August 27, 2012

Hola Familia Mìa!

     Writing after quite a busy week, but all happy here. Thanks for all your letters this week, I always look forward to reading your letters. Sounds like your week was a good one, and mine was too. But, I`ll address your letters first before addressing my week.

     Dad, I`m happy to hear that you are happy with your new job. Dad, I`ll find you a rad tie. They have some really good ties here, so I`ll get you one. There is also a knife set for asado that I want to get you. Its about 30 bucks, so about 50 bucks from you, and I can get you everything. You can`t say no to an Argentine knife set right? Haha

     Mom, congrats on the weight loss. I was thinking about what I want to get you, and Sister Carter has something that I want to get you. I asked her about it and it costs about 50 dollars. I also want to get Paige one, and one for my future wife...haha. But, I`ll look around and see if I can find something cheaper. But, where Sister Carter got it is in one of the stores where the missionaries go at the end of the mission. So, I`ll go there, and she wants to know if she needs to call some more in, so let me know. They`re awesome...trust me.

     Paige, I`ll look around and see what you would like. I was thinking about getting you what I want to get Mom, but I`ll look around some more. I`m actually going shopping today to see what`s out there.

     I want to get Grandma a spoon from Buenos Aires. You know, she collects spoons, and there are some really pretty ones in Capital. So, I was thinking about that.

     Gavin, I`m not sure what you want. If I were you, I would send about 50 bucks and I`ll buy you a knife or something. I`ll look around I promise. I also want to get you a CD of Argentine Folklore Music so you can here some sweet acoustic guitar music. Give me some ideas. Research on the internet and let me know what would spike your interest to have.

     Send me a list so I have an idea of what you want and I`ll get you a quote on how much it would cost. 

     

     Well, today...I start my last transfer in the mission. Six weeks from now and I`ll be done. Thats scary huh? I feel like I just started. So...the countdown starts.

     Our week was really busy. Interviews with President, knocking doors, church, etc. We were able to find a family yesterday and we challenged them to be baptized right there! So crazy. They said yes, but we`ll be working with them so they can really be baptized. The kid who was supposed to be baptized hasn´t really been progressing so we don`t don`t know if he will be baptized. But, its better that this happens before the baptism than after. 

     Michael Murphy did write me back. He said: "I want to try to answer some of your questions. I know that you are worried about sustaining yourself that first semester. There have been quite a few church jobs open recently. I do not know their current status but I would be happy to inquire about, if you would like. U of I vocalists pay for accompanists so you could also make money that way. Then there are jobs outside of music and I could also help scout out the possiblity of those jobs. Frankly, I have never known a student not find a job if they were looking for one." Cool guy. He also says that he`s looking forward to our visit to him in mid-October. 

     But, we`re just working hard and seeing miracles. I`ve gotta go, but I look forward to reading from you next week. I love you guys and I look forward to being re-united with you again.  

Élder Garrett Brighton Rook

 Misión Argentina Buenos Aires Oeste

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

Well hello...

 

     First of all, I wanted to say that I did not appreciate your letters this week. Because, you made me cry in a public location and made me look like a baby  I really enjoyed reading your letters this week and i am filled with joy as I write you back.

 

     Dad, I send my deepest expression of congratulations and want you to know that I really worried about you guys. I prayed for you every night and I know that the Lord has blessed you for your efforts and your constant faith in Him. I hope that this job treats you well and that you`ll find all the satisfaction that you need.

     Mom, kudos for the new job that you found as well. Thats awesome that you`ll be going to church on sundays. Because I don`t want my Mom working when I have to give my talk on Sunday!

     Gavin, your letter made me cry. Elder Harriott who is sitting right next to me asked me what was wrong haha. I look forward to receiving the pin, and i`ll do so with the upmost honor.

     Paige, short letter. Haha but funny story about the guy in Taco Bell. I was a regular when I worked at Hollywood, I went there all the time, but they knew my name. 

      Thanks so much for the money, I`ll get those scripture covers ordered ASAP. I love you guys so much.

 

     Okay, on with my week:

 

     First off, my week was kind of a crappy one, not going to lie. So, we had a baptism planned on Saturday and everything was prepared. The kid doesn`t show up and we wait and we wait. We finally call him and his Mom answers and tells us that he left that morning and hasn`t been home since. He left his cell phone in the house and they couldn`t find him. We waited about another hour and then left. I felt really bad because the font was filled, the members were there. But, they understood and told us not to worry about it. Since then, we still havenpt been able to find our investigator. We`ll keep trying but I don`t know what`s goign to happen with him.

