Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Sam Made it to Fiji!
After a marathon day of travel, Sam made it to Fiji. Below are pictures of him with President and Sister Higgins, as well as his intake group (some visa waiters from his original MTC group, some brand new from the MTC) in front of the Fiji Suva temple.
Monday, October 29, 2018
Ballin' on a Budget
Hey all. Goodbye all.
It was a sad last couple of days but it was also really fun. I head out today around noon and it went by way too fast. I can honestly say that I have been grateful for my Visa delay. Not that I doubted that it would be good before but I have met a lot of cool people and I'm glad I was able to spend some time here.
Adam is back. Turns out he was just on vacation and really tired but we had a really good meeting with him and he is doing well. He even talked with friends about baptism who are members and they encouraged him a lot!
Man this last week went by super duper fast. I honestly can't remember off the top of my head some of the stuff we did. Really excited to meet up with the 5 other Visa wait elders and have a good Ole time at LAX.
I will miss all the people of Missouri but am excited for the future.
Moce,
Elda Gwilliam
It was a sad last couple of days but it was also really fun. I head out today around noon and it went by way too fast. I can honestly say that I have been grateful for my Visa delay. Not that I doubted that it would be good before but I have met a lot of cool people and I'm glad I was able to spend some time here.
Adam is back. Turns out he was just on vacation and really tired but we had a really good meeting with him and he is doing well. He even talked with friends about baptism who are members and they encouraged him a lot!
Man this last week went by super duper fast. I honestly can't remember off the top of my head some of the stuff we did. Really excited to meet up with the 5 other Visa wait elders and have a good Ole time at LAX.
I will miss all the people of Missouri but am excited for the future.
Moce,
Elda Gwilliam
Me with the Reid family. I think they are Saints fans?
Me with the Rogers. She gives all the missionaries one of these blankets.
Maybe it's just me but this seems ironic?
Struck a little too close to home. Still recovering.
Back at it again with the sewers.
Monday, October 22, 2018
"Somehow I Manage"
Well this week was even crazier than last week.
So about 3 days after we had that cool experience with Cynthia we got a call from the 2nd counselor to the Bishop and he told us he went over to Cynthia's house and felt inspired to put her on date for that Sunday to get baptized before her Chemo. So that was a lot needless to say. She asked me to give a talk on baptism too which was surprising haha. But everything went smoothly and she was baptized yesterday!! She is going to help so many people out and I'm sure this story seems like another generic story but you have to understand Cynthia's personality and the fact that she has been seeing missionaries for 4 years. She just wasn't progressing and then bam within a week she had the chance to be baptized.
News on Adam: Adam has dropped off the face of the Earth. We have been trying to contact him for over a week ever since we had a cool experience with him but he has only responded once. We are worried about him and think that his visiting family got to him... Pretty sad stuff, but we will keep praying for him and trying to visit him.
Fiji news... I leave for Fiji a week from today!! I got a text from the mission office saying my approved work permit was there and that I was scheduled for a 3:57 departure on the 29th!! Really excited but also a little sad to leave lil' Ole Odessa. I've met a lot of cool people here so I have to make this last week count.
In other news I had a Chipotle burrito with some red chili salsa on it and I thought it was super hot but everyone said I was a whimp, then later this week I had a run in with a Thai Chili which is pretty hot. Luckily I have recovered.
One last cool story. We were on our way home from an appointment and I felt like we should go visit Albert (the guy we found street contacting that we had been trying to visit with for a week) and sure enough he was in his driveway working on his mustang. There was another guy there Jumpstarting his car right next to him. He told elder Richins that his girlfriend got mad at him and made him move out and called the police on him so he wouldnt be at that house anymore but he wanted our number so he could contact us when he found a place. He was pretty happy to see us because we probably wouldn't have been able to find him if we hadn't gone over there. While he was telling my comp all this I was next to him listening to the other guy and asking him questions. You know on the missionary grind, and elder richins basically dragged me away from the dude. I was like what the heck and then It made sense when he told me the police were on their way haha. But Albert ended up making up with his girl and he still lives there but now we have his # so that is cool.
Have an awesome week all!!
Elder McGwilliam (2-3 people have called me that here and I'm still confused at why there is a Mc on the front suddenly)
So about 3 days after we had that cool experience with Cynthia we got a call from the 2nd counselor to the Bishop and he told us he went over to Cynthia's house and felt inspired to put her on date for that Sunday to get baptized before her Chemo. So that was a lot needless to say. She asked me to give a talk on baptism too which was surprising haha. But everything went smoothly and she was baptized yesterday!! She is going to help so many people out and I'm sure this story seems like another generic story but you have to understand Cynthia's personality and the fact that she has been seeing missionaries for 4 years. She just wasn't progressing and then bam within a week she had the chance to be baptized.
News on Adam: Adam has dropped off the face of the Earth. We have been trying to contact him for over a week ever since we had a cool experience with him but he has only responded once. We are worried about him and think that his visiting family got to him... Pretty sad stuff, but we will keep praying for him and trying to visit him.
