week 49

Hey Family,

Haha....the language is coming but i still have a lot to learn.  I can do everything I need to but i still need to work on my grammer and sentence structure.  But this week in church all of the missionaries gave talks.  I gave my talk without reading from the paper.  I just used an outline so that is another sign that the language is finally coming.  It still hasn´t really hit me yet but every once in a while I be like i just talked on the phone with that person and understood everything they said.  Or had a conversation for a long time with so and so.  It doesn´t click because it happened so gradually.  But its definatly not all me.  The gift of tongues is real...President Pennington bestowed it and an apostle at the MTC as well.  Maybe that helped to learn because I had it twice.  No thats not it but i´m grateful for all the help God gives me each day.  

We got shut down...I guess we aren´t allowed to play soccer with members or investigators.  This is a bummer because i played really well this last time.  Everyone was like watch out the gringo is playing soccer correctly.  A couple even said i was playing as good as an Brazilian.  I ended with 4 goals.  They nicknamed me Robinho a really good Brazilian soccer player. Oh well...we won't be playing anymore.

These week was ridiculously hot.  I almost died...well not really but i wanted to.  I don´t do well in the heat.  I´m tempted to ask president to stick me in the office during the summer.  We will see. If it get worse i think that i will ask to go into the office.

That is awesome that you were able to go with the missionaries Mom.  It is amazing how much it helps when members go to the lessons.  A simple sincere testimony speaks louder than any elaborate wordery.  Just like President Young said it was the simple testimony of someone that made him feel that the gospel was true.  Many times we forget our testimonies because life just goes on.  But if we take time to look back we can see exactly when times were best and those were always when we were following the commandments of God.  I´ve realized this a lot while i´ve been here on the mission.  I thought I was happy without the gospel for a while but I was miserable.  It wasn´t until I got back into the church that things started to work out again.  Also these experiences help our testimonies grow.  I know that the gospel is true and the book of mormon is the proof that this gospel is true becuase i´ve seen the blessings in my life and in others.  Everyday is proof of this.

Well i love and miss you all.

Love,

Garrett