11-28-12

What?!  That's so weird that both Thaden girls got engaged...  That's just really weird.  There goes my plan to take Amanda Thaden out to the American Idol auditions when I got home.  That's super awesome though!

I will definitely join you in the family fast.  Let Crystal know the other half of the world is supporting her as well.

Thanks for putting up my Christmas stocking!  I'm still a part of the family!  Hooray!  Are you going to fill it? ;)  Maybe you can use it for CJ or something.  I completely forgot about Thanksgiving this year.  You see the occasional turkey here but it's far and few between, and it definitely is not a popular meal here.  Christmas time has been raging for quite a while now, but it's awesome to here your real "white Christmas" stories.

Transfers went well.  My companion is awesome.  Seriously.  This past week has been so much fun.  It has also been super crazy. Poor Elder Fudge hasn't been able to work in our area even once.  Actually, since we technically live outside our area, he has yet to even step foot into our area.  We have been grabbed every single day by the zone, our house mates, or the sisters for some reason, and have yet to work together at all in our area.  Still, we have been getting really good work done in the zone, and in other areas.

We had quite the experience this week with the sisters.  They came into this branch and immediately went about doing what they were used to doing.  Taking over and taking control of everything.  Sisters are very good at what they do, and typically, there is nobody above them in the mission area that they need to answer to or sustain. They had never had to work together with Elders in a single branch before, and without meaning to, way over-stepped their bounds.  There was some definite clashing that went on that first Sunday, but Elder Fudge and I went home and drew up an inspired plan that is and will continue to make everything run smoothly.  Because we are the priesthood leadership in the area and zone, Elder Fudge and I are in charge of the Priesthood Leadership in the branch like PEC, Home Teaching etc, while the Sisters will handle the auxiliaries, such as Relief Society, Visiting Teaching and Primary.  Each companionship can bring advice or ideas to the table each week in our area coordination meeting, but must always sustain the other companionship's authority and realize the ultimate decision resides with them.  We are presenting this plan we drew up to President Schmutz this weekend, and hopefully it is going to be able to be used mission-wide when all the new sisters get here to help the work flow.  How exciting!

Mom, I'm sorry.  I have another excuse.  My memory card reader exploded this week.  I'm going to need to pull out a little more money to buy a new one so I can send you pictures next week.  Have patience with your poor, faceless son.

I love you all!  Thanks for the update Rachel :)  You're awesome.

Love,
Elder Garver

11-21-12

This computer is really testing my patience today.  Goodness gracious.

I had no idea that the hurricane was actually that bad over there!  That is ridiculous to hear.  I'm so grateful that you are all ok and that you were all protected from the really bad stuff.  Good choice of house, Mom and Dad.  I'm always praying for you all.

How is Crystal doing?  I don't know exactly what the chemo process is, but I know it's really tough.  Please keep me updated on how she is doing as well.

This week is transfer week, and Elder Olojan and I spent the entire week getting things ready for the new sister missionaries coming into our zone.  We split our area and rearranged area boundaries in the zone, bought a ton of furnishings for the new apartment, drove down to Cebu a couple times for money and a truck to move all the stuff into the house, worked out the rent and advance payment with the landlord of the new apartment, and signed contracts and tax forms.  We now need to go organize the apartment and get it all nice and fancy for the sisters before they come in on Friday.  It was sure fun driving that pick up truck through the mountains getting to and from Cebu.  The drive is amazing, and I'm taking you on it when you come out Mom and Dad.

This brings me to some big news.  Well, kind of big I guess,  Because of the new change in the mission and the huge surge of missionaries coming to our mission, I most likely going to be extending about 4 weeks to help everything transfer in smoothly.  I don't know for sure yet since it really depends on President Schmutz.  If I do though, I'll be coming home in July some time.

This transfer is pretty exciting for me.  Elder Olojan is transferring out after just 6 weeks and I am training a new ZL in Toledo named Elder Fudge.  He is my junior batch and I was with him in the MTC.  I'm excited to be companions with him.  There are a lot of other cool happenings in the mission due to the age change.  There is another zone being opened up, as well as more mission leaders being called to fill that zone.  It is a pretty exciting time out here.

This computer is being belligerent  so I'm going to just have to send you pictures next week.  And no, I really don't remember what that adjective means.  I just threw that in there because it popped into my head.  Hopefully it kinda makes sense a little bit sorta.

I love you all!  Stay safe.

Elder Garver

p.s.  our phones there don't have SIM cards do they?  If so, you can buy REALLY nice phones out here for really cheap.

