An Elder Garner Update

Elder Garner and Elder Hebdon in Abilene, Texas

Welcome to Abilene, Elder Garner!

Ok, so he's actually been there about half a transfer now. But still, I hope he's still discovering new sights and meeting new people. 

Elder Garner is doing his best to keep working hard. I can't help but think that his looming release date - just 9 weeks away - is a bit distracting. He has a great companion keeping him on track. He and Elder Hebdon are having a good time working together. They're on bikes again and Taylor is getting super buff. But super exhausted!

I have a lot of good stories. 

First, there is a new mission president in the area, President Heap. Elder Garner and Elder Hebdon got to go to San Angelo for a meet and greet. They love him already. It's cool because President and Sister Heap were in the MTC at the same time as our other new mission president friends, the Packers. Sister Packer met the Heaps and talked up Elder Garner a bunch.

Second, Elder Garner has discovered that in the face of a "fight or flight" situation, he's a flight kind of guy. 

He took one of the young men from the Abilene ward on splits. His goal was to show him a day in the mission life and help him realize how great missionary work can be. 

Well, when a door they knocked on flew open and two big dogs ran out, Elder Garner took off and left poor young Karl standing helpless on the porch! 

The poor guy backed away a couple of steps after a dog snapped at him and Taylor yelled from safety, "hop the gate!" 

Elder Garner said it's true - you don't have to outrun the dog, just the person you're with! 

To make it better, Karl was asked to speak in church the next day and told the whole ward. No hiding, Taylor!

Third, Elder Garner sent this adorable photo of he and Elder Rios at the zoo in Roswell. We told him we were going to the zoo that day and he dug this up from awhile back. Who knew there was a zoo in Roswell, New Mexico? And I'm not sure what the pose is all about. But they're cute.

Fourth, there was a crazy big storm in Abilene last week.
The elders went into the church gym to play basketball that morning, and by the time they came out the city was flooded!
Elder Garner and Elder Hebdon were riding in a truck, so they were ok, but another set of missionaries' car engine flooded in the thigh-high water. Elder Garner and Elder Hebdon helped push the car to higher ground.
Then on the way home they found another stuck car to push to safety. They were good men to have around in an emergency!
Taylor ended the story by writing "I love the rain." I'm glad he saw it that way.

We got a few emails from Elder Garner this morning as we do every Monday, so we know he's safe and happy. The internet tends to be slow at times where he is, but we're grateful he's in a place where he can email and keep in touch so often. That's not the case for all missionaries.

I'll sign off by borrowing Elder Garner's sign off phrase of the day:

"Hope on, journey on."