Crazy Week

Hey Everyone!

What a crazy busy week. I love it!!

We went on exchanges twice. The first time I was with Hermana Peterson. She is amazing. She has alot of health issues but goes so strong. She is an inspiration to me.

I also was in a trio with the Hermana's in Denver. Hermana Moser (who was 2 doors down from me at byui!) and Hermana Gage. I love that so many people I meet go to byui! But it was alot of fun. In the MIDDLE of a spanish prayer that the member was giving I proudly say, "AMEN" with a very loud proud voice. It was embarrassing. I just said. Oh! and folded my arms. I don't know why I said it so loud and proud. But we all laughed. I have alot of embarrassing things happen to me.

The broadcast was amazing! I loved every moment of it. I feel like I need to involve the ward better. I also thought it was neat how they talked about how they want to involve technology more. It is a little scary for me because I love face to face contact. But I trust the Prophet ;) The talks were all amazing! Just think! My new mission President was sitting in there! I pray for him and his wife. I want them to feel our love for them instantly!

I love you all so much!

-Sister Gampe

Nurse Kendra

Hey Everyone!

So it was a pretty tough week for me, but I'm doing alot better. It's just hard being away from your own area so much because your area is suppose to be an example for the other missionaries. Our area is good, but I just feel like I'm not contributing to it enough. Darn you Satan! haha

But anyways. I had exchanges with Sister Hunt. She got dehydrated really bad and I had to take her to our home and comfort her while she slept and puked it off. I kept forcing her to drink Gatorade. I have gotten less whimpy about puke because I comfort my companions while they puke. I'm glad they are puking and not me ;) hahah just kidding. kinda. But yeah I was worried about her. But she is doing alot better. She was really funny though. Right after she puked the most I've ever seen in my life, she looked awful, she turned to me and said, "oh yeah this is what's gonna get me a husband" hahaha funny girl.

The other exchange went well. I was with Sister Worthen. She has a bright spirit. She is working really hard to overcome her fears. She is terrified to talk to people. But I can tell she is really trying hard. She has a young mind and has to be reminded to brush teeth, pray, simple stuff. She is working hard. I learned alot during that exchange. I was able to look her in the eye and tell her that President Monson called her on a mission. I told her she is strong. Me and her got along very well.

We went to Mission Leader Counsel in Frisco. It's usually called Zone Leader Counsel, but since me and Sister Hatch were there, they changed it. haha The Elders were mad we were there because they said they had to be on their best behavior. We are put on high expectations. President Maynes said that the mission's progress depends on us. I have a feeling I'll be a Sister Leader Trainer for a while since we are getting a new President on the 28th.

Something I learned this week from last week, was that I need to give everyone a clean slate. I kinda expected disobedience last week with one of my exchanges. So of course I saw a ton of it. But I need to go in allowing them to show me what they have improved on. I need to be able to see their strengths. Not just something they need to fix.

Well I love you so much! Remember that. You are all in my prayers.

-Sister Gampe

Happy Birthday Kendra

Hey Everyone!

Thank you so much for your birthday wishes. It made things so much easier to know how much love and prayers I have. I love you all so much!

Things have gotten alot easier emotionally. I am feeling more and more connections in this area. Which helps me know that I am meant to be here. I love the people already. My prayers are constantly being answered. Alma 37:37

The Richards (Bishop) made me a wonderful Birthday Meal. Decorated the table and made an adorable cake. (pigs in mud) They also had a bouquet of flowers. So nice. Their house is Gorgeous! It's huge and has a beautiful view of mountains and Denver.

This week I finally had the courage to send Sister Hatch on exchanges so I managed the area by myself. Scary but I got a lot accomplished. 

I'm so tired! But Alot of work is being done. We had stake conference. The last time President Maynes will speak in our stake. I will miss him. It was all about missionary work and Temples. Go to the temple!

I love the Ensign. Read the whole thing because it is so amazing!

Sorry this letter is so short! Oh funny story. We had a sundae party for wyatt because he went to church every sunday this month. We were popping almond joy peices in our mouth and it went straight down my shirt. It was embarrassing. 

I included pictures. Pictures of the bouquet of flowers. picture of me in front of the house I live in...(very blue) and a family we are teaching. Petersons. We are helping their son Wyatt come to church. 

I love you all so much!!!!

-Sister Gampe

New Address

Hey Everyone!

 

It's official! I am in the Green Mountain 1st Ward! Sister Hatch is my companion! She is amazing and makes me feel intimidated because I think she has the whole Book of Mormon memorized. She only has 1 more transfer after this so at least I have an excuse. She is really sweet and works really hard!

