He will calm YOU!

Well since I had to write everyone back today and we dont have much time until they close down here I just want to say that Hna. Romo and I have had some very special experiences. Very spiritual. We have had so much success lately. We were with this family we have been teaching and the dads friends came in the house (who listened to us once) and started smoking and laughing at our message and so the father kept listening and told him to stop. We were impressed with the father for saying what he said next... he said.. "listen, whatever the world says, or anyone else outside my home, doesnt even matter to me, what I think is right for my family is what matters and that is what I believe and pay attention to." He excepted a date to marry his wife,  and be baptized and the wife also accepted to be baptized. they have like 5 children together and the oldest (9yrs) accepted a date to be baptized also. It was so wonderful! We are seeing so much progress in the work now and people are much more willing to change for the better. I cant tell you all I want to tell you but Easter was awesome. The Bishops wife made us chocolate eggs and the ward was very united. Mom thanks for the awesome Easter e-card. I loved it. Mothers day is coming up so I want to wish all you Moms a happy mothers day. You have the greatest calling (second to a missionary ;) being a Mom is a big thing. I look forward to it one day. Good to hear the new addition to the Vaughn family has come! Daxton James! Im sure hes adorable. Congrats Jay and Shelly. The work is rolling forth, we are working hard and not looking back, the work is amazing!!!! I love my Savior so much! Transfers are this Sunday at 10 pm we will know so we will see where everyone gets changed out to. keep the missionaries in your prayers, surely you are all in ours!

 

remember... Sometimes he will calm the storm thats raging in your life,

he´ll hush the winds and rains because he wills to,

but dont turn your heart away if he lets the waters rise,

if he doesnt calm the storm,

He will calm you!

 

I love you all so much!!!!!! chao for now!

Hermana, Ashley Ann Gillum

Nothing a Bucket of Paint Can't Fix

Hola! Todo bien! Alejandra recieved the gift of the holy spirit by the laying on of hands yesterday during sacrament meeting and it was a beautiful sight. My companion and I greatly considered that family and their faith to all be baptized and we decided to make a sacrafice of some extra money we had by going into a paint store and buying paint to paint their home. We showed up with supplies and got to work and when we finished, we gave them a big picture of the temple with this scripture

“Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer,

a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order,

a house of God” (D&C 88:119).

My companion and I have done much service this week, for our members and our investigators. We have done much reflecting and organizing on what more can be done at this time. We have recieved much help and revelation from the Savior. We also had to travel to Capital for Tramites (paperwork for living here) two seperate days and we met a large group of american students all here for a study abroad. I recieved letters from Mark Johnson, the ever-so-faithful missionary writer of St. George! A beautiful card from my family in Farmington Hills Michigan! and a wonderful package with beautiful music from Matt Abernathy of the band The Sabre Rattlers sang and Produced by Mark Abernathy which all contained very creative and beautiful mixes of hymns from our church. "All Is Well" gave me chills. We throughily enjoyed the spirit that it brought. Thank you for so much kindness and such a great gift! I assure you that my companion and I were so grateful. Also from David in Arizona. Thanks for your letters and cards I loved each one of them! Thank you for the support and love!

 My companions always so creative brother Edgar sent some random news from home that we found interesting... So Taylor Swift dated John Mayor? Interesting gap there. Speaking of them, I really am missing being able to listen to all my music back home. I love music so much but its okay, this is the time to memorize all the hymns in english and spanish. So there were some tornados in the states, and another flood in St. George, Utah? Her brother made it into a masters program so they are moving east (her whole family consists of genius brains and obedient faith) Her brother on a mission right now attends Harvard and she wants to attend Boston when she gets home. Its good for me, it encourages me to push my education desires haha. Her mother sounds like such a rock of a mom with so much charity for everyone and she says I remind her of her sister Myra. Her Dad is amazing all that she tells me amazes me and Im so excited to meet them when I return.

