Dear Family and Friends,
This week was awesome, and hard, and everything in between.We taught most of our investigators and there were so many miracles. I can't even begin to write them all. You'll just have to wait until I get back :)
This week we worked really hard. We taught a lot, and we learned a lot. We had interviews this past week, and I learned a lot. I'm always really nervous for interviews because you hear those stories about missionaries getting rebuked and I'm always scared I'll be next :) But with interviews I always walk out better than I went in. I always learn so much. Sister Alba also taught our whole zone about how to work with the Ward Council. I also learned a lot. It's all in the attitude. I'm going to help them realize that I am here to help rescue their little lambies, and in return, they've got to help make my little lambies a priority. Did you know that the missionaries are supposed to be the first ones to speak in ward council? Neither did I. And now it's our turn to go and to be the "I want to help and serve" attitude in the ward. They love us missionaries. We love them. But what we really want our ward to do is love our investigators and recent converts. Our ward is great. The best I have been in yet... but there is always room for growth... in the church, in the ward, and in the missionary.
We also had a wonderful stake conference this weekend. We heard from the recent converts of the stake. I'm learning that all it does is one little invite, and then someone has the opportunity. They aren't going to invite themselves.
One of the sisters that joined is younger... teens or early twenties. She talked about a friend of hers she had online. One day she asked her.... "Why are you always so happy. Like ALWAYS happy. I don't get it."
Her friend answered with one question. "Do you believe in God?"
And that was that.
So if someone in Kansas can invite someone in California to learn from the missionaries, anyone can.
Also, there was a story of an 8 year old who was able to find names for his family to take to the temple. Anyone can do family history. :)
So the challenge that was extended to our stake I extend to you:
I invite you to find one name and if you are 12 years or older, be worthy of and receive a temple recommend, and take that name to the temple. Our ancestors were people too. Do not deny them of the blessing that we so often take for granted. They need us to do that. If we procrastinate, God will hold us accountable, but also our ancestors will let us know that we made them wait. They so desperately want to have those blessings, to make covenants through the priesthood, and to share it with others there on that side. They warned us against the evil of sacrificing the essential for the non-essentials. It's also a type of idol-worship, when we sacrifice the things that God has commanded us to do for those things that the world demands we do. Do not idol worship. Everyone can find one name between now and Christmas.
:) The blessings are spiritual protection and added strength. That's from Elder Bednar, and apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.
I will never forget the example that my mom was to me. The morning I went to the MTC, she sacrificed so that I could go and do the endowment for a name of an ancestor that I had found.
If my mom has time, everyone has time.
The other invitation was that we invite someone to attend sacrament meeting with us. They don't have to say yes. That is their choice. Still love them. But invite them. EVERYONE IS INVITED. well. invite them :)
I will ask before Christmas if you have done this :) I promise that if you do, you will have the blessings.
Also, Sister Alba said something yesterday to us sisters after taking a picture with all of us. "Someone asked me today what they could do for me." Sister Alba announced. "And do you know what I told them?"
We all paused... holding our breath.
"Find a family." She said with emphasis. "That's what you can do for me. Today, find a family!"
And what a day yesterday was. There were a lot of rejections, but Sister Carter and I fought the doubt, holding on to our faith. We battled the temptation to despair and lose hope. Finally, at the end of the night, we went to the house of a Catholic contact we had had a few weeks ago. To make a very long story short, the son opened the door and introduced himself as Kevin, and went to go see if his elderly father would like us to come in. His father, Bill, returned to the door. He remembered us, and immediately let us in. Then we spent about 10 minutes listened to the whole family (Kevin, and both his parents) talk about Mormons that they have known and how much they like them. We had another appointment that we had to get to, but we taught them very simply about the Book of Mormon and they said that they would read it. Kevin immediately accepted a soft baptismal invite, saying that he was definitely open, and Bill, even though he seemed a little more hesitant, was very positive and said that although he probably wouldn't change, he was willing to learn and to see if the things that we teach are true. They set up an appointment for next Sunday evening.
Leaving that lesson, I realized that it was all Heavenly Father. All I had to do was go out, work, be happy, have hope and faith, and the Lord would lead us to where we need to be.
I've also learned this week to invite, invite, invite. I'm learning that rejection really isn't that bad, although it is sad. But one thing is for sure: It is much better to walk away having been rejected than to walk away not having tried your best.
Rejection is always better than disappointment in yourself.
This week I have another goal: to invite more boldly. Not just to tell people how much God loves them, but to invite them to show God how much they love Him!
This past week was good. I learned a lot from interviews. I love being here, and I'm excited for the future. I think these past few transfers I have really learned a lot about the Spirit, about how to be bold, about loving people no matter what, about obedience, and about my weaknesses and strengths.
I'm looking forward to the future. I'm hoping to build my faith.
I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is true. I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God, and I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I know it.
I know because of the Spirit, and also through experience.
I love all of you and hope you have a wonderful week! I know that Heavenly Father loves you all so much!
Sincerely,
Sister Miller
Moroni 7:13
Moroni 7:33
Tuesday, September 23, 2014
9/15/14 Short and Sweet
Sorry this is so short and sweet, but I got busy reading and writing the family. I love all ya'll though, and I know that the church is true.
I love the work though. This week was a total turn-around from last week. :) I call it SPIRIT WEEK!!!!!!!!
This week I learned to listen. I guess I've been quite impatient lately with everyone, including myself, and I think one thing that I have heard constantly this week from the mouths of investigators, contacts, less actives, and members is this: "it's in the Lord's timing." It all started with exchanges this last week with Sister Afoa. We had miracle after miracle and we even had a few contacts say that because we were willing to listen to them and their stories, they knew that we had a life for them. So I guess the answer to being impatient is to listen. It's not about what I have to say. It's about what the child of God and the Spirit have to say.
Lynn is doing great. She has had a really hard past two weeks, and the other day she called us to not come over because she wasn't in a good mood and she didn't want us to see her like that. We listened a while on the phone, and finally we were able to find the void. Listening to her, and responding as the Spirit directed resulted in something I will never forget. She was struggling because after 18 years of being Sober, she had bought alcohol a couple weeks ago and she doesn't know why she did that. It scared her a little bit, but she hasn't touched any of it, but she said that it was really really tempting. After we listened to her, we expressed our desire for her to get rid of it, because you can't take money with you, and there's nothing wasteful about growing away temptation. After a few moments of noise in hue background she came back to the phone. "There. It's all gone." She sighed with relief. "I poured out those bottles down the sink. All the bottles."
We also contacted a referral named Priscilla. She excitedly told us to come back the next day. We went back the next day, and the mother was outside, she told us to knock louder. We went in, had a lesson on The Book of Mormon and it was awesome. We listened to Priscilla and her boyfriend, Elias. It was a really cool lesson because I tried to really listen to what they were saying, and even more than that I tried to understand. I'm excited to teach them.
I just love being a missionary. I love being on a mission. I love learning more about how Heavenly Father works, and how much He loves His children, and how much He loves me.
So much has happened this week, but I will leave it at that. Woodland is a great place to be!
Sincerely,
Sister Darby Eleyce Miller
I love the work though. This week was a total turn-around from last week. :) I call it SPIRIT WEEK!!!!!!!!
This week I learned to listen. I guess I've been quite impatient lately with everyone, including myself, and I think one thing that I have heard constantly this week from the mouths of investigators, contacts, less actives, and members is this: "it's in the Lord's timing." It all started with exchanges this last week with Sister Afoa. We had miracle after miracle and we even had a few contacts say that because we were willing to listen to them and their stories, they knew that we had a life for them. So I guess the answer to being impatient is to listen. It's not about what I have to say. It's about what the child of God and the Spirit have to say.
Lynn is doing great. She has had a really hard past two weeks, and the other day she called us to not come over because she wasn't in a good mood and she didn't want us to see her like that. We listened a while on the phone, and finally we were able to find the void. Listening to her, and responding as the Spirit directed resulted in something I will never forget. She was struggling because after 18 years of being Sober, she had bought alcohol a couple weeks ago and she doesn't know why she did that. It scared her a little bit, but she hasn't touched any of it, but she said that it was really really tempting. After we listened to her, we expressed our desire for her to get rid of it, because you can't take money with you, and there's nothing wasteful about growing away temptation. After a few moments of noise in hue background she came back to the phone. "There. It's all gone." She sighed with relief. "I poured out those bottles down the sink. All the bottles."
We also contacted a referral named Priscilla. She excitedly told us to come back the next day. We went back the next day, and the mother was outside, she told us to knock louder. We went in, had a lesson on The Book of Mormon and it was awesome. We listened to Priscilla and her boyfriend, Elias. It was a really cool lesson because I tried to really listen to what they were saying, and even more than that I tried to understand. I'm excited to teach them.
