3/21/16 - Dreaming about baptism

hello friends and family! hope you made the most out of this week because time is flyin.

I had exchanges (trading companions for a day and going to a different area) in Galveston this week! I was there from Tuesday to Wednesday. I loved it WAY more this time than last time. We had so much success and the weather was amazing! First of all, I just love being a missionary on an island, whats better? But it was Spring Break this week, in ALL the state of Texas so you can imagine how many people were in Galveston. Everybody has the same spring break here, it is crazy! we went to Chick Fil A last pday after we emailed and the line was out the door and the drive thru line was causing traffic on the freeway. yeah. texas for ya. but back to Galveston, I met so many people there that I love! I want to serve there someday! For exercise we ran on a path right along the shore of the beach. I love the little town! also we met a number of drunks that wanted to "know more" about missionaries. good thing we had bikes!

I finished the Book of Mormon this morning! my favorite book on the Earth. my new favorite chapter is Moroni 7! I learned SO many things from it today. I love the Book of Mormon and I am planning to start a fresh blank one tomorrow again! a never-ending cycle!

So my subject line "dreaming about baptism" has a double meaning. im kind of clever sometimes...I know. But whenever Pres. Hall (her mission president) gives a training of some kind, he always talks about how we should eat, sleep, dream, walk, talk about baptism. so while I was on exchanges, the STL (sister training leader – they are responsible to train other missionaries) told me that I was talking in my sleep about repentance and baptism. she wrote an email to Pres. Hall the next day (she has to as an STL) and told him that I was literally dreaming about baptism. But the other meaning of it is this. Last weekly planning session, our goals for this week are SO HIGH. we are so motivated right now to try to find as many people as we can this week. our goal is to find 12 new investigators! and we are determined. we have so much motivation that we have decided that if we don't talk to 8 people in a neighborhood, we won't leave until we do it. we cant not fulfill our goals this week...we have so much motivation!

L is......L. progressing like crazy, como siempre (like usual). he shared with us an incredible experience that he had this week, last sunday. but first off, we have been inviting him to pray about what we are teaching him to know if it is true for himself and he hadn't yet. he loved to learn but he didn't know if it was true or not for himself. he said that last sunday, a member pulled him aside (our ward mission leader) and asked him if he knows the things that he is learning are true yet. L responded with "No, I haven't prayed yet but I plan to soon" the member said "the only way you are going to truly progress and truly learn more is through the Spirit and you will know if it is all true through Him. But you have to pray and ask Heavenly Father first. You have to be humble" L said that really hit him. So he said that Sunday he was thinking about that a lot. He said he went into his bathroom (he said....any place to pray is good right?..love him), cleaned up a little, knelt down on the floor and began to pray to God. He asked him if the things that he is learning and the feelings that he has been feeling are right and that they are true. He asked if Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and if the Book of Mormon was true. He finished his prayer and went into bed. He said he was laying there thinking about it all and he said all of the sudden, a sudden feeling of peace came over him and he said his heart felt so full that it could pop out of his chest and he said, "Right then. I knew. I knew that the Holy Ghost touched my heart and testified to me that this was true" Isn't he so amazing?? He is even using Mormon lingo and everything? But he told us that story on Thursday night. Then on Saturday night we brought a member with us and we asked him to tell his story again to the member and explained to him that every time you bear your testimony, it grows and gets strengthened. He is an awesome guy! But also, please pray for his mom. She lives in Mexico and is not in good health. L says that he usually gets to talk to her on the phone for about 10 minutes before she cant talk anymore. please pray for her!

The G Family is moving!!!! Little G's family! like my favorite family ever here! they are moving in the beginning of May to Austin where he has a better job to support their family. I am so happy for their family to live better, but I am so sad that they wont be here!!!! I actually think of it as a blessing now because they are leaving me, I am not leaving them. It is a little happier. hahahaha. but this Sunday I sat with their family at church and let little G write in my notebook during the Sacrament. A (the mom) had to give a talk and she was SO nervous. we helped her write it a little bit on Friday but she was still so scared. So right before she had to talk I was giving her a pep talk and helping her breathe and she did amazing! She talked about how the work of the Lord is through missionary work and how we all need to be member missionaries! AMEN TO THAT! But I love them a lot and we are going to help them move soon. So sad but I am happy for them.

This week was amazing and I really saw the fruits of our labor and hope to see more next week! when we are obedient and do the will of the Lord, we receive blessings. so simple but easier said than done. I love doing this work and helping people come unto our Lord, Jesus Christ.

Have an amazing week!

Hermana Garner

we have been doing a lot of biking recently because it is the best way to find people! we have been biking in a lot of neighborhoods to find and we haven't had a ton of success. walking in apartment complexes is better! the #hallelujah video is our way to find people and it is amazing how fast the Spirit can come to a corner of a parking lot watching the video on someones broken smartphone. I LOVE IT!

this is E. a little Mexican viejita. she is the sassiest old woman you ever did see. she sent us home with so many cans of random things from her pantry....she is so giving! oh and also she fed us rotten bananas with honey on it for dessert. gotta love Mexican sweets!

this is F with a baby...what is cuter??

us with the H family! they are models and we want to be them. we love them! this is the lady that is the zumba instructor!

Friday night soccer with my new jersey thanks to R!