Thanks a ton Elder Shrack!!
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
More Pics
These are some pictures that Elder Shrack was kind enough to pass on so all of you great people may see them :)
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Su ama: His Love
Ahhhhh only 20 minutes to write and WAY too much to cover!!
First off hello!!
Crazy busy week. I am one week exactly from the field. I leave here on Wed the 27th, (so expect a call home family from the airport and I apologize in advance if it is early) and to the rest of you if I don't get an email typed up next week because I don't know when my new P-days will be I am sorry. With this in mind I don't think I will get any dear elders sent after 12 noon Tuesday the 26th and they won't get forwarded to the mission home!!
At TRC (teaching resource center) this week we taught one lesson for 40 minutes. I thought we did pretty well. But on our feedback slip the Lady said that "these two sisters didn't speak much Spanish"... Talk about disheartening. One week and it is all real life though, real people, and real problems. I think we have come along way though and that Heavenly Father will help us where we are still lacking.
So this week we had to go to the ER. Sister Sorensen was having extreme stomach pains (not surpizing from my view of the food... jk jk). Anyhow we spent Friday night at the hospital and didn't get home till 2am saturday... she is such a party animal ;). I can joke about all of this now because she is feeling better lol. But I just want to share a little snippet of some of the miraculous things we witness here, and what happened that night. First off getting out of the MTC bubble for the 1st time in 5 weeks was extremely weird. I don't think anyone who hasn't served a mission can fully appreciate the saying "in the world but not of the world"; WHOLE new perspective. ((I also noticed I am craving some wendy's I miss frosties hahaha, we saw it in the shuttle that drove us to the ER.)) I also felt so bombarded as we walked into the waiting area with two different tv's going, so much is always going on and most of it has nothing to do with anything of import or actual human interaction; so grateful I am "unplugged" for 18 months... it is so refreshing. Anyhow serval amazing things happened in that little waiting room, and I am so aware that the Lord knows me individually and personally. As we sat there a Hispanic couple ran into the ER, with the father holding a bundle in his arms. Both husband and wife are crying profusely. Neither spoke ANY English. Another nurse comes out as translator. Sister Sorensen and I wait and watch from our seats. That bundle that the father was holding turned out to be a little girl maybe a year and a half old. She was so still. The triage her and the girl continues to be unresponsive, she wont even grip a finger in her hand. By this time both my companion and I are crying. It sounded like the girl had fallen somehow. The put a neck brace on her and rush her back to be treated. We prayed fervently for her and her family. We asked another nurse later about her knowing she couldn't give us details because of patient confidentiality but she told us everyone had lived that night so I took that as good news. I feel so much closer to my Heavenly Father and Savior now, I think it took really getting into that ER to realize it though. I WANT to help people; in a way and to an extent I never have before. I wish it was possible to describe how I feel. I just want to help people in ANYWAY possible. Christ is really the greatest physician. The gospel blesses lives and gives peace. 
Many things still on my mind. Please remember how important families and marriages are. My heart goes out to each of you with the many unique trials you are each facing. Know that the Lord always provides a way for his will to be accomplished and that he knows what you are going through and he will use these trials and weaknesses to polish and perfect you. Turn to him for comfort. He is waiting to help and bless you.
I love you all,
Hermana Miller
PS I lied last week it was I need thee every hour that my district sang... not page 50 which is what I told you (they are next to each other in the himnos lol). sorry
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Bendiciones: Blessings
Family!!
Hello :) Lots of Love being sent your way. Can you believe I have already been here one month?! Four whole weeks today. And funny thing is I don't really miss that life I left behind. I am so glad to be here. It's hard to think that in just two short weeks I will be leaving the MTC after just finally getting used to it and being here. BUT I am so so EXCITED for California and the work that is waiting for me in Fresno. :)))
I'm trying hard to think of what even happened this week. I sang in the choir at the devotional last night. I sat in the very first row. Isn't that insane? Who would have thought I could sing in a choir. The song was AWESOME. I seriously recommend looking up "Faith of Our Fathers, Living Still" (St. Catherine) at least that is what the sheet music said it was called. It just felt very personal and dear to me.
I had a funny moment this week when I realized I really am a teacher now. I NEVER have had any desire to be a teacher, but you know I think that for this it will be ok. I believe and love what I get to share with others. But it really was like slamming into a brick wall when it hit me that I am a teacher. I was like "nooooo; what have I done" hahaha. But it is good. I have all of the resources I need and hopefully I'll turn out to be at least half decent at this ;)
One of my favorite things this week has been getting letters with all of your testimonies <3 You are all so Amazing!! You strengthen my faith and resolve. I am so grateful for all of your examples.
