P-Day update week 85, 09/02/2023

Hola hola! Muy buenos días!!


Well it's been a crazy week with a lot of things going on! We had transfers so its also been interesting adapting to my new environment!

Our table during the conference in the government palace!

Well first things first, we started last week in trio because the companion of another Elder finished his mission! So we were walking around like that for a few days as we waited for the transfers to come in! On Tuesday night we got home and waited anxiously for the transfers. Like I mentioned my mission President already told me he was going to transfer me so I was very excited to see where I would go and who would take my place in Independencia! At about 9:30 we got the transfer emails! I am going to Xalapa again!!! I'm going back to the same Zone I was in when I was in the offices! But I'm just going to a different ward! My new companion is named Elder Hernández, he's from a little town in Oaxaca called Mitla! He is in his last transfer so I will be his last companion! I'm excited! I arrived in Xalapa on Thursday and I've been enjoying the weather a lot more here, these 65-75 degrees of heat is much better than the 90-115 I was experiencing in Martinez that's for sure!! My ward is called Américas and it's super strong! There are a good amount of members in the ward, about 80-100 people go every week which is awesome! Very different from independencia where about 30-50 went! I'm new here and don't really know anyone but I'll fill yall in on the new friends this coming week!!

As for my friend sin Independencia it was sad to say goodbye to everyone! In fact I didn't have time to start goodbye to everyone that I wanted to, but I was able to take some pictures with some and send messages to others! I'm going to miss Independencia so much! It will forever have a piece of my heart! The people are so great and I'm so exited for our friends in teaching that have been progressing and getting ready for baptism! But all things must come to an end and a change of climate is good to keep me fresh! 

So when I first got my transfers I was quickly notified about a special conference we had to attend on Friday. They explained to me that the government here in Mexico is starting a program to try and help the people have more virtues and standards and more upright! And how they are doing that is introducing different religions to the public to help them come closer to God, without forcing them of course! So this Friday the public affairs leaders for the church here in Xalapa gave a presentation about our church in the auditorium in the government palace and the four Zone Leaders and two Sister Training Leaders here in Xalapa were invited to put up a table with materials to give out and contact the people that walked by and listened to the conference! Honestly it was a lot of fun and a huge success! We were there from 10am to 1pm talking and contacting the people that went to the conference called "Our Religion"! I've never put up a booth like that so it made me feel like I was selling things in the street like I always see around here!! It was also cool to listen to to conference and see how they presented the church! Actually the main guy in the Public Affairs I'd an ex Mission President so of course he did a great job!

Bus station selfie!

Hermano Martin from Alborada!!

The Torres family goodbye!

From there the rest of the week was mainly conference watching! With five sessions we passed a lot of time in the church watching General Conference! And this was the first time I watched it all in Spanish! I was able to understand everything but I feel like I missed the different voices of the speakers and the sound of the crowd laughing every now and then! But I think I'll rewatch the talks to hear all their voices haha! It was honestly a great conference! I missed Elder Holland again but I hope he'll be there to give a talk in six months!! Like I said, we were at the church a lot Saturday and Sunday. We watched the conference at the Stake Center where I went to church when I was in Xalapa!! And I didn't really realize that I could run into old friends there! But during the five sessions I got to see a lot of people that I met while I was in Xalapa! I'm excited to keep seeing more of my old friends here in Xalapa and visiting some converts!! Anyway I got sidetracked! I could talk about all the conference talks that I liked but I think some of my favorites were: The first talk in Conference given by Elder Bednar who talked a bit about our secret or unrecognized service, but how the Lord sees all those little efforts and in his time will give us our recompense!
I also really like the talk by Joni L. Koch who talked about humility and its importance in being able to go back to live with our Heavenly Father!
Also I loved how almost everyone talked about covenants in their talks! It's even more beautiful when you realize that they don't assign topics in General Conference, all of that was planned without anyone knowing it haha!! I guess the Lord wants us to make and keep our covenants! 

Alright so after all the craziness of the weekend we got to P-Day, its been a strange day, let me explain. So to start off the day we cleaned the house and started to do our laundry with the sister of whom we rent our house! She just got a new washing machine and no-one knows how it works haha but we're getting there! We had planned to go to a town nearby called Coatepect to play Volleyball and ear Churros but as we were leaving the house we got a call from one of the Assistants telling us that we had to pick up a missionary later who would be with us for a while!! I knew that the Zone Leaders in Xalapa often find themselves in trio when a companionship fights or someone has to go home early and their companion doesn't have anyone to stay with! So we went about our activities and later in the day headed to the offices to go pick up our new companion, his name is Elder Martinez from Monterrey! He has 21 months in the mission! It's funny, the three of us here are from the three oldest generations in the mission right now. So this transfer Elder Hernández goes home and then the next one Elder Martinez goes home and then the next one I go home! It's going to be fun in trio! By the way, Elder Martinez and his companion weren't separated for fighting or anything like that! He told us that one day President just called them out of the blue and told them that they would go to Xalapa and be with the Zone Leaders for a while! We'll see how it goes!

The Xalapa gang from last year that were there for the Conference!

This cat proceeded to whack me after this foto!

That'd it for this week! I went to Costco for the first time in a while which was awesome! I'm excited to work here, we have a few people that are ready for baptism this month which will be exciting! I'll keep yall posted on that! I Love you all so much, I hope you have a great week!!

-Elder Garnica

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