Weekly Email # 78 - The Winds of Change Have Passed. For Now.

Hey Everyone!

The changes have been made. To update all, there was the Annual Missionary Broadcast this past Wednesday. We received multiple training's from the Missionary Committee that consists of Elder Oaks, Elder Bednar, and others. They spoke a lot about the Doctrine of Christ and were very bold with all 75,000 missionaries attending over a broadcast. Elder Oaks and Elder Bednar especially, were very bold and straight up told us what we do and what we don't do, it was awesome! There was so much of a powerful spirit felt as they did so. 

After training us, the last forty five minutes of the broadcast was dedicated of them updated us on the new changes to the missionary schedule and the updated key indicators we will be using from now on. Since every mission is different with contrasting backgrounds, cultures and people, the changes in the Great OCM are for the most part consistent with most of the world except for a few things. I'll just make a bullet point list of a few of the things because #Lazy. Haha so what's going on in Columbus, Ohio?

- Planning is done in the morning, instead of at night.

- P-Day is now 10 hours long instead of 8 hours! (That deserves a spam of emojis) 🤙🤙

- We still wake up at 6:30, but that changes across different missions. Also, we can choose when to go to bed between 9:30 pm to 10:30 pm.

-  Lunches have been reduced to 30 minutes, instead of a full hour.

So those, again, are just a few. I am excited for these new changes! Change is always difficult (especially for stubborn Filipinos like me), but obedience to Christ brings blessings so yeah. Haha it should be a good time!

Our week consisted of other things, including struggling to get new investigators, working with our current ones who we are excited about, and finding success through working with members. Members are awesome! Yes, that means you! You help us missionaries by reaching out to your friends, family, and neighbors! Its been freaking awesome to see how influential a member can be in an investigators lives.

Well now we have to go get our normal P-Day stuff done, so I hope you all have a great week!! Thank you for your love and prayers! Have a super studly week! 

Elder Galbraith
The Great OCM
"There is three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone of our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of our testimony." -Ezra Taft Benson

Pics!

1. Elder Reynolds, Me, Elder Brown and Elder Faerber at January 2017 Zone Conference!

2. It gets dark in Ohio. Haha

3. While stuck in traffic, I rolled down the window and took a pic of Downtown! The car to our right was looking at me as if I had committed a crime. Haha

4. Me, Elder Bagley, Elder Brown, Elder Reynolds at the World-Wide Missionary Training!

5. District! Sister McClellan, Sister Steinegal, Elder Forster, Elder Miller, Elder Clement, Elder Dover, Me, Elder Parkinson, Elder Jeppson, Elder Reynolds

Weekly Email # 77 - It's The Winds of Change.....(Name It!)

Hey Everyone!

Crazy good week! My best week in New Albany by far! Lets go through the days!

Monday - We had a VERY chill P-Day. Since we don't live by any particular places that we can hang out, so we took care of all our shopping and laundry first. Afterwards, we worked around our apartment, trying to contact people but didn't bring any immediate success.

Tuesday - Fun day! While we were waiting for the other Elders to give us a ride to My Very Own Blanket to do service, we talked to Teresa, our downstairs neighbor. She is wheelchair bound, but is really cool and immediately accepted a Book of Mormon! We think she's the one that smokes too, because we can smell it inside our apartment... unless Elder Reynolds has been smoking behind my back, I'm pretty sure its her. Haha! but we're excited to work with her! Afterwards we worked in our area and had Ward Coordination with the awesome Peterson's and the other missionaries!

Wednesday - Zone Conference Day! We talked quite a bit about faith and the Book of Mormon. President has given this training before, but he included a lot of great things that I didn't catch over a year ago. Believe me, I took crazy amounts of notes. Did some role plays and refined our missionary skills. We went home, got a ride to our dinner appointment and worked around that area for the rest of the night.

Thursday - We worked around the area around our apartment, had lunch, then went to My Very Own Blanket again. Had dinner with the Howson's and they saw a few less actives with us. The first door didn't answer and there was another less active in that same neighborhood.  Her name is Jo Ann who told us we could come in and she told us a crazy story of why she is less active! Basically, the member that brought her into the church asked her non member husband to give money to that person. And stole it and ripped them off. This happened like 20 years ago and he doesn't like the church and she cant come to church. Crazy!!! We are going to do our best to help the husband soften his heart. Jo Ann wants to come back so bad, she was relief society president when she was active! Its nuts!

