Monday, April 29, 2013

Well good day everyone!!!

With Elder Zwick of the Quorum of the Seventy
 
Birthday package
 
Birthday stash--part of it 
 
 
Well good day everyone!!!

Wow, I got on today and just had like 20 emails, all for my birthday. I feel pretty overwhelmed, you are all just awesome. It's going to take me a little while to answer everyone back personally, which I'm going to do, so please be patient! Just being a missionary, and missionaries don't have as much time as you would think haha. But thank you all for the birthday wishes. It was a really good birthday, and even being a long way away from everyone, it turned out to be one of the best! And yes Dad, it was probably the first Sunday birthday I've actually enjoyed hahaha and exactly for that reason--I see everyone I love here at church, and it was crazy to see how many knew it was my birthday. I felt like I was in my home away from home. What else could anyone want?? :)
 
Sorry about last week, the hermanas had a bike ride planned with us elders, and by the time I was typing the email, my time was ending and we were already late, and we still didn't even know how to get there, so we didn't want to make them mad. It was a really cool conference, I'll probably be sharing things for a while, because I learned SOOO much from that meeting. I already sent the picture. :)
 
So yesterday there were a TON of people in church, and we saw some miracles right there too. It was like a totally different but awesome kind of birthday gift. We had to teach principles of the Gospel class, and I was nervous, but it turned out WAY good, and it was exactly how that class was supposed to be, spiritual with the new members sharing their testimonies and experiences with the others that are learning and want to be baptized and become members. It was so perfect, and thanks to the class we had some of the non members come up, tell us they got basically miraculous vacation time so we could teach them and they could be baptized. It was just amazing. Completely different than what a "Gift" would've meant for me a year ago, but just as awesome. We were both just shocked, and super excited. It helepd that the class we taught was talking about covenants, so that was perfect too :) I realized I have learned a LOT about teaching in a year, because 9 months or 10 months ago I had to teach that same class, alone, to people I had known for 5 weeks in the East Ridge Ward in Albuquerque haha and I'm very grateful for the experience I have now.
 
Today we have an asado planned for my birthday with a bunch of the youth from the ward, and then we´re renting a real soccer field, grass and everything!!! I'm SOOO EXCITED! Haha I haven't seen grass in so long... it's going to be great! But that is giong to be the plan today, and it's basically only because it's my birthday; any other week we try to get people to commit to play and it's never a set thing until Monday morning. But this has been planned for weeks. I feel a little manipulative pinning people down because of my birthday, but not really. Everyone wants to play on a good field like that right? :)
 
Mom, thank you so much for sending all those pictures... (I e-mailed photos from past birthdays--from the day he was born to last year's--fun!) I feel like such a weirdo looking at them. It doesn't look like me haha, the baby ones are making all these teenagers behind me look, but I don't care anymore haha. I can just laugh and enjoy it. I have definitely changed... but for the better I'm pretty sure. Also, I'm trying to watch the birthday cake video and Kelly´s video, but the sound isn't working on this computer. :/ I'm going to switch with someone before we go. Because I'm already getting really really nervous/anxious to watch it... anyway, that will be the last thing before we go play, and I think it's going to make the entire day! Thank you Kelly!! And everyone else too, I would name you, I just haven't seen the whole video yet haha, so sorry... next week!
 
I don't feel 20. Especially since me and Elder Alberro ask everyone how old they think we are and they tell him 17 or 18, which he LOVES, and they tell me 25 or 26... do I really look that old??? It's embarrassing haha. I just say it's because I tower over almost everyone here haha, that's my excuse. But he thinks it's hilarious. Oh well. We´ve all got challenges right?
 
That's so cool about Eric's call to Paris, France!!!! He´s another one going to join the Euro missionaries over there! :) That's way cool though that he is going to sleep in those same bunk beds we did... I remember that house, it was so cool. (My dad was president of the Paris mission from 1999-2002, so we visited my parents in the mission home there when Tyson was in 2nd grade.) And it's cool that the grandpa or great grandpa of Elder Waite from the MTC bought that house for the mission. Pretty cool huh? Good luck Eric, French is an.. interesting language :)
 
Wow, Kate is progressing in soccer! That's awesome. I had a little proud moment sitting here, I'm pretty sure everyone looked at me like I was a weirdo. But that's way cool! I may have improved a little down here, but not much. I'm just glad she´s in on the soccer bandwagon now :D I'm proud of you Kate!!!! As for Nathan driving, well I still just can't imagine it haha, how weird... don't crash or anything!
 
