hello everyone!! thank you for all the wonderful emails. i love hearing from everyone and seeing pictures and feeling like i'm there :) the library is super crowded today, so i only have 26 minutes left! i will try to hurry. but before i tell about my week i don't want to forget to tell you how much i love you all!! being away, i realize how much you all really mean to me. i feel so blessed to be a gibbons :) (and of course shawcrofts and bosters are included)
well first off, the best news...a miracle! C.A. has a baptismal date! September 26th :) we had our first legit lesson with her on Saturday night. it's always hard to sit down and have it quiet with 4 kids ages 5 - 17 around, but we did it (well not THAT quiet, but good enough). then all 5 of them came to church and stayed all three hours. the teenagers went to the right sunday school class instead of staying with mom and they loved it. we were nervous about B enjoying it (she's the one that just moved back in) but she loved YW! the gospel principles lesson was just what C needed. anyway, lots of little miracles at church. then we went over that night for a lesson and B just opened up to us. she is sharp. she talked about wanting to change her life and how she's been praying this week and is much happier. then we were about to pray to start the lesson and C said "wait, first i want to tell you. i want to get baptized!" she told us of all of the little miracles that told her God wanted her to do this. she joked that if she didn't act on it, God would probably have to hit her on the head with a 2x4. she is AMAZING! she has 2 weeks to stop smoking, so keep her in your prayers!!! i really think it's possible that the 3 kids over 8 could join her that day, but we'll have to see what their dad says. anyway, it was another one of those moments where you know the Lord is in control, and I felt like an observer only. i feel so blessed to be a part of this.
well the crazy part of the week was that we had a lot of exchanges! we had a 4 day leadership training meeting with President, the assistants, zone leaders, district leaders, and hermana H and I. we were definitely outnumbered as the only sisters there (except for sister larkin and A larkin!). hermana H entered the MTC on the same day as me and she's the spanish sister trainer. we have secretly schemed about being companions one day, and this week our dream came true! we were comps from 10 - 4, tues through friday while our companions switched off proselyting in their area and ours. THEN after friday's training, we drove straight to maple valley for an exchange. i brought sister S back to dash point with me and we had a great exchange. (random note - do you remember sister G? her family doesn't write her at all...she's the only member. i was wondering if one of you would write her a letter. just introduce yourself, ask about her and ask about the work! don't ask her how her english is going though...hehe just trust me. anyway she's having a rough time and the more support the better. don't say i told you she's having a hard time though...you know what i mean. anyway it's just an idea i've had this week) poor sister M was shipped all over the mission this week. we're glad to be back together for a normal week!
the weeklong training was AMAZING. it's this new curriculum they're going to start teaching at the MTC in may 2011. it's still all out of PMG [Preach My Gospel], but the brethren chose 8 main areas to focus on. it was amazing! i learned so much about how to be a better teacher. it made me feel like i need another year out in the field to apply everything and master it, but i'll use it while i can :) i've already had amazinge experiences as i've focused more on teaching by the spirit and helping our investigators receive personal revelation. ah i wish i could just share everything about it but now i'm down to 14 minutes.
well again i love you all so much! i'm so happy here. it's definitely hard, but i feel like my eyes have just been completely opened on my mission. i have such a better understanding of the Savior. the more i learn the more i know i have so much to learn. i don't even know how to put everything in words anymore. well i better run. LOVE YOU!!
sister gibbons
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