Update from Chris and Ang in Cote d'Ivoire

An update from Chris and Ang in the mission field.

Pancho! (Hotdog)

A glimpse into Aubrey's week on her mission.

October 5, 2026 

I never know what day it is, but the other day I realized it was October and was shocked.

Updates:

● Had to say bye to Hermana Costa (and Monte Grande) Tuesday. I am going to miss her so much! We grew up together in the mission. Felt like we were orphans or something. #traumabonded

● I am now in Ezeiza with Hermana Rivero, and it feels like I am in Heaven. I didn’t know life could be like this. People answer the door and will listen to us, and it’s honestly just a breath of fresh air. So grateful for the change. I definitely needed it.

● Hermana Rivero is AMAZING. She is exactly what I need right now. I have the opportunity to learn a lot because she has more time on the mission and only speaks Spanish. She is so, so patient with me, speaks more simply to help me understand, and is literally the nicest person ever.

● Somehow the schedule hasn’t killed me. If anything, it is good. We have no time at all in the pension, and I feel way more locked in. We also don’t have many member meals here, so we eat in a plaza. I feel like I am in school again, bringing my packed sandwich around all day. I actually love the hour we have for lunch, though. It has turned into language study for me and English for Hermana Rivero.

● I had an intercambio with Hermana Martin, and it was sooo good. I love intercambios. We had so much fun, and I learned a lot. For lunch, we spent 30 minutes looking for somewhere that accepts cards. We finally found one and ate double-decker panchos. Might be one of the highlights of my whole mission. Also made me think of Hermana Pickering the whole time because Hna. Martin is her mission mom, and they are so similar haha.

● We don’t have a chip for our phone, which is TERRIBLE. We have to share WhatsApp. We have already switched numbers like 3 times and lost all our contacts. We shared with the Elders for 1 day, which was so weird because we would get someone’s number and text them, and then they would just see a profile picture of Elders. We never have Wi-Fi, and that makes missionary work so hard because it’s so important to keep in touch with your friends all day. So really hoping that changes soon.

● Overall highlight is being in a zone with my CCM comp, Hermana Andersen! She lives super far away, so I will only see her a couple P-days, but I am not complaining.

● We had zone consejos! Our ZL bajó la caña on us and legit pointed at the door and said, “No one is forcing you to be here. Leave if you don’t want to work.”

Not many updates this week. Hopefully I’ll have something more interesting next week.

Spiritual Thought:

I want to talk a little bit about prayers. Recently, I have had a hard time feeling like my prayers are heard or that they are being answered. I hear all these stories of missionaries who are so spiritual and receive revelation in the streets or answers to personal prayers. I want this so bad, but it’s been something I have felt I have lacked.

I wonder how many times we pray and ask and beg for things, and Heavenly Father gives them to us, but we are too busy complaining, scared, or sad to realize that it is an answer.

Last transfer, I was praying to have the strength to give my all in the mission. To lose myself and go to work. Then we got the schedule change, and I lost it. I was confused and didn’t understand and felt like nothing was going well. But really, it was an answer to my prayers. Don’t get me wrong, I am so tired by the end of the day. It isn’t easy, but I am noticing the change of being more locked in and losing myself in the work.

The Lord wants us to be happy, and He wants to bless us and answer our prayers. And He is right now. Maybe not how we imagined. It’s still going to be hard, but He knows. He has a plan better than we can imagine. I am grateful for a loving Father in Heaven who answers our prayers. He hears you, He knows you, and He loves you.

Sometimes we just have to be a little more open-minded or a little more observant and trusting to see how the Lord is working in our lives.

I love y’all so much!!

Hermana Gwilliam

Reunited w/ her MTC/CCM companion, Hermana Anderson

On spits w/ Hermana Martin enjoying their double decker hotdogs

The tongue photo seems to be a thing. There are multiple of Aubrey or other hermanas with this look.

w/ her new comp, Hermana Rivero (solo Espanol!)

