Merry Christmas!

Hi, everyone! I hope you have all had a splendid week and a great addition to your Christmas season! Wow, it truly is a beautiful time of year, no matter where you are. My wish is that all of you have been able to feel the true spirit of Christmas, and have come a little closer to our Savior this Christmas season. 

I thought that I would just take a moment to let each of you know that I returned home today.

Though it has been a difficult journey, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity that I had to serve and for the love and support that I received from each of you while I was out in the field. I cannot express enough how much you mean to me and how much this experience has changed my life for good. I'm grateful for my wonderful mission, the greatest mission in all the land (in my opinion😉), and for those who are continuing the work there. Those that I was able to meet and work closely with are truly inspired and directed of the Lord. I know that my Savior lives, and that He loves each of us so perfectly. We cannot even comprehend the full extent of what he did for us, and frankly I think we forget the magnitude of His Atonement all too often. I know I do. I have a firm testimony that our Heavenly Father loves and has great things in store for each one of us. I know that Joseph Smith was the true prophet of the restoration of Christ's church on the earth today, and that he was instrumental in bringing the fullness of this Gospel back so that we could all partake of it's bountiful blessings. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and that it has the ability to convert anyone if they will only read and pray about its truthfulness. I have been able to gain so much strength and peace from this wonderful Gospel! I'm glad that I was able to share it, even if only for what seems a small moment. A lifetime is not long enough for us to share all that we have!

Oh my goodness, I am so grateful for you. You and the people of Florida have my heart. Thank you all for your continued love and support!

Love always,

[Sister] Sydney Gibbons

P.S. I don't know how much longer that this email account will work, so for further contact, you can all feel free to reach me at this email:

sydney.gibbons12@gmail.com

Thank you! I love you!

Sent from my beloved Utah!

Week 10: Talents, Tummy Aches, and the Temple

Hello all!! It has been quite a minute since I was able to email you 😂

Because of the lack of time, here are the past three days in a nutshell:

On Tuesday night and we were visiting one of our friends, Marcy, and her mom came out of the back room. She's this super sweet Haitian lady and immediately she saw us and asked us if we wanted food (of course). After we refused thrice (because we had just eaten dinner and it was 8:45 p.m.), she finally decided to just dish us up. Let's just say that food did not sit well with me. I spent that night and all of Wednesday throwing up. The poor new sisters probably think I'm just this lazy couch potato because since they got here, I've just been laying in bed dealing with whatever it is that I have. Sidenote: the new Portuguese sisters are so awesome!! Their names are Sister Ahlm (from Idaho) and Sister Abdo (from Brazil). I already love them! 

On Wednesday night, the stake president of the Boynton Beach Stake invited us and the YSA Elders over to their house for what they call pre-thanksgiving. Some of my favorite members were there!! One of the elderly couples, the Hawkshaw's, are what we call "snowbirds". They come from England to live here during the winter and I am obsessed with them. Sister Hawkshaw is the sweetest person ever and has just the cutest British accent you ever did hear. And she was responsible for merchandising for the Osmonds when they had just begun some of their first albums!! Brother Hawkshaw is an actual legend. He's a crazy talented keyboardist who has written music for people such as Barbara Steisand and Olivia Newton-John. We were sitting there at the dinner table and he was explaining how he was casually talking to his close friend JOHN LENNON way back when and he told us the story of when he was a sentence away from becoming a member of the Beatles. I literally almost fell out of my chair. Then the stake president suggested that he play something for us and that I sing with him (he had walked in on Sister Edmunds and I and heard me playing and singing one night when we were at the chapel lol). He hopped up from his chair, headed on over to the piano, and said, "what'll it be sister?" The president then shouted, "play some Phantom of the Opera!". So he pulled this beautifully intricate piece out of his sleeve and played "All I Ask of You" by ear, while I sang. It was THE BEST THING OF MY LIFE. I want to just sit him down at the piano for a day and study everything that he does because the way he plays is absolutely phenomenal. That is what I hope to be able to do one day. Haha I guess we'll see.

