OUR TIME TO SERVE

Saturday, August 1, 2015

Transfers

Dear Family,

Our family missionaries have all transferred: Elder Heflin is in Scituate, Rhode Island; Hermana Stringfellow “whitewashed” into a new area in Mesa, AZ; and Sister Stringfellow transferred to Allen, TX. We just checked out Instagram on the Iphone instead of through our Ipad which is through the Pictacular App. For the first time we saw (Brian Gibson’s) Faith getting her groove on, Dash eating from his truck!, Sadie swimming, Brenna streaming “Goodbye Summer 2015” pics, and Rock waving Paige’s USA flag with her holding the other end!! And now Brad and Ronnie are transferring to Virginia and Maddie Gibson is off to Kansas having just gone to Fiji with her Dad to built six bathrooms for a remote village. Wow!! Another transfer!! So many fun family get-togethers and events!

In the words of Sister Kate Stringfellow: “I really don't know how to express my thankfulness for these past few transfers. I feel so much more happy in my life because I'm truly beginning to understand God's hand in my life in all things. Recognizing Him each day helps me to really see how blessed I am to be here – right now! – at this point in my life. To be with the people I'm with. To have the experiences I've had. Good things and hard things in my life have blessed me so much to shape me into a better person.

Goodness, Heavenly Father is so good at that.

I love my mission!.... Love y'all!!!!!!!”

New Apartment – we “transferred” from our cold apartment to the Smith’s warm apartment.

New Cemetery – we “transferred” from Cementerio 1 to Cementerio 3 (Playa Ancha).

We will miss all the wonderful people we met on our trek to Cementerio 1.

On July 1^st and 2^nd, we moved all our camera operation from Cem 1 (Valpo’s original Cem) to Cem 3 (Valpo’s largest). Juan Montalvan, a FamilySearch Peruvian working in Talca, Chile, spent two days with us to help with the inventory and set-up.

Juan Montalvan, Elder Gibson and Patricio

Thanks Elder Poulsen and the mission truck!!

The first night we took him to a Peruvian Restaurant and he suggested we try the Loma Saltado and the drink Chicha Morada (made from ground Indian corn and manzanas [apples]). Very good food and drink! In our letter to Dad we said, “I wonder if Hermana Paige had tried it!!...” and Vickie replied, “Yes, Paige ate/drank chicha morada in many forms. She brought it home from Peru for us to try in drink form and also made some chicha morada flan…. For Father’s Day, Paige took Rock (and I tagged along) to a Peruvian restaurant where she ordered ceviche….I ordered the Loma Saltado – Muy Rico!!”

On the 4^th of July, we went back to Cem 1 to do a good cleaning of the office. Carol swept, dusted and polished their big desk; while I cleaned sticky, duct tape residue from the windows. The panes covered an area about 8’ X 8’, and had been covered by some thick black plastic (with duct tape) to control the lighting for our cameras.

Richard G. Scott, Ensign Oct 1995 “Trust in the Lord”:
I testify that when the Lord closes one important door in your life, He shows His continuing love and compassion by opening many other compensating doors through your exercise of faith. He will place in your path packets of spiritual sunlight to brighten your way. They often come after the trial has been the greatest, as evidence of the compassion and love of an all-knowing Father. They point the way to greater happiness, more understanding, and strengthen your determination to accept and be obedient to His will.

A New Adventure!!!

All New in July

Posted by Hermana Kähnlein in her final blog post:

El 1º de julio la misión recibió un nuevo presidente. A partir de ahora y hasta julio de 2018 el Presidente y la Hermana Díaz estarán liderando a los misioneros desde Valparaíso hasta La Serena, es decir, liderando la gran Misión Chile Viña del Mar. Bienvenidos!!

(On the first of July the mission received a new president. From now until July 2018 President and Sister Díaz will be leading the missionaries from Valparaíso to La Serena, that is, leading the great Mission of Chile Viña del Mar. Welcome!!)

New Mission President –

Raúl Antonio Diaz Navarro and his wife Jean Grace Wall de Diaz.

On the 4^th and 5^th of July, we had a special combined Stake/District Conference with presiding authority Elder Zeballos (70) and Elder Giuffra (Area 70). They combined the two units, shook up some boundaries, and came out with two stakes.

At the end of our meeting, you could hear from the street some loud cheering “Chi chi chi le le le Viva Chile”! The Copa America 2015 final game was being played between Chile and Argentina - and Chile had just WON!! (first time ever!) At that moment, Elder Zeballos was speaking, and he said with a smile - knowing all understood exactly what the cheering really meant - “I see some are very excited about the new Stake!!! A man has been chosen and called. Come tomorrow and see who he is!”

