O How Great the Plan of Our God!

Sister Vaka'uta, one of the YSA branch counselors wives gave us these necklaces from Tonga! So nice of her. :)!

I know that God lives and that he loves us! Sometimes things are really hard before they get better, but all things work according to His plan. Life isn't without trials, it takes choosing to see the light and choosing to have hope. My sister sent a letter a few weeks ago and it said "Imagination is a powerful tool - take time to meditate and imagine every good outcome." I've tried to put that into practice this week and during study I think about and write down the possible positive outcomes for the day and it has made a difference! I feel happier and I have hope that things will work out. I often try to do things my own way and it never works as well as when I'm humble and seek to do things His way. It's the only way we're going to be successful!

I love you all! Look for the tender mercies. Know God loves you! He knows you!

Love,

Sister Gessel

Recent Favorite Talks:
O How Great the Plan of Our God - Oct. 2016 - President Uchtdorf
Joy and Spiritual Survival - Oct. 2016 - President Nelson
If Ye Would Serve Them, Love Them - March 1986 Ensign
Your Own MTC - March 1989 Ensign


This week has been incredible. :) So many tender mercies! First things
first, Yvonne, Robert and Robby came to church!!!!!!!!!!!! They were
only able to stay for sacrament meeting, but they said they really
enjoyed it! We were able to go by last night and follow up. :) They
asked about the temple and we were able to testify that they can be
with their family forever! We also were able to start reading the Book
of Mormon with them. Quick background story of how we found them. When
sister Kirton was here we were tracting sometime in January or
December and we met Yvonne! She was at work taking care of a lady who
owned the house. She seemed interested and said we could come by again
and she'd listen if she had time, but we were never able to set up
anything solid. So we decided to let it go for a while. Then sister
Alder and I were tracting at the beginning of February and we met a
lady named Carla who said she was busy but we could come by later. So
we decided when we were in the area again a few days later that we
would try the house. No one answered and as we were leaving the porch
a car pulled into the driveway and guess who got out! Yvonne! She
laughed and said, how did you find my house?? We told her about
meeting Carla who we found out was a relative that had returned home.
We met her husband Robert and their 10 year old son Robby! It turns
out Robert went to church in New York with members of the church who
lived across the street when he was a kid! It took a few weeks to have
a time to meet and have a lesson and then it took almost a month after
that to have a second lesson. We weren't able to get in contact with
them easily and we were worried, but we just kept trying and this last
week we had a great lesson and invited them to read and pray about the
Book of Mormon. So long story short, don't give up when you feel like
someone may be ready! God is preparing hearts! Please keep them in
your prayers! They are a special family.

I'm so grateful we were able to listen to the General women's
conference on Saturday night! It's something I always look forward
too! Two tender mercies that stuck out to me - the first talk was able
my absolute favorite scriptures Proverbs 3:5-6 and they sang Guide Us
O Thou Great Jehovah - one of my favorite hymns! I loved the imagery
of not leaning to our own understanding and staying centered on Jesus
Christ. I am so grateful for her faithful women of the church - here
in Florida and around the world. Two of the women in the ward were
able to invite their friends to listen also!

We also had the opportunity this week to serve "Brother Maarten" as he
calls himself. :) He's a man from the Netherlands that we met a few
weeks ago. He has an 80 year old giant African sausage tree (that's
what he said it was called! Haha) in his front yard and it drops tons
of leaves! Tiffiny was able to come too and we raked up some leaves
and had a lesson. :)

Florida

We had a great exchange filled with miracles this past week! :) Love my sisters!

Our ward mission leader took us out for fish a few weeks ago!

I am so excited for General conference! In case you didn't know the women's conference is this next Saturday! Don't forget to think of some questions you'd like to ponder! The prophets are inspired by God and through the spirit and their words our questions can be answered! :)

Love you all,

Sister Gessel

D&C 100:4-8
"The Will Within" President Monson - April 1987 - Such a good talk!


Hi everyone! :)

We had a great zone training meeting this past week! It's always great
to get together and learn from each other and the spirit! :) This is a
picture of our zone! Our MTC district is finally together in the same
zone! Sister Hunt, Sister Jensen and I! :)

Happy (Almost) St. Patrick's Day :)

Hi everyone! 

This week has been a roller coaster, but we are surviving! Please keep us in your prayers! :) 

I'm so grateful for the Lord's timing. It's always the best. I promise you as you just keep doing what He needs you to that things will work out. Listen to the promptings of the spirit, no matter how small they are. We were going to make some visits on Wednesday evening, but we were out of water and we decided to stop at the church and fill our bottles really quick. We ended up running into 4 different people that we needed to talk to! The family history consultant, the young women's president, a brother in the ward and some relief society sisters. They were all tiny little things, but it was so perfect! I know He knows us! The brother we met at the church was asking about his step-daughter being baptized. Her biological dad refused for her to be baptized in the past, but she's there in Oklahoma this week for spring break and she's going to ask for permission again!!! Pray that he will let her be baptized! She's wanted it for years! 

This picture is from a service project we did out at a fancy condo on Longboat Key with our district a week or two ago (it's our last district picture too! We lost 3 of the elders since then). We ended up having a great conversation about missionary work with the couple that we donating stuff to Habitat for Humanity. :) 

One of the members works at a farmers market and we were able to go see her and got to try these Hungarian pastries! So good! Especially the cheese one!

Colombian food! I tried the plantacion (a fried plantain topped with chicken and cheese), some arepas (corn cakes - not like other arepas I've tried, but still good!), a beef empanada and aguapanela (water with cane sugar and lime). Sister Alder tried the churrasco (skirt steak with chimichurri), rice, beans and fried yucca (fried yucca is the best!!!!!!!). Thank you for putting up with my food rant. Haha. Some things haven't changed. 

If you haven't had a chance to read this article, please read it. :) Really good perspective reminder for me. :) 
https://www.lds.org/blog/what-it-really-means-to-be-a-child-of-god?cid=HP_FR_3-3-2017_dOCS_fBLOG_xLIDyL2-1_

I hope you all have a great and safe week. The church is true! Family history is something that can bind us to our families and help us have the strength we need to combat satan. I'm excited to work with it more because I know it will bless lives! Here and in the spirit world!

Thanks for blessing lives! Keep the faith!!

Sister Gessel

Myakka!

Hi everyone!

I hope it has been a great week!

Sister Alder and I were able to go help with a service project this week. :)

We were also able to go out to Myakka River State Park with Tiffiny and Sister Watkins, two of my favorite people! :)

We saw lots of alligators!! They were so close, it was awesome!

It was awesome being out in nature and enjoying all there is! Truly all things denote there is a God! I'm so grateful to be where I'm at. I feel very blessed. Take advantage of every moment you have at whatever stage of life you're at, because you won't get it back! Life is good. :) 

Love you all, 

Sister Gessel

P.s. President Nelson is inspirational!! I want to join him and give it a try!

https://www.lds.org/blog/i-studied-more-than-2200-scriptures-about-the-savior-in-six-weeks-here-is-a-little-of-what-i-learned?cid=HP_WE_1-3-2017_dOCS_fBLOG_xLIDyL1-B_&lang=eng