Conferences (office week 21)

Well, this was a week full of conferences. Tuesday and Wednesday we had leadership training for all of the zone and district leaders and trainers. We don´t actively participate in the meeting, but it is in the church where the offices are, so we help out. In his continuing efforts to lower spending, President decided to change what we eat for lunch at the conference. We helped put tomatoes (gross) and mayonnaise and lettuce on ham and cheese sandwiches. We also were in charge of buying the bananas. People always look at you funny when you walk out of a store with a hundred bananas in your basket... The sandwiches were about half as expensive as the traditional empanadas we used to order. So President was really happy about that.

Then on Friday, yesterday, we had a zone conference. We are part of the zone so we did participate in this one. Honestly, it was probably the best zone conference I´ve ever been to. I think I feel that way after every conference I go to, but this time it was just awesome. President started the conference reading Alma 7:11-13 (probably my favorite scripture in the Book of Mormon) and talking a lot about the atonement. We spent the whole first half on the conference just talking about the ¨why¨ of the gospel. Why baptism is important. How it is that we can be cleansed from sins and how that feels. Why we want people to feel that way. We didn´t talk much about what we do, but why we do it. And I think that is the most important. Honestly, there are times when I´ve wanted to baptize just to fulfill a goal or beat a record. But that´s not why I am here. I am here because Christ died for our sins, He suffered to feel our pains to know how to comfort us, and He invites us to repent and be forgiven of our sins. I am here because I want people to come unto Christ and be clean, through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end.

Speaking of which, the lady we have been teaching (Cristina), was on vacation for the past week. Last Sunday she came to church for the third time, so we decided to teach her about the word of wisdom. She smokes so we knew it would be a problem. We went over Sunday night and taught her that God has commanded us not to smoke. She said that during church she felt that she needed to stop smoking, so we invited her to stop smoking. She accepted but when I then asked her to give me her cigarettes she started making up excuses and saying she didn´t have any. We knew she was lying so we kept pushing her to give us the smokes. She kept on resisting until Elder Chase invited her to say a pray right then to ask God for help to give up smoking. After the prayer we asked again and she finally pulled the box out of her purse and gave me her cigarettes. Literally about thirty seconds later the phone rang and a friend of hers called asking her to buy a box of smokes and go over to her house to smoke and talk. Cristina was like, ¨no thanks, I don´t smoke any more.¨ and hung up. Legit!

So, she was on vacation all week but we were calling her cell phone every day to make sure she wasn´t smoking and that she was reading. Everything was good, so yesterday when we could finally see her again we went with the zone leader to her house to do the baptismal interview. We haven´t been able to teach her very much, but she has a lot of faith and is absolutely sure that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. She passed the interview and today will be baptized at six o´clock.

Those are the most exciting things going on right now. We are super busy as always in the offices, but it is fun. I remember someone asked me during the mother´s day phone call if I liked the normal mission life or the offices better. I decided this week that I like the office life better. I do love teaching the gospel and baptizing, but in the offices we still get to do that and we also do other random things that help the work go forward. I feel like I can help more as I help other missionaries succeed in their work as I take care of the office work. But I don´t want to work in an office for a real job. That would be boring.

Que Dios les bendiga,
Les amo,
Elder Gardner

Bautismo de diez (office week 20)

Well, I could say that this was a pretty good week, but that´s not saying enough. It all started on Sunday:

Sunday morning Elder Kelly, my MTC comp and current AP, came to our apartment (we live a block away) looking for one of us to accompany him to look for a man to bring to church. So I volunteered and we got in a remis and headed out to find this man. We knew he was working at a car wash close to a train station, so we went to that train station and asked around for car washes. After trying a few we finally found the right one. We talked to the man, but he didn´t want to go because he was working and would lose the day of work. So we talked to the boss and told him that the man had been baptized a few weeks ago and that he had to be confirmed today. The boss didn´t put up any fight, he said he can go and then come back afterwards. So we got the man and headed back to the church. Fortunately the remis driver drove really fast, since we only had 15 minutes to get there. We got there just in time and the man got confirmed member of the church of Jesus Christ.

Our church services were good, then the came the best part: Our branch had ten baptisms. Yep, that´s right, 10 people were baptized on Sunday. It was the most awesome baptism I´ve ever been to. So many people were there dressed in white. It took about 20 minutes just to do the actual baptisms. And all of the members stayed to see it so the church was full during it. Nine of the people who were baptized were people that the other missionaries in the ward had found and taught. Miguel, the man we found a few weeks ago that has been going to church, was baptized along with them. He was so happy and excited. Miguel has changed so much from when we first met him. He is now happy and talkative and joking when before he would just be silent the whole time. The gospel has brought about the change of heart in his life.

