8/19/13

Hola familia!

Well, once again, another week has made it's way by! Granted, this week was a little bit slower than the others, but still, the transfer is over! Elder Garza and I have had quite the time together, but we are pretty sure this is going to be it for us. :( Looks like I won't be the one to "kill" him after all. One more transfer for him and he's gone! That will mean that 3 of my 5 companions will be home. I am feeling older every transfer. I mean, it's true, but still...I love it out here, and it's going too fast! ugh. Internal conflict. ha

We had a great week as we worked to make it a strong finish. We have one more week in this transfer, and from what we have been told, this District is going to change up a lot, so we are working on leaving this area string and the teaching pool full in the chance that this area gets white washed. Anything is possible now! Elder Larsen, the assistant to the president for nearly my whole mission ha, is leaving this transfer, so we are convinced he is going to go out with a bang. ;) We'll see! I'm just going to keep on going with whatever happens!

Again, I am running out of time to write this email (as usual) so I will try to focus on the main points of this week.

We are continuing to work with Ana, Tanya, and Teresa. We are struggling still with getting our investigators to church, so we are going to keep that as another main focus this week. We hope that they will understand the importance of going to church so that they can better strengthen their testimony in this church. We are seeing them progressing in other aspects, just need to get them to church now! :)

We also had Zone Conference this week, so that was super great! I sure love Zone Conference. Especially this one. We reviewed all the training we have received this week month by month and I loved being able to apply it to each of our investigators and seeing how we can better help them in their conversion process. We also learned about charity and how the power lies in the motive. In the Bible Dictionary we read that it is not about the things that you give, but rather the motive-the driving factor. We are not being charitable if we our heart is withheld and we are merely doing things because we are told to or because we are obligated. Charity is the pure love of Christ, and I am confident that Christ did what he did because of true love and the desire to save us all. We had the correct motive, and we are taught about it over and over again in the scriptures. We can learn about it in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 in the New Testament. I especially like verse 2 when it says "And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing." I feel that way out here. I can work and work, learn and learn, teach and teach, but when it all comes down to it; if I do not have charity, I am nothing. My working, learning, teaching, etc with all be in vain. It is through charity-the pure love of Christ-that I can touch the hearts of those I teach and bring the message we share unto their hearts. Granted, they still have that choice as to whether or not to accept it, but if I have pure love for these people, I am confident that I have done my best and the seed will have been planted-in hopes that one day it will become a tree. :) I truly do love the people I serve out here and I am so grateful to be here.

I love you all so much, and I hope you're feeling the blessings as you read your scriptures and pray daily, go to church every Sunday, and look for opportunities to serve and love those around you. I love this gospel so much, and I look forward to another transfer! Love you and miss you, you're always in my prayers! Take care!

-Elder Gallego

"Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things." 1 Cor. 13:7

P.S. Here's a fun little picture of Elder Garza, Elder Afu (another elder in our district), and I on exchanges! :) We stopped by the swap mall on our lunch break and took a couple dorky pics in this warp mirror. ha And also Elder Garza and I at a fun birthday celebration for a member in our ward!