Hola Otra Vez!

I loved being able to talk to all of you yesterday!! I feel so blessed to live in this day and age and be able to do a FOUR WAY Skype and see each and every member of my family while out here on my mission!  

So I know I already told you some of this yesterday, but I'm going to write a bit about the transfer and my new area anyway (for the blog, too). I'm now serving in the Queen Creek Ward! Hna Hanson and I are still together. It's been a little weird it just being the two of us without Sister Anderson, but we're also enjoying ourselves and looking forward to the rest of the transfer together!  We're both COMPLETELY new to this area - I've only ever served in the branch, and so has she since this is just her second transfer in the field. So we've had some fun and adventures trying to get to know people and trying to find our way around. 

We've already seen a lot of miracles, too, which is amazing. But there's been a LOT of getting lost in the process! I have some funny videos to send you in a bit :)

MVI_0222.MOV   MVI_9255.MOV

We've had to build our own area book from information from the other missionaries, since we're opening a new area, and it's been interesting. We were given a ward list, but it was old, so not everything was right. On Friday, we drove thirty minutes to the family's house where we were supposed to have dinner only to discover that it was their OLD address, and that their NEW address was literally right by where we had been before. The Relief Society president is awesome. She's the one who had us over last night to Skype and she also gave us dinner afterwards. She's super sweet and has already been really helpful in helping us get started in this new area.

The RS President is Sister Allred, Br Allred is Hermana Garner's 6th cousin

Generally, the ward has been very welcoming, and I look forward to getting to know them!  Not much else to say, really - it's been a crazy week just trying to settle in and figure out how to get around, but also a great week to set up for a great transfer!

We're living with Hna Showalter and Hna Shaffer in a BIG house in Queen Creek, it's super nice. They're both awesome people, and Hna Shaffer is a talented singer, she's actually on one of the For the Strength of Youth albums produced by the church.

Lost with Hermana Hanson

One funny story that I almost forgot about - we were knocking doors on Thursday and ran into a family that goes to the English ward in the area. I looked inside and saw a 3D model of Hogwarts on their piano and commented on it (of course). The sister invited us inside and was super excited to show us the rest of her Harry Potter things (they'd just gone to Harry Potter World for the 3rd time and she had a Harry Potter themed party a few days before). She even had "The Chamber of Secrets has been opened - Enemies of the heir, beware," written on her bathroom mirror and letters hanging from the ceiling as if they were flying around the room. It was awesome. She's also a teacher, and she's married to a Spaniard, and they have these cute little kids all running around. I was standing there thinking, "This is literally me in five years." hahaha

Just a few things from my studies!  Hosea 13:14, footnote f - in this footnote, the word "Repentance" is translated from Hebrew into "Compassion." I've been thinking a lot about what a gift and blessing repentance is from a merciful, compassionate, loving God!  

I've been studying the Old Testament a lot as I focus on trying to finish reading all the standard works before I get home from my mission. As I've been studying it, I wrote down this thought: "The Old Testament teaches us the law of Justice and the desperate need for a Redeemer." I've had this thought from many of the stories in the Old Testament, but particularly from the story of the children of Israel who were worshiping the golden calf. They were given one chance to choose to repent, and then anyone who didn't was immediately slain. One mistake, that was all they were allowed. We know now that we always have the chance to repent, and though the Lord has always been merciful, it wasn't until Christ's atoning sacrifice that we truly had the ability and opportunity to be forgiven and given time to prepare ourselves and turn back to him, because Christ paid for our sins. 

Along with all these thoughts goes Helaman 14:17-18, which talks about the beautiful gift of repentance that we have.

Love you all!

 Hermana Garner Had a Birthday!

Transfer news - I'm leaving Gilbert! For the first time, I'm leaving the branch. It's bitter-sweet, really, but I feel a lot of peace about it and feel like the Spirit's been preparing me for this change. Sister Hanson is also getting transferred, but we still don't really know what's going on - the two of us could be together in a new area while Sister Anderson stays here with Sister Fuimaono, or Sister Hanson could go with Sister Showalter and I could train the new sister coming in in a new area, or .... who knows? Haha. It's a bit daunting not really knowing what's up ahead, but it's a good thing. Besides, a change of pace and scenery will probably be really helpful for me at this point!  

