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!

My November Days

Wow, what a week.
So on Tuesday we went to help out the sister missionaries in Terazas. It was cool, they even got us lunch with the Notary from Bucaramanga, which was amazing. About a pound of lasagna each.Crazy right? But they (the sisters) assigned us a way ghetto part of their area. I also got to work that day with Elder Cornejo, which was cool, I hadn't seen the guy in quite a while. We taught several lessons, almost got mugged, and contacted a lot of people. If you want to know what that neighborhood was like, just look at Fast and Furious 5 (which I saw on the bus from Cucuta) at those neighborhoods built up the hill in Rio de Janero. That's an idea of what it is like.

Here's a great story. We got a reference from the missionaries in Sotomayor for a family that live a little far from us. Better said in the limit of our area. Tough right? So we took a bus got there, and looked them up. We taught a lesson, and invited them to get married. They said yes. WOW! We invited them to church. They said yes. We asked if we needed to come looking for them on Sunday. They said no, because they have a car! You need to understand, few people have cars here, and often use lack of transport as an excuse for not going to church. But they have a car. Perfect! And they came to church! They loved it. So much that they went and invited the in-laws to the lesson that afternoon! I love it when everything works out well. It makes me happy.

An explanation here. While we were visiting a member, he went showing off and pulled out an old pharmacy school uniform that he had lying around. I put it on and he's just "Wow, you really do look like a doctor! What can I say...it's in my blood.

So this week a lot of the people here have been getting out their Christmas decorations and putting them up. We actually got to help one family with their tree. It was pretty cool, but as you can see, this tree had a color scheme instead of the eccentric stylings of the arbol back home. But it was still fun.

Not much more to say, if I think of something,
I'll write next week.
Love you,
Gabe

Rewind...stop.

Not much weird stuff to report, just the normal appointments.

We taught Juan again, it didn't go so well though, he kept going off on weird tangents.... what in the world do the customs of the Catholic priests in the 13th century have to do with Christ in the Americas? Alas, he did not accept a baptismal date, this time.

We also taught a lady named Mari. It was a little weird, because she was just way critical of everything we taught. So in the end it ended up being Alma and Amulek against Zeezrom. She says that she's sure she's right and that waht her pastor has told her is true. Like, for example, that resurrection is not true doctrine.....Umm...right....So my comp (Alma) shared the part where it talks about when Christ presented himself to his apostles after his resurrection. So she say "well, that's just because He's Christ!" Enter Amulek (yours truly). "That is true, to a point. He is Christ, and would you read Job's testimony of Him?" She reads "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. -Job 19:25-26". Amulek bears testimony of resurrection. Alma follows. Zeezrom sat there in silence. Looked at us. Looked at the Bible. Looked at us again. And then continued on with a different subject. Sweeeet. Power of the companionship!!!!

We tried to do an activity on Monday as it was a holiday here in Colombia. Was pretty much a bust. Six people came, no more, no less. But we did get to watch Charly with a projector so it was all good in the end.

So that was pretty much the highlights here. Lots of rain (again) though mostly at night. And we went to eat at McD's today as a zone activity, tasty, but expensive. Our propane canister just ran out so we have nothing to use to cook. I continue praying that my shirts will hold out until the end. It has been noted that my shirts are noticeably yellower (or better said less-white) than my companions). Apart from all that, things are good.

Love you all very much.

-Elder Gabe Rallison

PS:::Feliz Cumpleaños Jonas...13...ummm...yeah, when did that happen.
PSS:::Looky here (foto). Elder Rallison and comp as cartoony cats. =D Elder Holmes drew 'em.

That's a little strange...

So yeah, the other day I went to the corner store to buy a little bit of toilet paper. And well, we saw a three year old peeing in the street....an Elder Holmes said that it was the 39th he's seen so far in his mission...yeah...that would so not happen in the states....and btw, Holmes has just 6 months in the mission.

Apart from that beautiful detail, life has been going good. We have been working way hard and have found a bunch of great new people. One of my favorites has to be Juan. He's way cool and the first lesson he just went all out with some of the best comments and questions I have ever had from any investigator. He went and just explained the whole apostasy but in great detail.....wow. He is just a little confused as he has investigated a ton of churches....Catholic, Adventist, Jehovah's witness, christian, and more. But he did commit to read and pray, so it's all good.

Apart from that I went to Pamplona this past Friday to work with the missionaries there. It was way cold and (due to having played and lost a high-stakes UNO game) I got stuck sleeping on the floor. But it was good too. I got to spend a whole day with my "son" Elder Quiñonez. Remember him? He's an awesome guy and he just keeps getting better. He's changed a lot in the past few months...really, he's not even close to the same as when I was with him. I guess in the mission the same passes with all of us. President said that my own parents won't even recognize me when I get home. Hard to think about, but looking at myself I've really changed a lot. A little physically, a lot mentally, and an unmeasurable amount spiritually. Yeah, it's true. But it's okay, I'll send a picture so you recognize me in the airport.

The mission rocks.

Love ya all,
Elder Rallison

My week...

Has been pretty good. Really. My comp and I are trying to recover from about a week of lost work. It's going well, a little rough at times, but I think we can do it. We are looking for new investigators (if you know of any non-members in the Cucuta area, a referral would be very much appreciated). We are also working hard to get this ward working well and all...Wish us luck.

Loved conference!!! I learned a ton and really enjoyed a lot of talks. I don't have my notes with me, but a few that I loved were: the talk from Elder Cook that talked about the missionaries that almost went on the Titanic to return home, but didn't because one got there late (lol, Bro Farris, look, sometimes it's good to be late....jk =D). Also, I really enjoyed the talk from one seventy that talked about the importance of time. That time is a gift that God has given us and that he will ask for an accounting of every second that He has given us. And Elder Holland...wosh, he blows fire as he talks... but it helped me to focus on opening my mouth a bit more to share the gospel with one more person. Those are the big highlight that come to mind right now....except for one more thing. THEY ARE GOING TO BUILD ANOTHER TEMPLE IN COLOMBIA!!!!!!! IN BARRANQUILLA!!!!! It's not in my mission, but is going to be a huge blessing for the members here. For example from here (Cucuta) to Bogota is about 18 hours. To Barranquilla is about twelve. A big difference. So yeah, I'm happy with that.

We had a lesson the other day in a part of the area called Las Cumbres....a little dumpy, but cool. I could probably pitch a baseball from there and have it land in Venezuela...yeah, that close. I was so tired that day, having walked almost all of my massive area.

Today we had a lot of fun. We had a zone activity, in which we made Argentinean milanesa (pretty much chicken fried steak), with mashed potatoes and salad. I made gravy for the mashed potatoes, and everyone absolutely loved it! We also played football as a zone and in the morning had a zone study, in which everyone shared what they had learned....it was tight.

As always, tengo que ir,
Love you all,
Elder (Gabe) Rallison