Tuesday, August 21, 2012

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. 

Monday, August 13, 2012

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 ItacarĂ©.  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 

Thursday, August 9, 2012

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