Argentina - Mission Home in Rosario #51

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amanda Gibbons
Date: Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 9:25 AM
Subject: everyone
To: Bonnie Gibbons

Wow,

 Hey everyone, crazy, crazy week!  So I helped a girl come out of a seizure and have been in and out of the hospital and private practices for like a good week!  I am in the mission home and have been here since Friday with her.  It's kind of a bummer, because I am not with my comp, I haven't been able to work in my area and I missed the baptism of Roque y Dora.  It's not fun to be stuck in the pench (I think this means apartment) or to be hurt and not be able to do anything about it.  I feel really sad for the Hermana because she just started about a month ago and she has never had problems like this before.  WE went to the doctor today, but we still have to go to a neurologist to see exactly what happened.

   So now I get to see how the offices work, crazy as all the other elders! Haha.  We were able to go to a district meeting with them and ya started out all crazy like, but then we got done to business and we talked about prayer.  The elder gave us a question to think about...

  

           Have you ever had a specific prayer, in which you experienced a CONVERSATION with your Heavenly Father when He talks with you directly????
   Would you like to have an experience like that?

  Man that hit me hard, I have experienced that, but very few.  Then I realized.  I am out all day teaching people to pray...to TALK to their Heavenly Father.  Have you have been in a conversation, where the other person just keeps talking even when you have something to say...something that you think would help them out.  It feels horrible, I just want to hit people sometimes! haha, well, I know that we do that a lot when we talk to God...we just say a list of things we are grateful for and what we need, with feeling and with love, but the part we forget is to listen...Ask a question, wait...He WILL answer you...Then you continue on talking!  I have such a hard time doing this!  I have such a habit to tell him everything but not wait for him to tell me anything.  Yes, I am fulfilling the commandment to pray, but I could be getting so much more out of it!  I challenge you all to try and talk to your Father in Heaven.  Prayer is soooo insurmountably important.  It’s the only way we have to talk to our Father.

  I love you all and I hope you have a great week and you have the opportunity to hear your father’s voice!  Keep the faith
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Con amor,

  Hermana Gibbons

Argentina - Entre Rios #50

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amanda Gibbons
Date: Mon, Mar 21, 2011 at 1:30 PM
Subject: todos!
To: Bonnie Gibbons

Hey everyone,

  Wow, what an amazing and crazy week!  I went to a capacitación or a (training) meeting of liders (leaders) in the misión!  It was way awesome! I learned so much about how I can improve my teaching skills and how to trust in the lord!  I have been trying to apply them as I teach and meet new people!  One thing that I didn’t have problems with before, but now I do, was talk a lot and not teach very simply!  I have been trying to shut my mouth and listen to the spirit!  It’s really hard, but I know it is possible!  Basically, they said we need to take a second, let God give us a question that will help us understand what they need.  Which means, let there be silence.  I do not do good with that.  But then they said something that hit me really hard.  When I let there be a silence and allow the spirit to talk to my heart and mind, I show God that I trust him, that I trust in the spirit!  Man, what a change in the lessons we’ve had.  I can feel the spirit and the words of the scriptures just testify.  It allows for them to figure it out for themselves before I tell them what it means. 

   Azucena and Agustin (son and mother) got baptized this last Saturday!  They are so amazing!  Azucena Works a lot and still doesn’t always have what she needs, but she absolutely loves the Lord and wants to follow him!  She has been working Sundays to get more Money, but we taught her what it means to the Lord when we take a Day to remember him, and to serve others.  The next day she told her boss that she will no longer work Sundays.  She is very firm in it and I love her!  Such a great example.

   I love my companion.  She is so awesome, she is pretty sick right now and has no desire to stay in the house, but she def can’t go out!  So today we only left to tell them family we are ok and to eat lunch in the park!  It’s starting to get a little cooler here and I love it!  I love everything about this place. Its weird to think that soon, this will only be a memory, but as of right now, I just keep thinking about the now and who I can help!  I love you all, remember the Lord is only obligated to bless us, when we do what we promised we would!  I love you all!  Keep the faith!

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Con amor,

  Hermana Gibbons

REDFERN I hope you know how much I love you!!! Keep working hard and keep being the example to everyone, just like you always were and are to me!  Keep the faith "Madre"!!!

Rachel Norton, Can I tell you how much I love you!! It’s so good to hear that you are doing well and I can't believe you are almost done with school!!!  Keep it up and you can then help me when I need to study!  Ha!  TE QUIERO!

Argentina - Entre Rios #49

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Amanda Gibbons
Date: Mon, Mar 7, 2011 at 7:27 AM
Subject: la gente!  (The people!)
To: Bonnie Gibbons

Hey all you out there!

