16 July 2009 - 22 July 2009

Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2009, 12:41 PM

So this has got to be one of the most and probably will be the most craziest transfers that I will ever have. I just thought I'd like to tell everyone one.

Anyways, last night I was thinking to myself. A while ago, my friend Dann told me that I was going to change on my mission. I flat out refused. Me change? Never! I liked who I was. I was a pretty okay guy. At that time in my life, things couldn't be better.

So why would I change?

I'm sad to say that he was right. I HAVE changed. I could not NOT change. I was forced to change just like all the other times in my life where I had to realize that who I was wasn't exactly what I could be. Would anyone deny the opportunity of becoming someone better? Well, I almost did.

So I wonder if I sound any different to anyone. Looking back, I would never go back to who I once was. Some people spend most of their lives trying to become older while others spend the rest of their lives trying to sound young. I wonder which one I fall into...

This past week has definitely been interesting. I can't say much on the subject though. Mostly because it's all a blur. Some parts stand out, but not a whole lot.

I don't know if I've told this story yet, but there's a man named Ted Florek that we've been teaching for a while. When I first met him, he was just beginning to show an interest in the church because of some things that have happened to him. We eventually got to sit down and have a full lesson with him one day.

As we kept visiting him, his countenance began to slowly change. Pretty soon, he was finally able to discern the difference of the spirit when we were at his home and when we were gone. Now it seems like he wants us to come by more often just so that he can feel that peace.

Not too long after we started teaching Ted, his son came up to us and said that he wanted to be baptized. Every missionary wants to hear that. So now we've been trying to teach Ted and his son Teddy to prepare them for baptism.

We asked Teddy when he wanted to be baptized and we settled on Aug 1st. Ted on the other hand felt differently. He sat us down. Took a deep sigh. And then went into this long discussion about something or other. Then when he finally spit it out, instead of what we thought he was going to say, he of course threw us off. He wanted his son to be baptized on July 31st.

He of course didn't feel that he was ready to make that covenant yet. We told him it was okay. The only reason we give people dates is so that we can prepare them within that set time. It's kind of like studying for a test. You wouldn't study for it if you had 6 months. But if you knew it was three weeks away, you'd start hitting the books.

But if you're not ready for the test then you're not ready. We told him that as soon as he felt he was ready for baptism then be baptized. This is one thing you don't want to rush. Of course he's going to be baptized. When you help bring others unto God through the spirit, baptism will happen in the process.

Because of how we act, and hold ourselves, and treat him. He respects us the most out of any other missionary he's met, and he's met a good six or seven pairs. And he's told us specifically that we (Elder Dyer and I) can't show up to Teddy's baptism, then he's not getting baptized. It's either us, or no one.

That makes me happy that I've been able to make that kind of impact on someone.

Missionaries give up two measly years of their lives to serving the Lord, but by all means those two years are far from measly. That time that's been given up to bring the gospel to those who seek it mean the world to them. I mean the world to someone. Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ mean EVERYTHING to them.

So when I have experiences like this, why would I ever go back to who I once was? I would never have known what I know now. Hopefully, I can become a better and better man each day. Boy, it feels weird calling myself a man. But it's true.

As Paul said:
"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." 1 Cor 12: 11

But that doesn't mean that I'm a stick in the mud. I'm still going to be the goofy, oddball, wise-cracking, role playing nerd that I always was when I get back.

Jesus Christ told us:
"Behold, ye are little children and ye cannot bear all things now; ye must grow in grace and in the knowledge of the truth. Fear not, little children, for you are mine, and I have overcome the world, and you are of them that my Father hath given me; And none of them that my Father hath given me shall be lost."

I am not required to be a stick-in-the-mud just yet. It'll be a LONG time before I get all old and wrinkly. So I'm going to enjoy my youth.

Paul said to Timothy (heh heh):
"Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

Don't get old before your time. I'm trying not to.

Elder Garcia