Week 6: What a Week to Be Alive

This week has been crazy. I can't even remember everything that happened but I'll try my best. 

Monday - We taught a lady named R. She is very intelligent and knows a lot about God. I'm so glad I had my companion with me because some of the things she asked us, I had no clue about. That was really hard for me this week. I've been studying to make sure I know as much as I can about the gospel so I don't get dumbfounded like I was in that lesson. It was hard on me and I started to let doubts in my mind, but I will keep putting one step in front of the other. Elder Greenlaw is recovering Haha. It was an interesting experience and has really stretched me as a missionary. I need to make sure my foundation is strong so when the winds come like this discussion, I will be ready. Helaman 12. 

Tuesday - Today was another roller coaster of a day and I really took to heart Moroni 7:33. Have faith, and everything will be made expedient in Him. I know all things are possible through my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I haven't slowed down or been hard on myself because I know these experiences will strengthen me to be a better missionary. We had zone conference today. It was long. Very very long. We talked about the power of the Book of Mormon. It truly is the most powerful tool we have in the church today. If your wondering how you can be a better person, an example to others, or a missionary in your life, use the Book of Mormon. Testify of it and use the words in it, because the Spirit will testify to those you are sharing it with that it is true. We also watched a video about the church being organized in Africa. What a marvelous story. I encourage you to search it up because it's really cool. They organized their own branch there. They were so faithful. We should all look up to people like that. They are pioneers in the African continent. It is so cool. 

Zone Conference in Lexington and Lexington North

Wednesday - It was good

Thursday - Personal study was amazing today. I had a lot of questions answered that I've been having the past couple of days. I confirmed my answers with a prayer and had an overwhelming feeling of joy. I know that the things I'm learning are true. One thing I've learned is that we should say a pray after receiving knowledge to confirm with the Spirit that it is true. For instance, the teachings we are receiving from the prophet and the changes that are happening. If you are troubled by it, go to the Lord in earnest prayer and ask Him if it is true. Pray to know what you need at this time and if what the prophets and scriptures are saying is true. You will receive an answer. 

I gave my first blessing today to a lady who just had a c section and was in a lot of pain. She hasn't been coming to church for a while and said that her blessing really strengthened her, and she will try and come back to church because she misses it. She has trouble committing to go because she was afraid for so long. It was a neat experience. Later that day, a bird pooped on my head so yeah that was fun and really gross. 

We also met a lady who was really against the church because of a bishop that wasn't super nice to them during a time when they were having money problems. She held the biggest grudge over the church and it was sad because she was so focused on one man's mistake and blamed it on the entire church. That shouldn't have been her focus. It should have been on the teachings of the Book of Mormon and the Prophet Joseph Smith. He is a true prophet of God. Instead of blaming God and the church for their struggles, I wish she had focused on the gospel. I get that things are hard. We tried talking to her about it but she was just so hard and mad. She told us to never come back. 

Friday/Saturday - We had an exchange with the pioneer elders. I was in charge of our discussion for the first time today and it was rough Haha. The other elder was new as well.  But we did it. We made it through our lesson. So all is good! We tried meeting with Tiny and he is really having a hard time. He seemed really depressed and didn't want to talk so I just expressed my love for him. We told him we were thinking about him and cared about him. When your ready, call us and we will be over in a heartbeat. Poor guy, I wish I could help him more but it's hard to get through to people when they are depressed. I would know. We are going to try to come back in a few days and help him the best we can. 

This was pretty much my week I hope all of y'all are doing amazing and if you ever need anything, seek your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ in prayer. You will be comforted and find direction as you continue to know what God wants you to do.

I love you all!

Elder Greenlaw

It was fun talking with Elder Greenlaw today on Facebook. What a blessing it was to see his face and visibly see how happy he is. If you would like to write to Elder Greenlaw, he would love it. 

Address for letters:

2044 Georgian Way Apt G40

Lexington, Kentucky 40504

If you want to mail him a package, send it to the Spanish Elder's apartment: 

1324 Nancy Hanks Rd. Apt 8

Lexington, Kentucky 40504

Week 5: Another Week Down in the Mish!