Not going to lie - this week was really hard.  It was a slow week without success (in fact, really only the opposite) despite our best efforts, and incredibly discouraging. And yet, here I am, pressing forward with the strength of my Savior. It hasn't been easy, but I'm striving to have patience and diligence.  One of the things that was so hard about this week was that Luis dropped us. I felt like such a failure at that moment. I've worked so much with him, devoted so much energy to helping him understand what we're teaching and recognize the spirit, and he's simply deciding to ignore what he's experienced. It was all friendly - no hurt feelings on either side - just a broken heart on my side as a missionary who wants to see salvation come to him and his family. 

Another hard thing this week was an incident that happened in the neighborhood near the church. Sandra and Sayra live around a bunch of other kids/teenagers, and one of their neighbors was shot with a BB gun by another kid in the neighborhood. He's also a former investigator, and we happened to drive up just after it had happened and right before the police arrived. Thank goodness it was only a BB gun, because he had a bad welt on his chest exactly where his heart is. They were metal BBs, so it hurt a lot and his hand was bleeding where he was hit there, but it didn't break the skin on the chest. If it had been a real gun ... it's scary to think about what would have happened. So we're praying a lot for them, their safety, peace, and comfort, and we're going to buy him some of his favorite snacks at the store today and bring them over since that's really all we can do in this situation.

With one of the sisters from the branch who made them dinner

But, of course, there were also upsides to the week, as there always are when you look for them. My birthday was really awesome, we had a wonderful, fun time and I felt loved and enjoyed myself. I received some great spiritual guidance from my Father in Heaven and feel I am growing closer to Him and becoming more of the woman that He wants me to be. Yesterday, we received about eight referrals (that I won't be here to contact, but oh well!). And all of our dinners this week were amazing, I am seriously going to miss the branch!

Another really hard moment this week - being given back a Book of Mormon that I gave to a potential a few months ago. As soon as she saw us, she rushed to get it, and I felt excited to share something from it with her since she seemed willing to talk to us, but she handed it to me and wouldn't take it back, and when I tried to testify of how it's brought me closer to Christ, she just said, "Pero no creo en el," and more or less shut the door on us. I broke down and cried as I carried that book back to the car. So as I mentioned in my other email, it was a difficult week for me. But in the midst of the trial, I was able to grow closer to my Father in Heaven, and he provided me with so much guidance and spiritual insight for me to understand the gospel more and also learn and grow individually. 

The last picture with Hermana Cedeño before she went home

One thing that I've started to focus on really studying is patience. I've realized this past week that that's a Christlike attribute in which I am seriously lacking. I need to be more patient with myself, with others, and with the Lord in the going forth of His work. I've found more peace and serenity as I've studied this attribute, but know I still have a long way to go. Yesterday morning I prayed for patience, and in my prayer I said, "I'm a little scared to pray for this, because I know that it usually means that you have to wait even longer for the things you're already waiting for and be tried a bit more, but I know it's something I need, so ... help me." And then, throughout the entire day, literally NO ONE was home at ANY door that we tried to knock and go to. I just started laughing at one point, and when Sister Hanson asked why I said, "God has a sense of humor."But in all seriousness, I have learned a lot about patience. 

Love,

Hermana Garner

The Spanish zone in their zone shirts

Lots of Miracles, and Lots to Pray for!

This week was a humbling week for me. I've been able to see more and more the Lord's hand in my life and how He is lifting and supporting me. I've also been able to experience an incredible amount of peace and comfort from Him, and I'm so grateful for the Gift of the Holy Ghost and the love of our Father in Heaven!

We were privileged enough to go to the temple twice this week - once on Thursday to do initiatories and once on Friday to do a session. It was really, really wonderful. I feel like I learned SO much, and reinforced the spiritual armor that I have to help me face trials, doubts, and discouragement in the mission. Go to the temple often!!

