Hey there familia!

So it turns out that they´re not going to be splitting us up into different districts either, however they did give us more things to do to keep us busy. We can go to the temple two extra times during the week, and then they gave us some ideas of things to do to help us be more prepared in the field. Although we may(and only may) all be joining another district together, but we don´t know yet.

I´ve heard 5 out of 12 apostles now! Robert D Hales came last Tuesday. Their talks are always amazing! We had a fireside on Sunday where Crawford Gates(who wrote ´Our Savior´s Love´), Robert Cundrick, and Vanya Watkins. (they wrote things too, but I don´t remember what) It was awesome! Then we went to the Sunday night movies. We went and watched the Restoration (the one with Dustin, ja ja!)

That´s funny that Élder Ray had a dream about going to Guadalajara... I didn´t even know where in México it was! Ja ja!

So there´s an Élder Greco here who aparently knows Brian. He said I looked familiar then asked if Brian was my brother. So I guess we look alike, Bro. ;)

I heard another rumor about the consulate. They were getting a new computer system and all the old applicants (me) haven´t all been transferred over yet. So if we´re going to be here for a long time, we´re supposedly being sent to a Utah mission for a little while. But these were all out of state élderes, so I don´t know about me yet. What ever happens, you´ll know pretty soon... probably... if it happens soon... which it probably will. :)

Con amor,

Élder Gibson

Querido Familia, 

 Thanks for the package, mom. My compañeros and I are feeling better, and this week has been awesome. 

 So I´m probably not going to end up in the advanced Spanish class, because I haven´t heard anything about it. However, our Branch President, President Nelson, asked us if we wanted to be split up and go into different districts in our zone. We´re probably going to end up doing that, so we´ll have teachers again and a set schedule. We´d also be able to help the other élderes in the other districts more. 

That´s so crazy that we´re getting a new stake presidency! I don´t remember any other stake presidency than the one there is now!  

 So actually I got to host today. They put papers in our mailbox asking if we would because we´ve been here for a long time and there were a lot of new missionaries coming in today and they needed help. I helped two sisters(which is easy, you and another elder drop them off at their residence hall and the sisters take it from there) and then two international elders who spoke spanish very fast, but I got to practice a little.  

 Did Jared Radmall come in today? I heard his farewell was 2 Sundays ago... That´s crazy that Eric Gubler is leaving already... well in September, but still! And only six months til Kevin can start his! ¡Es loco! 

 Yeah, I´m pretty sure that most of my German has left me... but yep I can still sign letters... Deine bruder!

Oh, so this crossed my mind. Are my plants outside? because they can be if they´re not. And if my bonsai is still living, tell Eric that he can keep it for me. 

 So I´ve decided if you want to learn about yourself and who you are, go on a mission! I think that I´ve learned more about myself here then at any other time in my life and it´s pretty cool! The devotional yesterday was all about that too! It´s just great here! 

 Oh, and Josh, I´m doing great! ¿Como estas? President Nelson thinks that we´re going to get our visas soon. Oh, and I met an Elder Rindlisbaucher (or however you spell it) but he´s from Washington state, so I don´t think that he´s related... (Mom's Note: Mrs. Rindlisbacher was Josh's Kindergarten teacher this past year.) 

Well, until next week, 

 Élder Gibson

26 de Mayo 2010 

 Querido Familia, 

 Ok, so I was able to read the email, but I ran out of time before I could send one back. So I’m writing my letter this week, and I don’t know how sending this out to the family is going to work . . .I guess you could scan it or type it up if you want to, or something like that. 

 So, in my companionship/district (yes, we are a trio), there are only us three, and there is another district upstairs in the same situation, and I think there are others as well. Our “coordinating teacher” (or our teachers’ boss . . . I don’t know what he’s called) came to us and offered us the opportunity to join a new district of elders, who came in today. They’re going into the advanced Spanish though, so they’re only here for three weeks. We said we’d like to, and we’ll find out tomorrow if we can. “If” only because of all the other elders in our situation. If we do though, we’ll have structured classes again, but we’ll have to change zones and branches too. Which is too bad, because I really like our zone . . . Oh well, esta bien. 

