LAST LETTER OF MISSION!

HEY!

What an experience my mission has been for me. Last night was the departing missionary fireside and it was really strange being the one getting up and bearing his testimony. I came out and am going home with an Elder Moala who is Tongan so he gave me a big lei (pronounced lay) to wear. All the missionaries going home had candy and flower leis around their necks. It was kind of cool. Elder Moala and I will actually be coming home to salt lake on the same plane so I'm positive you'll see his family there tomorrow. It was bittersweet to be sitting in the choir seats and look out on many people I knew. I saw Joey, Patricia, Buddy, the Smiths, the Carrs, Montierths, 

 

Sorry I sent that early by accident....anyways

I saw a lot of people that I've focused all I have and I love them so much. I don't know where I would be right now if I didn't take that time and serve other people with all my might mind and strength. It was pretty cool having some of the people I've helped meet each other. It was really hard not to hug all of them!...still can't hug girls. I will tomorrow though! I'll hug Mom first. 

It was really weird having a last hour of missionary work. It was Saturday night. Yesterday was church and then the fireside and today is Pday and then the dinner at President's house. My last hour we were at Orizaba park contacting people there. We were headed back to the car and as we passed this man I really felt like we should go back and talk to him. He actually really wanted us to talk to him and he said he noticed that we did a u-turn just to talk to him. He wanted us to pray for him and we did. 

Well there are a lot of people here and I have to get off. I'll see you tomorrow!! LOVE YOU

Elder Gallagher

 

Last week

I had a good week this week! The weeks feel like days now and I'm staying very busy. We had two zone conferences this week. One in Huntington beach and one in Cerritos. Elder Taylor and I gave a training on how to begin teaching. It is very important to understand the needs of the people we sit down and teach. I love teaching people and helping them with their questions about life and with what they want to achieve. I've never felt happier trying to help people achieve their goals. At one of the conferences there was an elder that forgot his tie. It was pretty funny. I asked him what happened and if he was wearing an invisible tie. He and his trainer were in a rush to get to zone conference and he ended up just buttoning up his top button and forgot to get a tie. That's a first! Luckily President had an extra tie.

This week we picked up a brand new Toyota Corolla from Torrance. It's fun leaving the mission. Weird to think there's a whole lot of places I haven't seen in two years. It is unreal to have a car with six miles on it. It smells really new. I'll probably never drive a new car for the rest of my life! SO I'm enjoying it now.

Yesterday Elder Taylor and I went by a referral that some sisters gave us. It was our first time there and there ended up being two apartments at this address so we decided to go to the one closest to us first. We walked up to the door and sitting on the ground on a stand was a tile with a Thomas S. Monson quote. We figured that it was maybe a part member family and the kid (Matt) that we were looking for lived there. A boy answered named Terrence who said Matt lived in the apartment over. So we asked him if he had made it to church and he said no because his mom was in Mexico. It was funny because we asked him what church he went to because we realized he might not really know who we were and he said cottonwood which is a mega christian church around here. Haha no one in his family was a member of the church so we set up an appointment to come back and talk to them about the guy who said the quote. 

I think in the next week I will continue to feel every emotion possible. I've put my whole heart into my mission and it is tough trying to realize I'm leaving. I love my mission. I've never done anything else in my life that has brought as much meaning and joy to my own life. I know how to work. I know how to be happy even when it's hard. I'm still Silas just better hah. At the same time I am excited to see you again! Love you!

Elder Gallagher

Hey,

Things are going pretty well over here! Right now the main person we are teaching is Brad. I really like Brad and he's already changed a lot. Right now the only thing that would keep him from being baptized this upcoming Sunday is smoking. Hopefully Joey will be able to baptize him! Joey passed the sacrament this Sunday which was exciting for both him and us. 

I'm still working really hard and trying not to think much about coming home. I honestly don't have much down time to even think about it. I have so little time to spare that I haven't thought much about everything I need to do when I get home which is stressful but I know it'll all work out! I was on more of those exchanges this week! I have one left which will make 27 day exchanges with zone leaders. So far we've been able to find a new person to teach on every one. I have learned a lot being able to go with the best missionaries in the mission. They are great examples to me! 

The pictures from the kids play looks like it went really well. Too bad I missed it! This morning we had a lot of younger members of the church come in to go on a "mini" mission for one or two weeks. So I had to get everyone together and tell them who their new companions will be. So that's my excuse for a short email. Love you!

Elder Gallagher

Happy late 4th of July!

My 4th was really great. I had dinner at the Gallops who are members of the Woodruff Ward. Hans from Blue Sky was there which was cool. I barely know him but I remember him. I was with an Elder who is from the Dominican Republic and he's super great. We were down on 5th and Cherry in Long Beach and there were a ton of people! We taught a girl named Carmen and as we asked her to pray a bunch of firecrackers went off and we all had to wait hah. It was pretty funny. It was really fun having so many people out. There are usually quite a few people but not really ever like a city until the 4th. We also taught two kids at the bus stop while they were waiting to go home. It was a good night! 