All week, we were cramming in practices for a musical number this past Sunday (the whole theme of Sunday was missionary work, and they had all the other sisters speak and we all did a musical number together - I didn't speak simply because of time and because I've spoken in the branch before). It was a bit overwhelming for me - I'm the only one of us who plays the piano, so I of course was the accompanist. We chose this song at the beginning of the month and I've been practicing it when I could throughout the transfer, but as missionaries we don't have very much time for it and the piece was a bit more complicated than I initially expected when I glanced over it.  As the week went on and we really didn't have time for me to practice, I started to get more and more stressed about performing it on Sunday. Saturday night I spent an hour practicing while my companions studied their Spanish, and I just felt discouraged afterwards. But I decided to rely on the Lord and the Spirit to fill the congregation regardless of my abilities. Sunday morning, I prayed for the Lord to guide my hands as well, and when it came time to perform, He really did. I still made some mistakes (and simplified a few things in the left hand), but they were hardly noticeable and the focus was able to be on the Spirit and the words of the song. 

That was just one of many humbling experiences this week! On Wednesday I was in Queen Creek again, with Hna Hanson and Hna Showalter. I was kind of a third wheel - they were MTC companions - but still enjoyed my time. It was a good day, and we got to teach lessons to a couple of investigators who are SO well prepared - one of them is just waiting for her 'esposo' to agree to legally marry her so she can get baptized, and the other has a baptism date for this Saturday (the 6th) that she's still on track for as far as I know. They're both so sweet, and it was wonderful to see how the gospel is working in their lives and their true desire to learn and grow!  

Hna Fuimaono was really sick this week, so there were a couple times when we did impromptu exchanges with them so that Hna Weyand could go out and work (she leaves a week from tomorrow ... yikes!). One of those was Thursday night, and we had an INCREDIBLE miracle! I think I told you briefly about the family that we helped move into their house, when we just happened to be there at the right time? Well, we'd only met the husband and the daughter, and earlier in this week we bumped into the mom, Susana, as she was coming out of the house and heading to work. We introduced ourselves, and almost immediately she invited us to come back another time. So, we went by Thursday night, and she was home, and turned off the TV to listen to our message. We taught the first lesson, and she had SO many questions, and expressed a sincere desire to know for herself if what we were teaching was true. We promised her that she could know, and she said that if and when she does, she will most definitely be baptized!! So it was one of those lessons that missionaries dream of, and we have another lesson scheduled with her for later in this week. Pray for her!

We had a lesson with a former on Friday, Mayra, that was interesting. She was talking about how she was already baptized in the name of Jesus Christ by someone having authority, believing that the Catholic priests had the authority, but acknowledged that we couldn't both be right. We challenged her to pray, and I shared the story of Apollos from the bible, as well as Acts 19:13-16, which talks about men who - without authority - were trying to banish devils in the name of Christ, and that the devils did not obey them because they didn't have the priesthood. She found the stories interesting, but we don't know if anything will happen there. But we testified of truth and gave her something to ponder!!

And then yesterday, we had the opportunity to go to the Mesa Temple Visitors Center with Luis - AND his WHOLE family!!!!! It was SUCH a miracle - his wife hasn't really liked us but we talked to her and she agreed to come to the visitors center with us, and they brought the kids! It was wonderful. We talked about eternal families and how we can be together forever, and Hno Cuello - the brother who brought us there, with his wife - talked to them a lot about the temple, using some of the screens in the Visitors Center to answer their questions, without us even prompting him to. Rosa (Luis's wife) was very, very interested in learning more about temples, and we see so much hope for them moving forward! They took a family picture in front of the statue of Christ and all I could think was how much I want to go to their sealing one day haha. Hna Cuello invited Rosa and Jocelyn, their 10-year-old daughter, to come to her granddaughter's baptism next week, and it sounds like they just might! Also, Rosa AGREED to have a FHE with us! It was seriously SO amazing to see her opening up to at least being friendly with the church, even if she's not ready to quite investigate it herself, and we think that that will help Luis feel more comfortable with the witness he's received and moving forward.So, lots of people, lots of miracles, and lots to pray for!