 Deciding to serve a mission was by far the best decision I´ve ever made. I have been stretched to greater limits and come to understand with depth, the most important things in life. I know exactly what I want in my life and my future. Im grateful for the cast the Lord has wrapped me in to heal me of all misunderstanding. Ive written many poems, filled two journals already and actually my companion and I wrote a song on an acoustic guitar that I had. That is up until, the rule came out for our mission that we cannot have any instruments in our apartments because they are distracting. To me music is how I feel the spirit even stronger so this was a big struggle for me at first until I saw the reality of it, which is, its a sacrafice for me, the Lord knows that, He sends bushels of blessings for each sacrafice so we need to be obedient in doing exactly what we are asked, even when we dont understand. Through obedience, that is when we gain understanding. My spiritual growth in this time is almost hard for me to believe. I will cherish this experience all my life and I encourage everyone to prepare to serve. As far as the work goes, everything is rolling forth day by day and P-day (our free day) of the week seems to come too quick and before we know it, the end of the trasfer is here. Missionary work sure does take time and each day counts. Every afternoon that passes by as we are walking for miles in search for those in need of peace, there are moments I wonder where or how my family is doing and if they can feel my love while im a world apart from them. Then we find someone and imediately my heart goes out to them and I feel that they are also my family in need of the peace greater than what I can give them. The peace of the Savior and His promise of Eternal Life. I look around at thousands of people here and see every different person in the search of the same thing... happiness. I must end this early because I have many photos to attach for you. I hope you all are doing your own mission work where you are in your sphere, lifting hands that hang down, healing broken hearts, Praying for the armies who fight for our freedom, praying for this army of God fighting for eternal peace and purpose. May we go about  doing good in the world while wearing a smile, even when times are tough to face or problems may seem like mountains. Remember, that with the Lord, we can move those mountains. We can and we will. All is well. I love you guys.

 

Also Here is an inspiring video that my friend Elder Galati had sent me.

I wanted to share this video with everyone. This man is the Branch President of the Island ward in Ecuador. The church made this short video of him and his story. All of us as saints of the church have the same goal, to truly understand and obtain a testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know with all my heart that this man has a testimony, that he is doing the lord´s work here on this island. I promise you will feel the spirit of the lord as you sit and reflect on this man´s testimony!
here is the link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEUXgmTKoLg ..... if that doesn´t work, go to www.youtube.com and type in the search bar "Wilson Simmaron", it´s the first video that will come up.

 

love, hermana gillum

 

ye recieve no witness until AFTER the trial of your faith... and then the miracles come...‏

"some blessings come soon, some come late, and some wont come until heaven, but for the righteous... oh... they DO come!" - Holland

 

Dearly beloved... mewecals aw what bwing us togeva today... haha

Family and friends and aquaintances whom I love... I am SO stoked to be updating you at this time on this awesome work of the Lord! The missionary work that continues to change lives for the better, including mine as time goes on. So last week Im pretty sure that I informed you all that I was having unusual side pain. Long story short, had to make a midnight trip to the hospital. I had internal bleeding and had to have an ultrasound done but eventually with a prescription and some paperwork I was sent along my way. So want to hear the fun part... I was running a fever of 101 and my comp tried locking me in the apartment but I wanted to get work done so badly that I coaxed her into letting me out and we were able to have success with lessons that night. By morning... that stubborness of mine brought me to a worse fever and strep throat that I happened to catch from the two people we taught. My immune system was down already and then I had to be stubborn and go out anyway and so thats what I get for not resting again. On the flipside... the good thing is that Doctor Hollingsworth is a great doctor and the antibiotic he prescribed me kicked that little virus in the behind by the time we were supposed to listen to General Conference! And Sunday held one of the greatest miracles I have ever been blessed enough to be a part of. In all honesty every ounce of pain was worth that miracle.

   So HOW BOUT CONFERENCE EH? talk about AWESOME!!!!! We are so incredibly blessed to have such genuine faithful leaders who carry this Church  to be all it needs to be. We are so blessed to have all that we do. I will just tell you about the wonderful notes I took during conference and i hope that maybe some might be of good use to you....

These are just notes, not exact direct quotes by the way...

 

L. Tom Perry-      A testimony of the sacrament is what makes it take effect

                              Our GREATEST joy in this life... is following the Savior... (i second that, I plan to serve all my life)

 

Jean Stevens-    (I met her in the mtc by the way... talk about the most charitable women I have ever met!)

                             What can we learn from children... they are full of faith, love, humility and forgiveness! (reminds me of my little sister forgiving me when I accidently burned her with the curling iron!)

                      The story of Liam who needed radiation treatments and all he asked for instead of being sedated was hearing his fathers voice... (like Joseph Smiths courage during his surgery!)

                              I love how she emphasized to not only hold children... but BEHOLD them... as spirit children as they really are!

 

Walter Gonzales- We need to be reminded that Christ submitted to the WILL OF THE FATHER at all times, even while abondoned and beaten and accused. (are we that willing to submit to the Father?)

