Staying in Arleta...five transfers!

Hola familia,
 Well it sounds like BYU is pulling their classic choke nation. Transfers are happening tomorrow and we got our transfer calls last night to determine where we are going. Turns out I'll be staying in Arleta for another round with Elder Terry. Which means that I'll be able to finish him off (this is his last transfer.) So I'm going to be 5 peating. I'm pretty excited to stay in this area its an awesome area and a lot of the people we are working with are progressing really well. I feel like there is definitely a reason why I stayed in this area I'm thinking that there is something I haven't done that Heavenly Father is just trying to help me do. But we will see, I'm definitely going to be paying closer attention to the small and simple miracles that happen in this area.
  Somethings that have happened this week is 1 I got to try pulpo for the first time (Octopus). It was pretty cool not gonna lie to be able to try something like that. It was cooked Peruvian style, which I'm not sure what that means because I've never had any other style of octopus before. But It was still really good. Also we had an event at the Visitors Center where me and Elder Terry sung in the choir. we sang a couple of Spanish classics such as Recuerdame and I think that I'm ready now to join a mariachi. Haha just kidding. It was really cool though a lot of Hispanics were able to make it.
  So a day in the life of an L.A. missionary looks like this: 6:30 we wake up and then head to the stake center to go exercise and play soccer with the other elders in the zone. Then from there we come back plan our day shower eat breakfast and start personal study at 9 then at around 10:15 we are out the door working on the ward list usually to verify if members actually live where it says they live. occasionally we have a lesson or two in the morning but not to often. After that we have lunch at 12:30 and then around 1 we start comp study and then at 2 we start language. After that we either do online proselyting lessons and part member families until dinner which is usually at around 6:30. Then after dinner we usually have a couple lessons to finish out the day. However in L.A. there are also a lot more events and opportunities to find people so often we will try and prepare for and participate in those. For example the Visitors Center event. Then at 10:30 we go to bed.
  Well it sounds like its been kinda a bummer week but remembering that we have the gospel and the atonement of Jesus Christ always makes me happier. Love you all hope you have a good week. Les Quiero!!
Elder Gibbons

Love this work

Hola hola familia y amigos!!
This week was incredible!! We were able to get Hernan (our baptismal date) as well as Bernadino's wife to church!! Which for us was incredible because we are now turning our focus to the wife in our teaching visits with him. We were also able to teach Hernan about the word of wisdom. It's amazing to see the faith that these people have even though they have so little material possessions. As soon as we taught him about the word of wisdom he stopped drinking alcohol and coffee which isn't an easy thing to do.
We also had zone conference this week and it was a huge learning experience. We talked about the different ways that you can receive revelation or how to recognize it. One of the huge things that I learned from it was that repetition of one thing is often a way that revelation comes. For example we repeatedly learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ as we are growing up as well as mean other things. But the reason that they are repeated so much is because they are true. So next time you are wanting an answer look for all the things that have been repeated in your life and you might find something.
We also spoke about the correct way to address the church. And the fact of it is, is that we are not telling people that we aren't Mormons to act offended. We are doing it Because it's what a prophet and therefore God has commanded us to do. I would invite each of you not to fear what one will say think or do if you invite them to correctly use the name of the church. We cannot fear what others will do.
A challenge that we are doing as a mission is reading the book of Mormon in 84 days and while we are doing that we are marking all references to Jesus Christ. As I've been doing this challenge I have truly noticed how much the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ and things that he did for us. It's something really cool that I've noticed where as I think before I took it for granted almost. But I can Testify to you all that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and that inside the book you will find so many witnesses and testimonies of the savior.
Other than that Elder Terry and I have been doing well. I love this work and I love the people. I appreciate all the prayers and wishes. Les quiero mucho. Ciao!
-Elder Gibbons

Coming back and the importance of the temple

Hola familia!!
  This week was pretty good for elder Terry and me. Hernan and Blanca are doing OK we haven't had any success getting her to church yet but hopefully in the coming weeks she can get her work off on Sunday. Hernan is progressing really well we had several lessons with him this week at the church and we taught him the plan of salvation and the gospel of Jesus Christ. He has really progressed a lot however right now he is going through some troubles with his ex wife so hopefully he clings to the rod.
  Other than that the other big thing that happened this week is that we got Octavio up to the visitors center. It's funny because we're not really sure how much it helped him as much as it helped Lesly and angel (the two member presents we brought with us). They both at one point were pretty active in the church but have now gone less active. It was cool because we got them excited again to do temple work. So hopefully in the coming weeks we can get angel and Lesly up there to do baptisms.
  I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and I've seen it change lives and hearts. I know that it can Strengthen and up lift your life as well. Love you all have a good week. Cuidense!! 😊😊
Elder Gibbons

