Thanksgiving in Spain = Spain-ksgiving

Well I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving. Lol we ate octopus with
our Branch President.  It was also my
parents anniversary on Thanksgiving so shouts to them for that
#therealmvps

Last PDay we went with members down to the border of Portugal in a
city called La Guardia. It was super cool and probably top 5 most
beautiful things I've ever seen. Pictures to follow. We found these
old hut things and I don't speak Galician so I couldn't read what it
was about hahah. The girl hooked us up with some Cuban chicken though
and it was cool cool stuff.

We have this 18 year old brotha from Senegal that comes to English
class every week and he's like my best friend in Vigo lol. I see so
much potential in him and so we've tried to introduce the gospel
slowly with him and offer him "special lessons" outside of English
class to get him by himself. So after beating around the bush for a
couple weeks, we cut to the chase last week. Taught him the Plan of
Salvation because he's Muslim and they believe like the same thing, so
he's all excited and stuff. We tried to teach in English but he just
doesn't understand so we switched to Spanish after like thirty
seconds. It went so well that we kept teaching the restoration! It was
a really spiritual experience and he loved it. We gave him a Book of
Mormon and he was shocked it was free. He said he would read it and
pray and we'll see him again on Wednesday to see how everything went.
I'm really excited because it felt like I was just teaching my best
friend!

Oh and I don think I mentioned that our one investigator we had with a
baptismal date is no longer a thing. After much prayer and thought we
decided to stop teaching her. She wasn't progressing at all. she was
actually de progressing if that's a thing. Wasn't accepting anything
and refused to keep commitments. So after getting our hopes up after
seeing a little success it got shut down. It's easy to see why this
used to be the second least successful mission in the world (1.
Vatican Mission) But we're working really hard to switch that! And the
members still have that mentality, but we're seeing a lot of change
and we kind of set them straight this past Sunday and said if they
want more members they need to pull there own part. But it's exciting
seeing the change, but I think I'm getting transferred this week so
that's really sad. I love it here and am tight with a lot of people.

A miracle from yesterday: Elder Howard's companion has been like dead
the past three days and Elder Howard needed to run pick up some
investigators. Literally like run. We did service for them Saturday
(which is another miracle that people allowed us to do service for
them) and they decided to come to church. So we run to their house and
she decides to bring two friends! We were thirty minutes from the
church and needed to be there in 10 minutes and, like last week, were
blessed by the Lord. This taxi out of nowhere pulls around the corner
and I literally jump in front of it. We throw in the women and throw
the taxi driver money and tell him where to go. We start running to
the church when this less active family pulls in front of us and we
jump in the back of their van and cram ourselves in there. So first
miracle is that we did service. Second miracle is we got investigators
to church. Third is we got them a ride there on time. Fourth is this
less active family made the right decision by deciding to attend
church and helped get us there. It was great. We walked in and sat
down in the chapel right as sacrament started. If there's a will
there's a way. It was an awesome sacrament meeting and I'm glad there
were investigators there to feel the spirit.

Also Vigo goes hard for Christmas. I need to get pictures of this
place at night. it competes with Temple Square I kid you not. Except
it's in the middle of Babylon. And not spiritual. But they go
haaaaarrrrddddd. The lights are beautiful and make me trunky for home
but it's awesome. And I never thought I'd miss the dry cold of Utah,
but it's sooooooo much better than a windy humid cold here. And
there's snow in Utah. None of that here 

I had the opportunity to read the three talks from conference from the
new Apostles. They're more like testimonies. But just reading them, I
could feel the spirit and new these men were called by Jesus Christ
and it was a privilege to sustain them live here in Spain. I loved
Elder Renlunds "Through Gods Eyes." We need to see every person
through the eyes of our Heavenly Father. I promise if we do this,
we'll have so much more love for everyone, have more patience,
charity, love, desire to do good and serve them. This is coming from a
kid who had a hard time being patient with people and looking for good
within them before his mission. I know it sounds hypocritical of me to
say that but I've seen the change in my heart in these three months
and it's astounding. I want you all to feel the same.

Sorry this is long but I hope you were able to take the time to read
at least the last paragraph. Much love from España to wherever you are
reading this. My prayers are with you during this wonderful holiday
season until the next week my
friends.


It's beginning to look a lot like (a not white) Christmas,
Elder Gearig

2 weeks worth!!! :)

first and foremost, shouts to Cody Wright for getting his mission
call to where? MADRID SPAIN THATS WHERE!! Stoked out of my
mind. Maybe I'll train him that'd be dope.

