Thursday, May 17, 2012
New Mission Address
and packages :)
La Mission Française de Lyon
Lyon Business Center
59 rue de l’Abondance
69003 LYON, FRANCE
Monday, May 7, 2012
Happy!!
This week was such a happy one. I got the news that Sonia, the women in Vitrolles I found while doing English class was baptised and is engaged to a member of the church in Aix en Provence! I was able to call her and we both cried, laughed and felt the love of God. She has a son who is 16 and could be a future missionary! She will be married Sept 8 and I would love to come back when they go through the temple to get sealed. She was so happy and the Gospel of Jesus Christ was the engine that changed her and keeps her and us all on the straight and narrow path.
I was thinking this week a bit about home and the future but the Lord blocked my train of that and all I kept thinking about in my head was the words on the American money 'In God we Trust' how many people forget the simple reminder on the green benjamins that blessing both temporal and eternal come from the On High.
This week I had an incredible experience. Elder D. had to go have his legality taken care of so we had to leave the France Lyon Mission for a day to go to a beautiful city named Poitiers in the Paris France mission. We ended up teaching a few people while waiting between meetings and met 5 members of the Branch in Poitiers. We also went and saw a Catholic baptistery where in the beginning of the Catholic church they baptised by immersion. The baptismal font is still intact and can be viewed but no pictures could be taken. So to the meet of the Poitiers trip we went into the prefecteur meaning the legality government office and sat down and waited our turn for a good hour or so. There was a fellow American from Pennsylvania(spelling so bad sorry) who struck a conversation with Elder D. about everything and nothing. The director who doesn't speak English comes over to Elder D. and tells him to take off his plaque because she thought he was preaching in a public government building. She was not happy at all I simply explained to her that we were not preaching and that we do not wish to take off our plaque. She explained that the government building was a place laic meaning a place where God does not exist and asked me what does that do for you to wear your plaque? I felt the pressure of the moment with all the people in the building now aware of our conversation starring and said It reminds me that I am called of God. I then explained that I will leave if she would like but that I would not take off my plaque. She said that I could stay but reminded me again of the government building that I was in. After this experience I felt the conformation of the Holy Ghost that I am called of God and we must sometimes take a position not popular or easy in order to follow the Savior. It was such an intense experience and I realized how difficult it can be to oppose government officials and still be respectful while following the law.
Yesterday's Sunday meeting was one of the best in my mission. We will finally see progress I hope from branch members. There were 21 in attendance but the spirit was powerful. The testimony meeting was very very powerful and I too bore my testimony that Christ lives, God does not change and that he restored and is EVEN NOW restoring through members and missionaries a like the Gospel and Church of Jesus Christ on the earth.
We have an olderly woman neighbor, who lived in America for years and is completly non believing but loves us as missionaries!! I probably have mentioned her in past emails as well. Her two kids from Carrollton. Georgia came into town and took us out twice this past week to an all you can eat chinese resturant mmmmm and took us to get a steak which was exceptional! They were very very kind and this morning we woke up early to see them off at the train station.
Revelation is so very important when following the Savoir. I had to come to the realization that I choose to become a missionary because I received the testimony and witness from the Spirit of God and did not choose to be a missionary because of the great tradition, pressure or acceptance I needed from my family to fall into the dogma of man. I am grateful to have been so very blessed with parents and a family tradition that led me to my testimony to recognize the TRUTH.
I am grateful for a Church and Gospel which encourages us to be open and educated. Like President Hinckley said, education is the key to opportunity. Thank you for your example in continuing your education. love,
Elder Garlock
I was thinking this week a bit about home and the future but the Lord blocked my train of that and all I kept thinking about in my head was the words on the American money 'In God we Trust' how many people forget the simple reminder on the green benjamins that blessing both temporal and eternal come from the On High.
This week I had an incredible experience. Elder D. had to go have his legality taken care of so we had to leave the France Lyon Mission for a day to go to a beautiful city named Poitiers in the Paris France mission. We ended up teaching a few people while waiting between meetings and met 5 members of the Branch in Poitiers. We also went and saw a Catholic baptistery where in the beginning of the Catholic church they baptised by immersion. The baptismal font is still intact and can be viewed but no pictures could be taken. So to the meet of the Poitiers trip we went into the prefecteur meaning the legality government office and sat down and waited our turn for a good hour or so. There was a fellow American from Pennsylvania(spelling so bad sorry) who struck a conversation with Elder D. about everything and nothing. The director who doesn't speak English comes over to Elder D. and tells him to take off his plaque because she thought he was preaching in a public government building. She was not happy at all I simply explained to her that we were not preaching and that we do not wish to take off our plaque. She explained that the government building was a place laic meaning a place where God does not exist and asked me what does that do for you to wear your plaque? I felt the pressure of the moment with all the people in the building now aware of our conversation starring and said It reminds me that I am called of God. I then explained that I will leave if she would like but that I would not take off my plaque. She said that I could stay but reminded me again of the government building that I was in. After this experience I felt the conformation of the Holy Ghost that I am called of God and we must sometimes take a position not popular or easy in order to follow the Savior. It was such an intense experience and I realized how difficult it can be to oppose government officials and still be respectful while following the law.
