Fwd: Her first 12 weeks and my last.

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Begin forwarded message:

From: Megan Gwilliam <megan.gwilliam@myldsmail.net>
Date: October 20, 2016 at 6:04:42 AM MDT
To: denisegwilliam@outlook.com, brucegwilliam@yahoo.com
Subject: Her first 12 weeks and my last.

MOM AND DAD!!

Oh I have been dying SYING to talk to you. I always am but this week
especially. Oh I just look so forward that in 12 weeeks I will just be
able to talk to you ANYTIME. Oh that will be the day! But yes craziest
week of miracles and changes!

So glad that you got the email yesterday from president Gubler! Yes! I
have a new companion. OH how I loved sister steed but this sweet
sister is great. Her name is sister dörich. She was born in Germany,
moved to France and lived there, but has lived in England for the past
2 and a half years. She can speak all of those languages too so that
will be super great and helpful serving here in London!:) no more
excuses of I can't understand English... :) but she seems great. She
is super super sweet. So tiny too! When we were talking she said how
she doesn't eat very much - or it is hard for her too- and I just
LAUGHED at the thought that I'm pretty sure the plate of rice that
grandma feeds us weighs more than she does. SOO.... yeah. Might be
interesting. Pray for us!;) but she is really kind. A little more
quiet and sweet which will be an adjustment serving here as well - a
lot of bold, loud, hug you all the time, big Africans. It will be
great! I'm excited about it though. She seems really excited to be
here and is ready to learn and work hard. So as long as she is
obedient and willing to make this the BEST hardworking 12 weeks then
we will get on fine. It will be great!:)

But the email was a little misleading. She typed out the first part of
and is from up north so we are actually still in Peckham!! It was just
south for her! But yes! Still in Peckham! YAYYYYY!!!!!!!!! I'm so so
SO grateful! If I were whitewashing and training again I think I would
just be crying to you in this email. I always struggle with transfers
- with new companions - but especially with new areas. It's just hard
for me - like you said mom I have always looked back and LOVED it so I
have learned that god always does know what is best but it's just
hard. So I am grateful it is only a new companion this time around.
But with that being said - and you get these every time things
changed. It is just hard! I just get worried of wanting to be my best
and be a good trainer and president and the Lord most importantly has
put a lot of trust in me so I just want to do okay and life up to
their trust and expectations - and I know that's just silly satan- but
I just get nervous. AND it's always just a little hard when sister
steed and I worked so well together. Honestly so so well. We had the
best balance and key indicators (not that it is about the numbers) but
we're honestly crazy. Best of my mission. We just worked hard and well
together. So it's just always a challenge getting to train a new
missionary but sister dorich seems so ready to learn and I have no
doubt that in 12 weeks I will be saying the same thing about us! If we
have faith all things are possible!:) BUT along with that - I am also
still the only STL in Wandsworth zone. So I am still going on all the
exchanges with all of the sisters and helping them and training here
in Peckham. So I'm grateful she seems ready to go becuase as of next
week she will be going on all the exchanges and leading the area as
well. So yes. It's so great. So busy but great! I'm so grateful
though. I love being a sister training leader - just to know all of
the sisters so well  and get to help them - and focusing on others
helps us SO MUCH! Like you were saying about serving mom. I have seen
by having positions to serve on the mission has helped me becuase I
dont have time to think about myself but only on others and that makes
THE WORLD of difference. So yes! That is my exciting news! I'm still
in Peckham, still the sister training leader, and training sister
dorich. I get to finish where I started!:) and Her first 12 weeks and
my last 12 weeks. They are going to be the BEST!

I have been pondering on it too and I am so grateful for the
experiences on my mission but so grateful for the point I am at now.
Missions are hard. Literally the hardest points of my life have been
here and being away from you has made them even harder but I am at e
point where I just love being a missionary. I have failed and
struggled but now I understand that this is just meant to be enjoyed.
I am her to experience something - not only just accomplish something.
And I love it. And so these next weeks I have decided I want to teach
sister dorich that missionary work is the best! I want her to love it
and to see how much I love it. Becuase it will be hard but there is
NOTHING better than getting to represent and share with others all day
long about our saviour.
I'm excited.

