Hermana Miller: Week 32: I'm Officially Old Enough To Do Everything I Have ZERO Desires To Do!

First off, big, huge, ENORMOUS thank you to everyone who was so sweet about my birthday!  I felt/feel very loved!  My birthday was a normal day, worked hard as usual which means it was a perfect day.  I couldn't have asked for a better way to spend the big  2-1 than by being a missionary in the Lord's vineyard.  I sure love missionary work!

This week we road-tripped out to Lincoln (PS: IT IS GORGEOUS) for our Zone Conference, and let me tell you, it was perfect. The theme was all about families and the gospel. We had a commitment to find conversion stories for our families, and the Lord inspired some wonderful woman to put incredibly detailed ones of our ancestors on Familysearch.org. Reading those was one of the most powerful experiences of my whole life. As I pondered the sacrifices that my own family members went through to instill this great legacy of the gospel into my family, it made me think about what kind of legacies I will leave behind for my posterity. (No better time to think about that than on a birthday, too!) I can truly say now that I understand and appreciate the Spirit of Elijah; the turning of the hearts of the children to their fathers. As we understand and study our past, we are instilled with deep desires to better the future. I know that is true because I feel it in my own heart. I am in the process of making a set of goals and plans to reach my goal for who I will be as I turn 22 next year, and I know that with the Lord's help, I can be transformed; not just for myself, but for my future husband and children as well. I have decided the motto of my family will be 2 Nephi 5:27 - "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness."   I know that the only way to familial peace, happiness, and progress is through living the gospel fully and actively.   There is no true joy in a family that is successful in every way except for spiritual,  because the other types of success never last. Harsh, but true. I am making a commitment NOW to do ALL that I can to ensure that my family will be rooted in Christ and in His restored gospel.   Because that's all that counts in the end. An eternal family.

This last year has been one of such absolute growth, progress, refinement, and learning. I am so grateful for the Atonement of Christ and the ability we have to change a little every day to become more like Him, our perfect brother. That's such a priceless gift.

Our 24 miracle went very well. Not exactly according to our plan, but things never do. Heavenly Father always has better plans! Between the elders and us, we ended up with about 14 set baptismal dates for the branch! That's incredible! We gave the 4 wonderful guys to the elders to teach, which was very hard, but God blessed us for it in so many ways. We have received so much revelation about how to help and strengthen this branch, and found SO many promising people to teach that I know we never could have found without the inspiration to set this goal. the sheer amount of daily miracles and answered prayers we saw and are still seeing has grown my faith by like a million percent.  God is good.  I love doing His work.

I love you all, have a wonderful week! Go study The Family: A Proclamation to the World and your patriarchal blessings! Make goals for YOUR future generations!

Love,

Hermana Miller :)

Hermana Miller: Week 31: Extending my Island Vacation! (Aloooooha!)

Warning, this will be a VERY short email!

I am staying in Grand Island! Hallelujah! Hermana Buhler and I have big plans and we are
already putting them into action. Saturday we started up a weekly BOM study group that is
going to be a blast! We created this awesome "pick your own adventure" game and decked
out the gym to the nines so that as we journeyed through the first few chapters of Nephi,
the members could travel from Jerusalem, through the desert, and to Bountiful. It was so
fun! Can't wait for this Saturday! We decided we have been working too much like elders,
and not using our natural feminine gifts enough in this branch. So this transfer we are just
going to love people until they HAVE to come and then we are going to make everything
pretty! We sneak attacked the Relief Society room and redecorated it and it looks great so
far! I love being a sister missionary. :)

This evening we are road-tripping to Omaha with some other sisters for Zone
Conference tomorrow, I am so excited. It's so wonderful to go and receive personal
revelation.

We set the four guys for baptism!!!!!! And one of them (Israel) came to church yesterday!
He told us that the night before he tried to drink a beer and just couldn't because he felt so
terrible and he knows it is because he is focusing on God. He promised the Lord he will
come to church every Sunday if He shows him the right one, and I really think he is feeling
that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the complete and restored gospel.
Someone asked him at work this week if he was Catholic, and he said "No! Soy Mormon!"
That was so awesome! :) And the Lord handed them a job! Thank you all for praying! We
also found two wonderful families to teach this week and several other really promising
investigators. God is so good. I love Him.

I hope everyone is praying for and working towards miracles. I love you all!
Sorry I have no time this week! Lots to do!