I just love being a missionary. I love being on a mission. I love learning more about how Heavenly Father works, and how much He loves His children, and how much He loves me.
So much has happened this week, but I will leave it at that. Woodland is a great place to be!
Sincerely,
Sister Darby Eleyce Miller
9/8/14 The Faith to be Limitless
Dear Family and Friends,
Wow. What a week.
The past few weeks have been really good and really tough. I'm really mixed on emotions about it all. A few weeks ago Woodland was on fire! Well, we went through a massive dropping spell the week before last, and finished it up this past week. We had some of our most solid people tell us that they didn't think this was the best decision for them (Aaron and his not wanting to live the law of chastity...) and some others. We also had investigators who had family crises and living condition crises and moved away without telling us where they moved to. We also had investigators avoid us, and so we finally dropped them. We also had some that we haven't dropped yet, but they keep cancelling appointments week after week. And then Eli... his new job has been taking him all over, and he hasn't come to church the past two weeks, and we don't know if he is going to permanently stay in Sacramento, or move back to Woodland, or Davis. We are afraid to transfer his records because we don't want him to get lost... this is a precious time for him and he cannot afford to be moved into a ward where they don't keep up on teaching him the new member lessons. Also, Lynn has been having some health problems and it's been rough, but we did meet with her... once.
This week was a very rough week. We taught a total of 9 lessons. That's not good. It's been very stressful.
Also, this mission is big on obedience, which I totally agree with. Well, we have lots of new rules coming up for us. The only one that will affect me getting letters from all ya'll is just that we can't check our emails throughout the week anymore... only on Mondays. So yup. Just so you all know. :)
Also, we aren't doing Facebook as a mission anymore... for now. This mission was the first to have Facebook, but that was because they had worked really hard on obedience for many many years.
Okay... Now for miracles and all the good stuff. :)
We taught Lynn this past week and we had a wonderful lesson. She loves the church and got approval from her mom, who is in a rest home. We actually know her mom, funny enough, and taught her a lot of basic things about the plan of salvation etc, and her mom was really happy that we were teaching her daughter. Lynn later told us that her mom used to not like Mormons, so that's good that things have changed. She didn't come to church, so we'll work on that.
We also taught this family named the Kaur family. They are from India, and were originally Sikh. They came to America and became Christians, and we have been trying to meet with them for the past month and a half, to no success. We had the weirdest lesson I have ever been in. The father was completely drunk, but that was why they wanted us to come and teach them. They need help. There was just so much chaos in that house... so much noise and commotion. They were trying to listen and learn, but so much was going on... the phone ringing, the television upstairs and the noises from outside, and the drunk father who was trying to express things to us, but he kept talking to us in Punjabi.... it was crazy. Satan was working so hard, but so was Heavenly Father. The mother accepted a baptismal invite... the father wasn't quite coherent, and the daughter remained silent, but intently listening... Well. We are going back this week. The father is going to go to the 12-step program to get some help, because he really wants to change, and kept asking us for help the whole time we were there.... it was just a strange lesson. I don't even know what to really say about it all except that I love them and I'm looking forward to teaching them because they want to learn and grow. You can see that in them.
We also went to the temple in Sacramento. I did not want to leave. It was so beautiful, the feeling there. I did not want to leave. It no doubt gave me the strength I would need for the rest of the week.
I learned this week in that I cannot do this alone. Sometimes, when we think we are doing it all on our own, Heavenly Father steps back and lets us struggle a little bit so that we realize that we cannot do it alone. He let us be humble, so that we learn to rely on Him. If we are prideful, we are caught up on what we are doing, not what God is doing, but the downfall of that is that we limit ourselves. When we rely only upon our own strength, we lose hope because we have weaknesses. We are limited. But when we humble ourselves, and we acknowledge the Savior and our Loving Heavenly Father who created us and gave us His own Son, and we rely upon God's strength, then we are no longer limited. When we are humble, and rely upon the mercy and merits of the Savior, we are no longer held back by our own struggles and weaknesses. When our strength is the power of God, we are no longer limited. We are limitless.
I also have a testimony of how we need to build our relationship with Heavenly Father every day. We need His help, and we need it every day. All of us. Everyday. We cannot go a day without feeding our spirit and not starve ourselves spiritually.
I love the Book of Mormon. I have been reading in 3 Nephi and I love it. I love the Savior. I know that He is really the Son of God, that He really did do all that the Father asked, and that He really does have the power to help us. Life is meant to be wonderful, and I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that even when times are hard and when the path of life is steep and treacherous, and we feel that all is at stake, I know that the Savior is right there with us and that if we hold on and don't let go of Him, He will help us and give us directions to make it through even better than we were when we started. He will help us build the strength, and He will be our strength.
I'm always amazed that even when I have a hard week, I look back and there are a million beautiful moments that Heavenly Father sends me to let me know that He is right there, right there with me the whole way.
Sometimes, I even feel the Savior's hand on my shoulder. Those thoughts come out of nowhere.... in the middle of my hardest times and my best times. I can't explain it, but I know that it can't come from me. It comes from Him.
It's the beautiful things like....
And it's all those millions of little moments that make my life a joy. Every moment can be a joy if we look for His Hand in our life. I testify in His Sacred name that it is there.
His hand is there.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sister Darby E. Miller
Wow. What a week.
The past few weeks have been really good and really tough. I'm really mixed on emotions about it all. A few weeks ago Woodland was on fire! Well, we went through a massive dropping spell the week before last, and finished it up this past week. We had some of our most solid people tell us that they didn't think this was the best decision for them (Aaron and his not wanting to live the law of chastity...) and some others. We also had investigators who had family crises and living condition crises and moved away without telling us where they moved to. We also had investigators avoid us, and so we finally dropped them. We also had some that we haven't dropped yet, but they keep cancelling appointments week after week. And then Eli... his new job has been taking him all over, and he hasn't come to church the past two weeks, and we don't know if he is going to permanently stay in Sacramento, or move back to Woodland, or Davis. We are afraid to transfer his records because we don't want him to get lost... this is a precious time for him and he cannot afford to be moved into a ward where they don't keep up on teaching him the new member lessons. Also, Lynn has been having some health problems and it's been rough, but we did meet with her... once.
This week was a very rough week. We taught a total of 9 lessons. That's not good. It's been very stressful.
Also, this mission is big on obedience, which I totally agree with. Well, we have lots of new rules coming up for us. The only one that will affect me getting letters from all ya'll is just that we can't check our emails throughout the week anymore... only on Mondays. So yup. Just so you all know. :)
Also, we aren't doing Facebook as a mission anymore... for now. This mission was the first to have Facebook, but that was because they had worked really hard on obedience for many many years.
Okay... Now for miracles and all the good stuff. :)
We taught Lynn this past week and we had a wonderful lesson. She loves the church and got approval from her mom, who is in a rest home. We actually know her mom, funny enough, and taught her a lot of basic things about the plan of salvation etc, and her mom was really happy that we were teaching her daughter. Lynn later told us that her mom used to not like Mormons, so that's good that things have changed. She didn't come to church, so we'll work on that.
We also taught this family named the Kaur family. They are from India, and were originally Sikh. They came to America and became Christians, and we have been trying to meet with them for the past month and a half, to no success. We had the weirdest lesson I have ever been in. The father was completely drunk, but that was why they wanted us to come and teach them. They need help. There was just so much chaos in that house... so much noise and commotion. They were trying to listen and learn, but so much was going on... the phone ringing, the television upstairs and the noises from outside, and the drunk father who was trying to express things to us, but he kept talking to us in Punjabi.... it was crazy. Satan was working so hard, but so was Heavenly Father. The mother accepted a baptismal invite... the father wasn't quite coherent, and the daughter remained silent, but intently listening... Well. We are going back this week. The father is going to go to the 12-step program to get some help, because he really wants to change, and kept asking us for help the whole time we were there.... it was just a strange lesson. I don't even know what to really say about it all except that I love them and I'm looking forward to teaching them because they want to learn and grow. You can see that in them.
We also went to the temple in Sacramento. I did not want to leave. It was so beautiful, the feeling there. I did not want to leave. It no doubt gave me the strength I would need for the rest of the week.
