Week 3

FAMILY!

I  love you all so much! And so grateful to finally get to write to you! I feel like its been forever with not really having a Pday on Wednesday so I am so grateful to hear from you!!! Oh i just love you all. 

First off my trainers name is Sister Barnes. She is from Wyoming and has been out 15 months so after our 3 months of training together she will go home. BUT I LOVE HER! I can't even begin to thank my Heavenly Father enough for letting us work together. We just get along really well already! She is so funny and just so optimistic! She also works SO hard! I didn't really understand the idea of talking to everyone until I was with her! She will stop people ALL around her and make sure they listen! There are even times when they will start walking away and so she just follows! :) Oh it is so funny but such a good example. I am so grateful for her and her love and patience and example that this is hard work but it is meant to be fun as well! Our first area is Peckham... AKA LONDON! Oh its craziness. Everyone came up to me after we had been assigned and told me how amazing it is but the advice of it all was "work hard and don't get stabbed" :) Haha! I realized really quickly after getting here that what I had pictured London to be like was COMPLETELY different. A lot of times we'll joke that we thought we were called to London.. not Africa or South America or China! (Monkey's anyone ;) ) It is so diverse! And two white girls from America who don't stop smiling and talk to everyone STICK OUT. Its funny to see the looks we get. But another exciting thing is we are pink washing the area (white washing but with sister missionaries.) It is amazing the trust that we have been given but it has also been pretty crazy! Just with me not having ANY idea of what I am doing - Sister Barnes doesn't really either! So we're learning together. The past couple of days we have just spent trying to understand how all the buses work and where the members live/who they are as well as get a teaching pool going. We realized pretty quick that we didn't really have any progressing investigators so we've spent a lot of time just contacting and talking to as many people as we can. Its a little overwhelming for sure. BUT I've decided that overwhelming is okay because it has just made me realize even more that I can't do it on my own! I NEED Heavenly Fathers help. So I'm definitely just trying to adjust to everything. The missionary life as well as the culture of this place. Its made me really appreciate Utah! I love Utah. LOVE IT. But I know I will learn to love these people and the culture they have as well! :) 

A funny story - After meeting my trainer and getting to Peckham the Elders took us to our flat and we had to run out to get to our teaching appointment that was in just a couple minutes. Sister Barnes and I ran out of the flat to the doors that would let us out. They were the doors you have to push a button so it would unlock and open. So we stood there forever just pushing this button over and over but the door wasn't open! We panicked and ran back into the flat seeing if there was another way we could get out but couldn't find one and then ran to neighbors and asked if they knew how to get out. They kept telling us to just push the button. So we went back and both of us just kept pushing it and pushing it until a man walked up from behind us, gave us a confused look, and opened the door. Apparently the button just unlocks it but doesn't automatically open. Ha we just laughed and laughed as we had just spent 10 minutes trying to get out of the flat. Ha that story pretty much sums up the past 3 days. We're definitely trying to figure things out - including how to get out of our flat! :) 

With steps too - Sister Barnes and I are averaging around 12,000 a day. I wish it was less because that would mean we were sitting down and teaching lessons! But we're averaging those in the POURING RAIN. On Friday is DUMPED. We were both Soaking wet. A sweet member let us in and gave us hot chocolate which was so nice but it was so nice to get back and be in dry clothes. Mom - SO GLAD we got that rain jacket before. I've worn it almost everyday! 

And Dad! Not only is England great because I don't use the sleep meds... BUT guess what? Apparently it is really offensive to pop your fingers in public. They HATE it and its a sign of disrespect! SO no popping fingers for me anymore too. When I found that out I just laughed, You would love it here! ;) 

But I have the new address to my flat! It is

 #9 Steedman Street Unit G09 

London, LND SE17 3AF

PLEASE continue to send letters! I LOVE THEM! Dad sent one this last week and i am so grateful! helped so much when I needed some comfort after all the craziness! So Dad to answer your question, I would love letters as well as e-mails please!:) With the letters though send them to the address above for the next 3 months! The other address works as well but I will only get the things sent there on transfer days - I'm pretty sure. But if theyre sent to that address I can get them as soon as they get here! :)

I love you all so much though! I am SO GRATEFUL to know that families are forever and that I have all of your love and support! I am so grateful for the knowledge that I have! There are MILLIONS of people that pass me everyday that don't know the truths that bring so much PEACE AND HAPPINESS. This gospel changes lives and I am grateful for this chance to share it everyday! It truly is such a blessing and I am honored to have this call!

Please keep me updated on everything! And wake up soon and e-mail me back! I have 2 hours of e-mail time so I'll be here for at least another hour! I LOVE YOU!!! Keeping you all in my prayers and working my hardest everyday so that you are blessed at home! 

Love you!

Sister Gwilliam