Sunday, March 20, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
week 21
Hello, everyone.
So it's been a fun 18 weeks since I have arrived in California and on Sunday I had to say goodbye to those who greeted me nicely and invited me into their homes. I have left the small town of Kelseyville and have been moved to Petaluma. Elder Burns, Elder Vasconcelos, Elder Knowles, and myself spoke in church this past Sunday. The bishop had a feeling one or two of us would get moved around and he asked us to speak.
I had spoken a little about something that I have pondered about since our last mission conference. I love advertising/design because everything in the world around us has a story to tell. Whether it's an insurance agency, your favorite ice cream, or a comfortable bed. In the same respect, each and every person has a story to tell; most have no interest in sharing theirs, but it is enjoyable when you do get invited to come into peoples lives and make a difference. As an advertising agency would bring out the best of a product with either a commercial, new packaging, or excellent campaign, we as missionaries try to see where these people we meet are at in their lives and how we can help bring out the best in them whether it's helping them with service or overcoming a vice.
It was fun to work in Kelseyville and I will definitely miss those I left. Kelseyville now has Elder Ricks and Elder Burns. Both of them began their mission at the same time so I am sure that they will get along well and that the people of Kelseyville are in good hands. Being in Petaluma though is a great opportunity to continue to see new places and meet new people. I was in awe to see buildings, grocery stores, fast food shops, and people walking around the street. I left my camera at home, but look forward to sharing some of the photos I have with next week's letter.
My new companion is Elder Weiland. I've only spent a few hours with him so I can't say much more than he's a bright 23-year-old with a good sense of humor from the state of Texas. He's been in the Petaluma area for 4-1/2 months and the church has really helped him change his life for the better. He was in Kelseyville before he got transferred so we were able to talk about a few families and how they are progressing. Elder Weiland and I were also able to go visit and teach a few people on my first night here so that was pretty exciting.
My time is just about up. I was going to share an experience in Kelseyville where we were without hot water for about four days, but I may save that for another time. Then again, there's not much more to say other than bathing by boiling water in pots on the stove was an interesting experience, but not one I hope to relive any time soon. I hope that all is well with each and every one of you. I wish you all well and hope to continue to hear good things from you. Take care of yourselves and each other.
Love,
Elder Anthony Gallegos
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
WEEK 20
Hello everyone.
I apologize for this rather short note. I was having some issues with my e-mail where I couldn't read anyones letters and I got caught up with a few other things. It's now four minutes from our preparation day ending. I do have some bits of things I'd wish to share with you all but it will have to wait 'til next week. I'll also let you all know whether I will remain in Kelseyville or be transfered next Monday.
My thoughts are with you all! I wish you the very best. Take good care of yourselves and one another.
Love,
Elder Anthony Gallegos
Monday, March 7, 2011
02-28-2011
Hello everyone!
Not only has another week came and went but so has the month of February. Two weeks from today I'll know whether I'll be relocated or will end up spending six months in Kelseyville. It's crazy to think of spending six months in one area especially when there are so many cities in the mission, but the people here are great and the work has slowly been picking up.
A lot of the people we regularly teach have still been on hold because they have been occupied with many things, but we're beginning to find new people to teach. The kid, Tim, who I've written about an e-mail or two ago actually got a taste of missionary work with us yesterday. The most interesting thing is that he ended up knowing two people on the street we had planned to go visit. His friend's dad was outside splitting wood and he admitted that when he seen the three of us coming up to him dressed in suites he put his head down and his hand out saying "No thank you" but he realized it was Tim and he ended up opening up.
I feel that he got a feel for the work since we invited someone to read the Book of Mormon, we got yelled at, we taught a lesson, we got fed by a family, and we also had an appointment cancel at the last minute. Tim told us that he would want to serve in Russia, but he'll be a great Elder wherever he is called to and it will be unfortunate to have him gone from Kelseyville for two years since he's a pretty cool guy (and a great cook) and knows many people.
Our trip to Oakland got canceled because everyone was predicting some massive snow storm to sweep from northern California to San Francisco. The caution is definitely smart, but we at the apartment were bummed to see the snow end by 8 AM and melt away by noon. We are definitely going to reschedule though for sometime in the coming weeks and we're also having a conference this Wednesday. There should be some experiences and bits of enlightenment to share from that experience.
I'm short on time so this will have to suffice for now. I hope that this week brings great things to each and every one of you. Take good care of yourselves. Til next time!
