7-16-12

Hey fam!!!

So, I got my new companion today. Elder Parker. He was born in Arizona, and went to school at the U, but his family lives in New Jersey. He`s great, we`ll work well together. It`s nice to have an American comp after 3 months with Latins. But I actually really liked having my latin comps, I improved a lot with the language. He has I think like 7 months in the mission. President called me yesterday morning and said I might be training though, if we receive a whole bunch of newbies tomorrow, I`ll be training. But if not, in the transfers to come. That will be fun.

Things are going well! I am so full! We have been receiving soooo much food lately. Fo real imma explode. And we have a dinner tonight with the Bishop and his fam. The bishop is pretty young, he`s like 28 and his daughter has only like 4 years old. She reminds me a lot of Bailey, she`s shy like Bailey.

This last week went by quickly, but it wasn`t the best week ever. We didn`t get the numbers we had hoped for. But numbers aren`t everything, I know. But seeing results for the work really helps with the desire to work. It`s a whole lot easier to work hard if you keep seeing results; but if you don`t receive anything for all the work that you put out, it gets hard. But it was just an off week, we`ll pick it up this week and be good to go. We had a baptism planned for yesterday, but she didn`t want to get baptized and didn`t know how to tell us. So we are going to try to get with her again and keep working.

I`ll write ya next week about the story for M 5th ward. And with the package I was wondering if you could send me the movie 17 miracles? If it`s possible, just make sure that I can change the language to Spanish :) And for ties, I like all ties and colors! I like paisleys, and argiles a lot. I have a bunch of striped ties, but I`ll love anything she wants to send. I just sent letters to you mom too to give to people. Let grandma know one is on her way.

Today was transfer meeting, and listening to all the elders that are going home made me think a lot about when I`ll be coming home. It`s only 12 months away. I`m not on the year countdown anymore! Months :) Time has flown by. I can`t believe it`s been a year.

I hope all is well with the fam! I miss and love you all.

Chao!

Elder Gardner

7-9-12

Hey fam!

I hope you got the pics I just sent... It is sooooo cold! I got a cold this week... boo! Humid winters are completely different then dry winters. It`s usually about 30 35 degrees, but with the humidity it feels like a winter in Vernal! Good thing I`m used to it. This week was about the same as last week. We are working hard, finding lots of people, and going strong with our same people. We found 8 new investigators this week so that was cool. I bought pizza saturday night to celebrate. I really miss the pizza from the U.S. It`s a lot better there... MMMM Pizza hutt. or even little ceasers!!!
My spanish has gotten better. I don`t mess up very much anymore :) That`s a big deal. And telling stories has always been so hard for me because you have to change the tense that you speak in so much, but I`m getting better at that too.
My mini comp goes home this next monday, so I`m getting a new comp this coming week. This will tell me if I am staying here in Glew until the end of August, or until the middle of October.
Today is independence day in Argentina, everything is closed, and we have a ward activity today, that will be fun. We also got a new ward mission leader. His name is Rodrigo and is 19 years old. He is prepping for his own mission, but can`t go for another year or two until he finishes school. But he`s awesome.
I`m glad you guys had fun with your school reunion! I hope that the Workman reunion goes well. Tell everyone HI! And that I love them.
I love the pics too, thanks!
I don`t have too much new news! Things are going well, and we`re working hard. I`m anxious to see who my new comp will be.
I hope all is well, and enjoy the pics!!!

Elder Gardner

Oh Mom, two things. Number one, if you haven`t already sent the package, send me some chocolate pwease. An investigator reallllly wants to try american chocolate. And number two, there is an Elder Ebert in my district who says his mom reads the missionary moms website too, and he wants you to say post something with his name on it so his mom will read it. lol. Say that Elder Gardner gives a shout out to the mom of Elder Ebert or something like that :) Thanks mom.

7-2-12

Hey yall!!

This last week was okay, not AMAZING like the week before, but we are doing great. And yes! I know Elder Dodge, he is in my district. He`s brand new from the MTC. Alfajores are super good. IDK if you can home make them... they are like candybar things you buy from the store. But they are super good, imma buy a box and bring them home for all of you to try.

No fleas here in Glew, so no worries about the flea collar :) Thanks though! Sounds like you have a summer and fall full of activities :) That`s good! I hope you all enjoy yourselves. 11 months! I`m just about to the hump. The 27 of july I hit a year, and the 28th is hump day, and the 29th is my 1-year-left mark. I return the 29 of july in 2013. Everyone says that the first 6 months fly by, the next 6 months are slower, and then don`t blink the last year because it goes by quicker than a dog can eat it`s vomit. Like my imagery there? :)

Amber told me that her grandparents got called to serve in the Buenos Aires temple and they start in october. That is awesome. I`m sure I`ll see them at one point or another. And thanks for the letter from the ward, I haven`t received it yet. I will prepare it and email it to you soon so you can get it to them ASAP.

