Week Seven: What up HAWAII!!!

Hows it parents!

I hope everything's going well in Colorado! How's the family? How's will? How's having taylor? 

Missionary life is coming along as usual! We had transfers this week, so its been kinda a weird week. Elder Powell, who lived me for 6 weeks, ended his mission and so he packed up and left. It was really weird to get to know someone, live with them, and become besties for like 6 weeks and then just have him pack up and leave. Every missionary tells me that Im going to get used to it, but I dont see how. So we got a new guy in our house, whose from Oahu. He speaks Marshallese, so I think thats why he's sent here. He's really hyper and tests my patience a lot, but he's a really hard worker and great missionary, and I know he will bring to pass miracles here in Kahului. 

We have yet to see the fruits of our labor. We have yet to have someone come to church, or really anyone progressing. Its been incredibly hard to stay motivated. I was getting so frustrated, even to the point where I felt like I was being a bad missionary. I was feeling like everything I was doing, I was doing wrong, and that I was loosing faith. It was getting hard to see the end goal, to vision myself bringing someone closer to Christ. I was almost to the point of giving up, when yesterday I opened my scriptures in desperation and came across Alma 32:21. "And now as I said concerning faith-- faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." And even though Ive read that scripture before, it really spoke to me. and then last night I asked Elder Hunter if he wanted to do companionship prayer, which we havent done since the beginning of my mission. And so he said the prayer, and after the prayer, I sat there with my eyes closed not even thinking, and a voice came into my head. It wasnt my voice, but I know it was the Holy Ghost speaking to me. It said, "Stay strong Elder Gleave." It was clear as day. I cannot mistake this event to be anything other than Heavenly Father encouraging me. I have realized that whatever trials that occurring now, they are preparing me for the future. Whatever Heavenly Father has planned for me later in this mission or in my life, he is giving me this trial that I have to better me. I regret to think that I was losing faith, but I know that I'm not perfect, and that in our times of need, Heavenly Father will strengthen us. So I am reminded of the many prophets that endured great tests of faith. Whether Nephi, who's bow had broken during his time in the wilderness when the Lord instructed him to go there, or Alma and Amulek as they we were put into prison and forced to see the faithful women and children burned, or even Joseph Smith, and the trails he endured to bring Christs true gospel back unto this Earth, Im thankful for their example in my life to help me bring me closer to Heavenly Father. 

So now that Ive told you about my spiritual excitement, time to tell you about the weird things that happens as a missionary. So we were tracting with our mini missionary (someone from the ward who gets set apart and lives with us for 3 days) and went to go visit this potential investigator named warrik. His door was behind his house, so we went and turned the corner to go knock, and there was a girl sitting there in her bikini tanning! Now that's really not that awkward, because Ive seen people in bikinis before and its really not that big of a deal. But she was all embarrised and like ohhh....im so so sorry...And we were like well does Warrick live here? And she was like uhhh...he's inside. so we went up and knocked on the door, and she was sitting like two feet from us, just staring at us! and he wasnt answering his door! SO LIKE TWO MINUTES PASSED BY AND NOTHING WAS SAID...IT FELT LIKE AN ETERNITY. It was so awkward. we were like...uhhh...so can we say a prayer with you? and she was like ummm...(covering her body with her shirt) im not interested. We were like okay...well bye. and just ran away as fast as we could. there was nothing we could say or do at that time that could make that situation not awkward. 

Anyway...the joys of serving a mission! Im so very thankful to be here in Hawaii! 

I love everyone of you so very much and miss you with all my heart! Please keep writing! I cherish and save every email and letter! I love hearing about you life! 

I pray for you all everyday! 

Much love from Maui! 

Elder Gleave