Thursday was THANKSGIVING!!!! It was such a good time! We had a cute member take us out to lunch at a SUPER fancy restaurant that was already decked out in Christmas decor (I'M SO EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS!). We didn't have any other members reach out to us (or any of the other missionaries in our district), but someone from the elder's ward gave them a full turkey, so we all got together at 8 p.m. by our apartment's clubhouse and ate a missionary-cooked Thanksgiving dinner. The elders literally cooked this huge turkey perfectly in the oven for 8 hours and made mashed potatoes and stuffing while they were at it! Unfortunately, I still felt nauseas, so I wasn't able to eat anything. Later that night, the Zone Leaders texted us and told us to throw out all of our Romaine lettuce because there is an E-Coli breakout. That was exciting to hear, because those who know me well know that all I ever eat is salad (R.I.P.). Who knows if that's what I have, but I'm still so sick haha. Hopefully whatever it is gets out of my system soon.

To finish off this lovely week, we were able to go to the Fort Lauderdale temple this morning!! The Hawkshaw's gave us a lift there and back, and then they treated us to a fantastic lunch at a buffet place. I stinkin love them, even though my stomach couldn't handle anymore than a sip of water. But the temple was such a fun experience! I loved just being able to spend a couple hours in a place where I could constantly feel the spirit. If you haven't been to the temple in a while, I suggest that you go! When you can only go roughly every 6 months, you start to realize how much you took for granted the opportunity to go. [P.S. Everytime we go to the temple, it's automatically a P-Day. So the next email you'll receive from me will be Monday, December 3 (darn).] 

Ooh that reminds me of another thing!!! Remember to make the church's "Light the World" Initiative a BIG part of your Christmas season!! One good way that you can kick it off is by participating in the World-Wide Day of Service on December 1st. Look for ways in which you can exemplify Christ in your words and your deeds. :) It can be as simple as making your sibling's bed or giving some warm cookies to a neighbor that you haven't talked to in a while. IT'S GONNA BE SO FANTASTIC I CAN FEEL IT.

I hope that everyone's Thanksgivings were just amazing! Shout out to Amber and Ben Rainwater!!! They sent me a little "thankful" tree and wow. I love it with my whole heart! Thank you!

Well, I hope y'all have the best next week and a half! LET THE CHRISTMAS BEGIN.

Love,

Sister Sydney Gibbons

P.S. MY BUDDY ELDER ALDER IS HERE IN FLORIDA AND I'M PUMPED!!!!!!

Matthew 14:25-31

25 And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.

26 And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear.

27 But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid.

28 And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water.

29 And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.

30 But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.

31 And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

Week 8: Oh Florida.

Oh Florida, Oh Florida,

The constant heat prolongs.

The days are full of summer sun,

The clouds don't stay for long.

Oh Florida, Oh Florida,

The nights grow warmer still.

Quite possibly they're cooling down,

But perhaps they never will.

Oh Florida, Oh Florida,

You are my home for now.

But still I grow the thought of faith,

That maybe it could snow somehow?

As you can tell, I'm not a poet. I just think that I took for granted how fortunate I was to be able to experience all four seasons back in Utah. 😂 Please don't get me wrong, Florida's just awesome. I think sometimes we want what we don't have. 

Oh my beautiful family and friends. I hope you all had the best week. I also hope that you can all look back on it and find at least one moment where you could see God's hand in your lives. If you have one of those moments and want to share, please shoot me an email, even if it's the littlest thing! I love those types of emails! They make my day!

First of all, last P-Day, you didn't receive an email from me because I was rushing to write one and I had it all written, but it got deleted at 5:58 p.m., and P-Day ends at 6:00. So that was a little bit frustrating, but I wrote it all down the way I remember writing it and you should receive that one as well as this one. Also, P-Day this week is Tuesday because it was Veteran's Day yesterday (a good day to proselyte).

