The Most Haunted Country on Earth

So somebody once told me that England is labeled the 'Most Haunted County On Earth' which I fully agree 100% because this place can get so spooky! Especially at night. At most churches, there's a graveyard to the side of it and we walked by and there was legit fog hovering over the graves and I felt like I was in a movie. But unfortunately, this country hardly celebrates Halloween! I'm pretty sure it's an American holiday anyway right? Like we see kids in costumes and the occasional decorations but nobody really goes trick or treating its so sad.

This week was pretty good. Well we taught Ash on Thursday a lesson around 1Nephi 8 the Iron Rod. We tried to teach as plainly and simply as possible but unfortunately he made it all complicated. That's been the hardest thing with Ash. The gospel isn't complicated but he makes it that way haha so we are just trying to work through that.
We also taught Libby a couple times. We've been doing our best to address all her concerns and answer her questions. On Saturday we were able to take her to the temple. Sister McKinnon and I fasted on the Friday before and prayed and role played so much. The plan was to date her for baptism at the temple. Unfortunately that didn't happen but on a positive note, she wants to keep learning and said she would get baptised if she felt it was all true. So we will press forward and continue teaching her. She came to church, she's reading the scriptures, and praying she's even giving up coffee!
We went finding on Wednesday and I talked to this 15 year old boy named Alen. He was really nice, he's from india originally, he's Roman catholic and he was in a rush so I just gave him a card. We got a text from him the next day asking if we could meet and he brought his friend and we taught the Restoration and a bit of the Plan of Salvation! They were so nice and willing to listen. They knew a lot about their own faith as well (which doesn't often happen!). But hopefully we see them again.

That was pretty much my week. I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting about the Book of Mormon. I've really just come to love feasting on the words of Christ. I honestly never thought that could happen. I've taken the challenge given by President Nelson (and I invite you all to as well) to read the Book of Mormon before the start of 2019! Read it, gain a testimony of it, and use it as a shield. I know that it's true and I love reading and learning from it each and every day!

Love you all! Have a good week!

Sister Gilland
England Manchester Mission 🇬🇧

Pictures are from our Zone Pday last week in Liverpool. We saw two giant cathedrals and went to the Beetles museum. So much fun. Also including pics from the temple trip with libby! Also sat by these cute little girls on the bus and gave them my orange.

Tardiness Never Was Happiness

Hello all, it's getting absolutely stunning here in the UK. Grateful I get two autumns:)

Well we had Zone Conference this week and so we had to leave our flat about 7:30 to get to the conference about 45 minutes before the conference started (which is ideal so we can spiritually prepare), so we left and arrived at the train station only to watch our train pulling away EARLY??? So the next train came an hour later and would still get us there on time but not early so we waited and then once our train came IT BROKE. The electricity went out and the train wouldn't even turn on. We sat there for an hour and I was having a proper freak out staring at my watch. Zone conference literally started in 10 minutes and we were still in St Helen's train station #anxiety. They ended up kicking everyone off the train. We then saw two other missionaries, Elder Prudencio (from the Phillipines) and Elder Murphy (from England) get off the same train which brought us loads of comfort knowing that we weren't the only rubbish missionaries that would be arriving very late to zone conference. We called a member and luckily he was able to get us there and we were only an hour late 😂. Stress level 5000 y'all.

We met up with both Libby and Ash! It's crazy to me that I didn't even know these two people a month ago and now we see them multiple times a week! We took Libby to our ward Halloween party which was slightly cringy but we made the best of it! Also, we are going to the temple with her this week! Also, she even went and bought dresses to wear to church and she will be coming this week! We are so excited! Our other friend Ash is also doing well. We gave him a chapel tour and he's going to come to church this upcoming week hopefully!

We had the Primary Program this week on Sunday and if you're wondering, Yes- British children singing and sharing testimonies is by far the cutest thing ever. The spirit was so strong and they did so well. Actually teared up whilst they sang "A Child's Prayer". It really got me thinking when they sang the phrase "Some say that heaven is far away, but I feel it close around me as I pray." I can testify that the Heavens are in fact open and we can access them through prayer. Some months ago, President Nelson's wife told us to envision the deceased ancestors of the people we teach. Think of how much they long for someone to do their work. I know that there are seen and unseen forces moving this work along.

