Hola

Hey Mom! Well, as you probably guessed already, this is going to be a short email, since it's already late. The guy told us the cyber reopened at 5, so we wasted an hour and five minutes waiting, then right as we leave to go work, he comes back, so now I´m here to give you a five minute summary of everything I was goign to say! So please forgive me.

 

But yes, this week was really good!! We didn't get any church tours which was a little bit of a bummer, but it doesn't matter because the rest of the week was just really cool! We did so much better with talking to people and have found some really cool ones, so that should help us in the future when the investigators that we have right now get to their goal or drop off. Hopefully the first! So anyway, the bad news first, I got sick again on Tuesday and was feeling bad all Tuesday and the first hours of Wednesday, but I got over it after a very long night Tuesday night. I was in the bathroom until 530 in the momrning, so naturally I slept an hour extra in the morning, But then we had to be in centro for a meeting with President Avila, just my luck, right? We got to the meeting a little late but made it, and I ended up talking with Hermana Avila on the phone for the first 15 minutes, then joined the rest of them. It was a really good meeting. He talked about the church tours and how to better use them as a tool for teaching everyone we meet, and the assistants tricked us and told us they had "The District 3" (remember "The District 1 and 2" that we had to watch before going into the MTC?), and then it was just a video that they made themselves about doing the church tours. It was really funny at least! Then starting that day we got back and worked super hard. We found lots of other investigators and we´ll be doing our best to teach them! 

 

So after having a few days of just focusing on finding, and also having some good visits with the familia M_____, we had an activity on saturday, a Family Home Evening, but they called it a Friend Home Evening, and we all had to bring a friend. Naturally the only people who did that were the familia Montana, who brought their cousin! And then.... WE DID!!! guess what? The whole familia M_____ except the dad came to the activity, and they really, really enjoyed it! They met a lot more members, and were laughing and having fun the whole time! We knew it would be a turning point for them. Then afterwards I took them to see the Sacrament Meeting room, and we sat down and listened to Facundo and Natali and Jose Alganaras practicing their musical number for Sunday, and M_____ remembered that we had a FHE planned with a family that the two kids played instruments, and she guessed it was them! Cool that she remembered, even though it didn't happen. Then the best part was when the kids were just awestruck, saying how awesome and lindo the capilla was, and then asking when the Alganaras were going to play their song, and I said "Tomorrow... you guys gonna come??" and they immediately said "Yes!" M_____ was smiling super big, she's been doing everything alone up until this point.

 

So yeah, that activity turned out golden! And I was super happy to have a soccer ball, even though flat and worthless, to kick around for just a few minutes. And I was playing around with V_____ M_____ and the other kids, and I kept looking over at M_____ to make sure she was having a good time, and she was just looking at both of her kids having a blast and meeting people and was just smiling the whole time. Made me feel super happy!

So, I guess I have kinda forgotten the meeting with President, he also talked a little about some of the visits that we may or may not have been doing, but he read the part about visiting anyone of the oposite sex without an adult of the same sex, and the sad thing was that all of us elders, leaders or no, were like "oh freak, I guess we do have some visits that we´ve been making that wouldn't fit in that rule." We realized our lunches on Friday are with a family of girls, although thankfully all older women, like I have exlained before, like three generations of members, but President read the line that says "even when the situation appears innocent." So, we have cancelled those lunches, and realized that a lot of our 555 visits as well we can't be doing nearly as often, even sitting outside, because it counts as a visit. It's really sad how years of elders doing something can blind the elders that come in the future into doing the same thing. When we cancelled these visits we asked them all, so how long have the missionaries passed by without bringing someone? And they ALL said, well they have never come by with anyone else... so yeah, we have definitely fixed a problem. And it's funny that some elders looked at it as "oh man, we just dropped ALL our invesigators, and half our visits each week," but we look at it as "well, we were being disobedient, even though a little ignorantly, but now we will be more blessed, however hard it is!" The members are all still under that first one at the moment... but we will fix it. We just have to work more with members! Just goes to show that no missionary can ever be perfect in everything!

 

But, with all that craziness, there was one little miracle that shows the reward for being obedient.... so, on Sunday... the WHOLE familia M_____ came to church!!!! I was stunned!! I walk to the door and see first M_____ get out, so I was at least happy that she came, but then I saw the two kids, and was SUPER excited, and then the Dad even got out!!!!! So they all came, and they all LOVED IT! And all the members were being awesome and inviting them to everything and meeting them, and they said they felt like it was home, they met people they already knew in the chapel and they were well received. So we are really focusing on getting them married this month, and their whole family will be able to be baptized!! We were so excited. That made the whole week just the best week ever.

 

And now with transfers, oh yeah I forgot, it's transfers, haha. Well don't worry, I'm staying here with Elder Fullmer and I guess Elder Johnson is coming to San Juan, so I'll be seeing him soon probably! Oh yeah Mom, I left my patriarchal blessing copy in Rodeo del Medio, I haven't been able to find it, and I asked Elder Johnson to look for it, but he just told me today that his old companion, my "son" Elder Gutierrez threw EVERYTHING away... so could I somehow get another copy of that?? That would be cool.

