Super-hot here in Morelos!

This week was good. Good and hot! Hahaha that’s nothing new right? Super-hot here in Morelos!  And they tell me that it gets better, the hottest in is April and May! 

Oh goodie right??  I am adjusting to the heat but it still kind of zaps me sometimes!  I have learned a lot here in the mish and it keeps going.  I am nearing the halfway and I can’t believe it. 

  

Well I can honestly say that I am a little disappointed.  We weren’t able to go to the temple this month.... I have been told that maybe in March we will go!  I might have to go to the big city twice for my visa and the temple! That would be something else right?? 

We baptized a little boy named Alexis, who turned 8 and asked that I baptize him; I don’t have pics....Sorry.  But our investigator Rosario is getting baptized this Saturday and I will be sure to take pics. 

Lately I have felt an improvement in my Spanish and I have felt that I have worsened in my English and writing.  So please forgive me for writing like an ape! 

This week has been a very special week for me.  It has been a week of learning patience; this week has been very trying!  I am working HARD to be more patient and more humble and the Lord has been with me, only I have a loooong way to go.  I have felt kinda lazy with the street contacts lately and I have asked God for help many times.  I learned that I needed to act!  So I did and I started to contact again and the strength and desire to do it more came back! And I have felt renewed in my strength!  I have learned a ton in these few short weeks here in Morelos and I will continue to learn! 

We have been looking for new investigators as we don’t have many and we have had to drop a bunch that weren’t progressing!  But we will keep pushing onward! We worked very hard this week, and it was a little slow for lessons, but all week I remembered that the Lord was testing me to see my diligence , and that impelled me every day to go out and work .  I know the Lord loves me and loves my comp

We have a leadership meeting the 4th of March, and I was thinking about Erin the other day and I thought that I will be able to have a very spiritual meeting to help me remember her on her birthday!  That will be a great day.  I hope she is proud of me, I am working hard! 

I love you all so so much! 

I am forever and eternally grateful for your example and your faith. 

I love you and I pray for you. 

The church is true, the prophet is real, Joseph Smith was a prophet and Jesus Christ lives! 

Elder Galbraith 

Pizza, A big flipping Bull I found in the street and I Testify of the Book of Mormon!

Dearest friends! 

Well time flies doesn’t even come close...

Sewing my shirt!

Well this week was a good one! Check the weather report for Yautepec, Estado de Morelos, Mexico.... It’s HOOOOOOOOT!  Haha its crazy hot here, I seriously end the days soaked in sweat. I have started showering in the nights too, just to cool down.... haha but I love it! 

We worked hard this week, super hard, we found a bunch of new investigators too, but 2 special ones we found on Saturday Libni and Jose Luis.  They straight up said that they would get baptized; they just want to be sure of their decision.  I felt a super strong spirit with them, and they came to church! 

On Friday L. Whitney Clayton and Paul B Pieper came to the Mexico Chalco mission!  They gave us a super cool training about teaching your investigators and how to teach well and leave good homework for them to be sure that they progress.  The spirit was intense that day!! 

Pres Crickmore and me on my b-day!

This week I want to share with you all something, I shared the same thing with President Crickmore; (my mission president) so I won’t be putting my letter to him in my letter today because what I will share is the same!  

We visited a less active member that has fallen far from the path, and his situation is bad. He has turned bitter and he started to attack the Book of Mormon a little bit, and then a lot saying it doesn’t match up with what the scientists say and that there is nothing in the history and archaeology that can prove that it's real.  I started to think that maybe he was right.  Then my comp started to testify, and I testified after him and I felt powerfully in this moment the spirit hugging me, and I felt super good.

Family, friends, and esteemed colleagues,  I do not know how to answer all your questions about the Book of Mormon, nor can I prove scientifically all the stuff in order to make sure that it actually happened, but I don’t need to.  I got on my knees and asked a higher power, the God that created this world, and you know what? He answered me and said that it’s true.  I have asked several times and always come to the same conclusion, undoubtedly, IT IS REAL. 

I love the gospel, I love the Book of Mormon and I love Jesus Christ. I know it is real and if you don’t you had better figure it out for yourself. 

I love you all! 

Elder Galbraith 

Eating pizza on my b-day!!

and A big flipping bull I found in the street!

Well Another Monday Has Come Yet Again!

We went for a ride in the truck of Sister Lidia

Well another Monday has come yet again, so here I am! 

Living the good life! 

It’s hot here. Very hot. And I don't like it, I am only adjusting. 

Be grateful for the cold, because it’s a pleasure. 

