Week 67: Keep Pushing On

Well family, another week goes by and we just keep pushing on! This week was alright, we had a lot of meetings, and I'll get to that in a second. But it was still pretty good I think. :)

Mom - I do try to eat my veggies haha, so don't worry. Oh, you'll be happy to know that I ate broccoli this week. So ha! I love you. :)

Dad - It is pretty crazy to think how fast time has gone, and to think that it's just ticking away faster every day. Yikes! It's good to hear that things are warming up a bit over there - that means it's gonna start getting hotter down here too. Hurricane season's just around the corner, so we'll see what happens there! Anyway, I hope you're all doing well. :) I love you too Dad!

Marilee - Hey there! I love you too Marilee! I hope you're doing great, and I'm still looking for a llama! They're not really into them here in PR, so I'm having trouble with that haha, but I will keep looking! :) 

Moving to our area, we are still seeing miracles with our investigator R… D…. He's just an incredible young man, and has been prepared by the Lord. If he is the only fruit from the train contacting, then it was all worth it, because he will be such a strong member as the years go by. I'm so thankful for the opportunity I've had to get to know him and teach him, and I am really looking forward to his baptism on the 23rd!

We also had a good experience with G…, the daughter or daughter-in-law of another investigator. She came in late to the lesson, but she was really impacted by it. She was really pensive, and promised to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. We are really hoping that her husband will start to listen as he sees the changes in her, because that would be a complete family, and they're a very sweet family. I'm looking forward to getting to know them better and love them even more.

The B… family couldn't come to church again for whatever reasons they came up with, but this week the dad is supposed to get a car, so no excuses for this Sunday! We had a good lesson with them about the Doctrine of Christ, and the mom said she'd prepare for the 30th. They need some more work with the Word of Wisdom, so I think that's where we'll be focusing this week. 

Besides that, we weren't able to teach N… or A… this week, but we have appointments for both of them this week, so we're hoping to help them both with their marriage situations right now, so they can both set some firm dates to get married.

We have some pretty sweet investigators, they just need to act.

Other than that, we had our Interviews zone conference and also our zone leader's council this past week (2 meetings in a row..), so that was interesting. They were both really good, and I learned a lot from both of them on how to be a better missionary, so.. that's good, right? :) Haha anyways, I'm really tired, but I'm really happy. I'm glad to hear that spring is coming. Things are always better when it's sunny outside. :) Love you all so very much, and I look forward to hearing from you again next week!

Con mucho amor,

-- 

Elder Kimball Ray Gardner

Puerto Rico San Juan Mission

Week 33: Good News

My dear family, 

Well, it has been quite the week. It has basically flown by. I'll get to why in a little bit, but it's been good.  

Mom - Mom, mom, mom. You fell down again? I'm glad it's nothing worse than a bru though! It could have been much much worse, I know. And I can only imagine the heat, I'm glad I don't have to deal.... oh wait, I do. Ha ha and the rain doesn't help at all here, it just makes it more humid. And that bottle looks great! So does Dad! Ha ha, but I'm glad you're doing all right, and thanks for the pictures! I love pictures of you guys. :) (Though I did not get the one of Marilee in the garden...?)

Dad - I was able to open July letter, but not the May one. I liked the July one, though! I'm sorry it's been kind of hot over there, but I feel your pain, just like I was telling mom. Everything's all right, and it's been quite the adventure! But know that I'm doing all right now.

Marilee - no email this week?? What?? Anyway, hope you're doing great little sis! Only a month and a half left of summer!

Alright, here we go. So last week I was in the mission office in Bayamon with hardly any sleep and writing to family. After that, we... waited some more. Pres. Alvarado didn't show up until about 5:00. And what happened was Elder Morrison and Elder Mangelson went out to work in Guaynabo with the APs. Elder Durfee and I stayed to talk to President. Basically in my interview we talked about how I needed to stop being a follower, and start being the leader he wants me to be, and the one Heavenly Father knows I can become. He also talked about that with Elder Durfee, who was Elder Morrison's companion. Then he talked to us together, and told us to pack our things back into the car (just ours), to take the car to Yauco, and then once we got there, to break down the bunk beds so that there were only two. So now, us 2 are working in Guayanilla AND Yauco. A ward AND a branch. 4 pueblos: Guanica, Yauco, Guayanilla, and Peñuelas. Wow. He also said we are to only speak Spanish to each other, and that we need to get up at 5:30 every morning to have an extra hour of study time for the 12 week in-field training program. So that's what we did. So this whole past week has been crazy trying to work in 2 units, especially since the Bishop of Guayanilla just got back from his temple trip this past weekend, and the ward mission leader moved to the States. So it's been kind of crazy!

Anyway, just know that President always wants to help us grow, and even though it was a big move and a big change, ultimately I think it will help. In the past week it really has helped. Pres. Alvarado is a great man, and I know that he holds the keys to this mission, and as we follow his counsel, we'll see growth and change.

But it's been a great week, because Elder Durfee and I have been learning and growing together. He's from Grantsville Utah. Oh, that reminds me, Pres. talked to us about that, and how he doesn't want us to just be another couple of missionaries from Utah. He wants us to stand out, because he knows we can. So anyway, we've been learning and the apartment is now spotless ha ha. Working in Yauco has been great, because there hadn't been missionaries there for like a year, and so in the past few months it has been exploding. Also, the members there want the branch to grow, and they help a TON. We have like 8 or 9 investigators. Here in Guayanilla, we are going to be seeing some growth also I think, and we're meeting with the Bishop Wednesday night to make some plans.

There's a man named Eric, and his daughter Erika, who live in Guanica, with whom we are trying to focus. He's a really cool guy, and we're trying to set a baptismal date with him.

Also, Efrain in Yauco is a pretty cool guy too. He's had the Book of Mormon for like 30 years, and knows it's true! All that is stopping him from being baptized is the fact that his wife is Catholic, and he doesn't want any problems with that.

There is a young man in Yauco named Yan Garcia who just came back from the States, and we haven't met him yet. But we've heard that before he left for the States he was really excited and at the point of baptism! Also, a young guy in Guayanilla is the same way, so we're hoping to work with the both of them. Anyway, there's so much going through my head at the moment with all our investigators that I can't keep them straight! But we now have a car, which is good, and next week I'll hopefully finally be getting my Puerto Rican driver's license. Oh and by the way, I was wrong about how no amount of cleaning could help the apartment. It looks much better now. :) It's still an ugly place, but having it clean has helped a lot. And it feels different. There's a more peaceful spirit in the apartment now, which is I think part of the goal.

Anyway, know that I am doing well. :) I love you all, and thank you all for everything. You are truly the best family ever, and I couldn't ask for any better! It's been a pretty good week, and really, really busy. There's not a moment where we're not doing something. It's good, and the work in Yauco is growing greatly, and will be soon also in Guayanilla. I love you all so so much, and I hope you're all doing well! I pray for you every night!

With much much love,

Elder Kimball Ray Gardner

Puerto Rico San Juan Mission