Love you all have a good week! 🍁🍂

Sister Gilland
England Manchester Mission 🇬🇧

Picturessss
Zone conference & Sister McKinnon and I found PUMPKIN at the store (super rare in this country) and made cookies and pie!

Week 1 of Transfer 10

Hello everyone, it's been an exciting first week of the transfer! Navigating through this crazy town is next to impossible but luckily my comp Sister McKinnon is super patient. We work so well together and she is such a powerful missionary. We have lots of fun too. The work is just going so great! We picked her up on Wednesday and we've been so busy every day!

As for Libby (girl from McDonald's) we met with her TWICE this week and taught her the Restoration and Plan of Salvation. Her brother came to one of the lessons as well! We are trying to get her to church but she is so open minded about everything and she always does what we invite her to do. She is honesty the best! I can't wait to see what happens with her.

I didn't share this last week but as a mission, we did something called 'Miracle Monday'. We set a goal to find 2 new friends per companionship that day. We spent the entire day finding in the Town Centre and I stopped and talked to Ashley (male) and found out that some months ago he was on a flight to Seattle to live there for a few months. When he landed, they denied him entrance to the country because of an issue with his visa. They sent him home and on that flight, he met a woman from our church who gave him a Book of Mormon and testified of it! What a seed! He admitted to me that he hadn't read the book yet but he'd open it later that day. We met with him later that week and taught him the Plan of Salvation. He loved it and we are seeing him again tomorrow!

Well other than that, and just running around the area aimlessly, not much else happened this week! My companion shared with me a scripture that I just love found in D&C 123:17 "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."
Sometimes it's hard to feel like a successful missionary but this scripture promises that if we do our very best that the God will lend His hand. I know this is Lord's work. I know that each of us has a role to play and the Lord deserves our very best!

Sorry if this email was lame! Next week will be better!
Love you all! Have a good week!

Sister Gilland
England Manchester Mission 🇬🇧

Pictures
For pday we got to go to COSTCO aka Disney World to a missionary. Also found a weird statue in St Helens called "the Dream"

Would You Rather Be Shot Or Jabbed???

Another busy week here in St Helen's! Time just seems to go faster and faster. We've ended another transfer and as for news.... I'M STAYING and saying adios to Sister Escalon! My new companion is Sister McKinnon from Park City, Utah! I've wanted to serve with her my WHOLE MISSION. We found each other on Instagram before we came out, she's one transfer ahead of me!
Well anyways, lengthy email ahead!! Lots happened this week, including one of the hardest days of my mission so get ready! :')

This week we had to get flu shots but the british call them "flu jabs" . If yall know anything about me, you probably know I'm terrified of shots. So I told the pharmacist "The word 'jab' just sounds so violent" and he was like "Well would you rather be shot or jabbed? " I thought that was a pretty good point. And then he jabbed me. Kinda fainted afterwards... I'll include pics.

Something heartbreaking happened on Tuesday. After district council in Wigan, we decided to do a street display. We set everything up. I had a grocery bag with some bananas, a water bottle, as well as my notebook and very worn copy of the Book of Mormon that have had my whole mission. I glanced several times to check on my bag but when I looked, it was gone. I immediately started scrambling looking in every direction but it was nowhere to be found. These items were so special to me and in an instant they were gone. I called the city council to see if I could check the cameras and to do so, I had to file a police report (lol you learn how to do loads on a mission!) but sadly, we never found my bag. It's times like these when I just look up at the sky and ask God "WHY ME?". It caused me to think of all the other trials I've had on my mission. All the "why me" moments. Why can't things just be easier? But it's these defining moments that I truly learn and grow the most. Just because these precious sentimental items are now gone, it doesn't mean my testimony is. Im not sure what good thing will come out of this, but perhaps the person who took it needed it more than me. 😓

Also a memeber in our ward invited us to a "Faith Day" at a local high school. Basically us and a lot of other different religions set up displays and stand there and talk to the students about our faiths. There was us, some Jehovas Wittnesses, Muslims, and other Christianity sects. It was a really good turn out and we talked to loads of people. Afterwards there was a Question Panel and the memeber that brought us so kindly volunteered me to sit on the panel and answer questions in front of 100+ 16-18 year olds. We got asked so many crazy questions and I was shaking the whole time but it was super fun and I found a lot of common ground with the other religions sat beside me.
But ya my fabulous companion snapped a pic of me in action so ill include that lol.

