Easter Week!

Sister Gafa and Sister Gessel
Tampa 4-B

Hi all!

Happy Easter! And happy General Conference!

First off, for the women out there, wasn't the General Women's Meeting of conference this past Saturday awesome? I loved the emphasis on serving others! They testified that as we serve others that we are truly serving our Savior. I'm so grateful to be reminded of that! I know that it's true! There is so much strength in the women of the church. Seeing their examples and their spirituality makes me want to be a better person! I know that as both men and women we can be great examples and lights to this world! I know you're making a difference!

Sister Gafa and I had the chance to go to a training called 'Metro' this past week. The mission office is right across from the University of South Florida (USF). So we drove over for about 24 hours of training with the assistants to the president, the Sister Training Leaders and about 7 other companionships. We spent the afternoon practicing street contacting approaches, getting to briefly know the other missionaries, talk about our strengths individually and as companionships, see how church tours can be conducted and counsel together on ways we can improve our missionary work. We spent that evening with the other sisters at an apartment nearby and talked about dress and grooming, cleaning the apartment, etc. Then the next day after an intense workout (not as intense as the elders I'm sure) we went over on campus and talked to as many people as we could! It was cool! We met some great people. We were able to share the whole restoration with a man we found reading his bible. There's a lot of people who say they have no beliefs in God, but as we talk to them we see that often that's not really the case. Overall it was a good learning experience! 

Going out on Easter afternoon was also really cool. It was a little bit hard at first because we were both missing home and family, but I set it as a personal goal to testify to as many people as we could. If there's something I want people to know even if I only meet them for a minute, it's that I have a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He lives and that He loves us personally and individually. I know that because of Him we will one day be resurrected. I want to be qualified to also have eternal life - to live with Him forever. I'll never forget one thing my uncle prayed for last summer. He said "please help us to choose to qualify for eternal life." So many of us know what the steps are, but I pray also that we will CHOOSE to qualify. It's ultimately through our decision, our actions, our agency that will lead us to live again with Him. 

I'm grateful to be here on a mission. I know that there's so many tweaks I can make to my life to make it even more in line with His will. I know that He will help me to be able to do so. 

I love you all. I know the Savior lives. I know He loves us and will help us every step of the way. He wants us to get to know Him. He is there. 

Go light up someone's week! It doesn't take much. :) 

Love you, praying for you!

Sister Gessel 

P.S. The first three pictures are from Metro! Then sister Gafa and I ran into a peacock on the road the other day. The last one is from the Relief Society Birthday Party that we had right before the General Women's Meeting. We had an investigator named Sarah come! She's so cute! She loved it!

Also, thanks to those who wrote to Sister Gafa, it made her day! (Thanks mom and Laura! :)