April 28, 2011

Well I am now going into my 5th week!  4 down and 120 left to go!!!!!  I am doing great!  Elder Birky and I are doing great!  We are teaching better together and Spanish is coming along.  They switched our prep-day to Thursday and they changed our schedule around.  It is so weird!  The first day that it changed Elder Birky and I were soooooo mixed up.  It was as if we were new missionaries in the MTC.  Elder Birky and I figured out that there were 3 weeks and 4 days till we leave to Argentina!  Time is really flying.  I feel like I just got here!  It is awesome! 

We had a really awesome teacher!  She was substituting for Hermano Dangerfield, but I really learned a lot. We also got another teacher.  Her name is Hermana Murillo.  She is a really good Spanish teacher.  She had us set up goals and try to obtain them.  It has been so helpful in learning the language.  Although I am no where near fluent I have learned A LOT this week!  

Oh and we have had two apostles come speak with us at two different firesides!  It was so awesome!  They bring such an awesome spirit with them and the whole MTC is just silent and respectful.  It was sooo cool!  So the first apostle was Richard G. Scott.  I have so much respect for that Elder!  He really taught us a ton!  Lol I filled up like 3 whole pages of notes.  It's so hard to write down everything they say because they have so much!  But I love that man!  His talk in General Conference was so sweet about his wife!  I hope to be like him someday.  The other apostle was Dallin H. Oaks!  I am so glad I am here at the MTC.  I have never seen an apostle live until I came here.  He was awesome too and his wife spoke to us.  He said that we as missionaries should have no other desire than to serve God.  That has really helped me get back into being focused on the work!  Sometimes it is hard, but this talk really helped me get my head straight.

Thanks everyone for the letters.  They were so good!  I got one from Jon, Allison, Steph, Ryan, the Simpsons, and from some of my college friends!  They are so helpful.  And, just so you know, I am now only going to be able to write letters on Thursdays! AND ONLY FOR 30 MINUTES!  Lol that is no time at all. Sorry that is why I decided to write you all at the same time!  So, how can I write Jon back?  Can you give me an address or something?  And how is the family?  Tell Paul that he is awesome and I love him!  Lol here is Paul's section of the email!  Paul what is up?  You are the bomb!  So I was talking to an Elder in my district and he was talking about all these emulators for like PSP and games and stuff and I was like ya my brother knows all about this stuff!  He is so awesome and smart.  Lol and I am so dumb!  But ya.  Rachel you are awesome!  Love you!  Have fun in Dubai!  Actually I met a kid who was from Canada who actually met Jay! It was funny we were able to connect that way!  It was so awesome! But even more funny was that we got talking and apparently he was able to leave on his mission early and serve in Calgary, Canada!  So I was like....do you happen to know Tanner Torres?  And he was like YA!!!!!!!  It was so funny!  Brother and Sister Archibald were his mission presidents!  It was soooooooo cool!  This was at a fireside one Sunday! But it was way cool!

After the fireside we watched the newer Joseph Smith movie.  Oh my goodness!  That movie has such a strong spirit about it!  I loved it!  I would like to ask you all to watch it!  That man did sooo much for us!  I love him and know that he is a prophet of God!!!!!

Elder Birky and I had an awesome experience.  We had some practice lessons today!  We have now gotten into a habit of praying before we go in to teach!  It has helped so sooooooo much!!!!  Like no other!  This is God's mission.  I just happen to be the tool!  So we taught and I was able to recall more words and phrases to express my feelings about it.  But, the most important thing was that we had the Spirit!  The investigator could just feel our testimony through how we spoke!  It was great!  I have such an awesome companion!  I love him!  He is soooo good at Spanish!  I am blessed to have a companion who can help me learn and speak well!  Even with little things like saying "ummmmm" in the lesson.  He taught me that it takes the attention of investigators, so I try not to say "umm" at all.  Soooo what else.  I am nearly out of time.  Mom and Dad how are you?  I love you.  Thank you so much for the letters!  I love them.  I love you all!  Thanks Allison for the letters.  I am almost out of time.  But I love you and the Church is true!  Bye!!!!!!!!

Elder Gibbs

April 12, 2011

So, I have been in the MTC two weeks and I want out.  It's like being in a cage.  I want to go out but as in Argentina :)  Otherwise, I have been having a great time.

My first companion is Elder Birky from Logan, Utah, which is pretty chill.  He is a cool guy.  In our room, we have two other elders: Price and Christianson.  We don't spend much time in our room but they are all fun guys.  Saturday after general conference I went bed sledding.  It was awesome all the Tongans laughed at me and so I laughed too.

There are people from all over the world here which has been really interesting.  There is a guy from Uganda next door.  He said that he has Never seen so much food in one place!  It made me think of how blessed we are in this country.  Lol he was also wearing snow clothes on a day when the temperature was about 72 degrees.  He was not yet used to the weather.  I also met another elder who was from the island of Kitibus in the Marshall Islands.  He told me that he was amazed to see all the busy roads and cities.  He taught me a lot about his country which was really interesting.  For instance, on their flag each ray on the sun stands for an island.  So they had seventeen islands.  I met him by offering him a cinnamon roll.  :)  Thanks Dad.  It is so cool thinking that no matter where you are in the world the church is true and it is for everyone.

Well in my district there are 11 missionaries.  2 are hermanas (sisters) and 9 are elders.  Everyone here is so cool and happy.  We are always hoping to get a general authority to come speak on Tuesday nights.  Lol Elder Stout in our district always spreads a rumor that the prophet is coming and me being as gullible as I always am fall for it.

Last week, we watched a talk by Elder Bednar about inspiration and testimony.  Some of the things he said were 9 out of 10 good thoughts come from the Holy Ghost.  One of the questions he addressed was "How do I know if I m receiving revelation from the Holy Ghost or if it is just me?"  Elder Bednar said "just press forward with faith in Christ and follow God's commandments."  It was strengthening to my testimony.  He said Heavenly Father doesn't always send angels down to tell you that the church is true.  It's as simple as feeling peace while praying or reading the scriptures.  This is how I also have learned that the Church is true and I love Heavenly Father and Jesus.  They have done so much for me and now I have the chance to do something for them.  Pray On!!!  La iglesia is verdadera (The church is true).

Elder Gibbs

(Editor's note...Below are some pictures Chris enclosed with his letter.  He didn't label them, but I have added some captions.)

With Grandma Gibbs, Grandpa Gibbs, and Mom before entering the MTC.

With Grandpa Gibbs and Dad before entering the MTC.

This is the flag of Argentina.

Elder Gibbs, that's so cool!  

I think this is his district (and one extra hermana) in front of the Provo, UT Temple.

I think this is his companion, Elder Birky (but I could be mistaken...will get clarification from Chris soon!)