Lessons From Conference

Que tal Familia?
  Wow Elder Terry and I have had so many things happen this week. First off our referral Hernan is really going through a hard time because his girlfriend just left him and he is now alone with 2 kids to care for. He said though that he is motivated now more than ever before to learn about the gospel, so if you can please pray for him. We also had a couple of Temple Visitor Center trips one of them we took Hernan with us to. He loved it and then right there at the temple we extended a baptismal invitation and he accepted it!!! The spirit at the temple is so strong and extending a baptismal date at the temple was such a testimony building experience. I can promise you that the people who come just to look at the temple and do a Visitor Center tour can feel the spirit so strong there and they know that its something good and virtuous that they feel. From Conference we learned of the importance that temples have especially with the announcement of 12 new temples. Many of which are located on islands where people find difficulty getting to a temple. I can testify of how strong the spirit is at the temple, it literally changes lives.
  Along with the announcement of the temples we heard about a home centered church supported program. This program will really help put an emphasis on protecting the family. Out here there are a lot more things that try and tear families apart than you would expect back in Utah, and kids are exposed to the world at a younger and younger age. This program will help many of the families here to remain strong and active in the church as well as united in purpose. Satan is attacking the family more and more and he won't stop either, therefore we have to put a huge priority in teaching and raising our families in the gospel. We also received instruction on how to correctly use the name of the church, I loved how direct President Nelson is when he speaks he told us what we were doing wrong, why it was wrong, and told us how to correct it, and then after that he promised us blessings. I know that as we listen to the words of the prophets we will receive more and more revelation on how to survive in this ever changing world and how to have the companionship of the holy ghost.
  This week we also set a baptismal date for Blanca one of the people we are teaching. Blanca's situation is a little weird, her whole family (that she married into) are members of the church and she is not. However her whole family is also less active, and she actually has the biggest desire to go to church out of all of them. She told us that she wanted to be a good example to her kids but also her Family. And just like any Latina house she lives with cousins, mother in law, father in law, nieces and nephews, so she will be a huge example. She is showing so much interest but her one problem right now is that its impossible for her to get work off on Sunday so she hasn't been able to come yet. We invited her to pray and to ask god specifically to get work off that day. The gospel is real and our prophet Russel M. Nelson really does hold the same priesthood power that Jesus Christ held when he was on the earth. If you are question whether or not this is true ask god specifically the power of prayer is real and we can use it whenever and wherever we want. I love the savior and his gospel and I hope everyone has a good week. Les quiero.

Elder Gibbons

Lessons from the atonement

Hey Familia!!
  Man this week has been a busy week for Elder Terry and I. For starters we had interviews this week with Presidente Haynie, and then we had a lot of things that happened to some families who we are really close with in our area. Make sure that you include the familia Sanchez y Mejia in your prayers this week they are both going through a very rough time. Other than that our teaching pool is actually decreasing in the number a persons we're finding because we have turned our focus to working purely with members and recent converts.
  This week though we were able to find one person as a result of a weird referral that actually was referred to us 3 times. We were finally able to meet this guy when he came not only to the 9 o'clock church hour but also to our meeting at 11o'clock. Anyways this guy is super cool his name is Hernan and he's got a small family of 2 kids. He seems very interested in the message and said that he absolutely loved church. However sometimes he has a hard time understanding things completely. But we promised him that through prayer he could ask god for the help and guidance he needs to understand the scriptures.
  Another thing thats been on my mind since Interviews with president and Zone Conference with Elder Nielsen is the atonement. From my interview I've learned that in order to access the full enabling power of the atonement we have to clean out the Cobwebs in the corners of our life. This means that we take an honest look at ourselves and write down all the things that we are doing that are not in line with the Fathers will. And then we start to repent of those things and change them so that they are in line. Let me tell you its not an easy thing to do but you will feel so much closer to Christ and nothing in this world can replace what you will gain from aligning your will with the Father's.
  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real, and with it we can change not only our lives but we can also help others change theirs. I would invite you to study David A. Bednars article in the 2012 April Ensign titled: The Atonement and the Journey of Mortality. Pay attention to the way it outlines the enabling power of the Atonement used in the scriptures. Les quiero a todos, les espero que puedan aprender y crecer su concimiento de la expiacion de jesucristo. A traves de este conocimiento se van a tener el Espiritu mas abundantamente en sus vidas. Se cuidan!!!!

Elder Gibbons