I Forgot How Hot It Was In The Summer!!!

This week was hot, oh my goodness. I had flashbacks of last summer when we were standing on someone's porch, literally dripping sweat all over. It's a fun time. Water is good. :)

Ok. We had an awesome miracle happen this week. Ok, that was a lie, we had lots of awesome miracles happen this week. :D I'm so excited. I love missionary work.

First, on Monday we went to try to contact a referral for the last time (we usually only try 3 times unless prompted to do more). We walk up to his door and his dog started barking so the man, Kelly, came out to hush the dog. When he saw us he looked super happy to see us. 

He said "Hey!" to us as if he already knew who we were. 

We said Hello back and he says,

"How'd you find me?"

😉

Sister Farnsworth asked him if he was a member and he says, "No, not yet!"

😉

Best thing I have ever heard anyone say, ever. :)

Turns out he grew up going to the LDS church but was never baptized. He went with some friends, and some of them are still in the ward. :) He said he learned all of his family values from the church and he really liked it. He stopped officially when he went into the military when he was 17. He's in his 40's now and just moved here from Palaski, I think. He was actually wondering which church he wanted to go to. :) What a coincidence.

AND his father passed away at 3:45 that morning. We talked about the Spirit World and the Resurrection and gave him a Book of Mormon with a chapter to read about it. He was super excited to see us and he said we could come back after his dad's funeral was over.

God is good.

Second, we went on exchanges this week so I wasn't actually present during this miracle but I'm super excited for it. :) I went to Blacksburg for the day and while I was gone the Sisters went to visit Sister Breeden. She is the best friend of a member who doesn't like being pushed so we haven't pushed baptism on her. She's said that before she makes a decision she wants to know "all the rules so she has no surprises after." :P Guess what she did! She put HERSELF on date! Oh my goodness I'm so excited. The church is true everybody.

God is good.

Third, guess how many investigators came to church........ THREE OF THEM CAME TO CHURCH!! And it wasn't too stressful because two of them had members who took them around and sat with them so we really just had to help out one. Oh geez, it was hilarious. The one we were with is Sister Johnson and she is this cute little old lady with the funniest personality. We thought we told her that church was three hours, and if we did then she forgot... so after Sacrament we were like "Ok! Let's go to the next hour!" And her eyes got really big and she was like, "There's more??" She was it totally shock when she realized she would be staying for another two hours. :P Haha! The look on her face was like, "What have I gotten myself into."

Oh geez. She said she liked the next two hours though. Most people like the second two hours better. She even gave a comment in RS. :D

Unfortunately Brother Keith has picked up smoking again. But we're being super supportive and really encouraged him to make sure that he still came to church. He was having a super stressful couple weeks and he didn't know how else to handle with the stress, poor guy. We're praying for him and are trying to get the members more involved to be a good friend circle for him.

Ok, letter's long enough.

Love, Peace, and Chicken grease,

Sister Miller

Hola!!

Hhhhello everybody!

This week a couple random missionary stuff happened, so it was basically a modge podge of missionary stuff. Surprising, I know.

We met with a recent convert, Brother Davis, who was having hesitations about the significance of the temple for him personally. So we had a lesson at a member's house and we talked about it and by the end of it he was like, "Woah! I need to go to the temple!" :) Sister Breeden (investigator) signed up on the calendar to feed us this week! :D We're so excited, because this means we may meet her boyfriend which means eternal marriage! :D Obviously I'm missing some important steps in there but, basically. :)

Got a media referral for a Book of Mormon. She is going to Bible school and wanted to learn more about different religions. Don't know quite how interested she is in the gospel though. Her fiance wants to quit smoking so we're helping the both of them.

We were going to have five investigators at church yesterday but only two came. :( I hate that. One day everyone is going to go to church!!

Church was really great yesterday though. Sundays are one of the most stressful days as a missionary and I can't wait to have non-stressful Sundays when I get home. :) But it's ok! Because we get the Sacrament which is the real spiritual booster. :)

Sacrament meeting was great and someone gave a talk that I loved! She talked about how we, as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, have to do a whole lot compared to other people in other denominations. Here's why: The Gospel of Jesus Christ is His plan for us to receive salvation and exaltation. "The Church of Jesus Christ is the vehicle ordained by Christ by which we learn to live the Gospel." 

