Letter Sent on May 7, 2012

 

Things are going good here in Battambang! This past I was on an exchange with Elder Sin and Elder Khlot for a few days while our companions were away learning how to become better leaders at a Leadership Conference in Phnom Penh.  It was a good exchange and I love these two elders very much.  It was humbling and good for me when we were in my area and taking the lead and be the senior companion for a bit.  I feel like exchanges really help me grow.  Elder Sin became really sick on Thursday and we ended up taking him to the hospital and he got some help with really bad stomach cramps he came home and rested the rest of the day.  But he was still in a lot of pain and so he went back to the hospital and it turns out he has salmonella poisoning and kidney stones...yeah not fun I felt really bad for him! But it was a good exchange and we had a lot of fun together, we went and supported the family of an incredible member who passed away this past week at the funeral. I mentioned her in my last email I believe.  It was one of the best funerals I've been to and I am so thankful for the Plan of Salvation. One of you was telling me about how precious life is and how blessed we are to have the gospel and the knowledge that we have, I couldn't agree more and that is something that has become so much more clear to me and my testimony has been strengthened a lot. Thanks pal:)

This week has been good with Viilai, we were able to finish teaching all the lessons for her and go through the baptismal questions and she is having her interview for baptism this Wednesday and her baptism is on Saturday. She is super prepared and truly is a "golden investigator" she just listens so intently and she does the simple things that we ask her to do. Pray, read the Book of Mormon every day, and go to church.  It just is so cool how as she does those things she grows so much and she has spiritual experiences.  I feel like I need to help my investigators feel the Spirit and as they do they will hopefully develop a desire to have more experiences like that. I think I remember hearing from Elder Scott in conference that desire opens the door to revelation and I feel that helping the investigators really desire to know and keep commitments will truly help them progress. She also told us that her teacher just isn't teaching on Sundays anymore because he doesn't have enough students which she figured out soon after she prayed and felt that she could keep this commandment.  Such a miracle.  There are so many simple miracles in our lives every day.
It seems like every day is a battle and so many people need to be strengthened it seems like all the members and investigators need help and sometimes it can seem overwhelming.  It is crazy going from a ward in Utah that has members that have been members for generations coming here where the church is so new.  There is a lot to be taught but the members here are incredible and I know that with the Lord all things will work out:)  I have much to learn and need to lean on Him more.  I feel like I need to do better at achieving personal goals, not just making the goals but mastering the principles of achieving goals.  I just need to learn to focus better on goals and be more committed which is what I plan to do.
The language has really taken a big click this week and I have noticed the hand of the Lord in helping me read, speak, and understand so much better,(however, I still have a long way to go!!:) I have some people that tell me I really know Khmer well and others will tell me straight up that I don't know it good at all.  So I'm not sure what to think:) The Khmer people are really super blunt which I kinda like..sometimes:)  Maybe being with 2 Cambodian companions for a few days helped a lot.  I feel so blessed and I know that the Lord has helped me so much and I can testify that I have had divine help in learning all that I have.  I still have so much to learn though..which is good though I don't want to become too "comfortable".
An amazing talk that is definitely worth checking out is "Faith-the Choice Is Yours" by Bishop Richard C. Edgley.  It is one of my favorite talks on faith.  He talks about how we have the choice to choose faith always and it is up to us.  He says, "I wish to suggest a single choice-a choice of peace and protection and a choice that is appropriate for all.  That choice is faith.  Be aware that faith is not a free gift given without thought, desire, or effort..So I say, choose faith.  Choose faith over doubt, choose faith over fear, choose faith over the unknown and the unseen, and choose faith over pessimism..Yes, faith is a choice, and it must be sought after and developed. Thus, we are responsible for our own faith.  We are also responsible for our lack of faith.  The choice is yours." I love this so much and I want to strengthen my faith even further.  I feel like I used to think, "Well I don't have a choice in my faith or I can't help it if I have a doubt.."but those thoughts are from the adversary and we can always choose faith and choose to strengthen our faith.  Something cool I have learned and am still working to apply I hope that that maybe means something to you too.
Anywho, know that I am doing great! Probably the happiest I've been so far since I've been here.  I feel that this week has been a big turn in my mission and my attitude and as I continue to move forward I know that things will keep getting better.  I love you so much and thanks for all of your love, support, emails, and most of all prayers.  It means a lot.
Love,
Elder Garlick

Pics: A monkey!! I was scared to get to close because Elder Sin was telling me that it bites...haha! When it opens it's mouth like that it means it wants to bite.. serious.  Elder Khlot, Elder Sin, and Me on a tuk tuk (pretty much a trailer welded to the back of a moto) We got poured on.  The sisters.  A picture of right now, I went and stood in the rain right outside the internet shop, in case you were wondering what it looks like right now.

