Funny story!

I forgot to tell you too!! Funny story!

This last week sister steed and I have sister rehova (from the Czech
Republic) come stay the night/go on exchange with us! She has JUST
gotten into the field - only a couple days and so I was out with
sister steed who is wonderful but still new and trying to figure
things out and then sister rehova who was very new. It was a little
crazy as I tried to go and work and help both of them figure things
out. A little crazy and stressful sometimes but an adventure! But we
went to go see a potential and so we got on the bus and split up to
sit by different people so we could talk to more! I was at the front
and the 2 other sisters went to the back. I started talking to the
girl next to me and she was nice but not interested. So I was sitting
and trying to figure out what stop to get off of when I hear from the
back of the bus these loud African woman yelling about God and Jesus.
I listen and can hear that they are yelling at sister steed and sister
rahova - all about how they knew Jesus and had been saved and how the
2 sisters had been deceived and we're going to hell... YIKES! I just
started laughing as I looked back to see these two huge African, born
again, hallelujah Jesus, woman just yelling at cute sister steed and
rehova. Probably  should have been smarter than to send the, back by
themselves... But I quickly clicked the button and tried to save them
by getting off the bus! Oh the adventures of Peckham... I love it so
much! :)

Baptism

Bakery

The bakery we found... Yes. We might have gone 2 in one weeks. Whoops!:)

Chapel

This is the chapel.  #2 manor place!:)

Staying in the moment

OH i just LOVE getting to write you and update you on everything. It is seriously the best. But its been another great week! Super excited to tell you about it. 

SUMAN WAS BAPTIzED THIS WEEK! Oh it was so great. It was a great week of taking him to the temple and meeting with him and getting it all worked out to Saturday! It was so neat. A good amount of members came and he just seemed happy. We were talking about gratitude last night at an activity night and we asked Suman what he was grateful for and he said he was grateful that God had changed his life. OH it just melted my heart. It is so cool to be apart of seeing how people can change and helping them know that God is there. Being a missionary is the best. So yes! I have pictures I will send over from the temple and from that night!  It was a happy day! And Suman is so great... super happy and smiles a lot even though his pictures don't show it... I don't know what it is with people over here and how they look so angry instead of smiling in pictures... 

But that was mostly the highlight besides PRESIDENT INTERVIEWS!! OH i love them so much! So it was so great! He just sat back and said, okay ask me anything! And he probably regretted it a little bit. I went and asked his advice on everything, the sisters - how to be a better STL, as well as our area and finding approaches that will work better, we talked about school, and then (and this is a little embarrasing - actually not really) but I wanted to ask his advice on how to stay focused and working hard with the time I have left and I just broke down about it all. Just the thought of it ending is so sad for me sometimes. Its so hard actually, its a constant struggle of being so excited to see you all and apply the things I have learned back home and then being so sad and not wanting it to end. I feel like its a little crazy. ALSO the fact that I still have 4 months... thats still a LONG time. 4 months. AH can you believe I have been gone for 14. Miss me yet? ;) but anyways, wasn't planning on getting emotional about it but I realized just how grateful I was for it so then he had to give me this huge pep talk about how after is even better and how I should be excited about falling in love. EW NASTY. That stopped the tears for sure and I just felt weird at that point. Definitely not ready for that but wasn't going to say anything about it or else I felt I would get a longer lecture on it. Good thing no marriage until Ky is home! :) But so yes, it was great! I just love getting their full attention. Sister Gubler is so wonderful and fun too! The only sad thing is they are so short. So yes interviews were so wonderful! Life is great and I am just really working on focusing on the day and not whats coming up. Whether it comes quickly or slowly or whatever - the quote "don't count the days but make the days count" has been my moto! 

The transfer ends this next week - no change in preparation day though since it is now on Wednesdays! BUT with that I have 3 more. Crazy crazy!

I am really trying to be good with eathing the last little bit so that I am healthy coming home. Ive done really well! I eat so much better on my mission that I did at home... BUT we might have found a bakery this last week that is INCREDIBLE and so cheap. OH its a problem. i'll send over pictures. so yeah. Have to be careful. But actually everyone in the ward has mentioned it looks like I have lost weight since I was here last year. I have NO idea how that would be possible but I am glad that it looks like that! I'll take it!

It sounds like Ky had a bit of a harder week which is kinda sad. He seems to be doing great but the language and all of it sounds like it has gotten him down a little bit. He seems patient though. I honestly CAN NOT imagine serving somewhere with a language. I know I wouldn't have been strong enough for it so grateful heavenly father sent me here! :) But he still seems to be positive so that is good! I had to laugh about how he said he had a hard day - where all of the appointments fell through and no one came to church and they only got into ONE house. Sister Steed and I just laughed because if we only got into ONE house it is the best day ever! Its just so funny how different missions can be! We have had things SO HUMID here the past week! OH i have never been so hot. So I feel like I can kind of understand how he must just be melting, poor guy! 

