August 26, 2014

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step."

- Lao Tzu

Hola!

As Elder Gale's newer roommate, I am taking the quick opportunity to send you a notice that he has officially left for the mission field a few hours ago and will be missing his p-day this week. Here is a quick note he wrote for me to send to you. He is an amazing young man, and I have learned so much from him, his testimony, and his example. He will do amazing things in the field.

- Elder Robbins (the shorter of the two super tall ones)

Hey Mom!

It is your son, Elder Gale. My old roommate is being gracious to send this to you because we do not have p-day until next week. I forgot to tell you that... well, we had our first earthquake, and it was a lot of fun!!! I had no idea what was happening, and I was just sitting in class and the ground was shaking. I am doing fine, and we had a blast! I'm sorry I can't email you or anyone and that it will have to wait for another week or so because of us leaving for the field. I just have to say that I love you all, and I look forward to reading all of your emails! 

I love you mom! :)

Love, your big little boy, 

Elder Gale

PS. Can you send me some more pictures of the family? I would love to have more to share with the investigators. It makes it easier to connect with them. Again, I love you mom!!!

When Elder Gale got out to the field, he sent another quick letter...

Hola!

I made it to the field, and I got my new companion, Elder Silverio. He is a native. I will be learning fast! I love you guys, and I will write you an email next week on Monday. I love being here in Chile, and I start the week now! 

Love,

Elder Gale

August 20, 2014

"Don't worry about how inexperienced you are or think you are, but think about what, with the Lord's help, you can become."

- Henry B. Eyring

Well, I'm almost done here in the CCM, and it has been going really great! We have another 4 investigadores, and it is really fun to teach our teachers. I love being able to speak in Spanish and share our message of the restored gospel to the world! I still have Elder Barfuss, and he is doing AMAZING here! We have found his problem. Sure he struggles with the language, but we all do. He has a little confidence problem, and the way I fixed that was by making him talk more. Now he jumps in during lessons, and he speaks pretty well! 

Another view of the Chilean Temple. Elder Gale absolutely loves the weather!

The language is coming so well! The only problem is that the teachers speak really slow for us and use easy words... the natives do not. It is a lot of work to catch everything that they say, but it is working well. I am so glad for the gift of tongues and all that I have learned here. I am studying my brains out in the scriptures, and I constantly learn new things. I read side-by-side the English and the Spanish scriptures, and I can almost read all of the Spanish on the first try! It sure is amazing here how much we have learned. I don't know how anyone else could learn as much as we have here without the divine help of our Father in Heaven. I love how well everything is going here and how we work so hard and have a smile on every single minute of the day.

So, funny story of the week, we were heading back to the place where we all sleep, and I was telling somebody of one of the bags that one of the hermanas has. That hermana was kind of "modeling" it, and it was funny because i was saying how it has a great fit (because I've tried one on, and it is really a great fit) and how it is a great size... etc. Well, the CCM´s president´s wife walked out as I was saying this and totally thought i was talking about the hermana´s skirt or something. Oh it was so funny how she didn't know!

Elder Gale entered the CCM assuming he would be surrounded by shorter people. Apparently that is not the case...

Also, last P-day, after we were finished writing, we went to the streets. As Elder Barfuss and I were walking back, we see this big group of like 12 hermanas, and it was really funny to see them because as we passed the first part, one hermana jumps out and screams, "BRANDON??" It was Hermana Severtson! (Kami Severtson), and it was really awesome to see her on her final day here!

Good luck to all the people who are going to school/college these next few weeks! Stay strong in the gospel and everything, and look to God, our Eternal loving Heavenly Father, in all you do! Please email back, and let me know more about how AZ and everything is!

Much love for everyone!

Elder Gale

August 12, 2014

"Prayer is the passport to peace."

- Thomas S. Monson

The Chilean temple next to Elder Gale. He gets to see it every day!

Time flies, and there is NEVER enough time to email everyone. I sure love everyone back in Arizona and all the missionaries worldwide. 

Elder Gale's mission name tag.

Well, this is it. I am the most senior group here, and I get to go out and do street contacts now! The time flies here, and I can't believe it has already been a month here! It doesn't even feel like a different country, let alone across the equator!! The only thing that's different is the food a bit and just how no one really understands English... oh well. I still love it here! 

Elder Gale with his companion and two of the best roommates in the CCM.

I have a triple combination and a Santa Bibilia en Español, and I pretty much only read from those now. The language has come so easily, and I cant believe how well it has come because i know absolutely nothing without the power of the Holy Ghost helping me. Our teachers only speak Spanish to us, and I can pick it all up really easily. I love how well it is going because if it wasn't going well, it would be much harder! All of those of you that are reading this, know that prayer works! I know it, and I can tell you over and over. But Ii know it works and that it is not just talking to yourself in your head; you are speaking with Dios, nuestro Padre Celestial (God, our Heavenly Father). quien nos ama y quiere para nosotros a volver con Él (who loves us and wants us to return to Him). 

