I Can Now Go Home

December 2, 2010

Mommy & Daddy,

Well, today is my last preparation day (p-day)! Can you believe that? I haven't emailed you yet. We have morning p-day, so I'm writing you and it's like 1145am. We had a zone pot-luck breakfast this morning. It was really good. I made papas-con-hueves to bring. We had a lot of food from other countries. I'm super full now!

This week has been a really good one. We have three new investigators! DJ from MO, we are passing him of to the local missionaries. We are teaching a guy named Adnano, he is from Mexico and is progressing now! He said he'll go to church this week. We also have Jessica #4! That's right, another Jessica. She is golden. She is from Alberta Canada. She is going to church on Sunday. It's a two-hour drive and she is totally fine with traveling that distance to go to church. I love when people are prepared to hear the gospel! They're willing to do anything to know the truth. It just amazes me how much as members of the church we take for granted. We have investigators who travel hours just to get to church. While we members only live 15 minutes away from our chapel and sometimes we would rather sleep in than go to church.

My mission has changed me so much. I now have realized what things are important. I'm so grateful that I've had this year-and-a-half to strengthen my testimony and change. I really feel like I'm different and I understand Heavenly Father's divine plan for his children. As few transfers ago in district meeting (actually it was probably more like a year ago) they talked to us about a scripture in 1 Cor. 13:11, it says "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child, but when I became a man, I put away childish things.

So for district meeting we changed the scripture so it applied directly to us. Mine said: "When I was Aubree, I spake as Aubree, I understood as Aubree, I thought as Aubree: but when I became a missionary, I put away Aubree-ish things." I want to continue to put away Aubree-ish things as I continue to grow and mature. I'm not quite sure how I can master that without being totally weird, but I'll work on that.

My testimony has been strengthened so much on my mission. I'm grateful that I've learned so much that I can teach my future family. I never would have learned all of this the same way had I not served a mission.

Thank you for all of your help, prayers and support throughout my mission. I could not have served without your help. I am so grateful that we can be together forever. I love you so much!

I know that God loves us. I know that Jesus Christ lives; He is our Savior and Redeemer. I know both God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to the young boy Joseph Smith and he restored Christ's church.

I love you both so much! Thank you for being the BEST!

Love,

Sister Garbett

P.S. I'll be home for Christmas!

P.S.S. The other morning our zone had to wash the vans at 6am. While we were down there guess who we saw! Elder Dallin H. Oaks! He came and shook all of our hands! It was really neat! He came up to us and talked with us for a few minutes. He told us to tell all of our parents hi. The night before Elder Christopherson was at our choir performance, but I didn't get to talk to him. I can now go home. Heavenly Father knew that I wanted to meet an apostle before I went home!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov 26, 2010

Mom & Dad,

Happy thanksgiving! I hope you had a fun one at grandma and grandpa's house. Did you eat a lot? My Thanksgiving was good. We went to the same place as last year. We got to watch Toy Story 3. The food was catered by the same place and I'm not sure if we ate ham or turkey this year again. I am really looking forward to a real Thanksgiving dinner.

We had three weird days this week. On Tuesday, there was supposed to be a huge blizzard coming our way, so we were all sent home at 1pm. We went to our friend's house (Sister Gilbert and Sister Williams) and hung out with them. The first thing we did was put a pizza in the oven and then we built a fort. While the pizza baked, Sis Williams made smoothies and then we drank the smoothies and ate the pizza inside the fort. We all told stories in the fort and listened to music. After a couple of hours of eating and talking we were all tired, so we took an hour nap in our fort. When we woke up everything outside was white! It reminded us of Christmas, so we turned the lights on the little Christmas tree and played Christmas music while we made cookies and hot chocolate. After that we bundled up and went outside to play in the snow for a few minutes. When we were too cold we went back inside dried off and got back inside the fort. We told more stories and played a couple games. We were the most envied room on the 2nd floor. :) Lots of sisters kept stopping by to come in our fort. We were home by 8pm to plan for the next day and then the fun was over for the night.

Thursday was Thanksgiving, so we were off the Square by noon. President ordered a charter bus to drive us so he wouldn't worry about us getting into an accident. There were a lot of fun things to do. We had karaoke, pool, ping-pong, wally-ball, arcade games, movies, more games and lots of fun! We all had a great time and loved watching Toy Story 3. We were home by 8pm and so tired, we went to bed at 9pm.

Friday was preparation day (p-day). We now have morning p-days, so it's a little weird. We had a meeting at 8am and then choir rehearsal at 9. Afterwards we went to Denny’s with our "fort-buddies" around 10am. I ordered biscuits and gravy, hash-browns and bacon. Yum! Then we braved Wal-Mart on BLACK FRIDAY! It actually wasn’t that bad. We only had to get a couple of things, so it was ok. The Temple Square lights come on tonight! It should be crazier than Wal-Mart! Tomorrow we have our first choir performance, wish me luck! Sunday I'm singing with Sister Despain in church. We are singing "In Humility Our Savior". We couldn't find an accompanist, so it will be acappella. Again, wish me luck! Then on Monday I will be singing a special musical number on the Square. I'm singing "Winter Wonderland" and Sister Gilbert is accompanying me on guitar. We'll see how it goes.

This week has been good. The work has been slow, for oblivious reasons. I love my mission. The church is true! I love you so much! See you in a couple of weeks!

Love,
Sister Garbett

"Blessed for her service"

THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER DAY SAINTS

November 24, 2010

UTAH SALT LAKE CITY TEMPLE SQUARE MISSION
Salt lake City, Utah 84250

Dear Parents,

Your daughter Aubree Garbett, will complete her mission here on Temple Square on December 8, 2010. We have enjoyed serving with her. She has worked hard and in doing so has become a powerful spiritual missionary. In addition, she has served very effectively for a season in the Maryland Baltimore Mission for her "outbound experience".

It has been wonderful to see her accept these leadership responsibilities and perform her duties. She is an amazing sister missionary and has made a notable contribution to this very important work.

She has had many choice experiences, which I am sure she will share with you upon her return. We will miss her, but she goes home with our love and appreciation for all that she has accomplished here.

We are grateful to have served with her, and know that she will be blessed for her service. May the Lord continue to bless her and your family.

Sincerely, yours,

=signed=

Michael H. Holmes, President
Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission