Hermana Miller: Week 36!: Island Fever, Round 6!

She is just so cute & happy in this recent picture I found on another missionary's blog - I had to put it up, again! :)

June 30, 2014

This little lady is staying in Grand Island again with Hermana Buhler! Crazy! No one thought I would stay.  People were like tearing up and stuff the days they saw us and like 7 members called us on transfer call day to see what was happening! It was adorable. I love my brothers and sisters out here. The Lord is really hilarious and instead of taking me, he took an elder who just got out here 2 transfers ago and sent him back to his very first area ever and sent us an elder who goes home in 6 weeks!   Uhhhh.....crazy!  I am super grateful the Lord still needs me out here, because I sure still need these people. They have come to mean the world to me. I can honestly say that I LOVE the Grand Island 3rd Branch with all my heart. I would do absolutely anything for them.

I don't know if it is the fact that everyone keeps reminding me that I am coming up on my nine month mark or what, but I have been absolutely laser-focused on the concept of discipleship, consecration, and self-mastery lately.  I want to do all that I can every moment so that I can look at my mission and have zero regrets.  I had a thought come to me the other night as I was praying to Heavenly Father (maybe possibly asking Him to slow down time that is flying by too fast and asking for advice to help some fellow missionaries focus in,) and this is basically what it was:

"If you live your mission always looking towards the end and wanting to get it over with so you can live the life after, you will live the rest of your life looking back on your mission and wishing you could do it over. If you live your mission in the now, making every moment count, you will live the rest of your life looking forward with faith and hope, built on the foundation you built as you served."

Pretty incredible and I KNOW that it is true.  I love and cherish my mission.  I do not take it for granted, nor will I ever.  I had to fight too much to get here.  I know that everything we learn in any stage of our life is preparing us for the future.  Use every single second to its fullest!  One of my mottos for my mission and my life has become "Be Indispensable." I want to do my best always, in every sense, so the Lord knows He can count on me as a dedicated and joyful disciple of Him and His dear Son, Jesus Christ.  I have SO much room to go it is not even funny.   I envy the elders that they get a whole 2 years to refine themselves!  But the Lord sent me here for 18, so that means He must know that that will be enough for me to accomplish His purposes and learn what I need to in this stage of life.  I love Him.  I trust Him.  I have loved the responsibility I have had of laying a foundation out here in Grand Island.  This is such a choice part of His vineyard.  

We traveled out to Sutton this week (We literally have 0 branch boundaries.) and I knew the Lord was guiding us because although we had zero planned appointments,  He guided us to show up at a less active's home within 10 minutes of her non-member fiancé, who turned out to be from Utah and incredibly excited to learn about the church.  The Lord sure loves them and us. He inspired us weeks ago to go out there, and kept cancelling the plans every other day we scheduled so that we could be there that day, and then slowed us down an hour so we would arrive later, just so we could help them. They are incredible and it was so worth 3 hours of driving for an hour and a half of lesson.

I love you all, READ THE BOOK OF MORMON.

Love, Hermana Miller

AKA the Luckiest girl of all. :)

Hermana Miller: Week 35: Twisterrrr!!!

June 23, 2014

Can you believe the pictures a mother can find when she hits the internet & finds mission blogs from other, fellow missionaries that serve with her child who is handicapped at sending out pictures to her OWN mother?!  Ohhh... I have a future... somewhere, doing something.... hopefully legit & not illegal, I have a future! :)  Thank you to all sweet picture-posting missionaries everywhere!  Especially those in the NOM - you, I love.

