25 January 2016 - Week 13

Hey guys, so we are going up to Jasper Alabama on Monday for a baptism for someone that Elder Hyde used to teach. And hopefully we will be able to go through Tuscaloosa to get there!!  But because we are going up there Monday, I probably wont get a chance to send an email :/ Hope everyone has a great week!

Note from the Missionary's Mom: we have gotten so spoiled hearing from him every week! I don't like it when we don't. :P 

92 weeks to go... :D

19 January 2016 - Week 12 - NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!!! ROLL TIDE!!!

(Pday was pushed to Tuesday this week, due to MLK Day)

So this has been a crazy couple of weeks! The Alabama football team won the national championship so that's a huge deal down here! There is roll tide stuff everywhere!

I got to play a cello yesterday! So that was super fun!

We went to a mall in Montgomery and there is a ice rink inside the mall! I was going to skate but the don't have hockey skates so it wasn't really worth breaking the rules to skate when they didn't even have hockey skates so i didn't skate.

Elder Hyde and I have been working really hard. We have found a couple of really solid and promising families. We are teaching this woman who has 9 kids, some adopted some not. One of her kids is Kavosiey Smoke. Smoke is a sophomore football running back in high school and he already has offers to Alabama, Florida State, and anywhere he wants. He's in the top 10 recruits in the nation, and were are starting to try and teach him. His mom came to church for over a year in  Pratville and was just never baptized so she shows a lot of promise.

Thanks to everyone and thanks for the prayers   -  Elder Gilbert

Some Alabama scenery for Grandma

30" rims!

Yes, it's still raining

More scenery

The kind of houses we knock on sometimes

We found a road grader :P

11 January 2016 - Week 11

Elder Gilbert says hello to everyone! He is doing well and still working hard in Alabama. The weather has been a challenge and he isn't sad that the weather alarm has not needed to warn them about a tornado lately - if it never needs to go off again, Elder Gilbert says that would be just fine with him! He continues to figure out how to stay dry and still get the work done. He says he is hungry all the time but that he has plenty of food (no care packages needed, but thank you anyway!) - he is really hoping he is in a growth spurt and plans to return from his mission at 6' tall - everyone keep a smile and happy thought for him on that wish :D He and Elder Hyde have continued with their motto "Work Hard, Play Hard" and that seems to be working well for them - they remain friends and keep studying and riding their bikes, reaching out to people - he says they ride somewhere between 12-15 miles a day. He asks that I thank you all for your happy thoughts prayers on his behalf - he loves and appreciates you all, as does his Mom - have a great week! :D

Elders Lovest, Gilbert, and Butterfield

Friends since the MTC!

4 January 2016 - Week 10

So this has been a crazy couple of weeks! Elder Hyde and I are getting along great. We are basically the same person! He is from Las Cruses New Mexico and played soccer and football. It has been raining a lot out here and riding a bike in the rain is awesome! You stay completely dry!

So there are pics out there of missionaries in these 3rd world countries like Cambodia trekking through water with there pants hiked up. So I didn't know this

but it floods in Alabama.

The food down here is so good! Alligator is awesome! Jumbalia is amazing and shrimp gumbo is good to!

We went up to Alex city and spent new years up there with the other guys in our district. I can neither confirm nor deny if we watched the Alabama game or not, but all i can say is that it was an awesome game and i cant wait for the 11th! Roll Tide!! lol sometimes it sucks that Alabama is so good because it makes all the merchandise so expensive lol.

I got to go fishing today for the first time since I've been out! Didn't catch a thing but maybe next Monday!

Thank you to everyone who sent me Christmas Cards! Thanks for all the support! -Elder Gilbert

Store Contacting at Walmart! (because there is only one store in this little town:P)