FuFu

Sent from my iPad

 

Dearest family,

So sorry for the late emails... CRAZIEST NEWS EVER!! I don't have any
time to email today either... I have like 10 minutes to get this off
to you. So I'm sorry it's going to be a short one.

I'm emailing so late though because this morning I have been in the
temple! I'll send pictures!:) but I was lucky enough to be in the
temple because on Friday sister Couper and I got a call from president
and I have been called to TRAIN! (All trainers get to go through the
temple before the new missionaries come... Makes me a Little
nervous.... No other calling has to go to the temple but apparently to
train we need extra help and strength. Yikes.) and you are not going
to believe where.... PECKHAM!!!! I am going BACK to where I was
trained! Isn't that crazy? I'm not going to lie my stomach has hurt
since I got the news... Get ready for all of the horror fufu stories
again. BUT so yes... Not only am I training but I am whitewashing the
area... Yikes again... AND have been called to be the only STL in
Wandsworth zone. Because so many sisters are coming in half of the
zones have gone down to one STL because president needs trainers too.
Oh my goodness. So yeah! I'm whitewashing, training a new missionary,
and also the only STL at will have to go on exchanges with all of the
sisters.

Ahh... I'm so grateful but honestly family I'm a little overwhelmed.
I'm really nervous. I'm trying to stay positive and remember that it's
all going to be great!

Sorry president is telling us we have to go. We are doing a lot of
training us to train them. ANYWAYS! KY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! I'm so sorry
this is so lame. I had a whole plan and great email to send you but
have been given no time. But I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND WILL MAKE IT UP TO
YOU NEXT WEEK!!!

Please send me emails telling me I can do it. Haha I need your help!
All of you mom, dad, Ky, Linds! Please. And Ky!!! ZONE LEADER!?????
That's what I'm talking about. Ahh you're the BEST.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!

Sent from my iPhone

Fwd:

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Megan Gwilliam" <megan.gwilliam@myldsmail.net>
To: "denisegwilliam@outlook.com" <denisegwilliam@outlook.com>, "brucegwilliam@yahoo.com" <brucegwilliam@yahoo.com>, "kyle.gwilliam@myldsmail.net" <kyle.gwilliam@myldsmail.net>, "lindseygwilliam@outlook.com" <lindseygwilliam@outlook.com>

I love her.

Sister coupers trainer, MTC comp, and then favourite companion.... :)

Lee's baptism!

Dream team in the epsom ward! Elder Richins and elder Baum (the ZLs) They are the best! We get on so well. I love getting to serve with them and have so much fun together!

Sent from my iPad

Fwd: I LOVE YOU!

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: Megan Gwilliam <megan.gwilliam@myldsmail.net>
Date: July 18, 2016 at 4:05:46 AM MDT
To: Denise Gwilliam <denisegwilliam@outlook.com>, Bruce Gwilliam <brucegwilliam@yahoo.com>,  Kyle Gwilliam <kylegwilliam@gmail.com>, Lindsey Gwilliam <lindseygwilliam@outlook.com>
Subject: I LOVE YOU!

FAMILY!!!!

Mondays are the BEST because I get to email you. I don't think i have told you this yet... but for the past 3 months I have only been reading your emails on mondays. OH it has been SO HARD! We had a zone training on being willing to consecrate ourselves or give up even more to be able to see more blessings. God blesses us when we are willing to sacrifice. And I felt like I needed to stop reading emails throughout the week... it was something that i LOVED so much. I just love all of you and loved getting to get updates. and so after fighting the spirit and putting it off I decided I needed to do it to become better. I have seen so many blessings as well - even with how hard it has been. At the beginning of my mission i would worry about missing you or what was going on back home but as soon as I gave up reading emails I have just felt so much peace and been fine. So i know god blesses us when we are willing to sacrifice for him - I have been more focused as well and become a better missionary because of it. It has been the HARDEST ever. But mondays are DEFINTIELY the greatest when I finally get to read them all! :) 

