Himalayans and Potentials

HI FRIENDS!!

So let me start with the joke so I don't forget to explain the title of this email. The Archuleta County Fair was this week, and one of the members took us to the Chuckwagon BBQ for dinner there and then took us on a tour of the fair and pointed out all the less actives we didn't know that we should visit. It was AWESOME. So we were walking around and looking at the animals that were going to be auctioned and the vegetables that won competitions and all that and at one point the member (who is in the bishopric) was showing us his daughter's rabbits. And then he said "these are Himalayan rabbits. Did you know there's a lot of Himalayans on the Rez?" And we were so confused and we were like, really? And he looked all around to make sure there were no Natives around and said "Yeah, Him-a-layin there and him-a-layin over der." It was HILARIOUS. Awful, but hilarious. If you don't get it.....well I'm sorry keep reading it until you do :)

Update on Patrick! He's doing AWESOME!! He's now on date for the 15th because he and the less active lady he lived with got into a fight and it stressed him out so he turned to a cigarette. BUT he is clean now and he is living with a recent convert and it's just amazing all around. I'm so happy for him. Sure I'm sad that I won't be at his baptism, but it's how missionary life goes and I know that he's following the right path. Plus (warning, trunky comment) I'll just call him after he's baptized and be like Patrick this is the best!!

Also, miracle!! This week we were planning that we needed to try a bunch of people in the downtown area. So we made a big list and said let's do this. So we started by going to give a Book of Mormon to one of our member's friends, and then visiting with some ladies in a jewelry store that we hadn't invited to learn more about the gospel yet, and then visited another less active in her shop and she told us all these amazing feelings she had about faith and Christ and it was awesome! So we were walking back to the car when we saw this investigator lady that we hadn't seen in a while, and she told us about his place that was like a food bank and they were giving away food that day and we should get some. So immediately, I thought about David, the man who was homeless that was supposed to get baptized when I first got to Pagosa. Well, we were like okay let's go get him some food. So we go and it turns out to be a Methodist church that gives away food and they look at us funny and tell us that they don't usually allow people to sign other people up to get food, but he said "you two look really honest, so I'll let it happen this time." And we thanked him profusely and drove the food to David's motel room. AND WE SAW DAVID!! And he was happy and didn't seem as drained and he told us he wanted to start meeting with us again. AHHH! I was so excited. God just put us where we needed to be one right after the other so that we could touch a ton of people's lives. It was amazing to be an instrument in His hands like that and to see so many miracles one right after the other!!

This week's just been full of miracles. Sis. Fisi'italia and I started doing service at the Humane Society every week. We do dishes for the cats and then brush them and play with the kittens. It's so dang fun. We've been working up a really great relationship with the lady that works there, she's in her 20s, and she's from California. Funny how that happens, huh? Haha so this week we went in like usual and she started asking us questions about the church and telling us that she and her boyfriend were looking for a church to go to and that God must've placed us in her path to help her find His church. YES YES YES!!! That's exactly what we're here for!! So we gave her a Book of Mormon and invited her to read it and she said she would!! So we're going back tomorrow to see how she liked it and to do some more service of course. So excited!! Tons of miracles like that have happened this week :)

Also, an old lady forgot she had signed up to feed us dinner yesterday, after fasting. So awkward. Ended up with frozen chimichangas :)

So this week your challenge is to go to the temple. A lot. Like as much as you can!

And your scriptures are Doctrine and Covenants 36:8, 123:12-15, and 127:4

I love you tons!!

Enduring

HELLO!! I LOVE YOU.

This week has been all over the place. Literally. Don't know if I've mentioned it to y'all, but my body has been struggling lately. It's literally that scripture that says the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. I was doing really good all week long, and then all of a sudden my body crashed and burned. And then I did okay and I died again. It was awful. So I got a priesthood blessing and ever since then, I've been just fine. I feel normal again. And I know that it's only by the grace of God that I can think clearly and move my limbs without feeling like I'm going to fall over. So guess what, the priesthood is for realz!! It works and I'm so grateful for it, because I don't know how I'd be able to keep enduring without that simple blessing I received. It's amazing. God is helping me, but only because I asked for it and had faith that He would help me.