Love, Hermana Miller ;)

Hermana Miller: Week 30: I'm simply in love.

Hermana Miller & Hermana Buehler via Skype on Mother's Day 2014!

Hello, my dear hearts!

I just adore being a missionary. I wish I could express that enough but I can't and I never will be able to. You know you've got something good when you smile all day every day. This gospel truly is one of happiness, and if you want that happiness to be increased dramatically, you will share it! I'm serious! 

Talking to everyone yesterday was so nice, it made me so grateful for the upbringing I had in the gospel and for the opportunity I have in my life right now to share that foundation I have had so that other children in the future can have that solid rock too. Every single one of the people that we ever meet need and deserve the gospel, who are we to keep that from them? Heavenly Father loves them just as much as He loves us! Who are we to keep that precious gift from them?? Every decision we make, every word we say, everything we do can either bring another of our brothers and sisters closer to the fullness of Christ's gospel or delay the finding of their joy a little bit. That's a huge responsibility! And it's not just full-time missionaries who have it! We are ALL missionaries! The best way to be missionaries is through our examples-examples of love, charity, service, and kindness. The way we TREAT people will always speak infinitely louder than what we say to them.

Matthew chapter 5 tells us:

"Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.

 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.

 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."

We truly can be that light for other people, through our examples. Through LIVING the gospel, not just believing it. Through acting on little promptings to do good, kind things. Heavenly Father tends to answer prayers through other people, how many prayers could YOU answer today?? Like Elder Richard G. Scott said: "Decide to do something that will have eternal consequences."

I just wish everyone could understand how important and wonderful and powerful we are to the Lord and in His work...every single one of us.

This week was amazing, we found four really solid investigators named Juan, Alvaro, Israel, and Gary. They are SO prepared and wonderful and I just love them dearly. They are already like my big brothers. We taught the Plan of Salvation to them this week and I cried as I talked about eternal families (it's hard sometimes to think about Grandpa and other things, but the peace is always so overwhelming,) and as I called them later that evening, they told me they had been praying for me and my family. They already started reading the Book of Mormon and want to finish it by the end of the month! And they are coming to an activity tonight! Gosh, I just can't say enough about them! It's amazing the love that comes from serving others and sharing spiritual experiences. That is a bond that can't be broken. If anyone is having relationship problems, those two things can solve basically anything. I can promise you that they will be necessary and daily staples in my future marriage. Anyways, if you guys could all pray for them I would really appreciate that. I'm nearly desperate to see them progress and have all the blessings of the gospel-I would literally do anything for them. Prayers would be nice!

I love all! Serve someone today! Answer a prayer! Share the gospel! Be a light!

Joyfully serving,

Hermana Miller

Hermana Miller: Week 29: Aye Aye Aye Love Cinco de Mayo!

VIVA MEXICOOOOO!!! Jajaja, just kidding. But also, really. I seriously love Mexicans, so I can already tell today is going to be a great day. I want to go back to Mexico so bad one day after the mission. I love these people so much. (But even more than Mexico, I want to go to CUBA! Oh my gosh, Cubans are my very favorites ever! They have the sweetest accent and they are all just way too cool for school. I want to be them! And the best thing about them is that Cuban Spanish is like supppperrrrr different than generic Spanish. It's almost a completely different language. At the beginning I could not understand a word they said, and now we go into the Cuban restaurant here in town and I feel so at home! I. Just. Love. Cubans. Miami, here I come.) Anyways, sorry for that little derailing. I really love Latinos. And I really love Spanish. And I really love my mission.

This week has been great. We are seeing SO MANY MIRACLES! I can't even believe it! Are we still struggling against the adversary to get people more faithful than fearful and accept baptism? Yes. But is the Lord giving us crazy success in the ways He wants us to have? Yes! And that is the whole point of this whole "Miracle 24" experience. To work towards a miracle, and happily accept the natural blessings and miracles the Lord sees fit to give us that result from that work, faith, and obedience! Huge thank you to everyone for all the prayers, I knew there was a little extra something fortifying us this week-those must have been it! I wish I had time/determination to write everything amazing we have seen happen recently, but I don't have either, unfortunately haha. Sorry! But we have been basically stopped by people who are interested in us and what we share, we have found long lost members, and we have been massively blessed with faith and an extra increase of the Spirit. I know we are on the right track for whatever the Lord sees fit to bless us with! He already is!