Other exciting news: The Schoenys left! I am now officially the only one in charge of the finances. And Elder Nielsen left the offices. So I am also the office missionary with the most time in the offices. And two of the APs, Elder Kelly and Elder Bruce, are now traveling asistants. So they are never here in the offices, they are always out working with elders in the mission. Elder Beck and Elder Pabon (the new AP) are the office asistants. So I also have more experience in the offices than them two. Fortunately in my time here I have been able to learn a little about each person´s job. I try to help them out whenever I can. But new things always come up.

President had a meeting with the financial people in the area offices and came back determined to reduce our spending and stay within our budgets (which we hadn´t been doing very well). So he has been asking me to look through a lot of data and make lots of reports for him. It´s a lot of numbers but it´s been pretty fun. I enjoy the challenge of trying to figure it all out and hope that within these next few weeks I can find a way to make a significant contribution and help save some of the Lord´s money. I guess it´s good training for when I have to do it with my own money.

We had to drive to capital twice this week to get new cell phones that had been lost/stolen. Sadly, it didn´t work either time (that´s Argentina for you). But I did drive there and back. My first time driving in capital. And I did it with a stick shift. I´m pretty much a stick driving mage by now.

We had all the craziness of transfers like normal. People leaving, new missionaries coming, cell phones being lost, etc. That´s pretty much all become second nature to me now. It´s weird to think that the missionaries I came here with and I are the oldest missionaries in the mission. We´ve been here longer than anyone else. Yet I still feel like I don´t really know what I´m doing. I have so much more to learn. I´ve learned and grown a lot, but there is still so much more room to grow but not enough time to do it. I guess that is why we have all of eternity to figure it out. I for one am going take that long...

I guess I will despedir myself (I don´t know how to say that in english) with some of the scriptures I highlighted this week:

Jacob 4:7 ¨Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.¨

2 Nephi 33:3 ¨For I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know that he will hear my cry.¨

2 Nephi 25:20 ¨There is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ, of which I have spoken, whereby man can be saved.¨

Love you all,

Elder Gardner

Here are the results of last week´s dedication to you mom!

That looks like some awesome meat. It was at that international food market. Sadly I didn´t have time to eat it.

Woodbridge! Let´s go Warriors.

Us with Miguel.

The clothes waiting to dry.

All of them dressed in white!

We went to a planetarium today for p-day. Yes, I was the driving force behind that. It was fun.

Book of Mormon (office week 19)

Introduction: ¨I told the brethren that the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.¨

1 Nephi 1:20 ¨The tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom He hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance.¨

1 Nephi 4:2 ¨Therefore let us go up; let us be strong like unto Moses.¨

1 Nephi 11:22 ¨Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things.¨

1 Nephi 17:3 ¨And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God He doth nourish them, and strengthen them, and provide means whereby the can accomplish the thing which He has commanded them.¨

1 Nephi 18:16 ¨I did look unto my God, and I did praise Him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.¨

1 Nephi 19:23 ¨I did liken all scriptures unto us, that it might be for our profit and learning.¨ 

1 Nephi 21:15-16 ¨I will not forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of My hands; thy walls are continually before Me.¨

2 Nephi 1:21 ¨Arise from the dust, my sons, and be men.¨

2 Nephi 4:17-34 ¨O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because of my flesh; my soul grieveth because of mine iniquities... And when I desire to rejoice, my heart groaneth because of my sins; nevertheless, I know in whom I have trusted. My God hath been my support; He hath led me through mine afflictions.. Why should I yield to sin, because of my flesh? Awake, my soul! No longer droop in sin. Rejoice, O my heart, and give place no more for the enemy of my soul.... O Lord, I have trusted in thee, and I will trust in thee forever.¨

2 Nephi 10: 23 ¨Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves.¨

2 Nephi 2:30 ¨I have chosen the good part, according to the words of the prophet. And I have none other object save it be the everlasting welfare of yoursouls.¨

Happy Mothers Day! I love you mom!

Love you all,

Elder Gardner

Moroni 8:3 ¨I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of fatih on his name to the end.¨

Cinco de Mayo (Office week 18)

¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo! Es una buena oportunidad para comer tacos y escuchar musica mexicana. 

Can you believe it is already May? Where did all the time go? The month started off smoothly; I haven´t had to make too many changes to the finances yet. I just hope things keep running this smoothly. 