Fiji news... I leave for Fiji a week from today!! I got a text from the mission office saying my approved work permit was there and that I was scheduled for a 3:57 departure on the 29th!! Really excited but also a little sad to leave lil' Ole Odessa. I've met a lot of cool people here so I have to make this last week count.
In other news I had a Chipotle burrito with some red chili salsa on it and I thought it was super hot but everyone said I was a whimp, then later this week I had a run in with a Thai Chili which is pretty hot. Luckily I have recovered.
One last cool story. We were on our way home from an appointment and I felt like we should go visit Albert (the guy we found street contacting that we had been trying to visit with for a week) and sure enough he was in his driveway working on his mustang. There was another guy there Jumpstarting his car right next to him. He told elder Richins that his girlfriend got mad at him and made him move out and called the police on him so he wouldnt be at that house anymore but he wanted our number so he could contact us when he found a place. He was pretty happy to see us because we probably wouldn't have been able to find him if we hadn't gone over there. While he was telling my comp all this I was next to him listening to the other guy and asking him questions. You know on the missionary grind, and elder richins basically dragged me away from the dude. I was like what the heck and then It made sense when he told me the police were on their way haha. But Albert ended up making up with his girl and he still lives there but now we have his # so that is cool.
Have an awesome week all!!
Elder McGwilliam (2-3 people have called me that here and I'm still confused at why there is a Mc on the front suddenly)
Thuggin
Me on a bench
The second coolest church
All of the Elders currently in the MIM except one who have worked with Cynthia
Monday, October 15, 2018
I am glad that I just have shoes.
It was a really great week. Pretty crazy at the end. Started off with some exchanges and just a few normal days with lots of street contacting and lessons. We had a lesson with Adam, and he knows he needs to be baptized but his wife and in laws who are members of the community of christ (RLDS) don't want him to be baptized. He wants his family to support him but we hope he can be baptized soon.
We also got a text from Cynthia on Sunday saying she needed to see us. We went over with Brother Carrigan and she was down in the dumps. She is going through cancer right now and said that she wants to just lay down and die pretty much. He gave her a blessing and said she had more work on Earth that she could only complete if she had the gift of the Holy Ghost and pretty much challenged her to be baptized. She has been meeting with the missionaries for years and hasn't been progressing. But right after she stood up and said what do I need to do to be baptized so that was super awesome. The spirit was so strong and I was glad to be a part of it.
During a pickup football game with some kids from the ward, I bust my already broken shoes open so some members gave me a pair to use for the last few weeks. They are pretty funny looking but I am glad that I just have shoes.
We also tried to go to an airport with a ton of cool abandoned planes but when we got there there were a ton of signs that said turn around basically so that was too bad. Sorry for the really short email but it has been a busy day.
Love you all
Elder Gwilliam
We also got a text from Cynthia on Sunday saying she needed to see us. We went over with Brother Carrigan and she was down in the dumps. She is going through cancer right now and said that she wants to just lay down and die pretty much. He gave her a blessing and said she had more work on Earth that she could only complete if she had the gift of the Holy Ghost and pretty much challenged her to be baptized. She has been meeting with the missionaries for years and hasn't been progressing. But right after she stood up and said what do I need to do to be baptized so that was super awesome. The spirit was so strong and I was glad to be a part of it.
During a pickup football game with some kids from the ward, I bust my already broken shoes open so some members gave me a pair to use for the last few weeks. They are pretty funny looking but I am glad that I just have shoes.
We also tried to go to an airport with a ton of cool abandoned planes but when we got there there were a ton of signs that said turn around basically so that was too bad. Sorry for the really short email but it has been a busy day.
Love you all
Elder Gwilliam
The Shoes
A new haircut
Elder Richins with some This Old House service
Monday, October 8, 2018
And on the eighth day, God made the Bolt Action rifle.
Bula Kece,
It was a really great week. To start off here are some of the unique highlights:
-Street contacted a man who was far from sober.
-Got 5 inches of rain in a few hours.
-Crawled around in a sewer.
-Ate some Jambalaya that was the hottest food I have ever eaten (Temp. wise and spice wise)
We also had our baptism no big deal. That was also amazing! The spirit was so strong there even though there were like 6 screaming kids. One of our Investigators Adam was planning on coming and he was running a little late. We were getting really close to the actual baptism and he still hadn't shown up yet. I really wanted him to be there for that part especially because we are planning on inviting him to be baptized soon. He ended up making it and said he really felt the spirit there. Amber and Brother White were really happy and very excited.
When we were street contacting people we met this man named Albert who was very surprised we talked to him because, "Caucasian people round here never talk to black people like me." He was very glad to be talking to us and seemed interested but when we went for our return appointment he wasn't there. We will drop back soon.
Just so you know a little bit more about Missouri culture, pretty much everyone here loves guns, hence the title. There are a few doomsday prepper people here too. Also saw a flag that was an American one that slowly morphed into a confederate flag which was interesting. Those are just a few attributes that describe small town MO towns like the ones I am becoming used to. Also the ward members tell us that there are still quite a few active branches of the KKK here so it is understandable why Albert was a little scared to see us at first.
