October 15

Hello!! Oh Happy Monday. Ok I know everyone is thinking it so I'm just going to say it- ONLY 2 WEEKS LEFT! Holy cow. I can't believe it. See I feel like I can say that and not be trunky because it still feels so surreal. :) Things here in London have been so wonderful. Thank you for all of the prayers about my knees... I very much look forward to seeing the doctor when I get home. ha ha I just think of how much worse it could be if I didn't have so many prayers going up on their little behalf but don't worry they are truly enduring to the end. I'm just so grateful I can still work! Sister Anena was doing a lot better and then she got the flu this last week! :( Slowly but surely her body is getting used to London. Keep praying for her as well. 

I am so grateful for the miracles we have been able to see this last week. We taught Marie again and she wasn't able to come to conference but said she watched it and LOVED it- she wrote us and asked us if we could meet more often so we could teach her. :) We would love to Marie. OH! Did I tell you? Becky Rochey got baptised!! The girl we were teaching in Bracknell that couldn't be baptised because she wasn't 18? Well happy birthday to Becky, she got baptised! I was so excited. Unfortunately we weren't able to go but I talked to her before and after and it was just so sweet. She is so incredibly happy!

Did I tell you about Teresa that we met 2 weeks ago? We were looking for the AUFs (address unknown files) and knocked the doors around that house and one Nigerian lady answered and she was so sweet, she invited us in right away and offered us dinner, tea, coffee, apples, water, ANYTHING she had in her house ha ha and then we were able to teach her the restoration. She loved it! We went and saw her again this week and will continue to go visit and teach her. Let me tell you that is only the second time that has happened to me on my mission- Sister Anena was LOVING it!!

ps I got this message from Dave today- remember the guy from the airplane? :

Hi Janna - how are you? All good here! Actually on business in Dresden Germany and going to church today. So excited since first time going to church in another country!

:) Oh the joy! I am so grateful this gospel is TRUE no matter where we go. That brings me so much comfort and peace. 

Well today I realised I have never even sent pictures of our lovely little London flat.. so here it is everyone. I love you love you all. 

October 8

Helloooo and happy post general conference Monday! General conference was as always fantastic!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THE ANNOUNCEMENT! Oh my goodness and I was just thinking wow my family is THERE for it! The whole zone was there at the stake centre so all of us missionaries just could not believe it. HOW EXCITING!! I thought for a moment how that would have changed my life if that announcement had been made years earlier, because I would have gone at 19... but I am so very grateful for the experiences I have had before my mission, they have truly made me who I am today. And I'm so grateful to be right where I am today! It was such a joy to spend conference with the people here (even though conference always makes me miss you) I was just so grateful to be there with so many people who were watching conference for the first time or like Sister Anena her 4th conference! Oh conference is such a joy. They spoke a lot about missionary work (God bless Russell M. Nelson!!!!) and families. I loved Elder Oaks talk about children. And Elder Holland's ohhhhhhhhhhhhh. And Elder Eyring's that was so sweet. I love how he cries throughout his talk, it reminds me of President Shamo. Let's be honest I loved them all. I can't wait to see/read the Sunday afternoon session talks as well!! 

So that- conference- was definitely one of the joys of the week. I love the new Relief Society presidency! They were all so real in sharing their trials and concerns and how the gospel has gotten them through anything. There were lots of talks about trials, and the speakers sharing very personal trials, has conference always been like that or do you think it's just how the world and trials have evolved more into our lives? Either way, I am very very grateful for the uplift and inspiration of a living prophet. I love being able to teach and testify to people that we have a living prophet on the earth today!! We got to teach Marie on Friday (One of Kristina Branch's nannies-the one from Singapore- that has been there when we have done family home evening before when we taught about The Book of Mormon, we gave Marie a copy and invited her to read it, the next time we went over she said that she had been reading a little bit everyday and that she also started listening to Mormon Channel and how much she loves it, we then taught the family for FHE the plan of salvation and she was there, the next day Kristina told her I was leaving soon and that if she wanted she could take the discussions with us before I leave. So Marie messaged us and told her what Kristina said and then she said "I don't know what that means... but I would love to hear from you all about your church before you go home Sister Mills!" sorry that was a really long side note...) and we taught her the restoration and all about prophets and she told us that she believes there should be a prophet on the earth but she just doesn't know where or who or if he is here yet and for Sister Anena and I to be able to share that WE KNOW! He is living and he is called and sustained and here and speaking to us! It was so wonderful. Before we began teaching her she said "I know the end goal for you teaching me is baptism and I don't know what is going to happen between now and when we are done with these discussions but even if I don't get baptised I want  you to know that I will read/listen to The Book of Mormon and Mormon Channel every day for the rest of my life because I have felt them help and change me." Marie... that is a good start. ha ha we look forward to teaching her again this week. :) 

