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

5-28-12

Hey Fam!

Today, I am sick again... I am just exhausted, and sore everywhere. Nothing to worry about, but I`m down in energy. I`ll get back up and going soon. We have asado (realllllly good meat) planned for us tonight, so I hope I feel well enough to eat it!!!

Thanks for the birthday wishes, I got the packages. All 4! From you two, the sisters, my friends, and aunt peggy. It was super nice and thoughtful, thanks!! Over all I got 4 new awesome ties. Ties are the best things ever, I didn`t think I`d ever say that! The jerky was real good, I`m eating a lot, and sharing a lot. Everyone isn interested in trying elk jerky. It did have some mold parts, but I just ripped them off.

This week was a slow week, We didn`t get to work too much because of so many meetings, and activities. They`re dividing our ward into two wards hopefully next month, so yesterday the area 70 came to meet the stake and see if we have enough priesthood to make a new ward. Listening to their spanish made me feel good about mine, but I can`t blame them being 60 plus years old and learning a new language. It was a reallllly amazing meeting, and a spiritual boost to hear from 3 apostles.

We decided to move our baptism to this coming saturday, but there shouldn`t be any problems there.

Transfers are on monday, I have no idea what`s going to happen. BUT I did hear that 14 missionaries from the U.S. recently received their visas and are headed to our mission this next week, so that should put us back to a normal amount of missionaries, so I don`t think that I`m leaving my area. I really like my area, I would love to stay. But missionary work is the same wherever you are, and I`m going to love the people I teach so it doesn`t really matter where I am. I just don`t like packing! I have to go buy either carts for my luggage or new luggage today... BOO! Because if I get transferred this transfer meeting, it will be a mess trying to get to the meeting with two broken suitcases. We`ll see how much new ones cost.

Well, I don`t have too much news this week, just that Elder Wheeler and I have a ton of awesome new plans for our area, and a strong desire to work hard so I hope we can get our area moving! Today we did a contact on our way to buy groceries, and we found a family of 10! They want us to pass by any day. The only question is if they`re married... lol. I sure hope so.

Well I love you guys! Thanks for everything, I`ll have a great week, and a great birthday. Thanks!

Chao

Elder GArdner

5-21-12

Hola fam!

Thanks for the photos!!! Best pics ever.

Shopping went well, I didn`t buy anything... lol. Just looking around. So for the Jordan Kenczka story, I went to the members house that I skyped at my first day in the area, and their daughter is serving a mission in mexico and she sent some pics. They were showing us the pics and in one of the pics she was sitting next to Jordan, he is her zone leader right now and gets to see her all the time. ç

Medium for the sweaters is perfect.

I`m happy you guys had such a great time with tiff and the kids. I`m a little jealous, but I think I`d rather be here doing what I`m doing :) I`m loving it. Honestly I can`t even explain how much I`m learning and growing. This past week I was already planning and thinking about a senior couple mission with my future wife. I can`t wait to serve another! You two need to get yours planned and hopping. I`ll help you learn spanish if you want!

I made a withdrawell today from the bank. it was 200 pesos so about 45 50? dollars. I`m already out of money for the month!! YIKES!!! but i`m good :) La Plata is a little bit more expensive.

Rotisserie chicken sounds supppppper good. But I`m eating rotisserie chicken with chimichurri :) MMMMM. You`ll love it dad.

We don`t talk to pres too much. We see him at least once a transfer so once every 6 weeks. And we write him a letter every week on pday and he responds sometimes. But other than that we don`t talk to him unless it`s an emergency. I live with the zone leaders, so we`re in constant contant, and my comp is the district leader. So I`m just surrounded by leaders! Hopefully I can learn something. ;)

This past week went well! We ate a TON of cake. Just about every other family we visit baked my comp a cake for his birthday last friday, and then we bought him two cakes as well. lol. I`m alllll caked out. We had two baptisms planned for this coming saturday, but one of them didn`t come to church... one did! So we should go through with that one on saturday, but the other one for a different week once she comes to church. We`re working hard and trying to find more people.