                               I loved how he mentioned the missionary who risked losing his family if he served a two yr mission... then he walked out head hanging down but hopeful as he served, sure enough his family came to beg him to stay out longer... for all the blessings they were recieving! (SO TRUE PEOPLE boys girls, get serving missions, it makes you the men and women you need to be)

                              making covenants= an expression of love... they must ALWAYS be kept!

     

Kent Richards - "coping with pain" Christ is NOT a silent observer, it is through pain that brings you the humility needed... to come closer to the Savior.

                              Pain... brings us to an AWARENESS of Gods love!

                              During Christs ministry he CHOSE to suffer pains... to understand US better... so WE must experience the depths of mortality to better understand Him!

                              The story of the young girl who needed a 14 hr operation on her tumor... when she saw angels, she said.."dont worry all the kids here have angels around us." (so true)

                                 "as Job, after we have been tried... we then shall come forth as GOLD"

 

Quentin L. Cook-  Women are more religious.. in every measure.

                                They are daughters of our Father in Heaven. They endure much and with a smile on their face.

                                 The woman and husband are side by side in marriage. Woman by DIVINE NATURE have the greatest responsibility= motherhood.

                                 The pioneer woman after lost her husband to the cold, she said with courage "I appealed to the Lord... and He came to my aid!"

                                 Much accomplished in our church is because of the sisters!

 

Henry B. Erying-   Our HF does HEAR our prayers... he has provided his disciples to answer those prayers of the needy.

                                WAKE UP AND DO SOMETHING MORE

                                 A feeling of sympathy has been felt by all and sometime somewhere, but turning it to action unselfishly is part of keeping our covenants as members of His church.

                                 I was so humbled by that story of the family who went to see the damage the flood did to their home... but their home was washed away... with positive hearts they returned to the bishop to ask how they could help other people... (wow talk about christlike charity! I hope to have that same courage)

                                  The welfare of our church is not for ONE time and ONE place.... but for All times and ALL places! (awesome to know we are all in this together)

                                  And the service project that Eyring asked us to start up... wow thats so neat! I hope you are all engaged in a worthy cause in some way to heed this counsel!

 

Boyd. K. Packer-  ( when he stood up there at the stand I smiled so big, remembering that that very man, placed his authoritive hands on my head for a blessing before my mission! wow!)

                               What so ever thing ye do... must be called in my name (christs) as MY church... ( hence... church of jesus christ of latter day saints)

                               Christ is the very center of US and our church. our proper authority is what sets us apart.

                                The husband is the HEAD of the Family and the home... the Wife is the HEART!

                                No one is more subject to temptation then another, we all have agency, we all need to learn to resist temptation of every kind. (self mastery SO IMPORTANT)

                                If you are burdened, Do a little repenting, and lots of forgiving and the spirit of the Lord will comfort you.

                                We are a positive and happy people, we are NOT afraid of this life.

                                 If there is a church that is easy and requires little work... this is NOT the one! (ooo gives me chills so true)

                                

Russel m. Nelson-  We live to die... and we die.. to live AGAIN!

                                  Satan strives to brings us down to be as miserable as he is... but we do not let our FEARS REPLACE OUR FAITH!

                                  The ONLY premature death... is the one NOT prepared to meet God.

                                  Will we really do whatever the Lord commands?

                                  We cannot pick and choose which commandments we must obey, we must obey them ALL.

                                  Your pleading hearfelt prayers are not only heard... they are WANTED. You Father in Heaven WANTS to hear them.

                                  Tithing and the blessings of Tithing... protect you in the day of difficulty.

                                  HOW you deal with trials and afflictions in this life... is WHAT makes your faith and builds your character

                                  You can let those difficulties crush and silence you... or you can let it strengthen you to come out victorious! ( so awesome)

 

Elder. Rich Maynes- Praying and reading scriptures in the home are not just simple tasks, they are CELESTIAL traditions being established in the home.

Cecil Samuelson -    If you are struggling now... you can hold onto OUR testimonies here at this pulpit.

Dallin H. Oaks -         When we have a great vision of what we truly desire we will do ALL we must cut out our addictions and imperfections to achieve that vision.

M. Russel Ballard-    The love of Christ is not a bunch of huge heroic acts, but the small and simple kindnesses

                                    The Lord needs the love of ALL the members to expand and fill the earth! It requires the service of every member.

Pres. Uchtdorf-         Many stand on the side of the waters of baptism but never bring themselves to the truth of needing to enter.

                                    Many wait for some big tramatic event to make them believe but do not even take the SMALL steps of faith on the road of discipleship.