Everyone keeps asking me if I'm trunky. ha ha I feel so blessed because even though I'm happy and so excited to be able to come home and see everyone again I am still loving every single British moment here. President Uchtdorf said something that explains how I feel about it, he said we shouldn't keep ourselves from living in the moment now because we are waiting for something to end... or something like that ha ha but that's how I feel- I will be so happy when I'm coming home to come home, but right now I am so happy to still be a MISSIONARY! :) I love you all! 

With sunshine, Sister Mills

I don't have my camera so I stole Sister Anena's to send some pictures home. Last night she wanted to take some pictures of us in our flat and these ones are my favorite. :) I had just taught her how to use the timer on the camera so the first one is a little blurry and the second one we were laughing and she layed down in my lap and before she could sit back up it took so we were laughing even harder... it was so great. But good news, she knows how to use the timer now!

October 1

Hello!!!! First of all- Shannon my darling, Happy Birthday!!!!! What a great birthday gift to have CONFERENCE on your birthday! I'm so excited! I will definitely be looking for you all ha ha yesterday Sister Anena and I got to give standby talks in sacrament meeting about avoiding contention and talked about King Benjamin's address and how they had their own general conference and all the wonderful things they learned, it made us all the more excited for conference! President and Sister Millar showed up at our ward as well, that was a lovely surprise :) (Sister Millar is from England and her father used to be the bishop of this ward here!) and so we got to hear from them as well. Oh I do love them. It's amazing that they have only been her for a few months but it does feel as though we have all been here together forever. When Sister Millar was speaking she was saying she was proud of their missionaries and grateful for our service and that she is going to miss me when I go so soon and started crying!- come on Sister Millar don't do that to me! ha ha then everyone came up to me after "What?! When do you go?! You must come round for dinner before you leave." ha ha ha so maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that she announced it after all. 

After church we got to take Alex to the temple with the intent to go to the temple visitors centre but because we were a little bit late all the sisters had to leave to go to other appointments :O but we got to walk around the grounds and teach him outside there, and it was so lovely. I'm so grateful to have a temple so close and members willing to take us there often with people we are teaching. It really does make such a difference. Alex is doing well. He just says that he doesn't believe in God. ha ha come on Alex. Oh and good news- we were teaching Ezekiel on Saturday and he started speaking in tongues. ha ha ha come on Ezekiel. You should have seen Sister Anena's face she didn't know what in the world was going on!! ha ha Sister Anena is doing well, her body is still adjusting, we went out and bought her some winter things and when President and Sister Millar came yesterday they brought her a big coat as well and the ward is going to buy her some winter boots. :) She'll be ready for the England cold soon enough. Oh! Last Monday when we were shopping for a coat for her I started chatting with this woman and I asked her her name and she said her name is Donna and I smiled and I said oh that's my mom's name! And she smiled and touched my face and pulled me in a little bit to her and said oh you sweet dear! ha ha ha ha it was hilarious. She was such a sweet woman so it wasn't too creepy. We asked her if she wanted to meet with us again and learn more about God and she said maybe.. I'll be around here tomorrow at 9:30 so if I'm here then yes. So the next morning we went not really knowing if she would be there and sure enough our sweet little Indian friend was there waiting. We are going to see her again this week too. 

On Monday evening we were going to stop by a less active woman and on the way we passed where Jo, the Greek girl lives so we messaged her and she immediately called us and asked if we would go over, so we did. She answered the door and she was crying and said she was having a terrible night and once again right when she prayed to God and asked for help there we were messaging her saying we were nearby. :) She is so sweet. She called us in the week and asked if we had a Turkish Book of Mormon because she told her boyfriend about it and gave him an English copy and he was up until 4 in the morning reading it and wants it in Turkish so he can understand it better! We are very very excited for that as well!! 

