Last Blog Post!

Hey everyone. Man it's been three months already. So I've been up to
some good things in those last three. Starting in April, so I was
still with Elder Derry and we just moved into an apartment. We moved
in with another set of missionaries so that was crazy at first but we
found a way to make it work. We were there for two weeks before we had
transfers. I stayed and got a new companion Elder Jackson. His first
Sunday there our investigator Lindsey that we had been teaching for a
couple months came to church!  It was awesome. She was funny too
because elder Jackson gave a talk and after he ended Lindsey clapped
for him and gave him a holla. Everyone turned around to see what the
noise was and saw Lindsey with a big smile on her face and me with big
eyes and a nervous grin. Still weeks afterwards members kept telling
Elder Jackson and I how much they enjoyed that day at sacrament
meeting.  If there is any ward that anyone would feel welcomed it's
the Boulder Ward. The next week at church as I was standing at the
door welcoming people and handing out programs a lady came up to me
with a guy and said that he was new in the ward and we would welcome
him as missionaries. So I said, "welcome to the Boulder ward."  Right
after sacrament meeting a member came up to us (the member he sat by)
and explained that he had never been to church before and that he was
interested in learning more about the church. In my mind I was like
seriously? How did I miss this earlier. So we tried to find a class
for him but since he didn't speak Spanish we could bring him to the
Spanish gospel principles class. So we found an empty classroom by the
primary and taught him the Restoration. The spirit was powerful and we
were able to share what we felt we needed to. As the weeks went on we
continued to teach him in various members homes. I can't explain how
thankful I am for the members of the Boulder Ward. They are
incredible. The welcome anyone they don't recognize at church. One
family in particular that I grew really close to is the McDonald
family. They are part of what made Boulder so hard to leave. It was
like leaving home all over again. Brother and Sister McDonald always
welcomed us into their home and were more than willing to help us with
anything. (Including throwing us birthday parties). Speaking of
birthdays, I had an awesome birthday last month (May 23rd for those of
you who are forgetful). The Kusch Family fed us and made some
interesting yet Amazing BBQ and we had my requested cheesecake as a
birthday cake. They are another family that I miss. So to explain what
happened to Boulder; the Denver north mission had their mission office
in our mission boundaries in Broomfield Colorado (in the Boulder
stake). So the first presidency decided to move back the Boulder stake
to the Denver north mission. Heartbreaking but things like that
happen. I guess it was a way to even things out since we took Casper
and Riverton a year ago from another mission. It was very confusing
when we got our transfer information and it said that all the
missionaries were getting transferred. (I started to worry what the
heck we all did wrong to get swept out completely). But when I called
around I found out what was happening. All I wish was that I knew
earlier so that we could have worked harder with our investigators to
get them baptized before we left. All at their own pace was what the
lord planned (of course). Another new thing that happened pretty
recently was the arrival of our new mission president and his wife.
They are seriously the best. We had a quick zone conference meeting on
Saturday in Loveland to get to know them better. You could feel the
peace and love the whole meeting. I really wish I had longer with them
than just two months. Starting in a week I have my LAST TRANSFER. I am
more than excited to see my family. (Oh and the other stuff that comes
with being home). So I am in Longmont right now and have been here for
a little over a month. The area is nice and we are teaching some
really cool families. We cover the stake and don't have a Spanish
branch or group or anything so we have to go to three wards each
Sunday. We'd go to four if two of them didn't start at the same time.
In one of the wards we go to I met the Roylance Family who lived in
Guadalajara when I lived there. Brother Roylance was there for Medical
School just as pop-pop was. Sister Roylance told me my first Sunday
how she had to fight the urge to pinch my cheeks. It's super cool to
have a family in this area that I have connections to.

Today is that blessed day when we won our independence, so we
celebrated all day. We started with a ward breakfast at the park,
since we were invited to all four wards breakfasts' we were going to
do a breakfast crawl (it's like a pub crawl but with maple syrup) and
hit all of them but we only went to one. Then we went to Estes park
and walked around the little shoppes and it was super cool. We didn't
have the opportunity (but maybe next week we will) to go to the famous
Stanley Hotel and take some pictures. The Stanley hotel is where they
filmed all the hotel scenes in dumb and dumber. In fact all the aspen
scenes where filmed in Estes Park. I really wanted to go into the
hotel and "put out the vibe" but maybe next time. We ended the night
by have quite the American style dinner with the Cowan Family and then
watching the fireworks with the Roylances in the target parking lot.
Maybe next year I'll get to blow stuff up myself. I love all of you
guys!  See you in August!


