A Tough Week

Hello Family and Friends,

It has been a challenging week for us here in Los Banos. We went and did a lot of contacting and knocked a lot of doors. We had someone while street contacting covertly bash us... he said he was trying to teach us how to teach with the Spirit and just kept demanding to know if and when we were "saved". Then a different day we were informed (at the last house on a street) that this street had been contacted by Jehovah Witnesses the previous day... explaining the strong no's we kept getting (more than the usual amount). My favorite rejection line I've decided is "Sorry, I'm on a buisness call", I should use that more when I get home. This week I also experienced my first door SLAMMED in my face... the whole house shook, and as we walked away the door re-opened and the man yelled at explicitives at us and told us we couldn't read. I just have to keep going back to what Christ and his disciples experienced, and none of this comes anywhere near that. 

BUT on a good note we got dinner from a taco truck one night. It wasn't very delicious but now I can say that I have experienced it. And getting to do a new member lesson with Anthony was probably the highlight of the week for me. We got to read The Children's Book of Mormon Stories with him. He is just always so excited to learn. 

Please keep us in your prayers.  

1 Thes. 5:16 "Rejoice Evermore"

Love,

Hermana Miller

Bringing in July with a Smile

Lots and lots happening here since I wrote last. 

Crazy to think I am 22 now... so old haha. Celebrating a birthday as a missionary was different but actually really enjoyable. I woke up and my companions had covered the bathroom mirror in a happy birthday note with dry erase pens and hung streamers and balloons over our study nook in the kitchen. It was so sweet of them. Then we went out and got to work. We found two new investigators that day. And one of them now has a baptismal date! Georgetta is so prepared. Her mother was and her husband is a member, but she never joined the church because she was too busy raising her kids. Their name just appeared on our ward list when we printed a new one and so we called them up and asked if we could come visit. They said yes but then called back a few days later before our appointment and asked if we would join them for lunch too. Of course we did, and that 1st lunch appointment happened to fall on my birthday. Slim and Georgetta are some of my favorite people since coming on the mission. He has the greatest stories and I just laugh and smile so much while we visit them (plus I think Slim-pa is the greatest grandfather name ever invented haha). In addition to that Georgetta feels that her mother led us to her, that her mom wants her to be baptized and have the opportunity to go through the temple. I am just soo so excited for them and I can't wait to come back a year from when she is baptized and see them get sealed in the temple.  We had dinner with the Andersen family that night and I just love them so much as well. They are such good people. I hope to model my future home and life after them. They are like my member hero's here. Sister Andersen made me a cobbler for my birthday at my request. The funny thing is though that I guess the text we sent her said something along the lines of "cobbler over cake" meaning preference wise, but she took it literally and thought I wanted some fancy type of recipe. She looked for a recipe that matched that description and ended up making cake over cobbler. We had a good laugh about that one haha. She asked if this was like some family tradition and I was like "huh?, oh no" hahaha that is how we figured it out. 

Anthony got BAPTIZED! Yay yay yay. He is so cute. I love that kid. However, I never thought I would have to teach why egging someone's house is wrong on my mission, but a few days before his baptism Anthony got caught with his friends egging a house...  geeze lol. He is just loving church so much though and him and Zachary pal around and now he is getting involved in scouts too! I felt like a proud momma to see them figuring out rides and which activities he wanted to do at their day camp this week.

4th of JULY!!! My second favorite holiday was also a good day here in Los Banos. I think I am finally starting to get why Dad always told me I should be more grateful and appreciative of the freedoms I have being born as an American citizen. So many things that I take for granted that other people try and obtain their whole lives. I think this especially hit me this year as one of our members here is being sent back to Mexico to await pardon before he can come back to be with his family here in America. His wife and children are all citizens, but he wasn't and so part of the process they are going through trying to get him citizenship includes this leaving the country for MONTHS and not returning until he is given the ok by the government. It is so sad and my heart breaks for them, but it also has made me stop and realize all that I do have. Also on the 4th we were invited to a party with the Laguna family. Great food (I even tried the little mexican corn with mayo and chili pepper), I lost horribly at ladderball to Sister Sorensen, there were minifireworks, and I talked about the gospel. One of the cousins at this block party was Catholic and had tons of questions for us. I hope that we were able to help her a little and that the literature I gave her can continue to help her as she travels home. After it was all over Hermana Sorensen and I laid in the grass and just looked up at the stars, talking about how grateful we are for the plan of salvation and our knowledge of it. 

