Hi!

Everyone,

This week has been really really great. Elder Sudbury is going home tomorrow and it has been interesting having a comp who's going home. We've become really good friends and I'm sad to see him go. There are also times when I start thinking about what it's going to be like when I go home. Then I try and stop thinking about it because I've got a long ways to go! He gave a talk yesterday and it was really powerful. He's sad to go home and probably pretty nervous too. He has a girl waiting for him so I bet he's excited and nervous about that too :). I definitely learned a lot from him and I think we both grew over these three months.

This week we didn't find any investigators but it was really good because Elder Sudbury had members he baptized or knew take us out to lunch. I've been so full for a week straight but it was so worth it. Of course I didn't gain any weight... What was really fulfilling was seeing all of the lives that he had the chance to change while he was here. I hope people love me as much as they love him when I get ready to come home. I really love the people we get to know. There's a woman who has been cigarette free for two weeks now and she says it wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for us :) That has been the biggest success I've seen so far. She really relied on God to strengthen her and He did. 

Tomorrow I get a new companion! I actually know him already so I'm really excited. His name is Elder Jacobson. He served in the other area of my ward! So now he's moving over to the other side but same ward. A lot of Elders where surprised because he has only been on his mission 6 weeks longer than me. Usually we would both be paired up with more experienced companions. I think we are really going to learn from each other and work hard. President has enough faith in us to work hard and that's what we're going to do. I don't know if Dad or Mom had this in their missions but we call our trainer our Dad and the followup trainer our Mom. Elder Sudbury is my Dad and Elder Jacobson is my mom. It's funny though because Jacobson was with his trainer for an extra transfer so I guess I'm his mom too. I thought that was funny. 

The Virginia Ward is a very interesting ward still. We had a pretty nice lady come to church who had never been to church before and luckily I picked up on that and we found out that she wasn't a member and she lived in another ward. She seemed to be interested after church and gospel principles. We gave her a Book of Mormon and I hope she really reads it. I like that there are people out there who will go to another church to see what it's like.

Our mission has a fireside for the departing missionaries. They get to go up and bear their testimonies and there are musical numbers too. Going to that was a really great experience. I actually got to give the prayer and that was nice. Right now I'm reading in first couple of chapters of Mosiah. This week everyone should read King Benjamin's sermon to his people. I think it starts on chapter 2. Reading it will help you have a better week! I'm also working my way through the Old Testament. A lot of missionaries get by somehow by not even reading the Bible at all and I'm making sure I read all of it. I'm in Numbers right now and it is really apparent in the Old Testament so far that the theme is following God for blessings. It really is as simple as that. The temple is also so important in the Bible. I'm so thankful for the opportunity we have to go to temples today. I can't wait to start my family in the sacred house of the Lord.

Well I hope you read those chapters in the Book of Mormon and maybe you can talk to me about your favorite part next week. I really love you all and I hope you have a great, productive week! 

Love,

Elder Silas Gallagher