Will the Surprises Ever Cease?

March 25, 2013

HAHAHA! Where to begin this week? We'll start with exchanges.

We had exchanges on Wednesday and I went up to Rockport. It was awesome! Up there reminds me more of an East coast fishing town. Super cute! That night we thought about getting a Blizzard because, when is that ever a bad idea, and while we were around Dairy Queen, we decided instead to go to a former’s house in the area. Baptismal date instead of a Blizzard? We'll take it!

We ended the exchange going down to Zone Conference which is always fun. We had to go early because I was in charge of the musical number, which promoted me to junior zone leader. (Super not a real title but the zone leaders love it. haha). Then after the awesome trainings we had, we had to do departing testimonies. Everyone going home before the next zone meeting had to say their testimony. Elder Jensen and I (flying home with me) talked about running away the whole time but to no avail; we had to give our testimonies. Knowing your daughter/friend/sister, you know it had to be interesting. I talked about how I have learned to really love and how much I loved the church, then I proceeded to say that "our mission is so great and united because we are a little bit, what's the word? off-kilter." HAHA! President just looked down and shook his head, stood up, and tried to escort me down. He was just teasing me, and everyone was laughing and I thought, "this WOULD be everyone's last memory of Sister Giles." HA! It was literally hysterical. Then after, Sister Trayner said in her testimony that maybe we’re so united because of how weird we are. Then President gets up and says that no one will ever be able to forget Sister Giles, head of the weirdos. HAHA! I seriously love my mission and everyone here. Only here does that stuff happen. But anywho, I now have members teasing me about it too.

THEN on Friday, we got a call from the Assistants harassing me to make them cookies and I said okay Elders I will do that, but what's really up and they said “Well Sister Giles, ya’ll are doing so great in Flour Bluff, we want you and your companion to go do great in Weber”...................Yup, surprise transfer! But this transfer is different because it only affects our zone and there are 4 areas getting white washed! We set up our area perfectly for the Elders to come in and take it over and the Assistants want us to go into this other area and build it up. It is more of the city, which will be fun. No more Bluff and the ocean. President Trayner told us we are inner city weirdos now. :) Funny stuff. So, on Wednesday, we are moving into Corpus Christi, same complex as the Elders, and working Weber. I am going to make a Spiderman shirt now. But ya, who would have thought that with 4 weeks left in my mission, I would be whitewash training? Do the surprises ever end? I think not! haha! I should just keep expecting the unexpected! My speculation is that they wanted Elders up in Rockport, a sisters’ area, but the sisters couldn't come down here and live with the elders because they have a four person apartment, so they had to move us and the other elders too. Who knows but it will be fun! We are still going to the same church, just at 1 instead of 9 so we will still get to see everyone.

Our people are doing great! BP got called to be the chorister yesterday, JF and NF received the Holy Ghost, JC got the priesthood, and JA passed her baptismal interview. Things are happening in Flour Bluff! I am bummed that we are leaving, but I know there is work for us to do in Weber!

I love you all so much and I hope everyone is having a great week! Keep the work in your prayers!

Sister Giles

Another Awesome Week!!

March 18, 2013

I love that we are all bad at writing longerish emails now. I'm okay with it seeing as there is just SO MUCH GOING ON! I have started writing in my journal again though, (I repented) so I will fill you in on all the details when I get home but this weekend was GREAT! We had a baptism on Saturday who got confirmed with her husband on Sunday. (Craziest story ever!) Then a father and son got baptized on Sunday. It was SO COOL! So our week was pretty productive. We also had investigators at both baptisms! YAY! It is hard though planning two baptisms in a small branch because we try to get different people for everything but sometimes it just doesn't work out that way. But everything turned out great! We started a trend of doing a musical number but every time, we fail to choose one until we have to sing; then Sister Dudding and I just pick one and switch between the alto and soprano parts and Sister Perez just backs us up. It’s seriously hysterical.

Last night before the baptism, we ate dinner with the branch president and family, but instead of going to their house, we had a cookout at the beach. Family, you will LOVE them! Seriously, they are the greatest and they are like my second family. Truly. L____ (25, married with a wife that lives in Brazil, complicated) has never liked sister missionaries. Until he met us. Now he loves sisters because we are real and we act like a big family. O man. AND, family, they are taking us surfing. So.....be excited for May!

I love everything about being here. I actually decided that I will never be going home so....have fun when you come down here to visit me! HAHA. but for reals, my mission has been everything to me and I don't want to let any second go by without being the best missionary I can be. It is amazing how the Lord lets us struggle throughout our missions to let us grow. Then in our last transfers, he transfers us to an area that is ON FIRE with all of your best friends, in the best branch with leaders that trust you and know how to work with you to help you reach your potential. I love it! My leaders here are PERFECT for me! They just give me the ball and let me run with it. That analogy is actually very funny because we joke almost every day about dropping the ball. I will have to show it to you after I get back. O man. I'm gonna miss this. In fact, while we’re down here visiting on that Monday, depending on who gets transferred where, they want us to come up to Corpus for P-day so we can do something with them and they can meet y’all. I couldn't say no. :)

So, I wish that I could help y'all understand how awesome it is here. You will get to see such a small part when you come down, but it will be good. The crazy, quirkiness here is great and you will LOVE IT!

