Argentina - Entre Rios #45

"Lost and Found" painted by Jorge Farias for Hermana Gibbons

Jorge Farias' Baptism

Jorge & his familia

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amanda Gibbons

Date: Mon, Jan 31, 2011 at 11:13 AM
Subject: mis amigos!!!!
To: Bonnie Gibbons <bonnie.gibbons@cox.net>

Sorry, computer died for a good 20 min and now my time is up!!! I promise for a good letter next week! Oh the joys of writing in a cyber!!! Hehe I love you keep the faith! 

Con amor,

  Hermana Gibbons

[I will share some excerpts from my “mommy” letter…]

Wow I still can't believe it’s been a year, time goes so quickly.  I don't want it to end... I want to see my family, but I don't want to end this work.  …I am just trying to work hard… I just hope that I am doing what God has asked of me!  … I opened a letter I wrote to myself, my first day in the MTC, with goals and things that I wanted to be doing 1 year into my mission!  Ya know what, I felt really good about all of them.  Of course there is always room for improvement, but wow I can't believe all that I have accomplished … how the Lord has changed me. 

I got to talk to one of my converts in Santa Elena the other day, Jorge Farias (the one who painted the picture, if you go on her blog you can see pictures of Jorge on letter #27 & his painting on letter #36, http://mandyargentinamission.blogspot.com/  I will also attach them. ) He recognized my name without me saying who I was!  He sounded so happy and so just edified!  He sounded like he understood his life now!  It was so awesome mommy, I got "trunky" (homesick) for Santa Elena!  I love Jorge, he still is the miracle of my mission and an example of love and trust in the Lord and in his family!  I feel so blessed to have been there to see him change, to see him gain faith, gain light in his eyes and hope for the future! 

You quoted this in your lesson..."As members of the Church, we have been born again. We should continually seek to renew ourselves, to be reborn time and time again as we worship and partake of the sacrament on a weekly basis, as we strive to keep the commandments, and as we frequently go to the well of living water. As we do so, we will be blessed with peace in this life and eternal joy in the life to come."

   

 I didn't understand before my mission, just how important it is to take the sacrament!  …  When I see that people don't come just because of rain, or they are tired, or even a little sick, it just makes me sad!  They miss out on so many blessings!  My comps (companions) and I have made pacts, that we will never miss taking the sacrament!  Except if we are in the hospital or something like that!

Thank you for sharing … your (New Testament) class (with me). You know what’s cool, everything we teach, everything we do (&) learn...all goes back to serving others right?  …and what better way to serve them then to bring others unto Christ?  It’s like the saying "You can give a man a fish, and it'll feed him for a day. Or you can teach the man to fish, and he will be fed for a lifetime".  You can visit a friend, smile at someone, give them a gift and they will feel good for a bit and it’s something really important.  BUT, you give them a chance to hear the gospel, and they will be happy for eternity!  That’s so cool!

Thanks for your love, your letters, you keep me going!  I like to talk with you and report to you that I am doing good!  Keep smiling mommy, the day is coming soon :) SMOOCHES!

Con amor,

  Hermana Gibbons

Argentina - Rafaela #44

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amanda Gibbons

Date: Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 11:43 AM
Subject: rapido!
To: Bonnie Gibbons


Wow, so I had so much fun writing my mom this week that I don't have much time to write a letter!  I love my new area, its way beautiful!  It’s basically like I have come to open an area, but there is a branch here and they are pretty strong!  My mission leader is a professional soccer player and is so gung-ho for the work, he was the first one to be baptized in his family and he and his wife both served missions!  My comp is awesome Hna. Mitchell and she does not speak Spanish....basically nothing, but she is awesome and we work really well together!  She is from Utah and likes the ninja turtles too! Hehe, we've got a lot in common and we can't wait to see whets going to happen here in Rafaela!  The members are awesome and just want to help us out, it’s crazy there are 4 hermanas in one branch!  Our apartment isn’t bad, back to a bucket shower, no a/c, bunk beds, kitchen, some bugs (not as bad as others)!  (I asked Mandy/Hermana Gibbons how her Spanish is coming, she replied,)  my Spanish still needs work, but man I just pray I can always understand what they are saying!  Sometimes I am worried I don't exactly get what they want to say!  So glad for the spirit!

