Jolly Old England

Hope you are so excited to hear about all the exciting things happening here in London! things are still so great! Just really blessed.

FIRST OFF THOUGH silly Ky didn't give me anything either! Ill send over what I got but it was only a couple paragraphs and then he would come back later... sounds like they might have been doing something fun for Preparation day and I'm guessing they didn't have any time after to come back and email again. THAT BETTER BE IT! So help me if he spent the time emailing other people.... But I'm still so glad he seems to be doing so well! Miss him but glad he is so happy! Hopefully he loved conference as well and it just motivated him. I remember my first conference  I LOVED it but It can also tug at your heart a little bit seeing Utah on the screen and realizing thats where all of you are! But hopefully he just loved it! 

I loved conference! There was so so much that just stood out to me.  I love that God is so merciful and wonderful in knowing that we need reminders. That we forget and need little pick me ups and so having these every 6 months is that way to help us reevaluate and get back on track! I also loved all of the talks and how so many questions were answered.

 I think the thing I loved most was the theme of JOY that seemed to come from all of the talks. I loved President Nelsons talk on how the gospel is joy! How we are here to be happy! How wonderful is that? I feel like I reference it a lot but I really do love that and have gained an even stronger testimony of that while being a missionary - that when we put the gospel first we are HAPPY! It doesn't matter if we sin - we can be happy we can repent. Doesn't matter if we have a hard day - we can be happy because the saviour understands. With death and loss - the saviour made it possible to live with those we love forever and all of our losses will be made up! Its just so wonderful the peace that comes into our loves when we trust and rely on our saviour. I also loved president Uchdorf's talk - it related to the same thing. I went into conference with the question of how I can stay focused and continue to work hard through the last few months and I loved how his talk was all about just what we have been given because of our saviour - all that is possible because of him - and when we remember that we are always focused and serving him is a joy and privledge. I know that to be true. It was such a great reminder to always just focus on him and remember all that he has done for me and for our family and I wont struggle at all staying focused these last few months - when I think of those things It just makes me want to work as hard as I can to thank him for everything he has blessed me with. I also loved the emphasis on prayer - I felt that was a huge theme the Saturday morning. it is something I really want to work on. Really MEANINGFUL prayer - taking time to talk with him and counseling with him with all of the big decisions and just thoughts from the day. I am going to work on it! And it is going to be AWESOME! Ive started it and already seen the difference - so great how the gospel is all about the little things. But how the little things like study and prayer make all the difference! BUT YES! I loved conference! LOVED that god has put us here TO BE HAPPY! he has commanded us to BE OF GOOD CHEER! And I fully intend to be obedient to that! :) Just like President Hinkley's talk on it... I Love that idea of not taking things to seriously, not getting overwhelmed with things we can't control, but just trusting God and enjoying the journey of it! I thought that was a beautiful message as the world is in complete CRAZINESS right now! Realizing to just trust him and be happy and realize that things will work out perfectly as long as we are anchored to him! 

BUT funny story with conference.... So Zasha and her family came! YAY!! THey LOVED IT! We taught zasha on monday after and she said how she just loved it and has been watching all of them after becuase she found them on lds.org. Apparently has been getting up even in the night to watch them. OH SHE IS AMAZING. we are so blessed. BUT yes! They came to conference! So we were all in the chapel watching but Gibberel (her 1 year old) was making a lot of noise so she went to the primary room and that left Sister Steed and I with the 3 kids. a 12, 8, and 6 year old for A WHOLE SESSION OF CONFERENCE. Goodness sakes. MOm and dad I now understand why church - and especially conference - was so crazy for you when we were younger. All of the sessions on my mission have FLOWN by but when I was trying to entertain 3 kids the whole time it was the longest 2 hours ever. Ricardo did really well - he actually got his answer that the book of mormon was true from watching the preisthood session! How incredible is that?? AH i love them - but isha and especially ishmael struggled. We brought skittles becuase he loves them and were prepared with paper to draw on and that entertained him for all of.. oh i dont know... 2 seconds. So then sweet Ishmael got bored of drawing so he decided instead it was a good idea to start ripping up the paper and then throwing it on the ground. It was great. We then gave him some gum thinking that was a good idea becuase it lasted a lot longer than skittles. good idea right? WRONG! He chewed it for a minute but then started getting tired of it so he started taking it out of his mouth - I was sitting by him and was trying to whisper to tell him to keep it in his mouth - when he takes it all out and THROWS THE GUM BEHIND HIS SHOULDER! TENDER MERCY is that it hit the pew behind us which then meant it got all over the bench and his suit jacket though - but it was a tender mercy because guess who was sitting right behind us. the stake president. SO we were grateful it hit the bench over the stake presidents face. So we spent a lot of Saturday afternoon in the bathroom scrubbing gum off of ishmael and his jacket. Oh my goodness. We just laughed at the whole thing. After they left we also jsut laughed as the pew we were sitting on looked like a WAR ZONE! Gum in the carpet, shredded paper everywhere, oh it was awesome. SO with it all I just want to THANK the both of you! I have so much more respect now for both of you and any parent who has little kids and has to keep them entertained for church or conference or anything. So with the insights I actually have no idea what was said during the saturday afternoon session and we didn't get to watch the sunday afternoon with the time difference SO like you mom i can't wait for them to come out and I can read them all! :) 

