tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24197567676493464002024-03-14T07:40:52.195-07:00Elder Jordan "Gary" GarritsonCalled to Serve!!
Hawaii Honolulu Mission
May 2010-May 2012Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-30906295695423528192012-05-28T21:07:00.002-07:002012-12-03T14:35:58.477-08:00Aloha 'OeIt's crazy to think that this is the last email of my entire mission.<br />
It's a very weird feeling. Your entire mission you think a lot about<br />
this day and these times, but it honestly never feels like it will<br />
come. And as much as you want it to come, it feels like it never will.<br />
Then when it does come, you wish you could just stop time and go back.<br />
You don't want it to happen.<br />
<br />
I have learned so much from my mission that I could write for days. I<br />
think first and foremost about my testimony of this Church, I know<br />
without a doubt that it is true. If I didn't serve a mission, I don't<br />
know if I would have ever gained this testimony. Everything that I<br />
will do in my life from here on out will be effected by my decision to<br />
serve in Hawaii for our Savior Jesus Christ for 2 years. Not a day<br />
will go by where I won't think about the people I met, the lessons I<br />
learned, or the testimony I gained! And hey, being on these beautiful<br />
islands didn't hurt either!<br />
<br />
As I leave this place my thoughts of sadness and depression are<br />
replaced with feelings of gratitute. First and foremost to my Father<br />
in Heaven for giving me, such a rascal little boy, the opportunity to<br />
represent His Son Jesus Christ in the islands of Hawaii. I am grateful<br />
for my parents for raising me with the expectation to serve a mission,<br />
as much and I didn't want to and wanted to do my own thing, I always<br />
knew what they expected of me and that's why I am here. I love them so<br />
much, they are the best parents ever! I am grateful to all those that<br />
have supported me out here, friends and family back home. I love you<br />
all.<br />
<br />
Last but not least my gratitute goes out to the people of Hawaii.<br />
I never thought that I would come to love these people as much as I<br />
have, but I really love them so much! It's so hard to say bye, it's<br />
hard to leave those you love. Coming out on a mission was hard, but I<br />
always knew that I would see my family and friends again. Coming home<br />
is even harder, because I won't see very many of these people again. I<br />
am so grateful for the Gospel of Jesus Christ though because one day,<br />
whether in this life or the next, I will see all these people again<br />
that have changed my life forever. <br />
<br />
I love this work. I love my mission so much. I love our Savior Jesus Christ, <br />
I am so grateful for his Atonement and making it possible that I can sit here today. I know <br />
He lives. I know that our Father loves us and blesses us each and<br />
everyday. He knows what we need, and if we stay close to him we will<br />
be on the right path. I am grateful for the Prophet Joseph Smith and<br />
the Book of Mormon. THE CHURCH IS TRUE! No doubt about it. I love you<br />
all so much, thank you for everything. <br />
<br />
<strong>Aloha 'Oe to the people that I have come to love so much!</strong><br />
<br />
Elder Jordan Garritson<br />
Hawaii Honolulu Mission<br />
May 2010 - May 2012Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-46470826602955909962012-05-24T05:21:00.002-07:002012-05-24T05:21:28.341-07:00May 21, 2012Well the feeling is bitter sweet that is for sure. I am trying not to<br />think about it but the fact that this is the last week of missionary<br />work as a full time missionary is scary, but I'll live. It's crazy to<br />think that two years has gone by already. It doesn't seem like it, but<br />it's been a great ride. I'll give my final hurrah in an email next<br />week, still have work to do this week.<br />
<br />
We had an awesome week this week, especially on Wednesday. We flew to<br />Oahu and had a mission tour from Elder Wilson of the 2nd Quorum of the<br />70. He spoke last general conference on Sunday. It's always amazing to<br />hear from General Authorities, you definitely take everything they say<br />as straight revelation from God. It was funny and a very humbling<br />experience for me. We were guessing what he would talk about, knowing<br />all the mission and what not, but we were way off.<br />Elder Wilson talked about the most important thing anyone can ever do,<br />read the Book of Mormon. He taught us the power behind in and how if<br />someone is to become <strong>CONVERTED</strong> to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they<br />must read from the Book of Mormon each and everyday. You learn that<br />early on in the mission, and it sticks with you, but you kind of put<br />it on the back burner at times. It's sad but its the truth. Well it<br />was good to hear that, because, not only is it going to help with<br />missionary work, but it was a good thing to hear as I am coming down<br />to the close. The way that I have gained a strong testimony of the<br />Gospel is not because I am on a mission. Yes a mission has helped, but<br />it's the things that I have done on a mission, and most importantly is<br />reading the Book of Mormon everyday. That book is true, I know it with<br />all my heart! Read the Book of Mormon, I love it and it will bless you<br />life in ways that you would never think. It was a good mission tour,<br />very grateful for it.<br />
<br />
Sunday was hard, the ward gave me some time to speak in Sacrament<br />meeting. Just like leaving home is hard to say bye to people you love,<br />I think leaving the mission has been a harder experience. I love the<br />people of Hawaii, the wards I have served in, this has been the most<br />amazing place to be in the whole world!<br />
<br />
I love you all, I'll see you<br />in a few! Elder GAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-8134918619077522882012-04-18T10:56:00.001-07:002012-04-18T10:58:31.198-07:00New pictures! New video clips!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPWHQnbPJV10yrmE7B_Ullpb4CSxdhRFYxluw5xsuWabMmcOT1iG6pu09rpmP0q3N_yp_jVB8ZaPlp1GwdhvmBsoMe8ardekN0mYvEiXd48V9F0Iel1PQGxR-gsDGMhM8vr_eslc21Iw/s1600/ferry1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsPWHQnbPJV10yrmE7B_Ullpb4CSxdhRFYxluw5xsuWabMmcOT1iG6pu09rpmP0q3N_yp_jVB8ZaPlp1GwdhvmBsoMe8ardekN0mYvEiXd48V9F0Iel1PQGxR-gsDGMhM8vr_eslc21Iw/s320/ferry1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUDxQzTds-deEm-chVoNMEG2IuE60lsSJ7ZmvN66JVXNymZP0siVdapVvIADCHbwAyRC_UBcEl7R1xxa3chytK1VtrnojA-8efZu3kvGP-1KpDRu6iUFwHSRbhV091d6JcCRq6bS7mCM/s1600/ferry2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKUDxQzTds-deEm-chVoNMEG2IuE60lsSJ7ZmvN66JVXNymZP0siVdapVvIADCHbwAyRC_UBcEl7R1xxa3chytK1VtrnojA-8efZu3kvGP-1KpDRu6iUFwHSRbhV091d6JcCRq6bS7mCM/s320/ferry2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> The zone leaders and district leaders ferry between the islands of Maui, Lanai, and Molikai. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6LkkKwfCmHP9PlvXzkY88txPkoHP62b2F18pUkli8P8Fz9HHow8NyBtHq-JQabogewGUJeo5gna3sjnmt4FUU9bQ9P-sJSbEDSymPAulKO1Bcj8Oz0XeafRQZ_j0B9h9G1UrF631uss/s1600/jordan1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6LkkKwfCmHP9PlvXzkY88txPkoHP62b2F18pUkli8P8Fz9HHow8NyBtHq-JQabogewGUJeo5gna3sjnmt4FUU9bQ9P-sJSbEDSymPAulKO1Bcj8Oz0XeafRQZ_j0B9h9G1UrF631uss/s320/jordan1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeYkt7ndop1KJ9UR9ahv060nt0akbDTz-vi2qAnT5sjPfuA525XdCjjVcoHoWtByXmWEX0F6lje77aE4NZ0K5BHoUe5OuAfzbIpjDSRGPEqbCXTqFoq3cSJsXgDGSPCSicPTh6gJHmvk/s1600/lanai1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpeYkt7ndop1KJ9UR9ahv060nt0akbDTz-vi2qAnT5sjPfuA525XdCjjVcoHoWtByXmWEX0F6lje77aE4NZ0K5BHoUe5OuAfzbIpjDSRGPEqbCXTqFoq3cSJsXgDGSPCSicPTh6gJHmvk/s320/lanai1.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>Jordan with Elder Menlove in Lanai in January<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDahr58Ipikzq2XzDe4A772_k39yXAZh_TPv8vyCYLR-RdkHRDmiJ8_4EmhebIJ3nGJITF1PNPPGwLqwsPW3A5rGV7SSQ79kGu4d_eDaIru9ejtabGJWRia4KGBwgvo4XRfClaazauyQ/s1600/DSCN0047.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDahr58Ipikzq2XzDe4A772_k39yXAZh_TPv8vyCYLR-RdkHRDmiJ8_4EmhebIJ3nGJITF1PNPPGwLqwsPW3A5rGV7SSQ79kGu4d_eDaIru9ejtabGJWRia4KGBwgvo4XRfClaazauyQ/s320/DSCN0047.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrk_BRlrAe8CrsmoVHKEFZcQ6ccePjHFFK8Yk5sMrnN-LTlu6ZE9pHKnvIJydxgDFmvoP4HYNMoOTxvGavZHIkuOZX7z9IhxO686ybQOfDKsZoTYn_nedurANSXlxzlgW27CTcCnGIpE/s1600/church+in+hawaii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilrk_BRlrAe8CrsmoVHKEFZcQ6ccePjHFFK8Yk5sMrnN-LTlu6ZE9pHKnvIJydxgDFmvoP4HYNMoOTxvGavZHIkuOZX7z9IhxO686ybQOfDKsZoTYn_nedurANSXlxzlgW27CTcCnGIpE/s320/church+in+hawaii.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprfdEP9LhtcfZD9Picopb7v7e4d3QJEJTt7BwDL0o5tOaC_6iLLKn7C0hIbs7ixaixvYtj5-yUs6MZwSgRXZEpM5WRk71Pa2Vb5R7j1eX49xv8kxkDM_jowgDBT7Y-ZNH2ui652_WUp0/s1600/lanai2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhprfdEP9LhtcfZD9Picopb7v7e4d3QJEJTt7BwDL0o5tOaC_6iLLKn7C0hIbs7ixaixvYtj5-yUs6MZwSgRXZEpM5WRk71Pa2Vb5R7j1eX49xv8kxkDM_jowgDBT7Y-ZNH2ui652_WUp0/s320/lanai2.jpg" width="320" /></a>A view from the Lodge in Lani<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyM8pCjIx6_YNe6JWDE2Y4lnB8ua8lT05HQSK_hKQ92PYv4lW_10igD6yRjNoqIORqBmputaMBjWSXhaGLwOA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxzoRlbC5_SM3P_mqDVRhiXPDdt8uldKNhgRnfv5dXo5Z_g6TLtBFBaeF5n3dzA-vL0ppZw17W8AQTKxzMfzg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(You may have to pause the music to hear the talking in the videos! Sorry about that!) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">A couple of videos from their trip to Lanai. One they were bicycling through Lanai, then the whale watch on the way back! Fun to hear his voice! </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-4623655997892943462012-04-17T00:10:00.000-07:002012-04-17T00:10:14.336-07:00Monday April 16, 2012Well it's the final transfer call week and Elder Carrel and I are<br />
staying together. No suprise though, we knew that was going to happen.<br />
Most of the Maui zone is staying the same, we have a few elders<br />
leaving but not too many. That's good, we have an awesome zone and<br />
everyone loves each other, so it will be a good transfer!<br />
<br />
This week has been a little slow, not too much happened. We are just<br />
working one finding new investigators to work with. We have been<br />
struggling in that department, but we saw some miracles this week with<br />
some people so we will see how that all pans out. The ward that we are<br />
in is super chill! Everyone loves the missionaries and they are all<br />
very loving. We have had some great ward council meetings these past<br />
couple weeks all on missionary work and how to push the missionary<br />
work forward, so we are going to start seeing the fruits of that. It's<br />
