Another transfer for Me!!

Well I don’t know what just happened.  Your favorite missionary is good, but...

I still am trying to believe it myself.  It caught me well off guard.  Yesterday my Mission President called me and told me that I have been called to be a Zone Leader in the Mexico City, Chalco Mission.  I am still kind of shocked, but I know that The Lord has called me to be a ZL and I know that means work even harder.  So that’s what I am going to do! I will be the zone leader of the same zone where I was the district leader. 

Crazy right? I went in divisions to that area just a week ago and I already know my new area and my comp.  Elder Morales. 

I am kind of nervous, I don’t know how I will do but I am going to work my butt off.

Please keep me in your prayers.  I am here to make you and the Lord proud. 

I completely forgot that it was Easter.... I can’t believe it, it came and went and I had no idea.... I feel kind of dumb now. Ooops. They have some different traditions from the Catholic Church that I saw but I totally forgot it was Easter.  I wondered why in the meetings we had there were so many Jesus Christ videos that we saw.Now I know! But Easter in the field was super easy going, like nothing happened really. So little went down that I forgot it was a holiday again.... 

I just want to share you my testimony, I know that after the trial of our faith comes the blessing. Ether 12:6.  We had a rough week a week ago, but this past week we have seen some legit blessings! We found some cash investigators, and found some really good people to teach, and that’s all great now that I am changing areas!  Haha! But we worked hard, we had new found excitement in the work and I felt the spirit a lot stronger. 

So that being said, I know that the Lord blesses us, always. But he usually starts with the trial, to test us. And then he showers his love over us, if we are willing to endure and endure it will! That is the key!  I love the mission! it’s seriously the best life! I love who I have become and who I will be in the future! 

I love you all so much. 

Love,

Elder Galbraith

One year as a missionary, Lizards and Iquanas

Well, this week has been a little slow.  They took me to Mexico City to sign for my visa that means I officially have a year...crazy right? Well I got to take advantage of the time I have left, because it’s not much! 

We had a multi zone conference on Wednesday and that was super cool, to hear all the talks and trainings they had for us.  I liked it a lot!  The rest of the week, was kind of iffy, we haven’t had too many lessons and it has been super-hot! I got kind of badly sunburned on Friday....

We walked tons this week, looking for people and we got rejected a ton this week.  I know it sounds rough but the whole week I was able to feel good that I am a missionary and that the Lord needs me to experiment with different things in order to build my faith, and I can’t build faith if the mission is always easy right? I took comfort in that, that I was able to feel so happy this week even though it was difficult.  I would say that’s my focus for this week...we can be happy even when it’s difficult! 

Today we ate a good breakfast with some members and then we found out that they have iguanas that live in their lot out back so we went hunting with slingshots... and we didn’t find anything, I saw a bunch but thems some fast little buggers!  I did kill a lizard though; they have said I am pretty good with a slingshot! 

We had trouble finding and internet cafe today. I won’t be able to send pictures today, the computer I am using doesn’t want to cooperate....Sorry about that.

We are going to have divisions with the zone leaders again tomorrow! Wish me luck! 

I know that Gospel is true. 

I know that God loves us. 

I know that to prove it, he sent his son, Jesus Christ. 

He has given us the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and today Thomas S Monson. 

I love you guys all so so much. 

Love,

Elder Galbraith

Trip to Mexico City Temple and a Move!

Well another week in paradise! Living the dream baby! 

No... I cannot believe it!  I have been out here one year and I don’t want to believe it either. That was the fastest year of my life. I still kind of get awestruck at it sometimes. 

Tomorrow I have to go to Mexico City to renew my visa... this came too fast. 

Well that’s the mish I guess.  I still remember my first few weeks thinking, 2 years is too much, and I don’t know how I will do it.  I blinked and holy crap here it is, half way... Well I gotta get er done! Only got 12 months left, that’s still tons of time!! 

We were able to move and all that.  It was relatively easy compared to moving all those times before the mish.   There wasn’t hardly any heavy lifting! Just the beds and the luggage!  There are no rats! Thank goodness! That is a blessing, and we have a door on the bedroom.  That doesn’t happen very often, and I sleep soooooo good now!  Slept like a rock before and now I sleep like a momma bear in hibernation! It rocks! 

