Work, Work,Work!

Well I am getting used to the new job. Really doesn't have much to it.  Just basically help make Presidents life easier. We report with the zone leaders, take numbers, give trainings to the mission, coordinate the changes, planning activities and all that jazz.  It’s mostly just office work! In the morning we are almost always here in the offices, so we can only do missionary work in the afternoon.  It is definitely different than other positions I have been assigned! It’s true we travel through the mission…a lot.  It’s a little time consuming.  That’s the new challenge, learning to manage time wisely here, it’s very important here in order to preach! 

My area is pretty big, but its pure condominiums. All the houses are the same! It’s also the biggest ward in the mission, it’s called Vicente Guerrero. The ward mission leader is pretty cool, one of the best i have had, that’s for sure. We had to take the missionaries that finished their missions to the airport, and we took them to Presidents house for the last dinner, it’s like a tradition that those who finish the mission eat the last night in president’s house. We also had one missionary who got hurt playing ball and had to go home for surgery.... So we spent a lot of time in the airport this week. That part I don’t like so much! Best part would be the house, its super cool! Or my mattress, it’s an orthopedic mattress and it’s amazing, or maybe the new phone. It’s a Samsung galaxy touch. It’s pretty cool! 

Being assistant has opened my eyes a little bit to the disobedience.  I won’t say much, Just that it would be so much easier to just OBEY!!!  Obey what our Loving Father in Heaven has told us to do! 

Ha-ha yeah I am in the offices a lot more so I actually sign for a lot more packages that come in! I just so happened to be here the other day when a package came in for ME! Cool huh??? I haven’t hung up the tree yet that the family sent, because today we spent some hours cleaning the very, very dirty mission house..... It was disgusting; I am trying to clean it regularly now. 

I have been trying to teach the members how to give references, because they are much more efficient than street contacts, some members give and some just plain don’t.  We get to work with members here sometimes and its kind of weird cause some members depend completely on the missionaries and it shouldn’t be that way, in our house at home I think they visited us like 3 times.... But we are trying to teach them to be self-reliant, that’s something we have been working on this week! To help the members out! They need them missionaries too! 

We are working hard and giving in a lot of effort! We will be baptizing soon, we just got to resurrect the area a little…but we will get there! 

Sometimes we make mistakes, sometimes others make mistakes, I don’t like it when someone messes up and I see people belittling that person, or not helping them out, let’s not be that guy.  When someone messes up we need to be the person that is there for them, helping them to stand back up again! When we mess up, we can always count on the divine help of our Savior.  He will be there and he won’t belittle us, He loves us way to much! 

I love you so much! 

The Church is true! 

Elder Galbraith 

Changes, A New Comp, A Trip to the CCM!

Well I want to ask for an apology, I won’t be able to write really all that much today. Changes came this week and my number is up.  President Zapata talked to me a few weeks ago, for my last 2 cycles in the mission I will be one of his assistants. Totally unexpected, I do not feel ready at all. I feel a little nervous about this, and a bit unfit. But I know that Heavenly Father has called me and I will do everything I can.  I will need your help and prayers.   I actually took over the offices last night.  This morning we went to the CCM/MTC to pick up the new missionaries that got here! Keep the new guys in your prayers!  They remind me a lot of me! There are 3 here from Utah!! I got the chance to go back to the CCM after almost 20 months... It has changed A LOT!! 

When we got back to the offices we bought pizza for the new elders and the new sister, and they are being interviewed by President Zapata right now so I took the opportunity to write a few words to my family and friends to let you now that I am doing good! My new calling will be great! A lot of responsibility but I know that the Lord has called me here! I will still need your prayers though! 

This weekend Elder Draper and I baptized 3 of our investigators! Zuri, Olivia, and Marisela all got baptized! I seriously felt strongly the spirit in the baptisms! It was awesome!  They all got confirmed on Sunday! I had the opportunity to confirm Marisela! When I partook of the sacrament, I seriously felt the spirit SOOOO strong, and I felt the impression, that without a single doubt, This is the true church of Jesus Christ, He lives, He died for us and he has given us everything we could possibly need to be successful in this life and to win the eternal life! 