good to be in a ward where everyone is so loving, caring, and<br />
charitable. I love the mission, its the best.<br />
<br />
Just a thought this week as we have been thinking about missionary<br />
work and pushing the work forward. "To get what we've never had, we<br />
must do what we've never done." I thoroughly enjoy that quote, and I<br />
think it applies to all of us in whatever aspect of life it is.<br />
Whether it is school, work, the Gospel, it won't just automatically<br />
come. We have to change, we have to progress, we have to do what we<br />
have never done. I know that is the truth in life, and as we do that,<br />
we will see things change and we will become the person that we want<br />
to become. I love you all, have a great week! <br />
<br />
Elder G.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-57878993149065014102012-04-09T15:38:00.000-07:002012-04-09T15:38:53.312-07:00April 9, 2012to me, Ryan <br />
<br />
Yo whats up! Good week, saw a great miracle as Robert N***** entered<br />
into the waters of baptism! His baptism was unreal. The Stake<br />
President was there and baptized and confirmed him. A lot of support<br />
was there as this was a huge step for him and his family. It was very<br />
cool and special to be a part of with this wonderful man. It was just<br />
a matter of time with him. Good stuff, we are kind of dry right now<br />
after baptizing all of our investigators. It was good for this ward,<br />
they haven't seen a lot of baptisms lately so seeing a lot of converts<br />
join the church has brought a lot of fire, so we'll see what happens.<br />
We have one 15 year old girl we are still trying to work with. The<br />
mission is the best though! All the hard things you run into in the<br />
mission are wiped away when you have a baptism. It is the coolest<br />
thing in the world to watch someone make this big step in their life.<br />
This is the most important decision they will ever make, and it's cool<br />
to know you are just a little part of that for them. It's unreal to<br />
see the change that comes in each of the converts, their countenance<br />
changes that much to testify to you that the things they have just<br />
done are exactly what Father wants for each of us. I love being a<br />
missionary and disciple of Jesus Christ, I couldn't ask for anything<br />
better.<br />
<br />
We had some good training this week on how to resolve peoples concerns<br />
and better teach them and not so much the lesson. Figuring out what is<br />
holding them back from entering the waters of baptism and getting rid<br />
of all those concerns. We had this training 18 months ago, but boy was<br />
it nice to get a refresher course on it. So on Monday, President,<br />
Sister Dalton, and the Assistants' came over and gave us a 6 hour<br />
training with a lot of practice on going to Heaven to help an<br />
investigator out, in the way Heavenly Father wants it done. It's pretty<br />
cool and the Lord never lets you down. We have been able to apply that<br />
a couple times this week, especially in another area on exchange as we<br />
resolved a woman's concern and now she is getting baptized on the 27th<br />
of this month! I have learned that everything on the mission is a<br />
preparation for life, no matter what it is we learn. From working with<br />
people, to working with leaders, to being organized, to using time<br />
wisely, dealing with rejection and trials, it's all contained in 2<br />
years out on the mission. I know it's Heavenly Father preparing me for<br />
what life is going to be like and I am ever so grateful for it.<br />
<br />
On Tuesday we took the ferry over to Molokai for exchanges. That is<br />
the benefit of serving in Maui, our zone covers 3 islands so<br />
occasionally we get to go to other islands. The ferry ride was legit<br />
because we saw a lot of whales. About 200 feet from a Shamu jumped<br />
like 5 times completely out of the water. Unbelievable! Molokai is<br />
awesome. There is about 7000 people there and 1000 are members. Very<br />
laid back place, everything shuts down at 7, no street lights, it's<br />
definately not South Jordan! But because of that, people are very open<br />
and very close to the Spirit, so they see a lot of success. That's one<br />
cool island!<br />
<br />
All is well out here, I am doing great. I love my companion, he is<br />
from Philly (too bad I know, but what can ya do?hahaha!) nah he is money. We<br />
are very similar so we have a good time and work well together. Maui<br />
is rockin. The mission is on fire, next week is transfers and I can't<br />
believe it. We will be staying together so I am not too worried about<br />
that.<br />
<br />
I love you all! God speed. Elder G.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-574761130445144692012-04-09T15:35:00.000-07:002012-04-09T15:35:17.742-07:00Letter from March 26, 2012Boy what<strike></strike>s going on. I didn't think we would be writing today because<br />
today is some Hawaiian holiday, but we have the family history center<br />
so we got to write. <br />
<br />
So this week was kind of a down week for us, not a lot happened and<br />
everything was pretty slow. We had interviews with President and<br />
Sister Dalton and that was really good. It's always good to see them I<br />
love them so much. Definitely two of my favorite people that I have<br />
ever met, they are amazing. We had some good talks. <br />
<br />
This Sunday we put on an awesome Musical Fireside. We taught the Restoration of the<br />
Gospel through music. It was unreal and there was choke people there.<br />
President and Sister Dalton flew over from Oahu to speak, it was<br />
solid. We had a whole choir of non members singing so that was really<br />
special for them and now they want 20 Hawaiian copies of the Book of Mormon! The<br />
work here in Maui is progressing, we are going to end up with 14<br />
baptisms for the month of March, and we are stacking up for April to<br />
hit our high water mark of 18. Maui has never seen that many baptisms<br />
in 1 month so that's our goal. I know we can do it, our zone is money<br />
so it'll be legit. We already have 15 scheduled so we are well on our<br />
way. As for our investigators, we are at a stand still with Robert and<br />
Amanda, so pray for them!<br />
<br />
That's all I got for now, I can't believe it's 22 months today,<br />
unreal. I love you and thanks so much for all that you have done this<br />
week in helping me out with school and what not, it's very comforting<br />
knowing someone at home is there to love and support and help. <br />
<br />
LOVE YOU! Elder GAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-76283904514942019782012-03-13T15:48:00.002-07:002012-03-13T16:31:35.545-07:00Aloha! March 13, 2012<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioq5vazkhyphenhyphenQ6XH2ag7sLvOIWhwG3obUqUeqggbP5cUz09sXMUN0w7BXLP9qGL6XDgor_Z7eeiRQAfODFH28_B4bhvlrfmE0GCw773shvh0yu2xz-VpQ8y5hWXRb_Ej1NagznJlkNpGc0/s1600/Baptism+of+Tess++Maui+February.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjioq5vazkhyphenhyphenQ6XH2ag7sLvOIWhwG3obUqUeqggbP5cUz09sXMUN0w7BXLP9qGL6XDgor_Z7eeiRQAfODFH28_B4bhvlrfmE0GCw773shvh0yu2xz-VpQ8y5hWXRb_Ej1NagznJlkNpGc0/s320/Baptism+of+Tess++Maui+February.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elder Porter, Tess, Boobie, Elder G. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>Tess's baptism back in February. Her husband, Boobie baptized her! It was awesome!<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Whats up there my dear mother! Sorry about not writing yesterday,<br />
things got crazy and we were at ZLC. We had a good ZLC, a lot of good<br />
revelation and things talking about how to move the needle in the<br />
mission to baptize more. It's crazy to think that E. Stelter & I are<br />
the oldest missionaries in there and the rest are all younger than us.<br />
My companion now has only been out for 6 months so we picked him up<br />
from the airport, it's pretty cool. I like him a lot, he is going to<br />
be a good companion to die with.<br />
<br />
So our baptism this past weekend for A.... didn't go through, we are<br />
having trouble being able to teach her. She is solid and comes to<br />
church a lot, it's been a struggle teaching her tho because of things<br />
in the home, so she will be baptized, just not sure when. But we do<br />
have Tasha's baptism this Saturday! I can't wait, she is money. Of all<br />
the people on my mission that I have been able to see baptized, she is<br />
one of the most prepared. She is right along the lines with the Jays,<br />
so she is awesome! I'll send you pics, it'll be good.<br />
<br />
So this weekend was nuts. But, all is good now. I think I have heard it all on<br />
my mission, Some crazy things have happened in Maui. But, we are going to see a<br />
lot of baptisms this month, we have already have 8 and we have<br />
12 more scheduled, if we get 18 we will set the record for the most<br />
Maui has ever seen in one month, so that's the goal. I am loving life,<br />
love the mission, love you! Sorry so short. Thanks for everything!<br />
<br />
Love you all, Elder G.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96bC5eQDRYN5oH6uuIji5ZMx17q3A8QjX3nSP33S2-w8rPdaifpEJ6Jm4CyhlItB-ftwXwkIqy8gsep4km5wmLwmuvNKEDSrhq9NJKFVl3I3xNDcV5A7lf3aW1XkqcGvnI9hyz0mWTVU/s1600/Elder+G.+and+Sister+C.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj96bC5eQDRYN5oH6uuIji5ZMx17q3A8QjX3nSP33S2-w8rPdaifpEJ6Jm4CyhlItB-ftwXwkIqy8gsep4km5wmLwmuvNKEDSrhq9NJKFVl3I3xNDcV5A7lf3aW1XkqcGvnI9hyz0mWTVU/s320/Elder+G.+and+Sister+C.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Guess who I met yesterday? Happened to run into Sister Duke! Awesome to see a good friend from home! </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-31491956042853845882012-03-13T15:43:00.000-07:002012-03-13T15:43:46.228-07:00ALOHA FROM MAUI...March 10, 2012Well this has been a good week. It was transfer week and I found out<br />
that Elder Porter is leaving and I will be getting a new companion. It<br />
wasn't much of a suprise, I was pretty sure of it. My new companion is<br />
Elder Carrel and he is a young missionary but we are a lot a like so I<br />
can't wait. He will be a good missionary for my last companion, it's<br />
crazy that I am on my last companion. He is from Philadelphia, but<br />
lived in Utah for a while. We will have a good time together and have<br />
a lot of success.<br />
<br />
So yep Christi comes out here this week, they get here on Tuesday. I<br />
know she won't be on Maui because we have gotten the list of who is<br />
coming to our zone, but it didn't take a wise guy to figure that one<br />
out .But anywho, yeah she might actually start in my first wards,<br />
Kahala & Hawaii Kai.<br />
<br />
I love President Dalton. All the brethren, man I tell you what, they have<br />
a sense of humor that is like nothing else. You guys are going to love<br />
