WEEK 4: In the mission field, Harrison, Arkansas, lovin it!! God is good, the church is true.

The MTC was awesome and I will miss my district but it's feeling great to be here where I know i'm supposed to be.

I know many of you have asked where I am so .... I'm the the little town of Harrison, Arkansas, located in the heart of the beautiful Ozarks but unfortunately it's perhaps the poorest place in my mission:(.    

I have 2 amazing companions, Sister Johnson (from MN) and Sister Pingree (from SLC, UT)! I love them so much already and I'm so grateful to have them both here with me. 

This 1st week has been INSANE!! 

The first day here I was able to experience how powerful the spirit can be. We had 3 families on a list to go visit but didn't have time to go see everyone so we prayed to see who we should go visit, the Hurst family came to my mind so we went on our way to see them.   You need to know that many of the roads here are dirt so it takes forever to get places sometimes (BTW, we drive a truck!!!!).  

We found the house and started going up the driveway (We always say a prayer before we get out of the car to protect us and to help those we come in contact with to have there heart soften), but as we get out of the car and as we got closer I had a really bad uneasy feeling come over me. So I looked at my 2 companions and said this isn't feeling right, we need to leave. The overwhelming voice of the spirit said "turn around and go get in your car".  The voice was so clear I couldn't even take another step up the driveway to this house. We all looked at each other confused, asking why  would we drive all this way to end up turning around????  As we got in our car we had the opportunity to go right or left on the road, WE CHOSE TO GO 'RIGHT' and came up on another house and decided to stop. Before we got out of the car we looked at the house address again and figured out that this house was the RIGHT one! 

Always follow the promptings of the spirit. I don't know what could have happened to us if we knocked on that first house.  I don't want to know!

Being here in Harrison... there's a lot of people who are on drugs, literally, it's sad. I am so grateful to be here and to have to opportunity to have the Holy Ghost as a constant companion to help me with what i am seeing. Obedience is the key to having the spirit, I'm learning that fast.

Our Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving was A LOT OF FOOD!! Food baby, all day long. Lots of yummy food and amazing opportunities to help those around us and reflect on everything we have been given.

Never take things for granted because being here in this area definitely has made ME grateful for the amazing family I have, the house I live in and the life and opportunities I've been given. Someone out there could have it a lot worse then you do.  As a missionary I am loving the serving part and helping those we meet come closer to Christ. 

We have 2 Investigators who have baptismal dates. :)

Sheldon we met Friday night and set his Baptismal date the next day because the spirit guided us and said he is ready so we followed that prompting and he is so excited. 

The Lord is definitely placing people in our path that are ready. His date is Dec 30th so I believe we have 5 weeks or so. He is so excited and we are going to do everything we possibly can to help him be ready for that day. Please pray for him.  

Kelly is my best friend, I just love her so much. We have taught her 3 times this week and have set her baptismal date for DEC 30 as well. We are giving her dad lessons and hoping we can get him ready for that date too. Kelly and her Dad both have been reading the Book of Mormon a lot together and are gaining a strong testimony that this is the true church. They have come to church and are recognizing how happy it makes them. 

This church is true!! I'm seeing it work every day, hour-by-hour and the lives it is changing. Being a missionary is so hard but it's worth every moment. Seeing someones face light up when you give them a Book of Mormon, feeling and witnessing their growing love for it as they read, it is something I cant explain.  

Yes I've been cutting hair, in the MTC and in the Mission Field. My Comps are definitely loving it too. I've been Cutting the hair of families who are less fortunate and helping the Poor.  

I'm loving it.  I'm already picking up on some southern slang, Haha.  I think i'm in the middle of Duck Dynasty, big beards and all.

I've been sick with the flu this week but my comps definitely took care of me. They now are sick too. hahaha. Oops!!

I love all of you, and thank you for your love and support.  

Hope you enjoy the pictures... 
Sister Gilmour 

More about Harrison from the web: 

Located in the heart of the Ozark Mountains, Harrison is the County Seat of Boone County, Arkansas. It is nationally recognized as one of the "Best Small Towns in America" with a downtown lake and a beautifully renovated town square complete with hanging flower baskets. Harrison was previously featured in Where to Retire Magazine as one of the best retirement towns.

Harrison's scenic canyons, hills, and rivers allow privacy and wide-open spaces, and the nearby cities of Branson and Springfield offer metropolitan amenities such as live performances and varied dining options. For outdoor lovers, canoeing and fishing amid the limestone bluffs and serene scenery on Buffalo National River are popular activities. The low cost of living, laid back lifestyle and historic downtown continue to draw retirees to Harrison.

