Third Week in Hollywood, FL

Elder Gibbons with President and Sister Richardson

Hey,

This week has been a great one. Last night my companion and I where finding and had an interesting experience. We knocked and a lady answered and we asked if we could say a prayer with her? She said yes and asked us to come in. My companion asked her if there was a man in the house because as missionaries we can't enter a home with only women. She stated yelling discrimination a lot in Spanish. And she said that here son was there. But then just kept yelling. And slammed the door in our faces. So we walked to the next door and she opened the door and said come and pray. So we went into the house and prayed and the spirit was strong. We invited them to be baptized and they said yes which is awesome. And she said aging explant to me discrimination. So I told her that say two sister missionaries go and find a man in and are asked to come in they cant go in unless they have another women with them or there is a women in the house. She finally got it and we are going to teach them tonight. It’s been a great week here in Hollywood though I love it here. Next week we have zone conference in FT Myers. It’s all the way on the other side of FL so that should be fun. We are also going to try next week to get more member present lessons and more investigators. I love and miss all of you.

Love

Elder Gibbons

Week Two in Florida

Its been another great week here in FL. The weather has been great here. On Tuesday I did an exchange with the English Elder. First time on the bike too. It was great. This week we have teaching an investigator named Ryudale. And he really wants to be baptized. To be baptized you have to come to church for at least two Sundays. We thought he was going to be there on Sunday but his wife had to stay at work longer so he wasn’t able to come. If he comes the next two Sundays then we will baptize him on the 7th of March. We had two investigators at Church on Sunday that we weren’t expecting though witch was awesome. We have been knocking on a lot of doors and finding some great people. Most people are nice. My Spanish is getting better each day. I shared a experience all in Spanish. I can understand it pretty well know though. The food here has been great A lot of rice and spaghetti from the members. Just been working hard learning a lot. I’ts been great here. I love it so much.

Love,

Elder Gibbons

First Week in Florida

Hey everyone...

Florida is amazing. The people here are great. And the weather is great. I will tell about my first few days. So Tuesday I got up at the MTC and left to the airport at 330 in the morning. We flew to Atlanta airport then to FL. There where 21 new missionaries arriving here so, a lot. It was great though. We landed in Fort Lauderdale and I met my mission President. President Richardson. He is really nice. We loaded all of our luggage up and left to the mission home. There we had dinner and the assistants to the president taught as a few things. That night we all went out and placed some Book of Mormons it was really cool the people where interested and it was awesome.

That night we then took a photo with the mission president and his wife and went to the hotel and slept. On Wednesday was transfer day so all the missionaries that are getting transferred meet at this meeting. They had all the new missionaries bare there testimony and all the departing. Then they read had a power point of the zones and the missionaries being transferred into each zone. I am serving in the Hollywood Hills East area. It’s an awesome area. And my trainer is awesome too. My companion and I got white washed into the area. But this was his first area he served in so he knows the people and area. We have still gotten lost a couple times though. Here in this mission is how we find is we go to peoples homes and ask if we can pray with them and there family. We ask them what they need help with in there life. We ask to think of how they feel during the prayer. During the prayer we bless there home by virtue of our callings as missionaries. Then after the powerful prayer we ask how they felt. Then we invite them to Follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. Most people say yes which is awesome. But most of the people we talk to are English so we have to refer them to the English Elders. My mission is the highest baptizing mission in the USA, which is pretty awesome. It’s been a great week though I got to see the ocean on my first day and my area has the ocean in it. But we hardly go over there. There’s also is a mission rule that you can’t touch the sand at all. And the only way to baptize is be exactly obedient. The members here are really nice and are amazed how much Spanish I know. I might also have to learn creole and Portuguese also. I love it here though so far it’s been great. I love and miss ya'll very much.

Love,

Elder Gibbons