I love my Family!

Family!!

How are you all? It sounds like you have had the greatest week with school starting and then having the blessing of having Grandma and Gramps and Scotty there! I love it when they come and visit! Plus getting to spend so much time with family with Andrew coming home! I can't even believe he is already home. It sounds like he is having a hard time getting into the being home thing but when Elder Holland came (Sister Barnes told me this) he reminded all the missionaries that we do not go home to "normal" life! That what we do as missionaries is what should be normal! I know there is an extent to where things are different as there are other distractions but the idea of always focusing on the Savior and doing everything to serve him is what is normal. It is why we are here on earth! So tell him not to loose that focus! :) 

BUT this week has been craziness. I swear every week is crazy in good old London but this one especially! 

At the beginning of the week things were great! We had a lot of solid progressing investigators that were doing GREAT! We taught a lesson on Tuesday to a man named Chris. Christ had actually come up to us (I think it might have just been because it was a Pday and we always look better on Pdays PLUS we smiled at him - because as missionaries we smile at everyone! :) ) BUT anyways we had a lesson with him! It was one of the highlights of my mission though so far because I feel like I really was teaching with the spirit! It was one of those lessons where I don't even remember exactly what I said, things just came to my mind and I just opened my mouth - let the spirit guide the rest! The lesson went COMPLETELY different than we had planned too! OH i just think about it again and love it. We just were able to teach to what he needed, without me panicking to hit the points we had planned on. Chris wasn't as much interested once he realized we were there only to talk to him about church but it was still an incredible experience that I'll remember! I'm working hard to have that happen EVERY lesson! 

Another fun thing from this week is we got another Sister! The spanish speaking sisters we live with are now in a tri! So no longer are we the only 4 sister flat but we are a 5 sister flat! Its a party! I really do love them all! But GUESS WHAT? Grandpa Gwilliam will die, she is strait from NORWAY!! Her name is Sister Fromgren. As soon as I found that out I just got all excited and thought about how I knew how to say "cheese" in her language thanks to grandpa! :) She is great though and its so fun to not be the youngest anymore! Its been fun to see how much I've grown too. I just remember being in her spot - so nervous and feeling a little lost and homesick - and seeing the contrast of only a month! Even a member last night at dinner was telling me how I wasn't a greenie anymore! Even though I definitely am I feel like since being with her I see how much I have grown already - which is always good! Can't wait to see how much I've learned after being here 18 months! :)

This week was also fun because we had a lot of fun Dinner Appointments with Africans in the ward. On wednesday night we had phu phu. I think thats how you would spell it... or Fu Fu? Haha I don't know. But anways, its like SUPER dense mashed potatoes that you dip in this SUPER HOT sauce. Like i'm pretty sure it was strait mashed up peppers and oil. Haha! I feel like I can handle it pretty well but Sister Barnes really struggles with spicy things! It was so funny to watch us both try and get it down. On Friday we went to another African ladies home, Sister Aidoo. We were expecting it to be the same type of thing and when we got there she said she had made spaghetti! We both were excited because spaghetti is a piece of cake but the sauce she put on it was the hottest thing I think I have ever tasted. haha! Africans definitely like their foods spicy! So its been fun! :) We also have had friend plantains and beans. Another African dish. It was interesting... but so fun to try these different things! The culture here is definitely NOT what I expected when I got my call to London South but I LOVE it! :) 

On Thursday things kinda just blew up! All of our progressing investigators called us or texted us saying that they had decided that the church wasn't for them! WHAT THE HECK? We had met with both investigators just days before and had both felt like we had solid lessons with them so it was hard! So in hopes of saving on of them on friday we took one of the investigators to the Temple in hopes that he would be able to feel of the spirit there and realize that he needed the gospel. It ended up being a flop. It was SO FUN to see the temple and be on the grounds but silly Frankie wasn't in the right mindset to feel anything. He keeps telling us that he knows it is true, and I really believe that he does, but he doesn't want to change his lifestyle for the commandments. UHG! So hopefully after some time he will realize that he needs the gospel and to be baptized but right now we are letting both of the investigators think things through and focusing our efforts on finding those who are prepared! :) 

