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