Week 70: Sister Gish Hits Her 16 Month Mark!

Holy Cow! How has 16 months already flown by? There have been countless hard days, but I am comforted by the words of President Nelson:

“You who may be momentarily disheartened, remember, life is not meant to be easy. Trials must be borne and grief endured along the way. As you remember that ‘with God nothing shall be impossible’ (Luke 1:37), know that He is your Father. You are a son or daughter created in His image, entitled through your worthiness to receive revelation to help with your righteous endeavors. You may take upon you the holy name of the Lord. You can qualify to speak in the sacred name of God (see D&C 1:20).”

My mission is by far the most difficult thing I have ever done. I have never felt so forsaken, but I have never felt so blessed. I find myself counting down the days to Christmas and I've been counting the months I've been out, and it made me think about the countless things in life. Countless are the people I have come to love in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission. Countless are the angels bearing me up. Countless are the tears of joy I have shed. Countless are the prayers I have offered and countless are the times my Heavenly Father has answered them. Countless are the experiences and miracles that I have witnessed which have changed me for the better. 

Isabella came to church the past two weeks! She is just so stinking cute! She also participated in the primary nativity play at our ward Christmas party! She was the sweetest little angel and I couldn't help but notice that she looks perfect in white! 

Yesterday was zone conference! It was nothing short of spectacular! There were so many things I love so I will name a few.

- We watched a part of Mr Krueger's Christmas. I love the nativity scene where Mr. Krueger is watching the baby Jesus and he says "You are my closest friend and that means I can hold my head high wherever I go." 

- In the AP's training they talked about the story of Phillip in Acts 8 and we discussed being food for Christ's sake. Elder Halladay reminded us that our name tags are permission to be awkward. 

- We had a musical number and the sister sang a song called "I'm a Disciple." It talked about what we would do if we were shepherds, or wisemen, or singing angels, but at the end it reminds us that we are none of those things, but we are disciples. My favorite line said "I'm a disciple. I choose to love and serve him. I choose to keep His commandments and bear His name. I'm a disciple." It was really powerful.

Mostly I was reminded this week that God is so good. He will not let us fail. I want to pose some questions that we pondered at zone conference:

1) Why does the savior love you? 

2) Why do I love the Savior?

I love the Savior. He is my closest friend. I love this time of year where we celebrate His birth. I am thankful for His atoning sacrifice and the countless second chances it has granted me in life. I am thankful to bear His name and be His disciple!

Have a Merry Christmas and Light the World!!!

Sister Gish

PS: Sister Gish wanted me to share this link to the music video for "O Come, Little Children" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Here is the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uwUw8UTbTm4

Sister Gish Hit Her 16 Month Mark!

Zone Conference

Sister Gish and Sister Stapelman with Santa! They did make the nice list this year! 

Temple Trip!

Issabella in the nativity play!

The Loveland Sisters! 

Week 69: Sister Gish is Staying in Loveland!

Hello Everyone! 

So transfer news is in and I will be staying another transfer in Loveland with Sister Stapelman! I just know that we will see miracles next transfer and that the Lord is preparing the hearts of the people in our area!

Last preparation day we went to Estes Park with Sister McGoffin! It was so fun! We went to the Christmas store, the taffy shop, and tons of gift shops! I shopped til I dropped! We also went to the Stanley Hotel (it's haunted) and it was soooo spooks! Estes Park is simply breathtaking and the beautiful sights denote there is a God!

We got to teach Mike yesterday! He told us that he feels like his time on earth is coming to an end and that he wants to prepare to meet God. He said that he has accepted the Book of Mormon to be true and he said the sweetest prayer. He even cried as he thanked his Heavenly Father for the love and kindness we have showed him on his spiritual journey.

Isabella came to church on Sunday! She loved it and she is going to participate in the Primary's nativity program. We are hoping that she will be able to be baptized because she really wants to! 

I love being a missionary, but sometimes it's really hard! I am thankful that the priesthood has been restored to the earth. Elder Hardie gave me a very nice blessing this week. I have been lacking motivation for the past several weeks. I was reminded that though my mission has been hard at times that God has prepared people for me to meet and to teach and to testify to that Jesus is the Christ. 

