3/10/2014
Brothers
and Sisters, can I get an AMEN?!
This Church is true, I
tell you. NO doubt about it!!! This was an interesting week. A really great
week, (still a little hard,) but totally amazing! First of all, I think I found
out what I want to do as I get older. Are you ready? I think I want to be a High
School Art teacher! One of the members we go on team-ups with is one and was
telling me all about it and I just felt the Spirit. I think it's right. I have
been praying to the Lord to help me know what to do...something that I will
love, and that will help people, but most importantly, something that I can do
that helps me as a mother as well. As I have been out on my mission, I have
discovered this MASSIVE love for working with the youth. I think it stems from
the fact that I know how hard those years are-during high school is where I got
so lost and just needed to feel God's love and the Spirit. I want to help them
so badly. My teachers always influenced me so much, and I have grown a love for
teaching here. I still have my burning love for art, and as a teacher you have
basically the same schedule as your kids and you get summers off! (And you can
stop doing it for several years to raise them and then take a few classes and
go back.) I really think that as a teacher that would give me a window to
touch lives, help these kids find direction, purpose, and most importantly,
God. I really want to do it.
Something else
interesting this week-I went to another church! Haha, we had a church swap with
an investigator! :) I attended "La Iglesia de Amor y Fe." It was
a super fun and educational experience! We were walking down the street on
Saturday night trying to find this church and we hear music BLASTING. I
said to Hermana Pocock "Man, someone is having a party!" and she
laughs it off and goes "How hilarious would it be if that was the
church?" We walk up and, lo and behold, "this is the place!" Oh
boy, haha. After a few moments contemplating if this was a risk to our lives,
we walked in. There was a big band up on a stage in this tiny shop space, and a
bunch of Hispanics were singing about God. The congregation was all standing
and praying and crying and clapping their hands and shaking tambourines and
punching the air. After about an hour and 15 minutes of that, the band played
another song and we all went around and shook hands and hugged one another
(don't worry, I just hugged the ladies,) and then the service began. There were
two pastors-one was really awesome and softer-spoken, but
Bible-banging-on-the-pulpit kind of guy, and the other was a yelling comedian
and
I-am-going-to-take-advantage-of-this-portable-microphone-and-walk-all-over-this-church-as-I-wave-my-hands
kind of guy. It actually was a really wonderful experience, I loved hearing
other people's points of view and hearing people share their testimony and
faith. I love when people are dedicated to God. "Whatever you are, be a
good one," you know? One of the best moments though was when the pastors
were about to start and they asked us if we needed a translator and we
responded in Spanish telling them no, that we were fluent (I can't believe I
can say that,) and that they could continue without any translation. Half the
congregation started saying things like "hallelujah" and just sending
up the praise. It was great. But really, it was a wonderful time to see people
so overjoyed and worshipping God in their own way. It made me love and
appreciate the peace of sacrament meeting and the sacred and inspired order of
the restored church even more though. The final hilarious thing of the night
was what happened after-we didn't have the car that day so the English sisters
were going to come pick us up, but their phone died and we couldn't find them
anywhere. So it is nine on a Saturday night and there are two Mormon
missionaries walking around a sketchy part of town. Great. We walk down the sidewalk and pray to
the Lord to help us find the sisters so we could get back home in time to be
obedient. We look down the road and say "NO. WAY. IS THAT THE
SISTERS?!" We could have sworn we saw the sisters.....walking into a
bar.....called Sin City. Heart attack and a half! Well we walk up, and yupp, it's the sisters!
It felt like a joke. "Two Mormon missionaries walk into a bar." But
don't worry, you guys, we found out what happened. Their phone died, and they
couldn't find us or the church, so they asked someone for help and they told
them that bar had free phone charging stations. Hilarious, right? Craziest night ever. Steenkeeng fuhnneeee. (Stinking funny.)
Anyways, now for the good
stuff: Yesterday we decided to fast for our
less-actives. We have decided to turn our focus to them and work more with the
members, and trust the countless promises that we have that as we reactivate
members, we will be blessed. Yesterday we had NINE returning members at
sacrament meeting. I thought I was going to die from happiness. My heart almost
burst. I just teared up and was so grateful and overjoyed. Heavenly Father is
so good to us. The last few weeks I have been really praying and striving to be
a Preach My Gospel missionary, and it has just been getting harder. The more
obedient I have been, the more it has felt like the work was taking a nose
dive. But I learned something in this crucial time, I learned why the miracles
only come after a trial of your faith: because everyone can be a fair weather
fan. It takes no faith, no trust, and no dedication to live the gospel and be
obedient when life is great and everything is easy. We develop our character,
we truly learn how to endure, when we have to fight and exhaust our self every day
against the adversary and the stumbling blocks he puts in our (and our little
sheep's) way. When you don't see the end but you keep pushing, that's when you
develop the attributes and the strength Heavenly Father wants.
I read the talk entitled
"The Currant Bush" the other day, and it truly touched me. He knows
what He is doing. He knows what I can become and what I am supposed to be. He
knows who these people are and their potential, and He will do the necessary
pruning to get us there-but we have to stop resisting, even if it hurts
sometimes. I had one of those life changing prayers this week-similar to one
that I had during a hard time of waiting and growing patience before my
mission. I just sat down and poured out my soul and begged Him to let me be an
instrument in His hands-my will no longer matters. I just want to do His will,
His way. I don't care about the number of baptisms for myself, I just want
these people to have joy and eternal families. And sometimes I guess that is
what it takes-getting over yourself and getting to work. As soon as we make
that conscious decision to stop being prideful and selfish, He can do something
with us. Sometimes that's all He wants out of these trials, is for us to truly
give ourselves to Him and say "Here. Here I am. I'm not much, but do with me what
you will. I will do ANYTHING. Just use me." And that is when He says
"Alright, now let's go to work."
I love Him. I love this
work. I love my brothers and sisters here in the Grandest Island in all of
Nebraska. The Church is so true. I know it.
Hope you guys spend your
Spring Break somewhere great! I'm on an island! Be Jealous.
Love you!
Love, Hermana Miller :)
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