September 22, 2104

"God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, He will increase our capability!"

- Neal A. Maxwell

One full month in the field!!! Where to begin with it all??? This was definitely the best week ever! So much happened. I have walked even more this week, and my feet can feel it too! I have met so many people this week who are investigating the church, and all of them say that the change that it has wrought within their life is something that they never would exchange after they have become acquainted with it and join the church. I can second that by saying that I get the wonderful opportunity to read and study the scriptures about the church for hours every day, and I love it! I have learned so much more, but most of it is the things that just confirm what I already know: that God LOVES us and wants what is best for us. We can’t see what it is most of the time, but it is there as we continue to read, study, ponder, pray, go to church and just everything.

I know that there are people out there that we are meant to help. We may not know how or why, but sometimes they ask a question, and you have the answer that they have been looking for their whole life!!! Sometimes, you know that you are going to be doing one thing with someone, and then, out of the blue, you are doing something completely different. And you know that it is because you are meant to help them or because they asked you. 

I had the wonderful opportunity to give a blessing this week to someone, and it was beyond amazing! I have given blessings before, but I was only a member of the circle. This time, I was the one who was saying the blessing, and it was in Spanish!!! The language sure is coming along thanks to my wonderful companion! I am starting to have trouble with English, and it gets interesting when I meet someone and they speak English and I have a hard time talking with them.

I don’t have much to say other than my testimony. Yo sé que esta iglesia es verdadero. Porque de un hombre, a la edad de 14 años, porque él oré, un libro que contiene todas las cosas que necesitamos para volver a Dios fue revelado. Y porque de este libro, estoy aquí en Chile a ayudar personas a volver a Dios. porque Dios nos ama, podemos volver a Él.

(I know this church is true. For a man , at the age of 14 years because he prayed , a book that contains all the things we need to return to God was revealed . And because of this book, I'm here in Chile to help people return to God. Because God loves us , we can return to Him.)

I love you all, you are all amazing. If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’m here if y'all need anything.

--Elder Gale

September 15, 2014

"Nobody ever drowned in his own sweat."

- Ann Landers

It is so beautiful here, even though I don’t get to see it all the time because I am in the ghetto. This week was really awesome; we had a conference for my zone, and we had our area 70 come and speak to us. He mostly focused on the gringos and talked to us about how even though we have a ton of fear about speaking, we can at least communicate, that all we need to do is open our mouths and we can teach the people here. It was great!

Well, this week we had many lessons planned and most of the people weren't there because they don't want to listen, they forget, or they just don't care.

We had a cultural event put on by the stake here, and there was a lot of dancing! The people here are very traditional like that. I got to eat a lot of the traditional food, and it was so sweet. The only problem was that I forgot my camera... again.

We went to San Cristobal today for P-day, and it sure was sweet to see all of the city. This time I brought my camera, so I have pictures. I just need to see if I can send them... that is the hard part.

Not a whole lot to share about this week, but it was a ton of fun! The lessons that we were able to teach were super amazing! We don’t do tracting in this mission, so we only have the lessons that we have planned. We do contacting every now and then, but I love the work here!

As I have moments that are hard, when my head begins to fall and my spirits and energy are low, I have found that the best thing to do is simply, work.... work, work, work. You can’t be in low spirits when you are actively doing something. It just doesn't work that way. Idle hands are the devils playground. If we are constantly doing something constructive, we can then combat Satan and the things that he wants for us to feel. Satan wants us to feel sad, downtrodden and as if we are not meant to succeed. But we are! That is our purpose here on this earth! I love every moment here! I can’t believe that the time goes so quickly here. I have already been out for almost 3 months!

I love you all, and it is truly the best time here in this earth when we have a fullness of the truth restored and accessible to our fingertips! The work I do here and my sister does in Ohio and my friends in various other parts of the world is not meaningless labor. It is work to spread the truth. I encourage all to read the Book of Mormon and the Bible if you haven´t before and to read them again if you have. You have no idea how many things we can learn from the people spoken of within them and the words of truth from God which they contain.

I LOVE THIS WORK!!!

-- Elder Gale

September 8, 2014

"Our Heavenly Father understands out disappointment, suffering, pain, fear, and doubt. He is always there to encourage our hearts and help us understand that He's sufficient for all of our needs. When I accepted this as an absolute truth in my life, I found that me worrying stopped."

- Charles Stanley

Well, Week 2 has come and gone already. I love it here! It is definitely hard work, and walking everywhere is not as hard as one thinks. After the people who don´t show up for invitations, who don´t follow through on commitments, and after the many miles of walking every day, I can´t help but stop and say how much I love it here!

I have probably walked close to 60 miles here just in these past few weeks, if not more. But I love it because I can really speak the language, and I have an amazing companion who helps me out when I don´t understand something. I am learning so much here, and it isn´t all about the language and customs. More importantly, I am learning to be like Christ, to forget myself and go to work here. I don´t know how, or where I could have learned to be humble, to realize that I don´t really need a lot and that to help the people around me is the greatest blessing one could ever receive. I love serving. It gets hard here because we only end up teaching like 15 lessons a week maximum because people won’t be there when they say they will.

