Week 72 in the Field: Week 17 in Zurich: Staying here in Schwamendingen with Sister Smith! Lots of Love!

Little cards i made for our exchange with Sister Pentz and Sister Zink

 

 

 

 

 

 A guy was doing bubbles on the street yesterday. really neat. 

 

 

Clean Apartment Award: "THANKS for having such an ultra clean apartment!! You are doing a marvelous job in your apartment and out! Thanks for being such positive examples for us, we love visiting with you!!  Elder and Sister Lee"

I guess it's time to start this weeks email, huh? How many of these have I written now? 

Transfers. We're staying together :) President called us (we were freaking out cause we already had all the callings we could get, so we didn't know what was awaiting us), and told us we were going to be STL's for our Zone.... um. We already are? He was confused, but had made a mistake :) Nice to get the call twice, though ;) We will be staying together until the day I die. Weird. I feel really uneasy. I don't want to face life. I have no idea what to do with my life. This is too real. AH! 

I bought a Swatch? That was cool. Pday is Pday. Nothing too exciting.

Tuesday we had District Meeting and it was a disaster. I think I gave the worst assignment I have ever given. It was a mess. Oh well. Appointment fell out. We were bummed. Did some contacting. Then my bag broke! Just felt on the ground! We just laughed and laughed. Good thing we were going on exchange the next day and I could take a bag from the Sisters. Then we had an eating appointment and we learned how to knit! That was really neat :) I can now knit a square :) I only made a few mistakes. Then we had a meeting with our Stake President. Talked about ward mission plans throughout the Stake. He told us to focus on part-member families a lot. We have been trying. 

Wednesday we had exchange with the Olten sisters. I worked with Sister Zink (from Germany) in Olten. We spent the whole day contacting. That was fun ;) We found someone who turned into an investigator later that weekend. Mega cool. The Sisters here in Schwamendinged found 3 new friends and had two lessons. They were on fire :) Helped with a service project the next day. It was so sad. The woman we helped is the mother of three and taking drugs. She can't think for herself anymore. We came in and cleaned her house, as she was sitting on the sofa smoking something that wasn't just Tobacco I kept telling myself that Christ was among all people and He loved them all. I was trying not to judge this woman for the state that she was in raising these three girls; I didn't know her circumstances and I didn't have the right to judge. As I continued to serve and clean the rooms of these little ones, I learned a bit more about her. Her mother has been helping her since she can no longer help herself. I learned a lot during these hours. Missions are humbling experiences. I am just so grateful for my upbringing and the good choices my parents have made. I am grateful for the Gospel and the strength and guidance it gives us. 

Friday we had a good lesson with a less active. We had lunch with her and her kids and then we colored the things that made us happy. She has made so much progress since we first started meeting with her. The love I feel for us is undescribable. 

We visited another woman who is in an old folks home and she was so happy! Our last appointment fell out.. bummer. Just a good, normal, missionary day. 

Saturday. We met with this guy that found the Sisters while I was in Olten. I called him the next day and set up an appointment here in the Church. He came, he was there waiting for us outside the church. We went in and said hi to the people there. There was a Table Tennis Tourney that day, so we were able to meet lots of members. We talked and got a bit of his religious background and he is really spiritual! He is really knowledgeable and really ready to follow what the Lord says. We then gave him a Church tour. We explained pretty much everything we could. It was really cool cause... well, he accepted it all. We got to the Primary room where there are big replicas of the holy scriptures on the wall; BoM, PoG, D&C, the Bible. We told him about these other books we have. He said he wants them all cause he gets the feeling they make the Bible complete. Never got the answer on my mission before! Cool! We then made our way to the Chapel. There we invited him to be baptized. He said yes, as soon as he knows what we've said is true and God tells him it's right. Really neat. He then came to all three hours of church and was really friendly and not shy at all. He will be back again next week and we will be seeing him this week. Don't know when yet, but we will. 