This week we did A LOT of service. And like all on one day, too. But it was super fun. We scooped muck out of a pond and played with kittens and did their dishes and made dinner for some less actives (and then they shared the dinner message with us :) win win, we get to practice cooking and learn their cooking secrets and then they get to teach the missionaries and learn from themselves!) and digging holes. It was great :) I love doing service, not just because I sometimes get to wear my jeans but because you can just feel the Spirit that that really is something that Christ would do for that person. I love it!!

I got my death papers this week. That was a terrifying experience. Open the mailbox and the only thing in it are the papers that tell you your travel itinerary. And I did something trunky this week....I wrote on the dinner calendar that it was my last week as a missionary in a couple weeks so that more people would sign up to feed us. Hasn't worked quite yet, but one less active that never feeds us signed up!! So that's good :)

Also this week, well actually just yesterday, I had food adventures. Again. So remember how last week I told you that I got sick off of chicken? (Did I tell you that?) Well we went back to the same family for dinner last night, and they fed us salmon. Yeah. And they were like, don't worry it doesn't taste fishy! LIES. It was so fishy. They had like this mango pineapple kiwi bell pepper cilantro thing that you put on it, and man I ate so much of that stuff to try and help myself not gag. And the whole time they were like, oh isn't it good? NO. I'M DYING HERE!! And then Sis. Johnson and I both got pretty sick from it, and it was NOT GOOD. We're still feeling the tummy aches this morning.

But anyways. Patrick is doing great!! He's retaining everything and he's really opening up to us a ton, which is great. He is so stoked. He's getting all ready for baptism, and your continued prayers for him are much appreciated!! We are hoping that he's going to be able to house sit for a guy who's going to Mexico for a couple months, so please pray RIGHT NOW that that will happen because we find out tonight if it's going to work or not!!

Your challenge this week is to look for all the answers to your prayers. I promise they are there, so look for them!

And your scripture is Moroni 7:31-32 because I stumbled across it and really REALLY like it :)

I love you all tons :) Don't forget it!!
Sister Gah'yii'sii

Go Go Go Go Go

Hey all you lovely people :) How's it going? It's another new week to do amazing things!

But man has this last week been exhausting. I mean, more than usual. I can't remember if I told you last week (I think I did) but in case I didn't, here's what happened.

Monday. After email, we drove all the way to Farmington. Well, we went to Aztec Ruins first, and it was awesome. We took some awesome pictures (see below) and it was just really fun. Plus, I think I got a little more tan. AND I don't think I told you, but with all the tourists that come through Pagosa, we decided to try and get all fifty states in one transfer, so we're at like 42 now, and we saw a Hawaii when we went to the Ruins. We were so stoked!! My planner is thoroughly covered in states stickers in the back to prove that we saw all of them :) But yeah the ruins were great. But by the time we finished and went to Farmington on exchanges, I was feeling sick and we were both exhausted from the drive and being in the sun. So we went to the Family Home Evening in YSA and just were little zombies. It's kind of funny now, but it wasn't then.


I found out, too, that one of my favorite elders (Elder Quijano, he came out with me) went home this week because of a back injury he had before his mission. He went home this week for surgery, but it was fun to see him before he left! He was so proud to be able to even have just finished a sister's mission :)

Tuesday. Exchanges all day in Farmington, and then that night we drove to Cortez. It was fun cuz we went through Kirtland, and Shiprock, which I haven't seen in a while. It was great! And we had blow up air mattresses this time so we didn't have to sleep on the floor or awful couch cushions in Cortez! It was great :) We had fun with Sis. Panoussi and Sis. Brennan.

