Happy Father's Day!

Hey Mom and Dad!

Well I can definitely say that yes, the best parts in life always come after the hardest parts in life! This last week has just been like a weeklong recompense from that pretty low weekend! Haha I'm happy, so that's all the matters! First of all, Happy Fathers Day Dad!! I love you! Hope you enjoyed some good cooking, being nice and warm inside and outside and some good heartfelt gifts! It was mighty cold, super windy, way dark, and extremely empty in town yesterday. I hope my use of superlatives or extreme adjectives got my message across. Haha :) it was a pretty uneventful dia, just like all the holidays here in Argentina. There were even fewer people in church, plus we figured out that the gas for the heaters isn't sufficient, so the bishop and I went through the chapel from one end to the other turning on the heaters, and we realized by the time we reached the end of the cycle, all the ones at the beginning had turned off, the ones in the middle were only at half power, and while I tried to turn one on, the bishop was looking at one of the middle ones, and it turned off when mine turned on. So yeah, we had a fun day skipping through all the rooms in use, turning them on, and off, or turning them to half power, trying to get the chapel heated up! And to top it all off, the power went out haha, so yeah, that was super fun. :) Your meetings sound a lot more normal! I'm glad to hear that Sydney's farewell went well!

 

Alright, besides that, this last week was really good because we had some really, really good visits with some of our main people right now! We had the family M_____ (members) come with us to visit the other family M_____ (non members) and they made friends, and it was a really good lesson. Only problem was coming to church yesterday, EVERYONE used Fathers Day as an excuse to not go, which is way ironic I think, since that's dishonoring our HEAVENLY Father, and I think if there is any father we should do something for, firstly it should be Him. It's just sad to realize how many people don't understand that very well. But oh well, that's the culture here, and in many other countries, including ours, and it's pretty hard to change it! But we also found some new people thanks to the fruit lady, whose name is actually S_____, and guess what? Turns out that she is already a member haha--didn't tell us until we invited her to be batized. I called it!! Haha it didn't surprise me at all when she said it. But her cousin, A_____, is awesome. She already loves the Book of Mormon, has read a bunch, but more than that, understands and remembers what she read, instead of just saying "Yes I read," then failing every simple question we ask. Haha that happens alot... but then this week she introduced us to two of her friends, who we taught and who are really cool too. But what's the best is that she was helping us to teach her two friends! Almost like a lesson with member haha, but not quite. Then we just had really good visits with some other people, and some pretty awkward visits too. But I won't mention that right now, it's a good email so far haha.

 

Alright, that's about it for the week! So I guess I could mention transfers... :) Well, what President told me of course was right! Elder Rogers is leaving to San Martin, with Elder Manjarres, who was with us in San Luis when I was there with Elder Rogers! So that's pretty cool! And as for me, well... I don't know who my companion is haha, it's pretty nerve-wracking. But I know I'll get along with him anyway. All I know is that it's going to be a new elder BUT I don't know if I'm actually training or not, because it could be a latino visa waiter, or a latino in general, who I wouldn't need to train much. Or it could be a gringo visa waiter or new gringo, and I would end up training I think. But I don't have any more information than that, I don't know if I'm going to Mendoza this week or no! So I guess I'll let you all know next week. I'm pretty excited, but also sad to see Elder Rogers go. He has always given everything he has, and it's been a great example to me, and we are at the opposite end of how the area was when I got here and he got here. We have people to teach, people progressing towards baptism, and that's how a transfer should be! So I feel good and so does he, knowing we have worked so hard to make it that way. I'm happy, because I feel like in neither of my other two areas I've been able to do that for the following missionary.

 

Thanks for sending me more pictures! It's just a nuisance that I can only see the last one! This cyber is so terrible, but we didn't have time to go to a better one. So again, I'll put off downloading that cd, and sending pictures, and everything else I would normally do in a good cyber. :/ and just send an email. How boring, right? ;)

 

So today we are going to eat empanadas! But we are going to make them, so don't get your hopes up haha! I don't know how great they will be, but oh well. And we might go do something with the other elders, but we don't know yet. So that's our day planned haha!

 

I'm glad Girls Camp went very well! Kate is definitely building up her testimony better than I ever did, and that makes me happy! And Nathan sounds excited for Jamboree. I have found a bunch of elders here that were at the same Jamboree as me and Logan and Chris and Jalen! It's fun to talk about all the cool stuff we did. And then I realized that our road trips were different from everyone else! We did some stuff that others didn't get to do. But I still think our trip was the best. So Nate is going with them this time? Or Dad too? Either way, it's always better having an adult that you know. If Bro. Hall hadn't been there, I would've been lost!

 

So this next Sunday, we have to go to that same broadcast, Dad! All the missionaries were told to be there, no exceptions. It's going to be really, really awesome and helpful! Thanks for that idea from Bro Criddle. I think that's what we need in this ward. It's just a situation in that the members who are the most faithful have fallen in routine and become accustomed to that routine, and they are really, really strugglingto get out of it, but thanks to some ideas from President Ávila that he sent me today and from your idea of being innovative, I have some tricks up my sleeve, and I hope to at least help get them out of the rut! It's weird hearing myself say that, I've never been even a little bit creative! You all know that hahaha, but I guess that's just an improvement I've picked up on this journey? I'll try my best, and keep you informed. But it will be cool to know I'm watching the same broadcast as you, Dad! A little piece of home in a very abstract way, haha.

 

Well I guess the computer just needed time, because now I can see the pictures! Jalen is always wearing his BYU soccer shirt. And I'm afraid to say we look even more alike right now, because I got my hair cut too, and the lady didn't listen to a word I said... and I feel bald haha. It's a little shorter than what Jalen has in those picutres of flood clean up, but my hair has never been this short. I said with the machine on the side and the top with scissors, but she just took the machine and shaved it all. Haha I was embarrassed at first.

