September 29, 2014

Dearest Family,

It sounds like you guys have all had quite the week back in the good ol' AZ. Man, I miss that place so much. The Monsoon season is my favorite. And I miss you guys a lot, too. Everything is changing over there and I am missing it all! But it's so exciting to hear all about it. I feel like I'm going to have a really fun time when I am finished here in England. I'm glad to hear Grandma is doing alright. Quite a way to end a mission. I hope I don't follow suit. haha. (Grandma had a little accident - 12 stitches)

I wanna hold that little baby so bad.... I have a new Niece and I don't get to see her! Consider yourselves blessed. She looks so cute and happy, though. Aubrey and Tyler, you're both going to be wonderful parents. I just know it. 

Cami Ray.... is that Tyler Ray's little sister????? Whoa, that's weird. I've gotten so old. Oh gosh. You need to send me some photos of Chase's Homecoming next week. 

So, if I remember right, there weren't many convert baptisms in our ward for the whole 11ish years I lived there, but the moment I go out on a mission, loads of people join the church! What happened? Teach me so I can do it here!!! 

​All the wards in the Stake got reorganized??? That's intense. I wonder what they are all like now. I wish I was still in Oxford so I could talk to Ben Shurtz about it. His home ward, Fairfield, is gone now! Dad, you've been in the Stake for too long. I remember back when you were the High Council newbie. 

This week was pretty good for all of us. John and Tasha couldn't make it to church but we're going to go over there hopefully this week and help them in the garden and cook them Chinese food. It should be really nice and helpful. Our Chinese investigator, Du, the one whose kids got baptized, was there and in Gospel Principle Sunday School class she said she will be joining the church soon! We need to follow up on when that will be. Haha. There was also a Less-Active that showed up. His name is Sean. His parent are from Pakistan and he's been inactive for a long time but some things in his life shook him up so he's decided to come back. We're going to go visit him this week and teach his non-member wife so that she can get baptized and they can raise their daughter in the gospel. That's what they want.  Awesome!!  We also had a dinner appointment with the Eze family, and we're going to teach Sis Eze's brother, now! Part-Member families - Yeah - go for the win!!!

This week I had Foo Foo!!!!! It was soooooo good!  If you don't know what Foo Foo is, it's two things. You have this mashed stuff made out of yams (like the big brown root looking ones) and a stew. You use your fingers to scoop the yam and dip it in the peanut stew - nice and spicy! And there's goat, chicken and turkey meat in there, too. Sooooo good!!

Just so you guys know, I'm the District Leader here. I'm the resident long-timer in the District, a sign that I've been out too long :(

Thanks for the pic of Katie Carroll's reception. Her little Kayden is so cute haha. I just love her soooo much.  And the giant cutout of Dallin.  Nice!! 

Thank you guys so much for the letters. Today I'll be going to Central London, so I'll have some great pics for you guys next week. 

love,

Elder Glasgow

September 22, 2014

Dear Family,

Flippin' Heck! That's a baby! And it was born! And I'm 5000 miles away so I just have to sit here at this computer and wonder what it was like for all you guys. It feels so strange to think about it. I almost struggle to accept the reality of it all. Aubrey just had a baby. My sister! 

Who took all those black and white pix? Is that like a new fad now? Are they going on Pinterest? I bet they are. All you guys are so up to date on the tech ever since I left.  

Good news! Sometime near the end of the year/into the next, my mission is getting Ipads! I don't know all the details yet. I'm pretty sure they will be Ipad mini's and we'll buy them all individually and then take them home. 

Bad news (there always have to be both, we live in a fallen world, after all) I left my nice winter jacket in Oxford..... yeah. And it's starting to get cold here. Also more sad news, we didn't get to go LARPing, last week. We went to the caves, but didn't have any time for LARPing. The caves are called Chislehurst caves. Maybe dad the history major knows something about them? The are actually chalk mines and were used as shelters during the war. Sadly, we weren't allowed to take any pictures... so i don't have any. You can google it to see what it's like. It's pretty cool. 

Dad- LARPing, also known as Live Action Role Play is...more or less real life Dungeons and Dragons. You dress up in costumes, get fake weapons and then beat each other with them. It's great. It would've been super cool in the caves. We just didn't have the time, but it's okay. 

 

Grandma is done with her mission???? Where has time gone!!! I'm so old. Do you guys realize I turn 20 in two months? How does that make you feel mom and dad, child number 4 is coming up on the big 2-0h?! Oh gosh. Speaking of birthdays, do you know what would make everything really easy? Just send me letters and some pictures and put the money you would have used on me in my account. I'm realizing that everything in America is more or less here. it just has different names most of the time. And the stuff here is nice and I like it a lot. Like suits... suits here are nice!  We'll save $ on postage.

