WEEK 23 ..... From LINDSAY , CALIFORNIA

Hola evreyone!

Lindsay is amazing, I love it. The members are so amazing and always willing to lend a hand to the missionary work. Sometimes I feel like we burden them with asking for team ups and what not, but they will actually get mad at us if we don't "impose" on them. It is really funny to see how much the members truly love missionary work and understand the importance of it.

So this week we set two new baptismal dates so life is going great. We are having a real difficulty with one of our baptismal dates. Rey , he needs to stop smoking, so we are trying with our all to get that accomplished. I know it can be done because the Lord is on our side.

Being in a small town is great, it has the feelings of home for me. Its kinda like Chateaugauy, but it has a place called Mc Dermont which is the coolest place on earth. Its indoor basketball, and soccer and rock climbing and skateboarding and wave riding and a gym and there is even laser tag in then basement. We got to play laser tag last week with a member and I won out of the three of us. It was amazing. So much fun and even you can play it mom because there's no pain just guns and the impression of dying.

Ok on to your next question ,what would i like from Mexico? My companion and I have come to the conclusion that we need ponchos a green one for him and a red one for me. We need it because we are Spanish missionaries and we basically live in the Mexican parts of the mission  so it just goes with the whole look. So in a nutshell I'm saying we need them to be better missionaries!!!!  LOL !!!

Weather is amazing out here the sun is shining and I can feel the fat melt but I am starting to sweat from every pour, its great and horrible at the same time. And the degrees have no where to go but up. Yes mom I got the packages, thank you but now the Easter one is looking really tempting so I have to put in the closet. And yes you told me that Matt got married. Good I think that's all the questions, jeez this is hard, so many questions, can't you wait two years when I can just answer them face to face :P. LOL!!

This week has been going great we set baptismal dates, we have 3 new investigators and the Church tours are going amazing! I love the mission. Ok so in my studies this week I have begun to study Alma the younger and his story from the beginning were he is mentioned to the end where he is translated. He and Amulek were the greatest missionaries.  I want to learn all I can from him because his accounts and way of teaching are marvellous! So that's all for this week, I know its not much but its really all. So thank you for everything, tell everyone that I love them and am thinking about them and also, please tell Ben to write me because its been forever since I have heard heads or tails from him. Have fun holding down the fort and have fun in Mexico!

Mi llama mucho mi familia y tambien todos de mi familia del barro Lasalle. (Translate that, have fun)

Love Elder Jason Glowa

WEEK 22 ..... March 16th ,2010 ..... LINDSAY , CALIFORNIA
 ........... First week in Lindsay.........

Hola everyone

I'm writing to you from Lindsay and well its amazing! I love it here, I still miss Madera a little but I guess it comes with the work. My new companion Elder Larson is awesome!!! He is a great missionary and very obedient, we are striving everyday for 100% obedience, its amazing to see the blessings that come from doing it.

Lindsay is a really, really small town, I love it, because we bike all the time it takes about 15 mins at an easy pace to get from one end of the city to the other. It is small and powerful, the ward has an amazing retention so the converts are getting the higher priesthood. It is such a blessing to witness the truthfulness of the gospel. The church tours are an amazing tool here, the members are always willing and on call and we have already goten 2 baptismal dates from it.

Lets see, ummm ok so some of the miracles that I have seen being here was on the first day here we were driving down the street and a man waves us down and says he is less active and needs to repent so we give him the number of the bishop and he meets with us a couple of days later in the church and we watched Finding Faith in Christ. Honestly it was one of the most spiritual lessons that I have ever taught, here was a man completely moved to tears by the spirit and it was reinforced by our testimonies and the spirit of the building. It is amazing to see the tender mercies of the Lord.

We are  also teaching a seventh day adventist and he is one of the coolest guys ever, very passionate about the scriptures and down to earth, he and is girl friend are amazing people, the people here in Lindsay are so ready for the gospel it's not funny, this town is small but powerful.

We are not doing super good with finding new investigators though, that's something that we have to work on. This week we are going to do everything, and sacrifice what ever the Lord needs us to do so that we can find the people in Lindsay to hear this amazing message which we have. Honestly I cannot picture myself doing anything else right now, this is the greatest experience in the world. I'm so happy I could pop , it's weird. I'm just excited all the time to talk to everyone and to teach and go out and work, this is the Lords work and he has trusted me with a apart of the world to work and bear fruit. I have officially been on my mission for over 5 months know which is super crazy! I can't believe it. I only have 19 months left ,it's a horrible thought but time is running out. That's all for this week, sorry to write you late but in Lindsay the library is closed on Mondays so we write on Tuesday so for the next five weeks you'll be hearing from me every Tuesday. I love you all!

 

Love Elder Jason Glowa

 

p.s. I hate daylights savings time!

                    p.s.s. Congratulate Mat and Genn on their sealing !!!!! That's awesome !!!

                    

                    p.s.s.s. Congratulate Patricia and Kyle on the birth of their baby !!!!

                                              

WEEK 21 ..... MARCH 8TH , 2010 

                                       

  .... Jason is Transfer to LINDSEY ,CALIFORNIA

Hola everyone

Habla Elder Glowa, todo el trabajo en Madera es awsomebroso. (English translation: Hi everyone this is Elder Glowa talking, all the work in Madera is awesome!)

