Oh man... Alicia is 18... What the heck.
Well. Happy birthday Alicia :) You are so old! You're and adult! Stay careful! Filipinos think you are super gwapa, and I hate to think of what New Jersians think of you. Have fun though being 18! Where are you wanting to go to school? Do you have a car that you can drive everywhere like I had my truck, or do we still only have 2? I got you and all the girls some awesome gifts that I think you are going to really like, and I'm sure we'll get more when Mom and Dad come out here.
My (custom-made) pants are awesome. They did a super good job on them. The material is also cool, but not overbearing at all. I honestly don't know what I would do with crazy pants back home. I'm not really going for crazy in my wardrobe when I get home either. "Let thy garments be plain..." That's what I'm going for. I've acquired some pretty sweet ties though on the mission that I'll probably be giving out when I go home. Anybody want any?
This week is "crazy week." Every week is crazy, but the first week of every month, I wake up on Monday, and think, well it's time for next week. Time hits light speed on these weeks. We have District Meeting on Monday, and go into Cebu, then ZLC all Tuesday, P-Day on Wednesday, Zone Training on Thursday, Weekly Planning on Friday, Zone Business/Splits on Saturday, and Church with full day meetings on Sunday. Then after you blink, it's Monday again! Oh man. ZLC was awesome yesterday though. It always is. It is my favorite meeting in the world. We have an extraordinary Mission President that opens the windows of heaven and pours out knowledge upon us. Yesterday we learned about the Plan of Salvation and Satan's plot to rob us of exaltation, as well as how obedience and full dedication to Father in Heaven brings freedom.
Christ taught a truth when He said "the path is straight and few there be which enter there-in," and when he revealed to Joseph Smith in Doctrine & Covenants: 76 that those who inherit the Telestial Kingdom are numbered as all the sands of the sea and stars in the heavens. We need to pick up our slack, and we need to completely dedicate and consecrate all we have and all we are to Christ, if we are to be found worthy of His Father's Kingdom. It is not easy, and we need to straighten ourselves out, and then help every one we possibly can to do the same. I am so blessed to have been born into such a solid, faithful family. I love you Mom and Dad. I love you Alicia, Rachel and Sydney. Even you CJ, though you're quite a bit different than the rest of us in terms of obedience and salvation... and fur. Keep up the missionary work back home, and continue consecrating everything you have to Christ. Covenants are so wonderful.
I had a great lesson/experience I want to share before logging off. Last Sunday we had time for 1 lesson after we got out of Church and all our meetings. My companion suggested that we go visit an older woman whom we had contacted the week previous, as she hadn't come to church. When we got to her house, all the windows and doors were shut. We shouted, and we heard her exclaim, "Oh! It's you! You came back!" The door was then flung open and we were welcomed in. We talked to her a bit before teaching and found out why she hadn't come to church earlier. She had been admitted to the hospital for some serious problems. She then got choked up while telling this to us and explained how her life was hopeless and she had no idea what to do. She was told she had cysts in both her kidneys, her lungs were deteriorating, and her heart, which should be beating at 80 beats per minute, is only beating between 38-40. She can't have anything fixed without both other things completely failing. She is dying, and has nothing she can do to stop it. We taught her about the Plan of Salvation and the restoration of the Authority to make this plan come into effect in our lives. She knew that the church was true, and committed to be baptized that same lesson. She expressed a concern however, that she feared she would not live long enough to be baptized. We shared with her that with the restoration of Priesthood authority, blessings and miracles were also restored, and offered to give her a priesthood blessing. She gratefully accepted, and in the blessing, she was promised that she would live long enough to fulfill the measure of her creation, and that she would be baptized a member of the true church of Jesus Christ. After the blessing, she looked up at us with an amazed smile, and said through teary eyes, "It's...like I'm not even sick anymore!" It was a great experience, and we are looking forward to her baptism this Nov. 3.
It's time for me to go! I want to express my gratitude for you all, and especially for the ward. I got your love package! Thank you so much! I am touched to know that I am thought off and cared for by even those who have never met me. You are all the best.
I love you all!
Elder Garver
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