                                    turn down the noise of the world, and listen more to the spirit.

                                    Answers to our prayers often dont come while on our knees but when we are on our feet.

Paul Johnson-           All that we suffer and endure expands our souls and makes us more charitable.

                                     Even the richest minerals need refinement.

                                     We dont seek for trials but we can be sure our mortal life contains the amount needed for us individually.

                                      Not ONE trial is beyond our limits... because THROUGH Christ all is possible.

David Burton-            The older lady who was more focused on food and temporal help when missionaries came means shes not even close to being ready for eternal progression.

                                     We cannot inherit eternal life unless we administer to ppl on earth.

                                     When we administer to others we are more sure of being forgiven of our own sins.

David Bednar-            We can walk with assurance that God WILL guide us... then thy confidence shall wax strong in the Lord.

                                      Focus on the LIGHT

Jefferey R. Holland-    IF we teach BY the spirit..... and you LISTEN by the spirit... you will without a doubt hear what you need personally right now.

                                       Our prophet by no means, has had an easy life... we can be sure that he and his family have endured much but nothing gets him down! He has remarkable faith, unusual stamina and his devotion is an example to us ALL!

 

Ofcourse I have filled half a journal with other notes I had taken and revelation I have recieved but I must bring this email to a close and tell you about the miracle that we have had during Sundays General Conference! So our Leaders Elder Bond and Elder Davis were super happy that they were prepping for a baptism of a family of 5 during conference. We were so happy for them! They really worked hard for this miracle! During the break in between conference we left to catch a bus back to our area to pick up a lunch from a member since we have had zero food in our cupboards for days haha. On the collectivo ride... satan was trying to get me to be discouraged.. the Elders have baptisms.. and we dont....

 I said out loud to my companion, "I wish we had a baptism today, that would be so nice to be able to find a full family that are legally married to be able to baptize them"

then my always happy sweet companion responded.. "we can sometime and we will.."

 thats when I pondered the miracle that needed to happen. I said with all the faith in my heart "alright, then this is what we are going to do, the second we grab our lunch we are going to walk to our favorite remise place where they always help us out and we are going to eat our food while we walk so we dont waste time. Then, we are going to pray that they wont charge us today and that they might do us the favor of taking us with Alejandra to Zarate for conference to meet President and see what revelation he recieves from the Lord. If she cannot be baptized today, at least we did all we could to make sure she got to hear the Prophet speak." We prayed so much and didnt doubt the possibility at all. Sure enough it all worked out. On our way to Zarate with Alejandra, the scripture sunk in deep, that when the lord asks us to obey, he ALWAYS provides a way! We obeyed not spending money on the sabbath and obeyed the time frame we were given and with more sacrafice and hard work, our faith was built more strong, and the miracles do come! We love Alejandra with all our hearts. It was possible only with the faith of our leaders, and your faith in us that we could all do it, and with all of our heartfelt prayers Alejandra entered the waters of baptism and it was more then beautiful! When we met her afterwards in the bathroom she looked brand new, she kept saying how she felt free. I can only imagine how good she felt. I saw the light in her eyes.  finally we were able to be filled with the joy of knowing we have helped complete their family as far as baptism goes. They all have seen so many blessings already they are much more happy! and they all now have been baptized and have the opportunity to live together forever. What a beautiful joy. We realized that with our past lessons learned, when we were so stressed over numbers and baptisms to the point of impatience, the baptisms fell through and wouldnt work, but it was when we were calm in our heart, accepted the will of our heavenly father and prayed for us to do according to His will, that was when we asked the person (the child of God that they are) what THEY thought was best and what Heavenly Father wanted THEM to decide, thats when we had success. When WE dont get in the way of the connection GOD has with HIS child, thats when they feel the spirit the most and thats when They KNOW they need to be baptized. It was beautiful. Now during this weekened I really gain appreciation for SELF RELIANCE that the apostles kept speaking of. Our president has been really emphasizing how we need to all stregthen our self-reliance and trust in the Lord. Its beautiful how we are teaching our investigators that also. Helping people to help THEMSELVES through the Will of the Father. Also ive loved how inspired you are as our President. Its a great example to all of us. You are an incredible instrument of the Lord. We are so grateful for the Love and faith of those that are mindful of us.... THIS IS THE LORDS CHURCH! He desires ALL to partake of this EVERLASTING JOY AND SALVATION!

Keep enduring... and the blessings do come... I promise you that!

til next week... I love you all!

chao for now

 

love hermana ashley gillum