June 18, 2012

Hola, 

     Well, another day another dollar in Argentina. The time is flying by faster and faster everyday. I wake up in the morning and then, all of a sudden, I`m back in bed at night. Crazy. Anyway, not to try to break the surprise, but I am really curious as to which photo you will be using for my missionary plaque. Just curious. I`ll think of my favorite scripture this week. There are just so many! But, on Monday, you`ll have it for sure. I promise.

     Thanks for all the letters I got this week. I think a congratulations is in order. PAIGE CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! You have a job! Thats awesome! I`m happy now. Work your butt off and be the best employee there. You don`t want to let Bishop Polluck down. You`ll be awesome. 

     I really miss going to the temple. I haven`t been in more than a year and a half! I am so excited to go through the Buenos Aires Temple before I head out. It gets re-dedicated on the 9th of september. We found out that the missionaries will be attending the cultural event and we`ll be having a multi-mission meeting afterwards with Elders Eyring, Ballard, and Cristofferson. Look up the temply dedication on LDS.org. So, that will be pretty amazing. I`m excited, but now as I look forward to that, my time is going to go by faster here, and that stinks. 

     We`re a really cool family right? We have Thurgoods, Grassles...what more can you ask for? 

     Anyway, my week was pretty boring to tell you the truth. I went to capital today and talked with about 10 missionaries from the Buenos Aires North mission. It was nice to see other missionaries. I talked to a sister missionary who knew a sister in my zone in the MTC who served in the north mission, pretty cool. I enjoy living in an apartment with four elders. Its a lot of fun. But, my companion is the only non-american out of the four. We try to include him in everything, but I think he`s a little anti-social .We speak spanish in front of him and everything, but nothing. Hopefully, I can raise his ànimo a little bit. 

     We have good investigators but we`re really struggling with them getting to church. They always tell us that, yeah we`ll go to church, but then we show up at their house to take them and they either don`t answer, we hear people inside, or they come up with excuses. Is it that hard to dedicate three measly hours of your most un-eventful life to do something worthwhile? Maybe its too much to ask. But, we keep swimming. 

     My companion is really cool. He`s 24 and is a convert of 2 years. All of my companions are converts. Anyway, he loves to work and has a great testimony. He has a really hard time with the language, since he`s from Brazil, so he speaks Portugese. But, he`s learning and I`m learning a little portugese at the same time. So, I`ll be able to talk to Brother De Souza when I get home. 

     Anyway, thats pretty much it for my week. I hope that you are all okay and in high spirits and that you`re not too trunky for me, because I`m not. Haha I love you guys and I look forward to seeing you soon.   

Chau! 

Élder Garrett Brighton Rook

 Misión Argentina Buenos Aires Oeste

        "La mejor misión de todo el mundo..."

 

June 11, 2012

Hey Guys!

     Well, writing after quite an exhausting week. We had transfers this week and I am tired. But, today`s P-Day and I am looking forward to a rest.

     Thanks again for writing me, I always look forward to your letters. I got sent to an area called Merlo. My ward is called Merlo 2. Its about 10 minutes by train to my first area in Moreno. So, I`m back in Buenos Aires. Its really weird for me to be here after seven months out in the middle of nowhere. But, its okay because everything is cheaper here. So, that makes me happy. Its not such a dangerous area like my first or second area, but still a little sketchy. The people are great and the ward is awesome! There were seventy people in church on Sunday! I haven`t seen that many people in church my entire mission! Its a good strong ward and I look forward to working with them. My companion`s name is Marivelton Silva, and he`s from Brazil. He is still having a really hard time with his Spanish, since he speaks Portugese, but he`s a really cool guy. He`s been in the mission for five months now. I am living in a house with another companionship who is in the Merlo First Ward. They`re way cool missionaries, so it makes the experience fun.  

     Side note. You remember my convert Estiven who I always taked about all the time about a year and a half ago? Well, I found out that he is now the ward mission leader in my first ward, is leaving with the missionaries almost everyday, and is now preparing for the mission in a few months. I can`t express the joy that I felt when I found that out. It is truly rewarding to know that a convert of mine is genuinly progressing in the gospel, and now he`s going to do the same thing that I was doing. He`s going to mission prep institute here in Merlo 1, other ward. 

     I don`t know whats happening with my card lately. It is impossible for me in an ATM to take more out than is in the account, so how its overdrafting is beyond me. I apologize for the inconvinience and I wish that there was something I could do about it. Don`t worry about my birthday, its just another day. I`ll figure something out. We`ll have a pizza or something. 