Elder Taylor from Elder Gale's home stake happens to be in the same mission!

I don´t even know how to express how much I love it here. We taught a lady who is about 70 years old, and I extended a baptismal commitment. She accepted! I love the work here. I get to teach people about the truth that I KNOW to be true, and how it is the reason why I am here in Chile for 2 years.

I know that we are children of our Heavenly Father and that He loves us. Not only does He love us, but he wants to bless us in our lives. All we have to do is follow the example of his beloved son Jesus Christ, who came to the earth to pay the price of our sins that we may return to the presence of our Father. This is what I get to teach every day.

We had a street contact this past week with a lady who wanted to know more, so she gave us her address and said to come by. We came the next day and taught her. After an amazing lesson, where the spirit was so strong, she told us that we can´t come by again because "her husband doesn´t like Mormons." It hurt to leave. We wanted to teach her again, and she wanted to learn more but her husband won’t let us. One day, I hope he will change his mind.

The weather here is so weird. It rains all day, until my companion and I are about to leave, then it stops. And it gets really cold here during the night, then really hot during the day, and then cool during twilight here.

I love you all, if you have any questions about the mission, I would love to hear from you!

-- Elder Gale

September 1, 2014

"I have but one candle of life to burn, and I would rather burn it out in a land filled with darkness than in a land flooded with light."

- John Keith Falconer

WOW! It sure is amazing here in El Valle "A." We are in a pretty flaite area or ghetto area. I love it here! My companion is Elder Silverio from Mexico city, Mexico. I love everything here. I have a really tiny bed in a really tiny room in a really tiny apartment where my shoulders almost touch the sides of the hallway. I have finally gone shopping by myself, and I only have to spend like 20 dollars for food a week. I don't really need a lot, and food here costs a ton!!! It is so weird. I can by a thing of 30 eggs for like 8 dollars, but for about 3 dollars I can buy 20 oranges. 

Elder Gale says this is the BEST street in his area!

The language is coming along well. I have a bit of a hard time understanding people the first time, but I can pretty much understand what they are saying. Teaching here is a hit-and-miss thing. We have so many people who tell us that they will be there and that they look forward to seeing us; then we go, and they aren't there... it kind of makes me mad somewhat, but it mostly hurts my feelings because they say it and they don´t follow through. However, the people that do follow through are amazing! They let us in, we talk a while, they feed us... ALOT, then we can begin. I eat so much here for lunch because some members feed us more than we could ever need, and they do it so willingly. I had my soul burn with love for these people my first day because when we went into a house, the people there were cooking, and they gave me a hamburger. After we ate, she told me the words I have never wanted to hear, "I would have given you more, but I ran out." I cried that night when we got back to our apartment. The people here are so poor, and we know it because we are just as poor. But the Spirit in those members who are faithful is so strong. 

Elder Gale's Room

I got to meet our bishop, and he is super tall! He is probably 6' 4''. The love that he has for the people in this ward and area is so strong that when we went to an appointment with him, I couldn't catch all he said. But the love I could feel emanating from him... that spirit. I hope I can have such love for these people soon.

I have seen some things here that are so hard for me to see, like people just laying on benches with a blanket and a jacket for warmth. I have seen people who fall back on smoking and drugs and beer. There are people who only want to go home after a day of work, smoke, and just be content. I hope I can reach all of these people. But I can't; for some, it just isn't their time yet. I have been rejected, laughed at, and just plain yelled at by people. But you know what? I do not care because I am filled with the love of Christ for these people. I know that they can receive hope and direction through the message I bring. Even though it pains me when people don't accept what I have to say, when they don;t show up for appointments, or when they yell at me, I know that one day, they will find the direction they need and will be able to receive this wonderful message. I am so grateful for this opportunity. I love it, and I wouldn't rather be doing anything else. Nothing can compare to this. 

Elder Gale with his companion, Elder Silverio.

I just found out that I finally got a scholarship to a university. I'm glad to be here in a little internet cafe in a rundown part of town. I love it here: the little jokes that I have with my companion, when I finally understand some word in the language, when I understand something in the scriptures after a 5 hour study session. I love it. There are so many things that would have disheartened me before the mission had I been back home, but I am here and I get to carry this truth to all parts of my little sector here in Chile.

A shout out to my little, new baby cousin! Way to scare your mom on day 1! A shout out to my two little brothers who are doing fantastic in football and for focusing in school! A quick happy birthday to my grandmother. (This is my first time on in 2 weeks.) A shout out to my fellow missionaries and all the work that they do. A shout out to all those in school. I'm sorry for you. And a shout out to my mother and father who helped to prepare me for when things get to the worst, and how to bounce back and keep fighting. Thank you all for your prayers and the emails. They help a ton. I will send pictures hereafter.

Much love to all,

Elder Gale

Un mensajero de la verdad del evangelio restaurado por todo el mundo!

(A messenger of the truth of the restored gospel throughout the world!)