Gish On A Mish: October 2018

Wednesday, October 31, 2018

Week 63: Sister Gish is Getting Transferred to Loveland, CO!

Hi friends! Happy Halloween! This transfer literally flew by, but me and Sister Martin has an awesome last week together!

On Wednesday, we went to lunch and did area calls with Sister Lewis and Sister Chadwick! They are the best! We went to district meeting and then I went on exchanges with Sister Raine! The poor girl was super sick, but I got to do a lot of studying! I was so touched by the spirit as I studied the topic of faith. I was reading in Alma 32 and I just love verses 26-27.

26 Now, as I said concerning faith—that it was not a perfect knowledge—even so it is with my words. Ye cannot know of their surety at first, unto perfection, any more than faith is a perfect knowledge.
27 But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.

Sometimes our doubts become bigger than our faith and we lose our eternal perspective about what we can really become. We think that we need to have some sort of grand spiritual experience like the brother of Jared. Guess what? None of us have perfect faith, but that is OK!!! Like Elder Holland once said " hold fast to what you already know and stand strong until additional knowledge comes."

On Friday we went to GRC. I don't remember if I've explained it, but basically we help the food bank pass out fresh produce to refugees. It's amazing and we were able to feed over 200 refugees! After that we had lunch and area calls with Sister Fisher and Sister Taylor. Then we went on in exchanges to help them find in their area. I was with Sister Taylor and we had a blast!

We had tons of awesome lessons this week! We met with Sister Covington! She is so awesome and literally the most selfless person I know. We helped do her dishes, because that girl needed a break! We also had a lesson with Gebon. Right before Sister Martin transferred, she met Gebon at Ross in Casper and he so happened to live in Greeley. He also happens to live with Kuami! We taught him back in the summer, but have struggled to get in contact with him. When we went to have a lesson with Gebon, Kuami was there and we taught him too!! Saturday was the Halloween party and I was so proud of the members of the Centennial ward! They invited so many nonmembers. It really is so important to invite your friends to church activities.

Yesterday, we went on a mini mission with Brena! She is so cute and wanted to do one as a personal progress project! I will miss her so much! She has become one of my very best friends.

We got transfer information on Saturday! I am being transferred. I cried on Friday night because I really have grown to love Greeley in the 6 months that I've been here. I have met wonderful people and have made amazing memories! Every single area has stolen a piece of my heart, but I am so happy to have yet another place to labor with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. It will also break my heart to leave Sister Martin! We have become such good friends and that girl has been a lifesaver when it came to college applications! She is one smart cookie and I feel so lucky to have spent the past six weeks by her side. I am pleased to announce that I am heading to the Woodmere ward in Loveland! I'm even more excited to say that I will be reunited with my former companion/best friend SISTER STAPELMAN, so we will get that second transfer we always wanted! To say I was excited when I saw that is an understatement! I literally started screaming! I will be living with my buddies Brother Bob and Sister Smith! It is pretty much everything I was hoping would happen next transfer! It's gonna be great!

My new address is:

7762 Spring Glade Rd

Loveland, CO 80538

I love you all! Have a super fun, exciting, and spooky Halloween!

Love,
Sister Gish on a Mish

Sister Gish and Sister Taylor

Sister Gish and her bearded dragon

Ashcroft District

GRC

Sister Gish and some of her Greeley peeps

More Greeley peeps

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Week 62

This week seriously flew by! This transfer seriously flew by! I can't believe we will be getting transfer information this Saturday!

I went on exchanges with Sister Taylor this week! I swear we were friends in the premortal existence because we clicked so fast! We had some solid lessons and we got a few return appointments, so it was a really successful day. We also ate at all the missionary favorites. We went to FAT Shack and got some fried twinkies and fried oreos. Then for dinner, we had 1.50 scoop. Needless to say I thought I was going to die. Is it any wonder why the average weight gain in our mission is 20 pounds?

Jerri received her endowments! It was such a special day to see her make more promises with God in His holy house. I just love her so much and I know I needed to come to Greeley so that we could be friends!

