The Mission Call

The Mission Call
Salem Oregon Mission - Spanish Speaking

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Called to Serve

Called to Serve

Called To Serve

Called To Serve

Monday, March 28, 2016

Dallas, Texas???

Hello Hello!

How is everyone doing?

I want to start off by saying congrats to my amazing cousin Sarah!! I am so excited to hear about your mission call. You are going to be the best missionary. You will soon start the best journey of your life :)

Wellllll I am now serving in Dallas.  I know super weird haha.  I am not in Dallas Texas.  Dallas is a town of about 14,000 people.  There are three wards here in Dallas and I am serving in the Cooper Hollow Ward.  The members here are so amazing.  They are all very kind and supportive in helping us out.

Well when we got to our apartment….we opened the door and there was a giant disaster.  We spent about 4 hours cleaning out trash.  We also found a pet lizard.  Don't know what the old missionaries were doing but it was pretty disappointing to find things that definitely shouldn't be in a missionary's apartment.  The elders hadn't written any lesson reports in over a year. Typically that’s how you go off to find people to teach.  The members have been super helpful in giving us referrals and telling us the people the elders had been working with.  The week has been full of finding but it has been so great because we have so many people that we have to meet.

My companion and I have been doing all we can to gain the members trust.  We have been setting up appointments with them and going over and sharing a quick message and asking for referrals.  We called all the auxiliaries and asked who we should visit and asked how we could help.  We know that the way they are going to trust us is through our service and love.  So far the results have been awesome!

We had an investigator at church our first Sunday so that was great!  We found a lady named Kathy, we taught her a few principles and invited her to church. She said yes and she came!!  We are not sure with all of the potential with Kathy because we aren't sure if she is all there….But she is great!

Sister Tedrow….Sister Tedrow is my companion from good ole Lehi, Utah.  She is so amazing!  She is the sweetest person I have ever met.  She played basketball so she likes working out!  Wooo!  She is already such an amazing missionary and has such a strong desire to serve the Lord.  She is super courageous as well.  We have had a lot of fun together.  She reminds me of Emilie Jackson from the ward.  Super sweet and fun.

Fun story! We were eating at the Rivers home who are members in the Ward/ Stake.  We were talking for awhile and Gerald Rivers asks me, “Sorry I forgot your name what is it?” I told him and he says, "You don't happen to know a Grant Gifford do you?" Well I'll be darned!  Brother Gerald Rivers and Grandpa know each other from their childhood I believe.  Brother Rivers’ 103 year old mother is still alive and she was there.  She was very good friends with Warner and Mary Gifford.  She asked me to send the love to Grandpa. Such a small world.

I am so grateful for this opportunity that I have to serve in Dallas.  The area is great and there is so much work to be done here.  I am so excited for General Conference.  I invite you all to have specific questions as you watch it.  I know that as you prayerfully think of questions the Lord will answer those.

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week!’

Love always,


Sister Gifford


Hermana Nancy Rodriguez and Judith

Jade West

My last Mexican dinner 💔
The trash from the elders...


Sister McArthur and I. We got to serve close by each other and we knew
each other from home



Sister Tedrow!
We were matching and didn't even notice until a bunch of people pointed it out

Monday, March 21, 2016

Goodbye Spanish, Hello English

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had a wonderful week.  Guess what?  It was sunny for 3 days in a row!  Everyone was out side because it was so nice!

Well this email is going to be pretty short because I have some packing to do...I will be getting transferred my last 6 weeks of the mission!  I will be going to an English area.  What??  I will be pink washing (so my companion and I will be starting from the bottom).  I will be training a new missionary and I will be serving as a solo STL (so instead of having an STL companion I will be over a few companionships myself).  I am super sad to be leaving Spanish work but I am so grateful for this new opportunity that I have!

I was praying that Heavenly Father would give me a way to stay focused my last transfer of the mission.  When President Samuelian called and told me what was going on I was like...hey too far Heavenly Father ;) haha.   I am definitely overwhelmed but excited for this change!  At the end of the conversation President said, "Buckle up Sister Gifford, this is going to be a crazy 6 weeks".   I still don't know where I am going but what President has told me is that this ward is one of the most missionary minded wards in the whole mission!  There have been elders there for the last few months and they have lost trust from the members so we will work on gaining it back!

We had a good week here, nothing too big that I need to mention.  So, P-day for the past 7 months we have gone to the same store to by our groceries.  We always go to a lady named Linda.  She is such a nice lady and we have had lots of fun talking to her.  Today I told her that I was leaving and her face got all sad.  She asked me to give her a hug and she started crying.  She thanked me for brightening up her Monday every week.  My testimony grew of how we really have no idea who we are impacting.  I just always tried to make her laugh and I guess it made a difference.  I know the same goes for all of us. There are people out there that we can make a big impact in their lives just by the small and simple things.

Well I better get packing, I love you all!

Xoxo


Hermana Gifford (I guess that’s the last week I can say that :( )

La familia Vera


Hermana Gabby Gomez

Good-bye McMinnville

Graci-she is a less active member visiting from Brazil for a few
months so we have been teaching her!

Hermana Bautista

Hermana Gomez and Amy

Hermana Maggie Britton

Jessica-she is an awesome member that always came out to lessons with us.


La Familia Arroyo- Hermano Arroyo was recently diagnosed with stomach cancer. They are such a strong family!

La familia Ceballos Bustos-the family that was just recently sealed!

La Familia Larrea- They are so special to me, they are the family that dad met in Peru!

La Familia Soto


Martha Videl and her mom



La Familia Aguiar- President Aguiar is in the mission presidency and our branch. Lucky us!

Rafa- a less active member that made us some cool graffiti stuff!

The Vera family always called me Sister Clifford..so for a going away
present they gave me the big red dog ❤️

Yoselin

Yoselin