We also met the MEANEST lady of the mission so far. She was awful... Yelling at us through her front window about how we aren't Christians, that we are brainwashed parroting liars... I am sorry I don't care what religion you are or what your beliefs are I don't think that is the "Christian" thing to do. I was really upset about it for about two more doors and then I got over it. 

Bishop Lee (the one with cancer) is getting sicker still. The cancer has spread to his shoulder and spine. He looked really bad this past Sunday at sacrament meeting. It makes it hard to coordinate everything in that ward, but we are still praying for him. He is still fighting and has started a new round of chemo and targeted radiation. So if you wouldn't mind including him and the work in the Los Banos ward in your prayers we would really appreciate it. 

I also just wanted to mention one more member before I close this week. Brother Tualau (said like to allow) is awesome. He got up and bore his testimony on Sunday and Sister Sorensen and I both think he will be called as the new ward mission leader in Mercy Springs since Brother Betham our current leader has now been called as 2nd counselor to the bishop. I am so amazed at the love that Island people have. It is something cultural that we white people just don't have sadly. They have such big hearts and such strong love and testimonies. I am so excited that a large group of the Tongan people have started attending our wards here (instead of their other Tongan ward in San Jose). They bring new life into this area and I am so excited to work with them. 

It is such a blessing to serve here and to see the miracles I do. I am grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow. 

Psalms 62:6

Love,

Hermana Miller

The Week of FIRE

Family and Friends! 

Lots happening here this week. Last week after emailing we had no letters to write so Sister Clawson got ear candles from GNC and Sister Sorensen got hair dye. So that is why there is fire coming off a stick stuck in her ear and we look special watching the district haah. Apparently the heat sucks the wax out of your ear... Kinda gross but cool at the same time. I gave my 1st church tour this week. That was fun. It is crazy how after 6 months I am still learning so much as I serve others. I love it. 

Other incident with fire makes me feel a little sheepish to admit. BUT it was amusing and so I figured I'd share it all with you. (Kail & Austin it really reminded me of something you would do). Sometimes as missionaries we get a little bored, well at least I do. So I decided to take my lighter (I carry it for an object lesson with tea bags) and thought it would be entertaining to try and light hand sanitizer on fire in my hand. Either I heard that story wrong or I have defective hand sanitizer. The hand sanitizer puddle in my hand turned into molten lava and did not light at all. I tried to hurriedly drop it off my palm but just then the wind caught my skirt and this molten lava hand sanitizer melted a hole in my skirt.... oh dear. Yes I really did that. Like a teenage boy. Maybe that is a sign I'm not focused enough haha... or maybe it means I'm really becoming a missionary... I can't decide which haha. I just kept thinking to myself afterwards how stupid that was and that I couldn't believe I had really done it; but I had... my skirt bears the scar to prove it. 

This last week I also went on my first member splits team up. So basically I taught the whole DeHerrera Family SOLO! My companions went and did our cleaning check after dropping me off at their apartment. That was scary. Needless to say I didn't go over the Word of Wisdom or Law of Chastity as we had planned. I didn't feel confident doing those by myself so instead I opted for the much safer object lesson about the Spirit with pepper, water, and dish soap. I think it went alright all in all. 

I'm still a back row sitter. It took me back to my Young Women's days when we were reprimanded for sitting in the back row during a Zone Meeting and "asked" to move to the front... I guess somethings never change. 

We've been working a lot with less actives and trying to get to know everyone in this area. It is hard. One of the wards for sure is technically the size of a branch. Everyone moved out of this area right after the ".com bust" and the economy got hit hard. There are all these streets with no houses and just lines where the houses were going to be built. But we are making progress despite the HEAT! It is just so ridiculously hot here. Alyssa had her sweet 16 this weekend. We helped a LOT with all of that. We helped make decorations and then set up the whole gym (it almost looked like a wedding reception it was so fancy). That night we made a brief presence to support her and her family. We almost made it out of there before I heard the Adam Levine song. ALMOST. I miss music sometimes... especially Adam Levine haha. 