Wednesday. Zone conference round two. It was CRAZY. We got there early so I could practice singing with the other sister, and it turns out that one of the elders (we made him play the piano) that I served with in St. Michael's is the one who asked me to sing because he remembered that we all had to sing for ward choir. Sigh. But it went really well, according to Sis. Johnson! I sat down and one of the elders that goes home with me told me I did a good job and I was like thanks, I'm freaking out and then I held out my hands and they were shaking, hard core. It was crazy! But it went well. Then, I was the first one to give my departing testimony. I started strong, cried a little in the middle, and by the time I finished, I wasn't crying anymore. It was great. And then of course Sis. Panoussi got up and didn't shed a tear. But some of the elders did, and it was cool because I knew all the elders that I was going home with and it just felt right. There was definitely a sweeter spirit there than usual from those departing testimonies, but maybe it's cuz I had to give mine, too.

And then we drove home. That seemed to take forever, but we made it just a little late for dinner with this couple we hadn't met before. But we made it, and then went home and died, pretty much. We were so tired.

Thursday. We met Brandie. SHE'S AWESOME. She's a friend of one of the members in our ward, and she came to lunch with us and the member. She started asking questions about where we were from and stuff and then the member explained what missionaries do, and Brandie said well I want to do that! How can I do that? And the member said just get baptized and we'll go! And Brandie said okay, how do I do that? Let's do it! So we told her that we teach people and prepare them for baptism and she was like sweet and instantly set up regular times for us to meet twice a week and promised to come to church all three hours (she did!). And then one of her friends walked into the restaurant and her friend asked what she was doing and she said "oh, just joining a new church!" She's amazing :) I love her to death. Pray for her! We're going to start officially teaching her tomorrow :D

Friday. We saw Patrick! He's doing great. I think I mentioned before that he's living with one of the less active ladies in the ward, and this week, we taught the Law of Chastity. Oh man we were so afraid this less active lady was going to explode on us and get angry, but she didn't. It was great! They have a mother-son relationship, because she's 70 and he's 50, and they act like a son and mother relationship, too. But they said they were looking for a place for him, and the doctor was looking for a place for him, but they were working on it. And then the less active lady pipes up and says "And if worse comes to worst, then I'll marry him." HA! And then we looked at Patrick and he looked terrified. It was so funny!! So please pray that Patrick will find a place!!

Saturday. Went to an art show downtown to talk to people and share the gospel with them. Met this guy who sold "gittars" made out of cigar boxes. So he made them and they had between one and four strings, and they were so cool!! He kindly took a picture of us jamming out with these. But in reality, my fingers are incapable of playing the chords and stuff. The guy tried to explain how and my fingers wouldn't do it, haha! But he was fun, and he seems like he'd want to learn more!

Sunday. Our ward mission leader's son gave his farewell talk. He leaves on the 29th for his mission, and it was awesome. He's gonna do great. There's so many good things happening in Pagosa, and it's awesome to see and be apart of all of this progress! It's already changed a lot in the time that I've been here, and I'm so excited for all the changes I'll continue to see, in the ward and in myself, too.

SO your challenge this week is to write somebody a thoughtful note. I'm not saying it has to be me, but to someone that you just want to have a little pep in their step for that day.

And your scripture is 3 Nephi 27:20-21

I love you all tons and hope everything goes well for you this week!!

Keep being awesome!
Sister Garcia

Loooooong Week!

Hello family and friends!!!

So this week has been a long one. And this one coming is going to be pretty long too.

Ahead we've got exchanges in Farmington tonight and tomorrow, then driving all the way to Cortez (passing through Kirtland, my old area, and Shiprock, Sis. Johnson's old area!) Tuesday night and spending the night with the sisters there, and then going to zone conference Wednesday morning.

Pray for me. They asked me to sing for zone conference. I ABOUT DIED. Ask Sis. Johnson. The elders called and were like "sooooo the Utah zone leaders called us and asked if we could ask you a favor....can you sing on Wednesday for zone conference with one of the sisters in the Utah zone?" Me: ".......HOW DID THEY FIND OUT!?!?! I'm gonna kill Sister Brady if she ratted me out. Are you kidding me?? Are you serious??" Elders: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA yes we're serious! I don't know how they found out!" So I proceeded to freak out on the phone while Sis. Johnson and the elders all laughed at me. I'm legitimately freaking out though!! Nobody knows that I can sing, cuz I only sang like the one time with Sis. Valdez (but all those missionaries are home) and then one other time in front of missionaries when we had that Christmas party and I sang with Sis. Waite. There are only a few culprits that it could be.....

