Hermana Leiva (the best companion in the world) and me :) I just love our height differences!
Our Mission Office / Stake center, complete with fence and security guy :)
The Hermanas, who I love dearly :)
Okay,
GUESS WHAT PEOPLE! Guess who came and spoke to us on Saturday. None
other than Elder JEFFREY R. HOLLAND of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles!
Oh
my goodness, what a privilege! He came to our mission's Mission Office
and spoke to the Buenos Aires West, North, and South Missions, along
with the Buenos Aires MTC! We were all in the chapel and overflow gym
thing, all 1,000-something of us. Ah, the Spirit was so strong! He spoke
about how we need to truly realize who we are as missonaries. More
important than what we do is who we are. What we need to do will fall
into place once we realize who we really are. As missionaries and as
people. Ah, I love him. As he was walking up to the pulpit, he put his
hand on my back! haha oh my, it was great. haha :) I'm never washing
that blazer I was wearing. haha just kidding. Elder Suarez of the
presidency of the 70 came and spoke too! He is a stud, let me tell you.
He spoke to us in spanish (he knows portugese, french, spanish, and
italian. Stud). I learned so much from him.
We were all completely silent and sitting in the chapel studying
our scriptures for a whole 2 hours before the meeting to spiritually
prepare ourselves to hear from an apostle of the Lord. It was amazing to
see soooo many 20-somethings not talking at all in one huge room for 2
whole hours. So much respect.
After the conference the other missions were dismissed to go back
to their missions and our mission stayed in the chapel to hear from our
mission president, President Carter (he decided to do this at the last
minute). That part of the conference was so powerful. We were all crying
because of how profound the experience was, and how our testimonies
were strengthened immensely from feeling the Spirit so strong.
Something else that I've learned this week is about
being METICULOUSLY Obedient, which is one of our mission motto things.
(Como, leaving the apartment at exactly 11am, not 11:01, getting home
exactly at 9:00pm, not 8:59 or 9:01, not staying at members homes for
Almuerzo for more than 1 hour, etc.) Hermana Leiva and I have been
working on that so much this past week, and we have seen so many
miracles directly from it! It really is crazy. We found an hombre that
is SO prepared and humble that we wouldn't have found if we didnt leave
the house the minute we did. He is going to be baptized December 12th.
We had to give him to the Elders in Caseros 2 ward, but he is a blessing
to all of us because of our obedience. We are not perfect by ANY means,
but I know that as we try at all times to be exactly obedient, we'll be
blessed beyond measure. I know that's true.
Really cool experiece-- the other day, we were teaching
a man named Jorge and his mujer (woman who he is not married to) and
Jorge's two friends/co-workers. (We've been teaching Jorge for a few
weeks now.) We were teaching them about the commanments and prayer and
why they're important. But the lesson kind of went astray and was
digressing as they all started joking about how Jorge always is drinking
and how he can never change and that the missionaries can't do anything
about it, etc. They were all laughing and making light of our purpose
for being there. Hma. Leiva and I were kind of offended and needed to do
something. But suddenly I found myself saying super seriously, and kind
of loudly, "Jorge, We are representatives of Jesus Christ. And our
purpose here is to help you come unto Christ and keep the commandments
of God." Then it got all quiet, and the spirit changed. Its a great
thing to have the spirit speak through you.
Thank you for all the love and prayers! I can feel them, seriously! Especially on the hard days.
Con mucho amor,
Hermana Gardner
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