Fwd: Hey family!

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From: Megan Gwilliam <megan.gwilliam@myldsmail.net>
Date: May 23, 2016 at 4:03:40 AM MDT
To: lindseygwilliam@outlook.com, kylegwilliam@gmail.com,  denisegwilliam@outlook.com, brucegwilliam@yahoo.com
Subject: Hey family!

My wonderful family!!

I LOVE YOU!!!!

It has been a wonderful week here in London. It's been a busy one with
lots of crazy things going on... I feel like serving in London just
the strangest things happen! I love it!:) this week was busy with DLC
- with sister couper and I being new as well as the zone leaders and
half of the district leaders we decided it was best to have a little
get together and all get on the same page. It was great and fun to see
and meet people in the zone! On Thursday we had zone conference with
elder Herbertson - on he area presidency. It was AWESOME! He is one of
those people that is just so funny and has the best stories that link
into gospel principles. I love it. I could have listened to him all
day. He talked a lot about finding which was awesome! I'm always
looking for ways to improve that!:) something else that I loved though
too was he talked about just being our best selves - not comparing
ourself to others. I feel like we can all use that reminder. So much
of e time we struggle by comparing ourselves or our families or traits
we have to others and their performance. It's a slippery slope as
well. I know that all Heavenly Father expects of us is to do OUR
PERSONAL best. And that that is okay! I was grateful for the reminder
to be the best sister gwilliam I can be and if I do that I will be
happy at the end of the day!:) it's so wonderful that Heavenly Father
is so aware of us and so understanding.

This week was really neat in that I feel like it was really centred
around the atonement... There have been a couple experiences that I
have just been dying to tell you about!

We got a call Tuesday night from a member ( we had no idea who she was
- still trying to get to know everyone here:) ) asking us to bring her
some milk. She couldn't leave he house with her two little kids. We
ran to the store and over to her house to find that her husband had
been put into prison 2 days earlier. She obviously was a complete mess
about things. She had 2 little kids - a 1.5 year old and a 3 month
old. We didn't pry about the situation but after talking for a while
we found out that her husband, who has always been a member of the
church, had some mistakes of the past and eventually went in and
talked to bishop about them - after confessing the bishop then drove
him to the police station where he turned himself in. This brother if
convicted could face 5 to 12 years in prison. The member went about
how hard that would be as her little kids would be grown up by the
time he got out. As I reflected over the situation I thought about how
hard it was, he would miss seeing his kids grow up, miss being with
his family, his poor wife is having to deal with all at home while he
just sits and waits out time, as well as how his life will forever be
different with having prison on his record. But I was also just amazed
at the situation and had so much respect and love for this brother.
The fact that I am sure he knew all of these consequences but realised
that as important as they all were, repentance was more important. He
was willing to make things right and suffer the consequences so that
he could be right with his Heavenly Father. I just thought so much
about how grateful I am for the atonement. That because of it we can
be forgiven. We can be clean- and it won't be easy. There will be
consequences but it is worth ALL the pain and heart ache in this life
for an ETERNITY of endless happiness with our families. I just love he
hope and peace the atonement Brings.

One of our zone leaders is this awesome elder who is just great! It
has been fun to get to spend time and really get to know the elders a
little better - through car rides and meetings this week we found out
that this elder had originally come on his mission almost 2 years ago
- went to the MTC but then for some reason went home for a year but
worked to come back on his mission and now has been out for nine
months. The coolest thing is is that almost all of the district
leaders and elders in our zone are either from his first MTC group or
his second. As we walked into DLC I was really touched by how much all
of the elders LOVED this elder. They fought over him. Always laughing
about experiences they had had and fighting over whose MTC group he
was really apart of - just all of it. They loved him. I remember my
first zone conference too an elder got up and just cried and cried
telling the story how an elder in his MTC group had had to go home
(I'm sure it was our zone leader) but how he was brought to tears as
he had just found out that this elder was entering back into the
mission that next transfer. I remember being so touched watching him
just cry and then seeing all the elders in the same group crying and
hugging over it too. They were just SO HAPPY that he was back. It
didn't matter he had left - it just matter that he was coming back.
Even our zone leader himself isn't embarrassed by it. I'm sure it was
not an easy experience and could be some,thing that others could be
ashamed of but he isn't. He has applied the atonement and has been
healed. He is clean. The past is in the past and because of that there
is nothing to be asha,ed about. He has been able to move on and serve
his mission and now is able to help inspire others with leading the
zone.

I have just been so mindful and so aware of how grateful I am for the
atonement. I have had so many personal experiences with it as well and
I know that it is real. Its power heals us and makes us clean but also
helps us everyday. I am just so grateful for my saviour. I love him.

Another experience I had last week was one of the nights - it was
around 8:30 so almost time to had back - I was just so tired. I don't
know what hit but I was just struggling. We were walking towards the
flat and I stopped this woman and started talking to her. She looked
at me for a second and said, "wow. You seem really apologetic about it
all." And then kept talking about how she wasn't interested and walked
away. Talk about GETTING STABBED IN THE HEART. oh her comment killed
me. But I am so grateful for it because I never NEVER EVER EVER want
to give off the impression that I am apologetic about what I am doing
and the message I am sharing. I am not apologetic about my saviour and
getting the blessing of sharing his name each day. It was a big wake
up call - I feel like I normally don't give off that impression:) but
I have resolved to never ever let it get close to that again. I love
this gospel and am passionate about the peace and help our saviour
brings. It was just a crazy experience. So grateful for the reminder
and learning experience it was though!

Another crazy thing is that 4 months from today I turn 21 isn't that
MAD? Oh my heck. I don't know where time goes. And 21 just seems
sickly old. Ew. Yeah. Just weird. And also weird that I turned 20 out
here. Just crazy.

But yes! I just LOVE YOU ALL and I love this gospel. I truly love my
saviour and a, so grateful to be here getting to serve him. I love
that I know what he has done is real and I know that it is real and
can help us all - we just have to let him help us! That's a big thing
I've learned. E saviour is her to comfort and help but in the end it
is our decision if we allow him to. So LET HIM HEAL YOU. it's just the
very best ever.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!! So much. Have the most wonderful week!!

Sister Gwilliam


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