 

But those are some pretty... interesting? lederhosen. I hope he never wears those back in the states hahahahaha! Wow he is in Stuttgart now??? That's soo cool!! Maybe he can go to the Porsche museum now since we already hit the Mercedes one. Keep me updated!

 

Well, we are going to go make lunch, whoo hoo! And hopefully get some more information on what is going to be happening this week! And I'll let you know next week! I love you all and hope you all had a great Fathers Day! As a little thought, I would like us all to think about something we can give our Heavenly Father, a gift or something we can change or do better, to make sure that He had a good day too! When He is happy, it's easy to say we are all happy, so if you want to be happy even more, think about that! As He says in Matthew 3, 3 Nephi 11 and Joseph Smith History 1:17, He was very pleased with Jesus Christ, and what can we do to make sure that He would say the very same thing to us? Think about it... it keeps me on my toes always, because just like I want my dad to be proud and pleased with what I'm doing, I want to make sure God, who really is our Father in Heaven, feels the same way! Just a little challenge for you all :)

Elder Tyson Gibbons

P.S. Oh yeah, and I forgot about something. The bishop here ate sloppy joes with some elders in the past, and he wanted to know if we could get some of those packets for sloppy joes for him haha. I don't know if you can do that, I've already asked you for a bunch of random stuff lol, but yeah, it might help me have a better relationship with him, and that will help us out in the long run a bunch! :) Let me know, I love you Mom! (And I have to admit, I never liked sloppy joes much, but I think it would be great right now. I CANNOT eat milanesas or noodles or polenta for another month at least!) Haha sorry, I'll stop complaining about my trivial problems. Love you!

Crazy week!

Hey Mom!

Well this week has been just crazy. It's had some of the highest and lowest points in my mission, that's for sure. I've talked about some hard weeks we have had here, but this is at the top. But I'll exlain more about that later, because well, the week is over and it's a new week and I want to be happy! And well, I am pretty happy thanks to a few certain emails!

 

Alright, so I'll start with Friday. We had our zone conference and it was combined with the other zone here in San Juan, so I got to see Elder Miller from Middleton again! And a bunch of elders I know. President talked to us about our plans, but my favorite thing was the story analogy that he taught us. If any of you haven't read this, read it, and tell me what you think. Haha I'll explain why he used it, but it's in Judges of the Old Testament, chapter 7, about their little war going on. It's a pretty weird story right?? But once he started talking a little, it all went CLICK in my mind, and it was so crazy to realize how much he must have prayed and studied to help us work better. Basically he talked about how the Lord's way is always better than our way, no matter how hard or difficult or even impossible sometimes it seems. 300 men against 135,000 of the enemy (that number is found in verse 10 of chapter 8), it reminded me of the story of 300 from the Greek and Roman history, but I have to say that the Spartans don't have anything on these 300 Israelites that have God behind them. He related us to that small group. And made us realize the importance of faith, faith that leads us to work our hardest, knowing we'll find those who are needing our message, and faith that if we do it how God wants, everything will turn out right. It's funny how they beat the 135,000 too. I didn't understand it very well reading the verses, but he described it. One of the enemies had a dream that they were defeated by a small rolling boulder coming down the mountain where they were camped, and so they got scared. Then the 300 started blowing on their trumets and making weird noises, and the already paranoid soldiers started getting so scared, that they started freaking out and killing each other when they took out their swords. The 300 didn't even take out their swords!!! How cool is that?? And it just goes to show that God ALWAYS knows best. We just have to trust in Him, and do as He says. Just like Gideon, the leader of this small group, he told his men "fear not, and do what I do" and they had comlete confidence in him. Awesome!!! Anyway, then we listened to Hermana Avila, who gave her testimony after and made us all cry, she was basically saying how she does feel like our mother and wants us to be obedient so that we can accomplish our goals we have. Then the assistants talked, and we had the testimony meeting. That was the most spiritual part. Those who had recently arrived and those leaving had to bear their testionies and so that meant Elder Rogers and a few others. It was very touching, especially when Elder Rogers got up, and in his normal, not-speaking-much way, brought us all to tears. I couldn't say anything for the rest of the meeting or I would've started crying pretty crazy. Who would've thought that I was such a sensible sensitive crying guy? I feel like I wasn't always like that.

 

Anyway, that was definitely one of the highest moments of my misssion... and then came the next two days, two of the most difficult days I've ever had. After all the excitement we had after meetings, we went out Saturday and accomplished absolutely nothing. I don't know how many evangelical churches I passed, sometimes one every block, or even two on a few of the same blocks, so many people heading to Mass, not wanting anything to do with us, and just church after church passed, with more talk and jokes about us and more doors closed in our faces... it was a really, really hard day. I was just mad. Like Chris said a few weeks ago, or maybe a month ago, how he was knocking doors and kept going even though he was just mad. That's what I felt like, but we DIDN'T get any miraculous miracle at the end of the day. Then Sunday was ward conference, and it was really good, the stake president is an awesome leader, really motivating, and he talked us up quite a bit and all the members are being a little more helpful now. But when we were in Priesthood I just realized how small I am to be here, trying to rebuild this ward here, with so many responsibilities, and it seems like honestly this last month has brought no progress, and with the members I've been getting a pretty cold vibe, like we aren't working or helping their ward... It's a pretty frustrating feeling, don't know if you have ever felt that! So I just started feeling really upset, with the members, and most of all myself, that I wasn't doing this or that better, and that I hadn't seen any fruits of our work really, and I was physcially exhausted on top of everything. The only relief I had yesterday was that two of the inactive families who haven't come for at least 3 or 4 years came, and we've been passing by them quite a bit, helping them. The members told the stake president that they had tried everything and they never came, and then after telling us that we are wasting time with those families, they showed up! So I felt better, but then realized that that feeling was coming from my pride, and I felt bad again. But yeah, today is just a new week and I feel a lot better!!

