25 October 2010

Aloha Everyone,

So I got my new companion, Elder Killian, who has been out for 22 months. I couldn't ask for a better companion. He already has taught me many things. One thing that he shows by example is being what a missionary should be. He said that I pretty much have the best Pad in the mission so I've got the high life right now.

He's defiantly a hard worker, which is exactly who i wanted, to teach me how it needs to be done. One thing we do very well is having a open communication which is key to missionary work and companion unity.

He's from Arizona, and is a cowboy living on a ranch. He had 79,000 acers, I can't really grasp how much land that is.

My last companion left to Honolulu HI, the exact opposite of Ka'u. Elder Killian says talks a lot about how unique this area is and the difficulties it comes with it. But we are finding way's to find quality investigators, sense that is the hardest thing in Ka'u. Members are starting to trust us more and see the importance of missionary work. Hopefully in the future we'll see some more progress there.

Every morning now we run to bishop's house and throw on the weights. I starting to notice that the mirror is looking better each and every day!

Church yesterday was awesome. A member brought an investigator who had just moved in two days ago. I was planning to teach gospel principles and the lesson that week was on the law of chastity but i figured i should change it, due to a new investigator. It's awesome to see how the mission already has helped me. I would of normally panicked about what to do but instead I just made a new outline on teaching about prayer, and i was able to teach the full hour lesson. I know that it's not me who performs but i'm just a tool that can be used in God's hand.

I'm finally getting in the grove of missionary work and seeing it be apart of who I am where it become natural and to be able to recognize the spirit. I can't count how many times I remember things in my past that I share to people to build that testimony or help someone start there's

There's no doubt that this gospel is the same gospel christ established on earth. It has brought so many blessing in my life I will always be in gratitude to my father in heaven

Love,

Elder Gardner

So I tried shrimp for the first time! It was amazing

18 October 2010

Brothers and Sister Aloha,
Thank you so much for all the support and love you have shown me in the letters you have sent me. I thoroughly enjoy reading them. They are like Christmas presents every time!
What an exciting week it has been as always. This week has been far the best though as in our companionship unity. We finally have made each others weaknesses become strengths. But sense it's been 6 weeks, it's transfers. Therefore as soon as I finally figure our my companion he gets transferred this Wed. Now I get the responsibility of running the area for the first while while my new companion adjusts. I don't know who my companion will be till Wed. when I pick him up at the airport. But Ka'u is huge, the area of Ka'u is as big as Oahu, land wise. I definitely feel inadequacy but that's when the faith is put into place and you see how God works through you. I'm definitely going to miss my companion Elder Salima from western Samoa. I've learned far beyond what I could of imagined. Especially life long traits, like patience. He taught me very well by example of how to teach, by going to heaven and asking inspired questions, speaking slowly with love and passion behind, along with applying everything to the needs of the individual. As we are really teaching people not lessons.
I don't know if i talked much about who Billy is, but we taught him twice this week. Not only that we got members to come out with us. The ward is making big progress. But Billy's wife passed away 2 months ago and he has had kidney stones for the last 3 months. He was telling me how much pain he was going through, Physically, Emotionally, Spiritually... Obviously he ran into missionary's in kona on work break, got taught at his boss's house then referred to us sense he lives in our area. We've got to know him very well, the frist lesson about the restoration was great, but the next lesson on the Book Of Mormon and Prayer was a very spiritual high. We'll see how he does on his commitments of reading the chapter we left him.
In the Planation out side our house and the church we harvested hundreds of carrots and other things that don't grow in utah. After our long 4 hours of harvesting on Saturday, we got to watch my companion climb the coconut tree's and knock all of the coconuts down. Then see how he slices it with the machete and drink the juice inside. For a how-lie (someone not of the islands) it was a awesome thing to watch, I gave it a try but it's harder then it looks. The juice was great but obviously an acquired taste. I had one and a half and my companion, Bishop, and uncle Andy all had 3-4.
We had dinner with Bishop again this week and we got talkin story for quite a while, and got to hear his life story and conversion. He was the number one drug dealer in Ka'u making bank, telling all kind of stories of how it was like, sense I was interested in different life styles. He shared how powerful his conversion was and 6 years later being 29 he's the bishop, doing an incredible job getting the ward to where it needs to be. Getting order put back to where it should be.
Last for the best, this p-day we got to go to the Lava Flow by Pahoa. where the Lava goes into the ocean. It was gorgeous! We were walking on dried lava and got to where it was flowing out and into the ocean. Something that can't be explained but truly a magnificent thing to watch.
Have a safe week! Alofa ia te oe
Love,
Elder Gardner

11 October 2010

Aloha!

