Monday, August 25, 2014

White Wash? Training? YSA?

This week was awesome!! We were so busy this week that we hardly had time to talk to people on the street or go tracting! It was crazy! But I enjoyed every minute of it. We were able to meet with some amazing people this week. The Lord truly does prepare the hearts of His children. We have had some amazing lessons. I have noticed the more sincere you are in your lessons, the stronger the spirit is. I love this story that Brigham Young gives. It is found in Preach my Gospel.
Brigham Young was not baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints during the first year of his learning about the restored gospel. But of his conversion he said: “If all the talent, tact, wisdom, and refinement of the world had been sent to me with the Book of Mormon, and had declared, in the most exalted of earthly eloquence, the truth of it, undertaking to prove it by learning and worldly wisdom, they would have been to me like smoke which arises only to vanish away. But when I saw a man without eloquence or talents for public speaking, who could only say, ‘I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of the Lord,’ the Holy Ghost proceeding from that individual illuminated my understanding, and a light, glory, and immortality were before me. I was encircled by them, filled with them, and I knew for myself that the testimony of the man was true” (in Journal of Discourses, 1:90).
We don’t have to know everything, we don’t have to even talk well, we just need to have the spirit with us when we teach, because that is what converts the people you meet.


Now let’s talk about food. This week we went to a sushi buffet and had squid... yummy :) And I also had my first taste of poutine!! I probably gained 10 pounds eating poutine. But it sure was yummy!! :)

The weather here is like weather in Utah. It is really cold then bam! A hour later you are sweating buckets!! No big deal. I layer up and layer down about 3 times a day. :)

Okay, now the exciting news! I am being transfered! I am white wash training in Churchville YSA! That means I am going into a new area, while training a new missionary and teaching young single adults.. Scary! But so exciting!! It will be an adventure. I am so awkward around YSA people. This is going to be the best! Wish me luck and hope that my new missionary and I don’t die!!

Love,
Sister Gillins

FIRST TIME TRYING SQUID...YUMMM!

It's a wonderful day in Kitchener-Waterloo!

left overs are the best



Monday, August 18, 2014

The Bee who didn’t like me…..

All the bugs in the world were against me this weekend!

It all started with a bee..
Sister Christenson and I went for a run for our morning work out, I was feeling good! I had a lot of energy!! (Which is rare for Sister Gillins in the morning..) Then I felt a sharp pain in my leg, I looked down and there was a bee. I kept running thinking the bee would just fly off, but no. The pain got worse. I didn’t want to touch the thing, so Sister Christenson took the keys and tried to flick it off. That little booger held on for his life! Stinkin' bees... I forgot how painful hornet stings are. The pain doesn’t last for just a few minutes, but all day!
Then yesterday as we were contacting, nats were flying in my mouth and eyes and ruining my conversation! Also, as we were walking home last night a bug bit me! I need some bug spray or something.. cause this is ridiculous!

On the other hand, I was able to meet more of the ward members this week and was able to really get to know them. I love being able to really get to talk to people and hear about their lives and how the gospel has blessed them. We have an amazing ward here and it has such a sweet spirit! I love them :)

A few days ago as we were out contacting we came across some people who were moving a table. We asked if we could help and the man said that he had it. But then a lady came out and asked us what we were doing. We told her that we are missionaries and sharing a message about Christ and how He can bless our lives and that we were also offering service. Ends up that she is a long lost Less- Active. She allowed us to come in and help her. She told us more about her life. She is a single mom and was just getting new furinture. She allowed us to come back. She is awesome!! It was a miracle that we found her! That is what I love about missions,… being able to see the little miracles that happen everyday!

Love,

Sister Gillins 

Its been so cold in our apartment..
 we can't help but bundle up during studies. 

Sister Christenson made me cut her hair.
 I'm not too bad at it either!

Monday, August 11, 2014

How many Missionaries does it take?!

How many missionaries do you think it takes to break into a car? The answer is 0. Friday evening as Sister Christenson and I were going to a dinner appointment we locked our keys in the car.. oops. So, we called the Zone Leaders and our District Leader. They thought they would be able to get the keys out by themselves.. So here we are, on the side of the road. 6 missionaries dressed in church clothes trying to break into a car. What a site to see! None of us were able to get into the car.. so, we ended up having to call road side service. An hour later a nice man came to unlock our car. I was holding my Preach My Gospel and he’s like, "Praise Jesus!!" I was so confused on why that was the first thing he said to us, but then he pointed to my book. We all had a nice talk about how Jesus plays a role in our lives as he broke into our car. We gave him a mormon.org card and told him to check it out and he said he would. Let’s hope he meets missionaries again someday while not breaking into a car, so they can have a real gospel discussion.

