Argentina - Pergamino, Centenario #36

Smooch! (for mom!)

All of the Elders here were in the MTC with Mandy

An investigator painted this picture for Mandy in memory of Kyle Mathews (Fish)she has carried his scriptures with her on her mission, while he serves his mission on the other side of the veil

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amanda Gibbons
Date: Mon, Oct 25, 2010 at 10:29 AM
Subject: I GOT TRANSFERED!
To: Bonnie Gibbons


Hey everyone!
So they did transfers really weird this week! For some reason they waited until Thursday to tell us anything. We spent that morning planning, because none of us 4 Hermana's in Pergamino thought we were going to leave. Both companionship's just did a whitewash and it was a short one of only 5 weeks. When they called and said I was leaving, I did not believe them, I really thought they were joking. I was honestly really bummed at first; I cried and screamed a little :) I really loved that area and we just started to have some really good progress with our investigators and some members. I felt that I did my best there, the bishop there said, "I'm going to call your mission president and tell him you can't go. Why does he always take out the good missionaries?" I know the work will go on without me and that area will still be blessed with great things. Hna. Villarreal is really amazing.
Ok ok, so I bet you're all asking, where am I know....well I am back in good old Rosario, in a cute town called Funes and Roldán. Ya I have 2 areas! The towns are built along the highway, so they're not very deep in, but they are both really long towns! It is beautiful here, this is a place for people to get away or come on vacation. It’s honestly really beautiful and I really like the ward already! We had an investigator come this Sunday that the elders had been teaching and she wants to get baptized! Well we are going to talk with her and see how she is doing and either will have a baptism this weekend, but more likely for the next weekend! Oh ya, my comp is really awesome, Hna. Nalerio. She is from Uruguay, but was born in Italy! She's really amazing and has a great desire to work. She's way friendly and even a little crazier than me at times! I am excited to work with her. She has been training since her 3 transfer, so I am her first comp to work with her that has had experience in the mission.
So like I said I was pretty bummed at first and also I was kind of scared. I am doing another WHITEWASH in this area and it is really big! And there is not that many things left over from other companionships. So we got our work cut out for us! I got a little fearful and prayed that God would calm my heart. I started my personal study and lo and behold, right in the scriptures was my answer!
9 Believe in a God...; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power...
believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
10 And again, believe that ye must repent of your sins and forsake them, and humble yourselves before God; and ask in sincerity of heart that he would forgive you;
and now, if you believe all these things see that ye do them.

I don't know why I was sent to this area, and I don't know why the Lord trusts me and my comp to help this church grow, but I do believe in God and I know that he lives and he really really does love me! I know that I need to humble myself and ask him to forgive me for my thoughts and all of my weaknesses. I do believe that this is the true Gospel of Jesus Christ, so I will do all these things. I love you all so much, we are so lucky to be in the truth! Don't ever forget who you are...a Child of God. I don't think we really understand that statement....

I am a child of God,
And he has sent me here,
Has given me an earthly home
With parents kind and dear
I am a child of God,
And so my needs are great;
Help me to understand his words
Before it grows too late
I am a child of God.
Rich blessings are in store;
If I but learn to do his will
I'll live with him once more.
I am a child of God,
His promises are sure;
Celestial glory shall be mine
If I can but endure.

I love you all. Please pray that my comp and I will know what to do here to help the area grow, to help others come unto Christ! I love this work and I know when we come to know who we really are, we are happier, we work harder, we receive more blessings, and we want to help others. Really I never realized how important member referrals are to the work. Please help the missionaries in your ward. Whether it be with lunch, going out a working with them, and most importantly, introducing them to your friends. Hey mom and dad, so our neighbors are not members of the church and they have been on my mind...so maybe you could stop by and bring some cookies ;) just a suggestion! Ha I love you all. Work hard, play hard, and pray fervently. God is ALWAYS listening. Keep the faith, if not for yourself, for those who are lost around you.

--

Con amor,
Hermana Gibbons

Argentina - Pergamino, Centenario #36

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amanda Gibbons
Date: Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 9:16 AM
Subject: ¿Qué tal?
To: Bonnie Gibbons


