The Gwilliam Family: 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