Week Three in Maui

Hey Family!

What a week it's been. 

Last time I emailed you was monday, and we went on a hike after the email! We drove along the coast until we stopped at a bend in the road, and the whole zone pilled out of 4 or 5 cars. There wasnt really a trail head, so I was all confused, but we ended up just jumping rocks down a river until we came to this amazing water fall into a pond. There was a rope swing from a tree into it, and I could tell that this tongan elder REALLY wanted to jump in! haha. Then we climbed down the river so more and we came across a bigger waterfall then an even BIGGER waterfall! It was like maybe 20 or 25 feet up. I have a video of that very same Elder wanting to jump in so bad. He would look over the edge and jump yell "oh come on!!!" then back away and just shake his head. Super pretty hike though. 

So last week I was super amped about Jannon and his baptismal date. So we were suppose to visit him on tuesday. We had taught a former investigator, Kathleen, the week before but her dad was catholic and she seemed worried about him. But anyway we had planned to meet with them both on tuesday and so we biked all the way out to Kathleens house just to knock on the door and her brother to say "Oh shes sleeping." Gosh dang it. To make things worse we biked all the way back to Jannons house and his brother was like "Oh he's not here right now". So frustrating. Thats obviously what happens in missions its just hard to finally get someone interested just to have them bail out. IM MEAN WERE TALKING ABOUT YOUR SALVATION HERE PEOPLE. I just wished people realized how important our message is. But they have their free agency and satan works well against them. 

Not a lot more has happened this week. Its incredibly frustrating because we are trying to visit former investigators, less active, and part member families, but its hard on bikes. This people are people who havent been contacted in 6 months maybe a year, so a lot people have moved, or just arent home. So we will bike up to someones house, which might take 15 minutes just for them not be there. Then we will bike to the next persons house maybe 5 minutes away for them to move. And then we will go visit a former investigator 10 minutes away and they arent interested anymore. So that 30 mins wasted on travel and no lessons taught! Not to mention its hard work! But not to worry. As long as we work and put in those extra miles, the Lord will bless us with miracles. 

So just an update, we have been struggling all week, biking hard, praying harder, and finally we had a break though Saturday night. I told my companion that we need to go out before lunch, which we usually dont do, so we went to Jannons house. Unfortunately he was at his moms house, so we decided to visit a less active. We went to this guys house John, who was super super cool! He said he's from West Jordan and is moving there again soon, but has been in Maui for 7 years. We just shared a scripture with him about enduring to the end, and he told us, "I just feel good having you guys here with us." YESSSS. He's feeling the spirit! BOOYAH. Talk about blessings. Later that afternoon we went to a baptism that the zone leaders had. We had an appointment with a part member family later that day, and they texted us and canceled, so i was so frustrated. That makes all our appointments all week canceled. I was fuming. I was just done. I quit. And so after the baptism we went to the family of the kid who was getting baptized house for a party! so we ate choke food and talked and had fun and then the grandfather gave a speech and said basically this: "You see these Elders right here. They are the reason why I'm in the church. I served as ward mission leader for 21 years, and they are out here serving the lord. They changed my life and they changed my grandsons life too. Listen to what they have to say. They have a good message that can change your life." And then he had us sing "Called to serve" to the kid being baptized. I realized how important the work was and how great a service we were doing. When we got back to the pad around 5 o clock, I still had to dig down deep to find strength to go out and work. I just wanted to crash. We went to a part members house though, and we saw the dad outside and he didnt look too happy to see us. He said, "its not a good time right now" so we went our way. Oh great. So then we just decided to go see Kathleen. We went to her house and she was home! She was surprised to see us, and I dont know how too happy here parents were that we were there, but we just shared a quick message with her. We gave her a book of mormon and read 1 Nephi 3:7 with her and told her why keeping the commandments was important. She said she would read the book of mormon and pray about, and I could tell she was feeling the spirit. I just think its hard for her because she doesnt know english very well. 

Most of the people we teach are from Micronesia or Polynesia, so they arent that good at english. If it they do speak english its really FOB or pidgoeny. Its pretty funny but way hard to understand. Anyway after our lesson with Kathleen I felt really really good! All that frustration was worth it! teaching lessons is the best. 

On thursday we went up to Pulehu (Look it up), where the first missionaries in Maui built the first chapel. It was this small, old style church building, and thats where we had zone conference. It was so beautiful up there! makes me jealous because Im stuck in a poor city. But I love it where I am. But anyway, it was President and Sister Daltons farewell adress. It was their last zone conference, and they bore their testimony and answered any questions we had for them. The spirit was strong in the building, and tears were shed, and even though Ive known them for a week, I can see the progress they've built. They are amazing!

