The 18-Month Feast (11/17/2014)

It smells like holidays and festivities up in here! Oklahoma had it's first snowfall of the season, and mission cars are already getting grounded! Luckily it's starting to melt. It's just been grand this week, and lately I've been able to feast on the word of God, particularly in reading 3rd Nephi about Jesus Christs' ministry. I didn't even realize how absorbed I was all throughout 3rd Nephi. I finished it before I knew it, and now I'm in Mormon!  

Monday we took a journey to Pauls Valley and went to the Bogers house and got to play games in their poolhouse. They'd moved into Pauls Valley two weeks before I got transferred, so I didn't really get to know them. I saw a couple other branch members there, so that was neat to catch up and visit. Have I ever mentioned how much I love being just around the corner from Sulphur and Purcell? 

Tuesday we made our weekly visit to Bro. Harjo, a recent convert. He's very quiet. He's wheelchair bound and missing a leg, so getting him to church is tough. Earlier this week though we found some great fellowshippers and a ride for him, so he made it to church this Sunday. After Elders Quorum he volunteered to say the closing prayer! Being the quiet guy he is, that was really neat to see. Later on that Tuesday we had a spur-of-the-moment dinner at another recent convert's house. They made chicken drumsticks marinated in Canola oil. Oh my goodness, the chicken was delicious, but the oil (pronounced "ole" in Oklahoma) made all of our suits smell rank with oil! Oh my, everyone noticed...haha. #Febreze #DryCleaners Probably shouldn't use hashtags in a missionary update...haha.

Anyway, on Wednesday we helped move the church's family history center into the mother's room. They turned the old family history center into a classroom and did away with the mother's room. Sorry expectant and nursing mothers! There was a green chair in there and it's just sitting in storage...so I think Elder Fuller and I are going to cart it to our apartment one of these days :)

We had an incredibly spiritual day on Thursday. That morning we gave a blessing to the bishop, who'd been feeling sick and needed all the energy he could get for his work and his calling. He felt better the next day! Later on that morning we helped an older member winterize his yard while his wife was in the hospital up at OU Medical. After lunch we went to the Chickasaw hospital in Ada and visited with a less active member who's 1-year old got a staff infection. Then we gave another blessing to a member's friend who hit rock-bottom. She seemed to show interest in learning more about the gospel, and the other elders should start teaching her soon. Neat ministering experiences all around!

Saturday was HAM! Crazy day! I hit 18-months! I have officially served a sister mission! And the best part was that we had our ward Thanksgiving dinner that day, so I got to pig out on turkey and blue raspberry jello and rolls! Then we're having another Thanksgiving dinner this Saturday and another the day of! Hahaha 'tis the season! "Eat, drink, and be merry...for in six months you leave the mission field..." Sounds appropriate!  

My prayers have been going out to all my friends soon to finish their missions that they can remain powerful and serve like they've never served before. Lately that's been my biggest goal. It surprised me to realize that I've been in Ada for a month now and how much progress Elder Fuller and I have made in getting to know the people in this area. We're on the lookout for people with whom to share the gospel, especially out in this cold weather. Pray for me!

Love,

Elder Garner 

Walks Down Nostalgia Avenue (11/10/2014)

I thought "Memory Lane" was way too overused...so I went with Nostalgia Avenue. It's an English vocabulary thing combined with an urban planner thing I suppose.

And speaking of which, that starts off this update. We made several trips to East Central University this week, the local university in Ada. The sisters are working on getting a club started there to get the gospel spreading throughout the university. On Mondayall six of us went with an investigator that's a student there to the student center and played Pool there. Since we can't proselyte on campus we were fortunate enough to have people stop and talk to us about our beliefs, which was pretty cool. It threw me right back into my BYU days. Haha, ECU's a playpen next to BYU though! Awe man...funny. 

During Pool we got invited to the Baptist Student Union lunch that next day, so we went to that on Tuesday. The food was so good! And they feed lunch to everyone! So we might make that a weekly thing, hopefully. Earlier that day we were knocking doors in the rain and it was so cold! Winter's creeping...guh. And it's supposed to snow sometime this week. Luckily, Mercy Hospital had a nice shelter for us to sit under while we waited for our ride to the college. It's called Mercy Hospital for a reason!