My new Companion is Elder Reading! He’s from Washington! Ha-ha another American! He will be my last companion, he is also my first comp from my generation, Me and him get along super great and I have been AP for like a few hours and we are already making some great plans for the mission!  I feel very good about all this. 

My new area is in Chalco, it’s called Vicente Guerrero! This is where I will finish the mission.

I love you all so much, Keep your heads up and keep up the good work!! 

La iglesia es la verdadera!! 

Love,

Elder Galbraith

Sun, Blessings and Mission Life. I Love it Here in Mexico!!

Well…You guys got snow! I got sun! Haha! That’s so crazy! I feel as if i haven’t seen snow in an eternity! It’s weird to see snow after so long, enjoy it! 

I wish I had studied a little more about the priesthood before the mish, and that I had taken it more serious too. It’s seriously such a blessing to hold the priesthood. Members here in Mexico prefer to have the Elders give them blessings than their own members. It’s weird but a blessing. I love the members here; it’s seriously the best place someone could serve a mission! I love it! I sometimes consider myself Mexican! Shhhh ha-ha!  This Sunday I had to opportunity to give a blessing to one of my favorite member friends, who is having a difficult time lately, I felt the spirit pretty intense Sunday! 

Speaking of blessings…BOOM! Miracles huh?! Rousy Ramirez a member here in Mexico City was in Provo UT and visited with my mother this week.  I remember her! Hermana Ramirez I called her! That family rocks! They fed me sooooo much food! I love those guys! Haha she and I talked a ton about Provo and Orem and all the good places to eat and all that. I promised her that I would go look for her brother Jaime after my mission! I still plan on it! I remember helping her daughter get ready for her baptism too!! I also remember the blessing I gave her family member, goes to show you how important are the things we do sometimes, because I had never thought that the blessing I gave was so significant for her. I am glad to know that my little efforts have really helped people.  I think i might be getting a little teary writing this.  That makes me feel good. 

This week we made one final effort to get our investigators baptized, and there will be success! We had 3 interviews for baptisms for our 3 investigators on Sunday! Zuri, Olivia, and Marisela! I felt so happy leaving church that day!  Saturday they will be getting baptized! Pray for them still, they need them! Zuri and Saul will get married and tie the knot on Thursday! 

My letter to the MP this week…

President,

Well this week was a very special one! Elder Draper and I brought our 3 investigators to their baptismal interviews on Sunday! The 3 will be baptized the next Saturday! I feel very very happy for them, and because they are getting baptized. I love this work. I know that we will baptize and baptize and baptize!

The area is going well too, we will see several baptisms in the coming weeks. I feel very happy for the work that we are seeing here in the area this cycle. The District Leaders are very good and I am very happy to be able to say that they are going to be area leaders in a future day.

President, I appreciate you very much and thank you for everything you do for us, I know that His work is many things that we do not see and I thank Jesus Christ for everything.

Keep praying for us!

Well that is my letter for this week!

I know the Church is true, because Jesus Christ lives! 

I know my Redeemer lives!!!!!

Elder Galbraith 

Happy Thanksgiving, Changes are Coming!

Well to start off, Happy Thanksgiving! I completely forgot again..... I feel kinda dumb. It slipped my mind again. But I don’t need a holiday to know what I am thankful for.  I am thankful for my Savior, more than anything, and second my family.  I am also grateful for the grand plan of happiness, the restoration and the gospel, all of it. I love it!  

Sounds like you guys heard a pretty good talk the other day then! I love that part about bucking up and doing the hard thing, I love it! But we shouldn’t see it as a hard thing; i see it as a challenge, like let me at it!  So we can get better! It’s got to be done sometimes. Speaking of Pres. Crickmore, he always taught us that he prayed for us to have challenges so that we could learn to grow and become men, something I have never forgotten, he prayed challenges to come over us so we could get better, stronger, and more faithful. He taught me tons! 

