April 23, 2012

Hey Everybody!

I hope you are all well! This past week was kinda a crazy week... but nothing really too crazy happened! We finally were able to teach a lot in a week here in Llaima! The people here are usually really closed off to listen to us or to even talk to us... but for whatever reason, this week went a lot better! We have been working hard to help one of our investigators quit smoking so that she can be baptized this weekend... but we might hold off one more week to see how things are going with her. She is trying so hard to quit smoking, but it is really hard for her to do it! But we have been praying hard and fasting to help her out, because we know the best help that she can get is from our Heavenly Father!  We also put another Baptizmal date with another investigator this past week... so we could be having 2 more baptizms here quite soon! I am so happy to see that all the work that I have been doing here in Llaima is turning out great in the end!  

Also, this past week I taught my first English class! I thought I would be really nervous... but it was pretty fun! But I know that I never want to be a teacher after the mission... it doesnt catch my attention very much! But the class was fun! 6 people showed up, not a whole lot, but it was perfect for the trail run of teaching English. I ended up teaching the English Alphabet, we spent a lot of time learning how to pronounce words (because latinos have problems with pronouncing words in English... it was fun to hear them speak!) And then I started to teach how to use some verbs and sentance structure. I taught a few basics and then we had to end the class because I had been teaching for an hour! The time flew by quite quickly! We have also been planning an activity for this week, because Llaima (our ward) doesnt really have many activities... so on Friday we are going to have a Kareoke! How fun! So it will be interesting. I also get to teach my second English Class... hopefully we will have more people! 

This week we also taught many strange people.... but luckily we are all Children of God! We taught our Japanese friend again, and he was scared that we told him that we know that the church is the only true church and that he can find out for himself.  We taught some budhists that believed in the Holy Ghost and that God is a person. We taught a baptist that believes in the Book of Mormon but doesnt like the idea of getting baptized in our church. We talked with an Evangelico that wouldnt accept that she needs to recieve the spirit by the laying on of hands even though we read her some scriptures in the Bible that teaches that... sigh... I dont understand the logic of people sometimes... but we do what we can and try to plant as many good seeds that we can with everyone we meet! I hope you are all well! I love you all so much! Thanks for the Birthday Package! It is going to be my birthday next week... 21 years... wow, I am getting old! I love you all! I love you so much too Caralyn! More than you know! Take care everyone! Until next week!

Con mucho amor, 

Elder Scott Garrett

April 16th, 2012

Hey Everybody!

How are things in the States this week? I hope all is well! I hope you are feeling better too Caralyn!

Well, this week nothing too exciting happened... but it flew by super fast it seemed like! I cannot believe that I have been with Elder Lengruber for 3 weeks already! This cambio is going by fast. This week was a pretty difficult week in the work, but aside from all of that, it has been a pretty rewarding week! We have an investigator that is progressing really well... but this week is going to be the hard week for her. Her name is Yasna, I dont remember if iI have talked about her before in Email. She is working hard to be baptized at the end of this month.... but this week is going to be hard because she has to give up smoking. I have a 7 day plan to stop smoking that I gave her, and she is doing her best. She came to church Yesterday and she told me that she is dying, but she had a smile and thanked me so much for helping her. But she still has a long way to go to finish the week! But I know she will be fine, we are going to keep in good contact with her and give her encouragement!

Roberto came to church early this Sunday! I was so happy to see him in Church! Haha! Next week he will be ordained as a priest. I´m pretty excited! He makes me laugh and I am so happy to see him in Church! He is always ready and willing to do the right thing! I never would have thought that I would have a convert that is 72 years old! Well, this sunday one of the counsolers in the Bishopric asked me to give a talk 5 minutes before church started. O.o I dont like giving talks in the first place... and in Spanish! Yikes! Well... it turns out I gave a 20 minute talk! Haha, I wasnt that nervous either! Craziness! Okay... I was a little nervous... but still!

So, here in Temuco is really really really cold now... Cold cold COLD! I love the cold, but the mornings are not too fun! I have to bundle myself up in a lot of things to stay warm! And all the people use wood burning stoves here, and all the pollution doesnt leave... so there is a really not so fun haze of deliciousness in the air all the time now. But I am surviving! The past few days my stomach hasnt been feeling well and I have felt really week and I have had a small fever... but all you can do is keep going! I am doing my best and enjoying all that I can! I love you all! I hope you are all well! I love you Caralyn, so much! Muah! I hope you are feeling better my love! Take care everyone!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Garrett!

