alrighty, so i seriously have no idea where to start!! I havent stopped smiling since yesterday and i just love it out here!! THere is so much happening out here it is crazy! So ill start off with last monday, i forgot to let you know that the picture of all the alcohol and the cigarettes and coffe and all that stuff is from an investigator that we had taught the word of wisdom to and we took all of her stuff from her, so yeah just so that you dont think that it is form me! and last tuesday, we ate the foot of a pig!! It wasnt all that bad! A little gamey but not as bad as menudo!!
So this week we also had zone training and it was a great experience! We focused on really becoming more unified as a companinonship and elder kerouac says hi, and anyways i was saying, that zone training also taught us a lot about being willing to accept critisism and how it will help us be better missionaries! I realized that i need to be more humble and willing to accept the fact that i dont know everything and that there is always ways to learn more! Elder Kerouac and i are both working on this very hard and humbling principle of being a missionary :) After zone training, we had exchanges and i was with Elder Perry! He looks just like Brock Perry so scary!! I keep asking him if he is related to him and he keeps saying no, but i swear they have to be!! We had a blast together! We played futbol that night (thursday) and we did pretty well! We had about 30 non members in the capilla playing futbol! It was incredible! I got kicked in the face it was so awesome! I like didnt even know where i was haha i was laughing about it too so it made all the blood rush to my face and hurt worse! But it was so worth it!! All my teeth are still here, and my nose is only a little more crooked :)
On friday, we went out and taught a bit in the morning, keep in mind that Elder Perry was an english speaking missionary so he has no idea what was going on but i was able to teach him a little bit and that was really fun! He met edgar and his family, and we had a blast with them the night before, but back to friday, we went out to try to teach carlos, but his phone got shut off and he wouldnt answer his door, so then we had an appointment with Jacob and Nicole! We taught them the plan of salvation and they committed to a baptismal date!! the 27 de Marzo is their date, it might be pushed back a little though because they both have to stop smoking and drinking so we are praying hard for them and hope that all will work will with them! We also did a lot of contacting and talked to some guys on the street and one of them started to roll a joint of weed infront of us it was kinda awkward, but ii just kept teaching him and acted like it wasnt even there! It was pretty funny, because around here, thats not even a big deal to see it, even with little kids. We also got rained on like crazy!! We were just out contacting and all the sudden the skies opened up and man it poured like no other! I was bookin it full speed in my suit back to the car haha it was so much fun though!! It rained for quite a while and it rained a lot! Its starting to get warmer already :( today its like 60 and raining so i guess winter is throwin in the towel here!
Saturday was hectic trying to get all the things in line for the baptism on sunday, but all of our appointments fell through that morning, so we ended up taking the time to study some of the new church movies that our mission has and man they really are awesome! They have all these study activities and charts and different methods of teaching in them it is really an awesome teaching tool! Now we just need them in spanish!! But the spirit was so strong, and it strengthened my testimony so much of the profeta jose smith and all that he went through. DyC 135. That night we had the baptismal interviews with Florencio, Isaac and Fanni and they all went great. Isaac and i had an experience that i will never forget! He is like another little brother to me! It really is amazing to see the change the gospel can make in someones life when you help them realize that they have recieved an answer. It is so cool how the spirit works and how incredible life can be if you exercise your faith in Christ.
Now yesterday, simply put, the best day of my mission so far. The spirit was incredible!! To start out with, we had 146 members in the chapel!! That is the most members that the branch has ever had in the 7 years!! It was so insane elder kerouac and i were like is this really happening right now?!! Totally a blessing from the lord!! We also had 21 investigators in church! Holy cow the crazy blessings of the lord when you do what is right. Oh and to add to that, haha there were members handing out juice boxes and kit kats to kids and members before sacrament, but thats just how hispanic people are! They dont find anything wrong with going and gettiing things from the store on sunday, haha oh man i love em :) They are some of the most humble and sweetest people i have ever met! Ok so then the baptism, President Shaefermeyer and his Wife came and i totally forgot that i had asked them to be there, but it was awesome! Everything went as planned, the baptisms were filled with the spirit of the lord and it was just all smiles with all that were participating. I was so nervous at first because, with hispanic people they all have really long names, so Isacc was first and his name is Alfredo Isaac Rojas Cisneros, yeah i know its insanely long! It took me three times to get his name right haha but i got it :) and then Fanni-her full name is Erika Estefania Retana Rojas, and yeah that was difficult as well, but i got it in one :) It was so crazy, just how much the spirit hit, oh man i cant even explain it in palabras!! They are totally going to be a family i come back and visit. I got pictures of everything, so next week i will post them up bc i left my cord in the car and i am too lazy to get up and get it! SO you gotta wait for those :) Oh, and dad just so you know, Florencio and you look like almost exactly alike :) Except he is a little chaparito (short guy) and yeah, he is awesome!
Anyways, after the baptism, we taught Elia and she is still going strong for the 24th de Abril for her baptism and she is really fun to teach! She was already asking questions about the temple and getting sealed and all that it was awesome! We then went and ate at Isaac fanni and florencios house, and had gorditas and they were super good! We taught the brother of erika (isacc and fannis mom) and it was a great experience we talked about the apostasy and a bunch of the things that are different that the catholic church believes in and got in pretty deep i love those kinds of lessons!! After that, we went to Edgars, his wife, Karen, had her surprise pachanga (party) and of course they made us eat and i was about full to the rim. My stomach has grown so much out here haha but im staying in good shape! We are starting to go running every morning as of today and im sure that will really help out :)
Well, mi familia this is all! I am learning and growing so much out here, but one thing to do, increase your testimony of the gospel of jesucristo and the profeta jose smith! I testifty that when we really search the scriptures diligently and always are looking for ways to improve, then the lord will pave a way for us to accomplish our goals! ALso, make sure to get your patriarchial blessings! We taught 2 lessons on those this week, and the spirit was so strong, it really made me think of how important and helpful mine has been in my life! Read it often too and learn all that you can from it! I know that this gospel is true, and i kow that i have been called by god to carry out this work! I love you all and hope all stays well with you! Se cidan!
Elder Gallego
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
2/22/11
I have been out in the field now for 4 months!! No manches time flies by super fast!! I sure have learned a lot in these 4 months and i know i will continually be learning more and more every day!! THis week was really crazy, and really stressful finally haha ive been waiting and praying and asking for some oposicion and boy did i ever get it this week! It is amazing how heavenly father will really show us how many things we have to work on or just how bad life can get when we ask him to! I sure do love being out here!!
SO elder Kerouac started therapia on his foot this week, and oh, the missionaries showed up to his parents house in Utah! Crazy huh?! Well his parents are devout catholics, like im talking big time, his dad is in the Knights of Columbus, dont ask me what that means, and his mom is the equivalent of the Relief Society President in their church! And they let the missionaries in!! We are still waiting to hear back from them about how that went, but we are both pretty stoked because Elder Kerouac is the only member in his family, and we have just been praying so hard for something to happen with them!
I think it was tuesday night, we went out to go teaching, we had a cita con una hermana se llama Aldelphyl, and she is from the Dominican Republic but MAN she talks so dang fast!! I can only just watch her mouth and try to listen really carefully as hard as i can but haha it is hilarious! So we were walking up the stairs to get to her apartamento and i had my hands in my jacket because it was blowing so hard, i think something like 40 mph wind or something like that at least! And i tripped on a stair and totally fell on my face because i couldnt get my hards out of my pockets in time hahaa it was so hilarious! Juan was laughing so hard hah man i only had a little mark, nothing too big, but yeah i didnt lose any teeth so thats a plus! :)
Our investigators, Florencio, isaac y fanni are all progressing very well, and they will be getting baptized this sunday! Isaac and Fanni have asked me to baptize them so im kinda nervous, and you know how the weeks before baptism are...HORRIBLE!! But im hangin in there! And so are they, just keep us in your prayers! And elder Kerouac will be baptizing Florencio so yeah its been a tough week so far already. I have been getting kind of frustrated with myself and trying to learn too much and just running my body dead so hopefully i can get some added strength this next couple of days! We picked up a new investigator on sunday as well, Alea Enriquez and she already accepted a baptismal date for the 24th of abril!! Crazy i know, but man she is going to be solid! Her boyfriend is the brother of a member in our branch and he was the one who brought her to church, and he hadnt been for 21 years!! What a miracle. Its crazy how the lord works sometimes :) Our branch is absolutely on fire, there were at least 130 in church this week, and with the confirmaciones and all, it was just a great spirit! Victor is progressing well, and we got back in contact with Carlos Escobar again and will be seeing him tomorrow night! We will be extending dates to him, victor, another couple Jacob y Nicole, and i think to a new one Trinidad. SO we got a big week ahead of us, and elder Kerouac and i are really working hard to get big work done before he gets transferred.
