DEUCES

DEUCES AMERICA!!!!

Yeah that's right the east coast has come through for me finally. On Friday I received my VISA!!! Along with about 10 or so other Elders and Sisters and what do you know but all but 2 were from the Northeast. Usually I wouldn't leave from Provo for another 2 weeks or so but the travel office lady said they needed more beds because they had too many missionaries so I leave Tomorrow Morning!!! By about 8 pm central time (Dallas Airport) I will be taking off for Sao Paulo! There are so many jealous missionaries here haha, I feel kind of bad because about 25 Elders in my Branch all just got reassigned places and I haven't even finished my 9 weeks here and i get to leave. But I know that the Lord has a reason and purpose for everything and obviously needs me to be in Brazil right now.

So on Thursday is when most of the others leaving all got their visas and like i said most are from the east coast so i was pretty ticked and spent most of the day mad at the world, but i regained control and went back to being patient and knowing that everything would work out the way it was supposed to. And low and behold the very next day in the mail, my visa! I was numb with excitement the entire day it was great! The toughest thing was then i had to instantly and quickly go prepare to teach our investigator right after. Which turned out to be what i think was one of our best lessons yet! The Spirit was so strong and I felt really comfortable speaking and understanding the language. It's amazing what can happen when you put the Lord first in your life. Thinking back to learn French in high school where i didn't care and just tryed to be able to skate by to looking now at where I'm working hard to understand and speak a new language its amazing the difference. I know that that difference is my Heavenly Father and my outlook and giving Him these 2 years of my life.

This week has been so crazy and the visa has just made it better, on Tuesday we yet AGAIN had another apostle give the devotional! Elder Russell M. Nelson was here and talked about the Book of Mormon. It is such an amazing Book i love having the oppurtunity to be able to read from it everyday. I learn something new everytime that i do. Elder Nelson said this:

"The Book of Mormon is a gift to the world."

And how true it is. And how lucky I am to be able to bring that gift to the people in Sao Paulo, Brazil. This book is for everyone no matter who reads it they can find joy and peace in what they read.

Also, yesterday we had Mission Conference, and Mission Fireside. Also, because I leave tomorrow I was able to attend the Departing Devotional. It was like i got drop kicked with the Spirit. So many awesome talks and lessons I was able to learn from them. It truly is a blessing to be here.

Some quotes I loved from yesterday"

President Brown said: "Don't accept anything less than being your best."

President Gordon B. Hinkley said : "If we complain about life, it is because we are only thinking of ourselves."

I'm going to miss my companion and roomates, and district and branch, just everybody when i leave. I've had the chance to become really close to these Elders and Sisters, my fellow representatives of Christ. It's going to be tough but I'll see them again when they get their visas since we're mostly all in the same mission. Just as my companion Elder Vincent and I were really learning how to teach together, poof here I go. But I know that I'll meet people and companions in Brazil that will be just as awesome. And I'm so excited for that.

So Tchau USA

Eu te amo!

Elder Gleason

P.S. DON'T SEND anymore DearElders to the Provo MTC. I will never see them!!! So now you need to start sending them to Brazil, I'll get my address to my parents and Jenae ASAp so that you can all write me. And any packages of food my companion has already said he is going to keep and eat them haha