 I haven’t been able to be a host for new missionaries because our P-Day is on Wednesday, and we go to the temple when the new elders are getting here. We could host if we wanted, but we’d have to give up our temple day. 

 Ok, so I’ve decided that Provo has the strangest weather ever! It SNOWED! In May! That’s crazy! It was really wet, heavy snow, and it made all the trees bend a whole lot. Several branches broke, and one tree fell completely over! Then yesterday and today it was bright and sunny and warm. Go figure . . . 

 I’ve been a little sick for the past few days, so today my companions made me go to the nurse (actually, E. Ripley is sick too, so we both went). She told us to stay in our room and rest, which we hadn’t been doing . . . and to not go to the temple, because older people that are there don’t need to get sick. And she gave us some salt to gargle . . . etc. I’m not that sick, but I just haven’t been getting any better. So today has helped. 

 It’s great to hear about what’s going on back home. It looks like ya’ll’re bein’ blessed! In the envelope, there are B-day letters for Esteban y Kevin, and a letter for Marissa. (It’s cheaper to send them all in the same envelope; just two stamps instead of four+.) 

 Kevin, make sure you’re taking Institute classes. You’re probably signed up because you mentioned Brother King last week, but Institute helps to prep for the mission. I would recommend: Book of Mormon, Missionary Prep., and then maybe Doctrine and Covenants or something like that. Also, make sure to read Preach My Gospel, and know what’s in there. Especially Chapter 3 with all the lessons. Make sure you know those.  

 Yeah, that’s all I can really think of. Just make the Gospel part of your daily life, and that can go for everyone, but especially those who are preparing for missions. Oh, and you can take Mission Prep more than once. There was one guy the first time I took it, who was on his fourth time; and you always learn something new. Brother Hyatt is an awesome teacher too! (if you’re going to DSC).  

 Well, that’s all for this week, so I’ll talk to you next week. 

Con Amor, 

Elder Gibson

Mi Querido Familia,

The district that got here after us is now in the field and the same half of our district is still in the MTC. All the ´younger´ élderes seem to think that being in the MTC would be just the worst thing in the world, but it´s really not that bad at all here. They don´t see that here they can learn how to speak more clearly... I´m not exactly sure how to say it... so in the field, the people will actually be able to understand them.

I have a native elder who writes to me in Spanish and that helps me a bunch.

That´s good that the family´s gettin´ together! That´s always fun!

Not much different happened this week, I don´t remember if I said this last week or not, but we have new teachers. One is from Paraguay and the other is American, but they´re pretty much just our tutors/progressing investigators. So that´s fun.

We decided that we´re like the grandpas in the MTC now... because the other district is gone now and we´re still the oldest ones here, but it´s fun. They all say how much they look up to us and stuff, I can remember how we looked up to the oldest districts when I was younger...

Well that´s all for this week. If I get my visa, you´ll get a call!

Con amor,
Élder Gibson

Hola familia!

So 16 days and still no word about the visas. We've become the wise old missionaries who the 'younger' missionaries look to for wisdom. We figured out that if we´re here next Wednesday, we´ll have spent 1/8 of our mission in the MTC. That´s a lot! We could have just learned Chinese instead! Ha ha! We only have one teacher now and her name is Hermana Da Silva. She's an international student going to UVU. She's from Paraguay, and I like her accent when she speaks Español.

Thats great to hear about all the good things happening at home! Especially with work, the yard and garden, and family life! Our zone fasted for our visas to come too. Hermana Miller got our whole zone together (even the newest elders who don´t really even know us (they´d been here for about three days)) and we knelt and began our fast right in the middle of the hall. It was pretty cool. Since we only have one teacher, we´ve let the other elders to ´sign up´ for tutoring or an appointment or whatever they need help with. It´s helped to keep us busy.