     Today, we are going with our ward to the Temple Open House in Buenos Aires. I am so excited and I will send you pictures next week. This is the last week of the open house and then it gets rededicated on the 9th of September. On the 8th, we`re going to have a cultural celebration where Eyring, Ballard and Cristofferson will be present, and then we`ll have a conference with them witht the two other Buenos Aires Missions. Its going to be a busy month in september.

     We may have a baptism on Saturday with another investigator but we don`t know for sure yet. We`ll see if he goes to the temple with us today.

     As August come to a close, I realize how little time I have left. Unfortunately, my mission has to come to an end and I have to leave. I`ll miss it terribly. If I could, I would extend one more year to be here. But, I want to see you guys too and be with you again. But, I know my time`s not over and I`ll work hard until my Stake President takes my plaque off of my chest and tells me that I`m not a missionary anymore. Until then, I keep working hard and inviting all people to come unto Christ and accept the Restored Gospel by Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Repentece, Baptism, Receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End. That`s what I`ll do, endure to the end , so my homecoming can be more rewarding to know that I gave the very last drop until the very last moment. I love you guys and I`ll write you again next week. Have a great week!

Your son,

Élder Garrett Brighton Rook

 Misión Argentina Buenos Aires Oeste

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

August 6,2012

Saludos de Argentina...

     Thanks for the great letter this week. We have had quite a week of miracles this week, but I`ll address some things that you have written to me first.

     First Mom, about your work. I can understand both sides of the spectrum, in between you and the bishop. The bishop is right. But, you are also doing something that you maybe cannot avoid. You need to work for right now until Dad gets a job. But, you also need to go to church every week, which the bishop addressed. I suggest that you take it to Heavenly Father and that you listen to the council of the bishop. Maybe Mom, you might have to let the job go if it gets in the way of church attendence. I know, I`m a missionary and its easy for me to say, given that I do not work and have zero problem getting to church. But, Elder Uchtdorf said in the the last Priesthood Session, "sometimes, we have to step out into the darkness, so the Lord can put firm ground beneath our feet". I personally would suggest not working on Sundays since it is a covenant that we take upon us when we are baptized. But, we must also keep in mind that our loving, merciful, and all knowing Father in Heaven, would make sure that his covenants are kept and would not let something get in the way of keeping said covenants. God knows that we need food, shelter, and...money to support ourselves. In 3 Nephi 13, the Lord Jesus Christ explains in verses 25-34, that we should not concern ourselves with what we are to eat, drink or clothe ourselves with, because our Father in Heaven knows that we have need of such things to survive. But He gives us this one council, "But search first the Kingdom of God and its righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto thee...". Mom, take it to the Lord, and the Lord will give you a wiser answer than I. I love you so much, and I have a testimony that the Lord blesses us when we most need it. But only if we are willing to keep his commandments. I have seen the Spirit touch the hearts of those who are not from the church, when they promise to not work on Sundays anymore so they can get baptized and take upon themselves the Abrahamic Covenant, and ultimately, the name of Christ. "Who am I, saith the Lord, to promise and not complete?" Doctrine and Covenants 58:31.

     Second, the only thing that I want to buy from here is a pair of leather scripture covers for my spanish scriptures. A lady does them here and they are amazing! I`ve pretty much got everything that I want. Thats the only thing left that I would like to have. Its about 400 pesos, which is about a hundred bucks maybe a little less. That is truly something that I would keep forever, because it would last forever. But, if I want them, I have to order them ASAP, given that the lady takes about three weeks to make them. So, let me know. :-)  

     Third, I am not going to buy a new pair of shoes. Its not necesary at this point. I only have two months left. By the time I break them in, I`ll be home. There not that bad anyway. I super glued them together again, so they should be just fine.    

     

     Well, our week was pretty amazing. First, we had 8 people who were not members in Church on sunday, and we found a family of 5 who wants to get baptized! They came to church out of nowhere and they invited us to their house with a cake waiting for us and said that they had family in another ward in the mission and the only thing that they want is to be just as happy as they are. So, we challenged them to baptism and they said yes. So, on the 25th of August, we should be having in-between four and five baptisms! We were definitely blessed this week and we were able to see a truly golden family. 

     The temple is now open to the public since Saturday, and will continue to have the open house until the 25th. So, we`re going to be taking a lot of investigators to the temple this next two weeks. Hopefully we`ll see some major success through the open house, but I`m sure that we will. 

     Well, I`ve gotta go so I will write you next week. I love you and I look forward to the day when we will be reunited (but not in a trunky way). 

     

Good night and good luck...

Élder Garrett Brighton Rook

 Misión Argentina Buenos Aires Oeste

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