Letter Sent on April 30, 2012

How are you? I'm doing good!
This week was a good one; another good ol' week:)  Well there was a day this week were it was the hottest day of the year for Cambodia and Battambang was the hottest city and it got up to like 41 degrees Celsius, which is approximately 105.8 degrees Fahrenheit. Yeah, Khnom cong ngoab! I wanted to die! haha.  It was probably the hottest day of my life.  But it's all good I feel like I am really used to the weather here now, it's weird to think about snow or chilly weather:)
This week we have had some really great experiences with investigators.  We have an investigator named Om Sarin that we were reviewing about prophets with and talking about choosing the right and how prophets help guide us and all and in the lesson he asked us to be baptized! It was sweet we were taken by surprise but were really excited.  It was really neat seeing how prepared he is and the desire that he has to receive this sacred ordinance.  He has learned with the Elders before and just never had enough time but now he does and wants to learn.  His wife is a member but works far away in Siem Reap and he has a child that just got baptized in Phnom Penh.
Another great experience was a lesson with Viilai, who is preparing to be baptized on May 12, she goes to school on Sunday and we were teaching about the Sabbath Day.  We taught her about how on the Sabbath we are to do those things that direct our thoughts to the Lord and that we shouldn't be going to school. It was really hard for her to hear and she was struggling with it but we had a really great lesson that was filled with the Spirit and strengthened my testimony of the Sabbath and it's importance as we taught, shared experiences, and testified.  You could just see the Spirit working in her and just softening her heart..We committed her to pray about it; the next day she said she prayed about it and that after her prayer she just really felt that yes she could do it.  Then it turns out that after church she learned that there are not enough students so the teacher isn't teaching anymore(I am not sure if it was just this Sunday or forever?, I didn't understand fully?) but it was a really cool teaching experience that strengthened my testimony, especially of the importance of honoring the Sabbath day.  I believe even more firmly that when we put the Lord first that everything else will always work out. Elder J. Devon Cornish said, "One of the secrets to a joyful life is to recognize that doing things the Lord's way will make me happier than doing things my way."  I know that that is true! So I don't know why my actions don't always reflect that? But I know that when they do, that things always go good and I feel good about the things I do.  I know that our Heavenly Father has a plan for everyone of us and that its many times different than our own and that when we do things His way that we can become the person He wants us to become. And we'll be happy!
After a District Meeting this week we all went and visited a most faithful member family who has a daughter that has a heart problem and is dying.  We went and visited them and Elder Oleson and Elder Wright gave this girl a blessing and it was the most beautiful blessing of comfort and of peace.  This woman has had such a hard life and has been such a light to her family and is just the most faithful person.  I feel so blessed that I was able to be there and to witness the blessing, the Spirit was so strong and I am even more grateful for the Plan of Salvation that gives us all such hope.  I know that it is true and that we will have the opportunity to meet our loved ones again.  I am so grateful for my mission and the opportunity to serve and have these experiences, I am also grateful for all that you do for me, for your love and support thanks for all that you do. Welp, I had better get going..have a great week!
Love,
Elder Garlick
Pics; I got my new name tag! Sweet right? Our Church in Battambang, really pretty! Like 5 months old. 

Letter Sent on April 23, 1012

 

Whatsup? Hope lots of good stuff:)

Hey this week has been pretty good, I feel that things are starting to pick up more.  We made goals for different people we wanted to focus on this transfer in 4 categories; baptisms, integrating recent converts into branch, rescuing less actives, and strengthening members and helping prepare them for the temple; along with all of our other investigators and finding of course!  This week we went and visited some less actives that have been ones on our list of people to rescue during this transfer.  It was very exciting because at church almost all of the less actives who we had visited had come to church which was so great to see! We had a couple that didn't but it was very satisfying to see many who did come.  I guess the trick now is to strengthen them and help them have spiritual experiences so they will come consistently and stay active:)

Ming Siinaa is an investigator who is has a baptismal date on May 12, this week it came up that she doesn't have her marriage certificate, so her and her husband are not legally married, therefore she cannot be baptized without the said document. When we told her this she seemed to lose a lot of desire to receive baptism.  She says that it is too expensive and so maybe she'll just "wait a year" to be baptized.. However, we feel that they could definitely get the paper if they really made it a goal and tried.  But she still came to church on Sunday and we feel that we have to strengthen her faith and show her the importance of baptism and the eternal blessings that stem from it. We feel that she maybe still thinks it's just "something you do" and doesn't recognize how truly important it is.  We have an investigator, Puu Sokciat that we taught the Word of Wisdom and we are now helping to overcome some of his addictions. 

We have a recent convert named, Riit(probably one of my favorite Cambodians:) i love this guy.), who was really sick with a bad cough and had to go to the hospital because he didn't have enough blood in his system and had to get more. We went and visited him at the hospital.  Which compared to an American hospital was not very sanitary at all, one more thing that I am so grateful for back at home.  My gratitude for things is really growing seeing how little many people here in Cambodia have.  We are indeed so blessed! Wow! It really is so crazy how good we have it. Anywho, it was great visiting him and showing our love for him and we thought it would be good for his older brother Petkdei to give him a blessing.  So we had the opportunity to participate in the blessing with Petkdei.  Afterwards Petkdei said he felt like the Spirit was guiding him on what to say and the blessing just flowed.  It was a real neat experience! Something we are working on is helping members and investigators have spiritual experiences, which come naturally as we do those basics of sincere prayer, scripture study, church attendance, and living true to the gospel always.

Anyways, this week was good and now that the Khmer New Year is over things are coming back to normal and I feel that things are going to continue to go great! Oh and this was easily the hottest week of my life. haha, it's insane:)

I am so grateful for my mission and for all of the experiences that I am blessed to have every day.  Indeed, everyday is precious!

I hope you know that I love you and that I pray for you.  I hope you have a great week and stay safe!

Soom srolan,

Elder Tanner Garlick

Some pics: Elder Decker and Me; We had a Specialized Training conference thing up in Siem Reap and we met with some of the Elders from a couple of other kites(areas away from the city of Phnom Penh) and Elder Decker was there, he was one of my buddies in the MTC and the first member of my group I've seen since for like the past 7 or 8 weeks; that is one of the bumbers of being in a faraway kite-you don't really get to bump into anyone else-oh well I love it here!, A river, Cover for the next issue of National Geo. haha. Jk. But seriously!, a cute little frog.