 

AH it's so scary. I've learned so much in the past week! I finally got to unpack my things before I came to e-mail. It was tough because I had to go on exchanges to Clement Park and I hadnt had anytime to unpack because we keep getting home at 9:30 and planning has taken along time. which is okay because they have been awesome plans. We weren't able to teach at all on Tuesday and we still got 25 lessons this week. I am exhausted. I am going on exchanges alot and I am going to try to hold down the fort in my own area next week on Thursday. I'm nervous because i don't know many people or the area. I'll get lost and AHHHHH Can you tell i'm nervous. I just am nervous because I don't want to waste the Lord's time. This leadership position has already been a help for the rest of the Sisters. I've already helped a Sister know how to deal with disobedience. Poor thing. She needs to speak up though! In the MTC I was so scared to correct disobedience as a coordinating sister, and that scared me for the rest of my mission, but I'm not afraid anymore. The Lord is more important. I'm not perfect. There are things to work on, but it makes me sad when I see disobedience with the schedule and stuff. grrr. I keep reading leadership scriptures in the Book of Mormon so I can lead with love. I the Lord helped me give good advice with the disobedience I saw.

 

I still cried even at night when I got to Green Mountain. A couple nights haha. But I did it quietly so I didn't wake up my companion ;) I don't know why! I've never been such a cry baby in my entire life. I just love the people in Meeker. I miss the feeling of knowing where I am and who I am talking to. But that will come. :)

 

Okay so saying goodbye to everyone was the worst! The President's assistants asked me to drive the 3 other girls that were with me over the mountains. I accidentally left my scriptures in my zone leaders truck in Rifle...yep that is 4 hours away from me...I miss my scriptures so much. I'll get them back not this week but next. i was tempted to just have them mail them, but I need to be frugal. Plus Sister Hatch knows every scripture so I can just describe it and she knows it. Sister Hatch is like my human Internet when it comes to the scriptures.

 

I have met so many people in the last week. Some of the funnier high lights were Andy. He is 57 with a long straggly beard. He wanted to feed us so we ordered pizza. He lives with his parents because he is schizophrenia. The hardest part of the visit was watching him eat the pizza. The sauce was all caught in his beard and it was all going in his mouth. He instantly wanted to give us "holy kisses" when we greeted him. eeeek! hahaah

 

I met this German lady, Liz. She knew the german recipes we make in our families and gave me the correct spelling from her german cook book. Maultaschen (mouth pockets is kinda the translation.) and Knödel. haha

 

1447 South Welch Court

Lakewood, CO 80228

 

That is my address! Post it everywhere please. But you can always rely on the mission office address ;)

 

Well I think that is all for the day. I'm exhausted and can barely think. I love you so much!

 

~Sister Gampe

 

Transfer

Hey Everyone!!!!

Well I found out while I was at the Zellers home on Friday for his birthday that I am being transferred. Sister Betts is training. I was also called to be the new Sister Trainer Leader. There are only two in the whole mission and I am one of them. This is new for our mission. I think I'll be going to Green Mountain, CO. I think Sister Hatch (who used to serve in Meeker) will be my companion. Gary told me that she was called, so we are putting it together. I am excited to serve with her. I have heard SOOO many wonderful things about her. She is a hard worker and has so much love. Gary told me last night that the two of us could change the devil. haha When I got the news I instantly started crying. The whole home was crying. I cried myself to sleep. I'm excited for the new calling, but I am terribly sad that I will be leaving Meeker. I love the people so much. I love the area. Meeker is gorgeous!

Sunday was tough. I was asked to bear my testimony. Afterwards I sang "Live Like You Believe" Jenny Phillips. Listen to it. It's a gorgeous song. I prayed so hard that I could get through it without crying. I did. I also prayed I would invite the spirit. I know that musical angels helped me. It went really well and touched hearts.

I felt dehydrated at church because I was crying so much. Rayola Rust hugged me right after sacrament meeting and told me my mom would be so proud of me and that she loved me so much. I love her with all my heart. I lost it with tears even more when I hugged her. She's such an inspiration to me. She is an inspiration to everyone who meets her. I got a lot of pictures with families and a lot of people were able to sign in my "bye-bye book". That was nice so I have a lot of addresses and ways to contact them all.

I feel like I haven't slept in a while. I'm so exhausted! I just lay there and my mind is rolling.

It's amazing how much I've learned here. I've been in Meeker for 6 months. I've loved every moment of it. I have learned so much as I read the scriptures. I've learned the importance of being an example. I want to slap my leg every time I think of someone back at home that I wasn't a good example for. I owe people apologies and wish I had addresses so I could do so. I will when I have the opportunity.

I feel so close to the Lord. More than ever before. I love serving. I love helping people. I feel like I'm finally learning that I am getting more and more lost in the work. I don't think about myself as much. I do my best to only be motivated through love. not fear, or greed.

One scripture that really touched me was Alma 37:6-7. A simple thing you can do for yourself, family, or others can bring great things to past.

