January 30, 2012

Wow, I had wanted to write and another week passes and then I saw that I started the last email off the same exact way haha. But seriously time is just flying by. This week was even faster because 4 of our days were taken up by other stuff. Pday by pizza. Tuesday by a fireside from Elder Jenson from the presidency of the 70, and Saturday and Sunday my companion has been pretty sick so I spent a ton of time just studying and lamenating my preach my gospels haha. But so yeah I had a lot of extra study time this week.

But there is one story that I forgot to tell last week because that is when it actually happened. But we were having a lot of things fall and had to move our plans all around and ended up at a recent converts house a little earlier than we planned. While we were there the president of the Young Mens and Young Womens showed up to invite the girls to a dance and then asked us to invite a couple of the investigators that we had to go to also. So after we left the house we went by the investigators house but she wasn't home and we talked with her sister for a little bit. As we were going back up the street there was a guy on a motorcycle coming down the street and he stopped us and talked to us. He had been baptized in another state of Brasil but was inactive for quite some time but was wanting to come back to church. We left him the address of the church and what the hours were and all that stuff, and then on Sunday he was there at church. While it may just seem like a dumb little story of coincidnece, it trully strengthened my testimony of how much our Heavenly Father loves each of us individually. All it would have taken is one other thing to have happened or for our plans to have been completed the way we had them and we never would have saw him. But instead everything worked out perfectly in the Lord's plan and we were put in the place we needed to be to help this man come back to church. We have experiences like this almost weekly and everytime it trully strengthens my knowledge of how much God loves us. He doesn't want to leave any child behind and he is always looking out for us.

The other thing I really wanted to talk about this week is how much the gospel and the church trully changes the lives of people for the better. I don't even need to look any further than my good ol pops. Everybody basically knows his story because he loves to tell it ;) but it is an amazing story. Because of the church his life has trully been turned around for the better and I can see the changes in his life and how he talks to me everytime I get a letter or email. And it is all because of the gospel. The gospel is not just some good thing we have in our lives. The gospel of Jesus Christ helps us to become thee very best person we can become. Only through the gospel and the true church of Christ can we become the best possible person we can. This is the message I am bringing to the people here in Brasil. A lot of people think that this is just some good thing that we are bring forth the Word of God. And we always hear "I have my church and my faith in God, go help those who don't have it." I'm not just here to help those who have no faith or have no foundation in a church. I am bringing forth thee one true church to everyone. Everyone in the world will benefit from the Gospel and church of Christ and only through them can we receive all the blessings that God is waiting to give to us. Of course he will bless everyone, but only when we are following His Church and being obedient can we receive all the blessings he has for us.

To those who are reading this and aren't members of the church and have yet to test it out or visit the church. I am extending the invite right now that every member wants to send but sometimes has fear of ruining a relationship. I am giving each and every one of you an invite to go to our church and talk with the missionaries and trully put the gospel to the test. I know without a doubt it will be the best decision you ever make in your life. I'm not just saying this because I 'm a missionary or a fanatic about the church. But because I trully love the gospel, and have recieved my own personal answers to my prayers and I want everyone to be able to have the blessing of the gospel in their lives. So once more I invite whoever is reading this to test it out, go to church, talk to the missionaries, whatever. You will never regret it.

Eu te Amo!

Elder Gleason

P.S. Alma 31:5 and 2 Nephi 33:1

January 23, 2012

And another week passes. My training is officially complete, well at least based on the program. Now I will actually have an hour of language study everyday so hopefully my Portuguese will really start to pick up even quicker now, its going to be nice. It has been a rough 3 months but it has also been an amazing 3 months. I've probably been in some of the worst moods of my life in the time and also felt the spirit stronger than ever. It trully has been a battle. But I am now offically trained in the mission work and we'll see where it takes me from here. Transfers are this week and theres a good chance we'll stay here together but its still up in the air. We will find out tonight whats all happening.

Today we had the oppurtunity to go to the pizza place again and eat pizza at vontade (doesnt have an english word to translate but the closest thing is "will"). I also just found out today that he hasnt even been baptized yet! Hes serving like 40 missionaries every 6 weeks and letting htem eat all we want and hes not even a member yet! He'll be baptized here in a couple weeks. So crazy. The church trully has changed his life. And he will definately be blessed for the service he is doing for the missionaries, the Lord's servants. But today was awesome, we also played soccer and man, again, brasilians are so good haha.

