Hermana Garner - Now a Texan!: 12/5/16

hello friends and family! hope you had a good week this week full of SERVICE! we are so excited to have started this challenge #LightTheWorld and we have been serving as much as we can as missionaries! that was the main focus this week and it was so so fun! also, who would have thought? Texas is COLD! okay, like 50 degrees....I think my body temperature has permanently changed.

sadly, we haven't been able to contact Jose this week. we have been over to his house a few times to see how he is doing, but he isn't doing very well with his health. right after he accepted a date to be baptized. we have a set appointment tomorrow with awesome members coming to help him so prayers that goes well and he can start his process!!

the Christmas season has begun and I couldn't be more excited! this week in English class, we learned Christmas vocabulary and we sang Christmas songs in English and they LOVED it. it made them so happy, I got a video of it!

on Thursday we started the month of service! we helped an older lady, Hna. Salinas, in her yard a little bit in the morning and that night we went out with the Martinez family. we thought we were going over there to do service for them, but they wanted to take us with them to ask if their neighbors needed help! and by neighbors, I mean every single person that lives near them, they know everyone! so we watched the Light the World video with everyone and the Martinez gave them pass-a-long cards. we did nothing except walk around with them and support them in their missionary work! it was awesome!

On Friday, we helped the Martinez' neighbor clean up a little bit in their house and then we went to our appointment with this other investigator named, Jose. He has been going to church for 7 YEARS! But he has never been baptized. we don't know him super well so we set up an appointment with him to see where he stands with the teachings of the Gospel. he is a very interesting guy and believes some of the principles of the gospel but that the Book of Mormon isn't true. He would barely let us talk and said he will never get baptized or believe in the Book of Mormon....so that was a fun little adventure! haha. Hna. Regalado was with us and she was kind of fed up with him and told him he was super prideful. after that, we went to her house and helped her pass out her christmas cards around the old folks home where she lives. after that, she gave us hot chocolate and turned christmas music on and she just danced and laughed with us. Also, on Friday, Kayla texted us and told us she was back from El Salvador! YAY! we have missed her and her family and we are excited to get her to the temple--the next step!!!

On Saturday, we had a super busy day and it ended perfectly. It was the Christmas party with our branch and we joined with the English ward. The dinner was ham, potatoes, green beans, rolls, etc (white people food) and all of the Hispanics (including us) were not super impressed with the cold ham and canned green beans. There was actually a family from the branch who got there around 6:30 (it started at 6) and there was barely enough food left....so they got up and went to a Mexican restaurant. It was pretty funny. After seeing Hna. Regalado sit on Santa's lap, the branch had our musical number and we KILLED IT. we pretty much stole the show (party) with our song. Everyone was clapping and enjoying themselves, it made me thankful for our branch and the joy there is. After the party we went to downtown Rosenberg (kind of reminding me of Old St. Charles) and we passed out pass-along cards there because it was their first night of Christmas lights so there were tons of people there. We walked around with our hot chocolate and the members that brought us and shared our incredible message about Jesus Christ. People are so much more open during this season--I love it!

I just love this season and how much we are able to serve those in need. The tiniest things can do soooo much! I invite everyone to share the Light the World video because it can really touch hearts and bring the Spirit sooo strong. thanks for all of the love and support! I would LOVE to get pictures of what service you are doing AND I would love to be included on your Christmas card list!

have an awesome week! serve as much as you can!

Hermana Garner

we helped some of Hna. Aguilar's grandkids decorate the tree and they LOVED IT

us with Hermana Aguilar...we read to her the Book of Mormon one day

the cutest Hna. Martinez, the best and most humble missionary in the branch! we are eating with them for christmas eve and they said they are soooo excited!