Yall remember Libby from Mcdonald's last week?? Well we met her and she's amazing and me and her get along so well. We gave her a Book of Mormon and explained a bit about it and she said it all makes sense and she'd give it a read. We are seeing her this week too!

Saturday and Sunday of course was GENERAL CONFERENCE! And my LAST one as a missionary! I can't believe it. But wow it was much needed for me personally and I'm sure many of you as well. It's hard to talk about just one but I particularly loved Elder Rasbands talk on fear. He said something along the lines of "When we stand with the Lord, we are standing in Holy Places. When we stand in Holy Places, we feel Christ's love and Christ's love is perfect and perfect love casteth out all fear." I just love that promise. We need not fear!
I invite you all to go back and read those notes that I know you all diligently took this past conference and set goals for yourself to better align yourself on the covenant path. This Conference just reaffirmed to me that the Lord truly is hastening His work. How grateful I am to have a prophet to lead us back to our loving Heavenly Father.

Until next week,
Love you all!

Sister Gilland
England Manchester Mission 🇬🇧

Pictures are from pday in Liverpool last week, Flu Jabs, Faith Day & Question Panel

How to Offend an Elderly Brit

This week was super busy and jam packed. So many things happened both good and bad! Transfer calls are next monday so hopefully I stay because I really don't want to pack :')

We had exchanges in Liverpool and I got to work with my old companion Sister Westover. We taught two lessons together and it was just like old times in Manchester YSA. It was also a blast being in Liverpool it's such a unique city! We also had interviews with President and it was as usual super good. President is the best because hes the definition of British humor (super dry lol) and I laugh so hard at him but he's so serious ah that man kills me.

Well something kinda lame happened. An old lady that we are teaching dropped us and it was definitely my fault. She's 74, her name is Gwen and on Saturday we went and taught her the Restoration. Bare in mind that she's been dropped by the missionaries 3 times because she wasn't progressing. So we started with the lesson and her TV was on and so loud and it's already hard enough to understand her scouse accent with her quiet voice and lack of teeth (lol England) so I asked if we could turn the TV off and got up to mute it and sat back down not really thinking anything of it. The lesson went pretty good,  we ended on such a spiritual note and felt good about it. Later that evening she called us and yelled at us on the phone "You don't come over here and turn off my tele, that's so rude, ignorant American, etc". Ya so after that I was actually proper upset about it and felt awful but to be honest she definitely might be crazy and there's a reason she's been dropped by missionaries in the past. Also, there's a very good chance she thought we were Jehovas Witnesses (typical lol).

On to a happier note, we had a miracle in maccys (what they call McDonald's). We planned on teaching our friend Steven on a bench in the town hall (like we normally do) but it started raining (shocker) so our backup plan was to teach him in maccys. So we were teaching him and Sister Escalon was doing most of the talking testifying so boldly and pouring out her heart like she always does and I was staring at one of the McDonald's workers cleaning the tables. She was standing by the bin and I walked up to her to toss some rubbish and saw amongst several tattoos, a tattoo of the state of Texas. I pointed to it and asked her about it and found out her name Is Libby and that she's never been to Texas but she's always wanted to! I told her that's where I was from and we talked a bit about why I'm here in St Helen's! She was so nice but we literally only talked for 30 seconds. As we continued our lesson, I got out a Pamphlet and wrote a little note and our number hoping she'd pick it up. Well about an hour later, we got a text from her and we scheduled to see her again! We've been texting her all weekend! I'll keep yall posted on Libby!

I'm grateful for all the ups and downs on my mission because without them, it'd make for a boring ride. I read a scripture in Jacob 3:1 "But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction."
When you liken that scripture to yourself, it's such a wonderful promise that if we pray daily and exercise faith in him, the Lord has got our backs! He will be there for us in any moment because he never leaves us!

Whoohoo my last General Conference on my mission is THIS WEEK! I invite you all to prepare a question and earnestly seek it by listening to not only what the speakers tell you, but what the SPIRIT tells you! The heavens are open my friends!

Love and pray for you all!

Sister Gilland
England Manchester Mission 🇬🇧

SORRY no pics this week, I'm the worst!