 

But anyway, this transfer is going to be the best yet! We are going to work sooo hard with this family, and the others that we have found, and we´re going to have a baptism! So obviously I will keep you all updated :)

 

Well, we need to get going, but I love you Mom! And I hope you have a good week without Nathan and Kate, or without Nathan, I can't remember who gets home first! Just enjoy it I guess haha!

 

I know that the hardest times in our lives (AKA the last three weeks, for me) ALWAYS have the final reward, just like Christ promises multiple times in the scriptures, one of my favorites being D&C 121:7. And it always turns out well in the end. Always! You just have to trust Him and give Him everything, and it's never as hard as you think! Just do it. :) Look how this week turned out??

Elder Tyson Gibbons

 

P.S. I'll send pictures of my leg next week, we are in the other cyber like I told you, so next week we'll be in the better one!   Oh, and about the photos you sent, the Meridian Temple looks AWESOME! Like the one in Canada that doesn't have the Angel Moroni. And then what the heck??? How does Chris get so lucky with all these Ferrari pictures and having an NFL coach in his ward? And being with his MTC comp again?? That's just way cool. And then Jalen and the Lamborghinis... need I say more? You would never see any of those pictures from me haha, the nicest car I have seen is an Audi TT, and those aren't even that nice. Tell them to keep on enjoying it! Haha but thank you for the pictures. And can you tell Jalen to buy me a new Bayern Munich blue jersey? Since I think Nathan stole my smaller one, even though if it doesn't fit him now, it might not fit me, since he´s huge. But whatever, I still miss it! Thank you! I love you!

Hola

Hey Mom!  So now it's officially three cousins that I haven´t met! I have been telling people three for a while, soon it will have to change to four once Jenn's baby comes! I don't have any nieces or nephews still though, and that's something that bascially all Argentina has in common, no matter their age, it's pretty sure that they have a niece or nephew already. That's why their families are so big down here haha.

Sounds like Nathan and Yeager are having a blast over there! I wish they had a water obstacle course when we went! I remember going scuba diving and everything, but that sounds like quite the thrill. I have no doubt they´re going for the top 5 or top 3 scores! That would be cool if they made it up there. Hopefully they´ve been doing merit badge stuff too, though! And Kate went to Silverwood??? Lucky, I´ve always wanted to go there, just to see how it is! I wonder if it's more exciting than Lagoon? And it's a good thing that she likes rollercoasters now, or that could've been a not as fun trip!

Well I´m glad to know that my room isn't a complete disaster! (How ironic, it seems like it didn't bother me that much before, right?) Why do Nathan and Kate spend so much time in our rooms??? I know they´re jealous of my awesome paint job and everything (sorry, you painted it all, I´ll give you the credit), but they have their own rooms! I miss my bed a lot. I think I´ve mentioned that before. 

Wow, why are so many people leaving the ward??? That's so weird, it will feel quite different getting home, but I guess that's just life! But that's cool that Chris is working for BSU now, he is definitely good at what he does! And they´re living in Meridian! Any news on the Meridian Temple?? I haven't heard anything since it was announced haha, so I don't know if that's still going good or if there hasn't been much progess? I always brag to people that our state has like the 4th or 5th highest number of temples! And we only have 5 (4 working, but 5 total) and then there´s California and Arizona and Utah of course. Maybe they´ll be there when it's finished! That would be super convenient!

 

I think the farm has bad luck! Or maybe Dad´s knee just can't handle all that work. Where are Nathan and Kate when he needs them?? That's definitely not a good sign though... he might not be playing much soccer with us when we get back! Hopefully surgery is in the far future though. And hopefully he doesn't have a problem in DC or wherever else they´re planning on going! Although I´m sure there are plenty of people around to help, especially in the mall with all the museums and monuments.  So you're taking Nathan and Yeager to the Holocaust museum?  Are they required to have an adult with them?   I remember it all too well. Very depressing, but very well designed. I remember when we went to the Jamboree, Brother Hall wouldn't take us there, he refused, I guess we were too young?? But then we went with you a few years later.  But it's definitely a good  learning experience, they´ll talk more about that in the next few years in school anyway.

