BEST WEEK!

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> OH MY GOODNESS!! This week has been crazy - so good and busy but this upcoming week is like the greatest ever. SO first off, update with Suman - he is doing SO much better! I was freaking out a little bit last week and just questioning what had happened and really second guessing myself if we had pushed him too fast BUT after preparation day we stopped by the chapel for a minute and got wifi and saw we had message through facebook from Suman! All while we were teaching him he had said he always had a "big sin" that he just wanted relief from. Well apparently he had fallen back into it and becuase of that he didn't feel worthy to come to church and felt like he had let us down and becuase of that wanted his 2 month break... OH I WAS SO RELIEVED!! Sweet suman had just made a little mistake but he was fine- he still had a testimony but was just going through some of the problems that RC face! Oh we were so happy to finally understand what the heck had happened. SO this week has been a lot better - his fellowshippers in the ward are AWESOME and have been with him and helping him - he came to church on sunday - and even gave us some indian pudding. Ha so suman is back and we are so happy!
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> BUT also great things - so yesterday we had MLC. I love MLC so much. BUT it was even better in that morning president said they had a fun suprise for us... and we all jumped in cars and they took us to Box Hill. We all went up to the top of this hill that had the most BEAUTIFUL view over one of the cute little towns. We were up there for most of the morning - president talked about england, the history of the place and the people and stories of the early missionaries that have served here. (President Gubler reminds me of Elder Holland when he speaks - he is just so intense and so passionate you just cant HELP but just want to be better) but it was so great. I just sat there listening to all of the stories and felt so privileged to be here. SO blessed to be a missionary in England with all of its history and the legacy of people that have served here before me. It really sunk in what you both said as well - I only have 4 months left. ONLY 4 to get to serve in this incredible place. It was really neat for me to have this moment of just realizing how precious and short time is and just wanting to give it my very best. It was incredible though- when we all come back I will take you there! I was thinking while we were sitting up there how much you both would love it. I will send pictures but we will definitely have to go in person someday - so much better!
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> So yesterday was incredible, today we have preparation day, tomorrow is normal but then on friday... drum roll please... WE GET TO GO TO PRESIDENTS HOUSE!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!!! Dad, i Know you asked about this a couple months ago. I have NEVER been to presidents house and have always DREAMED of going there. Our silly zone leaders would always call after they went just telling us how wonderful it was and how great sister gublers cooking was and all this silliness to just wind us up. I have always just wanted to go!!! And we got an email last weekend that along with MLC this week we are also having Zone Leadership training with president and sister gubler at their home! I nearly cried. So on friday we get to travel to their cute little home and be with a few other missionaries and from 9-4 I just get to soak up EVERYTHING they say! We are talking about member work, how to extend commitments, better plan, how to be better leaders - just GOLDEN stuff that is going to help the sisters I work with but mostly me to be a better example. I am just giddy at the thought of it. SO that is just the most exciting. I always joked I wouldn't leave until I had made it there but was getting worried with time getting shorter SO im so grateful that it is happening! DREAM COME TRUE! So yes, can't wait to tell you about it next week! :)
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> Then on sunday as well the stake is having a fireside about missionary work where president and sister gubler are going to be to answer questions as well as a couple RMs and then they have asked that Sister Steed and I be on the panel to answer questions from a current missionary point of view. HOW FUN IS THAT? So not only presidents house on friday but then getting to hang out with them again sunday night. OH its just the best! So super fun and exciting week over here in England. Plus the weather is still incredible - it was the highest temperature they have had in 50 years yesterday - crazy hot. BUT its is beautiful! All i need is all of you over here with me and then things would be perfect! :)
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> Things are going really well with the work as well! We are working with great people. OH i LOVE the Africans - just people here in Peckham. They are truly so wonderful and loving and open and yeah. its the best. I hope i get to finish my mission here. BUT a couple weeks ago we met this woman for maybe 5 seconds on the street - we saw she had a family so we just ran over and told her we had something that could bless her family and asked if we could come back on wednesday to share it with her family (president is encouraging us to keep contacts short and on their level and then setting a return to teach the family in their home) So she gave us her address and we went back - her name is Zasha and she has the cutest 4 little kids. We have started teaching her and it is INCREDIBLE! She is reading and praying and feels peace about the book of mormon. We committed her to baptism on the 8th of october and she told us the last lesson that she was telling her 12 year old son how we were coming over and she was going to get baptised again and he said that he wanted to be baptised as well with her - BINGO! So we are going back tonight to meet with all of her kids and start working on getting them both ready for the 8th! Its so great. We are also working with a self referral named Kwame from ghana. He is the best. It just makes sense to him and he wants it for his family. Things in the work are just going really well. Its so fun to be a missionary!