On Wednesday we helped the Lemmerts, the new senior couple, buy a new couch! We went with the Gatchells, the housing couple, and the Lemmerts to Ashley Furniture and got to test out all the mattresses and sofas! All the fun aside, we even had one of the workers ask us about our church! So we had a good discussion with him for about 45 minutes! Seeds planted in the furniture store! It was a neat experience. 

Thursday we helped out the sisters with their booth, which lasted for a while. The sisters and the other elders got in a bash with one of the students. Elder Fuller and I were waiting in the car, so we didn't see any of it happen. The LDS club will definitely be an item of hot topic for people at the university. Later that day we had a good discussion with one of our investigators about humility and prayer, reading out of 3rd Nephi 3. It talks about the change that the Nephites had to make in order to stand up against the Gadianton robbers to protect their rights and liberties. This investigator in particular talked about his need to pay off physical and spiritual debts and his need for the word of God. He's got a ways to go, but we're continuing to work with him.

On Friday we got to spend some time with the Pauls Valley Zone Leaders. We even had to make a trip to their area in a town called Stratford, which I used to cover while I was in Sulphur. We met up with the Zone Leaders at a member's house, and OH I wanted to say hi to the member! The temptation was so strong...man. And today we're going to Pauls Valley for zone p-day, meaning, more walks down Nostalgia Avenue! 

It's interesting how much the gospel blesses other people, even if it's in the most roundabout way. As one such as our investigator tries to pays off physical and spiritual debts, he learns that he can accomplish both by learning about the gospel and about Jesus Christ. Got problems? Remember the gospel! 

Elder Garner 

From Six to Eight (11/03/2014)

The work of salvation is hastening in the Ada, Oklahoma ward! We recently just welcomed a new senior couple into the ward! From the short time we've known them they seem really awesome and ready to engage in the work.

This week we spent a lot of time with the Buckmasters, a recent convert family in our area. We taught them a little bit about the Plan of Salvation, specifically the Spirit world. We helped them with some challenges they're currently facing, and they seemed receptive to the spirit in our visit. President Walkenhorst gave us permission to play board games with Bro. Buckmaster on Halloween night. His favorite hobby is playing board games. We got to play Seven Wonders and get to know him better. On Saturday we went over to their house to pull a dead animal out from under their house, but luckily there wasn't one there! 

Wednesday was the ward Trunk or Treat. I hardly knew anyone, especially since they were all dressed up. I have to say it brought back some wonderful memories of watching the Testaments and having a sleepover at the Pauls Valley elders' apartment last year. I grabbed some candy for the Walls family, the relatives of the recent convert Elder Fuller and the elder I replaced just baptized my first weekend in Ada. We're currently teaching her cousin and boyfriend, Nana and Jared.

On Thursday we got to do service in a town called Coalgate near the eastern edge of the mission. Going from west to east! Lemme tell ya! We helped a member from OKC move some stuff into a storage unit. He will be living in Coalgate for a while to take care of his dad. 

On Saturday we took the Lemmerts to see a couple investigators all living together. They got broadsided by the infamous Okie talking! Nonetheless we had a good discussion with them and got to set some expectations for us coming by and sharing messages with them. They hadn't been taught by missionaries for a while now, so hopefully things will start to pick up with them.

And yesterday was Fast Sunday, of course. The Norman Stake is doing a 30-day fast where someone in the Norman fast for a day, then the next day someone else fasts, and so on. The stake is fasting for missionary work to increase in all the wards and branches. With Ada growing the way it is, they are on track to get a brand-new building sometime next year/early 2016. Sounds like I have two destinations to visit: Pauls Valley becoming a ward, and Ada getting a new building! All because of the hastening of the work of salvation... Love it.

Elder Garner

Famous Appearances in Ada (10/27/2014)

It's been a fantastic week! Integrating into the Ada ward is coming along nicely. Elder Fuller and I are learning names and faces every single day. Fortunately I arrived to Ada with a fairly large teaching pool, so we get to teach people all the time and meet the ones we haven't met yet! Ada is just a happening town! For only one ward, Ada sure keeps three--almost four--sets of missionaries pretty busy. 

Yes...soon to be four sets of missionaries. We're getting a senior couple this week! I remember working alongside the Fairbourns when I was in Sulphur last year and how much fun that was... And their food was so delicious! This past week we helped move and set up furniture for the new senior couple. I haven't moved other missionaries since we moved apartments in Mustang! When that happened I became an expert at assembling chairs, desks, beds, and other random household objects. 

