Hi everyone,

So a month has gone by. I still have 5 more weeks to go, but things are swell!! I just got back from the temple. It has been closed the entire time I've been here! I love the spirit in the temple. I wish I could feel the same peace that I feel there all the time.

So Elder James Christiansen and Elder Earl leave for Russia and Denmark soon. I am not ready for them to leave. They have been such an amazing source of guidance and inspiration during the first four weeks of my time in the MTC. I'll be sad to see them go. But anyways, Dutch is still kicking my butt. There are days when I think I am starting to get it, and then we do an exercise in class and that initial thought of "yeah I'm starting to get this" gets tossed straight out the window. But I know that I have grown so much since my first few days in the MTC, and the amount of Dutch I've learned in these few short weeks has been absolutely amazing. God really does bless his missionaries with the gift of tonges.

We had an amazing Tuesday devotional last night. Brother Simmons, a previous member of the 70s came and spoke to us. HE talked about the importance of having the holy ghost to be with us. And how it isn't given to us. We must be willing to ask for it, and take it for ourselves. God isn't going to give us everything. We need to ask in sincere prayer, do absolutely everything we can to live worthy of those promised blessings, and then be willing to use them when the time arises. In essence, we need to be willing to go out and take our blessings.

That message hit me. I need to be more willing to go get my blessings. I need to be more willing to do everything I can to bless the lives of the people of Suriname. I love this gospel!!

I love you!

Elder Mason Garcia

Pictures from the MTC

Letter from July 20

Another week has come and gone. It feels like I have been
gone for ages, but at the same time the time is flying by. One of our teachers, Broeder Justice, shared
a quote with my class. He said, "The minutes and hours go by slowly, but
the days and weeks fly by." That is
exactly how I feel right now.

My companion, Elder Sadler, is from Peoria, IL. He is
studying at BYU to be a mechanical engineer. The others in my district are:
Elder Mortensen from Draper, UT. He is our district leader. He is a really cool
cat! One of those calm, cool collected
type of guys. He has a presence about
him. Elder Kunz is from San Diego, CA.
He has an amazing work ethic that I am trying to model myself
after. Elder VanRj is from South Jordan,
UT. He is one of the funniest kids I
have ever met! And finally Sister Wimmer.
She is from Pleasant Grove, UT. She is quite the character! Our district is getting better. We are cracking down on our studies more, and
are really increasing our teaching skills.

Dutch is starting to come to me, but it still hasn't
clicked. I am having a hard time memorizing vocabulary. I spend a lot of time
on my knees, so I know it will click. I
just hope it is soon.

We saw the older Dutch group off on Monday this week. It was a sad day in the MTC. They were such a
great group. We have to retire from the
game of volleyball because it just isn't the same without them, but it has made
me much more excited to get out of the MTC. I know there is still so much I can
and need to learn from my time here, but man I'm ready to get out! My teacher has so many pictures of Suriname,
and I can't look at them without getting itchy feet. I just want to get there and to serve and
LOVE the people, and help them have the happiness that the gospel brings my
life.

Don't forget to pray!
It has such tremendous power!

So, yesterday for lunch, Mama would have said, "that's
my son" if you had seen the amount of empty plates accumulated on my
dinner tray! I have never been more
hungry in my entire life. I had a full
salad, 3 pieces of Texas style garlic toast, a huge bowl of clam chowder, some
fried fish, and the biggest and most heel lekker (most tasty) hot dog that has
ever existed on the face of de aarde (earth)!!. To top that off I had 2 glasses
of water, 1 glass of milk, an ice cream sandwich, an apple, and a banana! AND I
have lost a pound while at the MTC! Who would have known?!

Things at the MTC are getting better. I have had some trying
days this past week, but I know the Lord is looking out for me. I love and
think of you all every day!

Love,

Elder Garcia

Letter from July 13

Time is flying in the MTC. Today is my 2 week point!! Things are slowly getting easier and easier. We were given two new investigators last week. Kurt and Ben. We have to teach them every single day, in Dutch! But I guess that is what we will be doing in just a few short weeks. I finally realize why missioary work is so important, and why missionaries love it. I have this love for Kurt. He is so important to me, and yet he doesn't even exist! He is a character that my teacher is playing. He doesn't believe or even want to believe in God, and only invited us in so his girlfiend wouldn't get mad at him. I want to do everything I can t help him. I care so much about him!

Espen, Brent, and I have a little pow wow every night. I don't see James or Devan too often, but when I do it's always nice to catch up. Its so weird to think we are all within a few feet of each other but we are not a part of each others everyday life. The MTC is growing on me. I still can't wait to get to Suriname to love and serve the people, but there are so many things to learn here. My teachers are awesome. Everyday they give amazing and uplifting lessons.

The food still sucks!! EXCEPT I had kalua pork last night for dinner!!! MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!! Its was heel lekker!!!