So John and Tasha weren't able to come to church and we've been unable to meet with them all week because John is always working late. I feel like all they need is to just hear the first lesson and then they'll be hooked. It's just finding the time to sit them down and teach them is the problem. I feel like Du already has her answer. She knows there is a God. She found it a long time ago. She just keeps rationalizing and doesn't accept it. We'll still keep working with her, though, so that her kids stay in the gospel. 

This week I also had to go on a 3-day exchange with Elder Herrod because he got the flu and they still had appointments set up. It was a long three days of practicing the uke and guitar, eating bacon sandwiches.  It was kinda like hanging out with one of my best friends. But now I'm back in real missionary life and I'm pumped for this week. 

Thank you all for the letters. I'm excited for all of you, especially for this new adventure of Aubrey and Tyler, new mom and pop, haha. 

Love,

Elder Glasgow

ps, I forgot  my shaver for the three day exchange, and Elder Ye is the best cook in the world!  Mmm-MMM!!

September 15, 2014

Dear Family,

You know, sometimes I feel like a goof just sitting here in the public library here in Woolwich because while I read all of your emails and look at your pictures I have the biggest grin on my face the entire time! I just love hearing from you! It's the best. 

​I'm glad Serena and Justin stopped by. Haha, when Serena told Justin she was going to visit you, mom, he said "hey, I wanna come, I miss Melanie", hahaha. He's a great guy. And ALL of his friends are on missions now. I think it's working on him slowly and eventually... When he sees what kind of changes all of us RM's have made, it will open his eyes a bit. Serena told me about Colton, too. I think it's just a matter of time. 

I really should start taking more pictures of my food. I had it going for a bit on the Isle of Wight, and now that I'm in Little Africa it needs to start again. I've never heard of Zigney. Most of the food here is from Nigeria and Ghanna. So, it's Gelaf Rice, Peanut Stew, Foo Foo, Pepe Chicken; stuff like that. I love it. 

Elder Ye (pronounced yeah) is just great. He's a convert of only 3 years. He and his mom found the church through his mom's friend who went to Salt Lake City (of course!) and they both joined pretty quick. His dad joined just before he left on his mission. He has loads of faith and isn't afraid of anything! Back home his branch is only about 100 people but the area has like 6 million people in it. Crazy. I love serving with him. He's also a really good cook, so I get to enjoy Chinese food. haha. 

John and Tasha and their two kids, Elliot and Harley, were at church yesterday! It was great to see them there. They couldn't stay for Sunday School because their kids were getting a little antsy. Next time they will come more prepared. We should be teaching them this weekend. We're also working with a part-member family pretty closely. Their last name is Xiao Ying. The mother, Du, still hasn't joined the church even though her two daughters Joanna and Kalleen were baptized about a month ago. Du struggles to come to terms that God exists, and now she has enrolled her kids in a Chinese school that is on Sundays, so her kids can't come to church. Elder Ye and I have prayed about it a lot and worked for a solution, but progress is slow. Either we need to find a different Chinese school, or Du needs to find God. The latter would be best. We also have some other RC's, Taylor and Mark, who are moving along nicely. 

I really want to get more involved with the members here. It sounds like the Sisters back home are on it. I'm so excited for Uncle Blaine, too! 

Today I don't have many pictures, just me and the Woolwich District at a Chinese Buffet, for elder Da Bisschop's birthday. Haha, funny story about Elder Da Bisschop. Da Bisschop means The Bishop in Dutch (he's from the Dutch part of Belgium) and his dad is a Bishop! So, he's Bishop The Bishop! haha. 

Today I'm going LARPing with a couple of missionaries in the Zone, in some caves, so I should have some super cool pictures next week!

I love and miss you all. Thanks for the emails and pics

Love,

Elder Glasgow

September 8, 2014

Dear Family,

Where does the time go?!?  I feel like it was just yesterday we were talking about how I had already been out a year, and now I hit 13 months!  It's just crazy how fast time flies!  Thank you so much for the pictures and emails this week!  I just can't help but smile as I read and look at them all. 

It sounds like you guys are doing alright.  Life is continuing on, back in the good ol AZ.  I sure do miss that place.  All we get here is a bunch of gray skies.  Not exactly the most exciting thing in the world.  But it is cool when you get all the history with it. There's not too much of it over there. haha. 

Elder Ye and I are doing great. The mission is making some major changes and they've really changed the way we are working.  It's a bit of an adjustment, but it will be worth it.  There are people everywhere around here, and they, for the most part, are very religious.  Especially the Africans.  I just love it.  African culture is so exciting.  I love the food, too!  It's so different but so good. 