But the whole situation was just funny and SO worth it becuase Zasha loved it. It is incredible to me how prepared she is. She just loves it and believes it all! PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM! Zasha. Ricardo. and Isha! THey are set to be baptised next weekend as a family! OH its every missionaries dream and they are just so wonderful. I just love them so much. But i know satan always works the hardest right before. Please pray for them and that they will continue to progress and make it to next weekend! So excited. 

Another thing I was going to ask for your advice on is with Zasha. We found out that she is going through a divorce. It sounds like her husband has abused her for years... and maybe even the kids at some point. its been really hard for her. She has a restraining order against him and everything... we weren't supposed to know all of it but while walking the kids home from an activity the other night we ran into him on accident. He went off saying how she was ruining everything and telling lies... it was awful and scary. But yes. The last lesson we were with her on she asked us for advice on how to forgive. OH she is so wonderful. But she said it is just really hard when he has hurt her and she does't know how to do it. Do you have any good conference talks on it or scirptures? We are teaching her tonight so if you have any ideas please send them over asap. Something about the saviour and how the atonement is there to help us with not only sin but for pains as well? I would appreciate it so much!!

The rest of the week has been great as well! We had the conference on thursday! And it was actually a tri zone conference... so we dont have that many in our actual zone! OUr zones are about 20 missionaries in them! And then yesterday we had MLC! I love getting to be with president and sister gubler! IT was a great day! We also have another miracle of meeting our friend Joe the night before conference. He is SO prepared as well! Taught the restoration - he ate it up. said he has been praying to know what is right and felt like this all made sense. He came to conference with us! Said it answered a lot of his questions and then taught him the plan of salvation which he loved as well! We are meeting him again tonight! It is so neat how god is preparing people. And how just 5 seconds changes someones eternity! Just stopping to talk to him for just a little bit has changed everything for him now! ITs just so great to be a missionary and I really recognise the value of using every minute I can! You send the quote over one time mom but the idea that just a single phrase of testimony can affect someone for eternity. Just 5 seconds can do that! OH its so great to be apart of something so important. 

And You got sumans video! Isn't he the best! He has been trying to figure out how to send that over! I dont have his email... but if you go on Facebook you can message him that way and he will see it for sure! If not I will go and try and get it! But im so glad you got it!! 

 I got a cute email from Emma Carver last week! It will be weird going home and having everyone get bigger. It is funny how being here you just feel like time stops for all of you..And I got a cute birthday card from Greg and Jess! Will you tell them thank you! It made my day! Gregs comments were so funny... Goodness. I
think he was trying to sound English? But yeah tell them I love them!!

And wanna hear a crazy story? We were emailing and got a call from a
guy sister steed met on exchange. He wanted to meet and learn more so
we ran down and met him - he wants to be baptised - wanted to know if
our church did that. OH DO WE EVER! So we taught the RESTO and he is
now on date for the 29th! HOW AMAZING IS THAT? Oh Peckham is just on
fire. Heavenly father is so kind.

Also transfers are the 18th... Ahh!! I'm so nervous! I, hoping I will
stay! I would LOVE to stay with sister steed. Elder Rivera is an AP
and I was trying to get it out of him... We will see though! I would
love to finish in Peckham.

But oh i just love all of you! I love the pictures and your emails! They help me so much. So so much. So grateful for your support and encouragement and help! IT really is the biggest motivator for me. I couldn't do it without you. 

Miss you so much. Grateful for this time to be here but can't wait for the biggest hugs!! Have the best week!!

I Love you! 

Sister Gwilliam