Also a shout out to Joser - you're going to do great things with
amazing people. Always remember that love and the spirit are the
secrets to an amazing experience.  Te Amo Hermano.


Best Wishes from Elder Gaspar de Alba

Jan-March 2016

These last few months have been amazing. This new year has really been
a great start to the very promising last stretch of my mission. The
miracles have been abundant and the spiritually faith building
moments, endless. Back in January I was in Greeley and I had the
privilege to be the Shepard of a small flock. That's was definitely an
interesting experience. By February I had gotten my new companion from
Hawaii (Elder Yugawa) and we had gotten the hang of the Greeley branch
and had a lot of good work going. At the same time however, we had to
say goodbye to a sister missionary in our district as she was on her
departure from this (great) mission. So we wished her well as she
left.

Another Major Event that occurred during my time in Greeley was the
passing of a beloved member of our Branch. That same night we were
asked to help give some blessings to comfort the close family members.
It started off with just one, but after a few hours we had ended up
giving almost 12 blessings. We had set up in the lounge area of the
maternity section because that's around where we had given the first
blessing. Those blessings were some of the most spiritual experiences
I've had on my mission. We could all feel how close we were to the
veil and that Angels were surrounding us to comfort the family.
Afterwards we went home and prayed for the families affected. The next
few weeks as we visited the Serrano Family we were able to offer
scriptures of comfort and more blessings. Never have I been more
grateful for my knowledge of the scriptures.

Come March I was shipped down to Boulder Colorado, and I love it here!
 The strangest thing happened when I got here and started meeting the
members, it felt like I had know most of them for a long time and I
hadn't seen them in ages. Then instantly I felt a love for the people
here and it's carried ever since. Recently we had an insane weather
fluctuation and went from 70 degree weather to twenty something inches
of snow. The Zone Leaders called in the morning and first asked if we
were alive, then second told us that it's a mission snow day so we
shouldn't go anywhere. So my companion and I (and it's funny because I
was on exchanges with a member in my district that didn't bring winter
wear) stayed in and made some sushi and hung out. It was very relaxing
until the member we live with told us that we should be shoveling snow
for people in the neighborhood. We told him that we were told not to
leave but he insisted so we suited up and braved the blizzard. At one
point I had my scarf wrapped around my head with only a slit to look
out of. I still felt strange though without a taun taun to take me
places (it really felt like I was living on Hoth that day). So we
walked around the neighborhood for a few miles asking if anyone needed
help with getting out of their driveways and some insisted they were
fine without our help, others accepted it gladly. I can't he,p but
think of the similarities to missionary work. Some people accept the
gospel we offer and others do not. It's really as simple as that. Now
back to setting the scene - here I am, trudging in snow that is just
above my knees and almost at my companions waist just to "shovel
snow". We had been our for about 3 hours when we hit the furthest most
point we could go in the Neighborhood and knocked on the door of a
member by the name of Sister Bench. She was very grateful for our
visit and was very confused how we managed to get places without a
car. She made us delicious Hot Chocolate and then we shoveled her walk
and driveway for the next hour and afterwards had more hot cocoa until
the member we live with called and picked us up for dinner (That was
very nice of him).


So Easter was this last Sunday and that was very exciting. Church was
great and the program was nice. It was actually narrated by a
non-member in a part member family here in the Boulder Ward. So it was
interesting but at the same time still very spiritual. I've learned
that as long as someone loves God and emulates the Savior things can
still be spiritual. But it takes the constant companionship of the
Holy Ghost to keep us safe in this hazardous world. So for Easter
dinner we went to the Hall family's house and I taught them how to
make sushi. It's probably one of the more normal holiday dinners for
me that I've experienced on my mission and so I loved it. The food was
good and we all had a great time, and that is what holiday family
dinners should be like no matter what you eat (even if it is sushi).
Thanks everyone for the support and love!  I miss every single one of
you and can't wait to see you all in a little over four months!!!  (So
stay sweet)



Best of Love from Elder Gaspar de Alba