Monday, January 26, 2015

BIG BUNNY!

I got to hold the big bunny this week! :D Y'all will probably get a picture of me holding some kind of animal each week. That’s one of the greatest things here in Kingston. Everyone lets you hold there pets :) 
But we were finally able to meet our Recent Converts daughter! We have been trying for weeks to meet her!! And finally she came to a lesson! :) She and her mom are exactly alike! They are so funny!! They remind me a lot of my mom and me! They tease each other like sisters but love each other soooo much :) It made me miss my mommy lots.. But so grateful for her as well. Our Recent Convert is such a good example to her daughter. She teaches her the gospel and how to help people by living the gospel.  I am so grateful that my mommy taught me those things too. 

This week we also went and got some yummy poutine! :) Sooooo good. I am going to start my own poutine restaurant when I get home. I don’t understand why we don’t have this more down in the states.. weird. 

On Tuesday we had exchanges! Sooo fun! Sister Warburton came here to Kingston and it was so great. We had a ball contacting people on the street! We had some awkward contacts where I almost ran into someone while saying hi and what not.. We just laughed and laughed! We were also able to meet some amazing prepared people! :) We met someone who asked for a Book of Mormon online. I love being able to talk to people who actually want us there!  :) 

Our investigator who is preparing for baptism in the next couple weeks was able to attend a baptism and he loved it! After I asked what he thought and he’s like "I need a few minutes to think" and then a few minutes he came and told me that he knows this is the right church for him! :)  That he loves how we are all different but we can all come to church every week and just worship God together. He loves the feeling of coming to church. Such a testimony builder for me! I know that everything he said is true! I love the Gospel just as much as he does!! :)  

I love you all. Thank you for all your prayers! 
-Sister Gillins 



BIG FLUFFY BUNNY


POUTINE



Monday, January 19, 2015

Elder Oaks

OH MY GOODNESS! I shook hands with Elder Oaks! He is about the nicest man I have ever met! He was late getting to our conference, so he didn’t have very long to talk, but the spirit was so strong while he did!! The one thing that stood out to me was that he kept saying that this isn’t your mission,… it’s Gods. And that is so true. When I focus on MY mission things don’t really work out. But when I put God first and make it His mission, things just seem to fall into place :) 

I also got to see Sister Lindquist at the meeting!! WooHoo!! BFF'S back together! Who would have thought I would see her again in Canada? Not me!! :) So it was fun to reconnect and share stories! :) The Mission President allowed us to go out to eat with whoever we wanted and wherever we wanted….So, of course Sister Lindquist and I grabbed our companions and ran together…for some yummy PIZZA! She is loving her mission…and I am so happy about that.

Remember our investigator from China?! Well he wants to be baptized!! We have been really focusing on using the pamphlets to teach and he loves it! He goes home and reads them and comes back with great questions! Last time he brought up the Holy Ghost and how great it feels! Sister Leeson then testified that he can always have that feeling after he is baptized. He then asked when he could be baptized! WooHoo! Talk about prepared! :) He came to church yesterday and loved it! I am so excited to continue to keep teaching him! :) He picks up on so much! 

We also had another cool event! We were calling media referrals from the past year and we called one who had asked for a book of Mormon. He said that a missionary had already given him one but thanks! Well I continued and asked if he had any questions we could answer. He paused and said, you know what, can we sit down and talk! In my mind I’m like HECK YES!! Long story short we are meeting him tomorrow! I’m super excited!! 

Things are starting to look up here in Kingston West! Miracles are happening all over the place and Sister Leeson is killing it in lessons. She is so bold and asks the hard questions! I love it :) 

PS: I held a rat. I am taking it home with me on my way back to Utah! And a cute member made me birthday cookies!! Sister Lindquist and I totally pigged out on Pizza!

Loves,

Sister Gillins 


Sister Lindquist and I totally pigged out on Pizza!


I held a rat.
 I am taking it home with me
 on my way back to 
Utah!

Generation Picture

A cute member
 made me birthday cookies!! 


Monday, January 12, 2015

SNOW SNOW SNOW SNOW SNOW.....BURR!!