This week we also had exchanges and Elder Osorio came with me to our area and we did great! We taught a lot, and got some good contacts with a lot of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans! He is a great missionary! THe next day we had language training (saturday) in philly so that morning we got up and left at 7 and we got there to philly early and so we went and i got to go and run up the rocky stairs!! It was so much fun i got a video of it and everything you will love it!! Got some really good pictures as well, i hope i serve in philly it is so cool!! I was able to see Elder Reese, my mtc comp, and he is doing well, also i was able to see Elder Gunter, who was in my zone in the MTC but he left 6 weeks before me. They are both doing great and i sure do miss those guys! Language training was great ill send home the videos of it all!! There also was an elder that went home, he got diagnosed with Leukemia :( Elder Brewer. Keep him in your prayers please, he is doing well and they have him at the utah cancer place that is suppose to be really good, and they also said the the cancer is very treatable. So just thought you might want to know that.
Well, something i learned this week that i want to leave with you all is what i like to call Negro o Blanco. No hay gris. (Black or white. THere is no grey) If we really think about this analogy, well the way i look at it and i hope i can teach this so it makes sense, but its either its good or its bad. THere is no middle area. Now im going to use an example that i know we all hate, but speeding. How willing are we all to go over the speed limit? And how much? If youre going over the speed limit even by 1 mph, youre disobeying the law. Now i know, this really makes me so angry because we tell ourselves, well if the guy in front of me is peeding then its ok for me to speed. NO! THis is so hard for me so i wont be hypocritical, but how willing are we to sin?! DO we stay 5 mph under or at the limit or 5 over? Think about how you can apply this principle to your own life, and in what ways you can change. I testify that if we stay away from the limits of things, and keep ourselves in order with the lords will, doing the things that we know are right and wrong, not questioning what is right or wrong, then you will understand this concept more fully. If any of that made any sense, then thats awesome! I hope you understand the importance of obedience and how important it is that we are obedient to ALL things!
SOmething that i will be working on this week, and what was a big focus at language training is becoming submersed in the culture. Spanish Spanish Spanish!!! I am going to talk, think, maybe dream, write, everything in spanish! I was called as a spanish speaking missionary for a reason, so why not submerse myself into it and learn all that i can when i got 2 years to do it?! Great idea isnt it?! I hope so :) ALso, to become the missionary that God needs me to be, not the one that i want to be. THis is a hard principle for missionaries, and i am so guilty of it. I want to learn a lot, but if i dont need to learn as much as another missionary, so be it. Its not in the will of the lord. I am praying so hard that i can let go of my pride for loving to learn and study, and study the things that the lord needs me to study! Humility is a wonderful, but very hard thing!!
Well, i sure do love it out here, it snowed a couple inches last night, but it looks like its going to all melt off if it stays this hot! The work is progressing out here, and i am ready for the summer!! I played Futbol on thursday in my church shoes, pants and shirt and all the guys thought i was crazy ahaha i am just ready to start sweating or something i miss getting dirty!! But i sure do love it and i sure do miss playing sports! But i am out here serving and i am really being blessed for it. I love them people out here. I know that without the spirit of the lord, that i wouldnt be able to do the things that i have out here. Everything that i have, every talent, trait, just everything i have, i know is a gift from the lord. Find your strengths and make them stronger. Work on your weaknesses, but dont focus on them. Focus on what your good at and focus on doing whatever it takes to align your will with the lords. I promise you all that if you can manage to align your will with the lords, and perseverar hasta al fin, el senor va a bendecirle y va a mostrarle las cosas que son importantes en sus vida. Les amo amigos y familia, y yo quiero que sepan que este iglesia es la unica verdadera iglesia en este mundo y que cuando leemos las escrituras, vamos a saber bastante de nuestro salvador y redentor. Sigan Fuerte!
Elder Gallego
SO elder Kerouac started therapia on his foot this week, and oh, the missionaries showed up to his parents house in Utah! Crazy huh?! Well his parents are devout catholics, like im talking big time, his dad is in the Knights of Columbus, dont ask me what that means, and his mom is the equivalent of the Relief Society President in their church! And they let the missionaries in!! We are still waiting to hear back from them about how that went, but we are both pretty stoked because Elder Kerouac is the only member in his family, and we have just been praying so hard for something to happen with them!
I think it was tuesday night, we went out to go teaching, we had a cita con una hermana se llama Aldelphyl, and she is from the Dominican Republic but MAN she talks so dang fast!! I can only just watch her mouth and try to listen really carefully as hard as i can but haha it is hilarious! So we were walking up the stairs to get to her apartamento and i had my hands in my jacket because it was blowing so hard, i think something like 40 mph wind or something like that at least! And i tripped on a stair and totally fell on my face because i couldnt get my hards out of my pockets in time hahaa it was so hilarious! Juan was laughing so hard hah man i only had a little mark, nothing too big, but yeah i didnt lose any teeth so thats a plus! :)
Our investigators, Florencio, isaac y fanni are all progressing very well, and they will be getting baptized this sunday! Isaac and Fanni have asked me to baptize them so im kinda nervous, and you know how the weeks before baptism are...HORRIBLE!! But im hangin in there! And so are they, just keep us in your prayers! And elder Kerouac will be baptizing Florencio so yeah its been a tough week so far already. I have been getting kind of frustrated with myself and trying to learn too much and just running my body dead so hopefully i can get some added strength this next couple of days! We picked up a new investigator on sunday as well, Alea Enriquez and she already accepted a baptismal date for the 24th of abril!! Crazy i know, but man she is going to be solid! Her boyfriend is the brother of a member in our branch and he was the one who brought her to church, and he hadnt been for 21 years!! What a miracle. Its crazy how the lord works sometimes :) Our branch is absolutely on fire, there were at least 130 in church this week, and with the confirmaciones and all, it was just a great spirit! Victor is progressing well, and we got back in contact with Carlos Escobar again and will be seeing him tomorrow night! We will be extending dates to him, victor, another couple Jacob y Nicole, and i think to a new one Trinidad. SO we got a big week ahead of us, and elder Kerouac and i are really working hard to get big work done before he gets transferred.
This week we also had exchanges and Elder Osorio came with me to our area and we did great! We taught a lot, and got some good contacts with a lot of Dominicans and Puerto Ricans! He is a great missionary! THe next day we had language training (saturday) in philly so that morning we got up and left at 7 and we got there to philly early and so we went and i got to go and run up the rocky stairs!! It was so much fun i got a video of it and everything you will love it!! Got some really good pictures as well, i hope i serve in philly it is so cool!! I was able to see Elder Reese, my mtc comp, and he is doing well, also i was able to see Elder Gunter, who was in my zone in the MTC but he left 6 weeks before me. They are both doing great and i sure do miss those guys! Language training was great ill send home the videos of it all!! There also was an elder that went home, he got diagnosed with Leukemia :( Elder Brewer. Keep him in your prayers please, he is doing well and they have him at the utah cancer place that is suppose to be really good, and they also said the the cancer is very treatable. So just thought you might want to know that.
Well, something i learned this week that i want to leave with you all is what i like to call Negro o Blanco. No hay gris. (Black or white. THere is no grey) If we really think about this analogy, well the way i look at it and i hope i can teach this so it makes sense, but its either its good or its bad. THere is no middle area. Now im going to use an example that i know we all hate, but speeding. How willing are we all to go over the speed limit? And how much? If youre going over the speed limit even by 1 mph, youre disobeying the law. Now i know, this really makes me so angry because we tell ourselves, well if the guy in front of me is peeding then its ok for me to speed. NO! THis is so hard for me so i wont be hypocritical, but how willing are we to sin?! DO we stay 5 mph under or at the limit or 5 over? Think about how you can apply this principle to your own life, and in what ways you can change. I testify that if we stay away from the limits of things, and keep ourselves in order with the lords will, doing the things that we know are right and wrong, not questioning what is right or wrong, then you will understand this concept more fully. If any of that made any sense, then thats awesome! I hope you understand the importance of obedience and how important it is that we are obedient to ALL things!
SOmething that i will be working on this week, and what was a big focus at language training is becoming submersed in the culture. Spanish Spanish Spanish!!! I am going to talk, think, maybe dream, write, everything in spanish! I was called as a spanish speaking missionary for a reason, so why not submerse myself into it and learn all that i can when i got 2 years to do it?! Great idea isnt it?! I hope so :) ALso, to become the missionary that God needs me to be, not the one that i want to be. THis is a hard principle for missionaries, and i am so guilty of it. I want to learn a lot, but if i dont need to learn as much as another missionary, so be it. Its not in the will of the lord. I am praying so hard that i can let go of my pride for loving to learn and study, and study the things that the lord needs me to study! Humility is a wonderful, but very hard thing!!