But oh my goodness. Family I don't even KNOW what the heck is going on here but there are miracles EVERYWHERE!!!! This week has been MENTAL! Just crazy with all of the blessings we have been seeing. Almost every night I have just sat down after the day and been completely amazed at what has been going on. I feel serving here for a year Ive grown used to a lot of rejection - I feel blessed that it has never really phased me. I thrive on the oppostition ;) The meaner a person is the better because I have learned that the worst comes right before something INCREDIBLE! BUT this week it seems like EVERYONE and their dog is actually interested. And not just interested but they have been looking for answers, thinking about the purpose of life, wanting to learn more, willing to find out if god is there, just CRAZY THINGS! I have sat there and just stood there with my mouth open as it seems like almost everyone we talk to has been wanting to know. For the first time in my mission we have been struggling fitting in all the appointments that we need and are begging members to come out with us more than once a week becuase we have so many friends that need fellowshipping. Its just insane. I dont understand it. Just miracle after miracle. And like i said before its so humbling becuase you see the hand of the lord in all of this becuase the people are SO sincere about it all. THey are wanting help and answers and peace and are willing to do somthing about it. Oh. I just don't know how to handle it. Sister Couper and I had a GREAT week finding and are struggling to fit everything and everyone in this next week. Oh it is SO GOOD. I feel like im just in a lot of shock still. Heavenly father has been SO kind. The field truly is so white. THere are people out there who need this and who WANT it! Its incredible. We have been so blessed. 

With that our friend Lee was baptised on Saturday! IT was great. He got all emotional and his sister came - who isn't a member... YET :), it was just a great day. It was fun too because originally we started off teaching lee for the first half of his process and then decided that it would be better for him if the Elders started working with him so they finished it off. So it was a team effort. I love that as well with remembering it is not about the numbers or the recognition EVER. We are all just here trying to find and help people everywhere - whether they are getting baptised in Sutton England or Argentina :) As long as people are finding the truth and are coming to know of their saviour is all that matters. So it was wonderful! 

Ive had a really humbling experience the last couple of weeks as well... For the past couple of weeks sister Couper and I have ran into a man named steve on the street multiple times. Steve is a SEVERE alcoholic. He has always been completely drunk when we meet him to the point where he is unstable - the first time we stopped him we were making sure he was okay. Everytime we have met with him he has begged us to help him. He hates how his life is and that he has to drink all the time in order for his body to even work anymore. We ran into him this last week as well - it was the most sober I have ever seen him and we actually got to properly speak to him. It was so humbling as this 50 year old man just cried to us. Telling how he wanted to change and wanted help. He wanted SO badly to come to church becuase he knew it would help him but cried as he said he knew he couldn't show up drunk and that he would have to drink again before sunday. He called us saturday morning distraught and struggling as he desperately wanted to come to church. Sister couper and I bore powerful testimonies to him of the saviour. Of his power to heal us NO MATTER WHAT and that he could find relief and strength but he needed Christ. He commented over and over how weak he was - how he couldn't do it but I was so grateful to realise how weak we ALL are. I am different from steve in the fact I do not have problems with drinking. I am so grateful that I don't. But i have my own struggles. My own weaknesses that cause me to fall - they aren't as visible to everyone else like steves - but i have them. And i am so grateful that I have experienced the atonement in my life and can say without any doubt that christ is there for all of it. To help us becuase we are ALL weak and all need his strength. It also made me realise how grateful I am for the commandments of god becuase of the protection and safety they bring to me. As I see Steve who has completely lost his ability to choose anything becuase most of his life he doesn't remember being drunk - satan has completely robbed his agency from him. And oh it is just so sad. I love getting to be a missionary and get to testify of the hope of the atonement. That we all can recieve help and strength no matter what. 

I just love the blessing of being a missionary. 

BUT another fun thing! Guess what we found in our flat. A PIANO! well a keyboard... BUT HOW AMAZING? We have been playing! :) Keep up my piano skills to play for grandpa G when I get home! :) 

AND transfers are next week so I wont be emailing until next tuesday! Just to warn you! Can you believe it has already been a transfer?? Ah like you said ky. On a mission you are just so busy that time just FLIES! You never have time to think. Its just crazy! BUT I JUST LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!! 