Yesterday in church the people were talking a lot about families, and so I was just thinking all about you Mom, Dad, Nathan, and Kate, and Jalen, and extended family, so that made my birthday really good too! I'm really glad that this life isn't the end of the family relationships, and that you two, Mom and Dad, have taken the steps necessary to make sure that that really happens. I don't want to be a weak link in that chain, because I've been it already before and I won't go back to that! Thank you so much for your love and patience, which I know you have a lot of. I love you Mom and Dad, and Nathan and Kate and Jalen. And my extended family and friends too! I miss you all, but I've still gotta take advantage of the next year and 2 weeks right? I'm planning on it. I hope you all do too!
 
Well I need to get going, but thank you all for the posts on facebook (which my mom told me about, don't worry I'm not breaking mission rules haha) and emails! I will answer you all in the next weeks, I promise!
 
I know that this gospel is the only thing that can bring happiness in EVERY aspect of life, even though it seems like they have nothing to do with each other, the Church and rest of life, but if they get combined, you'll realize it all is connected! Trust me, I've been doing that and living that for the last year. :) Do you trust me?? Hopefully you do. I want nothing but the best for all of you too. Whether now or later, I hope you all realize the hand that God has in every part of your life, and when that happens, you´ll find strength beyond your own to face this sometimes hard, rough life! I know that's true.
 
Que Dios les bendiga!
Hasta luego!

Elder Tyson Gibbons

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Birthday week

Hey Dad!

Okay I am going to write you and have you send this out to everyone, and later today I will respond to all the family, this cyber is just awful and I don't have a lot of time,so I'll answer all the birthday emails in a little while! But yeah, the reason we have p day today is because Elder Zwick of the 70 came to our mision yesterday and we had a conference with him. I just wanted to talk a little bit about that because it was really really really awesome.
 
Oh and before I forget, I got a package from Mom with the sweater and everything (I didn't open it yet, but the customs slip has everything that's inside... bit of a surprise destroyer there) but thank you all for the package! I'm going to open it on Sunday!

Anyway, so Elder Zwick came and just talked to us about the mission and the things that we should focus on, and it was really really cool. President has been a little lost because he doesn't know what else we need to focus on since we have had really good conferences with him, so last zone meeting he didn't give us anything specific to focus on and just talked to us about obedience, since all the missionaries and the mission as a whole understand the tools we have and how to use them, but since the success wasn't progressing much still, he decided it has to do with the personal attitude of each one of us, that maybe some elders and sisters aren't focused in the work and that is the reason we haven't seen a bunch of progress. So Elder Zwick came and we got to listen to his inspired revelation that he received on the spot as to what we needed to do to boost the work here in the mission. He told us that we had over 900 baptisms last year in the mission, but the attendance percentage only went up by one person... so that was pretty shocking. But he gave us some ways to work more efficiently and make sure that we are establishing the church and not burdening the church! It was very powerful.
 
One thing I really liked was that he talked to us in the perspective of all our lives and gave us an analogy of the mission and our lives, and the mission was just our foundation, hidden under the earth, no one sees it, but the building, or better said--the temple that we build during our lives--all depends on how solid and secure our foundation is. He talked about changing things NOW so that in the future we don't have to worry about weak foundations or anything.
 
Anyway, I have one minute so I need to write more later, thank you all for all the emails and birthday wishes, and I promise I'll answer you all personally later today if I can!!! This cyber is just awful. Anyway, I love you all, and I'm super excited for this week, I hope you all are too! Until a little later,

Elder Tyson David Gibbons

Monday, April 15, 2013

Crazy week!

Hey Mom! :)

This week was so CRAZY!!! Sadly not as much for the work, but guess what?? We finally moved pensions!!!! And we got the somewhat expensive but SUPER NICE apartments, it is so awsome! We can still see the mountains between the changing color leaves of the trees, plus we´re on the third floor, so yeah.. it's pretty cool. It's bascially like a hotel room, just permanent. We still haven't gotten over the awesomeness. The only bad thing is that the shower, which is SOOO much better, only has hot water for about five minutes, then the water runs out and it gets cold. So we´re working on that. But everything else is amazing. I'll send pictures in the future, I am out of batteries for now :/ sorry!
 