I wanted to share something I enjoyed studying this morning. It is the story of when Christ washes the apostles feet. (John 13:4-9)

"He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself.

 After that he poureth water into a basin, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded.

 Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet?

 Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter.

 Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.

 Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."

I divided this account into three parts to analyze it. These are all still rough thoughts that I have not refined yet, so please forgive me! Haha!

1.) The Reaction

Initially, Simon Peter balks at the thought of the Savior washing his feet, and I can imagine why- they wore sandals all day. Their feet were caked in mud and dust. They were cracked and rough and worn. Would you want the Redeemer of the world to wash your feet? Probably not. Whether it was out of shame, embarrassment, respect, pride, or any other factor, Simon Peter did not want the Lord to wash his feet. We often do something similar. We got through this life making mistakes everyday. Our souls become spotted and soiled with the mud and dust of an imperfect life and they become cracked, tough, and hardened by everyday wear and tear. It's in those states that the Savior seeks us out and offers to wash us clean, and yet, for many different reasons, we tend to turn Him away. We don't feel worthy. We're embarrassed. WE think we can or should do it by ourselves, etc. The point is, we balk at being cleansed by Him.

2.) The Rebuttal

The Lord responds lovingly, but firmly to Simon Peter's hesitation, as one would expect from Him. He essentially says, "Peter, I love you. You don't understand right now what this means to both you and me. Please let me; you will understand later." After further protest from Simon Peter, the rod responds in a characteristic loving reprimand:

"If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me."

I believe the directness of this response came from the Savior's deeper understanding of the situation and how it would apply to each one of us. Was He saying that if Peter had dirty feet they could no longer associate? No, of course not. Essentially, He was saying that anyone who has been dirtied in any way or degree by the world must humble themselves enough to let Him wash them clean or else we cannot be heirs with Him and live together forever because we will not be pure, nor will we know Him. Because He loves us, He wants to be with us. He knows the only way that is possible is through the sometimes humbling and difficult process of being made clean as He washes us through His Atonement.

3.) The Reconciliation

I am sure the room got very quiet after the Lord's rebuttal-all were probably anxiously awaiting to hear Simon Peter's response. Dear, dear Peter gives us a wonderful example of what we should do:

"Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head."

Wow. When he finally realizes the gravity and importance of the cleansing, Peter, being Peter, essentially jumps from the boat and swims ashore to Christ. He is all in. He asks the Lord to cleanse him entirely-he wants so badly to be with and like Him. He wants to be "clean every whit." He offers his whole self to the Savior to be washed. He offers his head, so that he can be cleansed of impure thoughts the lead him to temptation. He offers his feet, which daily bring him to unholy places and have become scarred with each imperfect step and stumble through the briar bushes and rocky roads. He offers his hands, which don't serve as much as they should, which act on temptation, and which don't cross themselves in prayer as much as possible. He offered his whole self to the Lord to be cleansed, and so should we.

I love you all, hope you have a great week and don't forget to let the Lord cleanse and bless you.

Love, Hermana Miller :)

PS-Happy Mother's Day week! :) Love your mommies.

Hermana Miller: Week 27: He Lives!

4/21/2014

What a week! We have been working our little tushies off! And seeing plenty of miracles to boot.  (Some examples: Found a long lost "sheep" who had never had his records transferred and did not know where the church was, having 26 lessons, finding TONS of new investigators, having specific prayers specifically answered, lovely weather, and EASTER!)  Can't really complain. (Especially about the weather!  I finally have the classic missionary watch tan! YES! I am a real missionary now!)

I can't believe it has been six months already. That is just simply mind-blowing. I have learned so much and changed so much in such a short time. It really feels like it has been a few weeks and that is it! The Savior has changed me completely. (Thank goodness! I was a prideful BRAT!  Sorry, everyone!) I can't even begin to explain or list how different I am, mostly because I just don't know all the changes yet! But I loved Easter because it reminded me just how incredible our brother and Savior Christ is. I know that through Him we can ALL become new and better people! He makes everything possible. He lives! I had the opportunity to give a lesson on the Final Judgment yesterday in Gospel Principles, and I was so amazed by the incredible mercy of the Savior which always overpowers the perfect justice which we deserve. We are so lucky to have Him. I can't express how much I love Him.  Really, I can't. And I know that love will continue to grow throughout my life as I serve Him and search to know more about Him. I love Mosiah's words when he said:

 "I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you.