Ok so we got transfer calls yesterday :D I am going to Lindsey! Its south so I am going to be no where near Madera. I'm not going to lie this is really hard, I thought that people telling you to stop coming by was painful, leaving an area is so hard. The ward is my family, I have grown to love them and they all tell me that they love me also. I have had at least 3 members say that they are going to call the mission president and tell him that I'm staying put in Madera. I know that its hard to leave but the Lord needs me in Lindsey now, I have done my part and sowing and reaping in Madera, now I have to move on to were the field is whitest for me personally.

I will never forget the great times and people I have taught and met here in Madera. Honestly I feel like a super hero, we go were we are needed, have special power, and most importantly we serve without even expecting a thank you or anything, and of course I have a secret identity.... (no one knows my first name!!!!) I'm not going to lie being a missionary is even cooler then if I was spider-man, and you remember how much I love spider-man, lol.

So in other new, the families that I have been working with for about 3 months the Suarez and Orea families, we have goten them with baptismal dates!!!!!! That's nine baptismal dates in one week. I am so sad that I won't see them get baptized but I know that the work and effect I could have on them is done, they are in the hands of Elder Price and his new companion Elder Sanches. We went by the Orea's and Suarez last night to take pictures (Yes mom believe it or not I do take some pictures, just I'm not done labelling them so you'll get them as soon as I'm done that, which can be anywhere between today and in 19 months.)

Oh next Sunday I will have been on a mission for 5 months! its crazy, time flies so fast it is unbelievable. ok so back to yesterday. We went by and taught the Orea's and took pictures and Louis the younger one was really sad, he always says "Glowa your my favourite, Glowa I'm glad your teaching us, Glowa when are you going to come back and visit." They even asked where I was moving to and said to keep an eye out for houses there for them. When they prayed in the lesson the sincere love and relationship between us was felt. They ask Heavenly Father to bless me were ever I go and in whatever I do. I wanted to cry, the spirit was amazing and the bond we have is amazing. I get attached to easy, its good and horrible, if this keeps up with people I really don't think my heart can last two years of leaving the people I love behind.

On are way out they surprised me and remembered my two favourite things (Flan, the cheap kind they buy at a store we have here called the Esparanza (means hope in English) and A drink called Jarradito Tamarindo flavoured. Its made in Mexico so you know its good. So they remembered and surprised me with that, I think we are going to stop by there house again before I leave so that I can get their zip and write them. So then we went to the Suarez's to teach a lesson and take pictures, not as emotional or anything because relatives were over, so we are going to see them again. But its hard to leave the people you love behind, it feels like the day Ben and I said good-bye all over again. I know that this is what needs to happen and as the Lords servant I must go forth and do His will, He needs me to be in Lindsey, so that I were I must go. I have to get packing so I don't have to much time this week. I'll write more next week. I love you all and thank you for all you do. I can really feel your prayers, and your love.

Thanks for everything

Love Elder Jason Glowa

          WEEK 20 ....... March 1st 2010 ........ MADERA ,CALIFORNIA 

Hello everyone back home.

 

Madera is amazing, we are seeing so many miracles and I am so blessed to be here.

So to answer dad's question about the food we get alot of rice and beans and meat( I say meat because I honestly don't know were it comes from). When the Lord sent me to California I didn't think I would be serving in Mexico. That's what Madera is, honestly its Mexico number 2. It's amazing.  We get mostly Mexican food but sometimes they try and cook us american food and well lets just say they cook Mexican food for a reason. We had stew from one sister and it was literally like corn syrup or starch it was just this thick gelatine thing with meat and potatoes, it was way weird but what made my day ,she tried so hard to please us .I had to laugh when Elder Price looks at me and with all the sincerity in his heart said, elder....... "I can't eat this",poor Elder some of us have weaker stomachs than others !!!!

 So life is going amazing we had some of the Orea family come to church today, and it was stake conference so it wasn't the greatest Sunday for them to come but for some reason or another they liked it and are going to come next Sunday.

Its amazing to see the complete love that people can have for the gospel. The people I serve here in Madera are so nice and humble they truly are amazing and I can honestly I love them, and for some reason they love me back and some even want me to live here forever. I told one of the members I'm coming back after my mission to live in his new house (we helped him move so I'm reserving it as pay :P.......not)

Anyway he says to me  "Glowa your gonna come back and live here for a couple of months when you finish your mission ?.... right".  Its amazing the love and connection that can come between people. I LOVE MADERA! This is the greatest thing I have ever done and I am so happy that I am here and working.

I have had some experiences that are really to sacred to say, the Lord blesses the obedient. I love this gospel, I am just in awe of how much work it takes to be a good and effective missionary. But its so worth it and I know that Heavenly Father helps me along, alot. I have His help and that is the only way that the work can get done. Thank you for all your prayers and help, I can really feel your love and prayers they push me forward when I don't think I can can go on. Thank you for everything, you have no idea how much you all mean to me.

 

I'll write you next week

Love Elder Jason Glowa