Things are well here in our rainy little London. For pday we are doing a central London trip walking southbank from the London Eye to the Tower Bridge to show Sister Anena and the other new missionaries here and then we are going to NANDO's for lunch!! :) ha ha it will be fun fun fun. I LOVE YOU ALLL!!!!! I hope you are having a wonderful day! Love, Sister Mills

*This is Jo :)

*Our little group we took to the temple yesterday- Aaron (our ward mission leader), us, Alex, and AnnaMaria

*Sister Barker made me this planner. ha ha

*It's proper wellington weather!

September 24

Hola!

Courtney Campbell, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) 

 Well folks, I stayed in London. That's right, I'm gonna "die" a Londoner. :O Oh my DAYS I can't believe this is my last transfer!!!!! I'm really excited to still be here though. And I got a new companion as well! Her name is Sister Anena and she is from a village called Gulu in Uganda. She has been in the church for a little over 2 years, she's fantastic!! There is a less active woman in our ward here from Uganda that we have been trying to get a hold of and we messaged her and told her we have a new sister here from Uganda and she immediately wrote back and invited us round. :) The Ugandans are going to start coming out of the woodwork now. I love it.  This week really has gone by in a flash, Sister Boman and I had some fun fun last days together. :) On Monday we went to a members home for FHE and they had invited some friends over as well, a friend of theirs from Italy who just got married to a girl from Sugar City, Idaho. "Where the sweet things grow" :) So we had a wonderful BYUI talk :D She also served her mission in Denver, Colorado! They had another friend over that is a musician and so he put on a little concert for us as we waited for the pasta to cook. It really felt like we were in Italy. ha ha That's why I love it here, it feels like we go to so many different countries everyday! 

We were at another members home for dinner on Thursday and they told us that they have a Japanese girl staying with them and they had her a little bit about our church, well she came down and said "Sisters! They told me you were coming tonight, will you teach me more about Jesus Christ?!" She was so cute! We were going to take her to the visitors centre with another investigator last night but everyone is getting sick. Boo the autumn cold! But we are going to go and teach her again this week. We are really excited. That was Sister Anena's first dinner appointment as well! ha ha I love it. 

We had so many stop in miracles this past week. We would be walking somewhere and just decide to go stop at a less actives home or something and every single time- someone was home!!!!! It was such a miracle. This past week we had a goal to see more less actives, in the busy-ness of everything we don't always get to see and teach them, but it was so perfect that in those times that we could stop by, they were home so we could teach them! The Lord truly does prepare a way for us to accomplish the things that He needs us to accomplish. This I know. 

Well today we are just having a chill day. We had to go buy Sister Anena some winter clothes, poor thing has been FREEZING! It did suddenly turn to autumn the last few days. And now we're here with the elders playing table tennis and volleyball and things. Ok can I just say I'm so excited for GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so happy the Langager's are coming down with tickets as always!! Good good good. Please tell them hello. I hope I will get to see them soon! Stay strong everyone! Keep moving onwards and upwards, that's all we can do. I love you. Love, Sister Mills

*Our Mary Poppins moment

*Sister Anena (and President and Sister Millar!)

*The Book of Mormon musical is coming to London... ya know the one written by the writers of south park....

September 17

Happy Monday! Black Monday that is. Aka we don't have pday today because MOVES is on Wednesday! So so so absolutely crazy I can't believe it. HAPPY BIRTHDAY PAPA!!!!!  I'm glad you will have a chance to party with the family this week. Tell Uncle Chris hello for me PLEASE!!! And Mary as well. I hope she continues to recover. She is absolutely in my prayers. Keep me updated on how she is doing. I loved the pictures of Pen's dance. :) And loved that you were all able to go for a day in Salt Lake. :) This last week was so fun for us as well. It seemed like there was always something happening. Well it always seems like that here but this last week... even more so :) 

Monday we went to Battersea Park like I told you and we were right by the river waiting for some elders to show up and all the sudden there were tons of helicopters and airplanes and then we saw this big air show and the planes left the red white and blue smoke- it was SO cool! We had the perfect view of it too, we were right across the Thames from Chelsea and that's where they were having the Olympic Heroes parade! So we got to see the end of the Olympics parade!!!! Well the air show at least ha ha. 