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> Funny story about Zasha though... we have been teaching her while her 3 oldest kids have been at school but she has a little 1 year old boy that is still there. THis crazy energetic little boy. So we are teaching her trying to stay focused and durring the first lesson we were talking about joseph smith and that authority and she had concerns about already being baptised before - so we start talking about that authority and the need to be baptised and while I am trying to explain her little boy walks behind me on the couch and starts playing with my hair - which then turns into TUGGING on my hair. Im doing my best to stay focused and help her understand while this little crazy boy is just having a blast pulling all my hair out. SO not only has tyse prepared me when I was here last year with the naked man BUT also with this little boy. Thanks to tyse I have a head of steel and was able to focus enough to resolve the concern and get her on date! ;) Haha joking aside it was great. And I recognise that it was not me at all - so grateful that the spirit was there and able to touch her heart into knowing that it was somehting that was true.
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> Something else that I have really noticed serving here is how god is preparing people for the gospel! I remember always reading in PMG and DandC where it says that people are kept from the truth only becuase they dont know where to find it. I have seen how true that is serving here. Almost everyone we have talked to lately understands the apostacy - majority of the africans that we talk to that dont go to church dont go becuase they recognise that what they are being taught is not what christ taught - that it had been changed. Or that the church is all about the aspect of getting money or gain - not about the doctrine. It has been so cool that as we have talked to these people and taught about the apostacy after christ they completly agree - its what they believed already - and then how neat it is to be able to talk about the restoration. THat god again has called a prophet so that we dont have to have this confusion and that correct church is back today. It makes sense to them. It is what they have been looking for but just didn't have it until now. I really have seen how true that promise is. I know that God is preparing people but we just have to find them and give them the truth! Its so fun!
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> BIGGEST HIGHLIGHT OF THIS INCREDIBLE WEEK THOUGH is..... yesterday at MLC we got mail which means I GOT THE CUTEST PICTURE BOOK!!!!!! AHHH MOM!!!! THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! Oh i LOVE it! I have looked through it so many times and just smile the whole way through it. oh thank you so much! I truly love it so much. One of the best gift I have ever been given. it is the cutest thing. Oh thank you! So so grateful for our family. OH and just how you put it all together with it leading up to our missions and then ending with the PIllows! AH the CUTEST! So so grateful! Thank you!! Even with all of the exciting things going on this week that definitely tops them all. I love it so much!!!!
