FINALLY!! Photos from the MTC

Joseph's closet area

His "roomies" - Elders: Creer (his companion), Gibbons, Harley, Davies

His bunk...notice his finger puppets!!

Elders from Alta H.S. (back row): Alvarez, Gibbons, Croxton, Davies, Hudson (front row) West, Johnson

Draper 4th Ward Elders: Gibbons, Alvarez, Johnson

Joseph & Braxton Davies (roomies & Alta H.S. grads)

When Joseph first got to the MTC he kept getting mail for a "John Gibbons"

THIS is Elder John Gibbons!

This is Sister Tingey next to Joseph.

Joseph's great friend, Alex Denning, who will be serving in France.

Just thought this was cute...NEW Missionary shoes!

MTC Choir Elders: (standing) Tatton, Davies, Simonsen, Haughton, Engle (kneeling) Bartling, Gibbons, Kramer

I hope this fits here, cuz this is SO typical Joseph that I have to write his caption for this photo: "And the pensive fog slowly poured over the tops of the mountains only to then cascade gently into the canyon - filling it, as it were, with that same austerity one feels on a cold, brisk dawn in March journeying toward that which only the mind can hinder from achieving."  :)

Joseph with another Alta buddy, Dhane Taylor (not sure where his is going?)

This is the combined food from packages all four Elders received.  Can you see why he told me to STOP sending so much food?!!!

Thanks everyone who sent letters to Joseph for Valentines Day!! 

Joseph's District: (back row) Davies, Hadley, Engle, Tatton (front row) Creer, Gibbons, Bennett, Martin

The Thailand Mission Zone

Their district's classroom.

"Awkward picture" with Sister Itri - his cousin Jordan Reynolds and Danielle Brownell's friend, in the new Thai district

 Last district he welcomed in as Zone Leader

One of Joseph's friends since Draper Elementary, Tanner Barnhill (going to Eugene, OR)

"First 'Mission Presidents' - the Roaches...one of the best men I've met."

A new batch of Alta H.S. Elders: Gibbons, Taylor (Taiwan), Woosley (Taiwan) & Baker (Japan)

Last photo of the MTC...his desk before he left!

Week 11 - Leaving for Thailand

Joseph left the Mission Training Center yesterday (April 9th) about 4:30 pm with a group of 16 missionaries for the SLC Airport!  They went through customs then boarded their plane for Los Angeles at 8:10 pm.  We weren’t sure when he would get a chance to call us before he left the country, so of course Megan, Kenzi, Anna, Mike and I waited (im)patiently for his phone call from 4:30-7:30 pm.  Unfortunately, he didn’t have time to call from SLC, so he finally called us from L.A. about 11:10 p.m.  By this time, Megan and Kenzi had gone home.  When Joseph called, we patched Megan into the call, but Kenzi had gone to sleep.   (I told her she could be the first one to talk to him when he calls on Mother’s Day!!)

Good news is JOSEPH SOUNDED GREAT!!!  We weren’t expecting his voice to be deeper!  We’ve never gone so long without talking to him, so it was kind of weird to hear his voice so low!  He talked a million miles a minute and could hardly get everything in that he wanted to tell us.  He spoke a little Thai for us and he did pretty well!  You could tell there was a buzz of excitement around him at the airport, as all the missionaries were trying to talk to their families.  He LOVED the MTC and the missionaries he has met.  They are already life-long friends.  He said it was strange not to have an “adult” leader around.  He said Elder Bennett (the missionary we met at the Provo Temple right before he entered the MTC) was their travel leader.  And he thought it was hilarious that Elder Bennett had never been on an airplane or out of the state of Utah before.  (He has been to the states that “touch” Utah, but only by car.)  

