Week 14

Monday, April 30, 2012

Wow.  What a week. From getting the water turned off on us, teaching a lesson in French with a world-class boxing champion, and getting a new companion, I don't even know where to start.  Oh Just kidding - I do:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SHWEEDIES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! [That is his sister, Anna!]
I've been thinking of you this whole week and I'm sad I wasn't able to see you or sing to you directly (but I did to myself, even though I felt like a weirdo when I sang Happy Birthday by myself).  Just know that I am constantly thinking and praying for you. Happy 14th :๖  (That's me making a weird fat face for you)!
I'll also graciously thank you, mom, for sending me that much-needed package!  If sent on the 20th, I think it came on the 25th or 26th!  It's faster to send here than for me to sent there, fyi.  And CONGRATS AnnAlysse!! OMGosh, I'm so excited!

So, like I said, it's been a weird week.  First of all, I have a new trainer!  SURPRISE!  Oh, the Lord's sense of humor is hard to follow sometimes... Jk ;) To give some more detail, I'll share you this week's president letter:

"Dear President,

"My Hand of the Lord experience was a little different this time around.  It really has to do with all the switching up that took place this week.  It has been hard, but necessary to the work here in ดอนเมือง...with this switch, it's been that needed blessing I was missing.  For some reason, I needed the training of more than one trainer.  Right as Elder Osborne got here, he has been non-stop trying to plan for these investigators.  Now we are organized and ready to go...we have great plans for the area and our companionship.

"But even with the switch, I didn't think I was ready.  I was really struggling...But President, I spoke better Thai, made better phone calls, understood more and had more strength than I had ever had before in my entire mission.  I am starting to receive a witness from the trail of my faith - that Lord was there for me then, and He is directing the affairs of his work now and always.  That's my experience this week - that the Lord does what's best for everyone, and guides his servants to accomplish His will."

So during our switching around, our water was turned off and we had to stay the night at the the AP's and office Elder's house (Dad, you should see these houses - or maybe you shouldn't cuz it would cause you nightmares), where I slept right by the bed of Elder Goodmansen, our Senior AP, and we talked about some awesome things about inviting, seeing the President's vision, and just other sweet stuff.  But before all that happened, we had to get the area book all straightened up, so we drove to Asoke - the center of Bangkok - to talk with my old "Pa" about the area.  As Elder Jensen and Osborne exchanged info of each other's former areas, I went on splits with an Elder Grover to teach this lady named Annie from the Congo with a world champion boxer also from the Congo.  Yeah, so I guess they speak French there? Anyway, relying on the Lord, and Tyler - our interpreter-boxer friend, we were able to help her come closer to Christ through the scriptures.  Oh yeah. Commitment for this week - read everyday.   It's good for you.  Anyway, it was an awesome experience, much like Sport's day was seeing Elders Bennett, Gilly, Kramer, Adams (who were in the group ahead of us in the MTC), and especially Elder Engle.  In the MTC, everyone tells you, "Just make it to Sunday."  After talking to Elder Mondragon, our awesome DL, we decided to "just make it to sports day."  I still don't understand this rich language all that time nor am I understood always, but after seeing him, eating at a Mexian restaurant, and having a few Ovaltine shakes (*not to mention fresh mangos this season), I think everything will be ok and we'll be able to do this.  I say we, because I have continually felt your prayers, buses have continued to not hit me, I have still not got outrageously sick, and I am happy in this work.  I often think of Dad's little saying I've heard
time and time again - "It's ok to have a bad day, but don't let those turn into bad weeks or bad months (or transfers like a lot of missionaries)..."  Then I can't remember what else you've said, Dad, but maybe that's a good thing because elements of your attitude therapy seep into my mission right when I need them.

Really, thanks for everything, and I love you all!

กับรักเสมอ, (With love always,)
เอ็ลเดอร์ กิฺบบันส์ (Elder Gibbons)

PS: I'm just going to try to send some pictures later, and fill in the gaps later.

Week 13

It's been a great week - I'm getting more and more used to things, I'm starting to actually use the phone, and I'm loving the branch.  It's also been a crazy week, so I haven't much time.  But instead, I'll just show you a few excerpts  from my President's letter today:

"Hello President,

This week has been pretty hard, I'm not going to lie....But during this hard time, besides extending the hard baptismal commit to Sister แท๊ป, I've really tried to pray more sincerely like you asked - and I can see  the hand of the Lord more abundantly in my life...For instance, I finally wrote in my journal last night... [PS: Why I didn't write in my journal until now?  Getting into the swing of things is just like it was at the MTC - except different.  For instance, I already knew how to walk on the streets at the MTC.  Just doing
that, and many more things, has been a learning experience all on its own] and was able to see the hand of the Lord when I have strived to be more obedient to him and more diligent in prayer.  1Ne 1:20
testifies of those promised blessings of help and protection to those who serve Him; Ether 1-6, 12 has helped believe that sincere prayer WILL be the determining factor during this next week.  The branch has also helped tremendously.  The members help keep me afloat while I struggle day by day to learn this language.  However, no straight "classical music" is getting easier as I realize the "why" and become
less focused on just the "what".