I was able to mow the lawn for the first time in my life on Tuesday night!! We have this awesome member who knows how much I have wanted to mow the lawn,…so he left a portion of his yard uncut for me to mow. It was easy!! I don’t understand why people complain so much! I was able to do it in a skirt! Now that was a site to see as well!

This last Friday we had Zone Training. It was amazing!! One of the most spiritual uplifting ones I have gone too.
We talked about a talk given by Randy D. Funk called "Called of Him to Declare His Word." As a missionary you are truly called by God to declare His word. We may not go to a special school to share the gospel, we may not have the best vocabulary or even speak or understand the language very well, but we do have something special. We have a member of the God Head with us. The Holy Ghost is always with us and that is what converts people. I know I may not have many talents. I may not be able to play the piano, or sing, or play sports. But I know that the Lord knows my talents and how to use them. When we give our all over to the Lord, He can use us and shape us better than we would have ever thought possible.

OH! Quick story. On Saturday night as we were out contacting and cute boy on a bike road up to us and gave us a paper and told us that it was the good word of God. He then went on to talk about Christ and how it is only through Christ that we may be saved. He bore his testimony to us. He was so cute! He was 15 and from the Baptist church. Now, if a 15 year old boy can go around by himself talking about God, why is it so hard for us to talk with our friends about our beliefs? I don’t know either. We should all take his example and never be afraid to share what we love and cherish.
The End.

I love yous all!!
(ps: yous is a Canadian thing)
Sister Gillins

 
I think Nike's and skirts go very well together :) 

 0 out of 6 missionaries could break into our car.

                                         

Tuesday, August 5, 2014

Civic Holiday

So preparation day was switched to Tuesday this week because of the Civic Holiday. People don’t really celebrate anything on this holiday, but people do have work off, so there was a lot of people out on the streets yesterday :) Slowly but surely I am feeling more comfortable with talking to people on the street. It still is awkward.. most of the time it is awkward, but it is so worth it. Because why would I let someone go by with out hearing about this great message?!

So Elder DeWaal is in my zone! Or.. at least was, he may have been transfered out. (He was with two missionaries who are going home this week) But small world eh? Two kids from small town Herriman being in the same area in Canada?! It was awesome!!

I have been trying to find a good sushi place here... I can’t find anything! Well, there are some Sushi places, but they have been “all you can eat” and super expensive…I am trying to find just a cheap yummy place. I am craving Sushi!

I am so glad the boys went to EFY! I loved seeing the pictures the boys sent me of their “new friends”….especially the girls…..HAHA that is so funny!! it is weird seeing a boy and girl touch. That doesn’t happen in the mission field!
Hey I want you boys to know you are such  good brothers. You lighten everyone’s day. Don’t ever forget that.

 This week we had exchanges. Sister Felix came to Kitchener-Waterloo and I got to drive!! I haven’t been behind the wheel for more than 5 months! And that was strange! But it felt so great! I miss driving so much!! We had no appointments scheduled for that day, so it was a finding day!! Woohoo! I love finding with Sister Felix, it’s the best. The morning was so hot. We were sweating buckets by the time we came home for lunch! But when we went back out not even a half hour later did it start pouring!! It was like we were taking a shower!! The rain wouldn’t stop coming and no one would let us in! They just thought we were crazy people for tracting in the rain. But it was so fun!! We worked so hard and enjoyed doing it.

Something Sister Felix and I talked about is CPR. In the mission field CPR stands for Church Pray and Read. Just like CPR keeps you alive in the physical sense, CPR keeps your spirit alive. As a missionary I am always reading and praying and going to church every Sunday. But it is something I want to focus on a lot more. To make it more meaningful. Because when you make that your center focus, then you will be anchored on the rock of Christ. You will be able to grow closer to Him and Satan will not have power over you. No matter who you are, whether an investigator, new member or a long time member, we all need CPR to stay alive!!

Love yas!
Sister Gillins

Elder DeWaal and I! H-Town!! 

The Sister Training Leaders are usually late..
so we take pictures and wait :) 

Sometimes it down pours on exchanges.. :)