So as for the sickness, yes I feel just fine now! Just some repercussoions from the flu and not to mention the now below-freezing temperatures down here. I think it's hard for the body to repair itself when it already had the flu during a rather warm week, then the next week the temperature drops drastically. And as I was explaining to Dad, all the little weird tweaks in health that have happened this last week have given me quite a few scares. And I guess I can explain why haha. So... I didn't mention this last week, but last Sunday I got bit by a dog. It was a member´s dog that I´ve seen and petted during my whole time here, but we were chasing the same ball, and I got there first and I got control of it, then next thing I know, I feel a bunch of pressure on my leg, and I thought it was one of the little kids, but it was the dog! So of course, like all injuries, it started hurting once I saw what had happened. We went inside and cleaned it very thouroughly and painfully with alcohol, and then when we got back home, I read the health guide thing from our mission and was pretty annoyed, to start off, with all the stuff I had to do now. So this whole week I had to keep an eye on the dog, make sure he wasn't sick, or acting weird, or worst case, died, and I had to clean the bite marks (he left three of them, (I´ll send pictures next week, forgot my camera) every day, and bandage them and put antibiotic stuff on them. So I did that, but there was always one sentence on my mind the whole week, that I read in big bold red letters in the health guide, "If you have the disease (rabies) and are showing symptoms, it is too late to take the vaccines, and death will occur within 7 days. Survival rate is about 8%." Some encouraging news, right?!?! So everytime my immune system had a little tweak, I freaked out, got really stressed. Thankfully it's nice to have the Spirit, who is best known as the Comforter, because I definitely needed that this last week! But anyway, that was a very stressful week. I wasn't worried about dying as much as what I was going to have to tell people and my parents if something serious happened, etc. Weird how priorities get a little mixed up sometimes, isn't it? But I talked to Elder Ence in the mission office (senior missionary couple--I think he's a nurse) repeatedly for the last week and today he asked for some information, I gave it to him, and he said well, don't worry, you would be in a lot more pain and more miserable if you had any serious problem. I think you will be fine. So that just made my day! Haha, oh yeah, Dad, I was going to ask you, I think its just from the stress and everything, but my eye has started twitching randomly and uncontrollably. Well it's not my eye really, it's like the eye lid muscles, and everytime I trigger it with a sneeze or a yawn or straining my eye too much, it starts and goes for probably half a minute, and I can't stop it. Occasionally I have had some pain like behind the eye, and also in the inner ear, I was worried I was about to have an ear problem like those last two times, but nothing has happened, so yeah. Any advice?? It doesn't usually happen when I'm reading or anything, it's all random stuff. 

Anway, yeah, sorry I didn't mention that last week, Mom! But I figured it would be easier to handle when I knew more and all. Forgive me! Don't freak out, haha. And Elder Fullmer just had a day and a half of sickness, but not anywhere near as serious as mine. He´s still got an untouched-by-Argentina immune system! Mine has been weakened by a year or so.

Haha, I think I have heard that quote before! (I sent him one of my favorite Winston Churchill quotes:  "You can always count on Americans to do the right thing, after they've tried everything else.")  Sadly we fulfill that too much, and just one time would be too much. Hey, we´re all imperfect right?? But yeah, I really liked that talk, definitely very inspiring. And on Saturday we watched that mission broadcast again as a ward, and that was really good too!! Sadly, none of the less actives that we invited and visited came, and then the church tours we had planned during all the week all fell as well, but on Sunday Hermana S____ came, even if it was only because she had to give a talk. But she gave such a good talk! I just wish she had a little more support from her family. They are so close to just coming back. As for the Ma_____ family, they have a few more problems I think, and they didn't come to church or the activity. We´ll keep trying though. But as we wateched the broadcast, I learned a lot more that I didn't remember from the last time, and the videos and songs really got to me. Especially the one that starts with the little kids and saving for the mission, then leads up to people opening their mission calls, so that just makes me remember that moment, and it was very hard to not cry. I can't believe how much time has passed since then! And how little time I have left. I don't like it!! But it's just a little gentle reminder that I have plenty to do still! And I have to use all the time wisely! A good life lesson, I think. Doesn't help that the songs were very touching too, since they reminded me of some very specific instances in the past. Thankfully the bishop´s 1 year old son came over and started playing with my magnet plaque and getting super super excited when he would stick it to the chair and take it off again. I think he´d never seen a magnet before, so he was SUPER happy, and it made me feel even happier to know that I guess I can get along with little kids after all! And he always comes running to us elders and wants us to pick him up, which we're not allowed to do, but he just follows us around. It's awesome. :)

So after this last week of stress and frustration, we didn't have anyone come to church again, and we didn't see them more than once in the week, so it was a little frustrating. The winter is just SUPER hard down here. It gets cold up there, but I guess it makes a difference that everyone has a warm car to get to church. It's sad how different of a world it is in some ways. And we only had one visit with each of the progressing people, because in each of those visits we set up the next visit as a church tour, and well we know what happened with those--they all fell through. But the show goes on, as always. The bishop was super excited to watch the broadcast again. Sadly, I think he was one of the only people super-charged about missionary work after still, so that makes... well, us three! It's a little difficult, but oh well. We have to work with what we have, and since many members aren't coming to church or fulfilling their duty, we just have to make do without them! I think I took for granted our ward back home,with good leaders and teachers always! It's so hard when people won't step up, whether they are lazy or feel like they are inadequate! One lesson that is important to remember is that the Lord qualifies those that He calls, to whatever position it may be. It's a hard lesson, because you have to trust a lot, and sacrifice a lot, but it always turns out true in the end. What a great thing to know, that all truths from God are eternal and there are no exceptions! Haha it gives quite a bit of peace to the mind and heart and soul. Like the comforting feeling you have after drinking a nice big cup of hot chocolate. But seeing as how that doesn't exist very often down here either, that comparison just made me a little sad that I couldnt drink any. Haha. But the lesson was still learned!

