Monday, March 18, 2013

Many Miracles

Hello Family!!

Another busy week in the field. Lots of stories for you as well. Haha
some of them are pretty good if I do say so myself.

First off I need to inform you all that the emailing rule has changed
and it is now policy church wide that we can email any and all family
and friends :) YAY! So I only get an extra half hour of email time,
but anyone who would like to may now email me as well :)). Yay for
technology.

So one day while we were knocking doors there was a dog in a certain
yard. Knowing me of course I felt invinsible, and after playing with
the dog (a HUGE German Shepard) through the gate I felt like the dog
was sweet and wouldn't eat me. So I decided to approach the door. I
opened the gate and jokingly said "if I die it's in God's service and
it'll be ok". Those words soon came back to haunt me and I realized
how NOT ok with that idea I really was. I got about half way up the
sidewalk and suddenly there was a paw on either side of my body. The
dog was standing up and was almost "hugging me"...Except I couldn't
tell if it was playing or if it was angry. I froze. I couldn't even
think. Sister Martinez was back at the gate and immediately started
calling the dog in a tone full of panic. He went to her and then I
didn't know how to get out. Somehow with all the adrenaline I
manuvered around the dog and out the gate. I have pretty much decided
I will not risk a dog infested yard again. No thank you.

Then a few days later (yesterday) we were contacting again and I hear
barking and see fur running towards us in a house without a gate. I
didn't even hesitate; I was knees to chest RUNNING out of there. The
dog was on a chain but it easily could have gotten to me where I had
been standing before I started booking it. But Sister Martinez and I
were dying laughing because I totally abandoned her in that situation
I didn't even wait to see if she was coming I was just gone and out in
the middle of the street again in the blink of an eye. But either way
I am happy to report we have not had any dog bites. Lol.

My other story of the week: I had a rock thrown at me. It was a small
one and it didn't really hurt, but it caught me off guard for sure. I
laughed about it and told the Tulare sisters I could now say I had
been "stoned" on my mission... (That might be sacreligious, but we
were laughing about it).

I had exchanges with the Tulare Sisters on Tuesday while Sister
Martinez was at a leadership training. I suprized myself when I had to
use Spanish because they are all only English speaking missionaries
but we came across Spanish speaking people during contacting. In case
you are wondering it is quite the challenge to speak Spanish to
someone who only understands Portuguese while you really only know
English. hahaha. But I think I did really well in that I have truly
learned to talk to EVERYONE. I didn't even realize I was doing it
until one of the other sisters mentioned it to me how I was stopping
every single person we saw. So that was pretty neat.

Oh, we are moving into a member's home this week. Sister Christenson
is so great. Her husband just passed away a few months ago and all of
her children are grown and away so it is a blessing on both sides for
this move to happen and for us to be able to give her some company.

I managed to get a couple little sunburns this week with all the
contacting we have been doing. Also we started a new project as a
mission this week called the Easter Project. Basically we are reading
every single reference in the Topical Guide that is under any title of
Jesus Christ. I have made it through the 1st thirty so far (there are
over 2,000) and I really enjoy it. I wish I had time for all of the
projects I want to undertake (Reading all the Preach My Gospel
scriptures, finsihing the Bible cover to cover... etc). But eventually
I know I will get around to all of them.

Lastly I have a miracle story to share with you. Some of you know that
Sister Martinez and I are VERY different people and that we struggle
to get along. Well that is kind of where this miracle story starts
(and yes there is more to the miracle than we are both alive still
haha). We were having a very rough day with each other and really
getting on one anothers nerves when we finally talked it out and
resolved a lot of the things that we were struggling with. Then I
picked a street to contact on. (It was an inspired decision I know it
was). I was at the map for probably five minutes but each time I kept
coming back to a certain street. So we went there and were met with
the usual indifference and cold receptions at each door we knocked on.
But just as we were about to leave and get a late dinner we saw a man
working in his yard who we decided to talk to. His name is Gabriel and
wow he is so ready for the gospel. What started out as a simple
invitation to a prayer and blessing on his home became a lesson
standing there in the yard, and ultimately as we were talking with him
right there he accepted the invitation to be baptized! He told us that
he had been "waiting for a message like this in his life". Ahhh I
cannot begin to describe how happy this experience made me. But I also
know that it only happened because Sister Martinez and I were no
longer fighting that we were working together as a team that we
witnessed this miracle. It is the moments like that that make this
mission worthwhile; when I can see people understand and appreciate
the significance of the message I am sharing, when I can see them
recieve the same kind of joy and peace and understanding that the
gospel brings into my life.

I love you all and miss you tons and tons.
2 Corinthians 12:10

Love,
Hermana Miller

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