Weekly Email # 64 - Transfers, Changes and Still apologizing for Always Being Busy

Hello Everyone!

Short email today but pics included. Next week, i'll dump even more pictures. Love you all!

Oh quick update too. Haha I am staying in Zanesville for another six weeks and Elder Hatch is going to the Xenia, the opposite side of the mission. In the meantime, I picked up Elder McCray, another junior companion!

Elder Galbraith
The Great OCM
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out where one can go." -T.S. Eliot

Pics!

1. My pappy is finally going home! Me him and his other son, Elder Mayo.

2. Elder Hatch Me and the Gill family!

3. Some cool Fog

4. Man, I'm too good at this. Elder McCray dosing off and I.

Weekly Email # 63 - What's my transfer doctrine?

Hey!

So let me lay it on you today. We were supposed to receive transfer calls yesterday, but the assistants sent an email out to the mission saying they will postpone it until today. And it's almost the end of P-day so it looks like we won't be able to do much P-day stuff. Haha Hopefully we can find out soon where either Elder Hatch or I will be going.

With the longer week we had last week, we were able to be more out and about. We did a lot of service and as we did so, we received some referrals which is always great to see. Whether it was putting up dry wall with the Gills or completely renovating (more like demolishing) Brother and Sister Herschbergers new home, The Ward has shown great support in this spiritual drought we have been having.

We haven't been able to see the fruits of our labors much, but I've been comforted as my studies have recently included reading the New Testament and watching the Bible videos. The Bible videos have given me new perspectives on Jesus's time and how influential his Atonement can be for all those that let it be that way.

With all the craziness of today, this'll mark the end of this weekly email. Thank you again for your birthday wishes, I'm slowly replying back to each one of you. One day I'll be able to say "The Work is Done." Haha hope you all have a great week! Talk to ya on Monday!

Update Received two hours after completing the email : Elder Hatch is leaving and I'll be staying and receiving a new companion in Zanesville! This transfer in particular will hold alot of changes. I will send new pics of the new comp and I! Toodles!

Elder Galbraith
The Great OCM
"Only those who will risk going too far can possibly find out where one can go." -T.S. Eliot

Pictures!

1. Yes. We have a hammock. Jelly?

2. I still can't get over the fact we have a hammock in our apartment.

3 and 4. The Gills got me this awesome cake! I have to admit, I didn't see it coming. At first I thought we were singing happy birthday for someone else... haha #Fail.

5. A few of the Gills and us after we had cake!

Weekly Email # 62 - "Bye Bye Bye" Teens

Hello, one and all!

You're reading this weekly email that was created from the newest 20 year old! I'm no longer a teenager. What? Like.... what? I feel like I was 19 for two days or something. Haha if there is one cliche saying that I 100% agree with, it'd be that time freaking flies. It's crazy to ponder and contemplate where I was a few years ago to the point that I am at now. I'm sure all of us have had those experiences and I know that the mission amplifies those feelings and emotions.

As I've continued this reflective process, I thought back about this past week and what we were able to do. I went on an exchange with my Zone Leader, Elder Bangerter, on Tuesday, which was one of the best exchanges EVER! The previous night, I felt inspired that the best opportunity to have success would be to park our car in our area and just walk around, going from potential to less active, and talking to as many people as we could in between these visits. As we went about our day we got to partake in marvelous blessings. At the end of the day, we had obtained 8 NEW INVESTIGATORS! EIGHT! That's the most I've ever gathered in the course of a single day. I was so elated, it was crazy!

The next day, I went to Cambridge, Ohio to go on ANOTHER exchange with Elder Anderson, my District Leader. There, we extended a baptismal date to a couple who are getting baptized in the beginning of November. It was also, another great day!

I returned back to Zanesville on Thursday and I saw that we had 8 return appointments from then until Saturday and I was really excited for all the potential that could be achieved during this weekend stretch. Would we finally be able to prepare someone to come to Church? Would one of the many of our investigators who said yes to baptism finally come worship with us on Sunday?

I want to say yes, but I know I'd be breaking a commandment. Only one of those 8 appointments ended up working out. That one lesson was with Tom and Tom is basically got him mind set on joining a Catholic Church but wanted to learn more and pray about the Book of Mormon. He also mentioned he would not be able to come to church. So yet, another week goes by that we don't have anyone come to Sacrament Meeting. I will continue to help people feel the Spirit of coming to Church. This down period of missionary work has helped me realize that God is preparing people. I believe that we STILL have quite a few people with a lot of Solid Potential if they would only act.

To help keep my mind focused on the work and not get discouraged, Elder Bangerter gave me a missionary talk from Elder Holland that I want to share for all the currently serving missionaries out there. You awesome people back at home can read it too and I know it'll resonate with those who have a missionary mindset right now.