Hey y'll, 

Another week down in the Mish. It's weird to think I've been out for 5 weeks already. Time flies I guess. I'm doing great and my companion is doing just okay because he has to deal with me 24/7. Just kidding, we actually get a long quite nicely. There is a lot of spongebob and meme quotes when speak to each other. Haha. 

This week was a lot better. I feel more comfortable with the area and am learning more about the member of the ward. We have some people we are teaching that are new like J and W. They just got married - woot woot! They ordered a Book of Mormon online so we went and delivered it to them and taught them a lesson. They said they've been going to church every week for years, and yet they knew nothing about Jesus Christ. Not even the simple facts like He died for us so we can be saved. He died on the cross. We talked about the restoration of the gospel. It took them a while to grasp these concepts. We really had to refresh them and help them understand who Jesus is and what the Bible says about Him. Their faith was amazing and they really want to center their life around Jesus Christ as they start their family together. So I'm happy for them. They are awesome! W said a really amazing prayer at the end of our discussion. 

Our next visit was with Tiny. Ohhhhhhh Tiny. He is so awesome and he is actually really big, it is almost scary! We love him so much. We got to teach him which was amazing. He's so loving and we are exactly where we need to be with him. He's having some struggles with his fiance who is doing some dumb stuff and going to jail. So we will see where that goes. 

We met with N. Oohhhhhhhh N won't let us in. Her kids really want to be baptized but she struggles meeting with us. It is hard on us and her children. People and their agency. Man it can be frustrating sometimes. We still love them to death though. They are so nice when we show up to their house. We just can't get a lesson in. I hope we can soon and somehow get the kids to church. 

Elder Godfrey and I always stop by the Spanish Elders apartment because they have WiFi and laundry machines. They are spoiled, darn Spanish boys. We go over there when we can and play Pokemon on PDay. I'm gonna have my own deck soon and rock some faces. If anyone knows of some really dope Pokemon cards, let me know. We need inspiration. 

The gospel is more important than cards, I know. I can't tell you how strong the Spirit is when we study and when we are with some of our investigators. The other day I was studying with a girl named Jill. Haha funny because that's my mom's name hehe. Her son died a few years back and she struggles to know where he is at right now. I want to read scripture after scripture to her right then and there, but it didn't feel like the right time. Hopefully the next time we see them we can teach them about the Plan of Salvation.

Anyways, Elder Greenlaw loves you all. Heavenly Father loves you more. Talk to him. He wants to hear from you. He wants to help you with anything you are struggling with, but you have to seek him out. If you need anyone to talk to, I'm here for y'all. Read the scripture 3 Nephi Chapter 17. The Savior talks to the people in the Americas. It's powerful and it has taught me how to be more compassionate to others. It is one of my favorite passages. Search it up, pray to understand what it means.  I know you will get the feels. 

Talk you again next week. 

Elder Greenlaw 

Map of Kentucky - Elder Greenlaw is serving 

in Lexington

Elder Greenlaw's apartment. They don't have an overhead light 

so they use Christmas lights! 

Look like the boys need a maid!

This is an ornament on the Elders wall. Gotta love Kentucky. 

Celebrating Valentine's Day with the District! 

Week 4: I'm Officially On The Mission Y'all

I'M OFFICIALLY ON THE MISSION Y'ALL. It's been two weeks since I last got to write to everyone and man it's been eventful. Last Monday, at the MTC was super sad because I left all my amazing friends and teachers. (#blessed) I know they are all doing great things, but I miss them all. Kentucky is awesome! 

New Missionaries in Kentucky!

I got my new dad. His name is Elder Godfrey. He is from Syracuse, Utah. I'm very blessed to have Elder Godfrey as a companion. He is a real expert on the Bible and knows a lot. He is also a very logical man. I've never been that way, so we are learning from each other in the areas we lack which is awesome.

President and Sister Hughes, Elder Greenlaw, and Elder Godfrey 

(First companion)

Elder Godfrey and Elder Greenlaw

Playing Pokemon

My comp, oh my comp. He is so interesting. He taught me how to play Pokemon cards and we are building a deck for myself. He said he will teach me how to play guitar, so I'm getting a guitar Haha. He's hilarious! He knows memes like the back of his hand and spongebob quotes. We talked about video games for about 3 hours one night because we both loved TMNT and we played all the same games like dance dance revolution and stuff. Good childhood memories. I love him so much already. We are alike in a lot of ways and we get along great. At the same time, he so different. I'm older than him which is weird because I do not feel older than him at all. 