We went on a micro-mission with Emily this week! Sorry, I don't have a picture, but it was super fun! She is putting in her papers soon, so it was just so good for her to get excited about her mission by experiencing first hand what missionary life is like!

Sunday was a delight! We had two members bring friends to church! Also, Laura spoke in Sacrament! One of my best experiences in Greeley has been seeing her come back to church! I am so proud of the progress she has made and I can't wait for the day she and her husband are sealed in the temple!

Yesterday, we went on mini exchanges with our sisters in Fort Collins. I went campus contacting with Hermana Gledhill! It was a blast! It made me miss ysa because I love how open young adults are to talking with you. We got them 3 solid potential people to teach. Then me and Sister Abraham went to contact people up near HORSETOOTH. We saw turkeys, deer, and horses. It was beautiful and of course Sister Abraham kept me laughing!

I will just end with my testimony. I have been reading the Book of Mormon, the Saints book, as well as the talks from this past General Conference! As I have read, I keep pondering the ninth article of faith:

9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God

I know that the Restoration was not a one time event, but that it continues today. How lucky we are to be a part of building the kingdom of God.

I love you all!

Sister Gish

Sister Gish and Sister Taylor

Jerri went to the temple!

Sister Gish and Jerri

Sister Gish and Sister Taylor

Mini exchanges featuring Honey the lost dog

Sister Gish and Sister Abraham

Wednesday, October 17, 2018

Week 61: Sister Gish Hit Her 14 Month Mark!

Holy Cannoli guys! This week has been so busy! It was so awesome and nothing short of celestial! I love being a missionary!

On Tuesday, we met the Covington family! They are returning members! They are absolutely amazing! They watched General Conference and they felt the spirit so strongly. I didn't see them when sacrament meeting started, but I was pretty excited when their little girl, Reina, ran up and gave me a huge hug!

It started snowing on Wednesday! None of it stuck, but on Sunday we got about 5 inches. Winter came in with a bang! Luckily, it has warmed up a bit this week!

On Thursday we had zone conference! We had an area seventy, Elder Michael D. Jones, attend. The spirit was amazing. I was so shook, because he was teaching and then he was like "Where's Sister Gish?" I raised my hand and he said "Sister Gish, how could I forget a great name like that?" He then asked me to read a few scriptures. I felt so special and it made me contemplate a few things:

1. I was so touched that even though we only briefly met for 5 seconds, he made me feel so loved. It reminded me how our heavenly father and Jesus Christ could never forget our names.

2. That my name is a representation of my family, and I want to do everything I can to bring honor to my name!

3. Even though my name is "great", I want to wear an even greater name on my name tag everyday. Wearing the name of Christ is my highest honor in life.

One of my favorite things about zone conference was when Elder Jones was talking about sustaining a new prophet. He said that some shout to oppose during general conference, but if the saints vocally expressed how much we sustain our prophet the cheer would ring so loudly! I love President Nelson and I sustain him so deeply in my heart that I could cheer!

I went on exchanges with Sister Raine this week! She is just so great! She is a great example of becoming as a little child. She is submissive, patient, meek, and filled to the brim with love! She is the best!

We also got to go to the temple twice this week and do baptisms for those on the other side of the veil. We went with Chris on Friday night and with Cassidy on Saturday morning. I love the temple and I felt an overwhelming spirit as I watched two of the people I taught, do their own family work. Chris didn't want to leave the temple, but neither did I!

We had exchanges yesterday, and I was with Sister Chadwick! She is just awesome, and I think I could talk with her all day long! She is just so happy and it's contagious!

We had interviews yesterday. I just love any chance I have to meet with President McMurray! He is the best mission president ever!!!!

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

Sister Gish

Sister Gish hit her 14 month mark this past week!

Exchanges with Sister Raine

Temple with Cassidy

Exchanges with Sister Chadwick

Sister Gish and Sister Abraham

Sister Gish and her mission friends!

Temple with Chris

Sister Gish and Sister Martin at the temple

Morning walks

Zone Conference

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Week 60

This week week has honestly been a blur, but It was super fun!