We then went to a new family's house to give a German lesson. They are American and just the best ever! We had a nice, really relaxed meal, and I loved being able to clean up after myself and not be told to sit down when I just want to help clean up :) We felt so welcome :) That's always really nice. Then we gave a small German lesson to the two little girls :) We talked about colors and counting and how to ask nicely for things :) They learn really fast! And they are so adorable! We will be going back every week :) 

Sunday was a complete mess. We had a bit of a... rough evening with our Elders and that carried over to the next day. We had 3 friends in church and that was so nice! But.. it was a mess trying to get it all to happen. We weren't in the Chapel for Sacrament, but instead outside waiting for the friend that was actually already sitting in the chapel.:):):) So the ward probably thought we were just skipping out or something. Then we had to reschedule about 100 things and... you know me. I stress out really easily.(BG: :):) You can probably feel it just through reading this ;) We just always have so much to do and no one ever asks how we're doing. We felt just a bit under-appreciated yesterday. We ended up painting for Comp Inventory cause.... that's always needed. We then read out loud to each other, the Book of Mormon. That was needed. Before that though, we went to lunch at the Russo's then went to visit a member who just got a really big operation/surgery in the hospital. We spent a good chunk of the afternoon getting there, but it's better than being couped up inside. She loved seeing us :) 

I've been feeling really anxious lately. I don't know why. It's been a rough week. A lot of downs, and some good up's. I'm really tired. But still going :) 

Started studying all the lessons in Chapter 3 of PMG today. I will study a different lesson every week until the end. I studied about Priesthood Organizations today. I love the  Priesthood. I love calling on it whenever I need it. I am so grateful that the power of God has been restored to the earth again at this time and that we all have the chance to use it. Not just as members of the church, but everyone. God really loves us :) 

This week is busy. We have a baptism on Saturday. One of the Elders friends is getting baptized. Really cool :) The next couple weeks are going to be really crazy busy. Just what I need :) 

We're going to the Zoo today, so I'll send pics next week!

Love you all :) 

Sister Gilmour

xx

Week 71 in the Field: Week 16 in Zurich: I want to BECOME the message. ELDER KEARON

(2 Nephi 5:27)

 

3 of my watches died this week. Guess what I'm doing today? ;)

 

 

 

I just want you all to know from the very beginning of this email that THIS WEEK WAS AMAZING. I want to copy and paste the whole week and copy it into your minds so you can know EXACTLY what happened and the feelings that I had. It was amazing. 

 

We had Mission Tour with Elder Kearon, MLC in Munich, lessons, long bus rides, and... it was just really good. 

 

We had an AMAZING lesson with a guy we met a few weeks ago. He's found his way back to God after 30 years of going without Him and the way he spoke about being back on the right path was so beautiful. He spoke with such innocence and heart. It was really amazing to watch at the beginning of the meeting he was bearing his testimony of the Atonement, but still a bit shut off to the idea of meeting with us more, to at the end after we had born strong, personal testimony and seeing him agree to see us again. He said that he already knew the answer and that was that he needed to listen to what we had to say. It was so beautiful. I love when people feel the Spirit and act on it :) 

 

We had a randomly saw a young less active that night and we talked, and talked, and talked, about everything. The Gospel, life, school, plans. It was so nice :) I loved seeing that we were in the right place at the right time:)

 

Then Wednesday came along!! MISSION TOUR WITH ELDER KEARON! Can I just say what a wonderful and pure man he is? The way he spoke was full of such love you couldn't help but just believe what he was saying. He IS the Gospel. He knows all the answers because he lives the answers every day. He is wonderful! I felt such love and validation. Something that I didn't realize I had been needing. I'll just wire a few notes that I put down in my journal: 

 

* PAY ATTENTION TO YOUR CHURCH LANGUAGE: "non-member", "investigator", "finding"

