True Happiness!!!

Today I have various things that I would like to share. I would like to start with an embarrassing experience of the week. The other day we went to the store to buy some food to cook for lunch. It is like a corner store so its not that far. So when we got there, my loving companion starts laughing and tells me that my zipper on my skirt is wide open, so I'm like okay, ill just shut it, then i realize that the zipper is not open, that is has broken and i cant shut it. So I just untucked my shirt. That wasn't the bad part, the bad part is that when we were walking up the driveway to our house I stepped in a diaper full of baby poop and it smeared everywhere. It was gross but I just kind of laughed it off. 

It is something that I have been working on here these past few weeks. If it isn't going to effect me in the long run of life, there isn't really a reason to get mad about it. It might suck in the moment, but in reality, stepping in a poopy diaper is not going to change my life in some terrible and unalterable way. 

Next I would like to share a picture of a wasp nest invasion that we had. The build their nest on the bottom of a light bulb on the patio and so when I turned on the light to wash some clothes they got really really angry and tried to kill me. So I slammed the door shut and screamed for a good 5 minutes. The worst part was that all of my underclothes were hanging on the line drying and the started to land on those and oh it was terrible, I was just standing inside watching from a window. In the morning they had all gone. But when we got back from the store, the same time that I stepped in the diaper, I went outside to wash my shoes in the sink outside and they had come back!!! So I quickly and courageously pulled all of my clothes inside and then slammed the door shut again and called the elders freaking out. My companion was really calm, but I thought that I might die. She gets that way when we see a scorpion in the house. So the elders came over with plastic bags on their heads and killed them with soapy water, but it took about 20 minutes worth of planning to figure out what to do. It was a good laugh at the end of it all. 

Obviously we couldn't do anything to help them because we cant be in our house at the same time as them so we just stood outside the front door, laughed, and took pictures. It was a good time. 

Next I would like to share a funny experience.. I was on divisions and we visited a lady who has been a member for a really long time. We asked her the very simple question, "Who appeared to Joseph Smith?" and she thinks for quite a while and then responds rather slowly but firmly, "Moses". I almost died. I don't think I have ever had to control my laughter like that in my whole situation. I'm pretty sure it was the funniest thing I have heard thus far. 

The next thing that I would like to share is a spiritual experience that we had with one of our investigators named Gandy. I love her and her family so much. Remember the guy that we celebrated with a cake when he lost his job? Its his wife. So we were having a lesson with just her and we invited her to pray again and ask if the Book of Mormon is true and she just gets really quiet and says with such assurity, " I don't need to pray again, I am completely sure that it is true. It is impossible that any man could write a book of this capacity.I know for sure that this is all write"

It just confirmed my testimony once again that this is where I need to be and the The Lord is preparing people every day and in every part of this earth to be ready to receive this gospel. 

I love this work, I know that this is the Lord's work. I know that this is the Lord's church. I know that my Redeemer lives. I know that He loves me. 

I love all y'all.

Have a week filled with miracles. 

Love, 

 Hermana Gibson

Aka Brooke =)

Smile =)

Hello Folks, 

I hope that all is going well back in the motherland. Here in the most beautiful country on earth all is going rather well. I feel happy. I know I haven't been writing very much here recently and honestly I do feel badly however, I just don't feel like I have time. But today I decided that a longer email was in order so here we go. 

To start of and capture your attention, I will tell a funny story. We had divisions and so I was on a bus to another area with my companion for the day. We have to start our studies at 8 so we took the bus from my area at 7 to get to the other area at 7:30 to be able to start our studies on time. Well about halfway through the bus ride the bus starts going really, really, slowly, and then all of a sudden it just stopped. Then it turns off and the bus driver says, "Its broken, everyone get off" and I am like WHAT? So we all get off and make a line on the side of the road in the middle of no where waiting on the bus driver to try and fix the bus. He finally gets it fixed and we get going but at the pace of a turtle, then it stopped and turned off again about 5 minutes later. So we all had to wait again. In the end we got to the other area around 8:45is. The bus ride that usually takes about a half hour was almost 2 hours long. At least it wasn't hot. And we had the opportunity to talk to a whole lot of people on the bus with us. So that was fun. 

I also just wanted to go ahead and share my testimony of how powerful this gospel is in the lives of every single person who is willing to accept it and learn from it. I have seen the lives of countless people change just because they were willing to open their hearts and the doors of their house to listen to the gospel of Jesus Christ. This gospel changes people. I cant express enough how much that I love this gospel. I always said that I would never be one of those missionaries that sounded cliche when they talked about their mission and sounded like a super Jesus freak when they talked, but now I couldn't care less if someone thinks that I am a Jesus freak. Yo amo mi Señor y no tengo vergüenza a compartirlo con los demás. I know that my Savior lived, and died, and lives again for me. I know that the message of this gospel is exactly what every single person that will ever see the face of planet earth needs to be happy not just in this life but in the life to come. It's not too hard to do what The Lord asks of us.