I have a goal to finish reading all of the standard works before the end of my mission. I'm learning so much and coming so much closer to my Savior!

Love,

Hermana Garner

Sister Young (now ASHLEY) surprised us by dropping by the house for a visit! It was fun to see her again. She's been home since December.

I Love Being a Missionary!!!!

There's a song we've been listening to all week - the Before and After Mission Rap. It's sooo good, and pumps me up to go out and work! Look it up!

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pkGth6Q7WMc Here's Link to the rap)

Anyway, on to what happened this week! It was a busy week, with two exchanges and a lot of miracles (naturally). On Wednesday, I went to Queen Creek with Hna Cedeño, and had a blast being her companion again!

I got to meet some of the amazing investigators down in the south part of the mission (the only other Spanish-speaking area for sisters at the moment) and we had an amazing experience with one of them. Her name is Gloria, and she's the cousin of a recent convert. Her cousin invited her to learn about the church, and she was kind of hesitant, and then one day she happened to visit her cousin at the same time as the missionaries and said she was ready for them to come over and start teaching her. Now, she's really investigating the church, and understands the importance of it. She's almost to 2nd Nephi already and is praying every day to know if it's true, and understands that that knowledge will only come as she puts the things that she's being taught into practice. When we were there, we extended a baptismal date to her - May 6th - and she said, "No me gusta el numero 6 ... tal vez el 5 de Mayo." I almost laughed out loud - I've never heard of an investigator asking for an earlier date before they actually knew it was true. But she's truly searching for the truth, and since Hna Cedeño leaves on May 8th she's hoping to get her answer before then, as are we.

Then we had exchanges again on Saturday, and Hna Anderson and I went to Queen Creek with Hna Showalter while Hna Cedeño came here to Gilbert with Hna Hanson. It was a pretty fun day, Hna Showalter's hilarious, and the three of us actually worked together rather well. It's funny because Hna Showalter was Hna Hanson's companion in the MTC, so we swapped stories about her as well :P.  There was one intense moment, though - I saw my first scorpion in Arizona! It was dead, but we didn't know that at the time. We were all freaking out a little bit, and Hna Showalter went into the kitchen and found some duct tape and taped a bunch of ladles together with a cup on the end to trap it so she wouldn't have to get close haha. It was pretty hilarious in the end, especially the way that Hna Showalter literally threw the cup away from her outside and then just ran back into the house, even after we already figured out that it was dead. I just hope I don't see a live one!

We found a lot of potential investigators and are excited about the work possibly picking up here - I really hope I get to stay in the same area next transfer, but it's all so up in the air! There are a million ways it could go!  

One of the most exciting moments of my mission happened this week - Luis called me a White Mexican!!!! We were outside and his neighbor was there. I was talking to him in Spanish, and the neighbor (who only speaks English) says, "Do you all speak Spanish, or just her?" I quickly reply that we all speak Spanish, then Luis says, "Yes, they all speak, but she's like a White Mexican," pointing to me. I was sooooo proud of myself haha, it was a big compliment! And Hna Cedeño said that I practically don't have an accent at all as far as the 'gringo' accent goes. I'm so grateful for the gift of tongues, and it's SO real! It's funny because so many people think of it as something different - we were stopped by a man as we walked into the library today who told us that we shouldn't stop seeking the Holy Spirit until we can speak with the Gift of Tongues in the 'Heavenly Language,' and he talked to us with his experience about speaking in the 'Heavenly Language.' I wanted to say, "I experience the gift of tongues literally every day of my life." I feel so humbled to have been given the opportunity to see the Lord's hand so clearly in my mission despite whether or not I have progressing investigators!

First off, one thing I've been really trying to study and improve on is recognizing the promptings of the Spirit. If anyone has something they'd like to share with me it would be more than welcome :) I'm reading Chapter 4 of PMG right now and studying each section to the best of my ability, but I still feel like it's my weakest area as a missionary.

Anyway, on to what I learned this week!

