Attending the Orlando Florida Temple

This week was a great one! Attending the Orlando Temple, sweating like crazy, riding bikes in the humidity and heat, serving the members, and helping our investigators progress towards baptism! What more could you ask for!?

The Temple was rejuvenating! It was so nice to review the covenants I've made to The Lord, and feel of His love for me. I really enjoyed the peace I felt being away from all temptations, distractions, worries and stress of the world. For an entire day I was able to soak up all the blessing and be grateful for what the Lord has given us to be happy in this life and for all eternity.

As I mentioned last week, we door bell ditched a list of active members while leaving a plate of goodies and a note expressing how much we love them and are thinking about them. We signed it as an anonymous member of the ward. So they will never know it was us! He he. 

Now is the time of year where many of the Doctors, Dentists, and Anesthesiologists finish their residency and move out. We've lost about ten or so solid families in our ward and have only gotten 1 in return. Our depth in leadership is running thin.

Our progressing investigators right now are Jerry and Melissa Gore, and Tina. We've met with the Gore family almost everyday this week reading the Book of Mormon, and having great gospel discussions. They've accepted the baptismal date of July 12!! Their biggest obstacle right now is making it to church. We first contacted them in the Publix grocery store parking lot. They were in dire need of finding a job to support the family. The day after we set a baptismal date with them, read the Book of Mormon, and had Jerry write down all the things he could do, we saw miracles. We all prayed together asking in faith for the Lord to provide and the very next morning he received a call from labor services and got set up with a job working with a member of our church! This same member came to his house and had a discussion with them a few days later. Next step is to live exact obedience to all of the Commandments in order to feel the spirit more frequently in their lives and to continue to progress in the gospel. :)

As for Tina, our Chinese investigator, she has come to church three times now and loves it! She is still fighting with which church to choose, ours or her Chinese baptist. She knows her other church has some serious problems, but everyone speaks Mandarin Chinese there and has lots of friends. She has a hard time keeping up with the talks and lessons at our church.. She is hopefully going to attend an all Chinese Scripture study class in another ward this week. We're helping her to recognize the spirit and asking the right questions for God to receive answers to her prayers. She's looking for tangible, physical evidence, such as a fortune cookie to know if she should join our church. Haha. 

Elder Tuft is going home on Thursday and it's sad to see him go. I've really enjoyed working with him these last 3 months. He's freaking out about having to date, isn't ready to leave his mission yet that's for sure. He's got a great heart and such a drive to do Gods will. I found out last night on the transfer call that I'll be serving with Elder Lewis! He was in my last District, serving in the neighboring area of Fleming Island. We've gone on a few trade offs and really enjoy each other so I'm excited for this next transfer! 

Until next time, 

Elder G

Gainesville, Florida District

Happy 20th Birthday Elder Greenlaw

Hey y'all,

It's been another fabulous week! Thanks for all the birthday wishes it meant a lot! Birthdays are pretty weird out in the mission though. Just preparing me for my later years I guess. Just another day of work and focusing on others and not myself haha. I didn't even sing or eat cake!  I did 7 hours of service that day. We spent 3 hours helping our Chinese investigator Tina install her cabinets. Then we helped a family in the ward move and it was pouring rain almost the entire time. All their furniture and boxes were soaking by the time we got them into the house. 

I think the best part of the week was right after the move. We went to go drop off a microwave to a friend who was in need of it. He lives in the most ghetto part of our area and Gainesville in General. All four of us, white boys from Idaho and Utah, in our "normal" service clothes still, walked through the neighborhood and no more than 5 minutes of being there a law enforcement officer pulled over and said to us.... " You know where your at right?" Hahahaha it was so funny. Without even realizing what we were doing, we were still in the missionary mode even though we didn't have our white shirts and ties. All of sudden it hit us that we weren't protected. As soon as the officer drove away, all the people came out of their homes and started to smoke pot again. Haha. It was like a swarm of cockroaches coming out from beneath the couch when you lifted it up in broad day light.

