Doing Our Best

Dear family and friends,

This week went by really fast! It was Sister Treu's last week out here on the mission field.Transfers are tomorrow, and then she will be going home, and I'll get a new companion. I am staying in my current area. Which is good. I've only been in this area for 5 weeks. Normally a transfer is 6 weeks, but they took a week off from this transfer, and added it to the next transfer, since the next transfer we are getting a new mission president. 

This has been an eventful week. We tried to see as many of the people we teach as possible before Sister Treu leaves. So we were pretty busy. We got to help groom horses once this week. I like doing that. I like horses. They sure require a lot of work though. We have a small district. This is the 2nd small one I've been in. I've included some pictures. We were able to go to the Temple because, one of Sister Treu's investigators, was able to receive her own endowment and we got to go with her. I'm a little nervous about having Sister Treu leave me, since she's been in the area the longest (5 weeks), but I know that the Lord will help me. After all, he knows the area and the people perfectly. I will tell you who my next companion is next week sense I fined out tomorrow. Here's a Scripture to ponder: "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is

the same." Doctrine and Covenants 1:38

I love all y'all! Hope your all doing well.

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway

Filled with love.

Dear Friends and Family,

It's been another crazy week. It's getting hot here! It should be getting up into the 100's this week. It did get up to 100 yesterday. So yep, it's hot and humid here, and we are staying nice and hydrated. We try to have lots of appointments so we don't have to be outside too much. It's beautiful here, very green, tons of trees and plants everywhere. Sometimes I feel kind of claustrophobic with all of the trees. But it's so pretty. And there are a lot of farms here too. We have a very big area with a bunch of little towns. We had our good bye zone Conference for our Mission President. He will be leaving shortly after transfers, and we will be getting a new missionary companion. This is the last full week of the transfer. My companion Sister Treu will be going home and my last companion Sister Slade will be leaving as well. I love our Mission President and his wife. There will be a lot of hard good byes at transfers next week. I love the Ward I'm serving in! It is filled with lots of great people!!!

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway

Missionary Miracles

Dear Friends and Family,

I've been trying hard while I've been on my mission to eat healthy. I've even been doing a lot of green smoothies. This has been an incredible week! It's been packed with lots of different wonderful things. I'm sorry I can only fit 3 photos in an email. One of our investigators has a lot of reptiles and she let us hold one of her snakes. This area is so beautiful! I love it! It is very different than my other areas but wonderful in it's own way. I'm differently not in the city any more. Sister Treu is an amazing companion. We have fun, work hard and she's OK when I don't feel like talking much after a long day. I usual do most of the bug killing in our apartment but Sister Treu caught the lizard that tried to move in. It was a fast light guy. We let it out side. 

We reserved permission to go to a baptism for an 18 year old Brazilian, Volleyball player who I taught in my last area.  I am so glad that we were able to go and to be there for her. I love her so much and have no doubt that she will stay strong. She has such a strong testimony! She once walked 5 miles to the Church, and 5 miles back when her phone wasn't working, and she wanted to talk to someone about the Church. Her parents have started going to Church while she's been here in America, because of what she has told them about what she has learned. It was really nice to see several people from my last area. oh and Sister Treu and I may have gotten some good sunburns holding signs by the road, for the local food pantry's bake sale fundraiser. But don't worry, it's already fading to a tan. 

Two of our own investigators just passed their baptism interviews, and will be baptized next Saturday! We are so excited for them. They will be joined by two 8 year olds in the ward, so it will be a big baptism. Oh and we got to see some horses yesterday. I didn't get any photos but we are going to help groom them tomorrow. I love you all!!!

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway

Change: A New Area

Dear Family and Friends,

How are you? Guess What? I'm in the Hillsborough, Mebane area! My New companion is Sister Treu. She's been in this area the whole time I've been in the field. So we were in the same zone when I was in Chapel Hill. Now I'm back in this Zone. Sister Treu is so sweet, I'm excited to get to know her.

We have a lot of change coming up. Our Mission President is going home and we are getting a new one. We have one last week in this transfer and one extra one in the next one, so that the new President can come a week after our next transfer when our current one goes home. Sister Treu and Sister Slade will both be going home when our Mission President does. So since one of my companions has already gone home, I'll only have my MTC (Missionary Training Center) companion and My trainer who will still be here out of the companions I've had so far. This is a great area! I miss Raleigh and I miss Chapel Hill, but I'm already loving it here. We have two investigators who should be getting baptized really soon, Dona and Brittany. I'm really excited! They are amazing! And I just got an email about someone I used to teach, Bea is getting Baptized on May 30th. I'm am going to ask my Mission President for permission to go. I hope I can. I think I will be able to. I'm not very far away.