• Attack your day
• Every day is a choice. Choose to be happy
• Who are the best "finders": those who are themselves and personable.
• How do you know you teach with the Spirit: when you feel that bit of eternity. You can feel when you are all on the right path. I truly believe we feel a part of what the heavens are like and what we will be feeling all the time. It's beautiful.
• "Believing is seeing"
• What is your goal for the end, Chlo? COURAGE. Be courageous enough to go against your natural man. Give him up. 
• "When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to change" #Atonement
• BECOME the message. LIVE IT. 
• Don't go back. Go on. Go forward. 
• Marry someone better than you; someone to stretch you; who reads and prays; who goes to the temple; who is kind; who loves their Savior. Don't settle.
• become a "Sister Dalton". 
• Preaching the Gospel is  LIFESTYLE. Become it. Become Chloe Suzanne Gilmour and you'll be living the truest form of who you can be. 
• It all comes down to YOU. You choose to change. You choose to be happy. 
• Go forth today with positivity
• "Serve those you lead. Go out and be lovely. Serve to lead. Your best is good enough. Thank you. Feel lightened. Feel loved"- Elder Kearon. 

I WISH YOU ALL KNEW THE GREATNESS THAT WAS SPOKEN OVER THESES THREE DAYS. It was amazing. So amazing. I want to BECOME the message. I don't want to lose what I have here. I want to keep it with me. I want to become the best member missionary and best member of the ward as I can. I'm so excited to share with you what I've learned here and what I've become :) 

 

Then we went to MLC. That means a 6 hour bus ride there and back. Killer. But it's nice to have friends to jabber to the whole way. It's quite a nice ride, actually. I had the chance to talk with Sister Page. That was really good. I love talking with other Americans and getting into their heads. Turns out we all think the same way ;) I love her and I love the relationships I have here.

 

 

 

We got in about 6, grabbed dinner, then went to the Church to watch a devotional from Holland. Yeah, it was good :) Isn't everything that he says good? I made some great notes about that, too. I'll show you one day ;) He basically said that we can't go back to the old ways. We are the future of the church and we have to take what we've learned here on our missions and apply it to our lives. He said we can't go home and grow beards (elders) and us sisters have to go home and start strong, faithful homes and raise the new blood of the church to go on missions. We are the ones to start the next great generation :) 

 

Then we went to the hostile! It was really good, actually. Really clean, big, safe, showers, beds, closet. Totally would stay there while travelling through Europe. I'll send pics. We got to room with Sister Wilkes and Sister Fenton, both from Utah, serving in Salzburg right now. THE CUTEST GIRLS EVER. It was really nice to be able to get to know the Sisters outside of the "black hole" of Switzerland. 

 

With great friend, Elder Huby from France,
 they served in Zollikofen, Swizerland at the same time

The next day we went back to the church to hear from Elder Kearon some more. It was really interesting. At one point, President asked us what we think our mission culture is; is the most obedient, best at teaching, are we good at talking to people, being friends, etc. There were crickets chirping it was so silent. How sad? Once someone finally said something, the things we all said weren't good and happy. We said things like, "we spend so much time refiguring things out. We are always changing", or what I said was that we are a mission of comparing; we are always comparing ourselves to something! Either Switzerland against Germany and Austria, or the mission against the other missions, district against district, numbers, blah, blah, blah. It's true, though! We don't really have a culture. 

 

Then Elder Kearon jumped in and was just like... stop it. You are amazing! You are good. You are loved. Stop being so hard on yourselves. Look at all the amazing things you ARE doing. Yeah! You can be better, can't we all? But just know that you are doing amazing right now. Again, I felt validated. Within seconds, our mood had changed. We were then spitting out uplifting ideas of how to improve the mission and building off each other and getting pumped up. It was really good. We are going to have an amazing MLC next month. 

 

We ate together, Elder Kearon ran out (a busy man), then we went to catch our bus. What a weird and strange ride that was.

 

We got off the bus, to find out that the friend that we were to start teaching again after being gone for 3 months just... yeah. We ended up giving her to the Elders. I have to say, after all that happened with her and the silly things that went down, I was a bit hurt. I didn't want to have to give her to the Elders, but whatever it takes to help her make the steps to progress towards baptism, I'm willing to do it. I won't tell the whole story here, but it wasn't such a happy one. I hope that things go well for her. 

We got home, ate, and studied. What a strange night. Have you ever cried, but had no idea WHY? And felt absolutely nothing? And the only reason you knew you were sad is cause you were crying? Well.. that was me. I cried, and cried, and cried. I am so tired. My spirit is so exhausted. I really needed to sleep. I didn't move one time that night. Like I said, really strange. 

