Week 89 and 90. ALOHA FAMILY!!

February 24, 2015

This week has been kind of a blur. 

Last week we worked really hard and so it seemed as if I was running on fumes while still trying to work equally as hard. What a wild ride it was.  It was a lot of fun!

We did some service with these goofy French dudes on Friday. They would just crack some jokes in a French accent and it always made me want to laugh! We had to clear some junk that had built up around the house and so this 73 year-old French dude would just pick it up and act like he was curling it. I think it was one of those, you had to be there things. But I loved it!

We also did service on this ancient lava rock trail where we had to stomp out roots that covered the trail. I decided it was a good idea to wear my slippers, and so when I would try and stomp on them, my feet would slip and get torn up on the lava rocks. It was funny because I was wearing church socks and these Jesus looking slippers trying to stop on roots. We were able to talk to a lot of people though. Just doing service is great!

We went to dinner with this part-member family this week and I had a great conversation with the mom. Her son was baptized around 10 years ago, and she has been coming to Church ever since then. So going to dinner, I had a goal of asking her why she was never baptized. So after dinner, we were talking, and I just straight out asked her. She began to explain her reasons, and I had the opportunity to testify to her about how the gospel needed to be restored in America, and how everything worked out to where the gospel COULD be restored on the Earth. It was fun to be able to have an in depth conversation about the gospel.

I seriously am struggling to think right now, I am sorry.  Just know that I really happy and things are going well! I love you all! 

Elder Gleave

February 17, 2015

FAMILY

ALLLLLOOOHHAAA!

What's good? Happy V-Day ya'll. I hope everyone had a good week. Especially a good V-Day. Last week was really insanely busy, and so I'm shot today! I am so tired. Part of the week included having to give a talk in Sacrament meeting. So I will include a portion of that in my email. 

I am a firm believer that God places trials, obstacle in our life to see if we are willing to

 sacrifice and work through them. I had an experience with that this week. Last Saturday I

 woke up feeling a little sick. Stuffy nose, foggy thoughts, sore throat. THE ONE AND ONLY 

COMMON COLD. Feeling a little justified to take the day off, I thought to myself, “I’m sick. 

Better go tell Elder Merrill we’re not working today.” But then the spirit was whispered to me, 

“There’s people you need to see today. I will strengthen you.” I thought, “Yeah, but you don’t 

understand. I’m sick.” And then the spirit said, “You can stop thinking about yourself, get off 

your bed, and help people have happiness for the rest of eternity, or you can stay under the 

covers. Your choice.” So a little reluctantly, I crawled out of bed, thinking I was magically 

going to get better. But it didn’t. Things only got worse. By Monday night, I lost my voice. I am 

not sure if anyones been a missionary without a voice. It’s not very fun. Having a voice is 

kind of important. I mean ALL we do it talk. Again, feeling justified, I felt like I could just hang 

out until my voice came back. But the Lord had different plans for me. He told me to go and 

work. So from Monday to Thursday, I didn’t have my voice. But I can honestly tell you that it 

was the most successful four days of missionary work I’ve experienced since I’ve been on 

my mission. Families were more willing to open up, the spirit was stronger, and miracles 

were happening each and everyday.

I learned two important lessons as I sacrificed this week. #1 The Lord will strengthen us when we sacrifice, to where the pain of the thing we were giving up (in my case, my comfort) doesn’t have quite the sting we expect it to. #2 God will reward us ten fold for the sacrifice in which we give up. I was able to bring happiness and understanding to these families that will impact them for time and eternity. As well, I was able to learn lessons I other wise wouldn’t. 

So this week was in fact the best week of missionary work I've ever had. It was amazing. It was pretty amusing trying teach the gospel without a voice. It almost made me sound more dramatic, which made people more interested in what I had to say. I wish I could think of something more to say, but I am honestly exhausted haha so I will just send some pictures. Love you all! 

Elder Gleave