Week 92--Aloha!!

Aloha Family!

Pretty hectic week this week. We had a meeting in Oahu last Monday, then temple trip on Tuesday, then a big zone meeting up in Waimea on Friday, all the while trying to prep for our baptism on Sunday and learning how to balance covering two areas. 

I don't have much time today because we had to go to Hilo yesterday and help one of the other Elders drop off their truck (long story), which was broken, so we had to spend the whole day over there. 

But one amazing thing happened this week. We had our baptism! It was really such a spiritual experience. It was three kids: Lea, Lani, and Aki Irons. They are 12, 10, and 8 years old. Their Mom isn't a member, but their grandma is, and she takes them to church every week. Well, anyway, we spent the whole week getting them ready for their baptism, and right before church on Sunday, the Grandma calls us and says, "We need you to save 15 seats at sacrament meeting." We were a little blown away, because the family of 5 that usually comes now exploded to 15. We were also a little confused because we weren't entirely sure how to save seats in sacrament meeting. But, sacrament meetings starts, and no family. Crap. They are getting baptized today, and we have no family. Open hymn, over. No family. Announcements; no family. Sacrament hymn; NO FAMILY. Where are they?! Right as the sacrament hymn is about to end, in  walks 15 happy people. So we ushered them into their seats as fast as possible. The amazing thing was most of them were not members of the church! Fast forward to 4 o'clock. We told the family to be there a half and hour early to fit them into baptismal suits and take pictures, but our ward mission leader was running on Hawaiian time and didn't show up till 4:30 when the baptisms suppose to start! So we are running around trying to get everything figured out, while the WHOLE family, so all 15 people are just wandering around wondering why we even asked them to come early. So we had to think of ways to make it seem like we needed them there that early, like showing each kid individually what the baptism was going to be like. Eventually, the ward mission leader shows up, and the ward members file in. So we rush the kids to the bathroom to change, and it was perfect because there was 3 kids baptismal suits, and 3 kids being baptized. Not perfect. One of the girls didn't fit in her baptismal suit. It was so bad...we gave her AN ADULT BAPTISMAL SUIT! Hahaha she was so happy in it. We had to do some serious rolling of the legs to make sure it fit. She kept saying she felt like a gangster in it...The great thing was that me and my companion both got to baptize one of them, and the member who referred us to them got to baptize the other. All in all, it all worked out, and it was an amazing baptism. It was rather neat because the bishop teaches some of the older kids in high school, and the 1st councilor teaches and is the vice principle of the kids being baptized. The sister who gave the baptismal talk is the teacher of the son in school and in primary, and the ward mission leader teaches all three of the kids in school. Plus one of the sister missionaries in the zone was related to them, and so she came down and supported the family. Funny how God works. 

Well other than the baptism, I trimmed a hedge for the first time, we helped a guy restore a 1964 Mustang, and we survived an EARTHQUAKE! We were sitting talking one evening, when SUDDENLY THE HOUSE BEGAN SHAKING. It was over as quick as it started, and other than my juice being nicely shaken, there was not much after effect. It still rattled me a little bit, That's what happens when you live on an active volcano. 

I love my mission so very much! I really can't put it into words how much I love it. I love the people, I love the good times and the bad, and I love my Savior with all my heart. Missionary work is REAL. It changes lives not only momentarily, but forever. I wish I could have a way to see what people's lives would be like if they made decisions different, almost like "It's a Wonderful Life" because I would be interested to see how different something like embracing Christ into your life would change your life. I bet it is crazy. 

But I love you all! Talk to you next week! 

Elder Gleave

Week 91--GOOD STUFF

March 3, 2015

My family and friends. I have something to report. Something very important to tell all of you. Brace yourself, because this is a big one.

I love all of you. That's it.

Well, anyway, now to the good stuff. Things have been GREAT over here. We were assigned to cover two wards. Now we cover Kealakekua and Kona 2nd ward, which means our area is HUGE. We have an area in between our area, which means it takes about an hour to get to one side of our areas to the other. So this whole travel thing is hard to get use to. 

Today we went to the TEMPLE. It was very spiritual. It always is nice to go to the temple and escape from the world. Plus, it gives me an eternal outlook on life, which helps me get through the day-to-day things. 

We have a baptism this Sunday for three grandchildren of a Chuukese family. The mom isn't a member, and she didn't want her oldest child to be baptized, because she was baptized in the Catholic Church. Because we knew about the Priesthood, we wanted the oldest girl to be baptized and be a member with the rest of her brothers and sisters, but the mom didn't understand that. So we fasted with the Grandma for the mom's heart to be softened, and we went over last night with our Bishop, and he asked, "So who exactly is getting baptized?" Right away the oldest daughters hand shot straight up into the air, and we looked at the mom like, "Annndddd....?" And she nodded at us. YESS!!  One step in the right direction. 

This week, we finished our lesson around 6:30 and our dinner was at 7, so we had no idea what we were going to do for the last half hour. We were just going to get into the car, and drive around, but I prayed. "Heavenly Father. Please help us find someone to talk to." And RIGHT THEN this guy walks by with a walking stick and he wants to talk to us. The guy's name is Gary and he goes on to tell us about getting into a head-on car accident, and should have died, but woke up with the man who hit him praying for the Lord to spare his life. Then he passed out again and woke up four neck surgeries later he wakes up in the hospital. He told us then that he was going through a divorce and needed to sell his car, and so he was broke, driving to sell his beater car, and stops to fill up with gas. A homeless guys asks for some change, so he gave him the last of his change. Then he thought, "Crap. That's the last of my change. I was going to use that to buy gas." Then he told us that he prayed. And when he opened his eyes, a guy walked up, someone who he had never met, give him a check for 20 dollars MADE OUT IN HIS NAME. He never met the guy before and never saw him again. An angel gave him 20 dollars! Then he just went on to tell us all about how God has given him everything in his life. It was amazing.

Well, I love you all. 

Talk to you next week!

Love 

Elder Gleave