Oh... and I am going to start teaching English in a few days.... T.T Pray for me!!!! Haha... I have no clue what I am going to do!!!! haha!

P.S. This picture isnt of Elder Lengruber... This is a Youth that is in our ward named Pancho

April 9th, 2012

Hey there Everybody!

I hope you all had a great Easter! It is a grand time of the year to remember our saviour and redeemer Jesus Christ, his sacrifice, and his ressurrection!

Although I didnt celebrate with Candy and the Easter Bunny, My companion and I celebrated with a gift far better.... A BAPTIZM!!!!! We had the Baptizm of Roberto Artemio Brito Salas. He is 72 years old, and it was an amazing experience! This week was pretty crazy... making the invites, inviting all of the members, planning the baptizm, and then filling the font and everything! I wasnt stressed out too much, but it was a lot of work to get everything planned! Luckily we had help from a few members... but not too many because this ward is dead! But we are trying to change that. It has been a long time since there was a baptizm here in this ward.... The last baptizm was in November.... it was easy to see it had been awhile, because there were spider webs in the font and it was really gross. But we cleaned it up really good and the baptizm went well! I had the opportunity to baptize and confirm Roberto as a member of the Church. He was super happy! He shared his testimony with his family that was at the baptizm and said that it was dangerous (because he has problems walking down stairs... scray!) and that he felt so good and happy, and also that he hopes his family can have the same blessings as he does!

From all the hard work that I have been doing here in this insanely hard sector, I am super happy that I was finally able to see the fruits of my work. It wasnt easy to have a baptizm, it was a lot of work. But as with everything, when we work hard in the things of the Lord, we will be blessed!

Now as the Easter season passes, and also our baptizm, we still have a lot of work to do... because the work of the Lord never ends! We have another baptizm date, and we are going to try to put another one with another investigator this week too... Hopefully we can see another baptizm by the end of the month! I am going to work as hard as I possibly can to do it! I am praying for you all and wishing the best always! Thanks for all your prayers and support! Things are going great with Elder Lengruber! I am really enjoying my time with him! I love you all! I love you so much Caralyn! Feel better soon sweetie! I am always praying for you too! Hehe!

Take care everyone!

Con mucho amor,
Elder Scott Garrett

April 2, 2012

Hey Everybody!

Another chapter in my Mission experience has come to an end... and another chapter has begun!

On Tuesday, I said my goodbyes to Elder Jennings as he left to Concepcion... and I waited from 9a.m. until 5p.m. for my comp to get to Temuco... Ugh... Such a long time to wait in a bus station! He finally came and we got to our sector and things started back up again for me here in Llaima.

My comp is 25 years old, he is from Argentina, and his name is Elder Lengruber. I am Senior Companion, and he doesnt know what to think of this sector yet... only that it is really rich and really difficult.... And he is right! But as hard as this sector is to work in, I have great news! We are going to have a baptizm this weekend! His name is Roberto and he is 70 years old. It has been quite a task to get him to church because of his health, and we had to move his baptizm date once before, but now he is ready to get baptized and he is super excited! He went to one session of General Conference with us and he really liked it! He told me that he really liked the Prophet because he said, "He has it all together, more so than the others". Haha! He always makes me laugh, and even though he is older, he understands everything perfectly!

Well, this past week hasnt been any harder having a new comp, that speaks Spanish only.. but I have had to do a lot of the work because he is laid back with a few things and he doesnt know our sector (it is huge)... so I have been trying to teach him and show him things and try to get him to do some contacts. But obviously he is pro with his spanish. It makes me happy to know that all the members really enjoy the fact that I am still here in the ward! It makes me feel really great that the members tell me that I am working hard, because I am! The ward here is getting really excited for this baptizm too... baptizms are rare here in this Ward! But we are working hard to change that and the ward!

Well, this last weekend was General Conference... all in Spanish too! It was weird not to hear the real voice of the Prophet and the Apostles, but it was the same great message and I felt the Spirit so strong! It was super fun to watch General Conference in Spanish, I took lots of notes.. In spanish too! Almost 18 pages of notes O.o I dont know if I have ever enjoyed General Conference as much as I did this time. It is amazing what we can learn when we really try to pay attention and have the desire to learn! From what I was able to tell, a lot was focused on the families and of course, our Savior, Jesus Christ! I hope you all were able to enjoy it as much as I did!

Well, I love you all, take care always! You are always in my prayers! I am doing the best I can here! Thanks for all of your support and everything! I love you too Caralyn! You are so beautiful! hehehe! I love you all!

Con mucho amor,
Elder Scott Garrett