Transfer calls this week! Sister Clawson is leaving to Fresno/Clovis area,  AND Sister Sorensen and I are staying here in Los Banos with both wards. I am really happy for this next transfer :)) It should be good. 

Also this week we contacted into an unknown member. We were out offering blessings door to door and walked up on this moving truck. The ladies immediately asked how we knew they were there! Haha we had no idea they were there or who they were. We had actually been contemplating knocking only a few houses in the other direction on our way back to our car but felt we should do their little cul-de-sac. They seemed surprised when I wouldn't take "no" and "we don't need help" for an answer and just climbed up in the moving truck in my skirt and started hauling stuff... But hey it worked, the lady sat down and talked with us then ;). Come to find out the lady who we shared the message of the restoration with is a cousin to the girl moving in (who happens to be a member). It is no coincidence that the Lord knows where each of his children are and when to send help to them. 

We also have been working with Taufu a Tongan girl in the ward who is preparing to go on a mission. It is so funny to think how little I knew about mission life before I got here. I can see that in her. I hope that the things we are sharing with her are really helping her to prepare. She is so sweet and eager to learn. 

Love and miss you!!! 

Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Love,

Hermana Miller 

Sometimes Bird's Poop on You... Literally

Hello!! 

Well it has been another crazy week here for me in Los Banos.

 We discovered yet again how NOT from the country I am. We were driving out in Dos Palos (all farm land) and we missed the turn. There were cars in both directions on this little two way street but my companions both thought I was absurd for not just flipping the U-turn right there. Then a little while later I tried to pull off and park on the narrow shoulder but my tail was still in the street. I thought I should find somewhere else a little wider to park but they thought it was perfectly normal to have it hanging out there in the middle of the road. Sister Sorensen looks at me and says, "You've never been in the country have you?" haha. Oh my... I have so much to learn. 

Tracting this week has been a whole other adventure. Who would have thought I would meet people who thought Mormons are the KKK or who were dating a "Mormon Gone Wild"? Not me, but we did. BUT they weren't all bad haha. We also met Monteserrat who is amazing. She has the BEST questions any investigator has ever asked. She is a single mother of one and her son Joshua is a cutie pie. She says we are wasting our time, but she is learning so much and so happy to talk with us. She loves the Plan of Salvation and that all religion doesn't have to be guilt and hell. How sad it must be to live your life thinking that you can't be forgiven and will go to hell no matter what you do! I'm so grateful for my understanding of the gospel and for the Atonement. How sad life would be without a Savior who loves us. 

We were able to go and do another Zone Project this week . Sister Sorensen and I weaved grapevines through a lattice type structure, while Sister Clawson was painting the pool fence with the other sisters. It was a lot of work but very fun. 

MIRACLE! So remember Angelina? We have been trying without avail to keep contact with her family. It is a hard situation and there is lots of family problems and stress. BUT this week we went to go visit her cousins who were baptized last month and they were going to the Grandmother's home for a sleepover before the activity days girls brunch the next day. Their mom tells us that Angelina is at the Grandma's and that we can go over there and teach them all together! Needless to say we ran to the car and hurried over there. It was beautiful. Angelina's WHOLE family was there, plus the Grandmother, and her cousins Audrina and Elayna. We taught about Prophets and it was just so good. I wish I could do it justice in recounting it to you but just know it was a major answer to my prayers. 

And yes, I was pooped on by a bird. That was absolutely disgusting. BUT I was a trooper. I used a napkin picked it out of my poor hair and kept going all day. The things that missionaries do... if only the people they served knew. 

Lastly we had 10 hours of church yesterday with the special broadcast. It was excellent. If any of you weren't able to watch it I recommend looking it up online. One of my favorite things that was said is that the missionaries are only here to ASSIST the members. It is so true. We're here and ready to help in any way we can but we really cannot do this by ourselves. 

I hope you are all having a good week and that all is well. You're in my prayers. Love and miss you! 

