Tuesday, May 23, 2017

22 May 2017 - Week 82

Crazy few weeks! I got transferred to Bessemer! It's part of Birmingham. I've been in this stake 3 times now. But it's been a crazy week! I've made home made sushi with a member from Japan! I've fed some cows on a members farm - got the hookup for free farm eggs! Found a member who is a pro bodybuilder! He's absolutely massive! (I'll try to take a pic with him sometime.) He knows the girl in Sylacuaga who wanted to train me! He has already started to teach me some stuff and offered to hook me up with some supplements through his sponsor. He won the Vulcan! Which is like the biggest competition in Alabama! ummm... this week was crazy! Lots of teaching, meals almost everyday, team-ups everyday, and this weekend was Stake Conference! There was a member of the 70 there, Elder McCarthy. He was super cool! It was so weird that I knew almost everyone there! I got to see lots of families and members from Alabaster and Ensley and Bessemer! I have shaken so many hands this week! Which is probably why I'm sick.... i have a pretty bad head cold. Meds every 4 hours:/ I haven't really slept well in like 3 weeks and were just always on the move. I haven't even un-packed yet! Oh... Friday we helped a member with his farm/garden. We were there like all morning and I mowed like 6-7 acres of grass with this awesome zero-turn mower :) lol then dug a trench for the corn rows so water can get to them. Then the District decided that that day was best for everyone for District Meeting. So we went straight from working on the farm in my jeans and boots to District Meeting and I did the ultimate definition of "winging it". I had nothing prepared, but i did my cool djing analogy ... hopefully they got something out of it. It's just been super crazy!! And being sick sucks. Thanks for everyone and all of your support! Love Yall! -Elder John M. Gilbert




Saturday, May 20, 2017

15 May 2017 - Week 81 Mother's Day!!

No post from Elder Gilbert since we got to talk to him on Mother's Day - it was so wonderful to see him and talk to him!! He is doing well and excited to start his last 24 weeks. His big news is that he is transferring to a new area! His new address is:
     Elder John Gilbert
     600 Flint Hill Lane Apt #202
     Bessemer, AL  35022
Love to everyone and yay Elder Gilbert!!

8 May 2017 - Week 80 Talladega SuperSpeedway!

Soo Tuesday/Wednesday, we did an exchange up in Birmingham. I got to spend the 24 hours with one of my fave missionaries, Elder Galvez who's from Guatemala! Then we got back home about 8:00 wed night, then even though i was dead tired, i had to grind it out and prepare for district meeting and figure what I was going to talk about and train on. Then Thursday morning, we had district meeting up in Talladega. The branch mission leader in Talladega is awesome!! He wanted us to come over and have district meeting over at his house and he and his awesome wife cooked a bomb breakfast for us! (German pancakes, buttermilk syrup, a whole spread!) Then we had district meeting, I somehow compared djing to missionary work and some how did it for a long time lol but hopefully District meeting went well. One of the missionaries said it was the coolest training he had ever heard! lol  so then we ended up staying up in Talladega for the day because Brother Cote (branch mission leader) wanted us over for dinner as well so we stayed and worked up in Talladega for the day and had an awesome diner! Then one of the missionaries was talking to Sister Cote and said i was a hockey player and the conversation soon got on the topic of chiropractors lol i had said how much is sucks not having my chiro for almost 2 years and how crunchy my neck was. Sister Cote laughs and said "here". She brings out a professional massage chair (like the Chinese guys at the mall) She's a freaking massage therapist!! She works on me for like 20 min and destroys me! She finds knot after knot lol then shes like "wow your neck is really bad" so she brings out a professional massage table!! and works on my neck for another 10-15 min! uhhhh!  is was awesome!!! I love her! So then Friday we had interviews with the mission president, which went super good. Then supper at the one member that feeds us, then were off back up to Talladega. So last weekend was one of the biggest races in Nascar! Talladega SuperSpeedway! We spend all day Saturday talking to tons of people is was absolutely crazy!!! I have never seen so many rednecks in one place in my life!! and I will never come close again in my life!! It was so awesome!!! I got to hear the cars! It was just so cool!! Got to cross of a bucket list item! I wasn't as productive as a missionary as i would have liked, but i was able to give away one book of Mormon!! She wasn't exactly sober.... but i think there's a chance she will read it! It would be awesome if she did! Ahhh it was just an awesome experience overall!! Love everyone and thanks!! - Elder John Gilbert




Thursday, May 4, 2017

17 April, 24 April, & 1 May 2017 - Weeks 77, 78, & 79

Crazy few weeks! 
So there is this member in Talledega that makes knives! So we got to go up there and make some knives of our own! Super cool!! And he had the coolest dog ever!! He is like my fav dog ever!! (We won't tell Buddy :P) His name is RED and he's the coolest wiener dog ever!!! haha but anyway, Christy was baptized this past week!!! We are super proud of her! And my comp and i tried baby-food. lol And that's about all that is worth mentioning. lol 
Thanks for all the support! Love y'all!   - Elder John Gilbert