I'm an RM! Hello, Utah!

Dear friends and family,

"And now it came to pass that [I] returned from the land of [Raleigh, North Carolina], after having taught the people of [North Carolina] many things which cannot [all] be written, having established the order of the Church...yea, [I] returned to [my parents] own house at [Utah] to rest [myself] from the labors from which [I] had preformed" Alma 8:1 Personalized.

I'm home! It's great! I miss NC so much but I'm home and it's good. This email address will not last me much longer. If you'd like to reach me you can try me at ikimg@live.com .

I love you all! Thanks for the support and love!!! Now that I am home, I will be spending some time with those that I left behind for the past 18+ months...AKA my family and friends. Things have changed a lot. 

I'm doing my best to become the type of RM (returned missionary), that I want to be. It will take time and dedication, but I'm doing my best. It's time to clean up, start over, and figure out what I want to do with my life. I feel like I'm trying to combine with who I was before the mission, versus with who I was as a missionary. But the truth is...I'm still me. The mission has changed me as it should have. I can't live the same way as I did before or on the mission. I have to make a new way (path). 

I'm rediscovering how to be in the world but not of the world. 

I feel like a fish out of water. But that's alright, it's part of the Lord's great plan to make me a better person. 

Flying home, "Hello, Utah!"

The missionaries on my flight.

Home, sweet, home! 

My crazy family at the airport. :)

I miss NC!

My Last (Official) Missionary Email

Dear friends and Family,

This has been a weird week. We've been trying to do as much teaching as possible with also have-ting to get ready for me to go home. But I have my bike packed and shipped off. I've got a lot of my stuff packed. 

It will be good to see all y'all. But it will be hard to leave here. I love North Carolina so much. We had an exchange with our Sister Training leaders. 

I got permission to go to Danielle's baptism in my last area. She's so sweet! It was beautiful!!

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway

Danielle's baptism!!!

Exchange with Sister Steenhoek

I might pack my companions and bring them home with me....

Heartfelt Love

Dear Friends and Family,

 

I could not email yesterday do to a closed Library for the holiday. I hope y'all are doing well. This is my last week in the mission. My home coming talk is on the 12th. I'd love to see you there. I don't know how to feel about going home. I'm feeling like every emotion you can think of. It hard to leave my home here, but I am excited to see everyone back home where y'all are. Home is where the heart is. My heart is ripped all over the place. 

  

I got word that one of my investigators from my last area should for sure be getting baptized right before I go home. I hope I can go... The one that was going to get baptized this last week pushed back her date and the others the was getting baptized this coming week, I haven't heard if that's still on or if it got pushed back... 

  

We started teaching this really sweet old man this week. I think he will grasp onto the gospel really fast. 

  

This sweet couple in the ward was making guesses on how long it will take me to get married after the mission. He said 1 YSA activity to meet him and  6 months to get married. She said 1 year to get married. They are funny. They helped us with a hard lesson this week. They are great!

 

We had to go to Raleigh to get something from the mission office on Monday. So we asked for permission to go to the mall while we were there. I picked up a little souvenir. So that was fun. Then we got ice cream... 

  

Wow for me this is a pretty long email... I hope y'all like it. 

I can't believe it's my last week....Do any of you need my home email address? This one will stop working a few weeks after I get home. 

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway

The Grasshopper head I told you about a while ago...

North Carolina Raleigh Mission

Preparation-Day Fun

These are a few of my Favorite Things!

Sun June 12, 9:00 am Sacrament Meeting.

I hope y'all can come to my homecoming talk that day. I know that's like super soon. It's weird to think I'm almost done with my mission. I love my mission. I love serving and teaching. I'm getting tired of tracking, but I can still do it. 

We might of eaten some grasshopper this week. I hope not, but we don't know. Someone made us some collared greens from the can for us. It's a very bitter plant, so I ate it rather quickly. Most people that have made it for me, seem to place the meat and the fat, to add a little flavor to the dish. After we finished, our host, who was taking her time, found a grasshopper head in her dish... Where is the rest of it? Some of it could of been on our plates. The grasshopper was red from being canned and cooked. So gross! 

