The One Where We Talked With Our First REAL Investigator!

So this week was super amazing! I’m just going to cut to the good part. Every meal, my companions and I try to sit with the Latinos or study Spanish. One morning the manager of the mtc (not the president just like the guy in charge and stuff) came up to us and asked if he could sit with us. Of course we said yes. He sat down and said "you guys really work hard and we can see that. I was wondering if you would like to teach this man I met at the park where you exercise!'" I have no idea why he asked us to do it because I think 100% of the rest of the missionaries would do a much better job, but I was overwhelmed with the spirit and I just automatically felt so much love for this man that I have never even met. So the next day, during personal and companion study and during every free time, we were preparing to teach Patrico. We don't know anything about him or what he needs, so we just prepared a ton of questions in Spanish so we knew how to say a ton of things. We went to the park on Friday morning and he wasn’t there. So on Monday we went and he was there!! He was so nice and we just talked to him for a while. We just wanted to get to know him and show him that we care about his life. We were asking questions and I kind of had to translate his answers so my companions were still with the conversation. So he works at the park and he has two kids and he is the sweetest man. Then we were just telling him about our families and why we are here. He mentioned he has gone to a bunch of different churches and didn't know which one was true. I handed him a pamphlet about the restoration since I feel like he could relate to Joseph Smith's situation, and I showed him the scripture that Joseph Smith read in James. I told him that I knew this gospel will bless his family, and then I looked in his eyes and he was smiling so much and I told him that I knew this church is true and that if he really wanted to know for himself, he could ask God. I promised him that God will answer his sincere prayer. He was so happy and my heart almost burst! Then I translated my companion’s testimonies and he took the pamphlet and was so happy! I am sure we will see him again because he works at the park we exercise at every day, so I can't wait to see what he thought of the pamphlet and if he prayed. I learned that missionary work truly is the work of God and I am so blessed to have the privilege to be a part of it!!! So yay for Patrico!

Last Pday, after we wrote our families during the most stressful hour I have ever experienced, we got to do a session at the temple. IT FELT LIKE HOME! I loved every second of being in there. The temples look different and are in such different places in the world, but they all have the same feeling. Every celestial room I have been in has felt the same. The Spirit is so strong and it is so peaceful and the world around doesn't exist. I miss being there with you mom, but it is so amazing to have all of my friends there with me.

Oh and don't worry about the city. The Elders take care of us. An hour ago, we were going to the store and to get completos and while we were shopping, the Elders were just resting outside like the Dad and the boys do when we go to the mall. When we came out the Elders said they were never going to leave us because of the guys who would watch us. We got protection so don’t worry :)

One last thing about this week that I LOVED was with one of our progressing investigators. We have been teaching him for the past week and praying for him to accept the gospel (even though it is just one of our teachers pretending to be an investigator), but this one was named Felipe. We have loved teaching him and on Saturday, we invited him to be baptized and he said YES!!! Even though it is fake, it still felt real and if real people feel like that or even better, I don't care how many rejections or door slams or early mornings of praying and studying it takes. I love helping people choose to come unto Christ. This gospel is perfect and I love it!!!

AHHHH I LOVE IT IT IS SO CUTE!!!! (Side note from Laura: My sweet close family friend, Diana Wakefield, gave this missionary doll to me today. It was created from a picture of Aimee I had sent her.)

THANK YOU for your sweet emails. I just wanted to tell you that over the past week, my companions and I  have been talking about our life stories, like why we are who we are. Everyone is so impressed with you guys. You have definitely won the most strict parent award so you should be proud! 

What a great week. I love you all and I really really appreciate all of the support. You are so amazing and I wouldn't be who I am without you!

sinceramente,

Hermana Gardanier

Breakfast EVERY day: Oats with warm liquid strawberry yogurt.

 

Dogs EVERYWHERE

First completo

Hermana Owen

Tai kwan do

Top Bunk

Pday ice cream

Pday in downtown Santiago

In Chile too!