May 30, 2011 (ARGENTINA!!!)

Buenas todas!  Estoy en Argentina y el gente aqui habla muy muy muy rapido!!!  [Editor's translation: I am in Argentina and the people here speak really really really fast!]  Lol its crazy! 

So I am doing all right! The people here are way cool! They just don't always want to listen to us which is sad. So after I got off the airplane there were some Elders that met us and we were shipped off to our different the parts of the country! Argentina is awesome! We saw the temple on the way and it was way pretty! Then we took a 4 or 5 hour ride to Rosario. We met the Mission President and his wife. They were nice and we met with some other missionaries that are native spanish speakers who are serving in the Rosario mission. None of them spoke English and so we had to communicate with them in Spanish. I actually was doing pretty well.  I made friends with some of them and ya it was pretty chill. 

The next day they had us meet our new companions and trainers.  I am companion with an Elder Towner. He is way cool and we are getting along great! There are no problems yet! He is a great person and a super good missionary and incredibly good at speaking Spanish. After I met him, we left to go to our areas. My area was a 5 hour drive away in a city called Gualeguaychú. Lol it took me like 4 days just to learn how to say the name. The city is pretty big and we are the ONLY missionaries in the whole city! Lol talk about crazy! There is a ton of walking! My legs are dead! Lol maybe by the end of my mission I can get rid of my chicken legs hahaha. But ya, the city is way cool. 

Our apartment is in the nicest part of town, which is still not nice compared to how we live in America. My companion says that it is like the nicest apartment in all of the mission. So I am grateful that way! But ya we are teaching a family of giants lol. Their name is muller. They are All really tall. Oh and can someone send me an email with pictures of my family for me in an email? I can get the pictures if you send them to my Ldsmaill email. My companion says they are really good to get the people to trust you so they don't think you are a robot or something lol.  Just send me any pictures of things I like to do, of family and everything! That would be great if you could get them to me before next Monday. Our prep days are on Monday. 

So I have gone around with Elder Towner and met the people. They are all really nice! But a lot are just not interested in our message. It's not always like what you hear. People in this city aren't just jumping to the font to get baptized. But we did give a 9 year old girl the challenge to be baptized and she accepted. She should be having a baptism in like 2 weeks. Her name is Sol. Their family is so nice! We went over and taught them the plan of salvation. I practiced my Spanish with them. And lol it is not Spanish down here. lol It is Castellano. They say they speak Castellano, but really it is just Spanish with the double L´s and Y sounding like ´sh´. They actually talk in a very Italian kind of accent. Its kind of confusing because when they say something like ashuda, they really mean ayuda, meaning help but they just switched the sound. Lol so confusing. I feel like I hardly know any Spanish, so it was good to practice with the family of Sol. Their last name is Ortez. And in fact they fed us. They were really poor and this was all they had to give us. Also they were soooo kind and nice that I did not want to be rude. They set some questionable meat down on the table. Also some cooked eggplant and bread........... so I first took a bit of the meat and it had a really weird feel to it and taste but I managed to swallow it pretty much whole. There was still a WHOLE plate left. Lol so I ate it with the bread. I didn't ask what the meat was. Lol I didn't want to know. But finally, the plate was gone. Lol so the father pulled out more. Lol I was dying. Then they asked my companion if I knew what it was. Lol the name is mungdunga.....which is COW STOMACH LINING :P so ya.  I was quite disgusted, but I did not show it because the family was soo nice. The kids were so pleasant and good, so I tried not to offend them. Lol and when I left Elder Towner asked if I liked it cuz I was eating a lot of the meat. Lol I was just trying to get it out of the way. Lol so that is the only weird thing I have eaten so far. The Ortez family aren't members yet, but hopefully we can get the parents married and baptized.

