Where No Stomach Has Gone Before (06/23/2014)

Guys, this past week Elder Watkins and I have gotten so much swag. You would never realize this, but when two missionaries are biking out in the hot sun and in humidity that feels like a rainforest you acquire so much swag. Like, sweat on your bag. Then there's swack, swace, swands, swarms, swegs, and swutt... Pretty much sweat everywhere. 

We spent a great deal of the week outside on bikes trying every single person we can think of that's not terribly far away. This past week with Rodney we taught him and followed up on prayer and reading the scriptures. We introduced him to the Gospel Library app for his iPad. It's kinda cool that Rodney can join in with the rest of the Elder's Quorum and read out of the manual from his iPad! Too bad full time missionaries can't...yet. On Saturday we went to his house for Part 4 of the bathroom remodel: cutting and laying down tile! We learned how to cut and place tile into the bathroom floor! No dangerous tools were used during this process! 

Thursday morning dealt us some interesting cards. Elder Watkins and I both woke up at 4 in the morning to incredibly upset stomachs. We both got food poisoning. And as a result came the Montezuma's Revenge. Sister Walkenhorst told us to take some pepto bismol and rest up for the day. The sisters gave us some cup-of-noodles to ease our appetites, and a member brought us some remedies to help our stomachs. With those and the power of the priesthood, Elder Watkins and I healed up for the next day! 

Friday and Saturday we went on exchanges with the zone leaders, and I got to go with Elder Zeyer! And wow, what a long time it's been since I've spent time with him. We had an amazing exchange of learning from one another and catching each other up on our lives since our days spent together in Sulphur. So much has changed in the past five months since we were companions. He dropped a surprise on me... As he described his experiences in Sulphur post-companionship and the last few months in Moore (his current area) he told me about how he's changed. And that change, he said, came from the things he learned from being around me. I wasn't expecting that, but I definitely remember make-or-break experiences me, Elder Linam, and Elder Zeyer had last fall and winter and all the opposition that got thrown at us--individually and collectively. I felt strengthened knowing I helped out someone else. Oh man...so much love. Just like old times.

Sunday ended the stressful week. Elder Watkins and I gave our talks in sacrament meeting... Psych! The bishopric decided to not have us give talks this week! But we're still on for this next Sunday. We're excited to speak...just as long as food poisoning doesn't get in the way. And later on that day we had another good visit with Rodney. This week should be great. Zone Conference this Tuesday, talking about working with ward and stake leaders, should be great. Anyway, have a fantastic week!  

Elder Garner 

My Successor My Companion (06/16/2014)

I never thought I would actually have to say goodbye to Elder Bolan. I got so used to having him around. Alva's town of 5,000 is getting a new handyman and new disciple of Christ. He enjoyed living in the new apartment in Yukon for a week! But now he's made room for my new companion: Elder Watkins from Cedar Hills, Utah. I learned that Elder Watkins, the elder that took my spot in Sulphur in February, kept up the good work and helped contribute to the growth of the Pauls Valley Branch--soon to be a ward! Now most of our conversations consist of sharing stories from our tenure down in Sulphur. 

Along with Elder Watkins came two sister missionaries--the first set Mustang 1st ward's had. One of them spent the first nine months of her mission in the YSA branch in Midwest City, and now she's here in her second area training a brand-new sister missionary. I've really enjoyed serving around three new missionaries. All four of us strangers at first, but now unified in our cause to serve in the Mustang 1st ward area. 

Just before all the changes took place, the Elder Bolan and I and the other set of elders went around on Tuesday and said goodbye to all their favorite families. Elder Bolan and I got treated out to iHop by our ward mission leader. Wednesday was when all the magic happened, and suddenly Elder Bolan disappeared to Alva, Elder Woodward to Anadarko, and Elder Faulkner to Edmond. 

Once back to our apartment the zone leaders gave me a little orientation for my new district leader position. I haven't been on my toes this much since the beginning of my mission! Being a district leader's going to be a good whip to keep me in shape for my responsibilities as a missionary. 

Thursday and Friday consisted of introducing members to Elder Watkins and helping him familiarize himself with the new area. Much like me, Mustang 1st is his first metro area. On Saturday Elder Watkins and I and the sisters had the opportunity to go to Shawnee, just east of Oklahoma City, to see one of Elder Watkins' old investigators get baptized. That was a super cool experience. This Sunday we're going to see a member's mother in Sulphur get baptized! I've been looking forward to going back to the Pauls Valley branch for the longest time now. And with every story Elder Watkins tells me it makes me miss the area more and more... 

We had some great success this week--with what we could do aside from transfers. We met with Rodney on Sunday. He had a baptismal date for the 21st of June, but we and him decided it would be best to push the date back to July the 12th for him to feel more prepared. He loves coming to church, and he recognizes the difference it's making in his life. His wife is even noticing and pointed out how much he's changing because of the gospel. His wife is ordering him a quad! Just in time for his baptism! Stay tuned for this transfer! I'm excited to be here for another transfer and get some work done with Elder Watkins!

