WHILE ITS HOT THERE IT IS COLD HERE...

Hola a todos...

It`s been pretty cold here these past few weeks but yesterday and today have been great days. Everyone is telling us that it will be raining for the next 3 days straight, so we`ll enjoy the sun while it`s still out and shining.

It`s been another great week here in Camino Carrasco. Elder Ferguson and I got to help some missionaries in our zone move houses (it reminded me of the many times that Dad and I would go help people move all the time when he was Elder`s Quorum President).  It felt good to help them because 2 of the missionaries moving weren`t able to help move anything for their back and knees.  There are now 6 elders (the 6 office elders: APs, Financers, and secretaries) all living together in the same house right next to the beach.  That will be an interesting place to live when summer gets here with tourists and everything...

Our investigators are doing well.  Not many are coming to church on Sundays but we are planning a baptism on the 23rd of July.  It`s a mother of 3 kids, and two of them sometimes go to church with her, named Daniela Otero.  She surprised us yesterday in church when she told us that she stopped smoking Saturday night.  But then didn`t like the idea of Tithing that we taught her that night.  We would really appreciate your prayers that she can get over her doubts about paying a full tithe.  We are doing our best to follow the spirit and bring members to the lessons with her to testify of tithing.  She needs to accept it before Saturday so that she can have her baptismal interveiw and so that we can announce her baptism in church next week.  My testimony of each principle is reconfirmed and strengthened each time I find myself testifying of a commandment or principle of the gospel to someone who has doubts about it.   I`m  very greatful for these experiences that only full-time missionaries can receive to help me in the future for me and my family.

We also are teaching a really great family.  The parents names are Josè and Magalî and they have two kids named Valentina and Facundo.  They are a little nervous about coming to church but have testimonies of prayer and the Book of Mormon.  They need to get married before they can be baptized and talking about opposition... the judges who do the civil marriages are on strike right now so no one can get married until they lift the strike.  Please pray that the strike ends and that people can repent and get married to follow the law of chastity here in Uruguay.

Well... That`s all the time I have today.  I`m glad that Colin enjoyed EFY... They had a mini EFY here in Argentina for the youth members of Uruguay last week too.  I thought that that was really cool that EFY made it all the way down here to Argentina.  I love you all, Thanks. Just suprise me with what`s in the package.  I don`t have any specific requests except the new EFY CD if possible.

Love,
Elder Gardner