I love you all so much! I miss you and I hope you are all safe and well. You are always in my prayers!

-Sister Gampe

The pictures are of me at South Fork. Me with adorable kids (Aaron and Josh Murray) (kids are my weakness. I need to repent) Sister Rust and I (she is undergoing a lot of health problems. My spirit seems to be drawn to her because I always feel like we need to see her when she wants to call us.)

Mothers Day

 

Hey Everyone!

 

Boy was it exciting to be able to Skype with my parents and talk a little with my siblings. It's amazing how much you really miss your family when you can't hear their voice. I get so busy that I don't realize it until I think about it. After the call I walked down stairs and teared up, that's why we don't talk more than 2 times a year! Mother's Day is harder than Christmas because we have to get right back to work after we hang up! But I love the work so that's okay.

 

This week was a service week! We painted, pulled weeds, helped move members, and went branding!! The branding was an exciting new thing to see. I've never been around that before! At first it was really sad to watch. I was so interested and the one man noticed so he called me over and had me hand them the individual brands. Then I started branding myself!! Who would have thought I would be branding on my mission! The brand was, F, bar, lazy H. It was really neat. We branded 73 calves. We were using the table to brand them. That makes it a lot easier. We went with the Hobbs family. Donald, the father is an investigator and we were helping Donald's nonmember friends. It was a good experience. You will probably get a hit out of the pictures.

 

We went to Trappers Lake. You have to google image it. It was beautiful! I heard so many wonderful things and so I begged our district and another district to go. We went today actually. They were in shock with how long it took to get there, and we had to hike in thigh deep snow. It was pretty hilarious in my opinion. They were all freaking out. Well the idiots showed up in shorts! I knew there would be snow up in the mountains! hahaha

 

We had a wonderful lesson with Scott Styles. He came to church for the first time. He is really interested and is doing everything he can to know if it is true.

 

It's amazing to have the opportunity to teach Kenneth Hinckley. He is literally Gordon B. Hinckley's great nephew. He has so many wonderful insights. Right now he is getting reactivated and is really opening up. He is getting more and more comfortable with us. He's really fun to see.

 

The picture with the family with the dog is the Simisters. We loved seeing them. We are very sad that they moved out of the ward.

 

Well I love you all so much! Keep sending the letters. I look forward to them! Sister Betts gets packages and letters every week. Literally she usually gets 3 letters everyday!!!! Grrr! haha So every letter I get is greatly appreciated!

 

-Sister Gampe

Gary Got Baptized!

Hey Everyone!

The highlight of my mission so far has come! Gary Zellers got baptized! I love that man soo much! I invited him last Friday. I was shaking and terribly nervous. He has been invited before, but didn't feel ready with his questions. I invited him and he said that he would consider it. So I prayed sooooo hard the next couple days. On Monday night he told us that it was time. We instantly knew what he was talking about and gave him a tight hug with tears. It all seemed like a dream!

Sister Kristy Partridge (my trainer) had planned for a month now of coming to Meeker with her family on May 3rd-7th. So she was able to be their for Gary's Baptism.

The Baptism went so well. Sister Partridge and I sang, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives". It went really well. I was so scared I was going to cry and not be able to get anything out. It was perfect. We has a powerful testimony meeting as well. It was so wonderful! Gary said that he has never felt so much love in his entire life. I don't think he can imagine how much I love him or how much our Savior and Heavenly Father love him.

After the baptism we went to Circle Park to have a picnic to celebrate Sister Partridge coming back. There were so many people there. It was wonderful. It was nice to be able to invited investigators to it as well. Laura went with her little boy, Dillon. I think she has a wonderful time. She's developing friends in the ward. We also had our newest investigator, Scott Styles come. We haven't been able to teach him yet because we met him on Wed, but we have an appointment. He has a neat story.

We were helping at the Chamber of Commerce for 2 hours on Wed. Scott came in with a question that had nothing to do with the Chamber of Commerce. He then saw our name tags and asked all excited if we were the missionaries. We said yes. and I told us how he used to take lessons with the elders in a different city. He had to move and love contact. We instantly got his information and asked if we could visit him. Right now he doesn't have a home in Meeker and is just living in his jeep, so we set up a time to visit with him in a members home. He was so sweet. The cool thing was he went to Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday but decided not to go in and ask the question. He went back the next day. That was the only day we were there and we were only there for 2 hours. The Lord guides our lives more than we realize it.

Gary was confirmed at church on Sunday. It was such a beautiful blessing. I wrote down the main points so I can type it out for him.

This week has been very busy! Me and Sister Betts were extremely exhausted and worn out after the picnic on Sat. We were able to teach 22 lessons this week and we have a few potential new investigators.

I love this area so much! I love you all so much! Thank you for all the love and support you give me. Prayers are truly answered! Alma 37:37

-Sister Gampe