TICKET TO HAPPINESS

The Book of Mormon is the ticket we have to eternal happiness!  If you want to know more about the blessings and opportunities that cone from this book look at www.mormon.org or send me a message!  Elder Eichers and Elder Lee.

BUENAS TARDES FAMILIA

Buenas tardes familia!

This week has been a pretty humbling week! We got canceled on quite a bit this week and we didn't have too many appointments but there is great hope for this week! We already have tons of stuff set up so we are excited! But Maria and Jorge are going to both be baptized on the 16th of August.  We haven't been able to get in this week because Maria was sick and Jorge has been working a ton but we have an appointment with them tonight! But we are really trying on focusing on them being baptized together so then they always have that support system!

I am glad that grandpa is out of the hospital but that is sad that his cancer is growing.  Tell him that I am praying for him!  And that is so crazy that Cassie is getting married! I feel like we are all still babies!

But I honestly don't need any gifts or anything! I already am overloaded and have so much stuff! The only thing that I need is I need new of the light grey suit pants because mine are really getting ripped! But I will take them to get them cleaned it is just hard because we don't have very much time! But you would love to know that I haven't dry cleaned anything since I have been out ;)

Nothing super big has happened out here recently though! Just the basic missionary stuff! I am loving every minute although it is stressful! 

Anyways, I love you all and have a great week!

ROLLERCOASTER

This week has been so great! We have had some huge miracles! I feel like it has been a rollercoaster though because everything keeps going up and down! The week finished on a super high note so that has been great! So this week we had 8 member present lessons, which is huge! The highest I have ever gotten before was 5!

But to start off with how Maria and Jorge are doing is this week.   On Tuesday we had another good lesson with them but then on Friday we were out helping some members move stuff from their back yard and garage into the front so they could do a yard sale. When we were there we got a call from Maria and my companion answered the phone and he was just like I can't understand her she is saying random things so he hands me the phone and she is like I am going to be out of town on my baptismal date is it okay if we move it forward? So we are like yeah of course and we run over to her house in our service clothes with one of the members that we were working with and she talks about how she wants to move the date for this week! We were so pumped and we got everything planned and then the next day we stop by and we talked to the son but he wants to wait so then he can change his work from Sunday so that he can be sure that there are no problems! So we happily changed it until later and next week we are going to take the bus with them to church! We are so happy for them and their faith is increasing so much in Jesus Christ!

Then for the familia Vazquez they are doing great! This week was honestly crazy! They have been having some rough issues as a couple and we are the ones that have basically been helping them with all of it! I love them more than anything although they cause my mind to always be running! They are so amazing and I am just enjoying every minute with them!

Something that I have been thinking though is that I am going to treat my wife so well and always let her know how much I love her! I have seen so many families that have problems and also so many families that are super strong! I am always going to focus on making my wife happy and keeping our family together! Yesterday we had a family home evening with the familia Vasquez in the Liconas house and also Obispo came and Hermana Alfonso! It was super amazing and the members here have the strongest spirits and testimonies!

A picture with familia Vazquez, we got soaked that day so don't laugh at my shirt or how short my ties is.

Taking funny photos on our iPads

This is our neighbor Sheri, she is my best friend hahaha. She is a
little rat but she always makes sure to welcome us home haha. Her real
name is not sheri thats just what we call her.

 

HAPPY 19TH BIRTHDAY!!

Hola chamacos! First of all thank you for the packages and all of the letters! I loved them so much! We taped up the banner outside and then I ran through it like the good old football days! It was probably the most fun thing I have done all day!

But this week has been great but pretty crazy! Yesterday we had dinner with the familia Licona (who we normally eat with on Sundays) and they cooked Elder Lee and me the most amazing birthday dinner! It was so good and then after they had this huge cake for us.  In the Hispanic culture you take a bite just straight out of the cake and then they hit you with it kind of so my head got shoved in the cake yesterday! Elder Lee sneaked out of it a little and then the daughter got him with a plate of whipped cream! It was so funny and we were all just laughing and enjoying! It was perfect though because after we turned it around and had a super spiritual lesson! The strength of the members here is amazing! I have so many families here! 