him and his wife, I miss them a lot.<br />
<br />
As for us, this week has been pretty good. It's weird, the weeks just<br />
combine together and I don't ever remember what happens from week to<br />
week. We had some awesome lessons with Tasha, she had her baptism<br />
interview yesterday and she is ready to rock, she is the best! Man her<br />
testimony is so solid, and at one of our lessons she said the closing<br />
prayer. Probably the most sincere prayer I have ever heard, it was<br />
great. She will have a ton of people at her baptism, it'll be good.<br />
<br />
Saturday was legit, Hana had a baptism so we were able to go out<br />
there. The branch over there is the best, they are all so local and so<br />
loving, and they were so happy to see us come out there because they<br />
haven't seen elders up there in a long time. The drive was beautiful<br />
as always. We had to drive back in the night and that was pretty<br />
crazy, but I was driving so come on nothing too worry about! Haha jk<br />
it was actually a better drive because no one was on the road so it<br />
was quick. It was a great day.<br />
<br />
Well anywho I am just rambling on, nothing much to talk about. Hope<br />
all is well back home, love you all! Thanks for everything!<br />
<br />
Love, Elder G.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-77459125488271044742012-02-28T07:06:00.002-08:002012-02-28T14:00:11.515-08:00February 27, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3da39hwAaANmnU0czoDhkvOeQX5CCiVyExa5NW7UcJGzUXt_UW-3SUukQL_4fvJd6rbIJ1qcLjo13O4fR7JJ74Lcj1tyJycdy5gnI2JbdEVb6ul8lTVon173G5QO-y2qGbMl8lWfBXM8/s1600/642.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3da39hwAaANmnU0czoDhkvOeQX5CCiVyExa5NW7UcJGzUXt_UW-3SUukQL_4fvJd6rbIJ1qcLjo13O4fR7JJ74Lcj1tyJycdy5gnI2JbdEVb6ul8lTVon173G5QO-y2qGbMl8lWfBXM8/s320/642.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Baptism in October<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbv5wzk_pLFvj08QC4Uy9VOpqIFCh-iUCcR7t9QqsZ8EnkYcjLP-K75EjALfTu_taITEwVXJ5pZV19pfvxy-7JweFo5DuyuJP3kDe58JNUMUqgXXdCpRKm6r_ZkHiyLbKnFoJzh-XNPg/s1600/DSCN0271.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLbv5wzk_pLFvj08QC4Uy9VOpqIFCh-iUCcR7t9QqsZ8EnkYcjLP-K75EjALfTu_taITEwVXJ5pZV19pfvxy-7JweFo5DuyuJP3kDe58JNUMUqgXXdCpRKm6r_ZkHiyLbKnFoJzh-XNPg/s320/DSCN0271.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZReVGkZkVm1rP9ifXAoXVzKkGJ5L7Jrcf3klQVkQbcDRILVJkdbvxNoC3c7mTR7vHtywWFYMNsRFmbX63_DN0ToW15t8L-eWJTxPu5lbGNSIL8zB7Rf6Tq448AIf_gbKYuDWPTlv1c0/s1600/DSCN0285.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZReVGkZkVm1rP9ifXAoXVzKkGJ5L7Jrcf3klQVkQbcDRILVJkdbvxNoC3c7mTR7vHtywWFYMNsRFmbX63_DN0ToW15t8L-eWJTxPu5lbGNSIL8zB7Rf6Tq448AIf_gbKYuDWPTlv1c0/s320/DSCN0285.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gVfF8-KuAoDpRcfHq3Y9FpwX5B2ory_8umhyphenhyphen4OFfQVjHM8kFjrM2hYa0V6tIbsa7_6BEI-geFzKbi4B79_qYe3G34RgrsGwlme5VTXUsa_pdPM897o-VRSWUZpWS4j5V38qFEz_mY4c/s1600/DSCN0284.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_gVfF8-KuAoDpRcfHq3Y9FpwX5B2ory_8umhyphenhyphen4OFfQVjHM8kFjrM2hYa0V6tIbsa7_6BEI-geFzKbi4B79_qYe3G34RgrsGwlme5VTXUsa_pdPM897o-VRSWUZpWS4j5V38qFEz_mY4c/s320/DSCN0284.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Zone Conferences in December<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLu1qPJoqUsPpsTAGb7N226ucFjhyI-sXUqyzyoTSLtF6LhIRTHyWjtXeWQedP8V3p_VoxNqE_0lVRNoObmbpaxOSHxKIcAXIpj6HR_FJ3YsJBc_9Q46H67lB11-ybq4FIrldkdd9_GE/s1600/DSCN0273.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjLu1qPJoqUsPpsTAGb7N226ucFjhyI-sXUqyzyoTSLtF6LhIRTHyWjtXeWQedP8V3p_VoxNqE_0lVRNoObmbpaxOSHxKIcAXIpj6HR_FJ3YsJBc_9Q46H67lB11-ybq4FIrldkdd9_GE/s320/DSCN0273.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRnFkmXGreAy6jZWJO1B5WWkvLWoFIh665UqXltYw4mq0J_KyBrM2LX0Qo5ZBUPPeKjwEINm4et7UvLiLuWWy20Veu09KRPZMiOE4OjNFGu4jlCBSMT7gkpzt9fjByn-zApynf5zZs1Q/s1600/DSCN0275.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsRnFkmXGreAy6jZWJO1B5WWkvLWoFIh665UqXltYw4mq0J_KyBrM2LX0Qo5ZBUPPeKjwEINm4et7UvLiLuWWy20Veu09KRPZMiOE4OjNFGu4jlCBSMT7gkpzt9fjByn-zApynf5zZs1Q/s320/DSCN0275.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><br />
<br />
So this week was pretty good, not a lot happened. Some crazy stuff has<br />
gone down on Maui, but it's all good now so there is nothing to worry about.<br />
<br />
We had a lesson with Tasha a couple times this week and she is so<br />
solid! She set her date for baptism on the 17th so I can't wait! It's<br />
going to be amazing! The ward is in such support of her, her husband<br />
is so happy and they have already talked about being sealed in the Temple.<br />
<br />
We talked to Amanda as well, we have a lesson with her tonight. We are<br />
shooting for the 10th for her baptism, but we might have to push it<br />
back. She is super busy with volleyball, traveling all over the place.<br />
She is a great person. All of our investigaotrs are so solid, we don't have any concerns,<br />
it's been such a blessing serving here in Hawaii in all my areas.<br />
<br />
So I have gained a stronger testimony on the power of prayer. This<br />
week in our Ward Council meeting, I saw something that I haven't seen<br />
happen my whole mission. As a WC, we all got one our knees and prayed<br />
for names ready to receive the Gospel and be on the 15 names list.<br />
Well after that, everyone felt inspired of who they were going to<br />
invite, and committed to inviting them. Within 4 hours we already had<br />
2 people that we prayed about say yes, it was insane. If you were a<br />
missionary, you would understand how cool this is because it never<br />
happens! It was just a strong testimony of how important prayer is in<br />
everything that you do. I know it's true, and I know its the way we<br />
communicate with our Father in Heaven.<br />
<br />
Hope all is well, Sunday is when we find out transfers. I hope to be on Maui for the rest of my<br />
mission, but I don't know what will happen with Elder Porter, but we will see next week. Hope all is<br />
well back home, love you all! <br />
<br />
Elder G.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-42906162338204835602012-02-27T15:49:00.000-08:002012-02-27T15:49:40.883-08:00Post for February 20, 2012 (I'm trying to catch up!)<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well this week has been a good one for us once again! We had some good</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">lessons with Tasha who is getting baptized on the 3rd, and Amanda</span><br />
<span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> who decided to get baptized on the 10th! They are both so</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">solid and really are the best people in the World. Maui is rocking it</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">right now. We have had 6 baptisms the past 2 weekends, and we have 20</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">with a date for March and definitely more that will come! I love this</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">place, it is so sweet! We have an awesome zone, everyone gets along</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">really well and loves each other.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Last Tuesday we had our zone conference which was excellent! It was</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">nice not know what was going to be said in zone conference haha, it</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">was good to get a suprise. I was happy to see President and Sister</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Dalton again, they are the best! I love those people so much, they</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">truly are the definition of a disciple of Jesus Christ. The</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">assistants' are the best, they trained on us the use of time and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">taking the mission to the next level. President went hard on the</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">importance of obedience, and went deeper into the reasons why we are</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">obedient and the blessings behind it and how those blessings have to</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">come if we are obedient. It was super good, I wish I had it recorded.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Other than that, the week was awesome. We had Molokai and Lanai</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">staying at our pad on Tuesday night after zone conference so that was</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ridiculous. Had some cool experiences together with all of them. One</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of the Tongan elders told me his conversion story, it was amazing.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This zone is something else, one of the best zones that I have ever served in,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I love it. The work is good. We are going to Kihei today, playing</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> volleyball, horseshoes and rugby, it'll be legit. Hope all is</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">well back home, sounds like everyone is doing well. I love you all!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">G MONEY OUT!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-66911039014749817362012-02-19T23:09:00.000-08:002012-02-19T23:09:29.013-08:00Wow! February 13, 2012Boy it's been a while since I have written and a lot has happened<br />
since then! First and foremost, I am in Maui now baby! I love this<br />
place, its sweet. I am in the Waiehu ward and the Kamehameha Singles<br />
Branch. My companion is Elder Porter, I am super stoked to be back<br />
with him! He is the man and we have been having great success over<br />
here. This ward has a lot of Hawaiians, so everyone is really local,<br />
way laid back and chill. It's a nice change from being in town for the<br />
last 8 months, so I'm loving life.<br />
<br />
We started off with the first Saturday (the 29th) I was here we had a<br />
baptism! His name was Chris and he just got here from Guam. He came to<br />
live with his uncle and family who are all active members in the<br />
church. Chris is Chuukese and so he hasn't been able to get into<br />
school yet, so every morning he wakes up for seminary at 6 and then<br />
that's all he is able to do. He is super cool. The first lesson that I<br />
had with him was the plan of salvation and it was cool to see the<br />
change in him as we taught him the purpose of life. He opened up<br />
really quick, and at the end of the lesson he said I know this is<br />
true. Chris comes to church everyweek, has gotten the Priesthood and<br />
has an active part in the ward!<br />
<br />
This past week has really been a week of miracles. So we have been<br />