 

But yeah, that was the crazy week I had, and even with all the difficulties, I've realized today that our numbers were better than ever, we worked really hard, and I can feel good that I really gave it all I had this last week, even with the problems.

 

Anyway, that's enough about that stuff! I'm glad to hear all is going well at home. Sounds like a crazy next couple weeks! Good luck with girls camp and everything Mom! I wish you could be my cook for just a week during the mission. I guess I'll just wait another year haha :) And good luck with the sports camps and driving and activities for Jamboree, Nathan! Enjoy it! I haven't played soccer for a month now, so it stinks haha.

 

Wow, I can't believe Dylan has 4 years now!!! That's so crazy. I can totally picture him hugging his gifts and saying that, that's the best part! :) Makes me smile. And Jenn is having another girl!! How awesome!!! Merrick is definitely super duper excited, that's for sure! I'm excited too. Another cousin that I will meet when I get back, haha that's a weird thought... they don't know me :( Oh well, it will be alright! I can win my way back up to favortie cousin easily ;)

 

So with the fruit lady, we met her new boyfriend and we are going to talk to both of them this Tuesday, so that should be interesting! He's been living with her since about a week ago, out of the blue, so yeah, we'll just see with that haha, but we are working really hard with the flia M_____, the lady who told us about her family situation the second visit, and then we got in the house this last week, set a baptismal date with her and her daughter, and then on Friday with the husband too. She told us a bunch of things on Friday. She said she has felt different since she met us, and also that her husband--even though we left on an awkward note since he showed up two minutes before we left on Tuesday--was saying to her that he wants a change, and then she just said that baptism would be that change for him, so it was like having a lesson with a member when we taught him, and this family is just awesome! Things didn't work out yesterday to come to church, but we'll be working on that this week. They are an awesome family, and we are thinking about them all the time. But we are still finding new people too! Can't forget everything else and just focus on a baptism, sadly.

 

This whole transfer we have been in the part of the cycle where we have been searching for people who are going to progress, and now we've found some really good ones, but we are still searching for new people because President described the process of the cycle in the zone conference we had. He talked about just that, how we spend so much time with those who are going to get baptized that we forget to keep finding those who are going to replace them. But we are doing good with that for now.

 

Yeah, we can't go to Centro San Juan anymore. It's just because a bunch of elders are staying all the day in Centro or too late, and are buying a bunch of stuff and then being unfocused during the week. Now we can only buy recuerdos our last Monday, before we go home. So that's gonna be interesting. Good thing I only want some alfajores and mate cocido and a Messi jersey haha.

 

Elder Rogers and I have one week together still! We'll find out on Monday about transfers, but we already know he's leaving, but he still has one more transfer. So it will all be suspenseful as to what I will be doing. He keeps saying I'm going to train, but I don't know how many elders we are going to get. We got quite a few this last transfer, but all the 5 gringos showed up, then the Latinos slowly filed in during the first two weeks of the transfer. That's why Elder Alberro got shipped out mid-transfer, he went up as zone leader in Villa Mercedes! So I guess they've opened Villa Mercedes as a zone! Now they don't have to go to San Luis capital for meetings! Pretty nice. But a bunch of elders got called to train a week into the transfer. Elder Braithwaite is training right now! An elder from Peru. So that was pretty exciting!

 

So we finally got the Liahona for May!! I can finally read the General Conference talks again. I have read Elder Perry's, Elder Holland's, President Monson's talk about obedience, and a few others, and I just love reading them again, there is always something new that comes up when you are reading. I'm going to download Elder Holland's talk when I can, since this cyber is the same one from last week, and I can't even use USB. So yeah, next time I suppose.

 

Anyway, that's about all the news for this week! I'm sorry, since I'm still in the same cyber so I can't send fotos or anything, or even try to download talks or those songs... I'll try to go to a better cyber soon. But yeah, I'm hungry haha but I'm so happpy today!! I hope you all are too!! If not, try and make it that way! This is going to be a great week, for everyone! I hope you enjoy it and find lots of fun things waiting for you! I love you Mom! And family! I'll talk to you next week. Thank you for your prayers and thoughts, they do help!! I'm so grateful for my faith, for knowing I can trust in God in all things, because when one doesn't feel they can trust in God, they can't really trust in anyone, and that's just a sad life. I hope you all can keep increasing your faith always, through all the different things like prayer and scriptures and church, it's the only way to overcome whatever problem that can come, and end the day and week and month and year happy! And at the end, our lives! We just have to keep the faith, like Paul says in 2 Timothy 4:7. I love that verse, read it! Ii love being here. It's been a rough week, but that just helps me realize how much I really do depend on the Lord, and that's a good humbling exereience for anyone. And I always try to be humble!

Elder Tyson Gibbons

June!

Hey Mom!

 

Alright, first things first, this cyber we are at isn't very good, I can't use the usb or anything, and the internet is bad. The rule changed so now we can't go to centro, we have to stay in our district. Our district just got messed up with that, since none of us have good cybers, and only Albardon in the middle of nothing has an ATM and a store that takes cards! So yeah, we'll try and survive I guess. I think the download thing can work from your email (speaking of the CD), but this computer can't even open the link, it's pretty crappy. So yeah... I'll try in another cyber, and let you know next week!

 

Anyway, more positive note! So today is a nice brisk day, I'm going around with my scarf and my sweater, and it's nice weather. I stand out a little bit with a bright blue sweater and yellow hair. I'm still not used to people staring so much... be it guys, girls, grandparents or little kids. But the weather is getting a bit colder, which is nice, although that's what I thought two weeks ago... and then this past week we had four days of sonda, or the really really strong, really hot wind all day, and it lowered my blood pressure a bunch and I still feel pretty pathetically weak and lightheaded and sick today, although Saturday was worse. But yeah, other than the health, things are going well!