I learned this week in that I cannot do this alone. Sometimes, when we think we are doing it all on our own, Heavenly Father steps back and lets us struggle a little bit so that we realize that we cannot do it alone. He let us be humble, so that we learn to rely on Him. If we are prideful, we are caught up on what we are doing, not what God is doing, but the downfall of that is that we limit ourselves. When we rely only upon our own strength, we lose hope because we have weaknesses. We are limited. But when we humble ourselves, and we acknowledge the Savior and our Loving Heavenly Father who created us and gave us His own Son, and we rely upon God's strength, then we are no longer limited. When we are humble, and rely upon the mercy and merits of the Savior, we are no longer held back by our own struggles and weaknesses. When our strength is the power of God, we are no longer limited. We are limitless.
I also have a testimony of how we need to build our relationship with Heavenly Father every day. We need His help, and we need it every day. All of us. Everyday. We cannot go a day without feeding our spirit and not starve ourselves spiritually.
I love the Book of Mormon. I have been reading in 3 Nephi and I love it. I love the Savior. I know that He is really the Son of God, that He really did do all that the Father asked, and that He really does have the power to help us. Life is meant to be wonderful, and I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that even when times are hard and when the path of life is steep and treacherous, and we feel that all is at stake, I know that the Savior is right there with us and that if we hold on and don't let go of Him, He will help us and give us directions to make it through even better than we were when we started. He will help us build the strength, and He will be our strength.
I'm always amazed that even when I have a hard week, I look back and there are a million beautiful moments that Heavenly Father sends me to let me know that He is right there, right there with me the whole way.
Sometimes, I even feel the Savior's hand on my shoulder. Those thoughts come out of nowhere.... in the middle of my hardest times and my best times. I can't explain it, but I know that it can't come from me. It comes from Him.
It's the beautiful things like....
And it's all those millions of little moments that make my life a joy. Every moment can be a joy if we look for His Hand in our life. I testify in His Sacred name that it is there.
His hand is there.
In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
Sister Darby E. Miller
9/1/14 TO THE TEMPLE!
This week we get to go to the temple! Yay! Wednesday morning, early early. Yay! Today is a half-pday, so sorry for not a lot of responses. I will send more letters soon but just so ya'll know that I got them and I LOVE ALL THE LETTERS AND MESSAGES. Thank you. I am overwhelmed by all the charity being poured out upon me by my family and friends. You all are an inspiration to me, and in the hard times, those things help me and boost me. Thank you. :)
So wanna hear what I learned this week?
I learned that I need to be more humble, more patient, and more hopeful.
It was a rough week, and a good one too. Sister Carter and I are getting along just as well as I have gotten along with other companions. It took us a little longer, but now we have it all smooth sailing.
It was a hard week with people. Pray that we can find those elect that are searching for the truth.
Well, here's the rundown of this week.
Monday: Pday.
We taught a less active, and I sliced my finger open on a chair during dinner with a homeschooling family that I really connect with in the ward. That was fun. Funny for everyone else. :) I've had a gimpy finger all week, but now it is good. #SisterMillerMoment
Tuesday: District meeting. So awesome. Our district is named "Watermelonisha" because the District Leader is obsessed with watermelon. We eat a lot of watermelon. Anyway, we learned about inviting people to sacrament meeting.
Wednesday:
I went on exchanges with Sister Majors and that was fun. we had all of our lessons (almost all) cancel and so in the middle of the day we walked around. We talked to 53 people on the street. That is a lot of people, Just so you know. And we invited everyone to come to sacrament meeting. I fell asleep doing teaching records that night. It was a crazy fun day though.
Thursday:
We did weekly planning and taught some Less Actives. I also went to a Relief Society Dinner that was pretty fun.... my companion and I fit right in... the elders on the other hand. Well, that was funny. Anyway, we had a couple of members bring their friends. Pretty cool. Hopefully that goes somewhere.
Friday:
Sister Carter went to MLC in Santa Rosa and I went with Hermana Sommerfeld to a little town near Vacaville named Winters. Cool little town. I go to listen to some lessons in Spanish. We picked up two new Spanish investigators and also got dropped hard by some investigators. Needless to say it was a roller coaster of a day. It was good though, because it taught me a lot about patience and why it was important and how I could start working on it, and it also threw me into a deep thinking process over the weekend.
Saturday:
We taught Lynn again. She is so awesome. She totally want to get baptized still. Yay! We went over the Book of Mormon and started her reading it. It hit me and my companion a few days ago that we are doing everything we should with Lynn... we are teaching her simply, bringing members, bearing our testimonies, and most importantly, we truly do love her. I really want this to work out for her.... Please pray for her to make friends in the ward that will really love her.
Sunday:
No one showed up to church. Not even Lynn. Not even Eli, because he found a new job and had to work. I cried during the third hour, when we were all combined. We weren't even learning anything that deep... just about the proper use of technology at church.... and it's not like I haven't had other Sundays where I was disappointed. I don't know. I guess I just was so frustrated with myself for being impatient. It is hard sometimes as a missionary. You learn so quickly your weaknesses. They are ever present because it's no longer about you. If you mess up, it doesn't effect you as much as it affects others. And also, even the best missionaries can't escape the effects of sorrow that other people's agency cause. This has been so weird for me as a missionary to wrap my head around because people are constantly not progressing and when it ends, like it so often does, you are left wondering if there was something more that you could have done...
So I guess all Sunday I had these thoughts running through my head. We've also been having some frustrationg with someone who is supposed to be our advocate who asked us to disobey some simple to do mission rules. My companion and I are struggling. Good thing we have elders in the ward to smooth things over, because she and I were just going to let the awkward sit. We've since repented, but yeah. Sunday really helped.
The first talk in Sacrament meeting was about Gratitude and I was rebuked lovingly for not writing in my journal every night like I used to. I also need to express more gratitude and not take the knowledge of the gospel for granted.
The second talk was on patience. No words needed.
Through all of this I just felt so overwhelmed with love from Heavenly Father. When I say rebuked, I really mean course corrected, like a gust of wind helping wind-surfer not fall into the water. The Lord corrects those that He loves, and He always lets you feel His love afterwards.
This morning I was reading about the Nephites right before the Savior comes. Wow. They had problems. Literally every five years they struggled with their weaknesses, repeating the same mistakes over and over. But the Lord still sent prophets and missionaries to them. He was patient. They were patient, even unto death.
So I've been lovingly rebuked.
And my heart is full of gratitude. I looked up at the stars last night before coming in to go to bed after a hard, but very very good day. I just looked up at those sparkles in the sky, and I just had this feeling, deep and quiet inside, that Heavenly Father was speaking to me.
I love you all! Even though no investigators showed up, I learned the importance of church attendance. We go to church because we are imperfect. When we go with a heart of repentance, we are cleansed, and we receive instruction to help us be more like the Savior. then we renew our covenant as we take His name upon us again.
I know that He lives, and that His grace is a real power.
Love you all!
Sister Darby Eleyce Miller
I learned a lot this week. :)
So wanna hear what I learned this week?
I learned that I need to be more humble, more patient, and more hopeful.
It was a rough week, and a good one too. Sister Carter and I are getting along just as well as I have gotten along with other companions. It took us a little longer, but now we have it all smooth sailing.
It was a hard week with people. Pray that we can find those elect that are searching for the truth.
Well, here's the rundown of this week.
Monday: Pday.
We taught a less active, and I sliced my finger open on a chair during dinner with a homeschooling family that I really connect with in the ward. That was fun. Funny for everyone else. :) I've had a gimpy finger all week, but now it is good. #SisterMillerMoment
Tuesday: District meeting. So awesome. Our district is named "Watermelonisha" because the District Leader is obsessed with watermelon. We eat a lot of watermelon. Anyway, we learned about inviting people to sacrament meeting.
Wednesday:
I went on exchanges with Sister Majors and that was fun. we had all of our lessons (almost all) cancel and so in the middle of the day we walked around. We talked to 53 people on the street. That is a lot of people, Just so you know. And we invited everyone to come to sacrament meeting. I fell asleep doing teaching records that night. It was a crazy fun day though.
Thursday:
We did weekly planning and taught some Less Actives. I also went to a Relief Society Dinner that was pretty fun.... my companion and I fit right in... the elders on the other hand. Well, that was funny. Anyway, we had a couple of members bring their friends. Pretty cool. Hopefully that goes somewhere.
Friday:
Sister Carter went to MLC in Santa Rosa and I went with Hermana Sommerfeld to a little town near Vacaville named Winters. Cool little town. I go to listen to some lessons in Spanish. We picked up two new Spanish investigators and also got dropped hard by some investigators. Needless to say it was a roller coaster of a day. It was good though, because it taught me a lot about patience and why it was important and how I could start working on it, and it also threw me into a deep thinking process over the weekend.