It reminded me of the good old days on aloha island hanging with the bruddas at da luau!

I'm sorry this is short, but I gotta go!

Love,

Elder Garcia

Mason's letter from July 6, 2011

Hoe gaat het? How's it going? Things in the MTC are crazy. My first week seems like a blur. I've been here for a week but it feels like a day. And yet at the same time it feels like an eternity. I love the MTC it has such an amazing spirit. I have never been more frustrated in my life but the rewards I have received from being here are beyond description. I have grown so much closer to God. So my companion is Elder Sadler from Illinois. He's a pretty good guy. We don't have much in common, so it's been kind of tough for me to get along with him. But I know with time it will all work out. 5 other Dutch missionaires came into the MTC the same day that I did. Elder Vanrij, Elder Kunz, Elder Mortensen, Elder Sadler, and Zuster Wimmer. They make up my district. They are awesome. So your district is kind of like your class you are with them all day everyday. Then your district is in a zone or group of districts. Espen is in my district. He's actually my district leader! I have seen every single one of my buddies in the MTC. Brent and I actually live on the same floor so we have a little pow wow every night and catch up on the days events.

I still haven't gotten used to the schedule 8 and a half hours of sleep is not enough for me...I have been dragging my butt on the ground most days. So my daily schedule goes something like this..wake up 6:30am and shower and get ready. Breakfast at 7:20am then personal study time at 7:50am. I have 2 three hour classes each day and 50 minutes of gym time. I have an hour language study. Dutch is kicking my butt. It's really hard. But I am understanding more and more everyday. Our teachers are Broeder Christiansen and Broeder Justice are awesome!

Well I gotta go! Ik hout van u! I hold to you! or I love you!

Elder Mason Garcia

Pictures from the MTC

Saying bye to his niece Kaiah

Adios Mama

Ju'Elle

Last group shot

2 out of his 3 sisters

Mason's First Letter

This is Mason's first letter from the MTC.

I'm officially Elder Garcia. It still takes me a few seconds to register it. But the MTC is awesome!.Espen lives 3 doors down from me. I'm ging to see him and hang out with him every single day. It is still surreal. I can't believe that I am finally here. That for the next two years of my life I will be in a foreign country. But the spirit here is so strong. I have never felt anything like it. It is amazing. So I'll give you a laydown of my first day. After you dropped me off I was sent into a room where I picked up my tag, and some other info that I needed. Then we went to our classroom AKA the room I'll be living in for the next 4 weeks!

Our teachers are awesome. Brother Christansen just got back from the Netherlands. And the other teacher, I can't remember his name, went to Suriname. I am so excited to speak dutch. There are 6 people in my class or district. 5 guys and 1 girl. My companion is Elder Sadler from Illinois . He is really a cool dude. So we are the only kids on the floor with only one roommate. Pretty lucky, eh? Our floor is crazy and I LOVE it!

After class we had a meeting, then lunch, and a teaching exercise. So we have 6 hours of class, 50 minutes of exercise. I know this is short, but I just wanted to let you know I'm alive, and I love you!

Love, Elder Mason Garcia

Mason's Farewell Talk

For those of you who couldn't make it to Mason's farewell last Sunday here is a copy of his talk.

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Good afternoon Brothers and Sisters, my name is Mason Garcia. I have been called to labor in the West Indies Dutch speaking mission. I will be serving in the country of Suriname found on the north east coast of South America. When I tell people where I will be serving my mission three questions generally come up. First, where are the West Indies? Second, where is Suriname? And finally, why do they speak Dutch?

So here are some facts about my mission and the country I will be serving in. The West Indies are a large group of islands that separate the Caribbean Sea from the Atlantic Ocean. They comprise three main island groups; the Bahamas, the greater Antilles, and the lesser Antilles. The Dutch influenced both Suriname and the islands throughout the West Indies as a result of numerous Dutch trading posts settled in the early 1600s.

The West Indies is one of only 2 Dutch speaking missions in the entire world, the other being the Netherlands. That is just a small rundown of where I will be living for the next 2 years. Hopefully I will be able to tell you more when I get home.

The topic I was given to speak on today was the process of overcoming adversity. The Webster’s Dictionary definition of adversity is 1. An adverse fortune or fate; a condition marked by misfortune, calamity, distress, or an adverse or unfortunate event or circumstance.

It is inevitable that during this life we are all going to face adversity but it is our attitude and personal perception of these challenges that will determine the impact they will have on our life.

