Teaching "14"

Creo que es tan impresionante que todo el mundo va a cabo en sus misiones ahora. Braydon entra en el campo de mañana, Taylor ha estado en la misión durante un mes y Cameron se va. Es tan sorprendente para mí !!!!!

Esta semana ha sido una semana muy loca. Estábamos tratando de conseguir todos nuestros investigadores a chuch pero no pudieron conseguir ni una a la iglesia. Así que sí que ha sido la Downer sólo para nosotros. Las cosas van bien sin embargo, tenemos un montón de gente que estamos enseñando y es posible que podamos tener 14 personas bautizadas en breve, esperamos 3 ó 4 antes del 14 de octubre cuz que es cuando uno de nosotros puede ser transferido. Espero que nos mantengamos juntos por lo menos uno más,,,, dos serían mejor!

Pues aún tengo que escribir una carta de presidente por lo que hablaré con ustedes la próxima semana. Lo sentimos acerca del envío de los pantalones. No recibí el correo electrónico no enviar hasta hoy, así que sí. esperamos que usted puede conseguir que el reloj fijo, que sólo necesita un nuevo puesto de modo que permanecerá cerrado.

Gracias por todo lo que haces. Deseo que estaba en casa para poder robar las cookies de debajo de su nariz. ;-) Pero voy a hacer eso pronto. ~ ANCIANO GARDNER



I think it is just so Awesome that everyone is going out on their missions now. Braydon goes into the field tomorrow, Taylor has been on his mission for a month and Cameron is leaving. It is so amazing to me!!!!!

This week has been a pretty crazy week. We were trying to get all of our investigators to church but weren't able to get even one out. so yeah that has been the only downer for us. Things are going good, we have a lot of people we are teaching right now and it is possible that we could have 14 people baptized soon, hopefully 3 maybe 4 before the 14th of Oct because that is when one of us could be transferred. I am hoping that we can stay together for at least one more,,,, two would be better!

Well I still need to write my President a letter so I will talk with you guys next week. Sorry about sending the pants. I didn't get your email not to send them until today. Hopefully you can get my watch fixed, it just needs a new post so it will stay closed.

Thank you for all that you do. I wish I was home so I could steal cookies from under your nose. ;-) but I will be doing that soon enough. ~ELDER GARDNER

Too Hot

This week was pretty good, but we didn't get our investigators with dates, they were all too busy last week so that is our goal this week, more Member Present Lessons and more time at church so we are going to do good this week. I have a story for you. I almost died this last week at a dinner appointment. It seems like everyone here who has us to dinner, likes to try out chilies on us and have us eat them, They say that is what helps us speak better Spanish or whatever. So we are at this members house and he brought out a little orange chili and gave it to me. I'm like, OK, whatever. So I took a bite of it with food (this is key so it isn't so hot) and it wasn't too bad. So I took another bite, a little bigger. It was a little hotter and so I said this is a really good chili and they asked me if it was hot, I said a little but not bad. Then I took my third bite, (I still had half of the chili) but the whole thing broke off in my mouth, so I was like eh,, oh well and I chewed it up,,, OH WOW!! My Poor Mouth! That thing almost killed me! My eyes started watering, my tongue was on fire and my face was RED. Elder Gunnell looked at me and just started laughing. I couldn't do anything to put out the fire. Finally when it died down, about 15 min later. I asked them what kind of pepper it was and they said a Habinero! I thought to myself,,, No Way! I was a little upset that they would even give me that hot of a pepper, but I was like oh well, nothing I can do about it now haha. It was about the worst experience of my life ;-) But it was a good story none the less.

So how are things at home? Everything still going good? Do you think you could do me a favor? Send me the cat in a box, hahahaha, I wouldn't mind having him for a while and then I can just send him back. Just make sure you send him overnight so he doesn't starve, haha just kidding. I think that is funny that mom has him so spoiled. He isn't even going to know me when I get home. He will just be an old mad cat, but who knows. Oh, so you never told me if Bishop wore my tie on fast sunday? I have to keep track of these things ;-) Well I have to get going, we still have a lot to do today and not a whole lot of time left. I love you and for all the support I get from everyone back home. tell mom I am sorry I don't write her, I will do my best to work on that but it is just hard to have any time on P-Day. that still isn't an excuse but I will work on it. Love you! ~ELDER GARDNER
PS Tu espanol es muy bueno por solimente leiendolo. pero yo no se si yo escribo este carta bien o mal. hasta semana primero.

Rubics Cube

Hey dad! Things have been going good and I just love it! Well the only thing thats hard is that I have to lead the area but that is ok. We have been finding a ton of families, but they aren't really making any progress, so this week we are for sure going to make it count. We are going to try and get them all with a baptism date. So things are going really good. Elder Gunnell and I are having so much fun as companions. I didn't think a mission could be this fun. Elder Gunnell and I have been playing chess with Starbursts and I have only lost once and that was the first game. I was just "getting familiar with chess again" so he won. He wanted to play again and we did, and the past 5 times I've won. I think I better stop winning so he will keep playing me. Oh and I have learned how to do the Rubiks Cube. I can solve it in 3 min! We use the Cube for the first lesson... the Restoration if you will...we go in there with a mixed up Cube and then while we are teaching them, I solve it and then end with the First Vision and the Book of Mormon. It seems like it works pretty good for them. Thank you for the Zucchini bread. I ate it all in 3 days hahaha I was really surprised to see that I got the whole thing. I thought for sure there would be a chunk missing that dad got a hold of. But thank you for all that you do. I hope you didn't get the missionary mall pants altered from 42, because 42 is perfect. If they are 41's they will be high water pants. So yeah,,, its 34 waste and 42 outside seem. or 36 inside. I love you and mom so much! ~ELDER GARDNER