And that is crazy about Kegan! Goodness! I hope he is okay! I have been meaning to write him. But will dedinately keep him in my prayers. Is Kari doing okay? 

Thats exciting about Scott and Rachel's new place too! Im excited to see it! 

And Linds tried out for volleyball! GO MOM!!! Way to make her do it! I feel like she would love it and is really so naturally good for it! with her height too it is just a double bonus! I hope she just falls in love with it! I can't wait to watch her play!!!! Even after all this time in England with football... I'm still not in love with it compared to my volleyball and basketbalL!

But i hope you all have the most WONDERFUL week!  Grateful for the day and staying in the moment but also so excited to see you soon!! 

I LOVE YOU! 

Sister Gwilliam 

Hey!

>
> HELLO!!
>
> I just love you and hope you have had the BEST WEEK!
>
> I can't believe that summer is over for you. So crazy school is starting back up and everything is back to the schedule. want to know what is even crazier... that next summer I will be in on all of those plans! ISN'T THAT WEIRD? So yes mom! Totally in for planning out the summer full of crazy activities that we will LOVE! Oh i can't wait! I'll be along for all of them! :)
>
> But oh mom and dad. Honestly I am just so happy. Its so crazy how much happiness comes from a mission. THis week has been incredible. Its been SO BUSY and crazy and all over the place but so fun. Im just loving it here. Peckham is so fun. I love how busy it is and I LOVE AFRICANS! And guess what? Im even starting to love fufu. I know. Its weird. But a member fed it to us last week and I actually loved it. SO see. Everything is just great! But the ward here is incredible. They have just taken Suman under their wing and we are teaching in their homes, going to family home evening, and dinners at their houses. Its been so neat. Last night we had a scripture study class and then we play games after as well and so much of the ward showed up and we just had a blast. It was one of those moments where I was sitting back and just reflecting on how much I loved this. How much I love all of them. It was the best. AND another amazing news is that SUMAN PASSED HIS BAPTISIMAL INTERVIEW!!!!!! YAYYYY!!! It was actually kinda scary...
>
> On Monday we went over to have a FHE (thats right ky. FHE) with some members and on the way back Suman started telling us how he had seen some things on the internet... CODE RED. NOT GOOD. Sister Steed and I - oh we both tried to stay calm but were dying. He has been so great and I have seen how damaging the Anti mormon is - and satan works SO hard right before baptism so we were freaking out. Luckily it ALL is okay. We sat down with him and talked it through and he was great. He said ultimately everyone will say things about churches - that it didn't worry him. But what he cared about is that he has changed. He has been a better person and has repented and that is all that mattered. AH I LOVE SUMAN. So its so great. So the fact that he passed and made it that far was a miracle. We were so happy! :) So saturday at 7:30 suman is getting baptised! It is at the Chapel here - 2 Manor Place Walworth. You all are invited! :)
>
> BUT with Suman. Ah mom and dad. Its so so neat to see how the gospel changes people. I know i said this last week too but it just blows my mind and strengthens my testimony so much to see how people CHANGE! Not just spiritually but they are just happier - if you have seen sumans facebook photo dont worry. He smiles now! :) He is just so happy, he laughs and jokes with everyone, is calmer, he talks about the differnces he has seen too as he has come closer to christ he doesn't want to sin or make mistakes, he has had greater faith - he says even his flat mates have noticed a difference. OH i just love it. He is so great! Saturday should be the best ever! Watch for pictures on Facebook and I will definitely send them next week! We are going to the temple with him tomorrow! Oh yeah - should be great! And then just keeping him busy until then! Apparently Grandma Warner even messaged him on facebook. He just laughed when I asked him about it... haha silly suman. BUT yes! HOw neat is it with Facebook that we have people we can connect with even all the way from England. So yes. Basically im just so happy and feel super blessed. To be in the BEST area with the BEST companion (i LOVE sister Steed. We have so much fun together) with the BEST most supportive family who I just LOVE. Its just great. I feel really blessed.
>
> But thats pretty much the update on me for the week. Just lots of running around like a chicken with my head cut off for exchanges - its been mental. We had 3 this last week. Its just craziness and exhausting at times. There was a moment inbetween one ending and waiting for the other sisters to arrive where I almost had a little breakdown.. but don't worry! I said a prayer and ate a recees and life was great again!:) And then we have been just really trying to be with suman and help him! Its been so fun! This week to has been BOILING! So warm. Probably nothing like ky is having but it has been HOT. And fun fact about england is that they don't have air conditioning in the houses. and a lot of the people in this area live on the top floors of big complexes. We taught a less active yesterday who lived on the top floor of her building, her front room had a GIANT window letting in all the heat, and it was about 4. I thought I was just going to turn into a puddle. It was awesome. BUT im not complaining about it at all becuase I know what the winter brings and I would take sweating in this weather ANY DAY over the layers of clothes that dont keep me warm in a couple of months! :)
