Hola Familia y Amigos!
Well I cant believe I will have my flight plans in less then 24 hours, I can not wait any longer! I never thought I’d say that and I can’t believe I’ve almost been out 2 months!! I only get 24 of these really?? This is ridiculous! I honestly feel that I send you an email every other day! It only gets harder and harder every week too because nothing new happens! Although the TRC's are the highlight of my week! Last weeks TRC went really well! Me and Elder Price ended up teaching with Hermana Reed (going to Spain) because her companion left to the Spain MTC already so she is the SOLO sister in our district! It went good though, its hard to teach in three-somes!
Oh and some bad news... Elder Price went home this last friday. I know he did the right thing but its always tough to see a missionary come in for 7 weeks and then have the guilt get to him and he had to go home! So up till Sunday I was the only zone leader over the 25 Elders and I just joined the companionship of Elder Belnap and Elder Carter but then on Sunday we had to make some changes due to Elder Price going home and so our Branch Presidency called Elder's Farley and Nelson to be the zone leaders with me so I got yet another companionship! But I love everyone in my district so its all good!
The TRC tonight is the 2nd lesson in spanish for the first time and then next Wednesday is my last TRC before it becomes real.. with real investigators and real Baptism! Ahh words cannot express my excitement! Im Stoked! Estoy Animado!! So also with the lesson tonight we have to teach how to give directions to the church, and in the lesson commit them to being baptized or setting a date, and then also tie the Word of Wisdom into the Plan of Salvation because our investigator just lost their brother and they strarted drinking! It will be interesting but Im stoked! I just love spanish so much! It truely is amazing how much the Lord has blessed me as far as the gift of tongues! I love it! I wrote Elder Cuello and Wilkins back in all spanish today with only having to look at the dictionary 3 or 4 times so its getting better. I realize that as soon as I get to Honduras its going to be a whole other story but whatever... I need it! I am just so ready to jump with both feet in and get goin! I have just developed the expectation that its going to be really hard for the first couple months but its all good! I’ve realized its all about attitude so I’m constantly working on that! The teacher that came and spoke to us about Honduras told us that the Honduranians(Thats what they are.. not Hondurans) they cut off the ends of their words a lot of the time and then with words that are too long.. they just say the first sound and the last sounds and just slur them together... haha so that will be interesting!
Um something crazy though.. I have been reading the Book of Mormon every day consistantly obviously since I got here and I am having the coolest dreams ever... Remember the living scripture videos.. well those characters are litterally in my dreams! For example I was reading the story of Ammon in Alma and while I was reading I could picture the entire movie in my head and I don’t remember the last time I watched those or recalled them since I was like 10 or so... but its so awesome! Then of course that night I had dreams in half spanish and half english sometimes that are just of these stories! I just love the Book of Mormon, I read like 50 pages the other day while Elder Price was in interviews and what not and I got to the point that I was so into the stories that I forgot where I was! I pray everytime before I read that I will remember, apply and recognize the things I read about and I guess thats how the lord blesses me is with the rememberance of watching those movies as a kid!
So thats my challenge and recommendation to you is to watch those movies...DAD, you sold them for what 12 years?? Watch them, it will help you to better understand and remember these stories! I dont know what else to say! The 9th, next wednesday, will be my last P-day in the US so I will let you know what time I head out and roughly what time I will be calling you from the airport but until then just wish me luck in the TRC tonight and know that all of you are in my prayers every single night!
Love Elder Gardner
Your Servant of the lord!!