Well, i sure do love it out here, it snowed a couple inches last night, but it looks like its going to all melt off if it stays this hot! The work is progressing out here, and i am ready for the summer!! I played Futbol on thursday in my church shoes, pants and shirt and all the guys thought i was crazy ahaha i am just ready to start sweating or something i miss getting dirty!! But i sure do love it and i sure do miss playing sports! But i am out here serving and i am really being blessed for it. I love them people out here. I know that without the spirit of the lord, that i wouldnt be able to do the things that i have out here. Everything that i have, every talent, trait, just everything i have, i know is a gift from the lord. Find your strengths and make them stronger. Work on your weaknesses, but dont focus on them. Focus on what your good at and focus on doing whatever it takes to align your will with the lords. I promise you all that if you can manage to align your will with the lords, and perseverar hasta al fin, el senor va a bendecirle y va a mostrarle las cosas que son importantes en sus vida. Les amo amigos y familia, y yo quiero que sepan que este iglesia es la unica verdadera iglesia en este mundo y que cuando leemos las escrituras, vamos a saber bastante de nuestro salvador y redentor. Sigan Fuerte!
Elder Gallego
Monday, February 14, 2011
2/14/11
Que pasa mi familia y amigos?! Como estan?! Espero que todo esta bien en Arizona!
Ok so to start off...this was a really busy week!! Man i have so much to say! Ill start with yesterday and work backwards..So yesterday i gave a talk in church!! Yeah i know right it was wayy sweet!!! It was all in spanish and i messed up a couple of times but its all good! I got called on Sat. about 2 en la tarde that they needed me to give a talk on gratitud!! It went really well, and like they say, sometimes the person giving a talk or teaching gets more out of the people he is talking to...well that definately happened! It was such a great spiritual experience for me to bear my testimony on all of the things i am grateful for. First off, the savior. He gave his life for me, and i will be eternally indebted to him, but i am so grateful for the atonement and the opportunity that we have to use it every day and repent of our sins cada dia!! What a blessing that is, and now all we need to do is use it! The savior will always forgive us if we just come to him humbly in prayer and ask for forgiveness, and then do the things necessary for complete reopentance. I testify that the power of repentance is real and that if we truly do repent of our sins, then the adversary will no longer have any power over us. It is so worth it, and i am so grateful for this eternal principle! Also my family, without them i wouldnt be here. Mom, Dad y todo el resto de mi familia, thank you all so much for your hard work and sacrifice for me, for all the things i have put you through, and for everything you have done for me. I really have a special family that i cant wait to share all these experiences with! It truly will be so much fun when i can sit down and talk to you all about all the stuff i am learning!
I wish i could just explain all of the feelings that i have!! Its so hard as a missionary to write all these things that happen in a week in an email, because i just cant focus! I have so many things that i want to say that are changing my life, but then again i dont want to run out of stories to tell you when i get home!! But also yesterday, we had a baptismal service! It was great and a great blessing! There were a mom and her two ninas that were baptized by the other elders in our branch. Florencio, isaac and fanni were all there though as well as Victor! It was such an amazing experience! Victor is getting close to getting a date for his baptism, and florencio isaac and fanni are all still good to go for the 27th of this month! I am so excited!! Crazy thing that happend, remember how florencios grandmother was on her death bead...yeeah she is totally fine now! :) and now his brother who lives in virginia wants to drive up here and be taught the lessons and become a member!! It is insane!! THe bendiciones that are coming right now to our area are just unreal!!
Saturday we had exchanges, and i was with elder hall! We were doing some serious work!! We contacted 30 people, taught 7 other lessons, 10 total lessons, and got some new investigators!! I was just going at it man it was a blast! I love when i get the oportunidad to go out and contact new people! It was great!!!! We have a couple new families that we taught and have return appointments with as well, so this next week we are going to be really busy!
Zone Conference was on Wednesday, and man it was so good!! THe main focus of it was on prayer, and how we can make our prayers more sincere. It taught me a good lesson, because sometimes i am really tired and i really just want to get done with them, but that is the time where we need to pray the hardest. When christ was in the garden of Gethsemane and he was taking upon himself the sins of all the world, he prayed more fervently. Now if christ himself, the only perfect being that will ever walk the face of this earth prayed more fervently, i know i sure can! I am so grateful for prayer, and the oportunidad that we have to communicate to our father in heaven with whatever we need!! I challenge you all to really be more sincere with prayers. Especially when it comes to the book of mormon. In the second to last parafo in the intro of el libro de mormon, there is a promise made to everyoone who reads that book, and prays with faith tha not only will you receive an answer, but you will recieve an answer that the book is true. What a blessing that is! THat is a promise! REad it and pray about it and you will recieve an answer that it is true.
Until you have a testimony of this gospel, lean on mine. I know without a doubt in my mind that this is the true gospel of jesucristo. THat the blessings that come from living this gospel are eternal. If this church wasnt true, then the missionaries would have ruined it a long time ago!! How can it not be true?! The bible testifies of it in countless ways, and if you really do pray for an answer that it is true, you will recieve one!! Pray more fervently. Be a better example, and always remember who is watching out for you. Your heavenly father always will be with you no matter what. WHat a great blessing this is!!
Well thats about all im gonna say for this one, i had a great week, im learning so much spanish, and im kind of picking up a chilango/dominican accent hahaah even when i say english words it is really freaking me out!! But i love it! THis gospel is so true! Keep praying for me and for my investigators! We got back in touch with Hitamar!! His phone got shutt off and he has been busy he says, but he has a lot of doubts and we are going to start teaching him and his novia otra vez! SO please keep them in your prayers, as well as Carlos Escobar, who we havent gotten in contact with for almost 3 weeks now :( As well as Florencio, Isaac and Fanni. They are doing great, and it is really starting to get crazy out here! We had a full capilla yesterday! Thats chapel by the way sorry haha, and the spirit of the lord is working within my companion and i like never before! I love you all, and Happy Valentines Day Mom and London!! I love you all my family and friends!! Se cuidan!!
Elder Gallego/Venancilo-levanta la pata te que machucas el callo-hahaah this is what they all say to me when they see my last name. It is a really funny joke that i will explain when i am home :)
Ok so to start off...this was a really busy week!! Man i have so much to say! Ill start with yesterday and work backwards..So yesterday i gave a talk in church!! Yeah i know right it was wayy sweet!!! It was all in spanish and i messed up a couple of times but its all good! I got called on Sat. about 2 en la tarde that they needed me to give a talk on gratitud!! It went really well, and like they say, sometimes the person giving a talk or teaching gets more out of the people he is talking to...well that definately happened! It was such a great spiritual experience for me to bear my testimony on all of the things i am grateful for. First off, the savior. He gave his life for me, and i will be eternally indebted to him, but i am so grateful for the atonement and the opportunity that we have to use it every day and repent of our sins cada dia!! What a blessing that is, and now all we need to do is use it! The savior will always forgive us if we just come to him humbly in prayer and ask for forgiveness, and then do the things necessary for complete reopentance. I testify that the power of repentance is real and that if we truly do repent of our sins, then the adversary will no longer have any power over us. It is so worth it, and i am so grateful for this eternal principle! Also my family, without them i wouldnt be here. Mom, Dad y todo el resto de mi familia, thank you all so much for your hard work and sacrifice for me, for all the things i have put you through, and for everything you have done for me. I really have a special family that i cant wait to share all these experiences with! It truly will be so much fun when i can sit down and talk to you all about all the stuff i am learning!
I wish i could just explain all of the feelings that i have!! Its so hard as a missionary to write all these things that happen in a week in an email, because i just cant focus! I have so many things that i want to say that are changing my life, but then again i dont want to run out of stories to tell you when i get home!! But also yesterday, we had a baptismal service! It was great and a great blessing! There were a mom and her two ninas that were baptized by the other elders in our branch. Florencio, isaac and fanni were all there though as well as Victor! It was such an amazing experience! Victor is getting close to getting a date for his baptism, and florencio isaac and fanni are all still good to go for the 27th of this month! I am so excited!! Crazy thing that happend, remember how florencios grandmother was on her death bead...yeeah she is totally fine now! :) and now his brother who lives in virginia wants to drive up here and be taught the lessons and become a member!! It is insane!! THe bendiciones that are coming right now to our area are just unreal!!
