WEEK 48

Hello, everyone!

 

Because my e-mails have not been as consistent I don't know if I let you all know how Dixon is, aside from the fact that there are 40+ places to eat out at within 1-1/2 miles. We did not have many people to teach when I first got here but with working hard and working smart comes results. We will be planning a baptism for Carol this week and the best part of it all is being able to attend it. That has been the high point of the last three weeks and it might also give me reason to e-mail you all some pictures next week.

 

I also spent 24 hours in Davis, the bicycle city of the world, with Elder Jenkins (from Cardiff, Whales). There were some good experiences there and from the past couple weeks that I hope to share with you all soon. My e-mailing time is pretty much up. I'm sorry if this e-mail is more of a teaser than anything, but know that I am well, in good health, and my thoughts are with you all constantly. I wish you all a great week! :)

 

With love,

Elder Gallegos

ZONE CONFERENCE

WEEK 47:

As the middle of September approaches, not only do I get a smile on my face thinking of how soon it will be before the weather cools down in Dixon but I also think about a lot of family and friends who have or will be celebrating a birthday in September, October, November, or December. Something that our Mission President talked about last week was to love our mission. But what about the hard days where your back aches and you don't want to wake up at 6:30 AM or when it's 98 degrees outside and there's no body home or when times get difficult in general?

 

Some simple wise words I once read continue to pop into my head and they are, "Come what may and love it." I hope that the last year has been great for a lot of you and I would wish nothing but better things to come in the coming year 'til the time of your next birthday, but I am certain somewhere along the road we hit hard times. It's not natural for one to love times of heartache, sorrow, pain, or trials. As I come close to the midpoint of my mission I have yet to ever hear someone pray that they might lose their job, that their family may get sick, or that they can be lonely and sad in life. However, it is a natural part of life that challenges do come and they will.

 

To those of you celebrating a birthday in the coming weeks, months, or even if it's almost a year from now, be grateful for the good things that have happened in the last year and when hard times do come or if you're currently going through them then I would suggest that you approach them wisely. When we overcome our challenges they can become a time of great growth and happiness. Also, be sure to eat a small piece of whatever you may celebrate with on my behalf. :) I look forward to joining you all towards the end of the coming year.

 

Well my e-mail time is up. My time in Dixon is going well. About 14 missionaries got together this week and went out to visit a lot of people in Dixon hoping to find some more people to teach. Good results came from the time spent and I am looking forward to my time here (whether it be another 4 weeks or another 4 months). I wish you all a great week! Take care. ^_^

WEEK 46

Hello everyone!

 

Good morning or good evening, wherever you may be. This is a short and quick e-mail to get you all up to date. Yes, I am in Dixon now. It's a small town--if we travel 2.5 miles in any direction we're pretty much out of our area. The town has a lot of good people in it. The members of the church here are great people (not to say they're not in all parts of the world) but they seem to go the extra mile to help the missionaries out. What is extra sweet is that everyone around the town is extra nice to us. Even when they choose not to listen to what we have to share they'll acknowledge we're doing a good thing or we'll get thumbs ups and hollers of cheers and encouragement by passerby. There's even a guy who invited us to stop by at any time if we ever want a free coke.

 

The work is going slow but at a moderate pace. We have a few people we are working with that are looking very promising and we're excited for what is to come in the next couple of weeks. How I wish there was more time to share all of my experiences and the experiences of those I meet with you all. My time is just about done and again, I hope to share more with you all next week. One thing I have been doing better is writing in my journal so that everything I don't get to share I will be able to do so with you all soon enough. :)

 

I leave you all with this until next week. Take good care of yourselves and each other!