He didn’t even know where to start with his experience at the MTC.  The main thing he said was there were “lots of miracles, everyday!”  He started writing them down in a journal because there were so many.  He loved being in the choir and he got to stand next to one of his best buddies, Elder Engle (he stood on Joseph’s left side, if you go to LDS.org and watch it again…Elder Archuletta is in the front row, 2^nd Elder from the middle!!)  He got to be a “host” for new international Elders that entered the MTC last week.  He said that was awesome.  He used some of his Thai grammar with a missionary coming in from another Asian country (skipping some of our little English words) and he said he was able to communicate effectively!    His last Sunday devotional (the night before he left) was the best because Elder Packer called up the MTC and said he wanted to come speak…I guess you just say SURE!!  Then, (you can totally hear Joseph say this!) as he entered the room for the devotional, he saw “risers” set up, so he got really excited knowing it was going to be a choir, but when the director of the BYU Men’s Chorus walked in, Joseph was beside himself!!  For him, to hear Elder Packer AND the BYU Men’s Chorus was the greatest treat before he left for Thailand.  I guess he and his friend Elder Engle got their pictures in the Church News too!  We never saw it, so if anyone has a copy of it, we would LOVE to have one for our scrapbook!!  

About midnight, Joseph quickly said it was time to go and he was so ready to be on his way!  He didn’t think he was even going to sleep on the plane!!  (14 hour plane ride to Hong Kong!)  But, I am assuming he made it to Hong Kong then they had one last 2-hour leg to Thailand.  He said it was like “Tuesday never happened for him!”  He just went right from Monday to Wednesday!

He wrote me a letter on March 27th and I forgot to post a few things from it:

“I got Grandpa’s letter (I’m not done with it) – PLEASE TELL HIM THANK YOU – AND also thank Barry & Lucie and Lee & Annette for the treats [I also forgot to thank Aunt Heather & Uncle Marty from Joseph too!].  And let Lee & Annette know that I met a very wonderful Irma (Portuguese for ‘sister’) Tingey!  Kind of related, I guess?!  Ha Ha!  She’s a beautiful red-headed sister who is companions with Whitney – a blonde BYU student who had Portuguese language with me in back in school.

Thanks to ALL of you who have written him and/or sent packages!!  I know he has appreciated every one of them.  Please keep writing, as he will be on his own now and will need the love and support.  He is VERY happy and anxious to get to know and love the people of Thailand…which he says he already does!!  He won’t be writing this week, so the next letter will be from him next week!  

He says, “Best wishes till Thailand! (Then after that, BETTER wishes!!  I’ll keep you posted as best as I can about the orient.)”   

Love, Elder Gibbons

Week 10 - Last letter from the MTC!!

Hello, world! So my next email you'll see is going to be sent from Thailand!  It's SOOO weird that I'm finally about to go!  And on that note, I'm sorry to say but I'm not going to be sending out too many letters this week due to packing, etc...  But real quick, I just want to tell you all some cool things before I really head out Monday evening.  But before ALL that, I want to thank you again for your support. Your love is as tangible as anything you can hold in your hand. I hold that love in my heart as I try to serve the Lord.  Wow that was gushy... But I'm totally being truthful - thank you so much. :)

So I'm glad I got to sing in the choir during the Saturday Afternoon Session [of Conference]! The power of music is so cool.  For instance, after the last talk on Saturday, people started to get up and leave?!  I mean who does that?!  I was bummed because we prepared the most incredible song about the Prophet Joseph, and people were walking out on our message.  But we kept singing and singing until the hushed key of Bb blossomed into a vibrant D major as the sisters took their turn testifying.  Then I looked out into the audience.  No one was moving in the aisles - no one was IN the aisles!  But everyone had sat perfectly still in reverence and awe from the exuberant emotion of 500 missionaries singing about their beloved prophet.  Then the key was swallowed up in the majestic Gb major, 7-part final verse.  But then, even the people who left could be seen gathered in the back standing in reverence of this awe-inspiring work.  The music dedicated to Joseph Smith literally stopped thousands in their tracks.  The Spirit that filled the whole room was a last "Amen" to all the seers prophets and revelators that lifted up their voices that day - an Amen I can never forget.