   Wow, what a week.  I really can testify that God is a God of miracles!  He works in such small ways that if we aren’t in tune to the spirit, it would just pass us by like any other thing.  I am so grateful for the spirit and the things it prompts us to do or say. 

  1st we had a baptism on Saturday!!!  So awesome!  Valeria, she quit smoking, she reads every night, she asks the most amazing questions and has taught us some really amazing things.  Her husband was not able to come to the baptism, so we are still waiting to get to talk to him.  But wow, Valeria is an example of someone who searches, asks God, and then does what He asks of her.  She is so much happier.  She says that the relationship with her husband is a lot better, they don’t fight.  She is a lot calmer and just wants to do everything right!  I love her so much, she got married when she was 15 and has a 4 year old baby, so she really didn’t get to enjoy her childhood.   Hna. Mitchell got her all pretty before her baptism.  Valeria started to cry and say that no one has ever done anything like this for her.  It was also her birthday on the 3rd, so all in one week, she got baptized, confirmed, turned 20, and quit smoking!!!! Crazy!

2nd.  We have been working with Hector, 11 years old, for almost all of last transfer and he has come to church 4 times, been to 2 baptisms, goes to all the activities and comes all alone, on his bike, from the farthest neighborhood from the church!  He has wanted to get baptized and we have asked his mom twice and she still said no.  We fasted and prayed and Saturday morning we went to her and taught her the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ, and we asked her again.  I was scared she was going to kick me out of the house, but she answered, rather matter-of-factly, sure no problem, where do I sign???  HALLELUJAH!!!  We were crying and just so excited!  He is going to be the rock of his family!  We are still working with his other brothers, but he is just so stoked!!  He will be baptized this Saturday!!!!

 3rd, that same Saturday, we went and taught Gladi’s son (Dario) and his girlfriend (Diana), and we’ve been teaching them for a while, they’ve been there when we’ve taught Gladi.  Then we came back and taught them. Dario is praying and reading, Diana had a really hard life and is pretty upset with God, but she wants to talk to him, but she is reading.  We talked about repentance and Dario said “hey the priests in the Catholic church don’t have the power or authority to give anyone forgiveness…Joseph Smith was the one who was called to be a prophet.  And plus God taught us that He gives us the forgiveness, not men.”  BING Bing bing!!!  He understood that soooooooooo well!  They told us they love when we come and can’t wait to come to church with us!

  OK so there were a lot more than just those, but wow!!!!  I am so amazed at all that has happened. I know when we try and do God’s will, He is always there to bless us!  Remember, you CAN see miracles every day, it’s not something that should be rare.  Ask God to open your eyes to what’s going on around you!  I love you all!  Keep the faith!

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Con amor,

  Hermana Gibbons

Argentina - Entre Rios #48

From Amanda Gibbons

To Bonnie Gibbons

Date Tue, Mar 1, 2011 at 9:33 AM

Subject los demas!

Hey everyone,

Awesome, crazy week, I am so baffled that it is already March!  Can someone put a stop to time for a second! Oh ya, transfers!  I get to stay!!!!!  Nothing changes for me!!!!! I am so happy!  I get to see the baptisms we have worked for!  This weekend, Valeria is getting baptized! She is an amazing women, 19, married, with a little terror girl, Milagros (go figure), but she contacted us, she asked us how she could become a member and now she has stopped smoking cold turkey.  She has already seen changes in her life, with her husband, and he is now starting to have interest.  I'm sure he'll be listening really soon.  I love her, what an example of someone who wants to follow Christ and just do all they are supposed to! She is super stoked and I just can't wait! 

We are teaching Hector, he is 11 years old and just comes to church all alone and he lives on the other side of town.  He wants to be baptized with all of his heart!  I am teaching a Jehovah’s Witness right now...and I need help...    How do we know that Jehovah is Christ???????????? (Bible scriptures would be amazing!!!)

Ok Friends, remember that God loves you and man he just wants us happy!  People change when they feel that love.  Don't be afraid to share the gospel with anyone!  I am so, so glad that we have a prophet of the Lord, because without them, we are a little lost.  Trying to figure out what we should do, what God wants of us...what a blessing to have someone who talks face to face with God, our Heavenly Father.  I just got slapped in the face in the lesson on Sunday.  They asked us what the prophet had last counseled us.  And I replied with what he taught in conference!  ya no!!! He talks to us every month in the Liahona!!!! Oh yeah, I guess in English that’s the Ensign.  Keep reading those words, they are here for us.  I love you all.   Keep the faith! Oh ya, Give an ensign as a gift to your neighbor...go ahead you know you want to!!!

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Con amor,

  Hermana Gibbons

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