Grateful to be in Gainesvilles

I just have to say I'm so grateful to be here in Gainesville right now. I've never had so much adversity, anti, and obstacles to overcome with our investigators. I feel like if we can overcome it here and endure it well, we can do it anywhere. 

Yesterday in a meeting our Bishop pulled all six of the missionaries into his office and asked us to be straight up with him about how we feel about the area. Comments went out like, there is a huge cultural difference, half the ward, 110, are children under 12 so Sacrament Meeting is filled with screaming, crying, kids. Black Couples make it to church but feel uncomfortable because they are the only whites there! Half the ward is doing Residency for Doctors, Dentists, and Surgeons and so every two years the ward changes completely. The lists goes on.... Long story short our Bishop wants us to knock doors like crazy in the rich neighborhoods to build up the Kingdom and ditch the rest of our area which includes ghetto, welfare assisted, and apartment complexes filled with students going to UF. We will somewhat give him what he wants but at the same time Christ told his Apostles to share the gospel to EVERY living soul. 

We're still holding our Scripture Study class each week. We intrigue a lot of people when we tell them we dive deep into the Scriptures comparing the Bible and the Book of Mormon. We also hit a home run when we got a less active brother to perform on the organ for everyone after the class. We discussed the spirit and receiving personal revelation. We then led everyone into the chapel, with pen and paper in hand, to listen to Bruce play, feel the spirit, and write the impressions they receive to answer their individual questions. It went very well! A few people were crying afterwards because the spirit was so strong haha. 

We got an Iranian couple to church! They don't have the best English, we have to speak very slow and simple for them so when the Bishop and a member of the Stake Presidency got up to speak, they went in depth of the Plan of Salvation and Family History. Using words like celestial, exaltation, salvation, spirit of Elijah. They hardly understood anything....... But they read the pamphlets during the meeting and had a bunch of questions so that was good. 

They told us before they came to the US they expected it to be perfect. No poor people, not a corrupt government, easy to get a job and insurance. Once they got here they were placed in the ghetto, we rode our bikes past their house one day and saw a man get pushed into a cop car right outside of their house. Their neighbors are super disrespectful and were pretty sure their "Drug" dealers. Haha. He got a job at the most ghetto gas station ever, where there has been shootings and everyone pays in large amounts of cash. :) You know what that means! Haha.

We've built up our teaching pool once again which is great! 12 new investigators! We met a real Southern Christian couple. Ended up chasing us down after we left from the discussion and invited us back to each fresh Cod they had caught themselves that morning, Hushpuppies, and Cheese Grits. Talk about Delicious!!! The best fish I've ever had. We talked to them about eternal marriage and committed them to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. They also got super pumped to come to our Scripture Study class.

We set 3 baptismal dates for June 14th and June 21st. Time to bring in more black people into the ward! 

Were trying to step out of the box and try new ideas. We're hitting hard on Family History right now. With our iPads were able to help people set up their accounts and show them our own family tree, stories and pictures right there on their door step! We are going to put up a stand outside of the local grocery store and library and pass out family cards and pamphlets. We're also working with active members to set up block parties to invite their nonmember friends to. Then we will help work the grill and just socialize, leave a good impression and have the MEMBERS invite their friends to listen to the 4 basic discussions we share. We're also thinking of holding a weekly arts and crafts activity at the church, during the day, for the woman to invite their nonmember friends while their husbands are at work. 

Lots of thoughts and ideas, let's make it happen!! 

E.G.

Hanging with the elders! 

Elder Greenlaw During Zone Conference May 2014 

Spending time with Elder Andersen again!

Hard Work and Diligence

Hey y'all, 

Another great week here in Gville. Elder Tuft and I have really learned a lot together. Many great life lessons and greater understanding of principles of the gospel. The greatest one being the importance of hard work and diligence. Each night, as soon as we get home to our apartment, we fall to our knees thanking the Lord for his blessings. We feel peace in our hearts knowing that we did our best that day, REGARDLESS the outcome. This week it hit us as we were reviewing our teaching pool and how we can help our individual investigators. Nobody is progressing. We've taught well over 100 lessons to people, feeling the spirit and having great conversations with people about the gospel, but no one has real intent to change. The greatest lie out there that has been created by Satan is we are all saved by 100% grace. That Jesus died for our sins and no matter what we do, as long as we believe in him and give God the credit for everything each day, we will be saved. Do not be deceived by cunning plan of the evil one. For believing once saved always saved, it then contradicts the purpose of life! Now is the time to prepare to meet God. This does not mean that we can do whatever we want throughout the week and remove any sense of responsibility, then the moment we go to church and worship, we will be forgiven and all is well. Brothers and Sisters, this life is about progression and constantly changing into the Sons and Daughters our Heavenly Father intended us to be. Do we realize our potential?? Life is hard yes, we all have trials and tribulations yes, but they are for our benefit! As we strive to live the principles of the gospel to the best of our ability, by obedience, study, prayer, service to others, magnifying our callings, etc. Then that is when the mercy and love of the Savior comes and makes up the difference. That is when our capacities will be expanded and our weaknesses will be made strong. I bare witness this is true and we will be sanctified by the spirit and our Heavenly Fathers love will be poured out upon us. 

