Mitzi Gates: June 2014

Hello! Still no baby yet? I was hoping to be overloaded with pictures

in my email from Kambree being born! I'll keep praying;)

Another great week in Lebanon!

Well on Monday we tracted into these sweet old black women. One was a

baptist preacher, they were sisters. We talked about the plan of

salvation and they pretty much believe the same thing except for the 3

degrees of glory.

We visited a less active lady Ruth Dean who we haven't been able to

see, she let us in and we were walking to her. In the middle she was

like "come outside I need to take a smoke" okay. But I think we were

making her nervous, we just talked about her conversion story and

what's holding her back now. Sweet lady, she'll be back soon.

Sister Harbor went out to visit some members with us. We went out to

visit the Benitez and Butch and Lisa were there!! Seriously love them.

They are so excited to be baptized. It's still on for this Saturday in

the Mt. Juliet ward! Yay. Great visit.

On Wednesday we had Zone Conference in Murfreesboro. It was awesome!

We drove out there and had car inscriptions, I love Elder and Sister

Johnson! I'm going to be sad when they leave. But President trained on

seeing the eternal perspective of it all. Then Sister Andersen got up

and started with a story of when Sister Cotton and I first got to

Hendersonville when we white washed. The first visit we had was to

Bishop St. Onge, and he asked how long sister cotton had been out, 3

months and then asked how long id been out, I said 3 hours. Everyone

laughed. But she was saying that we were asking bishop what we needed

to do and he loved that. So that was cool. Later we split into groups

and had to talk about a topic, I was the only one talking! Haha no one

else would. But it was good. We were with another zone too, so it was

fun to see my friends. The missionaries who are leaving always bear

their testimony at the end and I always cry, because I just love them

and look up to them so much. The spirit is always strongest there.

Love Zone Conferences.

Then on the way back we get a call from a lady in the ward who is less

active and needs help cleaning her house, so we go over and she's a

hoarder. Like have you ever seen Extreme Hoarders on TLC? This was her

house. She lives in government housing too. I seriously couldn't do

it, there were bugs everywhere, and rat crap. I was going to cry.

Sister Tenney's a champ and helped out. But that's an experience I

never want to experience again on my mission.

On a lighter note, we had a lesson with Josh. I had this strong

feeling that we needed to teach the Word of Wisdom. So we prepared for

that. The first thing he says is I'm going to Florida in two weeks and

am going to get smashed with my friend. Ha we all looked at each other

and were like okay well we have a great lesson for you! He took it

well. Haha he said he is still going to drink with his friend in

Florida, but when he comes back that will be it. So that's good!

We also went over and visited Mary, she's a less active and she trains

Golden Retrievers. She gets a new dog every couple weeks. Well she had

this dog Charlie who was 18 months old and he gets very excited about

people coming over. So she lets him in and he jumps around on me and

HE PEED ALL OVER MY FEET. Seriously. At first I didn't think about it,

I thought he just got a drink and his mouth was wet. Then she was like

eh he just peed all over the floor. I almost cried. So gross!

On Sunday we were asked to do a talk for FHE for the Single Adults. So

we did. We talked about journal keeping and different ways you can

keep a journal. Then also about a bigger journal that is kept in

heaven, the book of life. That was fun to research and learn more

about. It went good though!

I am loving this area. Tracting an hour a day has brought so many

miracles. We usually have one person who listens and it's usually at

the last 10 minutes we tract. I love learning about different

religions as well. The people here really do love Their savior and

know him so well. That's something I love about the people here! They

have a strong testimony of him.

Trip to Nashville:

To start off, Monday part of my district decided to go to Nashville!

We woke up and rode the train station down, then walked around

Broadway for a little bit, saw the AT&T batman building, the CMT

headquarters, and the old Ryman building. I love it!! Then we walked

down to the Country Music Hall of Fame and got pictures. Then walked

up into the convention center right across the street and walked to

the top of that and took a bunch of pictures! Great view. Then we

walked over Shelby Bridge, we took more pictures. The river made me

wanna jump in, we were all hot and sweaty! Haha but LP field was right

there also. That's where they hold the Country Music Fest each year,

that happened a couple weeks ago. Can't wait to come back and actually

go to it! Then we walked to the WW1 memorial building. It was so cool!