I have pictures I'll send over!!

I LOVE YOU!!!!!! 

Sister Gwilliam 

 

Fwd: Pictures

Sent from my iPhone

Begin forwarded message:

From: "Megan Gwilliam" <megan.gwilliam@myldsmail.net>
To: "denisegwilliam@outlook.com" <denisegwilliam@outlook.com>, "brucegwilliam@yahoo.com" <brucegwilliam@yahoo.com>, "kyle.gwilliam@myldsmail.net" <kyle.gwilliam@myldsmail.net>, "lindseygwilliam@outlook.com" <lindseygwilliam@outlook.com>
Subject: Pictures

I got the flowers this morning!! Ahh I LOVED THEM! Thank you! I LOVE YOU!!!

So fun!! Ahh mom you're the best. I loved it. And a family we are teaching loves the American taffy - they think it's incredible!

Out to lunch for 1 year!

Exchange with sister lemmonier and sister Duffey!



Sent from my iPad

One year older and wiser too...

>
> HELLO!
>
> Oh mom and dad! I just love you both. The longer I am here and away from you the more I love you! Even when I don't think it is possible.. it is. I just love you both so much and am so grateful for you!
>
> Oh my goodness! it sounds like it has been the craziest weekend! I was just dying as I read the whole story and laughing as I can picture all of it - of course the one you decide to take tyse on is the one that flips and then seeing tyse being upset so mom and linds are getting it ... classic! Oh my. Im so glad we can laugh about it now! That is something I love about our family - we are good at just laughing at these crazy situations. And then I couldn't believe it when I read about your crazy drive home. Oh my goodness. It brough back the horror memories of driving to lake powell. Oh im so glad that it all worked out and for sure you have a great story to tell now but goodness. I can't believe it! Ha im so sorry it was so crazy. I bet you were exhausted after all of it. And COKEVILLE! Oh i have fond memories of that flying J. You should have just had the man drive you over to the elementary school and asked to stay there the night! ;) Oh funny. Good memories.
>
> But yes! So grateful that you all made it back safe and that you are still not stuck on the side of some random road in the middle of nowhere. I loved what you said about being grateful dad... again SO spot on with things going on here in england. Sister Couper and I are really focusing on being grateful. I think so much of the time we pray and pray for things and then - like you said - then start praying for more or just don't give thanks for what we were given. We don't recognize how wonderful it all really is and are just content with what we have been given. I have seen a huge difference this week as we have really focused on just being grateful and at the end of everynight recording all of the blessings and miracles so we can thank him for them. DO IT THIS WEEK! I promise it makes you so much happier. It makes you so much more aware too of the blessing that god is so involved in our lives - it is incredible to realize that he is just ALWAYS there. I just love it. Thank you for that good reminder this week as well!
>
> But im so glad it was such a fun week! Cute tyse wearing his lifejacket. Oh i miss that boy. I bet he loved the 4th as well with the parade and the swimming. It looked like it was a great week! How was the parade? And being with all of your family? I bet the greatest. dad I was cracking up with the pictures of the parade going on and you looking down at your phone... :) Haha! I thought it was hilarious! Probably just reading my email over and over because you just LOVE ME HUH?:)
>
> But crazy ever is that in 6 months I will be back home with you! Can you believe it? Only 4 transfers left and transfers go by SO FAST! I totally get what you were saying as well mom... of course I am excited to see you all but honestly so nervous about just having to go back to life and all of that. It freaks me out. So i am grateful that I still have 6 months! I will definitely do all that I can to make the most of it! It was a great day though! There is a mexican place on Sutton High Street that i have been dying to go to (england doesn't do mexican like back home... its the worst! you just don't find mexican restaurants here.) SO when I saw that they had a burrito place here i was so excited so we went to celebrate! It was the BEST. I'll send pictures! It was fun to get to look over the past year and remember everything... all of the INCREDIBLE times and also the really hard times... ALL of which I am so grateful for becuase it has gotten me here. Mostly though i just realised how grateful I am that this last year I have come to know my saviour. I know him now. he is so real to me and I lean on him EVERYDAY! I know that my Heavenly Father is aware of me and he LOVES me! I can honestly say if it wasn't for prayer and his support I couldn't have made it this far - looking back I see how he has been with me everystep of the way and Im just so grateful for it! I recognise too that I have changed. and I am SO Grateful for it. I just want to be the very best I can be and I am so gratefulthat Heavenly Father loves me enough that he allows me to go through the hard times to allow that change to happen. Looking forward to 6 months of getting to have a lot more crazy experiences and continuing to let him shape me!!