I am living in Lexington. It's in the South Eastern part that of the state and covers a very large area. We are in the Beaumont ward. The church is all the way down in Nicholasville. We drive a lot. 

Living in Kentucky

Driving with the Spanish Elders

The members are really nice and for some reason we have two ward mission leaders in our ward. Haha I don't know how that works exactly. The people here are very poor and most have very crazy stories. I made some friends this past week, including Crazy Dave. He is a large Bible guy. I've learned that the Bible Belt is real Haha. I had no idea what to expect here, and my mind is blown with how many people talk about them Bibles I've gotten. Scripture after scripture have been thrown at me that I didn't know very much about. I'm learning so much!! Haha Probably not in a good way. So in my studies I'm definitely getting more familiar with the Bible. 

My comp and I do role plays, I call them real plays because its nothing like the lessons I learned at the MTC. Nothing like the lessons at all. It's like I have to learn how to teach people all over again. People either agree with everything you say and then you ask them if they will be baptized, and they will say nah, I have my own church. It's a real face palm to the forehead. 

Some people are interesting out here. Their lives our so interesting. They have some very awful things going on. I could never imagine this sort of thing happened to people. I guess everyone just has there own trials in life to humble them. It is truly amazing to see but terrifying at the same time. 

We have been working really hard and have been trying to meet with all the less active and part member families in the ward. It's so hard though because some days we will have like 10 appointments and they all fall through. We have been denied 100% of the time. Every lesson we have had has fallen through which sucks. Elder Godfrey says it's really not this bad. I guess this week has just been a rough one. We've been finding a lot of people who are interested, but the meetings we set up, fall through. I don't know why. 

There was a guy we found who was interested, but his sister died of a Heroine overdose. His wife is in jail. Crazy stuff going on that I'm not used too. One other lady we tried to meet with, is pregnant and the father just got arrested for murder. She's having a hard time making money and her job won't let her work because of how pregnant she is. She can't pay her bill's and is struggling to want to meet with us. We have story after story like that. Some of our areas are scary because there is so much drug use and violence going on. The area above us is super wealthy. Haha We don't go there because it is assigned to another set of missionaries. We have Spanish missionaries that live close to us and we chill over there quite a bit because they have WiFi and laundry machines. Our apartment has cock roaches and stuff, we are really trying to keep it clean. Some people are supposed to come and spray. 

Spanish Elder's Apartment

Nevertheless, I'm working hard and have no reason to be discouraged. I just keep on going and have faith that we will find someone to teach. 

One of our investigators got a threatening note at church and she booked it. We've been trying to figure that out. Everyone is sick the flu and no one wants to meet with us. Everyone goes to bed at like 6pm or eats dinner really late so that makes it hard. Every Sunday, we do Bingo with the elderly. Haha it's a good time. I got a Bingo once. We visit a lady there who is member and her name is Pocahontas. She is so funny and cool. She is native American and does a special handshake with us, so that is sweet. She is our favorite for sure. 

Elder Gong came and taught us on Monday that is why we had PDay today instead of Monday. It was awesome. I got to talk to him for a second and get to know him a little bit. We are practically best friends now! Haha But really, it was an amazing meeting and I've learned so much from him. 

Elder and Sister Gong come to visit the mission

I love the mission so far. My understanding of how the gospel of Jesus Christ really works on the earth today has grown. I see so many churches and confusion in the world. It makes me thankful for what I have been given. I am so fortunate to grow up in the church. I definitely took it for granted. I love this gospel! It has changed my life and continues to change my life every day. If you don't know that this is the one true church on this earth today, I urge you to find out right now. Read the Book of Mormon and pray to know that it is TRUE! Work daily to understand what the gospel teaches us, because it is seriously so powerful. 

You is kind, you is smart, you is important. 