I also heard some great talks this weekend, it was take conference here in Estaca Solidaridad, an area 70 came, Elder Mirón, he talked about being self-reliant, and about the importance of our own testimony.  We all need to have our own testimony. He talked about reading specifically in the scriptures to be able to receive guidance and instruction about how to get a testimony! I felt the spirit strong!! It was AWESOME! 

Also this week I learned about the Faith.  President Zapata, in the leadership meeting, talked about faith.  He told a story of an Apostle…when he was a mission president he had a missionary that always baptized, in every area. So he sent him as Zone leader to an area where there weren’t baptisms for years, and the elder said to the president that he didn’t believe it, that he refused to believe it and the elder promised to baptize 25 people before the 25th of that month.  He didn’t baptize 25 but he baptized 18! The first 18 people to get baptized there in 6 years!!  Faith is powerful, if we have it centered in Christ! 

I was reading in D&C and I don’t remember where, sorry.... but I read that we need to trust in God better than in the people, I think in like section 3. He taught Joseph Smith a lesson about trusting more in Him than in man, he’s got a point.  I love the D&C! 

This week we did an activity to talk to people in the street. We focused on doing it efficiently, and the truth i loved it, the Elders loved it too!  We had some success! I love this zone! 

Don’t you all worry I am focused and I am working, I love the work! I love being a missionary! It’s the best life! And no, it’s not hard, it’s not a sacrifice; it’s just what God wants. That is not a sacrifice! It’s a blessing, a blessing so big I cannot believe that they give it out so easily to us, the opportunity to serve the Lord, what better could it be? I love it! 

I will be given a new assignment in the next changes, I already know my new area and comp, and I will be needing your prayers!   

I love y’all so so so much! I know that the Church is true! 

I know Jesus Christ lives!! 

Elder Galbraith 

P.S. The pictures are throw back from a previous comp but I thought I would share!

VIVA CHALCO!!

Some of my best friends who are also Zone Leaders

Well the rundown of the week: 

We had a ton of juntas, sorry meetings, this week.... which is always kind of…whatever, because I’d rather be working. We had 2 meetings with one of the area presidency here in Mexico, Elder Rafael E Pino. He is pretty cool, super spiritual too! Turns out that Elder Pino and his wife have a house super close to ours too! How crazy is that? One of our neighbors is an authority!!! Behave yourselves now!  He talked about working more efficiently, and how working hard but not efficient is like cutting down a tree with an axe that doesn’t have the blade sharpened. It made sense. We have talked, Elder Draper and I about what things we can do better, and have decided that we need to rely on the spirit more. He will guide us. Also that we need to have more lessons in the church. More friends for our investigators that can visit them without us being there, so this week we got tons to do! 

Today Elder Draper and I gave our zone conference to the zone Helaman! We did it differently today, it was pretty short, but we all read the talk “Through the Eyes of the Lord” by Dale G Renlund and talked about love towards our investigators. It was probably the most spiritual conference we have given in the mission.  It was awesome! I personally have been praying tons for this change in me, and it is taking effect. 

Letter to my MP!!

President,

Well today I have to say that our zone meeting was one of my favorites. I felt the spirit super powerful today in the meeting.  I feel that we made progress with our Elders.  Again I stressed the importance of love, and I testify of the words of Moroni, “If we do not have charity we are nothing.” We have the best mission area here in Helaman! I love Valle de Chalco. I feel very happy with the district leaders we have here, they are very good. I am also happy for the obedience of the elders, there are always improvements to be made but I am very pleased with what I have seen lately. Thank you very much for everything President, we love you very much here in Helaman. VIVA CHALCO

One of my best friends in Mexico Brother Beto!

I want to testify that I know that the Church is true. It makes me happy to be able to say that I was raised in this Church by a faithful Mom. That means so much more to me now. You got no idea. I know that Jesus Christ lives, I have been able to feel His healing power so much, I know what the Atonement is now, and I have a testimony about it. I know that My Redeemer Lives!! 

Love,

Elder Galbraith

I Love the Mission!!