On Sunday I gave my first talk in Sacrament meeting! BLEW them all away! :) It was on " As I have loved you, love one another" and oh my goodness I loved it! I LOVED getting to focus throughout the week on how much the Savior has shown his love for us! I could go on and on and on with all the ways that he has blessed us and loved us by what he did when he was on earth but also what he continues to do everyday. I just love him so much! I LOVE MY SAVIOR! And I am SO grateful to be able to talk to everyone about him everyday. OH I just love this gospel so much and am so grateful to be a missionary! It truly is the greatest blessing! KY be SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!! It is the biggest blessing and privilege and honestly SO much fun! Sister Barnes is still the very best and I just love her with all of my heart!

Next weeks is the end of the transfer! CRAZY RIGHT? I've been here a whole transfer! AND crazy fact - this next transfer 28 missionaries are coming into the mission! BOOYA!!!! Our mission is going to see miracles I just know it! But with that our Pday is next wednesday, not monday! So don't cry when you don't see an e-mail from me until wednesday!:) but I have my Ipad and can check e-mails anytime I have WiFi so they can load SOOOO I would LOVE it if you would send some or even pictures throughout the week!! Then I can see them and love them! Sister Barnes and I were finally able to watch kyles wisdom teeth videos this week and oh my goodess. they were so funny. We have watched them multiple times and their saved to my Ipad now so that anytime we are having a rough time we can just watch them! but YES! Please send e-mails and pictures often! :)  

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!! Hope everything is still going great at home! I love you all and keep you in my prayers everyday!!!! 

Keep me updated on everything! 

LOVE YOU!

Sister Gwilliam 

Guess who?

Grandma Warner forwarded this to us today. She got the e-mail message from old neighbors who are serving in the London visitors center.

Guess who we saw today? Sisters Gwilliam & Barnes brought an investigator into the Visitors' Centre today. We had a nice visit with her. She is doing so well, very happy and excited. Sister Gwilliam knew we had been your neighbors from our previous visit but then I mentioned Logan and she said, "I know him because of Greg"
 Good times!
 Linda

Missionary sighting

Sister Barnes mother posted this today.  She had friends on vacation in Europe who ran into Sister Gwilliam and Sister Barnes.  So great to see them mid week!

Book of Mormon - Preach my Gospel Style

As a mission we are reading the Book of Mormon but doing it a way Preach my Gospel suggests and it has been AMAZING!!! It is on page 114 of PMG. You get 4 different highlighers or colored pencils and highlight 1. Any name referring to Christ 2. His attributes 3. His words or what he says 4. Doctrine. President Gubler has asked us to look for 3 questions while we read too - Who am I? Who is He? and As a disciple of Jesus Christ i will! It has been AMAZING!! Honestly changed everything for me about the Book of Mormon. I always believed in it and had a testimony that it was true but after this I have NO DOUBTS. It truly just testifies of Christ and shows how he is a loving, merciful, and kind Savior whose arms are ALWAYS stretched out for us. Oh i just love it! If you can do it as a family! It would be amazing and such a good thing for Ky to do in preparation! 

And sad story - we had zone conference on Thursday - which was AMAZING!!! Oh my goodness, President Gubler is amazing. The whole time I was just blown away with the spirit and felt like I was sitting there in front of President Holland. He was singing and making it so that I was just SO excited to get out there and work. I LOVED it and love getting to know the missionaries in this mission. It is so fun the bond you immediately have! But yes it was incredible so that isn't the sad story, the Sad story is that I GOT MY ipad which was SO GREAT but got back to set it up and it doesn't work. The missionary before didn't clear it properly so I can't get onto it. And so I have to go to the mission office and get another one (which I don't know when will happen). So I'm ipad-less right now which is the SADDEST because I was so excited to get to send pictures and see your e-mails before Mondays so I had more time to write back! But it’s okay! I actually decided Heavenly Father just has a really good sense of Humor. Also, Last Sunday I sat through the LONGEST most PAINFUL ward council ever. Picture 15 big, sweaty Africans (and me and sister Barnes :) ) crammed into a room the size of our Mothers room at our church in Draper and taking 1.5 hours our of our 2 hour meeting to talk about how we need to have effective meetings. I was DYING. Honestly no patience. So I think Heavenly Father just realized I needed to work on Patience and so I'm now patiently waiting to get an ipad that works! :) 