Saturday:
We taught Lynn again. She is so awesome. She totally want to get baptized still. Yay! We went over the Book of Mormon and started her reading it. It hit me and my companion a few days ago that we are doing everything we should with Lynn... we are teaching her simply, bringing members, bearing our testimonies, and most importantly, we truly do love her. I really want this to work out for her.... Please pray for her to make friends in the ward that will really love her.
Sunday:
No one showed up to church. Not even Lynn. Not even Eli, because he found a new job and had to work. I cried during the third hour, when we were all combined. We weren't even learning anything that deep... just about the proper use of technology at church.... and it's not like I haven't had other Sundays where I was disappointed. I don't know. I guess I just was so frustrated with myself for being impatient. It is hard sometimes as a missionary. You learn so quickly your weaknesses. They are ever present because it's no longer about you. If you mess up, it doesn't effect you as much as it affects others. And also, even the best missionaries can't escape the effects of sorrow that other people's agency cause. This has been so weird for me as a missionary to wrap my head around because people are constantly not progressing and when it ends, like it so often does, you are left wondering if there was something more that you could have done...
So I guess all Sunday I had these thoughts running through my head. We've also been having some frustrationg with someone who is supposed to be our advocate who asked us to disobey some simple to do mission rules. My companion and I are struggling. Good thing we have elders in the ward to smooth things over, because she and I were just going to let the awkward sit. We've since repented, but yeah. Sunday really helped.
The first talk in Sacrament meeting was about Gratitude and I was rebuked lovingly for not writing in my journal every night like I used to. I also need to express more gratitude and not take the knowledge of the gospel for granted.
The second talk was on patience. No words needed.
Through all of this I just felt so overwhelmed with love from Heavenly Father. When I say rebuked, I really mean course corrected, like a gust of wind helping wind-surfer not fall into the water. The Lord corrects those that He loves, and He always lets you feel His love afterwards.
This morning I was reading about the Nephites right before the Savior comes. Wow. They had problems. Literally every five years they struggled with their weaknesses, repeating the same mistakes over and over. But the Lord still sent prophets and missionaries to them. He was patient. They were patient, even unto death.
So I've been lovingly rebuked.
And my heart is full of gratitude. I looked up at the stars last night before coming in to go to bed after a hard, but very very good day. I just looked up at those sparkles in the sky, and I just had this feeling, deep and quiet inside, that Heavenly Father was speaking to me.
I love you all! Even though no investigators showed up, I learned the importance of church attendance. We go to church because we are imperfect. When we go with a heart of repentance, we are cleansed, and we receive instruction to help us be more like the Savior. then we renew our covenant as we take His name upon us again.
I know that He lives, and that His grace is a real power.
Love you all!
Sister Darby Eleyce Miller
I learned a lot this week. :)
8/25/14 Faith in God Includes Trust in His Timing
This week we get to go to the temple! Yay! Wednesday morning, early early. Yay! Today is a half-pday, so sorry for not a lot of responses. I will send more letters soon but just so ya'll know that I got them and I LOVE ALL THE LETTERS AND MESSAGES. Thank you. I am overwhelmed by all the charity being poured out upon me by my family and friends. You all are an inspiration to me, and in the hard times, those things help me and boost me. Thank you. :)
So wanna hear what I learned this week?
I learned that I need to be more humble, more patient, and more hopeful.
It was a rough week, and a good one too. Sister Carter and I are getting along just as well as I have gotten along with other companions. It took us a little longer, but now we have it all smooth sailing.
It was a hard week with people. Pray that we can find those elect that are searching for the truth.
Well, here's the rundown of this week.
Monday: Pday.
We taught a less active, and I sliced my finger open on a chair during dinner with a homeschooling family that I really connect with in the ward. That was fun. Funny for everyone else. :) I've had a gimpy finger all week, but now it is good. #SisterMillerMoment
Tuesday: District meeting. So awesome. Our district is named "Watermelonisha" because the District Leader is obsessed with watermelon. We eat a lot of watermelon. Anyway, we learned about inviting people to sacrament meeting.
Wednesday:
I went on exchanges with Sister Majors and that was fun. we had all of our lessons (almost all) cancel and so in the middle of the day we walked around. We talked to 53 people on the street. That is a lot of people, Just so you know. And we invited everyone to come to sacrament meeting. I fell asleep doing teaching records that night. It was a crazy fun day though.
Thursday:
We did weekly planning and taught some Less Actives. I also went to a Relief Society Dinner that was pretty fun.... my companion and I fit right in... the elders on the other hand. Well, that was funny. Anyway, we had a couple of members bring their friends. Pretty cool. Hopefully that goes somewhere.
Friday:
Sister Carter went to MLC in Santa Rosa and I went with Hermana Sommerfeld to a little town near Vacaville named Winters. Cool little town. I go to listen to some lessons in Spanish. We picked up two new Spanish investigators and also got dropped hard by some investigators. Needless to say it was a roller coaster of a day. It was good though, because it taught me a lot about patience and why it was important and how I could start working on it, and it also threw me into a deep thinking process over the weekend.
Saturday:
We taught Lynn again. She is so awesome. She totally want to get baptized still. Yay! We went over the Book of Mormon and started her reading it. It hit me and my companion a few days ago that we are doing everything we should with Lynn... we are teaching her simply, bringing members, bearing our testimonies, and most importantly, we truly do love her. I really want this to work out for her.... Please pray for her to make friends in the ward that will really love her.
Sunday:
No one showed up to church. Not even Lynn. Not even Eli, because he found a new job and had to work. I cried during the third hour, when we were all combined. We weren't even learning anything that deep... just about the proper use of technology at church.... and it's not like I haven't had other Sundays where I was disappointed. I don't know. I guess I just was so frustrated with myself for being impatient. It is hard sometimes as a missionary. You learn so quickly your weaknesses. They are ever present because it's no longer about you. If you mess up, it doesn't effect you as much as it affects others. And also, even the best missionaries can't escape the effects of sorrow that other people's agency cause. This has been so weird for me as a missionary to wrap my head around because people are constantly not progressing and when it ends, like it so often does, you are left wondering if there was something more that you could have done...
So I guess all Sunday I had these thoughts running through my head. We've also been having some frustrating with someone who is supposed to be our advocate who asked us to disobey some simple to do mission rules. My companion and I are struggling. Good thing we have elders in the ward to smooth things over, because she and I were just going to let the awkward sit. We've since repented, but yeah. Sunday really helped.
The first talk in Sacrament meeting was about Gratitude and I was rebuked lovingly for not writing in my journal every night like I used to. I also need to express more gratitude and not take the knowledge of the gospel for granted.
The second talk was on patience. No words needed.
Through all of this I just felt so overwhelmed with love from Heavenly Father. When I say rebuked, I really mean course corrected, like a gust of wind helping wind-surfer not fall into the water. The Lord corrects those that He loves, and He always lets you feel His love afterwards.
This morning I was reading about the Nephites right before the Savior comes. Wow. They had problems. Literally every five years they struggled with their weaknesses, repeating the same mistakes over and over. But the Lord still sent prophets and missionaries to them. He was patient. They were patient, even unto death.
So I've been lovingly rebuked.
And my heart is full of gratitude. I looked up at the stars last night before coming in to go to bed after a hard, but very very good day. I just looked up at those sparkles in the sky, and I just had this feeling, deep and quiet inside, that Heavenly Father was speaking to me.
I love you all! Even though no investigators showed up, I learned the importance of church attendance. We go to church because we are imperfect. When we go with a heart of repentance, we are cleansed, and we receive instruction to help us be more like the Savior. then we renew our covenant as we take His name upon us again.
I know that He lives, and that His grace is a real power.
Love you all!
Sister Darby Eleyce Miller
I learned a lot this week. :)
So wanna hear what I learned this week?
I learned that I need to be more humble, more patient, and more hopeful.
It was a rough week, and a good one too. Sister Carter and I are getting along just as well as I have gotten along with other companions. It took us a little longer, but now we have it all smooth sailing.
It was a hard week with people. Pray that we can find those elect that are searching for the truth.
Well, here's the rundown of this week.
Monday: Pday.
We taught a less active, and I sliced my finger open on a chair during dinner with a homeschooling family that I really connect with in the ward. That was fun. Funny for everyone else. :) I've had a gimpy finger all week, but now it is good. #SisterMillerMoment
Tuesday: District meeting. So awesome. Our district is named "Watermelonisha" because the District Leader is obsessed with watermelon. We eat a lot of watermelon. Anyway, we learned about inviting people to sacrament meeting.
Wednesday:
I went on exchanges with Sister Majors and that was fun. we had all of our lessons (almost all) cancel and so in the middle of the day we walked around. We talked to 53 people on the street. That is a lot of people, Just so you know. And we invited everyone to come to sacrament meeting. I fell asleep doing teaching records that night. It was a crazy fun day though.
