Monday, January 31, 2011
Big News! Huge News!
BIG NEWS here in Vitrolles... I have received a new companion his name is ELDER BOWEN from Draper Utah! Elder Bowen is super positive. He actually was Elder Herrings companion in the MTC. Vitrolles has new life... Elder Garlock has new life... Things are looking up!
This week in news... I had a huge mangez vous aka meal with our DMP ward mission leader at his house in the middle of the night I threw up. It was a bummer! but I felt better afterwards and went back to bed and woke up and worked hard.
It's funny the same thing happened to me while in Pau the same exact week while in Pau in fact. In Pau when it happened, I got up and worked hard and engaged someone for baptism. So that morning I thought about it... woke up and a miracle happened... we found a lady and daughter from Ecuador!!! I need to write down her name but she said that her daughter who was 8 had not been baptized yet!! Her entire family is members in Guayaquil and Quito Ecuador!! Her last name is Chervalis... it's a small world after all. She lives in a crazy far off random ville and the norm was for her not to be in Vitrolles where we contacted her. It was a miracle! I am grateful I got out of bed.
HUGE HUGE HUGE news...the Mission Francaise De Toulouse is no more as of July 1st 2011. It will be known as the Mission Francaise de LYON we are combining with the Geneva Swiss mission!!
The Paris mission is also taking a little of the Swiss mission. Our new mission president will be the President and Sister Murdock who is currently the mission president in Swiss right now. Our mission president goes home July 1, 2010. We are all very excited and surprised!!
Oh tonight we have a lesson with a member family who asked if we could give a lesson on baptism to their son who just turned 8. I immediately thought of Aunt Cathy at my baptism when she gave me that HUGE comforter explaining the importance of the Holy Ghost.
Love you all ciao!
Elder Garlock
This week in news... I had a huge mangez vous aka meal with our DMP ward mission leader at his house in the middle of the night I threw up. It was a bummer! but I felt better afterwards and went back to bed and woke up and worked hard.
It's funny the same thing happened to me while in Pau the same exact week while in Pau in fact. In Pau when it happened, I got up and worked hard and engaged someone for baptism. So that morning I thought about it... woke up and a miracle happened... we found a lady and daughter from Ecuador!!! I need to write down her name but she said that her daughter who was 8 had not been baptized yet!! Her entire family is members in Guayaquil and Quito Ecuador!! Her last name is Chervalis... it's a small world after all. She lives in a crazy far off random ville and the norm was for her not to be in Vitrolles where we contacted her. It was a miracle! I am grateful I got out of bed.
HUGE HUGE HUGE news...the Mission Francaise De Toulouse is no more as of July 1st 2011. It will be known as the Mission Francaise de LYON we are combining with the Geneva Swiss mission!!
The Paris mission is also taking a little of the Swiss mission. Our new mission president will be the President and Sister Murdock who is currently the mission president in Swiss right now. Our mission president goes home July 1, 2010. We are all very excited and surprised!!
Oh tonight we have a lesson with a member family who asked if we could give a lesson on baptism to their son who just turned 8. I immediately thought of Aunt Cathy at my baptism when she gave me that HUGE comforter explaining the importance of the Holy Ghost.
Love you all ciao!
Elder Garlock
Monday, January 24, 2011
Bon Jour au tous!
This week has taken FOREVER to get through. It was nuts we were in Aix en Provence on Monday and Aix en Provence again on Friday for Zone Conference. Président and Soeur Carter visited our ward this week. Where to begin... on to the AWESOME!!!
Soeur Arezzi is awesome! Soeur Arezzi was lost for about 15 years-- meaning for some reason her name wasn't on any of the records of the ward in Vitrolles. She is and always has been on the records of the church though. It's a miracle that we was found her. Five years ago she was found in potential friends of the church-- meaning street contacts and door to door contacts, etc but nothing happened. So a couple weeks ago when Elder Herring was sick, we tried to pass all the people that hadn't been seen for years. She lives literally 4 football fields away from the church. SO we went by knocked and she said, "Please come back in a few days." So we did! We came with a brother in the ward and she said that she had been a member for a very, very long time! We spoke to all the members in the ward to know if any of them remember her, we found a handful that did.