Happy Almost Birthday Eden! I can't believe she'll be 14! I also can't believe I'm 21! Time flies. I'm pretty glad the times I have to email are coming to an end because my motivation for this is declining haha. I am sad that I'll eventually have to leave this place. I love it here. I love the people I teach and talk to on the street. I love the missionaries here so much! They're good people and I've made a lot of friends here. 

Lately I have been reading in John in the New Testament and also Helaman in the Book of Mormon. I really like Helaman 13 and 14. The idea that God has done everything so we come back into His presence is very loving. We just need to decide what we're going to do, follow Him or not. I love John 3. Christ teaches the necessity of baptism and we learn that Christ came not to judge or condemn the world but that we might be saved.

Anyways... love you!

Elder Gallagher

[4 weeks to go!]

Hey!

This week I got sick which doesn't happen usually so that slowed my week down a little bit. I got up to go run and my head was really dizzy and the room was spinning. I still tried to run but ended up walking and going back to bed. I got a blessing that helped a lot and I'm pretty much back to 100%. It is amazing how tired you can get but go run and be awake the rest of the week. 

Joey asked me to confirm him a member of the church and give him the gift of the Holy Ghost which was special. If nothing else I've realized lately what a great mission the Lord has given me. I really can't think of anything that I wish would've happened or wouldn't have happened. I went on another exchange this week and after Elder Taylor and I got to work to the end of the night. We went by a member who we were asked to go visit and we weren't sure what his apartment number was. So we went up to a door that was open and met Robia. We asked if Bevon was home and she said she grew up with Bevon and that he lived upstairs. Bevon was recently baptized so we talked to her about that and asked if he had talked to her about it at all. We invited her to come upstairs with us and talk to Bevon with us!

So we went up there and he wasn't home but there were some chairs there and we ended up teaching her a very powerful lesson about the restoration. She practically taught herself as we asked good questions and followed the Spirit. I think teaching is one of my favorite things about being a missionary. 

This week I also had to give two trainings at leadership meeting and mission leadership council. One of the topics I talked about was bringing someone to church each week. I talked about ways the leaders in the mission can help their missionaries bring people to church. We read the words of Hymn #185 which for me explain why we go to church. At MLC Elder Taylor and I taught about teaching simply. It's kind of difficult having to give talks all of the time but I learn so much as I prepare for them. 

I read a talk this week about timing. Elder Oaks talked about how he planned his life and how different it was. It's important to just put the Lord first and keep the commandments and everything else will work out when it's time.

Love you! 

Elder Gallagher

I have run out of subject lines...

This week went really well. It's stressful being the senior assistant but I love Elder Taylor so everything works out. We got to pick up the new missionaries on Tuesday which was great! It is awesome to see the excitement they have!

Joey got baptized yesterday! It was a great day and tonight he's coming out to go teach with us. We're also teaching a guy named Brad who came to both church and the baptism yesterday and loved it! He's a funny guy. He's a pagan/mystic but loves the Book of Mormon and I think he likes to say that for the scare factor. He felt really welcome at the ward. He said, "I didn't know a place like this existed!" We have a lot of good people here.

I met a returned sister missionary who was visiting with her friend that knew Thomas Fischetti! Small world. 

Here's a good series of articles about why religion matters. There have been a lot of people that I've talked to that wonder about that question. Most people today claim spirituality but don't associate with a "religion":

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/why-religion-matters-making-selves-out-of-others

Shouldn't I be more motivated to write since I only have to do this five more times? Haha somehow that is not the case. Love you!

Elder Gallagher

 

Six More Weeks!?

Hey Everyone!

That is pretty scary to think! My mission doesn't feel like it should be coming to a close but it is whether I like it or not! Sometimes I like it sometimes I don't haha. This week was busy as predicted! Some highlights were the dinner at President Tew's house for all of the departing missionaries. Yesterday I was able to conduct the departing missionary fireside where over 200 people came. It's becoming pretty natural for me to speak in front of many people. That has been something that I have definitely had to develop. Now I am the senior assistant so I pretty much have to know everything haha. It'll be a great transfer and I'm looking forward being companions with Elder Taylor. 

Sunday the 22nd, Joey should be getting baptized! We're really excited for that. It's pretty cool because Elder Taylor was actually one of the missionaries that initially knocked on his door. Pray that everything goes well for that!

​ Here's a picture of Elder Jacobson and I! We were companions my 3rd transfer. So November 2012. He's headed home! I love President and sister Tew's front door it looks like a temple's door.

This pretty much sums up Elder Sturgell and I's companionship. We had a great couple of transfers together. He's going to the cambodian ward for the last two weeks of his mission then he's headed back to tennessee. Thank you for the birthday wishes. Sorry my email is shorter than I had planned. A few different things came up that took my time. 

Love you all!

Elder Gallagher

Our friend has a Lambo... He gives the missionaries going home a ride before they go so he gave E. Sturgell a ride.