Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It's been a good year, hasn't it? Lots of progress, lots of new lessons learned, lots of challenges, lots of victories, lots of tears, lots of smiles, lots of misunderstanding, and lots of love. Yep, we have now reached that nostalgic part of the year...the end. That time when everyone thinks of what they've achieved and where they're going. Personally, I think I'm going well, still have a lot to go and all, but all said, I am happy with the progress that I have made and am making. That said, I still have a lot to go. So, in that spirit....Happy New Year!

This past week was pretty good. We had an awesome FHE with Jason and Carol along with a bunch of their neighbors. It was epic; there were about 15 people there. We taught about being obedient and obeying God's commands. We then played a game in which everyone had to follow the commands of "God". Each picked a piece of paper and had to do as written. Well, I had to bark and howl like a dog....and wouldn't you know it, I did it so good that the dog next door started barking back at me!

Christmas was fun. Here, Christmas is celebrated more like New Years, as in everyone stays up till midnight on Christmas Eve and then they shoot off fireworks! Also, the majority get way drunk and dance in the street. Yeah, not really my sort of Christmas. Though we did have a lot of fun stuff. On the 24th, we ate dinner with the Familia Cacua (tamales- a Colombian tradition) and we also went and grilled meat out on the balcony of our apartment (about ten pounds between six elders). I was so full when I went to bed. And on the 25th I got to call my family. I loved that. It was cool being able to see all you guys and talk to you face to face after so long. You are all so big now! And you all seem to have changed a lot.

Well, I am at a loss for words....as in I don't have anything more to say. So I'll just leave it at this.
Love you,
Elder (Gabe) Rallison

I Love December!!!!

First off, I would like to thank all of you for your birthday wishes. Thanks for remembering your long lost -friend, brother, son, grandson, etc- here in Colombia. Love you all!!! Yeah, so I'm now all old-ish and I can now legally buy beer and do stuff...yep, and this matters why? Well, nuf said, I am now 21!

This last week has been way busy. I also took a ton of photos, but, as my luck would have it, I forgot to bring my camera today, so tough luck, photos next week.

On Friday, Jason and Carolina got married! It was way cool, my third marriage so far here in Colombia. I think by the time I get back I'll be a pro at getting all the stuff done so....anyone need help getting hitched? =D Just kidding.

But really, it was a great wedding, and after we had a party in their house which was pretty much us (the missionaries) teaching about the basic beliefs of the church to all their neighbors and family!

It was cool, and I think we found two or three new families from that so even cooler. Oh and apart from teaching, there was also a three -tier cake, a ton of arroz con pollo (a common meal here), and soda.

On Saturday, we had a baptism! Of the same couple above mentioned, along with their daughter Silvia. After a few delays, such as lack of presiding authority, witnesses, people arriving late, etc, we finally did it. It was a great service, as I got to baptize Jason! We even got to sing a special musical number for them as part of it. "Aquí en ropa blanca estan....."...you get the idea.

And speaking of singing, Saturday and yesterday we went and sung as part of the choir of Bucaramanga. It was so awesome. Elder Bogdan (a 50% Peruvian, 50% Texan, 100% great singer) and I opened up singing a solo of "Come and Adore Him" with Elder Montero and Elder Belgara backing us up. Yeah, you heard. I sang.....the melody. I sang a tenor line.....I have seriously fallen from glory ( I ask for a solemn AMEN from the Ahw 1st ward bass section). Then, later, the gringos totally rocked with Burrito Sabanero. I'm working on getting a video of the whole thing to send your way cause really, my words don't do it all justice.

And, on top of all that, I gave a talk on Sunday. I think I must have forgotten that I had a talk assigned or maybe it was a cruel joke from bishop, but I heard my name announced as the first speaker so I got up and gave a highly improvised talk. I talked about...being the Christmas season, gifts. First about the earthly gifts, such as cars, guitars, socks, ties, etc (all of which are really cool,....well, not quite so much the socks) and then comparing those to the eternally important gifts that God has given us, like the his love, answers to prayers, scriptures, commandments, prophets, priesthood, the Holy Ghost to guide us, and, most of all, his Beloved Son to save us from eternal condemnation. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.". I echo the words of Pablo in 2 Cor 9:15, "Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift."

I wish you all a very merry Christmas!

Love you all,
Elder (Gabe) Rallison.

Oh Christmas Tree....

So when we went to go visit a family this past Monday, they were there putting up the Christmas tree and all. Well, as always we helped out and after taught a lesson of the true meaning of Christmas. That was cool and all. But then they asked if we knew of someone who could use an old tree, as they had bought a new one for this Christmas. Well.....I knew someone.....the Elders! Yep, we now have a decent tree in our house with lights that we had bought from the store right below us. I'll send pictures!!!

Here we have also been spending a large bit of time in choir practice. Yep, choir. We are doing a missionary choir with all the missionaries in the Terazas and Bucaramanga stakes. We will be singing several hymns along with one of my personal favorites....El Burrito Sabanero =D! With the gringos singing a solo part...we will see how that goes, and I'll try to send a video. But our choir director....more like a choir dictator. Hmm.