>
> Ky seems to be doing so well. Oh my goodness. It makes me so happy. Thats another thing that just adds to this really great week - is that ky is doing so well. I have been so impressed with how motivated he is and happy and just not stressed. Knowing ky and how he can worry I was worried... but he seems great! And he has already baptised someone! HELLO! Hes the man. So grateful he is doing so well. And oh my. the missionary plaque IS SO FUNNY! I saw the picture when you sent it over originally but didn't read it until I saw the emails and just died of laughing after. thats too good.
>
> and mom as far as I know the package hasn't come yet! :( Im so sad! I was so excited! But sometimes the post here can be silly and it just takes a while so Im sure it will come! Sister couper brings anything I get to MLCs so I will get it soon if it does come! Praying it will though! And its just fun this way - like you said the suspense can be the best part! So i have faith it will make it!
>
> Thank you for calling about BYU too! we have interviews with president gubler on tuesday! I AM SO EXCITED!!! Oh so excited. Interviews are the BEST! but I will talk to him about it then. I have been given permission to go onto BYUs website to start looking at classes too. And uh. Honestly Im a little torn on what to do. AND YOU KEEP FORGETTING TO GIVE ME YOUR ADVICE! What do you think is best? I honestly need to start praying about it. Heavenly Father knows what is best. But im kinda leaning toward a really easy semester to hopefully just work at the pharmacy a lot.... I was thinking even not taking full 12 credits (full time student) but sister steed thinks you still have to pay full tuition to do that and that would jsut be silly so i dont know. I will take a look but october is coming up pretty soon - only like 4 more Preparation days to figure this out. So yeah. what are your thoughts. I feel like I will want to stay busy but at the same time It hurts my heart a little to not have a week to just be wiht you without worrying about work and school and homework and all that nasty. So im trying to figure it out. Let me know what you think! And i will get president to give BYU my ok!
>
> I can't believe about Cams farewell! That is crazy. And crazy about Tommy too. Hopefully he gets it all sorted out and gets back out. I can't imagine how hard it would be to go home and then have to come back out. It would be tough but TOTALLY worth it. HOpe he stays focused on that and what he needs to do to get back out asap.
>
> So fun to go to michelles too! I sent her an email last week thanking her for the money and just for being awesome! hopefully she got it!
>
> But things are just going super well. Im really just super happy! Im back to the normal sister gwilliam where things are just wonderful and I love it all - definitely still long days at times but I love being here. I got a blessing a little bit back as well that I forgot to tell you about - Before training I asked one of the elders to give me a blessing for just comfort and in it he said that he blessed me to understand that serving a mission was the right decision. HOW NEAT IS THAT? TO get that strait from Heavenly Father that I am doing the right thing being here. ANd honestly I didn't need the blessing to know that is true. I love this. Its so hard and so crazy and overwhelming and exhausting but so wonderful. Im learning so much and just apart of something so much bigger. ITs so neat. I had an exchange review yesterday with a sister that just came out and talked to her about thinking about her exit interview with president and thinking about what she wanted to have accomplished by then and more importantly who she hoped she would be. I actually got a little emotional when I realised that that is coming up quick for me. I remember thinking a lot about that on the plane ride over to england - who I wanted to be after my mission and goals I had- and I can't believe its almost that point of that interview. Still a good 3 months at least before that happends but still. IT helped me focus and remember to make the most of everyday!
>
> BUT I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!! So so much! Praying everything goes well with tyse. And just oh. SO GRATEFUL! HOnestly Im just happy becuase I know that you are all happy and safe and wonderful backhome. So grateful Heavenly Father is watching over all of us - here in England, back home in Utah and in Argentina. I love our Family.
>
> I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!
>
> Sister Gwilliam
>
>
>
>