This goal of 200 baptisms in June might actually happen. We'll see though because the drop out rate is large. That would be incredible!

I havent gained much weight I dont think! The biking helps out a lot. Im always sweating, always having fun! I might have actually lost weight. There is cockroaches EVERYWHERE. Every night when I go into the bathroom theres 2 or 3 crawling around on my gel and razor. I hid my tooth brush so they dont climb on it. I stepped on one last night going into the garage last night and it freaked me out!! Theres always lizards crawling around our house but we leave them be because they just eat the bugs. 

The best are dinners with the family. I love them! They are always so much fun and they laugh and feed us so much. Last night we went over to the Kamas for dinner for the second time. The Filipino wife is a fireball and the dad is from Hawaii so he's always like "You like some more food brudda?". They are so crazy, and they laugh at everything! Its a roit when I go over there. The members are so strong over here. They may not be the most educated because most are financially struggling, but they make up for it with love and care. They all have such a deep faith in the gospel, and put such strong trust in the Lord. 

My companion is awesome. He's from Tennessee. He served in a Tongan Ward, and in those wards you have to be more relaxed and hang out with the members in order to gain their trust. Tongan wards consist of people all over the island, so you cant tract to find them so you work though member referrals. He's super smart in terms of gospel knowledge. He also has a strong testimony. 

Ive been reading a lot about the Atonement lately. They gave us this atonement packet, and I decided im going to read it. Its all just talks about the Savior! Its so amazing. I never really had that strong of a testimony of the atonement, but after reading the booklet, I must have grown because every time I look at a picture of the savior I just get this overwhelming feeling of peace and love. I seriously love him. If youre ever struggling, read about the savior and you are in for a treat! 

Well I gotta get going! I love you all and love hearing about home! So alls well in Hawaii Land! Much Love from Maui! Keep me updated yeah?

Love you! 

Elder Gleave

Week Two: Maui Wowie

Hey Gleavelets! 

Guess where I am! Go ahead. Guess. That's right. I'm in Maui!! But anyway lets take a step back yeah? 

So it was the last day of the MTC and we were all like freaking out (good way and bad way). All the girls wanted blessing so we gave them all blessings. It was cool because one of the sisters asked me to give her a blessing so obviously I did, and let me tell you I dont remember a word I said in there. The spirit put the words in my mouth, and I guess it was exactly what she needed to hear. It was first time that has ever happened that strongly. Well it was hard to say goodbye all my MTC buddies but it helped that I was going to Hawaii. The amount I grew there was insane. I started off going there believing that Book Of Mormon was written for me and I could get revelation. I believed that Christ died for our sins. I believed the church was true. But let tell you, I know that these things are true. I know with all my heart that Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for our sins and died on the cross so we could be cleansed of the mistakes we've made. I know that God is our heavenly Father, and when we die we shall return to live with him again as father and son. I know that the Book Of Mormon is a true book of God, and in it are answers and truths that are written for us in our day. The Holy Ghost is real, and its influence in my life is huge. It comforts me, and helps with me with my problems. I know without a doubt that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, just like Abraham, Moses, and Noah, and he was sent here to restore the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ask me before the MTC and I'll tell you I believed, ask me now? I know these things. I know them with all my heart.

So anyway, time to go to Hawaii, yeah? The flight wasnt too bad. I sat next to two sister missionaries so I couldnt (thankfully) talk to nonmembers about the gospel. It's not that I didnt want to, its just that i was way to scared. Well we got to Hawaii, and IT IS BEAUTIFUL. We flew into Oahu. I met to mission president and the APs and they are really awesome. It's weird like being here. I was so nervous. Honolulu is way urbanized. Its like a REAL city yeah. There's so many big hotels and skye scrapers, its not what I pictured. Anyway, the APs took us to the mission home, and its weird because they were like "this is one of the nicest houses in Hawaii. Like their neighborhood is for houses that are millions of dollars" and I got there and it was like smaller than most peoples houses in Colorado! It was only one floor! Just weird how much everything cost yeah. Anyway, they took us to the house, gave the low down and rules on what to expect, and we went to a baptism! the TAB (tabernacle) in Honolulu is where it was held. It was amazing to see someone change their life like that. Choosing the gospel, and how happy he was to be apart of something this great. He was a Chuckesse man (from the island of Chuck), and he was just smiling the whole time! We went back to the house and they gave us all envelopes on where we were serving. I was so nervous yeah. FIRST AREA!!! I really really wanted to get off island (off of oahu), so like I was just about to burst when I opened mine and it said I was serving in Maui. Merry Christmas Elder Gleave!!!!! There was like five of us going to Maui too, so I was stoked because we'd see them each week during district meeting and zone conference. We slept at a members house, but I didnt much sleeping. We had transfer meeting at the TAB the next day, and all the Pollys are always yelling when people get called. President Dalton and Sister Dalton gave their testimony becuase it was their last transfer meeting. It was incredible. The faithfulness of that couple is so inspiring. 