Well, I'll let you do your President stuff.  Thanks for YOUR example, and that's all you probably want to hear.  So thanks for listening!

-Elder Gibbons"

So that's just about it for now.  I haven't had ANY TIME to read all your emails yet, so please forgive me!
So until next week,

Elder Gibbons

Week 12 - First letter from Thailand!

 สวัสดี ครับ!!
That means hello from the land of smiles! I'm just sitting next to Elder Jensen listening to some tunes in an internet Cafe in ดองเมียง (Don Muang), my area. Wow! That's really all I can say, but I'll try to relate some of my experience until now. Well, after my last email, I helped some international missionaries get assimilated into MTC culture - it was really cool to see miracles really work when I prayed to have the Spirit so strong, there wouldn't be a language barrier - two Elders later, prayer was totally answered. One was Japanese and the other, Italian. But perhaps the coolest thing about the MTC experience was how much the Lord looks after his children. The Sunday before I left, I thought tomato soup would be a nice last meal - and it was good whan I ate it for lunch that day! But before that, we had a MTC-wide Sacrament meeting for Easter where we got the opportunity listen to President Packer in the morning. Then, for the devotional that evening, I was suprised to see risers instead of a podium. So Elder Creer and I quickly found seat close to the front. Then the scary bald 6'5" security man asked us to move. But then he escorted us the the vacant MVP spot for special guests - so I got to watch the BYU Men's chorus with premium seats the day before I left. Does the Lord love those who serve him? You couldn't convince me otherwise.

But I feel like that was ๘ years ago...So we boarded the bus at 4pm, our airplane at 8pm, then flew to LA where I made my phone call home to my wonderful family (sorry it was  so late...).  The Lord also allowed me to talk to Krystal - a young woman flying to Hong Kong who was although super nice, she didn't like
LA or Hong Kong much and wasn't to happy with the hand life dealt her. I had the opportunity to talk to her as a person, bear testimony and give her a Book of Mormon and get her contact info. Some other Elders at the gate who were waiting for me did the same and I believe she read most of the plane ride to Hong Kong. This gave me a real perspective of what missionary work is all about - being in the right place and the right time to give water to thirsty souls ready to drink.

Speaking of thirsty souls, the work here is flourishing immensely. I met my first investigator, อุ๋มอิ๋ม (oom-iim) when we went to Cold Stone in "Central", a 7-story Asian supermall. But I'm getting WAY ahead of myself....

I landed in Hong Kong and realized I was in Asia when we got out to the terminal and saw the large, flowing Chinese mountains that the magical paint brush ebbs out in the opening credits of Mulan. When I realized I was listening to Bach while gazing at the Mountains of China (a long-time bucket list item now checked off), I realized then and there that the Lord really does love those who serve him.

Elder Creer and I talked to a couple from Hong Kong named Ruby and Ken half in Thai half in English, and half in sign language. I had to walk away from some guy telling us we were destroying Buddhism, but I also talked to a man going back to Laos because his mother died. Thai and Lao is roughly equal to Spanish and Portuguese and I felt like Elder Calhoon: "That's not that language they taught me in the MTC!" [From the movie "Best Two Years"]

So we flew the 2 hour flight to Bangkok and all started freaking out when the signs weren't just Chinese and English, but had a third that made us all way too excited! Billboards in all sorts of random languages popped up, people were everywhere from every place (first person I talked to in Thailand was from Vietnam, lol).

Then we met the APs, the President, and flew from the airport to the Church driving on the wrong side with little to no traffic rules guiding us. we got our pictures taken where one man side hugged me down the stairs (they are like that there). I got some blood checked in a very very small hospital where first really I talked to my Thai person. She was a little grandma and was super nice. I'll never forget her smiling face and warm smile. Nor anyone's here including Brother อู๋ (oo), a member who helps us missionaries out often and reminds me a little of Chin Pho from Mulan... ;)

Wow, I'm so scattered all over from Songkhran (the country-wide waterfight that lasts three days). I'm still wiping the 'bang' from my eyes just trying to get everything in order. I could feel your protection then than ever before. But I gtg. Love yall!

Elder Gibbons

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!