In any case, Soeur Arezzi reads every day and prays all the time. She even walked to church yesterday in 31 degree weather! It was and still is cold. What a miracle she is. Everyone in Vitrolles hates where the church building is located and everyone believes it was and is a mistake to have the building where it is located. But that building was built for Soeur Arezzi to come back. I share the same sentiments that the building's location is horrible. But I now see, perhaps why it is where it is, for Soeur Arrezzi.
Soeur Arrezzi will be thrilled to receive the letter from her old missionary, Elder Sharp! Thank you for finding him and getting them connected again!
We went back to the Romanian camp this week. They were in the process of building an evangelist church with no foundation-- out of just wood on gravel it was crazy. They told us that they are building it for their prophet, Robert, who baptized them. He said they needed to start building it before we came back so they did.... bummer because they had potential.
At zone conference, I pulled president a side and we discussed the ville of Vitrolles. For 2 years there hasn't been a baptism or reactivation. President said, Elder, you need to change the members before you change Vitrolles. So I have need of really simple cookie recipes and other baked goods that I can make, that are simple. So that the members will respond to us and help us. Please send me your suggestions and recipes.
Please send me suggestions on how to become better friends with the members or anything that you have seen that worked through your experiences. I am open to try anything. I am determined to make this ville better. Til next week....ciao!
Love to all!
Elder Garlock
P.S.
O yes, I have wanted to tell you a little bit more about french culture. There is a cake called the Kings cake and they make it specifically during the period of Christmas. It is soooooo good! Inside the cake there is always a little porcelain person or caricature-- something super small and it's baked into the cake. The youngest person in the group gets to choose who gets each piece of cake. Everyone eats the cake and the person with the prize in their piece of cake is the king or queen for the day! They get crowned with the burger king crown it's pretty fun.
Soeur Arezzi is awesome! Soeur Arezzi was lost for about 15 years-- meaning for some reason her name wasn't on any of the records of the ward in Vitrolles. She is and always has been on the records of the church though. It's a miracle that we was found her. Five years ago she was found in potential friends of the church-- meaning street contacts and door to door contacts, etc but nothing happened. So a couple weeks ago when Elder Herring was sick, we tried to pass all the people that hadn't been seen for years. She lives literally 4 football fields away from the church. SO we went by knocked and she said, "Please come back in a few days." So we did! We came with a brother in the ward and she said that she had been a member for a very, very long time! We spoke to all the members in the ward to know if any of them remember her, we found a handful that did.
In any case, Soeur Arezzi reads every day and prays all the time. She even walked to church yesterday in 31 degree weather! It was and still is cold. What a miracle she is. Everyone in Vitrolles hates where the church building is located and everyone believes it was and is a mistake to have the building where it is located. But that building was built for Soeur Arezzi to come back. I share the same sentiments that the building's location is horrible. But I now see, perhaps why it is where it is, for Soeur Arrezzi.
Soeur Arrezzi will be thrilled to receive the letter from her old missionary, Elder Sharp! Thank you for finding him and getting them connected again!
We went back to the Romanian camp this week. They were in the process of building an evangelist church with no foundation-- out of just wood on gravel it was crazy. They told us that they are building it for their prophet, Robert, who baptized them. He said they needed to start building it before we came back so they did.... bummer because they had potential.
At zone conference, I pulled president a side and we discussed the ville of Vitrolles. For 2 years there hasn't been a baptism or reactivation. President said, Elder, you need to change the members before you change Vitrolles. So I have need of really simple cookie recipes and other baked goods that I can make, that are simple. So that the members will respond to us and help us. Please send me your suggestions and recipes.
Please send me suggestions on how to become better friends with the members or anything that you have seen that worked through your experiences. I am open to try anything. I am determined to make this ville better. Til next week....ciao!
Love to all!
Elder Garlock
P.S.
O yes, I have wanted to tell you a little bit more about french culture. There is a cake called the Kings cake and they make it specifically during the period of Christmas. It is soooooo good! Inside the cake there is always a little porcelain person or caricature-- something super small and it's baked into the cake. The youngest person in the group gets to choose who gets each piece of cake. Everyone eats the cake and the person with the prize in their piece of cake is the king or queen for the day! They get crowned with the burger king crown it's pretty fun.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Quick Note for the Week
Quick letter : I'm in Aix for now. Long story...things are complicated with my companion.... he is super sick.
