Emails Feb. 20, 2012

I got a calling today....Cub Scout leader for Wolf. You think I can handle that?  ha ha

Actually, I can't believe as big as the wards are here that we are combined with the Meadows Ward for cub scouts. There's only 8 boys - 3 are Ridgecreek.

I've been telling people my youngest is almost 22 and coming home from his mission in June....it's been awhile since I helped in cub scouts, but it should be like "riding a bike" as they say.

But I was never a cub leader....officially.

I guess it's been 11 years since you left cub scouts, but why does it seem

so much longer than that? It just seems like forever ago you were that little.
Wow, that just blows my mind, because 11 years really isn't that long.

So how was YOUR week?

I think you can handle that. It comes from the Lord.

A lot of stuff happened in those 11 years. So it seems like a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away that it happened.

So this is what happened during last week. So two Sundays ago we kind of "chastised" the ward about dinners. So this last week got filled with dinner appointments and this week as well. But this past week we've been getting a lot of phone calls...not just for dinners but for appointments and other stuff like that. So I've been pretty stressed this whole last week. Yesterday didn't help at all. We had a zone conference with Elder Gavarrett of the Presidency of the Seventy and the day seemed to take forever. I don't mean to put down a general authority but he was monotone and he had a thick Spanish accent and we were there for four and a half hours, it was hard for me to concentrate. Other people spoke as well it was just a long and boring day. We got lost driving through Atlanta...oops  ;D

Emails Feb. 13, 2012

How did your week go?

It went alright. One of our investigator’s aunts died and he was pretty upset. We saw a less active lady who knows my companion. Her sister is in the Monroe ward and that's where my companion served. He's good friends with that family in Monroe. The Less active sister even took us out to eat, which was pretty cool. We told the family that and they were shocked. They said that she's never done that with any missionaries, she won’t even answer the door when they come by. We also saw a couple that’s investigating, kind of. I would say now they are. They came to church last week, didn't make it this week because of health issues. We taught them the Plan of Salvation and the husband was really excited about it. He told us that this is what he wants. It was pretty cool but that was basically all that happened.

That must have been fun, to babysit your grandson on your birthday, I'm glad you liked the birthday card I sent you. Man, all these people that you guys are meeting are all from Georgia! Ha ha. I did get your last letter and I was going to reply in an email.

I was asking if you gave out my address because a friend sent a letter directly to me and I didn't know how she got it, unless I did, but I don't recall doing such a thing. Maybe the PO is returning mail on purpose and the system is not messed up. I think we're at "war" with them ha ha. We were told that the PO was going to stop forwarding mail. I'm not exactly sure why, maybe because they're going down the drain and losing money, then we were told we're within our rights to get mail forwarded.

That's funny because I do feel like I've been forgotten, not necessarily from the ward. Friends have stopped writing and I mailed John and Johnny back but I haven't got anything. I did get mail from a couple ward members and I wrote them back. But I just don't really get anything anymore. I don't really care I'm coming home in 3 and half months ha ha.

So you got the letter from the mission. I thought they were going to send it out beginning of next month. Were you still planning on coming down? I'll still be a missionary if you come down and tour the mission. I just figure it's easier to get released then come back then we could go other places.

So, Daniel's new companion is from Roy, UT. My companion now and my last one, their family moved to Roy. He moved from Ogden.

My companion wants to know if his name is Kyle Stanger? Well that's kind of funny how both our companions are from the same town ha ha.

No, Daniel says it’s not Kyle.

As much as I would like to come out for your farewell testimony meeting it will probably be better to wait till July then, then we can travel and see more of Georgia.

Stanger’s were in my companion’s last ward. He says that there is a bunch of Stanger’s in Roy.
Well supposedly the wards letters got sent back, so I don't know.
Yeah, it just seems like a better deal to just wait a little bit. I'm pretty sure I can get buddy passes to come back to Georgia so the trip out here would be free.

Emails from Feb. 6th

(We're trying to comprehend the distance to certain places.) Ceres to San Diego is about 7 hours.

That's what I couldn't comprehend when I got here. How small the state is. Before the dedication of the Atlanta temple members were going to Alabama and South Carolina and I thought they were all crazy to drive that long but it's only like 3 hours one way.  It's takes us 30 minutes to get to Ellenwood, it's on the other side of the ward.