11-14-12

Noooooooooo!!!!  I had the worst realization ever this week!  The first-fruits of true conversion is a desire to share the gospel.  Right at the time I'm getting home, every truly converted young woman, between 19-21 is going to be either on, or just about to leave on a mission.  There is going to be nobody to marry when I get home...  I'm going to have to wait an extra year before all the women get back from their missions.  Oh man...  That's sad.  President Schmutz said that his son who got back from his mission 7 months ago is all of a sudden finding it very hard to find women to date.  They're all on missions!  His 7 month window has just about closed, and now he has to wait until the first batch of sister missionaries get home in a year.  Then he, I, and the rest of the RM world will have to fight it out over the few returning home that month.  Then the losers have to wait.  Marriage just got really complicated.

Other than that, this week was good!  We had a really good zone training meeting after ZLC, and blew everyone's minds with the doctrine we learned.  Then we were informed by President Schmutz that we needed to find a new apartment for the sister missionaries who will probably be transferring into our area next week, so that's what we have been doing this week.  Walking ALL OVER (or occasionally driving when the senior couple can spare their car) looking for appropriate apartments.  We also are in charge of realigning the area boundaries in our Zone to fit in the new companionship, so we have been doing a lot of civil engineering and land mapping this week as well.  We have now created a pretty beautiful layout of all the new area boundaries and everything is all set for the sisters to move in, besides the apartment.  We have a few more meetings lined up tomorrow with landlords and apartment owners, then after we make a final decision, it's off the the big department stores to buy furnishings for the apartment.  You never know as a Zone Leader when your life might explode with busyness at any moment.  It's great that we are getting sisters in the Zone again though.  With this new influx of sisters, we are projected to be at around 135 Elders and 120ish Sisters within 1 year, so we are going to have our hands FULL, probably for the rest of my mission as we are doing all this for another 100 new sisters that will be coming into the mission in that time.

We just got out of the temple.  I love the temple.  Now we are going back up to Toledo as a Zone to finish up our P-Day by washing clothes!  Super Exciting.  I just downloaded all the conference talks from LDS.org though so that should make washing a lot better as we listen to those again.

Tell Crystal I'm praying for her, and I love her.  I love you all!

Elder Garver

P.S. These pictures are from last transfer with Elder Barcellano.  I'll start trying to send them more frequently now.  I just haven't taken many pictures this transfer for some reason, so I forget to send them when I do.

11-7-12

Hello!

It's good to hear you are all safe!  I can't imagine what it would feel like to be somewhere below freezing.  The Philippines is so awesome because it's just hot all the time.  Power outages happen on a very regular basis, but all it really effects are the tvs and electric fans.  Hardly anyone here even uses electric fans so it's not even that big of a deal.  I can imagine how much harder it would be in the winter...

I'm going to apologize now for not sending pictures again.  I forgot my camera at the apartment.  Sorry!  I actually haven't had much to take pictures of lately, but I'll get a few to you next week.  I took a cool video though this week.  We were standing on the beach waiting for our Branch Missionary, and as we looked out across the sea we saw a wall of rain in the distance.  As we watched, we could see the wall coming closer and closer with the sea all choppy underneath where the rain was hitting it.  It was really cool to see how fast rain clouds actually move.  Then we worked in the pounding rain for a while.  Fun!

Good news from our area.  Nanay Epifania is getting baptized on Saturday.  The miracles the Lord has worked in her life are amazing.  When we found her, she couldn't sit up, much less come to church, yet after a blessing and a few promises in the name of the Lord, she is walking to church 2 hours early each Sunday, and has become completely active again in her life.  She is cleaning, washing clothes, shopping and doing all the things she hasn't been able to do for so long.  She  isn't even taking her medicine anymore.  The Lord just healed her.  I testify of the power of Christ's Priesthood, and I testify as well that through obedience this power comes into our lives.  You don't have to be special or do anything crazy to have miracles happen in your life.  All you need to do is obey.  Respect your Redeemer enough to follow his commandments, and He will work miracles in your life.  The only reason why miracles ever cease, is because of the unbelief of man.  This mission has taught me of the truthfulness of my Savior and I could never deny that He lives, and is active in our lives, as much as we allow Him.

Keep warm!
Love,
Elder Garver

P.S.  I got your package!  I also opened it.  Thanks for the pictures!  I love you guys.  I also love nutella.

10-31-12

Well shoot.  I guess stories are bound to get around sooner or later.  This is why so many criminals get caught you know.  They just can't help bragging a little bit about the awesome job they pulled off, or crazy stunt they pulled in a car, and then poof.  The whole world knows sooner or later and then the authorities come and get you.  At least I was smart enough to flee the country before news spread too far.  You can't get me out here!  All the Elders like hearing my car stories too though ;)  Oh man...  What a stupid kid I was.

