I’M NOT WEARING WINTER LEGGINGS TODAY!

Today it is WARM! It is finally warm enough for me to be able to walk around with no leggings!! Yay! I am the happiest sister now! I don't even care if I am blinding people with my pasty white legs! I am just a happy camper! Cause this week has been crazy! We have had rain fall, to which I am grateful I went and bought a pair of rain boots the week prior. We also had  a ton of wind!! The day it was extremely windy we allowed the elders to borrow the car and we took the bus.. crazy day! I decided to wear my long coat so that it would hold down my skirt. :) It was wonderful to be able to walk around not caring if my skirt was going to fly up! I was able to just spread the gospel! And buses are super fun! I just wish I knew how to bus contact better and that more people would actually ride the buses we were on, but all is well. 

We were able to meet with a really sweet family this week! :) They have met with missionaries in the past, but are now allowing us over. There was actually a member in Boston who sent us to them. Man I will tell ya, the little 11 year old is so prepared! The missionaries who taught him in Boston must be sweet because that little guy knows a whole bunch! He really wants the Holy Ghost. And we were able to teach him about Him and how he can feel the Spirit. He was so excited and so cute! Now we just need to get his whole family just as excited! :D They are golden I tell ya! 

We have been hitting the pavement hard this week! Out talking to people and what not! I love it. We meet a lot of foreigners. Lots of people don't speak English. So I have been trying to learn little phrases in different languages to get them to kinda try to talk to me. But once I start saying something in their language they think I'm an expert at it and start talking fast in their language. Then I have to apologize and give them an ESL card and the number to the missionaries who can actually speak their language. But we have been able to meet some pretty sweet potentials for the language missionaries! I hope they find success with them! :) 

ESL has been fun! We are having a game with the Elders. We came up with some goals we want and have a point system. So when you accomplish one you get points! The companionship with the highest amount of points at the end of the transfer gets a $10 gift card to Tim Horton’s and the companionship with the lowest amount of points has to buy it for them. So we will see how it goes! We will probably be going to Timmies sometime soon ;) OH YA! We had a sweet ESL student come to church this Sunday! We learned about prophets in Sunday School and he loved it! He said that we will be seeing him next week at church! YES!! Miracles do happen! :) 

I hope you all are having a good week and may God be with you! :) 

Love, 

Sister Gillins 

I found my way to Clarissa Drive!

A fun Indian Dinner with the Elders!

EASTER AND CONFERENCE!!

Man oh man! I loved this weekend!! Even though it snowed on Easter eve and on Easter.. It was still the bomb! 

The Easter bunny even came to our house and hid all the eggs we got! It was so much fun!! WE HAVE SO MUCH CANDY! That is what we have been eating all week.. candy. And now we have even more candy! It’s crazy! 

The Easter bunny also came and visited us as missionaries in the middle of conference! So we and the Elders went out to start our Glover Easter Egg Hunt! So 3 of the Elders are from Hong Kong, 1 is from the Philippines, 1 is from Micronesia and the rest of us are from good old Utah. But man did those Elders have a ball!! They reminded me of my baby cousins! :D It was fun to see everyone run around to find their eggs. We did the hunt as companionships to create more unity between companions... ;) They were so happy, they just ate their candy quietly during the last session of conference. And we were able to share it with the investigators who were able to come! 

Conference was amazing too! I am so happy that it was over this Easter weekend. It totally answered my questions. I feel like I have a renewed energy and I am ready to go out and proclaim the gospel and about eternal families! I can’t wait for the talks to come out so I can read them over and over again! They are living scriptures! It is so cool. I can’t wait to be able to read the priesthood session talks as well. 

This week we had 3 of our ESL students come watch a session of conference! They stayed the whole time!! They actually were able to pick up on the messages that were being given! It is amazing how the Spirit works! 

Sister Julian and I have been working soooo hard lately. We are trying so hard to find people. We go out and tract and street contact and do service.. it is fun. It is fun working really hard. But it was kinda a bummer because we have felt like we haven't had too much success. But then a miracle happened! A member from Boston called us and gave us a referral! He said they had taken the lessons when they were down visiting and are ready to be baptized! We were soooo happy!! They were expecting our call too when we called! We are excited to be able to go and visit them! :) 

I want to bear my testimony to you all that I know that my Redeemer lives. This Easter season has brought back all my memories of when I have gained a witness of that. The Savior has helped me more in my life than I can even count and He continues to help me. I am so grateful that I get to wear His name on my chest and proclaim His gospel every day. I am grateful to hear how others have seen the Savior in their lives. The Savior loves each and every one of us. We all have a different relationship with Him and that is because He suffered for each of us personally. Oh how grateful I am to have this knowledge. 