We're pretty sure our Chinese investigator Tina will get baptized soon. She came to church for the second time yesterday. (btw is the first time that happened since I've been here). The members swarmed to come and fellowship her. There were 6 families that went and said hello right after sacrament meeting. She said we were much more friendly than her Chinese Baptist church haha. That church preaches anti- Mormon doctrine too! They say we worship a different Jesus and that we're not nice people. She realized that wasn't true, considering we fixed her cabinets and she has lots of Mormon friends now. 

Sundays at church, Tuft and I divide and conquer. We separate and visit with almost every member in between classes. By stepping out of our comfort zone and by simply loving the people, we have noticed a huge change in the ward in just the past month. We're finally comfortable in bringing investigators to church, knowing that the members will go and meet them and make them feel loved and included. Our dinner calendar for the month is filled up by new families. :) This week we will be baking brownies and door bell ditching a large group of member families and leaving them a note saying they are being thought of by another family. Leaving everyone to think of who it might be. Never guessing that is was actually us haha. Hopefully it will catch fire and the love will continue to grow!

Our new finding technique is contacting in the grocery store parking lots. We call it a " Publix Party" haha. Again we divide and conquer talking to as many people as possible. Hundreds in fact! We introduce family history and our nearby center and then it leads into a great conversation about their faith. We've found 10 or so new investigators, taught 2 lessons right then and there, and found many less active and part member families we never new about and have invited them back to church. I even got us two dinner appointments by doing it :) Too bad we've been kicked out 3 times, but there are about 7 Publix stores in our area. I guess we have to run a little faster so they can't tell us to leave huh? ;) ooooh it's a blast. It gets me pumped and helps me get in the mode to talk to everyone.

I forgot to tell y'all. A few weeks ago I got my stolen bike back!!! As we were driving down the street we saw a hoodlum on my bike. We stalked him for a mile or so and then he rode right into our apartment complex! He left the bike on his door step and so all four of us went to the door and tried to talk to the guy. But instead he chickened out and had his terrified girlfriend answer and lie saying she doesn't know him. So I grabbed my bike and went home with it! Haha definitely carrying it into my apartment each night from here on out. Then last week Elder Lane got his bike stolen too during the 15 minutes of using WiFi in the clubhouse. Yesterday he "followed the spirit" and drove through a different ghetto neighborhood in our area and found his bike leaning up against the building. He approached three brothas surrounding it and asked to get his bike back. They said the brotha that "owned it" wasn't there and so he ended up giving them 20 bucks and left with it haha. Gotta love Gainesville :) 

Anyways I've talked your ears off, but things are going well here. I get to go to the Orlando Temple in 3 days! Praise! Talk to y'all next week.

Love E.G.

Team Tracting with Elders Lane, Baldwin, and Tuft

Soaked riding bikes in the rain! With Elder Stuart and I on a trade-off

Just for my mama!

Happy 20th Birthday Elder Greenlaw!  

Birthday dinner with the White Family

Elder Greenlaw and Elder Tuft

Brother White and Elder Greenlaw

The Book of Mormon #DiscoverTheBook #CalledToShare

The Book of Mormon has comforted me when I needed it the most, helped strengthen relationships and most of all has increased my faith in my Savior Jesus Christ each day I read it! If you haven't read it already, I encourage you to do so NOW. #DiscoverTheBook #CalledToShare

Elder Greenlaw has asked all of us to post a similar picture on social media and include the hashtags. Share your testimony of how The Book of Mormon has changed your life. 

It is HOT in Florida!