I got a cold this last week, but it`s already almost gone. I think it`s just the weather freaking out. One day it`s freezing, the next it`s spring weather, then the nights are freezing, and then it`s warm. It just can`t make up it`s mind. It`s worse than Utah.

Transfers are coming up in two weeks. I have no idea what`s going to happen with all the changes going on. I could be sent somewhere else if they shut down our area. But who knows! I don`t want to go, I`m loving my area. But I`ll go where he wants me to go!

Church was awesome yesterday. All of Argentina is freaking out with the temple opening in August. We have already started doing plans for the cultural event for the prophet and stuff it`s exciting. I hope that we can participate with the open house or somethign.

Well things are going great! I`m happy, and working hard with my comp. I should get my packages on thursday, but we`ll see. I`ll let you know.

Chaocita

Elder Gardner

5-14-12

Hey fam!

It was soooo great to see you guys. I miss you all a ton. I`m super happy, and the language is a lot better. Not really improved a ton, but I feel comfortable with it :) I feel like it`s getting better, so I`m very content with that. I`m super tired too! I could definitely go for sleeping in a day. But maybe in a year and 2 months.

The kids were super cute. Gracy talking up a storm! Bailey was tired. But I don`t blame her. Ryder is a crack up. I can`t wait to see him. Not having heat isn`t too bad yet... I say that in the fall weather so we`ll see. I do use my sweaters. Almost every day! I wouldn`t mind more, but I`m making due with what I have so no worries. I know it`s expensive to send packages and stuff. Something else that I would love to have would be those tiny post it sticky notes that are transparent little tab ones, so I can put them in my scripture. I want quite a bit if it`s possible, maybe liek 2 or 3 packages. Just whenever you get another package ready, no rush. I have hi-lighters in pink, green, blue, and yellow thanks to moxy :) so it`d be nice to have them match the high lighters, so I can color code that`s what I want to do.

My comp is awesome. I really like him a lot. He`s a great missionary, and works hard. He`s a great teacher too, so I am learning a lot. Plus it really does help to speak spanish all the time. I actually like it because I want to get better. I don`t want to get back and not be able to speak well.

I hope grandma and grandpa were happy, They looked tired. please let them know how much I love them and appreciate all they do for me.

Well not too much has happened since yesterday. lol. We did some shopping with elder martindale today and got some ideas for stuff to get for you guys.

I love you guys! thanks for everything. I`m really greatful I can be here serving right now, it`s been such a blessing, and it`s changed my life.

chao chao

Elder Gardner

5-7-12

Hey fam!

How ya`ll doin? I`m doing super well. I had some more subway for lunch, and we had an uno (the cards) battle with the other elders and sisters, it was so much fun. FYI Amber, Ali, and Casey, I have taught half of the elders in our mission Ultimate Uno. Yeah, we all love it.

I will send Peg a letter when I get the package, we won`t get packages for a while. They might be at the mission home, but I won`t get them for a week or two at least. No worries about the entertainment center.

Sounds like a lot is happening in Vernal in the baby business.

A lot of the members here are Peruanos from Peru, and so I`ve been eating a ton of food from Peru. Mmmmm. Spicy. Argentina has no idea what spicy is, they think that the pepper we put on food is spicy. But the Bolivians, and Peruanos know how to make things spicy.

This week was a pretty good week. It was a little rough for me, but I`m headed in the right direction :) I got discouraged a couple times, so thanks for the Hinckley quote. But I`ve learned that attitude is soooooo important. Attitude really makes all the difference. If things don`t happen how I want, I can`t get upset or worry about it. It`s best just to move forward with faith, and a positive attitude.

We took out three baptismal fechas with a family of 3 this week. Woot! For the 26 of mayo. I hope everything works out. It was really cool. On Thursday, we taught an 8 yr old boy with his grandma who is a recent convert. We taught him, and he agreed to be baptized. The next day, we went to invite him to church, and his mom came out to talk to us. And we talked to her very frankly and invited her to be baptized as well the same day as her son, and she accepted as well! THEN, the Sunday after, the 8 yr old came, the mother couldn`t because she has bad health, but his sister came. We talked to her after church and she really liked it, so we invited her to get baptized with the rest of her family, and she accepted. Woot! lol. That part of the week was really cool.