The weather is pretty normal now, it's way cold at night and perfect during the day. I just got a little sick again because the first night in the new pension all my warm clothes were packed away, and during the night I think I got a cold. So now I sleep with sweatshirts and sweats and everything. I already feel better though! So yeah, that's all good. Definitely headed into winter!
 
I'm glad you liked the fotos! I was going to send more, but since my camera died, well I can't haha. But you´ll get more in the future, don't worry. Although I have to say that the two young men Ricardo and Dario are both over 21 haha. It seems like a trend kinda, that they all leave at an older age. I won't say later because they leave when they are prepared, as they should! It's just that Ricardo has been working and Dario was actually inactive for a few years, but it's awesome having them to help. That's the best way to make sure the converts remain in the church! Because once they are baptized the missionaries have done the majority (not all yet) of their job, and the members are to help after that. I am grateful for all the information I'm learning here on the mission, because I want to be a better member missionary. And what better way than to experience both sides of the work??? It's amazing.
 
I forgot to mention Elder Kopischke´s talk last week, that was one of my favorites!! Well I just liked all of them. That's way cool that the three of you spoke, lucky Kate got left out of the mix haha but it does sound like it was a rather Gibbons-oriented sacrament meeting! 500 points for GIBBONS! (reference to Harry Potter.. that came out of nowhere haha)
 
Thanks for telling me about your cousin!!! That's so crazy how small the world is!!! Thank you for the picture too! I do recognize your cousin and I think I saw her daughter a few times too. It's just sad that East Ridge was the ward we did the least in, just because there weren't investigators, and their Sacrament Meeting was sandwiched between the other meetings we had every 9-hour Sunday! Good times though, I can't believe I didn't meet them personally though! That's crazy. And then about Jalen's compaion, that's so crazy too! Gotta love the connections! I've just had some interesting connections here too, like the family of Messi... and that's about it haha. Oh well, I guess every mission is different! But I loved that ward in Albuquerque, I really did!
 
And yes, that was my G at the top of the bowling score list. I did pretty well, broke my own personal record set in Albuquerque! So I was pretty proud of it. But the good thing is that we all had fun, even if we found out later we aren't allowed to bowl.... so that was kinda interesting when I told my comp about that haha.
 
Wow there is a lot going on in the family! Both sides, mejor dicho. So many moves, and possible moves, and then another cousin!! Sweet!!! :) Keep me updated on that. That will be the third cousin born on the mission that I haven't met yet... that's a weird feeling. Oh well at least they´ll be young still when I get back! I'll be there for the majority of their childhood right? :) Ever optimistic!
 
So with the moving, I realized that some of the lowest times on the mission are when you are focused on other things!!! I was way excited to move and have a good bathroom and shower and everything, but with all that in mind, and with limited time to go and work, I just felt like a normal kid, and I didn't like it one bit! I had a hard time waking up on time, doing my studies, and renewing that spirit of the work, and when Sunday came, I just felt exhausted and pretty sad. Thankfully the members are awesome and cheered me up, along with my comp, but it was a really stressful, hard week. I'm just glad to get a new week without distractions so we can just work!!! It feels like too long since we did real work, and I don't like it, even if it's just been a few days. But that just made me think a lot Sunday, I guess yesterday, about having to keep doing the simple things, the basics, like pray and read to keep your spirit uplifted and burning, and any other way, you just feel empty! So I have a very strong testimony about the importance of the little things! Please keep doing them as well, or please start doing it! You will see the light come into whatever dark situation or gloomy day, or bad attitude. It changes everything!
 
Well we are trying to play soccer again, hopefully it works out, but we gotta get going! I know this gospel is the biggest blessing that we can have in this life, and I want all of us to have the happiness that comes through the Savior, repentance, baptism, and the Spirit. The Spirit truly is the Comforter that Christ promised to the Apostles, because I have felt it personally, very strongly, and it's the best comforter anyone could have! I would challenge you all to increase your spirituality level because you will see everything turn out better, in all aspects of life. When we put God first, He promises us He will give the rest of our necessities to us, in abundance! Try it out, it really works! I love you all and hope you have a great week until next Monday! Keep up the good work, and don't forget the small and simple basics!
 
Elder Tyson Gibbons

Monday, April 8, 2013

Hey everyone!!!

P-day bowling with the district
 
I'm guessing if he bothered to take the picture,
his score must be the "G" on top.
 
Not sure what to say about this one... :)
 
The lone gringo in the district!  He loves it!
 
