5/19/14

Pics!

#1- New haircut and California shirt!
#2- Mom! You're on our Mother's Day board for the month of May in the
office! :) I look like a ghost...so white!
#3- Candid pic that Elder Curtis snapped on the spot!
#4- See you in two, buddy!!
#5- #webefly
#6- I have my own personal chef! Elder Ramirez cooks for me....and
it's delicious! And healthy. :)
#7- Called to Serve.

Hola familia!

This week was....awkward? Ha Not really sure how to state it. It was a
good week, but not in the expected areas, and then in the expected
areas, it kind of tanked again. I don't know, I feel like a see saw
right now. I don't have my sea legs quite yet in this area - good
think my companion is patient.

It was a normal work week, but we had a lot of success in finding this
week. We've struggled with that lately, but the people we visited
actually seemed to have good potential. A few people Elder Curtis and
I were teaching, or that we're being taught before I came here, that
disappeared popped up again. It's exciting! We have a pretty full pool
of people to teach right now, but a lot of them have hit the fork in
the road and can't make a decision on what it is they would like to
do. The unfortunate part is that they are not counseling with God
about it.

For starters, Henry Guadarrama was going to be baptized yesterday, but
five minutes before his interview on Saturday, he sent us a text
saying he isn't ready. That he loves the church, but feels like he
needs to go to church for a year before he makes this step. We've
tried explaining that baptism is the beginning as is states in Moroni
8:25, but he told us he has made up his mind. We are still going to
teach them, but we are going to try even harder to get the whole
family involved. Daniel wants to get baptized so bad, but his mom
won't let him. So sad. We have an appointment with the whole family on
Tuesday this week, though, so please pray that goes well! We really
need the mom, Rosalba, to be in board so that their family can have
these blessings. They could really use them right now. Great family,
but they need to trust more in God.

Also, Ely basically has disappeared. She came to church last week and
all, but she said that she did it to make her sister happy. She said
she doesn't have desires to learn anymore. Breaks my heart. She was so
close, and it was going to be something SO good for her and her
family. She was being such a great example and always looked so happy
at church. Apparently her sister, Leti and her husband told her not
to. That confused us because Leti wanted to get baptized a while ago,
but her husband wouldn't let her. So now she is against the church.
Doesn't really make sense, but Maria (the one active member in the
family) said that she is going to church with them now. I was so sad
leaving that house. Hopefully a miracle happens and that house turns
back around. The mom needs to come back to church before anything
happens.

We found a great lady, Rosario, though! She has had a great example
shown to her from the members here. She knows a few from school and is
very impressed by the teaching skills of none other than Elder Acosta.
He is the Area Seventy that loves here in this wars and is a teacher
at her children's elementary school. She is solid. She is going
through a hard time right now... Her father is going to surgeries down
in Mexico right now, and he is very old, so he is not in the best of
condition. She said she was going to take her family to church
yesterday but didn't show up and didn't answer her phone, so we hope
nothing happened with her dad. Please keep him in your prayers, as
well!

All around, it was a pretty good, awkward week. Ha I mean, on the
bright side, I did get to see Chandler! :) Sorry I was so awkward and
quiet, I didn't know what to do! Ha I was COMPLETELY caught off guard,
and what made it even worse was that my president was in the office. I
didn't know what to do. So, don't think I wasn't super excited to see
you, just had to play it cool and it still feels like a dream. My mind
can't take it in. It didn't even feel like 2 years without you! It
gave me a horrifying glimpse of coming home. Awkward. Ugh. Haha

We also had our Zone Conference and it was really good! I conducted my
first meeting! Well, that type of meeting. I slayed it, needless to
say (ha so humble). The spirit was very strong and I wanted to cry! It
was mine and the Bowen's last Zone Conference. Sure will miss them. I
spoke with President and talked him into he and I having an interview
right before I leave for my "temple recommend" a.k.a. departing
interview ha. I love my mission so much. Sometimes I forget about how
amazing this experience has been for me because I am ungrateful at
times, but I remind myself at the end of the day to count my
blessings. Work work work. There is no substitution. Love you all very
much! Hope you're doing well. Take luck!

-Elder Gallego