Well, I am going to leave it at that. Thank you for all the birthday wishes! I will try to respond as quickly and as thoughtfully as I can. Know that every single one of them are appreciated and I can't thank any of you enough. You're examples are the reason why it was easy to say yes to serving a mission. It is the reason why when I struggle, I can go to your loving letters and emails, and to a caring Heavenly Father. The best birthday gift I can get right now is for someone to accept the Gospel and become drenched in the blessings of the Gospel, as I have been. That is my birthday wish and I will do everything in my power to obtain that.

Love you all so much.
Love,
Elder Galbraith
The Great OCM
Aug 2015 - Aug 2017

Pics!

1. Gotta have a Jesus pic. One of best I've seen.

2. Sister Shipley made us do cheesy faces. Elder Hatch and I preparing documents to be indexed in the coming years.

3. One of the awesome sunsets we've gotten! Ohio has the best clouds and sunsets.

4. Got em again!

5. Words of advice that I stole from Brother Stouts :)

6. Birthday Selfie!

Weekly Email # 61 - Spiritual Feast with God's Servants

Hey, Howdy, Hey!

What did you think of General Conference? I thought it to be a little different than past conferences.

I usually find that I enjoy the Sunday Sessions more than I do the Saturday Sessions. But this conference, I saw myself really enjoying and engulfing all that the Prophets and Apostles had to say to us. Of course the encouragement from Elder Andersen and Elder Oaks for members to do missionary work is awesome. I took a lot of notes from those talks.

More often than not too, I have a favorite speaker from conference, but I can't seem to grasp onto a favorite talk. I didn't jump on the Elder Holland bandwagon, I just followed quickly behind it this time. I found myself open to what every speaker had to say, which is the first time that has happened. I think I'm not the only one that listens to the ones that have given Spiritual impressions in past conferences and close their minds to anyone that doesn't have Apostle or Prophet written by their name. I was definitely called to repentance in that way and I'm grateful for the many inspired speeches and talks that were spoken this conference. (Quick Note. Only one more General Conference left as a missionary! Gasp.)

As we tried to get investigators to watch conference this weekend, we were disappointed as they all had reasons, mostly excuses, for not watching conference. One in particular didn't even give an excuse, in fact, we didn't even get to invite him! Rather, the conversation went like this :

"Hello?" - James
"Hey James! Its the missionaries how's it going?" - Elder G
"Oh hey guys! Hey, have I ever told you about my theory about Hitler being Jesus? - James
"Uhh.. no you have not." - Elder G
"Well let me tell you! (At this point, I sense a little alcohol taking over his thinking process) Well it's kinda obvious actually. Cuz Jesus was persecuted by the Jews, right?" And Hitler was trying to kill all the Jews, right?" - James
(No Response) - Elder G
"So its OBVIOUS! JESUS IS HITLER!" - James
*James hangs up* *Elder Galbraith is left speechless*

I think that means he's not watching Conference.... haha oh well.

Another interesting thing that happen this week is we had interview with President AT OUR APARTMENTS! Oh and Sister Daines is coming with him too. Talk about nerve wracking. I love President, and I've come to see him as my Ohio Pappy, but he was able to step into our personal space on Thursday. You better not doubt that we did A CLEAN SWEEP of the apartment. Cuz that's what happened. It wasn't like our apartment was filthy dirty or anything, but both Elder Hatch and I knew what we had going on wasn't going to cut it.

We went to work. Simple as that. Scrubbed down all the counters and desks, vacuumed everywhere, and made everything peachy clean! I was very proud of our efforts, actually.

So President and Sister Daines get here, greets and hugs Elder Hatch and I (Only President did the hugging. Sorry Sister Daines. Awkward handshakes have become our cup of tea.), and starts surveying the apartment. He goes upstairs to where our beds and study tables, and random piano are at. (Don't ask how that piano got there.) And guess what he says?

"Elders! You didn't make your beds!"

Ugh.

I knew we had forgotten something. I was mad, because I was actually getting good at that too! And I wanted to show it off to them! Sorry mom, I've brought shame to the family. Hahaha

Interviews were great though! It's always awesome to have a one on one conversation with President, because you definitely don't get too many of those opportunities.

That's it for me this week! After this Wednesday, I will have single digit months left! That is Cra Crazy! Love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Galbraith
The Great OCM
Aug 2015 - Aug 2017

Pics!

1. And 2. In the Great OCM, we use Alligators and Twinkies to track key indicators.

3. And 4. The Sisters crashed and totaled their car this past week. They recovered fairly quickly and are riding bikes for the rest of the transfer. The day after the crash, we went to go claim all valuables. The Sisters also told us to take "LOTS OF PICTURES! WE NEED PICTURES!"

5. Elder Hatch and Brother Blodgett enjoying conference.