October 27, 2015

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."

- H. Jackson Brown Jr.

Well, I would love to start off this letter saying that we have baptized the whole area, and that through all who hate us, love us...  we had a lot of teaching appointments this week, but alas, it is not so.

This week, more than anything, we have taught in the streets. We talk and talk with lots of people, we set appointments, but they are never there. We have been able to see the hand of the Lord in a much different way this week in that we have been able to see that He works in mysterious ways, showing us people who are not prepared. I guess we are called here to be planters of the word of God. That way, when some other missionary comes along, they will be willing to listen. 

This week has been crazy with all the contacts in the streets and with being rejected, but I still love the work. I will not and I cannot be discouraged while I am here in the service of God. I’m so glad to be here. I have truly received a wonderful gift from God to be able to understand more about the Atonement of His beloved Son, Jesus Christ. I’m so glad to be here. I hope that you all can come to a closer knowledge of the love of God. 

Have an amazing week!

Elder Gale

October 20, 2015

"If one drop of rain can find its way to the ocean, one prayer can find its way to God."

- Linda Poindexter

This week was amazing. I really loved everything that happened. We were working as usual, and it was a week where I was able to really rebound from all the setbacks: people being rude, people saying inappropriate things about us, the usual.

We had the glorious blessing of rain again here in Chile, and not just a little rain, but a lot! It wasn’t all week long, but it rained really strong here. It’s great to be in an area where it really rains. It was really amazing to work here and enjoy it all! This week was full of us finding out that people can be so rude. It’s crazy how some people here are so rude, and yet others are so kind. We were walking in the streets one day, and a man who is well known to me as a man who usually says inappropriate comments about the church and Joseph Smith approached me. It was interesting to have him approach us, greet us, and invite us to follow him. Not saying that we weren’t freaked out, but we were confident in the protective power of God in these moments. We followed him, and he led us to his home. We entered and met his mother of about 75 years. It was a weird, but great, and surprising moment of time where we could share a little with the family. We were able to teach them a little about the restoration of the church. It was amazing to get to know his family and the great love that they have for him. They worry about him always because he goes out in the streets all day, and he has so much potential to be a greater man. If he would only stop drinking so much...

Well, I have been able to learn so much in the mission field, and I've now been here for one year and 3 months! Crazy, right?? But, in my time, I have been able to learn that the tender mercies of God are real, and that He is always mindful of us. I know that. I hope that you all can come to knowledge of that as well. I love you all and hope you have a great week.

Elder Gale

October 13, 2015

"Search these commandments, for they are true and faithful, and the prophecies and promises which are in them shall all be fulfilled. What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." 

- D&C 1:37-38

This week was rough. I guess I’ll start with today. I was going to the clinic to get my rabies shot, and as I said hello to someone, they spit on me. It was really hard to wrap my mind around. I had just been spit on by someone. I wanted to grab that lady and say, "Excuse me?? What did I do to deserve that?" But, I didn’t. I felt like how Elder Holland described it: standing shoulder to shoulder with the greatest man who had ever walked this planet, who did no wrong. It was a moment for me to feel a pain similar to that which the Lord felt when He was rejected, spit upon, and cast out.

And that was just today... I won’t begin to list all the other things that were said or done to me this week, but it was hard to be able to hold my head high and smile. But, I’m a missionary, and I am happy. I will not back down to opposition. 

This week was also a week that was filled with sweetness. We were able to find several people who wanted to hear from us. We had a baptism in the ward of two young women who had prepared themselves to be baptized! It was a week that was truly bittersweet, and I feel like it was a week for me to be tested in my faith, patience, and charity for the people here. 

The scripture that I’ve had on my mind this week is found in D&C 1:37-38. It basically says that all things that the Lord has said shall be fulfilled, and whether by His voice, or the voice of His servants, it is the same. I’ve been thinking a lot about that to remember everything that He has promised me and to everyone else shall be fulfilled. We shall be given all the blessings that God promises us if we are obedient and faithful.

