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."