September 22, 2014

Family, 

Alright. Sorry about last weeks excuse for an email, but I have learned on my mission that repentance is real. So, I'm going to do a good one today. 

First off, (Dad will love this) we were out exercising this week, and I hear this weird sound in the bushes. I thought it was probably a giant frog or a crazy bird or something. I get closer. Nope. Opossum. What the!! It was scary looking. I've seen a few dead ones here, but I've never seen a live one. Needless to say, I kept my distance. That thing was scary. 

Also, my humbling experience for the week: We were out in Loxahatchee and it had rained A LOT the day before. We had just met a family from the ward and I was trying to turn the car around without having Sister Jones back me out (#missionaryproblems). So, I swing the car and keep to of the wheels firmly on dry ground, BUT the ground was so wet that my wheels started spinning and we slipped very slowly into some swampy mess. I tried to back out and then go forward again. No dice. We went and got the member that we had just met. He didn't even have rope, so we called one of our members and he brought his truck and pulled us out. I committed myself to never do that again. Once more, REPENTANCE IS REAL. 

We found a wonderful lady this week. She is super solid. She wants to be baptized. When we met her, she kept saying that she knew God sent us to her. She even told us that two days before she had been talking to her Mormon friend. She had asked her friend why there were so many churches. Her friend hadn't responded, but we knocked on her door two days later. God knows His children. She is from Ecuador, so we get to practice our Spanish. God is good to us. If all goes according to plan, she will be baptized this Sunday. She is ready, but we still have to teach her A LOT. Pray for us. 

I think that I've talked about Brother Nappier before. Well, we went over to his house to help him with his barn.He is building it all by himself, but was going to go on a trip to Idaho so we were helping him cover it with a tarp.He said that he was supposed to go on that trip, but he felt bad about it. We testified that was the Spirit. He got really serious, and he told us that he wasn't going to go on the trip. He came to church instead :). The lesson was on the gifts of the Spirit. He told the teacher that he knew the Spirit had told him to stay home from the trip. So cool!! The ward is going to help him build his barn...after I leave, but still. We are so excited. 

Well, Family, the end is near. I can feel it. I'm super sad to leave, but I'm excited to see all of you. Hopefully, I don't scare you. Be warned: I'm even more strange than when I left. You guys are so blessed. You must have been really good souls in the preexistence. :) LOVE YOU!!!

Hermana Gardner