So for devotional a really awesome guy came. His name is Jeffrey R. Holland! When that man speaks, it´s powerful. Especially when he talks about missionaries. It was kind of like the talk he gave about the Book of Mormon last October, only it was about missionaries. It was incredible!

Everyone thinks that we´ll be getting our visas soon. So hopefully it will happen.

Not much more time...

con amor, 

Élder Gibson

¡Hola mi familia! 

 Yep, two weeks later, I´m still here at the good ol´ MTC. Three of the six in my district have gone on, but alas, I have been chosen to remain... Ok, anyway, one of each compañerismo is in México now, and so the three left are in a trio. (É´Beecher, É´Ripley, and myself) ¡Any day now! 

Hna. Weiss´ last day is today and then we´ll continue to have Hno. Murphy and we´ll get a nuevo maestro, Hno. ??? (I can´t remember his name right now...) I don´t remember if I said this or not but there are people here that remind me so much of people I know and Hna. Weiss is Aleisha. Her voice sounds just like her´s and if I´m not looking at her sometimes I get these crazy déjà vu... things, but it´s like Aleisha´s in the room and then there´s the other Élder Gibson who is Brian. I got a picture with him and I´ll send it soon. They look sooooo much alike! ¡Es Loco!  

The last two musical numbers, en los devocciónales, have been with harps. They´re pretty amazing instruments!  

That´s great that the weekend went well. Trips are always fun! Especially ¨when the family gets together after evening work is done...¨ ... or just anytime.

Oh, y Papá´s carta es en el camino. 

Con amor, 

Élder Gibsón 

(ok Gibson probably doesn´t have an ´ on the o...)

Querido Familia,

Oh... I guess I wasn´t very clear... my whole district is still here. Except Élder Ames is leaving tomorrow morning at 3. He was delayed in coming to the MTC because of a tongue surgery, and so he had his visa papers in before us, so he´s a higher priority I guess. (horrible run on sentence...) Other districts going to México are being delayed as well. 

Apparently it´s kind of hard to get in there right now. We´re guessing that we´ll be going to the Méxicano Consulada in the near future(tomorrow or Friday... or Saturday) but we don´t know for sure, it could be next week... but hopefully not. We´re still in classes, our teacher graduated this last week but got permission to stay and teach us longer. She´s great!

¡My niece! ¿My niece is picking on little girls who are bigger than she is? Ok, that´s pretty much the funniest thing I´ve heard in a little while. :D 

Oh, and I'm sending a picture of the other Élder Gibson and you can compare him to Brian. It´s really, really close! He´s going to the Las Vegas mission. (He´s from back east somewhere, 24, the only member in his family, happy to see another Gibson member, has an awesome story!)

That´s great that home life is doing good! Scott should apply at the MTC, you have to be going to BYU to work here I´m pretty sure. Or at least to be a teacher... 

Well, love you all!! Hopefully my next letter will come from México!!

Elder Gibson

Mi familia, 

hmmm . . . . I feel like I'm not talking much... 

hmmm...I heard about the volcano this morning in laundry. There was a sister from Holland and she was talking about it. She said the British Navy is sailing stranded missionaries or something because there aren't any flights. That would be fun... maybe. 

Oh, and I'm not speaking English for the rest of my time at the MTC. I´m the only one in my district so it's pretty hard sometimes because I can't express what I want to say, but that's probably what it will be like when I get to México. It also makes me be creative because I have to say things in a round about way.I should know tomorrow about my visa, and you´ll know soon too, either way. 