And almost the lone gringo in the zone!  :)
 
with Elder Alberro
 
Ricardo, Elder Alberro, Tyson, and Dario.
Ricardo and Dario are young men about to leave
on their missions--they've been helping Tyson and
Elder Alberro the past few weeks.
 
Tyson, Elder Alberro, and Elder Biggs--
the General Conference English Group
 
He looks happy!
 
Hey everyone!!! How was your weekend???

I loved it, so that's why I ask. Nothing like General Conference to brighten your day and week! And life not to mention! I had a lot of questions answered and plenty of things that stuck out to me for me to change or improve, so I'll be working on that in the future. Hopefully so will you! Well today I'm writing pretty late since our plans for this morning got set back a few hours, but we didn't do anything about it, just waited at the church. We came here to Rodeo de la Cruz to play soccer with Ricardo, Dario and Alexis from our ward, a few other guys from Rodeo de la Cruz, and Elder Bulva and Tapia. It was AWESOME!!! I've definitely improved a little bit, if even just because I don't get so mad or upset or anything about losing. There are other reasons that I feel things have improved, but that's basically why. We played a few times, and I was just having a blast! I felt like Jalen, minus his evil laugh thing he always did, just having fun! So that's good! I played on a team of 3 and we won our little tournament, and then we played the four elders and Alexis with the five other guys, and we bascially dominated, so that was way fun. :) Definitely a testimony for me that TEAMWORK will always beat personal effort. But then me and Elder Alberro played some ping pong and discovered that we are a GREAT ping pong team as well, we beat all the others at that too. :) So I'm in a good mood just to know I haven't lost my ping pong skills and that I've improved my futbol ones too. It's a good day. but since they all showed up three hours late and we were sitting waiting in the church, that's why we´re so late... I feel bad knowing how late it is. But I know I need to write you all!! So here I am, doing it. obviously.. anyway...

So it hasn't been super cold recently, these last few weeks have been super warm, but I am still going to need all those warm clothes since the nights are all cold now. And yeah, about my health, I just feel a little down because I still can't sleep well in the pension, and we haven't heard more about the new one yet. Kinda frustrating. But all has its time in the world, as the Bible says. Hopefully it can improve with time, but I just don't sleep well, and neither does Elder Alberro, we´re both suffereing a little bit. But we´re still working, so that's all that matters! Even if the physical aspect could be a little better... I'll keep working on it.

Alright, I will be looking for the packages! I was surprised Sunday with one from Kelly, so it definitely comes a lot faster when it's below 25 dollars and doesn't get caught up in the customs and everything. So yeah, just for future reference!

Okay, thanks for clearing things up with Korea, because everyone down here has a different story about everything, but they all say that South Korea, our friends, declared war on us...?? They just don't know what they´re talking about I guess. I'm sure things get mixed up in the translation and the transmission from country to country. That's the sad thing about humans, we´re not as efficient as computers sometimes. But thanks for clearing that up! I was seriously pretty worried.

Also, thank you for the emails and everything!

So about conference, that was just an awesome weekend!!!! We got to see all five sessions, which I loved, just like last time. The first session on Saturday we had to watch in Spanish, which just isn't as good. There are some little things lost in translation. But we got an English room after that, so that was GREAT! Just me, Elder Alberro, and Elder Biggs chillin in the gringo room with food and things. It was great :) But I seriously loved every talk. I wasn't tired at ALL! That's like a first, besides last conference haha, it's just awesome knowing that you´re going to receive answers to questions about yourself, or as missionaries, for some of the people we are teaching. So I took lots of notes, about 10 pages worth, and will be downloading them in the future. But thank you for those highlights from your notes!! I loved all of those, and my favorite talks as well were by Elder Bednar, always straightforward but so powerful, I wrote down a lot of quotes from that one. And then from President Monson about obedience, and not just because the story was hilarious. I felt bad for all the other people, we didn't hear any laughing coming from the main room when he told the story, but we were dying of laughter, us three. Oh well, good times.
 
I am super jealous of Enrique Falabella´s accent. I wish I could sound like that when I get back! But I just don't think it's possible haha :D I loved his talk too, it's a little below those favorite two.
 