I am thankful for His role as my advocate! I know I will continue to face hard times in my life, but I love this dialogue from an Egyptian manuscript:

"He took the clay from the hand of the angel, and made Adam according to Our image and likeness, and He left him lying for forty days and forty nights without putting breath into him. And He heaved sighs over him daily, saying, ‘If I put breath into this [man], he must suffer many pains.’ And I said unto My Father, ‘Put breath into him; I will be an advocate for him.’ And My Father said unto Me, ‘If I put breath into him, My beloved Son, Thou wilt be obliged to go down into the world, and to suffer many pains for him before Thou shalt have redeemed him, and made him to come back to his primal state.’ And I said unto My Father, ‘Put breath into him; I will be his advocate, and I will go down into the world, and will fulfill Thy command.’”

Jesus Christ is my Savior and the source of all peace!

I love you all!

Love,

Sister Anzie Mae Gish

Sister Gish in front of the Ft. Collins Temple

Sister Gish and Sister Stapelman at Estes Park

Sister Gish and Sister Stapelman

Lunch with the Loveland Sisters and the Hardie's!

Sister Gish, Sister Stapelman, Sister Zundel, and Sister Carrasco

The Stanley Hotel--where the movie "The Shining" was filmed

Week 68

Happy Tuesday Everyone!! 

I totally forgot about a part of the Earnest story last week! He was telling us that before he came to church he saw us at our apartment complex. We went to contact a few people there, but none of them were home! Earnest said he tried to grab his shoes so he could get on his bike and catch us, but we had already driven away. Sometimes we don't know why the Lord prompts us to be in certain places, but divine design is a very real thing!

This week was awesome! We did tons of mini exchanges where we went to our sisters' area and we helped them find! I went tracting with Sister Price, teaching with Sister Tackett, and contacting with Sister Zundel! Of course me and Sister Zundel made a pit stop for frozen yogurt to celebrate her 8 month mark! 

How is it already December?! That is insane! I hope everyone is working to light the world! For those of you who don't know what light the world is, it's a fun service advent calender put out by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints! It is a wonderful way to turn our hearts toward the Savior this holiday season and to serve as He did! Look up the calendar at https://www.mormon.org/christmas

I will wrap up with a scripture I have been pondering! It's Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not" I was thinking about what it means to look unto Jesus in every thought and I watched a video called "Spiritual Beings and the Human Experience" and it quoted Pierre Teilhard de Chard in when he says "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” It was a good reminder that sometimes our carnal mind and body have a tendency to make us think we are worthless, but our spirits are eternal and they know our true potential. The Savior knows our true potential. Looking to Him reminds me of His love for me, which no matter how much my mind tries to convince me otherwise, is unconditional. Looking to Him in every thought increases my love for Him and that love helps me cast out those doubts and fears and helps me to internalize my divine potential as a daughter of God! How can you look to the Savior this week?

I love you all! 

Sister Gish

PS: Also I would love to be added to your Christmas card list!

7762 Spring Glade Rd

Loveland CO 80538

Merry Christmas from the Tribly District!

Sister Gish and Sister Stapelman

Street contacting in downtown Loveland

Sister Gish and Sister Fuge

Mini Exchanges

MLC

Sister Gish and Sister Stapelman

Teaching with the Hardie's

Week 67

Hello! This week was seriously miraculous! I love being a missionary so much!

This week I got to go on two exchanges! I am always amazed by how much I learn from the sweet sisters I serve with! On Wednesday I exchanged with Hermana Nichols! She is so cute! We did lots of service and she just worked and worked! She is a great example to me of serving with all your might! Yesterday I got to double exchange, so I had Sister Foy and Hermana Dahlke! It was pretty much like spending a day with my besties! We laughed so hard! We also had an amazing lesson! They seriously blew me away with their teaching skills! 

Thursday was Thanksgiving and it was awesome! My heart is overflowing with thanks for all of my many blessings! We had breakfast with the Morby family! They are such a fun family and I laugh 99% of the time that we go over there! We spent Thanksgiving dinner with Sister McGoffin who is an angel! She always makes us feel right at home when we walk in her house and we even got to decorate her Christmas tree on Friday!