That`s crazy about all the wild fires! I hope things cool down soon, and you get some rain. We are getting plenty of rain here! We are just always covered in mud :) And with the humidity it`s aweful. There`s always fog. And it`s still freezing :) We should be heading on the warmer direction soon, (I hope) But I don`t think it turns spring until sept or oct.

We got the news from the family we`re teaching, their marriage is for the 31 of aug, so there is a big possibility that I won`t be here... when I got transferred here prez told me I would be here until the 26 of august. What luck that I have right? If I end up training then I will stay another transfer, but if not then I`m out of here the 26th. If that happens, I`m going to ask prez if I can come back for their wedding lol.

Today for pday we are going to a members house and she`s going to teach me how to cook pasta flora, it`s my favorite dessert here. mmmm. It`s like pie kind of...

Well that`s about it! I love ya family, I`ve been thinking a lot about ya lately.

Chao!

Elder GArdner 

6-25-12

Hey family!

Things are going well. We are working hard, and are having a lot of good things happening. We taught a lot of lessons this last week, and took out four new baptismal dates with investigators; feels good. This family is amazing. Elder Reynolds and I found them about 3 months ago. It feels great to help people in the best way that I can, the gospel. They are preparing for the temple! We are on the edge waiting for the phone to ring for him to confirm their date.  The ward has jumped into action as well, it´s amazing. Everyone wants to be there to support them.

Did I tell you guys the news about the temple yet? Open houses are in August, the 4-25. And all the missionaries are doing the tours! Every day they are inviting 24 elders from each mission in buenos aires, so every three days 24 elders from our mission are going in to give the tours and we will all be rotated in to help. All the sister missionaries from all the missions combine the saturdays to do the tours. On the 9 of Sept a saturday, Pres Eyring, Elder Ballard, and Elder Christofferson are coming to do a special workshop with all the elders in the three buenos aires missions, and then from there we are all going to capital together to go to the cultural event for Pres Eyring. Awesome experience right? We are all super excited and can´t wait.

Tomorrow we have a supppppper important lesson with a great family. They have been investigators on and off for a long time, my old comp found them just before I got here.  So tomorrow we are reteaching the restoration, but we are going to speak clearly, and teach the apostasy well, and tell her frankly that no other church in the world has the authority, power, and permission of God. So yeah, we are preparing for that lesson tomorrow.

Well, that is this last week, and I´m doing well! I hope all is well over there. Let gma know how much I love her, and I hope all is well.

Chao!

Elder Gardner

6-18-12

First things first... HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! I wish I could skype you guys today, but we`ll just have to wait until Christmas. I hope it all went well yesterday and you had a good day.

Well I had a big suprising change this last week, President called me early Thursday morning and I had to get emergency transferred back to my old area. It`s kind of a long story, but I`ll give you the important details. So my old comp in Glew was supposed to train new a new elder but since we didn`t receive any for a long time, he was with a mini missionary. A mini missionary is a young man or young woman from the same mission that when the mission lacks people, they volunteer to be a missionary for a couple weeks. They`re not set apart or anything, the just volunteer to be a missionary for like a transfer or so. So my old comp had a mini comp.  But because he was here with a mini missionary that doesn`t know the area, he had to move me back in until I can be with a real elder that can take over the area after I leave.

So I`m back in Glew. I`m happy to see old faces, and the work here is going well so that is really good. A family that I found actually is going to get married this july and I`ll be able to be here for that and for their baptism as well, so that is a miracle! I am a little bummed about leaving my old area and companion, but I`m here for the Lord and His work, not for the area I`m in nor the person I`m working with. I`m just happy the mini missionary, Elder Ortiz, is a hard worker, and we get along well.

So that`s the big news for the week! All the members are happy to see me, and I`m happy to see them too. And Glew is going strong with a lot of great investigators and plans, a lot of which I initiated when I was here last; so that`s fun. President told me I`ll be here for at least 10 weeks more, which is a long time in an area that I`ve already been here for 5 months, but that`s okay :) And it could be more time if I end up training or something. But we`ll see!

I`m glad you guys had a fun time camping. It sounds like a blast!!