London!

I love my family!

Hello family!!!

I hope you have had the BEST week with all of the birthday celebrations going on! I hope it was a great day for you dad - you deserve it. And for goodness sake you are not getting old. I dont think of you as old... so dont worry! :) Youre the very best. There was a quote from pinterest (Oh i miss that. Be ready for me to be cooking LOADS when I get home from recipes from there. Get on and start looking up some recipes!) But i hope it was a good day - AND YOU NEED TO GO CELEBRATE! Take mom out for dinner to your favorite place and have a fun day! Treat yourself dad. WILL YOU? Im going to tie you to a commitment. 

AND LINDS!!! Any fun birthday plans? I cant believe that she is 12! She probably was just so excited that she forgot to email me... NOT OKAY! Tell that girl i need to hear from her. But i hope it is a blast. I can't believe that she is so old. Its crazy to me. I left when she was 10. And out of everyone she is the one that just seems so much older. Weird weird. Need lots of time to catch up when im home.

I can't believe that Kenz and Jackson are married. It sounds like it was quite the weekend with all the festivities going on.  Send me lots and lots of pictures.

But things here have been going well! I am fully back to just loving Peckham. It honestly took me a while... originally it was just so busy that it was overwhelming for me. So many people and so many potentials and so much to do all the time but now im back to just LOVING it like i did when I was trained. Everything is just so fast and busy but it is so fun becuase of that. There is never a dull moment here. Especially with having exchanges too! OH my goodness. Our weeks are crazy - Sister Steed is a champ for putting up with all of it but typically we have church on sundays, then monday to tuesday we have an exchange, tuesday night we are together and then all of prepartion day, then this week we have an exchange from thursday to friday then friday to saturday with other sisters and then church on sunday. It just flies becuase things are mental. Its great but tiring too! I realise how blessed i have been to have Sister Steed as a companion becuase she is so easy going and chill about it all. SHe just takes things as they come and it keeps me like that too - we are having a blast together and her easy going attitude is the BIGGEST blessing when it would be easy to have things just be crazy right now. We will have exchanges like that all throughout the rest of the transfer as well so im grateful I have her to keep me sane! :) Its been fun working with the sisters - tiring in the fact Im always supposed to be a good example and strong enough to help them with the advice and strength they need but I have come to realize that I was called to do this becuase of who I am right now - I dont need to change and put on a show with anyone. So its made it a lot better in that aspect too which I am really grateful for! Grateful for the chance to be able to be trusted with this and a comp who loves to laugh with me when its just crazy! :)  

The other crazy thing of this week is FACEBOOK! DId you see my post?:) BOTH of you didn't even comment on it though... ;) BUT yes! So facebook is crazy. There is a lot that honestly Im still not exactly sure about but the craziest thing with it is the fact that it is so open for us. The only guideline we have been given is that we just need to be focused on our purpose - to help others come to christ - but thats it. So i can get on anytime i need to fulfill that, talk to anyone I need to to fulfill that (I can use messenger as well and chat with investigators and even friends back home is allowed if it is about missionary work - fulfilling my purpose again, even family). I obviously dont do that... I feel like converstation like that can wait a few more months but still. Isn't that crazy! But yes! It is so free and open. I thought there would be oodles of rules with it and percautions but pretty much it is just be focused on your purpose and everything I post or comment or send to someone has to be checked by Sister Steed. So its crazy. With having FB we also are allowed to use Imessage now as well as Skype to teach people. So we can skype people in their homes and skype in members. Its so crazy. We are so up to date with people. I actually have LOVED it. I was so nervous about it being a distraction - like you were saying dad - i was just afriad it would immediately draw me back home and get my head there but it has actually done the oppostite. When i first opened it we had to go through and clean it out so any picture or post or other things just clean it up and that was a little weird - just going back through my old life. Most of them were silly pictures of me and mace and kenz! :) But ive been really impressed with how it hasn't been hard for me at all seeing posts from others - honestly I dont pay attention to them and just scroll down to what I need but its actually been neat for me to realize that Im not so isolated here. I am still Megan Gwilliam - I still have friends back home doing different things - but I am just here as a missionary sharing what I love. I havent been affected or even tempted at all to look at things or posts from friends and family but have just enjoyed seeing that they are still happy and healthy and I am here. It just makes me seem more normal and not like everything is a secret if that makes sense at all... I dont know. I have just seen how wonderful of a tool it has been. We have a friend Suman preparing for baptism and we have been able to have daily contact with him becuase we can message him scriptures or videos. Also a lot of people aren't sure about meeting and giving out personal info but we can offer facebook which is a lot less intimidating. It has been working WONDERS! So i love it. I was so nervous and against it but im all on board now. I have seen how big of a tool it is and also seen how our phones and apps and devices are just there as TOOLS. Not to be controlling me but I have control over them. It has been neat to see how I have changed in that fact and a big relief to see that when I go home I wont fall back into that way but use these things as a tool and help and not let myself get distracted. (Maybe we should start using pinterest out here too... :) ) But yes! SO please comment on anything - you can even message me. I wont message back until wednesday via email but I can see it :) but it has been great! 

And KY! I did get a pretty good eamil from him. I will forward it over to you. Do you think he just has less time out on his mission? I dont know. I didnt get one last week from him but he did give me a better one this week. Silly ky. So help me if he is spending time emailing friends there will be PROBLEMS! Just kidding - from what he has said sounds like he has hit the "I realise how much i love my family" So i would hope we are first priority. Its fun to see how well he is taking everything though! He seems to be doing great - so much better than i was. can you say A MESS. So its been such a relief. So grateful he is getting along with his trainer - except his trainer isn't getting up - the bum. Grateful ky is still being obedient. But he seems happy so im just so grateful! AND did you hold babies on your mission dad! Definitely sure thats not allowed... at least here in england. So funny how missions can be so different! 

