Hello!

This week I stayed in the same area but moved where I lived and got two new companions! So that was exciting. It's a town home with one bedroom and a washer/dryer unit which is super nice! I've had a great time with Elder Mann and Elder Sarver this week. We all have known each
other for a while so there was no kind of awkward time of getting to know each other. There have been a lot of laughs and jokes. We've also taught quite a bit as well. We live at the end of the mission which is the Santa Ana river so we ran down the trail next to it this morning. I've started to workout pretty consistently so I'm in good shape when I get home. 

Only Buddy came to church this Sunday but it was still good because he's doing well. He's not getting baptized this Saturday but he is making good progress. We're going to continue to help him as he searches and I know he'll find an answer. 

Anyways! That's all I got this week. Love you!

Elder Gallagher 

Howdy

Hey!

Transfers are tomorrow! So I lucked out and I'll be staying for another six weeks! I really like everything about my area right now. I love the people and the work that has been going on. I am getting two new companions which isn't very normal but sometimes that's what happens. Elder Mann is the other zone leader and I served around him when I trained Elder Komarek. He was trained at the same time by Elder Smith. So we're excited to be comps. He's a convert from Texas and loves bball and he's pretty funny. My other comp is Elder Sarver and we came out together. I think he may be with us because he's struggled a little bit but he really is a great missionary. Also, with transfers they combined the two zones in the stake so now my zone have 27 people in it. It's the biggest zone in the mission so that'll be fun!

 I'll update you on the Smiths. Sadly, they haven't been to church in the past few weeks. Sis Smith has lost most of her desire to learn right now but Bro Smith still wants to be baptized. It has been SO hard to meet with them lately. Please pray that we can. We are also teaching one other family in the Cordata Park ward. The man hadn't been to church in 25+ years but we invited him to and he came! The next week his wife who had never been to the church came and really liked it. She has a baptismal date for the 8th. They did not make it to church though which stinks. Hopefully we'll see them tomorrow. 

In the YSA ward we are teaching Buddy! He is still great and came to all three hours of church yesterday and really loved it. The third hour lesson was on the Plan of Salvation and it was a great discussion. During the lesson he said, "didn't Adam fall that men might be?" Haha already quoting scripture. His baptismal date is for this saturday and we'll see if he feels ready. Yesterday I gave a talk in the YSA ward which I was a little nervous for because friday and Saturday I had a cold that made me a little foggy. I talked about cultivating natural missionary work. I feel like a lot of the time we think missionary work is super awkward but you really just have to be nice and friendly to people. So I shared three things you can do everyday that I know can help. 

1. Pray everyday for missionary opportunities (Matt 7...ask and ye shall receive)

2. Seek to love and serve

3. Talk with everyone

People said they liked my talk so that was nice. Public speaking has not come naturally for me but I am getting better at it

 Elder George has ADEM which is an auto immune disease. He was supposed to fly home on friday but as far as I've heard he hasn't been well enough to fly home yet. The missionary who has been throwing up every day for about four months has finally gone home. He was a hard working missionary! He waited for President to make the call on whether he should stay or go. It is really too bad that the very skilled doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong. Some Elders just told me that he had a parasite and he'll rest for 2 months then come back out. I don't think I've talked about an different elder in my zone but he is struggling with clinical depression and it is really tough. His mind just doesn't think about things logically. I cant figure out if things are because he's homesick or what exactly makes him so sad. He says he questions his testimony but still works. Luckily he's getting more help from people much more qualified than me. 

Well I hope you all have a great week!

Love

Elder Gallagher

I can't help but remind you how warm it still is here ;)

Hey,

I forgot that last week we (members in CA) fasted for rain. We are in serious need of some rain. That night on Sunday we were out driving around and visiting people and all of a sudden it started to pour! It was so great to have so many people praying and fasting for rain and it raining that very same night. I'm reminded of Alma 5 when Alma, who had seen an angel, attributes his knowledge of gospel truths to much fasting and prayer. I know fasting is powerful and it's real. 

This week we taught a lot! We had about double the amount of lessons that we've taught here ever since I've been here. A lot of that has to do with the volume of people we're teaching. Right now I really love teaching Buddy. He's such a genuine guy and has great questions. He reads and comes to church and I really respect that he is actively searching for the truth. Transfers are next week and I know even if I end up staying that we are moving out of the Monsons. They have been SO good to me and I'll never forget them. I really love them like family. Great people live here. People I will be friends with my whole life. Well...I'm off to play dodgeball but I promise to repent and write more next week. Love you!