I really didn't care who won the Super Bowl, just watched mainly for the commercials. I didn't think any of those who super great either.   It was a good game though, scores kept going back and forth, but the Giants finally took over at the end and they won 21 to 17.

The last time they played each other at the super bowl was 2008 and Giants won 17 to 14.

How was your week?

No one down here likes the Patriots; everybody was going for the Giants. Also, did you know that "Gone with the Wind" was about Jonesboro, GA? They have a museum about it and everything down here.

The week went good this time. On Saturday we had two good appointments. In the morning we went to see that couple who needed help. Bishop was also there. We taught the Restoration and it was pretty awesome. We invited them to church and they actually came. I asked them how they liked it and they said they wanted to come back next week as well. We also saw the investigator who we had trouble getting to church. Now it's not really a problem because he's getting up and he came 3 times now. He has a super strong testimony and he wants to start having a Family Home Evening with his kids. He's really working on changing his life around, it's pretty cool.

Awesome! Sounds like you might have some more baptisms before you leave.                                 That's funny that they're for New York, but I guess they're happy now.                                                  
I didn't know that. I knew it was near Atlanta or in Atlanta. Did you ever watch "Gone With the Wind"? I don't remember you watching it at home. I have the two VHS set, I don't know if I even opened it yet.

Yeah, hopefully. The one investigator wants to get baptized on Feb. 18th but he's on probation and I know most probation you can't get baptized until after it's over but he didn't do anything serious. I need to talk to P-Dub about it.

Yeah, especially since both are northern states. Patriots are more north I guess.

No, I never watched it but it's big down here.  After I got here and heard about it I want to watch it now.

It's funny how they say that the Post office is practically going out of business and they're going to cut people and all this stuff. The Post office isn't hurting down here. All the ones I've been to in my area is always packed.

I went to the Riverdale PO and I think I sent a package Friday or Saturday and they said it would get there Monday and I thought that was pretty fast maybe that's normal. Just to let you know the Riverdale PO is out of the mission...oops, oh well.

Haha, it's the closest one to us and it's right on the other side of the boundary line.

Emails Jan. 30th

How are you doing? How did your week go? What's the news about transfers?

I'm doing alright. This week I hit 20 months. I guess I'm partly sad due to the fact that I'm almost done with my mission.

Last Sunday we went to Zed's house. I got in trouble but not really. Our zone leaders called me because the Stockbridge elders told on me. When we were at Zed's, Zed said that he wanted to do a FHE with us and I guess he told the Stockbridge elders that too so they must have told our Zone Leaders that I was just over there. Anyways the ZL's called me because I didn't ask for permission to go over there and that I need to, that's why they called me. I don't think I'll ask for permission anyways because I'm always denied so there's no point in asking.

Also, our investigator came to church with us again, he also brought his son with him. Yesterday was stake conference, it was broadcasted from Salt Lake. It was pretty good, at least the parts I paid attention too.

So transfers came. Looks like I'm staying. I guess I won't kill off my companion. He's getting transferred to Athens. My new companion is Elder Christiansen. I'll kill him off because it's his last transfer too. I guess that's another part why I'm a bit sad. I thought I would kill off Elder Rima. I don't really like when I get a new companion but oh well, I'll get over it. Elder Rima was a good companion we did get along, it was fun.

Yeah, we don't get fed as much down here. Last week we had a dinner ever night but other than that it's probably like once or twice a week.

I know. It's amazing at how time flys!! Haha

I want to be there for your testimony meeting, but I guess if you want to go back in July I'll save my money for that. Are you sure you want to go in July? Are you choosing the most humid month or is every month just like that?

Do you know your new comp? Will he be ok since it's it's his last transfer? Wow, we have 3 or 4 families of Christiansen's in our ward....but no sons in GA. My visiting teacher is one.

You want to come down to Georgia for my last Sunday? I thought it would have been easier to come back here so I wouldn't be a missionary anymore and to follow the rules. I can probably get buddy passes. A recent convert of mine works for Delta. I don't know if July is the most humid month, I thought it might be August. But when it gets hot it stays hot no matter when it starts. The weather is pretty weird down here. It'll be hot in June too. Last year I think summer hit in April.