  K my week. Not much happened but me and my boi Elder Reese, my comp
from the mtc, were on splits together this week. My best friend out
here and we had more fun in this one day than I've had since getting
out here. Miracles on miracles as well. Hahah we got out of this
appointment late and needed to be at the port by 4:30 to catch our
boat, but it was 4:15 and 3 kilometers away and no way we could get
there. So we're like "if there's a will there's a way elder" so we
take off. No buses around, no taxis. So we're booking it then we come
to a fork in the road. "Which way elder?" "Let's go right" so we go
right which didn't make sense because it was the opposite direction we
needed to go, we turn the corner and BAM! A taxi! We get in "Embargos,
Prisa!" So homie steps on it and we were there in 8 minutes. We run in
and we are out of cash and they didn't take take cards. 5 minutes.
Sprint across the street, fastest atm withdrawal of my life, sprint
back in and get our tickets, on the boat with like 30 seconds to
spare. It was unreal. If there's a will there's a way my friends. We
went across the bay and taught a less active family a bomb lesson.
After not teaching with him since eight weeks ago in the mtc, you
wouldn't have been able to tell. It was the most spiritual lesson I've
been apart of. We walked out and just hugged each other. We were
stoked and had a blast. We contacted back and gave each other funny
words they had to use so what was mine? Penguin, naturally. (Pingüino
en espanol) and I asked these people where the Penguins where and long
story short, they took us around for like ten minutes because they
felt bad they didn't know where the Penguins where. Adios penguins,
they said lol. We talked until 4 am and made pb&js at 3 and
just talked about everything. We woke up at 6 to run to this castle
and it was unreal how gorgeous the harbor and city looks that early.
Needless to say, best day out here for sure.

Spiritual thought is from mosiah 26. Talks about being patient and
being tested by God. If we persevere through our trials and are
patient, God rewards us. D&C 121:7-9 is one of the best scriptures
I've ever read. If you're going through a hard time, please go read
them. Love you all and enjoy Thanksgiving for us un-americans! 

Still giving thanks, 

Elder Gearig

FROM LAST WEEK.....(November 16)

Well another week down holy cow. 

First and foremost another special shoutout to Alyssa Mecham for joining the Spanish ranks in Guatemala starting March 9th, so stoked for that. 

Alright my week my week where to start.... Last p day we went to the beach and bought some dope kites and tried flying them. Took awhile but after mastering the technique I think y'all can call me Kite-Gear. Get it? It's close to Ky Gear but it's different.....

We were in a trio for three days awaiting the arrival of the greenie so that was a lot of fun actually. Except we got stranded in a Pueblo like three hours away and almost missed a video conference with president but we made it luckily. Also D. Todd Christoffersen is coming to Madrid to speak! Except guess who's not in Madrid and can't go?! Me! Yay yay yay! maybe I'll walk 37 hours to go. Probs not. 

Saturday we gave a blessing to this less active guy in the hospital and he cried the whole time and the spirit was so strong. I love giving blessings to people because the spirit is always testifying. Right after we walked past this father and son on a bench and like 2 minutes later we felt to go back. So we went back and talked for about 20 minutes and he told us he had cancer as a kid so it was a miracle he was able to have a child. We're visiting his family this week so we are really excited for that. The Holy Ghost is something else for sure. Yesterday we decided to try something new to get investigators. Church tours! Honestly I didn't want to because I think nobody would want to, but we tried it. I was wrong. It was the funnest day in the field yet. Everyone that walked past we were stalking down like hungry lions and we got a family of 8 (selfie to come) and they loved it. We got this girl from Lebanon too and that was an amazing experience with her. She opened up to us and we bore testimonies and got her contact info 

Also not being able to watch the news sucks because apparently something happened in Paris and everyone was talking about it and we had no idea what was happening. We got filled in and my heart broke. We heard it was done by Americans so we decided to not contact because we're Americans and didn't want people to kill us. But turns out Isis (gadianton robbers) strikes again. So so sad. 

K spiritual thought. So I found this quote a few weeks ago and with the new church policy I found it fitting. Boyd K Packer from 2004.  “I know of nothing in the history of the Church or in the history of the world to compare with our present circumstances. Nothing happened in Sodom and Gomorrah which exceeds in wickedness and depravity that which surrounds us now.

“Words of profanity, vulgarity, and blasphemy are heard everywhere. Unspeakable wickedness and perversion were once hidden in dark places; now they are in the open, even accorded legal protection.