Well today we are going to buy food and everything and go back to the pench. We´ve gone to the other elders' pench the last few weeks, and it's always fun, but we just waste an hour on buses, an hour to do other things! So yeah, we´re going to take it easy today. I´m pretty tired of always being the elder that goes to someone else´s area, can't wait until I´m in an area where everyone wants to come to mine!! Although I´ve realized I don't like being in the city, so it would still have to be out in the country. Thatss definitely a result of being in Mountain Home for 11 years. The good news for today is that we have an appointment with the familia Mo_____! And they sounded excited when we set it, so hopefully that turns out all well! It can be frustrating how one little decision can halt the sometimes normal, sometimes alarming progression spiritualwise, and it's hard to get it going again, but we´ll do our best! 

I hope all of you enjoy the rest of July, and what remains of summer! Do something fun, enjoy the warm weather, and eat some frozen blueberries for me! And other fruit that I can't find down here very easily. (Mom, just ask your Aunt Carol about the frozen blueberry comment, she emailed me and we were talking about that a little bit!) Most of all, just keep on pushing through life! But not just pushing through, you have to enjoy it! That's the only way to be happy, is to find all the moments that you can enjoy and not focus on the ones you can't! It's all a matter of perspective.  As everyone says, our mind can only entertain one thought at a time, so just change it from the depressing or stressful to the good and happy and sunny thoughts! It works miracles, trust me.

I love you Mom! And I miss your cooking, especially this week! Don't worry, we haven't starved, but we just haven't had any variety at all, and I miss the different dinners every night. Can I make a list of food I want for the fist couple weeks I'm home?? :) Just kidding. anything will be good for me!

 

Elder Tyson Gibbons

On the mend

Hey Mom!!! :)

Alright, so this last week sounded pretty fun for everyone! It's weird thinking Nathan and Curran and Yeager and Joey and Benny and Christian and Talon are all going on the Jamboree. And there's no way they're gonna have as much fun as we had!!! Our bus driver was defintely the bomb, Styx, an African American that could play some awesome jazz and classical music on the piano while we ate some delicious Amish style food! I'll never forget that. I like the uniform colors by the way. If the blue was a little darker, the people staring at my screen right now would probably think they're all weirdo fans from Boca hahaha. Even funnier, Kate fits in with the colors--one, because of her shirt, but two, because she has that color mix naturally, something every Argentine can't help but stare at, whether they're young, old, man or woman. Still not used to it really. I just try and convince myself that it's the white shirt and tie haha.

 

So, this last week was... fun! I won't get into too much detail, but I was sick, all week! I got so tired of being in the pench by the late afternoon everyday that we left for at least one or two hours everyday anyway, but only if I felt better. I think I had the quickest getting-sick and getting-better cycle of the flu that has been known to man! Because the flu symptoms only lasted the first day, the rest was just the repercussions in the stomach, and intestines and head and respiratory system. It was a semana of suffering for sure! But then Friday night, to avoid too much grossness, I was in the bathroom all night, didn't sleep much. But whatever was inside, was no longer inside haha, and since then, I have felt GREAT!! Seriously, not even the stuffiness or the sinus problems or anything else is still bugging me. I feel good enough to suit up and play a 90 minute game! But of course, I think my physcial state isn't quite as good as it used to be. But that's how I feel, so that's good enough right??

 

So with only a few hours each day, we tried to just focus on getting our people to come to church! And after plannning SOOOO much with the familia M_____, and after having received news that NONE of the others were going to come for various reasons, I was SOOOOO upset when they didn't come Sunday, but we did all we could do and that's not our fault. Things just always happen to the members when it's their turn to take over, and no one went to pick them up! I'm still trying to decide what to tell them tomorow becuase she's going to ask us why no one came, because she was waiting. I hate it when that happens, seriously... But we had a new guy show up with an older sister in the ward, and we are going to meet his family today! So there's another family, and the good thing is, they live like 80 feet from the church! It's perfect! That was a huge blessing.

 

So I have a funny story about the men in our ward from yesterday. We are in the class, us elders and a bunch of elderly Argentine and Chilean men. So the class is on the Relief Society, which I thought was pretty ironic, I actually laughed to myself and got some weird looks from the others, just because we're in class with a bunch of guys, who usually are more prideful, and we're talking about the women of the church and all the amazing things they do to help this church and the world, so a bunch of guys have to go to class to sit and learn about the women. Maybe not as funny as it was yesterday, but that's the setting. So we get started,and the teacher immediately gets off on one of his favorite topics, the situation with the water in San Juan. So he starts giving his speech (funny that he sells water filters, or did in the past) and then NATURALLY that leads the oldest hermano to start sharing all of his knowledge on the subejct, which leads to the next oldest (the new guy who came for the first time) to throw in his opinion, which leads to everyone yelling, screaming, and trying to teach everyone else, and the teacher standing at the front trying to point and get people's attention... And then two little gringos sitting in the middle of it all, staring at the ceiling or the floor or our hands, and laughing so hard. So we finally control everything, the older hermano leaves to tell all the classess it's time to end, and the new guy thinks he offended him, so everyone starts apologizing, and then the teacher gets everyone to stop talking, returns to the board, underlines the words "Relief Society," testifies how it's a very important organization, and we end.  WEIRDEST CLASS EVER. I just thought it was ironic that a bunch of men, naturally proud of their own doings and knowledge completely changed the subject about all the service the women do in the world, to their own knowledge of water and plants and gardening (which women usually know more about anyway) for an entire hour. That's the men for you, with a little Argentine twist ;)

 

No Mom, you haven't told me all the families we are losing in 4th Ward!! I just know the Perigo family, the Pittard family, but who else??? Maybe it's best you don't tell me, I'm pretty sad already knowing they're leaving.

