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!