Elder Gallagher

Elder Loutensock and I

I'm wearing a sweatshirt cause its cold (68 degrees) ;)

Brrrrr,

This week one of the sick missionaries went home and now I am in a trio again. Sadly we were told that he was diagnosed with some form of cancer and that he started chemo yesterday. Also, Elder George is in the hospital with what they thought was viral meningitis. Now they're thinking it's some sort of brain lesions. I heard his parents came out to see him. The latest news I got sounded pretty positive though. So keep them in your thoughts. It is honestly crazy how many medical things are going on. There are at least two missionaries depressed in the zone and the one that is still throwing up is still working so hard. They're great people.

Things are going pretty well in or area! We are teaching and finding very regularly. We are still teaching the Smiths and they are still looking to be baptized on the 15th but we'll see. Sis Smith hasn't been for three weeks now. Bro and the kids came yesterday. We are teaching an awesome guy in his 20's. His name is Buddy. He meets with us regularly and he asks such great questions. 

One thing real quick before I have to go is something that dawned on me while we were teaching this eccentric girl in the chapel of the church. She didn't have shoes on and I happened to look and think about how dirty and honestly gross they looked. I thought of John 13 where Christ washes His apostles feet. I know He is our perfect example of love and service. I got up yesterday and bore my testimony of the happiness I have felt as I've served others. It doesn't make sense logically but the more I give of myself and think more about others, the happier I am. 

Read your scriptures! Don't forget to pray! I'm still having a great time and I love and miss you! 

Elder Gallagher

A Short One!

Hey Everyone!

This week has been great! Today has been great too! I even got to nap this morning instead of just sit around! I don't have much time but I'll share two experiences. 

On Friday we went to go teach someone that was YSA age the Spanish Elders had contacted and set an appointment with but his brother answered and said he wasn't home. That seemed to be the theme for Friday.... A lot of appointments but no one was home when they said they would be. As we walked back to our car the member we were with passed by a guy carrying some beer and the member asked if that was Buddy. We'd never met him but I felt pretty strongly that it was him. Elder Loutensock called out to him and he took the headphones out of his ears and said yeah! So we were able to teach him and he even came to church yesterday! We're going by again tonight so I'm looking forward to talking about what he thought. 

The Smith family has had some ups and downs but Bro Smith is so on board and really knows that this will be so good for his family. Sis Smith is still having a hard time changing such a big part of her life. They decided to go to their other church instead. Someone from church had an open house dessert party that they came to last night so we were able to talk to them about what happened. It sounds like they will be baptized on the 15th of February. God answered their prayers.

I am still loving HB and you all too! I hope you have a great week!

Love 

Elder Gallagher

Tuesday letter

Hey!

This week Elder Loutensock and I tried something a little different and actually found a lot of work from it. We took some time in the morning and called each of the active members in the HB YSA ward and asked if we could come and share a 10 minute message with them and just get to know them better. We want to take more of a variety of members out with us each week and we thought that would be a good way to do it. There were many that had moved away but even those who had moved were willing to give us names of people they thought we should visit. We have an appointment with one girl who moved who thought of one of her friends from high school. She's coming down for us to meet with him. All from a simple phone call. Something I've learned here is that there are so many members who are already trying to do missionary work we just have to be the ones who encourage and facilitate the work. 

There are a lot of struggling missionaries where I am right now. A few have pretty major health problems that prevent them from working very much. One Elder has thrown up everyday for over three months straight now. It is amazing how much he still want to work everyday and not go home. I would be miserable after two days. One has had back problems and probably has to go home for surgery. Missionary work is hard! I feel lucky for only having to deal with being tired and sometimes being discouraged. 

I went to Newport today and it was really nice. The temple there is beautiful. I'll attach some pictures. I hope you all have a great week. Please pray for my cousin who's boyfriend died this week and also my mom, who's skin condition is making things hard.

Love 

Elder Gallagher

 

Jan. 13th

Hello!

This week we passed the teaching of Julie off to the sisters in the ward which was hard but it'll probably be better. She's single and will probably connect better with them. I'll still keep you updated with her though.

The Smiths were sick yesterday so they didn't make it to church. They are such a great family who I've grown to love very much. They were planning on being baptized this Sunday but we may move it back a week to be more ready. Joining the church is such a huge transition that is hard especially for sister Smith. They know it's true and the people here are a great support for them as they make the transition. Pretty much everything about joining the church is uncomfortable. But I know that it's worth it. My friend Danny Rasmussen has a website called Normons.com. It's pretty funny and good!

One thing I've seen so much of is people in terrible life situations. Many are a result of poor choices that build up over the years and there are also many that are just built in to life. I talked to a girl a few weeks ago that attributed all of the problems of her life to the built it struggles and we tried to help her see that really God gives a path so we're not just putting struggles into our own lives. How grateful I am for a path to walk that leads back to my God and my family.

Love

Elder Gallagher

http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/ye-have-done-it-unto-me?lang=eng&cid=HPFR011014343&im=true