Saturday we had exchanges, and i was with elder hall! We were doing some serious work!! We contacted 30 people, taught 7 other lessons, 10 total lessons, and got some new investigators!! I was just going at it man it was a blast! I love when i get the oportunidad to go out and contact new people! It was great!!!! We have a couple new families that we taught and have return appointments with as well, so this next week we are going to be really busy!
Zone Conference was on Wednesday, and man it was so good!! THe main focus of it was on prayer, and how we can make our prayers more sincere. It taught me a good lesson, because sometimes i am really tired and i really just want to get done with them, but that is the time where we need to pray the hardest. When christ was in the garden of Gethsemane and he was taking upon himself the sins of all the world, he prayed more fervently. Now if christ himself, the only perfect being that will ever walk the face of this earth prayed more fervently, i know i sure can! I am so grateful for prayer, and the oportunidad that we have to communicate to our father in heaven with whatever we need!! I challenge you all to really be more sincere with prayers. Especially when it comes to the book of mormon. In the second to last parafo in the intro of el libro de mormon, there is a promise made to everyoone who reads that book, and prays with faith tha not only will you receive an answer, but you will recieve an answer that the book is true. What a blessing that is! THat is a promise! REad it and pray about it and you will recieve an answer that it is true.
Until you have a testimony of this gospel, lean on mine. I know without a doubt in my mind that this is the true gospel of jesucristo. THat the blessings that come from living this gospel are eternal. If this church wasnt true, then the missionaries would have ruined it a long time ago!! How can it not be true?! The bible testifies of it in countless ways, and if you really do pray for an answer that it is true, you will recieve one!! Pray more fervently. Be a better example, and always remember who is watching out for you. Your heavenly father always will be with you no matter what. WHat a great blessing this is!!
Well thats about all im gonna say for this one, i had a great week, im learning so much spanish, and im kind of picking up a chilango/dominican accent hahaah even when i say english words it is really freaking me out!! But i love it! THis gospel is so true! Keep praying for me and for my investigators! We got back in touch with Hitamar!! His phone got shutt off and he has been busy he says, but he has a lot of doubts and we are going to start teaching him and his novia otra vez! SO please keep them in your prayers, as well as Carlos Escobar, who we havent gotten in contact with for almost 3 weeks now :( As well as Florencio, Isaac and Fanni. They are doing great, and it is really starting to get crazy out here! We had a full capilla yesterday! Thats chapel by the way sorry haha, and the spirit of the lord is working within my companion and i like never before! I love you all, and Happy Valentines Day Mom and London!! I love you all my family and friends!! Se cuidan!!
Elder Gallego/Venancilo-levanta la pata te que machucas el callo-hahaah this is what they all say to me when they see my last name. It is a really funny joke that i will explain when i am home :)
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
2/8/11
Hola mi familia como como
Ok so that you can all understand me now, I hope everything is all good back at home and wherever you all are! I am doing great here, and we had a really sucessful week again! I read the email de Nyal y it sounds like he is going to be in for a new one! Send him my best wishes and im sure he will do great! He needs to have more Faith in mimself!
Ok so to start, i love this place. I am learning so much every day, and every day i freak myself out with something cool that i learn it is so much fun!! :) I cant wait to come home and tell you all of the stories that i have!! The spirit this week in church was so amazing, and it really has finally hit me, that i am a full time missionary and that i will not be coming home until 23 de Octubre 2012!! I was really brought to a reflection moment this past week, reading all of the letters that were in mi paquete and it hit me harder that i have ever felt the spirit, how important my family is to me. I have really learned out here, that i took a lot for granted back at home. and that the things that i have learned now, i wish i learned them before, but i have learned my lesson. I am so grateful and so blessed to have the family that i have in my life, the parents to guide me in the right path, and that i have an amazing older sister and brother in law, both people who dont realize how much i look up to them as well as my own parents, and 2 brothers who i miss more than words can explain. I have been given so much, and this past week has really made me think, when the going gets rough and i think i have it bad, count the blessings.
I really love having this opportunidad en mi vida to leave my family for two years to help others be with theirs for eternity. What a great blessing that i have, to be one of the chosen ones of the Lord. I love these people, i have been able to really humble myself and realize how prideful i am, and how much i have to work on. A great scripture that explains this is Ether 12:27. It talks about Humility and how if we come to the lord, he will show unto us our weaknesses! So the way i interpret this scripture, is is i go to the lord he will show me how weak and how little i know...sounds like a good idea right?! It is a great idea! I truly have a tesimonio of this principle. we have to humble ourselves first if we expect to learn anything in this life. THat was a hard thing for me but i am now starting to really work and strive to take critisism and learn from it. I know it will help me become a better missionary!
So elder kerouac had his appt with the doctor on martes and the doctor told him that his foot still has a small fractura in it so he will have to wear this ugly flat shoe for like a week! But he is now back into his normal shoe today, for the first time in a month! ALso this week, we really focused on speaking more spanish between the two of us and we are doing pretty well as of right now! :) The language is coming to me and i dont know how i would ever be able to learn like this if i didnt have the spirit of the lord with me. Heck when we were on exchanges on thursday, we got called to the hospital to translate for spanish people, and of course it had to be a puerto rican! Man they talk so dang fast!! But i did really well and was able to get everything across just fine! It was wierd the woman had like 4 inch long fingernails and they were painted blue!! Very nice lady though!!
Florencio, Issac and Stefanie are doing really well! Florencio is having a couple of sturggles, but we expected that for sure. Especially with the kind of answer that he recieved. His grandmother is on her death bed all of the sudden now so it has been a really hard and trying week for him. He started crying in front of us on sunday, it was so sad. He asked me to give him a blessing and man the spirit really uplifted us all at that moment. It is so great to be able to use the priesthood power to bless the lives of other people i truly do have a testimony of the power of the priesthood. He also decided to tell us yesterday that he had a dream about a week ago, but was too scared to tell us. As he was going under the water in the baptismal font, he looked to his right and saw satan sitting there telling him that he was doing the wrong thing....pretty intense huh? He described him as a normal man, with big eyes and really long fingernails, and he was just sitting there with his hands on his knees shaking his head at him. Now of course satan is going to tell him no. He got such a strong answer, he is going to get oposicion in the same strength. But he is doing well. We are just really focusing on making sure that we make daily contact with him, because this is the most vulnerable time for investigators. Keep them all in your prayers please as well as us so that we may be inspired on what to teach!
So we have zone conference tomorrow! I am way excited because i learned so much de el primero reunion! Other than that, i dont really have much else that happened that was really big. I am just happy as ever and i am so glad to be out here serving. I know that i am being blessed continually for my efforts, and i am going to keep trying my hardest!!! I am learning so many food recipies too!! i cant wait to make some food when i get back for all of you!! We ate a lot of enchiladas, real enchiladas, and things called sope's and empanadas last night and a ton of other stuff!! Oh man i just love this area!
Anyways, i hope all is well with you at home, and all my friends, hope all is well, oh i need dereks address please so i can get him a letter before he jets out of the MTC!! He will be such a good missionary!! and i also hope all goes well with trevor and alyssa and with everyones health! Quit getting sick!! This church is so true, our heavenly father lives, he loves us and wants us to return and live with him again. Do what it takes to make sure that you are on the right path. DOnt let go of that iron ron, and always keep your eye on the prize. And when your are going through rough times, and you need someone to comfort you, Did you think to Pray? Always go to the one who knows you best, Your Father in Heaven. He will show you the way, and he will make your burdens light. I love you all and i am so grateful for all that you have done for me.
Les Queiro!
Elder Gallego
Monday, January 31, 2011
January 31, 2011
Hola mi familia! Como estan?! Estoy muy animado for este oportunidad para compartir que paso este semana! Oh! Mi espanol es muy bien y estoy aprendiendo bien rapido! Todos los dias mi companero y yo habla solo espanol y hemos tratado hablar mas en nuestro apartamento tambien entonces, ahora, esta bien! :)
Ok so this week, milagros, milagros, milagros!!!! It is loco what is happening out here por the past 2 weeks but this week was especially just insane!! SO i was sick, yes i know it was a bummer, from last monday until friday night with a sore throat and no energia entonces it was really trying on my body. I lost about 8 pounds, and look much better now :) But we did a lot of work! I only stayed in on friday all day bc im stubborn and you all know i hate saying that im sick bc im never really sick! But i just had no energia so we stayed in all day on friday and i slept! It was exactly what i needed! But anyways, i got a haircut of monday! Finally man my hair was so long!!! So it is really short now :) im gonna keep it this way, even though my head is really cold haha :) I got your dearelder and postcard mom!! :) That is a really cool picture that is on that postcard! I miss AZ so much and i miss getting dirty!! :( As missionaries, its really hard to get dirty ahah but i really do miss the dirt. Its all backland woods here and snow so..yeah you get the point :) It has been snowing hardcore all week, we got like 11 inches one night during this insane blizzard and we werent able to go to Spanish Training the next morning as planned bc not all of the missionaries could make it so it was really frustrating! It was going to be in North Philly too!! And i was going to see my companion from the MTC ELder Reese!! :( But its ok, i am sure that they are going to reschedule it!
