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

ROSIO'S BIRTHDAY

This is a big metal Puerto Rican flag near Humboldt Park.
  We were near there because we gave a blessing to someone down there with a member in our Ward.

You guys are going on so many fun vacations! It sounds like you had a blast in Vancouver! But to answer your questions I am not sure if I will get transferred or not! I want to say no but at the same time I feel I might leave. I have only been here for 3 transfers so it would make sense that I would stay but I feel like I might go! And we have a washing machine and dryer down stairs that we use but it costs money!

This week it has been great just to be a missionary! So for Rocio Vasquez this week it was her birthday on Wednesday and so we wrapped up a present for her. My companion was a little weirded out about how good at wrapping I was but all I could say was that's one of the things you learn when you're the only boy and the youngest! The present was perfectly wrapped if I may say so myself! So for her we got a Proclamation to the World and we put it in a frame for her! She loved it and so it made me happy! I love their family so much!  It's hard on me though just because I want them to want it so bad but they are still going at their own pace.

This week I have just been a little discouraged with everything because we are working so hard but just nothing is coming out of it.  I also got my flap stollen off my bike so I need to buy a new one now. The flap is just a part that makes it so water on the ground doesn't flip up on your back.  But I truly do love it! I know I was sent here for a reason because I have gotten super lucky with school, baseball, family, and Spanish, it all just came naturally but now The Lord is making me work for the things that I want so I feel like I am progressing more than ever right now! I truly love being a missionary and it scares me of how little time I have left! I know that God loves each one of us specifically and he has planned individually for all of his children! I love you and hope you all have a great week! 

Oh and also thanks for the JJs card! Honestly it was perfect and Elder Lee said thank you too! It works perfectly because his birthday is on July 2! Oh and for pday today we are all going to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate a bunch of bdays and there is member who is leaving for his mission in the 3rd ward this week so we are going to celebrate with them! Love you tons

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY

FATHER'S DAY SHOTS (GOT THE TIE ON MATCHING DAD'S)

FAMILIA PUENTES' TEMPLE DAY

Buenas tardes Mami,

Yeah so today we are going through the temple with the most amazing family! I am so excited for them and they are so pumped! I have seen this biggest change in this family over the course of my few transfers here and it is truly amazing! So their name is la familia Puentes. The husband is a recent convert of 3 years and the mom has been a member for a long time and actually served a mission! They have a little boy named Abraham and they are the sweetest family! They are the family that we go to for everything because they are so kind and generous! So when I first got here they were borderline active-less active and whenever they would go to church they would just sit in the back and didn't know too many people. But one day when I was with Elder Martinez we had one of the strongest lessons I have ever had and we finally found out what was holding them back from the temple! We got it all cleared up and after that day they have completely changed 100 percent! Their testimonies are literally on fire and they are inviting people to church, they are calling up our investigators, the blessings for them are just pouring in through the roof! They now know everyone in our ward and all of the missionaries are super close with them! They may be one of the happiest families on Earth right now, they are so strong and I love love love them! This is one of the biggest miracles of my mission! But they are going through the Salt Lake City temple on August 11 to be sealed and I told them if they have anything there that you could do for them that you would and they said to invite you guys to go! They want you to be there because they only have the wife's sister and cousin there and their families who are going to be there! So please please please take time and go with them! It would mean the world to me if you guys would do that! You will love them, and the husband speaks some English too!

You love golfing though so much! I remember when you got the hole in 1 in Hawaii and we heard about it forever! I'm sorry about grandpa though, maybe I will send him a card soon just to let him know that I love him! I will just send it home and then you can give it to him!

Well I love you all so much and I hope you have a great day!

BEST BASEBALL FIELD VIEW

I found the best baseball field the other day, it may have a better view than Brighton!