So at zone conference, my zone leaders gave a wonderful training on how faith precedes miracles and that we need to have the faith to find the elect people in our areas. Ever since then, I have been praying with my whole heart that we would find someone who is prepared to receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. On Sunday, we were sitting in sacrament meeting. Sister Stapelman nudged me and told me there was a man named Earnest standing in the foyer. They had talked to him at the park a while back but haven't been able to get in contact with him since. We invited him to come sit with us and after the meeting we were talking with him. He said that ever since he met the sisters at the park he has had a special feeling in his heart. He said he came to church to feel that again. we asked if we could meet with him and he said he would love that. So we taught him the plan of Salvation yesterday and invited him to be baptized in December. He is praying about it, so please pray for Earnest as he continues in his conversion process. Faith. Faith precedes the miracle. "Ask and ye shall recieve. Knock and it shall be opened unto you." 

Much love!!!

Sister Gish

Exchanges with Sister Foy and Hermana Dahlke

Exchanges with Hermana Nichols

Sister Gish and Sister Stapelman decorating Sister McGoffin's tree

Sister Gish and Sister Stapelman at Thanksgiving

Week 66: Sister Gish Hits Her 15 Month Mark! Happy Thanksgiving from Loveland, CO!

Happy Thanksgiving week my sweet family and friends! I hope we can all take times to reflect on our countless blessings this week! I love the sentence in verse 20 of 1 Nephi chapter 1. "But behold, I, Nephi, will show unto you that the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance." 

Tender mercies are so real! I certainly see them every day as a missionary, and I know you all have them too! Sometimes you just have to look for them! 

This week we put Mike on date for baptism! We weren't planing on it, but he told us that he has a terminal diagnosis and he wants to work out his salvation! We shared with him God's great plan of happiness for his children (one of the many things we can be grateful for!) and we invited him to be baptized next month! He came to church on Sunday too, so that was exciting!

Exchanges! This week I went on exchanges with Sister Abraham! Oh my gosh! I was laughing all day long! She is HILARIOUS! That girl is loyal to the soil! She is such a good friend to all those who know her! I also went on exchanges with Sister Carrasco! She is from Argentina and she is so darn cute! I loved hearing of her experiences and her testimony! She will do amazing things on her mission!

One of the things I am most thankful for this Thanksgiving season is the opportunity I have had to be a missionary. My favorite accessory this past 15 months has definitely been my little black name tag. I love getting to literally wear the Savior's name on my heart everyday! My mission has not been easy, but it has been sacred! There is so much I want to accomplish and so little time left. I have no doubt I will go home wishing I could have done more. That was a thought that was troubling me for a while, but after some good advice from the best trainer ever, Sister Warren, I find comfort in knowing that all good disciples of Jesus Christ have a desire to give more than they sometimes have the ability to do. 

My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude! I have been so blessed. I have wonderful family and friends at home. I feel your prayers and it means more than you know. I am thankful for all 11 of my wonderful companions! Each one has changed me for the better and they all hold a special place in my heart! I am thankful for President and Sister McMurray! They have had one of the greatest impacts anyone has ever had on my life! I look up to them in so many ways! I'm thankful for the people of Colorado and Wyoming that I have had the privilege to serve. I am thankful to be living with the Smith's and for all they do for me and Sister Stapelman! Mostly I am thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the peace and happiness it it brings me! I am thankful for my Savior! I'm going to stop here, or I will be writing this all day long! So I love you and I hope everyone has a delicious Thanksgiving meal and that we reach out to serve those who are less fortunate than us! 

Love, 

Sister Gish

Sister Gish hit her 15 month mark!

Sister Gish and Sister Abraham

Service with Hermana Dahlke and Sister Zundel

Exchanges with Sister Carrasco

Week 65

Hello! This week was so amazing! Being a missionary is simply the best! 

This week I went on exchanges with Sister Foy! She is pretty much my soul sister and we spent a good portion of the day laughing our heads off! She is a great example to me of staying positive and she reminded me that we rise by lifting others!