Lets see, oh it has continued to rain and rain and rain. We have been caught out in it a few times and just been completely soaked. The day starts off hotter than hot burning our skin and ends with a downpour of cold rain. Doesn't make sense how theres that much rain up there in the sky for it to happen everyday haha.

Also, this week started of with a pretty big bang. I had my first "Bible Bash" we didn't sit and trade scriptures but I definately wasn't teaching with the spirit. I was like yelling at this lady, I felt horrible afterwards even though I had been speaking the truth I felt like an absolute jerk. But Elder Williams said that everybody has a story or a few like that so I guesss that was a little reassuring. I never knew that I could get so worked up about the church like that and it made me realize that I trully have a knowledge that this is the true church. Things happen every week that just deepen and strengthen my testimony in the church. One thing that idk if i find funny or what, but you cant use that bible against The Church of Jesus Christ, because the Bible straight explains the church. The Bible and the Book of Mormon work hand in hand working together and filling in any "gaps" that people have.

Oh also, I have officially started a quote book and am keeping track of all the random and hilarious quotes from the mission. It has been a pretty neat experience. And is helping with some really good times.

And I just found out that for sure, I will be staying here in Jardim California with Elder Williams for atleast another transfer. So, yup I'm here again haha. No packing the bags this time which will be kinda nice. I can't lie and say I didn't want a Brasilian companion but this is obviously what the Lord needs of me so I shall accept. I'm just going to really need to work on the language this transfer. It is a lot tougher having an american companion but I can do it! I shall be fluent as soon as possible.

But I think thats about it for this week, nothing huge has happened beyond what I've already written. But know that I love and miss you all. You guys are the best! And keep writing! ;)

Eu te Amo!

Elder Gleason

P.S. Since I was eating pizza all day and stuff I haven't had time to pick some of my favorite scriptures from the week. But just find your own awesome and favorite scriptures and write me about them!

January 16, 2012

Hello again from good ol' Brasil!

Well this last week has been a good one, it was a little bit slow but then at the same time was fast, doesn't make much sense. But unfortunately a lot of things have been falling that we mark buttttt we did find some really great people that we're teaching now, so things are going good. Its crazy to think my 3 months of training are already almost over, this is my last full week of my 2nd transfer already (every 6 weeks). So next Monday night we will find out what happens, and most likely one of us will be transferred because we've already been in a companionship for 3 months now. Oh and I haven't gotten any letters from the office in the last 2 weeks or so just because nobody has gone there or come here, so next Wednesday the 25th I will probably and hopefully have a huge stack of letters. So it will take me some time to respond to whoever I have letters for. I feel bad sometimes because everytime somebody brings our zone letters I always have a good amount and nobody else really does. Like a couple weeks ago I got 9 one day after one week without and then the very next day after the 9 I got 3 more haha. But KEEP it up!!!! I love hearing from everybody, it really helps me out. Also last Monday I bought McFlurrys for me and E. Williams for my birthday and they were fantastic, fast food doesn't really exist here and mcdonalds is like a delicacy haha. And the other day I ate fish for the first time in my life and it actually wasn't too bad, there was a tonnn of bones though so that made it difficult. I have definately already eaten a tond of different foods that I never ate before, nothing crazy but all the normal stuff that people eat that I never did.

Oh and this week it has rained and rained and rained. One day we were out in the rain and we figured we were already a little wet so ehh who cares lets go by some old people we haven't talked to in awhile. And then it started downpouring. We were soaked beyond soaked and it was cold. If i had a bar of soap I would have been set, and in the highest pressurized shower I've ever taken haha.

Yesterday we had lunch at a members house and there was a few birthdays in the ward this week so it was huge. I think there was like 7 families there and just a ton of food and bbq and everything it was awesome. The food was good and the company was even better. Its nice when you can actually understand what people are talking about. Although when theres like 6 people talking to you in portuguese at the same time its a little more difficult to understand it all. So i was definately lost for some of it. But there was one mom there who said that i didn't have an American accent like E Williams does, that was kinda cool. After 5 months I sould more like a Brazilian then he does haha. Also, I showed them all the picture of "The Beard" from skyping on Christmas and everybody loved it and chipped in comments of who it looked like and all that. One of the Brothers in the ward said you should die it and shave it to look like Bin Laden. I personally found that a little weird but yeah. And another said that you've already out beat Brigham Young status haha. So keep it up Pops, all the Brazillians love it, and of course I do. The thing is a beast.

