Argentina - Santa Elena Letter #26

From: Amanda Gibbons
Sent: Monday, July 26, 2010 10:53 AM
To: Bonnie Gibbons
Subject: weekly update!

Hey Family and Friends,
So i really have not had the best week of my mission. I had to stay in my house or sit around a lot. It turns out the pain in my foot was actually from my back. I hurt my back about 5 years ago when I got bucked from a horse. But hey what can ya do. I went to the doctor and he said all my bones are good, I just get to go back to Physical Therapy. ha I don’t think I will ever get away from the physical therapy world. Scott, these guys here in this small town are not the best, I definitely miss my REHAB AZ!
Anyways, enough about me! We have a baptism this weekend and I still cannot believe it! Jorge Farias is so stinkin’ excited to get into the water. His whole family has been members for 2 years, but for some reason he never wanted to or never understood why it was important. We had him fast and this week he shared his experience with us. He said,” when you were asking me if I wanted to get baptized, with all my heart I wanted to say NO, but something much stronger than me was telling me to say Yes, and when that word left my lips, I felt edified and knew that it was right. I don’t know, but something in that fast changed my understanding” He had his interview yesterday and passed with flying colors. The elder who was interviewing him said that he wants to serve a mission! What a change, going from “I don’t know” for every question, to now saying he wants to serve!
I love this gospel, and I’m not going to lie, right now I am extremely “trunky”, and for all of you out there, that means that I am thinking a lot about my house and that I want to be there! Its not a good feeling. I’m trying to remember the amazing parts about my mission. How I feel when I am doing the work! It is soooo true, Satan works with the idle mind. My friends, I hope that you are searching your scriptures and remembering why we are here! I had a pretty cool experience. My mission president said that if we can-t fix this I might have to go home (I really don’t want to have to do that), and I got really sad. I began to have my personal study. I have a plan to read the Book of Mormon 5 times in my mission, and I was really behind this day. I know it was no accident. I read in 3Nephi 17:7-9 where Jesus invites all the sick to come and be healed. He says” Your faith is sufficient that I should heal you.” I know that he can heal me, if my faith is what it needs to be and if it be his will. In chapter 18:20 He says “and whatsoever ye shall ask that father in my name, which is right, believing that ye shall receive, behold it shall be given unto you.” Once again, I just need to ask, and believe. If it be right in the sight of God, I will be able to return to the work!
Man I feel so blessed to have these inspired words from the ancient prophets. I know they were written for our day! I hope and pray that you can find peace in the words! Keep the faith, and pray that I will have the strength as well.
I LOVE YOU!
Hermana Gibbons