Happy one year mark to my cute companion, Sister Stapelman! We celebrated all day long on Thursday! We had a surprise party for her at district council, we went to lunch with the Smith's, and we got lots and lots of return appointments. We even talked with the girl at the Dairy Queen drive thru (I think it goes without saying that we got ice cream that day) She had complimented our dresses and asked if it was a special occasion! We told her it was Sister Stapelman's year mark and we told her what we do as missionaries! It was super cool and she said she would be interested in learning more! I'm just really glad Sister Stapelman came on a mission so that we could be forever friends!

Interviews! These are always a highlight of every transfer! I love President McMurray and as usual he gave me wonderful counsel! I may or may not have cried for 5 minutes in the car after! I only have 2 interviews left! I never want my mission to end! Sister McMurray joined us for companionship study that day and she took us to lunch! I love her and I will cherish every moment I spend with her. 

I got to see one of my favorite STL's this week! Sister Bertha was the first person I ever went on exchanges with and she has impacted my mission greatly! It was fun to catch up with her and play with our tiny hands just like in my good ol' greenie days! 

Sacrament meeting was amazing! First of all, this ward is amazing! I just felt like I was home because everyone welcomed me so warmly! The whole ward was fasting for missionary opportunities and the spirit was overwhelming as people bore powerful witness of the Savior and His sacred work. 

Yesterday was zone conference and the theme was charity! I particularly enjoyed the assistants training on loving God! I learned that the great test of this life is obedience and the great task is to align our will with God's will. When we are obedient and align our will with God's, we can fulfill the first and great commandment to love the Lord with all our heart, and with all our soul, and with all our mind. After all, we must love Him, because He first loved us!

Speaking of love, I LOVE All Of YOU!

Sister Gish

Sister Gish and Sister Stapelman

Sister Stapelman hit her one year mark!

Sister Gish and Sister Foy

Sister Bertha

Sister Gish and Sister Foy doing service

Zone Conference!

Week 64

Hello Friends! I hope everyone had a great week and that Halloween wasn't too scary! 

My week was amazing! Being back with Sister Stapelman is a dream! Like literally, it doesn't feel real sometimes! Everyday we say "I can't believe we're comps again!" It has been a blast though and I love this ward! There is seriously so many wonderful things happening in this area of the Lord's vineyard! 

I love living with the Smith's! They are so sweet and to say they spoil us would be an understatement! First of all, having a dog has been so fun! I love giving Loki snuggles! Also, it feels so good to be in a home with a righteous priesthood holder and I love always having Sister Smith to talk to!

On Halloween, we got to watch 17 Miracles! There was one part where Levi Savage is talking about pushing the handcarts. He said at times he felt like someone was helping push the carts, but when he looked back there was no one there. Like everything else, I related this to my mission! I am almost 15 months in! I have loved my mission, but it has proved very challenging at times. I can testify however that I have often felt the presence of angels pushing me day to day! I know that Heavenly Father is aware of us and that He sends His angels to make our burdens light.

We had MLC on Friday! It was great! The theme was love and it really inspired me to strengthen my love for the Savior, so I will have the courage to talk to more people. 

On Sunday, we had a broadcast for the North America Central Area! We got to hear from Sister Bingham, Elder Carpenter, Elder Wilford Anderson, and Elder Holland! They talked about ministering, attending the temple, keeping the sabbath day holy, and gathering scattered Israel! It was so inspiring! I will list a few of my favorite quotes below:

"The work will continue unbroken and unabated until the Savior says, 'It is finished.'" 

--Elder Holland 

"May we give the gift to others that has been given to us." 

--Elder Holland

"People say the jews kept the sabbath day, but the sabbath day kept the jews"

-Elder Anderson

I love you all and I hope you have a great week!

Love, 

Sister Gish

Sister Gish and Sister Fuge

Cleaning the Temple with Sister Stapelman, Hermana Dhalke, Hermana Marin, and the Hardie's 

Sister Gish and Sister Hardie

Sister Abraham's Birthday!

Sister Stapelman and Sister Gish

Sister Gish and Jerri

STL's