Hoorah for Israel!!!

It is good to hear from you all! Well...HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO YOU ALL... we will work Thanksgiving day, they don’t celebrate it here... they’re all ready for Christmas here! Santa in the mall, Christmas trees, ornaments and all that jazz (GO JAZZ) 

Anyways the changes came again, every 6 weeks! Fastest 6 weeks of my life! Elder Rodriguez and I stay. There are no changes here. Ha-ha I get to train my son for the full 12 weeks!! Boom! 

We painted the house, it was white inside and super dirty, so we painted, now it’s nice and pretty.  We rearranged our rooms and the kitchen and all that, not that amazing but still cool! 

All the missionaries of the Huitzilzingo Ward

This week was good. December is the month of miracles here in Chalco and this week started that month, we found new people, dropped old ones, taught people, helped people, made a difference and worked hard! 

And finally we had 3 investigators in the church! 2 for the first time!  One of them, a guy named Mauricio said that he felt something different, is was a change for sure, he doesn’t really know how he feels still about it but he said it was different, so that sounds good to me.  The other Elizabeth came and didn’t really say much but she definitely wants to keep having the lessons!! 

SUCCESS! 

Another investigator that we were going to drop said he wants to get baptized... so the challenge will be to give him a date! 

We worked our little bums off this week, and we saw results!! 

I have seen a great change in me. I don’t want to brag of myself, but Pres. Crickmore told me once that God is always willing to mold us and change us IF WE LET HIM. I have decided to let him. 

I have been praying for humility and patience and the attributes of Christ and I have seen such a change in my life because of that, I always pray for more help, I will never be able to do it on my own, so i have to pray and always humble myself and accept his advice and the advice of others that want to help me. 

I have a temper but I am not going to return to the states with my temper. It stays here in Mexico, so I will be a changed man, and that’s what God wants for me! 

All of this is possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

Just a little part of my testimony that has grown recently. 

I read in 1 Corinthians chapter 13 this week and it really helped me to understand more about charity, about how to be more charitable. Maybe it can help ya'll too. 

I also read in Alma 5:38 and I also learned a lot, I love that Scripture! 

I am listening to Jeffrey R Holland talk right now while writing and he says when we have trials or personal problems, come unto Him, all ye that are heavy laden and I will give ye rest. 

Those words touched my heart. I love this gospel! It’s true.

You are all in my prayers and will always be! 

Hoorah for Israel!!! 

Elder Galbraith 

My brother of the mission!

Good ol Ted keeps on trucking

Well I am just super happy to hear from ya!!

Good ol Ted keeps on trucking ha-ha and I cannot believe how fast the time flies! I saw Santa Claus in the mall today... Crud, I think he’s going to bring me coal.... ha-ha nah just playing!! 

I am happy to be a soldier of the Lord in these times, we work our little bums off but it’s not really work, it’s just service, and I have been doing better in loving it, I talked to a good friend and he gave me some good advice, SMILE. If we want to gain respect of trust, we had better have a smile on our face first! And if we do it, we will see how much better our life will be, and how much happier we can be. I realized I was getting kind of grumpy with the people, but I know that I am better because I have been practicing smiling!! All of you need to smile more! 

Hermana Olivia, Elder G and E Rod

This week was good, Elder Rodriguez and I worked hard, we found 7 new people to visit and found several more potentials, it’s a little difficult to get people to come to church, and unfortunately we have found several people that we need to drop and stop visiting for a time... that’s part of the show but it’s still rough sometimes. 

We had stake conference this week, and our mission leader told us about how some bullying has been going down in the stake, and it was kind of bad so the theme for stake conference was all about that.  We watched some videos and had some of the people from the stake talk and I liked it.  I felt the spirit there, it was soooo peaceful. So don’t bully! 

This week we had another blessing experience. We gave a blessing to the Father of a member and he was in bed super old and super sick.  I just blessed him through the spirit that if it be his time, he would go, and if not then no. 