Thursday:
We did weekly planning and taught some Less Actives. I also went to a Relief Society Dinner that was pretty fun.... my companion and I fit right in... the elders on the other hand. Well, that was funny. Anyway, we had a couple of members bring their friends. Pretty cool. Hopefully that goes somewhere.
Friday:
Sister Carter went to MLC in Santa Rosa and I went with Hermana Sommerfeld to a little town near Vacaville named Winters. Cool little town. I go to listen to some lessons in Spanish. We picked up two new Spanish investigators and also got dropped hard by some investigators. Needless to say it was a roller coaster of a day. It was good though, because it taught me a lot about patience and why it was important and how I could start working on it, and it also threw me into a deep thinking process over the weekend.
Saturday:
We taught Lynn again. She is so awesome. She totally want to get baptized still. Yay! We went over the Book of Mormon and started her reading it. It hit me and my companion a few days ago that we are doing everything we should with Lynn... we are teaching her simply, bringing members, bearing our testimonies, and most importantly, we truly do love her. I really want this to work out for her.... Please pray for her to make friends in the ward that will really love her.
Sunday:
No one showed up to church. Not even Lynn. Not even Eli, because he found a new job and had to work. I cried during the third hour, when we were all combined. We weren't even learning anything that deep... just about the proper use of technology at church.... and it's not like I haven't had other Sundays where I was disappointed. I don't know. I guess I just was so frustrated with myself for being impatient. It is hard sometimes as a missionary. You learn so quickly your weaknesses. They are ever present because it's no longer about you. If you mess up, it doesn't effect you as much as it affects others. And also, even the best missionaries can't escape the effects of sorrow that other people's agency cause. This has been so weird for me as a missionary to wrap my head around because people are constantly not progressing and when it ends, like it so often does, you are left wondering if there was something more that you could have done...
So I guess all Sunday I had these thoughts running through my head. We've also been having some frustrating with someone who is supposed to be our advocate who asked us to disobey some simple to do mission rules. My companion and I are struggling. Good thing we have elders in the ward to smooth things over, because she and I were just going to let the awkward sit. We've since repented, but yeah. Sunday really helped.
The first talk in Sacrament meeting was about Gratitude and I was rebuked lovingly for not writing in my journal every night like I used to. I also need to express more gratitude and not take the knowledge of the gospel for granted.
The second talk was on patience. No words needed.
Through all of this I just felt so overwhelmed with love from Heavenly Father. When I say rebuked, I really mean course corrected, like a gust of wind helping wind-surfer not fall into the water. The Lord corrects those that He loves, and He always lets you feel His love afterwards.
This morning I was reading about the Nephites right before the Savior comes. Wow. They had problems. Literally every five years they struggled with their weaknesses, repeating the same mistakes over and over. But the Lord still sent prophets and missionaries to them. He was patient. They were patient, even unto death.
So I've been lovingly rebuked.
And my heart is full of gratitude. I looked up at the stars last night before coming in to go to bed after a hard, but very very good day. I just looked up at those sparkles in the sky, and I just had this feeling, deep and quiet inside, that Heavenly Father was speaking to me.
I love you all! Even though no investigators showed up, I learned the importance of church attendance. We go to church because we are imperfect. When we go with a heart of repentance, we are cleansed, and we receive instruction to help us be more like the Savior. then we renew our covenant as we take His name upon us again.
I know that He lives, and that His grace is a real power.
Love you all!
Sister Darby Eleyce Miller
I learned a lot this week. :)
8/18/14 Steps of Light
To all my dear loved ones,
So I'm staying in woodland. Sister Carter is staying. This is my first transfer that there are no changes. Don't know how I feel about that, but trust I guess. :)
We had so many miracles, but I only have time to share a few.
This week we set a baptismal date with Lynn, Eli's friend.
Lynn has heard the restoration at church and at a few baptisms before, but this was the first time we sat down with her and taught it, beginning to end, all the way through. It was cool. She has bad eyesight, but she had tried everyday a little read from the Book of Mormon. I'm going to copy and paste the teaching record here because I want to get to the good stuff.
Lynn has a hard time reading because it is all small print, but she us made an effort to read everyday. She has been praying everyday. She has been coming to church the past two Sundays. She said that she is glad that she found this church. She feels comfortable there, not embarrassed or anything else. We went over the restoration, even though she had heard it at the baptism. The Spirit was very strong, especially as the first vision was recited. Lynn was looking at the picture in the pamphlet. When we asked her what were some of her thoughts and things as she heard that, she immediately responded "that would be amazing!" She clearly understood what the first vision meant. We asked her how she felt, and she said warm inside. We invited her to be baptized, and she said yes. We then asked her to be baptized on September 20th and she thought for a moment, and said yes, and asked what it meant to prepare. We went over how she would need to learn the lessons, and also to pray about and come to know for herself that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Jesus Christ's church restored again. She said she would pray and ask. She said she would make an effort everyday to read. She said she would come to church, and come to another baptismal service this Saturday. We had Sister Valentine there and it was good because she also had a loved one die, and she expressed to Lynn how the gospel blesses her and how the difference between the life she had before she went to church and the life after were like night and day.
So that's the short version.
The lesson had so many pauses, where we just sat silent for minutes at a time, the spirit washing over us. Sister Carter recited the first vision as Lynn looked at the picture in pamphlet. Right after that I made a conscious effort to stay silent. It was awkward for a moment, but Then I started listening again to the Spirit. Lynn looked up into my eyes, and I bore testimony.
"I know that this is true."
If the spirit made noises, it was like a big WHOOSH.... And I could see it echoed in Lynn's eyes.
I invited her to pray about it.
Then I invited her to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. Long pause. Then she looked down at the pamphlet, and looked back up into my eyes. A strong yet gentle "Yes." And she said it with her eyes.
SO COOL!
Yup. Other than that, I've been great. Elder Gadd is my district leader again, and he is training. Nothing else is really changing. Most of the zones are staying the same. But now Davis will be a Davis Zone and Woodland will be it's own zone. No more double zone unity. Oh well.
I know that the church is true. Hard times come in missions and in lives. I know that the Savior is there for us.
Sorry it's so short and I wasn't able to really respond. I'm on the iPad again because the family history computers weren't working. So please know that I love you all.
I know the church and the gospel are true. Everyday I see it. I see the difference it makes. All that is good comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ. The breakdown of the family results from a lack of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I truly do know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is real. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and I know that we can always pray and God will send us the Comforter.
Day by day. The pathway is lit up. Sometimes you have to take a few steps out into the dark (meaning the unknown, not meaning the bad) and have the faith to know that God will guide you. It is at that point that He lights up your path, step by step. That is true faith. Not just saying, but truly following.
Love you,
Sister Miller
So I'm staying in woodland. Sister Carter is staying. This is my first transfer that there are no changes. Don't know how I feel about that, but trust I guess. :)
We had so many miracles, but I only have time to share a few.
This week we set a baptismal date with Lynn, Eli's friend.
Lynn has heard the restoration at church and at a few baptisms before, but this was the first time we sat down with her and taught it, beginning to end, all the way through. It was cool. She has bad eyesight, but she had tried everyday a little read from the Book of Mormon. I'm going to copy and paste the teaching record here because I want to get to the good stuff.
Lynn has a hard time reading because it is all small print, but she us made an effort to read everyday. She has been praying everyday. She has been coming to church the past two Sundays. She said that she is glad that she found this church. She feels comfortable there, not embarrassed or anything else. We went over the restoration, even though she had heard it at the baptism. The Spirit was very strong, especially as the first vision was recited. Lynn was looking at the picture in the pamphlet. When we asked her what were some of her thoughts and things as she heard that, she immediately responded "that would be amazing!" She clearly understood what the first vision meant. We asked her how she felt, and she said warm inside. We invited her to be baptized, and she said yes. We then asked her to be baptized on September 20th and she thought for a moment, and said yes, and asked what it meant to prepare. We went over how she would need to learn the lessons, and also to pray about and come to know for herself that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Jesus Christ's church restored again. She said she would pray and ask. She said she would make an effort everyday to read. She said she would come to church, and come to another baptismal service this Saturday. We had Sister Valentine there and it was good because she also had a loved one die, and she expressed to Lynn how the gospel blesses her and how the difference between the life she had before she went to church and the life after were like night and day.
So that's the short version.
The lesson had so many pauses, where we just sat silent for minutes at a time, the spirit washing over us. Sister Carter recited the first vision as Lynn looked at the picture in pamphlet. Right after that I made a conscious effort to stay silent. It was awkward for a moment, but Then I started listening again to the Spirit. Lynn looked up into my eyes, and I bore testimony.