We run into people all the time that say they don't go to church because they don't need church or organized religion to be a good person. And that is true. And you don't need church to go to heaven. That is not what church is for. God ordained organized religion, along with all the essential and necessary responsibilities that go with it, to prepare us for Exaltation, to live with God again.

All of this strengthens my testimony of God's love for us. He loves us enough to help us know how to have everything that He has. He wants that for us! He created this Earth and organized everything, to the smallest detail, so that we can have Eternal Life with Him and our families. He restored His church just for us. "For behold, this is my work and my glory: to bring to pass the immortality and the eternal life of man." How can we not want to take advantage of that?!

I know for myself by the power of the Holy Ghost that God is real, and that He is our Father in Heaven. I know that this is His true church that He organized to enable us to live with Him again. And I love Him.

Have a fantastic week!!

Sister Miller

Hello!

Transfer week! Sister Farnsworth and I are both staying here. *Sigh of relief*

Very thankful Sister right now. :)

We are loosing one sister in our zone and gaining three! Which means more exchanges! Two of them are brand new sisters so we're super excited about that. It's summer again so we're getting into the big rush of missionaries season. Sister Kirkby will be training for her last two transfers so I'm excited for her. :) MY TRAINER ONLY HAS TWO MORE TRANSFERS LEFT WHAT THE HECK.

Fun miracles of the week:

Our investigator, Sister Copeland, was super shy about coming to church because she has social anxiety and is super shy. We gave her a church tour with our RS President (who is super awesome, by the way) and she said she felt "comfortable" there. But she still wouldn't commit to coming to church because she "didn't have a skirt to wear." So our RS President bought her a cute outfit to wear to church. :) We went over Sunday morning to see if she would come to church and she opened the door already in her cute outfit. She loved church. :)

Had GREAT lesson with Sister Breeden about temples and proxy ordinances and family history. Her friend (member in our ward) was there and it was fantastic. She has been taking lessons for several months but still didn't really know if it was right for her. Sister Fransworth asked her how her praying and reading was going and she said, "It's going good. I'm feeling better about it." :D Wahoo! She came to church and her daughter drew a picture of their family for "Families can be together forever" lesson in primary and it fit perfectly. :)

Had a great lesson with Sister Lamb with a member (members seriously are great. I love them.) She really opened up to us about her fears of going to church and we were able to help her. I truly truly truly believe she is prepared for this gospel and I know it would be the greatest thing for her. I cannot wait for her to feel the blessings of it. Oh my goodness.

LOVE YOU ALL!!!.... oops.... LOVE Y'ALL!!!!

Have a great day!

Sister Miller

The picture with all of the sisters is Sister Gale, Sister Lively, Sister Johnson, Sister Christofferson, me, Sister Mortensen, Sister Farnsworth, and Sister Flandro.

Sister Quesenberry's Baptism!!

She got baptized! Bombadum!!!!

She was so adorable. I love it when cute little old people get baptized. :) She got in the water and was like "Oooooh! It's so warm!" :)

This week was a good week missionary-work wise. We have several people on date and 2 people came to church (though, ironically, those two are not on date... I think we got it backwards). We knocked on a lot of doors (always fun) and were invited to the YM class on Sunday to talk about fasting and fast offerings. I never would have thought that being on a mission would include opportunities like being in a YM classroom and going to the PH sessions of Stake Conference.

Oh, and HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYBODY!!

I am proudly wearing red, white, and blue. :) We also hiked the Cascades (SUPER COOL waterfall hike in Pembroke that made my month) and it was so fun!! Guys, I have not gone on a legitimate hiking trail in over a year. I loved it so much. I was so happy. I have a plethora of pictures from it so you get to see a lot of me this week. :P

Transfers week is next week so won't be emailing until Wednesday.

Love you all! Have a great Fourth of July!

Sister Miller

Quesenberry Baptism!!

It was raining so hard!! Not uncommon btw

My Blessed District!

Little Waterfall On Trail Up

District at the Waterfall!

Pose Idea From Our District Leader!

More Pictures!

More Pictures :)

District at Waterfall

District Normal

District Again :)