 

Wait, so did you choose the picture of us in Florida where I'm crying really hard??? Haha that would be funny :) If not, I guess that's cool too. (I told him I'd brought in family photos to make a family tree on the board for singing time in Primary yesterday, and I brought one of our old family photos from Florida.  No, it wasn't the one where he's crying!  :)  )  Wow, that just made me feel super old... I've grown up there, for twelve years! I'm not surprised that Sister Eagley cried seeing that picture, it's pretty sad, mostly for me to see how fast the time has gone!! And she is probably thinking "I miss those two boys when they were littler and more innocent and better behaved" :D Haha just kidding, hopefully not!

 

So if there is anything I learned this week, it's that I know for sure that my instinct now as a missionary doesn't let me stay in the pench all day. I can't even go one day without getting out and teaching or visiting a family, it feels so wrong, and then I realized last night that we still got some pretty good work done, even feeling as crappy as I did, so that was a big help too. Being sick stinks!!! But overcoming it and still getting out to work is way better than just suffering it. I feel like I truly lived Elder Zwick's statement this week, "Suffer with joy." :)

 

Anyway, the familia M_____ is still very solid and firm. They have their baptismal date in three weeks, and we're helping them this week to make plans to get married and live the Word of Wisdom. We don't have any worries, because she has been having some really amazing personal experiences related to what we're sharing, so she already feels and knows it's the right thing to do. Now we're just helping the rest to get as enthusiastic as she is!! She told us last Friday, our first visit for two weeks, and we were way worried that two weeks is a long time for something to happen, but she told us that the day before, well, she had a dream, and to not give away her special experience, basically we just helped her understand how she felt and what that meant for her. She is so AWESOME! So is the rest of the family, of course.

 

Well, today and for the past week we've gone out with just white shirts and now coats because it's been weather straight from the spring! so nice. But this Thursday we're taking an awful deep plunge into the arctic waters of Greenland, It seems like we're going from spring directly to the heart of winter. It's about that time anyway. So yeah, I'm enjoying it today and tomorrow, and as long as I can! Today we're having an asado and playing ping pong with the other elders so that will be fun :)

 

So Saturday we had planned a noche de peliculas, sorry, I mean a night of movies with two less active families, and when we get there, we see that they've got a HUGE asado going and we were just like... Uh oh. We're not getting home early tonight hahaha. But Elder Fullmer got to try asado, and we watched some good videos, but the best part wasn't even until the next day....

 

We changed our schedule for church to 10, and we now have the Sacrament Meeting first, and I have never felt so happy to see so many people walk into the chapel!! The best though was the four members of the S_____ family (one of the less actives that we were with the night before) but even better, the two youngest daughters and the dad of the Ma_____ family (the other less active family we were with, the Hermano Ma_____ is the brother of Hermana S_____, and get this, they are next door neighbors! Awesome huh?) So we felt very content that we had done some good, because this is now the second time they have come, but only with us as elders visiting them. Dad, I told you we are tyring to reactivate a ward mission leader, and that is Hermano Ma_____. He is so awesome! His family just doesn't help him much, they are content being inactive, but he's not, which is good for him and the whole family. He's still got the fire burning strong somewhere in there, and we just build it up a little bit more when we go. We'll get him soon!

 

Anyway, we gotta go. Gotta buy our lunch and then go enjoy some asado and ping pong!!! But I'm so grateful for this last week and for all I learned. We never stop learning unless we stop trying to learn! Don't let anything get in the way, because all the good that happens, even during the worst times, is magnified a hundred times when it's said and done, because of the simple fact that we overcame, no matter the cost or the sacrifice. That reminds me of the quote I listened to again by Winston Churchill from World War 2, let me share it with you... This is Elder Holland quoting it in one of his talks,

 

"I would say to the House, as I said to those who have joined this Government: I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears, and sweat."

