December 30, 2013

Dear Family,

The holidays on missions are just somehow like a million times better.  They're different, I mean, none of you guys are around so it's way different, but I just love them as a missionary.  You see everything in a different light and you cherish moments that you took for granted before you came out. 

I just loved this week.  Christmas was just the best.  We had loads of presents (mostly chocolate) and I luckily got your package on time.  We had a wonderful Christmas roast with a part-member family.  It was delicious. Yorkshire puddings, roasted and mashed potatoes, carrots, brussel sprouts, parsnips, peas, gammon, chicken and roast with an amazing homemade gravy to top it all off. 

We were taken care of, haha.  I also got some ties, christmas socks, and a big stuffed Despicable Me minion from our neighbors! 

This week we also picked up two solid baptismal dates.  One, her name is Nastassia.  She met missionaries 19 years ago and just the other week we ran into here on the street and now she's ready to be baptized!   The other one is our homeless Hungarian friend, Steven.  He knows the church is true and every time he comes into the building he says he feels something different than all the other churches he has been to.  But we just need him to quit smoking and he's golden!

Today we find out if anyone is moving.  I think I might, but I just don't know.  I'd be super gutted if I had to leave the Isle, but at the same time I want to get off!  I want to see the world!  The Isle is rather old-school and farmy and small-town, and I want to get out and see the rest of England!  I guess you guys won't find out where I am until next week. Oh well.

It's great to hear you guys had and are having such a great Holiday.  I miss the Temple lights and the wonderful winters of AZ.  Mine is just all cold and wet, ewww.  And it was so wonderful to see all of your faces!  It was rather surreal though.  When I saw the dining room loads of memories just flooded back into my mind and I just had a moment of nostalgia.  But it was gone by the time I woke up the next day, so I'm okay!  I just loved seeing Wake and Crew, though.  I didn't see Avery but I heard her singing, haha.  She's so funny.

And yes I did know that President Hinckley served here.  It was here that he got that letter from his dad that told him to forget himself and go to work!

Brittnee!  I just got your letter two days ago!  I am most definitely going to write you an amazing handwritten letter this week to recompense!

I hope you guys have a safe trip home from Utah. It sounds like you guys are having a blast.  Hopefully by the time I'm done with my mission l'll just have loads of Utah friends that I can go visit when I go up to see Cedar and Courtney.  It'll be great!

I love all you guys.  Have a great New Year.  Remember to set good goals and to actually do them.

 

love, Elder Glasgow

ps. Thanks for the homemade Christmas tree and ornaments!

December 23, 2013

Dear Family,

 

This week was just spectacular. Our investigator, Matthew, was baptized and confirmed!  I just loved it all.  And, guess who baptized him?  Me!  It was great.  It was so surreal, though, for me.  After he was baptized he bore his testimony and everything and it was so weird being the Elders he was talking about.

 

Ohhhh my goodness I just love the Christmas season.  It's great, and I can't wait to talk to you guys!!!  I will call you guys on Skype at 7pm, England time.  You guys can work out the time difference, okay?  I'll be using the Bishop's account, okie dokie?

 

Just so you guys aren't worrying about me, we already have a nice English Christmas dinner set up.  We got a tree (for £5! it was a steal!) and the members here are amazing and there are already loads of presents under the tree.  As for the package you sent me, the ZL's should get it to me either today or tomorrow.  I'm not too worried.

 

Oh! not only did we have a baptism - my first real solid baptismal date that we set, and we only met him a month ago - but we also taught 41 other lessons!  Now, if we can just get some solid return appointments the conversion stories will come!  Aaahhhhh, It's just so great!

 

So, being on the Isle you can only run into so many people so I am now getting to the point where I can walk around the Newport Bus Station and recognize faces and sometimes even names.  I think I've been here too long. :)

 

But, Transfers is actually next week, so I'll find out if I'm leaving or staying.  But I just don't even know, so we'll find out then.
 

But, wonderful things are coming to the island.  It's great.  I'll see if I can get Matthew's email so you can send him something.  I bet he'd like that.

 

Ah, I miss all those family parties.  They were my favorite.  But, alas, I'm in England.  So, it's okay.  I can't wait to talk to you guys on Christmas!!!!

 

See you soon!

Elder Glasgow

ps. Me, Matthew, and Elder Rogers, and our Christmas decorations pix

 

December 16, 2013

Dear Family,

 

This week has been a good'un.  Matthew is doing great.  Today he is up in Aldershot taking an assessment thing so he can join the military.  But, his baptism is coming along right on schedule.  I'll get his email to you guys next week so you can shoot him something.  I bet he would like that.  But, he's doing great.  I couldn't have asked for a better investigator.