Stockbridge is in our zone. It's just the next district over. I've been through Atlanta a couple times but not on purpose.

I don't really know him. Elder Rima does because they came out together. He says he's pretty cool so I'm not too worried. Elder Christiansen is from Utah(shocking) but I think he's from somewhere north of Salt Lake.

No, I meant your farewell missionary testimony meeting you have the night before you leave, so it would be on Wednesday night. I'll have to ask all the Christiansen's if they have a relative missionary coming home from GA in 6 weeks. ha ha


Oh, yeah we have that down here at the Mission Office. I don't know if President and Sister Wolfert do anything special. Did I tell you that we're able to go to the temple again? Well the departing missionaries at least. Transfer day they take the departing missionaries to the temple. It's funny that they'll take us to the temple. I live right down the road from the airport, I can practically take myself to the airport but we have to go back to Lilburn.

Oh yeah...is Daniel getting transfered?

No. His comp is going north, maybe to Santa Fe, he didn't really say where. But he said some Spanish Elder is going there to train. He has several families he's teaching and one appointment tomorrow morning he doesn't want to cancel. I guess the missionaries left today a day early, so he's without a comp and supposed to join up with some elders from another district and he doesn't want to because he's doesn't want to cancel that appointment. I'll send all that to you so you see what all he said.

Did you get my last letter? You should have gotten it Friday or Saturday maybe.

oh ok

Yes, I did get your last letter. I can't mail people yet cause I have to use my last stamp. I have to send the milage report for the car to the mission office.

It sounds like C1 is still shrinking. I think people are moving in, but the families aren't are big as the ones that moved out. Hopefully the Senior couple that are working with the inactives will have better success. I hear they are doing wonderful things and are getting some less-actives back to church.

The ward sounds pretty small. Smaller than the Flint River ward. It's kind of sad.

Yeah, I think it's even smaller since you left.

Sister Lambert and Sister Hassard sent me letters and I can't remember who said it but one of them said that I was still the "star" of the ward. So I guess when I left people were like "oh, Elder Garcia's gone, there's no point in staying here." hahaha jk.

I heard they won't combine wards that are practically branches because there's a lot of less actives. That's why the Flint River Ward is still a Ward because there's a ton of less actives.

I don't really want to give my homecoming talk in Utah but I also don't want to go back to California.

Which reminds me. I do need more stamps, I'm good on envelopes. That's good that the work is progressing in Ceres.

I still have to write back some 1st ward people.

-Elder Tyler Garcia

Emails Jan. 23rd

(On news about Russ Smith)

That's good he's doing well.

Not much has happened this week. We contacted a referral yesterday. I don't get people sometimes. There's a member in Fayetteville (I think) gave us a referral for these people who want help. So this member is telling their friends that the church helps people, gives them money and food. The member told us not to teach them but to only help them. We told our bishop what happened and I think he said he'll talk to that bishop [about] what happened, I'm not sure. So we go over to this referral's house and we explained to them how we can't help them and how we're only here to teach. We told them that our bishop can help with the food part but they have to come to church. Everybody needs help down here, it's frustrating because all everybody wants is money and food, especially money and we can't give them money. Then they get all upset and leave, they probably get turned off by the church because we can't help them. They say that no other church can help them either.

Did you get the Jerry "Garcia" ties from the Mottisons? She said that Kent wanted her to get the "Garcia" ties for you guys, and not any other kind. It was a special gift for you and Daniel....those "Garcia" ties.

Yeah I got it. There's a member in Snellville who loves Garcia ties, that's all he wears. I never even heard of Garcia ties until the first time I went over to their house for dinner.

It's a nicer tie than some of the ones I've seen from the member. haha

I'm pretty sure I sent them [Mottison's] a letter back.

I'm not saying that the ties the member showed me were ugly, they were just crazy looking, wild.

Today (Sunday) was the football playoffs. Ravens lost to the Patriots 20-23, so the Patriots will be going on to the Super Bowl. NY Giants at SF against the 49ers....I'm feeling sick! 9ers lost 20 to 17 in overtime. So close....so much tention, blah. So it'll be the Patriots against the Giants on Feb. 5th.

