Hello Family and beloved friends!
I haven't much time, but I just want to give a shout out to my girl Kenz! Sweet 16 baby! AND WITH A CAR?!?! WHAT THE-? I've totally forgot how to drive a car. But I've not forgotton all your love for this Thanksgiving weekend (although I kind of forgot about Thanksgiving day here). I actually fasted for an investigator on thanksgiving day and weekly planned. But it was still a special day. Kenzi's sweet 16, a month till Christmas and talking with family, and it actually is my 10th month mark as a missionary and I'm very grateful to have been a missionary for this time. I'm totally a different person and I'm loving it.
Right now its been sort of tough. All of our investigators feel like they're falling through the cracks. Training a new missionary is a challenge because you need to adjust EVERYTHING - your studies, your goals, your habits, your teaching style, your language, and everything you can probably think in between. For instance, we were rushing to a meeting after a fun sports event but couldn't take a shower in between. I knew my routine, how long it took, so I was dressed and ready to go and peddling hard. My comp was a bit slower, so I urged him to hurry. I could tell he was upset that we had to rush, but it's the work of the Lord, got over it, right? I raced in and out of the typical Asian traffic, and he was still behind. "He'll catch up" I thought. Then I heard tire screechings. I a turned around. His face look more frustrated, but he was ok, so we raced on.
At the meeting, he had a bad attitude for some reason and I asked him what was up. He gave me an awful look and said he didn't want to talk right then. Fine. I'll just do the meeting myself, I thought. But there was that spirit of disunity that was eating on me. Finally I asked myself, Did I do something wrong?
Ask and ye shall receive right? I immediately the thought hit me: What if those tire squeels resulted in something more than just frustration? What if a collision was the result? Then a feeling sunk deep in my heart. I started to really think about what could've happened if the worst really did occur at that hectic intersection? Weight and guilt together pressed upon my very soul that whole meeting. Suddenly getting to the meeting by 4.00 pm wasn't as important. Suddenly having all the lessons with a member present started to seem less relevant to my purpose. My baptismal date slipped away from my mind as I started to realize that "Inviting others to come unto Christ" starts with the very person nest to me. I was reminded of moments I couldn't feel love from my trainer sometimes. I realized that if I was to be successful, I have to love my companion first, worry about investigators latter. "Love first, lessons later" has become my motto and I have felt the Peace of Jesus Christ enter back into my soul. I sometimes have a hard time loving him, but as I'm starting to love him as Heavenly Father does, it doesn't seem as hard. Sometimes if I cant love someone myself, I just have to ask Christ to love him for me through His love.
It's my 10th month and only now am I starting to understand how and why to love someone. I encourage you to love more and ask for Charity this Thanksgiving, because it's not about just being thankful, but expressing gratitude to everyone you love. I encourage you to love someone more this season. Don't believe you can or don't know how? Well, turn the expert of love, get on your knees and ask for help we all need.
Thank you again everyone for letters, presents, and many, many prayers I've felt daily.
I haven't much time, but I just want to give a shout out to my girl Kenz! Sweet 16 baby! AND WITH A CAR?!?! WHAT THE-? I've totally forgot how to drive a car. But I've not forgotton all your love for this Thanksgiving weekend (although I kind of forgot about Thanksgiving day here). I actually fasted for an investigator on thanksgiving day and weekly planned. But it was still a special day. Kenzi's sweet 16, a month till Christmas and talking with family, and it actually is my 10th month mark as a missionary and I'm very grateful to have been a missionary for this time. I'm totally a different person and I'm loving it.
Right now its been sort of tough. All of our investigators feel like they're falling through the cracks. Training a new missionary is a challenge because you need to adjust EVERYTHING - your studies, your goals, your habits, your teaching style, your language, and everything you can probably think in between. For instance, we were rushing to a meeting after a fun sports event but couldn't take a shower in between. I knew my routine, how long it took, so I was dressed and ready to go and peddling hard. My comp was a bit slower, so I urged him to hurry. I could tell he was upset that we had to rush, but it's the work of the Lord, got over it, right? I raced in and out of the typical Asian traffic, and he was still behind. "He'll catch up" I thought. Then I heard tire screechings. I a turned around. His face look more frustrated, but he was ok, so we raced on.
At the meeting, he had a bad attitude for some reason and I asked him what was up. He gave me an awful look and said he didn't want to talk right then. Fine. I'll just do the meeting myself, I thought. But there was that spirit of disunity that was eating on me. Finally I asked myself, Did I do something wrong?
Ask and ye shall receive right? I immediately the thought hit me: What if those tire squeels resulted in something more than just frustration? What if a collision was the result? Then a feeling sunk deep in my heart. I started to really think about what could've happened if the worst really did occur at that hectic intersection? Weight and guilt together pressed upon my very soul that whole meeting. Suddenly getting to the meeting by 4.00 pm wasn't as important. Suddenly having all the lessons with a member present started to seem less relevant to my purpose. My baptismal date slipped away from my mind as I started to realize that "Inviting others to come unto Christ" starts with the very person nest to me. I was reminded of moments I couldn't feel love from my trainer sometimes. I realized that if I was to be successful, I have to love my companion first, worry about investigators latter. "Love first, lessons later" has become my motto and I have felt the Peace of Jesus Christ enter back into my soul. I sometimes have a hard time loving him, but as I'm starting to love him as Heavenly Father does, it doesn't seem as hard. Sometimes if I cant love someone myself, I just have to ask Christ to love him for me through His love.
It's my 10th month and only now am I starting to understand how and why to love someone. I encourage you to love more and ask for Charity this Thanksgiving, because it's not about just being thankful, but expressing gratitude to everyone you love. I encourage you to love someone more this season. Don't believe you can or don't know how? Well, turn the expert of love, get on your knees and ask for help we all need.
Thank you again everyone for letters, presents, and many, many prayers I've felt daily.
Love you all,
Elder Gibbons
Elder Gibbons