The time here in the mission is FAST. I can’t believe it, we finished another transfer, and me and Elder Costeño stay together, I am still DL and they are going to add another companionship of sisters to my district..... 

I now have 10 sisters to look after; I basically have my own zone here!  Ha-ha it comes with its challenges but we do good, I am loving it! Just not so much the heat.... that’s a killer.  I have been trying to motivate my district with scriptural references and quotes and stuff and I call them normally in the night after work. We only call and report on Wednesday and Sunday. 

 I got a haircut today! and it is super short! like military style, ha-ha and it feels good with such heat! 

The Mexican carnival came to town this week and let me tell you what, if you think concerts in Utah stink of beer, you should be glad you don’t have to smell it here... it’s HORRIBLE. lots of drunk people and tons of crazies here man, it’s INSANE.  We have had to completely avoid the center of town. It’s like Sodom and Gomorra from the bible. 

All is well with sister Lidia! She told me that all is good, she just feels a little scared that it will happen again. 

I have been thinking in some of my favorite scriptures to share with you and i settled on this baby.

My favorite scripture right now I think would be Alma 7:11-13

I love it because it talks about Jesus Christ and his atonement, and how important it is. 

It means that everything we suffer, he suffered and he knows how we feel! 

Jesus Christ loves us so so much, and for that reason he gave everything for us, even his life. 

But he taught us a lesson with what he did 3 days later, he was risen. He taught us that we too, can do the same. 

This week I have learned a lot about controlling my pride and being more patient, we contact a lot of people in the street and I get mad sometimes cause the people aren’t always nice, but I have been able to change and see a different side of things here, I have become a lot more patient and am trying real hard to stop being prideful. I still have a looooong way to go!  I have studied a lot in the scriptures lately trying to find the answers, because when we want to talk to God, we pray and when we want God to talk to us, we read the scriptures! 

I love you all so much!!  Please keep increasing the faith and keep praying for me, and I promise things will keep improving if you try hard to read the scriptures, pray and go to church! 

God loves you, and I love you! 

Elder Galbraith 

 

View from a big old hill in our area!

Feb 8, 2016 ~ I'm 20 Years Old TODAY!!

Well, First of all I have to say that I can’t believe that this day has come... I am now 20... gee whiz.  Ha-ha I forgot it was my birthday today actually... I got up and we had a Zone conference and so I had to get ready and fast, and I was ironing my shirt and I realized, Like bro... I am 20 today. No way!  Ha-ha, but my zone sang happy birthday to me and after we went to Little Caesars and ate some awesome pizza!!! President Crickmore came too! My P-day is just going to be chill.  I don’t really want to do anything all that crazy, but several families invited us for cake!! So we will go take advantage of that opportunity!  Jill sent me a package for my birthday! So that’s awesome! She rocks, Thanks Jill!! 

And guess what??? Pres. Crickmore told us that L. Whitney Clayton is going to come to our mission! How cool is that!?

Also, I did hear that the Broncos won the Super bowl!  That’s super dope!  I was kind of bummed that they won when I was in the mission but then I was like ehh I don’t care, it doesn't matter.  We were headed to visit some references and we passed by a huge big screen someone had put up for the super bowl, and I got caught up watching it for a few seconds, and then the spirit slapped me and said ONWARD! So we left and later I repented.  The super bowl isn’t that important. 

I want to go to the temple so bad! We are going again on the 26th of this month and I can’t wait!! It will be awesome!  I want to go to the temple in Provo too! I was thinking about it and I want to go to a lot of temples. 

Well, this week we saw the baptism of our investigator Hermana Lidia Rodriguez! Despite cold water, a broken battery , and other problems and the spirit was there. She is awesome! And her son Lalo(Eduardo) Is a very special person.  He makes me feel very happy.  I don’t know exactly what he has but he is a special needs child, and his mom, Lidia, has her own organization to help special needs kids, Called Corazon Y Vida (heart and life) Serious, this family is amazing, how much they serve people. And now they are members!! 

Now I would like to talk maybe a little direct.  Yesterday, her confirmation day and only 1 day after her baptism, some member, I don’t know who, but someone said some bad things, some rude comment to her about her son. She left the church crying. I felt like someone had literally ripped my heart out.  I felt so bad.  My point is that we are representatives of Jesus Christ and this is unacceptable. I have been praying lots to be able to forgive the person who said those things and I don’t feel as mad, just sad. We have been told many times that we must walk the walk and not just talk the talk, that there will not be any cushion for the Mormons. If we act how we preach we will have no trouble convincing the people that we are something better that the world.  We should be kind to everyone, especially those who are different. 