So yeah. This transfer, I've already trained twice in district meeting (the two that we've had this transfer) and now I'm singing, on top of giving my departing testimony. It's like God's making up for all the times He let me go "under the radar" before.

In other news, I got scratched by a kitten! Hence the picture of me pointing at my arm. I was holding it and it decided it no longer wanted to be in my arms...

We went exploring with our ward list this week out in the boonies on our way home from district meeting. We found a less active guy named Wyatt who's super funny, and then we took this long road that connected this one part of the boonies to the other part....it's like a one lane dirt road where it looks like tigers and bears and mountain lions are going to pop out of nowhere and eat you. It was crazy. But, it was super fun and we got some good pictures! Haha but yeah it was cool.

In other news, Patrick is doing great! He came to church this week, and got invited to a family home evening with a bunch of the old people in the ward and loved it! The less active lady he's living with (we're going to talk about it this week, don't worry) goes SUPER deep doctrine, and he's so good at tuning it out!! It's a miracle. But, it's awesome because we committed the less active lady to quit smoking and she promised that she would be free of cigarettes for 30 days before Patrick's baptism. Well, it's like less than 30 days away now, and she's doing great!! I'm so proud of her :) And Patrick is doing really good, he's really progressing and opening up to us a lot and accepting everything :) it's so fantastic!!

We picked up another person this week too! Her name is Allie and she's great :) She asked what the Book of Mormon was and we said well lets read the introduction! So we did and she was like this makes so much sense!! And then we finished those last two paragraphs and invited her to be baptized and she said YES!! First lesson :) It was so exciting and such a testimony builder to me!! We invited her to be baptized on August 15th, so pray that she'll make it there!

Well out of time! Your challenge this week is to have more meaningful family prayers and family scripture studies. And if you don't have a family yet, then individual ones :)

And your scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 88:22, and Ether 12:4 :)

Love you tons!!

Sister Garcia

Flash Floods, the Fourth, and Fried Skin

It's a Monday again!

Flash Flood!

That means you get the privilege of listening to me get up on my soap box again :) The good kind of soap box. At least I think it's alright...

First of all, we met with the new mission president, President Adams this week! We drove alllllllllll the way to Cortez and spent the night with Sis. Panoussi and her trainee, Sis. Brennan. They were fun :) It was weird to be back in Cortez again. I missed Pagosa, haha! We had a zone conference where President and Sister Adams introduced themselves and we got to meet them and have an interview....it was kind of awkward, my interview with President. He asked how long I'd been out and I had to tell him 17 months and he was sad with me! He was like oh man, that means I don't get to know you very well before you go. Yeah, talk about sad! But then it was okay because he asked me what some of the things I'd learned were and I got to share some of my experiences with him and it was really cool. The Spirit was strong, and I definitely know he's my mission president for a reason :)

Also, I had the biggest tender mercy from Heavenly Father this week :) The zone conference was for all the missionaries in the Utah and Durango zones, so basically all the missionaries in UT and CO. So, Sis. Johnson spilled some of her granola from her parfait on the kitchen floor in the Cortez church, and we were on our way to get a broom and I hear someone say "Hey Sis. Garcia, the goat man in La Sal says hello!" I turned around and it was this elder who was serving in La Sal, Paradox, and Monticello. So I about died and we started talking about La Sal and he told me all about the people I was asking about and I was able to give him some information on some people I knew in La Sal....ahhhh it was so nice. I haven't heard how all these people I love have been doing for a while, and it was just so sweet to be able to get that update on some of them :) It made me so happy.