"I know that this is true."
If the spirit made noises, it was like a big WHOOSH.... And I could see it echoed in Lynn's eyes.
I invited her to pray about it.
Then I invited her to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. Long pause. Then she looked down at the pamphlet, and looked back up into my eyes. A strong yet gentle "Yes." And she said it with her eyes.
SO COOL!
Yup. Other than that, I've been great. Elder Gadd is my district leader again, and he is training. Nothing else is really changing. Most of the zones are staying the same. But now Davis will be a Davis Zone and Woodland will be it's own zone. No more double zone unity. Oh well.
I know that the church is true. Hard times come in missions and in lives. I know that the Savior is there for us.
Sorry it's so short and I wasn't able to really respond. I'm on the iPad again because the family history computers weren't working. So please know that I love you all.
I know the church and the gospel are true. Everyday I see it. I see the difference it makes. All that is good comes from living the gospel of Jesus Christ. The breakdown of the family results from a lack of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I truly do know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is real. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and I know that we can always pray and God will send us the Comforter.
Day by day. The pathway is lit up. Sometimes you have to take a few steps out into the dark (meaning the unknown, not meaning the bad) and have the faith to know that God will guide you. It is at that point that He lights up your path, step by step. That is true faith. Not just saying, but truly following.
Love you,
Sister Miller
8/11/14 The Power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ...
Okay, so I'm out of time.
What's new :)
#welcome to mission life
To my siblings... I LOVE YOU!!!!!!! :) you are my motivations, my joy, my hopes
To my extended family... You are constantly in my prayers. You are my roots
To my friends..... You are my angels. You are my wings.
To my parents.... You have shaped me into who I am, and you've given me the chance to be out here. You've set my heart on fire for missionary work, and you've been patient with me to get me out here.
Thank you. I know that it is because of you that I am able to do this. Don't think for one minute that I am doing this on my own. I know I'm not. I owe everything to God, because He's given me you.
So a lot has happened this week. so much. I feel like I just emailed yesterday.
All four missionaries spoke yesterday about missionary work, the Restoration, the Plan of Salvation, and I spoke on The Gospel of Jesus Christ..
Here's some food for thought.
Want to have access to the Savior's Atoning Grace and Mercy?
Live His gospel.
You can't receive something that you don't take. It's impossible. If you sit there and say "Oh, that's nice" and then leave His gospel sitting there still, it won't do anything for you.....
So how do you receive Him? How do you Come unto Christ, not just in words, or with lip-praise....?
1)Faith..... more than believe. It is believe put in action... DOING the things you believe. Trusting Him and following as Nephi did even when you don't know what is going to happen. Faith is a principle of ACTION and POWER
2) Repent..... confess, forsake, and do everything in your power to make it right. then you try your hardest to NEVER do it again, and you mean it! You aren't doing this alone, Christ will help you do this...
3) Baptism... a covenant, a sacred promise that you don't just make an a whim. You MEAN IT. and you then KEEP IT. which means repenting, being humble like a little child and serving others. You are not your own Savior. He is. He is the only one. This ordinance is essential, which is why we are working on making it possible for everyone who has ever lived to have the opportunity. We are only making a dent in the work, but so what? :) we are helping!
4) Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5) Endure to the End....the problem one for most of us here. KEEP GOING. DON'T GIVE UP.
I love you all!
This is week six. I don't think I'll be transferred, but who know :) I could be. :)
LOVE YOU ALL!
Sister Darby Miller.
p.s. Endure to the End is easier when you look for Heavenly Father's Tender Mercies in your life every day. Want to open your eyes to that? Read your scriptures. Pray. Every day. And then keep the Sabbath Day Holy and partake of the Sacrament each week.
I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that these things are true.
:)
What's new :)
#welcome to mission life
To my siblings... I LOVE YOU!!!!!!! :) you are my motivations, my joy, my hopes
To my extended family... You are constantly in my prayers. You are my roots
To my friends..... You are my angels. You are my wings.
To my parents.... You have shaped me into who I am, and you've given me the chance to be out here. You've set my heart on fire for missionary work, and you've been patient with me to get me out here.
Thank you. I know that it is because of you that I am able to do this. Don't think for one minute that I am doing this on my own. I know I'm not. I owe everything to God, because He's given me you.
So a lot has happened this week. so much. I feel like I just emailed yesterday.
All four missionaries spoke yesterday about missionary work, the Restoration, the Plan of Salvation, and I spoke on The Gospel of Jesus Christ..
Here's some food for thought.
Want to have access to the Savior's Atoning Grace and Mercy?
Live His gospel.
You can't receive something that you don't take. It's impossible. If you sit there and say "Oh, that's nice" and then leave His gospel sitting there still, it won't do anything for you.....
So how do you receive Him? How do you Come unto Christ, not just in words, or with lip-praise....?
1)Faith..... more than believe. It is believe put in action... DOING the things you believe. Trusting Him and following as Nephi did even when you don't know what is going to happen. Faith is a principle of ACTION and POWER
2) Repent..... confess, forsake, and do everything in your power to make it right. then you try your hardest to NEVER do it again, and you mean it! You aren't doing this alone, Christ will help you do this...
3) Baptism... a covenant, a sacred promise that you don't just make an a whim. You MEAN IT. and you then KEEP IT. which means repenting, being humble like a little child and serving others. You are not your own Savior. He is. He is the only one. This ordinance is essential, which is why we are working on making it possible for everyone who has ever lived to have the opportunity. We are only making a dent in the work, but so what? :) we are helping!
4) Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost.
5) Endure to the End....the problem one for most of us here. KEEP GOING. DON'T GIVE UP.
I love you all!
This is week six. I don't think I'll be transferred, but who know :) I could be. :)
LOVE YOU ALL!
Sister Darby Miller.
p.s. Endure to the End is easier when you look for Heavenly Father's Tender Mercies in your life every day. Want to open your eyes to that? Read your scriptures. Pray. Every day. And then keep the Sabbath Day Holy and partake of the Sacrament each week.
I testify in the name of Jesus Christ that these things are true.
:)
August 4, 2014
Dearest Family and Friends,
I love being a missionary!
Well, I guess I have a lot of time to write about this week! This transfer has just flown by! So crazy! I feel like I just here in Woodland. This is week five and every transfer has six weeks in it. Woodland kind of has the same feel as American Fork, in a way. Different, but not. It's grown to be home. I love all the members, and I love our investigators. They tug on my heartstrings, lemme tell you, but it's wonderful. I feel so free. I can't believe that there were moments where I wondered if a mission was the right thing for me or not. It's stressful, just like life, but ONLY IF YOU LET IT BE. That's the secret. That's what I learned in Rio Vista, and that's the choice I'm making here in Woodland everyday. I feel like I've really grown in strength of optimism, yet I'm not apathetic. It's so important to love your life where you are. I miss family and home, and I can't wait until I get to apply everything I've learned here back home, but for now, I can wait. My heart is deeply sorrowed everytime I think of the time slipping away, constantly. I feel like I just emailed, yet so much has happened. This transfer has been hard in some ways, but I feel like the Lord is helping me to choose to be happy where I am. Every moment is so beautiful. That's one thing I want all of you to know... If there is ever a moment that you feel you will break, just keep moving forward. Walk away. Literally. Just go find the beauty. If temptation is weighing heavy on you, if anger is threatening to boil over, if you feel like you are sinking into the depths of despair, paralyzed and helpless, then cry out to the Lord. He does hear you. Even in this moment, He knows you perfectly. All you have to do is ask for His help, and then take a step, and another. Whenever it is chokingly hot, or my heart is hurting, or a door has been closed, I try to simply look for the beauty. God created this world for us. I look at the colors (what working in a fabric shop did to my head) and I try to look at the clouds and look at the plants and sing "In Our Lovely Deseret." I just try to leave it there. I don't let those moments stick to my soul. Once I walk through them, I leave them. I don't linger. I have my eyes forward to the blessings I know are just a few doors down. God always has a plan for you, but it you aren't willing to leave the valley of the shadows of death, how will you ever reach His Kingdom?
As for the Valley of the Shadow of Death, who ever said you had to know the way out? Do you think that I as a missionary know how long it will be until I find someone who will listen? Do you think that I know how my life is going to turn out after the mission? Do you think I know which streets we are going to walk and who we are going to talk to? Mostly, the answer is no. I don't know. But I've come to the conclusion that I don't need to know. I just have faith, and that's good enough for me. And I'm happy in the moment that I'm in.
So keep walking.
