How are you all? It sounds like you have had the greatest week with school starting and then having the blessing of having Grandma and Gramps and Scotty there! I love it when they come and visit! Plus getting to spend so much time with family with Andrew coming home! I can't even believe he is already home. It sounds like he is having a hard time getting into the being home thing but when Elder Holland came (Sister Barnes told me this) he reminded all the missionaries that we do not go home to "normal" life! That what we do as missionaries is what should be normal! I know there is an extent to where things are different as there are other distractions but the idea of always focusing on the Savior and doing everything to serve him is what is normal. It is why we are here on earth! So tell him not to loose that focus! :)
BUT this week has been craziness. I swear every week is crazy in good old London but this one especially!
At the beginning of the week things were great! We had a lot of solid progressing investigators that were doing GREAT! We taught a lesson on Tuesday to a man named Chris. Christ had actually come up to us (I think it might have just been because it was a Pday and we always look better on Pdays PLUS we smiled at him - because as missionaries we smile at everyone! :) ) BUT anyways we had a lesson with him! It was one of the highlights of my mission though so far because I feel like I really was teaching with the spirit! It was one of those lessons where I don't even remember exactly what I said, things just came to my mind and I just opened my mouth - let the spirit guide the rest! The lesson went COMPLETELY different than we had planned too! OH i just think about it again and love it. We just were able to teach to what he needed, without me panicking to hit the points we had planned on. Chris wasn't as much interested once he realized we were there only to talk to him about church but it was still an incredible experience that I'll remember! I'm working hard to have that happen EVERY lesson!
Another fun thing from this week is we got another Sister! The spanish speaking sisters we live with are now in a tri! So no longer are we the only 4 sister flat but we are a 5 sister flat! Its a party! I really do love them all! But GUESS WHAT? Grandpa Gwilliam will die, she is strait from NORWAY!! Her name is Sister Fromgren. As soon as I found that out I just got all excited and thought about how I knew how to say "cheese" in her language thanks to grandpa! :) She is great though and its so fun to not be the youngest anymore! Its been fun to see how much I've grown too. I just remember being in her spot - so nervous and feeling a little lost and homesick - and seeing the contrast of only a month! Even a member last night at dinner was telling me how I wasn't a greenie anymore! Even though I definitely am I feel like since being with her I see how much I have grown already - which is always good! Can't wait to see how much I've learned after being here 18 months! :)
This week was also fun because we had a lot of fun Dinner Appointments with Africans in the ward. On wednesday night we had phu phu. I think thats how you would spell it... or Fu Fu? Haha I don't know. But anways, its like SUPER dense mashed potatoes that you dip in this SUPER HOT sauce. Like i'm pretty sure it was strait mashed up peppers and oil. Haha! I feel like I can handle it pretty well but Sister Barnes really struggles with spicy things! It was so funny to watch us both try and get it down. On Friday we went to another African ladies home, Sister Aidoo. We were expecting it to be the same type of thing and when we got there she said she had made spaghetti! We both were excited because spaghetti is a piece of cake but the sauce she put on it was the hottest thing I think I have ever tasted. haha! Africans definitely like their foods spicy! So its been fun! :) We also have had friend plantains and beans. Another African dish. It was interesting... but so fun to try these different things! The culture here is definitely NOT what I expected when I got my call to London South but I LOVE it! :)
On Thursday things kinda just blew up! All of our progressing investigators called us or texted us saying that they had decided that the church wasn't for them! WHAT THE HECK? We had met with both investigators just days before and had both felt like we had solid lessons with them so it was hard! So in hopes of saving on of them on friday we took one of the investigators to the Temple in hopes that he would be able to feel of the spirit there and realize that he needed the gospel. It ended up being a flop. It was SO FUN to see the temple and be on the grounds but silly Frankie wasn't in the right mindset to feel anything. He keeps telling us that he knows it is true, and I really believe that he does, but he doesn't want to change his lifestyle for the commandments. UHG! So hopefully after some time he will realize that he needs the gospel and to be baptized but right now we are letting both of the investigators think things through and focusing our efforts on finding those who are prepared! :)
On Sunday I gave my first talk in Sacrament meeting! BLEW them all away! :) It was on " As I have loved you, love one another" and oh my goodness I loved it! I LOVED getting to focus throughout the week on how much the Savior has shown his love for us! I could go on and on and on with all the ways that he has blessed us and loved us by what he did when he was on earth but also what he continues to do everyday. I just love him so much! I LOVE MY SAVIOR! And I am SO grateful to be able to talk to everyone about him everyday. OH I just love this gospel so much and am so grateful to be a missionary! It truly is the greatest blessing! KY be SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!! It is the biggest blessing and privilege and honestly SO much fun! Sister Barnes is still the very best and I just love her with all of my heart!
Next weeks is the end of the transfer! CRAZY RIGHT? I've been here a whole transfer! AND crazy fact - this next transfer 28 missionaries are coming into the mission! BOOYA!!!! Our mission is going to see miracles I just know it! But with that our Pday is next wednesday, not monday! So don't cry when you don't see an e-mail from me until wednesday!:) but I have my Ipad and can check e-mails anytime I have WiFi so they can load SOOOO I would LOVE it if you would send some or even pictures throughout the week!! Then I can see them and love them! Sister Barnes and I were finally able to watch kyles wisdom teeth videos this week and oh my goodess. they were so funny. We have watched them multiple times and their saved to my Ipad now so that anytime we are having a rough time we can just watch them! but YES! Please send e-mails and pictures often! :)
I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!! Hope everything is still going great at home! I love you all and keep you in my prayers everyday!!!!
Keep me updated on everything!
LOVE YOU!
Sister Gwilliam
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