So, I've been thinking about being a missionary and about the Gospel (what else is new?), and I just love and just hate how little it makes me feel. When you're laboring in the work of the Lord, face to face with His precious sons and daughters, knowing that the only way they will hear the everlasting Gospel is through snot-nosed eighteen-to-twentysomethings like you and that they will forever be influenced by the next few words that come out of your mouth, you tend to realize how, as an individual, you are SOOO ill-equipped to tell the fifty-something year-old man in front of you, whose livelihood depends on his job as a bar man but who, as a result, cannot go to church on Sunday, and who also has a problem with alcoholism, that the only way to follow Christ is to risk finding a different job. But here's the part I love: I don't have to do it. The Lord works through His servants and puts in their mouths the things which they should say. (And the things which they would say just happen to be waaaay cooler and more profound than the things which I would say.) And He helps us through our weaknesses. In a way, it's kind of a relief to be able to admit that, for my own merit, I'm basically useless as a human being much less as a missionary. Because therein, I have room to ask the Lord for help. And He will help me. And it's because He loves me. And with His help, I can do all things. I can help these people. I can make sense as a teacer and as a mesenger of Christ.

Last week's message from Gabby 11/25

This week we got a visit from an apostle of God. I can't even believe how much my heart burns with testimony upon even writing that sentence. I know he is a prophet of God and an Apostle. His name is Russel M. Nelson, and he is the cardiologist responsible for kind of "discovering" open heart surgery. He came to visit us this week. It's the first time that Chiclayo has seen an apostle in years. Elder Nelson greeted us individually, and, as I was in the choir that sang, I got to sit one row behind him. It was an amazing experience and I got to hear an answer to my prayer directly from his wife. Her talk was actually my favorite. Hahaha. She's incredible. Then, yesterday, we had a area-wide broadcast on the work of salvation. I'm so excited and so thankful to be a part of the work at this time. They said it's an age in the history of the church similar to those first days of the restauration.

This week's message from Gabby 12/2

So, I wrote my sister this week about an internship she's thinking about doing in Perú. Here are my thoughts: Kay, since you're still thinking about the Perú internship thing, here are my thoughts black and white and frank-all-over: I really don't believe in organizations that just try to generally clean up a few problem areas. The gospel is the answer for all the world's ills. It really is. And there's no amount of funding and no amount of free food that can motivate people to change their circumstances if they 1. don't believe they really can, 2. don't have an end goal in mind, and 3. don't know how. That's where the gospel comes it. It's motivation, it's how change is possible, and it starts with us, which is where changes should really begin. Now, there are obviously some other issues to deal with that really can change lives, but nothing will change unless the people themselves change it. That being the case, next to the gospel, my biggest beef is with the education here. I had NO idea before my mission what a SIGNIFICANT difference education makes. It changes public health problems, it changes family relations, it changes lives. I'm currently in the most affluent area of Chiclayo. On a regular, I talk with some of the most educated people in the region. But it is still ridiculously obvious that there are basic areas of understanding that we take for granted in the states that they don't have here. For example, conversations like this occur with regularity: "My daughter has bronchitis. She's been coughing for weeks." "Wow! What happened?" "She sat in a room with the fans going." "Oh, yeah. That makes sense. (As if it made sense.) You should make sure that she doesn't drink anything too hot or too cold. (As if that was a cure or a cause.)" My companion calmly explained last night that the people rummaging through the garbage were just looking for stuff to be able to take home or to sell. She added, as though sharing a shoppers secret, "And and really great prices too!" So, that's all I have to say about that.