August 10, 2009

Mommy and Daddy,

This week was busy. Even my P-Day was busy I had to go to Wal-Mart and I went with a couple of companionships to a park. Then we came back and played Scattergories. It was fun but not as relaxing as I would have liked.

So the mission is work. I’ve had some good experiences because of it, though. Today my companion and I were evaluated by our zone leaders (ZL). They said I did really well. They asked me if I’ve ever taught kids before, because I teach very animated and simply. On that same tour where I was being evaluated by my ZLs, we got a comment card back that said, “Sister Garbett was wonderful” (or something like that). Also on that tour, a woman came up and told me that she used to think that Mormons were racist. But I was so friendly and had such a love for God that she said, it couldn’t be true. She referred. J It’s amazing how being personal really pays off.

Sorry this is going to be a short letter. But it’s late and my hand hurts. Remember to be the person Heavenly Father knows you can be. I love you!

Love,
Sister Garbett

P.S. Here is a list of things you can send me whenever you make a package for me :)
Wal-Mart gift card
Subway gift card
Mascara (pin tube, mom knows which one)
Stamps
Licorice
Stationary
Trolli candy
Fruit snacks
Clothes (I can wear button up shirts with small patterns --strips/polka-dots)
Jewelry
I love you!

Aug 3, 2009

Mommy and Daddy,

Well today is my P-day. It’s about 830pm so I only have about a half-hour left to finish writing my letters. I’ve done lots of laundry and I’ve written almost 10 letters. It’s been a pretty no stress day. Well after noon, because on P-day we work from 10-1pm. But today we got called in early so we worked from 9-12. I’ve been in my apartment on my bed for most of the day.
Thank you so much for the licorice. I ate one bag in like three days. I haven’t opened the second one yet. I’m saving it for an emergency.

The mission is so good. I really feel like I am good at giving tours. Because even though I may not know all the facts, I’m a people person, so people seem to like me. The other day (I don’t remember which one, because they all run together) we had a tour with a middle age couple. I try to learn everyone’s name on the tour and I try to talk to everyone. This tour we gave had 20 plus people in it! So after the tour we handed out the referral cards for people to leave comments and to refer. This same middle age couple left all of their information and comments, but didn’t refer. So I re-invited them and asked if they wanted a Book of Mormon. The husband said he had been reading it in the hotel. So I offered him one for himself. He said yes and checked the box to receive the Book of Mormon and missionaries. I found out they are Quakers! Later I looked at the comments and it said, “Sister Garbett did an excellent job.” They even wrote this before I re-invited them. It’s amazing how talking to people and building that relationship makes such a difference. Every day I remind myself, “We teach people, not lessons.”

I know I’m here for a reason. Being able to talk to people is a gift from the spirit that I have be given. It has blessed me so much already and I know it will help me throughout my whole mission. This church is so true!

I love you so much!

Love,
Sister Garbett

More Missionary Pictures

Pictures from the Mission

Aubree at Temple Square

P-Day at Temple Square

July 27, 2009

Mommy & Daddy,

I love you! Today is my first preparation day (p-day) at Temple Square! It was great! Busy, and yet relaxing. We worked on the Square from 10-1 then our p-day is from 1-9pm. So after working on the Square we went to Wal-Mart. I spent a lot of money because it is my first p-day and I had to stock up on everything.

This evening, I was making fried chicken strips for me to eat throughout the week and some of the sisters came over and wanted some. So I ended up making enough for them, too. One of the sisters made smoothies and my companion made rice. We all sat at the table and had dinner. It was pretty fun! But I ate too much and I feel kind of sick. There are a bunch of sisters in my living room right now, singing and talking. It’s fun at Temple Square. The sisters are real fun! I never thought I would have this much fun hanging out with a bunch of girls, but sometime they’re a blast!

Tomorrow we have this special outing where we get to go to Cotton Wood Canyon, which is where the pioneers went to get the granite to build the Salt Lake Temple. We were told to wear p-day clothes and that we might be getting wet…. So I’ll let you know what happened in my next letter.

So, I emailed you a bunch of pictures today. I hope you got them. I can upload pictures straight from my camera. So you’ll get all the pictures first.

