27 February 2017 WEEK 36

    So if I had to put into terms how this week went, I would say cluttered. There was a lot that happened in a short period of time. I first want to start off by talking about Zone Conference. I very much enjoyed everything that was discussed. Whether it was obedience, goal setting, using the scriptures more when teaching, and even getting investigators to church. I received a lot of revelation, and was able to apply it this last week, and will continue to do so. I have been able to use the scriptures a lot more in our lessons, and I can definitely say that I have seen a huge difference with our investigators. 
    This past weekend, Elder Stevens and I had a baptism. We baptized an older gentleman named Bro. Lawrence. He was previously a Jehovas Witness. But at the baptism he started to cry and I could feel the spirit so strong. I love being able to see how the gospel can change people lives, as they exercise their faith and trust God, and Jesus Christ Atonement. 
    As for Tamara and Kadian, this week was really rough with them. They stopped reading from the Book of Mormon and the devil began to work hard on them. They were all prepared to be baptized and come to church on Sunday, and they did not even show up. So we went and had a drop lesson with them and they know what they need to do. I expressed to them that all of this was true and they know it, but we can only do so much. 
    On the brighter side of things, while we were tracting this week, we met a man named Peter. This happened on Friday, We had a good lesson with him and we followed the promptings of the spirit and told him that he can no longer smoke and drink. We taught him the word of wisdom at the end of the first lesson, and he understood it perfectly. He said that he was not going to do it anymore, and that he would read the Book of Mormon and come to church every week. And he did just that he showed up to church and he loved it. I am excited to see how he continues to progress. 
    A goal that I have set for this transfer is to improve on my maturity level. I am a young man who loves to have fun and goof around, but you can only have so much of that. I have been able to see myself changing for the good, and I have definitely been able to see the blessings that come from it. One of them that I have been able to see is myself being more patient. I am able to endure Long-suffering. But I have still been stressed out from last week with everything that has been going on. And just today our car continued to have even more problems. I will get to tell you a little more in our interview, but sometimes I can only endure so much I feel like. (Not sure what interview he's talking about?)
    Also I have not been sleeping good. In 8 months I don't remember one night where I have been able to sleep through the night. I constantly wake up and it is hard to go back to sleep. What do you suggest I do? I have gotten down on my knees and pleaded with Heavenly Father to help me with this but It is not working... 
    Other than that we also had the chance to give service to a Member. We spent a couple hours helping fill deep holes that we helped dig, with lots of red dirt. I know that as we work with the members we will be able to gain their trust and get to teach their friends or family. I am stoked to see how the member work continues to grow in The Spanish Town Zone.

-- 

-Elder Gibbons-

Keep Trying. Keep Pushing. Keep Believing. Keep Growing. Heaven is Cheering You on Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.

20 February 2017 WEEK 35

     What do you do in times of opposition? What do you do when you feel nothing is going your way whatsoever? These are the questions that I have been thinking about a lot this week. I feel as if this week nothing went right. 

     Let me explain. We had a lot of quote" Bad Luck" this week, if you want to call it that. So earlier in the week I was pulling clothes out of the washer and dropped our phone battery in there and it disappeared.. Next we had a couple of our top investigators this week tell us that they wanted a break... Next 2 of our top candidates that were suppose to be baptized this last Saturday want to continue to wait, but that is not so bad! And to top it all off, we took our car to get washed today and when we came to get it they gave us the key and the chip to start the car was missing. 

     So for this week until we get a new key we will be walking Zone Leaders. Honestly I can say that I am really excited. But as well I have just been super mad and frustrated this week with everything that has been happening. What can I do to catch a break? 

     Anyways enough dwelling on the negative side of things, we have a baptism that will be happening this upcoming Saturday. As well the other ward had a baptismal service this week and we invited some of our investigators to attend, and three of them showed up. But to make it better at the end they let anyone who wanted to bare their testimony to come up and do so, and one of our investigators got up and bore the most sincere testimony that I have ever heard.

     Also this week at MLC was really good. I very much enjoyed being able to council together on the mission. With some of the new changes that will be coming up I know that there will be a whole lot of miracles that will come because of it. I know that our missionaries will notice that these things have been inspired of the lord and will hasten the work. I know that the missionaries will continue to be anxiously engaged in a good cause.     