Oh my goodness this week was just so interesting. It seems like last Monday was forever ago! 

Zone Conference was pretty good! I loved it because I got to sing! 

Not a ton of things happened this week, but I learned some powerful lessons! I don't know everything. I actually know nothing compared to some of these missionaries. But I love that we're all in this state of learning together.

I just wanted to let you all know that whatever our trials, whatever our struggles; our Savior Jesus Christ has been through it all. He cares that we change. He knows that we need to grow. That was Heavenly Father's purpose when he put us down here. He knows what we need in the long run, and even though life can be difficult sometimes, I think it pays to be grateful for those stumbling blocks that he does put in our path. It isn't like he gives us this big mountain to climb, or this life on Earth, and just abandons us! He knows each of us perfectly and LOVES US ENOUGH to put trials in our path. After all, in the premortal life, we knew what we were going to go through and we were rejoicing. I was probably ecstatic when He told me that I was going to be serving a mission! What a great honor it is to put on my cute little name tag every morning. I love it. My mission has been so hard thus far, and it will continue to be. That's life. But I know that with our Savior, anything is possible. And really, it is all worth it.

I'm so sorry I don't have the time to write more! You all know that I'm a perfectionist and that if I could, I would go on writing for days.

I LOVE YOU ALL.

Much love,

Sister Gibbons

Here's an excerpt from a fantastic talk titled, "The First Great Commandment" by Elder Holland:

"After a joyful reunion with the resurrected Jesus, Peter had an exchange with the Savior that I consider the crucial turning point of the apostolic ministry generally and certainly for Peter personally, moving this great rock of a man to a majestic life of devoted service and leadership. Looking at their battered little boats, their frayed nets, and a stunning pile of 153 fish, Jesus said to His senior Apostle, "Peter, do you love me more than you love all this?" Peter said, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee."

The Savior responds to that reply but continues to look into the eyes of His disciple and says again, "Peter, do you love me?" Undoubtedly confused a bit by the repetition of the question, the great fisherman answers a second time, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee."

The Savior again gives a brief response, but with relentless scrutiny He asks for the third time, "Peter, do you love me?" By now surely Peter is feeling truly uncomfortable. Perhaps there is in his heart the memory of only a few days earlier when he had been asked another question three times and he had answered equally emphatically—but in the negative. Or perhaps he began to wonder if he misunderstood the Master Teacher's question. Or perhaps he was searching his heart, seeking honest confirmation of the answer he had given so readily, almost automatically. Whatever his feelings, Peter said for the third time, "Lord, … thou knowest that I love thee."

To which Jesus responded (and here again I acknowledge my nonscriptural elaboration), perhaps saying something like: "Then Peter, why are you here? Why are we back on this same shore, by these same nets, having this same conversation? Wasn't it obvious then and isn't it obvious now that if I want fish, I can get fish? What I need, Peter, are disciples—and I need them forever. I need someone to feed my sheep and save my lambs. I need someone to preach my gospel and defend my faith. I need someone who loves me, truly, truly loves me, and loves what our Father in Heaven has commissioned me to do. Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not to be consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world. So, Peter, for the second and presumably the last time, I am asking you to leave all this and to go teach and testify, labor and serve loyally until the day in which they will do to you exactly what they did to me."

Then, turning to all the Apostles, He might well have said something like: "Were you as foolhardy as the scribes and Pharisees? As Herod and Pilate? Did you, like they, think that this work could be killed simply by killing me? Did you, like they, think the cross and the nails and the tomb were the end of it all and each could blissfully go back to being whatever you were before? Children, did not my life and my love touch your hearts more deeply than this?"