Friday - We weekly planned, and did a bunch of contacting. After all that contacting we saw Jonathan our super sweet investigator! He read the Book of Mormon and committed to coming to Elders Quorum basketball the next day.

Saturday - Jonathan came to basketball and it was a blast! He loved it and said, "Man, I'm gonna need some aspirin after all of this." Ha ha he got to meet several members and committed to coming to church the next day as well! Super sad he's moving in mid February but when he gets baptized, I hope to be there to celebrate with him! Had a less active lesson later in the day and taught a couple of other lessons to new people.

Sunday - Jonathan didn't come to church :( He must have slept in. Church was awesome, but it would've been so much better if he came. We are going to work harder to get him there. After church, we had studies and worked around the apartment, until we had a sweet lesson with a members cousin named Susan at the members home. She is VERY involved in family history and it was great to be able to share insights about the temple and relate all of that to the Book of Mormon. She said yes to reading both the temples Pamphlet and the Book of Mormon without us even asking! Great time!

Now today! We had a fun day, we went to a Japanese Steakhouse with the other Elders (Yum Yum sauce is AMAZING!) and went bowling with them afterwards!

Love you all! Here's some pics and I look forward to talking with some of you next week! Keep being awesome!

Elder Galbraith
The Great OCM
"There is three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone of our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of our testimony." -Ezra Taft Benson

Vid and Pics!

1. Still got it!

2. Elder Reynolds and I helping set up a young men's activity while waiting for Ward Coordination to start!

3. Elder Reynolds, Me, Elder Miller, and Elder Jeppson

4. Elder Reynolds, me and Jonathan! With members mixed in.

Weekly Email # 76 - Being God's Emissaries

Hello, hello!

Well I know I left you all hanging not knowing whether or not I got transferred. Transfer calls came towards the end of P-day and we found out that Elder Reynolds and I would be together for another transfer in the great New Albany Ward! We are excited to continue to build up this area and #baptizenations!

I look back to the recent Skype call that we had with our families. I remember telling my parents that I love rejection, because it makes me feel like we are doing something that is so true that others try to make it not. It helps me realize the importance of bearing a true message. We have to be ready to proclaim the gospel to anyone and defend its leaders and doctrines. Well I guess I must've called on increased opposition by talking about that with me mama and papa. Haha

Man! People can be very straightforward! And mean! And just plain rude! Don't worry, no wavering in the faith, but there is some of God's children that can REALLY make you mad. For example, we tried contacting a potential in an apartment complex and as we knock, their neighbors opened the door, heading out to go do their thing. We greeted them and asked if they had seen missionaries like us before. They immediately concluded that we were Satan worshippers and that they were going to curse us with a spell of the great almighty. Now frankly I was more weirded out than being ticked, but that wouldn't have bothered me that much if our potential investigator had opened the door and heard them say those very choice words. He basically believed what they said, and as we insisted that they were preaching false garbage, he disappointingly walked back into his apartment.

Fetch, right? I know this individual will continue to receive opportunities to learn and grow in the Gospel, but experiencing road blocks like that are always frustrating. It seems like every investigator we run into have gone through the ringer when it comes to finding out more about our church. The Internet and the media can't say one nice thing about Christ's restored church, but I can't be ignorant and say that this is not expected. If we are to expect miracles in our investigators and even in our own individual lives, there is a necessity of opposition. There's my soap box :)

Man, Church has become such a staple in my own Spirituality. Especially being in multiple Wards with amazing different teachers that really care for the people in their classrooms. It inspires me to be a better missionary/teacher as I continue on my own personal journey of becoming like the Master Teacher. I look back at the different parables that Jesus taught and I literally sit in amazement and say to myself, "Holy crap! How does Jesus teach the principles so simply??" I hope to one day be a fraction of a teacher that our Savior is.

I hope you all have a fantastic week! If you haven't yet, watch President Nelson's recent devotional to the young adults of the church! That was such a great talk and it was so great to see him literally pound the pulpit, because he was so passionate about the topic! Love you all!

Elder Galbraith

The Great OCM
"There is three ways in which the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion. It is the keystone of our witness of Christ. It is the keystone of our doctrine. It is the keystone of our testimony." -Ezra Taft Benson

Pics
1. Making Buckeyes at the Davis' home!

2. Us returning back to the apartment after an awesome day at church! People just keep giving us gifts, its crazy!

3. Our New OSU hoodies! See mom? I do wear my glasses every now and then :)

4. Time Lapse of us making the buckeyes!

Weekly Email # 75 - A Bounteous Harvest of Blessings

Hi!

