Diligence

Hey Mom and Dad!

Wow, I had forgotten about BYU registration, but I´m glad things worked out fine! Thanks for sacrificing so much by staying up till midnight to do that!

Yesterday was a pretty chilly day, it rained for about an hour, of course right before church was supposed to start, so that meant that a lot of people didn't come! Sadly, no investigators, and a lot less members. But it was still a really good Sunday! The other elders in Hipolito had a baptism, and we finally met the best friend of the Hipolito elders' ward mission leader, which we´ve been trying to do since the beginning of these 6 weeks! So that was a miracle!

So this last week was so much better than the one before!! We had a really successful week. We had lots of lessons and a lot of them were with new people, so we have a bunch of new families to teach! It's great! Lots of them are part member families, where the husband or the wife have been less active for years, but they are all really awesome!!!  This means that this area will still be going come transfers this next Sunday, which is always a big concern. I´ve been in areas that are left with nothing when I get there, and it's always a huge struggle trying to get things going again!

Wow, I forgot that Jalen has transfers one week early! I can't believe that... hopefully he doesn't leave his area. I think that would be really hard for the members, investigators, and the missionary himself, having to give everything knowing that it isn't going to be permanent. Thankfully here the members don't see me in that light. 

So the people that were supposed to get married didn't end up being able to. We even warned all of them that Satan was going to put a lot of things in the way, and it happened just like that, whether they got lazy or were starting to get sick or other things came up. But oh well, we still have time to work with them! We´ll hopefully get them to take out a turn in this next week or the following, so they could still get baptized in this month of April!

Speaking of April, I can't believe it's already April!!! What is going on? I´m going to be 21 in like 4 weeks. Super weird... but I´m super excited for General Conference!!! It's going to be a huge boost in excitement and desire for the missionary work! No better way to start off a transfer, I think!

Oh yeah, but we don't know transfers until next Sunday, so I´ll let you know next Monday! I´m pretty sure I´m staying, and all the members want me to stay haha, but I´d really like to stay with Elder Rainock. We´re like twins from different mothers. We really have a lot in common, just not a rock band or anything like he had haha. But it's been some of the best 5 weeks of my mission, it really has.

Today we have to leave to Mendoza for leadership council so we´re going to miss like half the week, since the weekend is going to be an intense General Conference weekend! Plus, Friday we have a ward talent activity (just like in San Rafael). But next week I´ll definitely have lots to share, from Conference and council and everything!

It's very sad that it took the act of going on a mission to really value personal scripture study and prayer, because I really wasn't very good at that before. But thankfully God always helps us see from the other perspective! And now I know that if there are three things I will NEVER leave undone during the weeks and days, they will be personal prayer, scripture study, and going to church. I just can't miss those three things, or I´m going to lose so much spiritual strength and protection. I´ve already been on the wrong side of that, I will not go back.

Thanks for your challenge Dad, it's very reinforcing, because on Sunday, being the 5th Sunday, all the adults got together and the bishop talked to us about chapter 6 in Preach My Gospel, the Christ-like attributes. He printed off the activity at the end of the chapter, and he made us ALL do it right there in the class. And at the end, he challenged each one of us to choose one of the nine attributes with which to work during the next month, and what I chose was exactly what you challenged me to do later that day, to be diligent. I don't believe in coincidences anymore. I take the challenge, full heartedly. I don't know what will come with transfers next Sunday, but whatever it is, I just want to work! The time still hasn't settled in, but I know it will soon, and I want to take advantage fully of these last 6 weeks.

I can't believe how much I´ve changed, and I can't believe the best time of changing personally is coming to an end that I never thought would arrive. I wouldn't change anything about these 2 years for any price, I can't, they will always be a huge part of me.

Love you Mom and Dad!

Elder Tyson Gibbons