But a little more on the not-so-spiritual side, I did see Elder Archie [David Archuletta](can't spell his name) a few times, he IS a first tenor, and no, I have not nor will not get any pictures with him - with new missionaries coming in every week and seeing him, I’d rather be a help to him and leave him alone - although he very nice, respectful, and humble.  Also very short.  Kudos to Elder Jared Andersen who stood by his side the whole time who's not a whit behind spiritually from Elder Arch. ;)

In closing, I also want to mention our travel plans: - Leave SLC: 8:10p; Arrive LAX 9:20p; Leave LAX: 11:50; Arrive Hong Kong: 5:40 (you can try the math, but that's
really a 14 hr flight.  Yiam!  aka Awesome!)  Leave Hong Kong: 5:55; Arrive Bangkok: 10:35!

So that's pretty much it for now.  Thai is coming, although we're learning still: Like when I told my investigator about the 'Procreative Kingdom" on accident.  But progression is cool - like last Saturday night when I totally didn't realize that I was saying my prayer in Thai until half way through!  The Lord does love us and his missionaries!

Week 9

Dearest Family and friends,

In the words of John Lennon, this is letter "number nine..." Wow.  It's
been pretty awesome here!  My last couple blogs have been pretty
spiritual in nature, so this time I think I should catch some people
up.

FIRST ABOVE ALL, thank you SOOO much for all your prayers and thoughts
in my behalf.  I really can feel them every single minute of every single day.
If any of you out there are on the fence about serving (a mission), just go so you
can see the raw power of prayer work in others behalves.  Then you can
go around the world to help others come to the same conclusion.
However, coming here was definitely a leap of faith for me.  I didn't
know how to teach, I didn't know if I could handle my companion, and
if you ask my mom, she'd say that I liked the Bible over the Book of
Mormon... (Clairify: Both are great, ok? lol)  But really though,
watching the hand of the Lord qualify his servants right before your
very eyes is an experience that is ... yeah, like I can't even type
anything right this moment to describe how wonderful AND REAL this
work is.  I've been struggling a bit this week about some questions,
but through fasting, prayer, and feasting (upon the Words of Christ),
I received my answer in more ways than one - for example, even just
getting an answer to "hold on" brought comfort to my soul.

Yeah, so this thing turned out "spiritual" I guess... Well, good news
- We leave for Thailand in less than a fortnight -  if you don't know how long
that is, look it up, because we're all freaking out about it.  My Thai is
coming better and better because of the gift of success the spirit has
given me in answer to all your prayers.  Yes, success is a gift of
the spirit - totally found that out while I was here (read Alma
22:22,27-28). Yeah, and I guess fasting is also a "commandment..."
Yeah, like no one told me.  You find cool things while you are here too...
Yeah, like I also found out that one time in Thailand, the king was on
his death bed and everyone was sad.  So one Tuesday, they all wore
pink for him to get better - and he did! So every Tuesday EVERYONE WEARS
PINK !

Another pretty cool thing I found out while here is that I have the
opportunity to participate in a special choir that will be
supplying the music for General Conference!  I wasn't going to say when
so you'd have to watch ALL of them to find me in my little purple tie
(thanks Emilie!), but my mom threatened to go to the priesthood
session if necessary - but we're singing Saturday afternoon, so it's
all good, mom.  ;)  Robyn, you're DEFINITELY going to want to watch our
intermediate number!  We're singing some really cool pieces - ones
you'll just have to watch to find out!

Well, it has been an exciting week, and now getting released as zone
leader really does show how close it's coming to the end of my amazing
stay here at the MTC.  It's almost done!

Week 8

Hello family and friends!

So this week has been really cool.  Very spiritually boosting.  We mainly focused on "Teaching People, Not Lessons" in our Missionary curriculum. It really has been night and day to allow the spirit to take control of the lesson.  It is a physical thing.  It isn't some theory that people say to make us teach better. The Spirit is becoming to me as tangible a thing as something I can physically feel.  When I was little, I was always a little disappointed when in Sunday school or wherever it was I heard it said that "the Spirit is like the wind: you can't see it but you know it's there."  Nope.  The wind is definitely here on THIS earth and I can physically feel it, etc.  You never know when you're feeling the spirit because it might be your thoughts, you might be too distracted, you can only hear it when there's no one else around -except for those stories that never happen to you... Those were some of my frustrated thoughts sometimes.

