HE'S HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Garrett made it home after 36 hours on Friday August 17th, 2012. It was  wonderful to see him!  He hadn't changed much, but he had changed. His luggage however did not make it and it took two days to finally receive that.

He had a couple of days to adjust and started working back at the ranch on Monday, where he has worked since he was 15, through the harvest. Then he tells us he head to Utah to work and go to school at BYU if he gets accepted in January. 

3 DAYS HE LEAVE FROM BRAZIL AND 4 DAYS TO BE HOME!!

Hey family!

Wow it is so crazy.  I can´t believe it is actually coming to an end.  I still don´t really believe it.  But its starting to hit me now.  It will be bittersweet.  But its always like that.  I feel that I worked and tried to help the people while I was here, so I can go home proud for what I´ve been blessed with accomplishing.  This last week didn´t end the way that we had planned...we were shooting for a baptism.  But in the end everyone fell.  It was kind of a mess.  But it will all work out in the end.  

So awesome experience.  We just got back from Itacaré.  It is suppose to be one of the best beaches in Brazil.  It was super sweet.  There were people from Germany, USA and other parts of Brazil that we saw there.  But there are suppose to be tons of people that come from Europe to visit as well as the states in the summer season.  I was able to get some sweet photos at least I hope so...i haven´t looked at them yet but it was super beautiful.  We were on the bus and there were a bunch of people speaking in German.  It just made we want to study German again...but it was weird after a little bit I started to remember German and I almost understood a couple of phrases that they were saying.  Anyways it was a sweet P-day.  We went with a member...a returned missionary.  He only has 1 month back from the mission.  I was asking him if he had any advice for me.  He was like just have something to do when you get home.  Well I should be fine with that....I´ll be working almost right when I get off the plane.  

So for food that i want.  I left my list at the house....haha i made a list of food that I want when i get home.  But anything will be awesome I know.  Some of the things that i´ve missed the most are mexican food, lasagna and stir fry.  Also for lunches if theres watermelon and maybe some chips that would be nice.  Oh and do we have peaches.  I want to eat a peach so badly.  But in the end i´ll be happy with anything....i´m not picky.  

So for doing something in Spokane....I can´t really think of anything that I´d want to do well at least that I can do.  I´d like to play hockey but I think that will have to wait for a little bit later on.  And I want to be released if that isn´t too big of a problem.  I don´t want to have a companion anymore...i´m done with those days...well until I find an eternal companion that is....haha.  

So I actually saw some of that soccer game.  We were at lunch with a member and there were watching it.  They didn´t take to well to loosing to Mexico....but there weren´t riots or anything.  If they had lost to Argentina it would have been a different story.  They hate Argentina here.  But yeah the people watch a lot of olympics here.  It kind of sucks because you´ll be walking down the streets and just see bits and parts of it.  I´m always like who´s winning, whats going on.  Haha.  But everyone tells us how good the USA is doing...so thats nice.  I guess we have the most medals....or did the other day.  I´m not sure anymore.  

Well I´m super excited to see everyone....this last week will fly by for me...i leave tomorrow for Salvador and then Thursday I leave for the states!  

I love and miss you all,

love Garrett 

7 DAYS TO END OF MISSION 8 DAYS BEFORE HOME!!!

Hey family!

 

Well first off....Happy late birthday Mom!  I forgot to send that last week.  But I hope that it was great.  This was a crazy week for us.  It didn´t go like we wanted it too.  We wanted to have baptisms this weekend but sadly 6 baptisms fell.  But we will hopefully have more luck my last week.  But this week started out really hard.  Everyone was falling or didn´t want to meet with us anymore.  Until the end of the week.  We are starting to teach one of our Recent converts son´s.  The missionaries already talked to him with little success.  But we were able to get him to open up and have a good convo wtih him.  At the end we asked him to pray and he accepted.  The prayer was so spirtual.  One of the most spiritual experiences i´ve had on my mission.  There were pauses of like 2 or 3 minutes in the prayer.  At the beginning it was just quiet.  But the spirit was so strong.  I was shaking a little bit it was so strong...then he started to talk.  He was like God I don´t know what to say but I know you can give me the words to say.  After that he just started to pray for help with some problems he had.  But it was super awesome.  But he should be baptised this weekend if everything goes as planned.

So right now i´m in Salvador.  It kind is lame because I´m going to be going back to Itabuna tonight.  I hate sleeping on buses!  I´m so not looking forward to my flight home...i´m just going to be miserable.  But it will be alright in the end.  I can do it.  I´m here because I had to renew my visa for the last week i´m here.  I´m been illegal here since April so I guess they think its about time to get me legal.  Oh well.  What are you gonna do?

Well I agree with you Dad about it being a good thing i´m coming home soon because I´m out of things to say as well.  So I guess I´ll just end.  I love and miss you until next week!

 

Love,

Garrett

18 DAYS

Hey family,

Wow so it was a crazy week.  So my comp actually didn´t have dengue which was good, he just had a really bad virus but by Wednesday we were working strong.   We had a wedding...my first on the mission!  A baptism the next day and then sunday....we went looking for people to go to church.  The first 5 people that we stopped by didn´t want to go or weren´t home.  So we were starting to get a little down and then at the last moment things started to work out.  We ended up having 16 people in church!  I´ve never had more than 5 so that was a huge blessing.  We are excited about what could happen this next 2 weeks.  We are going to try and do some big stuff here.  But we will see what God has in store for us.  But its cool to see the results come from the work.  We just have to keep going strong and finding the people that want something.  Then it will be easy.

Man that is crazy that everyone is getting married here in the ward.  Well I guess that is a good thing.  Means that the Prophets advice is being used.  Haha.  Also makes me feel old.  But oh well.