That was right next to the state capital. Then we walked down Broadway

one last time and went through a couple stores. Then we went up to the

bus station and took us bus to the Grand ol Opry. We went shopping

there, the Elders did the pepper challenge, that was funny. Then we

had lunch and left. Then rode the bus back to the train station and

rode the train home. Country music was playing every where I went. I

can't wait for you to come out here!! Tennessee has my heart!

Saw Loli at zone conference!! LOVE having her in my zone now!‏

There was another nasty bug in our apartment this morning the elders came and killed!!‏

Benjji is so sweet and bought us a bracelets and necklace!., love her!‏

Sometimes while tracting you have a little fun!! Plus I love this place. So I had to get pictures!!‏

The things the people in the south have in their yards..... Hahah why? Pa. My hair was straight and went outside for 10 minutes and it looks like this!‏

Shelby comes with us a couple times a week!! Haha plus half price shakes at sonic.... Of course we went!‏

Deb is making me fat. Fried squash and green tomatoes. Chick and gravy, rice and black eyed peas! This is my stuffffffff!!‏

Banana Popsicles? They make district meeting better.‏

Coming home on the train after a fun filled day in Nashville!!

That's the pepper place where the elders did the pepper challenge.

Railroad sunset jump!!‏

We were tracting and found some goats and Emus..... Hahah super weird and random!‏

Sister Tenney had to help Jeanette put in eye drops!!! Tonight we are going over and talking to Jeanette's preacher about prophets and apostles!!! WISH US LUCK!

We left a Jesus Christ pass a long card....‏

BEST WEEK EVER!!

Super long email... Sorry!!

Okay so you know those people that came to church last Sunday? Well we

went over and taught them the restoration and committed them to be

baptized!! Okay so that was the short version of it all. So Butch,

Lisa, and Isaac Bates are the ones that the Benitez family brought to

church. Butch owns his own lawn care business and his wife helps him.

One day they were pulled over on the side of the road because

something went wrong with the trailer. Brother Benitez pulled up and

was like "are you looking for me?" Haha butch was like no. Brother

Benitez had been waiting for someone to come take bid to see how much

it would be to mow his yard. So he asked Butch to bid his house too.

He got the job and the Benitez have 6 kids and he's like from South

America somewhere so Butch asked if he was catholic. He was like no

I'm Mormon! Butch great grandmother was Mormon and paid tithing until

the day she died. So he was interested again. So they were searching

for a church and Brother Benitez invited them to church! In Gospel

Principles they learned the Plan of Salvation and a little about the

priesthood in the 3rd hour.

So on Friday Sister Benitez calls and says hey Butch and Lisa are

coming over at 6! Come over and teach them, and Butch wants to be

baptized. Okay!! Haha we love when that happens;) so I was on exchange

so Hermana Kepler was with me. We go over and ask them about church.

They LOVED it. They said it just made sense. The plan of salvation and

priesthood keys. I was like what?! I still get confused sometimes! So

we go on and teach them the restoration. I recited the First Vision

and ask them if they think that was possible. They said yeah and I

think there is prophets on the earth today too! We were like who are

these people?! So we explained that Joseph Smith received the

priesthood and could baptize people now. We committed them to be

baptized on June 28th. Then I said Brother Benitez holds that

priesthood authority and could baptize you and Lisa. He was crying,

sister Benitez was crying, we were crying!! OH MY GOSH. I LOVE BEING A

MISSIONARY!! What a special opportunity I was able to be apart of.

Brother Benitez wasn't actually there, he was in Mexico doing a class

on essential oils. And the whole lesson Sister Benitez was nursing her

baby. So it was interesting! Haha but so great! The Benitez talked to

them about going to the temple to be sealed. We told them they could

be sealed in a year, so next June 28th. They were speechless. They

want this so bad! I gave them a Salt Lake Temple pass along card and

the son Isaac, who is 5, knew what it was already.

This family is so prepared it kills me. They kept saying it just makes

sense, it just answers all of our questions, it fills that hole in our

heart! But the SUPER sad thing is.... They aren't in our area. They

live in Mt. Juliet area. So we called a president and told him we got

a baptismal date set and all. So we had to call the mt. Juliet elders

to say they have a baptism on June 28th they need to start preparing

for and they need to meet the people! I was kinda sad... But it's all

the same work!! So wahoo!!

