This quite possibly will be the last letter I get from
Elder Gibson
before he comes home.
It's pretty much awesome. :)
Hey There Nicole!
Hey there, you! :) Well, I just wrote you last week. . . but then I recieved lots and lots of post from you! like 2 1/2 letters and a package! (2 of the letters were in the package and only 1/2 of the "2 page" letter has gottne here so far. . . and sorry that my handwritting is really bad. . . It's because I'm on a bus going to Morelia to drop off my companion, Èlder López, and pick up my new companion, Èlder Durney. It stopped for a second!) but yes, I'm getting ANOTHER companion! Ja ja! ever since July I've had a new companion every change. . . transfer. ;) È' Briz, È' Martínez, È' Tiscaréno, È' López, and now È' Durney! He's the first gringo companion that I've had since my trainer, Èlder Ashton. Pere bueno, to the letters! (From: Èlder López: Hola. Mucho Gusto y Muchos Saludos espero conoserle (conocerle) un dia ok y cuida mucho a elder Gibson que se porte bien!) He wanted to write you something. . . ;) I'll let you figure it out. ;)
To the letters! Ja ja! I'm glad I made your freaking day with my 14-page letter. And don't worry I'll be writing you a little more often until I get home. ;) I DO remember when we began writing the 10 things at the end of each letter. I still have that letter stored away with all the other letters that you've sent me. I think that I have three days more left than you think I do. I'll be home the 27th of February 2012. And why are you reminding me how may days I have left!? ;) Oh goodness! You're getting me all excited to go places! Cedar Mountain! Yeah! Let's GO! ;) . . . In a few months. . . ;) ¡Ja ja! I like the turkey. . . with makeup on. . . ;) Oh goodness again! LOVED the pictures! I'm so proud of you! You totally ran the marathon! . . . it almost made me want to do it next year. . . but I'll still have to think about it. It's just that right now, I'm pretty sure that if I run 1/2 a mile, I might pass out, roll into the gutter, and die. . . no joke. I'm SOOOOOO super out of shape right now. What I COULD do is ride a bike for 26.2 miles. . . does that count? ;) I don't know. . . we'll just have to see. :) You are thankful for: 1, 2, 3. . . 35, 36. . . 61. . . 89, 90, 91. . . 126, 127. . . 142. . . 159. . . 166. . . 177, 178, 179 things! Ja ja! No, I'm sure it's more than that. That's a pretty impressive list though. Sometimes it's hard for me to think of just 10. . . ;) . . . um, I have a question. . . um, in the picture of you and your Core Class at your school. . . um. . . is that a jar of pickles on the desk next to the iPhone/iTouch? ;) I couldn't quite make it out. . . ;) and that's quite the impressive head of hair you had there. ;) Think you'd be able to do it to MY head? Ja ja! Jk lol! ;) DearElder.com time! I'm glad you like the doodling :) I tried to make the letter a little more special than usual. . . because I hadn't sent on in a while. . . sorry again. . . I'll fix that. . . Actually I'm fixing it right this moment as I write! ;) Hope you like it! :D You went to DISNEYLAND! AGAIN!! and you sent me a shirt! and a sucker! I AGREE, let's go! and then to Little Rock and Guadalajara! Ja ja! Yes, I would love to bring you here, and be the translator, but we'll just have to see. . . You have your passport, don't you? Didn't you get it when we were GOING to México but then we didn't. . . :/ I LOVE México! Let's come back! Great idea! :D Ok, I'm asking for red dirt for Christmas or maybe a little red sandstone. . . either or. Come to think of it. . . you're probably going to get this letter around Cristmas time. . .
Ok, that was fun. ;) but seriously I wish you a very merry Christmas! :) Kirstie HAS been married for months now, hasn't she. . . I didn't get an invitation. . . Ja ja totally just a JK lol! ;) how was I supposed to go anyway? ;) You kill TREES too? We'll have to change that when I get home. for now, just try to stay away from all forms of plant life, and if you feel the urge to kill a plant, find a weed. ;) I don't know a TON about gardening, but sure, I'll help you out! :D That way you can have your oranges to feed your millions of kids or just eight. . . ;) The rainy season has ended. . . no more rain for me until I get to Utah. . . :'( oh well. I'll just take your advice and buy some hot chocolate. . . LOTS of it and be happy all winter long! :D I think they sell wassail in Walmart. . . not down here though. . . I'm not sure actually. Ask my mom, she knows, she buys it every year! :D Bread stuffs! There's an Hermano here that makes bread. . . maybe I'll ask him how. . . and I'll bring some home too! Amber STILL hasn't written me! Does she have her call yet? At this rate, I might be able to go to her farewell! Where does the spirit go right when it leaves the body. . .? that's a very good question. From what I've bee told, when we are passing away our loved ones come to lead us to where ever we're going. My mom wrote me and said that a few days before my grandma passed away she said that she said, "Mark (my grandpa) is here!" from what I understand, it's not anything scary or unnatural, we can be conscious the whole time. Someone comes to pick us up and we go with them. Like Brother King put it, " it's just like walking through that door." You'll learn more about it and probably understand it more when you go through the temple. :) My mission was/is challenging then because they had given me a bunch of new responsibilities, and I wasn't sure if I was ready for them. . . but the Lord qualifies us for the work! ;) Èlder López was really excited that part of the package was for him, and he says gracias. ;) Well, I'll have to wait until "page 2" of this letter gets here so I can finish this letter. . .
