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