I pray for each of you every night.
My heart hurts so bad sometimes when I think of my family and friends back home. I know that you are all wandering through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and I wasn't there for you when I was at home, and now that I'm here, I feel like my hands are tied in helping you. All I can do is work to help those that are here, and pray that someone else will do the same for you. I trust that the Lord has all of you in His Almighty Hand, and that in the end, we will all be together and not have to deal with these trials and tribulations.
So sometimes it's dark, and we stumble and trip and fall on those things placed in our path. It's alright. It doesn't mean that the Lord isn't there. It just means that you need to open your eyes a little more. Turn your flashlight on. Either than, or the Lord needed you to trip to avoid bumping your head on a deadly overhang. The point being, in this situation you have many choices, which really are two choices. You can choose to trust Him and ask for His help and possibly His forgiveness and have Him be your light and guide in the dark valley, or you can ignore Him there, keep your eyes closed, and choose to do it some other way.
In reality, all of our choices everyday can be narrowed down to these two choices. I'm learning to ask "Heavenly Father. I don't know if I can do this on my own, but I know that if you Help me learn how to do this, I can do it. I know it. And so I'm going to keep going, but you have to guide me, and tell me what to do."
It's never failed me yet. :) Nor will it ever. No doubt in my mind and heart about that one.
So this week has been a great one. I wish I could write it all, but I'm afraid I can't. So here goes.
Monday:
This random hispanic guy named Daniel that we have talked to before while he was blowing leaves and doing yardwork pulls over in his big oversized van. My first thought (because we didn't know it was him) was that I was going to get kidnapped. Naturally. Broad daylight, big van. Yup. Well... he pulls kind of off the road, kind of not, hops out of his truck and apologizes for not ever really being able to talk to us before because he was working. He stops midsentence, and asks us who we are. I look him straight in the eye, and tell him with everything in me that "We are servants of Jesus Christ, and we share a message about how.." and Daniel cuts me off and asks "I have to go, but will you please explain to me why, if there is only one Bible, how come there are so many churches?"
Wow. I'm blown away by his sincere question. We give him a restoration pamphlet and our number and he hops in his truck and goes on his way before we have a chance to get his telephone number.
This is what a mission is like. All the time. Those are the moments you live for, and I have a handful of other experiences that I want to share, but I'm almost out of time, so you'll just have to forgive me.
Tuesday:
Exchanges with Sister- Afoa from New Zealand. we taught my first skype lesson ever to Vlad from Russia and we taught him the Restoration and invited him to be baptized, and he said yes, which is amazing because Sister Carter has been teaching him since Feb, and he's been wishy-washy. Great lesson. So perfect. If there could be a perfect Restoration lesson, that would have been it.
Later that day, we sit a girl sitting on the side of the road. Turns out to be Ana, a Less Active who had faint bruises on her face. Things are hard for her in her marriage, and she is the only one working and is pregnant, very pregnant and is having a hard time. She is so busy it is hard to meet with her, but we met with her then and there before her work, and I really think the prayer we said for her helped. Tender Mercy.
Then, we were on our way to Eli's first new member lesson, and I had the feeling to talk to this lady sitting on the cement parking thingy in front of his apartments. We told her that we were servants of Jesus Christ, sent to leave a blessing on her home, a blessing of the Savior's peace and comfort on her home. We ended up following her to her home right then and there and praying for everything she needed, and did a Harvest Blessing, and she committed to be baptized. We'll see her later this week. He name is Sonia, and she has a rough teenage son named Kevin, and a 7 year old sweetheart son named Cubby. so excited to teach her. She didn't want us to leave. Pray for Sonia, please.
Great lesson with Eli. He gets the priesthood this Sunday. SO cool. I'm so proud, and he is so ready. He keeps making the comment that he is excited for life after baptism, and he is already a missionary because now we are teaching his friend named Lynn whose husband died in June. She first came to a lesson where we taught Eli about baptisms for the dead and the temple. Lynn came to Ximena's baptism and to church yesterday and she told us with tears in her eyes that when she heard about ordinances for the dead and how her husband could be baptized, she really felt upset, but in a good way. She went on to say that she wants that. so cool.
Wednesday:
I totally left a house blessing in Spanish, from the little Spanish that I know. We had the son translate most of it. Invited them to read the Book of Mormon and now the Spanish elders have some new investigators. :) I talk to everyone, no matter what language they speak. :) So cool. The mother was crying the whole time, and she told me in broken English that she felt the spirit.
Thursday:
The zone leaders' awesome investigator moved into our area. His name is Aaron. Super solid for baptism. Getting married at the end of this month, going to be baptized in the beginning of September. So cool. He has so many questions and is hungry for gospel knowledge. so good. He is working toward baptism, and really understand the living prophet thing and is willing to live all the commandments, and is working towards that. So cool! More about him next time I suppose.
Friday:
Sister Carter went to MLC in Santa Rosa, which is an all day training meeting for STL's and zone leaders. I spent the day with a greenie named Sister Lesser in Dixon. I hope I get to train again. I realized that I've been too hard on myself, and that I was a pretty good trainer. I've always felt that I wasn't strong enough in that, but Sister Lesser taught me that I was. Love her. It's amazing what one day with a person can do. You learn to love them so much and you become so close. We had a miracle. We were at the gas station filling up and this guy named Brandon goes "look! it's the sisters!" We thought he was a member. Nope. He is an investigator in Fairfield, but he lives in Vacaville. Long story short, he hadn't met with missionaries in a while and he was having a bad day, and in general he is trying to become closer to God, but he feels like Satan is really trying to distract him. Long story short, we had a mini lesson and I invited him to be baptized. (I've been doing that in contacts a lot lately) and guess what.... HE SAID YES. :) So cool. Well, I then invited him again to be baptized on a specific date. :) Yup. In September, I can't remember which day. Yup. So cool.
Saturday:
Our lessons kept falling through, sadly, but we were able to teach a mini lesson. We also prepared the missionary moment at the elders in our ward's baptism. It went spectacular. There were a lot of non-members there.... the whole room was full, and so we invited all of them to be baptized. Ximena is going to be a great member. She is getting a lot of opposition from her catholic family, but she is standing strong. She knows that the Lord has been knocking on her door for 35 years. At the beginning of the transfer, she had called the elders and told them she wanted to be baptized. Apparently she had been taking the lessons earlier in the year, but then had stopped. Amazing. Miracles. Love her to death. Eli came, and he went up to her and congratulated her. I hope they become friend.
Woodland is on fire. Literally. It cooled down a few evenings ago, and I went to the car to see the temperature. I felt so great, but the thermometer said it was still 98 degrees. yup. Welcome to missionary work in Woodland. :) It's great. I give up. We just sweat, and it's okay. :)
Well. That's that. Today is going to be great. Thank you for all your support. I feel your love everyday, and I'm not just saying this.
Press forward. I know it's worth it. :)
Keep going. Don't give up.
If you can just hang on, you'll make it. Cleave to the Lord. He won't forsake you. He is there for you. Trust that He is there. Have hope. It's required to make it to Heaven, hope is. It's right there with faith and with charity. It's important to have hope. The Savior had to have hope too.
Love you all!
Sister Darby Miller
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I love being a missionary!
Well, I guess I have a lot of time to write about this week! This transfer has just flown by! So crazy! I feel like I just here in Woodland. This is week five and every transfer has six weeks in it. Woodland kind of has the same feel as American Fork, in a way. Different, but not. It's grown to be home. I love all the members, and I love our investigators. They tug on my heartstrings, lemme tell you, but it's wonderful. I feel so free. I can't believe that there were moments where I wondered if a mission was the right thing for me or not. It's stressful, just like life, but ONLY IF YOU LET IT BE. That's the secret. That's what I learned in Rio Vista, and that's the choice I'm making here in Woodland everyday. I feel like I've really grown in strength of optimism, yet I'm not apathetic. It's so important to love your life where you are. I miss family and home, and I can't wait until I get to apply everything I've learned here back home, but for now, I can wait. My heart is deeply sorrowed everytime I think of the time slipping away, constantly. I feel like I just emailed, yet so much has happened. This transfer has been hard in some ways, but I feel like the Lord is helping me to choose to be happy where I am. Every moment is so beautiful. That's one thing I want all of you to know... If there is ever a moment that you feel you will break, just keep moving forward. Walk away. Literally. Just go find the beauty. If temptation is weighing heavy on you, if anger is threatening to boil over, if you feel like you are sinking into the depths of despair, paralyzed and helpless, then cry out to the Lord. He does hear you. Even in this moment, He knows you perfectly. All you have to do is ask for His help, and then take a step, and another. Whenever it is chokingly hot, or my heart is hurting, or a door has been closed, I try to simply look for the beauty. God created this world for us. I look at the colors (what working in a fabric shop did to my head) and I try to look at the clouds and look at the plants and sing "In Our Lovely Deseret." I just try to leave it there. I don't let those moments stick to my soul. Once I walk through them, I leave them. I don't linger. I have my eyes forward to the blessings I know are just a few doors down. God always has a plan for you, but it you aren't willing to leave the valley of the shadows of death, how will you ever reach His Kingdom?