Lastly to bring it back to a somewhat spiritual email to help everyone grow and learn from my experiences I have a couple quotes that I've found from the Liahonas which I have been reading like crazy lately. There's so many church books and magazines and obviously scriptures that I want to read but theres ust not enough time in the day. But I found a couple really good quotes that I wanted to share today.

"God gave us memory so that we can have roses in December."

"When somone gives another person a flower, the fragrance of the flower lingers on the hands of the giver."

They're a little bit corny with a flower kind of theme and don't think I'm going soft or anything, but they're some really powerful quotes. Especially the first one, our memory is an amazing gift and we need to store up the good things from our livies and store up the feelings that we've had from the gospel, and of course our testimonies.

Eu Te Amo!!

Elder Gleason

And of course my scriptures from the week.

Msh 4:11-12 and D&C 58: 26-28

January 9, 2012

Well I am officially 20 years old now, and I have been for almost a week now, pretty weird to think about. Having a birthday anywhere but home is strange but the people here really made me feel at home. On Monday the day before my birthday we had a Family Home Evening at one of the members house here and she invited a ton of other members there, I think there was about 15 people there. And she made me a big old cake and they sang and all that stuff. That was the night I trully came to realize just how much I love Brasil and the people here. They are so amazing, I can't say there are people I've jmet that I haven't been the happiest with but overall the people here are so much more open and nicer than the US. Yeah they'll throw down the gospel after we talk to them about it, but they do listen and are super nice about it. They always talk about how beautiful our work is here and stuff like that. I love Brasil. But then the next day my actual birthday we had a district meeting and 2 of the Sisters that are out in Boituva now also made me a cake, and my companion made me Geladinho (US doesnt have but definately needs it asap). But its a good day, and its weird to think I only have one more of those on the mission before I'm home.

This week was super long, probably equal to the first week in the field or at least super close. But I made it, and this next week is going to be an amazing one, I just just feel it. We are working hard and I can just feel the blessings coming for the work we've been doing.

One of the recent converts here is amazing, his name is Diego, and his wife is Luana. They are so awesome, they were baptized about 3 months ago but have a stronger testimony than a lot of people I've met, including myself. One thing that was crazy awesome that he said the other day was about his first visit in the church. He said he turned to his wife afterwards and said to her "What were we doing outside of this church?" Can we all say that we feel the same way? I know I definately wouldn't have before the mission. The church changed lives, and its not because its just a good church or a cool church (because it is) but is because it is thee church. This is the ONLY true church there is on the face of the earth. I know this. I know it with my whole heart. Its not just a place we go to on Sunday to be with friends and talk about our week, its the place we go to start our week, to put ourselves in the best possible position to start each week right. This is THE Church of Jesus Christ, not just A church. If it was the name of the church would say A church. But it says THE church. Because there is no other church on the Earth like this. Christ formed one church of one of His apostles of just some random church. It was His Church and it was called after His name. We have that same EXACT church that He established on the earth. THE Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

Eu Te Amo

Elder Gleason

Alma 32:27-43 & D&C 135:3

Elder Gleason's BIRTHDAY!

Hey, Jenae here! :)

Today is J.R.s 20th birthday! I am sure that he would love to get letters from people! SO if you haven't sent him one recently, or ever...his address is on the left side of the blog! Write him, and he will definately write you back as soon as he can!

January 2, 2012

Wow we're already in a new year holy smokes, 2011 came and went like it was nothing. And now tomorrow i will be 20 years old...Wow good bye teenage years. But id like to wish everybody a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

The week went by a lot slower but it was still good, half the ward was gone traveling yesterday for church so there wasnt as many people but its still as good. And me and Elder Williams gave talks again! 2 talks in portuguese for over 10 minutes already. Who would have ever thought that would be possible. But what do you know it was on being a member missionary, is that a smack in the face to me or what?

Today im going to write the fam a little more so this is all you get to read for the week on the blog.

Eu Te Amo!

Elder Gleason