So I can’t even begin to describe how this week went, things where crazy. We spent a lot of time running around like chickens with our heads cut off. I really like this town. There are a lot of really good people here. To start off we are going to have a baptism this weekend. The daughter of a recent convert will be getting baptized. She is a really smart girl. We really did not have to teach her anything because she was listening really well when her mom was taught. Other than that we are going to be spending a lot of time this week trying to increase our teaching pool. We really don’t have that many people to teach so we will be spending most of our time doing that. The ward here is great. It always takes a couple weeks to start to find out the dynamics of a ward but once you do the work is much more productive. Many of the people here are so used to missionaries coming from Nauvoo to shop that they all think we are from there. It is weird being right here in the thick of church history. Most people we talk to know a little about the church because they have visited Nauvoo or Carthage at one point. Because of that it is either really easy to start a conversation because you have something to talk about or it is really hard because they think they already know everything they need to know. But I am enjoying it. I love talking to people and helping others change their lives.

               The lord truly is hastening his work. I love being a missionary so much and I love this work. I know that this gospel is true. There is nothing better than this work. I am so grateful to be here and to be a missionary. I have a great companion. We only have a small toaster oven to use and somehow he managed to bake 100 cookies in it this week. I have found that it is hard for people to be angry with you when you have cookies. Thank you all for your faith and your prayers. I love you all. If you want to email me it is Jrgibson@myldsmail.net

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Elder Jacob Gibson of the Iowa Des Moines mission

So I am now serving in Burlington Iowa right on the Mississippi river about 20 minutes from Nauvoo. I am now in the same area I was when I went home last time ( about 20 minutes west of it). There is a really high chance that this will be the last area I serve in. weather that is true to not I will continue to work as hard as I can and get all the work don’t that I can. I have already fallen in love with this town. There are a lot of really good people here. Many people come here in the hopes of escaping the craziness in Chicago unfortunately many of them bring that craziness with them. I don’t even know how to describe my first few days here. I am in a ward (they would call it a branch out west) of just over 100 active people. Much of the work we are going to be doing here is helping reactivate members of the ward. They have a lot of people that do not come any more. I am serving with elder Frost he is from Utah via Texas. We will both be going home on the same day. (which isaugust 30^th if anyone wanted to know). That means I only have a very short 6 months left and I plan to get as much work done as possible in that time.

The town here is about 23,000 strong. Wish is a little bit bigger then my last area. The biggest thing we run into here is our proximity to Nauvoo makes many people think they know everything they need or want to about the church. But there has been a lot of really good success here before we just have to work at rekindling that fire.

I am excited to be working here. We will have a baptism in 2 weeks. And I am looking forward to many more to come while I am here. I love you all. I hope this week is a great one for you and that you feel of my love.

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Elder Jacob Gibson of the Iowa Des Moines mission

So I was thrown a curve ball this week. I am getting transferred on Thursday. I thought for sure that I was going to be staying here. But I guess the lord has his reasons. I will be staying as district leader and I will be in a ward, other than that I do not know much information. Elder Cox left this morning. I will miss that guy; he was a really good missionary. 18 hours from now he will be in Brazil.

                I was not expecting to have to leave things to Elder wood so soon. He is a great guy he works hard and is a good missionary. I will be spending some time trying to just turn things over to him. But I know that he can handle it all because he is a really good missionary.

                Things have been exploding here in Indianola, after the baptism this week the work has been picking up a lot. There are a lot of really good things going on. I will be sad to be leaving this place. I have really learned to love it. We have been working with a , lot of less-active members and we have a lot of people to be teaching. We are working with one less active member who is contemplating having his name removed from the church. We had a really log lesson with him last week and it went well. It saddens me the tiny things that people try to come out with against the church. They don’t understand the precious things they are missing by doing that.

                I love you all. So there is a policy change in missionary emails now. “Missionaries are to write to their families each week and are also now authorized to communicate by email with friends, priesthood leaders, and new converts.” This means that people no longer have an excuse to not write me because I can now quickly write back to them. Aka please email me and let others know that they can do that as well. I still only have a little bit of time to write but I will be able to have a reply ready for you by the next week. I love you all please share the gospel every chance that you can get.