My beloved brothers and sisters, I am not certain just what our experience will be on Judgment Day, but I will be very surprised if at some point in that conversation, God does not ask us exactly what Christ asked Peter: "Did you love me?" I think He will want to know if in our very mortal, very inadequate, and sometimes childish grasp of things, did we at least understand one commandment, the first and greatest commandment of them all—"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind." And if at such a moment we can stammer out, "Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee," then He may remind us that the crowning characteristic of love is always loyalty."

--

Sent from the Sunshine State

Week 7: God is Bigger than the Boogieman

Hello, family and friends!! I hope this past week has treated you well and that you were able to get Halloween out of your system BECAUSE CHRISTMAS IS COMING.

I'm just teasing; I know Christmas is a ways away. Although I won't lie that Christmas hymns are all I listen to lately! It's a good thing that Sister Edmunds likes Christmas that much too! 

This week was so actually a lot better than normal. I get to sing "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" at Zone Conference tomorrow! And practicing for it was just so fun because I get to sing it with a group of missionaries that love singing too. And I figured out that while we can't listen to anything but hymns, I can play whatever I want. So my playing by ear will come in handy, as long as I can remember all of the songs that are stored away in my brain. I love the piano! It's the best.

We had a zone-wide exchange this past week and holy cow. Sister Edmunds went up north to be with someone else for a day, and I was assigned to lead the area. I have no idea what I'm doing still, so it was like the worst day. I had this cute new comp, Sister Oliveira and she was newer too, so she had no idea what to do either. Everything that happened that day kept getting worse. I was almost to tears when finally we reached a long stoplight. And as we were sitting there in the car, I looked to my left and saw a frog, about the size of my fist (those are not a rare thing to see in Florida). But this frog. It was just sitting there all content and happy and I was beginning to feel better about the day. Then the light turned green and he was flattened like a pancake. Literally I started crying and I yelled to Sister Oliveira, "AHH THAT FROG JUST DIED OH NO!!!" And she just laughed at me and the best part about it is that we were in a group call with 4 other missionaries who were following us in their own cars and they were all laughing so hard. It's a good thing that the Plan of Salvation exists. I hope I get to see that frog again.

Halloween night we came in early and studied, which doesn't sound all that great, but it was so fun. We just had a group study/discussion about the Second Coming and the Gathering of Israel and it was so cool. That's what Zone Conference is about tomorrow! I'm so so excited!

We've figured out that this area is super super slow. And while knocking is essential, it is rather ineffective here, because most of it has been knocked before. And the homes that haven't been knocked are in crazy gated communities that we can't visit without someone kicking us out because they think we're soliciting. So, we are going crazy trying to think of ways to work through the members. Because we were whitewashed into this area, we have to go through the process of meeting and talking with all the members, which is stinking hard, but I like it so much more than knocking. I've also learned an improved definition of success. Success in the Lord's eyes is trying your best. If someone throws away a Book of Mormon, or if they don't agree to be baptized, or whatever it is... We can't blame ourselves if we've tried our best. Maybe it just wasn't their time to accept it.

The work is really tough, and sometimes I feel trapped in the storm of it all. And it's hard not to let your guard down. But that's when Satan's influence can harm you most. I always remember a song that takes me back to my childhood. I had a stuffed asparagus that was from Veggie Tales whose name was Junior (although, I named him Nana and insisted that he was a girl). At night when I got scared, Nana would sing to me a song that goes like this:

God is bigger than the Boogieman.

He's bigger than Godzilla or the monsters on TV.

God is bigger than the Boogieman 

And He's watching out for you and me.

It sounds really kiddish, but memories are some poignant things. That song is all I can think about lately haha.

I'm so sorry for the short letter! I don't have tons of time this week, but I'll definitely write more next week.

Have a beautiful week! I love you!

Sister Gibbons

D&C 24:11-12

"In me he shall have glory, and not of himself, whether in weakness or in strength, whether in bonds or free;

And at all times, and in all places, he shall open his mouth and declare my gospel as with the voice of a trump, both day and night. And I will give unto him strength such as is not known among men."