After the meeting and some good ol training we had a little tracting. Not too bad yeah. THEN OFF TO MAUI!!! My companion is Elder Hunter. He's this short little guy from Tennessee. He's way nice and pretty experienced. He's been out 15 months. Okay but here are when things start getting weird. So we got in and got to our pad (our house), and they took me to Wal-mart to get some supplies. I thought we'd have a lesson, dinner appt, or something, but we just got stuff and then went back to the pad and hung out. I thought it was just because it was my first day, but apparently heres the deal: Im in Kahului area right now, and before I came in there was only two Elders there. But when I came in, that companionship split up, and me and another Elder came in and joined those two. So Elder Hunter and Elder Powell were the only two Elders in the ward, but theres me and Hunter, and Powell and Elder Basag. The only problem is that we jhad to split the area. All the work, all the investigators, and the places that Powell and Hunter had worked on previously went to Basag and Powell, while me and Hunter got nothing. We have no investigators, and all we have is former investigators. So the first REAL day I was out there and allowed to work, heres what happened. We had to the early morning study yeah, and then I was expecting to get going around 11. But we kinda just waited around, then another companionship came over so we went and got lunch at food land around noon. And then so we got lunch and we ate it and kinda just sat around al lot. We didnt even get out of the house till 2! Im like what the heck. I just want to work!!! And so were walking right now becuase I'm in a biking area and we havent gotten our two new bikes yet. So we were walking and decided to start tracting. Funny story so we went to literally the second house and we knocked on the door and we heard through the window "Can I help you?" We look through the window and see a lady BREASTFEEDING!!!! WHAAAAAAAT. EWWWWW. I guess like father like son. So we basically were like uhhh nevermind and just away. Anyway, the rest of the we tried visiting former investigators and literally no one was home. We went to the pad around 4 and Hunter seemed like really discouraged and I was like come on man we got to go. And so he got up and we went and visited so members and less active. We visited so family from the Marshal Islands and gave his wife a blessing because she was sick with an ear infection. Then we went to a members house and introduced ourselves, and they actually were nice to offered to make us dinner! it was good because we hadnt eatten. 

Well anyway, friday was the same deal. We got out late, walked like 5 miles, and got pretty much no wheres. Its like really frustrating becuase we just walk and walk to one house, knock on the door, and no ones there. We dont really tract, and we dont really teach. All it is walking. I guess my companion served in a tongan ward, and so in there you kinda HAVE to be a little bit relaxed, but I was just frustrated because I felt like we could do so much more. We actually got one former investigator to answer, Kathleen, and she seemed pretty interested, but her dad was Catholic so she was worried about him. We figured out a time on tuesday we could back, when her Dad isnt home so we could teacher her. It doesnt seem so sure though. Anyway, just again, not a really productive day. We ate at the bishops house that night, and it was good to meet them! Awesome family, awesome bishop. 

So on saturday we went to a baptism over by Kihei in the Tongan ward. That was really cool! But after we went to a togan birthday party, not even in our ward. It was so awesome to see all the Tongans and to eat their food and stuff, but we didnt get done until 2:30! I mean thats like half our day. And When we got back, my companion had to work on a talk and so we didnt get out until like 4. At least we got our bikes. But oh wait, my companion popped his tire in about 20 mintues of riding them! So we were like in the farthest away zone in our area and his tire popped. We managed to visit a less active who has choke (a lot of) number of kids not baptized and set up time we could teach them, and we headed back. So we taught one person. All day. I know I shouldnt be pushy, and just kinda relax but I know we can do better than ONE person in one day. I mean come on. I want to serve the Lord with all my heart! And so we got back around 6:30 because our food was being dropped off, but the person didn't even come till 8:00. So basically we were just sitting around for an hour and a half. I wanted to be obedient and serve with all my heart, but I didnt want to be an uptight Elder who cant have any fun. So when I got home i just dropped to my knees and prayed. I prayed with all my heart and strength for heavenly father to help me, to help me know what to do. Thats when I got up and walked by my computer and had a thought that said, "read your patriartical blessing". And i was like thats weird, I know everything in it. And then a little bit later I walked by again, and again it was read your patriatical blessing. So I pulled it out, and when I got the part about being a missionary I read "You will serve with total dedication". And thats when the spirit overcame me. I knew I had to be obedient even when other people might not be. Then "we are as the army of helaman" started playing in my head, and i thought about the army of helaman which serves with exact obedience. And i knew that the spirit had told me to read my blessing, and put that song into my head. I then made a promise with heavenly father that I would be exactly obedient. 

