Merry 85 degree Christmas! (Part 1)

One of my very favorite people- Sister Anderson!

Sister Kirton and I. Don't mind Elder Smith back there. Haha.

Yes....this was Christmas Eve.

Christmas Eve tender mercy! I love rainbows!

Trying to get in the Christmas spirit. :)


Hi everyone! Merry Christmas!!!

I hope you all have had an amazing week! I've heard so often that
Christmas on your mission is the best, but I wasn't 100% convinced. .
. Until yesterday! The votes are in and I'm certain that Christmas on
your mission truly is the best. I don't doubt there are many great
Christmas' ahead, but this has been one of the best so far. :)

Merry Christmas!

The Relief Society Christmas party! It was at the fanciest house I've ever seen. A less active we've been working with came!!

This is Tania! She's awesome. We have been teaching her and her son. :)

Thoughts from the Savior of the World production I was in last year have been coming to my mind. I was thinking yesterday about Thomas and his experience of doubting that the Savior had come back. I was reading in a few different places in the gospels and I love that the first thing He always says is 'Peace, be unto you.' Because of our Savior we can have true peace.

Merry Christmas! Enjoy the cold for me! I miss it. :) Can't wait for this upcoming week, there are bound to be miracles. You know, I've been thinking, a lot of people only go to church 2 times a year and one of those is Christmas. If you have friends or family or neighbors that don't go often this is an awesome opportunity to ask people if they have someplace to go on Christmas Day. Pray for opportunities to invite people and I promise they will come! Whether or not people accept is up to them, we are successful when we invite.

Love you! I believe in you!

Sister GesselMerry Christmas from Florida!

O Holy Night. . .

Sister Felt, Hermana Gucake, me and Hermana Anderson!

I got to go on an exchange with my trainer! It was awesome! :) Love my sister Gafa! :)

"I think it's appropriate this time of year to just think about that baby in the manger. Don't be too overwhelmed or occupied with what is to come; just think about that little baby. Take a quiet, peaceful moment to ponder the beginning of His life--the culmination of heavenly prophecy but the earthly beginning for Him. . .
I pray at this Christmas season that you might have some sense of the Lord's regard for your offering, some sense of how you stand in His eyes, some sense of the beloved status you occupy as His son or His daughter. And I pray that knowledge of that status may give you a great deal of comfort, reassurance, and confidence that you are approved in His eyes." Be At Peace - Dec 2015 Ensign - D. Todd Christofferson Hi everyone! I just love Christmas! I'm excited for Christmas in
Florida. Music is one of my favorite parts of Christmas. :)

We've been listening to the Messiah a bit and it's been so great! I'm
grateful to know He's the Prince of Peace!

"For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called
Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The
Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6)

Love you all! Hope you all have a very Merry Christmas filled with the
Light of the Savior!

Love, Sister Gessel

Our ugly sweater cookies!

Thanksgiving!

Sister Felt, Sister Evans, Sister Beach and I! It was great to get to know them better!

Our little Christmas tree! We're getting excited for Christmas!

Thanksgiving Day!

P.S. I big thank you to those who sent Thanksgiving cards! That was so nice! :)Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and were able to spend it with
those you love! :) Thanksgiving in Florida was great! Previously I
couldn't say I've ever had a Thanksgiving that got to 80 degrees, but
now I have! Haha. I wore a cardigan and scarf out of pure festivity,
but I was dying after a while. Haha. Everyone here was so kind and
really reached out to us. We were able to eat with an investigator
couple as well as a few families and individuals in our ward. It was
great to be able to spend time with them.

I'm so grateful for all the blessings that I have! Thank you all for
your love and support! I'm so grateful for the blessing of the gospel
in my life and especially that Heavenly Father is patient with me and
teaches me in a way I understand. I'm grateful for all the experiences
I've had that have strengthened my faith. If there's anything I would
urge you to do it would be to always be worthy of the spirit and
always strive to be obedient to it. It will never lead us astray.

Have you had a chance to check our mormon.org?? Do it! There are so
many amazing resources available there and it's such a great tool!
We've been showing a lot of people the #LIGHTtheWorld video and it's
really neat to hear them get excited about it. In Doctrine and
Covenants 35:12 it talks about those who are doing good and that they
are prepared to receive the fullness of the gospel! So look around you
and see who is doing good for others already! As we invite them to
join us in service they will be even more ready to learn of and accept
the gospel!

This was from our zone development day last Monday!

Thanksgiving!

Sister Felt, Sister Evans, Sister Beach and I! It was great to get to know them better!

Our little Christmas tree! We're getting excited for Christmas!

Thanksgiving Day!

P.S. I big thank you to those who sent Thanksgiving cards! That was so nice! :)

Love you all!!!! Hey everyone!

I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and were able to spend it with
those you love! :) Thanksgiving in Florida was great! Previously I
couldn't say I've ever had a Thanksgiving that got to 80 degrees, but
now I have! Haha. I wore a cardigan and scarf out of pure festivity,
but I was dying after a while. Haha. Everyone here was so kind and
really reached out to us. We were able to eat with an investigator
couple as well as a few families and individuals in our ward. It was
great to be able to spend time with them.

I'm so grateful for all the blessings that I have! Thank you all for
your love and support! I'm so grateful for the blessing of the gospel
in my life and especially that Heavenly Father is patient with me and
teaches me in a way I understand. I'm grateful for all the experiences
I've had that have strengthened my faith. If there's anything I would
urge you to do it would be to always be worthy of the spirit and
always strive to be obedient to it. It will never lead us astray.