Week 6: Florida Doesn't Know How to Fall

Hello, people who I adore! I hope each of your past week has been one for the ages. And it's Halloween on Wednesday!! What?!

To explain the subject line, Florida indeed doesn't know how to fall. In fact, I'm convinced that half of these people don't know what seasons are. The leaves are still on their trees and green as ever, the grass is still thriving (it's not real grass.. I'm pretty sure it's a weed called crab grass, but since it's green, I guess Floridians are okay with it), and I haven't smelled Pumpkin Spice yet, except for the smelly thing I bought for our apartment because it reeks in there. Our dishwasher started leaking and our sink was full of brown water for a few days because our disposal broke. 😂 oh well.

We set another one of our friends, Dave, with a baptismal date! The only thing is that, even though we taught him from beginning to end, we don't get to take credit for it because he moved south a block and now he's in the Elder's area 🙃 darnit.

We got yelled at by just a few more people this week while knocking which was just fantastic. I wish they'd just let me help them! I know the Gospel can make them happy. Even just going to stores and driving on the roads here is a lot different than Utah. Utah is like a bubble, because most people are generally pretty happy with life (not to draw conclusions, but there are lots of members in Utah if you know what I mean). Here, it seems as if they are all just content being unhappy and spreading unhappiness. But there are always those people at doors who give us water or tell us they appreciate what we're doing, so that's coolio.

We had a zone activity in Boynton Beach and our household dressed up as Monster's Inc. characters! We thought we were cute, but it's the best us missionaries can do 😂

I hope you all have an amazing week, and a Happy Halloween!!

Love,
Sister Sydney Gibbons

2 Nephi 31:20
"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."

Week 5: More Doors than Monster's Inc.

Olá family!

For those of you in Utah right now, I hope you get the chance to build a snowman for me in the new few weeks. I MISS THE SNOW. I do, however, get my fair share of cold, because of Floridians and their crazy obsession with air conditioning. I didn't think I'd need a coat coming down here until I walked into my first sacrament meeting. #sendhelp Even ourr apartment is freezing! 

Oh, but I wish you all the best. Enjoy the colors of the leaves and the apple cider and the cloudy days. We don't get much of those here. I think I'll really miss pumpkin spice hitting me in the face whenever I walk through my door back home. That was always the best.

This week, I realized a lot of things. Oh let me tell you.
It has been a crazy struggle adjusting to life as a missionary. And it is even harder when people open up their doors and tell us how insane we really are. Though sometimes, it feels like insanity, it is worth it. I can tell you that every second glance from someone is worth it. Every ridicule, every yell, every door in my face is worth it. Even the sweat on my brow and the pants sticking to my legs is worth it. I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Missionary work, and frankly, my whole life is worth living because my Savior, Jesus Christ, lives. He is the one true justification for what everyone deems as madness or insanity. I really am grateful to be here.

This week we did tons and tons of knocking. Here's the thing: I vowed to myself on my first day here that I would never knock again. I believed it was pointless. And yes, it may seem that way most of the time. But when you find that one soul who needs to hear it, it makes you want to knock for days and just shout your message from the rooftops. There are people out there who have been prepared and need this gospel right away, and that is who I'm here to find.
We set someone with a baptismal date this week! His name is Rick, and he is still unsure about it, but I know that being baptized will change his life, and I am so very excited for him!!
We had zone conference this week and holy cow it was long. But, it was way cool!

The ward had this family movie night planned and we got approved to go, because there would be some nonmembers there. I MISS MOVIES. I got to see a little bit of Coco, and I've already started making a list of movies I need to see when I get back. I'm crazy. We aren't a facebook mission, but there is a facebook page that you might be able to see pictures of me on. At least for the next two transfers. I believe it's called "Boynton Area Latter-Day Saints News". Feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

I love the Boca Raton Ward. Holy cow, these are some of the coolest people I've ever met. They have no problem standing for what they believe in, because most of them are the only members in their neighborhood. What's super cool is that most of them are from Utah or they have roots there. But they are so good at being member missionaries, it blows my mind. Even the little kids. This area is so fun!

