TOMMY IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!HALLELUJAH:)

My Wonderful Family and friends, 

I LOVE YOU!!!! I LOVE GOD! I LOVE JESUS CHRIST! I LOVE MY COMPANION! I LOVE MY NEIGHBOR! I LOVE MY WHOLE LIFE!!!!!

Do you love your neighbor? 

Yesterday in the 3rd hour of church the missionaries taught. The Mission Presidency was supposed to come but one of them got released so they had to reschedule. We volunteered to teach:) It was fabulous. We taught about the 4 keys to successful member missionary work from Ezra Taft Benson. The best part was when Brother Jed Thorderson said, "The missionaries are having tremendous success with 20 or so baptisms last year and it's not because of us! 1 out of every 1000 doors gets baptized. 1 out of every 3 member referrals is baptized. This means that our missionaries are knocking on 20,000 doors!!! That hurts your knuckles. Give them your friends." We were like JUST WOW! He also quoted Remember the Titans " We gonna change! Change the way we tackle..." It was awesome! We are expecting an explosion:)

Back to the love your neighbor part. Sister Bailey and I trained on Love and Humility. Love is the best motivator for everything. It leads to sincere concern for everybody, including those who you don't know. It leads you to walk up to strangers and invite them to be baptized. Of course we have love for them and their well-being but we also do it because we love God:) After all, 

"We love him because he first loved us." 1 John 4:19 

We have to spread that love to everyone we meet. They will recognize us as God's hands and come join the fold. That's all it's really about. So...Do you love God? Do you love Jesus Christ? Do you love your family? Do you love your neighbor? Share it:)

This week we went to the temple! What a blessing to be healed from the temple:)

Sister Gondwe came on an exchange with us. She's from Africa. Wow she is amazing! Have I mentioned her? She basically sacrificed everything to be here. She is a fighter. :) She has the purest testimony I've ever heard.

For the big finish.....Tommy is getting baptized on the 12th! After the fabulous church experience last week he was ready. 

Sister Gibbs and Bailey: (Switching the topic from huge bugs back to the Gospel) "So Tommy about church, Do you want to be baptized?" 

Tommy: "Yes."

Cool as a cucumber. The Gospel has changed his life!

I love you and am extremely grateful for you:) Have a fabulous week:)

Steadfast in Christ

Love, Sister Gibbs

 TEMPLE TRIP!!! 

Pres.  Hanks, Sister Gibbs and Sister Hanks 

The Starkville sisters

Sister Sorenson, Sister Gondwe, Sister Weekes, Sister Gibbs, Sister Bailey 

Sister Layton and Sister Gibbs

Sister Gibbs and Sister Bailey 

President Nolan and Sister Gibbs 

Distsrict!!

Sister Styles,  Elder Roseman, Sister Castagno, Sister Bailey and Sister Gibbs, 

Elder Tate, Elder Yergensen, and Elder Turley

A huge beetle thing that Tommy has in his front yard... it's dead. 

But he keeps It anyways... It's nasty. 

"Happy Day All is Well"

Dear Family and Friends,

People are dying in Tupelo! There's no reason to be concerned we've just run into many opportunities to share the Plan of Happiness! We get to see it in action! 

"And if we die before our journey's through happy day all is well!"  This sounds kinda morbid, but people are dying in Tupelo! Sister Bailey and I had the opportunity... responsibility... pleasure? to grieve with 3 people this week, all of them loosing a loved one. I always thought the last line in "Come, Come, Ye Saints" was humorous and kind of extreme for our circumstances in the world today, but it came in handy this week. Thank goodness death is a happy day when we know of Christ and our Heavenly Father's plan for us, or death would really be what it is expected to be. 

Our recent convert friend Latoya had a mother pass away suddenly. She is less active and struggling with her testimony. She was angry about her mother at first, but as we grieved with her and gave her some Book of Mormon reading assignments, she felt how important and vital the Gospel is in our lives. She received peace from knowing her mother had a second chance and also a witness from the spirit that this Gospel is true! God works in mysterious ways. It truly is a happy day! the BOM is exploding in Tupelo! #expecttheexplosion