   The other sisters are going to have a baptism on Tuesday and today we get to go visit a friend of a member!  She is coming with us!  I am really excited!  I love this gospel and I sometimes don't understand why God trusts me with some things, but we just got to get out and work!  I love you all and I hope you are helping out the missionaries in your ward!  It’s hard to be away from home and not know anyone!  I love you all!  Keep the faith!

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Con amor,

  Hermana Gibbons

Argentina - Entre Rios #43

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amanda Gibbons

Ha-Ha!  I get it!!!  "Attention Machines at Work"!

Date: Tue, Jan 18, 2011 at 7:49 AM
Subject: Transfers!
To: Bonnie Gibbons

Hey everyone!!!

   So ya, it is transfer week and surprise, surprise...I am once again packing up and moving!!!  I think I might be a little too crazy to be kept in one area for too long or something!  I am both sad and excited!  Sad because we have soooo many people here who are progressing and we have a baptism this weekend that I won't get to see!  But the most important thing is she is getting baptized!  Oh man, she is a daughter of a less active family and it was a MIRACLE that they came to church this week.  Hermana Hansen has been inviting them to come for 3 months and they finally came!!! Oh it was soooo good to see them there!  They are really an awesome family and they have big desires to serve God, they just need to get their booties back in church!!  Ha, Milagros is 9 years old and so excited for her baptism!  We had another miracle this week!  So here, when someone moves, it’s almost impossible to find them again!!  People give you directions like...They live over there next to the supermarket...or in the other neighborhood... most people don't have phones either, but Christian came back home and he is doing so good!!!!!!!  He is a miracle all in itself, he has a lot of problems with drugs and in his family, but he is working through them and going strong! So many wonderful things happened this week!  Carlos Aguirre was baptized by his younger brother.  It was so perfect, a whole family of converts, changing, growing and trying to be better!  Carlos is a very intelligent kid who knows that God exists and that God will bless him if he keeps his commandments and helps others!  He has no fear to share with others that he is a member and that he has made the greatest decision of his life!!!  

  Also, Fernando, the guy who was baptized just before Christmas, wow, can you say spiritual GIANT!!  He goes out, drinks his matè with his friends and shares scriptures, stories from the Liahona (a magazine put out by the church, like the Ensign) and introduces us, the missionaries to all of them! He knows that this gospel is what changes lives, what saves lives and for that reason, he wants all of his friends to have it as well!

  Ok so I am off to Rafaela and my comps name is Hermana Mitchell.  I will be senior companion, and I will be doing a whitewash!!!!!!  I am a little nervous, but I’ll just do what I can!  Work and trust in the Lord.  Pray for me! First that I can pack again (man I hate packing) and then that I will be an instrument in God’s hands! I love you all, keep going strong and have you read this month’s ensign???  There is a talk in there by Elder Oaks that he gave to students at Harvard! http://lds.org/ensign/2011/01/fundamental-to-our-faith?lang=eng    Way good!  You should read it...ok all my friends!  Look for ways to help others, and be open to hear the promptings of spirit, he is always trying to talk to you!  Keep the faith!

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Con amor,

  Hermana Gibbons

Argentina - Entre Rios #42

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amanda Gibbons
Date: Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 9:57 AM
Subject: Goody Goody Gumdrops
To: Bonnie Gibbons

Hey hey all you fun folks back home!

   Man I can't believe how fast this week went!  It was pretty intense!  Our investigator, Antonia, was set to be baptized on Saturday, but her older daughter wouldn't be able to come...sooooo we changed it for Wednesday night!  YA, so Monday night was when she told us, we had to have to mission leader, so we had a TON to do!  We ran around calling everyone and seeing who could do what!  It was crazy, so many things just didn't look like they were going to work out, but in the end, everything went just fine!  It was a really beautiful and a really quick baptism!  She looked so happy and man she understands exactly what this means!  Antonia is just an amazing woman and Sunday she received the gift of the Holy Ghost.  I haven't seen her look so peaceful since I met her.  In the end, her daughter didn't end up coming, it was pretty sad.  She is a mother of 8 and only one of her children came.  But it didn't seem to affect her at all, she just has faith that all will turn out just fine, that this is going to help her family!