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> Another fun thing with MLC is I get all of the post from ROB! Remember Rob? He was the one baptised in Aldershot. Well Rob is just the BEST still. So active and loves the gospel and the temple and everything and he is the best to keep in touch with me. Its so fun. I always get pictures and long letter updating me on his life. OH he is the best! But i have the biggest favor of you - and hopefully you will like it as well! BUT will you go onto Face Book and add him! Rob is so great and I always get letters and even now that we are on Facebook he will message me but with the rules I am not supposed to message him back - only letters. And letters are supposed to be infrequent and sent through the temple. So they dont get to him very often and - I love her so much - but sweet sister S has just been emailing him and messaging him back on facebook which we just aren't supposed to do. I am not here to judge her but I just really dont want rob thinking that I care for him any less becuase I dont repsond back. I just need to be obedient. SO I had this brilliant idea that you should add him and message him for me! :) Haha! He is SO great and he would be so happy if he were to get to hear from you. He knows all about you all! It would mean a lot to him and it might be fun for you to get to talk to him too! Hes the best and loves me and sister stephenson... so hopefully he would have good things to say! :) who can blame him though, right? ;) If you would for joy as well too I would really appreciate it as well... sweet joy emails me too but now that I am not in that area Im not supposed to respond BUT another missionary does still so same problem. if you would just message her I say hi that would be the best. She helped so so much at one of the hardest times of my mission so I dont want her to think I love her any less for not being able to respond. So THANK YOU! Even grandma warner can add rob! He would LOVE getting to chat with her!
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> And before I forget here is my address. - you should google map it and see what it is like! :)
> Flat 6 33 Westmoreland Rd
London, E SUSX
SE17 2BT
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> I loved that the missionaries are asking for freinds. Tell them Im sorry I dont have anyone coming off the top of my head BUT i will think about it for sure and get back to them!
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> I also LOVED your question on Faith over fear mom. This is something that has been HUGE for me on my mission. I really struggled for a long time about worrying about things (which is funny becuase I dont feel like I was a worrier before at all!) But i came out here and did - worried about the numbers, the people, ALL OF YOU BACK HOME - a lot, just loads of things. I talked to president about it a lot too. BUT i feel like It finally clicked when you sent over the quote that said something along the lines of "worrying about tomorrow doesn't change anything but take away todays peace." I realised as well as I read through the book of mormon that god works ACCORDING TO OUR FAITH. You read it Over and over and over. That when people believed in good things to come or trusted it would work out - it did according to that faith. I saw in my life how I was worried so much becuase I just wasn't trusting him. I was focusing on the negative and the "what ifs" - letting fear creep in. INstead of just choosing to believe that it would all be okay. I saw when I switched that mindset everything changed for me. When fear would creep in I would stop and force myself to choose faith - I would replace the thought with just saying that it is in the lords hands. As i did that the fear really was replaced with faith and I was SO much happier and just able to move on stronger. I know that god works with that faith and that we see miracles becuase of it - one of those being that we dont have to have fear and that we can have peace no matter what is going on. HOpefully that has helped a little bit! Send back both of your thoughts too! i love them!
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> This email is just the BEST ISNT IT! Oh it so long. I just love you both! I take about an hour to email you and then loads of time for ky and then linds as well! Its the best! BUT one last thing - super weird but my neck behind my ears is hurting super bad. Like when you get a check up and the doctor feels your throat area and asks if it hurts anywhere - hopefully that makes sense - but its hurting me really bad. Like taking my meds to help! :) I dont know ifyou know what that is? Or if grandpa gwilliam would being the dentist. But its just annoying. I feel like there is a really hard ball on the one side too - like a hard lump behind my left ear thats really painful. I dont know. I dont want to be weird and having to go to the doctor again... so if you know of any ideas to help that owuld be GREAT!!! Hoepfully it will just pass. BUT KEG on the other hand. FLIPPIN HECK! Tell karri to call the mission home and get him help! He is so wonderful and focused but he needs to be healthy. Im sure his mission presidents wife would have a fit if she realised that was going on and she didn't know. The lord needs his missionaries but he needs them to be healthy - not running faster than they have strength. PRaying for him though! And ky seems to be doing so well! i will send over his email again!
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> BUT OH i just love you!! SO SO MUCH!! HOpe you have the GREATEST week and I can't wait to update you on everything next week! iT is a highlight for sure! jsut so grateful for your love and support adn for heavenly father keeping you all safe!
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> I LOVE YOU!!!!!
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> Sister GWilliam