“At Sodom and Gomorrah these things were localized. Now they are spread across the world, and they are among us”-Boyd K. Packer retweet of the week. (Not 140 characters though)

I got the chills reading this because we live in such a terrible world. I've noticed it so much more here in Spain because porn is nothing to people over here. All over the place. But thanks to the Spirit it isn't even distracting. The world is a bad place and we need the gospel more than ever. The church made that policy to protect those children and I support it 100 percent. I support anything from the Prophet and Apostles because it's impossible that they could say something not supported by God. 1 Nephi 11:36 And it came to pass that I saw and bear record, that the great and spacious building was the pride of the world; and it fell, and the fall thereof was exceedingly great. And the angel of the Lord spake unto me again, saying: Thus shall be the destruction of all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, that shall fight against the twelve apostles of the Lamb.

People are running to the great and spacious building and aspiring to the honors of men, so we need to hold fast to the iron rod and follow the prophet. 

Have a great week and enjoy Thanksgiving for us people not in America. 

Los quieros,

Elder Gearig 

When the missionary mom figures out how to add photos.....better late than never (wink)

Rainy and cold and windy and wet
but loving it!!!

2 elders on a boat in the water to an island to do some teaching!

Elder Gearig w/mission President & Hermana Pack

Arriving at Mission Home October 1, 2015

9 November 2015

Hey hey heyyyyyyyy

First of all, a very special happy birthday shout out to my homie 
Elder Austin "Big Gyps" "Aussie" "Squad Duf" Emery! Shoot
him an email to make him happy. @ Austin.emery@myldsmail.net the big
19!

Also a girl in my ward got her mission call to guess where? Madrid
 Spain so shoutout @theglenmoor3rdward for repping it out here.
Good luck to the football team this week in the semis against Lone
Peak. Better win because Elder Reese is talking trash to me (he played
receiver last year) I'm not worried though.

Well not much has happened this week. I say that in like every email
but like really this time hahah. But I didn't get transferred! Staying
here in Vigoooooooooooo. I went on exchanges with Elder Müller Friday
and Saturday and President called him and told him he's getting
transferred so that was fun. We dropped him off at like 6:30 this
morning and are in a trio until Elder Howard gets his greenie
Wednesday. I'm stoked because I'm a seasoned veteran now since Hermana
Terhorst is getting a greenie too hahah.
We took a boat across the harbor to teach a less active family,
pictures and video to follow. It was rainy and cold and windy and wet.

So we ran into some problems with our investigator with a Fecha this
week. We're pushing her date back because she isn't ready quite yet.
But we had a miracle on Sunday with her. We were teaching on Saturday
and told her that we become clean of our sins every week as we take
the sacrament and renew our covenants and she got excited. But she
takes these pills that knocks her out until 12 every day. So we told
her we'd come pick her up in the morning at 9:30 for church (the past
two weeks she didn't wake up when we came) but we figured we'd keep
trying. It's frustrating because it's like a 45 minute walk to her
house, then 30 more to the church so when she doesn't wake up we walk
5-ever. But we showed up Sunday morning and she was up! We went
upstairs and she told us she decided not to take her pills so she
could come. Which is scary because she like NEEEDS to take them. But
she didn't.. And we got to push her in her wheelchair like 2 miles to
the church. Should have seen us running with her wheelchair because we
were running late still lol. It was a special experience for all of us
and she made some new friends at church. And we're starting to teach
her cousin too

This guy stopped us in the street and started talking in English about
his times in the marines in Switzerland and he owns this American
restaurant here and wants to feed us so we were stoked about that.
Homeboy is gonna hook it up thick with some marine shirts too  I let
the elders here wax a section of my leg so that was cool... We made our
own little gas stoves like scout camp and eat s'mores and hot dogs
regularly...Elder Howard got a package and had some Heath bars in
there and doesn't like them so I ate some and I almost died it was so
good. So hey, Christmas is coming and if you simply send me a Heath
bar I'll fetching love you. Aaaaaand that's about it for the week hah.

Alright spiritual thought time. My conference talk this time is Elder
Andersens from Priesthood "Faith is not by chance, but by choice."
He talks about making faith, well... A choice hahah. He said that our
faith is either progressing or diminishing. I use the analogy of a
campfire for this. When your chilling by the fire (while we're eating
fondue, idk about me but I know about you so say hello to falsetto in
3,2, swag) @bieber sorry... But if you're at a fire and it's roasting
and you don't put any more wood in what does it do? It eventually dies
out. But as we add more wood to it it grows bigger and brighter like
#faith. So keep adding wood to your fire of faith, and keep watering
your seed. "Your future is as bright as your faith."-President Monson
and also my retweet of the week.

Love you all. Keep on keeping on and hopefully I got something more next week.

Still American,
Elder Gearig

Another week has gone by.....

