Mitzi Gates: May 2015

Well to start off we had some amazing lessons this week.

Kelly, Teresa, Abbey and David are progressing so well!! Remind me to

tell you how we met them;) but we went over and shared the

restoration. Then the first part of the plan of salvation. They were

crying, we were crying! It was amazing. They are reading the BOM and

have so many questions. They marked the whole book up. Golden

investigators!! I would give anything to stay and teach them. They are

praying about May 17th to be baptized. So I can at least Skype in.

The departing missionaries usually go to the temple after transfer

meeting, but since it's going to be closed, we got to go one more time

before. So Sister Ellis and I went down with Kyla and Michelle and did

a session. It was just what was needed. We actually saw some old

Hermanas that went home a while ago. They came back and went through

the temple with their converts and then they were sealed. They gave us

some advice about going home in the celestial room. It was pretty

cool! I love the little Nashville temple. So many good memories,

revelation and comfort took place in there.

The Kentucky Derby was also on Saturday. The school kids all dressed

up for school in big hats and fancy clothes. Such a fun event. Cool to

be serving in Kentucky when it went on.

I love going to bed so exhausted you pass out in 5 minutes. I love

being rejected only to have the spirit confirm once again, this is

true. I love seeing people change. I love sitting in gospel principals

and all the southern baptist converts are saying comments or more so

preaching. I'll miss having my hair smell like smoke 24-7. I'll miss

sitting on a couch not knowing if roaches will crawl out of it. I've

never applied the atonement so much in my life. I've never been so

humbled. I love bearing my testimony boldly to a stranger I've just

met. I've never relied so much on a Heavenly Father to guide me in

every minute of the day. I've never had this close of a relationship

like I do with my Savior. I've never loved people so deep, so fast.

I've never had so many lows and had so many highs. I have never met so

many Jesus lovin' people in my life, they truly love The Lord. I have

never been so truly happy in my life. The greatest thing about my

mission is that I have been truly converted. But I am so grateful

Heavenly Father has worked with me in patience and has helped me

change. I know that the truth and fullness of this gospel was restored

through the prophet Jospeh Smith. I know the Book of Mormon to be

true. I know that no matter how many times we fail, Christ has already

given us that opportunity to try again, through the Atonement.

I can say that no man or women has ever loved their mission as much as

I have loved mine. I love my mission more than anyone will even

understand. Best 18 months old my life.

I was studying one morning and came across this scripture... It

explains my life as of now:

2 Nephi 33:3 But I, Sister Gates, have written what I have written,

and I esteem it as of great worth, and especially unto my people. For

I pray continually for them by day, and mine eyes water my pillow by

night, because of them; and I cry unto my God in faith, and I know

that he will hear my cry.

I love the people of Tennessee and Kentucky. I especially love sharing

the good news that Christ original church that he set up when he was

here, has been restored in its fullness today.

Thanks for all your love and support these past 18 months. I'll see

ya'll soon.

Sister Gates

Here is my new email address: mitzi.gates@outlook.com

At Kirchhoffs Bakery with Brother Balmer!!‏

The last District Meeting

Saying goodbye to the Koonce family!! Love them. Their son comes home the day I leave!‏

Hannah, Lisa, and Ella at Stake Conference!!‏

Temple trip on Saturday!! I went with Sister Ellis, Kyla and Michelle to the temple. Then saw the Wilmuths from Hendersonville!!‏

Kyla, Michelle and Sister Ellis on the way to the temple!!‏

Saying goodbye to the Newman family!!‏

Saying goodbye to our investigator Kaitlyn!! She's so solid.‏

Brother Aguilar, our WML took us all to burrito shack!! Elder Senatore tried the burrito challenge.‏

Sister Long and her girls!! Love them.‏

Utah bound...‏

I love Paducah.

This week we stayed busy as always. We started off by going on exchanges with the Mayfield Sisters. I went to Mayfield with Sister Phillips. She is a great missionary! We saw so many miracles. I feel like every time we go on exchanges the expectations are so high so we have so many miracles.