1 John 4:8 "He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love."

Love,

Hermana Miller

Essentialism with Greg McKeown

Family and friends!! 

Well an interesting and uneventful week here in Los Banos. 

Illness has been floating through our companionship and I was ordered to sleep again (one afternoon for at least an hour), which in the end helped a lot and I am finally feeling back to speed. It is just frustrating to not be able to do the things we are supposed to be. Then yesterday Sister Clawson was VERY ill and so we were in ALL day. Yep all day long in the house, no church, no teaching, no visits. Sister Sorensen and I watched EVERY church produced video we had. We also made delicious vanilla cinnamon pancakes. If you need a video to watch may I suggest The Testaments, Legacy, or the John Tanner story. Also this months Ensign was a good read. 

Visiting with a new investigator this week was a tender mercy for me. She was a referral from a member and when we 1st met her and offered a blessing on her home she was in tears and crying, she felt strongly she needed a blessing. Then we offered to come back and water for her (she has a hard time getting around), which we were able to do a few days later. Then a few more days pass and we called her up and asked if we could come over right then, and she said "oh yes, please I need help bringing in my groceries". We helped her bring in her groceries and taught her the Plan of Salvation. She said that she feels we have been sent to her. That we call her every time she needs help and that all the things we taught her were helping her to fill in all the missing pieces of her puzzle that she never has been able to figure out.  That is the blessing of the gospel!! 

I've been making progress in my Bible reading. I am so glad I decided to read it cover to cover and NOT skip anything. So many people told me to just skip Numbers. That Book has so many GREAT stories!! For Example: Moses and the House of Israel messing up and now will wander for 40 years (how that happened/ a year for every day out so far), Moses hitting the rock and waters flowing out (did you know he was in trouble because he hit it? The Lord had commanded him to talk to the rock), the Donkey's mouth being opened by the Lord, and more (KAIL: Read Numbers Chapter 11 especially verse 20). 

Lastly I would just like to leave with some thoughts and notes I had while in an Essentialism Training with Greg McKeown:

1. Don't try and be ALL things to ALL people. 

2. We need to PRUNE our lives. That means cutting perfectly good healthy branches, so that a few can grow stronger. (Think Good, Better, Best Principle) 

Isaiah 61:1-3

Love,

Hermana Miller 

Hola Familia y Amigos!

Hola Familia y Amigos! 

How is life what is new? 

Many things happening here in the California Fresno Mission and in Los Banos.

It has been VERY hot here I think Hundred-and-teens this week sometimes. On top of that I have been ill this past week. I could just feel the heat radiating off my body. I tried to fight it off and ignore it starting as early in the week as Tuesday but by Sunday afternoon after church I was just miserable and couldn't pretend anymore. I was beat and as my companions threatened to call the medical personnel in the mission, I reluctantly agreed to go home and rest. I passed out for three hours, and was so gone that I woke up to a drool covered pillow. Gross. But after that I managed to sleep off most of the fever and have been feeling much better. 

We had Zone Conference this week too. That was so wonderful. Three take aways:

 1. What does the Lord see in me [you] that I [you] don't see in myself [yourself]?

 2. I have NO problems, only IMPROVEMENT opportunities!

 3. I didn't come all this way to be an almost ___________. (for me this blank is missionary but for you it may be student, wife, son, friend etc.)

At Zone Conference we sang a fourth verse of “Because I Have Been Given Much”  that I really loved. The words are:

Because of thy life’s mission Lord, I too must serve
I’ll leave the comfort of my home to teach thy word
I’ll seek thy sheep, who’ve gone astray, and those who’ve never known the way.
I will make thy work my work, today.

We have been able to have FHE (family home evening) with the Lagunas family at the Betham's home the last two weeks and it is wonderful. The Spirit is so strong. Last week we watched "Finding Faith in Christ". If you haven't seen that you should. I never had seen it till last week but it is inspiring. It strengthened my faith. It just depicts some of Christ's miracles from his earthly ministry. Really it is fabulous. 