We had interviews with President Walkenhorst on Tuesday. He didn't say anything about iPads...oh well! Earlier that day we helped an older lady in the ward move some stuff out of her shed. The doorway to her shed was about neck height, so it was really inconvenient trying to haul stuff out while ducking your head all the time! And then we found a petrified rat! Just in time for Halloween...guh. We moved out an old sewing machine with a chair that had built-in drawers. In all the drawers there were nuts and acorns and leaves all tied together by thread. A squirrel made a nest in the chair! Or maybe it was the rat... Anyway, pretty funny stuff.

An elder in our district got some pretty bad chigger bites on his legs, and then he scratched them and in the process infected them. So he made a trip to the town hospital and even got escorted to a dermatologist in Midwest City by Sister Walkenhorst. During all that we looked after him and spent a lot of time doing exchanges with his companion so he didn't have to be bored in his apartment. 

On Friday we got to go to La Fiesta with a member family, the Solorzanos. Their food is so good! And afterwards we taught a lesson to Bro. Solorzano's parents, both of whom are from Peru. They speak very little english, so we taught the Restoration and had Bro. Solorzano translate. It was a very spirit-filled discussion, and you could tell they could feel it! We also taught Nana and Jared. Nana is the cousin of Ashley, the lady that got baptized last week. Their house is crazy, and I love it. I sort of reminds me of the Vineyards back in Sulphur and the McElvanys in Davis. A lot of fun, and very spirit-filled.

Then on Saturday we had President Walkenhorst back in Ada for the MTC...the "Member Training Center" :) We had a fireside about member missionary work and had President give a talk. We also had the opportunity to hear from recent converts and how they felt when they were investigating the church and got baptized, which was really neat. The event turned out really well! 

I suppose this week's been pretty eventful! Anyway, keep on praying for missionary opportunities and pray for this work to roll forth! 

Elder Garner

Ada-ventures! (10/20/2014)

With transfers and all you can kinda expect a slower week. I'm really not down with this rotating companions business! Hopefully I can settle down in Ada with Elder Fuller for a while... 

I made my rounds to say goodbye to everyone I could in Altus. I was told that nobody ever said goodbye to bishop Barnes when they got transferred, so I made a stop at his house a said goodbye. I think he liked that. I really wanted to say goodbye to the Smiths in Mangum, but I didn't have enough time. Hopefully I'll see them again... I saw a lot of my good friends at transfers. Elder Zeyer's going to Midwest City, Elder Watkins is going Ponca City, Sister Chevalier's going to Duncan, and Sister Young's training a brand new missionary in Mustang. It's pretty fun serving with another set of elder and a set of sisters! Except I'm pretty clueless about everything. We had three baptisms this week! One of them came from our area! Too bad I didn't get to teach her all the lessons... I did get to teach the final lesson with her though. She was prepared for baptism long before I got there though! Her example is opening up opportunities for us to teach her family members and relatives that live with her and close by. 

We had an awesome miracle this week! Elder Fuller and I went to go talk with a guy that another set of elders found a few weeks back, and when we talked to him we got to teach the Restoration to him right on the spot and set a baptismal date! Man, Ada is just GLORIOUS! 

Just to describe Ada, it's really close to Sulphur, my second area. In fact, my current area rubs up against Sulphur's area. Ada also touches my first area! So having Ada as my area completes the Noble-Pauls Valley-Ada triangle. Unlike Noble Ward and Pauls Valley Branch, I actually LIVE in Ada and not in a town away from the ward building like Purcell and Sulphur! Regardless...this is just an awesome area. Ada is the farthest east you can go in the mission. The sisters cover Coalgate, which is the farthest eastern town in the mission. The more west you go in Oklahoma, the dryer and flatter it gets, but the more east you go the more trees and hills you get. This describes Ada! Going from flat Altus to hilly Ada's going to be an adjustment for biking...big time. I don't even feel like I'm in Oklahoma anymore. I feel like I'm in London or something. It's very foresty, and the homes here are massive and historical-looking! And much like Sulphur, the Chickasaw Nation has a strong foothold in this area. Ada's only been a ward for about two years, a branch before that. 

Some things that happened since I got here: We went to a wedding for the people that got baptized on Saturday. They had to get married before they got baptized. We gave a blessing to a recent convert that was in the hospital, we taught the final lesson to Ashley, the investigator in our area that also got baptized this Saturday. And of course, the baptisms. And of course, lots of unpacking. Elder Fuller's only been here for six weeks, so both of us are meeting people in the area together and getting to know our investigators. This should be an interesting next few weeks. I'm excited to continue the work here. There are adventures to be had here in Ada! 