Seriously... I have a gift! I am a mom who is desperate for pictures & K-deficient!  AKA: anemic  from lack of Kodak moments!  I even messaged the sweet sisters who posted these photos & asked them to stealth ninja hug Alyssa when they see her at Zone Conference next & whisper in her ear, "this hug is from your Mom.... she needs you to start sending her pictures of your own.  She is getting crafty & desperate!"  ;)

I have spent way too much time this week in the bathtub with my companion. (I recognize that was an odd sentence.) We have had like 3 tornado warnings this week. Our leaders told us to hang out in the bath tub (it has become my new "home office" of sorts,) so therefore, to be obedient, we have been. It's just a blast. Haha, I am not entirely convinced it will protect us from anything since we are on the second story, but as we say in Spanish "a ver que pasa." (“see what happens”)….  I really hate the sirens, (that sound is so eerie,) but I am not afraid because I have faith the Lord protects His servants. And so far, He has. One beautiful day this week He cancelled all of our evening appointments so we went home to eat dinner instead of going to a meal appointment and within a few minutes the weather just turned so ugly it was crazy. He sure protects us. Our car got some pretty bad hail damage, but no windows were knocked out which happened to some other missionaries, so we can't complain at all. Just more opportunities to practice being faithful! Faith casts out all fear!

Transfers are this week, everyone is anxiously awaiting to see what happens. If the Lord sees fit to keep me here in Grand Island, great! We have found some really sweet families to teach this week and I LOVE the people here! But if He needs me somewhere else, I will go happily because it is His will. He always knows best. Say a prayer all will go well!

We had the branch picnic on Saturday! (Think tacos and lots of futbol!) It was a blast and we got a Cuban family of investigators there! It was so great! The branch is making leaps and bounds and really doing a good job fellowshipping them! We stopped by yesterday evening to visit them (they didn't come to church,) and it turns out they were all ready and dressed to go to church and just didn't come because they got the time wrong! Ahhh! But it's okay, the Lord knows best. I sure love them a ton. They are amazing people - they would give you the shirt off their back and then ask if you need anything else. I have never seen such big and genuine hearts as I have seen with them. The Cuban people are amazing. All Latinos are, but I have a special and tender love for Cubanos.

We had a miracle this week! A few months ago Hermana Pocock and I received a referral from a youth in our ward to go visit her aunt who was living with the grandparents. We went and the aunt was not interested, but we started talking to grandma and grandpa, Benita and Jose. Turns out that several years earlier, Benita had taken the lessons, but never got baptized because Jose didn't want her too! She was really awesome and hilarious but staunch on still not being baptized, even though she knows the Church is true. We kept visiting them and it was going well! About 3 months ago they disappeared off the face of the planet-turns out they went to Mexico. (LIKE EVERYONE.) We had no idea when they would be back! Last week we felt prompted to go and they were there, they had just gotten back the night before! We had a really good lesson and Jose participated!

Well, the Sunday following, the youth's mom told us again to go visit her sister, but that her sister had moved and she didn't know where! We had an appointment with Benita and Jose on Monday, and figured we would ask them. Well we show up on Monday, and guess who shows up too?! Jessica, the aunt! She jumped out of her car and was like "I moved? I need to give you my new address so you can come visit me! I need God in my life!" WHAT. SO COOL. We have an appointment tonight! Then after she left, we had a lesson with Benita and we felt we should extend the baptismal invitation again and we didn't even finish asking her before she was saying "Yes, yes! I want the Spirit. I know it will be hard but I understand the blessings and I want them!" It was incredible. She's so solid. I love that woman. That is the power of the Spirit, ladies and gentlemen.

Another great thing this week was we had Spanish Conference. I LOVE ALL THE SPANISH MISSIONARIES! We are a small but really united force. I teared up when I saw Hermana Pocock-she ran and picked me up and swung me around! Haha! That's so our relationship. It was great to see all my dear friends: Elder Wilson, Elder Pulver, Elder Robinson, Elder Garff, Hermana Pocock, and so many more. I love them all dearly. They take such good care of me. Hermana Pocock and Elders Wilson and Pulver sent me a birthday card together since they are all in the Souix City area! They are the best!

I have been thinking a lot about discipline lately. If you are not self-disciplined, you cannot be a disciple of Jesus Christ.   As Stephen Covey said: "The undisciplined are slaves to moods, appetites, and passions." I am writing my personal vision for who I want to be right now, and I have found Book of Mormon scriptures that exactly define who I want to be!