General Conference Weekend

General Conference Weekend

October 3-4, 2026

Saturday morning, I ran to Walmart and Sam’s to pick up some conference snacks and came home just before the first session started. Brian and I watched together, and the talks were wonderful, of course. One theme that stood out to me from the morning session (11-1 pm) was, "hard things are going to happen in this life, and it can still be beautiful."  

It was nice just being home with Brian most of the day, working on our different projects and fitting errands in around conference. I had planned to work on outside windows, but it was raining, so those plans quickly changed. I baked chocolate chip cookies (almost forgot the butter-eek-added that in last) and did some light house work. 

After the second session (3-5 pm), Brian watched the BYU game, and I went for a walk and then watched some of the game while playing Settlers (Cities and Knights) on the computer. I aslo re-listened to some of Emma M. Lion #6 while putting away clothes and cleaning out my closet. Nothing too exciting, but it was one of those nice Saturdays at home.

Sunday morning I was up early (6:30). I read my scriptures, worked out, showered, got dressed, blow dried my hair AND did my makeup—all by 9:00. I was feeling very productive.

Brian and I went over to visit my parents and take my mom a birthday gift, and then we came home to get ready for the morning session of conference. I made a veggie tray and a cheese and cracker tray and threw some frozen cinnamon rolls in the oven. Then I realized that I was just assuming Tanner and family would be coming over to watch conference with us.  (I had way too much food for me and Brian.) Luckily, they threw us a bone and joined us.

We took turns playing with Kaide during some of the talks—quiet games like Candy Land, Memory and Jenga...with a little ball mixed in here and there. :)

Afterward, I went back over to my parents' house to give my dad a break for an hour. Brit, Kerry and I each try to do that on Sundays since he doesn't have a caregiver that day. When I was there, Chris and Ang FaceTimed to wish my mom a happy birthday. It was fun visiting with them for a few minutes.

Brian squeezed in a quick nap and then it was time for our “Superest Super Bowl” conference gathering at Brit's house. 

We had a huge spread of delicious food—smoked chicken, grilled sausage, jalapeño popper dip and guac, green salad, beans, sourdough bread with a fancy spread, a veggie tray, cheese and crackers, chocolate chip cookies and, believe it or not, even more! (We all chip in by bringing a couple of dishes, but the Birds go all out!)

By this point in conference weekend, I'm often starting to feel a little like a caged lion. And things can get a little busier with the great nieces and nephews, and Kaide in the mix.

But it was actually relatively calm. Some of the kids went outside to play, and a few were in the playroom playing instruments. First it was the piano, then the handbells. Britney went in to redirect their attention, but not long after that, someone found a recorder...and then two toy drums. You can't make this stuff up! When the kids eventually left the room, I quietly went in and stashed the drums in Ella's room. Whew.

Overall, though, it was very doable, and we were able to hear what was being shared during conference. Several of the girls were working on puzzles, but I decided to put conference on my phone and go for a 30 minute walk. Miraculously, it was only 77 degrees with beautiful blue skies. It made my heart happy to be outside. (Eight hours of sitting over the weekend is a lot....but worth it.)

I love General Conference. I always come away inspired to be better—to serve others more, to be more Christlike, and to remember the joy that comes from living and sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ. I also love discussing the messages with my family and then studying the talks afterward so I can better remember and retain the things that were taught.

President Oaks was the final speaker, and I loved the way he summed up the conference. He encouraged us to concentrate our worship, focus our learning, and unite our testimonies on the teachings of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father's plan.

He also reminded us of the Lord's promise in 2 Nephi 28:30:

“For unto him that receiveth I will give more.”

That was a good promise to be reminded of.

All in all, it was a very nice weekend—time at home and with family and especially time to soak in the messages of General Conference.

A few more pictures from the weekend:

Don and Cathy Bonifay were wishing my mom a happy birthday as well when we stopped by my parent's house.