New Stake – Estaca de Valparaíso Oeste

We are now in the new Estaca de Valparaíso Oeste (West). Presidente Leighton (a native Chileno) is in his mid 30's. He has two children and his wife, Maria Jose, is expecting twins. 1st Coun is Jose Mosqueiras, and 2nd Coun is Jose Torres, our current Bishop. Presidente Leighton was in our ward the following Sunday and we sustained the new stake clerk (from our ward), exec sec, and 6 or 7 new high councilors. How fun to start a new stake!

New Cemetery – Cementerio 1 to Cementerio 3 (Playa Ancha)

New Apartment – From 1006 to 1004 (across the hall, and into the sun)

New President of the Quorum of the Twelve – Russell M. Nelson

Russell M. Nelson is president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was set apart to this calling by President Thomas S. Monson Wednesday, July 15, 2015. As president of the Twelve, he is referred to as President Russell M. Nelson and succeeds the late President Boyd K. Packer, who died July 3, 2015. It is the Church's practice that the senior member by date of assignment to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles becomes quorum president. The Quorum of the Twelve Apostles is the second-highest presiding body in the government of the Church. Its members serve under the direction of the First Presidency, a governing unit of three men — the president and two counselors.

In addition to their primary responsibility to be special witnesses of the name of Christ throughout the world, the apostles have heavy administrative responsibilities as they oversee the orderly progress and development of the global Church.

Welcome to the Mission!! We have great respect for all mission presidents. It is hard work!! They serve diligently for 3 years. We are so grateful that President Diaz is “en la lid” with great enthusiasm. We will try to be obedient, diligent missionaries!

Presidente and Hermana Diaz meeting office leaders

President Diaz is ready to go and "in the fight" (en la lid).

Saturday, July 11, 2015

Remembering

Just bringing in my clothes I hung out yesterday and remembering that I used to always hang out clothes before clothes dryers. And remembering our Moms and all they did. And remembering Geff's Mom as a wonderful missionary....

Rowene Robinson was born in Colonia Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico on 11 July 1919.

Lived in Colonia Dublan and rode bus to Juarez for high school at the Academia Juarez .

Called to Serve in the Mexican Mission

Rowene is on second row, sixth from the left.

2-12 December 1940 Salt Lake Mission Home

Traveled to mission and arrived 27 December 1940

Served under Presidentes Lorenzo Anderson and A.L. Pierce

Hermanas Elisa Flores and Rowene Robinson:

“I labored in Mexico City, Puebla and Monterrey with wonderful companions…. The outstanding experience of my mission was gaining a solid personal testimony with which I have been fortified to this day”.

picture labeled "Get away from there, Bro. Romney"

picture labeled "Getting ready for Conference"

picture labeled "Conference at San Marcos"

A fun article from the Ensign:

“Las Colonias: Once a Haven, Still a Home” Ensign, August 1985, LaVon Whetten

In the fall of 1879, Elder Moses Thatcher of the Quorum of the Twelve was sent to Mexico City to establish the Mexico Mission; on 25 January 1880, he dedicated the land to the spread of the gospel among the people and to the establishment of LDS colonies in the republic.

In January 1885 President John Taylor sent word to Saints in Arizona that a gathering place had been designated in the valley of the Casas Grandes River, in the Mexican state of Chihuahua. The first party of colonizers left Snowflake, Arizona, on 9 February 1885. Within six weeks there were some three hundred fifty colonists camped on the banks of the Casas Grandes River. The Mexican colonies were to be a refuge for many who had practiced plural marriage and would not abandon their families. But the colonies would also serve, President John Taylor said, as something much more enduring—a focal point for spreading the gospel in Mexico.

The outbreak of the Mexican Revolution in 1910 forever changed the lives of the colonists. Although Church officials declared their intention to remain neutral, Saints were threatened and robbed, and some were even killed. In 1912, the colonists were evacuated from Mexico. Housed in rude lumber sheds and temporary tent cities in El Paso and in Douglas, Arizona, they waited and hoped for a speedy return to their homes. A few families returned within a short time. Under the leadership of Bishop Joseph C. Bentley, they weathered the next seven years of war-torn uncertainty. Because of their stalwartness, there was a nucleus of Saints in Mexico whom others could rejoin when the revolutionary violence had subsided….

Through the years the colonies have produced many leaders. Some of their surnames are known throughout the Church: Romney and Eyring (President Marion G. Romney of the First Presidency and Sister Camilla Eyring Kimball, wife of President Spencer W. Kimball, were both born there), Taylor, Turley, Bowman, Brown, Hatch, and many others. The gospel also spread from the original colonists to native Mexicans, and to their children….“I feel that my children are safer both spiritually and physically in the colonies. I don’t have to spend a lot of time worrying about where they are or what they’re doing,” says Kelly Robinson. “Here it’s the popular thing to be good. For instance, nearly all of our young men (95 percent of the graduates from the Juarez Academy for the past five years) go on missions.”