>
> With that though... and its just CRAZY to me that we actually have to start figuring this out but I need to start working on figuring out BYU for fall. I know it is only july but im pretty sure registration for classes opens up early into Fall semester and I need to figure out classes and all that jazz... the fact that I am in england and not there just able to sit down and figure it all out will probably make it an even longer process... so probably should start figuring that out. So i know you do SO much already but if you have some time mom or dad will you see if you can figure out what happends with registering and the options with that? I know i can get presidents permission to go on BYU and look up classes on preparation days. So i can do that over here? I don't know. I just feel like we probably should start thinking on it before it gets to close. isn't that the WEIRDEST THOUGH. Dont feel like I have been out here long enough to be thinking about school yet...
>
> BUT ky seems like he is doing GREAT! Oh it makes me so happy! He is so funny. I love that he is just so great. he just seems like he is truly loving it - besides the chocolate milk - CURSE of the MTC. Everyone gets the runs I swear. I remember that experience... got to love it. :) But he seems to love his district and zone and is just happy. Oh im so grateful! TALK ABOUT PRAYERS BEING ANSWERED! Heavenly father is truly SO kind. It makes me laugh too all of the pictures of his companion studying with him making a weird face and taking a picture... haha elder gwilliam.. shouldn't you be studying as well?;) Oh i love him! he is going to love his mission. I can just tell right now. I was laughing about Madelyn too. Seems like he is fine though. Glad that all of it is okay and that he is just happy! Bet it makes you both really relieved as well!
>
> BUT this week for me was GREAT! I feel like I say a lot of the same things to you all the time.. sorry if it gets repetitive. Ha I guess after a year of my schedule being the same it is really repetitive! But so good. It was a busy week with MLC and DLC and district meetings and then exchanges. I have been in 9 MLCs now. How great is that? I love it! President was saying that 33 new missionaries are coming in next transfer though... isn't that CRAZY? It will be interesting to see what happends! But it was so great. A miracle too is that our friend Lee - the one we have taught with the Elders in our ward PASSED HIS BAPTISIMAL INTERVIEW AND IS GETTING BAPTISED ON SATURDAY!!!!! YAYYYY!!!!! OH its is so great. I will send pictures next week! iTs so excited though. i love being a missionary and getting to help people find that this is right. We are also working with a mom and son - Candy and Renos who I LOVE SO MUCH. They are just incredible and love us - which makes it even better. She is like a Joy but an investigator. they just take such good care of us and make us feel so loved. Im so grateful for them. I will try and get a picture this week to send you! And another miracle is that this week our friends - a couple from Zimbabwe, Betty and Kingston, CAME TO CHURCH! THey have been meeting with missionaries off and on for about 3 years now - they know the BOM of is true and have the desire to be baptised but they work crazy shifts and have never been able to come to church (you have to go to sacrament at least 2 times before you can be baptised) so it was holding them back but biggest miracle ever they were able to come this week and LOVED it. the ward was amazing and helped them feel right at home. OH i was so grateful. So YES! Things are going so well in sutton. I love it. And mostly still just LOVE sister couper. Truly the greatest companion and friend I could ask for. We are working hard and having so much fun doing it so things are just wonderful! :)
>
> Have you been watching the tennis at all? its been huge over here! Football is going on right now as well. Its kinda the worst though too because we will knock and NO ONE answers because they are watching the tennis or football... so as much as I love it looking forward that it is almost over! :) This is most important!
>
> Another crazy story is that Brooklyn Noel is PREGNANT! Sam and Hannah told me! WHAT THE HECK? It makes me sick. My friends are having kids. Nope. not happening.
>
> But hope you have the very best week! I LOVE YOU BOTH SO MUCH! So so much. Things are going well here and I am just so happy! You both and tyse and linds and ky are ALWAYS in my prayers. So grateful that we are a family. OH i am just so blessed. I LOVE YOU! have the best week!
>
> And if you have any specific questions about things you can send things like you do for ky... sorry i feel like i can be repetitive. Hopefully it makes sense though!
> I LOVE YOU!!!
>
> Sister Gwilliam