Well, I love you all and I hope you have a great day! 

Alma 27:17

That is how I feel. Passed out with joy. Yup.

Sister Giles 

Spring Break 2013!

March 11, 2013

It's spring break here on the island and the bluff. It is like a mad house! But it just makes everything more fun!

We just found out last week that the Church changed their policy so now we can email family, friends, converts, etc. Pretty weird right? I think so too. But it is pretty cool at the same time!

So, thinking about what is going on in the work right now, I just get in this way where as hard as I try to explain what is going on, I can't. It is just so great and there is so much going on and it is so busy that I just try to say something and I make a weird noise, (I'm all about noises now) and I have no idea where to start or even where to go so.....it makes this email all the more interesting to write.

We have the world’s coolest people here in the Bluff that are so ready and excited to start their lives over. We just had a baptism of an awesome lady who now only watches BYUTV and a cool man that is just legit! His wife is scheduled to get baptized next week along with a father and son. Then the next week, we have a part member family, then the next week a member’s girlfriend! The work is progressing! Almost faster than we can keep up with, but we have it under control! With God, all things are possible! Now we are just working to continue to find even more! Our March is good but we just gotta get April better!

I've realized while writing this down that I don't know how to talk to real people anymore. hahaha. I can say this same thing to missionaries and I will just go off because they know like exactly what I am talking about but I think that I just can't explain it well to real people. Ah well, A for effort right?

So, sorry this email is short but I have to go print off President's email. I love you all and I promise that eventually, I will figure out how to write again. I think I just don't like talking to you because I am going home soon and I'm back in denial phase. SORRY! BUT I STILL LOVE YOU!

P.S. Grams! Get feeling better!

Sister Giles

Da Bluff

March 3, 2013

Congrats to BP for entering the waters of baptism on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday! Her son flew down from Seattle to do it all and it was SO COOL! So beautiful! I think baptisms are so special! We had some other minor hiccups this weekend but all is well. We have fixed it all for now and everything else should be going great!

This week we went down to McAllen for New Comp Training. It was so much fun except for the part that we were in the car longer than we were actually down there. Three hours each way...just sayin’... But I got to drive so it was fun. I had my first experience with the Check Point which was fun. And we drove through fields of absolutely nothing. McAllen was fun though because Sister V is training right now too and so she was there. She had no idea that I was training and so I was standing with some people and she walked by and I said hi and she did a double take and yells MOMMY?!?!?! It was funny. She loves referring to me as mommy in the most awkward of ways possible. Gotta love posterity.

Dad-I have come to understand something. I am no longer the favorite. :( In your Dear Elder to me and Dave, he got a page and a half. I got 3 sentences. Ah well. I'm over it now.

I've also come to realize that as my time dwindles down, my emails just get shorter and shorter. It is so funny to see the differences between me and Sister P because she still has the greenie effect of explaining everything and having the shocked effect when things happen. I think because I've been around the block a time or two, something crazy happens and I just roll with it. I think I have relaxed on my mission, which is funny because usually it's the opposite. I wish I could write y'all more stories. I guess I will just have to think of some. :)

We have the coolest members up here. Seriously, our branch is AWESOME! Yesterday, we went to dinner with President S and his family and I seriously just love them so much! They are the ones that are teaching us to surf when we come back. It is funny because Sister S says that I just fit in with their family because they are just the most sarcastic people ever, and you know me, if someone else is sarcastic, I can't help it. Sister S reminds me a lot of Aunt Jany. But anyways, coolest family ever!

As far as investigators go, I don't want to jinx myself but if everything goes right, we should have at least one baptism every week this month. Now we’re just working on finding for April so we can continue to see the miracles!

God is so good. I find myself thinking, almost daily, is this really happening? Am I really in the Bluff with all these amazing people serving the Lord like there is no tomorrow? I love so much everything that is going on here and I really don't ever want it to end. I feel almost like I'm in the Twilight Zone holding this time in my hand and it is just all falling between my fingers! I HATE IT! But it is good because I know my purpose and why I am here and Sister Giles will be going out with a bang! A huge bang! A super sonic bang!

I love all of you and think you're pretty neat! Gonna go see C____ now! Bye!

Hermana Giles

P.S. Yes I still refuse to wear my English tag so people think my first name is Hermana. I love white people.

Some pictures from Leadership Training in February

This is Leadership Training that was held in February. In the first 3 pictures, you

can see Kate in the Turquoise. Can you find her in the last two pictures?

Kate is sitting two to President Trayner's left in the red. Where did the really

long hair come from? I almost didn't recognize her.

Can't wait to see her - April 24th is coming soon!!