 For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart?" ( Mosiah 5:12-13)

I know this is true. I am so dedicated to staying a missionary and a servant of my Father in Heaven, not just for the next year but for all eternity. That is the only way to be happy. I know I can never repay Him for His perfect love and unending forgiveness, but at least I can try. President Weston shared a quote with us that said this:

"Love is an act of endless forgiveness, a tender look which becomes a habit." (Peter Ustinov)

I know the Savior loves us dearly, because He is constantly forgiving us. I know my Father in Heaven loves us, because He sacrificed His Son so that we COULD receive that mercy! And His Son rose again! He lives! And He loves us. I know this.

"Me & My Buds"

I love you all. Serve the Lord and smile. I will!

Love,  Hermana Miller :)

The picture you get back when you send them fun St. Patty's Day items! :)

"Yum."

"Hermanas Miller & Pocock & their sweet X. kids"

"My Low Rider"

"They are engaged!"

"My District"

"They are always after me Lucky Charms!"

"Nebraska's Exotic Wildlife"

Hermana Miller: Week 26: Happiness.

Hello, everyone!

My heart is so happy today. (Even though we had a crazy rainy and then blizzard day yesterday!) One of the biggest lessons I have learned on my mission is that happiness, true happiness, comes from hard work and sacrificing for other people-especially the Lord. President Weston shared this wonderful quote with us recently:

"Happiness is different from pleasure. Happiness has something to do with struggling and enduring and accomplishing."(George Sheehan)

Isn't that the truth! In a lesson I recently asked a family with several small children what they thought Jesus is like, and I loved the answer I got from their 5 year old daughter. "Jesus was happy!" Yes, yes He was! I testify that Christ is the happiest man that there ever was. Yes, He had to suffer and endure through every heartbreak and hard moment we will ever have to, but I know that through it all he was still happy. He was happy because He was perfectly obedient. He was happy because He lived worthy to always have the company of the Spirit with Him. He was happy because He not only died for us, but LIVED for us too. He gave His life in the service of His brothers and sisters, and continues doing so today! That, my dear ones, is what truly brings joy into our hearts and lives. Service. Sacrificing for others. This week as we enjoy the Spirit of Easter, I would encourage you all to focus on every aspect of what Christ did for us during all of His 33 years, not just those few days at the end of His life which we tend to focus on at this time of year.

I am so grateful for all that He did - for His flawless and unfailing example of charity and perfect and tireless compassion. He was infinitely aware of the needs of others, and likewise infinitely searching for ways to meet and satisfy those needs. I am so grateful for the Atonement of our dear brother, Christ. It truly has changed my life and my heart. He saved me. Many of you may or may not be aware but there was a very dark and difficult period of time in my life in which I strayed from the path and rebelled against the commandments of both my earthly parents and my Heavenly Father. Those were without a doubt, the hardest years of my entire life. I got to a point where I never thought I could change on my own, nor did I feel I was worthy to ask my loving Father in Heaven for the strength to do so. I was, in every form, 100% a different person from who I am today. And why am I different now?  What changed?  Why is it that I am here spreading the word of the Lord and feeling such intense joy and purity in my heart when 2-3 years ago I was so miserable and muddied up by the world? It is all because of that great and atoning sacrifice of our Savior, Jesus Christ. He truly does transform people, and it is never too late to allow Him into your heart and do so. If any one of you reading this needs an example that the Atonement of Christ is a real and tangible gift that we ALL have access to, look at me. I am a testament that He lives. That He loves us. That He never gives up on us. If you need a testimony that Christ loves you no matter what, and is ALWAYS waiting for you to return, with outstretched arms, lean on mine until you can develop your own. I echo the words of that famous song as I say "I stand all amazed at the love Jesus offers me." I truly am.

I have learned to love the lyrics of the hymn "O Savior, Thou Who Wearest a Crown." The second verse says:

  

"No creature is so lowly,

No sinner so depraved,

But feels thy presence holy

And thru thy love is saved.

Tho’ craven friends betray thee,

They feel thy love's embrace;

The very foes who slay thee

Have access to thy grace."

