AM I IN CANADA?

This week I was able to experience different cultures!! I love Canada for that reason. :)

Through out this week I was able to have authentic Brazilian and Filipino food! From Brazil we had crepes, but these weren't just any crepes. They were the most delicious crepes I have ever had!! They were made just like an enchilada but with a crepe.. It was so delicious!! I probably could have eaten 12! But I just had two instead ;) Then on Saturday we attended a full blown Filipino party!! There was so much fish I couldn't believe it!! They cooked it right over a fire and in banana leaves! Yummy!! I had my very first Sardine on Saturday, and it wasn't too bad. Filipinos are some of the nicest people I have ever met!! They are so friendly and treat you like family. I love being able to enjoy all walks of life while being here in Canada.

So in honor of Pioneer day on the 24th Sister Christenson and I decided we were going to walk all day and not use our car once! Which is partially because we are running out of K's (kilometers) But it was so fun. We sang pioneer songs and worked real hard just like the pioneers!!

We also have been listening to Christmas music all week. I am so grateful that I have a companion who enjoys Christmas just as much as I do! I have no objections to having Christmas in July :)

Sunday is the miracle day!! Literally!! We had another person randomly show up at church again this week!! It was a young man that we met as we were walking home last week. We invited him to come to church and meet with the YSA missionaries. As we walked into Sacrament yesterday morning he was standing at the door. We were able to talk with him and explain church to him. He stayed the whole 3 hours!! Neat eh? I gave him a Book of Mormon and he told me that he would read it and then give it back to me. I ensured him that it was free and to keep it. I really think he will read it. He is awesome!! This area is so prepared! All we have to do is live worthy to be able to have these prepared people put in our paths!!

Love,
Sister Gillins

HERE IS MY NEW ADDRESS:
                                       3-11 SECORD AVE.
                                       KITCHENER, ON
                                       N2B 2L3
                                       CANADA

(P.S. - family and peeps....I ATE THE FISH!)

      I got fish bones stuck in my throat though... icky.

THE MILK FISH

THE BIGGEST SARDINE EVER!

Sometimes while we tract we get caught in the rain.
(DON'T WE LOOK LIKE BLOOD SISTERS?...CRAZY) 

Kitchener-Waterloo

Isn’t that so fun to say? Kitchener-WATERLOO. Hehe, I love it so much. :) I love it here! It is so pretty. It is different from London. London had a lot of high apartment buildings. Where I am now it is more residential with lots of families :) The people here are super kind too!! It is a wonderful place to be. The ward is so wonderful and love missionary work! I can’t wait to be able to help them in it!

I love Sister Christenson!! She is so adorable and has such a sweet loving spirit. She is a hard working missionary too!! We look pretty similar, so a lot of people are going to think that we are literal sisters and that is alright with me, cause she is gorgeous!

The first week of transfers can always be a little rough. But it has been fun being able to get to know the area and the people. We were able to see some miracles this week! Our appointments here don’t fall through as much as ours did in London, so that is really nice. But one almost fell through.. That was an adventure!! We have an investigator who is Muslim and speaks Farsi. Her English is actually really good, but her mom does not speak a lick of English. So we set up a time for them to Skype with the Farsi missionaries. Our investigator was about 40 minutes late... But it all ended up working fine! We were able to get hold of the Farsi missionaries and they were all able to chat. She really enjoyed it and it looked like her mom did too. I love how much technology can help us in this work!! It truly is a blessing!!

This Sunday we also got a new investigator. She just kind of randomly showed up to church. She was participating in all of the classes so we thought that she was someone who was just visiting. But at the end of the lesson she stood up and asked if we would allow her to come back. The cute R.S. sisters were like… of course and gave her a book and everything! Sister Christenson and I set up a time to meet with her next week and I am so excited!!

(I sent some goodbye pictures from London....I wish I could have got pictures with everyone)

 Love yous!!

-Sister Gillins

The Pallidinos! One of my favorite families!!
They are from Italy and have 8 children!

I know I look icky...
But I love Xochitl so much that I just have to send this picture!!

 I love sister Barker with all my heart! She has a heart of a 14 year old!

TRANSFERS !

I’m leaving my home!!!! My birthplace! I am going to miss London like crazy!!! I have grown so close to the people here. This ward has been so amazing to me and the people here are so kind. But I know that the Lord wants me in Kitchener Waterloo. I am so excited to be able to start this new adventure!!

I am going to miss Sister Wanlass!! This transfer blew by so fast! She is amazing in every sort of way!! She makes grey skies go away!! I know that she will be the best Sister Training Leader ever!!!

So, Sister Wanlass and I decided that we take too long in the mornings to get ready, but we still wanted our hair cute. So we bought sponge curlers!! It is like old times! We looked so beautiful after and when we woke up in the mornings our head aches were not too bad ;)  (see the pictures..haha)

We were able to meet our new President this week and his wife, our mission mom. They are amazing people and you can feel their love. Even though neither of them have a personal relationship with us they still love us so much. I can’t wait to learn all I can from them.

We have some amazing investigators here in London that I am so sad to leave!! Xochitl is amazing. She cooked lunch for us this week and she is an amazing chef!! She has the sweetest smile and spirit that can make anyone’s day better. We also have a new investigator named Kevin who loves the Lord so much. His testimony makes mine grow! It is amazing how much you can learn from your investigators. You learn so much from everyone you meet!! Missions are the best places to be!! You are learning so much spiritually but it is also preparing you for your life.

I have learned so much about listening to the Spirit. There are so many things you have to do on missions that take you out of your comfort zone or things you don’t want to do. But, if the Lord commands it, then it is important!! It is so important to do as the Spirit says, because missionary work without the Spirit is dead!! And if you’re not going to listen to the spirit he’s just going to stop talking to you. I know the Lord will find a way to make all things possible if it is His will. We just need to trust in what he says!!



Love,
Sister Gillins

"BURYING OUR WEAPONS OF WAR"

SAD...WE ARE ALWAYS LOST

CURLERS..AND MORE CURLERS!

GOOD OLE' LONDON SIGN....
I'M GOING TO MISS YOU !

                                     

O' Canada! 'Merica!

I LOVE CANADA! But I still love America.. But I am not there at the moment. Canada Day was fun! To celebrate we went out for lunch and I had breakfast poutine :) Real Canadian eh?!

Poutine is a mind-boggling combination of french fries, cheese curds and gravy. A Canadian invention!

Breakfast Poutine is usually substituted with hollandaise as the ‘gravy’ and only breakfast ingredients. Basically an “American Skillet” dish you can find at any good ole’ Denny’s or Village Inn!

We had so much fun! We got to talk to lots of people cause everyone was out. Towards the end of the night guess who we ran into? More drunks! I love drunks! :) At first they were making fun of us, but then I told them that some day we will all be able to live again in perfect resurrected bodies. That got their attention ;) It was so cool to testify to them about how I know that through the atonement of Jesus Christ we can all live again. The best part I think was that they were actually listening! I know that they were drunk and I’m not sure how much they truly soaked in.. but I like to believe they were able to feel something.

We celebrated the 4th of July in style! We wore red, white and blue. :) And we sang the National Anthem for companionship study. Haha…awesome right?! But that is as much as we did to celebrate the 4th.

We have an amazing investigator named Xotchil! She reminds me of Xotchil from back home. She is so cute!! She is so willing to learn. She understands so much. The Spirit is so strong when ever we are able to meet with her. I love her to death!!

Advice: I know it is hard to give our will to Heavenly Father. But he can do so much more for us when we do :) watch the Mormon Message about the “Currant Bush.”

love,

Sister Gillins

PS- pictures coming....