I love you all, 

Sister Gillins 

THE EASTER BUNNY FOUND US!!

(thanks for the Eggs Grandma G.)

Sister Julian and I 

have the best time together...

it is like we have known each forever...

I think we have (:

Just 2 country Girls in the big city!

Transfer Day happened…and I saw some great missionary friends. I love seeing past Sister’s and Elder’s I have worked with! I saw Sister Lindquist again…she is so pretty! I had crazy hair day. Driving far the night before and then hardly any sleep and sharing a bathroom with lots of Sisters equals = bad hair day! Oh well….

I have finally found a companion that will let me listen to my gospel country music!! Alleluia! It is so much fun! The other night we were driving near downtown Toronto to go to the Women’s Conference and we were just singing along to some country hymns! It was the best thing ever! So you can take the girl out of the country, but you can’t take the country out of the girl! 

Sister Julian is amazing!! I love her sooo much! She is from Enoch, UT! So she actually knows my cousin Mitchell.. how cool is that?! So cool right?! She is wonderful in every way. I get so blessed with companions. I always get the bestest ones!  She also cuts hair!! Finally, I can have a good haircut for cheap on my mission! Miracles do happen people! 

Her and I have been having lots of fun! Right now we are just trying to find the Lords prepared. We have been out talking to people for days!! It is the best! She is really good at contacting even though she says she isn’t. I have been able to learn a lot from her. She is also helping me learn how to tract again! We did a good amount of knocking on doors last night. People are REALLY nice, but then turn around and get mean.. It’s weird. But it’s not even affecting me anymore. I am just happy I get to share the gospel! Especially during this Easter season. (by the way check out HeLives.mormon.org) She and I are working really hard. We haven’t seen too much success yet, but if we keep to it I know we will!! :D

So in this area we teach ESL (English as a second language) it is super fun. I have never done it before! But for some reason the zone leaders thought I should be put in charge of it.. So I am learning as I go. I am the Building Manager. So it is kinda like the district leader over all the companionships that work with that ESL. Every Saturday morning I have to prepare a training to get them all excited about ESL and to have this be effective. My first one was different.. but it was good! We set some good goals, set expectations and they all helped me to figure out what ESL is all about. So wish me luck and that I can get this ESL moving!! 

SO I only took pictures on our cell phone this week... and I don’t know how to get them off... So awkward. But I will get you pictures next week!! Cause I found a street called Clarissa Drive. It’s so sweet!! So… be waiting!! 

I love you soooo much! Stay safe and pray for all the investigators all over the world okay?! 

-Sister Gillins 

Downtown Toronto

Elder Ellis and Sister Lindquist

My new Companion and Friend
Sister Julian

Transfers!

So I am leaving my beloved area of Kingston! :( I am so sad. I have grown so close to those who are here! Today one of our investigators took us out to lunch. She is trying to break my heart I tell ya!! But I am so grateful for her! 

I am on my way to the Richmond Hill area…it is about 30 minutes from downtown Toronto!

This week has been really great! We were able to go to Oshawa for zone conference! It was so much fun! Winnie was able to spend the day with us as a missionary! She was set apart and everything!! It was so awesome because she was able to help us in our role plays and everything! It was so fun and exciting. She spent the whole day with us. After we made our long 2 hour ride back home we went and dropped by some potential investigators and then we trained later that night. :) It was fun to be able to see her as a missionary! 

I was also able to see Sis. Perreira again!! :D yay! Her sister is in the branch here in Kingston and she was here for March break. So I was able to have dinner with them. It was so much fun! It was fun seeing how much we have both changed with in almost a year of us seeing each other! It is fun to be able to see loved ones again! 

Oh ya!! Yifan got the priesthood this week!! We saw him in the foyer after church and he pulled out his certificate! It was so cool!! He was really excited! It is really fun to see people progress in the gospel. It truly is an amazing thing to see those you come to love experience the blessings that come from the gospel. Missions are amazing things and I have created life time friendships here! One of my favorite things Yifan said is, "Now I get to bath people! ;)" haha (if you don't remember he asked Jordan to give him a bath.) He now can bless the lives of others! It is a chain!! And the joy that comes from sharing the gospel and helping others come unto Christ is one of the greatest joys you will have! 

