24 June 09 - 01 July 09

Not much has happened within the last week. Progress in this area is REALLY slow. I practically walk around all day in the heat because we don't have that many teaching appointments and when we do they usually fall through. We teach when we can though. This area is a lot harder than my last one. I've already had a couple people flat out discriminate against me just cause they know I'm a missionary. But oh well... life goes on.

Me and my comp have a love/hate relationship. Sometimes, things get a little too heated between us. But that's okay. If I didn't struggle with something then I'd never grow.

AND DON'T ANY OF YOU TAKE THAT SENTENCE THE WRONG WAY!

This is just a side note for everyone who reads this.

If you get offended by anything that I say then you don't know me. I may have my faults but I have never sought to offend anyone. When I joke around I usually do it at my own expense or I do it in a prideful way. Sometimes, I have to do that because others tear me down a lot. If I don't bring myself up, even if it's in a prideful way, then I'll take it. Does that mean that I'm prideful. Gosh, I hope not. I said it before and I'll say it again though, "We are not who we want to be. We are what everyone makes us out to be." If you don't understand what that sentence means then maybe I can give you an example as to how you can apply it to yourself.

Why do some people think that Jesus Christ was just an ordinary man and not the Son of God? It's a hard question to answer if you already have a firm testimony that He is the Son of God and our Savior and all that jazz. But for someone with the mindset that yes, there was at one point on this earth a man named Jesus Christ and of course He died, but not necessarily for our sakes, then how could he be anything other than just some ordinary man? I could look at anything and make it to be whatever I want and no one could tell me otherwise that they are anything other than what I believe them to be. A doctor could be a drug addict. The fireman could be the arsonist. The NASCAR driver could be suicidal, and one boy who grew up never hurting anyone could be counted as more worthless than the dirt you walk on. If you get offended at what I say then I am offensive. If I try and lift myself up then I am prideful. If I try to make others laugh then I am immature. It doesn't matter if I am anything but whatever anyone sees me as, that's who I am. Even now, I am a messenger of God come to bring glad tidings to all those around me and yet most of the time I am considered the devil's advocate. Because I have only been out on my mission for 11 weeks, my word is taken for naught because someone out as little as I have been could never have anything to say that's of importance. Does anyone but God know of what I'm going through? I certainly don't know the pains and afflictions that rage withing the bodies and souls of my family and friends. So do we have any right to bring others down to lift ourselves up? How many people must I carry on my back before they are able to walk on their own? How much more criticism and negativism must I take before I finally snap under this load? I am not here to be a punching bag for others. I try and bring laughter to the lives of those who sorrow. I try and "bear one an other's burdens that they may be light and comfort those that stand in need of comfort." If you read this and don't believe me then either I'm lying or you don't know me. I tell you these things on part that this is something that I need to vent. How much of my life did I spend hiding from speaking my mind? How much of my life did I spend hurting my Savior and Heavenly Father because I endured the hurt everyone gave me instead of standing up for myself? I don't know. I don't want to find out. I don't want to hold my tongue any more.

The second part is that you may "learn wisdom." I may be only twenty-two. I may only have been on my mission for eleven weeks. That does not mean that I am any more above or below any one else. If there is something that I can teach, then I'll teach it. If there's something that you can learn, then learn it.

I hope this email finds everyone well. I just want to leave with my testimony. If there's one thing I noticed out here on the mission, it's that everyone bears there testimony on what they know best. For some, it's that the Book of Mormon is true. For me, it's that I know that my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ loves each and every one of us. I have felt that love. I feel it every time I feel the Holy Ghost. And that's just a small portion of the love that we will feel when we live with Them forever. It's the kind of love that I want to feel forever and I will do everything in my power to attain that. Even if it means going against the norm. If you want to hear a song about me, listen to "I Never Stand Alone."

Later all

Elder Garcia