I had the opportunitiy to go to a Portuguese member's home for a lunch appointment and I knew beforehand to eat SUPER SLOW or else they'll feed you until you burst. I've been learning more and more Portuguese lately and that day I learned the single most important phrase that I will ever learn in that language. I'm full.

We also went and visited a member's home for dinner and she was from Japan! She made our food right in front of us, and I got a better grip on how to use chopsticks (get it?). She says next time we come over, she'll make Katsudon and have Mochi Ice Cream for us. I'M SO EXCITED. This time around, she sent us out the door with some Japanese Jelly Beans, called "Poifull". Super yummy. :)

The drivers here have not changed from how I last described them. We've witnessed a couple accidents already. We have our little missionary helper, TiWi, making sure that we don't go too fast or anything (but actually, it is more dangerous to GO the speed limit here because people go 15 over anyway). And, when the lights turn green, you have to wait a few seconds, because people don't care if the light is red sometimes. So that's just great.

I have yet to see an alligator, but there are so many different frogs and lizards and iguanas here. It is unreal. Everytime we walk up to someone's house, their grass and bushes are always crawling!!

I don't have tons of time, but that is mostly everything that happened this week. Everything is awesome! I wish you all a happy fall! Be sure to send me some snow when you get some!

Love always,
Sister Sydney Gibbons

--
Sent from the Sunshine State

Week 4: Crazy Frizz and Tan Lines

Hola Family!

Holy cow. So so many things happened this week.

My last night in the MTC (which seems like years ago) was so super sad. I miss all of the cute friends I made there... even those who came to Florida with me because none of them are in my zone or anything. I reported to the MTC Travel Office at 3:45 a.m. We all got on a bus that was blasting Tabernacle Choir music and that took us to the front runner which then took us to the airport. Before I got on my flight to Atlanta, I ran into Sister Harper and Elder Draper, who were both headed to Peru on their missions! We were on the same flight to Georgia, but had to say goodbye at that airport! Good luck my friends!!
I got to Florida and the heat and humidity hit me all at once. I LOVE IT. My hair doesn't though, haha. We went to the mission home, then to a hotel to stay the night. I met President and Sister Garns, who are just so awesome.
The next day, I had to say farewell to my cute comp., Sister Toone. My trainer's name is Sister Lindsey Edmunds! She is from Ogden Utah, and is so so cute. This is only her fourth transfer, so she's really good at what she does. We have been assigned to the Boynton Beach Zone in the Boca Raton Ward. 
My new address is:
23090 Post Gardens Way Apt. 315
Boca Raton, FL 33433
Although, if you want to send me important packages or anything, you might consider sending them to the Mission Office instead, unless you need things to get to me right away.
Sister Edmunds and I room in the same little apartment with a Portuguese companionship: Sister Affonso and Sister Paniagua. They are the coolest cats in all of southern Florida. Sister Affonso is from Brazil, and has been teaching me Portuguese!!! I know how to say things like "We are missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints", "Can we give you a card of Jesus Christ?", and "thank you". And then Sister Paniagua has been teaching me the same stuff in Spanish. This mission has four official languages, and they all meet at our church building in different blocks: English, Haitian-Creol, Portuguese, and Spanish. We also have some Visa-waiters going to Tahiti (speaking French and Tahitian) and some going to Madagascar (speaking Malagasee). Super cool. My companion has picked up on some of the languages, so there is a little hope for me to learn something.
The rest of the week was mainly just spent talking to and meeting with members, less actives, referrals, and friends (formally known as investigators). 
There was actually a baptism in the Boca Rio West Ward (Portuguese Ward) yesterday and Sister Edmunds and I went because there was a friend there who only spoke English and wants to know more. So I think we'll being to teach him. But after the baptism, we went to a Brazilian Barbecue and that was some of the best food I have ever had. Holy cow. If I ate that every day, I'm sure my pant size when I come back would be the same as the diameter of the earth.
I loved going to church most of all this week. I always find myself taking for granted the sacrament. Don't do that. The sacrament is prioritty #1 when we go to church!