Well I'm sure glad you guys are surviving out there.  Our branch missionary leader told us there was a huge hurricane over there, but when he said that the water rose to neck height and there where lots of dead people and Virginia, New Jersey, Colorado, and California all lost power I didn't believe him.  He exaggerated a bit, but he was telling the truth!  I totally forgot it gets cold in the winter there.  How cold is it?  Do you have any good sledding hills at the house?

This computer isn't letting me send any pictures so you'll have to wait until next week.  Sorry I've been so rushed for time lately, I've forgotten.

This week was awesome because of Zone Interviews. We have Preach My Gospel DVDs here in the mission where the mission lives of a district in CA is recorded and used for training purposes.  I am very very grateful that President Schmutz is my mission president.  The way he teaches is just amazing.  We go way beyond the basics and discuss the doctrinal background for why people are the way they are, and how we need to address their spiritual problems.  President Schmutz radiates intelligence and light, and it is a blessing to be around him.  He taught an amazing workshop to our zone, and then began interviewing each elder individually.  I love how personal President Schmutz is with each missionary in this mission.  He was conducting interviews from around 10am until he finished up mine at around 6pm.  I lost track of time but my companion told me I was in my interview for at least 30 minutes.  We talked about life, the mission, and doctrine.  It was awesome.

One thing that President and I have discussed recently however, is the omniscience of God.  I have learned a lot the last few days about the omniscience of God in my studies.  He knows all things through His spirit which is in and around and part of all things.  I wonder in amazement at the spectacular magnificence of such a Being. How wonderful and splendid is our God! His power and majesty are in all things, and there is nothing not known unto Him.  It is so clear how present He is in just my life alone, and the works He does in my life are greater than I have ability to express.  How terrible it is to witness so many who don't have this same vision as we do. So many of Father's precious children that don't know Him!  John and the 3 Nephites were promised to never feel sorrow save it be for the sins of the world.  I am beginning to realize just how much pain these men of God still feel. 

We missionaries have a heavy responsibility to make sure each person we teach gains a firm testimony of this gospel.  There is no other way in which exaltation can be obtained, save it be through the doctrine of Christ and obedience to the laws therein.  We had an amazing experience with an investigator of ours this week, which I will tell quite briefly before we have to run.  We had taught Bro. Pweblos a couple lessons before this week, but he was still having trouble getting an answer to his prayers about whether or not this was the true church.  We reviewed again the restoration with him and then we committed him to pray again.  He expressed his past experiences of unanswered prayers, but promised to continue trying.  I know that when God says He will answer prayers, He will, and I promised Bro. Pweblos that if he would kneel with us right there, God would answer his prayer if we waited in faith on our knees.  He agreed, and we kneeled on the nailed in bamboo slats that made up the floor of his hut.  He offered up his faithful prayer and asked God if this was the true church.  We waited.  He continued telling God how much he needed an answer.  We still waited.  He again expressed how confused he was and how he needed to know the truth.  Still no answer.  We had been kneeling for 10 minutes and I was begging God just as hard as Bro. Pweblos was that he would answer this prayer.  "Father," I prayed, "I promised this man an answer.  He is doing everything Thou hast asked him to do.  Why art Thou still silent?"  15 minutes had now passed by.  The thin strips of bamboo were digging into our knees extremely painfully.  Bro. Pweblos was crying for an answer yet there was none to be heard.  I began to wonder if he would just give up.  I told God that I had made a promise, and I was not going to be the one to interrupt this prayer and make excuses for Him.  I was just amazed it was taking this long.  20 minutes now had gone by.  Bro. Pweblos let out an exasperated gasp and fell, rubbing his knees in pain.  My knees to were screaming in pain, yet Elder Olojan and I stayed kneeling.  I wondered if this would be the end, but after a couple minutes of silence, Bro. Pweblos got back up!  He kneeled again, wincing a bit in pain, and continued his prayer.  Then, all of a sudden, he gasped, and fell again, this time not from pain.  He cried out "Mao gyud kini!" or "This is it!  It's true!"  He lept up and about tackled Elder Olojan and I.  He cried on our shoulders for a couple of minutes and then told us of his answer.  He had grown frustrated having given so much and and prayed so much with no answer, but really needed an answer.  After so long, frustrated, he threw his head up and looked into heaven.  It was then that he saw from heaven a bright flash of white light, and his whole soul was filled with peace.  He knew without a doubt that God had answered his prayer and he knew this was Christ's church.  We had been kneeling for 30 minutes.  I testify that God answers prayers.  So many prayers go unanswered because we don't have the faith to wait for the answer.  Would you have the faith to wait for 30 minutes in silence for an answer to prayer?  I had never had to wait that long, but I know that that experience for Bro. Pweblos is not going to be forgotten anytime soon.

I really have to go now!  I love you all.  Emily, Shaelyn, Jessie, thank you so much for the letters and dear elders.  I love them!

Love,
Elder Garver