New Companion

I have a lot to tell you this week! It was transfers on the 2nd and my companion, Elder Andelin got transfered, leaving me to lead the area and decide what needs to get done. I was really nervous about this new responsibility, and I was really nervous on who I was going to get as a companion. Well, we were at transfers and president Donaldson called my name to stand up, then he called Elder Gunnell's name to be my companion! Since I have been in the area before, I am the senior companion. It is awesome! Elder Gunnell and I were at the MTC together (so if you look back at the pictures you can see him and to whom I am referring to.) I am really excited to know I will be with Elder Gunnell for the next 6 weeks! I am still worried about having to talk to people and "lead" the area. Elder Gunnell's Spanish is better than mine so that kind of made me disappointed for a little bit but then I looked at it this way, " I have a perfect opportunity to learn how he mastered Spanish and also have an awesome time working with him." So yeah I am having the most fun I have had so far in my mission! Since transfers, Elder Gunnell and I have added 3 new families to teach, they seem some what interested, so it is possible that we could have 8 baptisms this transfer or the next if we are still together. I am so excited. the only thing that I wish,,, is that my Spanish was as good as Elder Gunnells or better. I thought I was improving and on track but now I know that I need to take it up a couple of notches. So that is the latest updates with me, I think I am going to clock out for today. OH before I forget, about the pants, I think that I need them at least 1 inch shorter in length so I'm not stepping on them when I walk without shoes. and a box,, yeah I could use a box. with a little bit of money in the box or something ;-) haha just kidding. but yeah don't send me gum, we can't chew gum, so just send me some nestle chocolate milk powder, granola bars and some treats :-D and what ever else you want to send me. :-D Thank You for all the love and support I get from Everyone. ~ELDER GARDNER

SIX MONTHS OUT

Ok, well this week was really good for my Spanish you could say. We had president interviews and he told me that I just need to get out and speak it and it will come that much faster for me. I was like ok I will work on it. President mentioned to my companion that he might be transfered this next week and that I better know the area. So after our interviews I had to lead out the area and start up the conversations with our investigators. This forced me to start speaking Spanish. It wasn't too bad, so I didn't mind. Sunday came around and we have Sacrament Meeting last. Sam, the 2nd councilor, came up to me when we walked in and asked me if I could give a 5 min talk and that he was sorry that is was such short notice. I thought, Oh My, how am I suppose to write a talk in "SPANISH" and then have to talk for 5 min and not have any help from anyone?! Of course I was really nervous but I told him I would do it. Then he told me that I had the choice of going 1st or 2nd; I chose to go 1st. I had no idea what to talk about, well I just thought of my favorite stories and how I could relate them to everyday life. I wrote out a couple of ideas on a sticky note and wrote out my introduction, and that was it, hoping I would be able to do it. I said a little prayer to Heavenly Father asking Him to help me strengthen my faith and help me know what to say. Sacrament Meeting came along and it was my turn to get up and talk. I got up and did everything I wrote down and read my scriptures and related it to how we need to have faith in the prophets. then I ended with my testimony and sat down. I didn't have my watch on, so I didn't know how long I had talked. I soon found out that I had talked for 10 minutes and that everything made sense and people came up to me and told me "good job" and that it was an amazing talk. I was so happy,,,, you have no idea! Sam came up to me and told me he was very impressed with me, cuz last time he went with us he saw how my Spanish was and that I didn't like talking. and he was very impressed. So yeah, the Lord answered my prayer and strengthened my faith that I know how to speak Spanish! Got to go write my president's letter ~ELder GARNDER

Transfered back to San Diego

Ok, so this week or this last week was pretty Ok. We were able to confirm Kimberly and Liliana, the two girls we baptized last week and Wow! let me tell you what! It is just so amazing to see the change people go through after they have been baptized and confirmed. Their whole character and deminor changes for the better and makes them stand out like a white sock amongst a dozen black socks. It is just so amazing what this gospel does for people and how it can make them change everything and want to live a life that would make their Heavenly Father proud.

This last week was better than the past couple of weeks have been for us, because we have been able to help more of gods children understand the plan that their Heavenly Father has in store for them. We also have been able to strengthen our roles as companions and as missionaries.

I love reading your emails that you send me, giving me council and guidence on how I can help myself improve and how to help my companions. When does Cameron head out to his mission? Where is he going? Will you give him my address and tell him to write me a quick letter before he leaves to the MTC.

So what is new with the family? How is everyone doing? How is Rick and his family, Ray and her family, Key and Justin, and Su and her family? I want to know some details here ;-) How is the cat? Is he still being put on a leash when he is out in the yard? haha I thought that was pretty funny when I read that in moms letter haha.

Well, I've got to get going. We still have a lot of things that we need to get done today. So I hope to hear about everything and how everyone is doing.

Thanks. I love you guys. I don't deserve a family like the one I have. But I am thankful none the less. :-D ~Elder Gardner

Transfer from Calexico

These Pictures are only two weeks old. I think Elder Gardner looks pretty good. He has been transfered back to San Diego, but we haven't heard any more details.