SOme very good news, I didnt get transfered!! :) Im here for at least one more transfer, hopefully for the next 6 months or so i am in love with the people here and the work that is happening is absolutely incredible!! I did find out though that the philly temple wont be finished until after my mission is over :( Well, looks like im coming back! :) And dad, they have a place called Wawa here, its like the QT of the east coast and they have ATMs there that dont charge! So my acct should be fine, plus i havent needed any money anyway, hecki havent spent any money haha so dont need to worry about that :)
Ok so now about my week...We taught a lot of people, 20 lessons again, which really isnt as much as we couldve taught if i wasnt sick, but the spirit was so apparent in every single one of these lessons this week. At times i felt as if it were something tangible in the room that i could like literally embrace, but man, it was just insane i dont know how to describe it!! We are no longer teaching Ithamar, the one who had a baptismal date for the 20th of Febrero, porque he hasnt answered any of our calls, and we have been over like every day to see him and he just ignores the door so he is getting a break. Really sad though, we think he got anti-ed and that his buddies gave him something. He has a couple J-Dubs as friends so yeah...big bummer. But we are still teaching Victor de Dominican Republic! He is doing well, we feel that he has a problem son la palabra de sabiduria so we will be teaching him that and see if he will be ready for baptism as well on the 27th of Febreo! Carlos Escobar de El Salvador is also progressing very well and he will be getting a baptismal invitation this week as well for the 6th de Marzo!
Ok now to the good stuff...so we had a Stake Sone Conference on Saturday, which really focused on how important the members are for us missionaries! The members out here are really getting pumped in this branch, especially Edgar and Moroni! Moroni was just called yesterday servir con Edgar as his primero consejero en la presidencia de Elders! What a perfect calling and perfect person for the job! The hometeaching percentage when i first arrived here was 2%! Now it is almost 100%!! Edgar is on fire man! We are doing a lot of visits to the less active members in this rama especailly con miembros! Members are so key in converts. They need someone to trust in, someone who they can lean on and go to at any time they have a question or a need. As missionaries, we can only do so much, and it comes to a point when once they are baptized, it is the members responsibilidad to fellowship the new members! Invite them to FHE, to activities, heck invitar a ellos over to your house to talk, read the scriptures, anything to show that you are there for them and that you love them. The youth are so important in this. If investigators that have kids see that their kids are friends with members' kids, and that they love church and have been invited to come most of the time they will do what it takes to make sure that their kids are happy and that is what is important. TO you youth, be the best example possible. Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, open your mouth. THis is such an important principle. We have to be a good example wherever we go, and this is something that i have really come to learn on my mission. I have to watch everything i do and say, and i seriously have been able to see the difference this has made in my life! I am maturing more than i thought i would ever mature! DAHHHHHHH!!!! I just love this time of my life! I wish i could explain to you how much fun this is, and how much love the Lord has for all of his hijos en la tierra!!
Charity and Love....the greatest attibute any of us can aquire in this life is to have charity, and love for those around us. This has been such a power to me as i have been out here on my mission and i am so excited to be able to develop this kind of love for others!! You cant convert someone beyond your own conversion. Remember that. If you want others to change their entire lives, everything that they have ever believed in and the things that they do, you need to be willing to do the same. Think about the things that you do each day, the time that is wasted, and the time that could be spent helping others and yourself become closer to Christ. It is so important that we too submit our will to the Lord, and let him show us the things that we need to do better.
SO i was on exchanges with Elder Hall on saturday, and we went to Florencios house, and this familiy is on fire!! Issac, and now his 15 year old sister Stephanie have been listening to the lessons, and we were teaching the plan of salvacion! THis lesson is so much fun to teach! Especially when they understand it but still ask quesions!! Anyways, Florencio, issac, and Stephanie all commited to baptism!! THe 27 de Febreo is the baptismal date!! Oh man what a week!! I couldnt stop smiling like all day haah it was so amazing how much the spirit of the lord helps us as missionaries in this work!! That family is so happy now, they all read together, they were all in church yesterday, and everything is just happening and it is a miracle!!
Well, family and friends this week has been awesome. Topped off with 5 lessons yesterday, and a celebration do Moroni Birthday! Our area is on fire right now, and this transfer totally flew by!! Heck its already the end of January! If time keeps flying by this much, ill be home before i know it :( I love it out here! this church is so true, i have no doubt in my mind about that. Jose Smith fue un profeta de Dios, and lets also not forget his brother Hyrum...Hyrum stood by his side till the end. They were 2 of the greatest men this earth will ever see. I testify that our lord and savior Jesucristo lives, and that he will return to reign on this earth. Prepare yourselves, learn all that you can, and do the things neccessary to show him that you love him, that youre greatful for his sacrifice for us, and that you will do what it takes to live with him again. Have Charity, the greatest act of Charity this world will ever see was the Atonement. Jesucristo gave his life, for us. He did everything that he did, all for us. THink about it more personally, he did it for you! He did it for me! He knows what we are going through, and he is there to help! SO go to him, and tell him what your needs are, and the things that you are stuggling with, and i promise with everything in me, that he will prepare a way, he will help bring you back to the straight and narrow, and that if you hold to the Iron rod (the gospel) you will never be led astray! I love you all, thank you for all of your support letters, and prayers, Its going to snow like 25 inches tomorrow and miercoles so pray that i dont get burried in the snow! Haha i love you all!!
Elder Gallego/Venancillo!!
Ok so this week, milagros, milagros, milagros!!!! It is loco what is happening out here por the past 2 weeks but this week was especially just insane!! SO i was sick, yes i know it was a bummer, from last monday until friday night with a sore throat and no energia entonces it was really trying on my body. I lost about 8 pounds, and look much better now :) But we did a lot of work! I only stayed in on friday all day bc im stubborn and you all know i hate saying that im sick bc im never really sick! But i just had no energia so we stayed in all day on friday and i slept! It was exactly what i needed! But anyways, i got a haircut of monday! Finally man my hair was so long!!! So it is really short now :) im gonna keep it this way, even though my head is really cold haha :) I got your dearelder and postcard mom!! :) That is a really cool picture that is on that postcard! I miss AZ so much and i miss getting dirty!! :( As missionaries, its really hard to get dirty ahah but i really do miss the dirt. Its all backland woods here and snow so..yeah you get the point :) It has been snowing hardcore all week, we got like 11 inches one night during this insane blizzard and we werent able to go to Spanish Training the next morning as planned bc not all of the missionaries could make it so it was really frustrating! It was going to be in North Philly too!! And i was going to see my companion from the MTC ELder Reese!! :( But its ok, i am sure that they are going to reschedule it!
SOme very good news, I didnt get transfered!! :) Im here for at least one more transfer, hopefully for the next 6 months or so i am in love with the people here and the work that is happening is absolutely incredible!! I did find out though that the philly temple wont be finished until after my mission is over :( Well, looks like im coming back! :) And dad, they have a place called Wawa here, its like the QT of the east coast and they have ATMs there that dont charge! So my acct should be fine, plus i havent needed any money anyway, hecki havent spent any money haha so dont need to worry about that :)
Ok so now about my week...We taught a lot of people, 20 lessons again, which really isnt as much as we couldve taught if i wasnt sick, but the spirit was so apparent in every single one of these lessons this week. At times i felt as if it were something tangible in the room that i could like literally embrace, but man, it was just insane i dont know how to describe it!! We are no longer teaching Ithamar, the one who had a baptismal date for the 20th of Febrero, porque he hasnt answered any of our calls, and we have been over like every day to see him and he just ignores the door so he is getting a break. Really sad though, we think he got anti-ed and that his buddies gave him something. He has a couple J-Dubs as friends so yeah...big bummer. But we are still teaching Victor de Dominican Republic! He is doing well, we feel that he has a problem son la palabra de sabiduria so we will be teaching him that and see if he will be ready for baptism as well on the 27th of Febreo! Carlos Escobar de El Salvador is also progressing very well and he will be getting a baptismal invitation this week as well for the 6th de Marzo!
