P-Day update week 107 y 108, 03/11/2024

Hola a todos! Espero que hayan disfrutado mucho su semana y que hayan disfrutado mis correos!!

Well well well, I don't know when this happened but we got to my last email. These past few weeks have been a little bit of the same but there are some cool experiences I wanted to share with y'all!!

Amairany's baptism!

First we finally finished all the house inspections in the mission! After three weeks and many many hours of traveling we visited the 68 different houses in the mission and made sure that everyone was living in good conditions and properly cleaning their home! We saw some really cool quite clean houses, and some very not cool very dirty houses, it was definitely an experience!! One of the coolest things is that with this trip I officially got to see every single area of the mission, from Teocelo in the south then to Cerro Azul 9 hours all the way to the north. I'm so grateful to have been assigned to the Mexico Xalapa Mission, it is the greatest mission on the planet (sorry to every other missionary)! 

With the inspections done we had our Xalapa Zone Conference and then the North Zone Conference a week later. In Xalapa I got to give my last testimony, it was a very special experience. As I testified of the truthfulness of this gospel and the love of our Heavenly Father to my companions, I felt such a sweet spirit come over me! I know the Lord loves me and has been with me my whole life, and will stay by my side forever. There is nothing of more value.

Coco and his family invited us for my last dessert

North Zone Conference foto

Last office meeting selfie

Weird Pinocchio we found in Guitierrez Zamora haha!

My companion and I on the side of the river Tuxpan

In the North we had a very nice conference, I think the Xalapa one was my favorite but they did a good job in the North to make sure everything went well! And while we were there we picked up our new companion (my replacement), Elder Galvez! I don't know if y'all remember Elder Galvez or not, but I trained him! We were companions for a couple months here in Alborada the first time around, and now I'm giving him the reins once again as the new Assistant! Crazy how it all comes full circle! It's been cool to have him with us again, he's excited to learn and do a good job, he's gonna be great!! But it is strange having gone to literally pick up my replacement haha, very weird!!

Apart from that let's talk about Amairany, our miracle!! So we have had some really crazy full weeks and haven't had a lot of proselyting time in our area, we share the gospel with everybody but usually it's the taxistas that take us from place to place and then we send off the reference to the missionaries that are in charge of them! But here in Alborada it's been really hard to see our friends! We've had some really great experiences, but we had accepted the fact that there probably wasn't going to be another baptism in the area this transfer, due to our not being here. But all of a sudden Martin a member in the ward and father of Amairany one of our friends in teaching sends us a message. He asked us "hey Elders, what are you guys gonna be doing this weekend?" We told him that we were going to be traveling but that we get home Saturday night to go to church on Sunday. Then he asks "Is it possible to have a baptismal service Sunday after the meeting?". We saw his message and about jumped out of our pants!! We told him that obviously we could have a baptismal service after church on Sunday! We called our bishop and ward mission leader and got everything set up for Amairany's baptism!! Now let me tell y'all why this caught us off guard. Really we hadn't visited Amairany in a while because she had very clearly stated that she didn't want to be baptized. She already had been taught all the lessons and had been to church plenty of times, but she told us that she just didn't want to. But all of a sudden she told us that she did!! It's cool because last year we had the opportunity to help Martin's wife be baptized, and now his daughter! What a special experience it was. And she asked me to perform the ordinance, which made it an even more special experience!!

The baptismal service went great, it took two tries on the ordinance and Amairany accused me of trying to murder her haha but besides that everything went well! It's always a great experience seeing our friends make covenants with God, it is vital that they make them to be able to return to the presence of God. And we know it's always a good idea to buy your tickets early so you don't lose your spot!

I am immensely grateful for the opportunity I've had to serve the Lord these past two years. I can't explain the feelings I have, really it's a little bit of everything. I owe everything to him, I hope my whole life might be as bright and glorious as these past two years have been, I wouldn't trade it for the world!! I'm a new man, a little chubbier but happier! I know that this is the work of the Lord, there isn't any other option. Christ is the ONLY way to have lasting joy in this life and to make it back to the presence of our Heavenly Father. The work doesn't ever stop, I may go home this Thursday but they keep working, they don't ever get tired. They love us too much. I hope to see you all very soon, and to give you a big hug and share my experiences! 

Window sill cat!

Actually this Sunday I will be talking in Sacrament meeting at 10:30 in the Madison church building! 1297 Slaughter Rd, Huntsville, AL. I hope to see you all there so that I may share my experiences and testimony in person! 

Until then I hope you have a great week and I will see you soon!!!

-Elder Garnica