 

The weekend. We just bought ourselves flowers today as a late Vday gift. Fun stuff. We went finding, and we did some Personal Touches, we made LOTS  of goals, contacted some people, had great conversations with people on the streets, went to church, studied, didn't wear boots for the first time in MONTHS, went to an Eritrean church with an investigator and his friend, planned, had a roast, met lots of Americans, celebrated birthdays, and...... my tights got drawn on by a little boy? It was a good week. Strange, really good, really spiritual, one I'll never forget, and one I'd relive in a heart beat.

 

This week we get transfer calls. I really hope that I stay here with Sister Smith until the end. That would be really nice. Usually I can feel when it's time to say goodbye to a companion, but I don't have that feeling this time. So I hope that's a sign that we are staying together :) 

 

Read 2 Corinthians chapter 4 this week. It is beautiful. Found it while studying something. I don't remember. But I think, it's my favorite chapter in the New Testament. 

 

I love you. The church is true. Always will be. Always has been. Stand up for what's right, even when it's really hard. Something that Elder Kearon talked about and quoted from Sister Elaine S. Dalton: "We are really good at doing what Moroni does best: standing alone". As sad as that may sound, that is what we have to do. In a world that is increasingly getting worse, we have to stand as beacons in the darkness and guide those searching for the light. Do it. It's worth it :)

 

Have an amazing week. I will, too :) 

 

Sister Gilmour

xx 

 

P.S. We polished our shoes, I cut my hair, and we gathered together as Sisters (and Elders). 

 

 

 

 

 

Week 70 in the Field: Week 15 in Zurich: So Good, So Good, So busy:)

This week was good :) I think I always start my letters like that. They usually are :) This week we had so much to do. I don't know how we fit so much in 7 days, to be honest. Exchange, lessons, Pday, Finding Day, GMR, meetings, weddings, seeing old acquaintances. Crazy, crazy. I also got 2 packages this week. It's been good :)

Monday we went to Rapperswil. There is a gorgeous church there and we took a good amount of time there. We mainly went to see a castle that IS open on Mondays... between April and November :/ We almost had successful plans! But we ended up having a really good time, just the two of us. 

Then that night, we tried to visit some people, but none of them worked out. I lost my patience a bit (bad trainer) because we were going to miss a train and we weren't going to get done the plans we had made, and I hate that. I asked Sister Smith where she thought we should go, and she responded with, "I don't know". So I told her, "When we don't know what to do, we just start walking" (Eve taught me that one ;)). So we started walking. Not even 40 seconds passed by before we ran into an old investigator! I had met her only one time, so it was a total miracle that I even recognized her! 

We went and got drinks, and had an AMAZING night with her. She is so, so spiritual and she listens to the Spirit like no one I know. I'm so sad that she doesn't want to keep meeting. But I learned so much about humility, faith, and hope with her. Her patience is amazing and she has learned so much. I felt so blessed to have been able to meet her that night. I needed to learn a thing or two about patience after losing it with my poor companion:(. It was a sweet miracle from God. 

The exactness of the moment was just too crazy. One day I'll tell you all the details ;)

Tuesday we had district meeting. We've started doing them all in German again and we somehow feel the Spirit so much stronger that way. I love it. We then had a finding day! Whoo! We saw success! We found a guy from England, who answered our question about his relationship with Jesus Christ with, "He's my best friend". Cool :) We then started talking to him about it and he said he had gone many years completely off the path and now that's he's found it again, he sees how right and true it is and that Jesus loves him. We made up an appointment for tomorrow. He's got a family and they sound wonderful :) It was a really nice, uplifting finding day. We then met with Bishop and talked about what he needs us to do and how we can help with the ward. Typical stuff you talk about with the Bishop. 