teaching this family, Tess and Boobie. Boobie is a member, he got<br />
baptized in Utah and his wife Tess is not a member. All they need to<br />
do is get married and then she can get baptized. Well on Wednesday<br />
morning we got a call from Tess telling us that Bishop is going to<br />
marry them that night! So that night we were able to sit in Bishop's<br />
office as they got married, it was pretty cool! After that, they said<br />
"3 PM this Saturday?" So yesterday they got baptized. We gave Boobie<br />
the priesthood on Friday night, that way on Saturday morning he was<br />
able to baptize his wonderful wife. It was so cool. They are the best.<br />
They said that now they decided to do this, they are going 100<br />
percent! On Friday night at our lesson, they were already looking at<br />
2013 dates of when they would be able to get sealed. It was something<br />
else, super powerful!<br />
<br />
We had another miracle last night. One of our members set up a lesson<br />
for us for a family that have been coming to church for a while. The<br />
husband is a member, and the wife is the one investigating the church.<br />
She has been taught one lesson, so we were giving her the second<br />
lesson. Her husband, and the 2 other fellowshippers at the lesson were<br />
all converts. What we taught yesterday was the Gospel of Jesus Christ.<br />
We started off with a mormon message by Elder Holland, and that played<br />
right into faith, repentance and baptism. That brought the Spirit so<br />
strongly and really made the lesson I think. Those mormon messages are<br />
the BOMB! So anywho, the lesson was probably one of the most spiritual<br />
lessons I have ever been a part of. She bore one of the most powerful<br />
testimonies on prayer that I have ever heard from a nonmember. There<br />
wasn't a dry eye in the room. As we got to baptism, we asked one of<br />
the fellowshippers how being baptized has helped him in his life. He<br />
gave a great answer, but the best thing he said was the last<br />
statement. He said "I have done a lot of things in my life, but the<br />
best thing I have ever done was getting baptized." I honestly haven't<br />
felt the Spirit that strong in a very long time. It was amazing. Right<br />
after that we invited her to be baptized and she said I will<br />
absolutely be baptized! So needless to say she will be getting<br />
baptized on the 4th. The husband was so happy, and you can tell he has<br />
been waiting for this. I have learned so much on my mission. I have<br />
learned how important it is to be bold and just invite people. Who<br />
cares. Most the time, they are just waiting for you to ask them! She<br />
has been taught for a while, and I know tonight's lesson played a big<br />
role in her decision, but I can't believe she wasn't invited before.<br />
That is what the mission is all about. That was so cool! I have never<br />
felt so good after a lesson as I did after that one. She is so solid!<br />
<br />
That is kind of the exciting things that have happened the past 3<br />
weeks since I haven't written. Last week we went to Lanai and did a<br />
baptismal interview. That was way sweet, we took the early ferry ride<br />
over and saw a ton of whales! Man whales are definitely my favorite<br />
animals. We saw probably 20 or so, and at one point we were like 20<br />
feet away from one so we had to turn of the ferry and stuff. That was<br />
neat. Lanai was cool, but it rained like mad! We were all soaking wet!<br />
It was a lot of fun.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeL9xeNMC77shskpasPUkbYdlUX-0jle1BlqxxN1K6tB7DBuE8wRyC-_taTvNPsMXhIIhIO3Rwn9C7AEPAY38k_20BIgQkeHdK0AsirSTqOkgTnCSowPxocqF4Zi_QL79HjGcP03ubj0/s1600/IMG_1462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxeL9xeNMC77shskpasPUkbYdlUX-0jle1BlqxxN1K6tB7DBuE8wRyC-_taTvNPsMXhIIhIO3Rwn9C7AEPAY38k_20BIgQkeHdK0AsirSTqOkgTnCSowPxocqF4Zi_QL79HjGcP03ubj0/s320/IMG_1462.jpg" width="320" yda="true" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A couple weeks ago we were on Big Island doing all the interviews and<br />
that was super fun! We basically saw every part of the island, man<br />
that place is so different! You can go from hot desert to cold climate<br />
super fast! We went to the Southmost point of the United States, that<br />
was cool! I wanted to jump off the cliff but President wouldn't let<br />
me. In the future! We also saw the volcano, that's pretty cool to say<br />
I've seen an active volcano. It was a lot of fun. It was awesome being<br />
able to serve around President and Sister Dalton. I just want you all<br />
to know how much I love them and how much of an impact they have made<br />
in my life. They will forever be my second parents. They shaped me to<br />
become a much better person, and taught me so much not only about the<br />
Gospel but life in general. It was hard to say bye to them, even though I<br />
wasn't even leaving the mission. That right there is a testimony to me<br />
of how true this work is. You have a couple like that, who leave their<br />
kids and grandkids, and serve 100 percent each and everyday for 3<br />
years. It's unreal, they are the best people ever, I love them so<br />
much!</div><br />
Well that's about all I got, hope all is well. I love you all, thanks<br />
for everything! Oh just a congrats to Ethan, just found out that you<br />
get home tomorrow. Well done my friend, thanks for serving the Lord<br />
for 2 years. Cant wait to get back home and ball it up again. <br />
Love you<br />
man!<br />
Elder G.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-24051104683857019272012-01-10T00:35:00.000-08:002012-01-10T00:35:20.889-08:00The Real January 9, 2012 letter!Well I felt like I should give everyone an update on such a<br />
spectacular week, probably the most insane but rewarding week of my<br />
mission, it was unreal!<br />
<br />
So first off, President decided that he wanted us to go on interviews<br />
with him so we will be doing a lot of traveling the next couple weeks.<br />
This past Tuesday we were on Kauai, oh blessed Kauai that place is so<br />
pretty. The missionaries over there are always so happy and there is a<br />
reason why. I went out on exchanges with Elder Ence and Elder Taylor,<br />
I love them so much. Superb elders and I learned a lot from them. We<br />
had a really good time.<br />
<br />
On Wednesday night I saw one of the biggest miracles of my whole life.<br />
The family we found last week is unbelievable. So prepared and elect!<br />
We went by to see them and only the Mom was home. She said it was<br />
perfect timing, she barely walked in the door. Elder Menlove and I<br />
weren't going to visit her because the next day we had to wake up at<br />
4:30, so we were just going to go to bed but we decided to go see her.<br />
This was probably the best lesson I have ever been a part of! The<br />
Spirit was so strong, it was unreal! I have never felt it so strong.<br />
She just started asking us questions like "how can I be less angry in<br />
life, how can I become a better parent, how can I feel what I feel<br />
with you all the time!" You'd think I was lying but she is for real.<br />
We taught her about the Holy Ghost and how she can have it and then<br />
invited her to be baptized and she said "I'd love to, I'll pray about<br />
it tonight!" Unbelievable, she is so amazing! I have never met anyone<br />
else more prepared in my life. She told us her New Year's resolution is<br />
to come closer to God. I kid you not, this is for real, I am not just<br />
trying to liven up my emails!! Haha this was a mission changer for me,<br />
big rejuvination. Her daughter she said "seriously wants to consider<br />
this church" so there will be many that follow in her footsteps. She<br />
showed up to church on Sunday and loved testimony meeting. I have<br />
never been so happy in my whole life, this was one of the coolest<br />
experiences ever. I have learned that if you do what's right, the Lord<br />
will put people in your path to change and shape you. I love this<br />
family so much!<br />
<br />
The rest of the week was interviews for us. We were on 4 different<br />
islands on Thursday, there are some cool islands over in the Maui<br />
zone. That's the excitement for the week. I hope all is well with you,<br />
may the Lord bless each and everyone of you. My favorite quote this<br />
week came from President Dalton, he said the purpose of a mission "is<br />
to prepare the Hawaiian islands and build the Kingdom here, to hand<br />
back to the Savior at the Second Coming." If that doesn't touch you, I<br />
don't know what does. <br />
<br />
Love you all!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-86918430456514494302012-01-09T22:16:00.000-08:002012-01-09T22:16:36.348-08:00January 2, 2012 Late posting this! Busy week!Well Happy New Year to all!<br />
<br />
This year wasn't nearly as big as last year.<br />
Everything was banned starting this year, so it was harder for people<br />
to pop fireworks. I mean people did and it was still loud, but last<br />
year was unreal. It was fun for us, the Honolulu Zone all went to the<br />
institute, hung out and ate. We got to stay up late, the only time the<br />
whole mission, so that was nice. It was a good year, 2011 was a big<br />
one. Looking forward to 2012, a lot of good stuff will happen!<br />
<br />
So we had a couple of huge miracles this week, it was awesome! First<br />
off, we found a new family to teach! About 1 month ago we were walking<br />
around and we talked to this lady who had a baby. She was probably 23<br />
or so, and we just small talked and then asked if we could come over.<br />
She told us where she lived and said come over whenever. Well that was<br />
right during zone conference and stuff so we were super busy and never<br />
had a chance to make it over to her house. We always talked about her<br />
and how cool she was and that we needed to see her, but never did.<br />
Well on Thursday we a little time to go out to our area and we were<br />
like let's go see her. So it was like 630, we had dinner at 7 so we<br />
decided we would stop by. We parked and starting walking toward to her<br />
house. A truck drove by, and when we met her she was driving a truck.<br />
Elder Menlove & I looked at each other and were like was that her? But<br />
we weren't sure. We got to her house and then we look behind us and<br />
the truck is reversing toward us! She rolled the window down and was<br />
like "hey I was the one you met in Pololo, I have to go pick someone<br />
up but come back in like an hour." <br />
<br />
So we went back that night and the family is so sick!!! Man they are the best. The Mom, the girl we met and her sister were super interested. It was funny, her sister in 19<br />
and we were telling her what we don't do as missionaries and her eyes<br />
were getting bigger and bigger. Her facial expressions were priceless,<br />
