15 November 2010

Aloha Everyone,

This week has been a lot different compared to the rest. But it first started off on last P-day where we went to the Black Sand Beach in Punalu'u. I've never seen black sand before and plus there were sea turtles the size of a large dog. I guess I can compare it to that. We took a hidden trail that had been covered up by tree's. It once was a trail but it hasn't been taken care of in years. But in doing so we saw awesome views of the ocean while it crashed upon the rock soaring pretty high into the air. Then we saw a random tiki/idol in the rocks just chillin. Not going to lie, it was pretty freaky and we could tell the atmosphere changed. So...we took some pics and went on our way.

Later this week starting on Thursday till Saturday night we went to Weimea on the other side of the island. The Mission President, his wife, and the AP's had a special training. We were the last Island they came to where they were to teach us. It's the new training for all missionaries in the world. Each day it was from 8:00 - 3:00 as we had an intensive meeting/training. It's all about asking inspired questions to everyone we come in contact with, but mostly as we teach our investigators. To allow who we teach to teach themselves. Also so we can help them recognize the spirit and when they had felt the spirit in the past. It's absolutely amazing and I love it! Just in these last few day's I've seen the difference it makes. It will definitely enhance Preach My Gospel.

Sadly this week we lost the truck and instead we got a 2010 Toyota Corolla (white) But it's still an awesome car, so I can't be sad, though the truck was awesome.

It's funny how every time we go in public stores or places people always come up to us and ask us questions, like what Isle can I find the Pillows. Everyone thinks we work there so now we just go with it ha.

Today we went to the Volcano and saw the huge Crater as well as a huge lava tube! One had lights in it and the other we used our flashes from our camera's to light the way as it was pitch black. It's was some sight to see!

So that's the run down of how my mission is going along, I'm absolutely loving it and I'm loving my companion as well. We are indeed a good companionship! Thanks for all the support!

Love Elder Gardner!!!

8 November 2010

Aloha Everyone!

Once again another week as flown by! This week was nothing to crazy, but there are a couple good stories to write. The first one is with my companion. He got bit by a centipede in the night and woke up with his big toe killing him. 2 day's passed and he could barley walk due to the poison and swelling. Luckily it has been raining a lot this week, but that results with choke centipedes in the pad. We found a ton of this week, and now I check my bed, clothes, shoes, etc inside and out cause I hate them ha, I even dream about them.

On this passed Tuesday we had dinner with a non-member who was interested in coming back and our lesson was so spiritual, he said from this time on he was going to stop with his addictions. Toward the end of the lesson we went to our car to grab a Book Of Mormon for him and I left the truck unlocked. Only a few mins later we left his house and I jumped in the car. I looked to my right and saw that the passenger door was wide open. My companion noticed the same thing and he hurried and jumped car and we looked in the back to see if someone was there. Luckily nothing was stolen, and my companion's camera was in the cup holder. So we must of just scared him away. Crazy though cause during the lesson, Loyd who we were teaching was wondering why his dogs were barking, but now we know why.

We found a new investigator and she committed to be baptized on Dec 4! That was very exciting.

I keep learning at a deeper understanding that questions are not only the best way to learn but to help others learn as well. Everything is changing for the way missionaries are to teach. We are to teach by inspired questions and are receiving training this Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in wiamea.

I find tracking pretty fun, as we had walked to someones door they came out and started chewing us out and to get off his property. In the mean time it was as if someone was dropping buckets of water down for rain. So we walked out from his covering that protected us from the rain and then his wife came out. I thought she was going to calm her husband down, but I thought wrong she was worse and started calling the cops on her phone. I thought it was pretty funny and gave her a big loving smile and continued on in the rain.

The next day at church, Bro Aina the secretary pulled me aside and said that she called and wanted our information of where we live and our names so she could report us in. We busted up, saying if the cops wont even come out to do a drug bust what makes her think they come and talk to us. So it's been a pretty interesting week and I thoroughly love missionary work. I can't explain all the small and large things I'm learning. As I gain a life time of experience in these next two years.

Thank you for all your prayers and support!

Love Elder Gardner

1 November 2010

Aloha!

Another very exciting week as already gone by. Time is going by so
fast, and I'm absolutly loving it out here in Ka'u!
Scripture of the week that I came across is Alma 7:23-24. This
scripture is who I want to be, and i know that as I live the gospel
that this is who I can be.
Everyday we have been doing the word of the day. A couple of them
are, Dabocle, Swick, Spectastic, and Cool Runnings.
I've ben reading a book about missionary tips, and one said to
rearrange the furniture while your companion is in the shower. So
that's just what I did, and he didn't even notice till companion
study.
One of the members took us to the Shaka Bar & Restaurant, the most
southern-est bar in the U.S. So now I can say I ate at the most
southern-est restaurant.
Something crazy that happened this week was when we were driving
out of a place called Discovery Harbor. As we wer on the single windy
road out, my companion randomly went off the road half way in the
rocky dirt. At first I was confused until a truck can flying around
the blinde sided corner half way in our lane and just barley missed
our truck. Afterwards my companion and I was silent and then he said
that he felt strong inside to move off the road onto the side and slow
down. It was a pretty intense moment and a moment to look back on in
my life to remind me of my testimony of spiritual promptings. I liked
what my companion said after it happened too. He said, "I'm glad that
I'm living in such a way that I could recognize the spiritual
promptings and then to act upon them."
We found 2 new investigators, which is great for Ka'u and we
invited both to baptism after our frist lesson. Both said yes and one
is scheduled this Nov 20. The other has to get married which is the
biggest thing we run into. No one wants to get marriend, and yet they
have 3-4 kids, and have been living together for the last 20 years.
But we'll keep encouraging and promise them the blessing they will
recieve if doing so.
I've found out this week, the real importance of an effective
weekly plan and a daily plan. The more specific the better and the
more efficent the day is. It's been completly different now that I'm
the one in charge of the area and trying to teach my companion all
about the area. He keeps saying how unique the place is. And that when
I go to the city it will be completely different. I can already see how
sad I'm going to be when I have to leave. So I won't think about it.
I'll probably be here for 5-6 months sense my companion dies next
transfer (goes home) and then I'll have to introduce another elder
into the area and get him familiar with the place. So that's 6 months
right there.
Halloween was awesome, Saturday night was the ward party and we
were able to go and bond with the ward. Sunday night on the actual
halloween night we couldn't be out so we went to bishop's for dinner
and talked story for most the night got to hear more about his crazy
life.
Thanks again for all of you that write me. I do enjoy them very much.

Love, Elder Gardner

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