MAY DISTRICT CONFERENCE

GOOD WEEK

This week went by too fast.  Wednesday I had to get up at 3:50 am in order to go to Belloto for the conference with president.  It was super good and it was the last conference with him anf it was really sad.   Hes the best!  That day just consisted of being in a conference and a bus all day long.  I did get to see Elder REcinos there, the other Elder Gardner and my old zone leader Elder Enright.  That was really fun.  

   

The other days this week were all the same.  Friday there was a really fun activity that we did together with the the branch of la ligua.  It was a fashion show of recycled clothes.  Alvaro made a news paper suit it was a good time.

    

Thursday was a national holiday here so no one was home or in the streets.

    

Yesterday Elder Stayner and I both gave talks.  Only Amanda came to church.  We chose to fast too in order to find more people cause we haven't found really anyone these last couple weeks.  A total of 33 people came to church.  Which is better but still not good.  

  

To answer your question we have a binder especifically for the converts called ovejas de mi sector.    or sheep of my sector.  THere we put the goals for the temple and there plan of retencion. 

   

Thats cool about all the mission calls.  I cant believe that its been about 14 months since i opened mine.  I very poorly pronounced Chile viña del mar. ahahah   

   

Its getting quite chile i got on my thermal garments and i cant wait til my onesy comes.   Today im going to make my better crocker brownies  :)

   

This week I have been pondering a lot about the power of the priesthood and what it actually means to be a priesthood holder.  

I love you guys and miss you guys.  Thank you for everything.

have a great week!

Elder Gardner

here are pictures

ANOTHER WEEK IN THE BAG

This week was good.  Yesterday i confirmed Sandra duringthesacrementmeeting and everyone has vanished cause only 26 other peopleshpwed upto church.  LAst week there were 52.  The space bar isnt workingvery well soforgiveme.  It wasnormal week.  We studied alot we walked a lot, we ate a lot. I dont have a lot oftime today because we went to la ligua and playedbasketball withtheother elders....wewerealottallerandbetter hahaha.  I also found in the ligua betty crocker brownie mix so i am really pumpedforthat.  

  

Elder Stayner and I aredoing well.  Hes a good kid so i dont have to beat him uptoo much.  The only thing is that he snores really really really loud.  Likejetengine loud its impressive. We get along and we like to taolk a lot about sports.  This week i started going through withdrawals cause imiss football so much.  I looked forone in cabildo and la ligua but i couldnt find one.  Something happened withmy SD card and i cant downloadanymore pictures onto the email.  Ithionkithas a virus or something so ill start using the other one and see whats up.  

   

I loveyouand i miss you guys.  have a good week and make sure to put my life size cut out on display.  and i cant wait to get that package :)

Chao chao

ElderGardner

TRAINER

We received this e-mail from Colin's Mission President:

Dear Gardner Family,

I am pleased to inform you that your missionary, Elder Colin Joseph Gardner, has been assigned to serve as a Trainer in the Chile Vina del Mar Mission. One of the most trusted responsibilities in the mission is to teach and to train a new missionary.

Elder Gardner , has prepared for this responsibility through strict obedience and faithful service. He has demonstrated His willingness to serve the Lord by the example he has set for his companions and leaders and by the progress he has made in his own personal development.

I know that Elder Gardner will magnify this assignment and will be a credit to you, to the mission, and to the Lord.

Thank you for supporting your missionary throughout the course of his mission. I pray that the Lord may bless you and your family as this great work continues forward.

Sincerely,

Federico M. Kähnlein

Mission President

Chile Vina del Mar Mission

HELLO

It was really fun to talk to you guys yesterday i was surprised that mom didnt cry.

   

I am now a trainer and my son is very large.  6 8" and about 295 lbs.   It just goes to show that there is always a bigger fish. We have the average height and weight of someone just under 6 6 and 250 lbs. WE are very large human beings surrounded by significantly smaller human beings. Hes really cool and everyone in his family is a member.  His dad is about 63 years old and looks like Santa Claus haha hes funny. He plays basketball (obviously).

   

The baptism was awesome i baptized her.  The water heater turned off while we were filling it up so the water was pretty cold.  Afterwards I also had to unplug the font so i got to go swimming to unplug it. that was fun.  

    

Tuesday we had a zone conference and Wednesday was cambios so i spent half the week in a bus.  THe fun thing is that i now get to do 4 hours of studies in the morning.   

    

This we gave about 5 priesthood blessings which are always fun to do.  I gave Alvaro a bblessing of forteleza so that he could get a better a job and the next he found a job and got hired.  That was a cool expierience.  Ill send some pictures from the baptism as soon as i can the computer is being stubborn

    

I love you guys and make sure to put my cutout where every can see me, haha I love you guys and I know the church is true and that the book of mormon can bless your lives!

Love

Elder Gardner

NEW COMPANION

Elder Gardner and Elder Stayner

HOLA HOLA!

Due to the recent mockery of my english grammar I will place a greater effort in this email as to avoid such mockery and prove that my english is still held at an above adecuate level...

   

This week went really well.  We are having a baptism this sunday with Sandra.  She has been a golden investigator and its been awesome.  I just hope that I don't get transferred this week before her baptism.  She has her interview tuesday and when she passes that she is ready for the baptismal font.   Her husband has gone 3 weeks abstaining from drugs and is attending church and recently requested to be assigned as a home to teacher in order to serve more and avoid free time which could result in bad things.  

  

Friday we did a service project in the house that burned.  We worked with cement and it was really fun.  I am now a master at making cement.  

   

This week there was yet another fight in the church.  It was between Hermano Alvaro and Contreras.  They were talking about keeping the chapel clean and cleaning up after the kids during priesthood and Alvaro took offense and got and up and started arguing and left and Hermano Contreras grabbed him and said Please dont leave Im sorry and then Alvaro stormed out.  It was a scene straight out of an over dramatized soap opera.

   

But things are better now and they have supposedly settled the dispute.  Due to this incident we have added the key indacator luchas or fights.  And for this change there was a grand total of 8.  

    

To answer your question about earthquakes ive felt about 10 but they've  been really small.   They are predicting one at about an 8.0 this year r next year.  Lets hope hat doesn't happen.

   

For mothers day we should skype around 5 ish local time.  Im not sure exactly and its a little difficult with changes this week.  Thanks I love you guys and I know that Christ lives.    

Love

Elder Gardner

Here's a picture of Elder Nizama and I in a van, Cabildo, and Sandra her family and the Family Merchant.