I know the reason why I am in Chicago though. It's that familia Vasquez. There are so many reasons why I am here but I feel like they are specifically. So recently they have been canceling all of our appointments but I just wouldn't let it go through that we could drop them.  So as we are walking up to the house we ended up saying a prayer so we could have the words to say to them. So we walk up to the door and he walks out right that second and has a huge thing of laundry and he's like oh que paso? I end up saying like do you even want to listen anymore? I was thinking in my head a little bit like where did that come from? We talked to him for a sec and he was just talking about how his wife is discouraged about the wedding taking so long.  I told him that we were going to call his wife just to talk to her.  They haven't been to church in like 4 weeks. But I was just talking to her and I promised that if she came to church she would feel a peace that she hasn't felt before and she would have joy in her heart. And of course, The Lord came through!! I was fasting that day to get the answer for what we should do with them.  But after we got her to come to church and the sacrament meeting was perfect. .  She was sad that her husband wasn't there (he stayed home to watch the futbol game) but she was just overwhelmed by the spirit. The Licona family just took her in as their own and she just loved it! They invited them over to dinner and everything! Anyways, the power of prayer and fasting works! I know I am supposed to be right here in this very spot right now!  Still she may not accept it in the end but I know I did my part! Literally I have never loved someone more than I love their family! I think more about them than I think about Kev [our dog] and that's saying something! I have never wanted something more than I want them to be happy! I feel like they are my family.  We are going over there today for my birthday and I am just happy to spend time with them! The Lord answers prayers in the way he knows is best, it may not be what we want but it's perfect.  I just wanted you to know that I am where I should be!

THANKS ELDER PARKER

Haha those pictures are so funny! I am glad that you are having a great week! And by the way, I always invite people over to our house so when I get back and if they want to visit Salt Lake they know where to go! And I have also invited people to come and stay in Midway.. Just the families that I truly love! So you need to send me an email or something telling them they are invited so I can show them :)

This week though has been pretty rough on me but I have learned so much about this gospel and about myself! A lot of stuff has happened that is super personal with our investigators and members so it has just been a roller coaster because our emotions are always going up and down! Early this week though I had one of the strongest answers of to my prayers that I have ever received. So last Monday I was looking through my emails and I had one from ZP [Zach Parker] that was him in the Mexico visitor’s center.   It was one that he sent to everyone and I didn't think anything of it but we were about to leave

and normally I turn my emails off when I know pday is going to be over so I'm not tempted by it but for some reason I felt like I should leave it.  I didn't think anything of it but then later that night we went to the familia Vazquezs house and we had an amazing lesson and she then started talking about the temple she went to when she was little with her uncle who is a member and I had heard the story before but that day she started talking about the visitors center and not just the outside of the temple. She was talking about the big statue of Jesus Christ and the photos around it. I then pulled out the picture of him with a family he is teaching and they were in front of the statue and just looked so happy!  It was such a testimony builder to me to know that God truly does love each one of us and it was simple but the most clear message I have ever gotten. I love them and I used to always say so many people are my second family, but it's truly them! [The photo is Zach Parker's photo.  Elder Parker is serving in Mexico City and is one of Garrett's best high school friends.]

Then we had a huge miracle this week with our investigators Maria and Jorge, at first Jorge did not want to listen to us really at all but his mom would always force him to come out. He is a 21 year old and he is exactly like my companion! He works a ton to pay for the bills and everything to provide for his mom! But little by little we have been gaining his trust and this week we invited them both to be baptized and they said yes! We have invited the mom plenty of times but this time they both said yes!! They are developing so much faith in Jesus Christ!

JULY 4TH

 I saw the familia Perugachi at an activity the other day and I was so happy! 

This week has been great! So Elder Lee and I are going to be staying together for our 3rd transfer together! I am just happy to be here on the area again! We are out bowling today so it has been a great day! This week we have had some great things happen and I loved my birthday!   On Monday we went to the familia Vasquez and they had a cake for us and everything! Then just other random stuff! It was a great week overall but I am really tired today so next week there will be a better email! Did Steph and Sam get their package? But I love you tons. Oh and can you take a pic of the proc to the family with our pictures around it and send it to me?

Bowling for Pday