Now for a sad but kind of funny story. We got a referral for a part member family this week, and we went to go see them. Normal missionary thing to do. So we saw lights on when we were driving home at like 8:30 one night and we thought well lets go see them! So we did and they let us in and the husband (the nonmember) said "which one of you is Sister Garcia?" I'd never met him before, so I said it's me! And he said "Thank you for making me some money!" And I just looked at him confused and he laughed and said "I own Walters Auto Body Shop. The lady that you backed into came to me to get the dent in her car fixed! So thanks!" Well that just made me feel super small. I wanted to shrivel up and die right then and there! How embarrassing!! And then his wife proceeded to tell stories about how here brother totaled her car when he didn't have his license yet and all this stuff and I felt a little better. Also, we found out from the Cortez sisters that Sis. Johnson's last companion also backed into something last week, so I don't feel AS bad, but I still feel bad!!!

And something else funny.....we walked around all day on the 4th talking to all the tourists because Pagosa goes ALL OUT for the 4th. So we just explored all the fairs and the farmers markets and stuff that were going on and that night, someone looked at Sis. Johnson and said "oh my goodness your glowing!" She got SUPER sunburnt. And guess who didn't!? That's right, yours truly! She's standing next to me, bright red, and I'm standing next to her, at least two shades darker than when I started! It was great :) Well, not great that her sunburn is still hurting, but great that I got a tan!!

This week we've made a lot of progress with some of the members we had lessons with this week :) For example, last night we had dinner with that member that didn't want to change her seat in the chapel, and the Spirit was SO STRONG. We were able to testify that God is preparing people for them to share their testimonies with, and we committed each of them individually to come to a lesson with us :) So the son who's a junior is coming to a lesson with one of the recent converts in the ward, and the mom and daughter are coming to a lesson with a less active who just lost her mother-in-law, and we'll snag the dad for something when we set up something in the evenings :) Or on a Sunday. PERFECT. I just love being able to remind the members that they do have the power to change lives, just as much as we do.

AND GUESS WHAT!?!?!? Your prayers have been working :) We picked up a new investigator this week!! YEAH! So excited :) His name is Patrick and he has a crazy history. He's taken lessons from the missionaries like 2 times before and he's been almost baptized before, and he hasn't been able to because he has to have surgery and then gets addicted to the pain medicine. He has a looooong history of drug abuse, and he just got out of detox a while ago. But we met him at a less active's house and he told us he wanted to take the lessons! So we started teaching him this week and he's just fantastic. Everyone who knows Patrick is saying that he seems different than any of the other times he's taken the lessons. It's so great :) You can just feel how strong his desire to learn is, and I'm so excited to be able to teach him!! We put him on date for August 8th, so that's when he should be baptized. I just have this incredible feeling that he's going to make it :) It's that hope in the Atonement that I feel for him!! It's the best feeling in the WHOLE WORLD.

And I wanted to talk about that feeling, that power for a second, too. So bear with my scattered thoughts. We ran into a lady this week that I hadn't seen since like my first week in Pagosa, and we asked her if she wanted to take the lessons, and she basically told us no because she was comfortable where she was and didn't want to change. Well, that got me and Sis. Johnson, and it really made me think about how this life, and this gospel, is all about change, that it's VITAL to change and grow. Because if you're not growing....your being idle, and if you're idle, then it's no bueno. It means you're digressing and not progressing. So change. Do it! Change is what makes the difference in you, is the difference between celestial and terrestrial, is the difference between becoming like your Savior and not using His Atoning sacrifice. So just remember that as you go about your week this week.

Your challenge this week is to pick something that you want to work on, and change it. So, like have more meaningful prayers or choose to feast rather than read your scriptures, or participate more in Sunday School. Something. Work on it :) Get better!!

And your scriptures are 1 John 1:7-10 and Moses 1:39 and Doctrine and Covenants 88:22

Has It Really Been A Week?

Hello my lovely friends and family :) I missed you :) Mondays are always so fun to open my email and remember that you all exist and that I have people out there that love me despite the fact that we're all so far away and that you still love me :) Haha is that prideful?

