P-Day update week 39, 11/14/2022

 ¡Hola mis amados coherederos con Cristo!

This has been a week full of hard work and a lot of big steps forward in the area! We've been working hard to be more consecrated and we've been seeing some great help from Heavenly Father in that regard! Once again I'm strapped for time haha!

We found fluffy dogs!

The first piece of excitement this week was on Wednesday. Every transfer each missionary goes on divisions with their leader so that they can receive guidance and direction in how they can improve as a missionary! And after three transfers the Zone Leaders finally decided to do divisiones with us here in Alborada! I've explained divisiones more in depth in the past so I won't describe it again, but it was decided that I would go to the area of the Zone Leaders! So the morning of Wednesday we went to the mall about halfway between our two areas and split off with our new companions for the day! We headed out after dropping off my bag and we hit the streets! We taught a great lesson to one of their friends who was studying to be a Catholic scholar or something like that! So she has a lot of knowledge and it was really fun to go out and hear her thoughts and hear her difference of understanding when it comes to the scriptures! Obviously we tried to be filled only with love and zero contention as we taught her, and at the end left her with the invitation to pray and ask if our message is true! Hopefully she does it! From there we went to a really bad part of Xalapa, this little pueblo we went to is called "El Castillo'' and it is very famous for being dangerous, especially at night! But I let Elder Arredondo lead us and we headed there at about 7:30 and left at about 8:30! It wasn't really that bad at all, pretty tranquil. In fact the trip was definitely worth it! We went and met with a family they were teaching, and began to talk with them! They told us their daughter has been really sick, so we offered to give her a blessing, and as we finished the blessing, the father looked at us and told us he wanted to be baptized! It was truly a miracle since they have been working with him for a while and haven't been able to get anything to go, it was really a great day during divisions!

Finishing divisiones we met back up the next day at the stake center. We arrived right before we were due to start our zone council! This zone council was a little different than the last couple ones, I'm not sure if I've mentioned here yet, but our President and his wife are both back in Utah. Hermana Perkins had to have surgery and President Perkins thought it best to support his wife during this hard time! So they've been gone for a couple weeks and we've been getting remote directions from him! So this Leadership Conference was not going to have President Perkins present, which would also affect our zone councils which are based on the things they learned in the leadership conference! So when we all got there we started right up, and they began to talk about the things which they learned from the Area Seventy who presided and did the training! The big focus they gave us was that it is the little things that really matter, that if we truly want to have success here in the mission field and if we truly want to leave here being better stronger disciples, we have to change and that starts with the little things! One of those little things is the language we use as missionaries, as missionaries we spend a lot of our time talking with people that don't traditionally have our same standards when it comes to their manner of speaking, and it can easily become habit to be loose with our language and speak in a less dignified manner. But Elder Reynoso very clearly stated that such speech was not acceptable for servants and representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ! It was truly powerful to hear, I feel that even I have become accustomed to using certain slang with the locals with the intention of coming across more friendly and normal people, but Now I know how important it is to truly represent Christ in a different way!

Matching shirts!

I made crunch wrap Supremes for our food time!

With our new found desires to become truly consecrated missionaries my companion and I have been working really hard this week to elevate ourselves to a different state! This week I have truly seen how blessed I am to have the companion I have, he is such a good missionary and he helps me be better each and every day! This week we have really been hitting our stride when it comes to our teaching ability together, even though the entire mission applies the teaching model (or they should) It is still an adjustment to find out how to best bounce off your new companion so you can be the most cohesive companionship possible, with the end of helping all to truly understand the gospel of Jesus Christ, and how to apply it to their lives! The past couple weeks have been good, but this last week has been great when it comes to our lessons! I've been feeling the spirit so much stronger in your lessons, and we've been seeing some great results come from such a presence in our lessons! In a normal week for us we usually find around 3-4 new people without focusing hard on finding, and this week we have been trying so hard to be in tune with the spirit that we were able to teach 7 new friends! It was awesome to see some new people come into our lives, especially since we've had to say goodbye to quite a few that haven't been progressing, or who haven't decided to talk to us! That's fine, because we know that the timing of the Lord is perfect and everyone will have their chance, and for now we need to focus on those who are ready to make and keep covenants with our Heavenly Father! We have also been a lot more open with each other this week, we have talked about our weaknesses and the things that have been holding us back from fulfilling our potential, and we've been working hard to support one another! Overall it has been great getting to know my companion even better this past week!

Yeah, I think the pilot thing will do. Ha ha!

Draft night! Here I come, Lakers!

This week has not only been a success for us, but it has been a success for the whole District! With my new assignment I've been learning to focus a lot on the district and how we can all grow and become better people! And this week each companionship has just been working so hard to find success in their respective areas! As a zone we have placed 20 baptism dates this past week, and as a district we have accounted for more than half of those! I feel like a dad, seeing all the district members trying so hard each and every day to be the very best missionaries that they can be, and seeing the Lord give them blessings for their desires to serve!! I'm almost out of time but I just wanted to let you all know that I have the best district in the world, it is amazing how close we've all been able to come as we focus on those around us!

I just wanted to leave you all with a quick spiritual thought, This week I have been reading about being a consecrated missionary. As I've been studying I've also been thinking how these teachings can be applied to regular non missionary people! My friends and my family, I know that everyone does something that drives the spirit away, or maybe just makes it not as profound. This week I invite you all to look for that thing, and put it on the altar of sacrifice for the Lord, he is the ultimate goal and there is nothing more important in this life, so I invite you all to see what is keeping you from receiving all the blessings of the gospel, and let that thing go. I know that if you all do that, the Lord will multiply your sacrifice tenfold into blessings! I can say that because I've seen it! I love you all, have a great week!

-Elder Garnica