We are the Shepherds in the Lord's Vineyard!!

Hello!

This week was super busy, I loved it. :) We have been inviting people to learn like crazy and have received TONS of referrals. We have a couple potentials but actually getting in the door is the struggle. We'll get in one way or the other! We are completely unpacked now and have been cleaning a lot. :)

We put three people on date for baptism this week! And of them came to church and totally participated in the classes and even volunteered to help take down the trunk-or-treat later this month. :) It was so funny too because he came to church (I was laughing so hard after) and both of the talks and both of the classes talked about commandments and other doctrine that we have not taught him yet (baptisms for the dead, coffee and tea, missionary work, etc). He was like, "Wait, what?" And we explained a little but told him we would tell him more when we met with him later. :) Oh geez.

We've only gotten lost 4 times this week, so that was nice. :)

I'm loving being back in West Virginia. :) I'm so glad I'll finish my mission here.

This week in our White Christmas Book of Mormon reading we read Jacob 5 about the allegory of the olive tree. The Master of the Vineyard (Christ) took some of the natural branches from the Olive Tree and put them in different places in the vineyard to see if they would grow and bear good fruit. When they came back, they saw that the branches did bring forth good fruit. The servant then asked the Master why He chose those places to put the branches, because they were a very "poor" spot of land. I thought that was very interesting that Christ would choose to put people in a "poor spot" and expect good fruit. The Master replied "Don't counsel me" and explained that He had nourished it and it had brought forth good fruit. And then He pointed out that He had put one branch in the best spot of ground and it had brought forth only half good and half bitter fruit.

It doesn't matter your circumstances, the people around you, or the place where you live. Either way, the Lord will nourish you in the gospel sufficiently for you to bear good fruit. It is your choice whether you do or not. 

This was especially powerful to me because I remember coming out here and looking at the people around this Bible belt and thinking, "how could the gospel possibly flourish here? There are so many things against it. This feels like a poor spot of ground." But it truly doesn't matter where in the world you are serving. The Lord nourishes and digs and prunes his branches. And it CAN thrive and bear good fruit! And it does!

I know that Christ loves the people in every spot of His vineyard and there can be much good fruit no matter where you are. God loves us and knows how to help us. He is the Master of the Vineyard.

Have a wonderful fruitful week!

Sister Miller

Sister Donahoo, me, Sister Kirkby, Sister Stettler, and Overly. :)

Ma baby came in the day ma mamma went out. :)