I was also thinking back and it is crazy to me how fast training went.
I feel like I just got Sister Steed. Especially with so many exchanges
and trainings and MLCs and everything. It's just so busy which means
it just goes by so quick. So yeah, I just feel like it will fly.
Crazy. I just can't believe it. Feel like I just got here.

Oh and sister steed was called as a stl as well! Which means I will
still see here at mlcs every month! YAY! So that is great!! She moved
out west to Christchurch.

BUT with the other MOST EXCITING NEWS!! Zasha and her family got
baptised and it was the BEST EVER. oh so so great. They were just
glowing. Seeing cute little isha so excited and get into the water and
then Ricardo and Zasha. A FAMILY!!!!! Oh I have been so blessed. So so
blessed. It was the best. And we had so many members come which was
incredible. So much support which just added to the night! I saw your
comments on facebook as well which is the best. I love the comments on
Facebook - I just feel close to you!:) and dad! I'm so sorry! I swear
I invited you to the baptism on FB  as well. Pretty sure I did... but
if not or something happened so sorry!! You definitely were invited as
well!:) wish you both could have been there but we will just have to
come back so you can meet them! But it was so great. We had treats and
a party after which was fun. Spent all of our free time baking which I
love so that was exciting. And yeah they are the best! They were
confirmed in sacrament meeting on Sunday and are just the cutest new
members of the ward. It was the best.

And also something exciting because of that... I didn't mention it
before becuase I didn't want to jinx it. But after every transfer
those that baptised the most in each zone get to go to presidents
house and have a baptism dinner. We all celebrate talking about their
stories and miracles we saw and eat sister Gubler AMAZING food. Oh I
forgot how yummy home cooked meals were. That weren't rice and fufu!;)
it was so great. BUT EVEN MORE EXCITING is the missionary
companionship that baptises most out of all of the missionaries that
transfer gets to SLEEP OVER AT THEIR HOME. I know. I know. And guess
who had the most with Zashas family being baptised. THATS RIGHT! So on
Monday sister steed packed up her bags. We left around 1 from Waterloo
went to presidents house for dinner, got to sleep over!! Oh and those
mattresses and pillows. I was in heaven. Can not wait for the good
mattresses back home. I slept so well. And then even got ready in the
general authorities room (there is a room where they all stay when
they come and visit the mission :) ) it was great. We just got to hang
out with president and sister Gubler. Got interviews with president
which I love. Heard about their life and family and tips for us as we
moved to our different places. It was awesome. He jersey sisters
stayed over as well so it was fun to get to talk to sister aubuchon
who is in my group all about BYU and working things out that way. Then
in the morning we had the yummiest breakfast and president studdied
with us which just always blows your mind. We dropped off Sister Steed
at the train station and then headed to the temple becuase of training
I got to do a session - the best- and sleep over at the temple. On
Wednesday we got more training and then met our new companions! So
it's just been a great week! I will send the pictures over of all of
it! It was so great though. Zasha and her family were reward enough
but it was so so fun to get to spend time with president and sister
gubler. So it's been a busy but fun week! :) a good recharge to start
off the new transfer strong.

BUT I finally got the package too! It killed me when I got the email
from you dad with the picture of Westmorland road. It was SO CLOSE to
where I stay. So crazy Eric was so close. He is the best for going to
all of that to try and drop it off. Did he say Anything about the
area? Super fun he has been here so when I tell crazy stories maybe it
will make more sense to him. But tell him thank you for me! But with
being away I didn't get it until last night but OH MY GOODNESS THANK
YOU!!!! I have been crying over the trail mix! Thank you so much! And
all of the cutest decorations. They are getting hung up. Oh it just
made my day. I was feeling a little nervous and overwhelmed with it
all and it helped me so much. You both have no idea how much you help
me out here. Thank you for all of you love and help and the packages
and emails. It just helps so so much. I love you both so much! But I
love it! Thank you! And excited to open up the present later next
month!

