Finding

Hey everyone!

This week has been great! We've had a lot of opportunities to find new people to teach this past week and it's been awesome! I know that as we're doing what we should be doing the Lord is guiding us more than we know. 

We were knocking in an apartment complex near a ward member this past week. We only had a little time, but we decided to finish knocking the rest of the building. We'd talked to a few people who weren't very interested or were busy, but we knocked till the last door. A man and his wife answered the door and we offered to pray with them. They accepted and explained that she'd had cancer for the past year and that she wasn't sure what her future was. The doctors weren't sure if it was back or what was wrong. They were planning on moving back to Pennsylvania and were in the process of packing up. We said a prayer with them and then got talking about her religious background and sharing our beliefs. She had so many questions! Genuine questions! We were able to give her a Book of Mormon and share our testimonies with her. She's moving soon, but I'm grateful we were able to share more and give her hope! People can see truth as we testify. They see it in our eyes! I'm grateful for the opportunity we have to share the beautiful plan our Heavenly Father has for each of us. I know that He is our Father and that He loves us more than we can comprehend! 

I hope you all have a great week! You are loved! And if you're never tried it, you should put some mixed nuts on your breakfast cereal. It's fantastic! haha. :)

Much love,

Sister Gessel 

It's not every week Elder Anderson comes to Tampa. . . :)

Hi everyone! 

I hope everyone is safe and well! We had some great experiences this week! We had a specialized training for sisters this past Tuesday where we come some great counsel from our leaders and were able to share our testimonies with each other. There is power in sisterhood. They reminded us that we're doing better than we think we are. Keep working, keep trying, but remember the Lord loves us all and will help us. He doesn't want us to be constantly stressed us, He wants us to work hard, but to enjoy life also! 

Elder Neil  L. Anderson, his wife Kathy, Elder and Sister Zwick came for a stake fireside last night! It's always an amazing and uplifting experience to hear from an apostle of the Lord. I love hearing their testimonies and witness of the Savior. I know that they are special witnesses of Him. He went over some of the remarks from President Monson from this last General Conference. Though they were short, they are what we need to hear. One of the things that stuck out to me was that He bore testimony that 'There will be none who will not confess that He is the Christ.' I hope that we can all be missionaries and share this beautiful message of peace and hope so that even more of our brothers and sisters will come to this knowledge here on the earth. He also shared how small decisions can change our lives. The decision to read the scriptures everyday can change our lives. The decision to pray fervently everyday, to go to the temple more, etc. they can all change our lives. 

Thank you all for your examples and love. Do you have any uplifting/inspiring missionary stories or experiences to share with me? Whether they're your own or one that you have heard and love, I would love to hear them. I love hearing how the gospel can touch people and I would love to be reminded of some of those experiences. 

Thanks! Keep the faith! 

Sister Gessel

P.S. When you have some time this week don't forget to listen to a conference talk! They're the best!

P.S. The pictures are as follows - 

1- Picture with Elder Anderson! Sister King, me, Sister Gafa, Sister Jensen, Sister Slawson, Sister Gucake, President Thompson (stake president), Elder Anderson, Elder Zwick

2-Sister Gafa and I with Sister Durden! She's the best! Sister Gafa and I did the music for a part member family last Saturday.

3-Sister Jensen and I at the sister's training. She's from my MTC district and she's the best! She got changed to be a spanish sister when she got here to Tampa and now she's training after her first transfer! I love her and I'm so grateful for her example! Don't ever forget to trust in the Lord. 

April!

Quickly, this week was good!

Two things! We got to pray with a deaf family this week! It was so cool! I thought they were joking because people tend to find ways to avoid talking to you. We wrote back and forth and we offered to pray. They said yes and that they would read my lips! So cool! I wish I remembered more sign language! 

We met a man a week ago out on his porch and he got talking about some hard times. We prayed with him and he promised that if his week went well he would come to church on Sunday. We stopped by Saturday night and he said his week went well and guess what! He came to church! It was so great! I could tell he felt peace there.