When I was in on of my lesson's with a recent convert, talking about the importance of Fasting and Faith, this phrase came into my mind, Higher the risk higher the Reward. Used a lot with stocks but I referred it with the lesson by saying Higher the Faith, Higher the Reward. I thought that goes very well with everything in life. So there is my thought of the day.
Every morning when I wake up now I practice the piano, since the church is 2 feet away I just walk over and practice so I can play at times for choir practice and for priesthood. I wish I would of practiced a little more at home ha ha.
When tracking this week we ran into Jehovah Witnesses. Both times you knew who they were just by the way they came to the door and talked to us. We couldn't help but laugh when they threw done there preachings to us and gave us all this stuff to read. I just sat back and watched with a smirk on my face. I see why bible bashing has no effect, there is no spirit there. But we proved them wrong over and over but whatever we just gave them a card to read with a free DVD and told them that "here's a picture of Christ, also known as Jehovah" then they go off again.
We Continued to teach Lesli this week. Every lesson was so strong, we all shared many experiences on how pray and scripture study really does bless us in everyday life.
But the most EXCITING NEWS is Lesli's Baptism this Saturday and her Confirmation on Sunday. Wow it was a total different experience, now that I see the importance of Baptism and why it is what it is that we are doing. She wanted me to give the talk on the Holy Ghost and I thought that was cool sense I gave the talk on the Holy Ghost at my brother's Baptism. It's hard to explain how amazing the baptism was being my first one. But we had a great turn out and she is going to be a very strong member, I wouldn't be surprised if she is the Primary, Relif Society, or YW President in the future. It's been a privilege to see her progress and come closer to Christ, and now enter the gate of baptism on the straight and narrow path.
I'm getting the hang of the food now, I can pick the bones out of the fried fish a lot faster making it so when I eat it, its not cold ha. This week I had a lot of fish and I had Pigs feet twice. the flavor it's self wasn't that bad at all. Just the Slimy slippery texture was hard to swallow at times. Thank goodnes for lots of rice!
When Tracking one time, we had a funny experience as we always do. We saw this one house with kids out front riding there bikes and as we came to every door that came house they would yell every time. THERE NOT HOME! We laughed and then said well they want to talk to us, so when we went over they just ran away. It happened quite a few times. It was one of those you had to be there moment but, you can visulize it being pretty funny. Then the last house of the day when tracking we saw a bunch of older females watching TV. As we walked to the house all of them looked over at us through the door screen and all of a sudden you saw them all Book it out the back door and we saw them hop the fence and were gone. We busted up laughing and knocked on the door anyways. After 4-5 knocks someone came to the door, and we shared a message.
Donel came to church this week which was a huge step for him, and making commitments, he still is way indecisive, he wants to know everything about everything till he makes a choice. It's hard though cause he can't read, and his wife who is a member can't stop talking when we try to teach him. I think we have heard the same story 10-15 times but we still at times get our point to Donel.
The Garden is a task every week, this week we worked in it from 8 to 12. This week we will be harvesting it all up. It's more like a plantation!
It's so beautiful every morning and night to see the sun rise and set. Pictures can never grasp the beauty of it.
On suday we finally had a Ward Council after we had the Stake Presidency come and teach how Ward Council was to be done. Elder Salima had me conduct everything but it went over very well. We finally have all the auxillary leaders motivated and enthusiastic about missionary work. The hardest thing in this ward is the lack of fellowship but we are now making changes and progressing as a ward. We're starting from scratch and seeing a progression. I can't wait to see how things turn out in a few months.
This Sunday was 10-10-10!!! I thought it was way cool so for those who didn't see that, now you know :)


Elder Flint Gardner

4 October 2010

Aloha

So this week was venturous as well. It started with another exchange within the district. Which is fun to get to see how others teach and there methods throughout the day. Still makes me grateful for my companion and how he teaches. It's helped me slow down, have pauses to allow the spirit to testify to them and think of inspired questions to let them teach themselves. After the exchange our district all stayed in our pad cause the next morning we drove to the Kona temple and was able to do a session there and witness a family whose dad/husband passed away and be sealed together. Hard to explain the feelings there. Kona is quite beautiful and saw one massive cruse ship too.
Occasionally we get a hold of a hard investigator, who's not progressing very well, his name is D.A.N. (Daily Afternoon Nap) He has many concerns, but after the temple and drive we got to teach him. The lesson might of gone a little to long, next time we'll invite him to baptism.
That night we went to a Filipino family, the Tiyamins. Known to serve crazy food but this time it wasn't to bad. But I didn't eat fish at all at home so when they put a whole fried fish on my plate with some rice, I just stared at it wondering how to eat it. my Samoan companion just went away at it so I just watched and learned. To my surprise it actually tasted pretty good, that was a testimony builder for the gift of tongues. Not with speaking but for tasting haha.
We are continuing to teach Lesli and we are still on track to have her baptized this Saturday! she couldn't be more prepared.
after her lesson though we got a referral of a man named bill so we finally found his house in ocean view and got to speak with him and here his situation. He's 45 and his wife just passed away august 8, he has 3 kids too. Not only that he has had kidney stones sense the beginning of august and is now able to get surgery to break them apart. Two days after the surgery he had to go back to work in Kona everyday. I don't know how people do it but God definitely had him run into the missionaries for a reason! He said to us that he's now trying to plan his life again to see where he wants to do. I really hope he opens his heart and hears the truthfulness of what he have to offer to him, and the comfort that comes with it.
Then what better way to end the week with General Conference. Now out being on a mission I've come to understand the importance of the it. For those who wonder why it is. It's because Thomas S. Monson and his apostles and general authorities are called of god to receive direct revelation especially our prophet to instruct us on what we need to hear now. That's what the B.O.M. is as well. The teachings of the prophets. You can imagine Christ himself on the stand when they are speaking. I'm come to see that, and see how important it is to read the magazine after conference. That it's scripture as well.
Alofa ia te oe

Love Elder Gardner