Joy sent me an email thanking for the flowers. Oh you are the BEST!
Thank you! I can't wait for you to meet those two as well. But thank
you. I know that would have made her week. You're just the best. And I
have no idea what's going on with sister Barnes. I will have to email
her. But yeah. It's crazy. Expect to go to the wedding with me.... :)

Ita so crazy that you are going to lake Powell! How long are you there
for? I will pray that the weather is good for you! I was cracking up
reading about tyse and the wet suit. Oh he is so funny. Cutest cutest
boy. He will be in heaven! I can't wait to hear about it. Hope he
sleeps well for both of you too! But I can't wait to see pictures!
PLEASE send them over! And update me on all of it! How long will you
be there for? Hopefully you will have wifi soon so you can get this...
I'm sure you are just DYING to hear the updates!:) but yes! Have the
best time! Are we going next summer? If we are I'm definitely in!!!!

But thank you for your help with scheduling! I hope it all goes well.
Do you have any other questions on the classes? Sister dorich doesn't
have her iPad yet so she is using the computer today but I will look
next week and make sure you have all the info and send it over if you
need it. But thank you! And if any of the classes are full by the time
you get them will you just wait list them (WL) almost always kids drop
out by the beginning of the transfer and I can get in. And if not we
will figure something else out... :) and I haven't asked around about
housing. I honestly have no idea. I might be able to buy out Sister
Barnes at this rate... ;) but I could ask in the next couple of weeks
but I love the idea too of asking around and finding a place cheaper.
I know a lot of people do get a little desperate and I bet we could
find something for cheaper and I am all for it! I would think there
are people trying to get rid of contracts too becuase of missions and
getting married so I would think we can find something! If not we get
to party all semester!! I wouldn't even be sad AT ALL!

I'm so glad things are going so well with tyse at Alta. I always knew
Alta was the best... so funny about Zog too! Tell him he better be at
my homecoming. And he and Scott. Isn't it a little scary? It freaked
me out all the years playing there. They are so similar at times.

And I love LOVE the idea of KY and mace. Maybe it could happen. OH MY
GOODNESS what if it did? I could actually see it. All these years of
just being "friends..." and mAce is super upset about that WILL guy.
Apparently he has just been silly since they broke up. So hey! Keep
her tied down for another little bit and we might be having that
Hawaii wedding. Oh I would be so happy.

But I hope everything goes well with KY and transfers. I haven't been
able to read all of it but I will and then email you back thoughts.
PRAYING he is just happy. Sounds like the elder Holland talk helped a
lot. Elder Holland - you can always count on him. So I hope he is just
happy and whatever happens with transfers will be the best for them -
doesn't his comp go home soon anyways? But yes I just love him  and
want him to be happy!

And mom I also loved your talk about serving. I loved it as well with
the idea we don't know the background story of people. That is
something that has helped so much out here. When people are short or
just rude when on the street or knocking or anytime I have leaned on
the fact that they are probably just having a really hard day -
something I don't know about - and I just stopped them at the wrong
time. I know back home it would happen to me even with all of you.
Just a crazy day that would make me not the nicest to be around. So
having that perspective has changed things so much for me. Just loving
people and realising we are all doing the best that we can. Love it so
much. And you BOTH are incredible examples of selfless service. Thank
you for teaching me how to love and serve others. I love you!

But yes! Things are good. I feel so much better after writing this all
out. So thank you for letting me vent through email!:) I have missed
you all a lot the past couple of days. It was incredible being at the
temple but I also have a lot more time to think and that is what it is
a little harder - serving and work are always the key to happiness!:)
but I just really love you so much! Thank you for your support and
encouragement and being with me while I'm so far away. Crazy that it's
jot much longer though so I will do my best over here and love it but
super super excited to be home with you both and Linds and tyse and
then can't wait as well when KY will be back with us. Oh I just love
our family.

Have the best week in Powell!! Can't wait to hear about it!

I Love you!

Sister Gwilliam






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