"We have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering. You ask what is our policy? I will say: It is to wage war, by sea, land, and air, with all our might and with all our strength that God can give us. . . .That is our policy. You ask, What is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory. Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror; victory, however long and hard the road may be. [Churchill: the Life Triumphant, American Heritage, 1965, p. 90]

 

This is one of the most awe-striking periods in the long history of France and Britain. . . . Behind us . . . gather a group of shattered States and bludgeoned races: the Czechs, the Poles, the Norwegians, the Danes, the Dutch, the Belgians, upon all of whom the long night of barbarism will descend, unbroken even by a star of hope, unless we conquer, as conquer we must; as conquer we shall. [Churchill, p. 91]

 

We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend our island, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender." [Churchill, p. 91]

 

If there was ever a quote that stirs up so much patriotism in someone, it would be this one. But the way Elder Holland puts it in his talk, is what I like better. He is talking about when he was finishing his mission and headed home into the craziness of the real world, without much hope or future, and he read this talk that changed his attitude. It definitely changed mine, listening to it. Maybe we're not in World War 2 right now, far from it, but we're going through a war everyday, the most common war known to man, in almost every movie, book, play, school, work, and especially in religion and the scriptures: the never ending war between good and evil. God and Satan. It's a pretty awful war, we can look around us and see the consequences of the good and bad decisions, whether in our life or the life of a loved one or friend. And even with that ominous scene in front of us, do we ever have reason to stop? Reasons to quit? Maybe, or maybe those are just the appearances of any type of "convenient offer" in this life. But we weren't made to follow the path of convenience, Christ certainly didn't and look what He has become? And if we are the very same spiritual children of God, what does that put our potential as? I'll let you think about that... and reading this quote, invite you to observe the wrecks and bumps, the sunny and rainy days, and just think about this one word... WHY? Why do you keep on doing it? I had a long week to do just that, and I've made some rather big changes due to that time thinking and pondering. And I would love it if everyone could have that same chance. There's a reason why we keep going, and it's because we know where we're trying to get, and I personally at least won't ever let anything convenient or attractive that just doesn't last keep me from reaching that goal. And that's how your life should be, and yours, and yours, and all of you too. Because I'm no different than you, and you aren't different than me. We're all going in the same direction in the end, but how we get there is different for each of us. But I KNOW where I'm going, and I KNOW how I'm going to get there, I've never been so certain about anything else in my life. It's nice to be sure and confident, life stinks when it's full of uncertainty. Try it sometime!

 

Anyway, I recommend the talk as well! It's "However Long and Hard the Road" by Elder Holland, from the same BYU speeches website. It's one of my new favorites. It's really good! Really inspiring.

 

I love you all and hope you have a really good week, with the remaining time of summer vacation!

Elder Tyson Gibbons

Happy 4th of July!

 

 

Hey Mom! Hope you had an awesome 4th of July!!! Well it sounds like you did, so I´m glad. Ours was pretty good, we had a meeting with Bishop and only he knew what day it was, but we had to remind him, so it was a pretty unexciting day haha. But I was wearing red, white, and blue as proudly as I could! I felt patriotic at least! And that's what matters. We started the day listening to the Ezra Taft Benson talk that I told you about earlier, so that got our patriotic side going pretty well! I'll send pictures, but I didn't get many because well, we didn't do much haha. But that's alright!

 

So we had bought an ice cream cake from Grido´s on Monday after Elder Smith played a prank on us and told us that I was getting special transferred the next day and Elder Fullmer would need to know the area. So we both were pretty freaked out, me because I started thinking about any complaint I´d had in the last weeks and started apologizing right there on the spot hahaha, and he because well he´s been here two weeks, doesn't know the area or the names and wouldve been completely hung out to dry (that's a phrase used in the states right?) So yeah, then he told us he was kidding, but I had felt so bad and nervous that I bought a cake hahaha so we ate that Thursday night as well, and had a little fire out back because we had to get rid of some things. So that was what we did! Pretty exciting huh? 

 

I´ve just happened to see the preview for Despicable Me 2 like four times, and it made me pretty sad that I won't see it haha, but I imagined all of you going with your minion shirts and enjoying it, so that's good enough for me for now! I can't believe they had never seen the first one?? We invited Scott and Jenn over at Thanksgiving I think, that was super fun! It's definitely a classic, and I´m glad to hear that it didn't disappoint!

 

Yeah I saw that Mormon Message in the MTC, it was really amazing! That's way cool that you saw them there, even if you didn't talk to them. 

 

Wow, Nathan leaves on Saturday?? Crazy... I explained the whole trip to a member we ate with on Saturday, and he was just drooling all over the place, he was way jealous. Haha then I told him how I didn't write in my journal, didn't know what happened to my pictures, and had left a bunch of stuff in different hotels and whatnot, and that just made us laugh. But then I really did feel bad that I had lost a bunch of stuff from the Jamboree... hopefully that will be a difference for Nathan, he won't be as young and forgetful as I was! He will have Dad there for the touring part though, so that will help.

 

Wow, it sounds like it's pretty hot up there right now. Everyone tries to tell me that it gets sooo super hot here, and i just tell them well where I live it's the same, and they never believe me. Sure, the sonda makes it quite miserable sometimes, but good ol' Mountain Home has had its rough days too! I just hope the wildfires don't go crazy like last year. I will be rearranging our sleeping area today because I can't sleep in the corner anymore. There is a vent that I didn't see that just lets in cold air all ngiht, and it keeps me from sleeping peacefully because I wake up freezing every hour! Even with all the clothes I put on. So that will hopefully help and I won't be as tired this week. I've just woken up feeling like I haven't slept at all recently, so I'll be working on fixing that problem. Thankfully it doesn't affect Elder Fullmer, who is still going strong with his desires to work hard! He keeps me going, that's for sure. 

