October 13, 2014

"Sometimes a single phrase of testimony can set events in motion that affect someone's life for eternity."

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Well, week 7 and I can definitely tell that my Spanish is kicking in more and more because I have a new missionary in my apartment, and I have trouble speaking English with him. I have phrases in Spanish that I use a lot, and that is what I speak to him. I had to translate for someone who only speaks English, and I could not for the life of me speak in English. I had to try three times to speak in English. It was kind of sad, but at the same time, I was super happy that I couldn’t do it. My grammar is starting to become like Spanish too. I’m not sure whether to happy or sad.

The teaching this week was really great! I had an open chapel which is where people can come and see everything that we believe in and what we do. It was really awesome, and we got to meet lots of people that we probably would not have been able to meet. It has now been a little over a week since we have been able to hear our prophet and the general authorities speak to us. Have we been able to listen to the words that they spoke again? We sure have... lds.org has them to be downloaded. I have done that, and I listen to it almost every day. It sure is great to be able to hear their words again and to be able to listen to their council. I get to learn something over and over again.

We have been teaching a man here who will soon be a father, and he sure is trying to find the direction of God. He is amazing! We just visited with him about an hour ago. He told us how he has been reading, and he sure does remember all that he read. He had questions about the witnesses in the introduction of the Book of Mormon, and we answered them. He sure is a great person. If I had not learned of the worth of a soul, I would have called him a “golden-investigator.” In truth, there are no such things as golden investigators because what is the worth of a soul? As it says in Doctrine and Covenants 18, “The worth of a soul is great in the sight of God.” I take this to mean that there are no "golden investigators" because then that means that there are "silver investigators" and "bronze investigators" and "useless investigators." I have learned that each soul that I meet, whether they reject me or not, has GREAT worth. I mean this for all of you too. I don’t ever want to be found as judging someone because they aren’t “perfect” because, in truth, none of us are. We have all committed errors and mistakes in our life. But, thanks to the plan of our Father in heaven, we can repent, change, and restart on a new path towards him. I love how it is described in the Book of Mormon. The great plan. The merciful plan. “Oh how great is the wisdom of God!” All of these are quotes from the Book of Mormon. Of the great plan of redemption.

I want to finish with my testimony. I know that we are all sons and daughter of our Father in heaven. I can’t explain to you how I know other than that I have prayed about it, over and over and over... I know it to be true. He wants us to return to Him. The only way for us to do that is either to be perfect (which is impossible) or for us to make a mistake and for our Father in heaven to forgive us so that we can return to him. I have learned that our decisions not only affect us. I have seen the people here thinking that and soon they see how it affects EVERYONE around them. And not only that, but also those who soon follow after us and are our children. And then their children... and etc. I would not have been born in America if certain people had not gone across the sea to come here. (Just an example) Our decisions that we make are ETERNAL. They are UNCHANGEABLE... imagine that... the only way to change them is through the plan of our God who wants for us to return back to him.

I love you all and love hearing from you. Questions make writing so much easier. If you want me to answer something specific, I can do that too. Please write me back! I love you all! Blessings be with you as you strive to get closer to God.

Elder Gale