we were laughing our heads off! The Mom was amazing, they know about<br />
the Church, and have some extended family that are members. She was<br />
golden man, telling us about how she wish she grew up as a member and<br />
what not. We answered a lot of questions and then taught the<br />
Restoration. It was so tight!! This was one of the biggest miracles of<br />
my whole mission. I guarantee they will be baptized. Elder Menlove and<br />
I love them so much, they are family already! So many things came<br />
togther at the exact right time. We had extra time, we had dinner in<br />
that area at 7, we parked right as she was driving away, so much. Oh<br />
and even more, they were going to go out and eat as a family but they<br />
saw us and said they would stay home. UNREAL! Take all these so called<br />
"coincidences" and that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ, full of<br />
miracles. I love this work man, this was one of the happiest days of<br />
my whole mission. We are going to see many miracles happen with these<br />
amazing people. We also have found a couple other people that are<br />
super cool and we will continue to work with, it's going to be a good<br />
month!<br />
<br />
All is well out here, I love you all! May the Lord bless each one of<br />
you as you begin this year of 2012!<br />
Elder G OUT!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-91615160581409423452011-12-06T13:58:00.000-08:002011-12-12T20:23:04.216-08:00YM doing the Haka<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dx8uuW5567EeKuQkvgtDWGgvYrgVrbxF8vRqayLzrsvjuV4s6ZaPiGE_B-tIj8NhxnkLHv-jsaEJiMzDQmccQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Love to see the YM do the Haka! These are some YM in Jordan's area that said he could make a clip of them doing the haka. Fun to see the traditions!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-63689047174599617102011-12-06T13:15:00.000-08:002011-12-12T20:23:35.728-08:00December 6, 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb61EfP5QA924NiejzLO9N_9Lc-TWq0FmecPIkOBr5uKaKx-fM6pDYbuzGGH_hYjkyoGZZ_nYu8Mr-3HcgWYHXwntKEYISBc03bVfLcr71NMk8Xuk8eG4QuOhc3sbcsCuHWYPBioFoT8/s1600/Grillin%2527+with+Elder+Moala.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIb61EfP5QA924NiejzLO9N_9Lc-TWq0FmecPIkOBr5uKaKx-fM6pDYbuzGGH_hYjkyoGZZ_nYu8Mr-3HcgWYHXwntKEYISBc03bVfLcr71NMk8Xuk8eG4QuOhc3sbcsCuHWYPBioFoT8/s320/Grillin%2527+with+Elder+Moala.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><i>A few pics that are a glimpse into his life as an AP. He loves meeting all the missionaries in the zones, loves their testimonies and their friendships! So hard sending his friends home! He also is a huge fan of President Dalton. I know you've all read many times how much he admires and loves this great mission president of his and his wife! They have had a great influence for good in his life! Cooking is not his favorite thing to do, but he's learning! </i><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXUIEyfKyx8ugkXpDO1gP4NPquxMqHCA2h7EP3JEFcjj28VGXG_I9ohHo-CfKNE5pIqHJI1mKokKfINZq1TNN-yhSpQgobZdGy6NGEAP81jCvruq6hyABtijgv8lAX5g8tm9rNUcf5PU/s1600/Elder+Street+and+others+headed+home.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwXUIEyfKyx8ugkXpDO1gP4NPquxMqHCA2h7EP3JEFcjj28VGXG_I9ohHo-CfKNE5pIqHJI1mKokKfINZq1TNN-yhSpQgobZdGy6NGEAP81jCvruq6hyABtijgv8lAX5g8tm9rNUcf5PU/s320/Elder+Street+and+others+headed+home.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Grillin' with Elder Moala<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ50T5D-b-pvF3aY9uS42U5Ps9rkqlVpHWTbqktzqLqHz6XxzRszjfbKk-M0Uh6lQ-s06qbzf-t7XSDJWSgs9GVxcwS0UuDR9491CpX0tRh5V1Jyes8SSfFlcnAkqLp8JfO849Lyi9CaI/s1600/Elders+Stelter%252C+Gary%252C+Sa%2527u%252C+Behymer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ50T5D-b-pvF3aY9uS42U5Ps9rkqlVpHWTbqktzqLqHz6XxzRszjfbKk-M0Uh6lQ-s06qbzf-t7XSDJWSgs9GVxcwS0UuDR9491CpX0tRh5V1Jyes8SSfFlcnAkqLp8JfO849Lyi9CaI/s320/Elders+Stelter%252C+Gary%252C+Sa%2527u%252C+Behymer.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Elder Street (right) and others headed home<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zfnN7MgyngtTSSJQcbBUwpEQ9WdCJcxmG6993xg0IUyICpJTZtUavM9oksUKHY_oIpW52TeEh44H7LHXGDn4cg4SRJ-tZrEoyUScb9IrvMO3xol7vmURJ7xn9RYzAte-BtKvd1kblMM/s1600/Headed+home+Sept+2011+with+Pres+and+Sis+Dalton.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_zfnN7MgyngtTSSJQcbBUwpEQ9WdCJcxmG6993xg0IUyICpJTZtUavM9oksUKHY_oIpW52TeEh44H7LHXGDn4cg4SRJ-tZrEoyUScb9IrvMO3xol7vmURJ7xn9RYzAte-BtKvd1kblMM/s320/Headed+home+Sept+2011+with+Pres+and+Sis+Dalton.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Elders Stelter, Gary, Sa'u, Behymer<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxV9telVUBirqXdzIRiYRGFk732UeBu5Pw_U1HKu4AAI2zpQ6B932_xJoJA-vq99e9Xyo4MW5Wm1KHWPsx9rezH9O5swH1FWkLNN76qpBm1vX5P6S8hpzTB96v7JUZ0iu3pE5WYDK8dLM/s1600/President+Dalton-Birthday.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxV9telVUBirqXdzIRiYRGFk732UeBu5Pw_U1HKu4AAI2zpQ6B932_xJoJA-vq99e9Xyo4MW5Wm1KHWPsx9rezH9O5swH1FWkLNN76qpBm1vX5P6S8hpzTB96v7JUZ0iu3pE5WYDK8dLM/s320/President+Dalton-Birthday.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> Group headed home with Pres. and Sis Dalton (on the ends)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusbvU24rej6qE3UXIigYUoUyhBO1J40OogT7C1556mDnTroafIu9oC3-28Emcpmwa6WT_qNRWZWBoQRi2XH90XeFnsqIlehLRZkha6CsM6udqwbVQgX5MKHih1xdlHe2F5qm20PV4eHs/s1600/With+Elder+Griffin.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgusbvU24rej6qE3UXIigYUoUyhBO1J40OogT7C1556mDnTroafIu9oC3-28Emcpmwa6WT_qNRWZWBoQRi2XH90XeFnsqIlehLRZkha6CsM6udqwbVQgX5MKHih1xdlHe2F5qm20PV4eHs/s320/With+Elder+Griffin.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> President Dalton (on his birthday!)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNGWMjfCJN_TJOdbNn0KK3GaO_s6SCpLfr6_eltTBp9GmiiOD7VDw5e4tl_p6l2HK75Xita1ffd-CRC_jr_o1kRCbiYat_lPgryeRIjTNY9Vr3mURbMvjaKp_SYvkiBSXVO2th2Sus1w/s1600/With+Elder+Stelter+and+VC+sister+missionaries.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFNGWMjfCJN_TJOdbNn0KK3GaO_s6SCpLfr6_eltTBp9GmiiOD7VDw5e4tl_p6l2HK75Xita1ffd-CRC_jr_o1kRCbiYat_lPgryeRIjTNY9Vr3mURbMvjaKp_SYvkiBSXVO2th2Sus1w/s320/With+Elder+Stelter+and+VC+sister+missionaries.JPG" width="320" /></a></div> With Elder Griffin<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHU1eo_2oIdp6S-Cdyb6jIyDPTS-8l7C_5O_tFd696rPcAgC1gPdBGCoDbvycwuGH_tA-jZ0wosXSd9q2vf92KFf704l73qAagipjQCuOs61UpSk5xeUy8jiGXOuCJxiZlkfdekVfL3Q/s1600/With+Elders+Hatch+and+Porter.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWHU1eo_2oIdp6S-Cdyb6jIyDPTS-8l7C_5O_tFd696rPcAgC1gPdBGCoDbvycwuGH_tA-jZ0wosXSd9q2vf92KFf704l73qAagipjQCuOs61UpSk5xeUy8jiGXOuCJxiZlkfdekVfL3Q/s320/With+Elders+Hatch+and+Porter.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>With Elder Stelter and VC sisters!<br />
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With Elders Hatch and Porter Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-70902951572115926302011-12-06T12:38:00.000-08:002011-12-06T12:38:26.650-08:00ALOHA!!!!!!!!!!! December 6, 2011Boy whats going on! Sounds like it has been a pretty good week, we<br />
have had a good but crazy week. Best of all the Cougars came over here<br />
and stomped on Hawaii so that's always good news! All the UH fans were<br />
not happy about that, but I made sure they heard about it because they<br />
sure we letting me know about it before the game! Haha nah I didn't<br />
even know BYU won until the next day, you kind of forget about all<br />
that stuff on the mission.<br />
<br />
So we started Christmas Zone Conference this week and boy is it a good<br />
one! Man I tell you what if I could go to a Zone Conference everyday I<br />
would be set for life, especially one completely centered on our<br />
Savior Jesus Christ. We didn't do much training so that's always a<br />
good thing. All the Zone Leaders give a training about the Doctrine of<br />
Christ and what not, super spiritual. Every single one is different<br />
but so good. I have never felt so good after a zone conference than I<br />
did on Tuesday. Wow my boy Elder Smith and his companion Elder Ence<br />
gave one of the best trainings on the Atonement. It was about his<br />
suffering, death and resurrection. They hit it all and it was just a<br />
very spiritual time. We all bore testimony of that great event, it was<br />
really cool. During Christmas Zone Conference it's always a treat<br />
because you get to watch a movie. This year we are watching 17<br />
Miracles. If you haven't seen that, I would highly recommend watching<br />
it. Unreal show, super sad though. That movie is the reason I am serving<br />
a mission. That is the reason I gave up 2 years of my life, because<br />
they gave up SO MUCH more. It's just a testimony to me of the<br />
truthfulness of the Gospel. That is a solid movie, seen it 3 times and<br />
we have 4 more to go and I am going to watch it every time, good<br />
stuff.<br />
<br />
So after 3 transfers of being with my boy Elder Stelter, he is being<br />
released and an assistant. It'll be hard, he was a phenomenal<br />
companion that taught me so much. I know that the Lord put me with him<br />
simply to learn, to grow and learn. He taught me so much about being a<br />
good missionary. I am so grateful that the Lord continually surrounds<br />
me with great people. All my companions and the people I have served<br />
with teach me. It's a wonderful experience and something I am very<br />
grateful to my Father in Heaven for. My new companion is Elder<br />
Menlove. Elder Menlove is so solid, we have served around each other<br />
for a while now and he is another one, greatness surrounding me. We<br />
are going to have a lot of fun together.<br />
<br />
All is well, life is good, I love you all! I hope all is going well,<br />
stay in touch, I'd love to hear how your holiday seasons are going. I<br />
miss you all, I thank you all for everything that you do for me! My<br />
prayers are with you, may the Lord bless you during this wonderful<br />
holiday season!<div><br />
</div><div>Love to all,</div><div>Elder G. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-16850797864370116532011-11-30T13:48:00.000-08:002011-11-30T13:48:08.566-08:0011/18/2011 SC Village part 2<iframe width="459" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2sXyA_OrXqY?fs=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><div>Oh to be out on a paintball field again! It's very exciting! We love to watch our team! </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-74377343318521572382011-11-30T13:42:00.000-08:002011-11-30T20:42:33.672-08:0011/18/2011 SC Village--If you know Jordan, you know he loves paintball--this is a clip from one of his teammates, Ethan, who is serving his mission in CA. Their team played several times on this field, long before their missions! Jordan is going to be sooooo jealous of Ethan! haahaha!<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/zIAphTqlvrs?fs=1" width="459"></iframe>Some weird clips pop up after this one is played. Just close out of them! I don't know how to stop them from coming up at the end. I'm sure there's a way!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-64410310416991915502011-11-30T12:53:00.000-08:002011-11-30T12:53:46.961-08:00ALOHA!!! November 29, 2011This week has been a good week, a lot of preparation<br />
