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Wednesday, March 31, 2010 10:42 AM
Hey everybody. I don't have much to say today. Transfers is April 7th and I can't wait to get out of the Spanish Program. I haven't taught the gospel in so long that I forgot how to teach. When I try to teach now, it's completely random and I do it without the Spirit. My companion thinks I'm going to stay in the Spanish Program and he claims it's "revelation." But I've long since learned that what he thinks doesn't really mean much.
Just to let you know if anyone asks, "Why don't you just have comp inventory?" Comp inventory only works if the other party is willing to listen. I've had three and nothing's changed except for me.
Anyways, Conference! I only got tickets to see Priesthood Session and I'm not trying too hard to see the other ones. I can see why a lot of people here just don't care to watch it in person. Me, I have certain goals in my life. One of them was to watch Conference. Last October, I saw every single session (except for the Relief Society one). Now I'm thinking, "Been there, done that, what's next."
So far, I still need to eat a Krabby Patty and sit on a golden toilet. I'm a high dreamer, eh?
Here's my list:
See Heavenly Father
Write a best seller
Get married
Get a license
Get a college degree
See conference
Go on a mission
Go to EFY
Get my Eagle Scout
Do stand up comedy
Eat a Krabby Patty
Sit on a golden toilet
Go through every single temple
See the seven wonders of the world
Touch every single continent
Solve world hunger (tell no one)
And various other things
Of course some of them I can't do or aren't actually possible, but that mean I won't try.
Other than that, I have no idea what to talk about. There's only about a handful of people who ever ask me anything and I just reply to them in emails. But seeing as my hump day is April 14th, it's no surprise that the letters and the emails have started to wind down. That means I get more time to not write to everybody, which is fine with me.
So hope everyone takes care of themselves. I can actually make any threats if you don't because I can't back up anything I say. The church is true. It's snowing outside. God bless.
Thursday, March 25, 2010 11:38 a.m.So I know last week I was rambling a lot. That might be expected every now and then since outside influences tend to cloud my judgement. One good thing to rejoice about is that transfers isn't too far away and I'll be free from... those outside influences.
There's a lot of things that I've realized lately that I most likely wouldn't have had I not been in the Spanish Program. There's this lady named Nuvia who likes to mock me a lot. Last time I was over at her house, I refused to be mocked anymore. I knew that she wasn't doing it to be rude, but it wasn't good all the same. So my companion chastizes me and tells me that that's just how spanish people are. Well last night I had a talk with him and I told him that I don't care if that's how spanish people are. I was being made fun of and I wasn't just going to sit there and take it. I was told that by never having stood up for myself before, I was in part hurting my Savior because others were hurting me. Jesus Christ not only took upon Himself all my sins, He took upon Himself all my pains and hurts as well. I don't want to hurt my Savior so I'm going to stand up for what's right. Even if no one else will. People can mock me all they want. I'm just not going to be around them when they do.
One thing that's been getting to me a lot lately is hypocrites. I seem to have become a firm believer in "lead by example." Even though I don't want others following me, I seem to get people following me anyways. I know I've told several people what I think a leader is. A leader isn't someone who has power. A leader is someone who others will follow. A leader is also someone who does what's right when no one else will. So if I'm a leader of men (which I don't think I am) then what kind of example am I setting when I don't always "play by the rules" or only when it's convenient for me? Why do others follow me when I wouldn't even follow myself? So sadly I've had to realize that I can't deny certain things... like I'm a stereotypical hero-type personality. So what do I do? I need to ch... cha... ... ... ... ... ... ... change...
Poopy.
So even though it stinks to high Heaven, I need to be more obedient. But on the bright side, "There is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world upon which all blessings are predicated. And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is upon that law upon which it was predicated."
I should be high rolling from here on out.
Later everyone.
Elder Garcia
11:25 AM
When All Is Said And Done - The Standards
When the music fades into the past
When my days of life are through
What will be remembered of where I've come
When all is said and done
Will they say I loved my family
That I was a faithful friend
That I lived to tell of God's own son
When all is said and done
Time That's Left - Mark Schultz
What will you do with the time that’s left
Will you live it all with no regret?
Will they say that you loved till your final breath?
What will you do with the time that’s left?
Oh, Hallelujah!
Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Amen
What will you do with the time that’s past?
Oh and all the pain that seems to last?
Can you give it to Jesus and not look back?
What will you do with the time that’s past?
Oh, Hallelujah!
Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
Amen
What will He say when your time has come?
When He takes you into His arms of love?
With tears in His eyes will He say well done?
What will He say when your time has come?
Oh, Hallelujah!
Oh, Hallelujah! Hallelujah!
(Lord be present in all my ways,
help me follow You all my days oh Father God)
Amen
What will you do with the time that’s left?
Will you live it all with no regret
Will they say that you loved till your final breath?
What will you do with the time?
I love these two songs cause it makes me think of who I am and who I want to become. For the longest time, I couldn't figure out who I was. I think I'm still trying to figure that part but for the most part I think I've got it figured out...
I think I'm the stereotypical Hero type. It's never been in my nature to pick on the weak or afflicted or peculiar person (and if I have done that I've done away with it). I was never one to give up on someone. It's not in me to betray anyone and I can't seem to not stand up for what is right.
I see a lot of problems with the world or society. We all want to be like those superheroes in comics who do just that. But it's hard. We're imperfect. We criticize and demean and bring others down. As that Reel Big Fish album says, "We're not happy till you're not happy." It seems like this is the world that we've created.