Con amor, 

Élder Gibson

Querido familia, 
Time here has gone so incredibly fast!! ¡Another week and a half and I'll be on my way to México! (hopefully) I think we´re supposed to get our flight plans today... We got another new district today, but I haven´t met any of them yet. It´s a big district, 10 new élderes! ¡Loco! and the rest of the district in front of us is leaving tomorrow. So that´s exciting for them.
I don´t think we know about our visas until it gets close to the day we leave. If we don´t get them, we get to call home and tell you, then we wait until we get them and call again. That´s been the case con muchos élderes aqui. (por México)
That´s awesome about Mr.´s Reimer and Moore, and Scott, and everyone! They´re both awesome teachers!
I always wondered why some got to take that Math test and others didn´t. Good job Marissa!
That´d be muy chiro (cool) if Yellow (the cat) was back. He was the best looking one out of all of them. I liked him. ;)
That´s kind of weird... I was just thinking about The Other Side of Heaven the other day, and the goldfish too... weird.
The hats got there? that´s awesome. It turns out that a bunch of Elders made their own hats that they have here. Most of them were made on a loom though.
Oh, Aunt Kimberly sent me a package of cookies and a letter, and I wrote her back but I threw the address away on accident... so if you could send me her address that would be great!!
Español is so much fun to speak!! and I still have so much more to learn!! but I surprise myself almost everyday.
Glenn L. Pace in the Seventy came and gave an awesome talk yesterday. It was about the Father´s love and the pre and post mortal lives and what it is and was like there. ¡¡It was incredible!!
Con amor,
Élder Gibson

¡Hola Familia!

This week was pretty great. We are teaching all in Español now days,and it´s suprisingly easier than I imagined... strange how that works.Ok, not really, our teachers have been talking a lot about the giftof tongues, and yeah it works. I know so much more Español in justsix weeks than German in three years. ¡But I still have soooooooooomuch to learn!

Conference was amazing! It went by so fast, and it was so good! Idon´t even have a favorite because they were all so awesome! Though Idid really like Pres. Uchtdorf´s talks... and Pres. Monson´s... andPres Eyring´s... and ... etc. Yeah, it looks like I enjoyed themall... ;) It seemed like all we did was eat and watch conference onSabado y Domingo. Which reminds me, I´m up to 160lbs. now, but you can´t tell at all.

We got another new district a week ago, and half of the district aboveus left this morning. Only half of them because they´ve been havingtrouble getting México visas lately. One of the newest missionaries isfrom Georgia and he has the thickest accent, but he can´t even tell.It´s really funny. There are also two Elders from North Carolina, andone of them is from (sorry Scott) Rah-lee (I don't know how to spellit) and I'm not sure where the other one is from.

We will soon be the oldest district (which I'm pretty sure isn'tallowed because we just got here...) and that will be weird. Time goesby so fast here! It´s crazy! ¡Es loco!

¡Hasta luego!

Élder Gibson

Un otra cemana at the MTC ... I´m not sure if that even made sense ...

Hello Familia!!

Yes I´ve gotten all the packages and everything in them, they are muchappreciated! It´s great to hear about how everyone´s doing. 

 So there´s a Sister Feltwell who is going to Nauvoo who asked me whileI was ushering if I was Eric´s little brother. I guess she graduatedwith them. And there´s this Elder Gibson (not me) who is goingSpanish speaking (so we have the exact same name tag) from Indiana (Ithink) who looks just like Brian... go figure (but really, I´ll tryand get a picture they look really close). 

 A lot of missionaries flew out Monday I think. It´s been somewhatquiet in our hall... but we get a new district today!! That´s alwaysfun! 

 So pretty much all my classes are in Spanish, with only a littleIngles when we really need to understand something. I can understandpretty much all that they say, but saying stuff back is harder. It´sreally fun though I think it´s really coming along quite nicely. 

 Oh and I would like to have all the cousins´ (my age) addresses if atall possible. That would be wonderfull!!! 

 con amor, 

 Élder Gibson

Querido Familia,

The language is somewhat coming. One of my favorite things to do onSunday temple walks, is to talk to the nativos. I met one hermana whois from Chiuahuah (where Elder Beecher is going), and she heard thegospel in Guadalajara (where I'm going... in case you forgot... jk).Whenever I tell the natives that I'm going to Guadalajara, they getthis look on their faces... in a good way. They all love it there andsay it's so great, so I'm excited! 

