August 31, 2015

August is basically over now and that is crazy. Weeks truly do go by like days out in the mission field. Last week was the last week of the transfer and Elder Holmes will be getting transferred and I will be receiving a new companion and training him in the office. That will happen on Wednesday so watch Facebook to see who my new companion will be! Its always exciting and nerve racking getting a new companion. 

This week was a quick one to say the least. We had a lot of things to do in the office, prepping for the new missionaries coming in and what not. This week we will receive 19 new missionaries. 17 and 2 visa waiters. On Wednesday we go through some things with them and tell them about things with the cars. 

We had stake conference this weekend and we had Elder Bluth from the 70 speak to us about sacrament meeting and how to make it sacred as it should be. It was good. I only have 2 more stake conferences left in the mission!! 

I now can say that the weirdest thing I have eaten on my mission has been cow feet! I guess Dani, otherwise known as Sister Gardner, had cow feet this past week too! The meal was called Fufu. We have a family from Ghana that we are teaching and they made it for us. I will send a pic of it and the family. It was a good experience though. You dont have to travel the world for different culture experiences you just have to come to Florida. I will not be eating cow feet again any time soon though. It was just like eating fat from meat. Also there was Turkey neck in the soup as well. We tore off pieces of the fufu (dough looking thing) and dip it in the soup and eat. All with your hands. We wanted a full Ghana experience. 

We have been teaching Cindy as well still, she has been progressing a lot. We have a great new young couple that just moved in from Orem and they have been fellowshipping her a lot and inviting her to things. That will be key to her conversion. Keep her in your prayers, her baptism will be on the 12th on September.

The other picture is of Ryan and Natalie. We were teaching them a while ago Ryan is not a member but Natalie is. They are fun. They just moved to Smithsfield Utah!! 

I love you all and want you all to know how grateful I am to be a part of this great work. I have grown here more than I ever could have at home. I have developed a love for Joseph Smith and what he did. I know Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and gives us all hope for the future. 

Elder Gardner