Hud and Charlotte were playing Coyotes with Gracie. (A made up game with their hands as the Coyotes. Gracie has this tiny, high little voice and said "coyotes" so cute...we were all a little mesmerized with their game.)

Christian has been having some foot problems and is on crutches. Sometimes he just hops around on one leg. It's seriously impressive. Also, he was hoola hooping like crazy in the shop. Zoom in on his face...you just can't keep a good man down!

A different angle of some of the group working on puzzles.

Lincoln and Ella

My parents came to the Birds for about 45 minutes. My mom loves her son in laws. She is very tender with Adam, Brian and Brian M., and they are sweet with her.

Char put a clip in Gracie's hair to make it look silly.

Hud was doing wheelies effortlessly, but everytime I pulled out my phone, he stopped. Turkey boy.

My friend from college, John Kirkman, made these "tweet" pages from the talks today. He compiled tweets on X.com and made it into a document. He is a full time seminary teacher and shared them on a seminary FB page. They are a little blurry on here, but I think worth including to get a little glimpse from the talks given.

The Rest of September

September 2026

Well, I feel like I need a post about the second half of September since I had one about the first half. However, I don't have a lot to share. It was mostly just our usual everyday life—and that's not a bad thing.

There was lots of seminary, a couple of afternoons each week with Kaide, girls' lunch with Dad and Brit, lunch with two different friends, JustServe Relief Society week, ministering visits, and getting to talk with Aubrey on her P-days, which I always looking forward to. 

Brian and I have been watching the new season of Survivor and playing Dominion together some evenings. I've kept up with morning workouts with Brit and afternoon or evening walks by myself. (I am trying to walk after meals to help keep my A1C down.) I also listened to Whistler by Ann Patchett and loved it.

And that's pretty much the second half of September—nothing too exciting, but life is good

Fun that "Er Bear", as Aubrey calls her, was able to join.

When I Google Aubrey’s name on Chrome, this comes up. I’m dying...laughing. 

But I will be DYING in real life because she is going to KILL me if I can’t get the algorithm fixed. But it totally cracks me up, too. It’s the selfie she sent to Erin right after she woke up from getting her wisdom teeth out. The blog was public at one point, and then I changed it to private and then back to public. But apparently this picture is still out there living its best life on Google. I think if I make the blog completely private now, I’ll have to personally email-invite readers (family members plus Thelma), and Brinley tried that with her blog and said it glitches all the time. Anyway, this seriously cracks me up SO much...and also, it is awful. I’m working on it, Aub Daub. 

We had a seminary General Conference lesson this week and part of the lesson suggested asking the students to think about a note, text or compliment they had received that meant something to them. I didn't end up using it, but I was going to share this one from Brian when we were dating. It made my heart flutter when I found this note on my porch. We had just started dating, and we were going to go to the movie theater on campus. Because it was just a small theater, we needed to buy the tickets early in the day, but Bri would be at work. I remember thinking, "This guy is so cute and funny...plus chocolate!?"

My sweet mom is such a good mama.

(Great) Grandpa Vore and Noah worked on the windows during their week to clean the building.

So many sisters came to help put together hygeine kits on Thursday that it only took 20 minutes. I drove over to Midland for the Just Serve slide show/yogurt parfait bar with my friend Debbie Carlston on Saturday. She is so much fun, and we can talk for hours. I am so glad they moved into our ward last year. Also, I love mingling with wonderful RS sisters.

Three wards of Odessa sisters, so I don't know them all. Back row left to right: ?,?,? Shari Martin (blue), Cathy Bonifay, Debbie Carlston, Kass Muniz, Airi Billings, ?, Emma Rodriguez, sister missionaries, Karla Pena, Kara Thompson, me, and Penny Jordan  Front Row: Wendy Adams, Mandy Parson, Elizabeth Corral, Aurelia Muniz, Alena Woods, ?, ?