MY WEEK IN VALPO

This week was a busy and good week yet again.  Last monday we actually were able to play soccer with a few other Elders in our zone.  We played for a couple hours in the soccer court behind the church.  IT was pretty fun.  

    

Tuesday we had to go to Viña cause my companion was hidding an iPad in his suitcase....Im getting sick and tired of being with problematic companions.  He also never gets up and is very very prideful. Hes the district "leader" and his dads a mission president and he thinks hes all that and that the rules dont apply to him.  I dont understand why people are like that.  Sometimes i just have to go inside my tent and chillax to keep from breaking commandment number 6 of the 10 commandments.  im getting pretty sick of having to deal with this but theres changes next week.  I must endure to the end.  

   

Wednesday was freezing cold and raining and then Thursday until now has been burning hot.  The weather here is crazy and bipolar.  MY companion also is having back problems so we went Friday and saturday to Viña to a doctors appointment for him.  

   

Yesterday at church only Monica attended.  She is still not sure if she wants to get baptized.  Gabriel and Luis didnt come so there will be no baptismal party next Sunday .  But in September there will be a party. 

  

Wednesday we have a conference in Viña with Elder Viñas hahaha.  Hes a member of the 70.  IT should be nice and cool to hear from him.  

     

I love you and i hope you have a good week.  I really liked the pictures with the cardboard cutout of me.  I also heard that JAke Brown is here in Chile too in Santiago.  Thats awesome haha.  Behave yourselves and make me proud!

Elder Gardner

HOLA

This week was a normal and good week.  This week we found a really good new investigator named Leandro,  Hes a 12 year old boy and his mom and older sister are inactive members. THe mom at first wasnt very receptive but we shared the plan of salvation and she opened up a lot more and showed a lot of interest.  He wasnt able to attend church but he should be getting baptized in a matter of weeks.

   

It was nice to have a week without rain.  We were able to find more people and teach more lessons.  We had 2 investigators attend church.  One of them is Monica Carrera.  Her daughter is a member and we thought she was too at first.  Shes come to church twice but we have only been able to teach her 1.  She loves the church and gets along well with all of the members.  There are no fights in this ward.

   

We also have this little crazy kid named Luis.  Hes 8 and we were trying to teach him yesterday but he didnt pey to much attention cause he only wanted to fly his kite.  So we should be having some baptisms in the near future here.  

   

WE got a new bishop here to in O Higgins.  He just moved into the ward 2 months ago and hes awesome.  Obispo CAstillo, or in englosh its bishop Castile.  Nothing too exciting happened this week and it was a good solid week.  Maybe this week therell be more adventures.  

I hope you guys have a good week and remember that I love you guys.    I konw that Christ lives and that he loves us.  

Elder Gardner

HOLA HOLA

sup everyone

  

This week was a good week.  We have 3 investigators that are reallyclosedto being baptized.  We have Monica who has already been to church 3times.  All we have to doisteach herall the lessons.  Wehaventbeen ableto teaachher at all but she should be getting baptized the 6th of September.  Also we have Gabriel.  He is a 19 year old boy who has a mohawk.  If he goes to church next sunday he too can be baptized the 6th.  And wehave the little munchkin Luis who if goes next sunday will be joining the baptism party the 6th.  

   

Sunday I gave a talk in church aoutthe plan of salvation and also taught gospel principles class. The ward here is a lot bigger.  when it was raining 44 attended.  Last week 113 and yesterday 90 attended  WE also got anew mission leader.  THis is going to be the first time in my mission that illhave amission leader thats activeand will work with us.  His name his Gaston.  

   

Also the other day after teaching Luis he taught us how to fly kites.  IT was suprisingly pretty hard.  My kite broke...  

   

WE are also seeçarching for a new apartment cause the one we have now isfalling apart and there is a lot of fungus.  WE found a brandnew apartment thats really nice.  Another interesting thingis that this is the first sector where elevators exist.  ITs crazy.   Other than that it was a nice normal week.

    

To answer your question Pdays we dont really do much.  We write emails, buy food, eat, and do all that we need and take a nap sometimes.  We cant leave our zone and unless we have permission from president we cant do anything together as a zone.   

I love you guys and i know that God loves you too.  Remember to feed yourself spiritually every day.  Have a good week!!!!