Ok so this last week along with our everyday missionary work we have been working on our AUFs as well (Address unkown file... it's all these names with addresses from the church that they just don't know if their records are correct, if they have moved or died or what so we go and investigate... it's so fun!) so we went to this one house on our AUF list and we knocked and the man from the list had moved but his brother was there and we started talking with him and asked where he was from and he said he was from Angola... where Sister Boman lived for 3 years, he was so excited and so we talked with him for quite a while and told him all about the church and we are going to see him again this week... it was sweet. It's amazing how many people from Angola we have met since Sister Boman has been here. After that we went over to Ruth and Lisa's and had a surprise birthday party for Sister Boman!! Her birthday is this Saturday but we wanted to celebrate just in case someone gets moved. It was brilliant. She had NO idea. Let me tell you what it is hard to be sneaky and plan a surprise birthday party as a missionary. ha ha but it was a success!!

Saturday we went to a baptism for a man called Nelson that is from guess where- that's right- Angola. :) We have helped teach him (well Sister Boman in Portuguese) and it was so beautiful, his wife is a member and they have the 2 cutest little boys- there is nothing better than to see a whole family baptised. Only a year and then to the temple they will go. :) Afterwards we had a huge Portuguese feast and THEN we had a fireside for a YSA called Tanser, he is going on his mission next week to Ghana so we all brought our investigators and he invited all his family and friends and it was soooo wonderful. There were so many people there and hearing Tanser share his testimony of why he is going on a mission- it was beautiful. He is such a good missionary already, every week at institute he is always the first one to come up and meet our investigators... London is going to miss him, but the YSA here my goodness, they are all amazing. 

Yesterday at church we stayed after because Sister Boman is playing the piano for the Clapham ward primary program (it's funny, it's like she is the stake pianist, she plays for EVERYTHING!) and as we were sitting there waiting this random guy walks in and asks for a Book of Mormon. He has heard about the church for years but today decided he wanted to come and see what it is all about. :) His name is Dave and we are going to see him again on Wednesday. :) I kind of just can't believe it when stuff like that happens. ha ha I guess it's good, we are just busy so we forget to expect the miracle but... as long as we are working hard and doing all that the Lord asks, the miracles just happen. I love being a missionary. I love you! Love, Sister Mills

*The planes over Chelsea

*Boman and I told some girls after institute that we wanted to take a picture with them.. they insisted that we take a hood picture. ha ha Barbara (The girl on the left) and I weren't wearing hoods so they ran around and found us some random coats that we could wear ha ha ha this is Barbara, Shauna, Sister Boman, Edna, me, and Sabrina!! Oh how we love institute. :)

*Wandsworth zone August- September 2012 :)

*Braulio and Alex. Our investigators being best little friends. :) At first Alex said to us "so... is he like my competition?" ha ha ha 

*Wandsworth zone!! 

September 9

Hello family!!! What a wonderful wonderful week it has been. Last week one of my faves was that it was a sunny day in the midst of some wintery feeling days, well every day this past week was BEAUTIFUL and sunshine!  We have loved it. We have been able to teach so many cool people this week, we took Ezekiel to the temple yesterday- it was so lovely. Oh and Jana-Leigh is engaged!! A wedding I get to go to, YAY!!!! :) I'm so excited for her. Oh this last week we went to a park called Battersea park and we had heard about it so much but were never able to go, so we went with Ruth Lorenzo and taught her there and it was so incredibly beautiful. Because it was a sunshine day it was PACKED full of people too. It was great. We are going today as well with Ruth and we are going to do some Yoga in the park in front of this big Buddhist temple ha ha and the elders are meeting up with us later today there and we will probably just end up playing a spot of footie. Oh last week the Wandsworth vs. Maidstone zone football match- it was great. The sun was shining so... that's all that really matters. ha ha

 

Oh and we had a Barnes day! We love Barnes, it's so beautiful. We have been trying to see a less active woman called Carol Kelly for months here but she has never been available, well this last week we decided to go see some other less actives and referrals there in Barnes and as we were walking down the street guess who we bumped into- that's right Carol. It was so perfect. She invited us round to help her do some gardening on Saturday and we went and then taught her and it was so lovely! I love when that happens. God is so good to us and knows where to place us exactly when we need to be there for the benefit of his children. I love being an instrument in His hands.