Much love,

Elder Greenlaw

BTW: My email changed. It is andrew.greenlaw@missionary.org

Week 3 - Leaving The MTC

Today, we got to talked to Elder Greenlaw on the phone before he boarded a plan for Kentucky. Their flight was delayed a few hours so that made for a fun morning. Because it wasn't a normal PDay, I will share some of the things Elder Greenlaw talked with us about.

First and foremost, Elder Greenlaw is so happy! He loved his time at the MTC and the people he met there. He said his district and zone were so much fun. Most of his group was going to Alabama. Only his companion and him were going to Kentucky so they got to meet up with the other 9 missionaries at 4:45 AM to take Trax to the airport.

For the most part, he liked the food. His favorite item was the chicken and waffles. He also loved the chocolate milk and cookies and cream milk from the Creamery. He recommends people stay away from the chicken though.

For exercise, Elder Greenlaw walked almost 10 miles a day according to his companions fit bit. He feels like he lost 5 lbs from all the walking around the MTC. He said the MTC is really big and that they lived in the furthest away from the main building. His district walked a lot which helped with his weight. As far as exercise goes, he rode the bike and played volleyball to stay in shape.

A normal day at the MTC was waking up at 6:30 am. They ate breakfast at 7:45 and started class at 8 am. At 10:30 they went to their teaching sessions where they were able to teach 5 different people during the 3 weeks he was there. Elder Greenlaw says he learned a lot during this time, and feels so much more confident about talking to people. He said at first it was hard to ask people to be baptized so quickly in their discussions, but he learned that this was an important step as a missionary. It always brought up other things that the investigator needed to work through before fully committing. Elder Greenlaw said asking them this, helped them to know what to talk and testify of next. What a great way to look at this important question that missionaries ask everyone they teach. One of his favorite experiences was class time. He loved his instructors and felt the Spirit so strongly during their lessons.

Teachers at the MTC

Elder Greenlaw's Zone! 

They go to lunch at noon and attend his second class study session from 1 to 4 pm. Dinner at 5, personal and companion study time after that for 2 hours, and then bed. Lots of missionaries liked to stay up late, but he really tried to follow the rules. When he did, he felt like his day went so much better.

One of the biggest takeaways for Elder Greenlaw was learning patience. Being with a companion that just turned 18 and who didn't want to stay with him all the time was a bit of a challenge at first. He worked through it with patience and communication. He also said a missionary in his room snored so loud that it kept everyone up at night. One missionary brought 20 pairs of ear plugs which saved the day!

A few of Elder Greenlaw's Bunkmates! 

Elder Greenlaw said the days went by fast! He can't believe his time at the MTC is done there. He will always have fond memories of this place and he encourages everyone to take a tour if they can. It is one of the most spiritual places he has ever been besides the temple. The Spirit there, things he felt and witnessed, are nothing short of miraculous.

While boarding the plane, Elder Greenlaw passed one of our neighbors and long time friends, Tim Smith. Tim was traveling on business and at the last minute had to switch flights because his flight to Orlando had been canceled. He immediately recognized Elder Greenlaw and gave him a great big hug! What a tender mercy to be able to share this with us and to see Elder Greenlaw one last time before heading out to the mission field.

Tim Smith and Elder Greenlaw

Hello, Kentucky! 

Another funny thing that happened today was Kellert had gone to lunch and sat next to a couple that was serving a mission here. The man said he served a mission in Kentucky 50 years ago. What are the chances of that happening. I know that the Lord is mindful of our family and Elder Greenlaw.

At 8pm, I received one last call from Elder Greenlaw who told me he had arrived at the mission home  in Kentucky, and was safe. He said he could instantly feel the humidity when he got off the plane. He sounded happy and excited to be there. He had just eaten with the mission president and was getting ready to go to bed. Tomorrow they get their new companions and assignments.

Fun story, he told me while he was on his fright from SLC to Kentucky, he talked to guy next to him about religion and our church. It was his first real discussion. The man believed in God but didn't belong to any organized religion and it wasn't a big part of his life. Elder Greenlaw bore his testimony and told him where to learn more and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This boy turned into a man over night. He is ready to share the gospel and his testimony with any one he comes in contact with. We are so proud of him!

Let the adventure begin!