Hey wassup hellooooo

Well this week had a lot going on so I'll try to keep it to 1/100th of the size of Isaacs this week. 

So Wednesday I went on exchanges with the district leader, elder antezana. Way cool guy and doesn't know English so it was really great to speak 100 percent Spanish for a day. We related really well and I like him a lot. All of our appointments fell through and nobody showed up to English class (which I had to teach) so that was alright. We had noche de hogar after but nobody came again hahah so we found a less active and taught him a bomb lesson. Dropped a hammer on him and was like "yeah that's how we roll out in Vigo." Elder Antezana was stoked. Do I got home Thursday and find out our electricity got shut off. Lol we payed the bills for two months but I guess they don't like American Mormons. So we've been staying with the other elders all week and that's been really really fun. So when we first got here to Vigo five weeks ago, we didn't even have an apartment for the first night. We finally got it the next day and had to use all the money to make it so we could survive in it. So then we didn't have money. Then we finally got my money and now we don't have a place to stay lol. 

So no piso but we had money. We got the piso but then had no money. We got the money but now don't have a piso. So I wonder what's in store for us this week...

So Friday we had zone conference up in Coruña with President and the whole zone. It was a great experience and I learned a lot and Elder Reese and I had another heart to heart. He's having a tough time because his trainer is inicuo so I gave him advice and we talked and he looked at me and said "you've been the biggest blessing in my mission Gearig." And my heart  but it was great. On the way home I sat next to two señoras. I was feeling confident so struck up a conversation for about 45 minutes with Beatrice and after she got off I talked to Beatriz (the other one) it was a big tender mercy for ya boi here because I've been feeling my Spanish wasn't been good at all but they both wouldn't stop talking about how amazed they were I had only spoken it for like 10 weeks and I shared the gospel with them all alone without my comp so after I felt really great #ThxPaps got some referrals from the train so I was amped. 

Last night we were walking to a lesson with our Fecha (Ana) and there was a homie ahead of us so we slowly caught up to him and turns out we know him! It was cool because we NeVER have taken that street before but decided to this time. And guess where he was going? Ana's! He's her cousin! So we talked to him and had a good conversation on the way there and he joined our lesson! So Ana has had a hard time lately and has been really stubborn (shocker, there's nobody like that in Spain) and we were getting upset because she wants to know everything is true but isn't doing anything about it. So Carlos (the homie) (also knows absolutely nada about our church) looks at her and says "what they just said makes a lot more sense than what you're saying." And she got quiet then he said "you believe in it but you aren't practicing what you believe." And I chuckled because WEVE BEEN SAYING THT FOR A WEEK. K cool. I pulled some scriptures out of nowhere while she was complaining and she stopped and got quiet because she knew that the scriptures I shared were correct and I was like "yea wussup 801 represent." *fist bumps my comp*. We bore some bomb testimonies and then Carlos wanted me to pray in English so I did and it was next to impossible. I couldn't remember English for crying out loud. #123embarrassing 

K so spiritual thought(s). I was reading in Jacob and it talks a lot about examples (what I got out of it at least) and I started writing in my study journal. We need to be a good example in all aspects of our lives because we never know who is watching. If we break a seemingly pointless rule or commandment, someone else can break an ever bigger rule justified off the fact that they saw you break one. So be an example of the believers no matter what it is you're doing. The way people break big commandments is over time, after breaking little ones because they think it's unimportant. So don't fall in bad habits of breaking small rules. 

K next. Some lines from my week of conference talk studying. 

This ones from Elder D. Todd in April of 2011. 

“How could you do this to me? I was making such wonderful growth. … And now you have cut me down. Every plant in the garden will look down on me. … How could you do this to me? I thought you were the gardener here.”

    President Brown replied, “Look, little currant bush, I am the gardener here, and I know what I want you to be. I didn’t intend you to be a fruit tree or a shade tree. I want you to be a currant bush, and someday, little currant bush, when you are laden with fruit, you are going to say, ‘Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down.’

We need to trust the Lord in all things because he indeed knows what's best for us, more than we know. Trust that everything happens for a reason. 

This is from Elder Holland this past conference. 

"He knows he owes much to many, but he knows he owes the most to two messianic figures in his life, two who bore him and carried him, labored with him and delivered him--his Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, and his determined, redemptive, absolutely saintly mother."

Love your mothers for crying out loud. And go watch the whole talk and try not to cry, I dare you. And give your mother a hug and tell them you love them, because there are about 80,000 missionaries who wish they could do that. So do it. K cool. Deuces.

From Spain with sufficient love

Elder Gearig