Garlic Calore

Dear Family,

Life is good in Gilroy. The garlic harvest is in full swing. We see truck after truck full of the “stinking rose” make its way through town to packaging plants where they are prepared to be shipped across the country. It’s hard to believe that in just three days the populations of this small city will more than triple. We are set to cook on Saturday at the festival. The weather is set to be perfect, upper 80’s to low 90’s. It should be a good opportunity to meet and talk to lots of people. The entire 101 shuts down with traffic on festival weekend.

It has been a bit of a transition having sisters in the branch. The Morgan Hill zone now has seven sisters. We are very grateful to have the added help in the branch. Our work has been a little interesting. The summer months usually are. Our investigators are trying to work as much as possible while jobs are a bit more abundant in the fields. This has made it really tough for them to get to church. Luckily, we have been reactivating a fair amount of less active members.

We continue to focus on working with the ward councils across the zone. It has been an interesting experience to see how each ward brings their flavor and spirit to missionary work. No unit is ever the same.

This Friday will be the first zone leader council with President Watkins. We are expected to receive some new key indicators to help us strengthen current weak points within the mission, contacting and baptismal invitations.

When I arrived to the mission we had a culture of extending the baptismal invitation in every lesson. We are working to bring back this culture. Somehow, we have slowly lost this culture. It is essential. The majority of the investigators that I have seen enter the waters of baptism accepted the invitation in the first lesson. The Lord really has prepared his children to receive his gospel. Sometimes we let our personal fears get in the way of helping them receive it. We have to have faith that there are always people who are ready to receive us if we will do what is necessary to find them. As members realize this, we see more and more success.

One last thought. I want to warn you all that I will not be “trunky” (trunky – adj. a state of looking forward to finishing the mission a.s.a.p. only to be disappointed because you want to go back upon your release). I miss you all very much, but I love being a missionary. I look back on the tough times and know that they are well worth it. I have seen so many blessings over the last few months. I hope you have seen the blessings too. I am constantly grateful that I don’t have to worry about the situation back home. Not all missionaries are that fortunate. As I begin to hear from my friends who have already completed their missions I think about how I want to spend the last few months. My plan is to come home completely and utterly exhausted (expect me to fall into a small sleep coma).

Love,

Elder Badger