Love,
Elder Anthony Gallegos
P.S. Mike, thanks for the books. :)
Not only has another week came and went but so has the month of February. Two weeks from today I'll know whether I'll be relocated or will end up spending six months in Kelseyville. It's crazy to think of spending six months in one area especially when there are so many cities in the mission, but the people here are great and the work has slowly been picking up.
A lot of the people we regularly teach have still been on hold because they have been occupied with many things, but we're beginning to find new people to teach. The kid, Tim, who I've written about an e-mail or two ago actually got a taste of missionary work with us yesterday. The most interesting thing is that he ended up knowing two people on the street we had planned to go visit. His friend's dad was outside splitting wood and he admitted that when he seen the three of us coming up to him dressed in suites he put his head down and his hand out saying "No thank you" but he realized it was Tim and he ended up opening up.
I feel that he got a feel for the work since we invited someone to read the Book of Mormon, we got yelled at, we taught a lesson, we got fed by a family, and we also had an appointment cancel at the last minute. Tim told us that he would want to serve in Russia, but he'll be a great Elder wherever he is called to and it will be unfortunate to have him gone from Kelseyville for two years since he's a pretty cool guy (and a great cook) and knows many people.
Our trip to Oakland got canceled because everyone was predicting some massive snow storm to sweep from northern California to San Francisco. The caution is definitely smart, but we at the apartment were bummed to see the snow end by 8 AM and melt away by noon. We are definitely going to reschedule though for sometime in the coming weeks and we're also having a conference this Wednesday. There should be some experiences and bits of enlightenment to share from that experience.
I'm short on time so this will have to suffice for now. I hope that this week brings great things to each and every one of you. Take good care of yourselves. Til next time!
Love,
Elder Anthony Gallegos
P.S. Mike, thanks for the books. :)
02-21-2011
Hello, everyone!
Sorry that you didn't hear from me last week. It seems as though e-mail time comes and goes as was the case last week. Along with that, there was quiet a bit to be done. We are heading into week four of this transfer. This is usually a good time--being the midway point--to look at what my companion and I have done and what could be done in Kelseyville, because before we know it another three weeks will pass by and we will receive information on whether we will be transfered or if we're staying. There are no baptisms on the horizon but a few things have happened in the last two weeks.
We now have Spanish speaking missionaries that cover Lake County. We do have quiet a bit of Spanish people in the area which is good and our Bishop is hoping that they could find enough work to keep them here since it has been about two years since Spanish missionaries have last worked in Lake County. They live with Elder Burns and I and they're great Elders. The two Elders are Elder Knowles from Utah and Elder Vasconcelos from Brazil. Elder Vasconcelos was an exchange student and not only had to learn English for the year that he's been in America but is also learning Spanish since his native tongue is Portugese. While it's great that people now have the privledge to hear the gospel in their own language, which will make my companion happy as he no longer has to knock a door and not know what to say, but they also lend a helping hand to clean up the house which is never a bad thing.
We got snow again during last week. It was fun but also a burden. We were hoping to go see an older lady named Dotty, but our car couldn't go up the hill. My companion ended up getting the car stuck and as we went to the store to see if they had chains, we realized that they were closed because of a power outage and they had no generator. The road was eventually plowed and we were able to get back to work at around 2. Some other missionaries organized a snowball fight up on a mountain today, but we couldn't make it since today is a 1/4 day off for us since we are going to drive up to the Oakland Temple this Friday. We also found out that a young man in our ward, Tim, had put in his papers to serve a mission. We're pretty excited for him. His family are great members, always supportive of missionaries, and Tim himself has been an example to many of his friends in the neighborhood that are not of our faith.
Other than that, Elder Burns and I are just continuing to find. A lot of the people we regularly teach have not been returning calls or at home when we stop by. We're praying for them that they may soon continue to progress. We are also continuing our efforts in finding. We've actually handed out our first Book of Mormon in many weeks. Ashley, whom we talked to, is more 'spiritual' than 'religious' but her mom was baptized into the church and she was willing to read and happy to have us again over this week. We also had some members bring a friend to our service yesterday. Her name is Marietta and she is from Cebu, Philippines although she has lived in California for around 19 years. She did enjoy the service and the warm welcoming and friendliness from everyone. We also had a man we've been trying to teach, John Thorn, come to church with a friend and they both enjoyed the service as well so that was exciting. :)
I hope that all is well with each and every one of you. Yesterday was the four month mark since I started the journey from Florida. Time goes by fast, a lot has seemed to happen in that time. My thoughts are with each and every one of you on a daily basis. May you all strive to continue to do well. You are all welcome to write me by handmail or e-mail at any given time. I hope to hear of many great things for all of you and hope to continue to share many great experiences with you as with four months down there are many more ahead. Take good care of yourselves and each other.