Fw:

---

Singing proud...the National Anthem.

Part 2

Sorry! I'm back!

But yes! Oh my goodness.... Parents! I just can't believe that
Saturday it's been a year. Honestly I am SO excited to get to see you
all again but he thought makes me stomach turn a little bit. I love my
mission. I have had a lot of experiences this week where I have just
reflected on how happy I am here, how much I LOVE getting to serve as
a missionary and be with these people of England I have come to love
so much.

There was a particular experience this last week... On the way back
from the chapel we started talking to this man while we were waiting
for our train. Yeah... We have to get a train to church. The man
started tell onus how life had been hard and he was really needing
that peace. We promised him he could find that! We kept talking to him
as we got on the train and as we were traveling I felt prompted to
share "because of him." ( I LOVE IT SO MUCH. go watch it right now for
me.) but I got out my handy iPad and placed it in front of him. as I
sat there and watched this man watching the video I had this crazy
kind of out of body type experience where I just realised how
incredible it was to me a missionary. I sat there and watched this man
and I felt SO MUCH love for him. Just so much. As he sat there
watching the video you could see how his life had been hard but
getting to see the hope that could come as he watched about Jesus
Christ and what was possible becuase of what he had done for HIM. I
was sitting on the train and out of the Windows England was just
passing by me- the beautiful green and cobblestone and thousands of
chimneys everywhere, and I was sitting next to sister Couper who is
the worlds best companion and easily one of my best friends. As his
man watched the video I just sat in amazement of how blessed I am to
be here and to be doing this. To give people hope and not just talk
about Christ but defend him and let people know that he really is here
and that he loves them and that it can make ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
because it has for me. I know Christ lives. I am so converted to him
and his gospel and it brings me no greater happiness than to get to
share that with others. So oh as happy and exciting as it is to hit a
year it is also really hard for me to think about. I just love this so
much. So just like you said mom, I plan on making the most of EVERY
SECOND I HAVE! And let's be honest. I still have 6 months... That's
still a long time right? Yeah. Yeah it will be good! I'll keep telling
myself that and doing all I can to just live it up!

But isn't that crazy?  A year! I just can't believe I have actually
survived not being with you all that long. Only with heavenly fathers
help.

But yes! Things are so good! I love being a missionary and the work is
going well! I am really focusing lately on just doing everything
Christs way. I just want to be more like him and follow his example.
He was the best missionary there ever was so I just need to be more
like him and do it his way! I'm really working on just helping
everyone feel his love when I speak to them. I'm pretty sure that's
what he would have done for everyone here. Whether or not they wanted
to know about it he would have let them know his and his fathers love
for them.

But I hope you have the GREATEST week ever! I hope you have a bLast
with all the festivities today as well! Oh the 4th of July is so fun!
And with your questions I had forgot to answer.... They do say mates
here! Kinda funny... Not like they do in Australia but they do say
like him and his mates all the time. It's funny. And dad! Tell Keith
that Wimbledon is in full swing! Everyone is loving it! We are about
40 minutes from it in Sutton so I won't get to see it but people talk
about it all the time. It's great!

But I just love you both so much!! So so much! Thank you for being the
worlds greatest parents. And I mean that. I am constantly amazed at
all that you have and continue to do for me and Ky tyse and Linds. We
are just all so blessed.