The next day he passed away. I didn’t feel sad, just a little shocked. He never was a member but I hope that he will make that choice soon. 

The priesthood is real folks; I witness this stuff every day. 

It’s like being on the front lines of the spiritual war, it’s rough but awesome! 

I know that death can be kind of scary but it doesn’t have to be, it’s something that we should prepare for, cause it’s just another step, granted, a giant one but just another glorious part of the magnificent plan that Heavenly Father provides, I sometimes wonder what it will be like but then common sense kicks in, slaps me, and says Geez Ted why the flip are thinking about that??? You’re only 19, and then I usually think, oh yeah, well I’ll think about other stuff then! Ha-ha hopefully I get some smiles form this letter. 

We need to remember how much Heavenly Father loves us, and trust that he will take care of us. And remember through all of this to wear a smile! 

 I will always testify that a 24/7 Mormon is much more successful than those who are only LDS on Sunday, its doesn’t work like that, Jeffrey R Holland said that we need to be ready constantly, we cannot play for the devil and when game time comes expect to suit up for the Savior, that we cannot do, God will not be mocked! Strong words from a strong apostle of God. 

I also have a lot of things to be grateful for, I feel so happy to be in this mission, to have this responsibility, and to carry this power.  Elder Camacho said once that the only other people apart from missionaries called Elder are the Apostles. So we have a huge responsibility here and I want to carry it out. 

I love you so so! 

Elder Galbraith 

PS

We had another day of exercise! 

It was awesome! (I’m tired)

 

Elder Camacho and I

Elder Yuit, Elder Antonio and I

Elizalde Family and them good ol missionaries 

A Day of Miracles!

This week was cool, I got a little sick with the cold, or the gripa...But not bad, took some medicine (and my Mom's oils) and I was good! 

We had some successes and some trials…but that’s how it should be right? 

I have heard a talk by Elder Holland almost every day in the mission.  Elder Parker loved it and Elder Camacho as well.  That talk is awesome.  To quote from it Elder Holland said, "I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience.  Salvation never was easy.  We are the Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our great eternal head.  How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never easy for Him?"

It also talks about why we don’t spend all day baptizing, because salvation isn’t easy, and we as missionaries should have to feel just a little of what Christ felt, but just a little, because we will never feel anything compared to what Christ felt. 

I completely agree, and for that reason I have tried to always remember Him when I struggle.  Like Henry B Eyring said ¨When I feel that I have completed some great task and deserve a rest I give myself this rallying cry, Remember Him¨ (I messed it up last week but I got it now, there you go.) Remember Him! When we are tired, sick, worn out, lazy or feel that we have completed a task, we ought to remember our savior, remember what He did for us, and if we do that, we keep our covenants like it says in the sacrament prayers, we will not only be blessed but we will be given the power to bless the lives of others. 

The Sons of Mosiah were in Lamanite territory for 14 years! And I don’t think they sat around feeling sorry for themselves wondering when they were going to able to go back home to their easy lives.  Their Dad died while they were away, and yet they kept going.  After time in prison, persecution, countless persons rejecting them and spitting in their faces they stood shoulder to shoulder with Jesus Christ, like Jeffrey R Holland says. And they baptized thousands of people.  We should expect anything less than that. 

I want to share a little bit about how important the spirit is. I have always thought it was hard to listen to the spirit, that I was broken and couldn’t.  I have learned, the hard way, that the spirit always speaks to me, I just need to understand how the spirit speaks to me. 

Friday our zone leaders called me to say that it was going to be a day of miracles!  I trusted them and knew we would have a miracle! Friday happened and it was tough... Every one of our appointments fell through, and our back up plans. 

We stuck it out and in the night a street with a couple members and a couple contacts came to my mind, and acting upon this thought we went.  I was determined we were going to teach an investigator or someone like that but when we got to the street a less active sister came to mind in a part of the street a little bit more dangerous…but we went and found the sister very sick and very desperate, ready to give up, crying.  We anointed her and gave her a blessing, and immediately she calmed down, felt better and after a little lesson fell asleep. 