On Wednesday we had a special conference with half of the mission. It was a good meeting. President started off by talking very seriously and very strictly about obedience. It seems the mission is starting to have some obedience problems and president put a stop to them. He talked a lot about the temple and the temple that they are renovating in Buenos Aires. They announced the dedication date: September 9. I´ll be long gone. But President told us that always before a temple is dedicated there is an outpouring of temptations and bad things from Satan. So we need to be even more obedient and even more dedicated as we fight and help Buenos Aires get ready to receive the temple. It was a really good and really inspirational talk.

After the obedience talk down, Sister Gulbrandsen announced the Book of Mormon read-a-thon we will be doing. The whole mission received a new Book of Mormon and we will finish reading it before the end of June. While we read we mark any reference to the Savior, any reference to the gospel of Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, the Holy Ghost, enduring to the end), and any other scripture that builds our testimony. It comes out to nine pages a day, which is just enough so that we have to be focused and use time wisely to find time to read, but not so much that we can´t do it with our already busy schedule. I´ve been reading and pondering upon the greatest of this sacred book. The Book of Mormon truly is a book inspired of God. By reading it and following it´s teachings we can come closer to God than with any other book. I invite everyone to read or reread the Book of Mormon, for it will truly strengthen your understanding and love for our Savior Jesus the Christ.

Our Peruvian friend Miguel keeps going strong. He went to church on Sunday and a ward activity on Thursday. He has been a little bit hesitant to be baptized next Saturday, he thinks it is to soon; but we have been helping him realize that once a person has a testimony of the church and the Book of Mormon there is no reason to wait. If it´s true we need to act upon it, even though we aren´t perfect. If we make a mistake later God will still forgive us. Baptism is not the end but the beginning of the road to heaven. A road that we all stray from at times, but we can always get back on the road through repentance. But without baptism no matter how many times one repents he can not enter into the path. We must enter by the door, and the door is baptism. (see 2 Nephi 31)

Have you all seen the Bible videos on lds.org? They are interesting... a lot different than the normal videos the church does. At first I didn´t like them but now they are growing on me. Especially the last couple ones. The newest one of Christ being baptized is awesome. If you haven´t seen you should go watch them. http://www.lds.org/bible-videos

Well, we just ate some tacos and played some ping pong for cinco de mayo. I got to the championship game of the ping pong tournament then lost. O well. There is always next week. I still have yet to win one of our office ping pong tournaments (and we do one almost every p-day). 

That´s about all the good stories I have for today. I hope everyone has a great week!

Que les vaya bien,

Elder Gardner

Level 8 (office week 17)

I am now officially a level 8 stick driving master. Nyquil is awesome. Rubber band in the eye. Doctor trips. End of month financial stress. Lost cell phones. Flashes. Those are just a few sentences or words that describe the many activities of the last week.

Let´s see how many stories I can tell:

The end of the month is the worst. I get to call all the zone leaders and find out their balances of the zone money. Then I get to put the money on the cards; you can´t do it before the 25 or you breach the limit of money you can deposit per month. But you got to do it before the 27 or it won´t get on the cards on time. That pretty much gives you a span of one day to put on the zone money, the rent money, the support money, deduct money from pedidos (things the missionaries ordered), etc. That as it is takes a lot of time and is pretty hard; put it´s even worse when you have a cold. And then when you get hit in the eye by a rubber band it just makes things terrible. But, no excuses, I´m fine and I got it all done. 

I went to the doctor again with Elder Hill for his knee. The end decision was that he is going home to get surgery. That´s too bad. I´ll miss him. Elder Hill is probably one of the best missionaries I´ve met. I´m really glad he has been in terrible pain the past month just so that I could meet him and spend time with him. (Yes I wrote that just in case he reads my blog after he gets home - but really, he is a capo)

As for the important work, aka teaching the gospel, things have been going good. There is a Peruvian family we are teaching and they have a thirty year old son that never seemed to have too much interest in the church. We never really focused on him that much during our lessons, but on Sunday he showed up at church! He liked it but every time we passed by the house during the week no one was home. On Thursday there was a ward activity and he showed up by himself! I was so surprised. We took him aside for a minute and read a little in the Book of Mormon then invited him to be baptized on May 11th. He accepted very easily. 

