Wednesday, November 30, 2011

I found out that I've been sick for a month.

November 30th,2011

This was a good week!!!
I found out that I've been sick for a month. No wonder I've been so tired haha! I got used to being sick so I was working like I wasn’t and it has been destroying my body. Haha I have lost the will to eat so for the past few weeks at members’ houses I've said that I can’t eat a lot because I had a stomach ache. After 3 weeks, Fatima Campos asked me if everything was okay because for the past 3 weeks I've been saying the same thing. Anyways I called Sorella Wolfgramm and told her about my symptoms and she told me I have Giardia, which is a parasite in my small intestine...no wonder I've just been so out of energy. But I just kept working, thinking that it was just Satan trying to get me not to work. Anyways I got some medicine and for now things have gotten just a little worse. I have head aches and my stomach goes crazy. I finish my medicine on Saturday and if things don’t change I’ll go to the doctor. I'm not worried because I'm still working hard. Don’t think this will get Anziano Glowa down! I can see how the mission has changed me because before the mission, I would use any excuse to not go to school but I've been sick for a month and nothing has slowed me down! Haha the Lord does amazing things to his missionaries. 
I don’t have too much time to email Ill just tell you that we are dropping Stefania because she is not progressing and she didn’t come to church. I had a lot of faith in her but she has her own free will. Anyways,Clifton is doing great!!! He came to church for the 3rd time in a row and is pumped about his baptism and he is just such great friends with the members. And Clovis is doing great also he came to church and is really willing to change and be baptized. We just need to have faith in him. The branch is doing a fast this Sunday for our baptisms. They are pumped! I love it when the members are on board and help us a lot. If you would like to join us in this fast I wouldn’t oppose it. :) Things are going great.
We have progressing investigators but the tricky thing now is instead of just focusing on them is we still have to find other people so that we can have more investigators and baptize people after these baptisms. The trouble with missionaries is that they are usually in a finding mood, a teaching mood, or a baptizing mood. In order to be a good missionary you need to learn how to find, teach and baptize all at the same time so we need to get out there and knock and talk to as many people as the Lord puts in our path.
I'm sorry this email is shorter. Just know that I need to work hard and do the will of the Lord. Mom I really loved your talk; it meant a lot to me and I know that Lord has given me my arks in life. I love you all! Just know that Satan can’t get me down with this sickness and I’ll work till I die! I'm no longer Ben Glowa, I'm Anziano Glowa! 
I love you all so much! I have your package all ready to send off. Ill send it off this week or next. Did you like the photos I sent Courtney? 
LOVE YOU
Love Anziano Glowa

Please pray for these people.

November 23th,2011



Hey!

This week...
THURSDAY- we did some casa but had no luck. We had lessons with Clifton and Stefania and we gave them both baptismal dates for the 10th of December. The lessons were very powerful and I know that as they keep there commitments they will be baptized!
FRIDAY- we did more finding work. We went to our branch president’s house to eat and boy was it good! You can’t beat a good Italian lunch appointment. :) Anyways it was a pretty slow day. We worked hard but the people here seem to be getting colder and colder, maybe it’s because of the weather haha. No I know it’s because the Lord is just helping us move fast through those that aren’t ready in order to help us find those that are.
SATURDAY- we had English class today and we did some casa and found this cool Brazilian guy. He is about 25 and is married with a baby girl; they are a perfect new family. He was really sincere and said he would come to church the next day to see how things were. We taught him the restoration and I asked him if it was true what it would mean for him and his family. He said it would mean everything. He was just a really cool guy. I hope he gets baptized.
SUNDAY- CLIFTON came to church for the second week in a row! He is progressing so well!!! And CLOVIS came to church too! He is making some awesome changes and is just becoming more interested. Sadly Stefania didn’t come so we will have to move her baptismal date but Clifton is still on track and he is doing awesome. That night we went to the Dos Santos house and we gave Clovis a baptismal date for the 10th of December. I know that as he follows his baptismal calendar that we made for him and as he keeps his commitments he will get baptized. It would be awesome if he got baptized before I left because I would have completed that which I started when I first came to Mantova. Please pray for these people. I know that they need your prayers and that they will get baptized.
MONDAY- We went to District meeting but we didn’t do a scambi so I came back with Anziano Strong. Our branch gave us about 13 less actives to go visit so we did those but no one was home. We made some progress figuring out that some people moved and didn’t live there anymore. And by talking to the neighbours, I found out that one of them was arrested for drugs so we don’t even know where he is. Anyways that night we went to the Campos house and had a family night. We invited the Dos Santos and Clifton to strengthen there friendship. He came and it was a good fun night! The lesson was on prayer and we had games after and sweets. It was a good evening and I know that he is progressing.

Our week went really well this week. We want to focus on finding more people but our investigators are progressing well. Stefania has slowed down a little but we are still working with her. Clifton is on fire and I know he will get baptized on the 10th of December and I have a lot of faith for Clovis also. I love you all!! Have a great week!!
Love Anziano Glowa

Monday, November 21, 2011

We Taught 26 Lessons This Week!!