This week has been a tough one. Real tough. Everyone that I planned to take Sis. Johnson to....well....we saw them but they talked so much we couldn't have a lesson, or they were about ready to leave and couldn't have a lesson, or they weren't home, or something else. It was hard! I was like man I'm sorry Sis. Johnson, this isn't normal! But part of me felt like it is different to now and that we've got some work to do. By which I mean A LOT of work to do. Like, it's gonna be a rough transfer. God's not letting me have it easy, that's for sure.

So Sis. Johnson and I are starting from ground zero. We have no investigators, and maybe like 6 less actives that we occasionally get in with. So please, please, please pray that we'll find some people! I know they're out there and I know if I just keep working hard that we'll find them, but I need some help, too. I'm doing everything I can to have more faith and hope and patience so that God will bless us with those investigators, and we're working really hard. But we also have a whole lot of work to do with the ward, which is also making it hard to find new people.

Also, I slacked on pictures this week. Sorry. At least you have a cute one of me and Sis. Johnson :) we attempted to get the rainbow in the background, but no guarantees. AND, I somehow managed to forget my planner at home, so I forgot everything that I was going to tell you about. So bear with my scattered brain today.

Observations of Sis. Johnson, my new companion! She's fantastic. I love her to death. She's an absolute HOOT and is SUPER opinionated. But so am I, and usually it's the other way. Like she hates tourists, for example, and makes sure to tell me everyday, but I love them because they're fun to people watch. They're the best kind to people watch, and they are WAY more willing to talk about the gospel than most people are. Okay maybe that's an exaggeration, but they do tend to like talking to us more :)

So let me tell you a story. Two weeks ago, our stake president came to the ward and challenged everyone to sit in a different pew every Sunday. So last week, Sis. F and I put up a sign to remind everyone, and a good portion of the ward moved benches! We sat in the very back row on the very far side and took someone's spot and it was HILARIOUS. They were like whoa it's a whole new view, but they just sat one bench in front of us. Haha. Then this week, we re-vamped our sign and posted it again right before ward council. Well, one of the ward members walked by and said, wasn't that just for last week? And we told her no, it was an every week thing, and she said "Oh, well, I'm still going to sit in my same bench." And then laughed and walked away! It was the mom of the family whose bench we took last week, and she wasn't even there to change benches! And there were a lot of people who went back to how it was.

So that means it's time for another rant. PEOPLE. Our priesthood leaders are inspired. They are literally called of God to say the things that they do, and whether you're comfortable with the things they ask you to change or not, it's like God asking you to change. And then when you don't heed their counsel....well, then you aren't heeding God. It's plain and simple. It's black and white, you either follow God or you don't, through His leaders. It doesn't matter if you don't like them, and it doesn't matter if they don't like you, we're all trying (see Latter Day Saints Keep on Trying from this last conference....SO GOOD) to get back to Heavenly Father, and they are imperfect, but they are doing their best to convey to you what God needs you to hear. So listen and act. That's revelation from God that you are denying the blessings of, otherwise.

Pagosa is teaching me so much....it's like a cramming study session that God is giving me in the last stretch of my mission, and He's hard core teaching me these things that I KNOW will bless me for the rest of my life, if I listen and act. That's the key, though. Cuz if I just listen and think oh well that's a good nugget of information, that's no bueno. I'll lose that lesson so fast and then I won't be able to progress when those challenges come. It's easier to fall. God gives us these lessons from everyone so that we'll change, we'll keep growing, we'll keep progressing to be like our Savior, and eventually we WILL get to Him. But, we have to act.

Family and friends, I love you. I hope you know how much I'm changing, and how much I'm still striving to change. And I want you to do the same, and that's why I tell you all these rants! Haha I feel like they're coming more frequently, but it's because I'm learning a lot and I just can't help but share my little insights!!

Your challenge this week is to sit somewhere new in church. Put a reminder in your phone, write yourself a sticky note, do something, but change seats. Make others do that too, and then get to know the people you sit by!

And your scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 1:37-38. It was something else, but I can't remember what it was and that goes along with my rant. So yeah.

God is teaching you. He loves you. He's doing what He can to get you back to stay with Him.