That's good that the Ravens got that close. Maybe next year the 49ers will get there hopefully. I'm glad they got this close. Next year they need to get to the super bowl. SF Giants won the world series last year, it would be cool for the 9ers to get to the super bowl so San Francisco can be on top of things.

I think maybe the Patriots want a rematch for what happened a few years ago when they both played each other in the Super Bowl haha.

How do we find you on Mormon.org?

In the search bar you can put in "Ceres" and I'll be the only one up :'(

I have a pretty popular name so it'll be harder that way [to search by name]. Mormon.org tells us not to put up our last name on our profile, security reasons.

-Elder Garcia

Emails Jan. 9-Jan. 16

We've only seen one referral from Gladys Knight but we don't think they are interested. Our one investigator finally came to church, though he was pretty bored. He knows it's true but finds it boring. He wakes up early these days. So now we can get him to church.
We're probably going to be playing basketball in a short while. I heard there was rain but not the lightning. I haven't seen a good lightning storm is a good while. The wheather has been pretty different lately.

The Spanish Elders have arrived. So I'll probably be getting off.


Emails from Jan. 16th

I hope Brother Smith is doing well.

We went and saw a recent convert a couple times during the week to see how she's doing and we read the Book of Mormon with her. We also saw the investigator, who wants to come to church, he came two Sundays ago, I don't remember if I told you that or not but he came. We saw him this week and when he came to church, it was Fast Sunday, he said it was boring so when we saw him we talked about church and reverence and why it's important. We also gave him a blessing. He found out he's diabetic. After we gave him a blessing we went home and a couple minutes later he called us saying he got a job. He's been going through a lot and I don't really want to explain. He's still going though a little tough time though. Those were the highlights of our week.

I don't think I'm getting transfered. My companion is going home after this next transfer. I think I'm going to die in Flint River. I only had one area for 6 weeks the others I was there for months.

-Elder Garcia

Jan. 2, 2012

How are you and how are things going?

Things are pretty good. New Years Eve was crazy though.

We were with the senior couples in our apartment complex and we played games and talked. One of them said that Atlanta was going to do fireworks. So when midnight came I walked outside. Our apartment is at the bottom of the complex. It's kind of like a bowl. So I walk outside and all of a sudden I feel like I'm in a war zone. Literally! All around us fireworks are going off. Not in our apartment complex but around it. So I'm standing there looking towards Atlanta to see if I can see fireworks but I can't. So while I'm in this firework war zone there's a new kind of firework. Guns were going off. Everywhere. Guns and fireworks all around us. It was pretty cool. I like Atlanta.

Sounds cool, but dangerous! Hope they didn't use real bullets!

Murray had fireworks, too. I could hear them from my room and Temy's. I didn't go outside to look for them though.

It was boring here. No one came over. So I just worked on genealogy and watched a little of the parties on tv.

I'm sure they were real. We didn't see any fireworks either. What's Temy's plan? You said he might not stay home very long...or something like that.

How many missionaries are serving from that ward? I got the cards from the ward, well technically from the young women, on Friday. It was nice but it was a little weird since I don't know any of them.

I had another thought but I can't remember now. I probably should get off for now. There's only two computers to use, one is super slow and the other one there's something wrong with it. I'm on the only good computer. There's 5 other elders that need to email. I'll probably get back on later.

Ummm, I don't know what his plan is, except to take some home study courses.

I think there's only 2, and one just got his call to ARKANSAS LITTLE ROCK. He goes in the end of March. That'll make 3.

I thought the YW were going to write letters. Daniel got his on Wednesday. He wants to know if there are any short Laurels that will write to him. LOL He was disappointed there were no letters.

Yeah, they don't know you either, so they may feel a little awkward writing.

Daniel and I? haha jk, that's cool.

I thought about asking about them writing me too, but I decided it was probably best to let it go.

I counted 13 total YW. Uh, they can write if they want, but it might be a little weird. I would even think for Daniel since he's like 6 years older then them. It would be nice to get more letters though.

[More about the fireworks]

When I walked outside I went down a little bit and there was a pretty big bang, and after that I got a little nervous so I quickly went back inside.

-Elder Tyler Garcia