BUT are you ready for something fun?? Another good challenge for our lovely family since I am all about working together and the scriptures! BUT as of the 23rd of this month.... so next tuesday we would start! BUT as of that day if we read a section of the DandC together - 1 everyday - we will finish the DandC the day i get home. Isn't that crazy? But i thought it would be kind of fun! Its just a section a day! And then by the end of my mission we will have read the BOM and the DandC together. What do you think? Im going to do it and think it would be awesome to do it together! :) 

ALSO - i want you both to go to gospel library - download teaching of the presidents with President Hinkley and read chapter 3. It is about being happy. I read it the other morning and it has changed EVERYTHING! So great. My outlook is just so different on it all and I just thought of you both reading it. So will you please? and let me know what you think about it! 

But I honestly want to cry after reading about katies brother. OH my heart just hurts so much for her and her family right now. I love katie SO MUCH and just can't even imagine what is oging on forher right now. Oh thank you for letting me know. I am going to send her an email just letting her know how much I love her. She has always been such an incredible example and true friend to me. All of their fmaily is incredible. Oh its just so sad and so hard. I hope and pray she is doing okay. Let me know if you get any other updates. oh im just so so sad. 

But I just love you both SO MUCH! Mom please send over an email. Just definitely need to hear from you! Give linds the BIGGEST hug for me! As well as tyse. We taught a lady here with a disabled son and i just LOVE the bond I have with them. Tyse is the cutest. Love that boy. AND LOVE YOU BOTH! I know ky thinks im weird for all of this... but I do just love you so much. and miss you like crazy. Thank you for all the advice on staying focused and being here. I always need that. And need to work on it a lot. 

going against that as well... but just for the sake of school i need to figure out what I am doing with my life come january pretty quick with the deadline coming up. Do you have any thoughts. I will go and look at some classes. My thoughts are just taking really simple and easy schedule... to still have classes and a schedule but easy enough thtat I can spend a lot of time with you and work. Mostly just spend a lot of time with you. Woudl you still say be a full time student? Ive thought of even just taking a couple classes and mostly working? I dont know. I need your help! I wont let it distract me... but id love both of your insights. I just really would love being with all of you and getting my feet back home instead of having to rush all around and be worried about classes and exams the minute i am back. LIterally. THe whole driving from the airport to provo... I DONT THINK SO! So yeah. Tell me your thoughts! 

I just wanted to update you all on
the fact that we have our friend Suman who is getting baptised next
Saturday! Oh he is a miracle! The first week we were here he came up
to us and asked if we taught about the bible - he said he had a lot of
mistakes and he wanted to feel peace. This is something I have been
PRAYING for! My whole mission I have wanted to teach someone who just
so desperately wants the atonement because I was able to feel the
reality of it so strongly - I've prayed to get to help someone who
wants it as well. And oh we're my prayers answered. He is so
incredible. It hasn't been easy but we had a breakthrough where in our
lesson last night he said he finally understood that God loved him -
even with his past mistakes that God loved him and cared about him and
because of that he just wanted to follow him. My jaw almost hit the
floor. I was just SO HAPPY! Oh it is just the greatest blessing to be
apart of someone changing. Just that knowledge alone - that God loves
us and cares about us even when we make mistakes - will change
everything for Suman. He wants to be baptised and we are able to teach
him daily and with our nifty new FB we are in contact all throughout
the day. He is just a miracle. And I just can't wait! Mom and dad you
can go look him up on Facebook - he is my friend! And watch for the
picture of it too!:) he is just so neat - from india which just makes
him even better. The accent is the best! :)

But yes! Just wanted to update you on the Miracle of Suman! He is our
little ray of sunshine everyday. I'm just so grateful for the
atonement and that I KNOW That it is real. There is nothing that it
doesn't cover and we will never go far enough to be out of the
saviours love. So grateful for a loving HF that has allowed me to
experience it and then get to share it with Suman. Please pray for
him!

And getting the news about Katie's brother has just made me realise
even more just how grateful I am for all of you. I know I say it a
lot, Ky thought I was a weirdo ;), but I just can't express how
grateful I am for our family. I love you all SO MUCH! You truly are my
best friends and I have so much comfort in that no matter what happens
or crazy things that will happen in life as long as I have all of you
with me and my HF and saviour it will all be okay. I love you so much
and am so grateful to be sealed to you eternally. Oh I just love you!
So grateful that families are forever and that we get to have a blast
together here but also forever after as well. Couldn't think of a
better plan. So yes. I've just been thinking about it since I read it.
I love you dad, mom, ky, tyse, and Linds. It's the hardest being away
from you. But I love you and love that my Heavenly Father was so
merciful to send me to the best family!

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!! So so much! Talk to you next week!
And mom. I need an email. LOVE YOU!

Sister Gwilliam

Sent from my iPad

Fw: Mom and Dad!!

HELLO!