There is sooooo much work to do here! There are about 500 members here and they are pretty much ALL inactive. The branch is not strong at all! Only about 40 members come. We need to do something to get these people back into the church and living how Christ showed us. Living the way Christ taught us is so important! The thing I love is that it makes us happy! When we follow the Lord we just feel happy! When we don't choose the right we feel bad! It's so simple. That is why I want to share the Gospel with the people here, so they can feel the joy we have.  Also to know that they can live with God after this life and He knows each and everyone of us. He knows how to make us happy! I am so happy I am a member of this church and that I now have the chance to share the gospel with the people in Argentina.

Last Sunday I met a man at church. It was his birthday and so he invited us over to his house for lunch and to play some games. It was soo fun! The game was really fun, it was with dice. He is 80 years old and the oldest member of the church here. He is so cool! I loved getting to meet him! I will send a photo of him soon!

So I am doing all right here in Argentina. Things are really tough here and the language is soooo hard. It's only the 5th day here, but I have constantly been busy! Hopefully I can help the people here. I love you all! I know that this is the true church! I know that God loves everyone on this earth! He has provided everyone with the chance to return to live with Him and be happy forever! I am so happy with my family, and I am happy serving! I am super tired, but diligently serving!

Well I've got to go! I love you all! Rachel work hard on Spanish next year so that we can speak Spanish to each other when I return! Paul please beat Zelda Skyward Sword and keep the game so I can play it some day. I love you Mom and Dad so much!!! And Allison and Jon and Stephanie and Ryan! You are the best family ever!!!!! Everyone keep being awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Remember to keep reading the scriptures and praying!

Elder Christopher Gibbs

On the way to Argentina!

Elder Gibbs left the MTC on Monday morning for Argentina!  While at the airport he was able to call Mom & Dad & Kids in Kuwait and Stephanie in Washington.  He sounds great and very excited to be finally going to Argentina.  He hasn't been able to email yet, but a Delta flight attendant (who is LDS) saw the group of missionaries at the Atlanta airport.  She was nice enough to take a picture and send it to all the parents.  Don't they look awesome?!

Stay tuned to hear from Elder Gibbs in Argentina!

May 19, 2011

Hello,

 

So this week has been pretty crazy cuz we are going to be leaving real soon!  Lol its crazy how time flies when you are having fun!  So we leav the mtc on Monday at 8 and get there around 10 or 11 possibly so be expecting a call Mom and Dad.  They let us call our family at the airports.  So like in Atlanta and possibly Buenos Aires you might also get a call.  But ya it will be way cool to talk to you all!  

So Elder Birky and I get along really well!  We teach fairly well together too.  We were asked by the zone leaders to give a lesson out of the missionary handbook about preparation day and even our branch president gave us compliments on how well we taught together.  He called us both back to the front of the meeting and praised us.  Lol I was like wow......I didn't even think that I did very well.  He said we taught together as one, that we did well to ask questions and stuff.  So that made us feel really good! 

This week has been way different.  So we were also asked to demonstrate to the new missionaries on how to begin teaching.  I don't know if we were recomennded to do it or what but we did.  It was quite fun.  We had microphones hooked up to us and we taught a lesson in front of like 40 people.  That was an amazing spirit.  I am so glad I have Elder Birky as a companion because when us has trouble saying something we pick up the slack for the other. 

For this fireside we didn't have an apostle.  We had President Gordon B. Hinckley's son, which was sooo funny! He was actually kind of goofy.  I loved it!  But besides that he was really spritual and had a lot of good tips!  And he sounds and acts A LOT like his father the prophet! 

So another thing is we were going to sing one final song on Sunday to our branch.  We were singing the EFY medley in Spanish.  After that we were just goofing around singing hymns in the children's hymn book and we sang A Child's Prayer!!!!!  I love this song!!!!  I think it may be my favorite song now!  That song has such a great spirit!  I know it is because the lyrics are inspired words from God.  In the song it talks about how Heavenly Father answers every child's prayer!  And I know that He does!  He has answered my prayers countless times!  I can feel His love all around me as I pray!  I know He loves me and everyone on this earth! He cares for us unconditionally.  If we mess up, He still loves us and wants us to turn to him!  I love this and I am so glad that our Heavenly Father loves us and has given us a way that we can return to live with Him forever!!!!  I know that if we listen to the words of the prophet Thomas S. Monson, we can know what God wants us to do.  God has not left us alone in the world.  He has given us ancient prophets and prophets today.  Because he loved the people back then and he loves the people now!!!!  He is unchanging from yesterday, today and forever!  I love Him and His Son Jesus Christ!  I am so happy that I know these truths!  That is just something that I have felt this week. 