Elder Zwick and his wife visited our mission! It was so good! They talked a lot about the atonement. and to continue growing in a more spiritual matter. 

Last Monday our district went to see a Buddhist Temple. It was interesting. We sat at the feet of a monk, and he talked for a long time. It's neat to learn about other religions.

A sweet lady in the ward gave all 3 of us hair cuts today. It was really nice. I really needed it. 

We went on an exchange again this week. This time I stayed in the area. The grasshopper incident, happened while we were on our missionary exchange.

Our most recent convert, David, is going to start talking to the Bishop about getting the Aaronic Priesthood. I'm so excited for him. He really wants to get started on doing Temple work for his ancestors. He's so smart, and a lot of fun to teach.

Did I mention that it's weird being so close to the end of my mission...

I hear they are re-writing Preach My Gospel. I wonder what all they will change...

My companions are a lot of fun! I've had a lot of really great companions on my mission. I'm really blessed!

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway

Exchange with Sister Hanseen

Buddhist Temple Trip. I'm still not sure why we want but it was interesting. Me, Sister Carlile, Sister Spring.

New hair cut. (just a really well needed trim) It's been too long cents my last hair cut.

Buddhist Temple Tour

Dear Friends and family,

This has been a great week! We had exchanges. I went to Holly Springs for a day with Sister Hansen, that was fun. My Dad told me I'm giving my Home Coming Talk on June 12th. You should come if your free. I'm not sure how to feel about how soon that is. I guess it will be fine. I don't know what I'll say yet but I'll figure that our later. My district is going to try tour the Buddhist Temple today, as a District activity. I hope that goes well. I've never been to one. I'm not sure why everyone wants to go but I'm tagging along.

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway

One Month Left

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been a great week! David got baptized and confirmed this week! He's great! He's so smart. We keep forgetting that he doesn't know everything. 

Luckily he still ask lots of questions which helps a ton. We had our interviews with our Mission President that morning of his baptism, So we were a little stressed about getting everything done in time but it worked out. We were so worried about the water being too cold because some of the members said they there were problems with that in the past. So we pored some boiling water in the font but then it was too hot and we had to add cold water. It was still on the warmer side but not too bad. 

I found out that Tashi from Chapel Hill got baptized. I'm so happy for her! And 6 people in my last area have baptism dates. Some of with is a family who's date is before I go home. I'm going to try to get permission to go! 

I got to Skype my parents for mother's day. It was nice. It's weird to think I only have a month left of my mission.  I love y'all!!

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway

Last Transfer

Dear friends and Family, 

I've been Transferred to Zebulon! This is my last Transfer, my 9th area, fourth trio and I'm up to 14 companions. I'm back with Sister Spring and now I'm also with Sister Carlisle. Sister Spring was in my 1 week long trio with Sister Hesen. Sister Carlisle was trained by the same Sister who trained my Trainer. So I call her my Aunt. In missionary terms, I am dying in Zebulon and being killed by both Sister Spring and Carlisle. Sister Carlisle goes home the transfer after me. She came out before me, I've known her my whole mission but she went home for a little bit, and came back so I'm still senior companion. 

I found out that an investigator named Dakota, a teenage boy that I thought was in Hillsborough, got baptized last month, and is considering serving a mission. I didn't teach him that much but I was one of his first missionaries so it was exciting to hear what happened. A lot of the time we don't find out what happens after we leave, and I leave a lot...

We have a baptism coming up in my new area on Saturday, which is also the same day, that one of my nephew's is getting baptized at home. His name is David, he is really smart, has come a long way, and is ready for this step. He will do great!

Several people in my last area were really close to getting baptized. I hope to get some good news about them soon. 

It's been a good first week here. You got to love small country towns. Does anyone know what Lizard Lake is? It's in my area...

We are staying in a cute little duplex. Some of the neighbor kids like to play in our yard. when we are home they ask us to come play with them. We can't play with them, but during our meal break, we go out and talk to them, color with sidewalk chalk and we just have fun with them!

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway