Re: Sister Zinck's First Alligator!

Hi,  thank you for the great emails that I get every Monday.  Sometimes Mondays are a real drag.  Your emails make them better.  Hey, where would I send you a package?

Love ya!

Jana

On Monday, September 26, 2016 9:34 AM, Kristina Gessel <kristina.gessel@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hi all,

Wasn't the General Women's Meeting great? I know those messages were meant for each of us. I'm grateful for inspired leaders. What were you favorite parts? If you didn't get a chance to hear it, I hope you will listen to it this week! 

Some of my favorite parts were about faith and having a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ. I also loved Sister Bingham's message about having fervent, whole-hearted charity. We need to allow and encourage others to change. I think one of Satan's biggest lies that he pounds into us is that we can't change, that we're always going to be stuck the way we are or that others are never going to break out of habits, etc. People can and will change. We can change because of Christ and His Atonement. I'm grateful for that.

I hope you all have a great week preparing for conference!

Love you,

Sister Gessel

Pics-

Sandhill Whooping Cranes

Beautiful Florida clouds!

An alligator in a pond here in Lake Wales! This was the first alligator we saw here in our actual area! 

Talks- Teaching after the Manner of the Spirit - Matthew O. Richardson - Oct 2011

The Candle of the Lord - President Boyd K. Packer - Jan 1983 Ensign

Sister Zinck's First Alligator!

Hi all,

Wasn't the General Women's Meeting great? I know those messages were meant for each of us. I'm grateful for inspired leaders. What were you favorite parts? If you didn't get a chance to hear it, I hope you will listen to it this week! 

Some of my favorite parts were about faith and having a bedrock understanding of the doctrine of Christ. I also loved Sister Bingham's message about having fervent, whole-hearted charity. We need to allow and encourage others to change. I think one of Satan's biggest lies that he pounds into us is that we can't change, that we're always going to be stuck the way we are or that others are never going to break out of habits, etc. People can and will change. We can change because of Christ and His Atonement. I'm grateful for that.

I hope you all have a great week preparing for conference!

Love you,

Sister Gessel

Pics-

Sandhill Whooping Cranes

Beautiful Florida clouds!

An alligator in a pond here in Lake Wales! This was the first alligator we saw here in our actual area! 

Talks- Teaching after the Manner of the Spirit - Matthew O. Richardson - Oct 2011

The Candle of the Lord - President Boyd K. Packer - Jan 1983 Ensign

Birthday Week :)

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! :) It was such a great day. I don't have time to write much about it, but we had some really great lessons and it was a very uplifting day. I'm so grateful for the spirit. :) 

Love you all!

Sister Gessel

Pictures

Birthday!

How pineapples grow is the coolest!

Jimmy turned 16 on my birthday! That's his little sister Kayla. He was ordained to be a priest yesterday!

My smothered vegetarian burrito from Tacos Daniel! It was the closest I could get to Cafe Rio. It was amazing!

We ate with Yolanda and Annalee - two ward members!

If you need a good talk to read check out Elder Holland's talk "The First and Great Commandment" from October 2012. :) 

Birthday Part 2

Pictures

Cheesecake with Liz on her porch swing! It was so good! They even sang to me - haha

Lakeland Zone!

Exchange picture with Sisters Lance, Greenburg, Meagher, me, Jensen, Whitlock, Zinck

Sister Meagher and I!

Safe From the Storm

Hi all!

We were prepared for some pretty crazy weather here, but it ended up not being too bad where we were at. We had some wind and rain and there's always tons of lightning, but we made it. :) Sounds like they had some flooding in Tampa. 

We had a great mission leadership meeting this week and I learned so much! We talked a lot about living the higher law and taking our discipleship up a notch. One phrase that stuck out to me is that "greater agency brings greater growth." When it's out decision to really choose what we do we have more opportunities to grow. It's harder work, but it's more satisfying. I feel incredibly grateful to be able to work with the other missionaries here in Florida. They inspire me and build me. Their testimonies humble me. I'm grateful our Heavenly Father has given us each other (all of us!) to learn and grow together. 

Love you all, 

Sister Gessel 

Pictures

Double rainbow! It was seriously huge! Pictures don't do it justice. 

Sandhill cranes!

I got to see Sister Jensen and Sister Hunt (from my MTC district) this past week! It was the best!