Hermana Miller: Week 40: Now I've REALLY done it all.

Hermana Miller & her fellow Grand Island missionaries (Spanish & English)

Hermanas Buhler & Miller, & Sisters Crist & Allen  at the Pioneer Day Celebration 7/26/2014
DON'T MISS THE VIDEO LINK AT THE END OF THIS POST!!!

7/28/2014

I must have the most unorthodox mission in the whole world. I feel like every week something new comes up that I NEVER would have expected, especially during a mission! (Like translating an OBGYN appointment. Yes, I did that this week. Anything to help our brothers and sisters, right?) But the strangest/best thing that may have happened in my entire mission happened yesterday.

I got to speak "SpItalian" with Romanians. In the middle of my Spanish speaking mission in the middle of Nebraska. Yes, you heard that right. Heavenly Father must have a great sense of humor, I swear.  He is amazing. Saturday night we ran to Walmart to pick up some snacks and coloring things for the daughters of some investigators who were supposed to come to church.  As we were walking out, Hermana Buhler saw this woman and her 10 year old daughter standing near the door with a sign, asking for money.  We went up to them and gave them our bottles of water and a big box of fruit snacks and started talking to them. I realized as we were speaking Spanish to them that they were responding in a mix of Spanish and Italian.  (I am so grateful I studied Italian at BYU! It allowed me to get their phone number and everything, which they didn't know how to say in Spanish.)  I asked them where they were from, turns out they are basically gypsies from Romania! They came over to Arizona 6 months ago, were traveling to Illinois to find work (there was none,) so they decided to go back and got stranded! The mother's name was Letizia and the daughter was Silvia. We talked to them for a bit and invited them to Church.

Fast  forward to Sacrament Meeting.   I hear the door open up in the chapel and I turn around and see Silvia's beautiful face poking in. I grab Hermana Buhler and we dash out to go see them. They brought the husband/father, Marion! (But he asked us to call him Mario, because we are "amici.")  They came into sacrament and even sang all the hymns!  The main talk was all about the Book of Mormon, and Mario was really interested so we gave him one and a copy of the Restoration pamphlet!  The final hymn was "Oh Esta Todo Bien," (which is "All is Well" in English,) and I looked over and Mario and Letizia and they were both teary.  Mario kissed Silvia's forehead and told her "See?  Everything will be okay." I know they felt the Spirit. It made me tear up, too.

After the service, we met with a Bishop from the English ward (because our Branch President is on vacation,) and started talking about how to help them and their situation. They are such amazing people and it was a very tender experience to see how much the Lord cares about His children and wants to help them. There were so many tender mercies. Those investigators did not come, so we gave scared little Silvia two notebooks to color in, crayons, and some fruit snacks.  Hermana Buhler drew a picture of her and she was so happy that she wrote our names down and put hearts all over them!  I was able to help her feel more comfortable by speaking the little Italian I remember to her.  She was tickled pink and loved it.  We were able to get them a hotel room for the night (we walked in to check it out with them and they almost cried just to have somewhere to shower!  They have been sleeping in their car!)   Then we got them a bunch of food and a giant gift card that had enough on it to get them gas and food all the way home.  When we handed Mario the gift card and told him how much was on it, he almost picked Hermana Buhler and I up in a big  hug and just said "Grazie grazie grazie!!!!) And he kissed the Bishop's hands! Letizia hugged us and kept saying "God bless you!" and Silvia nearly tackled me with a giant hug.   I told them "Vi voglio bene!" And they responded so sincerely and with so much love.   It was amazing.    They are going to keep in contact with us, invited us out to see them after the mission,  and they accepted to have the missionaries in Arizona teach them and they want to go to the Spanish ward out there.   Amazing.   

As they were pulling out of the parking lot, I remembered that mom had sent me a bunch of restaurant gift cards so I stopped them and gave them to them.  Letizia told me that Silvia said that she loves me, just like we were sisters.  I cried.  Heavenly Father loves them so much. They are so special and deserve the world. God sure goes through a lot to help His children.  He has been planning this perfectly longer than I can even think about.   

I know He is aware of each one of us and our trials, and has solutions just as perfectly orchestrated to rescue us in our times of need. He loves us perfectly. Don't forget that.

Love,

Hermana Miller

Video of Hermana Miller & her fellow missionaries singing!

Hermana Miller: Week 39: Whiplash!!!

7/21/2014

Well, this week nearly gave us whiplash. We very nearly literally got assaulted with both heartbreaks and miracles. Which do you want first?? Just kidding, you don't have a choice.