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Elder Jacob Gibson of the Iowa Des Moines mission

This has been a bitter sweet week. We had an amazing baptism this week. A lady who had been investigating the church for a few years was baptized after church yesterday. She was excited to be taking this step in her life.  Last time I talked about how they predicted a lot of snow and we only got a little well this week they predicted only a little and we got a lot. I love the snow but it does hinder our work a bit thought it does give us a chance to serve people with shovels.

This will be a short letter this week. There really is not much to tell. The work has slowed down a lot but we have reevaluated and it will start to pick up again. It is amazing what a little faith can do. The weather has made things go a little slower but we will press through this week and change lives. There are a lot of disappointments in this work but a lot more blessings. I know that this work is true and that god is preparing the hearts of the people.

The work will press forward. Faith is the answer. It is the first principle of heaven and it was by faith that the world came into being. Without it we are nothing. I love you all. As always I don’t have much time but know that I thank you all for your faith and for your prayers. I know the Book of Mormon to be true I know that the bible is true I have read them both and I have felt the spirit touch my heart.

I love you all. Have as great week.

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Elder Jacob Gibson of the Iowa Des Moines mission

This is a picture of elder Austin my former comp.

 Elder Deering and Elder Gibson 

Picture of me during Christmas.

 

The beginning of this week went by really fast but then the weekend slowed down a lot. There were some really high points and some really low points. The work seems to have slowed down but I know part of that is because we need to work harder. We will have a baptism this week. It will be the first one the branch has had in a couple years. I am excited for it. We are going to have an area conference broadcast at the church on Sunday then the baptism will be after that. Many missionaries have worked really hard to help her reach this point and I am grateful that we have this chance to help her reach it. Other than that we are doing all we can to work hard and press the work forward. We have a few people that we are teaching but we are always looking to expand our teaching pool. We are spending a lot of time door knocking and talking to people. I will let you all know that the more effective way is threw the members so talk to all of your friends about the gospel and help them to learn and to grow. I have also decided that I could never live full time in Idaho or Utah. I love sharing the gospel. The Midwest needs as many strong members as it can get. I am not saying I will move back here I am unsure of what the lord has planned for me but I just hope to be somewhere where I can strengthen the church and help the missionaries. Anyway things are going well. We kept hearing all week about this massive snow storm that we where to get and then it ended up only being 6-7 inches. But we may get something again this week so we will see. Either way I am excited for this week we have a lot of really cool things planed and I feel like we will have the chance to find many new people to teach. Both my companions are doing well. They are hard workers and I am learning a lot from them. I love you all. I am so grateful for the gospel and for the chance that I have to be a part of all of this. Thank you all for all that you do for me. -- Elder Jacob Gibson

This week was a really slow week. We had a lot of meetings that took us away form our area. But the work is going well. We have a really busy week this week and I am excited for it. The lord truly is hastening his work. I just received word that my companion might be leaving soon. His visa is ready and now the church just needs to go pick it up and he can leave and go to Brazil. He will be missed but we will press forward with faith. Not this Sunday but next Sunday we will have a baptism in this area. The first one they have had in a few years. She is an amazing lady and has taken a lot of steps in her life to come closer to Christ. We are also hopping for a few more soon. The work is growing. We will be getting many more missionaries here soon and there are many areas that are opening up. Missionaries are going places that they have not been in a long time. There is a true excitement flowing in the work. Unfortunately the evil one always sets his kingdom up in opposition to the truth and there is much that we are struggling with but the scriptures say that threw faith all things are possible and I know that to be true. This week will be a week that will make or break this area for the next few weeks. We have a lot of really good potential investigators that we are working with and who wope to soon be meeting with regularly. Other then that things are going well. They are predicting a really big storm coming threw here in Thursday so that might hinder our work a little bit but we will press forward regardless. My companions are both doing well. Elder wood is a great missionary and so is elder cox. They are both hard workers and I am happy to be working with them. I love you all and I am grateful for all that you do for me. Have a great week. -- Elder Jacob Gibson of the Iowa Des Moines mission