We found 3 new people this week, so that was exciting! We have recently been blessed with a lot of referrals and return appointments!

On Thursday, we went on exchanges with Sister Smith and Sister Abraham. It was a blast! I was with Sister Smith! It was so fun! She is a wonderful example to me of being positive in any circumstance. She is so beautiful inside and out and I just love her.

Friday was so cold! It went from summer to winter in 5 seconds. We went to lunch with Sister Taylor and Sister Fisher and we ate outside because it was so nice! Then we went with Brena to do service at the temple and it was freezing! It was still awesome to plant flowers at the temple! The thought that goes into it is amazing and of course I had a blast hanging out with Brena! Everyone we talked to thought she was a missionary! We warmed up with some hot cocoa!

The rest of the weekend was filled with binge watching conference! It was so amazing! I was so inspired! Every single question that I had to ponder was answered. I know that the general authorities of the church truly shared the messages that God wanted His children to hear. I think my favorite talk was Elder Rasband's! As I have been on the down slope of my mission, I have been filled with fear. Fear for my future, my education, and my family. He said something along the lines of "Fear limits the perspective of God's children." I felt so much peace and comfort knowing that as long as I keep my covenants, say daily fervent prayers, study my scriptures, and set aside time for temple attendance, all things will work together for my good! I am thankful to be a part of Christ's Church!

Yesterday I went on exchanges with Sister Wegener! She is so sweet and I love how she strives to see the good in everyone! We did alot of contacting and got a few return appointments. We talked to a man at the park and he squeezed my hands so hard my ring dented my fingers. We were laughing so hard about it! I just love making memories with the sisters we cover!

I love you all!

Sister Gish

Sister Gish and Sister Wegener

Exchanges with Sister Smith

Sister Gish, Sister Abraham, Sister Smith, and Sister Martin

Tuesday, October 2, 2018

Week 59

Hello! This week was amazing! Sister Martin and I have been working hard and we have been blessed with tons of miracles!

I realized I didn't give Sister Martin a proper introduction in my last weekly, so here it goes! Sister Martin is from Seattle Washington. She has 2 younger brothers and she has a really cute sheltie! She LOVES dogs, so we talk about that alot! She knows so much about them! She used to have her own pet sitting business before her mission! She started it when she was 8! She attended BYU for 3 semesters and is majoring in business! She's just so cool, and I love her!

This week has been full of goal setting! I think my favorite part of every new month is the time we have to review the potential of the areas we serve! Goals are so important! They get me so excited to be a missionary and to help bring souls to Jesus Christ! We set goals in companionship study, district council, and missionary leadership council! To say I'm pumped for what October holds would be an understatement!

Shakira is doing amazing! She faces some opposition with her family, but she is staying positive! She is soaking up the gospel like a sponge! I love her! She is preparing to be baptized this month! On Sunday we were waiting for her to come to church and it was about 10:57, so we thought she wasn't coming. I had a prompting to check the other entrance, and there she was just getting out of her mom's car. We also recently had a member move into the ward, who happens to be a certified braille translator! Shakira loves to sing, so he is going to translate some hymns into braille! It was divine design!

We also had a lesson with Chris this week! We are going to the temple with him next Friday to do baptisms! He is so excited to go inside the temple! I cannot wait for him to feel the spirit of the Lord that resides within!

I love being a missionary! I love showing people the love that Christ has for them! At Missionary Leadership Council, Sister McMurray said "you will do many wonderful things in you life, but this is your ministry!" I know I am not perfect, but I hope that everyday, my ministry looks a little more like the Savior's. He was and is the perfect example of ministering to the one. I love seeing people grow closer to Him as they embark and continue on the covenant path!

I know that His church has been restored to the earth again. it is “built upon the foundation of … apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone” (Ephesians 2:20). I am looking forward to hearing from his living prophet and apostles this weekend during General Conference! You can watch it on LDS.org! I know that the heavens will be opened, as we listen to our prophet, President Nelson!

I hope you all have a great week!

Love,

Sister Gish