Hermana Garner - Now a Texan!: 4/18/16

HELLO from the rainy Texas! there is a lot of flooding down here but we are safe! a lot of service opportunities coming up though!

this week was so interesting...not the normal missionary week but it was successful nonetheless!

some things about L that I forgot to write in my email last week:

-when he goes to the gym everyday, FOR 4 HOURS, he told us that he listens to the Book of Mormon and now he is 2 Nephi 24.

-at the rabbit BBQ with F, we were talking about learning English. F was saying that it was super hard to learn English but then when you understand a little and speak it as much as you can, it gets easier! L then said "yeah! it's like the gospel! first it is a little hard to comprehend everything and learn everything but then you get the hang of it and things become habits and it is easier because you are doing the right thing!" future bishop or what?!?

-before the rabbit BBQ, we were at Walmart picking out his tie and when we were leaving he said "I cant wait to eat the rabbit with you guys! We are going to be like Nephi when he broke his bow!" (This is a story from the book of Mormon. Nephi was a great prophet and he tells of a time when his bow broke and he could not hunt for food. He spent much time praying and through his faith, he was helped to make a new bow and was able to find food for his family.) Is he not just the greatest man alive? we LOVE him!

-we got everything together for him in South Carolina. he got in contact with the branch president and the missionaries there in his Spanish branch! he said he went to church and loved it and the missionaries are coming by twice this week. we are SOO happy! we called him on Saturday night just to make sure everything was ok for Sunday and he told us that he had read every day after work and he had his iron all ready to go to iron his white shirt for Sunday. we loved talking to him and are planning on going to the temple with him as soon as he gets back! we cant wait!

so my story with my toe and the garden tool was pretty painful sounding, huh? yeah. so the lady that is in charge of the garden LOVES the missionaries, especially the sisters. so she invited us over for dinner this week. her name is A and she is a great Christian lady. we showed her the #hallelujah video and she loved it and even teared up. she also said she has been wanting to come to our church! she calls us her daughters and she hates how sometimes we change every 6 weeks. we love her SO much!

On Wednesday morning, the mission had transfers. There is a Food Truck in Texas City that we don't usually go to but because it was transfers and a lot of missionaries couldn't make it, we were asked to go and help out. I went once when I was on exchanges and loved it. this time I loved it even more! There are A LOT of African-American people there and you know me....I was in love. I challenged myself to talk to as many people as I could and listen to their story while they were in the line for the food. I met so many amazing people and I got so many huge hugs from huge people. I LOVE PEOPLE.

we taught a family this week! it is a couple from El Salvador with 2 little kids. They are very poor and their story is super sad. El Salvador is reaaalllyyyy dangerous right now so basically any story from there is very depressing and humbling. We taught them and were hesitant to extend a baptism date but I have faith in them. I love teaching families!

On Friday we ate with the G family (my favorites) and were planning on being with them for the rest of the night helping them pack. We got there and ate some SUUUUPER spicy food. It was really good but our lips, tongue, mouth, teeth, everything was on fire. I got through it but Hermana R was super sick after. She was laying on their couch and she couldn't move. I felt so bad! So I asked A if we could start packing and she told us that she already used all of the boxes that we gave her............so we didn't help her. hahahaha. but because Hermana R couldn't move, we watched Mormon Message after Mormon Message on their TV. After that we looked at pictures of their family, danced to Hispanic music and laughed and laughed. I sure do love them and will miss them A TON when they move. they have such a special place in my heart. I LOVE PEOPLE.

R! I have sent a couple of pictures of her in my emails. She is the cutest little grandma from El Salvador who one time offered her bed for us to sleep because it as like 8oclock and it was too late for us to drive home. She invited us over for lunch on Saturday and so we went! We were a little scared because old people cooking is just a little.............scary sometimes. But it was AMAZING. she loved having us and we had such a good time. she is so funny. she told me my nail polish was ugly but she loved my hair. she wouldn't stop touching it...haha. I LOVE PEOPLE....especially old ones.

we have a new investigator and her name is..........Leslie! haha kinda funny. we found her at English class! we were in the middle of the lesson and Hermana R goes over to the lobby area where people can buy smoothies and stuff and sit down and she sees a woman crying. She starts talking to her and she just got here from Honduras. She has an ankle bracelet (GPS thing from the government) and is alone with her 2-year-old son. She has absolutely nothing. We talked to her after class and she told us that she met with some missionaries about a year ago and loved it but something happened and they stopped. we set up an appointment and invited her to church and......SHE CAME! The zumba instructor (member) picked her up and brought her to all 3 hours of church. we taught her the first lesson after church and she accepted a baptismal date for May 21! she was basically begging to be baptized. we have a lot of faith in her. it is just really sad to see her circumstances. she is looking for a bed and clothes to work in. she now has 2 jobs...one in the day and one at night. she sleeps for about 2 hours every night and said she needs tshirts and sweats to work in! if anybody has an extra clothes or clothes they are about to donate they wanna send let me know!

in general this week we didn't have a lot of time to teach just with various things, but I grew my relationships with a lot of different people and I am so grateful for that. My purpose is to bring others unto Christ as a missionary, but knowing them and having a relationship with them is a step in that direction. I am working on my patience this week with myself and others and I am ponderizing the scripture Mosiah 2:23-24 to help me with that. (also from the Book of Mormon. It says, “And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and are, and will be, forever and ever; therefore, of what have ye to boast?) I kind of hit a point this week where I realized that I could be a much better missionary than I am right now if I had more patience with everything! myself, my companion, the branch, our investigators, everyone! I am learning to trust in the Lord's timing with everything. I love the Lord and love serving Him.

Hermana Garner