Week 28: My Heart is in Fort Collins ooohhh nah nah

Hello Friends!

This week we had transfers! Oh my goodness! I am having the best time with Sister Latu! That girl is amazing, and I am so blessed to be her companion! I am loving being in a YSA ward! It is kind of a weird feeling, because it is like seeing a glimpse of my future life after the mission! 

Also it has been fun to spend time with Sister Walker and Sister Lewis! They all have awesome conversion stories, and I consider myself lucky to be their friend. 

So, before I got here the key to our apartment broke. The door knob was frozen and the key literally broke in half when they tried to turn it. So Sister Latu has gotten really good at carding our door. We were testing her skills and she was outside. I was inside looking through the slot telling her if she needed to move the card up or down. Well, she can do it because she popped open the door and nailed me in the face! I was on the floor laughing! 

On Sunday we had a lesson with some less active members. They play football at UW and we were trying to encourage them to come back to church! We shared a video called "Look Not Behind Thee" (https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2010-12-21-new-years-look-not-behind-thee?lang=eng) It is about Lot's wife. It was relateable on a whole new level to me as a missionary! It made me reflect on the beginning of my mission! Yes, I was following God's will for me, but i was looking back, longing for the lufe I left behind! My advice to anyone preparing to serve or serving now is to just give your whole heart to the work. You only have 18-24 months to serve and a lifetime to reflect on it. I love being a missionary and wearing that black nametag! I love you all!

Love, 

Sister Gish

Sister Gish and Sister Latu

Sister Gish and her Laramigos

Some more of Sister Gish's favorite people from Dubois and Lander!

Week 27: Sister Gish is Heading to Laramie, WY and Hits Her Six Month Mark!

Hello Everyone! 

We received transfer information this week! I will be going to Laramie, Wyoming! I will be companions with Sister Latu in 2 Young Single Adult Wards! I am way excited, not to mention I will be around Sister Walker! That's the cherry on top! 

This week was good! It didn't feel real saying goodbye to people in Lander and Dubois! 

This week Sister Green and I went and drew the Plan of Salvation on the sidewalk, so that was super fun! Then today, We had district p-day! We went to a cave and sinks canyon! It was pretty incredible! We had to crawl through some pretty tight spaces, but we had a blast! Then we went out to a buffalo ranch and got up close and personal! Just kidding! We stayed in the car because they are actually very violent creatures! 

I don't have much else to report about this week, but I will leave you with a thought I had this week! There have been many times on my mission where I've had to work with difficult people. I am very thankful for that, because like I was saying last week, the hard things in life are what help us grow! That being said, difficult people can be frustrating. I was thinking about the word "frustration." Did you know that frustration occurs when our expectations are not met? God works with and through imperfect people. How terribly frustrating that must be. Everyday we constantly fall short of the expectations He has for us. How thankful I am for the Atonement of Jesus Christ that allows me to become a little better everyday! I look forward to serving the people of Laramie! It is my prayer that despite my imperfections, God will continue to work through me to find His children, who are prepared to hear the restored gospel!

Ok, I actually want to share something someone wrote in my goodbye journal. It perfectly captures my greenie area.

"The dogs bite, the horses kick, the guns are loaded, and the gospel is true. There are many truths in life, but these are the ones that matter here!" 

I love you all! Have a great week!

 ~Sister Gish~

PS: My new address will be: 

3314 Joanna Brunner Dr
Apt D2
Laramie, Wyoming 82072 

I love hearing from you, so feel free to send me some mail!  

Sister Gish hits her six month mark!

Sister Gish and her District went caving at Sink's Canyon for p-day

Sister Gish at Buffalo Ranch

Sister Gish and Sister Green: Best Cookie Makers in Lander

The Merry Go Round is making these Sisters dizzy

Happy Valentine's Day From Sister Gish

Plan of Salvation sidewalk art

Sister Gish and Sister Green at Dubois Red Rocks

These are just some of the many people Sister Gish has met and grown to love while serving in Dubois and Lander! 

Sister Gish came across some Bighorn Sheep last week!

Week 26

Hello! I hope everyone is having a good week! 

My week was wonderful!  We have been trying to contact a lot of people and are getting a lot of community service hours!