Wednesday: EXCHANGE. But before we changed with the Luzern sisters, we went and dropped a gift by a ward member for her birthday. We told ourselves that would then do some contacting there if we had more time, which we did. We walked on the same street for about one minute before we both realized it was going to be completely pointless to walk around the streets because there was no one out. So we went to an apartment building and did some dooring... or ringing, actually ;) We don't really like dooring, by the way. We never see success. But this time! This time was golden :) The first door we rang let us in and we ended up talking with this guy who is originally Muslim, but doesn't believe and doesn't practice. We talked with him about the Plan of Salvation. I told him about how we all chose God's plan, all of us that are here on this earth. I told him that the message we have as missionaries is to help people remember what they already learned in Heaven; that what I was telling him he has already heard and knew was true as he chose God's plan to come here to earth. I have never told anyone that before. It was a very spirit led conversation. We will be meeting him tomorrow.

We then came down the stairs, when I saw a wood sign hanging on a door that said, "No one loves you more than Jesus Christ". Obviously we knocked. No on answered. But then there was a girl trying to get in the building. So we let her in. Turns out it was her apartment! She had left her keys at work and couldn't get in her apartment, so we got to talk with her for about an hour about everything possible. And it was all about religious things and our lives as missionaries. She was is so cool! Young, and really open. She will be coming to Insti with us :) 

Such a cool day full of wonderful little miracles that we hope to see the fruits of this week :) Then we had exchange. I went to Luzern with Sister Flickinger and Sister Smith was here with Sister Oswald. We both had a good time and we learned and taught a lot. I can't say much except that I love being there for other sisters. I love serving them and listening to the Spirit. I hope I can be a good STL like all mine were to me :) But we were out WAY late cause they had ward council. We got home at 10.30 and in bed at 11.30. It was the worst. But.. we have to go to these meetings. Ugh. Was good any ways :)

There is lots we have to do in Luzern, by the way. You'll all love it there :)

I also met Sebastian! He was a foreign exchange student in our American Fork Stake a few years ago. He waved to me, and I thought, "okay, he is awfully friendly for having never met me. That's nice." Then he asked if I was Brooklyn's sisters!! Then it occurred to me :) 

I think he sent a pic to Brooklyn too:).

Thursday we switched back. Then went to Maroussia's and helped unpack baby clothes because she could be having her baby 3 weeks sooner than she thought. I love that woman and her family so, so much. So much. They are such good people. I just want them to have the blessings of the Gospel in their lives. I just don't know how to help them see that they do, too... 

Friday: AMAZING, inspired lesson with a less active. I love this woman. I love being a missionary and helping people. I love it so so much. I love that the only people that know about this lesson and the in's and out's of it is me, my comp, the woman, and the Spirit. I have had so many amazing moments with the Spirit on my mission. It's such a blessing to be here :) 

We then went to a new convert’s house. I love her so much as well. It's nice when we feel at home at members houses. It's really nice. I love her :) 

Then two appointments fell out. One woman dropped us, so that hurt a bit. But.. What can you do? I'm just grateful we have free agency, even when people use it the wrong way. 

Then we went to a wedding. It's really weird going to weddings on missions- Swiss ones, especially. It was a special experience, one I won't ever forget :)

Saturday we planned all day. Okay, not the WHOLE day. We did go out, but we had a lot of things to plan for this week. Lot's happening! We also wrote an email in Portuguese. That's really hard... 

I got a great package from Adam. He sent me cat leggings. I was so, so happy. I've worn them every day under my two pairs of tights (it's cold here). I love them :) And then my great friend Sister Couper sent me a package, too! She sent me booties! I think I told her only ONE time that I loved her booties and that I wanted some, and somehow she remembered that and sent them to me for Christmas! I LOVE her! I felt very loved this week.

God is being really good to me. Yesterday in RS, we had a lesson about Agency and choosing. It was so good. Seriously, I was just getting answers left, right, and center. I loved it. I am so so grateful for our ability to choose. When I was younger, I never really understood why Satan’s plan would have been so bad to pick. I mean... how great would it be to go through life not having to make any of these hard decisions and things? Really nice, right? Then I started to understand what it is that he wanted to do with us. He didn't want us to be happy. He wasn't going to make it easy. He was going to force us to do all these things. So I have gained a testimony of agency and how much of a blessing it is. I've been thanking Heavenly Father for giving me so many hard decisions in life because it shows me that He loves me ;) Even when it's hard and all I want to know is know my future. But! That's not the beautiful plan that He made :) His is much better :) 

oh and today we were in Luzern at the Glass Factory. So great and so cool :) Totally free. 


