10/10/16 - Just serve

hello friends and family!!! hope this week was more of a "fall" week with the weather cooling off, it has definitely cooled off her and it is like a dream! I love it! I am ready for sweaters and scarfs!! (as much as you can do that in Texas)

this week was definitely an interesting one...13 months of my mission have gone by, we did 22 service hours and both of our investigators aren't doing well at all. it is sad, but we have awesome goals and plans for this next week.

we started off the week helping Hermana McAdams realize that "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" IS NOT "MARK the Herald Angels Sing" oh man. we laughed a lot.

lets start with Kayla. we met with her on Monday and talked about Pres. Uchtdorf's talk and how amazing the gospel really is. We ended with a kneeling prayer and it was powerful. We met with her again on Wednesday and talked about the word of wisdom and committed her to go to church. We walked through every single step that it will have to take to get there and she committed. Sunday rolls around and she isn't there. So in branch counsel we talked about it and they are basically going to throw a party just for Kayla and her family to come to so they meet new people. Hispanics can use any reason to throw a party--make some tamales and dance. I love them!

Tomasa. bless her heart. we had some really amazing experiences with her this week. she wanted to teach us how to make queso fresco (a crumbling, yummy, Hispanic cheese). So we went over with Hermana Regalado and we just had a blast. It including everything from singing and dancing to having a full conversation in English with them. They wanted us to try to do it and they said we were naturals...hahaha. We finished with reading the Book of Mormon and Tomasa is finally understanding it and liking it a lot. We went again on Saturday to try to talk to her and her husband about marriage and stuff and this is what happened. We knocked on the door, her husband answered and said "hold on, one second" and got Tomasa. Tomasa came out, shut the door and we talked outside for a while. We asked her what he had said about marriage and she just looked at me and said "He said no" with the most heartbroken face. My stomach dropped and we walked out a little bit on her driveway, while she had my hand in hers. We talked about how much she wanted to get baptized but how she literally can't because of her husband. The whole time we were just teary and she was holding my hand so hard and didn't want to let go. I shared with her one of my favorite scriptures and the very scripture that helped me so much in Mexico.

7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions 

shall be but a small moment;

 8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou 

shalt triumph over all thy foes. 

She said she loved it and that those words helped her. We have decided that we won't stop teaching her completely, but we will definitely not see her as much. but when we were leaving, after all of the "I love you"s and hugs and grabs my hand and says "You wanna come over for dinner tomorrow night?" I have grown to love this lady sooo much and the pictures hopefully will show that.

so we did a loooooot of service this week. The other sisters in the English ward moved apartments, so we helped clean their cockroach-infested kitchen for 2 days. We also helped with a 5k run in the area! Including President Hall winning his race (5k), Sister Hall winning her race (10k) and their little girl winning the mile run for kids. I love this family and it is nice to be closer to them now that I am in Brazos! I get to see them more! 

something funny. we were with Hna. Castro (favorite hispanic grandma) visiting some people. we visited a less-active who is trying to come back to the church and at the end of the lesson the less-active said "Would you guys like some water?" and Hermana Castro says "Yes please, on the rocks" I love her!!! hahaha.

I am just fuuulllll of happiness with my companion. we just laugh constantly and are always on the same page which makes the work so much easier. she is an answer to my prayers! I just love her and I am so lucky to be with her right now in my mission and in my life!!!! I am learning tons of things!!

have a great this week this week! make every moment count and enjoy it along the way!! love you all! I am moving at the end of october, so no letters for a little while!!!

Hermana Garner

Hermana McAdams!

aren't these just happy?

Tomasa and Hermana Regalado

Tomasa