Oh my goodness. It is so good to get to talk to you. I feel like it has been ages since I have been able to email you. SO fun to see all of the pictures and hear about such an incredible week! So happy for scott and kerri and it looks like you all have had a blast with the family!! So sad that I wasn't there - looks so fun - I have always DREAMED of the gwilliam wedding. BUT just tell everyone that they have to come up to ours for my homecoming so we can all party then! :) 

AND FOR GOODNESS SAKE. I might write Keith an email and tell him thank you for reminding you to write. If I hadn't gotten one from both of you there would have been serious problems... So thank you!!!

But this week has been good! Its been crazy! Things are going well with training. THe scripture you sent was perfect dad - It really does humble you which is good. I have really relied on lots of prayer and they have been so much more meaningful lately and I have seen the difference because of it - makes me realise i need to be better. Even when things are going well I dont want to let them slip like that. So its been great. And Heavenly Father has been so kind! THe first of last week, as you could probably tell with my email, i was just really overwhelmed with everything. Espeically the mornings I would just wake up and dread having to figure things out and trying to know where to go and praying to find people becuase we didn't have anything - all of it being considered I wasn't having faith and just worried about the bad things that could happen. I spent a lot of time just talking to heavenly father about it though and he helped me sort things out and they have been GREAT! I am back to LOVING london again. IT took some adjustment. Its so funny how different things are here but we get LOADS of addresses and numbers and find people all day long who want to talk - I love africans :) - so the hardest part has been just keeping up with following up on everyone. Which is a great problem to have! :) But its been so good! We have seen MIRACLES too! We came into the area with nothing - 1 LA that the sisters left us! And have found a friend who we have met with a couple times, came to church on sunday, and has committed to baptism at the end of the month and have a teaching pool of about 5 full of really solid people. So its been SO great! We have been really blessed. So the finding is great. I love being in London where it is just so busy and oodles of complexes to knock. Its great!

Sister Steed is so great too! We get along so well. Our personalities just go really well and she is obedient and willing to work hard - what more could I ask for?:) We have a lot of fun together though! Just laughing and staying up with funny stories. ITs been so good. Feel so lucky to be put with such a great missionary - she makes training easy. Which is good becuase I dont really know what im doing...  Or havent really changed becuase of it. Ive taken your advice dad and just really tried to stay the same! I was called as a trainer becuase I know what I am doing! So i have just tried to keep things normal and show her that I am not perfect and make mistakes as well.... which is probably the hardest part about training. Just a lot of things I do set the example and then make it easy for her to think that is normal... so its a lot of making sure Im doing my best which is so good though. Its stretching me for sure and I am grateful for it! I havent had any exchanges yet... its going to be a little crazy! We have our first one on friday to saturday and I am going with another trainer and so sister steed and another new sister will be together! I have no doubt that they will do great but it will be fun to hear about it too! We have been blessed that we actually have a lot of teaching appointments that night so they will get to go be with some of our investigators as well without their trainers. I actually think it will be great - presdient warned me a little about it but he to me and a couple sisters how we are really strong sisters and like to get things done which is wonderful for the work but can also be a danger in trainer - I need to let her experience things and learn and If i just take over to get things done then im not doing my job. So im working on that - giving her more opportunitites and not being dependant so much on me... friday will be great! :) 

And with the fufu question - THANK HEAVENS NO! OH my. I did go to grandmas though... i dont know if you remember her from last year. She is this old Nigerian lady eveyrone just calls grandma and she LOVES the missionaries and she LOVES feeding the missionaries. I think she gave me enough rice to feed all of Africa. I wish i had taken a picture. I just want to laugh when I see what she brings out. Im not exaggerating... i really think it is the amount that we make for our whole family when we have haystacks and it is all on one plate with a tiny bit of sauce and I just have to sit there and eat it. And she sits there and watches you. ITs awesome. But so far I have avoiding fufu. hoping to for the next 5 months... we will see! I am glad you got the package too! Hopefully you all love it! Save some of it and we can make it when i get home as well! :) We can have fufu, rice, fish and chips, and crumble with custard for dessert. Pretty much sums up my mission experience! ;) 

And MOM! I havent gotten the package yet but if you sent it to the other flat I should get it tomorrow. We have another MLC becuase as of tomorrow.... I HAVE FACEBOOK to teach with. Isn't that CRAZY? OH man. Im honetsly dreading it a little bit. It should be cool. We can follow up with people a lot better and even just teach people over the internet if they can't meet in person but at the same time I just have facebook. Meaning I can see updates and posts and pictures from other people as well. IT just scares me a lot. When I was in Sutton it was fine but being here the past couple of weeks, and it is probably just with adjusting to it all, but I have really struggled with focusing... I just get all of this news from mission friends who have gone home and sam updates me on what they are doing and emails saying how weird it is to be home and I am trying so hard to stay focused but its pulled my thoughts a little bit, Makes me mad that Ive let it happen but it has. I need to stay focused and i feel like Facebook can make that a little worse. BUT i know it is what the Lord needs so I will just block a lot of things and pray for help and i Know it will be great. But yeah. working on staying focused. I still have 5 months - actually TO THE DAY from today - until I am home. And I just want to stay focused and be completely here for the rest of the time. So yes. Id love any of your incredible advice. I know it will be great though. Just wanting to remember to enjoy it. but yes sorry with all of that I will just see SIster couper tomorrow so hopefully I will get it then. OH I AM SO EXCITED!!!! THANK YOU!! I LOVE packages. Ah i just love you!! So much. 