 

Hey so Elder Fullmer just told me that his family that lives over in Austria or something just told him how an Elder Gibbons had been teaching a recent addition who married into the family who plays professional hockey.... So guess what??? Well first of all, he got baptized! I dunno if Jalen knows that yet, I think he does, but then the second thing is that he helped convert part of Elder Fullmer´s family! How small of a world is that? He got way excited when he found that out, just came runnning over to my computer with a huge smile on his face and blurted it out haha, but it's way cool! 

 

So some bad news this week is that yesterday, none of our people could come to church! And it was all for the same reason, a birthday party. Since those are way big deals down here, and ALWAYS on Sunday, we couldn't get anyone here. :/ But we aren't too worried because they all told us they wanted to come, and that they will come next week, so we´ll just make sure to have a really good week and talk to them all and get them to come again!!! We had really good visits with A_____ and S_____, but we didn't get to talk to the flia M_____ ONCE during the week. Talk about frustrating! She comes to church and then we don't talk during a whole week. Oh well, we are going tomorrow for sure! 

 

But other than that, we have realized we need to focus a little more on finding this week, because we have really good people we are teaching, and once they get baptized, well who else will we visit? So I realized that all of them came from me and Elder Rogers talking with random people in the street... so we´ve gotta start doing some more of that!  Because we always need to have people to be teaching. I don't know how many will get baptized this month, but I know that they will without a doubt, and that's good enough for me, and it will be a good start for Elder Fullmer! 

 

Anyway, yeah we sitll get along just fine. I haven't emailed his grandparents or anything, but it's becauseI don't know the address.They just recently got released as mission president this last week, so they are done and back home! But yeah, I would love to see the picture of Tyler and them! Did they still take a picture in front of the temple?

 

Alright, well today is a holiday and we have to go buy groceries and stuff, so I gotta get going. Tomorrow is their Independence Day but I guess to avoid cutting the work week in two, they move it to Monday and everyone is going crazy today. But that means tomorrow at least will be a more tranquilo day hopefully! Good day to visit the flia M_____, A_____, S_____, and the others! 

 

So I found some ineteresting scritpures in Ephesians yesterday, chapter 4, talking about how the final goal of the gospel of Christ is to bring everyone in union with everyone else, to have one faith, in Him, and have everyone have the same knowledge and testimony, and just thinking about that, well that sounds like a MUCH better world than the one we live in today. It's in verses 11-15 , it's a really nice little section. Gives me hope that yes, this world, as bad as it is, still has the same goal, and all of us Christians--Catholics, Protestants, Evangelists, whatever it may be, who believe in this same Bible, should all be working towards that unity that the world really really really needs right now. So let's all just keep on going forward! We can't do it all ourselves, but we can help push it along for sure!

I love you Mom, and hope you enjoy the week without Nathan! ;) Just kidding, I know it's always hard. But you can have more quiet time to work in the garden or something! And I hope you don't burn up too bad doing that. The heat is always the problem! Thanks for always updating me on everything. I'll talk to you next week!

Elder Tyson Gibbons

Hello everyone!

Playing Settlers of Catan on p-day

With Elders Ferrin, Smith, Squireres, and Rogers

 

With Elder Fullmer

 

 

Hello everyone!

Well it's been a really really good week. It's really weird seeing all those pictures of Logan´s homecoming. I remember when we said goodbye for three years! And two have already passed??? I can't believe it. He´s looking good, and I'm sure he's going crazy with the lack of things to do haha. I'm not looking forward to that very much. Thanks for sending all those pictures! Too bad only one of them opens since I'm in Argentina and they don't recognize this place, so it won't let me open them. I'll look at them later, I guess!

So this week, the first full week of Elder Fullmer in Argentina, has been sooo good! We´ve seen lots of little miracles and had some AWESOME visits with our people we´ve been teaching recently. They are all progressing very well and guess what?? M_____  and S_____ both came to church!!!! It was so awesome!! I know they are going to progress so much more now. It's going to be great. I was just so happy, it's been the HARDEST thing getting people to church during my whole mission! So I was very happy yesterday. And then it ended pretty lame. We went to ward council and walked to the church and hadn't planned anything else because it was going to take all afternoon, and then we get to the church and it's abandoned, and the bishop calls thirty minutes later saying he forgot to tell us right after the meeting they cancelled ward council, literallly 30 minutes after announcing it. So our night didn't go so well, but it's alright! The happiness carried over to the night. :)

Wait, Tyler served in Cordoba??? Why did I never know that? That's way cool. Yeah, Justo Daract may be the end of the world, but it's nice to think I was pretty close to family in a very abstract way. Thanks for letting me know!

 

Wow, I can't believe the 4th of July is this week! I'm definitely listening to some talks from BYU speeches that talk about America and stuff, maybe it'll be a smooth transition for Elder Fullmer! And I will probably get grido´s or empanadas or something. But it's going to be hard to celebrate much, just with having to work and stuff :P But it's pretty crazy! 2013 is officially halfway over, how weird is that? 