Things here in London are GREAT! WE FINALLY have a teaching pool - this whole teaching pool thing is the greatest! :) - and we have 4 solid investigators progressing towards baptism. Oh I’m just so happy! I feel like I’m finally getting adjusted and just loving this! It was really hard at the beginning and still miss you all so much but I honestly can say I wouldn't want to be home with you! For these 18 months, as much as I do and will miss you all, I am so grateful to be here and doing my best to work my very hardest every single day!!

OH, and with the accents, I feel like I can imitate it really well but definitely not picking up on it. And I’ve decided I’m not because I’m always with Africans here! Which speaking of, you might want to sign me up for a personal trainer now. This whole Dinner appointment thing is great but they feed us SO MUCH! And then expect we want more and I feel pressure to keep eating... lets just say this whole gaining weight on a mission is becoming a little too real. There are nights were I just feel SO FULL but then it all starts over again! I'm just working hard on working out in the mornings to hopefully help all I’m eating! 

I had the chance to go to the Preston Temple 2 times at the MTC, which was AMAZING! And every missionary gets to go through the London at Christmas time. If we have an investigator we get to go to the visitor center - which is where my ipad could be fixed - so hopefully we'll get to go there soon! :) 

In zone conference we talked about being 100% focused on Christ and our missions - not just 95% or 98% like a lot of us are. I remember just thinking how I ONLY have 18 months to be COMPLETELY 100% converted to this and I don't want one single regret with that!

There are so many cute senior couples here (I met the one who live by Grandma and Grandpa Warner!)  I love them! The senior couples are the best SO I promise you, if you and dad are ever serious about it, to take Tyse and let you and dad go!! PROMISE YOU NOW! And honestly take me up on it! YOu and dad would be the BEST missionaries there ever were so you just have to go! Tyse and I will need some good catching up time too after not talking and getting hamburgers together for 18 months anyways! :)

Always remember God has a plan and his plan is SO MUCH better than ours! Something I’ve learned to love being on a mission is when I pray to just talk with heavenly Father! I know we always hear that but really just kneel down and talk with him! Say it how you feel, and say it like you would if you were talking to family or a friend! I PROMISE you he is listening.  Our Heavenly Father is great at answering prayers but I've also learned he is also the BEST listener. Sometime he just listens so we can talk it out! :)

Love you!!

Sister Megs 

WE GOT YOUR POSTER!!! OH MY THANK YOU!!! Sister Barnes and I LOVE IT! Its hung up above our Study table! Thnak you so much! MADE OUR DAYS! 

Missionary Sighting: Sent From Grandma Warner

Mary and Doug,  look who we met over the cookie platter at zone conference today...look familiar?!

Linda

Happy Happy Happy!

I love you ALL!! So very much! I hope everything is going well and you all are healthy and safe and HAPPY!!! 

Missionary work is just absolutely the best thing there ever was. It is so crazy to me how long and hard days can be but that I'm truly the happiest I've ever been. I’ve decided that 99% of missionary work is the hardest and then 1% is AMAZING. And for some reason that 1% makes EVERYTHING worth it. It truly is such an honor to get to have the opportunity to devote all of my time and energy to the Savior and my Heavenly Father. I have grown so much in the past couple of weeks it just amazes me. I am grateful to have 18 months of growth and see how much better of a person Heavenly Father can make of me than I ever could have.

