Hermana Garner - Now a Texan!: 4/11/16

hola familia y amigos!! como estan?? hemos visto muchos milagros este semana!!

hello friends and family! how are you? we have seen so many miracles this week!

first things first---L GOT BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY and here is how it happened:

Sunday-L didn't come to General Conference and told us he didn't want to get baptized at all. He wanted us to forget about him. That night we went to see him without telling him we were coming and he was so sad. He wasn't happy like he always was and he was still VERY confused. He wanted to just go back to the way he was before we started teaching him. we left his house with tears in our eyes

Monday-we had an appointment that night with him. I read a talk earlier that day about the story of Sailor and how this little girl was abandoned in a plane crash but the light of a house saved her and how Christ is that light and how He will always be there for us. We shared this talk with him and explained that this is just a trial of his faith. God is testing him to see how strong he really his. After we read the story, I bore a very powerful testimony and after that Hermana R asked if he would be baptized this Saturday and he accepted with a smile. After the lesson we were in the parking lot just hugging and crying happy tears. Our L was back!

Tuesday-we had a lesson with him about temples and how we have the opportunity to be with our families forever. We brought our ward mission leader, Hermano M and he was amazing. L really respects him because he has helped him with his testimony a lot in Sunday School and Priesthood. Hermano M bore a super strong testimony about temples and how that should be his goal. This lesson, he started to get excited again for his baptism.

Wednesday-we went over to his house and we talked to him about the baptismal questions. Usually with people getting baptized, you go over it with them to make sure they don't have any questions or doubts or anything. it went really well and he felt super ready.

Thursday-we went to Walmart with him to buy a white shirt, a tie, white underwear and socks for his baptism. It was so fun! Later that day he invited us over for a BBQ with F. Remember that picture I sent last week of the rabbit that died on the road during our lesson? Guess what he BBQ'd? some chicken and that very rabbit. I can now say that I have eaten roadkill! HOLLA. After the BBQ later that night he had his baptismal interview and he said it went really well and he feels very content.

Saturday-HIS BAPTISM! it was the most magical day! A really neat experience happened. So yesterday we had a special church meeting because we had some boundary changes (it didn't effect us a lot....we just have a few more families from Galveston) and so we had to get permission from Pres. Hall to have L confirmed on Sunday. He gave us permission to do a "font-side" confirmation which is where he is confirmed at his baptism after the ordinance. The only condition was he could only get confirmed if enough people showed up to his baptism to support him (a big reason why confirmations happen on sunday is to see the support of the ward welcoming them into the ward). So Pres. A (branch president) got up to bear his testimony at the baptism and said "I want to testify about the power of prayer. I have praying this whole time about a certain number of people to come into this room so we can confirm you today. When we started there wasn't no where near as many people as I had planned on. But during the program and after the baptism, the exact number of people were here that I prayed about. So we are going to confirm you a member of the church right now" it was a surprise to both us and L! but what a blessing it was. L was on cloud 9. after his baptism he was just beaming. he was so happy. it is such an incredible feeling as missionaries. also, O (our recent convert) gave a talk at his baptism and he was so nervous. Nothing is better than having a recent convert give a talk at your new converts baptism.

Sunday-we went to the special boundary change meeting in Galveston with L in his car (with the other hermanas) and it was great! the best part about Sunday was seeing him take the sacrament and him getting to meet Pres. Hall. We have talked to President Hall A TON about his whole situation because a lot of the times we haven't known what to do. But to have him meet L was great. L explained to him how happy he was and how he knows the church is true with all of his heart. that night we went over to the M family's house with L to have a family night and watch a church video. L was crying throught it ALL pretty much. he always says he his a crier...haha. but he loved it and he knows it is all true. it was a fun night.

this week was a miracle week.

also, L was talking to Hermana R and I last night and he said that we teach really well. that made us feel so good! we are always so worried about if he will understand or not or what we need to do. but he said "Hermana Garner is always just sooo relaxed and doesn't say much. But when she says something it is strong. it is just what I need to hear" it made me feel sooo good! THIS is another reason I am here in Texas.

ok one more thing about L. he is going to South Carolina today for a job for a month, it is the saddest thing! But we already have the church building, the missionaries and the ward all figured out for him. we will be in contact with him a lot for a month but we are both grateful that we aren't getting transferred so we will both be here when he gets back. still keep him in your prayers!

other than L, pray for our other investigators! 3 of them have baptismal dates but aren't doing AS well. we need to find find find!

soooo not as spiritual but this week my body has suffered....a lot...hahaha. On Wednesdays we do service at a garden. I was using a tool where it has like 5 little pointy things at the bottom that you stick in the dirt, twist it and it pulls the weeds out. so being megan garner, I stick the tool super hard.....INTO MY TOE. Yeah...when I tell people they cringe just thinking about it. so enjoy that thought. so my big toe has been pretty purple this week. After that started getting better we were playing soccer on Friday night, I had the ball (it never happens....they never pass it to the girls) and I was running with it down the field and I guess they all realized that I had the ball so about 5 Hispanic men just attacked me, I fell to the ground and scraped up my knees real good. it was dripping blood and all. whooooo go meeeee! Before L left this morning, he texted us and said "Hermana Garner....take care of your toe and knees! don't get hurt while I'm gone!" what a guy. but I am doing better now! I have pictures of both my knees and toe!

I love this work. I love teaching the gospel to people to change their lives. I love seeing how happy the gospel makes people feel. I love seeing the Lord in all things that we do. I love being a missionary and getting to do this for 18 months. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! There are some really hard days but those just make the good days better.

Hermana Garner