Bits of news from my emails with Silas (no general letter)

Stake conference is always good! I'm excited for General Conference too. I can't believe it's already time for General Conference again!

I've been studying the Savior's last week and that's been really awesome

My best experience was probably doing service. We did a lot of service this week. We picked the best oranges ever off of a man named Joe's trees. He's not a member but his sister who lives out of state is. He had cancer and now can't eat them so he asked us to come take them. It always feels good to help people and to talk to them. I pretty much taught him about the restoration and the plan of salvation as we talked.

We did get to eat them! But there were hundreds so we brought them to church ha. We are only teaching probably like 5 people and they're all at certain stages. I really want to find new investigators and just teach them from the beginning. It's hard when missionaries before don't write what they teach so you don't know where to go. We're going back to lesson 1 with a few people.


I'm sorry but I haven't been writing a big email :/ so there probably won't be one by the time I leave but I did send pictures!

We ate dinner at a member's house in the other elder's ward and it was literally on the beach... Promise I didn't touch the sand!

Thanks! Love you, bye!

Elder Gallagher

My Week

Hey everyone,

 

This week was the first week that Elder Komarek and I were just on bikes. We bike around 16 miles a day and I think one day we did 20. I'll just say that I'm sleeping like a log ha. This Sunday was Woodruff Ward Conference and it was nice to hear the Bishop and Stake President give talks. We biked to church so we had the sisters who also serve in our ward drive our suits to church so we could change. As we were changing in the bathroom the stake president came in so we got to meet him haha. It was an interesting way to meet the stake president. How is the Danbury Ward?

 

Well I'm still reading the Old Testament and right now I'm in Psalms. Rach's letter had a psalm reference on it and I was actually about to read it so that was cool. The Old Testament has been really good to read. The people back then had a lot more faith than people do now. I also just started reading Acts again. I love how the Apostles and Disciples teach. The people that they teach felt the truthfulness of their message by the power of the Holy Ghost and asked them to be baptized. The Bishop talked about being converted and I would say that Peter was absolutely converted as he healed the sick and raised the dead in the name of Jesus Christ. Learning more about the time right after Christ left has been really interesting.

 

This week was a little slow for the work but Elder Komarek and I are still working hard. Last night our 8pm plans fell through and we pretty much had to walk around and try and find someone to talk to because I don't like knocking at 8pm. We talked to a really nice older man named Larry who talked to us for awhile. He wasn't very interested but he really liked talking to us. Elder Komarek still isn't used to talking to people and leading the conversation but it comes with time. There are a lot more people here than he's used to in Fillmore.

I'm really grateful for the Book of Mormon. It's so wonderful that it comes with a promise in Moroni 10:3-5. If you read it sincerely with real intent than God will give you a witness of the truth. It's pretty simple and I know that that's true. I'm lucky to be a missionary and even when times are slow I'm glad that I can be His servant.

 

Love you!

 

Silas

 

 

 

Hello!

Hey Everyone!

 

Yesterday was the departing fireside for missionaries that go home this Tuesday and it was sad because I know two that are going home and they are great missionaries. Both of them served in the Virginia ward with another companion while I was there. First is Elder Walker, who trained Elder Jacobson, and then Elder Carter. They bore very powerful testimonies of the Gospel and Elder Carter is just amazing and getting me to want to become better in everything. It is always kind of weird to see the missionaries going home because I always put myself in their shoes. Elder Carter shared some stories and said now let me tell you what is going to happen on Tuesday. I'm going to get home, hug my Mom first (cause that's what she said in the email) haha and hug my Dad and then tell them thank you. Thank you for teaching me and telling me that through the Atonement anyone can change. It definitely made me think about what I would say to you. How I would thank you too and how crazy that is going to be eventually.

 

So this week starts a new transfer. This transfer was a week short but it still doesn't feel like I've been with Elder Komarek for over a month. We're getting closer and he's getting better and better. I think a few of the stories from his friends that came out with him helped him appreciate me more ha. One trainer went home on his own accord and another had to get transferred so if he didn't think I was good before he does now! Sadly, We are losing our car which stinks! I don't know what time next week I'll be able to email. It'll be weird being only on bike again. I guess it's for a reason though.

I went on exchanges with a new Elder Mann from Texas. He's really good and their area is even nicer haha! They have Seal beach and those are pictures of the beach! 

 

Love,

 

Elder Gallagher

 

 

Hello!

Hey Family,

This week we had Zone Conference and it was nice to sit back and hear how we can improve ourselves. It is so funny how many hours I spend in church meetings and studying. Right now because of the 12 week training program we study for three hours every morning! So on Sundays we go to church then study for as long as we were at church. I think that that's crazy. I figured out that I've studied for over 24 hours per month. I've spent an entire week studying the scriptures...No wonder why I've been happy even though I'm away from all of you.

Yesterday during the gospel principles class we talked about charity and an experience that I had my third transfer popped into my head that I'm not sure I shared with you. The teacher asked for examples of charity that we would like to share and I didn't get a chance to share it but it made me really happy. For Thanksgiving we ate at the Adduru's and they gave us a ton of leftover food. The other Elders in our ward dropped us off right outside our apartment. There is a burger place right near it and we looked over and a very homeless looking lady was stumbling like she was about to fall walking towards us. I think for most people your first reaction is ah quick let's get away from this dirty, strange looking person. Honestly I felt that at first. I wanted to dash into our gate and just go to bed because I was full and tired. But I looked at her and realized that we were there with a ton of food for a reason and that this person probably didn't even know it was Thanksgiving. We sat her down outside of the burger place and got her water and food. She hardly had any energy to walk over to the table but she was grateful for the food and the water. We left her with all of the food and the next morning she was gone and so was the big bag of food.

Today we had a funny and spiritually uplifting experience. We do laundry in the morning on Mondays and for some reason the change receiver on the washer got stuck. Elder Smith and Elder Mann live right next to us and Elder Smith was about to pull the thing out and get it to work. So later the other Elders were doing their laundry and it got stuck again but they couldn't get it unstuck. We were going to be late for studies if it didn't get unstuck so we stood there and said a prayer and the next pull made the washer start. It was really awesome and we were just laughing but it is really incredible how much God does care about the little things in each of our lives.

Training Elder Komarek has been good for me. It has helped me try and do my best to be a good missionary and to really think about what I can do to help him be the best he can be. It is really easy to sleep at night because I've been pretty tired! The work is going pretty well. Not awesome but not dead. Michael is working towards baptism on the 17th and we committed Sam (a former) for the 30th.

I hope everyone is still doing well! Great job to Mom, Dad and Noah for doing P90X. Tell Grammie and Grandma I said hi! I miss them!

Love,

Silas