We picked up a wonderful new family this week!  Yep, it turned out I came all the way here to little Africa and the most prepared people we meet are mostly the Anglo's.  I have some very good feelings about this family, too.  The mother's name is Tasha and her husband is John.  John's parents are LDS but he only went until he was nine.  And Tasha has so many wonderful questions and is coming to church on Sunday.  We'll be teaching them once or twice a week from now on.

Last p-day we went to a place called Greenwich (that's "Gren-itch", in the Queen's English)  It was super cool.  I took a fair amount of pictures, too.  London is so cool! 

Brighten is Pregnant??!!  I always thought Avery and Wake were enough! hahaha.  But that's so exciting!  That will be two new faces to meet when I finish up over here! haha.  Aubrey, you are so pregnant, too!!! 

So, I found some really great books in the Flat that I'm now reading.  One is "Doctrines of Salvation", by Joseph Fielding Smith.  Man, I love it.  Studying church and gospel doctrine has become one of my favorite hobbies, since coming out here.  I just love learning about the gospel. And I want to share with everyone what I have learned!!! 

Chase - I'm pretty sure I have a letter coming to you soon.  I wrote it about a month ago but I just haven't had the time to send it.  I can't exactly remember what it says but just in case, I have some things I want to tell you.

The single most important relationship that I am so glad I worked to strengthen and develop, other than my relationship with God (which is inexplicably important), is the relationship that I have with our very dear Mother. I'll let you figure out why. 

Soooo... just so you know, I'm still keeping my eyes peeled for a suit.  And there are some sales going on right now....  Anyway! 

I just love it here. and I love to hear how you guys are doing. 

I love you all,

Elder Glasgow

September 1, 2014

Dearest Family,

I have now made it through 4 days here in Welling. It is such an adventure.

I don't actually live in Welling.  I live just south of the river Thames in a place called Woolwich (pronounced wool-itch).  There's probably some bits in the news about it every once in a while.....sadly not good news, if you know what I mean.  We live just 5 minutes away from a Mosque and there are churches everywhere!  So I'm in the Maidstone Zone, which is the farthest East Zone and my area is the most West of the Zone, so I'm the only one in actual London.  Woolwich isn't exactly too touristy at all..... nothing like Oxford, haha.  But, if we get permission from the ZLs we can go to the Wandsworth Zone (South London) and if we call up President he will let us leave our mission to go visit Central London, to see the more famous Landmarks, but that won't be for a few weeks.

Woolwich is really really busy with a lot of suburbs.  It's pretty dodgy in a few places, too.  But most of the people here are actually pretty nice.  They're willing to talk.  I love it more and more the longer I am here. 

The Ward is pretty awesome, too.  About half of them are African.  They make good food.  Plantains and Gelaf rice and chicken and all sorts of African stuff.  It's all real spicy, too, and I like it. 

You'll never guess!!  The Bishop is Mark Manning and he has a mormon.org profile. hahahaha.  Check it out.  It's so cool. 

My companion is the best. He's from central China.  I'll send you guys a picture of him.  He's so funny.  He talks a bit like an American though because all his comps have been American.  He's been here for two transfers, now.  

My District is only 4 Elders, though.  Just me and Elder Ye, and then a really big black Elder from Paris, Elder Embulu, and then another Elder from Belgium, Elder Da Bisschop.  They're all really good guys.  It's weird being in a small District again, though.  District meetings will be interesting. haha. 

So the week before I arrived here there was 4 baptisms, so Elder Ye and I are working with all of them now.  My favorite is this really nice Chinese family.  The mom has still not been baptized but her two daughters who are old enough were, and the youngest son will be baptized when he turns 8.  We just extended a baptismal date to the mom, Du, yesterday, though.  We're going to get her in the water on the 13th of this month. I hope she makes it. 

Our investigator pool isn't too massive right now, so we'll be finding a lot this week. But I have great expectations for the work here. 

It's so fun to be around Elder Herrod, too.  All 6 of us, my District and the ZLs, are in the same Ward, so I get to see him often. Today we'll be heading to Greenwich so I should be getting some great pictures to send next week. 

CRAZY STORY FOR YOU GUYS!!!! So on Tuesday, my last day in Oxford, Elder McCammon and I decided to go knock some doors around C.S. Lewis's house.  We found the actual house and so we knocked and a guy answered and we taught him!!!!  Sadly, he's leaving in a week.  But I taught a guy in C.S. Lewis's house!!!!

It's so great to hear from you guys. I love and miss you all. 

Elder Glasgow

(I was in Oxford Feb 6 - Aug 27, 2014.  pic of my last day in Oxford. )