General Conference was awesome!! So many great talks and challenges! We watched with the Carrigan family and with the Whites. Really awesome messages and I am super glad we get to hear from the prophet so often!
Anyways, it was a good week. And sorry for the picture overload, this will make up for the lack of pics the past few weeks.
Elda G
It was a really great week. To start off here are some of the unique highlights:
-Street contacted a man who was far from sober.
-Got 5 inches of rain in a few hours.
-Crawled around in a sewer.
-Ate some Jambalaya that was the hottest food I have ever eaten (Temp. wise and spice wise)
We also had our baptism no big deal. That was also amazing! The spirit was so strong there even though there were like 6 screaming kids. One of our Investigators Adam was planning on coming and he was running a little late. We were getting really close to the actual baptism and he still hadn't shown up yet. I really wanted him to be there for that part especially because we are planning on inviting him to be baptized soon. He ended up making it and said he really felt the spirit there. Amber and Brother White were really happy and very excited.
When we were street contacting people we met this man named Albert who was very surprised we talked to him because, "Caucasian people round here never talk to black people like me." He was very glad to be talking to us and seemed interested but when we went for our return appointment he wasn't there. We will drop back soon.
Just so you know a little bit more about Missouri culture, pretty much everyone here loves guns, hence the title. There are a few doomsday prepper people here too. Also saw a flag that was an American one that slowly morphed into a confederate flag which was interesting. Those are just a few attributes that describe small town MO towns like the ones I am becoming used to. Also the ward members tell us that there are still quite a few active branches of the KKK here so it is understandable why Albert was a little scared to see us at first.
General Conference was awesome!! So many great talks and challenges! We watched with the Carrigan family and with the Whites. Really awesome messages and I am super glad we get to hear from the prophet so often!
Anyways, it was a good week. And sorry for the picture overload, this will make up for the lack of pics the past few weeks.
Elda G
The newest member of the Odessa Ward and her husband!
Hey you, have you ever heard of the restoration of Christ's church?
Joke's on you, I'm already in the mission field.
I held the phone and Elder Richins pressed the button to take the picture.
Me with the Odessa HS mascot, the Bulldogs.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Macawa Rua
BULA VINAKA WEKAQU!!
It was a great week here in Odessa. We taught lots of lessons and have a few Investigators who are very close to Baptism! Speaking of Baptism we have Amber's baptism this Friday! I am super excited for her! Her husband is a member and the ward mission leader and she had little to no interest in the church in the past but the spirit did its job.
We also have Adam who is super close to Baptism. He told us that he knows he needs to be baptized and was hoping his wife would too but she said she isn't interested. He is planning on being baptized soon though! He is part of our Sunday service group and we spend the whole day serving people with one of the members from our ward! We do so much service here but it is awesome, no complaints from me!
The members here are so amazing. There are so many here that are willing to help us and that makes a huge difference. Even just people to fellowship others and allow those we teach to feel welcomed is so important.
I had the opportunity on exchanges to place a Book of Mormon and teach a little which was a first for me! After a day of no answers at doors a very nice lady finally answered. She listened to us and seemed pretty receptive to the new ideas. She was interested in the restoration and said she would pray about and read the Book of Mormon which was cool.
Also word of advice, if anybody ever offers you KC BBQ go for the Burnt End sandwiches. Basically all it is is the burnt ends of brisket cut off and put between 2 buns. Absolutely amazing, maybe that's why I have gained 8 pounds here...
The work is hastening all, go get involved and be a part of it!
Loloma Yani,
Elder Gwilliam
It was a great week here in Odessa. We taught lots of lessons and have a few Investigators who are very close to Baptism! Speaking of Baptism we have Amber's baptism this Friday! I am super excited for her! Her husband is a member and the ward mission leader and she had little to no interest in the church in the past but the spirit did its job.
We also have Adam who is super close to Baptism. He told us that he knows he needs to be baptized and was hoping his wife would too but she said she isn't interested. He is planning on being baptized soon though! He is part of our Sunday service group and we spend the whole day serving people with one of the members from our ward! We do so much service here but it is awesome, no complaints from me!
The members here are so amazing. There are so many here that are willing to help us and that makes a huge difference. Even just people to fellowship others and allow those we teach to feel welcomed is so important.
I had the opportunity on exchanges to place a Book of Mormon and teach a little which was a first for me! After a day of no answers at doors a very nice lady finally answered. She listened to us and seemed pretty receptive to the new ideas. She was interested in the restoration and said she would pray about and read the Book of Mormon which was cool.
Also word of advice, if anybody ever offers you KC BBQ go for the Burnt End sandwiches. Basically all it is is the burnt ends of brisket cut off and put between 2 buns. Absolutely amazing, maybe that's why I have gained 8 pounds here...
The work is hastening all, go get involved and be a part of it!
Loloma Yani,
Elder Gwilliam
Missouri in one picture
Moving, redneck style
Noqu Itokani, Elder Richins
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