Ok now to the good stuff...so we had a Stake Sone Conference on Saturday, which really focused on how important the members are for us missionaries! The members out here are really getting pumped in this branch, especially Edgar and Moroni! Moroni was just called yesterday servir con Edgar as his primero consejero en la presidencia de Elders! What a perfect calling and perfect person for the job! The hometeaching percentage when i first arrived here was 2%! Now it is almost 100%!! Edgar is on fire man! We are doing a lot of visits to the less active members in this rama especailly con miembros! Members are so key in converts. They need someone to trust in, someone who they can lean on and go to at any time they have a question or a need. As missionaries, we can only do so much, and it comes to a point when once they are baptized, it is the members responsibilidad to fellowship the new members! Invite them to FHE, to activities, heck invitar a ellos over to your house to talk, read the scriptures, anything to show that you are there for them and that you love them. The youth are so important in this. If investigators that have kids see that their kids are friends with members' kids, and that they love church and have been invited to come most of the time they will do what it takes to make sure that their kids are happy and that is what is important. TO you youth, be the best example possible. Preach the Gospel at all times, if necessary, open your mouth. THis is such an important principle. We have to be a good example wherever we go, and this is something that i have really come to learn on my mission. I have to watch everything i do and say, and i seriously have been able to see the difference this has made in my life! I am maturing more than i thought i would ever mature! DAHHHHHHH!!!! I just love this time of my life! I wish i could explain to you how much fun this is, and how much love the Lord has for all of his hijos en la tierra!!
Charity and Love....the greatest attibute any of us can aquire in this life is to have charity, and love for those around us. This has been such a power to me as i have been out here on my mission and i am so excited to be able to develop this kind of love for others!! You cant convert someone beyond your own conversion. Remember that. If you want others to change their entire lives, everything that they have ever believed in and the things that they do, you need to be willing to do the same. Think about the things that you do each day, the time that is wasted, and the time that could be spent helping others and yourself become closer to Christ. It is so important that we too submit our will to the Lord, and let him show us the things that we need to do better.
SO i was on exchanges with Elder Hall on saturday, and we went to Florencios house, and this familiy is on fire!! Issac, and now his 15 year old sister Stephanie have been listening to the lessons, and we were teaching the plan of salvacion! THis lesson is so much fun to teach! Especially when they understand it but still ask quesions!! Anyways, Florencio, issac, and Stephanie all commited to baptism!! THe 27 de Febreo is the baptismal date!! Oh man what a week!! I couldnt stop smiling like all day haah it was so amazing how much the spirit of the lord helps us as missionaries in this work!! That family is so happy now, they all read together, they were all in church yesterday, and everything is just happening and it is a miracle!!
Well, family and friends this week has been awesome. Topped off with 5 lessons yesterday, and a celebration do Moroni Birthday! Our area is on fire right now, and this transfer totally flew by!! Heck its already the end of January! If time keeps flying by this much, ill be home before i know it :( I love it out here! this church is so true, i have no doubt in my mind about that. Jose Smith fue un profeta de Dios, and lets also not forget his brother Hyrum...Hyrum stood by his side till the end. They were 2 of the greatest men this earth will ever see. I testify that our lord and savior Jesucristo lives, and that he will return to reign on this earth. Prepare yourselves, learn all that you can, and do the things neccessary to show him that you love him, that youre greatful for his sacrifice for us, and that you will do what it takes to live with him again. Have Charity, the greatest act of Charity this world will ever see was the Atonement. Jesucristo gave his life, for us. He did everything that he did, all for us. THink about it more personally, he did it for you! He did it for me! He knows what we are going through, and he is there to help! SO go to him, and tell him what your needs are, and the things that you are stuggling with, and i promise with everything in me, that he will prepare a way, he will help bring you back to the straight and narrow, and that if you hold to the Iron rod (the gospel) you will never be led astray! I love you all, thank you for all of your support letters, and prayers, Its going to snow like 25 inches tomorrow and miercoles so pray that i dont get burried in the snow! Haha i love you all!!
Elder Gallego/Venancillo!!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Week Number 5!
Ok family, this week was insane!! Miracles are happening every day in this branch, i really hope i dont get transferred...i have a feeling i am, but i really hope i dont!
Anyway, it is soo frio!!! It hasnt gotten above 28 degrees all week and it has been windy like no other too so the thermals have finally been used! :) THey really are good ones too i cant even feel the wind in my legs! But i can feel it on my face and its really annoying!! Oh i found out last night at la casa de Moroni que i have gained 10 pounds! haa i know its really bad. But its not fat! I have been working out in the mornings but it is coming from all of the food that these people feed us here! It is nuts! I ate 10 tamales last night at a J-Dubs house (Testigo de Jehovah) haha that is what we call Jehovahs witnesses in the field! It was really good though!! We shared a message of how important families are and especially family prayer. I am so grateful my parents raised me on my knees, and said prayers as a family. I really miss it here, but mi companero is mi familia aqui ahorita!! :)
I found out that Gallego is a lenguaje!! It comes from Galicia, the northernmost parte de España! Pretty cool huh?! Oh yeah ahah another thing that was pretty funny, tuesday night we were in a less actives casa, and there was an illegal that had just gotten there like a couple of hours ago hahaha i just started laughing so hard! It took her 4 days to get across the border, and then another 3 days to hitch a ride to DE. What a trip! I have really come to love the spanish culture. I feel as if it is a parte de mi that i have been missing todo mi vida! I found a way cool escritura en el libro de 2 Nefi 1:5. It talks about immigration and it is some pretty sweet doctrine about it. It is wayy cool :)
So On monday night we had una noche de hogar (FHE) con Moroni and it was a wayy good lesson. He served his mission in the Yucatan and he is such a good simple teacher! We taught el plan de salvaccion and was so spiritual. I am not sure if you have ever thought about this but did you know that this earth is a gift from Dios for us? He created the earth so that we could inhabit it and multiply and replenish it! 1 Nefi 17:36. I am so grateful for this earth. For the opportunidad that i have to be here and learn and grow. THat is our purpose here, is to try to become like Jesucristo y su padre Dios. We are never going to be perfect, and they know that, but they put us here, with the families that we have for a specific reason, which is to learn, grow, fulfill our purpose, and return to live with him. WHat is our purpose? THe plan of Salvaccion revolves around our purpose. Faith in the Lord Jesucristo, Repentance, Bautismo for the remission de sins, el don del Espiritu Santo, y Endure to the End! D y C 20:37 talks all about what our purpose is. And with out a family, i can testify that this wouldnt be possible. I am so grateful for my family, and the things that they have taught me and are still teaching me. What a great blessing families are in our lives. Take advantage to spend time with our family. I wish i wouldve spent more time with mine before i came out, but i have learned from that mistake, so i dont regret it. Learn from your mistakes, and always remember, Without Faith, nothing is possible. With Faith, nothing is impossible :)
So on Wednesday, we had a ton of appts set up but they all fell through and we just stayed in bc elder kerouac slipped and tore his calf muscle in his already hammered ankle :( I feel so bad for him. We gave him a blessing on Sunday, and he is already walking on it again :) It was a crazy experience!! But! I had an interview with President and he told me to get ready and learn all i can really fast because there are 20 spanish missionaries that are set to leave here in the next few months with only a couple new ones coming so i am kinda feeling like i will be training some time soon and i am trying to learn all i can as fast as i can!! I hope i dont get transferred just yet though my work here is not done!! :( You will know by next monday whether or not i got transferred though so keep your fingers crossed!
SO we have been teaching a family, well kinda, there is a guy named Florencio and a now an active member, Erika Rojas, who live together...this is very apparent in the hispanic culture, to not be married..kinda stinks. But we have been teaching Florencio and Erikas son, Issac, and we showed them that Restauracion video, remember when i said this last week, well the next day we go back over to teach and florencio had a doubt about Joseph Smith bc he had never heard about him before, and we had given him el libro de mormon, and he has been reading it, but he still had a doubt! Well we go back the next night, actually just me and 2 members bc we had splits for home teaching, and he tells us that he had a dream, and Jose Smith sat down with him and talked to him and told him that this church was true, that this is what he has been in need of his whole life, that God will bless him if he follows what he has been told in his heart, and in that dream, and he also confirmed to him that he was the chosen profeta of the Restauracion! THat is crazy!! What a powerful answer! When he explained this to us we were all just speechless. I then invited him to be baptized and he said yes! :) Oh man teary eyed and all i then bore my testimony about how he has recieved an answer and that now he needs to act accordingly. Moroni 10:4. Have real intent which means willing to act on the answer recieved. What a crazy answer. Oh man i am so happy for him he is so set on being baptized and i think his will be on the 20th of febrero as well.
