You're A Missionary (12/19/2018)

Hello everyone,

Transfers are here. I am staying in Ashland with Elder Lewis. Which means I will have been in Ashland for at least six months (or a quarter of my mission) by the time I leave. This past January I never would have thought that one year from then I'd be in this place!

But I do enjoy this area despite its challenges (which are numerous); the weather has actually been really decent, with some shockingly warm days (like today). And I am glad to still be with a lot of these members. Though I plan to one day return to every ward I've so far served in, I am, I think, especially looking forward to one day meeting again the people in the Ashland Ward when I am not under a 1-hour time restraint for dinner visits.

Also, I've only been threatened on a doorstep here once! 🗡 :)

Jon is still progressing well so far (though whether he will make the 29th for baptism or not is still kinda up in the air). Many things have been going very well with him, however. For instance, he finished the entire book of Jacob in one day. One workday in which we took an hour of his time having a lesson where we did not read any of the book of Jacob, to be precise. The man is definitely making time for the Book of Mormon, which is really cool.

As for other people we're working with, the next most promising person is a woman named Heather. She first met with missionaries almost 9 years ago. She wasn't baptized. She eventually stopped meeting with them for some reason. But she read the entire Book of Mormon and never threw it away even when she joined with another church for a time. She knows it's true. And she's lived in Ashland all her life. The crazy thing is, she's never come out to the church! Pray that this Sunday--the special 1-hour Christmas service--will be her first (and not her last).

Speaking of the Christmas service, I hope every single one of you will invite your friends to it. It's just an hour-long Christmas meeting, a great non-committal thing to invite someone to.

Which ties into something I noticed recently. The old Preach My Gospel said something to the effect of "Although Preach My Gospel is for the full-time missionaries, members can also use it..."

But check out what the updated Preach My Gospel says in the same paragraph:

"Preach My Gospel is as much for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it is for the full-time missionaries of the Church. The principles and doctrine taught in this guide are applicable to all members as they seek to build the Lord’s kingdom. Frequent study of this manual will help members better answer gospel questions, learn and teach the doctrine of Christ’s gospel, fulfill their responsibilities as member missionaries, and foster unity with the full-time missionaries."

You guys are all missionaries. You aren't full-time or set apart (unless, you know, you are another full-time missionary receiving this email), but you are still a missionary just as we are. So do the things you need to do!

One thing I've thought about lately is how there's a lot going on in the great and spacious building. (Hence the name.) This world in its natural state doesn't have much to offer that's separated from God. But through the millennia of civilization man has developed, created, and devised a lot of tempting things that seem like they're the best things mankind has ever found. It's almost like God has nothing to do with the things we ought to desire most. That's the world and its wisdom.

But existence is so much greater, so much grander, than this life alone and anything secular that can be found here. We can't comprehend it, but it's true.

("Life is but a moment, a single grain of sand." <-- That's a quote.)

Little do we realize that He is in all things and through all things. One day all of us will see that Jesus Christ has indeed paved a pathway for us that, if we follow it, will lead to eternal joy far greater than anything this very ephemeral, telestial world can offer us.

Love,

Elder Gallagher

P.S. We had our Christmas Conference this past week and it was pretty cool. We played games (a rare thing in the mission now, ever since District Activities were banned), listened to Gentile Christmas music, heard more tear-inducing departing testimonies, took a District Photo, and ate way too much ham. Oh, and I won the "keep the balloons in the air" game.