Happy 4th!!! Talk to you next week!!

I LOVE YOU!!!

Sister Gwilliam

Sent from my iPad

4th of JULY!!!

Happy 4th! Mom, you would be so proud of me to know that I am DECKED out in Red White and Blue. Made sure sister couper was wearing it as well... :) And we most definitely sang the star spangled banner this morning for our hymn. It was the best! Our zone leaders called us and we all sang it as a zone. Haha! I was laughing thinking how I bet most of the missionaries around the world were singing it today because either they were American or their companions were! :) its so fun! I was also telling sister couper about how fun you are mom! just with how much you love to celebrate! I love that we have grown up just loving EVERY holiday and celebrating it! I love it and you have taught me well! We are going to party today! Not sure what we will do... but i feel like i have to find some BBQ and other good things to make it feel like the 4th! And OH im so excited for the package. It hasn't come yet but we will be watching for it... Oh you are the BEST! She will just smile too after all i said about how great you were with celebrating. Ah youre so fun mom! Thank you!! I am SO excited!!

It sounds like you have had the greatest week too! So fun to have steph and her family there! And that greg and jess had a little boy! Oh how fun! He looks so cute. Remember that week at powell when they were trying to get auburn to do something and ky would laugh about their parenting tactics... how it started with please do it and then ended with if you dont the dog will get you! haha! oh man. So fun! So excited for them! But it sounds like it has been the greatest weekend! So fun to get to float down the river. Sounds like it was freezing but hey! Fun memory right? And so fun to have family over for dinner. oh your smoker is the best dad. looking forward to that again! But the stadium of fire. Oh my. Tyse must have been in HEAVEN! IT sounds like it was the greatest night for all of you but especially him! I can just picture his cute face just being so excited and then watching it so closely the whole night. Oh it is so fun! cute boy! I loved the pictures that you sent of him in the tubs. OH my heart. He is the cutest little (big) boy! I love him and miss him! How is he doing? Still as happy as ever? 

but with ky! OH MY GOODNESS! I am so relieved he sounds like he is doing so well!! He seems just genuinely happy - that it can be long but that he is really enjoying his comp and his district and just life in general. OH i wanted to cry when I heard him talking about all of it. He just seems to be doing so well. And like you said dad, just seems like kyle! OH i love him. I bet he is a blast to be in a district with. im just so gald he is so happy! It sounds like he is taking everything really well, that the spanish is coming along, that he is making lots of friends, and he is feeling the spirit. In the end of his email to me he was saying how he just feels so much peace - besides the day he sent you that note.... ? What did he say? you both have mentioned it and ky did too saying that he was just freaking out - but not to worry becuase things were better now! :) Was he done? Poor guy. But yeah he said besides that he has been amazed at just how much peace he has felt. Not even nervous just knows that it is right. OH MY! I will just be saying prayers of gratitude for the rest of forever for that. I have been so nervous but heavenly father is just so merciful and loving. Im so glad he is having such a good time. And so fun to see his pictures. Sister Couper and I are the WORST at taking pictures... sorry! We have realized it though. Its proabably a good thing. We just are out having to much fun I just dont thinkabout it ever BUT i want to be able to remember this time and her... and then be able to show you all the pictures as well and tell you about them so I will be better! We have set that as a goal this week so expect lots next week! I will make up for it! But thank you for sending over all of the emails! please keep doing it!!! 

The computer I am on only has a couple minutes left before I have to get off and go to my ipad so sorry if this is stopped in the middle... ill send another one after! 

BUT yes! I am just so happy that ky is so happy! And that you are all so happy back home! LIfe is just so good! It sounds like today will be really fun too! Dad you will just LOVE the parade. A day full of a parade and fireworks AND emails from me?? What could be better!?;) Take lots of pictures and send them over! Its so crazy that i remember the 4th last year and how I was LEAVING in just a couple days. AHH! I can't even. i will send all of my thoughts on that in the next email... can you believe I am hitting my year this week? AHH! Im excited but honestly it makes me sick too.... 

Be right back! 

I LOVE YOU!