In relation to the spirit, I really liked D&C 84:45-48, which talks about both the Light of Christ and the presence of the Spirit, and how all can receive it. It also says in verse 48, "which is confirmed upon you for your sakes, and not for your sakes only, but for the sake of the whole world." That stood out to me in my studies as I thought about the huge importance of being in tune with the Spirit as a missionary in order to reach others.

I ended up reading all the scriptures under the heading, "Salvation," and found that it kept referring to the "Helmet of Salvation." Pondering that and the other scriptures that I read, I felt that I was very clearly being taught that salvation is free, but to those who seek it. It's not enough to be a good person and refrain from sin - we must progress, and seek knowledge and wisdom, earnestly strive to understand and study the scriptures. It is only through this quest for knowledge and learning that we will be able to be saved in the kingdom of God, because it is the only way we can perfect ourselves and come to be more like Him.

Love you,

Hermana Garner

The zone had some fun lemon bashing with bats one morning.

La Semana Santa

Or, the Holy Week!

The past week was full of miracles and great experiences. There were hard moments too, of course, but the Lord has really supported me through those as I've turned to Him as my strength and for comfort and guidance.

One cool thing about this week was that not only was it "La Semana Santa" for Christians, but it was also Passover! And I just happened to be reading in Exodus about the flight from Egypt and the Lord's institution of the Passover in my scriptures study this week. It was really profound, and caused me to reflect even more on the life and miraculous gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and the battles he won for us. It also made me think of how much gratitude we should have to our ancestors, and remember all that the Lord has done for them (as the Book of Mormon is ALWAYS reminding us) to increase the foundation of our faith. 

Friday morning we had some fun as a zone and had an Easter Egg Hunt at the stake center! Sisters Anderson, Hanson, and I got all the eggs and filled them with jelly beans, then hid them around the grounds of the church. It was sooo much fun to watch everyone else hunt for them, and to see the smiles on their faces (especially some of the elders, they were just like kids haha).  

We got to go to the Easter Pageant a second time, this time in English! (Though I'll admit, I kind of preferred it in Spanish for some reason!) We went with Sandra and Syra,

two sisters who are investigating the church. They have a younger brother and sister who are also really interested, but their parents don't really seem interested in listening to us even though they have no problem with their kids taking the lessons (and there's an older brother who doesn't live with them who's actually a member). We were supposed to go to the pageant with them the week before, but it ended up falling through. On Thursday, we called a member who's a friend of the family and asked if they'd worked out a time to go - since there were only three performances left - and he said he didn't think it was going to be possible. We were pretty bummed, but moved forward.Just about thirty minutes later, we got a text from him: "Ok. The Spirit wins again. We've worked it." They'd somehow worked out their schedules and were taking Syra and Sandra to the pageant THAT NIGHT!  We immediately scrambled to find a ride from a member there (since it's out of the mission, we're not allowed to drive our car) and miraculously were able to find one with los Perez.

We got to the pageant, visited with them and took some fun pictures with members of the cast, then sat down to watch it.  Just before the pageant started, I turned to Syra and Sandra and said, "Now, remember how we were talking about how to recognize the Spirit? Pay attention to what the Spirit is telling you while you watch the pageant tonight."They both said that they would, and we sat back to watch. Syra had been multiple times before, but it was Sandra's first time. At the end of the pageant, I went up to Sandra and gave her a hug (she gives the BEST hugs) and asked her how she liked it. She couldn't stop smiling and said, "I'm really, really happy. It was really amazing."After a minute or so, I said, "So, what are you going to do when you go home tonight?" intending to just remind her to say her prayers.  She immediately said, "I'm going to pray to know if everything you guys have been teaching me is true."I smiled. "Do you believe God will answer that prayer?" She got a little bit more quiet and her smile softened. After giving a small nod, she said, "Yes ... in fact, I think He already has." In that moment I'll admit, I felt my heart beat a bit fast because I felt a huge rush of joy. And I know I probably looked silly with how much I was smiling. "And what was the answer?" I asked her.  She got even more quiet. "It's true," she said, beaming. "It's all true." That was probably one of the best moments of my entire mission. She recognized the truth. She felt the Spirit testify of it to her, felt Him answer her question, and recognized it. She still has a lot of questions and a lot that she wants to learn, but she knows that we're working towards baptism and she wants to prepare herself and really understand as she moves towards that. Since she's only ten we'll also be talking to her parents about it, of course, and there's still a ways to go, but it was a huge moment for me to see her truly recognize the answer to her prayer, and helped strengthen my own testimony!