We'll hit it up there when you're here :)

Love you all :)
Sister Gilmour xxxx

Week 69 in the Field: Week 14 in Zurich: There are missionaries, and there are "softies"‏

Family and friends.

I've had a few questions running through my head the last weeks. 

1. What are your 5 greatest accomplishments?

2. What 5 people's lives have you made a personal difference in?

3. What acts have you done on this earth that you would offer to our Heavenly Father as the best things you could give him? 

I don't my own answers, actually. But I am in process of writing them down. Take a few moments to reflect on them, too.

This week was a week of beauty. We taught by the Spirit, we found, we had some downs, we had ups, and I really felt love. I learned how to be a better missionary, and I learned also that I'm where I need to be at this moment in life. 

We had an amazing lesson with a woman we found a few weeks ago, who we wanted to practice German with, and teach, of course. We ended up talking about the Plan of Salvation and so much more. (https://www.lds.org/manual/book-of-mormon-teacher-resource-manual/plan-of-salvation-overview?lang=eng ) She had so many questions. I love those appointments where the people really want to know what you have to offer them. She's amazing, this woman. I am excited to continue meeting with her. 

We then had another lesson an hour or two later. We found a man on the street the day before and ended up talking with him for about 45 minutes on a cold corner of a busy street. We made out an appointment for the next day. We met him, and he took us to a cafe, where he bought us hot chocolate. It was a really good time, but he was there more to discuss rather than learn. But he did ask us interesting, and thought provoking questions that I would really like to think about someday. Right now though, I'm here to think about the basics and bring the Gospel to those around me in a simple and understandable way. Plus my German doesn't allow me to do much else ;) He asked us the question why we are Mormon? He didn't want to hear the word church, but to really hear the experiences that we had that made us choose this faith and not any other. That's a question that we're asked frequently.  It was 2 hours of... teaching/talking/no arguing. It was good. He is a great man, and is so open for things. He's been all over the world, so he doesn't have only have a Swiss mindset anymore. But he did keep telling us we need to find someone that doesn't believe in God at all, not someone that already has faith that He exists. We tried explaining that we are there for those people, too. He took a BoM, but we weren't able to make up another appointment. He did ask us how he could get a hold of us if, after reading the book, he wanted to know more. We gave him our number and wrote our names in the book, so he wouldn't forget who gave it to him. It was neat :) We did something good. We didn't set a baptismal date. We didn't even get another investigator from it. We possibly could have learned more from him than he did from us. But you know what? I'm not here for those silly parts of missionary work. I am here to help people. Whatever that looks like. 

Before we had the interviews, though, we had a training. We talked about our baptismal goal. We couldn't come to a solid goal at MLC last month, so we got it first this week. As I sat there and listened, I was up for it! Totally. Let's go get 'em. But. I'm actually not here for that. I couldn't care less about that. If I am helping people, and it leads to baptism, then wonderful! Of course, we are trying our hardest to bring these people to baptism so they can make those necessary covenants that we are to make on this earth. Of course. But, it is not my main thought. President kept saying that it wasn't about the numbers, it's wasn't about the numbers. It sounded pretty number oriented to me ;) (BG: Numbers help track progress, effort, effectiveness, room for improvement) I just had to remind myself what motivates me to do missionary work and why I'm here, and then I went on my way and did that to the best of my ability. 