It is so COLD! And we have been out of A car! Okay, so we didn’t have a car on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and half of Friday... but that is a long time. And it was soooo cold on Wednesday. Like it got down to -30 Celsius and we were out all day! Apparently they were telling people to stay inside all day since it was so cold.. but we didn’t get the memo! But it was still super fun! And we met an awesome guy! His name is Yifan! He is from main land China! :) He was interested in learning more because there are no churches where he is from. So coming into the lesson he was just interested in the history about our church but after asking a few inspired questions… we found that he had some deep questions of the soul. He came into the meeting not believing in God, and after just a short 45 minutes came to believe for himself. We didn’t have to convince him of anything! And he was the one who wanted to pray at the end of the lesson! It was amazing! There is so much potential there for Him!! He is awesome! And YSA... I love YSA :)

On Thursday I had a wonderful birthday!! It was pretty chilly that day too. But we spent a while weekly planning and then went and talked to people on the street.. There weren’t many people, because of the blizzard.. but we did have some good conversations with the brave souls who were out!! :) Then the Prices brought us dinner! And boy was it good!! :) They made me Mexican which I have been craving for forever! It was soooo good! and home made everything.. ugh the best birthday meal! and I got more candy... I’m going to be fat everyone!! and I got this wonderful hat that sings...and dances..haha :) It’s so great and fun!! I’m going to have a ball with it with the YSA! :) Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes and gifts…I feel loved..

Yesterday church was not cancelled! YAY! We were really scared that is was going to be again with all of the snow we have gotten! But we stayed safe! The branch loves Sister Leeson already! :) And Sister Leeson and I taught gospel principles. It was the first time Sister Leeson has taught a Sunday lesson and I think she did well!! :) She is growing a lot already! She always says she is scared to teach but when we get in the lesson she does wonderful and  she is so confident!! :) It has been fun watching her grow! 

I love you all…..stay warm! Eh!


-Sister Gillins 


MEXICAN BDAY DINNER
SINGING DANCING BDAY HAT
THANKS GRANDMA G.

I LOOK HILARIOUS TRYING TO WALK
ON THIS ICY SIDEWALK IN A SKIRT


Wednesday, January 7, 2015

A New Year and Companion!

So, I would like you all to meet my new companion, Sister Leeson!
She is fresh off the plane on Monday..( district jokes!)  But she is super wonderful in everyway!! :) 
She is from the Village (yes a village) of Sterling, Alberta! So I have another Canadian companion! I will be Canadian in no time! She is also blonde :) Blondes are the best. But I still can’t blame the long hair that get’s everywhere because hers is short.. But that is still okay! 

So.. driving.. I had to drive a TON! Does anyone know how far Brampton is from Kingston!? About 3 hours!! Sooooo long! We are so far away! And driving makes you tired... but no one worry! I did not fall asleep at the wheel! We just listened to some beautiful music that my mother sent me!! :) And it gave me lots of time to get to know Sister Leeson. She has a twin sister! How cool is that?! 

So our first full day together we went tracting..(everyone knows how much I love tracting..not!)  but everyone we met was very nice!! :) Then we talked to someone on the street! He was awesome! He wanted to learn more about Jesus! But when we tried to call him later, the number didn’t work.. Dang it! But it’s okay because it showed Sister Leeson how fun it is to talk to people. She is a lot like me when I first came out. It is hard to talk to people! But I love that she gives everything a try! When I invite her to talk at the next door, she will!! When I invite her to give a card to someone, she will!! She is taking some great steps and I am so excited to work with her! I feel like miracles are  starting to come!! :) And everyone we have met so far loves her! So this will be an amazing transfer! :) 

Church was cancelled yesterday due to freezing rain! Man was it cold! The roads were pure ice yesterday! So you drive really SLOW! And you walk really SLOW! Cause not are just the roads icy but so are the side walks! Since church was cancelled we thought it would be a good idea to go contact people on the campus! But nope. Everyone is trying not to slip, so they don’t really want to talk. It was pretty fun watching everyone try to walk though. I bet it was quite fun for people to watch Sister Leeson and I as well. Watching two girls in skirts walking on the ice, trying not to slip…Funny!  I just kept laughing to myself and wishing I could have caught us on video! :) 

We also got to hold baby bunnies! So stinking cute!! :) And once they are big enough, the lady is going to kill them and eat them!.... Ahhhh! But, she said we can do it with her! YIKES!

I love you all so much. And shout out to my brother Spencer for being a trooper! He was just diagnosed with diabetes type1 and he has the best attitude ever about it!! You are in my prayers little brother! 

Love, 

Sister Gillins 

Sister Leeson and Me

Me and Baby Bunny

Kingston Ward Building