Hey hey all you wonderful people!
So what can i say, i had a crazy week! We have an amazing investigator, Mabel. She is searching and reading the Book of Mormon like crazy! She wants to know the truth and she is doing what she needs to to gain it! She still needs to come to church and to get married, but she already told us that she knows the the church of Jesus Christ is the only church that has all of the truth! WOW, i love her and her niece, Angeles has been listening too, i asked her if she would like her own Book of Mormon to read, and she almost burst into tears as she accepted it lovingly and said Thank you while hugging it close to her chest. It was the most beautiful reaction i have seen to someone receiving this book of great value. I think as members, we forget how precious it is! It is a book that has been in our house, for some of us, all of our lives. But really , truly it is our guide,our source of comfort, hope, and love. Really, it has all of the answers, we just have to open the pages as well as our hearts and the words will flow into our minds and we will be able to act in the way we should. We will be able to see life more clearly and man life will just be a happy and enjoyable experience!
So we had a Talent Night in the church, some people sang (Mabel our investigator sang beautifully!!), played the guitar and one kid sang in English (the Justin Beiber song, oh baby??) So we as missionaries didn't have much time to plan, so we threw on an EFY pop song and lip-cynced and danced to it! Ha i felt so out of place, but i just had fun with it! Afterwards everyone told me they loved it and they were all going to send the video to the mission president! haha. It was a beautiful night, who knew that ward activities could be so much fun!
I love you all and wow i have a testimony of prayer. I know that god hears and answers them. I know that God loves us and wants to not only hear the desire of our hearts, but he wants to bless us with these things as well. I have come to love Enos, i think it is my favorite book in the whole Book of Mormon. Read it this week, but really dig into it and you will see how much it applies to your life. How much it can help you live better and happier!
I love you all, Keep the faith!
Until next week...

--
Con amor,
Hermana Gibbons


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--
Bonnie L. Gibbons, BSN, RN
Gateway Community College Clinical Instructor
602-721-9120
bonnie.gibbons@cox.net

Argentina - Pergamino, Centenario #35

The Hermana's!

From: Amanda Gibbons
Date: Mon, Oct 11, 2010 at 9:03 AM
Subject: weekly goodies
To: Bonnie Gibbons

Hey everyone! I can't believe that last week already passed by! I love having too much to do! Ha, sometimes it feels a little overwhelming but it is so much better than only leaving to knock doors. So I had some really cool experiences this week. I really have been trying to be led by the spirit. Hna Villarreal and I have been reading this book on tracting and how to do it effectively. We have started to do the steps in this book, pray for specific streets and at the specific times we should knock them. Every time we have done this we have either had the most amazing contacts or we have been able to enter a home and teach a lesson. I have been stopped in my tracks and turned around twice this week because I felt like I had to talk to someone.
Both of these were guys that I did not want to talk to. One guy, Miguel, his girlfriend had just left him and he is so ready and open to hear the gospel. He was crying and said a prayer to feel God's love. The other guy, really intelligent and just the most amazing contact ever (doesn't live in my area) but he said, I know that we'll live with God again, but I have never found the answer in any church of what is my purpose on earth! Oh my gosh it was so incredible. I could feel the spirit so strong with him.
I have to go, the lady here wants to take her siesta! I love you all.
Love Hermana Gibbons

Argentina - Pergamino, Centenario #35

…Just do what they said in conference! The best advice won't come from me but from our leaders as well as personal revelation. Don't ever underestimate the power of the spirit in your life or the power of personal revelation! That’s what got me here! That’s why we choose to serve missions and why we are members of the church! … without this power none of us would be members, none of us would be able to feel the Saviors love in our lives, none of us would feel the sweet forgiveness that comes through the atonement! I was talking with Hermana Recinos today about all the things we are so grateful for especially for the atonement. We both said we have felt these sweet effects and for this we want others to feel it as well. She said it was only when I tried to change, when I made the step and put ALL of my faith in the Lord, was when I really felt of his love, when I felt free and full. (You can share this with everyone I guess I don't have much time!) Just like all of the talks were about, we need to be aware of what we are doing everyday, Satan is very clever and he can take you down without you even noticing it. You could be enjoying the time actually and not realize you are in something bad until you are so wrapped up in it, it is hard to escape.
Stop watching the TV shows that have just a little bit of crap in them. I was so hooked on the show bones...which now I look back and see how each episode they added just a little bit of crap, so you were hooked and just let the bad stuff go. Be a party pooper if you must. Who cares what the world says …Don't be afraid to be GOOD! The evil will always scoff at the good. Even me as a member, I used to make fun of some of my friends for the things they wouldn't do, and now I look back and I see that they were in the right and just trying to be a light in this dark world. Look at your life and see what little thing that might be holding you back from growing spiritually. I know you could feel and see the spirit that these brethren and sisters have, I know I want to have the peace and joy that they have, the security that they will be ok in the last days, the security in their Savior that he will always have their back. I love you all and we/I need you by my side in this fight against Satan! Don't scoff at those being good, support them and try to be better yourself! I want you all to be so happy and feel so loved. You CAN feel peace and have the spirit as your guide everyday in this crazy life.
I love you and pray for you all the time! Thank you for your prayers! Keep the faith.
Love Hermana Gibbons

To read or listen to conference talks click on or cut & paste: http://lds.org/conference/sessions/display/0,5239,23-1-1298,00.html