I don’t know if you’ll get my letter before Brian and Rachel leave this weekend for Utah, but if you do, tell Brian if he wants a tour with me he needs to call mission services to find out which tours I’m scheduled to be on.

Well, I love you! I love being here. It’s amazing when you have a tour of seven people and you feel the sprit so strong as you’re giving the tour and afterward two people want the missionaries to visit them!!! That’s what happened yesterday! That kind of experience reminds me of why I’m here, to invite others to come unto Christ. It’s even better when they accept the invitation!

I know I’ve been the happiest on my mission when I’ve worked my butt off during the day and at night I fall right to sleep. The next morning I wake up renewed with the needed energy to do it all over again! I love this church! I love you! Thank you so much for the package! You’re the best!!!

Love,

Sister Garbett

The Best Day Of My Mission!

July 18, 2009

Dear Mom & Dad,

I had the best day of my mission, so far today! I went to Temple Square! We left the MTC at 3pm and got to Temple Square at 4pm. We all went to the “underground laired.” We met in a conference room and sang “Called to Serve.” The mission has added a third verse about Temple Square. Then we met our companions for the day. My companion was Sister Higgenbotham from Virginia. She was amazing! We talked to lots of people and got lots of member referrals.
As Sister “H” was talking to a member family and getting a referral from them, I saw a family walk by us. They looked like middle age parents with a young toddler. I later found out they were the grandparents to this two-year-old boy. Right when I saw them I knew I needed to talk to them. The spirit was prompting me very strongly. My stomach was churning and my heart was racing, like right before you bear your testimony on Fast Sunday.

When Sister “H” was finished talking with the first family she asked me if I wanted to go contacting somewhere else. I said no, we needed to talk to these people (the grandparents of the 2 year-old). She didn’t object, so I walked over to them and started talking. I introduced myself and got their names. Oh, right when I started to approach them the two-year-old looked up at me. He smiled and ran straight towards me and gave my legs a huge hug! I almost started crying because, Mom, I remembered our talk just before I left on my mission. You said you felt prompted to tell me that as non-member families come to Temple Square, the parents may not be receptive to the gospel message but their little children will seek me out. You said, years from now when I’m off my mission, the children who will then be adults may not remember my name or what I said to them when they visited Temple Square as a child, but they will always remember the spirit they felt as I testified to them of Jesus Christ and his great love for them. When that little boy sought me out and gave me a hug, it was as if the spirit had just witnessed to me that what you had said was true!

As I began to talked to this couple, I discovered that I had no problem talking with them. I felt so calm and we connected very quickly. We offered to take them on a tour and they accepted. We took them to God’s plan for families. Although, the two-year-old was a little rowdy most of the time, the spirit was still there. After the tour we asked if we could send missionaries to visit them. They rejected. Sister “H” talked to them about the Book of Mormon and testified of the truthfulness of that sacred book. I don’t know how she did it, but they accepted the missionaries!

I had an amazing time! I am so excited to be able to serve at Temple Square every day of my mission! I wish Sister ”H” would be my trainer! She’s awesome. Oh, so we were contacting people and we started talking with a man and woman who were very nice and appeared kind of “hippish.” The man asked why all the Sister missionaries at Temple Square were so pretty. I explained that it’s a proven fact that confidence makes people more attractive and that all of the sisters at Temple Square were confident because we know who we are and we know Jesus Christ is our savior and we know God has a plan for us. The woman with him then said she notice how Mormons seem to have a “glow” about them. My companion then explained about the Holy Ghost. But in the end, they said they weren’t really interested in hearing more about the church (yet :~)).

I know Temple Square is the mission where I am supposed to be. I can’t believe I ever doubted Heavenly Father. I can’t wait until next Wednesday (22 July), that's when I can come to Temple Square as full time missionary and to do God’s work. I am in a better mood right now than I was on my first day at the MTC, and that’s saying a lot because you know how excited I was when you dropped me off in Provo!

I love you both so much! THIS CHURCH IS TRUE! I have such an amazing testimony! Thank you for raising me in the true Church of Jesus Christ! I love you!

Love,

Sister Garbett