27 September 2010

Aloha everyone!

Thank you everyone that has been writing me, I thoroughly enjoy it! But I don't always have time to reply, but I'm very grateful to hear from you, Alofa ia te oe
This week has been another fantastic week here in Ka'u on the big Island of Hawaii. I had my first exchange this Tues. to Wed. with the zone leaders. It was a great experience to get out and see another area and how others teach. It made me appreciate my companion more on how he teaches. But I also got to see the green side of the island in Hilo. My stomach is getting more adjusted to eating what ever comes to my mouth. On Tuesday night we had fresh slaughter beef, rice and cabbage stew which was amazing until my teeth chomped on something hard. I looked at the fingers of the mother and saw she had missing fake fingernails and about had a bad experience on the table haha but I used my napkin with slyness and it happened quite a few times. So I figured it was probably just some bone. My companion and I are getting along very well. We teach so well together and he has taught me a great deal of patience.
We taught a family who are recent converts about the importance of temples, the blessing that come from them, and family history. It was a very neat experience, they all had smiles from ear to ear. That in one year they will be able to be sealed as a family and do proxy work for there own family that has passed away. Something I won't forget and helped me understand the real importance of temples; and how lucky I was to be so close to one. Speaking of temples Our Island is having a unique opportunity to go to the temple this Friday morning. We're going to the Kona temple.
We are also teaching a lady who couldn't be more prepared to hear the gospel. She had such an open heart and her spirit its just growing immensely. She committed to baptism on our first lesson then that coming Sunday she couldn't make it to church due to a lack of transportation. She lives 45 mins away in ocean view. So instead she studied for 8 hours that day on mormon.org and reading the Book of Mormon. We couldn't believe it, this last week on Saturday she went to the Relief Society conference and she told me all about it. (It's interesting that I'm only 19 and I can interact with people 3x my age and they listen to me). Then this Sunday she went on a blitz with the Relief Society to go teach to the Less actives to bring them back to church. It's only been 2 weeks sense she's heard of the Mormons. That's what the spirit can really do. It's not us at all. For I can not boast in my self (2 nephi 20:15) (alma 26:11-12) (alma 29:9). Her baptism date is on oct 9.
I had my first zone conference which was fantastic, it was on the Book of Mormon combined with the Spirit is the MOST powerful resource in conversion. It shows how important the Book Of Mormon is to everyone. It's the teaching of Christ himself to the Prophets. We have a new goal now that goes with vision 100 baptisms a month, that's vision 1000 for the year. and we're at 700.
Ka'u isn't on the map, it's just the area that everyone calls it. It covers many towns, the size of Ka'u is the size of Oahu. If that gives you a good picture. but some towns are Ocean view, Pahala, Naalehu (which is where I live, behind the chapel.) and some others I can't spell.

I love you all tons! Thanks for your prayers

Alofa,
Elder Gardner