There were a few complications though. Elder Tapia, Elder Alberro, and I went to buy some food for Sunday on Saturday night before the Priesthood session, and the buses that passed us were all full to the point that the driver didn't even stop to let us get on, so we missed the first hour almost of the Priesthood session. We were so mad. At least we heard the majority of President Uchtdorf's talk and the others in the First Presidency. But then Sunday morning as well we got kicked out of our transportation from the ward and into a member's car, and we got there late again, so we missed almost all of President Uchtdorf´s talk again... gosh that was upsetting too. But thank goodness for technology haha :) I'll read them soon! And if you can send me the Ensign, I would love that!! Just from conference. The only sad thing is that no investigators came. But Graciela and Hermana Gutierrez and Miriam and Juan Pablo all attended their first conference, and they LOVED IT!!! So that was super exciting for them!! :)

Anyway, those were our conference activities and adventures. I loved it sooo much. I got so many answers from all of them! I wonder what people do when they pass it on their TV´s too... I would think there would be some attracting peaceful feeling, and maybe they listen for a little bit then keep going. But the Lord works in interesting ways... maybe they´ll be hooked, who knows? I just know that it's definitely a spiritual highlight two times a year!! I hope all of you can take advantage of it fully!! Read the talks all over again, and the ones you didn't hear, and you´ll get an answer to some question, even if you didn't know there was a question in your head!! We all have questions about life, sometimes they´re just buried by everything going on in life. Every once in a while we have to refocus, right?
 
I took PLENTY of pictures these last two weeks, but I still don't know if I can send them since the computer is way slow and the usb hasn't worked yet... so sorry, you have to wait! But I have a lot, and you will enjoy them surely. :)
 
Well I just got the usb to work!!! So I'm going to finish this up and send some pictures finally.
 
But yeah, I am SOOO glad to hear that all is going well for the main part, and I will remember to keep anyone going through a hard time in my prayers! I know everyone could use a thoughtful prayer every once in a while, or every day! It truly does work miracles. I'm doing alright here, just trying to sleep better, but there´s not much I can do about it, I'm just a light sleeper!!

I'm pretty sad to hear about Brother Sell moving! I won't get to say goodbye... that's no fair! I know he´ll be a huge blessing to all the youth in his new area as well, and the youth will never forget him in Mountain Home. I remember him talking about trying to leave all the time while I was in seminary, and I'm SOOO glad that he stayed all four years, because he helped me change things in my life to be able to be here today. Thank you Brother Sell, I don't know if you´ll read this soon or later, but hopefully you do! You made a big difference in my life, and surely for all my other friends from Mountain Home! And his family will be missed dearly, by me for sure. And life goes on...changes and everything!

Well, keep having an awesome month of April, the best month ever! We´ve enjoyed Easter, the birthday of the church, and General Conference. Next up, my birthday combined with Juan Pablo's! It's going to be awesome. :) Keep making the best of every moment, there are no redo´s in life!! You gotta make the best of it the first time. I love all of you, and I'm so grateful for your support, and I hope you can all take advantage of these blessings we have to have a prophet who speaks to us what God wants us to know and learn, and for Christ who leads this church to blessing so many lives in the world. I know that His church has been restored fully and completely and is here to bless ALL the people in the world, sometimes we just have to help it along! Let's share the blessings, alright?? There´s nothing better than knowing someone you care about and love is improving their life!!! And being happier :) I love you all!
Until next week...

Elder Tyson Gibbons

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Hola todos!

Hola todos! Sorry about the delayed email, things got out of control on Monday. No, not really, we just never made it to cyber, we were in Rodeo del Medio all day, which was interesting. But here we are just writing something quick before our lunch at 1! So yeah, sorry if this is a tad bit short this week. Thanks for telling me the rest of the trip Mom, I didn't know how long you were there, but I'm glad you got to do so much other stuff!! That sounds way exciting, even if you all look frozen in the pictures haha. Sounds like about the same weather we´re having now. Sadly we completely jumped past autumn and are going directly to winter, it's terrible. But oh well, what can you do??
 
So this past week has been awesome. Elder Alberro is a cool guy and a great missionary, and we get along really well. He actually reminds me a lot of Logan, our cousin. So that's pretty interesting! (Shout out to Logan, hope you´re rocking it up with your time left! Don't burn cousin! Just keep working hard :D ) We've had so many unexpected visits this last week, and lots of miracles, kinda feels like God was saying, well here are some incentives to do a little better than last transfer, so I have all the intention to do it! We've met people I never met the last 3 months here and had some great visits with people that I have met but never taught for whatever reason, so it's going to be a great month. And on top of it all, it's APRIL!!! Happy belated April Fools day, and then my birthday, the corresponding asado, along with the birthday of Juan Pablo and a few other members, is going to make this month just AWESOME :) So to fix what I said about his family (Elder Alberro I mean), his dad's parents moved from Argentina to the states, so his dad is American, but was raised with Latino culture too, and then his mom is from Costa Rica, so basically he is more Latin than American, and was raised with English and Spanish! Crazy huh? I thought that was way cool. And his brother is tri-lingual since he served in South Korea (and he also recently got married to a Korean he met at college, in the Costa Rica temple. Just loco!) So that's basically his family haha, and he likes to play soccer! Finally haha!
 