So yesterday we had interviews with President! It was way cool, although it used up our whole Sunday. We were scheduled at five, but then we got put back like three hours. We had our interviews at 8ish, so yeah... it was interesting. Also there was a fireside for young single adults, so that was awkward too. Just a bunch of guys and girls filling the hallways of the chapel, staring at us weirdos, the elders. Talk about awkward. But we had fun. I got a few more letters, and sent some stuff to the familia Gutierrez in Rodeo. My interview was still only 3 minutes, but that's okay. He gave me some advice for our area, and I know it'll help us see a little more progress with the ward. Also, he told me (just like when I was leaving Justo Daract) that Elder Rogers is leaving next transfer, and now I have no idea what's going to happen for transfers! He always does this to me. How suspenseful, no?

 

Speaking of Rodeo! Elder Albero just informed me that he left halfway through the transfer and is now in... Villa Mercedes, San Luis! And guess who left to go to Rodeo? Elder Johnson! How weird is that. Hopefully he keeps that place going.

 

Alright, can I ask for a few things?? Sorry, I hate asking. But I just really, really want some marshmallows hahaha. Pretty random, but it's been so long. I do't know how or when you'd send them, but if you send a package for Christmas or something, can you remember marshmallows? Thanks.

 

Well, we are going to go eat lunch so we can meet up with the other elders and do something fun with this new rule change, so I'll finish soon. Plus this cyber is driving me crazy. Same two songs over and over haha.

 

But, to fill in a little bit on what's going on here. So we've decided we are going to focus a lot on references, or referrals is what I think we called them in the States, because we need new people. I've realized that it just isn't that hard to talk to someone, see how they are doing, learn a little bit, and talk about the gospel, and if they don't want anything, we ask for a friend, or family members, or in the extreme cases, we say "we´re going to knock on that door over there, with the nice car. Doesn't matter their religion, we are going to do it, but do you know what their name is or if it's a family or what?" And they don't feel weird answering, because it's an easy answer. Usually we ask a more general question and they ALWAYS say well, it's just that this neighborhood is all Catholic and they won't listen. And we´re just thinking OH GOODNESS, we just told you we talk with anyone haha. But yeah, this week we´ll be working with that.

 

Also, cool experience. On Saturday when I was feeling dead, we tried to pass by a person we found last week, who wasn't there, so we walked next door and Elder Rogers decided we´d go the other way, and so when I turned around, this lady said "Well aren't you going to buy anything? You said hola, but you're going to walk away?" So, since all of you know me well, I felt way bad, so I went and bought some fruit (gottta eat more healthy, I feel it taking a toll on me) and then I just decided to take advantage of the opportunity, so I asked her some questions, and then she just said one sentence that just blew us away. She said "si no fuera por el fumar, seria mormon" or translation, if it wasn't for the cigarretes, I would be Mormon. We hadn't said our church or anything yet, but she told us EVERYTHING she loved about our church, told us what she's having struggles with, and we told her about more stuff in the church, which got her to be even more interested, and we ended by inviting her to church and asking to come back. And she said in essence PLEASE come back. So, we are going to help her out a lot. She definitely needs it. But I felt like it was a miracle for still trying so hard all day, even when I felt absolutely dead and tired of not finding people. It was like Dad said in his email today, if we do all we can, give it all we´ve got, it's kind of like obligating the Lord to help us, and He did just that. So don't ever give up on anything! When we keep trying through whatever is going on in life, which can be pretty rough sometimes, I know, we get even more blessings for staying strong and trying even harder. Works every time, I promise.

 

Anyway, I gotta get going, but I love you Mom! Hopefully we'll be in a better cyber next week, so I can be more tranquilo and get that music too. Thank you for everything, all the updates (glad Nathan is having fun driving, and that Kate is more adventurous than all of us, being all alone with random people. It will help her well for the mission!) Have a good week, and remember that trials and problems come not so that we just endure it, but so that we learn to overcome them and solve them! Which way is better for us in the end? Obviously the second. Because we´ve learned something, we´ve progressed, and we´re ready to take on more ! Nothing better than that. :)

Elder Tyson Gibbons

Happy Memorial Day!

Photos of Albardon



 

 

 

 

Hey Mom! Happy Memorial Day!!

 

So yeah, I only remembered that it was Memorial Day because Dad told me haha. Sorry, I have realized I'm AWFUL at saying happy birthday even when Dad tells me whose birthday is coming up, and then with holidays. So please forgive me! And happy birthday to everyone I have missed so far!!

 

Well I'm sleeping a lot better, although the last few nights a little less. But it's alright, it's not nearly as bad as my last area. And I use the bed, because an elder told me that the hammock will kill your back for the next week if you sleep in it. The weather is just really annoying, so it's a little rough. As for our lunch with Bishop, well we didn't get to have it since he had to work, so we took stuff back to the pench and ate there. But it was still really good!

 

Oh yeah! Tell Dad that I ordered the scipture cases today, so I'll keep you updated on that! I´m excited haha!

 

Oh THANK YOU for mentioning Peter Breinholt, only because I wouldn't have remembered to ask you this if you hadn't reminded me of music. Can you PLEASE send me the Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD "Love Is Spoken Here"? The one in the green case? I love that CD, Elder Alberro had it and we listened to it almost every day for the transfer. It has some of my favorite songs on it. So yeah, can you send me a copy or however you can do it? That would be awesome :)

 

I did hear about the tornadoes, and I'm glad for your updates, because somewhere along the "telephone wire" between the US and Argentina, things get WAY out of context. Of course, the hermano that was telling us is a little crazy too, way too obsessed with learning EVERYTHING the world has to offer, and neglecting some of the basics (sorry, I love the guy still! I just feel bad for the situation of his family; they´re really awesome people). But he told us over 100 people were dead, like 60 of them being little kids, so I was pretty shocked. But I guess it wasn't quite as bad, although still terrible. I try not to listen too intently when they tell us things, because it's always a little off. Like South Korea decalring war on the US, and now lots of deaths... yeah, what a lovely hour of television! But I'm glad to know Mike and Emma are doing okay still!