Love you Mom. What a wonderful example to all of us.

Monday, July 6, 2015

Happy Birthday, Greyson

Happy Birthday, Greyson!

Tomorrow is your Birthday!!

Are you excited to be 4 years old?

You are growing older so fast - next year you will even be 5!

Did you have a fun time playing with all your cousins at the Gibson Family Reunion?

Did Bella miss you while you were gone?

(So Greyson, next time Gavin loses some ballgame and is sad, read this next part to him. See if he can explain it to you:)

Hermana Kimberly Stringfellow

(your Mom's cousin on her mission in Mesa, Arizona), said:

“When you give it all to the Lord, amazing things happen.”

“The only way to win,

is to lose –

lose yourself in His work.”

Here are some pictures for you. We see these as we climb the 99 steps up to the cemetery every day.What is your favorite one?

just before stairs

middle of stairs

top of stairs

just before we enter cemetery

Three Cemetery Dogs - they are our friends:

The house for two of them is below a nice statue. The younger dog always greets us outside the gate each morning because he sleeps somewhere else.

When we go to work we always see a lot of dogs. They sleep a lot during the day, because they stay up all night and bark for each other. Which are your favorites?

We know we are almost home when we pass Mr. Cool (above). He never barks, he just leans there with his arms folded, smiling, and watching all the people go by....

Well, we hope you and your Mom and Dad and Ellie and Gavin and Bella have a really great day tomorrow - especially YOU! It is your Birthday!! :)

We love you,

Grandma and Grandpa Gibson

Thursday, July 2, 2015

Happy Birthday, Breann

Happy Birthday, Bree,

We are thinking of you and of your birthday

Happy 7th Birthday, Breann

even though we have been very busy moving from one cemetery to another. We forgot that the day after your birthday would be the Fourth of July because no one is talking about celebrating the Fourth here. We did have a religious holiday on Monday – it was called Peter and Paul Day. It was a religious holiday and hardly anyone went to work so no one was on the micro and our day of work at the cemetery was very quiet. And it is winter here and you are having summer!! How funny is that….

Have fun celebrating and have a super, super year. We will definitely be there to celebrate your special 8^th Birthday next year. We love you very much. You are a very talented, good and full of faith granddaughter!

Here are two thoughts from a talk given by a friend of your cousin, Riley to the 2015 graduating class of Marana High. They are: Hold to your Faith and Be Good
His name is Tanner Morse and he quoted your cousin:

Faith is like a little seed....

Elder Heflin said, "I knew that God gave me trials like this (having AML and a bone marrow transplant) for a reason. I was able to learn and grow from the experience, and I am incredibly thankful for that. Today I still have that same faith in God. I put faith into action by making choices that allow God to flood my life with blessings. Because of that, I see His hand in my life every single day. I'm able to face any trial with optimism and hope because I know that if I go and do what God wants me to do I'll find a way to overcome anything. He wants me to be happy no matter what happens, and I can be happy no matter what happens. It's all about accessing that faith to reach happiness. Every day I teach this principle to others so that they can understand the circumstances they are in or the opposition they face. I see the change that comes once we apply this in our lives, and it's the best thing in the world."

Tanner Morse also gave an example of his second thought: Be Good.

Speaking of The Wizard of Oz, Tanner said: "Toward the end of the movie - Dorothy, the lion, the tin man, and the scarecrow are surrounded by the wicked witch and her guards. She tells them that the last one will see the first three go. The witch then proceeds to light her broom on fire and ignite the scarecrows arm. At this critical moment, (and probably as a safety measure) there happens to be a bucket of water which Dorothy used to put out the arm of the scarecrow. In the process, Dorothy unintentionally splashed water on the witch. It was then, that The Wicked Witch of the West said:
‘Aah, you cursed brat! Look what you've done! I'm melting! I'm melting! Oh, what a world, what a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness.'

"In the movie, the witch says this really fast which is why this profound phrase is easily overlooked. Let me read the last half again: 'Oh what a world, what a world! Who would have thought a good little girl like you could destroy my beautiful wickedness.’
Then Tanner said, "I believe that there is so much power in simply being good....I believe that one person can have a huge impact on the world today.

Seek after all the good the world has to offer.

Be the good the world has to offer.

Hold to your faith."

Here are some pictures we have taken lately. Let us know your favorite in each category: Doors, Flowers, Buildings, Cemetery 1, and Art on the 99 steps up to the cemetery.

DOORS: