8/10/12

     "There was a man riding a bus in New York City when a father with 4 or 5 young children boarded. Immediately, the father sat down and the children started running and jumping all over the place and bothering the other passengers. the man was getting extremely frustrated with the father and wondering how he could let his children do such a thing. Finally, after the steam had built up, he made his way to the seat next to the father. As he was getting ready to let him have it, he noticed that the father's eyes were filled with tears. the man's emotions suddenly chifted from anger to sympathy.      'What can I help you with?' the man asked.      'We are on our way back from the hospital where their mother just passed away, and I dont know how to tell them,' the father said.      'I will help in any way that you need,' said the man."      Brother Caywood of our Branch Presidency told this story to us Sunday night when he was explaining to us the importance of companion unity. It relates to the topic because he told us that no matter what the circumstances, if we don't seem to be getting along or agreeing on something, we need to put ourselves in the other person's shows like that man did with the father. We never know what is going on in their life. It's the idea of changing perspective. This lesson could not have come at a better time for me. I was struggling with my companion. His happy optimistic mood had changed to negative and rude, and I couldn't figure out why. So I put myself in his shoes and tried to talk to him about it to make things right. Since he didn't want to talk about it, he would just say he was tired. It stressed me out and I prayed to find a way to get through to him. Once a week we have something called Companion Inventory, where it is basically a tell-all between companions to make sure all is smoothe sailing. I was really looking forward to this and hoping maybe we could figure it out that day. However, in the next couple days, he decided that he deserved to be in the Advanced Class, so we worked on talking to the correct authorities and soon enough, he was scheduled for Advanced. Before he left, however, he apologized and told me it was not anythign that I was doing, that he was tired all the time, homesick and stressed because he couldn't decide whether to stay for the whole 9 weeks or leave in 3 with the Advanced. He told me it was awesome working with me and he appreciated me making sure he was alright. We had a mini tell all and he asked me how he could improve, I shared optimism :). He agreed, and we had a "bro-hug" as he left. Problem solved!! This made me feel SO much better! Although his attitude shifted, we did have some great times teaching Jennifer and bunking together for a week, so I wish him luck in the mission field, he's a hard worker and has promised himself to stay optimistic, he's going to be a wonderful missionary!      So as Elder Duff left to his Advanced Class, my new companion, Elder Russo, changed his mind and decided to change to Intermediate where I am. He orginally started in Beginner, but decided it was too easy, jumped to Advanced, thought it was a little too hard, and is now in Intermediate, but still isn't sure whether he is staying here. Brother Pickering of the Branch Presidency and I gave him a blessing, my first time actually saying the blessing! And we went to the temple (which is extremely beautiful!) today for the first time here, so he is working on figuring it out :). I pray for him, he is a great guy, too and is headed to Honduras! He is a hardworker, too, from what I was told by his old companion, who is now Elder Duff's companion, we switched!      Besides the companion roller coaster, so many exciting and amazing spiritual experiences have happened. I wish I had enough time and space to write it all, so sorry this is already so long! First, thank you to everyone who wrote me this week, it was really nice to feel the love and support. Second, the MTC is amazing! The constant spritual "high" is so cool! All the teachers are amazing, all the stories, talks, devotionals, QUOTES! I must admit I am creating a quote book, since there are so many amazing ones up here! Not as extravagant and decorative as your's, Meagan Spencer, but thank you for the idea. ;)      This letter is going to be all over the place because I have a bunch of little things to talk about...so sorry again! I have started to even THINK in Spanish and I speak it all the tima and it is so much fun! I now know how to bear my testimony, pray, teach lessons, I memorized the missionary purpose in Spanish, hymns, the baptismal challenge, and so much more! And I must say, Tyler Farr, my Spanish teacher, Brother Hoskossin (Hosquito) reminds me SO much of you for some reason! He went on his mission to Pueblo, Mexico and speaks Spanish just like you and even kind of looks like you. It makes me laugh, but it's a good thing, he is awesome!      So this past Sunday was my FAVORITE day! We had a mission conference and President McIff, a counselor in the MTC Presidency gave an AMAZING talk on the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. If you have the time, you should look up the report by Hugh Nibley (I believe he is a BYU professor) about people attempting to disprove the Book of Mormon. it is so well written and knowledgeable. Sorry i dont know the title or more information. I hope you can find it! So after reading a large part of that report, he finishes by saying that although those are great facts and a testimony builder, too, we dont need it to know that the Book of Mormon is true. read it and do as Moroni Chapter 10 says and ask of god to see if it is true, and the Holy Ghost will testify of it. I've never felt more happy in my life. I love the feeling of being here and feeling the Spirit so much!      I have more to say, but I am out of time for this week, I'll finish by bearing my testimony is Spanish!      Yo se que la Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias es verdadera. So se esta sin duda. eld libro de Mormon gue traducido por Jose Smith y el es un profeta de Dios. Yo se que Dios nos envio al la tierra para aprender y progresar. Yo se que El preparo un plan para ayudarnos a regresar para vivir con El. Se amo y tambien se amo so hijo Jesucristo. Estoy muy agradecido por todo hacen para mi vida, el don de lenguas, y mi familia eterna. Estoy agradecido a mi Padre Celestial por la oportunidad a servir un mision, y recordare todo que aprendo. En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.   -Elder Gallego   "The miracle of the Book of Mormon is not that over 150 million copies have sold in over 100 languages, but rather the substance and miraculous history is the miracle." President McIff