We had the special privilege of going to the temple with Hno De Miguel for his first time doing baptisms for the dead this past Saturday. It was pretty busy because there was a youth temple trip, so we waited for a long time. He looked around and said, "Wow, that's an amazing way for young people to spend their Saturday morning." He was really touched by the Spirit throughout the whole thing and could feel the significant difference of being in the House of the Lord.

We also had a cool experience when we were exploring part of our area this week. We decided to bike for the afternoon and were heading down this road. I was in front, and we kept passing houses. I thought some of them looked like they might have Spanish-speaking people there, but I didn't feel impressed to stop at any of them. Finally, I saw this one house and pulled up to it, and we went up and knocked the door. She didn't speak Spanish, but as we talked about the Book of Mormon and offered to give her one she was completely receptive. We offered to send the English missionaries to her house, and she said that she would like that, that she was interested in learning more. Sister Anderson and I both felt like she was the essence of a golden investigator - truly prepared to receive the Gospel and looking for that light in her life - and it was humbling to know that we'd been used as instruments in the Lord's hands to bring her that knowledge.

And last but not least, D&C 58:3-6 brought me a lot of peace this week as I went through a bit of a rough emotional patch for seemingly no reason: 3 Ye cannot behold with your natural eyes, for the present time, the design of your God concerning those things which shall come hereafter, and the glory which shall follow after much tribulation.  4 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.  5 Remember this, which I tell you before, that you may lay it to heart, and receive that which is to follow.  6 Behold, verily I say unto you, for this cause I have sent you—that you might be obedient, and that your hearts might be prepared to bear testimony of the things which are to come;  

Love,

Hermana Garner

Easter Pageant

So, somehow on Saturday I managed to get both a sunburn and a cold ... don't know how I got a cold in Spring in Arizona, but I guess I'm just talented that way. I've been struggling with that yesterday and today, I look forward to sleeping it off during P-day!  Other than that, my health is pretty good. I had a few attacks this week, but we're figuring it out. I've sworn off all nuts and ice cream (yeah ... that second one was a hard one) and am being more and more cautious about what I eat.  It's been frustrating thinking that you have it figured out and then all the sudden doubling over in pain again, but I know the Lord is supporting me.

This was a crazy week full of awesome experiences and miracles! The Easter Pageant is going on at the Mesa Temple, and this past Saturday was Spanish night, so we were inviting EVERYONE to it! The person we really wanted to be sure went, though, was Luis, so Friday night we stopped by his house to make sure he was still planning on it and to have a quick lesson with him. We decided while we were there to watch President Monson's talk from conference, and prefaced it by explaining how sick President Monson is and that he can't speak for very long. When it was over, Luis just stared at the screen for a long moment and then said, "I'm really surprised." We asked him why, and he quietly explained that knowing that this man was a prophet, he expected to hear something more profound, not so simple as reading the Book of Mormon. Also, he's been wondering how to get answers for so long, and he said, "And this man, who's so close to God, is telling me to do the exact same thing that Hermana Garner and Hermana Cedeno have been telling me to do from the beginning." He even admitted that it scared him a little bit, because he hasn't been doing it, and because he knows that he's been making excuses. But very humbly on Friday he acknowledged that he needed to read the Book of Mormon, and even said, "Right now, I can't even think of any of the questions I have, I just know I need to read!" The Spirit was SO strong, and I could see his desire and his motivation to act change in that moment. And every day since then, he HAS read! It's hard for him to understand, but we're encouraging him to keep going and that the Lord will help him and we're here for him along the way as well.  It was a special experience being able to go to the Easter Pageant with him.

He brought his cousin as well, who we might start teaching (he seemed interested when we were talking at the pageant). It was such a beautiful production, and really moving! What really impressed Luis was that it was the same stories and the same thing he's always believed in, which I think helped to increase his faith that he's not turning his back on what he's come to know about God, only adding to that knowledge. 