I have the watch you gave me dad and I love it!  Lol I predicted the weather from it to my district.  I said according to my watch the weather is going to get worse, and it did lol it snowed the next day.  Oh Mom and Dad and Paul I got the letters from you!  I loved them sooooo much!  Paul lol you are sooo funny!  I laughed about the new ice cream guy on the street.  Oh and I heard that the new Zelda game has a name, but I don't know what it is.  Could you tell me? 

Mom I forgot to say this. Sorry, but Happy Mothers Day!!!!!!  I love you sooo much!  I love my family soooooo much.  I love you Dad and Mom and Steph and Ryan and Rachel, Allison, John, Paul, Sam and Austin.  I am sooo happy you are my family members and that I can spend eternity with you!  I am soo happy that my parents made the decision to be married in the temple!  Sorry but you are all stuck with me forever!!!!!  I love you and I am glad to be serving the Lord!!! 

Have a good week!  I will talk to you soon!  Elder Gibbs!

[Here are some pictures Chris sent!]

 

May 12, 2011

So this week has been really cool!!!!  As always!  We have got our travel plans for going to Argentina.  So we are getting ready to leave!  We leave on the 23rd at 8 am!  At the airport I get to have a phone call home, so I was going to call your phone dad at 435 229...... number!  So I am way excited.  Spanish is going good as ever.  And I am getting a little more comfortable in spanish.  Lol I think that is going to change when I get to Argentina though.....


So on this Tuesday we had another apostle come to speak to us.  It was Elder Neil L. Anderson!  He was great!  He had a strong spirit.  One thing that I learned about is the atonement.  He said that the grace of Christ kicks in after we have done all we can.  It makes us something we are not.  And so it just helped me rely more on Christ and His help to help me in the language.  He said many other wonderful things, but the most amazing thing was after the devotional.  He came and Shook our hands!  I am so glad I waited to do that!  I felt kind of foolish after I did though.  Lol when I shook his hand I said "Thank you President Anderson............ELDER Anderson."  Lol I don't think he minded, but it was just funny!  [Editor's Note: President Anderson is the Stake President of the Bloomington Utah Stake in St. George]  


So this last Saturday, I did a special musical number with the zone leaders in my branch.  They sang while I accompanied on the piano.  They sang the first 2 verses, then they each sang one verse individually, then I had a little solo interlude kind of thing, and then they sang the last verse together with me accompanying on the piano.  I was so nervous because I was doing the solo part by myself and I had never previously got it 100% perfect lol.  So I was super nervous!  I said a prayer before we started to myself that I could help bring the spirit into the meeting.  So I played, and I did it perfectly.  My mind was clear and it sounded beautiful.  The Hermanas from my district were amazed!  They were like "That sounded beautiful!" and a couple were crying.  It was so awesome!  But I am positive that I had help with playing it.  


Besides that I am still playing the piano in the meetings.  It's so cool how the spirit can work through different things like pictures, music, words, even sign language.  I was talking to this Elder Greeves who was a little handicapped.  The muscles in his face did not work, but I could feel his spirit as he described an experience of teaching the lesson.  He gave his testimony in sign language, because he is on a sign language mission, and he said the spirit was soooo strong!  It was amazing!  


I know that Heavenly Father loves this Elder!  I know that He loves everyone on the earth!  I was studying the atonement and it is just so amazing the love Heavenly Father has for us and that Jesus has for us.  I know that They are living people and that we can return to live with them if we follow that guidance of the prophets and the scriptures!  I love you all and I am so happy to be on a mission!  It is so awesome!  I would love to hear from you all!!!!!  Have a great day!!!!!

