Sister Abby Gibbs Birmingham Alabama Mission: TENACITY! GGGGGRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!

Happy Halloween! Happy fall y'all!

Welcome home Luke!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats on your baptism Claire! :) What a fabulous choice you've made:) I'm sure you are glowing:) Love you!

Ok it looks like y'all had a blast for Halloween! Too fun! The Howard family rocked it! So did the O'Brien’s! Halloween is becoming my 3rd favorite holiday after Easter and Christmas:)

We were Angels for the Halloween party at the church! It was fabulous:) The thrift store is where all the cool people get their costumes. Our wings and halo's were a hit! We also had an investigator come to the party!!!!! He is awesome and the Elders are now teaching him. They relate better:) We met Him in the thrift store parking lot. Miracles!

What a great Halloween day!!!!!!!!!!!!! We went to Locust Fork for a baptism! Sister Nielsen helped teach and investigator there and we got to go to his baptism! So fun! We saw Sister Anderl and Anderson! The man who got baptized even sang "Mary did you know"! It was fabulous! Baptism is the gate mate.

Did I tell y'all that it is beautiful here!!!! The leaves are fabulous and the hills are covered in them! So many rivers! BEAUTIFUL!

It rained and poured the whole Halloween day! Well I guess it lightened up for a little bit there for some trick or treaters. We had to be in by 7 and wanted to make contacting fun so Sister Nielsen wore her angel costume and I had a sign that said "I'm dead and lost ask her (with an arrow pointing) where I go?" It would have been sweet to be a zombie but it didn't happen. Ha! Silly missionaries:) We talked to some pretty neat people with it! When we got home we carved pumpkins! (picture attached)

I went on exchange with Sister West this week! She is fabulous:) This was my 2nd exchange with her! The last one was in Tupelo! Crazy! She is amazing and from Utah.

Also our Southside story this week. Southside is right next to Rainbow city over the river. We rode our bikes over there because we don't think sisters have been over there a lot. Well we rode about 10 miles up and down hills and talked to 3 people..... small town hahaha.

We also got to do a neat service project for a family. Our dear friend Sister Doan manages apartments close by and a family just moved in who needs a lot of love. So we made them dinner and shopped for them. It was so fun!:)

Anyways, I have found a new state of mind on my mission. Missions are difficult emotionally, spiritually, physically basically, they challenge us. I've never been challenged so much in my life! When things would get tough at home requiring me to have to cope with relationship concerns, keep pushing through a long day at dance, or ponder on a scripture, I would enter a state of mind that would give encouragement like "keep pushing, keep pulling, "you got this." On the mission I enter the same state of mind but it's been intensified.

I'm in that frame of mind longer than I have ever been. I come to a point where at home I would have quit trying, but here I've learned to keep pushing. I'm sure it is a state of mind that the famous plow horse has constantly. It's as if my time in a place of struggle has become so familiar I've found peace and ease there. The state of mind close to champions who live in that state of mind permanently constantly growing and stretching. Those who out grow their quests like a teenage boy out grows shoes! Constant progression and improvement. Just like the Savior. I feel like I have explored that area of tenacity and determination that has prepared me for things to come.

On my mission I've also been able to define it as well as the source. Grace- "divine means of help or strength, given through the bounteous mercy and love of Jesus Christ." (bible dictionary)

I know He lives in us and is our source for true improvement.

I love y'all! Have a fabulous week!

Steadfast in Christ

Love, Sister Gibbs

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!