 

And good job Nathan! Welcome to the mom delivery system business! It may not last long, but enjoy it! At least you get to drive :P I remember those days very well. And now I can't even imagine driving, I'm so used to walking. Can't wait till I drive again haha. Lucky Elder Hardy, being in the offices and getting to drive. But, I'm happy to be out here still! The offices would be hard.

 

I´m glad the choir concert went well! I've lost my singing talent due to lack of practice, but I still sing pretty well compared to many hermanos down here. Our ward just doesn't sing!! It's me, Elder Rogers, and the Bishop basically, and I know that because we sit in back, yet all we can hear is Bishop up front. Pretty sad. That's what you get with a ward of a million little kids!

 

That's so weird that Diane and Justin are gone to Texas now. I'm glad you got to spend some time with them though! They´re just all over the place, whether in Caldwell for the fair, or in Holland for a few years, Utah, now Texas, where next??

 

Hey, something to read! (Jeff told him we're sending him Clayton Christensen's new book "The Everyday Missionary," which he just finished reading.) Well thank you! Make sure you don't put any vitamins or medications in the package, we aren't allowed to get those anymore, Buenos Aires just gets rid of the package, and we never receive it. The 25 dollar maximum value thing is still a rule too! Just don't put in any pills or anything. Darn, I was wanting some dinosaur gummy vitamins haha. I'm excited to read the book, beacuse the attendance part is going to help A LOT!! We need that very badly here.

 

Elder Rogers and I have stepped it up a little bit this last weekend, due to a call from the DLs and ZLs wanting to know why (kindly and how they should have done it, of course) our numbers haven't been so great. And we told them of our frustration and everything, how we just can't get anyone to church and no one is progressing. So with their help we´ve started doing a little more focus on searching and finding new people, which is what we desperately need. And in the last three days we saw lots of fruit from our efforts, so I hope these next three weeks go just like that, with plenty of people to teach. It's way frustrating not teaching very often...thought I got used to that in Justo Daract, but I guess it's just a different experience, different area.

 

Thank you Dad for the advice, from the book and you. I'll try and get that working better. The obispo keeps telling us these last three weeks, jokingly but obviously seriously too, when we ask him what he needs, that we need to bring investigators to church. At first it was a little annoying, because we haven't had a bunch of help from members so far, but I realized he has plenty on his mind, with a ward of 300+ members that have only 45-50 attending every week. So I got down from my high horse pretty quickly.

 

Wow, another one going to the islands, and St. George (recent mission calls in our stake)!! I want to go to the St. George Temple someday. I just recently listened to a talk by Ezra Taft Benson, from the same BYU speech website, called "God's Hand in Our Nation," and it boosted my patriotic level and my reverent respect towards the Founding Fathers quite a lot, and since President Woodruff saw them in vision in that temple, I'd love to see that mural in there. Maybe one day. But I recommend that talk! I know Dad likes talks like that, and it's a very powerful one.

 

There was something else I wanted to share, a change of attitude that I had recently. Or something I realized, better put. I´ve noticed that whenever we are with some people, and the members are there and less active or non members, I am drawn to talk and walk with the non member people. We were walking with two sisters yesterday down the road to their house where we had an appointment, and the member (okay, she´s actually not a member, but she does EVERYTHING a member does, and wants to be, but can't be baptized yet), she was talking to us about a bunch of stuff, and I found myself drawn towards the other sister, her actual sister, and tried talking to her, since she is inactive. I don't know what it is, but the thought crossed my mind yesterday, the words from the Bible and from the Book of Mormon, "they that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." It's a little attitude I have now, that yes, I love talking to members and getting to know them, but usually in situations like that the less active or non member gets excluded, or excludes themselves, since they don't understand or know what we´re talking about. But I've noticed that I always separate myself from that situation (not from my companion, don't worry) and I would rather talk to them, make them feel welcomed and comfortable, because I hate when people look or feel uncomfortable. So that little thought passed through my mind last night, and I realized that it is more or less like an attribute of Christ, because He always reached out to those who actually needed His help, and I'm trying to do the same! So that was a little checkmark for me :) Sorry if that's not as exciting for you as it was for me haha, but I just wanted to share that.

Well I need to get going, I'm starving. But I will keep taking pictures and sending them! These are a few from the last two weeks, the first two on Sunday, our normal Sunday morning walk to and from church, and then the other in the middle of nowhere, with the sunset behind the mountains. Beautiful, isn't it? Reminds me of Mountain Home alot! I miss that place.

I love you Mom! And I'll keep you updated on the scripture cases and pictures and my sleeping patterns haha! Until next week! Enjoy your holiday and this week, and try and send me that CD when you can please! I'll pay you back even haha :)

Elder Tyson Gibbons

Hola!

Hey Mom!

Okay this is the real email. We´ve had a really good week, filled with some interesting happenings, but a lot more calm than last week with transfers and everything. I´ve gotten used to the weather, or at least I had, until it decided to be warm again these last two days! It's driving my immune system insane, but it's actally fighting with Elder Rogers' immune system, poor guy. So I'll get to that a little later.

 

But, I think I'll start from the bottom of your email, so yeah! We are getting along just fine, even better actually. I've matured a little bit, as a missionary, but as a person too, and since he was with me as a newbie the last time, I think he is a little happier now that I know how to work and everything. We had lunch with the bishop's family (talked all about Spain, because they used to live there!! It was awesome!) and his wife told me that when Elder Rogers told them who his next companion was going to be, "he had the biggest smile on his face" is what she said. So that made me feel good! As for investigatores, well I´m kinda in the same situation as all my other areas. We are looking for new people, as always, because those we have just don't want to come to church! (Justo Daract all over again, right?) So I'm kinda starting from scratch, but at the same time I´m not. It's complicated. BUT this area is seriously so big but really really beautiful. I have some pictures, I'll send them next week! I forgot my camara :( sorry.