Hello Friends and Family,

This week has been excruciatingly hot! We were on bikes all week long and no kidding, within a mile of riding we would be soaked. As we knocked on doors, we looked crazy with sweat covering us. It runs down our face, we are spitting as we talk haha. Everyone gives us a weird look and then asks us if we need towels and water bottles. People are typically very nice around here. A few days this week, including last night as we were tracking, and we would get poured on by rain. It got all of our books, cards, and IPADs soaked... Gotta love it though! :)

I'm really enjoying my time with Elder Tuft. He absolutely loved his mission! He has moments where I'll catch him with tears running down his face. He only has 2 weeks left. We have been told that we will go to the Orlando Temple together on the 24th of this month! I'm so excited! It will be the first time attending in 15 months or so. 

I have learned so much from serving with Elder Tuft. First, losing myself in the work while still having loads of fun! Obedience, hard work, and discipline brings the most peace and joy. Allowing the Lord to change our nature is key. It's easy to change our behaviors, when we get put around more disciplined missionaries, but when we stop fighting against what the Lord wants from us and submitting to his will. Trusting in Him that he will qualify us for whatever's at stake and we will feel the most happy and accomplished. Lastly, communication is key. I've never had such deep, spiritual, and empowering talks with a companion. We have truly grown close to each other in just these last three months. 

As for the work this week, it's been the same old thang... Our main focus is still knocking doors in Hail Plantation (the more wealthy neighborhoods), along with getting the members and their friends to the Scripture Study Class. The people in Hail are much more educated, so they already know who we are and what were trying to do. For the most part they are very respectful and politely decline. Only a few potentials have come from the area so far, but Elder Lane and Baldwin team tract with us every night and they have found a solid investigator. She's been interested in our beliefs for awhile now and her family is very close with members of our ward. By the members example and invitation, she came to church this Sunday and is now reading from the Book of Mormon. Hear that Members? Your example, if you realize it or not, is influencing those around you. Many are interested in what makes you the person you are,(the Gospel of Jesus Christ), and are just waiting for you to make the invitation to them. Imagine how much easier it would have been for that lady to find the gospel if her friend had just brought it up in a casual conversation and simply invited her to come to church. Instead we had to ride our bikes in the blazing heat and rain for weeks just to knock on her door. haha

Just some food for thought :)

Also our mission is attempting to go world-wide in getting the word out about the Book of Mormon through social media. We have teamed up with Mormon.org, and Lds.org, (all 20 Facebook Missions), and many Mormon Celebrities. Please join the group on Facebook called #Discoverthebook and sometime this week post a picture of you holding the Book of Mormon and share a short description of how you came to find it and how it has influenced you in your life.

Thanks y'all! Have a blessed week!

Love, E.G.

Pictures of Elder Greenlaw's Apartment (love the weights in the living room)

Contents in Elder Greenlaw's fridge! Getting Swollin'

Tracking the streets of Florida

Preparing to share the good word!

Elder Lane playing with the ducks

Elder Greenlaw's ward building

Trial of our Faith

Hey y'all, 

This week has been a trial of our faith for sure. Not much has happened yet. We've had a few of our progressing investigators drop us. We didn't have too many teaching opportunities this week. It rained just about everyday, so we definitely got soaked. 

We knocked doors into a few anti's. An investigator got anti'd by their friend. From the mouth of President Uchtdorf, "The truth will always be aposed"!!!

We had a lot of great service opportunities though! We helped a single mother of four boys empty out here entire trailer home. We also helped the other wards recent convert Dona. She's looking to redo her entire home. Flooring, cabinets, appliances, and walls. We got to do some demolition there also. Then we helped a new couple move into the ward. He's a great guy, served a mission in Boise, Idaho and is doing his residency to be an anesthesiologist. 

Elder Tuft is going into the town of Newberry 3 times a week now to help the missionaries and members there start a "twig". Not quite big enough for a Branch yet haha. Since he'll be gone on trade offs, I'll be leading out the area with a new missionary every time.

Our main focus right now is getting people to the scripture study class each week. We're inviting active members to come check it out and get a feel for it. Then having them invite their non-member friends to it the following week. Hopefully it works!

Well that's about it for this week. 

Love, Elder Greenlaw

Elder Greenlaw Doing Family History Work

Florida Street

Playing Ball on P-Day