I love you all and will give you an update of how Richmond Hill is next week!!! :D 

God speed the right! 

-Sister Gillins 

ps. sorry for the small sad letter... ran out time! 

ST. PATRICKS DAY
MULTI ZONE CONFERENCE

SNOW IS MELTING!

This week we had so much Asian food!!!!! Yum! :) And I’m exploring the world of food!! I know... crazy. I didn’t know what to get at some of the restaurants so I just pointed at a random one and it ended up being pretty dang good!! :) I am so proud of myself! I am growing up to be a big Sister!! Let’s just hope this trend stays with me throughout my life and not just my mission ;) 

It has gotten pretty warm here!! All the snow is starting to melt off the side walks now! So I was able to wear my flats again instead of my boots!! It feels nice to wear something different for a change! We actually had a lesson outside on a recent-converts porch yesterday! :) Its still only around 3 degrees but it is a lot better then the -20 we were having before!!! 

So Yifan is progressing in the gospel so well! He participates in class all the time and has such good insights!! We are preparing him to go back to China. It is so fun watching him progress so much! He truly was so prepared by the Lord! Our new investigators from last week came to church as well!! :) It was so much fun!! They are like the best people ever!! :) They make me laugh so much! We had a good ol' time! We had a lesson with them later last night and they know Sister Gillins a little too well.. They gave us ice cream!!!!! They give a treat every time we come over!! She was like you can’t go! If you go I'll just be giving your treats away to the other sister!! She's trying to make me jealous!! But I love them!! Last night we had a good question and answer night with them! They are so wonderful and opened minded!! 

I have such a great love for this place. I love being a missionary with all my heart! There are up's and down's and all arounds, but when you really stop and think and remember why you are out serving the Lord it makes things all better again. There is nothing like helping my brothers and sisters have the peace and joy I have felt through the gospel! 

Oh!!! I got to hold brand new baby bunnies!!! They are so stinking cute! They haven't even opened their eyes yet!! They have the cutest little ears and tails!! :) But the one I held went to the bathroom all over me!! This is the second time that has happened in this area!! I thought animals liked me... but nope. At least this time it didn't get all over my clothes and I was able to wash it off right away :) 

Oh man! We also had this awkward moment when we almost met with the elders investigator!! oops... We had a former that we called and set up an appointment with. We showed up and I just had this feeling that it was one of the Elder’s investigators... but we went up to the door anyways. She ended up being asleep so we couldn't come in. I went to call the Elders after that happened to ask if it was their investigator and they pulled up right next to our car to go to an appointment with the same lady at the same exact time!! Awkward!! But all is well now and we know who belongs to who!! :) 

I hope y'all have a great week and God be with you until we meet again!! 

Love, 

Sister Gillins 

Oh my kinder egg surprise gave me a wolf!! So my prediction for transfers is that I am getting sent up north to teach the wolves :) 

KINDER EGG SURPRISE

HONEY, I'M TEACHING!!

This week started off GREAT! We were able to visit with our referral we got from mormon.org. She is amazing!! :D She already knows a ton about our church so it is so much fun to meet with her! We are also teaching her fiancé as well. They are such a fun and cute couple! They have these cute cats! They rescued one of them and it doesn't have any teeth and it’s really scared of everything. But it LOVES me!! :) It usually doesn't come out when people come over but it came out and just sat on my lap!! And our second lesson it was all over Sister Leeson and I! :) I said it’s cause it can feel the Spirit! :D If I could I would probably take it home. But other than the wonderful cats!!! They are awesome!! We were able to teach them about the Plan of Salvation!! It was a really cool lesson. We taught it very simply out of the pamphlet and helped them understand it. At the end they were able to open up and ask us lots of questions. They said they would pray every night together and ask if what we have taught is true and if the Book of Mormon is true! How cool is that?! And they came up with that on their own!! :) So we are really excited for them to keep progressing in the gospel! :) And plus they gave us some honey!! :) Her fiancé owns a bee hive place and makes honey and I told them how cool that was! So when we saw them again they had wrapped up honey for us! :) Oh man they are my favorite!