The mission been a crazy experience for me.  Actually it doesn´t feel like it will end in 2 weeks.  Because nothing changes here.  Its the same work everyday.  But i´ve changed I know that...that has also made the end of the mission scary.  Will it be the same back home....will people accept me how I am now?  But its also a good thing.  I have grown a lot in my testimony about the gospel.  Also i´ve seen where i´m weak in the gospel.  All of these things have been brought into a bigger light.  I see why we need the gospel here on the earth.  The gospel doesn´t need us...we need it to return to the presence of God.  It is the only way.  We can´t do it alone or without the saving ordenances that are so needed for our progression here on the earth.  Testifying about the truth of the Book of Mormon has come to show me how true it is.  Really all we do it enter and tell people that hey we have this awesome test you can do.  Read a part in this book, think about it, and then ask God if it´s true!  Its so simple and its sad when people wont even do that.  The simple things confound the learned or prideful.  I know that its true because everytime one of our investigators askes God if the Book of Mormon is true I feel it in my heart as well that it is true.  Its an undeniable peace and warmth.  Its all true....the people just aren´t.  And if we can overlook that part we have a chance a big chance to getting what we all want...to live with God again!  I know the church is true and that it helps us.  That God has a plan for us all and that all we have to do is trust in that plan.  We are here to have joy!  The gospel is joy. In the name of Jesus Christ amen

Well I love you all....Garrett

THREE WEEKS!!!

Hey family,
Wow another week went by.  This was a pretty good week.  Started really well.  We had a lot of success and were finding a lot of people.  The only bad thing is the end of the week we didn´t have that many people in church.  But its still all good.  We should have a few baptisms this week and at least one until the end of the mission.  At least that is our goal.   Things are a lot better here...i´m happier.  It isn´t always easy.  My companion and I don´t always agree but we are able to talk and get things done so its a working relationship.  The only problem is he got dengue.  Its a sickness that you get from masquitos.  Its really bad and knocks you down.  He still wants to work so it shouldn´t hold us back too much.  But we will see. 
So a crazy thing happened.  There used to be sister missionaries as well here but they are being transfered out.  So everyone in their group we will have including the baptisms.  So that will be cool.  We will just add to our group and in the end we should baptise a lot.  If everything works out then we will be super busy. 
So they had a talent show here.  And there were like 3 skits that little girls did belly dancing stuff.  I was like this is so inappropriate.  I felt like an old person watching it though because I just felt so uncomfortable.  I`m like this is a church activity and this shouldn´t be happening.  But the last skit was so good.  It was a Michael Jackson skit.  The kids that did it could dance so well and they dressed up really cool.  It was awesome.  So in the end it turned out well.
Well I hope that its a great week for you all. 
Love you all,
Garrett

FOUR WEEKS!!

Hey family!

Well things have changed.....it didn´t work out.  I was emergency transfered to a new area.  It got to the point that he was like I don´t want to be here and i´m not going to help with any decision making.  So I was like well then lets talk to President.  We did and I ended up leaving.  Oh well its better.  I like my new area.  The ward is so much better.  There are members that help and we have lunch everyday!  I´m so happy about that.  It was rough not having lunch all the time.  I´ll be able to gain some weight again.  I´m getting unhealthy.  My new comp is also happy with the new change.  He was like you can actually teach me something.  I´ll do my best to help him out.  He is a complete nerd...its all good though.  He likes to talk all the time so thats better than never talking I guess.  But the ward is awesome so thats all that matters.  We were able to get some good numbers in just 3 days that i´ve been here.   Oh so i´m in Itabuna Fátima ward.  Its close to my other area.  It is just another city.  Its a lot hotter here.  So I guess thats a good thing.  I´ll be used to the heat again. 

Well thats cool that the fence is almost done.  It will be a lot different having a fence in the back now.  I´m excited about that.  Jury duty.  That´s never fun.  Hopefully it is a fast case.  I forgot about those types of situations.  I´m going to go into shock coming home.  I`m almost certain of it.  I`m so used to strange things.  Flavela and 3rd world living standards.  It will be so messed up to go back to American standards.  Hopefully its an easy transfer....haha. 

Well i´m doing well here.  And 4 weeks and i´ll be home. That seems unreal and doesn´t seem like it will really happen but i´m excited to see everyone again!
Love and miss you all,

FIVE WEEKS

Hey Family,

Well it was a up and down week.  A lot has happened.  It wasn´t all that great as companionship unity goes.  We had problems all week but yesterday I was able to talk to one of my good friends here on the mission who is the Presidents Assistant.  He talked a lot about what you talked about Mom.  President is inspired and there must be a reason that i´m together with him.  Also he was like I don´t want you to end your mission and be like I could have done more so when it gets hard just remember that.  It will help you endure to the end.´  Its true.  So i´ll just have to suck it up and find a way to make it work.  Somehow we have to be able to get along.  We just have to find what ´that´ is.  

Other than the companion situation a few other things happened this week.  I got sick.  I had a fever and felt week for like 3 days.  I´m pretty much better now.  My companion got even sicker than me though.  He ate some street food.  Not a very good idea most of the time.  He´s been pucking and on the toilet for the last 3 days.  But he´s a little bit better now.  We aer still trying to find a group.  We are having problems finding news of quality.  Hopefully this week we will have more success finding becuase it makes the work even harder when all you do is look and don´t have people progressing.  Time goes a lot slower as well.  But I´ve got hope that things will change.  

The weather here is normal for this time of year.  They are saying that it could get colder.  The problem is that i´m just used to the hot.  I used to only be used to cold so everything felt hot.  But in Salvador its still hot its just in the interior that it gets cool.

  Well I love and miss you all.  

love,

Garrett