I recently finished my first year of college, attending two different universities. I spent my first semester at Lawrence University in Appleton, Wisconsin. I played wide receiver for the football team and things seemed to be going great. I was starting as a freshman. I had a great group of guys to hang out with. I was living my dream of being a college athlete. And yet, I wasn’t happy. I missed home. Academically I was struggling. I just wasn’t living my life the way that I wanted to. Going to Wisconsin and being a member of the LDS Church I didn’t have the luxury of being surrounded by my family, friends, and peers that generally shared my same standards and values that we have here in Utah. As far as I know, I was the only member in a school of roughly 2,000 students. The nearest ward was a 25 minute drive away. Not going to church became easy. Having class and football practice everyday, and often returning home from away games early on Sunday mornings was exhausting. And Sundays were often the only day of the week that I had the chance to sleep in. And I soon found that I couldn’t keep track of how many weeks it had been since I last attended. It wasn’t that I was doing the wrong things; I just wasn’t doing the right things either. This had a huge impact on my life. The thought of going on a mission became easier to push out of my mind.

All I wanted to do was come home, but I didn’t know why. The Lord knew both why I wanted and needed to go home but also why I had spent the last 4 and a half months in Appleton, Wisconsin. Going away to college gave me a glimpse of what it is going to be like to live away from home; away from the care of my mom, the support of my sisters, friends,and family. It helped me learn how to deal with adversity in different ways.


I would like to share a story with you that my coach at Lawrence shared with me about an old mule.

The Old Mule:

Once upon a time a farmer owned an old mule who tripped and fell into the farmer’s well. The farmer heard the mule braying but was unable to figure out how to bring up the old animal. It grieved him that he could not pull the animal out. He’d been a good worker around the farm and although the farmer sympathized with the mule he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened.
He had them help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and quietly put him out of his misery.

At first, the old mule was puzzled but as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling the dirt hit his back he had a thought, he ought to shake off the dirt and step up. And he did just that. “Shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up…shake it off and step up.” Even though he took painful blows of dirt and fought panic he just kept right on shaking it off and stepping up!

It wasn’t long before the old mule stepped up and over the lip of that well. What could have buried him actually blessed him…all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity.

This story helped me when choosing how to deal with my situation. I could have either let the adversity hit me and remain in my situation unhappy and unchanged. Or I could proactively step up and face my challenges. Like the mule, I chose to step up, face adversity, and change my situation. So I made the decision to transfer to the University of Utah for spring semester. The decision to come home was the best decision I could have made. It is because of that decision that I am standing here before you today. However, the things that I learned at Lawrence I couldn’t have learned anywhere else. I made friends that I will have for the rest of my life. And it also made me realize the importance of having the gospel in my life.

Even after being back home, back in my comfort zone, I was still unsure about whether or not I was going to serve a mission. But the Lord gave me guidance and examples to help me through these challenges. I would like to share a scripture with you. It’s found in 1 Nephi Chapter 3 Verse 7. It reads, “And it came to pass that I Nephi said unto my father I will go and do the thing the Lord has commanded for I know that the Lord giveth up no commandment unto his children save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he hath commanded them.”

God knew what I needed. He wouldn’t put challenges in my path that I could not overcome. I have had the blessing of having nearly 10 of my friends give their farewells and enter the MTC in the past 2 months and it is because of these guys that I am going. I could see the changes the gospel was having in their life, and I wanted to have it in mine. So as I’m sure you all know, I have decided to go on a mission. ;)

I know it won’t be easy and I know adversity will be one of my closest companions. It is facing this adversity and overcoming the challenges that I am most excited for.

I would like to share another story with you about handling adversity. It’s titled, “Potatoes, Eggs, and Coffee.”

Once upon a time, a daughter complained to her father that her life was miserable and that she didn’t know how she was going to make it. She was tired of fighting and struggling all the time. It seemed just as one problem was solved, another one soon followed.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen. He filled three pots with water and placed each on a high fire. Once the three pots began to boil he placed potatoes in one pot, eggs in the second, and ground coffee beans in the third. He then let them sit and boil without saying a word to his daughter.

The daughter moaned and impatiently waited, wondering what he was doing. After twenty minutes he turned off the burners. He took the potatoes out of the pot and placed them in a bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in a second bowl. He then ladled the coffee and placed it in a cup. Turning to her he asked, “Daughter, what do you see?”

“Potatoes, eggs, and coffee,” she hastily replied.

“Look closer,” he said, “touch the potatoes.”

She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee. It’s rich aroma brought a smile to her face.

”Father, what does this mean?” she asked.

He then explained that the potatoes, the eggs, and the coffee beans had each faced the same adversity, the boiling water. However, each one reacted differently. The potato went in strong, hard, and unrelenting but in the water it became soft and weak. The egg was fragile with the thin outer shell
protecting its liquid interior until it was put in the boiling water. Then the inside of the egg became hard. However, the coffee beans were unique. After they were exposed to the boiling water they changed the water and created something new.

“Which are you?” he asked his daughter, “When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a potato, an egg, or a coffee bean?”

In life things happen around us and things happen to us, but the only thing that matters is what happens within us.

I am excited to serve the people of the West Indies, and the people of Suriname.