But the Spirit is actually becoming as constant as wind is.  Usually wind is not very constant, but it is much more constant than my ambiguous idea of what the spirit was.  But now, I am learning the why’s and how’s behind the workings of the spirit while here.  All I've learned reminds me of Helaman 3:35, where the people of God "did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation...because of their yielding their hearts to God."  THIS week, Elder Creer and I taught an awesome lesson in Priesthood because it was "conducted after the manner of the workings of the Spirit, and by the power of the Holy Ghost." (Moroni 6:9)  Seeing the success that the Spirit brings, we had another lesson taught by Elder Bennett and Elder Engle who just wanted to have a kind of discussion.  The following were some of my impressions I recorded with my little blue inspiration book I have (WHOLE other story for that little book):

"The Spirit is like a violin - a millimeter off and you're off tune.  How to fix?  Practice those precise fingerings correctly (and constantly self-correcting) until it gets engrained in your blood by pondering and actually applying the spirit; continuously practicing, like Lehi - who practiced listening to the Spirit so much, he was always prepared to receive revelation - and DID."

Once Lehi acted (in faith) on something that 'could be' the spirit, the Lord realized he was so much more ready to receive more.  "To him that receiveth, to him will I give more, and he that receiveth not, it shall be taken away"... or something like that.  I have learned that the Spirit, that is as tangible as a morning wind, can only be felt if you act on those promptings and "wax stronger and stronger" by practicing A LOT.

I ask you - my friends and fam - to PLEASE read your Book of Mormon every day.  Practice that spirit, and I know you too will feel it's a breeze.

Week 7

Wow... What a week! SOOOO much has happened. I'll try to tell as much as I can...

So on Wednesday, we got our Nung Thais!! Elder Sharp in even just a few hours younger than me too! Danielle and Jordan's and my friend, Sister Jeni Itri is here with Sister Church - who's mom told me to look her up while I was eating in Provo's "Spicy Thai." They're already learning script which makes me a little jealous, but the Lord has a reason for everything.

In Fact, that was a big turning point for me here.  Bro. Day told us a story where a Greenie Elder was his companion during one lesson where he was giving most the lesson until the greenie wanted to say something.  He struggled at trying to convey his feelings, and you could tell he had so much love, and he touched the investigator much more than he (Bro. Day) did - even though he understand every Thai word. "I hope you come back Tri-lingual" he said. "Speaking English, Thai, and the Spirit.  I was so bogged down with knowledge and pride, that I couldn't hear what the Spirit wanted me to do or say - but that Elder did because he was listening to the true comunicator. There is no such thing as a language barrier - just a lack of the Spirit," Bro. Day recounted. That really hit me, big time. Before that lesson (and even now) I had been really struggling with the language.  I was beating myself down because of past 'failures' and such.  But after that lesson, we taught our investigator, Beer (yep, that's his name...), one of the best lessons because this time Elder Creer and I listened, waited, and decided to include the Spirit more.  I still couldn't say what I wanted to EXACTLY, but I got the point across (I even had to bring Anna into the lesson to describe a principle because of the lack of Thai that I will improve on).  And although my Thai could be lacking to some people, I spoke the language of the Spirit better that I had ever before.