for the upcoming zone conferences and a lot of eating!<br />
<br />
So for Zone Conferences (the first one was today and we have more all<br />
this week and next) we developed a new personal study program for the<br />
missionaries to guide their studies, it's friggin sweet! It was<br />
actually developed a year ago and Elder Stelter and I have put the<br />
finishing touches on it. It has us read all the standard works, PMG,<br />
and all the missionary library. It's been very time consuming for us<br />
tho because we have had to cut and bind them all. Also we made a<br />
baptism DVD for this year and it is sweet! It has so many good<br />
pictures and is very spiritual. So needless to say that is what we<br />
have been doing this week, it's been a great learning process and<br />
pretty fun actually, learning a lot of different skills!<br />
<br />
Thanksgiving was solid! First off we had the Turkey Bowl with our ward<br />
and Hawaii Kai ward (my second area) so it was fun playing with all of<br />
them. Little did they know Elder G can play a little QB! Ha it was<br />
super fun, President came out and just had a good morning. Than we had<br />
2 dinners and it was outrageous how much food there was. The first<br />
house we ate at had a ham, 2 turkeys and a pig! Unreal it was so good.<br />
We get taken care of so well out here. I love these members and people<br />
in Hawaii. Nicest people in the World.<br />
<br />
So other than we just geared up for zone conference. Had the first on<br />
Kauai today and it was the best one I have ever been a part of.<br />
Goodnight, I was crying the whole time. Focused completely on the<br />
Savior, there were so many good talks and trainings. We watched that<br />
new movie, The17 Miracles, about the pioneer handcart company, that is one<br />
I want to give out to people and say this is why I am out here because<br />
of what they went through. If you haven't seen it, you better watch it,<br />
unreal! But anywho, I am just rambling.<div><br />
</div><div> All is well in Zion, life is<br />
good, I am loving the mission and everything about it. Love you guys!</div><div>Elder G</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-46540573619763909182011-11-29T14:50:00.000-08:002011-12-06T13:22:27.516-08:00Aloha!! November 21, 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxkj8XSKjLJBR1W8nTWJTJMDv5xICvzWXFBlrr9WYmdwfcvaoy-TGfpbqp78P20ldqRgcCV8ckBgte_3TOMgw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><i>So, I think I am behind a week! That would be life right now. It was meant to be because I do believe Jordan is in the middle of zone conferences. or something!--we did not hear from him today, so I will post last week's letter and a little clip I found from a few months ago! I just love to hear him talking! This was a time he was on Molokai with Elder Street and the elders serving on Molokai. </i><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well another week down and it has flown by as usual! We are doing a</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">lot of preparing for the upcoming Christmas Zone Conference, which is</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">going to be awesome. We are super excited for it. President and Sister</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Dalton are coming out with a new study program for this mission which</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">is sweet! It's called Mana and it will get you through basically all</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">the Standard Works and the entire missionary library, PMG, and an</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Atonement Packet that our mission puts out each year. It will be nice</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and give a lot of direction in study. Very inspired decision by them!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We will be watching the movie "17 Miracles" as well which should be a</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">good one. I can't wait, Christmas Zone Conference is the best!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So this Saturday was super cool! We went to a couple baptisms and one</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">was for a girl whose family are not members but she had a lot of</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">friends that are members. She went away to college and realized how</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">blessed she was living around friends in the Gospel. She started</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">getting taught by the missionaries and was baptized super quick! She</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">bore a really powerful testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel and</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">how she knew it was true. Her entire family was there and I think they</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">really enjoyed it. It was one of the biggest baptisms I have ever</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">seen, so many people there!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Right after that was the baptism of a young 12 year old boy. I don't</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">know his story too much but I know that his family aren't members</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">either. He met a couple friends at school and they started inviting</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">him to scouting activities, mutual, etc. He was welcomed with tons of</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">love and started coming to church. He wanted to be baptized and his</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">family felt okay with it. He had some family there and the coolest</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">part was when he actually got baptized. When he came up out of the</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">water I have never seen a bigger smile on a kid's face! He just looked</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">at everyone with a huge smile and just sat there for a little bit. You</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">couldn't help but smiling as you looked at him! That was the highlight</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">of my week, everything bad was gone after I watched that kid</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">get baptized. Very cool Saturday, I love going to baptisms!</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">We are teaching a man right now that is working his way to the temple.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">He is the best guy in the world and since we have started teaching him</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">you can see a distinct change in him. He is a lot happier and just has</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">hope in his eyes. It's so cool to see that, it is something that you</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">can immediately recognize! He set goals with the Bishop and is well on</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">his way to going through the temple and being sealed with his wife!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Awesome guy, I love him so much! The mission has the best experiences</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ever.</span><br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So as far as the mission is concerned it is doing well! We have</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">unfortunately lost quite of few elders the past couple weeks due to a</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">number of circumstances. That naturally hurts and kind of hinders the</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">work but as in the words of our President "I will never let Satan</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">win." We had 17 baptisms this last weekend which is pretty good, a</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">little above average. We are probably going to be around 60 for this</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">month and then we will head in "White Christmas" December and shoot</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for Vision 100 once again. The work is really progressing out here!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Thanks for everything, I love you all! Have a great week!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Love to you all!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Elder G. </span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-90947292702053683252011-11-21T12:36:00.000-08:002011-11-21T12:36:14.466-08:00November 14, 2011<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Well this week has been a good week for us! All the craziness finally</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ended on Wednesday with all the missionaries going home and what not.</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It has been a wild transfer, Satan was trying to work us hard core!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">But it is all good now</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">. It was nice to be able to get</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">back into our area and do some work. I love missionary work, there is</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">always something new that you never expect!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Glad to hear everyone back home is doing well. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Man I wish I was going to the UH game, I</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">asked President but Hawaii fans are pretty nuts and he said it would </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">be a really bad environment for us, he didn't even consider it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Tell Grandma Hampton and Grandma and Grandpa Harding hi for me and that I love them. I wish I</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">could write people but there is just no time. I haven't written anyone</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">for over a year. Once I got into leadership time just ran out, and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">especially as an assistant I just can't do it. I hope people don't</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">take it personally, I really wish I could but if I wrote letters</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that's all my P days would be. Just whenever</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">you see friends tell them I love them and am thinking about them even</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">if I don't write them! