Come to Edmonds, come to Edmonds!

(As in Come to Zion, come to Zion) hahaha I crack myself up! That's a good hymn.

Hola familia! Que tal?

This is the last week of this transfer! Crazy, right!? Transfers are on Tuesday September 10th, so we'll see if I stay here in Edmonds with Sister Thompson or if I get transferred! Who knows? 

1. First piece of business, me and 3 elders are singing in a quartet for the adult session of Stake Conference on Saturday night! haha umm... yay? Me and Sis. T are the only sisters in our whole zone of like 26. It's funny. Good luck to me and the elders I guess! haha it's fun. I love those Elders. We're singing "The Time is far Spent" which is our mission song!


2. Secondly, Pa who was going to be baptized has to get an interview with one of President Choi's counselors first, so we see if he will still be able to be baptized. Hopefully he can be! But we're not sure because he told us that he needs help with his rent, so we'll see where his intentions are. 


3. We're teaching a girl named Jada who is super cute! We love her! She forgets about appointments a lot but we'll see what happens with her. She has a lot of faith.


4. I feel like P-days are more busy than normal days, so sorry if I haven't written you a letter if you wrote me!


5. Edmonds is the cutest place ever. It smells like the ocean, it has the CUTEST downtown area you ever did see, and you feel like your in a small town. I just love it. Edmonds is ZION! hahahaha I am SO taking a trip back up here eventually with my favorite people. They need to see this. haha


6. Guess where I'm sitting right now to email... The front desk of the Family History Center Library! hahah I feel so official. The public libraries are closed today.


7. Anywho, to make things about this week short.. I'm learning about being (or striving to become) patient and loving and charitable to the people around me when it is 100%, absolutely, completely difficult and seemingly impossible. Does that make sense? That was my week. :) So I'm definitely working on that.


8. On Sunday I got to teach the Restoration in SPANISH to Sister Alarcon and her non-member sister and mother who are from Chile! AHH! It was SO great. The Spirit was very strong and they really appreciated it. Sister Alarcon's sister, the non-member, said to me with tears in her eyes (en espanol), "you're an inspired woman, you are going to change lives in Argentina, stay close to the spirit of God." That kept going through my mind all day. I am so grateful for that experience! 


9. The members of the Edmonds ward in the Shoreline Stake are the BEST! Oh my goodness, mark my words. I am going to have a sleepover slumber party one of these days after the mish with Sister Jean DeFond! Hahahaha she is the BEST. She's like, 57 and SO hilarious! And a redhead! Gosh, her humor makes my LIFE. She's all there. She's an attourney and SO great with her words. HAHAHA. I laugh just thinking about her. One night we were at her house for dinner and she was talking about her trip to south america. She talked about all the random things that she took pictures of instead of the main attractions and whatnot. She said, "I'm going to make a coffee table book called The Dogs of Peru." hahahahaha I don't even know what is so funny about that to me, its just how she said it and who she is. Dahhh. She makes life worth living. hahaha


10. And her sister is in this same ward and she served in Columbia. She is CRAZY I tell you, but also hilarious. We love talking to these two ladies and their awesome husbands. 


11. My mission president, President Choi is in the 1st quorum of 70, and spoke in General Conference a few years ago in Priesthood session. It's called "I love loud boys." Look it up! He's awesome!


12. My time is far spent, so I will just tell you part of my testimony in spanish if that's okay.

El Evangelio de Jesucristo es restaurado, eso yo se es verdadero con todo mi corazon. Dios es nuestro amoroso padre celesial. Dios nos ama, y Dios conozce nuestras pruebas y afflicciones, y puede nos ayuda vencerlos. Dios envio su hijo Jesucristo para sufrir y morir y vivir otra vez para nosotros. Jesucristo es mi Salvador y mi mejor amigo. A traves La Expiacion de Jesucristo yo puedo llegar a ser mejor! En mi vida y mi mision, Jesucristo me ayuda vencer mis debilidades. Puedo llegar a ser mas amoroso y tener mas paciencia, caridad, bondad fraternal, todas las atribuos en DyC seccion 4. Jose Smith es una profeta de Dios y a traves de Jose Smith, tenemos El Libro De Mormon! Este libro es la palabra de Dios, yo se que eso es verdadero. Tenemos el Evangelio de Jesucristo en la tierra otra vez. Estoy muy agradecida por eso, y por la oportunidad para servir un mision en Washington, Seattle. Como una misionera de Jesucristo, puedo testificar que Jesucristo vive y es nuestro salvador y redentor. Estas cosas digo en el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.

I love you all! Feel free to write me :)

Con todo el amor en el MUNDO,

Hermana Gardner