     We were contacting in the streets yesterday and we stopped a family of six people. We were just going to do a normal contact and invite them to church. We found out that they live two blocks from the church and they were always curious about what we do there. We taught them a little bit about the Restoration and they told us to pass by their house. So, we`re going to be passing by this week. I hope they can come to church this week. There name is the Corvalàn Family.  

     Congrats to Gav for completing Junior year of High School. Now its just senior year. Think about it, you start school and then a month later, I`m home. What!!!! Crazy right? Its going to pass by so fast. But anyway...

     Paige, don`t move here. I love this country, don`t get me wrong. Its a great country to visit. I would never live here. And If I had to live here, I wouldn`t live in Buenos Aires. I would live somewhere in Cordoba or Mendoza or Bariloche. But, you could still have babies and get paid in where ever you live so if that`s what you want to do, go for it. I support ya.

  

     I sent you a video that we watched in a Zone Conference when we learned about teaching about the Book of Mormon. I love this video so much. Its epic. Turn up the sound, its even better. I want to make one just like it when I get back.

     Anyway, not much to write. How is my application going to U of I? Have you heard anything from Dr. Murphy? If you do, send him my deepest gratitude for all that he`s done for me. But, thats the way the cookie crumbles this week. So, I`ll talk to you guys next week. I love you! 

Élder Garrett Brighton Rook

 Misión Argentina Buenos Aires Oeste

        "La mejor misión de todo el mundo..."

Weekly Letter June 6, 2012

Hola a todos!

     Well, writing at the end of an interesting week this week. But, I´ll try to address the things that you sent to me first.

     It fills my heart with joy upon reading the story about Mom and Dad that you sent me. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and that He wants us to be happy. I know that he blesses us with everything we need, if we are willing to come halfway. Think of the story of the brother of Jared, who wanted to know how to light the inside of the ships. The Lord didn´t just pull out a bunch of stones and touched them and handed them over with zero effort. The Lord only extended his hand when the Brother of Jared had done everything in his power to solve his own problem, and the Lord did what the Brother of Jared could not do, that is, touch the stones and give light to the ships. The Lord only blesses us with the things that we cannot do, not with what we have inside of our power to do. What you shared is definitly a miracle and I appreciate you sharing it with me.

     I was reading a scripture the other day and I thought you would really like it. Its in Alma 37 where it talks about the Liahona. Maybe you could try to apply it in our daily life. Look and live and according to our faith, daily miracles are worked. Its a great scripture of which you´ll definitely enjoy.

     Also, can you do me a favor? Daniel is probably waiting for my letter, poor kid. I sent it and it got sent back to me. So, I´m going to type a letter and send it through you so he can get it instantly. Tell him I´m sorry and that he´ll be hearing from me next week.

     Congratulations are in order for Gavin and his Eagle. Now, Mom can buy that bumper sticker that says Easgle Scouts instead of Eagle Scout. I did a slide show for my Eagle. It was pretty cool. The Mac would do a sweet video, you can make a DVD and everything.

     Paige, just keep going. If you give up, then you will truly not get anything. Blessings are found in dilligence.

    

     On with my week:

     Well, I have interesting news. My companion and I have just suffered a ´White Wash´, or when both elders are taken out of the area. We had interviews with President last week and he said that he was thinking about doing it. I think its a good idea. That branch needs some new blood and I´ve been there for seven months. I´ve been there for their good times and bad times and I think they want to see a new face. So, we´re in the offices right now waiting for our transfer meeting to start. So, I don´t know where I´m going yet. I´ll let you know next week. I´m kind of nervous but I´m excited too. New ward, new members, new investigators, new companion. It´ll be interesting.

     I think I´ve decided that I want to go to U of I after I get home. I feel good about it. I would be close to home, I could work and I could probably work the summer camp in between school years. They pay well and they know me there. Who knows, we´ll see what happens. It´ll be awesome being with Stewie in school. Maybe, I could live in there house and we could go to school together until I get a car of my own. We´ll see. I´ll have three months to make plans. I´m excited to study. Not trunky....haha

     I know that this time will go by quickly, but I know that I´m where I´m supposed to be. On the mission, as a missionary preaching the Gospel and inviting others to come unto Christ through faith in him and his Atonement, Repentace, Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the End. I would appreciate that you help me stay focused on the work as I wind down to the end of my time as a missionary. I would be eternally grateful for your words of encourgement and support. I love this work, I love the Gospel, and I love the Lord, and I want to serve Him with all my might until He says that my work is done. I love you guys and I look forward to be reunited with you again in the near future.

     I LOVE YOU!!!

Élder Garrett Brighton Rook

 Misión Argentina Buenos Aires Oeste

        "La mejor misión de todo el mundo..."