Elder Garner

The Pitstop to the Rest of My Fate (10/13/2014)

Wow, it's been a whirlwind of events and emotions kinda week. Lots of interesting things going on. Well, here it is: I'm getting transferred once again to my fifth (and probably final) area. After only being in Altus for three months, it's time for a new area! It was really unexpected. I suppose Altus was just the temporary destination for the work I'm being prepared for in Ada--though much was accomplished in the short time I was present in Altus. Elder Cummings, an Elder I serve with, got to Altus six weeks before I did, and he's staying in Altus, which means he'll probably be there for six months. And man... I hate to leave him, Elder Chavez, and my companion, Elder Garcia! I was expecting to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas with them. I will definitely miss them. 

Well last P-day we did some window shopping in Altus. I bought some mass gainer protein shakes to make sure I wouldn't starve in Altus. So far I'm still skinny! Elder Garcia, who came from Ada, tells me that Ada feeds missionaries incredibly well. I know an Elder that was skinnier than me and got transferred from Ada 40 pounds heavier! Let's hope this works, guys. Did you know that Altus probably has the smallest JCPenney I've ever seen? I'm telling you everything I can remember about Altus before I leave! 

Wednesday... At long last my front bike tire that I've had since day one of the mission finally accrued too many holes to be saved. I had to buy a new tube... Before that though Elder Garcia and I had to walk two miles carrying my bike back to our apartment! And it was hot! I tried thinking about Paul the Apostle and Jesus Christ and all the trials they endured. It made the trek so much less daunting and one filled with gratitude.

The next day brought a similar situation to the other set of elders. Elder Chavez borrowed Elder Garcia's bike while we were up in Mangum visiting some inactive members. While popping some wheelies he crashed and bent Elder Garcia's rim! During that same moment, we witnessed the aftermath of a severe car crash in Mangum just outside the Love's gas station/Subway. The airbags deployed... We offered our help, and luckily help was already on the way. We said a prayer for them. No fatalities occurred, fortunately.

On Saturday we found two new investigators and taught them the Restoration on the spot! One of them has a baptismal date! And he even came to church the next day! It was a miracle for us, and I'm really sad I can't watch the work progress here! But I look forward to potentially spending 7 months in Ada! And I secretly hope for roadtrips passing through Sulphur and Pauls Valley! I'm going to miss Elder Garcia and the other elders. It's been a lot of fun and a real learning experience. Times got rough, that's for sure. I know the Lord's hand is in this work a lot more than I've realized. I know He's looking out for me and all of His children. I'm excited for what happens!

Elder Garner

Meet the Mormons (10/06/2014)

It seems like Mormons have been everywhere lately with General Conference and the upcoming release of Meet the Mormons! I have to take a moment and brag... Our mission president got his hands on a copy of the DVD for Meet the Mormons and he allowed us to watch it! Before the movie even got released in theaters! Anyway, I won't give away any spoilers, but man, the movie was amazing!

This past week was crazy with inviting everyone out to General Conference. We even went up to Mangum twice in order to invite everyone that we could. On Thursday we had another visit with the Smiths. This time we got to visit with the mom, who we came to find out has a SOLID testimony of the church! And we got their birthdays so that their records can finally get sent in where they belong! Then on Thursday we got to meet Sister Kaminshine, a lady we ran into at Operation Care. She also doesn't have her records in the ward. We visited with her for a while and got to know her. She expressed her concerns and told us what she was going through, and we gave her a priesthood blessing. 

Lately Elder Garcia and I have done lots of seed-planting in Altus, especially with General Conference. It's given us one more thing to talk about when sharing the gospel with others, and we've focused a lot on teaching about prophets and Jesus Christ's ministry. Other than that this week's been all about General Conference! Of course, I have to tell you about my favorite talk, which had to be Lynn G. Robbins about facing God rather than facing men. I also loved the talk on justice and mercy, especially since I had read that account in Alma that same morning. I also really loved Quentin L. Cook's talk about prioritizing and about focusing on the best things. That gets stressed a lot in our mission: "Is this activity good? Better? Or best?" And when Sally didn't catch the ball because she was too busy thinking about foreign politics, it reminded me of why I need to evaluate my goals and priorities. 

What a great week full of inspiring words... I only have one more General Conference left on the mission! *Gulp...*

Elder Garner