I love this country and I love these people. I will be really honest, before I came on the mission I did have a testimony, I wouldn't have come had I not. But I came on the mission not knowing exactly what I was getting myself into. I never imagined that I would be able to have a testimony as strong as I do now. I feel like the love I have for this gospel sometimes might make my heart explode. 

Here are some photos to make sure none of you forget what I look like.

This is Hermana Walfield. She's from Virginia and I love her a whole bunch. This was on mothers day so we both made ourselves look presentable to talk to our families.She is going to buy me some ice cream so that makes me happy. 

This is my adorable companion Hermana Garcia. I love her. In fact, we all made ourselves presentable to talk to our families. 

This is Hermano Alexis. He was turning 40 and his wife told us that he has never once had a birthday cake in his whole life. So we bought him one. He cried and it was wonderful.

 This is Hermana Elizabeth. She has 10 kids and gives everything to them. Nobody ever does anything for her so we celebrated her birthday and she was so happy​

This picture you cant see really good, but I just wanted proof that I used a sweater in Guanacaste. Haha But then I realized that I had a fever so that is why I was cold. Oops. But it was a little chilly that day. I was just really excited to whip out my sweater and have my hair down on a normal day. 

Well, that's all for now folks. I hope all of y'all have a wonderful week and make good choices. Remember who you are. Remember that I love you. Remember that God loves you. 

Remember that you are important. Remember to love yourself. Remember to repent every single day. Remember that this life is way to short to have regrets so live in way that you don't have to. 

Until next week

Love, 

Hermana Gibson

A Surprise Baptism!

So I don't really know where to start. This week has been rather interesting. We had interviews with President Wilkinson and that was so wonderful. After having that interview I usually just feel really drained spiritually. 

This week has been full of miracles and I am so pleased to be able to share with you the photo of the most surprising baptisms that I have had to date. 

His name is Antonio but he calls himself Samuari... Hes pretty hilarious. He was going to get baptized, but then he went on vacation to Guadalupe for a few weeks and we thought that he was never going to come back. But he magically came home on Wednesday so on Thursday we went to go visit him and we asked him what he was going to to on Sunday and he goes, "I'm going to church, and I'm going to bring my white underwear so that I can get baptized" and we were like oh my gosh!!!! What blessing! It was seriously the coolest thing ever. This man is wonderful, truly one of the Lords chosen people. When we talked about the Book of Mormon he read only 2 verses and started to cry and said that this book is something marvelous and I love it, thank you for helping me find it. Also, when we explained the priesthood and the keys and what not he asked who holds the keys, and when we told him the prophet he goes " I need to get me a copy of them keys" It was the coolest thing ever when we told him that he would soon have his own pair. 

So we called up the district leader and that we needed him to come to a lesson with us but when he got there we just told him to chat and then Antonio asks him "Can you give me a baptismal interview? i would like to get baptized tomorrow" the look on his face was priceless. So he did it. Then we told him not to tell the Zone Leaders because we wanted it to be a surprise. So on Saturday we had the baptism and then in the night time we called them and told them that we had a huge miracle to share with them and they were like what is it? So when we told them that "today we had a baptism" they almost peed their pants. It was wonderful!

So here is the picture. This is all I have time to write! I love you all!

Hermana Brooke

I decided just to send some pictures!

From my trip to the hospital. I was still trying to keep smiling because my companion was a tad bit traumatized. 

Just because I love Hermana Wilkinson a WHOLE WHOLE bunch! She and my companion were with me every day at the hospital. I have the best mission momma ever! 

Some cool hats that one of our investigators has. We decided to be cowgirls. Back to my roots! 

This is a baptism of the elders but she is seriously the best! 

How is this for a cool Iguana that was chilling in the road. He's rather small to be honest. 

The most adorable family ever. The husband lost his job and now he doesn't have to work on Sundays and is really excited to be able to come to church again, so we celebrated. Haha I'm pretty sure that I will never again celebrate when someone looses their job, but it was their idea and who wants to turn down someone excited to come back to church! God has something big in-store for this family! 

Alexander and Norma on the day of his baptism! 

I've spent most the time uploading pictures so I don't have time to say much. I love my mission! I love Costa Rica and I can't believe I've been here in Costa Rica for 8 months and on my mission for 9. They said time will fly but I didn't know they were talking this fast. I love the people here and doing the Lords work. Teaching people about the gospel of Jesus Christ is such a blessing. Reach out to someone today and invite them to church. I love all ya'll and can't wait to talk to my Momma on Sunday! 

Happy Mothers Day on Sunday to all the mothers out there.

Love, 

Hermana Brooke