May 5, 2011

Buenos dias mi familia!

So the mtc has been pretty good!  Just the same as always.  Studying all the different tenses in spanish!  Ugh lol there is a lot to remember!  But it is coming pretty good and the Gospel study has been great!  We haven't had any more apostles come since Elder Dallin H. Oaks, but we have had some really nice firesides.  Oh and I have actually been singing in the choir. Its pretty fun!!! 

Oh Mom and Dad do you remember the Kinnisons from Dove Canyon?  Well, I met Michael Kinnison here like 4 weeks ago.  I was like do you remember me?  And he was like ...............nope......nope.  Lol it was funny.  So I was like "oh okay.  Well I was in you in your ward like 10 years ago.  Lol.  I am pretty sure your family would remember us, because we do get your Christmas card every year still."  So ya that was a bit awkward, but kind of cool to see someone I haven't seen in so long of a time. 

Oh and so our district has finally been here long enough to help host the new missionaries coming in.  I felt so awesome and old.  I remember like 6 weeks ago when I came in and those elders seemed like they knew everything.  It was a lot of fun!  I met a missionary who lived in Brazil but recently moved to the States and is going to serve in Las Vegas.  So it was cool!  Oh and I met an Elder Watson who was friends with Richie Thomas my college friend!  That was way cool too!  But ya that was about it.  Lol not much else has been going on.  We are having a little district Cinco de Mayo.  Lol my companion does this funny Cinco de Mayo yell.  It's kind of like "ayaiyaiyia ah ha!!!!!!!!!!"  Just say that really loud and that is what it sounds like.  It's sooo funny!  

I love my companion Elder Birky!  He and I are growing pretty close.  It's great and it has been helping our teaching.  Lol our teaching needs a lot of work.  It's soo hard!  We are getting more used to it but ya its gonna take some time.  

Oh and I just wanted to say I love all the people in my life!  My college friends, family, cousins, aunts and uncles and everyone!  Thank you so much for all of the letters and stuff!  I have been loving it!  Oh and I think it is soo cool that so many of my friends have been recieving their mission calls!  Good luck!!!!  

Oh and another thing that we have been doing in our district for fun is this court kind of thing.  Lol its so funny! We give people funny fines for stuff.  Lol I got a couple.  One a fine for 100 pushups because I could grow the most manly facial hair and the other one for having sick puppies (lol my abs) which started out as a joke or whatever.  

So I hear the family is doing good?  And Rachel had a great time in Dubai!  That is awesome!  I am soooo thankful for my family!!!!!!  I love all of them!  My brother, my sisters, my brother-in-laws, my parents, my dog, my nephews, and everyone!  My Heavenly father has blessed me so much!!!!!  He has blessed me with incredible friends!  Thank you everyone for being such a blessing in my life!  It is sooo awesome knowing that I have a Heavenly Father who watches out for me and knows me and what will make me happy!  I am soo thankful that Has given us the chance to live with Him in His family forever!  I am thankful for His Son and all Jesus has done for me!!!!!!!!  


Estoy agradecido por todos de mis bendiciones en mi vida!  Amo la iglesia y yo se que es verdad!  Estoy alegre que el me da las escrituras.  They are really the word of God!  I love reading about the Savior and learning about what He is like!!!!!  Also for anyone who wants to read a cool Book of Mormon story read in Alma 17 about Ammon!  Who took on like 20 guys at once with the power of God!  The power of God is real!  It is the preisthood!  I love you all and you are all awesome!!!!!  Heavenly Father loves each of you and knows who you are!  Eternal life is never too far away from anyone!  We just have to follow Christ's example!!!!!!  


Oh and so the football field opened and I have have been playing soccer which has been really fun! I love all of you and see you later!  Remember to read the scriptures and to pray! Adios!!!!