Since my new companions got here our teaching pool has changed drastically. We have been trying a lot of former investigators from our area book trying to clean up all the records; most to no avail. But one really cool experience was a wife (possibly ex-wife?) of a former this week (who from the records we have was NOT interested at all before), said that she was running out the door to pick up her son but that she WANTED to talk with us! So we have an appointment to meet with her today. 

Sister Vogel the member we live with is home for the week! (She is gone the other 5 weeks of the transfer visiting family in Oregon). She is so sweet and I am grateful for her and the time I get to know her better. I truly do love this area, not for the weather or any other reason than I LOVE the members here and I LOVE the people we serve. 

MIRACLE OF THE WEEK!!! I don't even know if I can do this story justice. Sunday at church was a special miracle for me. John the recent convert we helped prepare for Baptism in April passed the Sacrament for the 1st time! My vision blurred with tears of pure joy to see him use the priesthood to help pass the sacrament. I can't begin to describe how it felt for me to see him unsure and timid step forward and help bless others lives in that way. I KNOW that the gospel changes lives. It has changed John's life, it is changing my life. It was such a risk for quiet shy little John to pass the sacrament when he didn't know exactly what he was doing, but it was such a blessing for me. That one moment makes all of the heartache and pain worth it. There is nothing greater than the happiness that the Savior can bring into our lives. I am blessed indeed. 

Micah 7:8 "Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall rise; when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me"

Love,

Hermana Miller 

The week of the Chevy Impala

“If you want to increase your faith increase your personal righteousness.” - Elder M. Russell Ballard

How are you doing? How has your week been? Things are still busy here in Los Banos. ONE YEAR LEFT! Only one year and I'll be home. Where is the time going?

If I thought the Spanish culture had people feed us a lot, I hadn't had dinner with a Tongan family yet... I think I had enough food I could have served a family of 5 off of my plate, but they expected us to each eat that much... and so we did. It was insane! It was delicious rice and chicken but oh my it was so much food. Then while we were contacting this week there was a man who wanted to Bible bash in Spanish...my favorite part of the experience though was that he didn't even believe in the Bible...of course. 

We have been trying to clear the ward lists because there are a decent amount of names, but I can't match any faces to them. So we have found many people have moved, but the saddest part was knocking on the doors and finding that these members have been deceased for a few years! Are you kidding me?! It made me realize that we need to be so much better as members to know our neighbors, to know the people in our ward, and then to love them. How did these people all slip through the cracks? If I ever needed to strengthen my testimony of the importance of visiting teaching or serving the one, this definitely has done it. I encourage you to pick a name off your ward list and go meet them, serve them! From this same project, we also were able to meet an older lady in the ward who is fairly ill and alone. As we sat and talked with her I felt as if I was transported back the times she was talking about. I loved the rich history that she has and all the beautiful memories she shared. It also made me really wish I had lived in the 40's. 

While contacting we met a mechanic who has redone a chevy impala... it solidified how much I like that car (if any of you know Dean on Supernatural that's who I thank for the introduction to the impala lol). I found myself wondering if you could make any type of car more fuel efficient as we continued working down the street. I am definitely not a car/mechanically inclined person though and so I have no idea, but I was trying to logic my way through the thought. Maybe I can blame the 103 degree heat for part of my lack of brain power?

A concept I learned this week, or rediscovered that has really stuck with me is that our feelings/emotions are a result of things that happen but that we usually don't realize or address. For example, when I am feeling frustrated it is probably because my expectations aren't being met, whether they are my expectations of myself, others, or a situation. I think understanding that has helped. To be able to see the root cause of the emotion I can gauge it and see if the expectations I have set are even realistic or not. It has helped me put everything back into perspective. 

Elayna and Audrina were BAPTIZED!! It was such a sweet service. To see the two sister (eight and nine) enter into the waters of baptism and make that covenant was truly a blessing. I really did feel the spirit there and felt very privileged to have been a part of their journey. I just love them. They were so cute like little marshmallows in the white jumpsuits. I wish Angelina would have been there as well, but we are hoping to keep working with her family and shooting for a new date in 2 weeks.

I hope all is well. I love and miss you all. 

Joel 3:14 "Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision; for the day of the Lord is near in the valley of decision". 

Love,

Hermana Miller