Peruvians really are the best. Yesterday we went to this same family again around 8:30 at night. We reminded them that we have to be home at 9 and the mom was like, ¨Then when do you eat dinner?¨ I told her we usually don´t eat dinner or sometimes we have a little snack. So she said, ¨well, can I give you dinner right now?¨ I asked her how fast she could make it and she said, ¨How fast can you eat?¨ Bueno, dale. She then went over to the kitchen and stuck some chicken and rice in the microwave and in five minutes we had two huge plates full of rice, chicken, onions, and spices. Never say no to food.

Well, there are always more things going on, but I can´t think of anything fun to tell right now. And we are going to go and have a fun time for Elder Hill´s last p-day. So I hope every one has a great week and I´ll write again next Saturday.

Love,

Elder Gardner

Money (office week 16)

You know, it´s always bad when you run out of money. Well, I didn´t really run out of money, just out of cash. The Argentine economy isn´t very advanced in terms of electronic payments. If you pay with a credit card they charge you more, in order to make electronic transfers to banks you have to have a ton of paperwork, etc. So we end up paying for a lot of things with cash. Which is hard because there is a limit to how much money I´m allowed to have in cash in the offices at any given moment. And when we start getting low I have to get a check approved by the mission president, print the check, then have him sign it; a process that can take several days depending on President´s schedule. At the end of last week I only had about a thousand pesos in the safe; not enough to pay for any of the many things we do here. But thankfully President came over for an office meeting on Monday and we got a check signed and cashed. I learned an important lesson about being prepared.

Also during our office meeting on Monday President changed the process a little for getting new apartments and told us we needed to get another five or so within a few weeks. So Elder Chase has been crazy busy. I guess I should help him out more. I pretty much just explained how to do the whole process, showed him the ropes for a week or so, then left him to do it by himself. That´s what happened to me and I figured it out, so I figured he could do it too. But now there are about seven apartments we are in the process of getting, which is a lot. And that also means I have to have a ton of cash on hand because each time we sign a new contract we have to pay a good sum of money. Just another week in the offices. Lots of problem solving skills and finding solutions in unique situations. It´s fun.

As for teaching the gospel, things are going good. We had an appointment with the sister of some members. The sister recently came from Peru and was feeling discouraged being in a new country and having no friends. The sister didn´t want to come out of the room to talk to us, but we talked to the sisters and had them pray for revelation to know how to help their sister. The sister totally started crying during the prayer and it was really touching. We decided to each write a little note and hide it in the house for the sister to find. When we later talked to one of the members she said that her sister had started crying as she found and read each note. And since then she has seemed a lot happier and a lot more interested in the church and the gospel. (Except for the fact that she thinks we shouldn´t be allowed to dance, but that´s ok. She´ll understand soon enough).

That´s about all the stories I have for today. Now we are going to go to capital and each lunch with the Schoeny´s and the whole office crew before they leave in a few weeks. Hope everyone has a great day!

Love,

Elder Gardner




This is like Barnes and Nobles extreme style. Or should I say, Buenos Aires style. I guess it used to be a theatre that they made into a book store. I would sure love to sit and read a few books there!

Tranquilo (office week 15)

Well, this week was really tranquilo. That means calm or something like that. With Elder Chase taking care of all of my responsibilities as housing coordinator it is nice and relaxing. Financial secretary has a lot less stress. Pretty much I just move all the money around. I honestly can´t even think of any fun office stories to tell. O yeah, I have one good one. Elder Castañeda is from Mexico, so on Thursday he told us to bring in some tortilla chips the next day. We did and he brought some homemade salsa! It was delicious and spicy. It almost killed me at first since it´s been so long since I ate spicy stuff here. But after a few bites I was back into my groove. In about ten minutes we had devoured the entire bowl he made. Awesome!

As for the teaching part, last Sunday we had a ton of people show up to church. And all of them were Peruvian. I don´t know what is it about Peru, but the people who are from there are just awesome. They make great food and they love to go to church. Best combination ever. But the rest of this week hasn´t been too exciting, we had a lot of appointments fall through on us. But we are still going strong and looking forward to a great turnout at church tomorrow. Having five missionaries in the companionship does make it a lot easier to teach more people...

That´s all the real stories I have for now. We are headed off to do fun p-day things. I´ll send some pictures to make up for this being kind of a lame letter.

Sinceramente,
Elder Gardner

I´m not sure if that was a zombie or a ghost or a dinosaur, but it was scary.

Those are our stars in the bedroom. It is awesome at night.

My tutor, Elder Schoeny, enjoys the break while I work hard at finances.

This is the office gang.

I dedicate this one to all of my pancake loving, choir singing fans out there.