The spirit was soooooooo strong, and I felt so amazed, I had been waiting and faithing this all day, all my life maybe, I felt sooooo good and I was like Boom, that’s what it’s all about. 

I was reunited with Elder Camacho as Armando (who we baptized before I was transferred)and Judith’s kids got baptized!! Elder Galbraith returned to Ayotla!!!

I was super happy!! I never thought I had such success with them, but Armando told me that his life has been changed and I saw in his eyes how happy he was. 

I testify that Heavenly Father loves us, that Jesus is the Christ, that the Church is true that Thomas S Monson is chosen by God to guide and direct this church and that as we listen to the spirit we will always be successful and be the most happy that we could possibly be! 

I love you all so much! 

Elder Galbraith 

Our new car!

Doing Service

Me and E Rod

Halloween Week

Well this week definitely has flown by! I literally blinked and it passed me like that! That insane, time flies, i don´t really want it to but it is. 

Contacting the natives

I think I have been a little stressed.  We are opening our area, I am training and our numbers aren’t really all that great, and it stresses me out because I really want to contribute to the 100 baptisms goal that we have as a mission every month.  I feel like I am working hard but our numbers don’t really show it all that well.  I have come to realize that numbers aren’t everything. You cannot put a number on a soul, like Jeffrey R  Holland says ¨These are not numbers, not objects, or goals, these are people, living sons and daughters of God and you should treat them as such!¨ So that always excites me.

I have some problems loving the people, the members and our investigators I definitely love, but people in the street and people of other faiths that are not very nice in the street really bug me, and it inhibits my progress to love them, but I am trying!  I am not perfect but by the power of the Atonement of Christ I can be better.  Every day is another opportunity to do better than the day before, and to recognize our faults and to make them strengths.  I pray tons for help, and I can really testify that Jesus Christ loves me, he took my sins and my faults, and I just have to do better.

I only have 7 and a half months and Elder Rodriguez just started and we live with 2 other elders with 22 months and 15 months and they are kind of trunky, and they are kind of lazy and it affects me.  I was a little lazy this week, but I kicked myself in the rear for it, and I talked to my district leader and I know what I have to do to avoid being lazy.  Henry B Eyring said ¨When I am tempted to think that I am done, or that I have completed some hard task and deserve a rest I give myself this rallying cry, He Lives, He suffered for me and if I use his atonement I can be perfected but I have to use it.¨

This week we did work hard, we talked to people in the street, had lessons, invited to baptism and to church, and we are working hard.

Hermana Olivia knitted ties for me and E Rod 

Elder Rodriguez and I get along good now.  I prayed that God could change my heart to help me love Elder Rodriguez and it worked, he is a super cool kid, and I actually do love him. Time is flying by and I really don’t want our time to end.  But its Gods plan, not mine. 

I love my area, I took some pictures, and this week I can send pictures! 

We had to buy gas, the gas ran out... But I paid for it, and we have the best shower in the mission I have heard! It always got hot water!!! YESSSSSSS! 

Spanish is coming along good; I don’t have as much time to study because I am helping E Rod with his English! 

Our champ investigator Marco Antonio came to church this week!! YESSSSSSSSS! That is one dude that I love! 

Oh and by the way, Halloween sucks here in Mexico....

Nothing happened. Nobody even asked me for candy....

They put up some decorations and all that but that’s about it. 

Everyone bakes bread here but nothing much happened, we didn’t even have to go home early! 

Anyways I am not perfect, I struggle here in the mission sometimes, but I pray a lot! I am getting better! God loves me and is patient with me, he loves you too, just remember that, God, in charge of billions of persons and he has time to worry about you, that is love! 

I love you!! 

Elder Galbraith

Our House