    The Spanish Town Zone has been exercising a lot of faith and is starting to recognize the blessings and tender mercies that have been occurring. But for district meetings this week Elder Hatch and Elder Johansen conducted excellent, well thought out meetings. I was able to receive so much revelation, and apply it into the field this week. I am very excited to see what the lord has in store for the Spanish Town Zone next. Zone Conference this week is going to be very spiritual, the missionaries are going to learn so much and then be able to apply it. 

-- 

-Elder Gibbons-

Keep Trying. Keep Pushing. Keep Believing. Keep Growing. Heaven is Cheering You on Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.

13 February 2017 WEEK 34

So this is the first official week of the next transfer. I sent off Elder Warren to the Bahama's and in return received Elder Stevens. So far me and Elder Stevens have a lot in common, the unity of our companionship is extremely solid. We have been able to quickly adjust evaluate and adapt to the different teaching styles. We have had many cool experiences this week with being able to feel the spirit and especially knowing when our investigators have felt it as well. This week we had a baptismal interview with an investigator named Tamara. She said that she hadn't quite repented of some things and that she wants to be baptized this next upcoming week. I think that the lord was testing my faith and patience this week with opposition. For there must needs be an opposition in all things. But I recognized it and put my trust in the lord. I just want to have baptisms so bad. But even more interesting is one of her friends we have been teaching told us that she wanted to be baptized on the same day as Tamara. So it looks like we will have 2 baptisms this week! I am so excited! We have been able to teach 2 new investigators- Bro. Anderson, and Bro. Lawrence. These were referrals that we received. We will be putting them on date this week. Every lesson that we have had with them they have been able to have a spiritual conformation that the Book of Mormon is true. As well, we have been privileged and blessed with awesome members in this area. It makes missionary work so much easier when you have an immediate support system for the investigator. We have been working on having members invested in the investigator. And with what we have been seeing thus far it has been working miracles. We focused a lot of our teaching this week to be about repentance. For in the missionary broadcast we are to teach repentance and Baptize converts. It gives me the chance to testify about the savior and his atonement. For I am truly grateful for the atonement in my life. For it is the center of gods plan for us. This morning we had district leader training for the new district leaders. We had a very spiritual experience as they were able to notice the revelation that they have received, and how they are going to apply it into their districts. Spanish Town is really starting to find children of God who have been prepared to receive the message of Christ. The missionaries have began to recognize the spirit and use it while they are teaching. We have a lot of baptisms coming up and I am proud of how hard working they are and how inspired they are to do missionary work. 

-Elder Gibbons-

Keep Trying. Keep Pushing. Keep Believing. Keep Growing. Heaven is Cheering You on Today, Tomorrow, and Forever

6 February 2017 Week 33

     So this week has been a very emotional week for me. As I have studied and pondered about our savior and redeemer Jesus Christ I have been brought to tears... I have reflected and reflected on how much he loves us and cares for us. I want to testify that I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know he loves us and atoned for all the sins of the world. I picture him as my big brother who is always there for me. If I get knocked down I know he is there to help pick me back up and dust me off. He has provided us the way to be exalted. With all the pain and anguish that he suffered, he never complained. He was optimistic. His a leader. He is a teacher. He has taught me so many things this week. And for him I am eternally grateful. As I partook of the sacrament this week I was filled with the spirit and I knew that it works. I have not felt the spirit more then I have this week a lone. 
     I had the opportunity to conduct a couple more trade offs this week. The first trade off consisted of me going and working with Elder Lewis in his area. Something that I learned from Elder Lewis is that he is very diligent in his work. He loves to do missionary work and does not want to go home. He is a very good teacher and loves to bear testimony. AS well this week I was able to conduct another Trade off with Elder Gordon. I was very impressed with Elder Gordon. A strength that I notice about him was that even though he is going home next transfer he really loves being a missionary. He has not shown any signs that he is dying. He has been working super hard and it is paying off. 
     This week was transfer calls. I am very sad to say that Elder Warren will be leaving. He has taught me a lot this last transfer. When he bore his testimony tears came to my eyes. He has left and impact on my mission. I will be receiving Elder Stevens here in the next couple of days. From what I have heard we are going to work very well together. I am excited to see with all these changes how the work will improve. I know that these things have been inspired of the lord and I know that knows that vision of the Jamaica Kingston mission as well. I know Elder Warren will do great things as he blesses the live of the people in the Bahamas. I would really like to go off Island one day as well. I would love to know that you and the lord trust me to do that. Could you see it happening? 

-- 

-Elder Gibbons-

Keep Trying. Keep Pushing. Keep Believing. Keep Growing. Heaven is Cheering You on Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.