I can't believe we hit the 9 month mark this week. That's absolutely incredible and insane. I truly have loved my mission so far, and the Lord was really neat and iced the cake for us by sending us a baby! That's right, a baby. Jhessika Carrillo, the mom of the dear little girl Keyla we had a baptism for in January, had her baby finally! I have been here for an entire pregnancy! WHOA. That goes a lot faster when you are not the one pregnant, I think. It's a BEAUTIFUL baby girl named Esmeralda. She's literally perfect. Jhessika asked us to come see her in the hospital, and as we entered that room the Spirit was so strong. I was a crybaby the entire time we were there. (My mommy senses are kicking in extra hard on the mission I think. Maybe it comes from having to wrangle anywhere from 3-6 children every sacrament!) The hardest moment of obedience in my entire mission (it's usually very easy to choose to be obedient,) was when Jhessika and Ramiro asked me if I would hold that stunning little bundle. Oh my goodness, talk about being torn in two. But I knew I couldn't, so I didn't. That was tough! But worth it to have the Spirit and do the best I can so one day when I have my OWN children, I will be able to be the best mother possible to them.

Something tough this week was that, at the beginning of the week, Jessica and Benita were still skyrocket progressing! (They were even studying Preach my Gospel and the Book of Mormon daily!) And then yesterday neither one showed up to church, so we called Benita, and she cancelled her baptism for right now. That tells you what taking a break from the Book of Mormon for "just a few days" will do for you. I KNOW that the power of the Spirit as we study that book protects us, and that if we will read it just a little every day, we will never go astray. But when we do, even though it does not seem like a big deal, it gives the Adversary room to strike. In C.S Lewis' novel, The Screwtape Letters, the experienced devil Screwtape shares this counsel with a younger one:

“You will say that these are very small sins; and doubtless, like all young tempters, you are anxious to be able to report spectacular wickedness. … It does not matter how small the sins are, provided that their cumulative effect is toedge the man away from the Light and out into the Nothing. … Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts”

Those little things really make all the difference in the whole world. I can't emphasize that enough. I have seen so many tragic situations this week among people and it all started because they started missing a day or two of scripture study or prayer. If I ever do that when I get home (which I promise I won't,) somebody PLEASE slap me upside the head with a scripture case. It's the little things that count.

Well, I have to go. Time is short. I love you all dearly, remind someone of the basics this week.

Love, Hermana Miller

Remember:

“Your criticism may be worse than the conduct you are trying to correct.”

Hermana Miller: Week 38: Que onda, carnal? Ya tu sabes, chico!

July 14, 2014

Quuuuueeeee pasa, mundo?!?!

Another GREAT week in the Nebraska Omaha Mission. I adore being a missionary. I adore Grand Island. I adore life. Aughhh this week was too good to be true! I will have to do a quickie run-down of the big events to try to fill you all in!

1.) Interviews with President Weston! Oh my goodness that man is amazing and inspired. He literally answered every single one of my prayers and the questions of my heart. It was like he was reading my soul. I am so blessed to have such a good set of mission parents. They have put their whole heart and soul into this mission. And they have really turned it around. Only a few years ago, a General Authority said that about 85% of the missionaries here had serious problems to work through, and now because of the inspired and strict/loving leadership of the Lord calling the Westons, a few months ago it was called one of the most obedient missions. That is proof that the Atonement is real. And this week was a mission record-setting week for baptismal sets and investigators coming to church! Exact obedience brings blessings! You can't really love the work without it!  Anyways, that care and passion that they put into the mission as a whole transcends and reflects in the way they treat every missionary. I really love them and appreciate them. I know they are consecrated servants of the Lord.

2.) We had a baby! Well, not yet. But we threw a baby shower for Hermana Fabela-Carrillo and it was GREAT! We had like 40 people there and a bunch of awesome investigators and even a less-active member family who haven't been to church in like 5 years! And now they want us to get their 12 year old son ready to go through the temple and do baptisms for his uncle who passed away! Miracle! (PS-I have now thrown just about every major life event on my mission - a wedding, baby shower, missionary farewell, Christmas parties, etc etc etc. The only one I am missing is a funeral, but we did get kicked out of our district meeting 2 weeks ago because they brought a dead body into our  room for a viewing - so I guess that counts...)

3.) BENITA AND JESSICA CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY AND LOVED IT! They even asked for copies of Preach My Gospel!  I was so excited that I took mine out of my bag and just gave it to them! (Which is a miracle in itself that I had it because normally I don't bring it with me, but I felt prompted to yesterday morning.) They are amazing! Please pray they will be protected and be able to get baptized on August 2nd according to plan!  I love them so dearly!

4.) The Cubans here love me! Haha! And I love them! We got the opportunity to talk to a bunch yesterday and I don't know what it is, but I always just hit it off so well with Cubans! We got along great. At the beginning of the conversation they were telling us they were strong believers in "Brujeria" which is like black magic, but by the end, they all accepted Books of Mormon and were really solid about reading them! And they were convinced I was Italian. (Apparently I have an Italian accent?) I dunno but I just adored them. Who am I kidding, I adore all Cubans! They are the best! Maybe I'll move down to Miami and go to a Spanish ward down there one day, hahaha!

5.) I got to teach Relief Society yesterday (Charity and Visiting Teaching) and give a 20 minute talk on the Plan of Salvation in sacrament! I was so proud of the sisters in RS, they planned 3 visits to sick/sad sisters all by themselves this week! That's massive progress and a miracle!