 

On Thursday, teh 12th, we went to the Temple.  It was wonderful!  The three-hour train ride there and back wasn't so great. There was LOADS of fog over there in East Grinstead, so I could not get any pictures at all of the Temple.  It would have been a massive blur.  But, I did enjoy the session.  Everyone was so excited to see the new film.  They asked me questions before because I had already seen it - but nope!  That's not allowed.  I just told them it was amazing and they agreed after the session.

 

As for my Christmas package, I didn't get it while I was at the Mission Office, but I wouldn't worry too much about it.  It'll get to me eventually.  I still haven't sent any cards, yet, but I will try today.  I may just send them all home to you guys, if that's alright.

 

So, I don't know when or if I will be Skyping on Christmas Day.  I'll probably call you guys in the evening so you can expect a call sometime in the afternoon.  I'll sort it out this week and get it all ready.

 

Haha, great story about Bro. Blaylock.  I miss him.  He's great.  Maybe I should write the Priests Quorum, sometime.  Could you get me Bro. Yamamotos email?  You might as well shoot me Bro. Blaylock's as well.

*Editor's Note: The family and I were waiting for our turn for Tithing Settlement yesterday.  Before church I whipped up the family's favorite chicken dinner and left it cooking in the oven.  Bro. Blaylock was recently called to the Bishopric and had a minute to sit and visit in between all the Bishopric business after church.  He sat next to me, then stiffened up in the chair and said, "Oh, my gosh!  Do you smell that?!  Who's cooking chicken in the church?!  It's killing me.  I'm starving!"  I stuffed my sleeve under his nose.  "Oh, my gosh, it's you!  Come here, let me smell you".  He wrapped his arms around me and buried his nose in my shirt. "Awwww!"  I almost didn't make  it into the Bishop's office for Tithing Settlement!

 

As for my other investigators... Alan's dog is still alive... yup.  But, Louis has decided he wants to meet with us twice a week so that we can read the Book of Mormon with him.  He wants to finish before the New Year.  I'm excited for him.  We've been really busy with all sorts of stuff - caroling, parties, and just stuff.  So, we haven't had loads of time to get some good work in.

 

Christmas is just not the same here in England, at least where I'm at.  Sometimes I struggle to remember all the traditions we have back home.  Nobody does Christmas lights around here like we do.  It's so lame.  And they all think that in order to have a good Christmas it has to be all cold and snowy.  Nope, I don't believe them!  I guess that's just a bunch of crazy British thinking.

 

I can't believe Christmas is next week.  That's just crazy!  Time is flying by so fast!

 

Remember, I need Bro. Yamamoto's and Bro. Blaylock's email, and maybe even Cedar and Courtney's address, okie dokie?  Am I forgetting anything?  Alright, picture time. This my Aussie friend Elder Cullen on the train.  He likes to knit, haha.

I love you guys so much!  Count your blessings this Christmas 'cuz they are many!

 

Elder Glasgow

December 9, 2013

Dear Family,

I just love all your letters every week.  They mean the world to me.  It's all just great!

 

What the heck?  Chase it going to Winter Formal????  Who asked him out???  That's so wierd.....

 

I'm glad to hear all you guys are having a wonderful holiday.  The last week has been pretty great for me and Elder Rogers.  We taught 35 lessons!  Yah, it was great.  Theres' a new housing development that was just built in the last year and no missionaries have knocked it yet and its just chalk full of families!

 

Matthew is doing great.  We've taught him almost everything.  We just need to wrap up a couple of the commandments.  He is amazing, though.  He doesn't have any concerns!!  It's just crazy!!!

 

Cool story - the other night he confessed to us he went out drinking. (yeah, I know, naughty Matthew)  He had a couple drinks and was heading home on the bus.  Then a fight broke out between two girls.  They were punching and pulling hair and everything.  So, Matthew tried to get up to stop it but he couldn't!  He had no power or energy at all!  The best part is he took it as a sign from God that he will not receive strength to do the things he has to do if he does not obey the Word of Wisdom.  Soooo cooooool!  I can't wait for his baptism on the 21st!

 

We're teaching quite a few people right now.  Three of them are basically homeless.  One is this older Hungarian guy named Stephen.  He's a champ.  And Jorrie is a younger lady who's had a pretty rough life. And then there's Aaron, an 18 year old young man.  Teaching all these people has really humbled me.  I have a wonderful home, and a loving family that lives and loves the gospel.  I count my blessing every day.  We're still teaching Alan, too.  His dog is still alive but she's in a rough place right now.  Still, Alan accepts all that we're teaching him.  He's really cool, too, and has loads of great stories.

 

On the Island, the activity rate is right around 33%.... which is pretty terrible.  It's nothing like London, though.  They are at about 5%.  But there's over 300 members on the Island and only about 100 come to church every week.  It's rough going finding them, too.  Some are really nice, though.  We've found a few and we work with them every week.  I could see a couple coming back pretty soon.

