Hey family:)
It's been an amazing week!
Thanks for all the birthday wishes! It's going to be a fun day of missionary
work tomorrow:) I'm 20!!!!! Not a teenager anymore:) Yippee Skippy!
Sister Crandall and I are
staying together in Tupelo! We are excited! Guess what! Sister Crandall will be
going home! hahaha killing my 4th:)
Guess what! A family came into
the recent convert meeting at stake conference who aren't members, but came
from Utah and are interested in the church! They've been to two sacrament
meetings there and want to know more! The investigator meeting was a good one
to walk into. They were really confused so they were happy to hear that
missionaries could meet with them. Crazy miracles happen every day!
So you are probably wondering what the investigator/recent
convert meeting was at stake conference... First off, we had the best stake
conference in the world! Elder Fred A. Parker of the area 70 came and lead all
of the meetings. Elder Parker is a black, Baptist convert! He is awesome. He
investigated the church for 4 years and then married the girl that introduced
him to it. I bet you can imagine what our meetings were like. Everything he
said, he said with passion, power, and authority :) His hands were waving in the air, he was
gripping the pulpit, and most importantly testifying with passion. He is a
special witness of the Savior. He had all the missionaries stand up and then
thanked us for our service. President and Sister Hanks were there too. Wow it
was cool. All the black members felt right at home. :) So he conducted a meeting with all the
investigating and new members and encouraged them. He was real with us and told
us to never get offended. He said something like, "The only being I have
covenanted with in this Church
is Jesus Christ and I will follow him. I will NEVER let anyone determine my
Salvation except for him." So cool.
This week was full of miracles because here's another one! A member who just left on his mission gave his friend a Book of Mormon and she totally wants to be baptized when she knows it's true! She's 18 and is tired of hearing about fire and brimstone at her church. She totally felt the spirit in the lesson and notices the difference.
Speaking of the spirit and absence of the spirit. Yesterday we went to a Baptist scripture study in someone's home. It was a good experience:) It was nice to see the difference in spirit level, and now we know a little bit more about what our investigators think of when we say "church." There was a stark difference in the spirit level. Also I was a little terrified to be a "visitor" in another churches bible study. It helped me understand how the investigators feel coming to ours. Towards the end of the study in Revelations, yeah it was confusing, I felt prompted to bear my testimony. The person leading the study had been talking about the wrath of God, and the signs of the times which resulted in an unsettling feeling in the room by everyone. (lack of the spirit) We were all confused what Revelations was talking about. The spirit told me to open my mouth and I was so scared. Sister Crandall and I had been quiet the whole time, but I couldn't deny the prompting. I then testified of the love of God and that the happy ending in Revelations is when the Savior comes again. This is the source of all happiness despite the "wrath" that will be given to those who want it. I have a firm testimony that Heavenly Father will give his children every opportunity he can to save all of his children. As I testified the spirit flooded the room and Sister Crandall told me later that it hit her, as well as everyone, like a punch to the stomach.
The spirit is real, it's of God, and it can only be had in a fullness when we partake of the fullness of the Gospel. I can physically notice a difference in a person’s demeanor if they have the Gift of the Holy Ghost or not. Whenever Sister Crandall and I leave a members home or a place where we were just with Mormons I've started to say, "I love Mormons." There's a difference and it's a blessing to have this Gospel so easily in our lives.
Love y'all so much! be safe:)
and share the light with everyone. They WILL recognize it.
Steadfast in Christ
Love, Sister Gibbs
ZONE CONFERENCE!!
Sister Crandall by our table preparing for zone training:)
Zone Leaders
Elder Turley and Smith get "Stress Staches" before zone training XD
Our Awesome Zone!!
Elder Hills wanted to hold Shelton the bird at brother Hoopers house.
He bites though, and climbed onto elder hills shoulder. Elder
Hills was
freaking out since he didn't want Shelton to bite his ear.
Making pies with the Nelsons'!
Getting covered in Dough and Crisco!
Relaxation time
Finished product
Brother Hooper is our ward mission leader and he obsessed with Start wars.
He has a tradition where at the end of every transfer we take light saber
pictures with all the missionaries.
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