So the weather is actually nice and frigid today, and it's been raining about the last 5 days, so that's been an adventure. I don't know when you were going to send those winter clothes?? But sooner would be great haha! I love my coat but it doesn't do as much as it would with a sweater and a scarf. But I'm surviving until now. Last Monday I bought a new watch, which you'll see in the pictures I'll send home. It's just blue haha, so I don't worry about getting robbed for it. I bought a non-flashy one on purpose, but I like blue so it works out well. And now we have time when we´re wandering around. It's amazing how easily you get lost in the work, and how much time you can waste when you aren't keeping track of it!!
 
So who else is excited for General Conferencce????????? I can't wait, only three more days! And it's going to be awesome with all the Elders and Hermanas and then the members. If Stake Conference was good, this will be even better! Although I think we´re going to ask for an English room for us three gringos in the stake (me, Elder Alberro, and Elder Biggs our new ZL who also served in Justo Daract!), so hopefully that works out. But I'm really just thinking that all the challenges we´ve had this week are just a test to get me to earn the General Conference or something. It's amazing how much of a motivation it is now, because before, well ask my parents, I was half awake during the Sunday sessions and sleeping during the Saturday ones... not always!!! But a lot haha. I'm just super excited. Hopefully we can keep preparing ourselves and have some questions because for sure the questions we have will be answered in one of the talks! But you have to watch all the sessions and then read the Priesthood or Relief Society session the next month to find it! That's something they mentioned in Stake Conference too. I don't remember who it was, but he said "Hermanos, you will go home and read the Relief Society sessions and receive some more answers. Do it! And Hermanas, you will go home and read the Priesthood session and find more answers and revelation. Do it!" It was way cool. I've never thought about that really, but it's so true. We have to take advantage oif all the seessions that there are!! So let's start getting prepared eh?
 
So I have a question... did South Korea declare war or something? Are all my friends going there not going to go there anymore?? Everyone here is telling us about it since we´re from the states, so I was worrying about that for this whole weekend... what's the deal with all that??

As for Malcolm's call (to Tonga), that's AWESOME! He´s lucky, he will probably get to wear one of those... I don't remember what they're called, the Tongan skirts basically hahaha. But I think it fits him perfectly. That's way awesome!! He´s going to be a great missionary.
 
Yes Mom, I lost all those pictures, which sucks because the card had pictures from when I first got here to Buenos Aires and we went to the temple and everything! Oh well, life goes on right? But I think I'll put them on a pendrive or something to be sure. But yeah, don't worry about it.
 
I hope the weather is getting warmer up there! I'm excited and glad that winter or the cold is here, but this past week we´ve had some crazy weather and we both feel under it (under the weather, I mean) and we´ve been exhausted and cold. But we will get over it! Just takes diligence and patience! And I have increased in both of those I believe. But yeah, I just want my body to fix itself so I can focus on teaching and everything, it's really annoying when you are distracted by sicknesses and headaches and pains and everything. Any advice as to how I can get over that??
 
Well this week is almost halfway over already, but we have great plans and are going to keep working with the members, which we finally started doing this week instead of just putting it as a goal every week. Change is hard, and I'll miss Elder Galicia, but change has brought a new cycle of miracles, hard times, humbling experiences, and growing circumstances, and what else could we ask for? That's the whole purpose of this life, isn't it? So I am perfectly content with that. I'm super excited for the next 5 weeks, and obviously I'll be keeping you all updated on the happenings! Sorry it's short but we gotta get going to lunch! I love you all, and hope the warm weather starts brightening your days, weeks, and soon to come-summer! Don't let any opportunity pass you by, rather take ahold of it and make the best of it! We´re here on earth to be happy and have joy, and the best things in life are the spiritually and temporally uplifting ones! Time with family, friends, loved ones, and making new friends and enjoying all that life throws at you, making the best of everything! It's hard sometimes, and we all make mistakes, but we can always improve and change. Until next week!

Elder Tyson Gibbons :)