We had zone training and intercambios (exchanges) as well this past week! I went with Elder Osorio who is a native, on saturday, and man we did some work!! Got 2 more baptismal dates, and taught a whole ton and i had a blast being able to be out and contacting because i havent had the opportunity to do much contacting and door knocking because of my companero and it has really been taking a toll on me! I was so sick of just sitting in the car and driving to each appt and not being able to walk around and find new people..its been tough. But saturday i went all out and i learned a lot. Especially about the spirit, and how it works, but most importantly, i learned a lot about how much i love this mission. I love it so much, mainly because of the spirit that is with me. As a missionary, i have realized how many times i ignored spiritual promptings back at home because i wasnt paying attencion to the promptings, whisperings, or thoughts that came into my head. It really is true, if you are not listening, and trying to be guided by the spirit, you wont. It is so difficult to hear them in times of chaos, or very crowded areas most people say, but the spirit works in different ways than that. THrough the thoughts that most of us have during the day, yeah thats the spirit. If you are following the commandments, and doing what you are supposed to, ever righteous thought that comes into your mind was directed by the influence of the Spirit. I know its hard to believe that, bc i used to just think that it was just my mind, but its not. Its the spirit!
I testify that the spirit is real, it knows us personally, and will reaveal itself to us in many different ways, but as it says in the scriptures, through our thoughts, feelings, and impressions, that same spirit will testify to us of everything. I know this is true, i know that the spirit has guided me to the people that i am teaching. I know that without it, i am nothing. My words dont mean anything to the people that i teach. Not one thing. It is the feelings that people get that cause them to change. Those feelings are from the spirit. I know that because of this we need to make sure that we are doing everything possible to have that with us. Study the scriptures, live and apply what you learn, never ignore a prompting from the spirit, and be all that you can be. If you have a dream, and if you want to do something, do what it takes.
To everyone that reads this, do what you KNOW is right. Read and pray daily. Study the principles that you have learned and look for ways to apply them to your life. I have really learned out here how much i didnt know about really anything before i came, but i had faith and a testimony and i had recieved an answer and i acted on it. I could have stayed home, worked played with my friends, and gone to school, but i knew that the Lord would bless me for being out here, and i knew that i had people to teach. I am so glad for the opportunity to share this mission with you all and i know that if we pray for miracles, we will see miracles. I love you all so much and want you to know how much the lord loves us all. Lets make him proud and do what it takes to become like him.
yo se que nuestro senor, jesucristo vive y que el quieres todos de nosotros a regresar a ti, y con su padre por la eternidad. Yo se el libro de mormon fue tradujo por el poder del senor, y que Jose Smith restauro este iglesia, este evangelio in la tierra para nosotros y por el poder de dios. Lea el libro de mormon cada dia y haga las cosas que necesitan hacer! Yo quiero todos y mi familia, mama y papa me ama mucho, y mis hermanos alec y chandler y mi hermana y cuinado alyssa y trevor y abuela pat, yo espera y yo quiera todos! :)
Para siempre Dios este con Vos!
Elder Mateo Gallego
Anyway, it is soo frio!!! It hasnt gotten above 28 degrees all week and it has been windy like no other too so the thermals have finally been used! :) THey really are good ones too i cant even feel the wind in my legs! But i can feel it on my face and its really annoying!! Oh i found out last night at la casa de Moroni que i have gained 10 pounds! haa i know its really bad. But its not fat! I have been working out in the mornings but it is coming from all of the food that these people feed us here! It is nuts! I ate 10 tamales last night at a J-Dubs house (Testigo de Jehovah) haha that is what we call Jehovahs witnesses in the field! It was really good though!! We shared a message of how important families are and especially family prayer. I am so grateful my parents raised me on my knees, and said prayers as a family. I really miss it here, but mi companero is mi familia aqui ahorita!! :)
I found out that Gallego is a lenguaje!! It comes from Galicia, the northernmost parte de España! Pretty cool huh?! Oh yeah ahah another thing that was pretty funny, tuesday night we were in a less actives casa, and there was an illegal that had just gotten there like a couple of hours ago hahaha i just started laughing so hard! It took her 4 days to get across the border, and then another 3 days to hitch a ride to DE. What a trip! I have really come to love the spanish culture. I feel as if it is a parte de mi that i have been missing todo mi vida! I found a way cool escritura en el libro de 2 Nefi 1:5. It talks about immigration and it is some pretty sweet doctrine about it. It is wayy cool :)
So On monday night we had una noche de hogar (FHE) con Moroni and it was a wayy good lesson. He served his mission in the Yucatan and he is such a good simple teacher! We taught el plan de salvaccion and was so spiritual. I am not sure if you have ever thought about this but did you know that this earth is a gift from Dios for us? He created the earth so that we could inhabit it and multiply and replenish it! 1 Nefi 17:36. I am so grateful for this earth. For the opportunidad that i have to be here and learn and grow. THat is our purpose here, is to try to become like Jesucristo y su padre Dios. We are never going to be perfect, and they know that, but they put us here, with the families that we have for a specific reason, which is to learn, grow, fulfill our purpose, and return to live with him. WHat is our purpose? THe plan of Salvaccion revolves around our purpose. Faith in the Lord Jesucristo, Repentance, Bautismo for the remission de sins, el don del Espiritu Santo, y Endure to the End! D y C 20:37 talks all about what our purpose is. And with out a family, i can testify that this wouldnt be possible. I am so grateful for my family, and the things that they have taught me and are still teaching me. What a great blessing families are in our lives. Take advantage to spend time with our family. I wish i wouldve spent more time with mine before i came out, but i have learned from that mistake, so i dont regret it. Learn from your mistakes, and always remember, Without Faith, nothing is possible. With Faith, nothing is impossible :)
So on Wednesday, we had a ton of appts set up but they all fell through and we just stayed in bc elder kerouac slipped and tore his calf muscle in his already hammered ankle :( I feel so bad for him. We gave him a blessing on Sunday, and he is already walking on it again :) It was a crazy experience!! But! I had an interview with President and he told me to get ready and learn all i can really fast because there are 20 spanish missionaries that are set to leave here in the next few months with only a couple new ones coming so i am kinda feeling like i will be training some time soon and i am trying to learn all i can as fast as i can!! I hope i dont get transferred just yet though my work here is not done!! :( You will know by next monday whether or not i got transferred though so keep your fingers crossed!
SO we have been teaching a family, well kinda, there is a guy named Florencio and a now an active member, Erika Rojas, who live together...this is very apparent in the hispanic culture, to not be married..kinda stinks. But we have been teaching Florencio and Erikas son, Issac, and we showed them that Restauracion video, remember when i said this last week, well the next day we go back over to teach and florencio had a doubt about Joseph Smith bc he had never heard about him before, and we had given him el libro de mormon, and he has been reading it, but he still had a doubt! Well we go back the next night, actually just me and 2 members bc we had splits for home teaching, and he tells us that he had a dream, and Jose Smith sat down with him and talked to him and told him that this church was true, that this is what he has been in need of his whole life, that God will bless him if he follows what he has been told in his heart, and in that dream, and he also confirmed to him that he was the chosen profeta of the Restauracion! THat is crazy!! What a powerful answer! When he explained this to us we were all just speechless. I then invited him to be baptized and he said yes! :) Oh man teary eyed and all i then bore my testimony about how he has recieved an answer and that now he needs to act accordingly. Moroni 10:4. Have real intent which means willing to act on the answer recieved. What a crazy answer. Oh man i am so happy for him he is so set on being baptized and i think his will be on the 20th of febrero as well.
We had zone training and intercambios (exchanges) as well this past week! I went with Elder Osorio who is a native, on saturday, and man we did some work!! Got 2 more baptismal dates, and taught a whole ton and i had a blast being able to be out and contacting because i havent had the opportunity to do much contacting and door knocking because of my companero and it has really been taking a toll on me! I was so sick of just sitting in the car and driving to each appt and not being able to walk around and find new people..its been tough. But saturday i went all out and i learned a lot. Especially about the spirit, and how it works, but most importantly, i learned a lot about how much i love this mission. I love it so much, mainly because of the spirit that is with me. As a missionary, i have realized how many times i ignored spiritual promptings back at home because i wasnt paying attencion to the promptings, whisperings, or thoughts that came into my head. It really is true, if you are not listening, and trying to be guided by the spirit, you wont. It is so difficult to hear them in times of chaos, or very crowded areas most people say, but the spirit works in different ways than that. THrough the thoughts that most of us have during the day, yeah thats the spirit. If you are following the commandments, and doing what you are supposed to, ever righteous thought that comes into your mind was directed by the influence of the Spirit. I know its hard to believe that, bc i used to just think that it was just my mind, but its not. Its the spirit!