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I am so happy for Christi! That is so crazy!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Did she say if she will be in the visitors center or not? I am not</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">sure how that works with VC sisters. Because most our sisters are VC</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">but we have like 12 that are strictly full proselyting like the</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">elders. She is going to do so well. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> She will fit in perfect here,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">that is so cool I am so proud of her. A lot of my friends that are girls</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">are going on missions! Marci, Christi, Daisha is planning on going</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">too! Really cool stuff. If you ever talk to Daisha tell her I say hi,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I haven't talked to her forever either and I feel bad. Send everyone</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">my love!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So here is the crazy story of the week for you guys! We get a text</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">referral saying this guy wants a bible. So we call him on Friday and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">he says oh yeah come over tomorrow morning at 1030, we will drink soda</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and you guys can share what you have. So we are like shoots! We go</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">over there and right when we walk in it just doesn't feel right. I</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">mean the house is nice and everything, but you could just tell. Well</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">we sit down and Elder Stelter and I are across from one another and he</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">is on the side of us. He said yeah I know that it's either the Latter</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Day Saints are right or its the Catholics, so I am just trying to make</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">my decision. Just acting all golden. But you can't say</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">anything just in case he is being serious so we teach him and it was a</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">good lesson, just bore powerful testimony. He kept asking stupid</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">questions and what not and then when we got done he is like "you guys</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">hungry?", and orders a pizza. So now we are stuck! He said okay, now I</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">want to share. He goes and grabs an easel</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> and he has a whiteboard and then like 6</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">tri fold poster boards with all this stuff about the Catholic Church</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">and how it's true! It was comical really, he was bringing up the</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">dumbest things. He was way smart though. He went on for like 2 hours and</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">then at the end he gave us all these pieces of paper and he wrote our</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> names on them and then says"so are you guys coming back, or do </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">ya gotta kinda "strategize" what you are going to do next time?" We</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">just shook our head and said probably not. And he said "well I just</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">hope that you'll pray and ask God if what I said is true", and I just</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">said and you do likewise. It was a joke, he has</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">to order a bible, and then act all interested and try to prove us</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">wrong. It was just a testimony of the importance of the spirit to me,</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">because there was no spirit and even though he was super smart, it meant</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">nothing. He didn't promise us one blessing whatsoever, just a waste of our time</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> Needless to say, I won't be joining the Catholic Church</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">anytime soon! Haha the stories of the mission!!!</span><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.917969); color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I love you guys! Thanks so much for everything!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-57919081709789700672011-11-15T16:18:00.000-08:002011-11-15T16:18:31.013-08:00November 14, 2011<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxfRVPAVJw7Zdi3j8Gmyv9Y5HSihOOO0BodicpDOge0icdpt8_yHNZRCmRkmy8rUtBvynDFvn0kFd_Xd9trjA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkrzvnnPG28dckqaEhog2iTZNgDWQc88Trt5HQ_micpDQxOy3Qb_ngMbeYh9Ue5BIzI5l-ttkXw1xrhfP0CPIk_kZoaqwZcQa0IACIHM037SrZSKDZtdSWlYd1i9yIhJD4eYrHCUqy-E/s1600/DSCN0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqkrzvnnPG28dckqaEhog2iTZNgDWQc88Trt5HQ_micpDQxOy3Qb_ngMbeYh9Ue5BIzI5l-ttkXw1xrhfP0CPIk_kZoaqwZcQa0IACIHM037SrZSKDZtdSWlYd1i9yIhJD4eYrHCUqy-E/s320/DSCN0048.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORX8mSNOs00xpzcZ11XBUU5vDtOfM-iUqfqdKdAvA3L4540TaOuCQ5OgudF3HNgM0dEDlQBy-7VbUBL6q4M_f_GoiJMoE8eAXp9JjiOr1F0IY1EJnftivT9IpqGoc0lfL5ZOKHI3K7ic/s1600/DSCN9832.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiORX8mSNOs00xpzcZ11XBUU5vDtOfM-iUqfqdKdAvA3L4540TaOuCQ5OgudF3HNgM0dEDlQBy-7VbUBL6q4M_f_GoiJMoE8eAXp9JjiOr1F0IY1EJnftivT9IpqGoc0lfL5ZOKHI3K7ic/s320/DSCN9832.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KDWZgX0B2SL6fLHzAl7KFbaDAZg4PywsZVJSRKI5DRVMLiH7GjLmCBePphCEhRfiBZCZaVxgQxE3dCG1DhYJEvNGK_uwt36ZJXPdkiwmB0So6YQyiI3TPpukcEAZX6acyOaQBroL3Uk/s1600/DSCN0060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6KDWZgX0B2SL6fLHzAl7KFbaDAZg4PywsZVJSRKI5DRVMLiH7GjLmCBePphCEhRfiBZCZaVxgQxE3dCG1DhYJEvNGK_uwt36ZJXPdkiwmB0So6YQyiI3TPpukcEAZX6acyOaQBroL3Uk/s320/DSCN0060.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHtwtaUO48pD2-SLQl6KvwMcM4tQcOqKsgHXxd32yhu3N_RR4h3S5Ovw4Ypi930OCcB3C2kbas8yQa6tFlA5mJF_Ajjy3dj623jFiDAmNS-71x9EFkWN4zpTW3_Ji4hBYKsv03CJPPAM/s1600/DSCN0022-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHtwtaUO48pD2-SLQl6KvwMcM4tQcOqKsgHXxd32yhu3N_RR4h3S5Ovw4Ypi930OCcB3C2kbas8yQa6tFlA5mJF_Ajjy3dj623jFiDAmNS-71x9EFkWN4zpTW3_Ji4hBYKsv03CJPPAM/s320/DSCN0022-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkBxEF-OoxJjSJT9BNnCXgrPmlqKSuBJ8CsfB3pVNpcwtvMZFL9WghyphenhyphendyLx8oA21gbwoY2L0Et90rRwbhqOBJfA5IEtKe-4vvtBYYUO-r1zWnYdCcCkwbY2EB46GpiB66RjqshWJWKyY/s1600/DSCN0040.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlkBxEF-OoxJjSJT9BNnCXgrPmlqKSuBJ8CsfB3pVNpcwtvMZFL9WghyphenhyphendyLx8oA21gbwoY2L0Et90rRwbhqOBJfA5IEtKe-4vvtBYYUO-r1zWnYdCcCkwbY2EB46GpiB66RjqshWJWKyY/s320/DSCN0040.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjDzmpXIeStiq9nPEVcn_yugrU6d7Vx_e2gG7B0O7Bo0vFBKSbOrxQpsNTQaE6efkSnYfvK35gHV6rP0DpFzVzWJXroMnwu_Gkt0CeyfDR6-7T81-6Q4_mN2D-JEZKuW7dgBp3Rr9QRY/s1600/DSCN0009-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjDzmpXIeStiq9nPEVcn_yugrU6d7Vx_e2gG7B0O7Bo0vFBKSbOrxQpsNTQaE6efkSnYfvK35gHV6rP0DpFzVzWJXroMnwu_Gkt0CeyfDR6-7T81-6Q4_mN2D-JEZKuW7dgBp3Rr9QRY/s320/DSCN0009-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>So, I found some clips on Jordan's SD card that he sent home, and I just like to hear his voice. So I am putting one on here--he and Elder Condiff were driving past a military airport"Barber's Point", but it was fun to hear him! There were also some pics of he and Elder Condiff when they served in Makakilo, just prior to this transfer as assistant. Random pictures!!!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-59382331633530382962011-11-07T22:11:00.000-08:002011-11-07T22:16:53.834-08:00ALOHA!! November 7, 2011<div style="text-align: justify;">Boy well time sure does fly by! Sounds like everyone back home is</div>doing very well. The young men that were just barely priests when I<br />
was there are now getting ready or have already left on their<br />
missions. That's good. Sad to hear about Sister Pehrson in the ward<br />
but it's good to know that the ward can fast like that for someone. We<br />
have a really good ward back home. I still remember like yesterday<br />
when we fasted for Dale Hull and all the miracles that proceeded from<br />
the fast and faith of everyone. That's what the church is all about.<br />
<br />
Snow back home huh? That's too bad really. The weather out here is<br />
perfect, it's not too hot and definitely not too cold. The trade winds<br />
are picking up and so we get a nice little breeze every single day. A<br />
nice little sprinkle here and there, it's nothing really to complain<br />
about. However, I sure do miss the seasons. I miss seeing snow and<br />
believe it or not I kind of miss being cold. I probably won't be<br />
saying that when I come home!<br />
<br />
The mission is doing really well at this time. Last month we hit 103<br />
total baptisms for the month of October which was stellar. The mission<br />
is reaching new heights that it has never reached. If you remember<br />
back to May the push to get "vision 100", 100 baptisms in that month<br />
was a huge start to a good year for us. We were able to hit 100 right<br />
on the money that month and it just proceeded on from there. In July<br />
we once again hit a phenomenal number of 105 total baptisms, and then<br />
here again in October we hit 103. Vision 100 three times in the past<br />
six months is something that has never been done before in this<br />
mission so we are pleased! It's awesome and we will finish these last<br />
2 months very strong and see many miracles!<br />
<br />
On Saturday Mele got baptized! She is amazing! Mele was a referral we<br />
received from a member about 3 weeks ago. She has been living with her<br />
Aunty who is in our ward. Mele started taking the lessons and was<br />