I personally really enjoyed the pageant - as soon as I saw the stage, I felt like I was home! Pageantry is slightly different than theatre, but still.

We've started exploring some of the less explored areas of the branch as well, trying to find new people, and are having fun with one another while doing it. I just keep loving my companions more and more, and whether I like it or not, they're always looking out for me. On Friday, they used the 'How to Begin Teaching' points from Preach My Gospel to get me to eat a carrot ... it was surprisingly effective.  Hnas Anderson, Hanson, and I are working on a musical number for the branch. We found a beautiful arrangement of "Abide with Me," but it's a little complicated, so I need to practice every spare chance we get! (I'm the only one who plays the piano)

So, funny story for the week - we've been working hard on contacting less actives and reaching out to them. We met with this older brother who has cancer and has a hard time getting around at times, and while we were there his pet bird suddenly flew into the room. It started walking on the floor towards us, and I put my finger down to let it climb onto my hand. Well, it climbed up my arm and onto my shoulder, and I was totally calm the whole time and was just continuing with the lesson. Then, all of the sudden, it starts ATTACKING my lip! It bit and pulled at my bottom lip and I put my hand up to keep it from continuing, but then it just started attacking my fingers! We were all laughing about it later because I got a peck on my mission ... :P 

Hermana Weyand gave Hermana Garner a new haircut

 In addition to my regular scripture study, I've decided to implement something that was talked about at General Conference. I believe it was President Nelson who said that he'd challenged the members in a CES fireside to read through every scripture listed in the topical guide under every single heading about Jesus. I was struck by that and decided to try that exercise, and I've barely scratched the surface and already learned SO much! So many questions I've always had have been answered and I feel like I'm coming to know my Savior in a way I never before imagined I could.

One thing that really struck me was reading through all of the scriptures under "God, Creator" in the Topical Guide. So many people look at us like we have three heads when we say that Jesus Christ created the earth, but ALL THROUGHOUT the New Testament it is written very plainly and clearly that this is the truth. In fact, there were more direct references to Christ as being the Creator in the New Testament than any other book of scripture.

I was also really struck by 1 Corinthians 10:4. It reads: "And did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ." That phrase - "drank of that spiritual Rock" suddenly brought to my mind remembrance of the story of the Children of Israel when they were in the wilderness and Moses smote the rock and out came water. I've always understood the symbolism of Christ as living water and also the symbolism of him as a rock or foundation, but I never really realized how deep that symbolism went in that story - that out of the rock came the living water. It blew my mind a little, and I realized just how much more symbolism there is in the scriptures and how much deeper we can learn the principles of the gospel as we come to understand it more and more.

Also, this week we got some fortune cookies. I opened mine and it said, "Hear with your ears but listen with your heart." I immediately thought about missionary work and how important it is to listen with the Spirit so we can truly discern what our investigators need!

Love,

 Hermana Garner

I love the Branch!

I love the branch so much, and I love my companions! I can't tell you how much fun we have together, and I feel so blessed to be in this companionship with them! Yesterday, I received a blessing from my zone leader, and in it he said that the Lord loves me and has called me specifically to this area with these specific companions. I know one of the many reasons is for how much my companions are teaching me and how much they support me.

This week has been a bit rough as far as teaching goes. It feels like no one's progressing, despite the love and hope we have for them. Luis promised us he would come to conference on Sunday ... and he didn't show up. I was sure he would be there, and it was incredibly disheartening when he wasn't. To a certain extent, I've felt like a failure as a missionary this week because NO ONE is progressing, and despite knowing that they have their agency and that the success of a missionary isn't determined in the number of people baptized, I feel like if I were in tune with the Spirit that wouldn't be the case. Hearing about Wilson really lifted my spirits.(Wilson is a friend we met in Boston who is investigating the gospel) I wish that I was there to teach him and help see him through to baptism, but knowing that I had the smallest part in that story is special. I just hope I get to experience some of that joy here and see the change first-hand.