Be good! Choose the right!

Love ya!
Sister Garcia

It's Time For A Rant!

Hello my friends and family!!!

I love you all a whole lot, and I hope you know that!

I'm staying in Pagosa Springs for my last transfer :) My new companion is Sis. Johnson, and I'm stoked! I pick her up tonight and we'll start working hard tomorrow! Sis. Fisi'italia is going to be with her trainer, Sis. Huch, in Gallup for Sis. Huch's last transfer. CRAZY!! She and I have defied all odds in companionships :)

NOTE: I was informed that Pagosa Springs is notorious for losing mail....sooooo if I don't write you back soon that's why. Okay? Okay.

So I got bit by 20 mosquitos this week. Yeah. In 5 minutes, on the Riverwalk, talking to a lady who was walking across the continental divide, whatever that is. She said it was like this cross-America hike basically. She was crazy, but yeah I got bit by a billion bugs and Sis. F just watched it happen. Sigh, still recovering.

Had my last interview with President Batt!! He leaves on Monday, next Monday, when the new mission president comes. I'm excited to meet President Adams, but I'm sad to see the Batts go!

We sang I Am a Child of God in English, Tongan, and Navajo this week! Yep, I felt pretty cool. We sang it for the Batts before they left, and then for a couple of the members before Sis. F leaves.

Now that I got that all covered, I'm going to rant about two things.

FIRST. I ACCIDENTALLY backed into an 80 year old lady's car this week. Yeah. How does that happen??? Well, this may sound dumb, but I feel like it was supposed to happen based on the way that everything worked out. We were meeting a member in the Subway parking lot, and she called and told us she had fallen asleep and was going to be about 15 minutes late. So, we decided to go check the mail. Well, I started backing up, and mis-judged the distance between me and this cute little lady's parked car, and I looked at the front of the car to make sure I didn't hit the car that was parked next to me. It just so happened that I looked right when Sis. F told me to stop. So yeah. It happened. Not sure of what happened after that, other than THREE members showed up in the parking lot right after it happened, and Sis. F went and told them what happened as I was filling out the paper stuff with the lady (who, by the way, walked out of the nail salon 2 minutes after the accident so I knew what to do then). And then, I had a breakdown because I just felt so bad and then we had to cancel with the member who was running late because we had another appointment and when we got there, the member who brought the recent convert to the lesson brought us lemonades. Yeah. Let me tell you, God knows me. He knows that I needed that sweet little act of a nasty (it was accidentally carbonated) lemonade to reassure me that it was okay. And then the next day I had to tell the mission president in interviews.

SECOND. I've been studying judging lately because it seems like that's a really big issue with the members here in Pagosa. They get mad because other people judge and then judge others. It's horrible to watch. And, they jump to conclusions based on false doctrine, or sources that are not from our Heavenly Father. It's crazy. I don't even know how to rant about it because it just gets me so flustered. But here's what I want you to know. Stick to the scriptures. Rely on God to help you make those good and righteous judgments about others. Keep your nose in your business, unless it's your calling from an inspired priesthood leader to know what goes on with others. Don't think negatively of others. Remember you don't know the whole situation. Trust that the Spirit guides you and those around you. Don't forget that others are prompted to be bold, too. Humility is vital to salvation. Focus on Christ, not on the finer details of the stories that He told. Find the meaning, not the details.

Basically, just be positive. Be happy! Don't let others drag you down. You have the power to be happy. You know what's right. You know that God knows the thoughts and the hearts and the reasons behind other people and their actions/words/thoughts. And if you don't know, find out. Because I know that God doesn't want there to be contention between people. But I also know that God needs you and me to be bold and, when prompted by the Spirit, to help them change.

So your challenge this week is to judge righteously. To focus on Christ and pray for that gift of discernment so that you can make decisions based on the Spirit.

And to help ya out, your scriptures are James 3:9-10, James 4:12, and Moroni 7:13. And James is a super good book in the Bible that you all should study :)

I love you tons!! Be good this week!
Sister Garcia