WEEK 3: Take every footstep in faith; loving others and seeing them as Christ sees them.

Well... I’m Sister training leader and just loving it so much. It’s a lot of work but we just got 39 new missionaries this last Wednesday and it is crazy madness and I’m running off not much  sleep but it’s been so fun meeting all these amazing new Sisters and Elders. Crazy to think I leave the MTC on Monday the 20th, (BG: we spoke to her from the airport, she was so excited to get to Arkansas but it hit her pretty hard travelling by the freeway exit that would typically take her home).  Where has the time gone alreadt, never thought I would hear those words come out of my mouth. I am kind of sad to be leaving my amazing district and sisters I have built amazing friendships with, definitely friends for life. We are all going to either  Arkansas Bentonville , Mississippi Jackson, or Arizona Phoenix mission. Super excited to keep in contact with everyone hopefully in 18 month, to 2 years we will reunite and have a PARTY!!!!!!!!!

I leave the MTC on Monday 20th @ 3:30am and head to the airport with most of my district, nice and early but I have a 5 hour flight so I’m sure I’ll get some rest there. I am feeling ready and determined to get into the mission field and help bring others the happiness that I feel through this true amazing Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am ready to work hard and keep pressing forward. I found out today that I will be returning date will be April 10,2019 which I am going to work by booty off until then. 

I’m loving the hard work and feeling the spirit all the time. Something this week that I have been working on is loving others and seeing them as Christ sees them. I know sometimes it’s hard to forgive someone or love them when they have done something wrong to you. But I promise as we pray and ask god to help our heart soften we can come to love those who have wronged us. As I prepare to enter the field I’m sure I’ll have rough days where people treat us missionaries bad, but I am going to tell them I love them. I’m sure they will hate it but I’m so ready to get out into the field. I’ll be taking every footstep in faith and keep plugging along.

I want all of you to please go listen to the talk “None were with him” (April 2009) by Elder Holland 

BEST TALK EVER!!!!!!!!

As sister training leader it has been such a busy exhausting week for me and Sister Mallory. 

We go around to 4 different rooms and pray with each of them, pull each senior companion out of the room for a quick interview in how things are going with them. Answering any questions they may have for us cause the new Sisters have only been here 3 days now. It’s crazy I love each of them so much and want to help them grow and find themselves. They are all like little sisters and I have 16 new Sisters I get to love and take care of.  (I have amazing sister of my own too) (love you guys) A lot of them are home sick and missing home but I just keep praying for them and ask them to keep taking one day at a time. I always say the Lord wouldn’t give us something we couldn’t handle in our lives. Christ made is possible so we don’t have to walk this life alone. We are so blessed aren’t we?

 

Moroni 10:7 

7 ​And ye may ​​​know​ that he is, by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore I would exhort you that ye deny not the power of God; for he worketh by power, ​​​according​ to the faith of the children of men, the same today and tomorrow, and forever.

The MTC was killer.  I’m excited to enter into my mission and let everyone see pictures and hear about it next week. 

I love each and everyone of you, email me because I want to hear from you. 

I miss doing hair, my clients but have been cutting hair here in the MTC a little bit. 

I can do hard things and so can you.

Love 

Sister Gilmour ❤️❤️

WEEK 2: Russel M Nelson is the coolest person I have ever met! Remember to help each other feel loved and be kind to everyone.

What a week, we had a special visitor this week:

Can I just say... Russel M Neilson is the coolest person I have ever met. He is 93 Year’s old and still ski’s with his grandchildren.  He is a genius and not to mention.. just looking great and young for his age. He talked a lot with us about the second coming and how the Lord is so pleased and proud of us as missionaries. His words are words of wisdom and made me want to push myself even harder. He also talked about the importance of continuing our own conversations, that this should be a daily goal of ours, it never ends.  The spirit while he was talking was unreal. To see a living Apostle stand right in front of you and testify that this Church is the only true church is so amazing.  I wish you all could have been here. If any of you are struggling or have questions the Lord is always listening and loves you so much. I can’t begin to tell you how much. 

So... I totally ate the concrete this week. I was running to class with Sister Malory & 

Sister brown and Sister Josie. I had my big boots on and must have tripped on some air and Sister Gilmour went down. All the Elders around, laughed... then asked if I was okay. I'm pretty sure I looked like an idiot as I laid on the ground laughing for a good 5 minutes. Ya.. we were still late to class. 

The MTC food is something else, I’m sticking to the salad bar, and fruit and the Warp bar. The MTC fills your schedule up so there's no time to do nothing, it’s crazy but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Hard work pays off and I won’t stop until I feel like I did my best work. This week has felt like a month. Ha, I’m staying positive because I only have 2 more Mondays left before I’m in Arkansas. Can’t wait. The church is true. 