I`m back on bikes again, but it`s freezing with it being winter and all, we might end up just walking lol. I can barely see with the cold winds and my eyes watering and stuff lol. But I`m used to the cold, and I have my nice hotfingers and coat.

Well fam I love ya! I`ll talk to ya next week.

Elder GArdner

6-11-12

Hey fam!

I`m feeling a whole lot better, and they were just fleas so no worries :) I found some in my bed! Woot! But I got it all taken care of. They might have excedrin, but who knows. I`ll just stick with the good ol`ibuprofen until I get home :) and no worries about the sweaters, it`s cold enough that I always have my big coat on so the sweaters don`t make too much of a difference; but they help. Let Marsha and Ron know that I`m thinking about them. I`m loving the winter food here, it`s a lot of stews and beans and stuff. Real good. The worth of the peso here has declined once again so all the prices are shooting up. When I got here it was 4 pesos to the dollar, and now it`s at 5+ so everyone here is complaining about that. But economy crashes happen here every 20 years or so, they just don`t learn. Everyone is begging me for american dollars because it`s the only secure way to keep the worth of your money here is store it in american dollars.

I cut my hair again today. I am getting used to it being short, and can`t go too long without cutting it. And yes, Elder Wheeler cut it.

Well we are struggling in our area finding people to teach, but we did receive 16 referals last week! So hopefully that will help. We are trying a new method to ask for references from members and it`s working. Right now I`m focusing on improving my method of tracting. I`m not terrible but I still get nervous clapping houses or stopping people on the streets. But that`s a huge part of missionary work so hopefully within the next year I can get a little better.

Teaching is coming easier as well. My new focus is not to ¨teach¨ but more of testify and tell them what I already know. The Spirit is stronger when you do that; instead of forcing information down their throat, you can just tell them simply and powerfully what you know and believe. A hard part for me is utilizing the scriptures to their potential. I`ve become very familiar with the scriptures, but it still just doesn`t cut it. Our one hour in the morning just isn`t enough to fully understand and remember everything well enough to apply to the people. But I`m trying! And that`s all the matters. It`s promised to missionaries that after we have received the word, the spirit will help us know when to apply it so that`s all I can do!

Well Family! I love you, I am in good hands, and doìng what I can. Thanks for your prayers and your love.

Elder Gardner

6-4-12

Hey padres,

Things are going well! I feel a ton better! I got a migrain saturday so that wasn`t fun... and I think I broke out in hives or something. Or they`re just fleas, I don`t really know. I showed them to a doctor and he wasn`t too worried so I`m not worried either :) But I feel fine, just itchy.

Yupp the baptism happenedon saturday, it went smoothly and great. They`re a great family. The grandma is almost all the way blind, so it`s hard to get them to church because they have to walk. So we either beg members to go pick them up, or the ask family members to walk them there. Butthey are awesome. The grandma got baptised several months ago, but we baptised one of the grandkids and we have a couple more to work with.

Salta is a mission here in Argentina, right now they are one of the best missions, number wise, in Argentina. We are receiving 14 new missionaries from the US tomorrow, so I don`t think pres is going to close any areas. I stayed in my area, and stayed with my comp. We`re both happy and going to work hard this transfer.

Tell Jake hi, and I hope he is doing all right! and Happy birthday.

The sisters sent me a funfetti cake in their package, and elder MArtindale baked it for me. It was sooooooooooo good. We downed that thing in like 10 seconds.

It is freezing cold today! WOOT! Lol. I like the cold. It`s cold... but I like it. I have my nice big coat and that`s enough. my legs are a lil chilly, but it`s cool.

Right now the work is kind of slow in our area, we don`t have like any progressing investigators, so that`s what we are focusing on is just finding people that are ready. It`s easy to find people, and most people will say okay if we want to return, but it`s just them progressing that is the problem. Them praying, reading, and coming tochurhc. But that`s why we`re here! To help people understand the need and the importance of progressing.

I ate peruvian food today. Arroz chaufa with salsa de ajì and waukakai. MMMMM. It`s basically fried rice with beef and chicken instead of ham, and with a reallllly yummy spicy sauce.

OH! I forgot to tell you last week! So every 25 of may Argentines eat locro... which is a giant soup with like whatever cooked inside. So I had my first locro... cooked with mundungo, and patitas. Which is cow stomach, and pigs feet. That was fun! I had no problems eating it. It was actually kinda tastey. It was just the texture that was weird. But I had noproblems eating it,unlike the cow tongue. But my eating habbits are totally different now... I just eat the food that is in front of me.

Well I just sent another email with photos, I hope you enjoy!

Love ya!

Elder Gardner