ELder Gardner

I turned my bed into a tent so I could be more like Lehi and here is a picture my companion took of me
diligently keeping my records while I wear my poncho

Here is a picture of Valpo

I AM A BEARDED "HURRICANE" TESTED MAN

It seems like everyweek in the mission gets a little bit crazier so allow me to tell you the adventures of this week.

   

First off last pday the secretary told us that we had to go to Viña so that my companion could do his visa.  So we went and when we arrived it turns out that he called the wrong Elder Morales..  But while we were in Viña we found una tienda gringa with a bunch off food from the united states.  I bought some Cadbury eggs and chocolate truffles and we also bought warheads to give to the Chileans cause they aren't used to really sour food and its funny to watch them eat it.  

   

Tuesday and Wednesday were normal days ut then Thursday was when the adventure began.  Several weeks ago the members of Chile fasted for rain cause they've had a drought for about 10 years.  And Wednesday night, Thursday morning a huge storm, which they claim was a stage 1 hurricane, hit Valparaiso.  It rained and rained and rained. and the rains came tumbling down in the city that i love. There was also a lot of wind.  The power went out and also the water stopped working.  We went 3 days without water or light and we studied in the morning using candles. We recently got water and electricity last night.  I wasn't able to shave for 3 days and i pretty much had a beard.  My beard growing ability has increase seven fold in the mission and i am proud of that newly discovered ability that i have.  During these days we still had to work but it was really hard to find people cause everyone was running around trying to fix their windows and roofs which were breaking.  We pretty much walked in the rain for 3 days straight.  

   

We were able to help one of our investigators Gabriel fix his house.  A year and a half ago there was a huge fire and his house burned down so now hes living in a small little house on top of a big hill.  WE went to go see him and he and his family and cousins we one the roof trying to fix the roof.  We helped him for a little bit. The only bad thing was that hardly anyone came to church Sunday. 44 people came and the crazy thing was that the entire family which numbered 14, of a member who died a year ago came.  So that was really cool.  

   

Other than that its pretty normal here  Only the two blocks closest to the shore were badly damaged and only about 5 people died.  It wasn't that bad of a storm really.  The monsoons are a lot worse in Arizona,  But it was a fun week none the less.  I got a little sick from being in the rain all day but its all good in the hood.  I like Valparaiso there are a lot of good members in this ward.  And it was cool to see how the Lord answered the fast. There hasn't been rain like this in about 10 years.  Im fine and our apartment lived.  

I love you guys and i hope you guys have a good week and remember to OLA (orar, leer y asistir) or pray read and go to church.  Be safe be smart Jacob 6 12.

Elder Gardner

PARA PARA PARADISE!

Esta semana voy a escribir en español porque es mas fácil para mi.  El Martes pudimos bautizar a Ivan pero casi no pasó.  El Lunes en la noche nos llamó para decirnos que quería cambiar su fecha porque su esposa se cayó y su tobillo se hinchó.  Así que fuimos a su casa y hablamos con él y decidió a bautizarse igual y me pidió que bautizara a él.  Fue super bueno el servicio bautismal y vinieron muchos miembros de su familia.  Lamentablemente solo algunos miembros llegaron.  Pero bueno se bautizó choro mono.  

El miércoles hubo cambios.  Ahora estoy en Valparaiso.  ES muy muy diferente que Cabildo.  Mi compañero ahora es un Mexicano de Monterrey.  Se llama Elder Morales.  Es chistoso y divertido y nos llevamos bien.  Mi sector es puro cerros.  Tenemos que subir y bajar escaleras todo el día.  Tengo piernas de piedras ahora.  Valparaiso es una de las ciudades mas grande en Chile.  Así fui del sector mas chico al sector en la ciudad mas grande en la misión.  

   

Voy a mandarles fotos.  Estoy animado por estar aquí en el barrio O`Higgins en Valparaiso.  

    

Quiero decirles que les amo y espero que tengan una buena semana.  Espero que también puedan entender este correo.  Muchas gracias por todo.  Yo se que vive Jesucristo y que la meta en nuestras vidas debe ser el templo.  Yo se que la familia puse ser eterno.  La próxima semana voy a escribir en ingles así que no os preocupéis.  Les amo Cuídense mucho Chao!!!

Elder Gardner