Our Scripture study class went good. We had a turn out of about 15 and the discussion of baptism answered the questions and concerns of the investigators. This week we will be teaching about the spirit and the difference between the light of Christ, and the gift of the Holy Ghost. We will also lead the group into the chapel and have a less active brother, who happens to be a professional organist, play for everyone as they sit and ponder about their questions and feel the spirit to receive personal revelation. It will be great! 

We also started to run stadium stairs at UF every other morning. Fixin to shed a few more pounds here pretty soon! Love y'all! Talk to ya next week.

Bible Study Activity Planned

Well, I've pretty much told you the main things going on over skype but last night we found out Elder Tuft and I are staying together one more transfer until he goes home! I'm very happy about it! Great things are going to happen, he's going to go out with a bang! 

We have our first Bible study coming up this Wednesday and we can't wait! We've knocked doors in all the ghettos to try and get me over to have a study, small refreshments, and basketball with ward members afterwards. This invitation has been made to members, active or less active, all of the missionaries in the ward and their current investigators and random people on the street! It's going to be exciting! We might just fill up our entire chapel! Then we will have to lead the discussion from the pulpit. Our goal is to break down the barriers we have in this area between ghetto and rich doctors. Yes, we have the extreme of both sides of the spectrum. This is a big reason why they haven't baptized in this ward for a very long time. It doesn't seem quite like a family because we need more black people! We've got a black family were teaching right now with their friends who are willing to invite all of their friends and family to the Bible study and church which is great!

Like I said before we've been sifting through a lot of couples recently. More than my entire mission actually. One in particular, April and Vince. We've done a lot of service for them in their apartment complex that they manage. Sadly our bowling and lesson appointment yesterday fell through and they will be traveling for the next week. We have a lot of confidence in them and hope they accept the invitation to be baptized the first time we have a lesson with them. They are dry Mormons already. The most friendly, loving, self reliant and faithful couple I've ever had the opportunity to teach. 

Everything else is about the same! Still knocking a lot of doors, talking to international students, running into the most liberal people I know and wow it is Hott!! 90 degrees with high humidity every single day this week. Summer is officially here and y'all know what that means around a college campus like UF...... Ugh..  Haha love the mission and love the challenge though! Hope y'all have a great week! 

Elder Greenlaw after a sweaty game of Basketball 

Another Great Week in Gainesville

Hey y'all,

Another fantastic week in the blessed land of Gainesville! Still sifting through many people, trying to find those that not only "have found Jesus" or believe "the purpose of life is to Glorify God" but are actually humble enough to change their wicked ways and foolish beliefs. We've run into a good amount of "anti" also. One man cussed us out, told us he was the devil and that we were created out of his image. We were also referred to a woman to give her a blessing but instead she called us crazy and told us we were the ones in need a blessing because we believe in all kinds of false doctrines, some aren't even worth repeating. 

We've created a great relationship with a couple that are the property managers of a complex. A member of the church lives there and he is the maintenance man. He introduced us to them and we've helped him do landscaping, pouring concrete and other side jobs. Brother Buckner told us that the couple already reads from the Book of Mormon in the past, but they are already full fledged into another church. He said we would be wasting our time by inviting them but we gained the courage anyway. We said, "April, we have a question for you, but you have to promise us that you will keep letting us do service for you. As missionaries, we share 4 basic discussions about our beliefs and how to have a closer relationship with God, would you be willing to listen to those?" They both accepted!! HA, proved Brother Buckner wrong! 

We've taught a lot of couples, focusing on eternal families and making covenants in the Temple. When we help families see the bigger picture of things, baptism and the other commitments we extend seem to be easier for them to accept and apply them. 

Rennick is going cold turkey from chewing tobacco again! He calls us everyday saying he is really grumpy and would rather have us come another day, BUT we showed up anyway and in the end we have a great experience. We've gone over there almost everyday this week helping him read the scriptures and find power and strength through them along with consistent and fervent prayer. His body is having a hard time adjusting because the nicotine addiction is so strong, but he's doing well and hopefully he can get baptized in the next month or so.

We had trade offs again this last week and I went to my old ward twice! I had the chance to see more of my good friends and give a good number of priesthood blessings. Thank goodness for the Restored Gospel and the Priesthood Authority of God back on the earth once more. I testify that this is true and the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and it empowers us to become greater than what we think. I pray that we may all humble ourselves once more before The Lord, acting in faith to obey his commandments with exactness, and allowing the power of Jesus Christ and his gospel to change our very nature. 

Until next time, 

Elder Greenlaw