that one of the ladies in our ward introduced us to named Cesar and Miriam. She is so determined to help them that she is going to help them get married so they can get baptized! It is quite the miracle! The woman is amazing too and always gives us food. 

Well that's all I've got. Thank you so much for the letters and the package and the support. I know what I am doing is right. I love you all!!

-Elder Ryan Garrison