Oh and I am sick. Yep I got the cold. Went to the doctors got more medicine and am recovering. My favorite part of that was a two hour nap durning gym time yesterday. Ahhhh that was a glorious nap. You have no idea how much you come to appreciate things like that when you are doing 16plus hour days 7 days a week. I just put on my hoodie some socks over my tights and climbed into bed my companion cranked our heater to like 85 and I was gone. Such bliss.
Our district sang in sacrament meeting this last week too! I almost forgot to tell you. It was beautiful. We sang himno #49 which is Nearer my God to Thee in Spanish. I wish you could have heard it. I LOVE the Spanish himnos.
So I guess I will just share one of my favorite thoughts/insights from devotional last night with the last few minutes I have to type this email today. Last night Gregory A Schwitzer of the quorm of the 70 spoke. And he talked about a lot of things but what stood out to me was when he said that the rules or the commandments "become" a part of you. He meant it more as in you embody them or you live them to the point they define you, which is good and true and I liked that. BUT what I liked even more was the spiritual impression I got when he said it that becoming more like the Savior by living the rules and commandments are becoming to us, as in they make us better mentally, physically, and spiritually. Idk if that really makes sense I hope it does because it was such a cool realization for me. That living in a way where I express love and righteousness helps me to reflect the Savior's love and those are such "becoming" features.
Challenge for the week: Thank the Lord each and every day for the progress you are making and/or a small tender mercy you have recieved that day. Do it in prayer or your journal or both but it seriously has helped me so much to stop and think each night about what the Lord has done for me that day even if it is only learning one new word of Spanish. (It almost is never just one little thing... But that is still a good place to start!)
I love you all but am out of time! Please know that I love you and think of you often. Thank you for your continued love and support :)
Love,
Hermana Miller
Friday, February 8, 2013
Feliz: Happy
Hello!! How is your week going?! Mine has been crazy and busy as always. So I am half way thru my MTC experience now. Isn't that nuts?! In just a few short three weeks I will be a full fledged in flight missionary!!
Thank you all for your response to writing Elder Wickenhagen. It was sooooo cool. He got letters and he had no idea who they were from but it made his whole week. He just kept talking about how God does know what we need and he answers prayers. I know crazy right? I had no idea that it was that big of a deal or that he was going to be that touched by it but I was so happy to see that he was. And best of all he has no idea that it was through me :) I love my life and the many blessings that I am privlidged to see and have everyday. Oh and he finally got a letter from home as well :)
Also on the topic of letters/mail. I recieved a CASE of carnation instant breakfasts this week so I now have a grand total of 80 packets haha. I think that should more than suffice to help me make it through the rest of the stay here at the MTC I probably will have to mail myself a box to the mission home before I leave because I don't know if everything will fit in my bags on the plane haha. Thank you all for being such a wonderful support system and for all your love!!
Sister Sorensen was called as the new Coordinating Sister!! That is so much responsibility. I am relieved it wasn't me haha. She is doing good at it though. :). It is strange to be seperated when she has meetings and stuff but I got to hang out with the new district and help some of those sisters so that was pretty sweet. Its crazy because I still feel like the newbie but I am not, and they look up to us like we know everything haha. One of our new sisters is from Eagle River! I forget her name right now but she is from the Alpinglow (spelling?) ward. We also get another new district today with six sisters and six elders. Last sunday the MTC created a new branch for all the Spanish speaking missionaries that are coming in because there are so many that our existing branches can't hold them all.
They added the new bunkbed to our room this week. It is crowded now haha but we are adjusting.
Hermana Sorensen and I met the Elders going to Fresno with us in three weeks!! We met them while waiting to go into devotional so that was awesome.
I got another mini journal to have everyone on my mission write their testimony in it was a great idea I got from the district that left last week. I guess that is my request this week. Please write me your testimony this week. I want to have them all and put them in the journal :))
I love the food at the temple. They have real eggs there. I think I only eat those breakfast packets with milk and potatoes here at the MTC except for temple days hahha.
Daidre I got your wedding annoucement!! Less than a month away!?!?! I will hand write you a letter today too.
TRC was amazing this week. Hermana Gibby this older lady listened to us teach on prayer and she cried... yes cried when I bore my testimony. That was so amazing to see the spirit work through me in the Spanish language that way.
Struggled alot with more feelings of inadequacy this week but I know that the Savior would never tell me I am not good enough that he loves me and is always looking out for me and trying to help me. Those feelings is just Satan trying to get to me.
Scripture of the week Mosiah 2:41
Out of time... Actually over my time limit eek
Love you all!!
-Hermana Miller
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