 

The best part about this coming week, though, is I get to go to the Temple!!!!!  Yup, I'm excited!  And I get to spend the night with the Elders in Portsmouth, again, because we have to hop on a train at 6:50am in the morning from Portsmouth and Southsea all the way to East Grinstead.  It's like a 3 hour ride.  But, we also get to have a Christmas dinner with President and Sister Millar!!  It's gonna be great.  I'm excited.

 

Alright, Britnee, here is my take on Mosiah 4:27.  I really love this scripture.  I'm trying to center my mission around it.  Okay, there is an order to everything, and you have to follow it.  If you are organised you don't need to worry.  But, it also says, ''it is not requisite that man should run faster than he has strength''.  That right there is the kicker.  You have to know how fast you can run before you realize your limits.  You have to push yourself as far as you can go; as far as you have strength, then you see how far you went.  That's where organizing yourself comes in.  You see your limit, then you prepare yourself, organize, then you exceed the limit.  You're welcome.  If you have any further questions, feel free to ask.

 

The work here is going great.  I am loving it so much.  I learn so much from those I teach everyday.  It's so great to hear from you guys and I can't wait to see your faces on Christmas Day!!!

 

Love, Elder Glasgow

December 2, 2013

Dear Family,

 

This has been by far the best week of my mission so far. It was truly amazing.

 

So last Thursday we knocked on this guys door. His name is Matthew. He's 24 and works as a Care-giver and is joining the Army soon. We taught him the first lesson, gave him the soft baptismal commitment, but didn't think much would come of it. But, he came to church! He is my first investigator to come to church, ever! 

So, Zone Conference was Friday, my birthday, the 29th. Afterward, we invited Matthew over to the church for a Quiz Night and we both got there a little early so we taught him a bit. We were talking about what he thought about the church and the Book of Mormon and next thing you know we were inviting him to be baptized on the 21st of December. He was shaky at first but after telling him about what happens when we are baptized and bearing powerful testimony, something just clicked! He is super excited now to be baptized and is definite proof that people are prepared to receive the gospel. And it all happened on my birthday!

 

Thanksgiving was pretty great. We had a good lesson with Alan, (his dog is still alive!!! ugh) but it went good and we also found a super solid less-active who will be reactivated in no time at all. Then, after that we had a wonderful Thanksgiving dinner with some members, Matt and Lorraine Ferguson.  There was turkey and everything!! It was great!  See picture.

 

What was not great was having to run a whole mile and a half full of turkey, potatoes, veggies, and trifle, so that we could catch a bus in order to make it to the Hovercraft on time. Oh, my goodness. I was sore for days. but we made it!

 

Zone conference was the best. We stayed the night in a 4-man flat in Portsmouth on Thursday, the 28th. The Elders we stayed with are the funniest guys in the world! Two are Chinese speakers, both from Utah, and the other two are from Utah and Ohio. All super great missionaries. We didn't sleep very much. We did, however, retire to bed on time. Don't you worry about that, I'm obedient! But there was only one shower in the flat so we had to wake up super early cuz there was 6 of us.

 

The next morning we took the train all the way to Stains. Trains are nice, except when you have to run for them. That's not fun.

 

Then the Zone Conference! Elder Teixiera, of the 70, was there! He's awesome! He's the Area President of Europe. He knows his stuff! His lesson is what inspired Elder Rogers and I to be so bold with Matthew to get him ready for baptism.

 

It was so much fun spending my birthday with loads of other missionaries. The Sisters in my district even baked me a cake!

 

I loved my birthday package so much! Christmas music is the greatest thing ever. And the Carroll's homemade hard candy!!!! Yes! And thank you so much for the Hot Wheels car, Crew. I play with it everyday! And I loved all your letters. I read em on the 2 hour train ride to Staines.

 

Yes, this week has been great. and all your guys letters and pictures have made it even better. I miss all you guys so much. I'm glad you're all keeping the family traditions going. Man, Wake and Chase and Crew are growing up so fast. It's so crazy!

 

Last minute Christmas parcel suggestions?? Ummmmm... an apron of course, some ties would be nice. Don't send any chocolate, though. I've come to realize american stuff is rubbish. Yup, I completely agree with dad on that one. Euro chocolate is waaay better. But, just send whatever. I'll love it all!

 

I hope all you guys are having a wonderful holiday season. I miss all the things that happen during this time of year... 4 birthdays, Wedding Anniversaries, Thanksgiving, Christmas. They're all the best.

 

I'm on a mission so it can wait 2 years. haha. I love you guys and pray for you every single day. I can't wait for the Christmas parcel and next weeks letters!

 

Love, Elder Glasgow