We have been teaching this girl Kayla (16 yrs old) and her mom Kandi. Kayla actually came to a Ward picnic on Saturday, so that was great! We have been helping the, understand the importance of the restoration and the BOM. In the lessons Kandi always ends up crying... It maybe because she is always drinking wine after work, so she's a little tipsy.... But she said she still feels the spirit!!

The Newmans are doing awesome too. So brother Newman is a member and just married Jayna, who isn't a member. We went over and taught her the plan of salvation. She loves it! Then she came to church on Sunday again.... She wore a skirt!! She said she hasn't worn a skirt since high school. That was a big deal!! Her daughter Abbey also wants to be baptized. So we are working on Jayna, she will be baptized soon:) She knows this is where she needs to be. The gospel really does change people. It's amazing to be able to watch.

We went to our LAs wedding...... Bishop Nordstrom married them..... They were an hour and a half late to their own wedding.... All the family was smoking and swearing..... It was like a real life television series. Hahah it was a mess! Even Bishop was laughing so hard. They threw the wedding together in a few weeks.

It was quilt week this week! People from all over the world come to quilt week!! We met some ladies from Great Britain and Australia. Downtown was so busy! We tried to go inside and walk around, but it was way to much money. But we enjoyed the National Quilt Museum last week with some other Sisters in the Zone. So amazing!!

On Sunday the Young Women of the Stake held their Young Women Recognition award night, We were able to help by serving them and help set it up. It was so fun to see all the girls that had accomplished that for the year. It made me realize what a great program the church has for these young women. It's crazy to see how big of a difference in the women we teach, how they haven't had the love, care, and leaders that we are able to have.

There is also a difference between tornado warnings and tornado watches.

Watch: watch out because one could touch down any minute

Warning: They spotted one and you better take cover!

Okay I just have to tell you thee funniest story that happened today. So there are 3 sets of missionaries in the apartment complex where we live... Well we got into this pranking game. So the Elders put flour all over our car and all this other stuff. Well we decided to go to the gas station to wipe off the windows to see if it would come off. Well we got a little carried away and started to wash the whole car.... .... .... well this guy in a white car shows up and says "Are up you seriously washing your car at a gas station right now?!" We just kind of stood there and started to laugh because it lead to that. Wellllllllll then he was like "I just filmed that and I am putting it on YouTube, can i put that i YouTube?" We were both just so embarrassed.... we didn't say anything. "Then he was like who do you work for? I'm never going in their store. That is just embarrassing! What does your name tag say?!" Then he was like "Take this dollar and go up the street and wash the car....." Well i jump in the car because i was so embarrassed and Sister Curtis just kinds of hurries to the car laughing, hesitantly.... haha pretty sure he knew we were Mormon Missionaries and thats why he was giving us such a hard time, he was a jerk too about it. But we just sat and laughed SO hard that we washed our car at the gas station.

I just want to bear my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I sure love that book. I know it to be true. I know it was made for our day and our time specifically. I love being able to share my testimony of it each day. If i don't read my 30 minutes of BOM each day you can count on that day being bad. Seriously. It brings so much peace, joy, and contentment in my life. Please FEAST each time you read... not just read, because you didn't for the day.

I rediscovered this great verse, 2 Nephi 25:26

"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."

I love you all! Have a great week:)

Sister Gates

Exchanges with Sister Phillips in Mayfield!!‏

This is the funniest story of my life!! I'll tell you next week. #districtmeetingprobsinthecountry

Rural King adventures on the craziest day ever. Eldorado, Marion, Vienna, and home!‏

Giant Superman statue in Metropolis!! Remind me to tell you the story of her too.‏

This is Veronica.... You know those crazy weddings you see in movies? Yeah this was one of them. Hahah Bishop Nordstrom also married her. He's on the right.‏

Sometimes teaching a 9 year old is a struggle....... Haha‏

Jenna, Andrew, Ania, and Malia.... Love this family! They are investigators who are progressing slowly.‏

The Taylor family!! Some LA we work with.‏

After we had the longest road trip and a lot of bad things happen we decided to give the Spanish elders a cheer up! Google translate. Bell peppers. And a tortilla.‏

Paducah at quilt week!‏

Wednesday, May 6, 2015

Sister Mitzi Gates // Week Eighty // "The Last Weekly Email"