   We have been teaching Carlos Aguirre, since my first week in Concordia, he is from a family of 8 and 3 are not members.  He has listened to missionaries for over a year now and he now finally understands that he needs to be baptized, and not only that, he is super stoked!!!!  We asked him if we could announce it in church, b/c he was still a little "iffy" and he looked at us like "duh, of course you should do that"  Ha, he is very smart and going to be a much need addition to this branch! 

   Also this Sunday, Fernando, who was baptized just before Christmas, received the Aaronic priesthood!!!!  Oh man, he was pretty nervous, and still not exactly sure what it meant, but he knows that he has the opportunity to help others with this power!  He was so cute, we came over and he said, "Sisters, I fasted yesterday, because I needed Heavenly Fathers help.  He gave me the strength I needed and it was a blessing because I came across a few of my old friends who are not very good.  I was able to be an example to them!"  We then took him with us to a less active member’s house, and he bore testimony to them that they need to come back to church!!!!  This family is awesome, but keeps putting excuses in the way.  Fernando said, if you put God first, he will bless you!  So cool to see that!  His testimony has grown so much!!!

  Well, I hope you are all doing well with your goals for the New Year!  I hope that your goals include helping out the missionaries!!!  Man, we really can't do this work without you guys!!!!!  Feed the missionaries, have your house open to have investigators for Family night, or simply make a batch of cookies for a baptism!  Thank you for all of your love and for your hard work in being examples to the rest of the world!!!  Keep the Faith!

Con amor,

  Hermana Gibbons

Oh ya, I got an Argentina passport!!! I am now Argentine and American!!! So cool! hehe

Argentina - Entre Rios #41

Hermana's Gibbons y Hansen (companions)

Baptism of Fernando Dure

Elder Kaipela from our stake

Christmas PJ's

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amanda Gibbons

Date: Mon, Jan 3, 2011 at 9:32 AM
Subject: MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
To: Bonnie Gibbons

Wow Time flies!!!!!!!!!!

So Christmas was so fun! Ate some waffles, watched Disney and then talked to my wonderful family!  Man if you just need to smile or need someone to talk to, head on over to my house.  It is full of open hearts, listening ears, good times, and loud crazy fun...anything you need!  I love my family!!!  Then New Years was about the same, hung out in the church and man, played soccer for 2 hours and then BBALL for 3!!! Oh man I was sore after that!  Hey dad, I still got some game in me, so be ready to play when I come home! Hehe

We saw another one of our brothers baptized, Fernando Dure and he is doing so awesome!!!  Tomorrow he will get the Aaronic Priesthood!  We have so many amazing investigators! We are working with a 21 year old drug addict, who wants nothing more than to change.  He is still having a hard time so we pushed his date back, but he is praying and has done really well, until New Years...  Cristian is amazing and we will continue to pray that he can be free of this vice.  

We are also trying to complete a family!  This family has been baptized one after the other for the last year and now only 3 are left.  Carlos Aguirre has a date for the 14th and his little brother who wouldn't talk to us at all came out yesterday and said his goal for the year is to come to church!  He wants us to come and teach him as well!  Also one of our strongest members, their daughter got married so she could get baptized but then they changed their minds.  This was over a year ago.  We talked with her and she still wants to be baptized.  She also had Lehi's dream!!! (I, Bonnie, added the link to Lehi’s dream if you are interested  http://lds.org/scriptures/bofm/1-ne/8?lang=eng )  She was one of the people in the great and spacious building!!! Crazy, so today we are going to explain to her that she knows the truth and her family is begging her to come taste of the fruit!   

So many miracles! I love you all and I hope you have made some awesome goals for this New Year!  Great time to start over, make new friendships, fix things with people.  Don't hold a grudge, man I have seen way to many people here losing out on the blessing of God because they were offended by something someone said.  Just forgive and forget, think of Christ.  He was treated worse than any of us could imagine, but he just loved.  Love is at the root of all he does and it should be with us as well, just like Pres. Uchtdorf said!  I love you all so much!  Keep being amazing and as always KEEP THE FAITH
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Con amor,

  Hermana Gibbons