This week was a week of MIRACLES. So many blessings. The beginning of this week Sister Barnes and I had the blessing of being able to practice patience and humility as EVERYTHING fell through. Its a good thing for planning meetings we have to have backup plans because the first couple of days were full of all of them because all of our lessons fell through, including with members who we had set up appointments with. They were long days full of talking to anyone just hoping we could have a solid appointment and actually get to teach something. BUT just like the scriptures say, it is only AFTER the trail of your faith that great things happen. On Wednesday night we were walking back from an appointment where the person had stood us up again. We had decided we would just go knock in a nearby area when as we were walking a man stopped us and said, " Is that the book of Moroni?" We both decided it was close enough and grabbed him and gave him the lesson of the Restoration right then and there. It ends up he had meet sister missionaries a week before who had given him a Book of Mormon but he had lost it. SO lucky for him we had a couple extra! ;) And HE HAS A BAPTISIMAL DATE FOR THE END OF THIS MONTH! He is just a solid investigator. He loves the Book of Mormon and has already told us that he believes it is true. OH its just amazing! Truly a miracle from Heavenly Father. The next day we went and visited with a family that are members and on our way out we met an elderly ladies who was resting from carrying so many bags. We offered to help her and it ended up with a return appointment as well. She was SO prepared. Already has the strongest belief in God and had heard of the restoration. She thought Joseph Smith had seen aliens and they lead him to money... so we'll have to clear it up for her! BUT she knew the name joseph smith so it was a place to start! :) At church yesterday we also met a young man who had come after a friend had told him about church. He loved the service and wanting to learn more. BINGO! So it was a weekend of MIRACLES. I'm so grateful for a Heavenly Father who is in charge of this whole thing. Looking through the week if our plans had actually gone through there would be NO WAY that we would have been at the right places to meet these incredible people. I've learned that even when things seem to be falling apart they really are falling into place. Heavenly Father is at the head of this work and he knows what he is doing! ALWAYS! And Im so grateful for him and his patience with me!

Sister Barnes and I hit our high steps day this week with 17,300! It was a lot of walking... Lots and lots of walking.... 

And Thursday is pretty much like CHRISTMAS because I will be getting my IPAD!! Oh I’m so excited! It makes life easier with e-mails but also mormon messages are SO POWERFUL. They truly change lessons because of their ability to bring the spirit in SO QUICKLY! So I'm super excited to have an ipad to start using those more often. So im super excited! I'll also get my debit card! Whoohoo!! All of the cards from the church that came for the missionaries in my group were stolen... :( So Sister Barnes has been over all my money as well! Which has been great but it will be nice to have it! :)

There is a guy here that Sister Barnes and I run into all the time on the streets! Every time he would yell out "My pretty ladies!" We finally met him the other night and he kept saying how he wants to marry me. I told him that he had to come to church first... so we'll see if that happens! :)

Last night at a DA I was fed Ox Tail.... haha! Oh goodness.... It was an adventure. But I ate my WHOLE plate! And I have to say I prefer ox tail over salmon. Anything over Salmon! :) 

Peckham is craziness. I've mentioned a couple times to Sister Barnes that expect for on P-days, It just feels like I am in any big city. The area I am in reminds me a lot of New York, Or even San Fran. Just people EVERYWHERE and from everywhere. The flat I live in is about 10 minutes away from my good friend Big Ben so we really are just right in the middle of the city. Which is SO fun! Like i said before the culture is SO diverse though. Our ward mission leader was telling us that we just need to work on adjusting to the culture and Sister Barnes and I just laughed because everyone has a different culture and background. I’m not sure it would be possible to adjust to all of them! But we're doing our best to! I was told yesterday at church, that if everyone in the ward spoke their first language - not English :) - there would be 60 different languages spoken! CRAZY! So grateful their worship in English though! :) I would say that 80% of the people here are African. Then 15% are Latino and then 5% white! :) It’s a party! The flat I live in is the most expensive in the mission because of the area we are in! It is also the only 4 sister flat! Sister Barnes and I live in it with 2 Hermanas! They are GREAT! One is from Paris - S. Catogni and one is from Portugal - Sis. Cuhna. They are so great and it is so fun to get to laugh and have fun all together at nights! And it is a little bit of a scary area, just with it being in the city but I’ve never felt threatened. The mission has strict rules - we are supposed to be home by 8:45 until 9/9:30 like other areas to just avoid problems - and other things that keep up safe! I also know that Heavenly Father will protect us so it hasn't been a problem at all! But I'll definitely be smart too and stay out of bad situations! :) 