 

As for food, yes I bought food! And it lasted me perfectly through this week haha, we just have a tiny mini market place that takes cards in Albardon, so we shopped there. They just don't have nearly as much selection as Carrefour :/ But I ate the last of it last night, so I chose wisely I guess!

 

Anyway, so on Friday we spent the whole day in the pench again! Apart from 5 hours traveling, waiting, and traveling again to and from the hospital! Elder Rogers had some x rays done in a hospital. He waited at the door for the supposed "clinical check ups" for about an hour and a half, and there was a line and everyone was getting really impatient! So I just sat there and wrote a letter to the Gutierrez family, and to Kelly, and talked to this random guy that was like 20 years old that I THINK was only talking to me because he wanted to tell me what I was doing was a waste of time. But, I seemed to thwart him in his efforts with all my well-guided missionary standard questions, and he ended up taking out his phone, answering a call from his mom and left. The thing is, his phone wasn't ringing, and I didn't hear a voice answer him, and he was literally right next to me, so that was just really funny haha.  But then we had to go to the hospital in Albardon because they didn't have the medication for him there in San Juan. I have a lot more willpower to take really really good care of myself now. It just turned out that he had the starting symptoms of pneumonia, and is taking an antibiotic now. How crazy? I'm doing everything I can not to contract the same thing.

 

Congrats Nathan on driving to church! You´ve hit a milestone! Haha but just wait till you go to Utah, that'll be an adventure. I´m glad Kate is going to EFY with Rachel and Elisha, that will be super cool! And a Real Salt Lake game!!! They're going to love that, being soccer fans and all. When we went during BYU year with Matt, he was just foaming at the mouth, he was so excited. They might be a little more sophisticated than that, but we´ll see ;)

 

President of the Portland Temple!!! That's so cool! I remember that temple just from Jacci´s wedding, it's beautiful. But I just am biased towards anything that's Oregon, since I love Oregon. But I would like to go there some day!! Along with the Boise one obviously. I want to see how awesome it is now. (Correction, more awesome, since it was already an awesome temple.)

 

Oh man, that birthday dinner sounds really good :( I miss good ol' homecooked food. We get rare glimpses of it with a few members, but it's still the classic noodles and sauce haha, oh well. But we had a really good torta de papa (like a weird quiche but made mostly out of potatoes) and then REALLY REALLY good raviolis. So I'm excited for the next 10 Tuesdays with the bishop's family :) I hope Kate had a very enjoyable birthday!! Send me a picture of the giant giraffe pillow, it suits her well! So tall :) and her personality is just so spotted ;P just kidding, nada que ver!

 

Wow, those home videos you talked about make me realize how old I've gotten (not mature, just old haha). I remember all those people from Florida, and it's crazy that I haven't really talked to any of them for who knows how long! Wow that's weird that Ashley is 16, but I guess Kate is 15 (actually, she's 14 :) ) so it's about the same! And that's really funny, doing the happy dance or whatever they called it. I don't even remember what it was, I'll have to look that up when I get back. Or you can show me when Ashley and Nathan did it in Florida haha. I'm glad you are getting in contact with a bunch of people though! That's about the only thing I like about facebook. Other than that, it's just really distracting haha, too many things to do for too much time. But it's a blessing as well! Maybe one day Dad will join the bandwagon. :) (Not likely.)

Well today we are going to the seminary or institute building to play ping pong and everything, because last Monday we traveled all over, and no one was there, and the shopping was closed, and yeah. It was a long, boring p day. But we saw Elder Braithwaite here in cyber and talked to him, so that'll be cool to hang out with him again! :) Anyway, we´re starving and Elder Rogers has been sitting very patiently waiting for me for 45 minutes(not my fault, I guess he just doesn't write as much haha) but I need to get going! One last thing...

 

So on Saturday we talked to a less active person, and it was a really good experience. I don't know why, but it's the second time that a less active member has told me their life story, and they have both told me that they don't ever talk to anyone about anything like that, so I should feel special because "I guess I trust you enough already," so that made me feel good, knowing they trust me! Anyway, listening to the story of all that had happened, the reasons they don't go to church anymore, it was like I didn't believe them, because I was seeing them just like President Monson explained in October, that we realize they can change and that they´re just a child of God surrounded by things of the world trying to bring them down. In this circumstance, the person kept saying something and then "can you believe that??" and I seriously just looked at them and said "well, no not really. I don't see you like that" and it was amazing to see their face change and realize that we weren't having a normal less active visit where we come to tell them everything they are doing wrong. Elder Rogers and I shared some scriptures, talked about the Atonement and some other things, using the night sky as an example of God's power to help us change, and we testified more than anything. And I saw their face just pause, really think about what we were saying, and realizing they were feeling the spirit, something that maybe hadn't been present for a good while, and it brought me to tears, and them almost as well. One thing they said really hit me though. Because it was something I've thought too many times, they said that they didn't believe that things really could be just that easy, repent and change. And that's when the tears came and I just told them that well, it really is that easy. I know, from personal experience. It made me remember Elder Holland's talk from last year in April I think, and I am going to have them read it, because that's what helped me understand better. So I'm looking forward to that visit. But that was the highlight of my week!

 

It really is possible to see people surrounded with so many problems, yet realize that they aren't creatures of those circumstances, and all we have to do sometimes is help them to become the creators of their own circumstances. That's the joy of this work, helping people realize that they DO have power to overcome their problems, and weaknesses, and help them become the creators of situations, the captains of their own fate, masters of their own soul. (Can you send me that quote?? Please. I love it!) I hope you all can do the same, with a friend or family member in the same or varying circumstances, that you can see them literally through God´s eyes. It helps us love them even more, and teach them how they NEED to be taught or helped. It will help in all circumstances.