I pray that we can all make these changes and do what be necessary in order to be more Christ like.  Please Keep Lidia, Jesus, and Lalo, or the family Juarez Rodriguez in your prayers.  They need them. 

I feel very happy here , with my responsibilities , my area, my district , and my comp. The truth is that my comp is a champion and very eager.  We have had many successes together.  This week , I felt the need to seek to know the truth of the Book of Mormon again.  I returned to my knees , and you know what?  The spirit answered and told me…. that the Book of Mormon is true , I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet . The End.

Elder Galbraith 

Lots of Snow in Mexico!?!

Well it has snowed a lot here lately too... hahahaha JK!!! That’s funny huh snow in Mexico haha what a joke.  It’s hot as the sun here... all the time. I am basically melting.  It’s like almost funny to imagine snow again, I have almost forgotten what snow is like. 

Well this week...We said goodbye to Elder Avery.... we had changes again, and he got his new companion and left us.... we will still keep in contact though mostly because he took my copy of Preach My Gospel ¨accidentally¨ haha how funny right?? 

We had interviews with President Crickmore today and he spoke very highly of me. He told me that I am very diligent and that he trusts me a lot. We talked about pride and I told him that I have it, and I would very much like to get rid of it. I no longer want to be prideful and I want to get rid of the natural man that resides in me. I found a scripture in Alma 5:26-29 and that’s helped me a lot actually. If we want to be more patient as well we should refuse to think bad of anyone, we need to look for 3 good things in everyone and remember how patient God is with us.  These are the things that President Crickmore told me to work on this week.  It’s sad to think that he is leaving in 5 months... 

Well…being a DL is not cake, but it’s fun as fun gets actually.  I love being able to get to know the people in my district so much and I get to serve a lot.  At first I didn’t want to do it but now I love it!   I like what you said Mom about not looking back, just moving forward and firmly pressing on. That is how it should be. 

I want each of you to know that we can all become part of Gods eternal family again, and we can ensure that it happens.  The Lord has given us the key here in 2 Nephi 31:19-20.  We need to push forward ever faithful and carry out the gospel of Christ that has been established here on the earth, always increase and strengthen our faith, and always pray, read them scriptures and go to the holy house of prayer.  We need to always be fervent in our faith. 

I read in this week at talk by Thomas S Monson in a Liahona and he talked about the ABCs 

A-Attitude is everything, we can face all of our trials with a good attitude and literally change our focus and how we think about it, it doesn’t have to be BAD, it can be good, it doesn’t have to ruin our lives it can be something that strengthens us. 

B-Belief we need to believe in our church, our faith and our God, our families, abilities, and ourselves. 

C-Courage I like the quote from we bought a zoo, about the 20 seconds of insane courage and good things will come. 

Just think that fear is in our minds and we can control it. 

Here's what my MP wrote me today today: 

Nice experience, your headache, the truth, the Lord loves his missionaries a lot. With respect to kindness and patience and even charity, remember the words of John the Baptist in John 3:30, that it should decrease but in Christ must grow, and that the work is not the work of frustration.  In D& C 3: 1-3. The Lord isn't kidding; His words in the next few verses are not all that kind, so He is serious that we must develop a kindness and patience for others. Start with something simple, refuse to think poorly of anyone. Start a day at a time, and try to identify at least 3 things you like in every person. Remember how patient God and Christ have been with each of us, and see people for the eternal beings they are, look into their future and not in their present, what they can become. Start there and we can talk after you practice that for a while. I really have grown to respect who you are, Elder Galbraith. Does your family have any idea of what a great missionary they sent out here?

President Crickmore

And here is what I wrote him:

President,

First, I need to thank you very much for helping me with everything!  I am determined to leave my pride and impatience here in Mexico.  I know I have a lot to improve, but that is one of the reasons I am here in Mexico.  I’m very tired of the pride that I have, in fact I found this scripture and it is bold…Alma 5: 25-29.  President, I will do it, one day at a time and I will involve Jesus Christ in the process.  I have come to understand that I am nothing without Him.

Elder Coastal and I work very hard here.  Elder Coastal is a champion and I really like it.  We had an interview with an investigator yesterday and she will be baptized this coming Saturday.

And, Yes, I think my family knows, but if you know and the Lord knows that makes me happy!  I just want to please my Heavenly Father.  Does your family know that you are the best Mission President?

Elder Galbraith

  

I just want to say how much I love you all! You are an inspiration to me.  I love this gospel and I love my Bro Jesus Christ. 

Love,

Elder Galbraith 

We bought tacos for lunch today!