Sister Mitzi Gates // Week Twenty-Three

Seriously the weeks are flying by!! I am loving my mission. Well on

Tuesday we had Zone Conference and that was great! I always love

hearing from President Andersen. It also snowed pretty hard that

morning so that was interesting. Then I went to Hohenwald with Sister

Ashworth on an exchange. It was crazy! Total hicks and sticks. I loved

it though! Half the people we visited I couldn't even understand

because of there strong accents. But on Wednesday we went home for

lunch and we tried to run the water and nothing came out! Well long

story short the mission forgot to pay for it and the city shut off our

water! Haha so we had to go sleep over at a members home. It was so

fun though! They made us grilled cheese for breakfast and then I went

back to Thompson Station. Probably the weirdest, most fun, craziest

exchange. Then on Thursday we had a Relief Society Conference just

with the ward. It was so much fun. I love the ladies here.

On Saturday we were able to go to the temple!! It was Janes first time

(she's the recent convert from my last area, Hendersonville). It was

also Janes sons 3 year anniversary from when he passed away. So a guy

from the ward was able to be baptized and confirmed for her son Adam.

Jane was bawling, I was bawling! One of the most spiritual experiences

on my mission yet. I love the temple so much. I can't wait to be able

to go more often. So amazing! Then that night we were able to watch

the General Young Women's broadcast. That was amazing. It was all

about remember your baptismal covenants and then your temple covenants

you will and have made. Saturday was such a solid spiritual day!!

Then Sunday came along and it seems like after you have a spiritual

day you get a rough day next. So all day yesterday I had this really

bad head ache, migraine. Fasting didn't help either. Then after dinner

I thought I was going to throw up. It was so bad! My head was just

pounding. We had to talk at BYC (bishops youth discussion) I got

through that. I couldn't even drive, sister Frampton had to. Then I

had this thought to get a blessing from an elder who is struggling. He

has one more transfer left and the adversary is really working on him.

So we went to the church and I got a blessing. It was great! Today I

am totally back to normal. I LOVE THE PRIESTHOOD. Seriously so great.

I love you all and hope you have a great week! Also on April 22,

that's our next transfer and president said he wants us all to be

there so I'm thinking a general authority is coming to speak!

Hopefully:) love you all:)

Sister Mitzi Gates // Week Twenty-Two

Another week gone already? It's true. The days go by so slow but the weeks go by so fast! Well this week we were busy with 32 other lessons!! That is the most I've ever gotten. That's not counting recent converts or less actives, or members. But people we have contacted on the street, like street contacting and tracting! We were so blessed this week!! So we have one new investigator. Yay! We found him tracting, set a return appointment and came back. He lived by sister missionaries in Florida, and has visited temple square so that was cool! We're going back tonight, so pray it goes well again! His name is Joe.
We seriously walked all around town this week. Sister Tagilala fell a couple times and twisted her ankle, so that's been hard for her. But that didn't stop us from talking to everyone! Haha ALSO! How could I forget this? Some how I joined a choir performance. Not by my own will! The two wards are putting on this Easter productions called The Garden by Michae McLean.  It's actually really good. I just don't know how to sing or read music.... So we'll see how it goes. Everyone there is in like all these musical things and I'm like yeah... I'll just sing watermelon. Hahah this will be one to remember.
This next week I have Zone Conference on Tuesday then after that I'm going on an exchange to the sticks with an awesome sister! So that will be a nice. I thought training a new missionary would be so fun, but it is kind of hard. You just want them to learn and grow so much, but their hearts have to be in it! I have learned how to be patient this week. Ohh man. That is a quality that I guess Heavenly Father wants me to learn real good! But I am grateful for the experience!!

I am so blessed to have so much support and love from family and my friends that are great examples!! I love getting their monthly letters and seeing how they are progressing and developing. I love being a missionary!! Love you all!!




Also, you know Julianne Hough? The actor, and she was on dancing with the star? Well her Sister, Marabeth Poole, is in my ward and we had dinner over at her house and it was amazing!! Perks of living in Nashville!

Also Billy Ray Cyrus lives in my ward boundaries... we just haven't found his house yet! That's next;) 

So we just went to wal mart and we all don't have very much money
left.... And this lady comes up while we were shopping and hands
sister lala a gift certificate with $30.00 it said to the
missionaries!! It was from a member in the other ward. Heavenly Father
is so aware of us, and when we're doing what's right... He is going to
bless us!! I almost started to cry! Tender mercy.
Just had to share that with you all.

Sister Mitzi Gates // Week Twenty-One

I can't believe another week has gone by! It's starting to pick up!

But on Tuesday we had our transfer meeting and we got our trainee,

Sister Tagilala! She is awesome. She is originally from Fiji but then

moved to the California and is a convert since 2007. She is great!

It's still so fun being in a trio. But we've just been having her get

to know the area, she keeps saying "I can't believe I'm really in

Tennessee!" I remember saying, kind of weird! But on Friday during

weekly planning I ran out of my protein drink and we needed more water

bottles so I was like can we go during lunch to get more? So they said

yes and while we were checking out a cashier started to talk to Sister

Tangilala about what she does, she did great! But we invited her to

the church tour and she was super open to it and we are so excited!!