There are always tender mercies if you're looking for them. Keep your eyes open, the Lord is telling you He loves you in so many ways!

Love you all!

Sister Gessel 

Conference Weekend!

Hi everyone! :) 

Wasn't conference the best? I don't know if it just keeps getting better or if it's just me that is more prepared to listen to it! Haha, either way, I'm grateful to be able to listen to a prophet of God! 

I could share a million things, but I'll just share one. Like Elder Holland, I know that God will never desert us. He will always stand by us. He loves us with all His heart, might, mind and strength. We need never fear, He will help us. I'm grateful for his reminder that the Lord will bless those who want to improve. Heaven is cheering us on! 

I love you all and pray that we will all change even one thing from what we learned this conference. We are here to learn and grow! 

May the Lord bless you in your efforts this week! 

Love you,

Sister Gessel 

P.S. The pictures are from our district meeting this past week and the other is me and Sister Gafa. :) 

Tampa Bay!

Sister Gafa and Sister Gessel
Tampa 4-B

Here's also a couple other pictures. We had a ward Easter Egg Hunt at Upper Tampa Bay Park and we got there a little early. We had a couple minutes to explore and were able to see out in Tampa Bay! :) So pretty! 

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! :) 

Service is the best!

Sent from my iPad

Hey all!

How are you doing? I hope you've been able to have some missionary experiences this week! 

As you can see from the picture we found some kind of animal this week. Haha, we were going down to unlock our bikes and heard some scurrying. Is it a raccoon? Possum? I have no clue. 

We had some neat experiences on Friday this week! A less active, Charlotte, has a neighbor who has a bunch of health problems and isn't able to wash his car, so she offered to have all three of us help him. When we went to go get the car we found out he still needed to run to the bank to get change, so Charlotte went with him and we waited by the car wash at the apartment complex. We were in jeans and t-shirts so we couldn't go out knocking doors, but soon a car drove up and we offered to wash the man's car! He was shocked! Haha, his name was Kenny and he thought we were joking. We washed his car and then were able to share an Easter pass along card with him. He said he was new to the area and was looking for a church to go to. We explained where it was and testified that Jesus Christ's resurrection is the true meaning of Easter. While washing Kenny's car another car pulled up and he vacuumed. Afterwards we offered to wash his car also. He spoke mostly spanish and with my poor spanish we understood that it was ok. We washed his car and afterwards he (his name was Orlando) asked us how much we were charging! haha, when we said nothing, again he was shocked! He shared a card with him and offered to bring to water to show his gratitude. I don't know if anything will come from these experiences, but I know that service truly softens people's hearts. When we serve our Heavenly Father's children we are showing Him that we love Him. 

We were able to meet a lot of members and less active members this past week also! With a member family last night we were able to talk about preparing for General Conference. I'm pretty sure I talked about this a little last week, but I want to invite you all to pray about and write down questions that you would like to have answered at General Conference. Whether they are answered in a talk or through the spirit that is there when we listen, I know they will be answered. 

I was reading a quote in an Ensign from a couple years ago and this stuck out to me. Especially as we think about the Atonement and Resurrection as we prepare for Easter! It's from Elder Bednar from a talk called "Bear Up Their Burdens with Ease." 

"There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, 'No one knows what it is like. No one understands.' But the son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and bourne our individual burdens."

I know that is true. I love you all and I'm so grateful for your support! Happy Easter!

Love,

Sister Gessel

P.S. Can I ask you all an big favor?!?!? :) So, my companion as you know is from Samoa. She has a big supportive family in Samoa and New Zealand, but it's hard and expensive for them to send mail. I'm gotten a bunch of mail these past couple weeks (thank you all!) and she's got a couple there here and there. Could you find time this week to send her a quick note? A favorite quote or missionary experience? I would be so grateful! I know it would make her week! Let's flood her mailbox!

Sister Gafa

12025 Citrus Falls Circle #306

Tampa, FL 33625

Y'all are the best! Thank you!!!!!