I testify that the spirit is real, it knows us personally, and will reaveal itself to us in many different ways, but as it says in the scriptures, through our thoughts, feelings, and impressions, that same spirit will testify to us of everything. I know this is true, i know that the spirit has guided me to the people that i am teaching. I know that without it, i am nothing. My words dont mean anything to the people that i teach. Not one thing. It is the feelings that people get that cause them to change. Those feelings are from the spirit. I know that because of this we need to make sure that we are doing everything possible to have that with us. Study the scriptures, live and apply what you learn, never ignore a prompting from the spirit, and be all that you can be. If you have a dream, and if you want to do something, do what it takes.
To everyone that reads this, do what you KNOW is right. Read and pray daily. Study the principles that you have learned and look for ways to apply them to your life. I have really learned out here how much i didnt know about really anything before i came, but i had faith and a testimony and i had recieved an answer and i acted on it. I could have stayed home, worked played with my friends, and gone to school, but i knew that the Lord would bless me for being out here, and i knew that i had people to teach. I am so glad for the opportunity to share this mission with you all and i know that if we pray for miracles, we will see miracles. I love you all so much and want you to know how much the lord loves us all. Lets make him proud and do what it takes to become like him.
yo se que nuestro senor, jesucristo vive y que el quieres todos de nosotros a regresar a ti, y con su padre por la eternidad. Yo se el libro de mormon fue tradujo por el poder del senor, y que Jose Smith restauro este iglesia, este evangelio in la tierra para nosotros y por el poder de dios. Lea el libro de mormon cada dia y haga las cosas que necesitan hacer! Yo quiero todos y mi familia, mama y papa me ama mucho, y mis hermanos alec y chandler y mi hermana y cuinado alyssa y trevor y abuela pat, yo espera y yo quiera todos! :)
Para siempre Dios este con Vos!
Elder Mateo Gallego
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Week Number 4!!
ok, this week I DID WORK!!!!!
SO we are having a baptism on the 20th of February!! Yeah!! Ithamar committed, and we are hoping to get his girlfriend to do the same, but they also would have to get married so it is going to be a process, but we are going to keep working on him hard!! I also invitied Victor to be baptized! 2 times too!! But that little ol dominican guy said no! :( haha he is so ready, but i told him its all his decision! He has a testimony that is bullettproof and he knows that its all true! THe book of mormon and everything! We just think that its a drinking problem, so we will see on saturday when we meet back with him!
We finally had some investigators in sacrament meeting! Yeah like the blessings poured harder than the snow and ice rain this week haha. We had 3 in the chapel for sacrament, and all are looking very good. Victor, and a part member family of a dad and his son that are not members were the ones who were in the chapel. Ithamar didnt show :( so it was a bit frustrating, but we had 108 in the chapel! MOre than last week again!! I lead the music in sacrament too...hahahaahahaha i wish you were all there to see that haha i totally didnt know what i was doing but i made it work :)
SO we taught 27 lessons this week!! I know right! THats more almost than the first 2 weeks combined! Elder Kerouacs foot is doing better, its just all torn up too, but he doesnt want to go get it looked at cuz he will most likely need surgery, and were not going to do that! Ha! SO im making him a tough missionary! :) were kinda suffering on our contacts though cuz he isnt able to walk around all that much, actually shouldnt be walking at all, but were not going to sit inside!! SO he ditched the maletas (crutches) and he is just using the boot. Its sad to see him in pain, but man it sure is fun to be his companion! I love him!! We also picked up 8 new investigators this week!! I know it is just going crazy here right now!! Im so busy i like cant even focus!!
Ok, so this past week, i gave my first blessing in SPANISH!! IT WAS CRAZY!!!! I was almost in tears oh man i will never forget that experience. I am so blessed. I dont say that to be boastful (as london would say) i just am so blessed to be part of this work! THe best decision i have ever made in my entire life to be out here speaking spanish. I dont even think about speaking it anymore it just comes natural! Im learning so much every day and i am so lucky to have the papa (elder kerouac is my trainer) so im his hijo. :) anyway, he is an awesome missionary! We were talking about how much fun its going to be when we are back and speaking spanish all the time! I cant wait!!
So like tuesday night, it snowed hard. And im sure you can all picture me doing this, but it was like 9:00 and we had to be in by 9:30 cuz we were coming back form the Hernandez familia and they had just fed us a ton of food. SO were driving and its like 9:20, and we come up to a stop sign right before a huge hill that we had to get up to get home. Well i being the PRO driver i am, said elder HANG ON!! WE needed some speed! SO i got some.....but not enough hahaa. We were sliding all over the place, but i remembered that if you turn the wheels as your stepping on the gas in a front wheel car, it helps! So of course i took my knowledge of this and used it, and we made it! It was hilarious though cus we almost didnt and im sure the car behind us was getting really frustrated ahah it was so much fun! :)
So i tore it up in Futbol this week. scored a ton of goals, and there were 16 non members in the gym! 16!! it was a great turnout!! I am going to need a soccer jersey they say cuz im too good haha. THose guys are all so good i love playing soccer with them! Also, that night was the night that we had met with Ithamar. I was on exchanges with elder hershey, solid elder, and we were teaching Ithamar about Fe and accion! Well i told him how the only reason im our here is becasue i used my fe and i put it to accion!! We have to be willing to have a desire to change especially if we say we have faith. Faith is not a perfect knowledge of things, because believe me i dont know everything at all, but if we have faith with real intent, that is willing to act on the answer that we recieve, then we will be able to recibir los bendiciones de Dios!! SOrry the blessings. What a great principle! Have a real intent to know, and when you know, act on that knowledge. I could workout my arms and say hey look at me im huge! But if i dont use them for anything, then what good does it do? If i dont keep lifting, im going to get smaller. Same principle. If you have a lot of faith, then use it! Or else that faith isnt faith, its just a useless knowledge that will soon be forgotten. Use the faitht hat you have and i promise, i testify that the lord will show you many great and marvelous things that you would have never been able to know before. I have learned more out here in 4 weeks than i have my entire life! It scares me because i dont even know if im going to be the same person, well im already not, but what is 2 years going to change?! :) Im excited to know!!
2 Nefi 4:15-35. Trust in the lord. Glory in him. Do what it takes to be willing to change. I cant even explain to any of you the kind of love i have for my family and for my friends. THe seed that my parents planted in me, by becoming members of this church, and my friends for pulling me out of the lowest of lows...i cant thank any of you enough. I am so glad that i have all this knowledge to share with others. I can now see what i was really sent to this earth to do. Preach the Gospel!!! I dont regret anything that i have ever done. Because i have learned form it! If you make a mistake and you dont learn from it, then yes you should regret it. But i am so glad that i learned from my mistakes. I dont know who i would be right now. Sure as heck not an Elder! Man the atonement is so powerful!
Think about what our Elder Brother, Jesucristo did for us on this earth. He suffered EVERYTHING! He taught the doctrines that we have today, he never once, never once gave up. He was tempted above all things. He bled from every pore for us!! He was crucified for us...thinnk about that. COuld you do it? I know i couldnt. But it is because of this knowledge that i am out here. I know that Jesus Christ suffered for me. I want to help others know this too! We have so much that we really dont think about. THe trials and just minor speedbumps. They are there to make us stronger. Never, Never say you cant do something..well unless it is something you shouldnt be doing..but you know what i mean. If there is a trail in your life that you are struggling with, get on your knees and pray to your Heavenly Father. Its a commandment! He wants to hear form you ! It is so amazing the blessings that come fro prayer. My experience with prayer is this..if you have the faith that you can do what it takes, and that no matter what answer you recieve you will follow that, then you will recieve an answer. But you have to be willing to act on that answer. It wasnt easy for me to leave everyone i loved..to come out here on a mission. But i had the faith, and i recieved an answer that this was where i was supposed to be. I know that i am here for a reason. I know that it is because of my faith, not my knowledge, but my faith that i have been able to see success out here. I am so amazed and how much i am changing. Its scary!! but i know its is shaping be into the kind of person im going to be for the rest of my life!! I cant wait to teach more people this week. To meet new people, learn more spanish, be taught by companion, everythig is so amazing out here!!
I ate some cactus this week :) yup cactus! It was so good!! and i also was able to translate at the hospital as well!! THat was a blast!! Well, family and friends, i hope you all enjoy this and i know that i will be watched over and protected. I am so gratefull for all of you and your love and support for me! London i love the tie and the head wand!! ANd the candy....yeah thats allgone!! :) I love you mom and dad and boys i sent a letter yesterday!!
Elder Gallego
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