Merry Christmas!

Hi!

It feels like last Christmas was only a few months ago! This Christmas will be a little different but it'll be good. I'm excited for Brother Monson's Christmas crepes. 

This Sunday we had four people we're teaching come to church which was awesome! The Smiths, Julie and a guy named Jesse. They are all great people! The Smiths really liked church and it seems to me like they'll continue to learn and join the church with their three children. It is really amazing to be the bearer of a message that can anchor a family around Jesus Christ. 

Jesse lives in a house right on the beach. There's like 15 guys that all rent out different rooms that basically cost nothing but it's pretty collegy in there. We call it the frat house. There's a guy that lives on the roof. What Californians will do to live on the beach! Jesse has been looking into the church for over a year now and just moved here recently. We started working with him this week.

I forgot to tell you but a man in my family ward gave Elder George and I a card and a big box of Hickory Farms. I didn't know what that is but it is the best cheese and sausage and crackers ever. The card also had quite a bit of money in it too. It was very generous and I feel very loved here.

Merry Christmas, I love you!

Elder Gallagher

Almost Christmas

Bad news first! No skype :( but I am excited to talk on the phone! They're cracking down on the 40 minute rule too. So the only # I really remember is Mom's cell. So I'll call that unless I get the house phone number.

This week has been great. I went on a 24 hr exchange with Elder Williams on Friday and it went really well. I love exchanges and other missionaries. I feel a little inadequate at times during the trainings I give but I am confident in the relationships I cultivate with my zone. He's a great missionary and a hard worker. We taught a very powerful lesson to a woman who only spoke Spanish. He brought a member who bore powerful testimony! Even though I speak zero Spanish I could feel the Spirit as they talked. I prayed and prayed for Elder Williams and for his investigator and I know it helped. Now I just need to know how to testify in Spanish. I was also able to learn over to him remind him to ask for referrals. The woman's name is Marylena and will be baptized on Saturday. We talked about his district and doubling the productivity of Elder Heaps and Beyer. I really do love the people here in the zone. 

On Saturday we blitzed Elder Torgerson and Haynes area. They did an amazing job organizing a great event. We were prepared and were all invited to bring members. Many sets of missionaries did and had great experiences. In the zone we report the # of members taken out with us and this week we had 25 members out. We expect to keep breaking records in that regard. 

Yesterday I went to the departing fireside. It is a meeting where the missionaries going home get up and talk about their experience for a few minutes. One of my favorite people in this world is leaving in two weeks and I'll miss him a lot. His name is Elder Dixon. He was in the Virginia ward when I was with Elder Jacobson and is now an AP. Usually when I need to make a decision or do something I think of what Elder Dixon would do. It'll be sad for me to say goodbye. I imagine getting old is something like becoming an older and older missionary. All my older friends are "dying" and it stinks. I wonder how Elder Edward is doing and wish I could go to Elder Smith's wedding on the 28th! It'll be great to reconnect with my friends. Even though I miss these people I wouldn't trade the time I've had here for anything in the world. I've learned so much about myself and who I want to be.

I'm starting to get more and more excited for transfers. I think I'll be staying and getting a new companion. Elder George has been great and I've learned from him. 

I'll pray for Chloe! I hope she recovers quickly from surgery. 

Love

Elder Gallagher

Chilly California

Hey,

Thank you for sending me a package family! It was quite a surprise to get a package and it was a great end to an already good day. The ornaments are on the mini tree that the Monsons put in our room for us. I'm excited to spend Christmas in a home. I hear they make crepes in the morning. Brother Monson was joking around saying that if we can't skype that doesn't mean that he cant skype you and I could be making a sandwich in the backround. Either way I'm excited to talk to you!

This week was zone meeting so Elder George and I and Sister Andelin (who Hans and Diedra know) got up and trained the zone. It was really fun! We had Danny, from the YSA (young single adult) ward, come and talk to us about member missionary work. He is awesome and is the type of person who easily spreads his enthusiasm. The work really is being hastened. He went to Oklahoma this weekend to attend his friend's baptism. Danny talked to his friend about the church in high school and ten years later he is really excited to join the church. 

We started teaching the Smith family this week! There's a man in the Cordata Park ward who drove us to a great family that he started sharing the gospel with. It was great to have a member so actively involved! He found them for us! And it's really funny because we got to their house and I absolutely have knocked on their door before. They are a very humble and nice family. They didn't make it to church but I'm looking forward to getting to know them better. 

Another member in LB called us and set up a time that we could meet with their friend Matt so we went and taught him too! He had met with missionaries a year or so ago and ended up going to school and losing touch. He is really excited to keep learning and come to church. Overall the work is going well!

I attended Russ Trounce's funeral on Saturday. There were so many people. The whole gym behind the overflow was full. There were even chairs on the stage that were full. It was heartbreaking to see a father give a life sketch of his first born son but he did a great job. The eight year old daughter talked about her Dad too. It was amazing how comforted the family is because of the gospel in their lives. It's comforting to know that we will be able to talk to and hold the loved ones that have passed away. What impacted me the most was seeing how many people were there to remember one man. It's really incredible how many people you can influence as you treat others nicely. I know his family will be okay despite such a hard trials.

A picture of Dad I drew

Mini Christmas tree

Love you all,

Elder Gallagher

Thanksgiving

This week was pretty good. For Thanksgiving I went to the Fuga's and then the Parkers. The Fuga's are Samoan so we ate a ton of food. We came after the feast had started but there were at least ten restaurant platters with those burners under them full of food. Turkey, ham, mussels, octopus, yams, taro, rolls, salad, mashed potatoes, cheese potatoes and then dessert. Deep fried oreos and plenty of brownies and cake. It was a mouthful. We did leave with more leftovers than we had eaten because they packed soooo much food for us to take home. Right after that we went to the Parkers! Brother Parker was the stake president and is now in the mission presidency. He is one of the nicest men I've met. He fed us turkey and cranberry sauce sandwiches. I thought Elder George was going to puke he ate so much haha.

Besides Thanksgiving my week was full of a lot of meetings. We were at the mission office a lot being trained. I'm really grateful for the leadership principles I'm learning out here. I'll be training the zone on Thursday.

Saturday morning a man in the family ward died suddenly from a heart attack. He was 46 and was in great health. He has a son on a mission and three other kids who live at home. It was very very tragic and church was full of people in tears. Death is such a hard and unavoidable part of life. It's hard even though I know that we will one day be resurrected like our Savior. Brother Monson said something that will stick with me. It doesn't matter when you die, it matters how you live. It is scary to realize how insecure life is. That has been on my mind a lot lately. I do know that we will all live again. What a great gift that we will all receive because of Jesus Christ.

http://www.lds.org/media-library/images/by-speaker/elder-d-todd-christofferson?lang=eng&cid=HPMO120213231#quote-christofferson-1173970

I hope everyone has a great week! I love you

Elder Gallagher

Before today's haircut

after