Actually, before ending, I write you a little bit about Mexican culture. Today is December 12 (sorry, I didn't get this letter in the mail last week. . .) the day of the virgin of Guadalupe (Día de la Virgin de Guadalupe) It's. . . ok, I don't really understand it. . . Supposedly the virgin Mary and the virgen Guadalupe are the same person, just with different names. . . ¡BUT! supposedly the viren Guadalupe was a Mexican. . . but Jesus was born in Bethlehem wasn't he. . .? Doesn't really add up, does it? But they still have lots of "faith" in her (Alma 32:21 last sentence), and giver her holidays and everything. . . It's just as big as Christmas, or bigger. . . There are lots of pictures of her painted on the walls of peoples houses, and they put lights and flowers and fountains and whatever they can to make it super pretty. (candles) And yes, it is pretty. . . but it doesn't help them in any way to reach salvation. Oh, then they set up chairs around it and recite prayers to her. . . ¡Ja ja! it actually kind of scares me to hear them. . . kinda freaky. . . ;) . . . Ok, actually, I think I'll write you another page. What do you think of that?! ;) ¡Ja ja! Ok, well that's pretty much everything about the 12th of December. . . oh! and they have fair type carnivals and lots of fireworks. Ok, I think that all about that. . . New topic! My dream a hours ago! So I was home (so was the other Elder Gibson -->
[That Elder Gibson ;)]) and all of our neighbors and we were all going to run the marathon. But then the day came and I realized that I was all sorts of out of shape and was going to die on mile 2. . . so they all piled into someones surburban and I watched them drive away. . . then I was in our food storage room, and it was kind of darkish because the light wasn't working very well. And then! . . . I woke up to Cathedral bells that didn't stop for 10-15 minutes. . . :( but yeah, that was my. ;) Know what I just realized? The farthest that I've ever run is just one mile. . . hmmm. . . so if I start training right when I get home, I'll have 7 months to get ready. . . and I'd have to add 2 miles per month pretty much to be able to be running +/- 14 miles by September. . . hmmm, is that enough? Is that even possible?! To go from nothing to 14 miles in 7 months? Who knows. . . you said the furthest that you had run was 12 miles, right? . . . slightly easier. . . ;) But Nikki!!! :O I'll lose ALL the fattness I've gained!! ;) I'll be a super-skinny again. . . :/ . . . ;) JK lol! hmmm. . . I'm kind of getting excited to see if I can do it. . . Ja ja! ;) Just look at what you're doing to me! ;) ¡Ja ja! Ok, here's the deal. I get home and you're my personal trainer, está bien? ok. ;) Maybe you'll be able to help me get this load of lard moving. . . ;) (. . . Ja ja, that was kind of harsh to myself. . . ;) I'm not really THAT fat. . . I hope. . . ;) ) Ok, deal! ;)
And that's by the END of every month. . . not the beginning. . . ;) . . . an I hope I don't lose motivation between now and then. . . D: ;) Help! ;) Ok, now this letter really IS going to get to you AFTER Christmas. . . sorry 'bout that. . . Question! Which of these coins have I sent you 10¢, 20¢, 50¢, $1,$2, $5, $10 I know for sure the $10 and several 10¢, but I'm not really sure about what other ones. Ok, well, I guess I'll end THIS letter and now it really is:. . . To be Continued. . . ¡Ja ja! I might get the rest of the letter tomorrow, but then I'd have to wait longer to send this letter. . .
TTFN ;)
1. Yoghurt
2. "Barritas"
3. Panqué con nuez
4. eggs w/cheese
5. gas for the water heater
6. Christmas music
7. "chosen" investigators
8. the church
9. being able to play the cello
10. ¡Tú!
There's my 10!
Um. . . ok, false alarm. . . I got 5 more pages of letter from you. . . so. . . I'm going to keep writing. ;) You're very welcome for the sacrament prays in Spanish. The other Elder Gibson's language is a whole lot more like jibberish than Spanish is!