Going to the Mexico City temple was suuuuuper cool!  It was so peaceful I, l can’t even describe it.  It was amazing! I felt so calm there, it was super cool!  Oh and guess what?  We had our session with a member of the Quorum of the seventy!  Benjamin De Hoyos! Look him up; He’s the president of the area presidency here in Mexico! He actually lives in my district! (But that’s secret) I love the temple! It was exactly what I needed! I learned what I needed to learn and I will use it to help me with my work! 

I just want to share that this week was another week of learning, I learned a little about charity. I need to develop more of it in my life.  I need to be more patient and more willing to find the love in others, to help them see that I am a true servant of Christ and in so doing, I will be blessed and more importantly OTHERS will be blessed through me because one of the ways God blesses people is through others sometimes even strangers and if I am unwilling to be charitable I will miss out on those blessings!! 

My letter today to President Crickmore!

President!
This week was very special.  We went to the temple which was very special.  I have been waiting to go to the temple for some time.  I love the temple, I still have a lot to learn from the temple and all, but I feel that there is progress.
Elder Costeño remains a champion, continues to strive forward and help me out. This week I learned that there is much more I can give to the Lord, and I'm not giving it.  I have need to be more devoted to the Lord.  I want to give all of my efforts and be happier for my efforts; I learned that in the temple.  And I'll do it.
Tomorrow I will polanco…I cannot believe that.  I still remember my first interview with you.  I thought 2 years seemed like an eternity and now it is half gone.  I do not like that time goes so fast.  My second year I will do even better!!The Church is true! 

Elder Galbraith

Me, Elder Costeño and our ZL's

My advice this week, don’t stress the little stuff, just be yourself, be happy and follow the Lord, and He will take care of the rest. 

I love you, I love the church, I love The Book of Mormon and with all my heart I love Jesus Christ! 

Elder Galbraith

This week has been super stellar!

 

This week has been super stellar! Rosario got baptized! The baptism went very good!! We had a good number of people attend, including some investigators!  Here is a picture! She has been a very good investigator and will be an even better member.  She has already dedicated herself to bring her friends and relatives that aren’t members to the church!  Elder Costeño baptized Rosario, and I knew he was happy.  I gave a little lesson about the restoration and throughout the baptism I felt the spirit very strong! It was super cool!  She was confirmed on Sunday too.  It was a good week. 

Haha well I would say that I am jealous that you guys get to go to St. George and chill in the sun.... BUT I LIVE ON THE SUN!! Haha its HOOOOOOOOT!  I can’t stress it enough, it’s hot. HOT HOT HOT.  So I have been thinking just a little about the snow and rain lately! 

We have found several new investigators, worked harder with the members, dropped a couple investigators that weren’t progressing, and had a ton of fun! 

Elder Williams and me!

We had divisions with the Zone Leaders; I got to work with Elder Williams! Another guero from Washington! He is super cool! He taught me some stuff that can help me, and we had a good day on Tuesday! 

They didn’t let me go to the leaders meeting on Friday.... only zone leaders. Whatever. 

We are going to the temple this coming Friday! FINALLY!! 

A big ol fat rat!

We have been looking for a new house, because ours is super gross.  I don’t know why we lived there for so long. We had a little visitor the other day... a big ol fat rat! That was the last straw, we outta here!  We already found a new apartment and all that, I am stoked for that! 

I can testify that the pride sucks.... If you have it, get rid of it!  I am trying so hard to get rid of it and it’s proven to be a challenge. Life is much happier when we are humble. 

If we want the Lord to mold us and help us we need to be humble. I have been able to see the love for the people, my comp, and myself more in my life since I have been trying to humble myself.  I need to see the beauty in the moment and in the people more often, and we prideful people don’t do it very much.  That is something I want to leave here in Mexico, my pride! Moral of the story, BE HUMBLE!! 

Life is super awesome in the mission! I love it here! I can’t get enough of it! 

Something I have learned recently is that God created us in his image right? And if he is a God, what does that make us?  God’s right? Exactly, but we do acknowledge that we are literally nothing without him. So we need to be with him, be at his side, following his footsteps and finding his lost sheep, and when we do it, we create the potential to become Gods.  That is something that I have liked from my studies lately. 

We can literally come to be Gods. But we need to learn how. That is why we are here and why stuff is hard sometimes.  We can do it, but it will not be easy, so we had better work a little harder in the work. 

I love you so so much. 

Y’all are champs.

Con todo mi amor, (With all my Love,)

Elder Galbraith 

Found a little friend in our house....

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!