Hey all!
For this week....
We worked our butts off!!!! We taught 26 lessons; it was crazy we just did lots of casa and taught our investigators. I’m sorry I didn’t write about the work last week, but you guys are way behind. I’ll catch you guys up by talking about our most legit investigators. First there is Clifton, who is an 18 year old Brazilian. He is very open and even came to church. Then there is Stefania. She is a 30 something year old Italian who loves the book of Mormon. She has already read over 30 pages and has seen so many blessings. She knows it’s the book of Mormon and this church that is changing her life and she understands the need for baptism. We are getting really excited about her. Clovis, the Dos Santos dad came to church for the first time since his family got baptized in the end of June so things are picking up. Those are our biggest investigators. We have other people that we have found and we will see how they progress. On with the week...
THURSDAY- We taught Clifton with Bruna. He has only been in Italy for less than 2 years and doesn’t speak Italian that much and I don’t know how much he understands. So we bring Bruna to translate. Anyways we taught the restoration and he is open to learning more. He is just a humble guy but he’s shy and doesn’t talk a lot. Anyways he wants to come to church. Then we taught Stefania. We brought Pablo because there is no male at home. We taught about prayer, reading, and going to church and how to grow our faith and how to know if these things are true. She has already read up to 2 Nephi 13. When I was talking about and explaining the book of Mormon better, and using the Moroni’s promise, she interrupted me and asked if it was the same Moroni that appeared to Joseph Smith 4 times... I was like ummm how do you know that?? Haha she didn’t just start reading the book of Mormon but read all the testimonies so she understands everything super well. We didn’t even ask her to read that. she is just such a miracle to our work here.
FRIDAY- We just did a lot of finding work. We got in multiple times but just no solid investigators. It’s good because we are teaching but we need to move fast to find elect people and not waste time. I’ve really learned how to continue to grow my love for casa. It’s something that I’m good at. I remember when everything was so hard because of the language and not knowing what to say and just being awkward. Now it’s just like second nature, especially the language. I love just being able to talk and not think. It’s so sweet and for sure just a gift from God. Obviously when its late and I’m really tired my brain sometimes doesn’t work and I make so many mistakes or just words don’t come to mind. I know that I need to stay humble because the Lord sometimes does that to show me that I’m nothing without Him. Haha I love it. 
SATURDAY- We taught Stefania again with Pablo. It was good! We went over the restoration again, and she understood everything. At the end I committed her to be baptized, and she said that when she knows it’s true she’ll do it. So we asked her to pray and read and ask if this is what she needs to do. I was going to give her a date to prepare for but her friend walked in and was being loud and the spirit just left so we didn’t, but we know that she has a desire and I know that she will receive her answers. Then we went to the Dos Santos house and taught about going to church and really committed Clovis to come. He gave an indirect answer like “I’ll try”, and I just was super bold and direct (obviously following the sprit) and I was like if you don’t want to come you don’t have to. Just tell us but if you want to come say yes. And he said okay tonight I’ll really think about coming. I felt in his voice that he was being serious and that he was really going to think about it.

SUNDAY- CLIFTON CAME TO CHURCH!!! He came for sacrament and met all the Brazilians and they shook his hand and made friends and everything it was sweet. He loved it and I know he felt the spirit. ThenClovis came to church, which was such a great blessing. He loved it too and I know he loved being with his family and I know he felt the spirit. Sadly Stefania didn’t come. She called and said she fell and hurt herself so she couldn’t come. I didn’t talk to her because I was teaching the YM so my comp was the one who talked to her. So sadly she didn’t come but we still had a great Sabbath.
MONDAY-TUESDAY- I did a scambi in Verona with Anziano Webb. He’s a cool guy and is 3 months under me. We worked really hard and did a lot of contacting. We found this super cool guy who is on the search. We found him Monday night and set up an appointment Tuesday with him and then for the appointment we taught the restoration better and watched the movie. He said he felt something and said that he felt that he was like Joseph Smith (in case you don’t know: that’s what you want evert investigator to say!) It was so awesome. I really felt the spirit, and I just had one of those moments, like I know that happened and how great is it to say I know Christ lives because I KNOW Joseph Smith saw him and talked to him. I just love this church so much and I’m so grateful for your example, for your testimonies that helped me search for myself. Dad, thanks for making that promise to yourself that you would never fall, because of that I too made that promise. When I heard you tell stories of grandma and grandpa suffering because of your brothers and sisters, I remember telling myself that I never wanted you guys feel like that and I made a promise to myself that I would never fall. So you would never have to worry about me, and I hope you don’t have to worry about me because I’m on a mission. I’m serving the Lord and I’m trying my hardest to forget everything. I know the blessing from doing such because this week, I worked hard just leaving everything behind and I saw so many blessings and so many miracles. I know the Lord is guiding his work and I’m just an instrument in his hands. This is the church of Jesus Chris. I know it is because I have prayed and searched for myself. We are not here to convince people (that is IMPOSSIBLE!) we are here to only invite people to do the same thing we have done to know that this is true. And to read the Book of Mormon and to pray and if we do that with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, we will feel the Holy Ghost bear testimony to us that this is true and by the power of the Holy Ghost we can know the truth of all things (Moroni 10:4-5). I love this church with all my heart. I know that this work is true and these 2 years are not a sacrifice; they are 2 years of eternal blessings.
Young Men’s is going good. We have Cyro who is 17 years old and pablo who is 12. We are making a program where they come with us missionaries 1 hour a week at least to work by teaching lessons or by doing casa. We have fun, spiritual activities and I know they are thinking about missions. I know that Cyro is going to serve a mission. These young men are awesome and are changing my life. It’s so humbling to have a calling and be a missionary. I have no time but I have all the time. As I said before, this week we taught 26 lessons and miracles are happening because I am forgetting myself and going to work. I love this work.
I love you all and I’m trying to make the most of this last year. I’ve felt the increase of the spirit in my life while being on a mission. It’s weird I’m the same old Benda Boy but at the same time I’m a representative of the Saviour and I take that calling very sacred. This is the best thing that ANY YOUNG MAN CAN DO! I love you all
Love Anziano Glowa