 

Just another weekly quote from talks (I can finally listen to them again! We have a good dvd player in the pench). Again from Elder Holland: "Honesty and truthfulness are the principles that should govern all organizations and ALL personal relationships" as well. Gotta love the apostles, they just have a lot of good one-liners.

 

Well I love you Mom! And my family of course. And all of you! I hope you have a great last week of school, and enjoy the beginning of summer!! I know that each of us is a child of God, with an INFINITE potential, and the only way to unlock that potential is to give everthing over to Him, and let him shape us into what He knows we should be.

 

Until next week!

Elder Tyson Gibbons

Una Buena Visita!

With the bishop's wife and other elders in Rodeo del Medio

 

Saying goodbye to Rodeo del Medio and Elder Alberro

 

At Tyson's new apartment in Alberdon (they do have regular beds too)

 

Tyson's Mother's Day dinner--fry bread! 

 

 

Hey Dad!

That was a very relaxing par de horas talking to you all. I was expecting to be an hour and chau, but the zone leaders didn't come back until an hour later than they had planned, and well it's easy to lose track of time, isn't it? I'm very grateful for the time, however much it was, to talk with you.

Well I'm assuming this email from you yesterday is probably the one you are going to send me for today, so I figured I'd better answer since mom hasn't written me yet! (I´m probably going to be coming to cyber about this time while I'm in this new area, so if anyone is going to write me, they should probably do it Sunday).

I'm still impressed that in the dinosaur age (just kidding) like 20 yeras ago, only a phone call was allowed (he's referring to when his dad was on his mission--no skyping!.) It's truly a blessing to be able to see and hear live what the others look and sound like! And I'm sure it has nothing to do with your faith, I´m sure your parents were worried just as much! I don't even know what it will be like when my kids serve missions, holographic chat or something? Star Wars style haha.

You mentioned some elders being too focused on positions in the mission... It was a bigger thing in New Mexico than I´ve noticed here in Mendoza, but it's still a plague in pretty much every mission. I'll admit, in New Mexico I met the APs and I was determined to be like them, but my mindset changed from being at their position to actually being good elders like them. It's a small change, but makes all the difference. I noticed it here too, and I told my district in Rodeo del Medio my first transfer about that change in perspective I had had (I won't lie, I was kinda saying it for one of the elders there, since he was having some ego attitudes), and when I said it, it was like I didn't know it until I finished talking, and then I felt that idea engrave itself basically on my mind, and it's stuck with me ever since. I don't want anything to do with that craze for power or position really. I love verse 36 in chapter 60 of Alma. It's become a personal motto.

And that also is quite a low blow to me too, being so far away, that they say the missionaries hate Mountain Home. I know I never did anything to help them when I was there, but it just reminds me of how all the elders talk about Justo Daract. I fear that when missionaries believe those attitudes about a place they've been assigned, they miss the opportunity to shape the rest of their missions and lives in the future by overlooking all the learning opportunities. Not that I'm any more mature than any other missionaries, but I´ve been there and I feel like I took hold of the situation properly. Hopefully they can overcome those feelings! I know Mountain Home is not an easy area, I hardly remember any missionary work ever going on. But those are the places you LEARN the most from.

Well we´re going to go meet up with some more elders and play ping pong or pool or whatever else there is to do! Tell Mom I'm sorry again, and also tell her that yes we are going to go shopping today, so I won't starve haha. I actually made some fry bread last night, and that filled me up. Who would have thought that you can eat well with flour, water, and some boiling oil?? I love you Dad, and I´m glad to know that you are proud of me. It really does make all the differnce. Sometimes, even though recognition shouldn't be sought after, it can be hard to keep doing what you´re doing when you don't know if anyone is actually paying attention or cares. Happens a lot on the mission, that's for sure. But I know I have my family behind me, and lots of good friends, and I feel extremely blessed for that.

I love you! And I'll talk to you in another week. Sorry I didn't share much about me, it's just that we talked about everything yesterday haha.

Elder Tyson Gibbons

 

Buenos tardes

Birthday soccer!

 

After the game

 

With Ricardo

 

Birthday asado with the Gutierrez family

 

Rodeo del Medio district

 

With Elder Alberro and the new sweater!

 

Buenas tardes Madre!

 

Well, I definitely don't feel much different being twenty. It's been a pretty normal week haha although crazy at the same time! I guess that's just how the mission is, right? Always an adventure, always new people, new faces, new needs, and exciting conversations!! It's a great two years, that's for sure haha.

 

Alright Mom, just so you don't worry, I'll talk about skype right now haha. So the thing is, we got transfers yesterday, and I'm heading to San Juan Alberdon, in the zona Chimbas, but guess who is my companion???? Elder Rogers!!! Again!! It's so crazy, I was so surprised when I heard that. I didn't believe them at first, I thought they were joking. But it's meant to be so I'm not complaining. I'm just glad I get along with him since we´ve already been together, and I'm pretty excited to go! But also really sad to leave Rodeo del Medio. It's been an awesome three transfers here as well. Anyway, moving back to skype, since I am leaving Thursday and will be there in a completely new area, I don't know what the plans are yet reallyl.... I'm going to try to send you a message before Sunday, but I'll let you know as soon as I figure it out! I was hoping Elder Rogers would send me an email or something, but no such luck. So I will let you know. But seeing as how things worked out just fine for Christmas, I'm sure they will work out for Mothers Day too! It's the same companionship, so don't worry. I told Dad it will probably be in the afternoon for you guys, like 2 or 3, or maybe if Elder Rogers goes first again a little later. But yeah! There you go, transfer news and skype, all wrapped up in one! Funny how things are so related :)

 

And we are in a different cyber today (sorry, a day late... I hate doing that) so I have sound and I can actually watch all the videos without problems! So I just watched our birthday one with the Elders haha that was pretty awesome. And Kelly's is going to be the last thing before I leave (sorry, I've said that three times now right? :/) But it's better late than never I guess! As for me looking older than Elder Alberro, it's just because I'm with someone shorter than me, and I dunno about the maturity thing. I feel like I've become more of a little kid on the mission, but I guess it's just because I've actually opened up to everyone, unlike me before. So that's a good thing! I hope. If not, well, que me soporten igual :P Dad you can translate that if you wish.

