Weekly Email # 51 - Transfer News

Hello Everyone!

Just got the news that after spending a great six months in Mount Vernon that I will be transferred out. I might have a possibility of going to Fredericktown, which is being white washed (white washed
means being opened up to missionaries) and it is in the Mount Vernon area, but I honestly have no idea where I'm going until tomorrow morning! I'll be sure to let ya know. I don't know whether I will
continue to be junior companion or move to a different position.

A lot of memories, friendships and stories have been created these past six months. It's always hard leaving an area, but it's going to be difficult leaving this place. I wish I could tell everyone in the
Ward thank you for what they did for me. There's nothing quite like leaving a part of your heart and soul in an area and I will greatly miss it all.

Gotta get packing! I'll leave some photos and I'll catch up with you all next Monday.

Love you all.

Elder Galbraith

When park contacting doesn't yield success. We make it successful.

Deuces, Mt. Vernon. I'll miss you.

Zone Activity. Great group of Elders and Sisters. Love creating these type of memories.

Weekly Email # 50 - Elder Jones # 2

Hello, hello!

Short email this week but I'll share some of the many important highlights.

- Sarah got baptized! I didn't drown her! Haha phew! That was kinda nerve wracking but it was such a blessing to do so. It passed by so quick. It's hard to believe she'll be attending the Polaris Ward now,
which is about an hour away from Mt. Vernon. I'm happy for her, and I'm excited to see her progress and receive all the blessings the Gospel has to offer.

- Last Tuesday, President Daines called us up, and told us we have a new companion to pick up! So I've been in my first trio for six days now! My new companions name is Elder Jones. For those that are obsessed with my adventures out in Ohio, you know at I had an MTC companion also named Elder Jones, but this is not him. It's a different specimen!

This Elder Jones has been out for only 9 weeks, finishing up his training.  Elder Larsen is going to train him, which means I'm just the middle man. Haha it's been a crazy past week.
If I had to compare anyone to Elder Jones, it would be my cousin Kai. He loves video games, quotes movies and again, MORE video games, and is very smart. Very methodical in his thinking, but is working on his communication skills (this is me trying to sound like I know what I'm
talking about).

Wish I could report on more, but just simply don't have enough time. Love you all! Enjoy your summer before it ends!

Pics below.

Elder Galbraith



                                   Cleaned up the Subi. This is definitely my favorite mission car!

........ My attempt at a flagpole....

Me, Elder Larsen, Elder Jones. The Trioship has begun.

When President wants to let you know you're going to be in a trio.

Weekly Email # 49 - Softball Game/Aftermath of the 4th

Hello everyone!

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th! For our 4th, we went down to Ariel
Foundation Park, a locally created park that the city of Mount Vernon
decided to host the firework show in. They were doing all kinds of
activities like carnival games, live stage performances, food stands,
and fishing. (I have no idea if anyone actually caught a fish while
all this other commotion was going on, but brownie points to those
that made the attempt. Haha). We were able to stay for most of the day
except for, ironically, the firework show, which started 30 minutes
after we left. Don't worry, we could see a firework every five or so
minutes from our apartment, so it was all good :)

This week was a really good week! Well I guess I should say the latter
part of the week was great. We started off the week with interviews
with President Daines and a couple of other meetings. And once we went
out to progress the work again, most of our appointments ended up
canceling on us. But when Wednesday hit, there was a upswing that we
have been on ever since!

With Sarah getting baptized this Saturday, we got all of her lessons
done and her interview accomplished as of yesterday! And it'll be even
more awesome because she'll be the first person I've gotten to
actually dunk in the water out in the mission. I'm really honored that
she picked me to do so, and that's not just because she reads these
emails. Haha but it's been really awesome to see her progress through
the Gospel and see how her testimony has been strengthened as she
keeps commitments and finds that happiness. I'm so pumped for this
Saturday!

Also, we are helping a returning member named Chris come back to
activity. He got his records removed from the church a while back and
now seeks forgiveness and wants to come back. He's been awesome, and
we are excited he's getting baptized on the 23rd of July.

With both Sarah and Chris attending church yesterday, we also got
another person to attend named Russ, making that 3 INVESTIGATORS that
attended Sacrament, yesterday! And not only that, but we got about
half of the less active's to come to church too! All in all, that was
eight people!  I haven't hit that number in a long time, maybe EVER,
and it felt really good to do so.

The Mount Vernon Ward had a cookout/softball game this past Friday and
seriously, that was one of the best Ward Activities I've ever been to!
I tell you what, those Amish kids can play some serious softball. The
teams were very even and everyone had a great time!

That's it for me this week! Pics below. Love you all.

Elder Galbraith

When your companion makes you walk up a really tall building

There's that tower

That moment when you wished you played baseball as a little kid.

R.T.  Doing a selfie of Brother Pikes backyard, where we played softball.

Weekly Email # 48 - End of Month Grind / 11 months

You know, I think our mission is one of the few missions that don't
move their P-Days whenever a holiday is on Monday. But regardless....

HAPPY FOURTH!!! There's nothing quite like your neighbors lighting off illegal fireworks at 1 in the morning. And then on top of that, having a drunken fist fight between two neighbors who were aiming Roman Candles at each other. (who hasn't done that?). That's how I'm anticipating these next few days to go by, but how about this past week?

Well. It didn't really go according to plan. That's both good and bad. It was good because we had some empty days and those ended up getting filled in with service with members, tracting sessions, a few lessons, stuff like that. I think there were more than 10+ blessings given this week by Elder Larsen and I alone. Which is good for me because I think I've finally, after spending almost 11 months in the field, have memorized the anointing prayer haha slowly but surely.

Onto the bad news. You know all those return appointments that I was telling you all about last week? Yeah, there was 7 of them. Do you know how many of those happened? 1. How would I rate that lesson out of 10? 2. Haha we were kinda disappointed in that regard. Hopefully this coming week we'll be able to actual get inside their doors.

And because of those missed appointments, we had only 80 miles left to spare for 4 days, when we usually average 40 miles a day. If you can do that math, you know that we were in some deep doo doo. Thankfully, the senior couple serving around our area was able to help us out over those coming days and we ended up having about 6.5 miles left to spare.

This fast and testimony meeting was really awesome yesterday. You would think this testimony meeting would be all about patriotism, but it was not only that. I've never seen so many people bear so many short testimonies. It was really cool to see and you could feel the spirit, for sure.

It's a shame it's going to rain today during the 4th, but I hope you all have a wonderful firework session! Wish I could. Haha but I hope you do! Have a great week, love you all! Pics Below.

Elder G

Dinner with Edwin, a local member, and Sarah our investigator! 

She got us Five Guys because it's out of our area and she's, like, the best. Twas delicious!