7 December 2015 - Week 6

So this week was a crazy week. Well its just been a crazy month! We made the pens on Monday, then on Tuesday we drove up to Birmingham (about an hour away) with our Zone Leaders and stayed the night with the APs. (Assistants to the President, like the highest up you can go as a missionary) we're pretty close to them they are really cool guys! Elder Van Dyke is like pro at basketball! He played at University of Utah and is going back to play after his mission! Papa look him up (Parker Van Dyke) and keep an eye on him! I'm pretty sure he will try and go pro. He was looking at UofA to go play basketball there but Utah gave him a better deal. The other AP Elder Posates is from Honduras! He's really cool and super nice! So we stayed the night there (we do that a lot when we go to Birmingham) and we played basketball that night. Then on Wednesday we went to the temple! It was really cool. It's kinda small, it's about the same size and it reminded me a lot of the Juarez temple! Then Wednesday night we stayed with the Zone Leaders in Prattville and had an exchange (when you switch companions for a day) all day Thursday. It was really cool to be able to work and hangout with Elder R - I've learned a lot from him so far! Oh and Elder R and i have made a commitment, we are reading B.O.M. (Book Of Mormon) in 1 transfer (6 weeks). So we are reading 9 pages a day. Today is the first day so idk (Mom Note: this is short for "I don't know") how its going to go yet!

me in between elder richter and elder kettner our zone leaders

Mom and Margie you guys better be working-out!! I have gotten really close to one of our recent converts and his name is K. K is ex-military like 3 tours or something crazy and ex-bodybuilder! He works or knows somebody that owns a supplement company so he gave me a whole garbage bag full of supplements! I'm soooo excited!!! Kelly just received the Aaronic Priesthood and passed the sacrament on Sunday! I think he will Bless it next Sunday!  So I started my workouts today! Mom and Margie you guys better start if you haven't!

Papa I thought of you yesterday, (thank you for making me practice that stupid thing) I did my first anointing yesterday and there was no practice time, i just had to do it, and yes the name was kinda crazy. 

So last night was the Christmas devotional from the 1st presidency, idk if you guys were able to watch it but it was really cool! Elders Bednar and Uchtdorf are amazing as always! Grandma Theora i thought about you - so i think we have every Ensign ever made! You would love our collection in our apartment. we have them from 1979 every issue all the way to 2015! 

Oh sometime during the week, I cant remember when, Elder B and I helped this guy chop down banana trees in his yard! It was crazy! (Mom Note: he sent a short video of this - I will try to paste it into the blog but I'm not sure if it will work - Fingers crossed!)

But all is well from Alabama! Thank you everyone for all the birthday and Christmas stuff - it all will be eaten and used! Talk to you guys later, -Elder Gilbert

 fake snow :)