Lets start off with a scripture, shall we?

23 Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to
act for yourselves--to choose the way of everlasting death or the way
of eternal life.

Kudos to you if you know where in the Book of Mormon that is! There
are many ways to interpret that scripture. For me, I see it as, each
path has different consequences and its key to remember the beginning
part of that verse. We should be happy, regardless of the things that
"shall come to pass" in our time, and I found it resembled several
situations that I was in this week.

I confess, I wasn't at my best this week. Life seemed to throw quite a
few curve balls and fastballs and I felt like I was always a step
behind. I believe that's what happens whenever someone feels
uncomfortable, so I deem that as an appropriate word for this tangent.
Doing two unplanned exchanges, dropping a lot of people, teaching
crazy amounts of lessons and switching up our finding tactics are what
combined together into this insane week.

These circumstances create times when you lean on Heavenly Father more
and more as you slowly learn that you aren't capable of handling all
these insane things by yourself. I'm very grateful for a loving
Heavenly Father and how we get to tell that to people all day every
day!

Church was awesome this past Sunday! The first 3/4 church blocks were
some of the best hours of worship ever! Ward Council and Fast and
Testimony Meeting were especially great! Bishop conducted a fantastic
Ward Council and bore a powerful testimony for the opening meeting.

Oh and transfer news!
I am staying in New Albany for the next 6 weeks with Elder Reynolds! I'm so excited!!!
I'm really happy right now :)

Thank you and love you all! Keep on keeping on!

Elder Galbraith
The Great OCM
"God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does
about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go."
- Elder Holland

1. Zone Pic!

2. Funny Zone Pic!

3. Another Funny Zone Pic!

4. Funny Meme

5. Exchanges with Elder Dover

6.  Ohio

7. Exchanges w/ Elder Parkinson

8. Out in the dark night! Hand-warmers are a must!

9. Me trying to dance to a song..... Key word, trying..

10. Okay. You should know. I've been wanting to do this for a VERY long
time... Hopefully you think it's cool. Hahaha it's okay to laugh at
our mistakes! We'll probably make another one soon. The picture
explains what we are rapping from.

Look at the picture before watching the video, that way it actually makes sense.

Weekly Email # 74 - The Blackout Year Is Over!

Happy New Year! Crazy week!

The Blackout Year is over! (A Blackout Year is when you serve as a
missionary every single day for that entire year, just an FYI. More
missionary lingo I know.)

Its been a very fast week. Especially New Year's Eve. With the
excitement of all the crazy football games going on that day, no one
seemed to like to answer their door. I guess that's what happens when
the OSU game is on... when we found out later they got creamed and
absolutely annihilated, (31-0 for you foreign missionaries.... breaks
my heart to say that.) we knew that people weren't going to be happy
the following days. Except for Brother Spooner! He cheers for that
land up north :)

So we go to church yesterday, and are able to enjoy all of the
services. Occasionally, someone would make a snide remark about the
football game, but it was a very peaceful three hours that were
definitely needed! Haha later that day, we had a lesson with Jonathan!
Like, an actual set up appointment that lasted longer than 15 minutes!
It was awesome! For those who don't remember, Jonathan is the DJ guy
we've been working with since mid November and amidst his crazy
schedule, we finally got in and taught not only him but his wife too!

On this occasion, he was hungover LIKE CRAZY! Haha his wife had been
taking care of him all day, because he was making really good DJ money
all of New Years and was absolutely dead by the end of it. We were
hesitant to teach but carried on by reading the Book of Mormon with
him. And even though he was still completely out of it, he was able to
share some key insights that helped us follow the promptings of the
Spirit better. And Brother Calloway did a great job being relatable
and bearing testimony.

This was one of those things that you die to have when your a
missionary. A solid lesson with a member that was able to help the
investigator progress towards the blessings of the Gospel. Elder
Reynolds and I have been in a rut these past few weeks and it's so
great to be able to find that groove again of teaching by the Spirit.
We are excited for the rest of this new year!

Love you all! Thank you for all you do for me.

Elder Galbraith
The Great OCM
"God doesn’t care nearly as much about where you have been as He does
about where you are and, with His help, where you are willing to go."
- Elder Holland

Pics!
1. Ward Coordination!

2. Us freezing our butts off a few days Christmas!

3. Elder Reynolds - "Can we wear these while talking with people?"
Me - "..... (sigh)"

4. Us eating at Hot Heads, a spoof of Chipotle...it wasn't that good,
hence the facial expression.