Sister Barnes and I are DEFINITELY still getting along. I really do just love her so much! Its just like we've been best friends forever. She is great - always has a positive attitude and works her hardest. I can tell that she is tired - Her 16th months mark was on my 1 month mark. So she has been out for a while and a lot of our lunch hour is her napping but she works SO HARD still! Which I am so grateful for!! She has the strongest testimony of Christ and faith that we'll work miracles so It has just been great! And we also have so much fun! We have a whole wall next to our study table full of sticky notes of inside jokes. There have been multiple nights were I have been crying from laughing so hard. So like you said in your letter, I realize how important it is to laugh and I am so grateful she helps with that as well!

And the first week I was here it rained a ton but this week it has been SO WARM! Not really hot but just this like sticky warm. Which is fine until you’re sitting in a members house where there is no air conditioning and they live on the top floor and then they decided that you want Hot Chocolate. I'm honestly looking forward to rain a little bit... but its all great! I know it will come and then I’ll wish this back so I'm just trying to enjoy it while I can! :) 

Being out here I have seen so many broken families. Just people who not only didn't grow up with the gospel but just without a mom or a dad, or without hardworking parents, or parents who do not treat their children right. Some of these people live in the saddest circumstances and have little of anything and it has just made me realize EVEN MORE how much I love you and mom and how grateful I am for all that you have done for me! Thank you for teaching me the gospel since I was young and raising me in a loving home where Christ was at the center of it. I am just so grateful for it all! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

But I hope you all are doing well! I love you all SO MUCH! Thank you for all of your love and support! You are all in my prayers every single day!!

I am so grateful that families are forever!!! 

Keep me updated on everything!! 

I LOVE YOU!!!!

Missionary Sighting: Take 2

Our ward friends just ran into Meg!

(text sent to us from Uncle Greg)

From Sister Barnes

HIS TIME

Thank you for all of your love and support! I really can feel it! On some of the hardest days I just think of all of you back home and your faith in me and love for me and it makes everything better! i am so grateful to be your daughter! 

This week has been so much better! i feel like I am finally getting a little bit more adjusted to missionary life! The first week was so hard! I know it is silly of me, but going out I really thought that adjusting was going to be fine!! And boy was I wrong. It was so hard. But I had an incredible experience during personal study the other day I went to the BD to look for some term I was studdying and came across the atonement of the Savior. I decided (obviously prompted by the spirit looking back on it now) To turn to one of those scriptures! It took me to Luke 22: 24. it is the scripture where jesus is praying before the atonement that his cup would pass. But not his will but his fathers be done. Even though I have read it a million times this time that verse really stuck out to me! Our Savior did not want to go through with it. He was asking for the hardship that he was about to go through to go away. He had known that this would happen - had committed to that moment LONG before he was actually there - but once he actually got to that point he realized what was really being asked of him. I feel like once here was there he realized that it was more of a sacrifice that he had before expected, he realized how hard it was going to be, and he wasn't sure if he was ready or able to go through with it. As I read that it hit me so hard becuase that was EXACTLY how I was feeling. I knew LONG before I got to England that this is what I had committed to. I realized when i put my papers in that I was going to do this. I was aware of the sacrifices and things I would have to give up but it wasn't until I got to this point how much of a commitment it was. I was scared, full of doubt, and so overwhelmed with the idea of this being my life for the next 18 months. And homesickness was SO REAL! But as I read this verse I felt so at peace becuase I am not the only one who has felt this way! My Savior, who has all power, the literal SON OF GOD, felt exactly the same way. He was afraid, and unsure, and overwhlemed with it all but he said not his will but his fathers be done. And as I am here, sitting in some internet cafe in the middle of London I am in the same spot. It is not my will by my fathers that is done! I also loved the verse after that that said that after this prayer he was strengthened! I HAVE FELT THAT! So so much. And I am so grateful to know that just as the Savior was not expected to do it alone, neither am I! I realized very quickly that I could NOT do this alone. And I am so grateful to know that I do not have to nor am I expected to. My Savior and Heavenly Father and All of you back home are here with me every step of the way and I am SO grateful for that!