loving it. She loves learning about Christ and what we taught just<br />
added more on to her faith. Every lesson she would always thank us so<br />
many times for teaching her things she never knew about Jesus Christ.<br />
She thanked us for helping her testimony grow. She basically committed<br />
herself to baptism and was ready to be baptized from day one! I love<br />
Mele, she has made a lasting impact in my life and will be someone I never<br />
forget. Sincere, humble, loving personality. She is from American<br />
Samoa and is Tongan. The Polynesian people are the best, so blessed to<br />
be serving here around them!<br />
<br />
Transfers were good this week, everyone got to where they needed to be<br />
and for the most part it all went smoothly. We are stoked for this<br />
upcoming transfer, Christmas Zone Conference and a lot of good things<br />
planned. Elder Stelter and I are together again and are super happy<br />
about that! He is the man and has taught me a lot. We will do work<br />
these next 2 months. Hope all is well back home, don't die in the<br />
snow! <br />
<br />
Love you all!<br />
Elder G.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0Honolulu, Hawaii, USA21.299610834956411 -157.8680423671875117.724765334956412 -168.2131933671875 24.87445633495641 -147.52289136718753tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-42447582523373267912011-10-31T00:43:00.000-07:002011-11-07T21:17:33.133-08:00HAPPY HALLOWEEN!! October 31, 2011Boy this was quite the week, a lot of good stuff happened. First off though, I want to express my love to Astra Waller and her family. Astra was an amazing person and a hero of mine. This last week she past away after a 20 year battle with Cystic Fibrosis. Astra never let that get her down. I still remember the days of playing on the same soccer team with her for a couple years, hanging out in middle school and high school. She was a phenomenal dancer and never let her 42% lung capacity ever hold her back. Astra is gone but her Spirit will live on for a very long time, she was an inspirational person and will never be forgotten. As sad as it is to see her go, what a joy it is to know<br />
that she is at rest and will be resurrected with a perfect body. What a comforting feeling it is to have a knowledge of the Plan of Salvation in which we will be able to see our family and friends after we pass on. Brothers and Sisters, we will all see Astra again when we all pass on. She is watching over each and everyone of us, just begging for us to be completely obedient so that we can live with her again. I testify that these things are true.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPF7vbiopkeBdFvLw4pHHMqk3_DlZqTluiD57sqvcWLACOjdFZMYpwwwSfn8tnz3bqi_ENHUNh4O7b1kj62Zrt4JIeFWJLa5SxHlXj65NJIKa6wkA_Rd4joKj6O5LjDkZIBb4G6NljQ9o/s1600/Pakela+baptism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPF7vbiopkeBdFvLw4pHHMqk3_DlZqTluiD57sqvcWLACOjdFZMYpwwwSfn8tnz3bqi_ENHUNh4O7b1kj62Zrt4JIeFWJLa5SxHlXj65NJIKa6wkA_Rd4joKj6O5LjDkZIBb4G6NljQ9o/s320/Pakela+baptism.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> Elder Garritson, Pakela, Elder Stelter<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKem_nCEMxp8THXXfAyNzaG6y5RylNBnyT2om52zQYYzVQD5UUV4Ua6TBAFDTBFJRmWosk6g4Cb15fMsRmM97fNn2asjFOdldQjrZqgj-XpZxhcKOlch8l3o-L7WDn01nh6H1r-XKow1E/s1600/Pakala+baptism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKem_nCEMxp8THXXfAyNzaG6y5RylNBnyT2om52zQYYzVQD5UUV4Ua6TBAFDTBFJRmWosk6g4Cb15fMsRmM97fNn2asjFOdldQjrZqgj-XpZxhcKOlch8l3o-L7WDn01nh6H1r-XKow1E/s320/Pakala+baptism.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
Saturday was an amazing day for us. Pakela, the 17 year old young man that we have been teaching was baptized!! His baptism was awesome, he had a lot of his friends there. His best friend that was baptized a couple months ago was able to baptize Pakela! He bore a powerful testimony after he got baptized and said he knew everything was gone and felt clean. On Sunday, he asked me to confirm him a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and give him the gift of the Holy Ghost. That was the first time I was able to do that, and it was an amazing blessing. Each and every baptism is a confirmation of the testimony I have. These wonderful converts give up so much more than I ever have, and it is so cool to see them make changes. I really look up to converts, because this is a complete life change for them. Every time I see them happier than they were before, they all have a special glow about them. Even tho at times it's hard, it's always worth it. I am grateful I was able to be a part of his wonderful conversion!<br />
<br />
We also taught another girl that is from American Samoa. She lives with members in our ward so she came to church with them a couple times. She agreed to meet with missionaries and she was so grateful for us. It was cool to think that I am doing my job. She thanked us so many times for teaching her things that she did not know. She said that she knows this is true and she is going to be baptized this Saturday! It was quick, but that is how fast the Spirit can work if we are diligently seeking. It doesn't even have to be for those that are non-members, it can be for each and everyone of us. If we will stay close to the Lord through prayer, scripture study, and church attendance, and really are seeking for truth, we will be changed by the Spirit. It is the promise that our Heavenly Father gives us, he has to fulfill it. The mission is awesome!<br />
<br />
I just want to say, I am getting worked by insanity! Man if any of you have ever done it, that is no walk in the park! Every morning when the alarm goes off at 6 AM, I don't want to get up. BUT... after the workout you feel so good. It's just the doing it part that sucks. I think my legs may fall off! Goodnight! <br />
<br />
Crazy stuff upcoming this week, 12 new missionaries coming in, 11 going home. Hope all is going, Love you all! <br />
Elder G OUT!<br />
<br />
<em>This is Astra's obituary. We were able to go to her funeral for Jordan--she was an extraordinary young woman who will be missed by many. She touched so many lives.</em><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySbscoifU7Cul68ZSs3Ql-uFrP-f3aMadiFYk6ijeOx4FKXrxYmmiOYGKlazK0swOxIil-nhNWaMc9VOp1Q7-m_-ApCA-N07jfSUCtNEii2pSMMH6tlJtd7OKYyMQypHlYx9IJdVmBH8/s1600/astra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" ida="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjySbscoifU7Cul68ZSs3Ql-uFrP-f3aMadiFYk6ijeOx4FKXrxYmmiOYGKlazK0swOxIil-nhNWaMc9VOp1Q7-m_-ApCA-N07jfSUCtNEii2pSMMH6tlJtd7OKYyMQypHlYx9IJdVmBH8/s200/astra.jpg" width="145" /></a></div><strong>Astra Lauren Waller </strong><br />
<br />
<br />
(July 27, 1991 - October 22, 2011) <br />
<br />
Our beloved daughter, sister, granddaughter, friend, and heroine, Astra Lauren Waller, age 20, passed away October 22nd, 2011 in South Jordan after a valiant twenty year battle with Cystic Fibrosis. Astra lived her life with great tenacity and courage. She was a great example to all those she touched. <br />
<br />
Astra was born on July 27th, 1991, in Salt Lake City, Utah to Art and Jamie Waller. She adored acts of giving and receiving and loved dancing. She graduated from Bingham High School and was a student at the University of Utah in her third year. Astra was selected as one of 12 people across the nation to be placed on the Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation Calendar; she won the “Leaders of Tomorrow Award” for demonstrated leadership, citizenship, moral character, and outstanding academic achievement; She was a Three year member of the Bingham High School Minerettes drill team – during her tenure they had won both state and national championships and was a member of the Region 3 Dance Drill Team and her senior leadership position was Vice-President (all accomplished during this time with 42% lung capacity) Astra was featured in a South Valley Journal article, “Bingham High dancer forges ahead despite adversity.” She was a “Heroes of Hope” Living with CF nominee sponsored by Genentech, Inc. Finally she was selected as a recipient of the Boomer Esiason Foundation’s Cystic Fibrosis Scholarship Program. <br />
<br />
Astra is survived by her mom, Jamie; her dad Art; brothers and sisters; Sara, Erin, and Alex; brother-in-laws; Tommy and Troy; nieces and nephews; Samantha, Parker, Hannah and Boston; aunts and uncles; Brad, Robin, Bill, Laurie, Leigh Ann, and Sharon; cousins; Markay, Oliver, Willie, and Brianne; grandmothers Marion and Barbara. Preceded in death by her grandfather Art and uncle David. <br />
We wish to thank the many wonderful family members and friends who have given their love, time, and support to Astra over the years. We are grateful for your service to our daughter and our family.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2419756767649346400.post-74038364280140265912011-10-31T00:24:00.000-07:002011-10-31T00:24:34.764-07:00October 25, 2011Whats up, this week has been pretty crazy and really good. Not too<br />
much happened as far as our area because we were off island for most<br />
the week. We were over on Maui this week and wow was it good to be<br />
there. I love that place. I was on exchanges over in Kihei for one of<br />
the days and it was fun to see the places we were when we were over<br />
there last May. I saw the hotel we stayed in, the outback we ate at,<br />
some of the courses Ryan and I played at, amazing! That's a really<br />
special place, I would die to serve over there even though it probably<br />
wont happen. The elders over there are amazing. Young guns, but taught<br />
me so much. Our mission is really young now, a lot of the older ones<br />
have gone home and so it's kinda weird being the oldest. I never<br />
noticed how much missionaries look up to you, but honestly it is like<br />
the other way around for me. I see all these missionaries come out<br />
reading the Book of Mormon 5 or 6 times, gone through Preach My Gospel<br />
already and they are just solid. Some amazing people are in this<br />
world, and our mission gets a lot of the greats. I see so many future<br />
leaders of the church.<br />
<br />
For us, we have a baptism this weekend on Saturday. I cannot wait,<br />
this is for a 17 year old kid who is solid as heck. He will serve a<br />
mission guaranteed, he will be a great man in the kingdom of God. His<br />
name is Pakela and got introduced to the church going to a baptism of<br />
one of his friends. So as we can conclude, take your friends to<br />
baptisms, its solid.<br />
<br />
But I am just rambling on. All is well. We started transfer plan yesterday which I cannot believe, it is going by so quick. It's a good process, a long one but a very revelatory and learning time. I love it. I love you guys, the work is moving forward, and your prayers are much appreciated! Thanks for everything.<br />
<br />
Love ya!<br />
Elder G.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16230674851547746907noreply@blogger.com0