This brings me to interviews. I had my last interviews of my mission on Thursday. My last interview was really good! We had a good chat and... yeah. He's more than a mission president, he talks to me like a friend. I really appreciate our mission president and his wife.  It's sad talking about the closing of areas, but... we're not seeing the affects too badly in this zone. we're hoping we stay open and together until the end. I got a German temple recommend! The Sisters don't get one cause their recommends don't usually expire on a mission, so I was telling him this and how I was jealous. He asked if I had my temple recommend with me (of course I did) and he wrote me a new one! In German! How cool :) It was a good interview. I really realized how badly I miss having my daddy here. I just wanted to speak with him. I just wanted to speak to a fatherly figure and talk. Just talk. There's never time for that. But I appreciated my dad a lot more after that time :) I miss having a Priesthood holder around at all times. Like sure, I've got the Elders. But I really miss hugging the Priesthood. That sounds weird, but it's true. He gave me some great advice about driving off the cliff of my mission at full speed, pedal to the floor. He said the natural man starts to see the end and they want to back off cause they don't want to drive off the edge, but little do they know that there is a bridge on the other side that we can only cross if we drive off the edge at full speed. I really liked that. I plan on doing it :) Cause it's hard sometimes, to go full speed. I'm tired. And I've been sick. A lot. Still am. But... I also know that I do need to go full speed. I will :) 

We decorated the door of a member who had a 

birthday. 

She was mega happy :)

 We had a lesson with a woman we met with the first time last week. She got a Krankensegen. (BG: Anyone???)  I still don't know how that's called in English. We had two men from the ward there. I felt the Spirit and she did, too.  And then this morning, as we came in to do emails, the Elders said they had bad news. A woman just called them and said that she knows the sisters and to tell them not to come around any more. It was this woman. She had heard really bad things about the church and doesn't want to know any more. Great. Happy P-day. We'll take care of that later, though. It broke my heart, actually. The pains of missionary work are so special.  (BG: This was always a sign to me of missionaries who were loving the people, when you had this type of experience and really felt it and vice versa when it goes well).

We went to the Temple! That was really nice :) Kind of a mess cause they just redid everything, so I had no idea what I was doing. Weird since I worked there for 6 months. All the people were new, too. But so lovely. It was a bit hard, though, seeing all those married couples. They are just all so happy! (BG:One day:))

Sunday was nice. Just felt a lot of love. Maroussia emailed us and said the nicest things! We felt that she loved us. I love that feeling! Being loved by those around us. I go around all day with people looking at me weird and probably not saying nice things as I pass by. Sister Smith was having a hard time with that this week; that we aren't really loved by anyone. I told her to think of the Saviour and the amazing experience we get to have here on a mission to experience in part what He experienced. That helped a bit. But then feeling the love from someone that we visit is really needed. I haven't had an investigator that really loves me like that since Sonja. It was such a nice day. We fasted and had an amazing lunch before heading out to give someone a French BoM and then going to another appointment to eat.

We met Yami, the investigator that was gone for 3 months :) I am so so excited to really meet her and get her ready for baptism! I love seeing people find out that the Gospel is true :)  

Missionary work is fun :) It's hard, and a lot of time I ask myself if it's really worth it cause IIIIII'M not really doing anything. But then I have small moments where the Lord reminds me that I am important in the work; to just keep going and keep trying hard. 

BG cheated and got from the web:)

We are going to a castle today in Rapperswil. Should be good and totally covered in snow :) I will send pics next week :) 

BG cheated and got from the web:)

I love you. I hope you know that. I've really learned what it means to love, to be loved, and how love feels while out here on a mission. President told me to write down a list of all the things I've learned on my mission, and I think this goes at the top. I haven't done the list yet, but I will, and I'll let you know :) 

The love I feel for those I've met here and for those I know at home has shown me a bit of what the love God has for us is like. No where close in comparison, but I understand it a bit more :) 

Have a great week :) I will, too. We have such full days. I love that feeling :) 

1. We will be doing exchanges with Luzern sisters. 
2. The next week we have MISSION TOUR!! So excited! We are hearing from President Kearan. (BG: He's in my sisters ward in Frankfurt) He just spoke at one of the GC's not too long ago. I have to read his talk in preparation. 
3. And then we have MLC the next day. That means going to Munich again. And we are staying in a hostel! Cool, huh? 

Just some random info.

Sister Chloe Gilmour

xx

Attached:

Picture of us at the Temple

The Temple Grounds with snow!!