If you read nothing else of this letter, I implore you to read this, especially if you are preparing yourself for a mission. 
The first few days here for me were so stinking hard. There were no familiar faces and I still had not caught up on sleep. On top of that, we went knocking ("tracting") and got yelled at by a few people. 
What you need to understand that I didn't, was that most of the things that you see and read in missionaries letters are the good times and highlights. You don't see the negative aspects, and feel the same pain that these missionaries feel when a door slams in their face or when they feel the disproving stares of those around them and wish that this tag over their heart didn't stand out as much as it does. Missions are difficult, and mine will only continue to be. I find myself wondering all the time if this work is really "hastening" because it feels so slow, especially when you give it your all and see nothing come from it. I struggled this week a lot, especially with adjusting to missionary life and all the darn rules we have to keep. I knew before I came that a mission would be challenging, but sometimes I wish it was easier. But like Elder Holland says in a talk, "How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him?"
I really do love it here. I know it will take time to adjust, but it is great. 

I love you all. I really do. I love hearing from you, and if you ever email me, I promise that I read it and smile, even if I don't get the time to respond. I wish you all the most stellar week. If it starts snowing anytime soon, send me some pictures!! I love the heat here, but I will miss the beautiful snow! 

LOVE LOVE LOVE
Sister Sydney Gibbons

Matthew 10:13-14,19-20,39-40

Sent from the Sunshine State

Re: Week 3: Hello Florida!

I'm so proud of you! 

On Mon, Oct 8, 2018 at 9:12 AM Sydney Gibbons <sydney.gibbons@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Wow this week has just been the craziest thing! I've loved every second of it, even the 6 hours of classes every day. 

I honestly love my district and I'm so sad to say goodbye to most of them, but I'm excited that new things await in Florida! It's slowly getting colder here, so I'm more than grateful that I'm going somewhere warm! I'm leaving the MTC tomorrow at 3:45 a.m., flying from Salt Lake to Atlanta, then Atlanta to Fort Lauderdale! 

I'm just going to list a few highlights of the week:

They put up lights on most of the trees here and it makes it feel like Christmastime at temple square. It's just beautiful! 

One of the days that we were here, a microwave exploded in one of the new MTC buildings (T3) so we had the whole firefighting armada here to put it out. 

I hosted two new missionaries on Wednesday! I got to go down into the parking garage and walk awkwardly beside some cars to steal away the missionaries inside. I definitely cried when they said goodbye to their families, but it was really eye-opening for me to figure out that time flies. These past three weeks have flown by in the blink of an eye. And then I started thinking that my 18 month endeavor is already almost to 17 months. How crazy is that!? It's almost not enough time!

I went to conference and saw the prophet up close and wow. That was so wonderful. We had the granddaughter of Jeffrey R. Holland in our choir, so he came up to the loft to say hi to us. I couldn't even believe that he was real. I know that they really didn't zoom in any on the sister missionaries, but I was in the green shirt at the top left of the middle section. But the messages this conference were absolutely amazing. I hope that we can all look for opportunities to be instrumental in furthering the Lord's work on both sides of the veil. What a cool concept!

Elder Broadhead: Guys, it's the weekend!!
Sister Prows: That doesn't mean anything here!

I love this mission already. I love the mindset it puts me in. I love my Savior. He is why I'm here. I do belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. And I'm so grateful for that.

I hope you all have just the best week wherever you may be. I love you!

Love,
Sister Sydney Gibbons

Philippians 4:13
"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."