 

After we went and saw Carol on Saturday we went to Wimbledon Park for our stake sports day. We had our own Wandsworth Olympics. It was SO MUCH FUN. Alex and Braulio, 2 of our investigators, came and they loved it so much. They participated in so many of the events and everyone there just loved them. :) And THEN they started talking with eachother and becoming such good little friends. That is definitely one of my favorite things. When our investigators fellowship each other. :) Blessed beautiful London.

 

I love Sister Boman. She is an angel. We have so much fun together! Just a little side note.

 

We had fast Sunday yesterday as well because last week they were recording for a local newspaper here and I am so glad it was. Fast Sunday's here are just magnificent. The spirit was so strong and then to top it off we got to take Ezekiel to the temple. He loved it. We walked around the beautiful grounds and then had a tour and then watched a little film about how families can be together forever. It was so sweet. I am so so grateful for the temple, for the priesthood that makes it possible for families to be together forever. I am grateful to have this knowledge and to SHARE it with others and I am SO so grateful for OUR eternal family. I love you all so much. I am so grateful for our family.

 

Well I feel like this has been really random but it is just what is on my mind at the moment. :) I'll go ahead and send some pictures now olright?!

 

Love forever, Your Sister Mills

 

Oh wait! A few of my favorite things: :)

*Old school English cars (and the itty bitty English cars!)

*Washing our hands after a long day in the city... the sink turns BLACK!

*Hearing "Please Mind the Gap" 50x a day.

*Train Recordings "The next train will arrive in 2 minutes to High Barnet via Bank"

*When investigators call us to tell us that drinking is rubbish. :) I know right?!

*A girl called Becky that we were teaching in Bracknell wrote me and said she is getting baptised next week and asked if I could come! YAY!!!!!!

*Barnes, London. It is God's garden.

*Eating lunch on a bridge over the Thames.

*A man playing the harmonica at Clapham Junction. Like Burt from Mary Poppins!!

 

*Ruth and I looking over the Thames

*Sister Boman and I last night driving to the temple.

*Some of us from the Wandsworth Olympics! Elder Moulin, Alex, Aaron (our ward mission leader) Me, Georgie (where her mums trousers because they couldn't find hers ha ha) Barbara, Braulio, and Elder Atwal! (Sister Boman was speaking with her fan club :) - she ran one of the races!)

*Sister Boman, Ezekiel, Aaron, and Marjorie walking around the temple grounds

September 3

Happy Olympics everyone. :) I cannot believe it's September already! I felt like it was just yesterday that I was saying I cannot believe it's August... I can't believe Kate's birthday is next week! YIKES! The BYU games sound so fun, that will be on the list of things to do when I get home for sure. Something VERY American to get me back in the swing of things :) ha ha

 

Yesterday at church we were guests of the Clapham Common ward because a news team came and recorded church. It was very interesting but it went well! The sacrament meeting was just beautiful. It was fun to just be able to go to church and not worry about a lesson or a talk and just enjoy the spirit there. :)

 

One of the highlights of the week has definitely been teaching Jo. Jo is the girl from Greece that we met on the bus a few months ago and ran into at the store last week, well we met with her again- twice! And she is just a delight. We showed her the Restoration DVD and she loved it, when it was over she just went "ohhhhhhhhhhh  I loved it!" and then she rewound.. rewinded?... she went back to the part of the first vision and watched it again. She also told us that the day we met her and started talking to her at the bus stop that day she was crying and having a terrible day and she was praying to "the God" and asking if He was there and asking what she should do and then we showed up and started talking to her. :) There is nothing better than knowing you have been the answer to someones prayer. I am especially grateful because I know there have been MANY there for me that have been answers to my prayers. That's why we are all here- to help eachother along. This gospel is good. More on Jo next week. I'll get a picture of her as well! :)

 

Well... these are a few of my favorite things:

*When my recent converts send ME uplifting scriptures out of the blue. :)

*A random day of sunshine (today!!) in the midst of wintery feeling days

*How utterly photogenic London is

*Seeing thousands of olympic/paralympic volunteers running around all the time in their cute little outfits :)

*Going to Orpington to have a big Wandsworth zone vs. Maidstone zone football match.... RIGHT NOW. :D