We don't have culture classes,that would be fun though... 

 Ah, Kevin... I remember my first caucus meeting... ;)... the weather is so unpredictable here: it was snow flurrying in the sunshine yesterday, wierdest thing ever... 

 Anywho... I love you all! La Iglesia es verdadero!! I´m not sure if there´s an accent on that or not... 

 Élder Gibson 

Oh! and Elder Quinten L. Cook came to the devotional last week!

Dear Family

...sorry mom the keyboards don't let you capitalize...for some oddreason... it's driving me crazy . 

the brownies got here on saturday but i didn't get them until mondaybecause i was late picking them up and the mail office closed. 

 logging on to the computer was confusing. i guess they're switching over to a new system and i didn't know there was a difference. so that's why my letters were so short. 

 ok so if you put the keyboard on Español, you can capitolize and punctuate correctly... good to know! 

 class is awesome. my teachers are hermana weiss (i always want topronounce it: vice... darn german...) and hermano bryan. they'reawesome and funny and make learning easy and fun. going to the templeis awesome. every sunday we get to go on a temple walk. this week whenwe went there we hung out with the nativos they're really awesome.they know more español than our teachers do. they´re not too excitedabout learning ingles. apparently it´s hard. (jk)  

 I´ve seen a bunch of people here that I know. Elder Mangum lives two doors down (Kevin will know most of these people) Elder Wright, Schwester Ray, Elder Molina (he was part of the fireside), Elder Ovard... and more. 

 I´m sending some pictures soon, so you can see my compañero y mi districto. 

 Elder Gibson

Dear Family,

So this email's confusing and not user friendly... but I'll get it eventually.The brownies were great. Elder Beecher says they're the perfectin-between of richness and wheat. Four square is pretty competitive during gym, and I'm not allthat terrible either. Who would have though ten years later I'd beplaying this game again? Elder Beecher's home ward is Dad's cousin's ward, and Brother Pettus' ward too. Well, I have to go, I'll try to be faster at logging on next week so I can write more. 

Elder Gibson

Dear Family, 

 I heard about the earthquake in Chile, Stephen B. Allen came and gavea fireside and he told us that all the missionaries were well andaccounted for.P-days are Wednesdays. We go in the 'sacky' line on P-day and when gymis right after breakfast, because you have to be in a suit to get intothe cafeteria. A jacket would be nice for the cold mornings.I have the the top bunk and my companion has the other one, we werethe last ones to arrive. They're pretty comfortable, I sleep well.The Elders in my district are so awesome! We've learned how to pray in Spanish (we're not allowed to pray in English...), and we're supposed to be able to contact in Spanish on Saturday... we'll see how that goes.Well, my time's nearly up so I'll try and write a longer letter next week. 

 Con amor, 

 Elder Jeff Gibson

Dear Family,

Well, today went by fast and slow . . . if that makes any sense. It's awesome here! We did so much today, but I'm sure tomorrow will be even more packed.The food is great! Today I had roast beef, potatoes and Gravy, a roll, cooked carrots, Sprite, chocolate milk, and glugged it all down with strawberry ice cream! (I guess ice cream was changed to only Sundays and Wednesdays . . . since Scott was here).My companion is Elder Molsee. He's from Kimberly, ID. (Mom, I'm sure you know where that is . . . southwest of Pocatello . ..), anyway, he's the third of four kids, he being the only boy. He's not going to my mission; he's going to Culiacan, Mexico. Everyone in my district is going to Mexico except for two. They're going to Peru, and are only spending half of the time here in Provo. Oh, and there's eight of us in the district, soon to be six . . . Anyway, they're all great!My roommates, apart from my companion, are Elders Beecher (from Hurricane) and Ames (from Washington state; he says he has family in Pocatello, but their last names are Castillo.) Elder Beecher is going to Culiacan with Elder Molsee.Well, that's pretty much who is in my district, and that's all I really know for now, so talk to you next week! 

Elder Jeff Gibson