I don't want to live in that world. I want to live in that comic book world where there ARE heroes out there waiting to rescue us and save the day. Unfortunately for me, I seem to have stepped up and taken that position. I'm socially awkward and unaccepted because of the way I choose to act (can you believe it?). Yet I keep running into people who needed me to come into their lives and save them.
Ghandi said, "Be the change you want to see in the world." It's going to be a long hard road but that seems to be a goal of mine. To change the world for the better even if it's one person at a time.
I bet a lot of you are wondering, "what is he going on about?" In truth, I don't know. I just like to reflect on things that are WAY beyond me. If I only have milk, I'd starve. Meat's so much more tastier anyways. And the funny thing is that I understand.
So I'm going to ask what I've been asked a lot in the past, if Jesus came tomorrow would you be prepared to meet Him. If not, what do you need to do in order to look Him straight in the eyes? What would you give up just to hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." For me, right now, I gave up two years of my life to prepare the way for His coming. But like I say, this won't be the end for me.
"Never give up. Never surrender."
Elder Garcia
Wednesday, March 10, 2010 4:45 p.m.Okay everyone, I managed to get on once again before P-Day was over. So here's the low down on what's been going on for the past couple of weeks. I'm once again serving in an old area but I can't see or teach any of my old investigators, recent converts, or anyone who mainly speaks or is english. One thing that's really been getting on my nerves is the "grapevine" or "telephone" or whatever you want to call it. Rules, information, and other stuff we need to know that's passed down from Mission President to the Assistants to the President to the Zone Lords to the District Lords stinks to no end. Here I am having to deal with rules and regulations that are like 95% watered down from what they actually are. Me and my comp get into little tiffs here and there about what we think the rules for things are and what they actually are. Generally, I'm usually right about them, but that doesn't mean we do them. So, the main point that I'm trying to get at is that I want to work with everyone. It's sort of like what it says in Preach My Gospel where it says we need to contact everyone. When we work with everyone, we see success. Right now, I'm only working with Spanish. Apparently they know where all the other spanish people are hiding in the stake. So needless to say (but I'm going to say it anyway) we do a lot of tracting.
I feel useless out here, and this time it's not from low self esteem. I don't teach at all because I can't speak the language. I related trying to learn spanish as like being dropped off in the middle of the ocean and trying to swim back to shore. Now I feel like it's like trying to see through 20 feet of lead. It can't be done. For me at least. I've tried everything that everyone's told me to do and I'm not progressing at all. I know that everything takes time, but time is what I don't have. I don't have time to learn a language while on the mission. I see why I was called English speaking. To think that when I filled out my mission papers I actually put that I moderately wanted to learn a language. Well... if it were Japanese I would probably be more anxiously engaged.
One thing that also gets me is when other missionaries talk about what they REALLY felt when they opened their call. Most of them (if not all of them) hated it, or checked to see if it was a joke, or checked to see if it was a mistake, or just flat out didn't think there was actually a Utah Salt Lake City Mission. Me? Course I laughed. I laughed at the sheer irony of it all. Most everyone thought that Heavenly Father was going to send me back to the "Motherland." Instead, he sends me to the heart of the church. No where in the rest of the world can one serve around the Prophet and Apostles. I get to watch Conference in person twice a year (and if I wanted to, I could see every session in person). Sure, finding people on our own is a little difficult. But we get lots of media and member referrals. Despite all of these, they weren't the reason why I was estatic at going to Salt Lake City. It was that the Lord called ME at all.
One verse that's impacted my life recently is D&C 4:3 "If ye have desires to serve God, ye are called to the work." There are very few people who actually know what my desires are. Sure I have wants, dreams, goals, and whatnot that others know about. But as for my desires, there a few who know how much I want to stretch for. There's a good chance that I can't even receive them, but that doesn't mean that I won't try. Like that saying goes, "If you shoot for the moon and miss, at least you'll reach the stars." Heavenly Father called me in my weakness to do a marvelous work and a wonder. It's a wonder that any of my works are marvelous! And yet I laughed when I opened my call. It's because as I've been serving here in the heart of the church, I've seen and met so many people who NEEDED me. ME!
And that's why I want to thank every single person who has ever walked with me down my Path of Fate (heh heh). Every experience, every moment, every trial, every hurt, every laugh, every adventure, prepared me and helped me become what these people needed me to be as well as what Heavenly Father saw that I could become. Everyday, a dozen experiences run through my mind that prepared me for that single moment in which I was needed. It baffles me as well as blows my mind how I was prepared. And I was prepared by everyone else.
So thank you. Thank you for what you've done for me.
Elder Garcia.
From whenever last week was to todayWednesday, March 3, 2010 12:50 PMSorry this is another short one. I should probably write these first...
Big news! So, I talked to my Mission President and I'm most likely being moved back to English. If you want to know why, let me know that you want to know why and next week I'll let you know why.
Other than that, nothing much has gone on with me. I don't speak spanish. I can barely understand Spanish. So all day I just sit around and enjoy my happy place while my comp talks about missionary things.
It's been pretty dull.
Once again, sorry this letter is so short. Another excuse is that the City Library is on a timer and I'm out of time. Hope all is going well with everyone I know. My mom will be getting more pics after Conference so talk to her if you want to see them.
Uh...
The Gospel is true!
Peace out!
Elder Garcia
P.S. I'll repent and write an hour long letter next week