Tender mercy! We have been doing a lot of tracting. A lot of finding.

We still have no one to teach! We are trying so hard, but every door

we tract "no we're good, we're Christians, we believe in God, he's our

savior, and y'all have a good day!" ....... Ugh! #missionprobs

Anyways another cool experience this week was we were going home for

dinner and I had a feeling to check on this less active family, so we

did and they've had some medical issues and stuff. When we went and

saw them the wife was having one of her episodes where her whole left

side twitches, but they still let us stay. I guess her brother has

brain cancer and she asked if in the pre mortal life she asked to take

away some of her brothers pain on earth. I was like well I'm not sure

about that, but I do know Jesus Christ died and atoned for us. It was

super spiritual! The husband was crying, the wife was crying, I was

crying!!

There is nothing better than having those very spiritual experiences

on your mission. Yeah it might be hard and you have no one to teach,

but I have come to know that no matter what we're going through

Heavenly Father is so aware of our situations!! Gosh I love this

gospel!! Makes me want to share it with everyone:) haha love you all!

Have a great week:)

Love,

Sister Gates

Sister Mitzi Gates // Week Twenty

THIS HAS BEEN THE BEST WEEK!! Okay so on Thursday we were able to go

to the temple and do baptisms for the dead!! My companions had some

recent converts go for the first time, so they were able to go... And

I got to tag along:) it was awesome watching the recent converts be

baptized, I cried and I don't even know them! Then we got to do some

baptisms and confirmations as well!! I LOVED IT! Then on Saturday this

lady died in the ward so we went to her memorial service. I didn't

think it would be hard, but it was. I cried there too. It was just

like I was at Grandpas Funneral! But then we drove to Mount Juliet

because my companions had a lady, Mary Ruth, getting baptized. It was

so special. I love baptisms! Then president called... He said I want

you and Sister Frampton to train!! We were shocked! WE'RE TRAINING A

NEW SISTER! Ahh! Sister Frampton just got out of training so I'm

greeny busting her and training a new sister! I'm excited but nervous!

But I'm excited to stay in a trio! I love being in a trio.

We also do a lot of tracting! Not 6 hours worth like Jake, but it

seems like that! Haha we have no investigators. So yay for tracting!

We get the car this week so that'll be nice. So pray that the hearts

of Thompson Station will be open! The Lord wouldn't hasten his work if

there weren't people prepared right? Wahoo for missionary work!

I hope you all had a fabulous week:) I'm so excited about everyone and

their mission calls!!




Sister Gates:)








Okay so we were tracting and this cute boy just got off the bus and I

was like here want a picture of Jesus? He said yeah! Then I was like

here want a peanut butter cookie? He was like yeah! Then we got to

know him more and he tried out for Americas Got Talent and made the

try outs! Haha he was so good!









Mary Ruth's baptism!! Such a happy week:)




okay this was at the temple this week for baptisms!!! IT WAS AMAZING!!! Sister Cotton just informed me that Jane (our Recent convert) is going to be going to the temple to do baptisms on March 29th!! so I get to go again!! I CANT WAIT!!

Sister Mitzi Gates // Week Nineteen

Another week gone by already? Wow. This past week has been a good one!

We are still trying to find people to teach, so tracking is what we

resort to! But we have had some great investigators in members homes.

Every Thursday we do a church tour and any one is invited. James, a

recent convert invited his friend, Rus, to it. He really liked it! He

also came to church on Sunday! So that's exciting:) no one really

wants to know what we say. So it's great! We have picked up this new

talent with rapping. But it's mission approved! Haha I love being in a

trio!! This Saturday we get transfer calls. Bishop said I will be

staying though, he talked to president. So I was happy about that! I

hate not knowing if I'm staying or going!! But yay:)

I have had my testimony strengthened this week so much by the

priesthood authority. On Monday I got an amazing blessing. Then on

Tuesday this couple with 6 kids are going though the temple soon and

the advisory is working really hard on them. I started to cry because

I know how much forever families mean to me!! I was like you can't let

him get in the way of that! I know Grandpa was there helping me. Why

wait? Why wouldn't you want to be sealed with your family forever?

Gosh I just cried because it means so much to me. It was very

spiritual. Without the priesthood none do that would of been possible.

Being able to have a blessing, being able to be sealed as a family,

also taking the sacrament and much more. I am so grateful for it.

I love being a missionary:) hope you all have a great week!!




In the ensign this month I was reading a part and I loved this!




I have learned much from a book titled Why Did This Happen to Me? by

Ray Pritchard. He says: "Sometimes we will face things for which there

is no earthly explanation. In those moments we need to erect a sign

that reads, 'Quiet: God at Work.' Meanwhile, hold on, child of God.

Keep believing. Don't quit. Don't give up. Let God do His work in you.

The greatest tragedy is to miss what God wants to teach us through our

troubles."

Sister Gates:)