Yesterday's Sunday meeting was one of the best in my mission. We will finally see progress I hope from branch members. There were 21 in attendance but the spirit was powerful. The testimony meeting was very very powerful and I too bore my testimony that Christ lives, God does not change and that he restored and is EVEN NOW restoring through members and missionaries a like the Gospel and Church of Jesus Christ on the earth.
We have an olderly woman neighbor, who lived in America for years and is completly non believing but loves us as missionaries!! I probably have mentioned her in past emails as well. Her two kids from Carrollton. Georgia came into town and took us out twice this past week to an all you can eat chinese resturant mmmmm and took us to get a steak which was exceptional! They were very very kind and this morning we woke up early to see them off at the train station.
Revelation is so very important when following the Savoir. I had to come to the realization that I choose to become a missionary because I received the testimony and witness from the Spirit of God and did not choose to be a missionary because of the great tradition, pressure or acceptance I needed from my family to fall into the dogma of man. I am grateful to have been so very blessed with parents and a family tradition that led me to my testimony to recognize the TRUTH.
I am grateful for a Church and Gospel which encourages us to be open and educated. Like President Hinckley said, education is the key to opportunity. Thank you for your example in continuing your education. love,
Elder Garlock
Merci! Birthday!
Dear Family,
Wow this week was fabulous and fun filled! We had Zone Conference and I received all of the packages and letters from march and April! I love your letters!
President and Soeur Murdock called me in the airport coming to Bordeaux telling me that I must be really loved! They said their bags weighed to much so they had to sacrifice the frosting and opened the packages to get rid of some extra weight. But all the essentials were kept :)
I love President and Soeur Murdock they rock! Actually my old comp Elder H. had to be run to the emergency room during zone conference due to a spider bite and the 2 zone leaders left and put me in charge for the afternoon. I hope it went over alright. It was off the fly so at least I've started to become accustomed to that a bit more as a missionary.
Actually while playing the hymns for sacrament meeting I usually prepare the simplified ones and lay them out as to be prepared before hand so I played when there is love at home all the way the love at home love at home but forgot to lay out the second page so I was guessing and playing by ear for the 2nd half of the song for the 3 verses :) it was intense! Well I have a great story but I think I better save it for post mission because it was pretty intense and I don't want mom to worry but lets just say I ran really really fast and found out how out of shape I really am! :p
Thank you so much for the birthday gifts and letters seriously it keeps me positive and working hard! We are hoping to baptism someone in the month of May pray hard!
love,
Elder Garlock
Two people in the last two weeks in Pau and Vitrolles were baptized whom I taught and had actually given both of them baptismal dates! How awesome! MIRACLES
Wow this week was fabulous and fun filled! We had Zone Conference and I received all of the packages and letters from march and April! I love your letters!
President and Soeur Murdock called me in the airport coming to Bordeaux telling me that I must be really loved! They said their bags weighed to much so they had to sacrifice the frosting and opened the packages to get rid of some extra weight. But all the essentials were kept :)
I love President and Soeur Murdock they rock! Actually my old comp Elder H. had to be run to the emergency room during zone conference due to a spider bite and the 2 zone leaders left and put me in charge for the afternoon. I hope it went over alright. It was off the fly so at least I've started to become accustomed to that a bit more as a missionary.
Actually while playing the hymns for sacrament meeting I usually prepare the simplified ones and lay them out as to be prepared before hand so I played when there is love at home all the way the love at home love at home but forgot to lay out the second page so I was guessing and playing by ear for the 2nd half of the song for the 3 verses :) it was intense! Well I have a great story but I think I better save it for post mission because it was pretty intense and I don't want mom to worry but lets just say I ran really really fast and found out how out of shape I really am! :p
Thank you so much for the birthday gifts and letters seriously it keeps me positive and working hard! We are hoping to baptism someone in the month of May pray hard!
love,
Elder Garlock
Two people in the last two weeks in Pau and Vitrolles were baptized whom I taught and had actually given both of them baptismal dates! How awesome! MIRACLES
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