Mosiah 5:2

And they all cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thouhast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of theSpirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a mighty change‍ in us, or in ourhearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good 

continually.

3 Nephi 28:39-40

Now this change was not equal to that which shall take place at the last day; butthere was a change wrought upon them, insomuch that Satan could have nopower over them, that he could not tempt‍ them; and they were sanctified‍ in theflesh, that they were holy, and that the powers of the earth could not hold them.

 And in this state they were to remain until the judgment day of Christ; and at thatday they were to receive a greater change, and to be received into the kingdom of the Father to go no more out, but to dwell with God eternally in the heavens.

Mosiah 18:12

And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he being one of the first, andwent and stood forth in the water, and cried, saying: O Lord, pour out thy Spiritupon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart.

Think about it!  Be disciplined!  I am working on it too!

Love you all, have a great week. I know I will.

Love, Hermana Miller

Hermana Miller: Week 33: Tornado Season! Yeehaw!

June 9, 2014

Well, it's summer in the Midwest.  Storm warnings 4 dayz.  We had a tornado watch this week that was really fun/scary but everything was fine. We were just worried for our dear friends living in trailers! But after plenty of prayers and phone calls, we were relieved to find out everyone was well and in safe places.

Something incredible is happening in Grand Island right now.  Actually, several things! First of all, we are seeing leaps and bounds happening in our previously severely dysfunctional Relief Society! We redecorated the room and started doing secret service and gifts to the sisters and throwing activities and all of the sudden they are sitting next to each other on Sundays, the lessons are well-prepared and spiritual, the sisters are not fighting during lessons, and they are calling each other to check up on how they are all doing. This is real and tangible proof that the gospel changes people, and that the Spirit has a profound and irreplaceable effect on our hearts and actions. I am so grateful to the Lord for helping us see progress. There is so much farther to go but I have faith that as we continue to work our very hardest and serve with love that these sisters will lay a beautiful and strong foundation for this branch that will have a lasting and profound influence on this area and these people for a very, very long time.

Also, the branch is sending out it's first official missionary this week! (Well, one girl left 10 months ago but her family had moved in, and he has been raised in this branch so I count them in different categories.) After 13 years of being a branch, (Yep, we are turning  thirteen in three weeks!) this branch is finally sending out a missionary! El Salvador will be getting a great and hilarious kid. Franchesco's example is setting a way for countless other youth to come. We are so happy!

Jose (our “eternigator” (eternal investigator)  that we had to take a break with because he wasn't progressing,) randomly showed up to Sacrament on his own yesterday! We almost had a heart attack! My jaw actually dropped! Please pray for him!

We are teaching quite a few people right now, one of the most promising is Miriam, a wonderful lady who turned out to have 3 strong Mormon brothers! Crazy! She is wonderful, if you could keep her, her husband, and her 6 year old daughter in your prayers I would be so grateful. We have been praying to find a family with youth to strengthen the branch and to teach that will be baptized before August, so any extra prayers you feel like donating to that cause would be greatly appreciated.

We also are praying to have fresh and strong families move into our branch. We know that as we pray, work hard, and are obedient, that the Lord will bless us in His time.

I gave a talk yesterday in Sacrament (oops, I went 25 minutes...and had extra talk to spare) all about the family and the gospel. It's absolutely essential in a successful family. In my talk a built a "home" based on principles of the gospel. (A foundation in Christ, door facing towards the temple, windows with blessings pouring in from tithing, a kitchen where you feast on the words of Christ, a living room where you pray and have FHE, a yard where you work together, photos on the wall of past family members you have done temple work for, etc..) It's so important now to improve our families and strengthen them because like it says in Doctrine and Covenants 130: "And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory, which glory we do not now enjoy." So if we want to be happy after this life, we need to be a happy family NOW! Eternity is NOW! Choose what you want and work towards it.

I am loving planning out my future, I know that as we set good goals and work towards them the Lord will bless us with His version of success!

Love you all, stay strong, have a great week!

Hermana Miller