Tuesday was such a spiritual day for me!! I was on a spiritual high! I felt like the Spirit was guiding me in everything we did that day! In each lesson we gave, the room was just full of the spirit and I had felt like it was Gods words coming out of my mouth instead of my own. That is something I have been praying really hard for. I want to be a better instrument in the hands of the Lord and on Tuesday I was able to just give up what I wanted the lesson to be like and let God use me. :) I am so grateful for all the things I am learning out here on my mission and that I get to be a servant of my Heavenly Father. The work moves along much easier as we let God run the show.

This week we also dropped by some formers! Crazy!! They were trying to convince us of all this stuff.. It was weird. They were trying to tell us that what we were doing is right, but then also telling us that we were wrong.. I was just so confused. The only thing Sister Leeson and I could do was just shake our heads and at the end bear our testimonies and say a prayer. I was actually somewhat frustrated when we came out of the lesson. But Sister Leeson was in such great spirits!! I am so grateful for her!! She wanted to keep talking to people, and that really helped me cause I was just not in the mood. Later that night we met some nice people. They weren't interested but very nice and that helped change my mood.

Oh!! Stephanie had more baby bunnies!! 11 of them!! They are so cute and hairless!! So prepare for more bunny pictures!! :)

We also went on exchanges this week. I went to Oshawa with Sister Anderson! We had such a wonderful time! We walked a lot. Not too many people were out which was sad.. but it felt nice to walk around and not be trapped in a car. We were able to find a wonderful less-active sister and hopefully she will be coming back to church soon!!

I hope you all have a good week and that the Lord is with you!!

Love,

Sister Gillins

Sister Leeson and I had a fun Mustache Monday
I love mustaches...I feel like I could totally pull one off ;) 

We also got creative with our food supply and made ham fried rice!!
 It wasn't too bad if I say so myself!! :D 

mormon.org is COOL!!

This week Jordan made us spaghetti! Yummy! And we were able to have his sister over as well! Who is now engaged!! Woohoo! :) So that was fun. They remind me a lot of my family back at home because they are always play fighting and having fun :) Them and Stephanie’s family really make me think of my family and how blessed I am to have them! We may have wrestling matches and may argue about what is on TV.. but we still really love each other. So I am grateful for that wonderful reminder every once in a while! 

As for our 72 year old investigator, right now we are giving him a break. He isn’t too much into religion he says. But he is willing to look at the Book of Mormon and he studied that and the Bible last time we came over. So we gave him a Restoration pamphlet and told him that we would be back in a few weeks to see how he is doing and what he thought of the pamphlet and he was open to that! Sometimes all we can do is share simply and offer a powerful testimony and let it sit for awhile. Don’t worry!! We aren’t giving up on him. He just needs some time to think and study! 

This week has been a lot of contacting! Which I love!! Sister Leeson is doing awesome as well! She is talking a lot more to the people we meet on the street and she is starting to start up the conversations!! :) She is coming along so well!! :) And it is wonderful because it is getting warmer! The end of this week it has been up to -5 (opposed to -20 from last week) so people will actually take some time to listen to what we have to share. I love giving out mormon.org cards too! It is like handing out $100 or eternal life! Only if people could just understand how important it was! OOOOOHHHHH on that note!! We got a mormon.org referral that actually wants to meet with us and requested a Book of Mormon! Those are sometimes rare. Usually they are pranks from friends, but this girl actually wants one!! :D We are visiting with her tonight! So I will let you know how that goes next week!! :) 

We got to go to Wolfe Island again this week!! It is still as fun as it was last time! :) We still act like little kids and walk around the boat in freezing cold temperatures because it is so cool!! :) Then I tried giving a mormon.org card to someone on the ferry and he denied me... but hey! It happens right!? Life goes on!! And I haven’t been able to play in the snow at all this winter! So Winnie let us go play in her backyard this morning! :) It was so much fun! It looks like there is a ton of snow but most of it is frozen so it was only the top layer we played in. We made snow angels and ran and jumped in it. It was just a ball!! :D 

I love you all and I am so grateful for your prayers!! 

-Sister Gillins 

FINALLY PLAYING IN THE SNOW!

  

SISTER LEESON AND I
LOVE GOING TO WOLFE ISLAND!

I LOVE MY FRIEND WINNIE!

HEY!