Elder Gale with the Chilean flag.

I have no more to say other than, esta iglesia es verdadera. este Evangelio de Jesucristo puede cambiar vidas y es el más importante cosa en mi vida. Mi familia y yo podemos estar con nosotros para tiempoy por las eternidads (This church is true. The Gospel of Jesus Christ can change lives and it is the most important thing in my life. Myfamily and I can be together for eternity).

Much love to everyone,

Elder Gale

Elder Gale with Sister Kami Severtson right before she flew back home.

Questions and Answers with Elder Gale



1. How is your Spanish coming? How is your English?



Well, I can talk in lessons and get my point across in almost unbroken Spanish. I love how the teachers only teach in Español and that I can get almost everything that they are saying. It is coming along really Mwell! my English... well, it’s good, but I have moments where I can’t remember how to say a word to my companion in either English or Español. It is still in my head...at least for now...

 


2. Do they have any American restaurants in your area such as McDonalds?



We actually have a McDonalds about half a mile to a mile away. On P-days we get one hour to write home and 2 hours to go to the streets. We have been to the McDonalds, but I didn’t get anything from there. I don’t want to get sick with “it” here, if you know what I mean...




3. Do you have a gym at the MTC? What do you do for a workout?


We actually do not have a gym in our MTC. After breakfast, we go for about a half mile jog to a park where we play soccer.. I mean fútbol, and there is another park that has these workout things where you use your body weight. It is really interesting how it works, but I use it every now and then.




4. How are you doing?



I am doing really well, I love every moment here, and I can’t wait to be in the field and doing the real work!




5. How big is the MTC, and how many missionaries are there right now? 



The CCM (se-se-M-A) is really small, at most it can hold 90 missionaries. There are actually 2 places where we sleep. I sleep here on the grounds, and the other place is about 15 minutes away. We are right next to the temple. I love being right by it and being able to see it every morning!




6. Do you feel like you are being successful?



I really do feel like I am being successful. I have two "baptisms," meaning that during a lesson with our teacher as the investigator, they said they would be baptized. Everyday I learn something new from the scriptures and the language, so I do think I am being successful.




7. Have you had any authentic Chilean food?



We have a cafeteria here, so yes. I’m not sure if it is really authentic until it is made within someone´s home.




8. How are the members in your area? Do you go to church at the MTC or with other members at a church? 



I actually have not really met any members. We go to church as an MTC group, but since we walk past the members at the temple all the time, they always want a picture with a big, white, American missionary. 




9. We heard you saw Elder Matthew Taylor at the temple. How was your temple experience, and describe the Chile Temple?



I saw him, and it was really cool to see a missionary who I know out in the field and to see how far he has come! The Chile temple is not really tall or big. It is actually really small. I’ll send a picture in a second :)




10. How are you and your companion doing? 



He is doing better. He is getting the language. He just is having a hard time, and I try to help him all I can.

August 05, 2014

"The three great essentials to achieve anything worthwhile are, first, hard work; second, stick-to-itiveness; third, common sense."

- Thomas Edison

Well, I don't have much time to email, but it has been so fast this week. The days are long, and we work really hard. It was definitely amazing! The days meld into one. 

Yesterday, I invited an investigator (a teacher) to baptism, and they accepted! It was such a great feeling to know that they will start on that path towards change. 

The language keeps coming, and we learn so much here. We spend at least 4 hours just in a language class, and the rest of the classes are 100% Spanish. I have to translate for my companion who is still having a difficult time, and I don't know how long he will be able to keep it together here. He has a hard time not stressing out and losing it. But, I pray he gets it figured out. i hope he gets it all soon. 

We had our first person who left for home. I hope she does well and can come back out again in the future. I sure miss Arizona and the 110 degree heat... not. It is probably 70 degrees here at the most. In the mornings for exercises, it is about 40 degrees, and I love it!!! I can't wait to get to the field. 

I love you all!

Elder Gale

Q&A with Elder Gale



1. Who is your companion, and where is he from? 


His name is Elder Barfuss from Utah. He is struggling with the language, but everyone is helping the best we can.


2. How is the weather in Santiago? 


The weather is amazing, about 50 degrees here, and I love it. I’m wearing a short sleeve shirt.


3. How is the food? Do you like it? 


The food is cafeteria food... but I love it all.


4. What does your typical day look like at the MTC?


A typical day is of lessons to teach and language to learn, and just a ton to do...


5. What has been the easiest and the hardest thing you have had to do so far?


Easiest, the mornings with exercise and morning lessons... the hardest, definitely night time. You get so worn out from everything.


6. Have you learned any new customs of Chile? 


There is a weird handshake here. You shake hands, give a pat-hug twice, and then shake hands again.


7. Have you had any cool spiritual experiences? 


My spiritual experience was when I committed my first person to baptism, and they accepted. And "es un bien tiempo ser unmisionero!!!" (It's a good time to be a missionary!!!)


8. Anything you need me to send you?



I don’t need anything but prayers, more time to type, and lots of love :)