 

So the leaves have all started changing and falling, so it's officially fall!!! I'm way happy. The hot-cold changes are pretty annoying, but oh well. I sleep well (as well as possible for such a crappy bed anyway) and I'm just excited that it's not so stinkin hot anymore! And speaking of hot, I'm glad I'm going to San Juan for winter!! It's going to be more like home, sweet desert home :) I'm excited. I just hope I can see the mountains at least a little. But San Juan isn't as close as Mendoza is. Oh well, I've got plenty of time still right?

 

Mike Fisher is the tennis coach now at Kuna?? He´s just jumping all around! Haha but that's cool that you got to talk to him! His chemistry class was way fun. I hope all is well with him and his family!

 

And sorry Nathan that you don't have a big trust circle with the cars still.. just be patient :)  That will come when you get your license.

 

Wow that's a lot of songs to learn so quickly, I'll keep you in my prayers! I know you can learn them though, at least they are all familiar! It's weird seeing all those song names, I haven't sung a song in English for a long time. Haha thinking about choir is just crazy. I definitely don't have the same voice or talent after a few years. I'm glad you got to see Mr. and Mrs. Olmstead! And I'm glad they´re doing well. He´s always got a project to do, so that's good! Keeping busy! Retirement is great I imagine but you don't want to be bored! Tell them hi for me the next time. And if they could read the blog, that would be way cool too!

 

Wow the Elliots are moving? And so quick after Tyler´s farewell? That sounds pretty crazy. Elder Alberro is going through the same thing, but the opposite since he´s finishing his mission. But his family is moving from Virginia where he left from, to Florida, but then his dad is going to London for a few years, so he is going home to London, staying there a little bit, then going to Florida, then going to Idaho for school (BYU I). Lots of travel! I can't imagine what it would be like to go home to a different world entirely! Hopefully they can handle it.

 

I like that quote from Mother Teresa a lot! I think I've heard parts of it before but never that whole thing. It's really true, and I promise I try to do that as much as possible!! It has a lot to do with that scripture in Ether as well. I remember reading that a couple months ago and thinking wow, that's so true, and so personal for all of us! I guess that's what the scriptures should be like anyway right? Personal and of benefit for us!! (1 Nephi 19:23) Thanks Bro Sell for scripture mastery haha.

 

So on Sunday as we were attempting to listen to the testimonies given (attempting, because in the room where we sit, like I've said before I'm sure, it's really loud with all the cars passing and everything) and I decided to ask Juan Pablo what his favorite scripture was. I was honestly thinking he was going to open to some random page and say something like "well I like this one, it talks about, you know, like it says, repent and whatnot" but I was very surprised when he turned straight to the book of Mormon (the book written by Mormon, before Ether and after 4 Nephi) and found chapter 7 verse 9. It says:

 

9 For behold, this is written for the intent that ye may believe that; and if ye believe that ye will believe this also; and if ye believe this ye will know concerning your fathers, and also the marvelous works which were wrought by the power of God among them.

 

I was still kinda skeptical so I asked him to explain it, and he just said he read it with Elder Daybell (different one from my last district leader in San Luis) and said it talks about the Book of Mormon and the Holy Bible, which we believe in as well, I might add!

 

He explained that if we believe in the Bible, we will believe in the Book of Mormon, if we at least give it a try of course. Can't read a book by its cover right? But that just led us to talking about his sister who is pretty skeptical when it comes to anything about our church or the Book of Mormon, and hence Elder Alberro and I have been doing things subtly this whole transfer. But it's just amazing how much you can find out about someone from someone that knows them better than almost anyone! I asked opinions of how to share things with her and how to get her to try things out at the least, and it was very impressive to see him talk about her with all the love and respect that siblings should have. But I was just surprised to see how much he WANTED her to give it a try, because he already undesrtands the Gospel and the fact that this is all about families, this life I mean. And even though I'm leaving now, I know Elder Alberro is going to work hard with them as well, along with his trainee (oh yeah, he´s training haha, he found out about three hours ago). But I still have tonight with them... I'm going to do all I can to leave them on a high note!!! I really love the Gutierrez family, because they are all way nice and loving, and give us too much honestly! Last night she gave me and Elder Alberro each a sweater (I'll send you pictures from today with it on. I think it's pretty cool haha, it's just authentic Argentine so I like it!!!) and their oldest daughter that I've literally only seen four times was devastated when she found out last night that I was leaving. She made me a scarf too! So I don't need to buy that now. Wow, I really love that family.

 

So yeah, you don't need to worry about the people who maybe don't treat us well, because there are the few and the loving that really do treat us better than we deserve! So don't worry Mom. :)

 

Anyway, I need to go say goodbye to a few people today, so we´re going to head to Carrefour and buy a few necessities and then head back to the area! I´ve still got to pack... joy joy joy! Speaking of packing, thank you Kelly for your vacuum bag idea that you unintentionally gave me when we went to BYU haha. I found some and bought them and they are going to help a ton.

 

Anyway, I will be writing you all from up north next week! I am way excited, and hopefully all the changes in your lives are going to be super exciting and fun for you too! Just make the best of it, because change is never 100% what we want, it always comes with good and bad (apart from repentance, of course. Thatss a change that benefits us 100% and costs us NOTHING. What a grand blessing that is, no?) To quote Elder Galicia, "Venga lo que venga, DISFRUTELO!" Or to translate, "come what may, enjoy it!" Let that be your motto for this next month of May! I love you Mom, tell Nathan and Kate hi for me! And anyone else that you see! Because yes, I love them all too. Until next week, fresh from cactus land!

Elder Tyson Gibbons