 

Wow it got into the 100´s?? Well this last week we had sonda again, so it got pretty hot compared to the cold beginning of the week, so that made me feel a little crappy again (healthwise, I mean) but it wasn't nearly as bad as the last time. For it being such crazy weather, and the people not being receptive at all, we still had an amazing week!

 

I'm sorry to hear that Jalen´s luggage is still lost... that's really hard! But I can't believe how optimistic he is still haha. Thanks for those pictures! All the elders are freaking out about how similar we look in the picture where his hair is way short and he´s wearing his switzerland shirt. I guess we do look similar at this moment... but my hair is slowly growing back, and as it grows I realize how badly it was cut, there are parts that are way longer and way shorter haha, but oh well. I kinda like the randomness. :)

 

Haha I remember Coach Armstrong saying that all the time, that Jalen and I had that twin connection, knowing each other's thoughts. Even Paul and Lockett said it a few times. They thought we were the power team haha. I remember randomly when Paul put us as the two forwards, but I didn't know what to do and Jalen was doing everything. Pretty embarrassing. But it's true. I don't know why, but I remember feeling sick when he knocked his teeth out, and I tell that story to a bunch of people down here! They all LOVE it haha. 

 

So I just want to share our visit we had with the familia M_____ on Saturday. Basically, we finished teaching the plan of salvation and then talked a little about the temple and eternal marriage, but we started talking to the husband (they're not actually married yet) and he just told us that he´s told all his friends that if he is going to go to church (he´s never been a very church-going guy, so they all invite him and stuff), he is going to our church, because we explain the scriptures and all the stuff that the other church never could explain to him, so he already loves us! And his wife was sitting there listening and then started telling us about all the changes she´s seen just since she first met us, and how she really really wants to go to church, and to top it off, she says that both of her kids stopped going to their respective churches because they both decided they wanted to go to our church after our first visit! How crazy is that?? I didn't even know what to say, I was speechless. This family already realizes there´s a lot we have to offer and they want it a lot. So we´re going to make sure and help them do it all, and for the right reasons. They want to get baptized the beginnig of August, and I might not be here, and I want to make sure they understand that WE aren't the ones who have helped, that the changes come from doing what God wants us to do, we´ve just helped them learn more about it. So yeah, that's what this month is going to be all about! And it's very possible that they get married earlier and get baptized this month too! So we´re going to be planning VERY well for them. I´m super grateful for Elder Rogers who is the main reason we have found these people, and now I'm super grateful to have a new elder with a fire for the work still going strong, and the blessings we receive, because I know God wants Elder Fullmer to have a really good first experience. So it's all been an amazing first week for him.

 

So Elder Fullmer has this cookbook, Missionary Meals. and we are going to experiment with a bunch of that stuff this next week haha. We already tried mac and cheese yesterday which turned out well, I'll send a picture after, but I want to make a bunch of the stuff in there! I miss good food haha, or rather, I miss American food I guess. The food down here is good too!

 

I was supposed to give a talk yesterday, and I spent the whole week planning it. I was going to talk about Preach My Gospel and how it can help us and the members to work more closely, like the broadcast said last sunday. I was way excited to help the members know how to help us more!! And so I get up, really nervous to speak because there were investigators there (it didn't make me super nervous at the end, I was glad they were there), and so I start my talk, and they handed me this paper saying "¡TIEMPO!" so naturally I turned pretty red, but it wasn't embarrassment, it was more of anger (yes, I'll admit it) because I hadn't even started saying what I had prepared for these people, how they can help us more, and they were already cutting me off! So I took another 10 minutes anyway, saying about 1/5 of what I had planned. So I was still pretty upset, but they all told me it turned out good? Might've just been saying that because they realized I was a little upset. Oh well haha, I'm sure I'll get more chances in the future. We ended up singing the closing hymn 25 minutes late, but that's just the other speaker's fault since they talked forever. 

 

So I've been reading in Alma where Captain Moroni is fighting against Zarahemna, and it's the story where they surround them and then instead of killing them all, since Moroni is a stud, he stops the killing and tells them to leave their weapons of war and leave the country with a peace treaty, and of course they don't want to do that, so Moroni says his famous phrase, "Behold, we will end the conflict." I love that verse haha, but then they do surrender after the second time. And the second time, instead of just killling them all after they refused to stop fighting, he stops the fighting again and lets them go! It's a really good example of a true hero, because he´s definitely one of my heroes!! A true hero doesn't want to kill anyone. Heroes just want to help, but they also will do what they need to to preserve the peace and freedom of their country. Sounds a lot like the Founding Fathers, right?? Well guess what, this week is the Fourth of July! HAPPY 4th EVERYONE!! Have an awesome day, remember why we celebrate this holiday, and remember that it was a breakthrough for the whole world, making it possible to believe in God and worship Him in the manner that we wished. It's a pretty big deal! I love you all and hope this week is full of good food, fireworks, and fun! Because I'm not sure if mine will be, eat some extra for me ;) but not too much! 

 

Have a good week and don't worry about Argentina, I´ve got it all under control :)

 

Elder Tyson Gibbons