I love you all and I hope that you all continue to enjoy what happens daily!

Elder Gale

October 6, 2015

"Decide now to make general conference a priority in your life. Decide to listen carefully and follow the teachings that are given."

- Paul V. Johnson

It has been a week filled with revelation! I have been able to see a lot of what our beloved Heavenly Father wants for us, His children, and all that He has to offer us. I felt a lot of the love that He has for me personally and also of the love that He has for everyone. 

This weekend, we had the wondrous opportunity to watch General Conference which is where the prophet and apostles of these days speak to us the words of God. They, the servants of God, tell us all that He has in store for us. I was grateful to hear all about the atonement and how the commandments are a gift to us from God. A talk that I really enjoyed was one by Elder Kim B. Clark entitled "Eyes to See and Ears to Hear." He spoke about how the commandments of God are really there to help save us from dangers that we can’t even see. It was a truly amazing talk.

I was truly overjoyed to hear about the miracles that have happened this week with friends, other acquaintances in my life, and especially in my family where the greater part of my family was coming home. In my mother's words, "On our way home from Utah, last night, about 2 miles away from our house, there was a wreck right in front of us. Thank goodness for dad’s awesome driving skills. We're in the HOV Lane, and a car three lanes over in the right lane, spun and spun and came into our lane three lanes of cross traffic. Dad ended up stopping approximately three feet on from the car. A couple other cars got into a serious crash because of this woman. We felt very, very blessed and very protected. We were very, very grateful that dad was alert and that nothing happened. We are so grateful for tender mercies!" How grateful I am for the love of our Heavenly Father who truly looks after each and every one of us! 

I love you all. I love you all so much that I invite you all to read and to study to words of the prophets until you start to have them memorized. They truly help us all to become a little bit better than we once were. I love you all, and I'll keep saying it over and over until you all understand and feel my love. If you do not know where to go to find this wonderful source to the word of God, you can go to lds.org.

Elder Gale

September 29, 2015

"And once the storm is over, you won't remember how you made it through, how you managed to survive. You won't even be sure whether the storm is really over. But one thing is certain. When you come out of the storm, you won't be the same person who walked in. That's what this storm's all about."

- Haruki Murakami

This week was a week where I could really see how much the Lord loves everyone. I have been struggling lately with a bunch of health issues like muscular pain and feeling very fatigued, getting another ingrown toenail removed (sorry I didn’t tell you mom), and getting bitten by a dog. So, I’ve been feeling a little down. These past few weeks have been flying by, but, in a way, it feels like the days never end and only bring sad news. But, I am working through it. I had a lot of hard moments this week, and I feel like I had fallen into a small depression. It was getting hard for me to work. But, I learned something the other day: the Atonement of Jesus Christ covers everything.

EVERYTHING... I learned a lot in those few minutes when I was thinking. I learned about all that the Savior of the world had done for me. He understands. In fact, He knows. He experienced it. I had put limits on the power of His infinite atonement. I now know how powerful His sacrifice for all mankind is. He paid the price for my sins, yes, but He also paid the price for my sufferings and my hardships. Knowing He did all of that makes me understand that it won’t be too hard for me and that I may overcome them with His help. I had just forgotten all that. But, now I know it, and I won’t forget it again.

This week was crazy with a group of investigators! We found a group of Haitians, and we went to teach them about the restoration. It was going to be great, and then we learned that one of their friends only speaks French and Creole (the language of Haiti). We taught them and prayed for the gift of tongues. As we taught, I began to understand what they were saying!!! It was awesome. They are so receptive to the message, and I feel like we will be able to give them a day to be baptized. 

This week was really good for me. I was able to feel the power of the atonement and the power of the spirit. I hope that you are able to feel it in your life as well, for it is always there. Recognize what the atonement does for you. It will never fail you. Hope you have a great week. Love you all!

Elder Gale