On a brighter note, Sister training was fabulous! First of all, Sister Hanks's Mom and two sisters were there and they look and act just like her. Wow if I could be anyone when I grow up it would be them and of course just like my own mom and sisters. #sisterpower The Training consisted of Sister Hanks and President Hanks training. Wow it was better than Christmas. Funnest day of my life! Sister Hanks shared the story of the star thrower and invited us to be a star thrower. Which is very applicable to us Sisters in the bible belt. President Hanks invited us to "Be kind to my friend." This is President telling us to not be so hard on ourselves and to be kind to his best friends, us!:) After all of the training we had a clothing exchange and we decorated planners! Hahahah:) It was so fun:) We have the best mission President and his wife in the whole world!!!:)

Oh guess what! We had 4 investigators at church!!!!! Tommy!!!!!!!!!! Rebecca!!!!! She's new! and Christa!!!!!!!!!!! Wahoo!!!! It was a fabulous sacrament meeting. The Thorderson's spoke and one of the Chapman boys screamed in the middle of Gina's talk when she said, "My dad taught me many things including that it costs money to leave the lights on." Chapman boy: "SOMEONE DID THAT LAST NIGHT!" AHAHAHA so funny. The spirit was phenomenal. Everyone loved it!

We also went on an exchange to Starkville:) It was fabulous biking in the rain. It had been too long.

Christine and Shane are living the Word of Wisdom this week to see if it gives them the wisdom they need. We know it will. Do you? Thanks for your prayers! I love you and miss you!

Stay Steadfast in Christ

Love, Sister Gibbs

#angelswatchoverus

P.S. Bridget and Matt! Thank you for the package!!! It was Heaven sent!:)

#angelswatchoverus

 Sister Conference!!!

 

 

 Sister Belnap

As we were driving past the big baptist cross we hit a rain storm:) The Cross is right 

by the temple so when we tell people how to get to the temple we tell them it is right 

by the Baptist Cross :)

Crossing the border

After a long day at work...Chicken in a Biskit

It's All About Family (:

Hey Fam!

It's been a great week. Most of our investigators are still praying and searching so please pray for Christine, Shane, and Terrica.

Yesterday, after we read a child Book of Mormon with the pictures to a less active's son, we of course asked him to pray about it. He agreed to pray right then and there. As he was praying aloud he asked his Heavenly Father, "Is the Book of Mormon true?" After a pause he said, "God says yes! in the name of Jesus Christ Amen." It was so cute! It reminded me how child-like we really need to be to feel the spirit. Many of our investigators are wanting physical proof and really the lasting way to get a testimony is always through prayer and the spirit.  

Emmaus Experience in Studies. Moses 7: 29 And Enoch said unto the Lord: How is it that thou canst weep, seeing thou art holy, and from all eternity to all eternity? (God cries?)

32 The Lord said unto Enoch: Behold these thy brethren; they are the workmanship of mine own hands...(My family who I created chose evil, of course I cry.)

44 And as Enoch saw this, he had bitterness of soul, and wept over his brethren, and said unto the heavens: I will refuse to be comforted; but the Lord said unto Enoch: Lift up your heart, and be glad; and look.

45 ...he beheld all the families of the earth... 

The Plan is all about our families.

Thank for being my family. I love you. I'm grateful for you:) Thanks for always making me laugh:) I LOVE YOU!!!!

Have a great week! Love you!

Steadfast in Christ

Love, Sister Gibbs

 Sister Gibbs, Sister Bailey, Sister Gondwe (From Africa- Whoot whoot!!), 

Sister Weekes, and Sister Sorensen. Beautiful girls.(: 

So we found this cool guitar that was playing Elvis and it was 

a beautiful moment.. so we took a picture.

Lunch at Sister Sims

Expect the Explosion!!!

Hey Family,

How are ya? It sounds like you are having a blast this summer. That's neat that y'all were in the temple together. I promise I was there in spirit.

Well Christine and Shane didn't get baptized this week, but we have no doubt that they will. They are fabulous and I look up to them so much. They have a lot going on right now. We are going to see them tonight:) 

Sister Bailey is a rock star. We had an amazing week. I absolutely love her! We work really well together. This week we got 8 new investigators. Wow! That hasn't happened in forever! On Friday didn't have many appointments except for one member present lesson, and a couple of less active members to see. We committed to finding basically all day and guess what?! While we were tracting about every other door opened up and we taught a lesson. All of them set return appointments! It was crazy! Christa even took notes! We have had a stellar week. We are working on PLOWING!!!! Like a Plow Horse. Thank you President Hanks. I know that the Lord blesses the obedient and the lagniappers, we are committed. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. 

