It's Been A Year Since I Last Wrote...

​Congrats to Méline and Robert!!!! 

Hey Everyone! Happy New Year!

I hope that you are all doing great and that everything is going well in snowy Utah! I don't miss the snow one bit, but I miss you all!

​Great to see Elder Millerberg again! 

This week was a great one! The best part, of course, was the baptism of Méline and of Robert! Robert is 14 years old and came back due to a miracle of a reactivation of his mother! She is a geneologist and had a dream that her ancestors were waiting for her. So, without delay, she called the missionaires, we baptized her son, and she and her inactive husband are active again! Méline is 12 and lives on another island. She was in Orofero for a vacation with her grandparents (our ward mission leader). She has followed the church for 4 years but hasn't been able to talk with the missionaries. We happened to see her the first day that she came to Orofero, and happened to baptize her and send her to the temple just before she is going to go back! (Just imagine saying that to your friends: in 3 weeks, I met the missionaries, was baptized, and went to the temple!!!) Congrats to the two!

The Zone after our "Family Night"

Other things that happened this week were pale in comparison, but it was still a good week! There are other investigators that are doing really well and the area is starting to pick up! Jimmy, a recent convert, received the Priesthood yesterday and is going to the temple on the 14th of January to do the baptism of his deceased wife. Next year, other temple ordinances! We also had a family night as a zone, which was great too! This next week figures to be a training heavy week, so not a whole lot of action and a whole lot of listening planned for this week.

​The box of liquor chocolates... The red ones were filled with alcohol and we threw out the rocky white one (champagne) and the rocky dark chocolate one (Rum). 

Funny Moment: For the holidays, we had a few members give us chocolates. Normally a nice gesture. But, we found that half of the chocolates were baked in either alcohol, rum, or champagne... Elder Murdock figured that out the hard way ha ha ha! We immediately threw out the other alcoholic ones! 

Culture Shock: As I looked at the calendar, I realized that this year, I will be seeing my family in person for the first time since 2015... 

Spiritual Moment: The baptisms of Robert and Méline were truly miracles. I am grateful that Heavenly Father gave us these miracles and for the great things that are happening here at Orofero. There is little doubt that God works in mysterious ways, and the only question that we have to ask is: Do I want to be a part in it? If not, it is your choice to have a mediocre life. If you do, get ready for the best life that is available to man.

Love you all! 

Elder Garff 

Thanks Uncle Craig and Aunt Melissa and all the Ballard family!
There is nothing like Ghirardelli hot chocolate and snowman poop for breakfast!