Love,
Elder Anthony Gallegos
02-09-2011
Hello everybody!
Since I am short on time today and batter power for the laptop I thought that I would share a brief message. It is one that was mentioned at an All Mission Conference last week and that is to "be of good cheer." This was first mentioned by Sister Bunker who mentioned that she was done with her chemotherapy. We were then asked to read out of Acts 27 in the New Testament. The story is of Paul who travels to Rome. The commanding officer of the ship ends up having the ship navigated into a violent storm. Once the storm had let down, Paul continued to advise the men and counseled them to be of good cheer not once but twice (see verses 22 & 25). Because of Paul's comfort and encouragement, it is written that Paul's "good cheer" spread to two hundred threescore and sixteen souls in which they were all able to receive his promise of them making it to land safely without one of them perishing.
This past week has definitely been a challenge. First and foremost, I was saddened to hear the news regarding Nan. I could take days to write about her, but I will say that I am glad for all the time spent with her (I only wish there was more of it) and I am comforted at the least to know that the pains and all else she bore are no more. My thoughts and prayers are with the Mayberry family during this difficult time. Secondly, my companion and I had a rough time teaching people this week. So rough in fact that we got a couple phone calls with people wondering how we've spent our time. Indeed many people have been helpful to us the last few weeks, but we're just striving to continue to be of good cheer in hopes to see the good outcome sooner than later.
We were happy to be part of the Katie & Nikki's baptism though. I did not bring my camera today but do hope to include pictures next week. I do hope that all is well with each and every one of you. If you're facing a challenge, may you be able to be of good spirits and know that good things are to come. If you're burden free at the moment, I encourage you to seek those out who can use your comfort and encouragement. May you all have a great week! I look forward to writing you all again then. Take great care!
Love,
Elder Anthony Gallegos
Since I am short on time today and batter power for the laptop I thought that I would share a brief message. It is one that was mentioned at an All Mission Conference last week and that is to "be of good cheer." This was first mentioned by Sister Bunker who mentioned that she was done with her chemotherapy. We were then asked to read out of Acts 27 in the New Testament. The story is of Paul who travels to Rome. The commanding officer of the ship ends up having the ship navigated into a violent storm. Once the storm had let down, Paul continued to advise the men and counseled them to be of good cheer not once but twice (see verses 22 & 25). Because of Paul's comfort and encouragement, it is written that Paul's "good cheer" spread to two hundred threescore and sixteen souls in which they were all able to receive his promise of them making it to land safely without one of them perishing.
This past week has definitely been a challenge. First and foremost, I was saddened to hear the news regarding Nan. I could take days to write about her, but I will say that I am glad for all the time spent with her (I only wish there was more of it) and I am comforted at the least to know that the pains and all else she bore are no more. My thoughts and prayers are with the Mayberry family during this difficult time. Secondly, my companion and I had a rough time teaching people this week. So rough in fact that we got a couple phone calls with people wondering how we've spent our time. Indeed many people have been helpful to us the last few weeks, but we're just striving to continue to be of good cheer in hopes to see the good outcome sooner than later.
We were happy to be part of the Katie & Nikki's baptism though. I did not bring my camera today but do hope to include pictures next week. I do hope that all is well with each and every one of you. If you're facing a challenge, may you be able to be of good spirits and know that good things are to come. If you're burden free at the moment, I encourage you to seek those out who can use your comfort and encouragement. May you all have a great week! I look forward to writing you all again then. Take great care!
Love,
Elder Anthony Gallegos
02-01-2011
Hello, everyone:
So this e-mail is a day behind. We got a call in the middle of last week that we were going to have a visit from an Elder who is part of the Quorum of the Seventy, his name is Elder Patrick Kearon. So we made a trip down to San Rafael and had an All Mission Conference. It was definitely uplifting and time well spent. I also got news that I would be staying in Kelseyville another six weeks at the very least. That is good news since we have a baptism for this coming Saturday for Katie and Nikki Hall.