Anyway sunday rolled around, and We went to church and came back. It was around 440 by the time we got back and dinner was at 6, so I had an impresson we should go tracting. My companion was reluctant because he hated tracting and they usually sit around until dinner on sunday but i told him we had to. So we went and like the first five houses: nothing. The next five: nothing. I was thinking to myself tracting is stupid. And then we came to this kids house and we did what we call the prayer approach. That is where you meet them, ask if you can pray with them, and then when you do they feel the spirit and then teach them about the spirit and then right then you ask them to be baptized. Just like that. And so this kid Jannon we prayed for him and his mom and then asked him how he felt and he said that it was like his Mom was going to get better. We told him that was the Holy Ghost and then told him one way he can feel that more often is through baptism and guess what...HE WANTED TO BE BAPTIZED!!!! JUNE 29tth!!! I was SSSSSSSOOOOOO stoked. I know that the Lord rewarded me for my diligence. I know that he rewarded me for being obedient. Things are always going up from here.

Anyway, I got to go. Just giving you the update. Miss you all! think about you and pray for you all day! I wear sunscreen dont worry! 

I will update you next time on how things are going! Keep me updated!

Much love from Maui! Shoots!

Elder Gleave

Week One: "Coming to you live from the MTC!"

Hey Gleave Clan!

 

First off thank you sop much for your letters and package. Everyday you get letters its like a mini christmas and you just get really excited to read them. It's funny at college Mom would text me and be like "went to Costco today and got samples" and I would just think "Oh well cool?" But now when I get your letters I just think to my self "TELL ME EVERYTHING ABOUT YOUR LIFE." So its good to get the daily update.

 

It's weird how fast everything is moving now. The first day was rough. So loooooooooooong. Literally we had 4 hours of "personal study" and 3 hours of class and two workshops all in the first day. It was insane. I was like just get me out of my dang classroom. The first lesson me and my companion taught was literally a disaster. It's like the teachers purposely set us to fail, then teach us what we have to do better right after so the lesson sticks.

 

My companion is the bomb. His name is Elder Langi and yes he's a poly. He's from South Jordan and is going to the U next year to play rugby. He literally knows every poly here. Theres like unspoken code between them and they just yell across the campus Togan phrases at each other. They will come up to Langi and be like "Haaayy Langi where you from?!" And there likes whats your name? "Oh Hi Im Elder Glea-" "Hey Langi you know this person that went to Bingham highschool?" Haha its like Im invisible to them hahaha. I dont care though I think its funny. He reminds me of Grandpa. He just falls asleep all the time sitting strait up in his seat. I kinda had to talk to him about that because it was happening literally ALL the time. Yesterday he prayed everyday before class so he wouldnt fall asleep and he didnt at all! Tender mercies I guess.  He's 18, so he doesnt have the most gospel knowledge out of the group but his testimony is incredible. Its like everytime we are teaching, I will talk to the investigator, get them to open up, find their needs, then Langi comes in with a spiritual punch. We are a deadly 1, 2 punch. No fake investigator stands a chance.

 