Another instance where the language of the Spirit spoke louder than Thai or English was where we had an emergency in our residence hall.  I was getting ready Sunday morning when I heard a commotion and that Elder Engle was in trouble.  Elder Engle, just by the way is one of my favorite people in the world. Top 5 funniest I've met for sure (more stories to come from that).  Not only has he played the violin for 12 yrs and can say the greatest and funniest things, but he actually speaks Portuguese and helped me out during this whole time.  So with that already running through my head, I run out to discover that he cannot close his mouth.  Apparently, he got his mouth stuck while brushing his teeth and his jaw became locked.  So I ran out as they were going to go to the health clinic.  But I called out to them "Hey, do you want a blessing?" Elder Engle spun around and nodded vigorously.  We went into our room right by the door and I anointed (with much awkwardness) and Elder Creer gave a very short blessing and they were off. I couldn't eat that morning hardly, but at lunch I saw him [Elder Engle] talking normally.  I almost dropped my tray, but ran up to him instead.  He related to me that they were rushed off the hospital and the pain got worse and worse.  Finally it got so bad that he thought he was going to pass out.  When darkness started to surround him, he said his jaw shut.  The blessing was the factor he said. We later talked about it and we tearfully thanked each other.  I really do have so much love for everyone in this district, it's amazing.  Why?  Because we have all been learning a third language that angels speak. When you can learn this language and 'can speak with the tongue of angels,' miracles happen.

They DO only happen when you're exactly obedient, and I'm not being that right now because I'm three minutes over, but I wanted to share that experience with you that I might persuade you of the truthfulness of these things.  I love you all.  Your prayers fuel me with the light I need every day.  Thank you :)

Elder Gibbons

Week 6

Hello friends and family!

So it's the start of week seven for us tomorrow, and there is so much going on!  I'll start backwards so I can get it all.  Tomorrow we get "Nung Thais" (or 'little Thais') which means new Thai missionaries!
YaadYiam! (Awesome and/or tubular)

On Sunday, we got a new branch president (which pains me deeply because Pres. Roach - former Mission President of Illinois Chicago Mission who hurt his back and was reassigned here - was one of the best examples of love and authority I've met.  So it was cool to have President Brown, the President of the whole MTC be in our Sacrament meeting, where we also released Elder Tatton from our district leader and also Sis Yeo and Coordinating Sister.  BUT, instead our new district leader and new coordinating sister is none other than Elder Bennett and Sister Stoleworthy - the two missionaries I met at the temple before I went in!  Amazing how the Lord works!

Also, Elder Creer and I have had one of the best TRCs (Teaching Resource Center, where volunteers spend time with the missionaries as themselves (at least they are themselves in the language department I think...).  On Friday, Thursday, all awesome lessons from awesome teachers. Bro. Jenkins and Bro. Day rock the house, and Bro. Day has really helped me a lot this week. Between that and the TRC, where the volunteers gave us some awesome feedback concerning our teaching by the spirit.  It's funny that the two volunteers who gave us the best feed back we saw at the temple today!  It was trippy (am I allowed to say that?) but awesome.  I also did sealings for the first time - and it was so special.  The officiator was so full of the spirit and his meekness and love poured out of his heart through his mouth with each word.

I also tried out for a musical number with "Better Than I", which I did so well with the beg help from the spirit, but they do want me to sing something else about Joseph Smith instead (different 'Joseph,' but I'm fine with that!  On the day of tryouts, we ran into the MTC President himself and I smiled big at first, and then felt like Adam who wanted to hide with out my suit coat (it was being dry cleaned)! Awesome.

But, if that's not enough, Alex Boye came and spoke to us - craziest fireside I've been to here and one of the better ones I've had in my life. He really emphasized the power in thinking big.  Haven't you ever
realized that God never really thinks small? Bro Boye talked about his conversion story in London (it's on Mormon messges), but then told us that you are as good as you think you are.  He shared Proverbs 23:7 - "For as a man thinketh... so is he."  It TOTALLY makes sense to me that your thoughts are the most powerful resources you have.  If you are guilty like me of making negative comments about your self, stop it.   You haven't the slightest clue how much damage you cause yourself until you try with much faith to do the reverse - when you have faith to think big, you can start thinking on the Lord's level.  When you start thininking on the Lord's level, he can speak about his will to you.  And when you can understand the language of His will, miracles happen.

Gtg! think about that