Anyways, time is short. Sorry this letter was pretty "worldly." I ran out of time. But I wanted to share one of my favorite scriptures with you all, it is Proverbs 3:27:

"Withhold‍ not good‍ from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it."

If we all did this, the world would become infinitely more Christ-like, one kind act at a time. Will you each do a random act of kindness every day this week? I can promise you will feel more joy and feel more sensitive to the Spirit. You will answer prayers and yours will be answered!

I love you all!

Besitos,

Hermana Miller :)

Hermana Miller: Week 37: MERKUH!!!

July 9, 2014

Fourth of July in the Midwest is ridiculous. I heard so many fireworks ALL WEEK that I had flashbacks to all the "bombas" in Mexico! It felt more like we were serving in 'Nam than NOM! (Nebraska Omaha Mission)  It was just wild. I have never seen so many Hispanics and Sudanese so excited to celebrate America haha. :)

But I've gotta say that I have been super sad this last week. Everywhere I looked people were trashing their yards with beer bottles and debris and it just reminded me how different of a lifestyle we are blessed to live. It has been so heart-breaking to me to see that these people could be so much happier than they are. (Or think they are.) I can firmly testify, from my heart, that when we bend to the pressures of the world and give up our agency to vices and substances, we are "selling ourselves for naught." Those worldly things bring no joy. Absolutely none. I can firmly say that I despise them, because they rob people of TRUE happiness. We've only got such a short portion of time on this earth, and it is way to precious to waste with "riotous living." I love that General Conference talk by Bishop Gary E. Stevenson called "Your Four Minutes." We only have such a short amount of time to leave a beautiful legacy of faith for our descendants and to make a positive difference in the lives of those around us. Do we sense the urgency in this life? Being on the mission has made me realize just how fast time goes. I don't want to look back on my mission with any regrets. I want to be obedient. I want to be focused. I want to be joyful! Because, you know what? This mission is the MTC for the rest of our lives. The patterns and habits we set now are the patterns and habits we will most likely continue after the mission too. And this life is like the training center for the rest of our eternities. What we do today does not just effect ourselves. It effects our family members who have passed on, our current families, and our families in the future. That has become one of my biggest drives and motivations in life. Family. My Heavenly family, aka my Heavenly Father, my brother Christ, and all my spiritual brothers and sisters that I re-meet every day, and my Earthly family. I wish I had a dollar for every time I prayed for my future husband, wherever he is, and for my future children. I'm not a very good missionary, but gosh darnit I sure am trying hard. I'm doing it for all of them. Because I understand that if I don't utilize every moment right now, I won't be quite as prepared as I could have been to help and serve and love them later. And I love them too much to sell them (and my Heavenly Father) short of that.

I wish I could say that I have served a perfect mission. That I'm a perfect missionary. But the reality is that I am the furthest thing from it. But the Atonement makes up for that, as long as we give our best. And sometimes our best is not very much, but if it is all we have, and we give it with love in our heart, it's enough. And only you and the Lord know your best. Are we all giving our best in these "four minutes?" (Read that amazing talk!) We have such a short time to live and an eternity to look back on it. Will we have regrets? Something that has changed my mission is this little excerpt from the talk "Let Him Do It With Simplicity" by L. Tom Perry.

"It was in March of 1845 that Thoreau decided to move out on the banks of Walden Pond and spend two years trying to figure out what life was all about. He settled on a piece of property owned by his good friend Ralph Waldo Emerson. He purchased an old shanty from a railroad worker, and tore it down. From the lumber from the shanty and the lumber from the woods, he constructed his own cabin...

Thoreau lived quite independent of time. He had neither a clock nor a calendar in his little cabin. He spent his time writing and studying the beauties and wonder of nature that surrounded him, including local plants, birds, and animals.He did not live the life of a hermit—he visited the town of Concord most days, and he invited others to come into his cabin for enlightening conversations. When the two years ended, he left his cabin behind without regret. He considered the time he had spent there a proper amount of time to accomplish his purpose—to experience the spiritual benefits of a simplified lifestyle. He also felt he had other life experiences ahead of him. It was time to move on and explore other opportunities...

Just before Thoreau died, he was asked if he had made peace with God. He replied, “I was not aware we had ever quarreled.”

I don't want any regrets in my life. I want to know I did my best with what I had. And my best isn't very much but with Christ on my side it's a lot more than I could ever imagine. I love my mission. I cherish it. I love this gospel. Please, never take it for granted. Don't "sell yourselves for naught." Don't trade priceless crown jewels for a dollar-store imitation. It looks just as sparkly but it's literally worth nothing. The prize that comes at the end, an eternal family, is well worth any efforts or sacrifices or self-control we must exercise here in these 4 minutes.

Here are the links to the talks:

Let Him Do It with Simplicity by Elder L. Tom Perry

Your Four Minutes by Bishop Gary E. Stevenson

All my love, Hermana Miller