I found this less active woman, in the area book. Her name is Sister Arezzi. She is very old and she came to church for the first time on Sunday in over 10 years! She always talks about the elder who baptized her. She hasn't talked to him for a very long time and so I took his information and said I would ask my family to find him and contact her. His name is Elder Sharp from Post Falls, Idaho. She really wants to talk to him. Her baptism was May 13 1985 she has a picture of him and she has shown it to everyone that we have brought over. She talks so highly of him!
I went on an exchange to Avignon and had an interview with a news paper journalist. It was ok. I'm not sure how positive of an article it will be but I invited her to read and take our lessons if she really wanted to write a good article. She disregarded it and just moved on.
We have been struggling in general and so I found where all the Romanians and gypsies live and we went out to the camp of about 60 of them and taught four of em... it was an experience!
Keep praying for us!!!
I love all of you and the bakeries are still good!!!!! mmmmmmm sooooo good mmmm
Elder Garlock
I found this less active woman, in the area book. Her name is Sister Arezzi. She is very old and she came to church for the first time on Sunday in over 10 years! She always talks about the elder who baptized her. She hasn't talked to him for a very long time and so I took his information and said I would ask my family to find him and contact her. His name is Elder Sharp from Post Falls, Idaho. She really wants to talk to him. Her baptism was May 13 1985 she has a picture of him and she has shown it to everyone that we have brought over. She talks so highly of him!
I went on an exchange to Avignon and had an interview with a news paper journalist. It was ok. I'm not sure how positive of an article it will be but I invited her to read and take our lessons if she really wanted to write a good article. She disregarded it and just moved on.
We have been struggling in general and so I found where all the Romanians and gypsies live and we went out to the camp of about 60 of them and taught four of em... it was an experience!
Keep praying for us!!!
I love all of you and the bakeries are still good!!!!! mmmmmmm sooooo good mmmm
Elder Garlock
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
G Rated Experiences ONLY
Bon Jour!
As I sit reflect on the past and look toward the future I am over whelmed with the love that is felt from our Heavenly Father.
Things in Vitrolles have been interesting this week. Many, many Muslims and many, many Jehovah Witnesses are out about and irritable. I would share the experience but it is not G rated. I will say however, Loving EVERYONE has been particularly hard this week but there has been many SILVER linings this week!
One being Virginie. We found her at the beginning of this week and committed her to baptism on the 5th of February she said YES!!!!!! Pray that she holds on to her engagement!!!! She also referred her friend to us who we have a rendez vous with this week as well.
I have been working particularly hard on figuring out how to make sense of this area. At one time, there were 4 sets of missionaries and 4 branches now it is just us and 1 ward. Our area is HUGE!!!!!!!! So we came up with the idea of giving every week a written assignment to every member of our ward. Something that they can do to help us as missionaries. Such as, making a call to an old friend of the church, or passing by their home or something of that kind so that we can focus more of our time here in Vitrolles rather than in Salon, Berre, Marignane, Martigue, Saint Victoret, Istres, Rognac, and the many many other fairly large villes we work in. The thing that makes working with the ward so difficult is the ward is spread throughout ALL of the region EVERYwhere!
We are focusing a good part of our efforts on less actives and 3 were there at church that had not come for over 5 years so there is progress! Keep praying for me to be an instrument and inspired as I work in unity with my companion.
Thank you for your prayers I do feel the strength and help of them!
I love you,
Je vous aime
Elder Garlock
As I sit reflect on the past and look toward the future I am over whelmed with the love that is felt from our Heavenly Father.
Things in Vitrolles have been interesting this week. Many, many Muslims and many, many Jehovah Witnesses are out about and irritable. I would share the experience but it is not G rated. I will say however, Loving EVERYONE has been particularly hard this week but there has been many SILVER linings this week!
One being Virginie. We found her at the beginning of this week and committed her to baptism on the 5th of February she said YES!!!!!! Pray that she holds on to her engagement!!!! She also referred her friend to us who we have a rendez vous with this week as well.