With that. Sillly ky. I feel like he thought i was just the weirdest missionary until he is experiences it all now and he realises that he feels the same way! But OH i didn't get an email from him! ;( Probably just since I didn't get to email him this week with not haveing a preparation day but it sounds like from the mass one he sent out things are going better than I thought they would. I was SO nervous for him! But it sounds like he is taking it all really well! Its obviously hard at the beinging but he seems to be having a good attitude. Did he give you any other info? Does his comp speak english? OH man. AND YEAH! Oh my goodness. Already has had a baptism and has a couple lined up. Its so funny how different missions are depneding on where you serve. BUT it is SO good!! I will knock on doors ALL DAY LONG if it means that he can have success there! :) So glad that he is doing okay! How was talking to him too? I never heard about that as well! 

Also I got the pens that Grandpa gwilliam made!!! I have a picture and I will send an email over to thank him but sister steed and i LOVE THEM!!! Will you tell him tahnk you for me? They are the best and I use it every morning to write in my study journal. OH love it and love them. Tell everyone there that I love them too! And poor grandpas back. I feel so bad. Hopefully the doctors can help. I will keep him in my prayers for sure! I bet they are both so tired though. ITs been a crazy week with the wedding and all of the family there. I bet they are loving it though! 

But oh mom. Im with you. I would have LOVED to have been there with you and dad AND KY watching scotty get sealed. How neat it is that all of us could be there though. And how neat will it be the day when Ky and I are back and we can all be in the temple together! Oh im so excited! And i would love to read carries conversion! If she is okay with it i would LOVE IT! I can't wait to meet her.

Im sorry that things have been so crazy with tyse. Cute guy. It is so hard when everyone does their best but no one really does understand completely. I realise too how much work it is for you and dad to try and stay ontop of everything and then watch him constantly too. I really hope you know how incredible you are. I always think of how much you both have to do all the time - just what parents have to do - and how incredible that is but how ontop of it you have had the cutest blessing of tyse which adds a whole new aspect to everything and so much more work. I know that you never expected your life to be like that too and to have cute tyse the way he is - I hope you know with all of it, and especially on the hard days, it is just becuase you are strong enough and amazing enough that you could handle it. Heavenly Father ONLY gives people what they can handle - and gives the harder things to those who are able to do it. There is a quote from Elder Scott about that - I will find it. But honestly. YOU ARE AMAZING MOM AND DAD. I am SO grateful for your example of being parents and all you do in that aspect but mostly the example you have given me of selflessness and true love for tyse and all of your kids. Just willing to do anything for him - when it is always harder and less about you. You both are just incredible. Im always blown away by how blessed I am to be your daughter. 

BUT I just love you! So much! So grateful for all that you do and miss you like crazy! It would have been soso SO fun to be there but its also been a blessing that I havent been sad about it... obviously would have been great. But i know that this is where I need to be and I am loving it. Grateful for the belssing of being happy! 

Another funny thing is that we met a man who is in Love with Sister STeed. Its hilarious. We were teaching him and he just watched her the whole time and went off on how she was an angel. Oh man... funny times here in london! 

But i will talk to you SO SOON!!! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

Sister Gwilliam 

Hello!

Hello family!

Oh getting your emails was the best! Thank you so much. I needed them.
Everytime they are just exactly what I need! Our bishop is using the
computer for a few minutes and then I can get on and type a proper
email out but I thought I would start by using the time I have so this
probably won't be very long but I'll send more out... :)

This week has been crazy though! So good but crazy. It has been so
neat to come back though to see the people! I honestly never bought I
would really want to do a mission tour. Especially with Peckham... I
just wasn't here long at all and was sure that no one would remember
me and it would just be a little awkward... BUT oh I was wrong. sweet
Africans are just the sweetest and warmest people and they almost all
remember me. I have had the biggest hugs and welcome backs - it has
been so wonderful and fun to see all of them again. It's changed my
mind about coming back to all of my areas!:) one of the neatest though
was going to see Anne and Faye. This whole time I was here with sister
Barnes we were struggling to find people to teach but one of our last
weeks we met Faye on the street - she invited us back and we started
teaching her and her twin sister and her daughter. And guess what?
They all got baptized! I went over this last week and got the biggest
hugs and them thanking me for finding them. Not that I at all say that
it was because of me and sister Barnes - it was just so neat to see
how the Lord worked through us and we were able to help them. Cool to remember too how our success is not limited to our time - in an area
or our missions. The blessings and Miracles continue far beyond, it's
so great!