On Wednesday, we got a new investigator! Her name is Melissa. She is Cousin Pat's step-daughter! She even came to church on Sunday, so that was awesome! We were in the Popo Agie ward on Sunday, and we had a brilliant discussion in Relief Society! I love how we do discussions instead of lessons in Relief Society now because I love hearing the different perspectives of so many strong women! We discussed the talk "The Needs Before Us" by Sister Oscarson. It was given in the past general conference! I would invite you all to read it! We also watched the video called "Lift" (https://www.lds.org/youth/video/lift?lang=eng) This video goes perfectly with the talk! President Faust said it best when he said "Serving others can begin at almost any age... It need not be on a grand scale, and it is noblest within the family."

Speaking of family, I was thinking about mine this week. Someone was asking if it is hard to be away from home? Of course it is, but it has taught me so much! First of all, I am so blessed to have the knowledge that I get to be with my family forever! These 18 months apart are a fleeting moment, and I need to spread that very message to others that are searching for the truth. Second of all, it has made me appreciate my family! The reason I miss my family so much is because I have the best one ever! Yes, my life will be hard after my mission, but after my mission, I will never have to go through challenges without the help of my family again! I will be able to pick up the phone and call them anytime and anywhere. That being said, I can't be 100% reliant on them all the time! That is why the lesson learned that I am most thankful for is that I have learned to rely on my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, 100%! Before my mission, I would go to my mom with every single little problem. Yes, she is a super smart and creative woman, and has helped me through many problems, but she is not a fortune teller. I have to be able to work through problems by following the counsel of the Man who sees all the pieces put together! The One who knows my heart perfectly! Yes, a mission is lonely. Yes, there are times I just want to go home. I have never felt more forsaken in my life, but I have also never been closer to God. I wouldn't trade the hard times for anything, because that is where I have experienced the most growth! 

I will end by sharing one of my favorite scriptures in Mosiah 23:21-22 

21 Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith.

22 Nevertheless- whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was with this people. 

Don't wish away your trials, but make the trials count! Get lost in the service of others! I love you all! Let me know if you need anything, even if it's just an extra prayer! 

Love,

Sister Gish

"Dang, we didn't have any beer on us..."

Sister Gish sharing her favorite book

Sister Gish and Sister Green with a few of the fine ladies in Dubois

Sister Gish and Sister Green cleaning out a member's car

Week 25: Lessons Learned

Friends! Family! How are you all? 

I think I had like 854 come to Jesus moments this week! Being a little missionary girl is so hard! There were so many times that I had zero motivation this week! SO many lessons learned this week!

First of all, pride. It is so real! The Book of Mormon is proof that it truly is the great stumbling block of mankind. It is so easy to see what other missionaries are doing wrong, that sometimes I wear blinders and miss the things that I need to change. I was brought to sore repentance this week and I know that the only cure for pride is charity! The biggest motivator in missionary work HAS to be love. You can't desire anyone's salvation for yourself. You have to want it for them, and it has to be God's will. Love has to be the motivator, because if I learned anything this week, it's that your circumstances will not always be ideal, but attitude is everything!

We were in Dubois this week and I was just so done. It seemed like every single odd was not in my favor. I missed my family. I missed my friends. Our area is slow, and I didn't want to do the exact same thing we did everyday...again. Then I started thinking about all the things that could be left undone when I get transferred. I was worrying about who my next companion would be, where my next area would be, and even how my life would be after my mission. It was causing me so much anxiety. Then a quote was brought to my remembrance: 

“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”

I just love that quote! We have to make the most of the time we have RIGHT NOW! I need to love the people, love my trials, and most importantly I need to love my Savior! After all, it is because of Him that I can become the person I need to be. I am trying to make the most of the rest of the transfer. I am praying for charity with all my heart! 

I love you and would invite all of you to be a little more present this week! Ask Heavenly Father for your daily manna. Ask Him what you can do to be an answer to someone else's prayer. Oh, and read your scriptures! 

All my love,

Anzie

Sister Gish and some llamas!

This nice bear gave Sister Gish a shoulder massage

A deer leg that was found on car fast day

Sister Gish went mining!

Car fast in one word: windy!

Sister Gish and Sister Green

Something is wrong with the Fort Washakie sign...