Ive realized just in these 2 weeks that I truly just need to forget myself and! i am not here for myself. Nothing about these 18 months are about megan gwilliam. I know I will become better myself but I am here to serve, testify, and follow JESUS CHRIST. To do my best to completely forget about myself and everything else except for him! For his love, example, and all that he has done for me personally and for all of the people I come into contact with everyday! I am SO GRATEFUL for this opportunity to serve him! For all that he has done for 18 months is the LEAST I can do for him! As overwhelming as 18 months may seem... I am grateful to be here and to get to spend all of my energy glorifying his name! :) 

So that was the main blessing of this week! Just having the spirit testify of those things! Other fun things from this week have been exchanges! I went to another area.. I honestly don't even know where it was! haha but it was SO QUIET compared to peckham! Ive decided Im going to be sent to an island after this area and just go CRAZY because I won't have thousands of people walking by me every second!

Another thing is I get my ipad next week so e-mail me all the time! I can read e-mails whenever with the ipad I just cant respond until Monday so write whenever and I will be able to see it then!!! :) Super excited for it!

And dad I was going to tell you that the jump rope has come in handy! Im actually using it! Are you impressed!:) I also am doing pushups like a boss. Everyday I add 1 so by the end of my mission im pretty much going to be stronger than both you and ky combined! ;) pretty excited about it!!

Mom will you tell grandma how much I appreciate her letter! IT MADE MY DAY!!!! Im running out of time so I wont be able to send her a proper e-mail but tell her that I love her so much and am so grateful and will e-mail her back FIRST THING next week! Also tell her thank you for the dressed and skirts she helped fix! I get compliments all the time and just tell them its becuase I have the greatest grandma ever who is just the best! So pass that on for me please!

Thank you for all of your e-mails! I LOVE getting the updates from home!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!! Have the BEST time at lake powell! Oh it will be so fun! Think of me here just standing in the rain as you are soaking up the sun! ;) 

I told kyle too but i'm pretty sure one of our investigators is Lebron James. He looks JUST LIKE HIM! Oh bron bron.... gotta love him! All i'll have him baptized along with all of cleveland pretty soon! ;)

I LOVE YOU BOTH!!!! Have the very best week! Thank you for sending the camera and the converter sounds GREAT! Thank you so much!

Im SO GRAATEFUL And feel so blessed to be your daughter. Thank you for always setting an amazing example for me and teaching me the truths I share everyday ALL while growing up!! I am SO SO blessed!!

Love you!

Sister Megs

Oh and tell linds she's in trouble for not e-mailing me! But I still love her! :) I expect one next week or she is in trouble!!

I LOVE YOU!!! AND KEEPING YOU ALL IN MY PRAYERS!!! 

P.S.

OH and I was going to tell you! Last week we went to the London eye and looked at Big Ben/parliament!! HOW AMAZING IS THAT????? And Today we are headed to shakespears globe! MOM we have to come back here after I get home!! you would LOVE IT!!!!!! England is so cool! 

Missions are hard but I am so grateful it gets to be hard in LONDON ENGLAND!!!!