Regardless of how the next six weeks goes these two things have definitely allowed it to start off great. Our teaching has still been a big slow since we haven't been able to find many people interested in our message. A lot of the people we regularly teach are still occupied with various things, but we're definitely staying patient.
To sort of keep us in that positive mood we've been having support from various people we come across. While we were knocking doors on one street, a lady was walking by heading towards her home. I briefly talked to her, she knew who we were and wasn't quiet interested but as we made our way down the street she invited us in quickly to help her stack some wood. We decided to help her and she told us how she had met missionaries in Lakeport (another city) and she was familiar with how they don't accept pay. As we finished stacking the wood she was kind enough to serve us chili and she also gave us quiet a few groceries to take home.
Another incident happened as we were walking to a man named John who we have been teaching. He recently came back from a vacation in PA and he's been busy working so we haven't really been able to meet with him. We were able to catch him home and talk with him briefly and as we were walking back we talked briefly with a man named Vincent. He was very familiar with the missionaries, but really not interested either in us speaking to him about the church. He did honor the work we do though and said that we could get in touch with him if we ever needed a ride anywhere around the area we live in.
It is the start of a new week though and we look forward of many great things to come. My e-mails as of late have been shorter than normal, but we have been having difficulties finding a computer to use since there are no libraries in the area. I do hope that next week I can share many more things that have been happing to the Kelseyville area and to us as each day goes by as well as a bit of what was shared in the talk by Elder Kearon. I hope that all is going well in each of your lives. Take great care of yourselves and each other.
Love,
Elder Gallegos
1-24-2011
Hello everyone!
This e-mail may be rather quick since our time for Preparation Day is just about up. I didn't send an e-mail last week, because we went to a city called Clearlake (Highlands) and we spent the day in a park playing Ultimate Frisbee and Kickball. The earlier part of our day was spent cleaning the house since we had apartment inspections last week which went rather well.
This week we went back to Clearlake. The missionaries wanted to gather for lunch and we did. We decided to try out a local place, which served good food but almost an hour and a half was spent there.We then played a bit of basketball which helped me burn off some calories. Since I've been sick off and on the last couple of weeks I haven't really been doing my daily exercise.
On the other hand, we have been walking quiet a bit trying to find new people to teach. It's funny how things work because we have had little success with knocking doors. When people are ready though you happen to find them. One lady who was working in a grocery store we were in walked up to us and asked if we were "Mormon." She then told us of what she's been going through and how the missionaries stopped visiting her -- possibly since they got moved to a new area -- and she hasn't seen them since.
I also told you about the mother and daughter that just came to our church service and enjoyed it very much. We've been able to teach them this week. They have been very receptive and we feel that they will greatly benefit from the gospel and from the fellowship of the church here. We have two baptisms scheduled for February 5th. I'm just not certain if I'll still be in Kelseyville since transfers will occur next Tuesday. I'll know by next week if I will be staying or going to a new area. There are defenitely a lot of people here I've enjoyed teaching, but a change may be nice. We'll see what the future holds.
I'm looking forward to writing you all next week with the details on where I'm going, who we've been teaching, and a few other experiences. I hope that all is well with each and every one of you. Thank you all for the e-mails, letters, and cards you have sent thus far. Take good care. 'Til next week!
Love,
Elder Anthony Gallegos
This e-mail may be rather quick since our time for Preparation Day is just about up. I didn't send an e-mail last week, because we went to a city called Clearlake (Highlands) and we spent the day in a park playing Ultimate Frisbee and Kickball. The earlier part of our day was spent cleaning the house since we had apartment inspections last week which went rather well.
This week we went back to Clearlake. The missionaries wanted to gather for lunch and we did. We decided to try out a local place, which served good food but almost an hour and a half was spent there.We then played a bit of basketball which helped me burn off some calories. Since I've been sick off and on the last couple of weeks I haven't really been doing my daily exercise.
On the other hand, we have been walking quiet a bit trying to find new people to teach. It's funny how things work because we have had little success with knocking doors. When people are ready though you happen to find them. One lady who was working in a grocery store we were in walked up to us and asked if we were "Mormon." She then told us of what she's been going through and how the missionaries stopped visiting her -- possibly since they got moved to a new area -- and she hasn't seen them since.