Thats mostly what we do now. We'll teach either our teachers pretending to be an investigator, or teach real converts that just pretend they are themselves before being baptized. Lucky, me and Langi got the two easiest investigators. Just kidding. We got the two hardest. And It sucked. The first person we taught was our teacher who was pretending to be a guy named Jacob. The people they are portraying are actually real, so they know how to act like how the person really would act. It's the weirdest thing, when we are role playing like that, it actually seems like they are real people! Like ACTUALLY are gators. So you can really feel the Spirit, like almost more than I've ever felt it before. Our first guy, Jacob, said he was going through some rough times because his house burned down, his car burned down, he has to stay at his friends place and ride his bikes to class. We were so ready to go teach and planned on teaching him about how God loves him and then we got in there and we were like so do you believe in God? and he was like well I tried praying him to once, and he didnt answer. and we were like uhhh...well... hahah we were so bad at teaching then. So lets just say our first lesson didnt go well. Funny thing is when then had a lesson on how to invite others to pray! Funny how that works. But then when went in the next lesson and we were talking to him about how he has to pray and why to pray and how to pray. When then invited him to pray right then and he was like, "well...I mean I dont know..." Then the Spirit just over came me and almost literally yelled at him and I was like, "Look. We can tell you that God is real. Your brothers (they were members) can tell you God is real. The who world can tell you God is real, but until YOU find out for yourself, youre never going to know if he's real." I was like wow wait stop gleave whats coming out of your mouth right now? You cant yell at an investigator! but then he prayed, and during his prayer he said he knew God exsisted all along. Even though it was role play, the spirit was insanely strong in that room. Since they are baised on people, we actually pray for them, pray for guidence on how to help them, and it seems like they are actual people. Its the weirdest thing. So we were working with Jacob the next few days, and we had a lesson that was not so spiritual. We asked him to read the BOM but we didnt really convince him to do it. So we checked the next day and he was like ohhh nooo i just got too busy. So that was frustrating. Unfortuanitly, he was being played by our teaching Brother Ferrin, who is an amazing teacher. But yesterday he told us he was assigned to a new district, and we couldnt teach him anymore. So yesterday was our last day with Jacob, and we just talked to him. We convinced him that he had to read the BOM and really really desire to know what it says and if its true. He told us that he he wasnt trying his hardest when he read and only did it because he knew we'd check if he did or not. We told him that unless he was going to try, he wasnt going to get anything out of it. He then told us he was worried about the rules our church has, and why we had to follow them. In class we learned about letting the spirt talk and just kinda stop thinking while you teach, and I had an answer chosen out and then I was like okay stop and just thinkg. And then I had a thought of dont say anything at all. And so I didnt. And Langi came in with a scripture that said basically you might not see the reward of your faith untill you try your faith. And that really hit him. I know that it was the spirit that told me to stop, and it was just a testiment on how much you have to rely on the spirit to teach. Turns out Jacob is Brother Ferrins brother, and he was incredibly inactive. He told us that Jacob was ridinng his motorcycle last year and he was going 195 mph and got pulled over and had to spend a week in jail. He said that he had been prompted to pray for JAcob to read the BOM, and when he heard that he went to jail he was like "what the heck?" Jacob had read the BOM a couple times before, butnever really commited to reading it earnestly, but after he got out of prison he called Brother Ferrin and told him he read the Book again and gained a testimony of it. HE has to wait to be rebaptized, but he recently got married and is striving to go to the temple with his wife. Pretty amazing story, right?

 

 My teachers are awesome! Sister Ruyon is an amazing teacher. I was like hi im elder gleave, im from littleton co. And she was like WAIT! Im from there! Talk about small world right? It's weird how much a mission can change someone because even though they are 22 years old, they are better teachers than I've ever had. Teaching the gospel is a lot harder than I thought, and they seem like pros at it. In class, they are such effective teachers, but they are able to bring the spirit so strongly. I have another teacher who only got back from his mission in december, but he seems like hes been teaching the gospel all his life. I feel like they are cheating they are so good at teaching, but I figure (hope) I will get to be as good as them. I mean from where I am now to where I was a week ago is seriously amazing. I learn so much everyday!! I mean when you have to teach you have to find their needs, you have figure out how to make a lesson to those needs, how to ask inspired questions to meet those needs, how to make them and actually love them, make sure they are using their free agency for good, get them to have a desire to read something thats not easy to read, and you have to do this all in less than 20 mintue lessons. It's literally the hardest thing ever.Okay not ever. but its hard. Ive taught 7 lessons so far and Ive barely gotten pass half the first discussion because we have spent all the time just trying to figure out their needs and getting them to trust us. Whether that makes me a bad missionary? I dont know. But what I do know is I'm a dang better missionary then I started.

 

Besides from teaching lessons, theres so many other spiritual experiences that we have. Im running out of time here so I will write you and tell you, but I just want you to know I'm so very happy. Ive grown closer to the lord here then Ive ever been. I love my district, my companion, and my teachers. I literally see so many people here! I saw three coming here to write this one being sister harper! Have yet to see Nathan but I'll keep an eye out for him. There is so much I want to tell you but I dont have enough time. So I will leave you with this:

I love you all. I miss you all. And Christ is our savior, he lived and died for me as well everyone else. He is my inspiration.

 

If this makes you sad just think about how the next time I will be writing you I will be in HAWAII!!!!

I love you all so very much.

I cant wait to here from you again!

Warmest Regards,

Elder Gleave

P.S. take out or leave in what you want for the blog. I dont care!