I have been working particularly hard on figuring out how to make sense of this area. At one time, there were 4 sets of missionaries and 4 branches now it is just us and 1 ward. Our area is HUGE!!!!!!!! So we came up with the idea of giving every week a written assignment to every member of our ward. Something that they can do to help us as missionaries. Such as, making a call to an old friend of the church, or passing by their home or something of that kind so that we can focus more of our time here in Vitrolles rather than in Salon, Berre, Marignane, Martigue, Saint Victoret, Istres, Rognac, and the many many other fairly large villes we work in. The thing that makes working with the ward so difficult is the ward is spread throughout ALL of the region EVERYwhere!
We are focusing a good part of our efforts on less actives and 3 were there at church that had not come for over 5 years so there is progress! Keep praying for me to be an instrument and inspired as I work in unity with my companion.
Thank you for your prayers I do feel the strength and help of them!
I love you,
Je vous aime
Elder Garlock
Monday, January 3, 2011
Work, Work, Work, and then Work Some More
This week was a slower missionary one. I stood up in church yesterday and passionately tried to motivate this ward to become missionaries.
Elder Herring and I are looking to find somebody, anybody to have a lesson with. Vitrolles is night and day compared to PAU in every aspect.We counted and last year there was about 11 people engaged to baptism and one thing or another happened and no one got baptized. No one got reactivated. 2010 was a ruff year here. I'll probably be spending a few months here in this ville. It is defiantly a challenge with buses and dealing with 8 to 13 villes.. 3 of which had branches in them and each having potential. It has defiantly been a challenge to prioritize.
This last week we finished out with 47 road contacts but half of them were lost because Elder Herring lost his planner. Elder Herring was also sick this week. But last Tuesday we finished off with 23 road contacts in a day which is a record here in Vitrolles.
Pray for us! Things aren't all rosy right now. I am glad that New years was pleasant. For our new years Eve party we slept...
It's hard to find time to take pictures and such because Elder Herring and I don't really have the touristy attitude right now. We normally don't really take a preparation day other than just for emails and shopping. We work, work, work and work some more hurray for work.
Well I hope all is well at home.
Love you,
Elder Garlock
Elder Herring and I are looking to find somebody, anybody to have a lesson with. Vitrolles is night and day compared to PAU in every aspect.We counted and last year there was about 11 people engaged to baptism and one thing or another happened and no one got baptized. No one got reactivated. 2010 was a ruff year here. I'll probably be spending a few months here in this ville. It is defiantly a challenge with buses and dealing with 8 to 13 villes.. 3 of which had branches in them and each having potential. It has defiantly been a challenge to prioritize.
This last week we finished out with 47 road contacts but half of them were lost because Elder Herring lost his planner. Elder Herring was also sick this week. But last Tuesday we finished off with 23 road contacts in a day which is a record here in Vitrolles.
Pray for us! Things aren't all rosy right now. I am glad that New years was pleasant. For our new years Eve party we slept...
It's hard to find time to take pictures and such because Elder Herring and I don't really have the touristy attitude right now. We normally don't really take a preparation day other than just for emails and shopping. We work, work, work and work some more hurray for work.
Well I hope all is well at home.
Love you,
Elder Garlock
Saturday, January 1, 2011
My Mission President
My Mission President and Wife: Michel J. and Danielle Carter
Michel J. Carter, 54, Longueuil Ward, Longueuil Quebec Stake; counselor in the Canada Montreal Mission presidency and stake public affairs director; former stake president and bishop and counselor. President and Chief Executive Officer, COGECO Radio-Television Inc. Born in Drummondville, Quebec, to Marcel and Georgette Boucher Carter. Married Danielle Delisle, five children.
A counselor in the stake Relief Society presidency, Sister Carter is a former ward Relief Society president and teacher, ward Young Women president and seminary teacher. Born in Chibougamau, Quebec, to Jacques and Rolande Hebert Delisle.
A counselor in the stake Relief Society presidency, Sister Carter is a former ward Relief Society president and teacher, ward Young Women president and seminary teacher. Born in Chibougamau, Quebec, to Jacques and Rolande Hebert Delisle.
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