Buenos días!

 

Saturday night storm, 12/15/12

Buenos días!

Well I got stuck with the computer with the broken space bar again, so to start, I apologize for attempting to invent the longest words in English history :) Can youbelieve Christmas is NEXT WEEK????What happened to this year? I can´t even believe the beginning of this year I was at BYU enjoying the time with my friends and roommates. That's crazy. I feel like I´vebeen gone a long time, but at thesame time hardly at all. This week has been an eternity though so that could be why! ;) But not in a bad way. Just really hot and long.Just as Dad predicted. It was plenty hot. We helped José with his house of dirt Saturday again, and got alittle burnt. But its reallyfun, because it's something completely different. So I´ve been going through the cycle just like lasttime: burn, fever, exhaustion, cold, but thankfully the cycle is already on its last stage today. I woke up feeling dead, exhausted. But it's okay, I´m getting better. Slowly but steadily.

 

The conference was very good! And this Wednesaday we go to Mendoza again! I am going to see Elder Hardy, Elder Johnson and ElderChipman,along with my Argentine papi (trainer) Elder Day. So that will be superfun! And Dad, THAT is what I was trying to remember the whole trip home aftertheconference, who he reminded me of hahahahahahaha it's so true. Gru! He was very spiritual though, and I didn´tget distracted duringthe conference thankfully. And Elder Diaz De Leon is not the mini missionary I did exchanges with, he was just in Villa Mercedes myfirst two transfers here, and he was always reallyencouraging with the language.

 

Also this Friday we have the branch Christmas devotional. It's going to be really good! We just have to give a relato of Christ's life with Julian helping us.It's just going to be hard to get together with Julian because he is getting married finally next month, so he´s super busy right now! Plus we haveto get with him to Skype because he has the laptop we will use for Skype.Which about that, yes we are doing it in the pench, in President Alaniz´s office, and if you will be online waiting then I´ll try and coordinate accordingly. And we aren´t allowedto proselyte Christmas day, so we have all day basicallyto schedule it best if necessary. Yes I remember ourphone number... I justdon't know if I knowhow to dial it. I think you might have to call us, I really don´t know. But I´m prettysure Skype will work out justfine! We will get on around 3 or 4 I guess and we´ll seefrom there, does thatwork??who all is going to be there?? I am super excited obviously, I would be fineif that was allthe Christmas presents I got, to see everyone! Hopefully the package getsthere thisweek, and don´t open it until Christmas obviously. And sorry nothing iswrapped, for Kelly tampoco, but as long as everyone gets their gift then that's good! When are you going to get togetherwithKelly?she should be ending soon. You could send her a text orsomething and find out.But I know she´ll be home for Chirstmas day!

 

So Hna Alaniz asked me yesterday if we were going to coordinate Skype with Jalen too but I told her he wasdoing it Monday instead. She was disappointedhaha I don´t know why,but oh well. Maybe next year! I got an email from him saying sorry so it's okay haha.

 

OOOOOHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!! I totally forgot! So there wasanice pleasantsurprise yesterday in church. I had to speak and teach Priesthood, but everyone was in such a good mood thateverything went really well anyway. They are going to build a chapel here in Justo Daract!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can´t even describe how happy I was and the members were to hear that. :):) I think it means moreto me than anyone, although I´m sure the members think thesame, because I´ve been here for 4 months, without a lot of progression, a little here and there, but that justconfirmed to me that sí, my work and faith and efforts along with the members' really has made a difference here, enough to build a chapel! I am reallyexcited forthe future work here. With a real chapel it should be easier to get people to come, all depending on where theybuild it. But that's the happynews of this week :) I´m so excited!!!! I´ll behome when it's dedicated but that doesn´t matter.Thework will go on, until theLord says it is finished.

 

I sent information about my Skype too lastweek, I created a new one. But I guess I can use the old one if I needed too.But my new one is tyson.gibbons93. I sent a friend request to my old account, butif you created a new one then I will try either one. If you are already addedto myold one then alright I can use that one! Youalready friended yourself to my old one?