We continue preparing the family of Jason and Carol for baptism; they all passed the interview with flying colors this last Saturday, and we continue preparing them for everything. They really are just the perfect family. We are working with several other families as well but each has a few little things that need work. The problem here is that just about anyone listens to us, the problem lies with their commitments, such as going to church, reading the scriptures, praying, etc. Please continue praying for us, your prayers really do help us, a lot.

Love you all,
Elder (Gabe) Rallison

A Christmas Story

Well, how are you all ? Good?

Here in Colombia life is good. Very good.

So you all remember that family I told you about last week? They are getting married on the 16th and baptized the 17th. =D So cool. And they are really a great family. The dad, Jason, always has good questions, and Carol, his wife, keeps telling us that everything we explain makes perfect sense and that her only regret is not having been able to know about all this before. Cool right? I love it when we find those special people, those who are just ready for the gospel.

Apart from that, we had an awesome ward activity this last Saturday, put on by us, the missionaries. It was really something special. We got a hold of a projector, the bishop lent us his huge sound system, and we did a movie night with "The Christmas Carol". And they loved it. A ton of people came, even though it was raining really hard. The really ironic thing is that the next day when we went to the First Presidency Christmas devotional, President Monson talked about that same story. It was cool.

Um...not much more to say, but when I think of something I'll tell you.
-Elder Rallison

Cambios de nuevo....(from 10-26-11)

So, life is good here, all is well in Zion. Well, except for the fact that my Zion is changing. Yep, I'm getting transferred to Giron, a town near Bucaramanga. It should be cool, everyone says it's a great place. And not to mention that my companion is going to be amazing.

In Cucuta, we had an activity in the ward last Saturday, and it went well, except that we couldn't get a hold of the person that was going to lend us a projector. So in the end we had to use the TV from the chapel. It was okay though. All the people who went loved it, especially the games that we had.

I had an intercambio with Elder Stallings in Caobos. It started well, but when I was cooking arepas (kind of like Jhonny cake type of thing) when the oil that I was using got really hot and when I put the batter into the oil. Boom. Oil everywhere. I got some pretty nasty burns on my feet that made that whole day a little painful. But we did have some good moments. We helped a family move some 600 flooring tiles to the back of the house, while talking about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. Pretty durn sweet that.

Well, as a last note, I'm finally here in Giron. I got here last night after a 13 hour bus ride. Normally from Cucuta to Bucaramanga is about 6 hours, but the main road was closed because a part of the highway fell into the river due to a landslide. So they had to send me through Ocaña and then down to Giron. It was long and on a particularly windy road, but I did get here safe and sound, just a little tired.

Love you all,
Elder Gabe Rallison

Giron--elections, meetings other cool stuff. Yeah... (from 11-2-11)

Here there were elections on Sunday for the governor and mayor. It was pure craziness. Everyone who wants to vote has to vote before 4 and worse each person has an assigned place where they have to go to vote, the place where they got their state issued ID. Which means that here in Giron, half the city had to go down to Bucaramanga to vote (and in doing so missed church on Sunday). Worse yet, were the political peoples going everywhere offering lunch, a bag, a hat, a ride in a bus or a taxi.....in exchange for your vote. "Sir, I don't know if you realize this, but I'm not from around here..." "Oh,...so you can't vote?" "Uh, NO." It was kind of funny though.;) And I also gave a talk on Sunday, went well, I think. I hope. I wish. Yep...

So, aside from the normal...I have realized that my English is now pretty terrible, I tired to help a kid here with an English assignment and I just couldn´t. Like um.....No sé hablar inglés..... yeah, it was pretty sad stuff. I am actually really struggling to write well here and I don't think it is turning out very well.

Lately I've been really diving into the Book of Mormon. Just so you all know, that book is the best on the face of the planet earth. I love it and want to read it over and over again. I've been using every spare moment just to read it. I love it. It never gets old. And, I'm noticing that there's always something new, something I didn't notice before. If you have a moment right now pick up a copy, sit comfortably, and read it, starting from the beginning. "I Nefi, having been born of godly parents..." Do it. And then ask God if it is true. And you will know.

Love you,
Elder Rallison

The dispatch.... (from 11-21-11)

This past week was good. We have been working really hard and you know what God has rewarded us.
For example, we were contacting and we got a bunch of really good ones. For example, Daisy. Her husband was killed several months ago and she had some huge doubts that no one could answer about life after death. That is until we knocked on her door. She cried while we shared the plan of Salvation with her, then after we left the read (and re-read) the pamphlet that we left and prayed to know if it was true. And she got an answer. She now has a baptismal date for the 10th of December.

And speaking of answers, I was reading in the Book of Mormon, in Moroni 10, as part of my personal study the other day and I felt I should pray once again to ask if the book is true. And I got one of the most powerful answers of my life. I can't describe it exactly, but I felt it, and strongly. And kind of deep warmth.

We also had another investigator who invited us to lunch! And she made us lasagna! It was way tasty, and better yet, afterwards we taught her daughter Paola, whom we had never taught before, but who also accepted a date for the tenth of December!