Everyone has access to His grace and love. None is turned away from His loving arms. He rejoices in every single one of His brothers and sisters who humbly come back to Him and ask for forgiveness and for divine help. Luke 15 has become one of the very dearest chapters to my heart. I love the story of the lost sheep because it rings so true to me and my past:

"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine  in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?

 And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.

 And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

 I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."

Just like a good shepherd, He truly knows each one of His sheep. He is deeply aware of our presence or absence in His fold, and will search us out, but we must make the decision to let Him pick us up and put us on His shoulders as He carries back to safety and green pastures. The climb is steep and the way may be rocky and full of stumbling blocks, but I testify that He WILL carry you through that repentance process as you permit Him to. He did it for me, even when I know I didn't deserve it, and He WILL do it for you, free of price, and free of judgment. Why would we ever turn down help from the one person who loves us enough to conquer any obstacle, even death, to save us? Repentance is a gift, remember that. Use it. As you struggle and endure and accomplish making those eternal changes with the help of Jesus Christ, our dear brother, you WILL be happy.  I can promise you that, because I have experienced it. Don't you EVER give up.  Don't you EVER shut Him out.  Don't you EVER think it's too late or you are too lost to be saved. It never is,  His arms are always outstretched, beckoning you to come to Him.

I love you all, and beg you with every ounce of my heart to consider your lives and humbly and sincerely repent for anything that is impeding you from enjoying the full and true happiness of the Lord.  I am doing the same.  Enjoy this Easter season.  He lives.  He loves.

Staying strong and positive,

Hermana Miller :)

Hermana Miller: Week 25: I wish everyone in the whole world would watch General Conference!

HEY, HEY, HEY! Who is happy today?! This girl!!!!

Guess who are companions again?!?!?! If you said Hermana Pocock and I, you are 100% WRONG! Get this - Hermana Buhler and I are together again! Never saw that one coming! It's crazy that the last time we were together we were in Mexico, and now we will be in Grand Island and hitting our 6 month mark together this transfer. Time flies. We have both grown up so much in such a short time. Someone once told me something before the mission, they said: "The mission wasn't the best time of my life....but it WAS the best time FOR my life." I can truly testify that going on a mission was the best decision I ever made. It has changed me so much and made me such a better person-better than I ever could have become without it. I still have such a long way to go, but I now know the keys and habits to pursue to continue this lifelong upward progression. But I have to say, that I disagree with the first part-despite all the challenges and disappointments lately, I would be the most ungrateful and blind person of all history if I didn't say that the mission has been the best time of my life. I know I have sounded kind of frustrated and down lately, and yes, it has been tough, but I am still happier than I ever have been in my whole life. These people, this work, and the Lord are worth the tears. And the payback is sooo sweet it overshadows every hard moment, by far. I am so blessed to be a missionary and get to share the joy of the restored and complete gospel of Jesus Christ.

I KNOW that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true, with every fiber of my being. If you have any doubts, I challenge you to go on LDS.org and watch each session of General Conference with an open heart and mind, and just try telling me after that that those men and women are not absolutely called of and inspired by God. They truly are special witnesses of Christ. I received so much spiritual revelation and comfort this weekend. Truly blessed. I got to watch half the sessions in English and the other half in Spanish...so that was wonderful. The Spirit truly speaks all languages. If you didn't get a chance to watch all the sessions of Conference-do it! I promise you will hear something you specifically need. I know the Lord is tenderly aware of each one of us, and loves us dearly. He knows what we go through and will go through, and that is why He has given us a living prophet today-so that He can give us that direct fatherly counsel and comfort that He knows our hearts need. He is wonderful. I love Him.

I am excited for this new transfer, we have made so many HUGE goals and plans and are already putting them in action. Be on the look-out for miracles. Buckle up, Grand Island.

I love you all, I am doing well. The foot is healing okay and the tendinitis in the knees is being made up for by the Lord. He takes care of His representatives.

Don't forget to review your Conference notes, and pray to set new goals for the next six months. I know that pattern is a way to continue progressing through your whole life. Don't be shy to share the gospel-if we truly love our brothers and sisters, we will do it, and nothing will be able to stop us from sharing it. When we love someone, we want them to have the best things possible. Think about all the blessings you have seen in your lives from the gospel. Other people deserve those too. Don't be selfish. Go share this message of love, hope, and eternal and joyful families.

I love you all! Be an example of the believers!

Love, Hermana Miller ;)