What in the world. . . !? I don't know. The first one is a greeting, the 2nd one is a "see ya later" or something, and the third one is his name. . . can't make any sense of it. . . ;) oh well, I'll just have him tell me how to read it and stuff like that. . . and don't make fun of the brownies. It was the oven's fault! ;) Living in Draper does sound pretty awesome. You'll have to take me there. ;) So what are the "basics" of hair school? Now, now, you don't need to be freaking out about cutting peoples hair. I'm sure your great at it! :) . . . and what is barbered hair? . . . and what is "bic"? Oh the words that youth use nowadays. . . ;) Jk, I've just never heard them before. . . ;) . . . You're telling me how much time I have left again. . . why!? ;) ¡Ja ja! And when I actually GET your letters it's even LESS time than you say that I had! :O AHHH. . . Just tell Elder Rough. . . ja ja. Jk. ;) . . . did I say that I would WALK th marathon. . . ? I don't remember that. . . no, I'll TRY to run it. ;) St. George would be SUPER pretty with more rain. . .remember the year of the flood? . . . well, the flood wasn't pretty. . . well, kind of, but all the hills that are usually reddish-brownish-deadish were all green and pretty! Lot's of big clouds make wonderful sunsets. In my last area, I saw sunsets that were absolutely GORGEOUS! In La Piedad the sky is super open, and there was all sorts of clouds and when the sun went down. . . super pretty! :) If we come down here we'll make a trip to La Piedad. ;) You went to Dixie Rock! Did we go that often? I remember going a few times, but I didn't think it was that much. I LOVE that place! The first time we all went. . . who all went? Do you remember? I remember you, Cory, and I, and Amber came later. Did Mike go? Who else. . .? I don't remember. Which "funny like house in the rocks" do you mean? The one that's actually was a house and has a fireplace with a chimney or the little hole in the narrows where you can crawl out of the top? But ¡SURE! Let's go! :D Don't worry you'll get a calling soon! Just be patient and , you could pray for one too. :) Thank you for being a faithful active member of the church. The world needs more of you! :) I'm glad you could have a good missionary experience and inform and make her pretty! :) Your 2 page letter turned into 3, eh? ;) Totally súper fine! ;) I'm glad that my letter made you feel better when you needed it. That made me feel less bad about not sending it for so long. . . but as for "growing up and changing" at least you're not fat and balding! ;) Like someone else you know! ;) and even if you were it'd be fine. :)
I think it'd be great if you cut the missionaries hair! Actually we're going to an Hermana's house today to get our hair cut. It's great because it's FREE! ;) She has an. . . estetica. . . hair salon? in front of her house. Yes, I like that idea, you're going to buy me some rogaine! ;) ¡Ja ja! Ok, well compared to how much hair I HAD when I left, and how much I have NOW, I'm SUPER bald! :O ;) You're almost 21! WHOA! I'll take you to buy some beer! Because you'll be able to! ¡Ja ja! Jk! LOL! Super Jk! ;) My four layer jello was Rasberry, orange, strawberry, and raspberry flavored! and it was awesome! ¡Ja ja! I just found 5 mins here and 5 mins there and made four layer! ¡Ja ja ja! Hmmm. . . does México have a sort of Thanksgiving holiday? . . . I don't think so. . . kinda depression, isn't it? ;) They have lots of other holidays though. ¡Ja ja! I'm glad that you're school and work are going well, and tht you got a 20¢ raise, ;) and a keychain!! :D ja ja Christmas in MY México? A few people put lights on their houses (not as many as in the states, but a few. . . like 1 out of 20-25 houses) what they DO have is nativity scenes. Now these aren't the nativities that you're used to, that just have Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepards, wisemen, and animals. These have the inn and inn keeper, his neighbors, the town square, and all the rest of Bethlehem! It's more of a Nativity. . . town! ;) It's pretty cool though, I like it. :D They put up Christmas trees too, but lots of the people here put them out on their front porches. . . it's rather interesting. . . it's not AS cold here. ;) They have what they call posadas here too. They go singing in the streets and end up at the house where the party is and they have food and piñatas, and ponche! (super awesome stewed fruity drink!) What does an elder do? Talks to their family! :D I'm going to use SKYPE! because we can! We also open presents. . . visit some people. . . maybe I'll try the doorbell ditching thing. . . ;) except that will be hard because people here don't have yards to hide in . . . :/ I'll figure something out! ;) I agree, take me to the Christmas Devotional, I've never been, but I have been to G.C. We'll got to that too. :) Almost all the apple cider here has alchohol in it. . . so I haven't really had it. . . here. The quarter pops are gone!? That's not EVEN allowed! They couldn't wait three months!? Hmmm, oh well, Martinelli's is better. . . but not as cheap. . . oh well. . . it'll have to do. . . You sure it's not just gone for matinence or something like that? Ok, well, here are some pogs. I don't know if you remember these. Your brothers probably will. And here's an oragami parrot. And here's a snowflake.I wish I could see your downstairs. . . ;) it sounds awesome! Ok, um. . . so I sort of have another question. . . so in my package that you sent me for Thanksgiving there are some mints that say "Baby Boy" on the wrappers. . . and so my question is. . . how far along are you? Who's the father? Are you married? You ran a marathon pregnant!? ¡Ja ja! Jk lol! Well, this is my letter. I Hope you enjoy it! with a capitol "H"! (I don't know why I put a capitol "h". . . oh well! ;) ) I hope you're doing wonderfully! . . . and sorry. . . this is going to get to you WAY after Christmas. . . sorry, sorry. ¡Te deseo un Feliz Navidad y un Feliz Ano Nuevo también! Te extrano y te quiero mucho!
Tu amigo,
Élder Gibson