The weather has been nice lately. It's been sunny mostly. It's pretty humid here, but with how many years I lived in Texas, I like it. I don't like how there are lots of bugs. But I'm excited about how people keep talking about seeing lightning bugs. I've never seen one so I'm on the look out.
Remember if you are doing all you can and wanting it as much as you want to breath, you will be successful. Keep on keeping on! I love you!!!

Sincerely,
Sister Kimberly Galloway

You're Raleigh Awesome! (Transfers)

Dear friends and family,

I am being Transferred!! I found out on Friday night. I am leaving Raleigh 1&2 but I don't know where I'm going until Transfers tomorrow. So if you write me a letter don't send it the the Raleigh apartment address, you can always write to the Mission Home address that I gave out before I left. I have mixed feelings about leaving. It's hard because your area as a missionary becomes your home more than your real home. The people you teach and serve become your family. But I'm excited because I know I will love the next area the same way. The Lord blesses me to love them. It's easier to serve them when you love them. 

Random thought; I think I look younger than I used too. Or I'm realizing how young I am. Although people think I'm younger than I am out here, for the most part. I don't know.

My companion Sister Slade has been sick most of this week. Which gave me extra time to study, update the area book and once I found out I'm being transferred, start packing. We did 3 splits with members, where a member stayed with her and one stayed with me and I went to teach with the member. But most of them were no shows, which was sad. Especially after the time of getting two members for each one. But it's alright. 

Sister Slade had a pretty bad stomach virus. She's getting better now though. Some Elders gave her a Priesthood Blessing and I believe that helped a lot. It's been an interesting week, and I felt like I'd be transferred. I felt that right before this transfer started that I'd be transferred after this one. I wonder where I'm going. I'll let y'all know where I go next week. But I move tomorrow.

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway

Festivals and Spirituality

Dear Friends and Family,

This has been a great week! We got to go to the Temple this week! I love the Temple! It's the closest thing to Heaven on Earth! It was wonderful to be in the House of the Lord again! 

So, last Monday's preparation day was shortened, because part of it was moved to the day we went to the Temple. Which was wonderful because we got to go somewhere that's closed on Mondays. We went site seeing at the Mordecai Home. And saw the other historical places on the property. It was a nice to do something different. 

There was a big Tri-Ward Festival, late for Cinco De Mayo. It was with 3 congregations of people, the two I work with, and a Spanish Ward. The Spanish Ward Made most of the food and there was dancing. It was a lot of fun. 

I've been working on doing the Bednar Book of Mormon Challenge. My whole Mission does it when we first come out. I'm still in 2 Nephi. What the challenge is; is you write your testimony at the beginning of the Book of Mormon before you read it, and then you read through the whole thing marking in different colors references to Jesus Christ, His words, His attributes, the doctrines and principles, missionary purposes reverses, and stories of calls to repentance, and other missionary related stories, and anything you may feel like adding. Then you write your testimony at the back when your all done. Y'all should try it.


"And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith." Mosiah 27:14 There is power in prayer!!

Sincerely,

Sister Kimberly Galloway

Sin VS Weakness

Dear Family and Friends,

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

I've been really interested in the differences between sin and weakness in my study lately and how weaknesses are restated to strength. 

We've been tracting a bit more lately. We have some more investigators and a bunch of potential investigates from it. Like this one gentleman who said him and his "lady friend" would like to hear more and he wants to buy us pizza. It was kind of funny. He seems interesting so I hope we can teach him. We had exchange with our Sister Training leaders this week. Sister Smith liked the visual aids we made for teaching family's about the armor of God. Everything is so green here. The pollen has eased up a little bit but it's amazing to see how vibrant the colors of the plant life is here. I forgot the note I made with ideals of what I wanted to tell y'all this week... Sorry. I hope all is well. I wonder who actually reads this... And if my friend Shelby's still posting them on a blog for me. I love all y'all. 

We've been really busy, teaching a lot. A family we are very close to has been having a really hard time and we've been really worried about them. 

This next Sunday is mother's day and I get to Skype home. Family y'all can group Skype each other and I can Skype one of y'all and you can add me to the group. I will have to write in a letter what time I will be on Skype. I only have Melonie's Skype address. I don't get the full preparation (p-day) today because we have our assigned Temple trip on Friday so we get part of Friday as a preparation day to go to the Temple. 

Oh and By the way our newest investigators are from Africa and mostly speak french. One of them is married to a preacher so I hope he doesn't have a problem with her meeting with us. So know we are teaching both Burmese and French speakers. So please pray for us to have the gift of tongues! 

Love always,

Sister Kimberly Galloway