 

Yes Mom I´m still practicing thepiano, we have a keyboard but it's better than nothing. I have been practicing Christmas hymns but also I keeptrying to remember Cristiforís dream and I've recently started listening to Paul Cardall on my ipod and figuring out by ear his Live to Love song. I´ve got the main part, now just to get it all solidified. I can't believe how much youcan do when youpractice every night. So yeah I´ll keepyou updated on that! I feel like a musical professional trying to decipher the notes by ear, like youand your roommates did with Cristiforis dream. Wish me luck! I am definitely taking it slow haha.

 

Theres not much to report from here this week, we´ve just had somereally good lessons, but can't count anyone as progressing because they still won't cometo church!!! GRRRRRR but it's okay,we´ll havethe activity Friday and church again Sunday,and hopefully more peoplecome, seeing as it's closer to Christmas! I hope so, I really do. We are going to watch Special Witnesses of Christ with Aida tonight, so hopefullythat goes reallywell. It will be spiritual, for sure! She´s the closest one we have to taking the next step in her life, she just always has something come up before church. Satan is either working really hard because he knows that's the last thing she needsto receive an answer, or God is testing her and so far she just hasn´t passedcompletely. Either way, I haveto have patience still too! It's hard haha she´s one of the only people that I actually started teaching. Anyway, thank you for your prayers,they really do help!

 

I´m super excited for thenew week, as always, and we have a bunch of Christmas activities, so how could it get better??? :) I love Christmas!!!! The spirit ofChristmas has power to change hearts, change attitudes, and change the very soul of anyone who fully accepts it in themselves. Just like in Alma 32, if there is just a tiny bit of room to plant theseed, it will grow. All it needs is just a littleroom,but from that little seedcomes the miracles that the world has seen andread in the Bible and in modern times right now. So, if you put the equation together, this christmas season withthe power of its spirit, is the season of miracles! :) Never forget the miracles that have happened in your life, and if you´ve never seen one, you aren´t looking hard enough! Miracles happen every day, it's simply a matter of looking forthe good in everything that happens. Because in the world, with it's state of being today,anything good that happens could be counted as a miracle or a tender mercy from the Lord. I always loved the commercials where someone does something nice for someone else, and one person sees it, and then that person doessomething else for another person, and itcontinues like that! That's how theworld should work.Unfortunately, not everyone is in accordance withthat. But as I taught yesterday, we as members of the Church, and I would modify that to all of us who want a better world, have the responsibility of setting thebest example. And I´ll conclude with the quote from President George Albert Smith, "Make them feel your influence." Or "haganlo sentir tu influencia." There is our duty!

 

I love each of you and again wish youthe best for thisholiday season! Don´tforget the reason for the season, and always remember to forget yourself and givea little more to those around you! Therein lies true joy and happiness. :)

 

Elder Tyson David Gibbons

p.s. Yes Mom we are getting the fridge back tomorrow.Thank goodness eh? two months plusa little without one. I don´t know how I survived. It has been hard to say the least haha but no need to worry anymore. I´ll keepstaying cool ;)

 

p.s.s Those pictures are from Saturday night, it wasabout 10:15, completely black outside since there was no moon or stars, but I got some pretty awesome pictures :) even with my not so awesome camera. The first is just to show you how strong the storm was. It looks bright outside, but it's really pitch black. Anyway, enjoy! And sorry I am not in that picture. Since I have control of the camera, I get to choose if I am in the picture or not :) haha sorry, I´ll try harder to convince myself. Love,

Elder Gibbons 2

 

(Added later) Sorry this will be short, I answered everything I think except theChristmas tradition question. Basically, every fewhouses we see a lighted star on the window and some houses have some little trees, but other than that, there really aren´t any decorations. It's depressing. Theydothe same thing here though (as in Chile, where his dad served), theycelebrate everything the 24th, at night, and then sleep a lot of the day the 25th, but after that just go to the river or the pool to swim since it's so hot. But the 25th we are allowed to be out till 11:30 and we have to go out in public in normal clothes so that will be interesting. Anyway, that's bascially their culture, pretty similar to Chile! Just makes me miss the states more than ever right now. They do shoot off fireworks too. As for the Skyping time, I´m guessing if you are all going to open presentsabout 9 or 10 as the four of you, and then with everyone at Grandma's house doing their thing, and with the four hours difference, I think it would work best if I get on about 4 or 5? So it would be 12 or 1 for you. Does that work? If not let me know nextweek, but we´ll plan for that. Can´t wait! Love you,

 

Elder Tyson Gibbons