Have you had a chance to check our mormon.org?? Do it! There are so
many amazing resources available there and it's such a great tool!
We've been showing a lot of people the #LIGHTtheWORLD video and it's
really neat to hear them get excited about it. In Doctrine and
Covenants 35:12 it talks about those who are doing good and that they
are prepared to receive the fullness of the gospel! So look around you
and see who is doing good for others already! As we invite them to
join us in service they will be even more ready to learn of and accept
the gospel!

Keep up all the good work you do! When you serve others you're serving Him!

Love you,

Sister Gessel

This was from our zone development day last Monday!

Thanksgiving Week!

Love you,
Sister Gessel

P.s. Happy Thanksgiving!!

P.S. I hope you're all super excited for #LIGHTtheWORLD! We sure are! Hi all!

This is going to be a short one, but I just want you all to know that
I'm thankful for you! I couldn't be more blessed. I feel so fortunate
to have good friends, loving family and the gospel. Life doesn't get
much better than that. Thank you for all you do!

This is from our mission Leadership council meeting with 2 men from
the missionary department! It was a great meeting!

Orlando Temple Trip!

Mission life! It's the best! 

Seriously, I don't know that I could have said that at certain points in my mission, but it really is such a blessing to be able to focus on just helping people and becoming better. It's not easy and it took me a long time to get the hang of things. I'm still imperfect, but that's ok! I know that as long as I keep trying to do my part that it will all be ok in the end. :) He's helped me get to this point and I know He'll keep helping me. 

Yesterday we got to do sharing time in junior primary! It was about reverence during the sacrament. It was so amazing to be with these little spirits and also to feel the spirit as they shared with us how they can show love to Heavenly Father by being quiet, helping their sibling, etc. I'm pretty sure we experienced a junior primary miracle because for the 12 or so minutes we were there they all sat on their chairs, raised their hand, participated, etc. It was amazing to be there and learn with them. As soon as they started singing time the kids were all over, on the floor, etc. getting their wiggles out like kids do, but I'm grateful for those few minutes that we were all able to feel the spirit together. :) Love those kids!

Also, the temple is the best! It was such a blessing to be able to go with 9 of the other sisters who are about half way on their mission (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!?!?! Time flies!!) and the Hardy's (an awesome senior couple from Arizona!). I can't wait to go as often as I want back home. :) 

I wish I had time to tell you everything. But just know that there are miracles every day. God loves us. He has a plan of us. We are enough and we are going to make it. It will be ok in the end if we just keep trying and having faith and working hard! Repentance and change is possible and can bring great happiness. :) Don't give up!

Love you all! Keep the faith!

Sister Gessel

Pics - Our new district (Elder Jones, Smith, Hathaway, Treanor, Rees, me, Sister Kirton, Elder Jones)

The Orlando temple!!! 

Sister Slawson and I! We came out at the same time and were companions for a short time!

Hermana Gucake and I! 

Round 2 :)

Sister Slawson, Jensen and I! 

All the sisters! Love them! 

What do egrets eat??

:)

Sister Kirton and I 

Gotta love church libraries! I want this book!!!! Haha. 

Bird of Paradise with an afro :) 

Sarasota :)

This is for you dad! Clark Road :) Tender mercy is Sarasota :) 

Sister Kirton and I!

Our complex - doesn't it look beachy?

MLC with Elder Klebingat - he's in the middle there!

It's not goodbye, it's see you soon

Hi everyone!

This week has been great! Lots of changes, but it's been good. Lake Wales will always have part of my heart, but I'm excited for the new adventure of being in Sarasota. :) 

My new companion, Sister Kirton, is great! She's from Littleton, Colorado and we have a lot in common. :) 

The best part of this last week was having Elder Jorg Klebingat from the Seventy come and visit our mission. I wish I could tell you all the things I've been learning, but it would take far too long. I know that one of the most important things we can do is to speak truth, all the time. That's what I felt like I heard from him all day. I want to be better at just sharing true doctrine and using the scriptures. 

I love you all! Stay strong in the faith! I know God lives and that He loves you! You are here at this time for a very specific reason! He knows us and He knows what we are capable of with His help. I know that as we seek to partner ourselves with Christ that He will help us. The church is true. There is true, pure doctrine here. It will uplift and inspire us as we seek after it. 

I hope you have a great week!

Sister Gessel

Scriptures- Alma 41:14, Alma 26:37

Pics - Sister Stripling! I love this woman! Boy does she have some stories! She also has one of the biggest hearts I know. 

Bishop, Sister Martin and their granddaughter Kara on Halloween. :) 

Me and Sammy Smith! 

Brother Charlemond! 

Brother Flemings - He is so funny! I will miss these two! 

Trunk of Treat!

Here's a couple more pictures! 

We had a trunk or treat with the ward and it was lots of fun! Sister Gordon had the cutest mermaid costume with her pink wig! Haha, she even had a starfish toe ring. :) 

Also, we had a family history booth down by Lake Wailes on Saturday and while we were there we got to try this amazing creation! It was a sweet maple bacon macaroni and cheese waffle! Haha, it was so good!! Pretty sure it contained all the calories necessary for a week, but i enjoyed it. :)