MUST READ!'!!!!!!!!

Here in the MTC, we get to teach fake investigators. This week has been one of the best weeks of my life, our investigator E has the coolest story about how she found the church. She has made so much progress, and the Spirit has definitely touched her heart and has helped her heal in ways she never thought needed to be healed. Yesterday I had an amazing experience.  I had a feeling as we were teaching her the plan of salvation to ask her the, so what happens to you after you die question.... when all of a sudden the spirit prompts me to ask her if she’s had someone pass away in her life recently, not just one person but several people that had passed away recently. 

The first person was her grandma, who E lived with and moved here to take care of. One night her grandmas' light was left on until midnight and it seemed to be odd that her grandma was up that late, so she went to go check on her and her grandma had passed away on the desk right next to her bed while she was drawing a picture. E felt so guilty because she was just in the other room and didn’t think to check on her. The spirit kept prompting me to ask her really personal questions, as I asked E these deep inspired questions she began to cry... so then I cried. It was an experience I’ll never forget and it healed a part of her heart that needed to be healed.  I felt like the spirit was helping me do that. The other person I was feeling was her professor who actually told her to start taking missionary discussions and that’s how she became a member of the church. 

As we continued to talk about both these situations she would respond with inspired thoughts that had helped her get through this rough patch in life. She shared with me really personal things she’d never told anyone. 

BEST FEELING EVER!!!!

Isn’t this work of the Lord the best?  I am so happy and thank you for all of your emails that keep me going every week. I love you all and remember to help each other feel loved and be kind to everyone. 

Love Sister Gilmour 

WEEK1 : NEW is good, LIFE is good - MTC Life

Hello Everyone! 



First day of being in the MTC was insane but really good.  They definitely know how to keep you busy.  Day 1, I ran into a great friend and neighbor helping me feel right at home and relaxed after saying goodbye to my family which was really hard.  

I've already had so many tender mercies which is helping me settle right in.


My P-Day, preparation day while in the MTC in Provo is Saturday.

I have a great companion Sister Mallory.  She's 19 and from Midway, UT:).  There are two other sisters in my district Sister Brown and Sister Josie, they all feel like my little sisters.  I'm one of two 21yr olds in our group:). We have 2-18 yr olds, 1-19, and 1-20 yr old.   They refer to me as the mother because they think I take care of them all, too funny!

My district already has a family like feel, its crazy how you can only know people for 4 days and already be so close. We are always laughing because the Elders are something else.  They are great Elders and we are working hard for sure but also playing hard and having lots of fun. 

The Spirit here is UNREAL and I'm grateful to get the opportunity to be a part of Gods army.  It also feels great that he trusts us with his children around the world.  The members of my district are all going to different parts of the South - US.  I have an Elder from my mission area, from Oklahoma and he will be trying to contact some of his family while I'm there. The Lord knows what he is doing.   I"m so excited to be here in the MTC building lots of new friendships and finding my Purpose as a missionary....more to come on that over the next 18 months.

I'll tell you what, the food here is hurting my stomach so i might need something sent to help with it, please:).

The second day was amazing probably my favorite so far. We got to meet President Samualian and his councilors.  It's been a tender mercy for sure to have these amazing examples in our lives while being here in the MTC.  I've seen lots of faces I recognize.   I'm in Brother and Sister Hoggan's branch, they are from my home stake, American Fork, Utah, Hillcrest Stake.  They are amazing and I'm grateful to get to see them while being here is the MTC. I LOVE EVERYONE!!!

Temple day was this morning, Saturday and I got lots of pictures.  The spirit is always strong and I love feeling happy all the time.   I've been teaching an investigator here in the MTC.  I'm amazed at how the spirit just guides the discussion.  It feels amazing. I've had lots of experiences where I walk away from a lesson or testimony and I ask my self "WHAT JUST HAPPENED", it's the best feeling ever. 

I ran into sister Beth Winters-Jackson, (one of Chloe's missionary companions in Stuttgart, who is from here; and her husband in the temple.  I also ran into Ryan Andrus's Family at the temple too and I just love them.  We had a really cool discussion with their nephew who goes into the MTC next week.

I don't know if you can tell but I'm happy all the time.  I pray for you guys every night and so does our District. 

Never a dull moment!!

I LOVE THE MTC SO MUCH. 

I LOVE the Spirit, it's so strong here and I love it so much. 

LOVE YOU ALL 

Love Sister Gilmour