Elder Garner

Field Becomes Park (06/09/2014)

We had quite the unorthodox week. I went from being a missionary to a furniture hauler and apartment cleaner. I think I wore more street clothes this week than I have my whole mission. We finally moved out of the Fieldstone apartments in Mustang to the Park at Westpointe in Yukon! And I'm pretty sure our new apartments are 5-star upper-class penthouses in disguise. People are so cool here. Except on day 2 at the new apartment our upstairs neighbor decided to pour muddy water out his window and onto our balcony... I guess his kitchen sink wasn't good enough...haha. Really though, the complex has tons of young, active people. Lots of people watch us and ask about us, so our mark is definitely being made. Luckily we made some progress with Rodney, our most solid investigator. He basically already considers himself a member of the church. He's totally getting baptized! On the flipside, Wyatt, the 8-year old we were teaching, now lives with grandparents in Mustang 2nd ward. We had to turn him over to the Mustang 2nd elders...but we will for sure be at his baptism when it happens! 

So here's the crazy stuff that's gone down since we've moved to the Park at Westpointe: On Thursday we moved in more new furniture (no surprise) and in the process we ran into Caleb, the 23-year old we run into last week. He asked for a blessing. He needed some direction. He was out selling pest control to help him develop communication skills. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to serve a mission or if he wanted to get a girlfriend. He felt unworthy in some aspects. So we gave him a blessing to help guide him, we bore our testimonies about the incredible power of being a missionary and servant of the Lord, and we sent him off with some ensign magazines to help uplift his life a little more. Then on Sunday morning he knocked on our door to tell us that he decided to quit his job and move back to Utah and that he would leave on Monday. We sure hope and pray that he finds himself and figures out what he wants to do with his life. 

We were welcomed into our new apartment complex with a going-away party for a member family from Utah that temporarily moved into the ward for the FAA program. The members made really good friends with a referral named Ashley, who loves talking to us. She's looking for a church to go to, and she made great friends with the member family. She recognized something they had, and she wants that in her own life. Another family from Utah that's out here selling for Vivint also met some people that they decided to share the gospel with. We met them yesterday, and their super cool! 

If I had more time I'd tell you more... But wow, this place is on fire! But before I get off you should know that Elder Bolan and I are finally getting split... I'm sad to see him go. He's getting transferred to Alva. I'm getting an Elder Watkins. Interestingly enough, he's the elder that replaced me in Sulphur. My predecessor is now my companion! I'm also a district leader now, so yay for more responsibilities! But seriously I'm looking forward to this next transfer!

Elder Garner 

Bennett Bathroom Blitz (06/02/2014)

The month of May was all about nostalgia. It was all about remembering what happened last year. I tend to think about past events a lot, especially since May was such a big month last year. On May 31st last year I spent my fourth day in Oklahoma driving around frantically away from storms and several tornadoes that had touched down near Oklahoma City, with the biggest one landing south of I-40 in Canadian County (my current area). We drove over to the Winterton's house in Lexington that night huddling up to the TV screen watching the weather report while hailing was pounding on the window and thunder was booming outside. May 31st this year was a little less action-packed, I guess you could say. We went to our new apartment complex and visited the Shanklins, a member family that we're quite literally moving next door to this Wednesday. That night I had a dream about tornadoes, and the Shanklins happened to be in my dream...and I ran to their house to take shelter. It was some interesting dream. 

And that's what capped off Nostalgia month. So this week was pretty epic once again. On Wednesday we tracted into two member families—in a row! I had to ask Elder Bolan if we were tracting in Utah. It was quite the surprise. Their records aren't in Mustang 1st ward yet. Later on that night our ward mission leader took the four of us to Applebee's for dinner. Someone apparently was watching and observing us, because our waiter told us that someone had already paid for our tab! We're not even sure who did, but whoever it was most likely knew who we were and what we do, so that was a good reminder to me that people are watching us!

Thursday was incredibly spontaneous. The first person we tried was the stake patriarch's son. He's less-active ish. He doesn't come to church because he has to work, otherwise he would. Anyway, he and his wife moved to Edmond on Tuesday. We literally stopped by their house just in time to help them move! Then we got permission to go up to Edmond to help them move in! EDMOND! That's the happening place in the OKC mission. I would love to serve there one day. I've heard great things about it from Elder Bolan and other missionaries. 

Friday was wild. We went to McDonald's in Mustang with a member, and literally right after pulling in to the parking lot there was a loud screeching of tires rubbing up against the asphalt and then a loud sound of crunching metal occurred shortly afterwards. We narrowly avoided a car wreck by a few seconds. A black Ford F-150 stopped on Highway 152 (a multi-lane highway) to let us into McDonald's, and the other oncoming lane had a black Chevy Silverado coming towards us. With plenty of time to make it in, we pulled into McDonald's. A red Ford Edge decided since we pulled in it was okay for her to pull out, but she didn't see the oncoming Silverado. The Ford Edge clipped the side of the Silverado, which was going about 55 mph, and the Silverado spun a 180 on its tires and hit a Toyota Tundra and a Chevy Equinox. The police and ambulance arrived at the scene. No one was killed or injured luckily. 

The weekend went quite well! On Saturday we helped the Bennetts demolish their bathroom. We got to rip out sheetrock and tiles and pipes and all that fun stuff. And we're doing some more of it today. They also came to church yesterday! And they enjoyed it! We're praying that Brother Bennett will be baptized this month! Tons of good things happening! We're moving to the Park at Westpointe in Yukon on Wednesday, and we're very excited for the move! After helping ward member after ward member move in and out, it's time for US to move!

Elder Garner