Okay bishop just got off . I'm switching to the computer!:) be right back!:)

OKay sorry im back! Miss me?:) 

But yes it has been so great to be back here. It is so crazy though. serving in London is so different than any other area. ALMOST EVERYONE says they are interested and gives you their numbers and addresses and will talk to you for hours if you would let them- so different than the rest of england who doesn't want to hear about any of it and especially give out any personal information. It is taking some adjusting - typically people sift themselves by just not being interested or walking away where here I am having to remember that I need to sift and find people that are really interested and committed. Its good to make me stretch! :) But also so fun that almost everyone here just loves Jesus Christ. Its so neat. 

BUT my companion... are you ready? :) Is.... SISTER STEED!!! I know. when I saw a sister steed was coming into the mission I knew I would train her. Heavenly Father is funny. But she is wonderful! I will send pictures!! The whole day of finding out who was being trained was crazy. We spent the day at the temple and all that.. and im with you dad... It was the worst not being able to properly email and update you all and read your emails really well. NOT OKAY! So sorry about it all. BUT the next day we had more training. Spent a lot of time with a missionary they just paired us with for the day and then around 9 pm they finally gave us our assigned companions. It was a LONG day - after that we had to get luggage and everything to one of the sisters flats that lived nearby. we squeezed in their flat and then finally got to Peckham on Thursday. And since then we have just been running around and trying to figure everything out. It is really so surreal as I was here doing the same thing, not knowing where anything was and trying to build a teaching pool from nothing EXACTLY a year ago. Its just crazy. Feels really weird sometimes but so good and fun! 

But Sister Steed is great! We get along really well... its finally getting over that inital awkwardness of getting a new companion (happends with all of them and takes about a week to get over! :) ) So just warning you ky! Dont stress if things are weird at the begining!! Just be patient and get to know him and then it is GREAT! But she is from Bountiful, is the oldest of 8 kids - Crazy huh? She went to Olympus for high school and guess what she played there - VOLLEYBALL! How fun is that? She also plays the violin. She went to BYU the year before as well so that will be fun to get to be at school with her after and she also did study abroad in London last year so she has lived here for 3 months already! So yeah she is great. I see a lot of the overwhelming culture shock i went through last year with her though. She has only really broken down 1 time so far - poor girl - I asked her to pray for us and she couldn't finish the prayer and just apologized over and over as she was crying. Its just all overwhelming for her right now and it just brings me back to feeling the exact same way. I totally get it. its just so different here but i know she will come to love it. Im trying to stay posstivie and happy and just help her as much as I can - honestly its taking me back a little bit too and im having to get all adjusted a little bit too. I feel like anytime you move you get those feelings of being a little overwhelmed and the days can be long but it is good. We will figure it out together. And THANK YOU SO MUCH for your quotes and suggestions mom and dad. I needed them. I have been handling it well - Like megan - and not psyco sister gwilliam - but I do feel myself at moments getting a little worried about the area and wanting to find people and then getting overwhelmed with training and a new area plus the sisters and it can get stressful. And then i let satan and crazy sister gwilliam creep in and get worried of what if our friends dont progress or I cant do this or just SILLINESS - so thank you for reminding me that I just have to do my best and the rest will fall into place. As long as I am working hard and talking to people and trying to do things the rest is on the agency of others and I will be successful no matter what. I just feel like president and the lord has put a lot of trust in me to do this - its a lot of responsibility BUT i just need to remember that the lord qualifies me and my success isn't about the numbers but my commitment and effort. AH, sorry just needed to talk that through to remind myself as well. THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR YOUR EMAILS. helped so much. Oh i just love you. So so much.  

But with this all - is Emily Gwilliam still planning on Study abroad. Tell her SHE HAS TO and then to get assigned to Peckham ward. CAN YOU IMAGINE? Oh I would die and be so happy! IT would be crazy. We could spend a couple months in London together.... kinda. and then would go home around the same time too! oh i would love it! 

But this week is another crazy one! IT is MLC tomorrow - I dont know how it is here again. I have been asked to sing as well. Any suggestions? i was thinking maybe the Saviour redeemer of my soul. I ' done that one yet. But yeah! So lots of meetings me and my cute comp gets to go to. It should be an adventure. 

But i just love you so much. OH so much. Im so grateful for mondays and getting to email you. AND SO SO GRATEFUL that I know no matter what you are there. I can't even tell you - through crazy times and weeks like these I am just so grateful that I have a family that is proud of me and supporting me no matter what. NO MATTER WHAT. I just love our family. so grateful for your support and encouragement. I coudln't do it without you. Honest truth. THANK YOU. I love you so much and miss you loads. But talk to you so soon! :)

Oh and are you going to Scotts wedding this week? AH give him the biggest hug for me! So excited for them. And send lots of pictures! 

I LOVE YOU!

Sister Gwilliam