Well this week was pretty darn cool. Elder Draper and I have been working hard. 

We have been thinking about some stuff we needed to adjust…The attitude. If we have a positive attitude, it’s because we have faith in our savior and His eternal plan. If we have a good attitude, we will focus on the positive, the blessings and we will bring the positive into our life. It’s simply how Christ would do it. We have been working on our attitude. 

Example

I have been thinking lately about our example to others. Being a leader I understand that it’s not all about numbers, not about stats. Being a leader is someone that can better others by simply being there. We should look for the opportunity to better others and inspire and uplift them. I have felt lately that I need to do better in this aspect! 

It doesn’t matter the circumstance, we can have a good attitude. I believe completely in those words! 

In this week I have worked very hard to feel the spirit and to have a better spiritual experience, I have been praying much to be able to understand the spirit. I can honestly say that I have felt such a difference; the spirit has been much stronger this week. I want to have this feeling always; i know i got to work a little harder with the spirit. We all do! 

We are working pretty hard with some investigators; their names are Zuri, Olivia, and Saul. Saul is a member already is getting active just barely, but him and Zuri need to get married, we have met with the judge and we are going with them tomorrow to make an appointment for their wedding.  They are super stoked! I can see that they are suuuuper happy to get baptized. Keep them in your prayers!

Another on is Maricela, mother of a recent convert, wants to get baptized but she has some problems with the swearing..... She is trying really hard but she needs some help. 

We are having such great success here, I love the mission, and I love this area! 

Update: Another general authority is coming to the mission on Wednesday. Elder Pino, I don’t remember his first name... but it’ll be a great experience! I am excited!!!!

I have a testimony. I have decided to simply believe. I got on my knees, and I asked for an answer. I got one.  I know it’s true, but that’s not enough I know that the testimony is always growing or shrinking, I want to always strengthen it, and we should always remember our spiritual experiences! 

I know this church is true, I know my Redeemer lives! 

Elder Galbraith

Halloween in Mexico?!?

Eating on P-day

First off, sorry for the grammatical errors, I am Mexican now, and this computer stinks....:)

Second, I love being a missionary!!! 

Ha-ha I can’t believe its Halloween, Halloween sucks in Mexico. There are just a bunch of little stores that they put and sell candy and disguises and stuff.  I do miss the holidays with the fam!  Those were the days! My family this Halloween will be Elder Draper, has a pretty cool brother! Ha-ha! 

I was asked the other day what I thought about the upcoming election…the truth, I don’t care who wins. It’s how the world has come to be that’s just how it will be.  It doesn’t affect my happiness nor my testimony.  Jesus Christ is the one that really govern the world, that’s who really matters.  I think we should try to focus on Him more in these days.  I never gave Him the importance that I should have before my mission, but now and forever more I will! 

It is very important that we have a testimony I can testify of that.  Our testimony is what will tell us that we are okay, it is what will keep us firmly planted when times get tough.  Something I have learned on the mission is that our testimony does not stuff at one level for much time, its either constantly growing or dying, and our actions are what determine the outcome. 

  

Hey I need to ask y'all to remember my friend Miguel Juarez and the Juarez Family.  Miguel was my Ward Mission Leader in Xico, and his little sister has been sick with cancer for a long time, and yesterday she passed away.  Hits pretty close to home right? Please remember this family in your prayers! 

This week I would like to testify of love and obedience.  I have been trying to love an elder that is a little difficult, and yesterday we talked and little by little I came to understand his situation more, oh and I have been praying for him lately. I felt lots of the spirit in that moment.  Friends I cannot stress enough that we don’t understand people and their situations, but it doesn’t matter, we got to love em! 

I also testify that the love of our savior is more than what we can come to understand.

Yesterday we were talking about the gathering of the house of Israel and the teacher testified and said, I know this church is true, for those of you who don’t know it, think, do you really think missionaries would come to Mexico of all places, to teach us about Jesus.  It hit home, I felt the spirit strong. 

The church is true, Jesus Lives and I know it!   

Elder Galbraith

Eating Breakfast with the Elders