Last night at 8:50 we knocked on the last door of the night, and as we did a family invited us in before we even explained who we were. As we introduced ourselves, they told us they knew Mormons and there family member had received a Priesthood blessing from them. Can we say ELECT?! The Mom of the adult family said "I've always wanted to go to that church!" As we explained the importance of the Book of Mormon and how we can know it's the word of God, they looked as if they already knew about everything we said. As we reiterated the highlights of the restoration they said, "Yeah we get it." So they are basically going to be baptized and we are excited. 

This transfer, as it's Book of Mormon month, our zone theme is #expecttheexplosion! Look out friends the BOM is about to explode.:) I have a firm testimony that when we expect miracles they happen. 

Please pray for Terrica. She is one of our investigators who committed to talking to her family about baptism. She is the woman who we found Brownie Pan Tracting. She received an answer! She is fabulous. 

So here's a funny this week. To thank the ballet dancers in Brother Dijkwel's class for dancing with us, we put Epson Salt in little baggies and put a link to the talk "The Music of the Gospel." It was really cute and we hoped they would look up the talk and call us with questions. Well.... they totally thought it was Cocaine................Buahahahahahahaa. Don't worry we cleared that one up real fast. It was quite hilarious. I think all of them looked up the talk now. :D That's the way we planned it all along. Wow. Just Wow.:)

I'm trying to send y'all a video of one of our friends singing some Southern Gospel so stay tuned. I love y'all. Thank you for all of the prayers. I can feel them!! Love you!

Steadfast in Christ

Love, Sister Gibbs

This is Christa! One of our investigators who is an RM 

in a different church. She's awesome.

Tupelo!!!!

I love Tupelo!!! I've learned so much here:) 

Sister Bailey is my new companion and she is awesome! She's from Eagle Mountain, Utah and has been out 1 transfer less than me! Guess what! We are having a Sister training on the 19th and we are going to have an hour to decorate planners and have a clothing exchange! HAHAHAHA:) Sister Hanks is the coolest!

I met Sister Voyles from “The District 2.”  She is a famous missionary!!! and she is part of the display on Temple Square. She is from the Tupelo Ward and was home visiting. 

Hey guess what!!! Christine and Shane are getting baptized!!!! This weekend!!!!!!!!!!!! Miracles all around. As we were teaching their lesson, we felt prompted to do what we could to make there Baptism happen. They know it's true. So we sang "Amazing Grace" to bring the spirit and then asked Shane to say a prayer asking if the Book of Mormon is true. After the prayer we pointed out all of their answers to prayer. 1. Meeting Mormons in Utah who helped them during a very hard time in their lives. 2. Meeting the missionaries and members in Tupelo. 3. Missionaries knocking on Christine's Mom's door in Daphne, Alabama. 3. Shane's roommate for his business trip is recently a member 4. Last but not least, the feeling they feel when they are reading, pondering, and praying. After we pointed out the Tender Mercies, we asked if they would like to be baptized on the 31st and Shane said, "how about the 7th?" Wahoo! What faith they have. I love them so much. We are so excited!

Sister Crandall and I had an amazing last day of her mission. We went from appointment to appointment, and the best part is we taught Terrica. Terrica is a result from brownie pan tracting, and the Plan of Salvation lesson with her was the best one I've had. When we told her about the missionaries in the spirit world, you could see the light in her eyes. She expressed how happy she was that her family has a 2nd chance and when we told her about the family sealing power she basically started to cry. She is so extremely humble and ready for the Gospel. She knows it's true. She told us with laughter in her voice, "My boyfriend isn't going to like this!" She's willing to change. #disturbingthewaters. MIRACLES!!!!

Well this all happened between 2 trips to Birmingham for transfers and then MLC. It's been a crazy week filled with so many miracles. I'm so very grateful for my mission and the support I have from all y'all:) Have a great week!

Steadfast in Christ

Love,

Sister Gibbs

Sister Bailey is my Companion!!!!!!!! She's in the blue:) 

She is adorable! from Eagle Mountain Utah!

Sister Martineau is from Farmington, Utah! Love her!

 Goodbye Sister Crandall!!!

 Goodbye Lunch for Sister Crandall with the Thorderson's

Sister Voyles from “The District 2.”  She is from the 

Tupelo Ward and was home visiting.