Then that same Friday a member took us to exchange with the Hermanas

half way. So we were just waiting in the parking lot when I hear some

guy just yelling. I was like what the heck? So I saw some guy run up

to this lady and just yelling and screaming in her face. Then she

punches him in the face and hits him with her purse. Oh my gosh! Then

another lady drives up and looks like she was getting out to see if

everything was okay. The guy goes after the other lady and start

yelling in her face. So we drive over and I call 911. Scariest thing

ever! Then we get the license plate number of the guy and they drive

off. Seriously I thought he was going to kill someone. Sister

Abernathy took the Hermanas and they drove past the place we were

going to meet like 3 times, so when they got here they were like sorry

we kept missing it, it was probably for a reason. And it totally was!

We we're suppose to call 911. It was crazy. Got my adrenaline going!!

Haha

Okay Monday we went and had dinner out at Bishops, then he came to the

Towrys for FHE with us. They are the less active family. Bishop is one

who has thousands of stories for everything............... But it was

so good! They have been less active for 5 years and are just scared to

make that first step of coming back and talking to bishop. So bishop

came with us and it was great!! We were there for 2 hours, because of

bishops stories. But it was awesome!

Then on Wednesday the Hokansons had us over for dinner. It was Katie's

7th birthday and she wanted the sisters over to eat! Guess what she

wanted for her birthday dinner? Fish. Trout. Guess what I had? Trout.

It was dang good too! I deboned mine and all!

Then on Saturday before stake conference Deb took us to a Chinese

Buffett and I had Takoyaki. Do you know what that is? Octopus!! It had

like the little suction cup thingys on it and everything! I'm not

really a fan... It tasted fishy and it was chewy. But hey I ate it!

We went over and taught Matt. It was amazing! Matt is the one who

didn't graduate high school so we have to teach simple. But we went

over the plan of salvation and he remembers it all! We were so

impressed. Then Shelby his girlfriend, fiancé, pretty much wife came

in and we talked to her about it too! They loved it. They want to make

it to the highest kingdom together! It was so great. They said they

would be baptized, but they want to pray and find out first! We are

praying so hard for them.

We play volleyball every Thursday with the Relief Society and Young

Women. It's just at the park, it's sand volleyball. It is so nice to

be able to play in the middle of the week and take a break!

Stake conference was great!! I love whenever President and sister

Andersen speak, it gets me all pumped up! They talked a lot about

going to the temple and doing work their, and bringing your own names

to do. Also not only work on that side but work on this side as well!

President challenged all of the Madison Stake to not only pray for the

missionaries, but pray for your OWN missionaries experiences and

opportunities! I loved that. So will you PLEASE pray for your own? I

read in Jacob 5: 61-62

61 Wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently

with our might in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I

may bring forth again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is good

and the most precious above all other fruit.

62 Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this last time,

for behold the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last time that I

shall prune my vineyard.

Isn't that so great? This is the last time he is going to prune his

vineyard! So pray and be apart of if. Reach out to those who have

fallen away, or don't even know of this church! No one should be

excused from being a member missionary. I use to think I was the

exception. I'm not, neither are you. Go to work!

I'm sorry I wrote so much this week. The Lord is good to me. I am

truly blessed. I love the Book of Mormon. I love the leaders of this

church. I love being a missionary.

I love you all!!

Sister Gates:)

This is Katelyn, she gave me a sea shell and drew a picture of me! I get special treatment because I have red hair‏

Sister Westbrooks husband is a mortician, so he brings home flowers, then she gives us some!!!‏

I deboned my own fish and ate it!! It was trout, pretty decent! This is what Katie wanted for her 7th birthday!!‏

When we went on an exchange Sister Tenney came back with these cute earrings for me!! So sweet.‏

Going to stake conference with Deb!!!‏

The Ryman is where they all use to perform, now they do it at the Grand Ole Opry!! So cool!‏

Just at CMT headquarters:)‏

Jimmy Buffett Margaritaville.... On of our less active went here, so we got a picture with it!‏

COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME!!! I'm in heaven.‏

Inside the Country Music Hall of Fame... Those are Johnny Cash's shoes. I saw his grave in Hendersonville!‏

Mom, dad when you come our, we're going to this boot store! Buy one get two free! Haha they were very nice boots.

This is broadway, the main attraction spot! This is the place to be on the weekends I hear! Plus they were filming and taking pictures of something!‏

LP field, where the predators play, and we could see it all! So cool.‏

Rainbows and Book of Mormons while tracting in Hartsville!!‏

This is next to the state capital, it's a war memorial for WW1!!‏

Monday, June 23, 2014

Sister Mitzi Gates // Week Thirty-Five