We did have one miracle experience with a new investigator! Her name's Patricia, and we actually randomly knocked her house our first day as a companionship. We had a lesson with her on Friday night, and she is a GOLDEN investigator in every sense of the word. She has a history with many different religions - Catholic, Jehovah's Witness, Baptist, Nondenominational Christian, to name a few - and has been looking for a church where she can feel the joy of God and feel comfortable, and where she can tell the people are there for God and not for money or anything (she talked a lot about collection plates and how they bothered her). She told us that she wants to learn "poco a poco" because she's been to so many churches, so not to push her, but actually wants to learn and is actually investigating the church rather than just letting us come over. She said that she'd read the entire Book of Mormon before our next visit, and we all know the power of the Book of Mormon, so we're confident that if she does so with a sincere heart that Moroni's promise will hold true! I thought of her as President Monson was talking in conference and have been praying for her often.

There were a few days this week that were slower because of my health - I'm not really going downhill, I've just been discovering more things that don't agree with me. My companions are always on the lookout for if I'm having a flair-up or not and constantly remind me not to feel bad if I need to sit for a bit. I want to work, and I'm determined to work and have been able to keep going and bounce back fairly well, but my companions have been very patient and loving throughout this struggle and remind me not to "run faster than [I] have strength.

We had some AMAZING dinners this week - a lot of authentic food! Saturday night we had dinner with the Westbrooks, and Sister Westbrook is from Chile. She made us chorrillana, something that they eat all the time in Chile! It's basically fries, cheese, beef, chicken, and fried eggs all thrown together. It looked a little weird, but it was SO good!!

Then, between sessions of conference yesterday, we had authentic pupusas from Hna Erazo, who's from El Salvador. They were SO good (she gave us some extras and I had one for breakfast this morning). She made enough for all of the missionaries in our zone, and I did a lot of translating for the English elders and sisters, which was a fun experience.

 I had a moment this week where I realized that I actually SPEAK Spanish, which was cool. My confidence in the language is growing more every day.

It's been really fun to get some more authentic dishes, and dishes that I haven't really tried before, this week! And I love that I get to sample things from all over through people from different places in the ward. 

All in all, despite how rough things have been, I'm enjoying myself. I'm keeping my spirits up, and I know the Lord is supporting me. I kept getting that message throughout all of conference, and through the harder moments when I've wondered how I can keep doing this without seeing success I've been lifted up by those around me. I also know that I've been lifted by your love and prayers, so thank you for that!

I hope that you all enjoyed General Conference as much as I did! I would love to hear some of your favorite quotes or thoughts from conference from each of you! I was really struck by the messages of hope and light throughout the entire conference!

Anyway, here are some of the things that I wrote down:

M. Joseph Brough - "[Repentance] is a privilege."

Dale G. Renlund - "Should the scabs of the sheep cause the shepherd to recoil?" (quote from Les Miserables)

Ulisses Soares - (my summary) Trust in God, even in times of great difficulty

Mark A. Bragg - "Even in the most difficult and darkest of times, there is light all around us." 

Robert D. Hales - (my notes) Knowledge + Temperance + Patience = Godliness

Jeffrey R. Holland - the WHOLE talk, but this is the one I'll share: "Diversity is not cacophony!"

Valeri V. Cordón - (my note) The language of the Gospel IS our Mother Tongue!

Neil L. Andersen - Overcoming the world is "a lifetime of moments that define an eternity."

M. Russell Ballard - "The key to happiness lies in deciding what destinations matter" and planning accordingly.

President Monson - "The testimonies of others will only carry you so far."

Yoon Hwan Choi - "Do not lose your faith because of the people around you ... don't look around, look up!"

L. Whitney Clayton - For the Lord to direct our paths, "we have to walk!"

President Uchtdorf - Be liberated from fear by the "divinely appointed antidote to fear - the perfect love of Christ."

D. Todd Christofferson - "Stop feigning neutrality."

Joaquin E. Costa - I just want everyone I've ever taught to hear this talk!!S. 

Mark Palmer - "Let it go and follow Him."

Gary E. Stevenson - "Stay close to the Spirit, and the Spirit will stay close to you."