I also told you about the mother and daughter that just came to our church service and enjoyed it very much. We've been able to teach them this week. They have been very receptive and we feel that they will greatly benefit from the gospel and from the fellowship of the church here. We have two baptisms scheduled for February 5th. I'm just not certain if I'll still be in Kelseyville since transfers will occur next Tuesday. I'll know by next week if I will be staying or going to a new area. There are defenitely a lot of people here I've enjoyed teaching, but a change may be nice. We'll see what the future holds.
I'm looking forward to writing you all next week with the details on where I'm going, who we've been teaching, and a few other experiences. I hope that all is well with each and every one of you. Thank you all for the e-mails, letters, and cards you have sent thus far. Take good care. 'Til next week!
Love,
Elder Anthony Gallegos
01-2011
Hello everyone!
Unfortunately, there was no opportunity last week to e-mail. A lot of the day was spent cleaning the house and car. Afterwards, we drove down to Clearlake. I had but a few minutes to use a computer since my companion scheduled a teaching appointment at 2 PM. The worst part was that our appointment stood us up. We then just sat around the home doing a few other things before dinner.
We haven't visited many people since people are just beginning to come back from being out of town while other families are taking breathers as they just sent the kids back to school this past week after the winter break. We did not stay up until 12 AM on New Year's Eve, but we did wake up to about four inches of snow and more falling at the start of the new year. My companion, being from Utah, didn't really want to make a snowman or have a snowball fight. :( However, I am glad that it's now about 65 degrees since I've been battling a sore throat for almost five days now.
The last couple weeks have been a bit slow still, but I am staying positive. There is an investigator named Rex who battles with psoriasis and takes quiet a few medications, which has been keeping him from attending church. Whenever we visit him though, he always welcomes us in warmly and tells us of some experience he's had in the last days or weeks where he's living a quality life. There were also two ladies who attended Lakeport church services (in the same building as ours). They told the missionaries of that church that they enjoyed the service much and wanted to know more. Fortunately enough, they live in our area. We look forward to following up with them, visiting them, and helping the learn and grow.
I am also happy to say that Tammy, who I've written about in past e-mails, was baptized on January 8th. She is indeed happy for the change in her life. She has went through a lot and even faced a few trials right before her baptism, but she said that in her heart she knew this was the thing she needed to do. Her husband, Pete; and son, Anthony were also able to attend. They are not really interested in the lessons at this time but they were very supportive of the decision which she made. We know that she will be key to keeping her family strong and helping get through the things which they are facing at this time.
This e-mail may be a tad shorter than most but my time is almost up. I look forward to having many more things to write about next week. I hope all is well with each and every one of you. Take good care of yourselves and each other.
Love,
Elder Gallegos
Unfortunately, there was no opportunity last week to e-mail. A lot of the day was spent cleaning the house and car. Afterwards, we drove down to Clearlake. I had but a few minutes to use a computer since my companion scheduled a teaching appointment at 2 PM. The worst part was that our appointment stood us up. We then just sat around the home doing a few other things before dinner.
We haven't visited many people since people are just beginning to come back from being out of town while other families are taking breathers as they just sent the kids back to school this past week after the winter break. We did not stay up until 12 AM on New Year's Eve, but we did wake up to about four inches of snow and more falling at the start of the new year. My companion, being from Utah, didn't really want to make a snowman or have a snowball fight. :( However, I am glad that it's now about 65 degrees since I've been battling a sore throat for almost five days now.
The last couple weeks have been a bit slow still, but I am staying positive. There is an investigator named Rex who battles with psoriasis and takes quiet a few medications, which has been keeping him from attending church. Whenever we visit him though, he always welcomes us in warmly and tells us of some experience he's had in the last days or weeks where he's living a quality life. There were also two ladies who attended Lakeport church services (in the same building as ours). They told the missionaries of that church that they enjoyed the service much and wanted to know more. Fortunately enough, they live in our area. We look forward to following up with them, visiting them, and helping the learn and grow.
I am also happy to say that Tammy, who I've written about in past e-mails, was baptized on January 8th. She is indeed happy for the change in her life. She has went through a lot and even faced a few trials right before her baptism, but she said that in her heart she knew this was the thing she needed to do. Her husband, Pete; and son, Anthony were also able to attend. They are not really interested in the lessons at this time but they were very supportive of the decision which she made. We know that she will be key to keeping her family strong and helping get through the things which they are facing at this time.
This e-mail may be a tad shorter than most but my time is almost up. I look forward to having many more things to write about next week. I hope all is well with each and every one of you. Take good care of yourselves and each other.
Love,
Elder Gallegos
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