We will be in Colorado in 10 days!

Hello all,

This may be our last letter before we leave for home. We leave for the US a week from Tuesday. Where has the time gone? It seems as though we just arrived. Our lives have been so blessed these last 18 months. We have met some incredible people and have seen and heard of many miracles. We have been privileged to have so many of both the Sr. Missionaries and the young missionaries stay in our home as they arrived and others as they leave for home and to be associated with the young missionaries each day. What a blessing it has been to get to know all of them. We may have met them as strangers, but they left as special friends. We will always share a special bond with each other. This has been a hard week as we miss our beloved Mission President and his wife - the Clark's. What a pleasure it was to serve with them and to learn from them. They will always have a special place in our hearts!

Today was our last day in the Masai and Johor Bahru branches. It was hard telling them all good-bye as we most likely will never see them again in this life. Many of the children gave us big hugs as we left - they are all so cute and we love them all. How we will miss them!! We took Elder Jenkins and Valentine with us so Elder Jenkins can finish teaching a family that he was teaching before he was transferred to Singapore (he is a Chinese speaking Elder). Elder Valentine's parents were divorced when he was 5 years old (his mother is from Taiwan and they were living there). His father took him and his 3 siblings back to the US. He eventually married and Elder Valentine's step-mother raised them as her own (along with 5 children she had from a previous marriage). Elder Valentine's father died of cancer 5 years ago, but his step-mother has continued raising them. He hasn't seen his biological mother since he was 5 years old and had lost all track of her. Today in the JB Branch there was a lady visiting from Taiwan. As he visited with her, he found out that she knows of his mother. When she returns home she will contact his mother and hopefully they can be reconnected with each other. What were the chances of meeting someone in Malaysia that knows your mother in Taiwan! A real miracle.

We found out this week that the new office couple, the Jensen's from St. George, will not arrive until the 24th of July - one week after we leave. We will be writing a lot of notes this week and trying to train the office Elders as much as we can on the things we do so they can in turn, train the Jensens. The Jensens can always e-mail us with questions.

The Ho couple from the local ward took us and 3 others to dinner Friday night. They wanted us to have a traditional Chinese dinner before we left. It was sooo good. The best Chinese food we have had - I guess you just have to know where to go. Tomorrow we are going to lunch with the Stake President, President Lai. He jokes that he is taking us to a resturant that only serves durian (a horrible smelling fruit that Singaporians love). He is such a wonderful and humble man. We will really miss him. Tuesday night we are going to the Woo's for dinner along with the new Mission President and his wife. Everyone has been so kind to us.

It seems so strange to think that we will be in Colorado in 10 days! It will be so hard to leave, but we will always be grateful for the wonderful opportunity of serving the Lord in this wonderful part of the world. We are so anxious to see our family, but it is so hard to leave people here behind. Someday, if we are all faithful to the gospel, we can all be reunited in the Celestial Kingdom - what a joyous day that will be.

We will be speaking in our Ward in Colorado on the 22nd of July - we look forward to seeing many of you at that time. We are, in spite of having a hard time leaving here, so excited to see our family and friends!

We love you all,

Elder & Sister Garrett (Dave & Glonda, mom & dad, grandma & grandpa, friends, and relatives)

 

Dinner with the Ho's and friends.

Pres. John and his family (Pres. of Masai Branch), such a wonderful family.