As for the Valley of the Shadow of Death, who ever said you had to know the way out? Do you think that I as a missionary know how long it will be until I find someone who will listen? Do you think that I know how my life is going to turn out after the mission? Do you think I know which streets we are going to walk and who we are going to talk to? Mostly, the answer is no. I don't know. But I've come to the conclusion that I don't need to know. I just have faith, and that's good enough for me. And I'm happy in the moment that I'm in.
So keep walking.
I pray for each of you every night.
My heart hurts so bad sometimes when I think of my family and friends back home. I know that you are all wandering through the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and I wasn't there for you when I was at home, and now that I'm here, I feel like my hands are tied in helping you. All I can do is work to help those that are here, and pray that someone else will do the same for you. I trust that the Lord has all of you in His Almighty Hand, and that in the end, we will all be together and not have to deal with these trials and tribulations.
So sometimes it's dark, and we stumble and trip and fall on those things placed in our path. It's alright. It doesn't mean that the Lord isn't there. It just means that you need to open your eyes a little more. Turn your flashlight on. Either than, or the Lord needed you to trip to avoid bumping your head on a deadly overhang. The point being, in this situation you have many choices, which really are two choices. You can choose to trust Him and ask for His help and possibly His forgiveness and have Him be your light and guide in the dark valley, or you can ignore Him there, keep your eyes closed, and choose to do it some other way.
In reality, all of our choices everyday can be narrowed down to these two choices. I'm learning to ask "Heavenly Father. I don't know if I can do this on my own, but I know that if you Help me learn how to do this, I can do it. I know it. And so I'm going to keep going, but you have to guide me, and tell me what to do."
It's never failed me yet. :) Nor will it ever. No doubt in my mind and heart about that one.
So this week has been a great one. I wish I could write it all, but I'm afraid I can't. So here goes.
Monday:
This random hispanic guy named Daniel that we have talked to before while he was blowing leaves and doing yardwork pulls over in his big oversized van. My first thought (because we didn't know it was him) was that I was going to get kidnapped. Naturally. Broad daylight, big van. Yup. Well... he pulls kind of off the road, kind of not, hops out of his truck and apologizes for not ever really being able to talk to us before because he was working. He stops midsentence, and asks us who we are. I look him straight in the eye, and tell him with everything in me that "We are servants of Jesus Christ, and we share a message about how.." and Daniel cuts me off and asks "I have to go, but will you please explain to me why, if there is only one Bible, how come there are so many churches?"
Wow. I'm blown away by his sincere question. We give him a restoration pamphlet and our number and he hops in his truck and goes on his way before we have a chance to get his telephone number.
This is what a mission is like. All the time. Those are the moments you live for, and I have a handful of other experiences that I want to share, but I'm almost out of time, so you'll just have to forgive me.
Tuesday:
Exchanges with Sister- Afoa from New Zealand. we taught my first skype lesson ever to Vlad from Russia and we taught him the Restoration and invited him to be baptized, and he said yes, which is amazing because Sister Carter has been teaching him since Feb, and he's been wishy-washy. Great lesson. So perfect. If there could be a perfect Restoration lesson, that would have been it.
Later that day, we sit a girl sitting on the side of the road. Turns out to be Ana, a Less Active who had faint bruises on her face. Things are hard for her in her marriage, and she is the only one working and is pregnant, very pregnant and is having a hard time. She is so busy it is hard to meet with her, but we met with her then and there before her work, and I really think the prayer we said for her helped. Tender Mercy.
Then, we were on our way to Eli's first new member lesson, and I had the feeling to talk to this lady sitting on the cement parking thingy in front of his apartments. We told her that we were servants of Jesus Christ, sent to leave a blessing on her home, a blessing of the Savior's peace and comfort on her home. We ended up following her to her home right then and there and praying for everything she needed, and did a Harvest Blessing, and she committed to be baptized. We'll see her later this week. He name is Sonia, and she has a rough teenage son named Kevin, and a 7 year old sweetheart son named Cubby. so excited to teach her. She didn't want us to leave. Pray for Sonia, please.
Great lesson with Eli. He gets the priesthood this Sunday. SO cool. I'm so proud, and he is so ready. He keeps making the comment that he is excited for life after baptism, and he is already a missionary because now we are teaching his friend named Lynn whose husband died in June. She first came to a lesson where we taught Eli about baptisms for the dead and the temple. Lynn came to Ximena's baptism and to church yesterday and she told us with tears in her eyes that when she heard about ordinances for the dead and how her husband could be baptized, she really felt upset, but in a good way. She went on to say that she wants that. so cool.
Wednesday:
I totally left a house blessing in Spanish, from the little Spanish that I know. We had the son translate most of it. Invited them to read the Book of Mormon and now the Spanish elders have some new investigators. :) I talk to everyone, no matter what language they speak. :) So cool. The mother was crying the whole time, and she told me in broken English that she felt the spirit.
Thursday:
The zone leaders' awesome investigator moved into our area. His name is Aaron. Super solid for baptism. Getting married at the end of this month, going to be baptized in the beginning of September. So cool. He has so many questions and is hungry for gospel knowledge. so good. He is working toward baptism, and really understand the living prophet thing and is willing to live all the commandments, and is working towards that. So cool! More about him next time I suppose.
Friday:
Sister Carter went to MLC in Santa Rosa, which is an all day training meeting for STL's and zone leaders. I spent the day with a greenie named Sister Lesser in Dixon. I hope I get to train again. I realized that I've been too hard on myself, and that I was a pretty good trainer. I've always felt that I wasn't strong enough in that, but Sister Lesser taught me that I was. Love her. It's amazing what one day with a person can do. You learn to love them so much and you become so close. We had a miracle. We were at the gas station filling up and this guy named Brandon goes "look! it's the sisters!" We thought he was a member. Nope. He is an investigator in Fairfield, but he lives in Vacaville. Long story short, he hadn't met with missionaries in a while and he was having a bad day, and in general he is trying to become closer to God, but he feels like Satan is really trying to distract him. Long story short, we had a mini lesson and I invited him to be baptized. (I've been doing that in contacts a lot lately) and guess what.... HE SAID YES. :) So cool. Well, I then invited him again to be baptized on a specific date. :) Yup. In September, I can't remember which day. Yup. So cool.
Saturday:
Our lessons kept falling through, sadly, but we were able to teach a mini lesson. We also prepared the missionary moment at the elders in our ward's baptism. It went spectacular. There were a lot of non-members there.... the whole room was full, and so we invited all of them to be baptized. Ximena is going to be a great member. She is getting a lot of opposition from her catholic family, but she is standing strong. She knows that the Lord has been knocking on her door for 35 years. At the beginning of the transfer, she had called the elders and told them she wanted to be baptized. Apparently she had been taking the lessons earlier in the year, but then had stopped. Amazing. Miracles. Love her to death. Eli came, and he went up to her and congratulated her. I hope they become friend.
Woodland is on fire. Literally. It cooled down a few evenings ago, and I went to the car to see the temperature. I felt so great, but the thermometer said it was still 98 degrees. yup. Welcome to missionary work in Woodland. :) It's great. I give up. We just sweat, and it's okay. :)
Well. That's that. Today is going to be great. Thank you for all your support. I feel your love everyday, and I'm not just saying this.
Press forward. I know it's worth it. :)
Keep going. Don't give up.
If you can just hang on, you'll make it. Cleave to the Lord. He won't forsake you. He is there for you. Trust that He is there. Have hope. It's required to make it to Heaven, hope is. It's right there with faith and with charity. It's important to have hope. The Savior had to have hope too.
Love you all!
Sister Darby Miller
Eli's Baptism
Dear Family and Friends,
Eli got baptized!
Yup. It was a pretty crazy week. Lots of meeting with him. It was good. :) #baptism!
There were so many miracles that took place. We had the sisters that originally found him Skyping in, and the wi-fi wasn't working. The people that Eli had invited hadn't showed up yet. Everyone was running around crazy with a million little problems, setting up more chairs because TONZ of members were showing up (which is good.) All the while we were trying to take pictures before the baptism with Eli in his white jumpsuit. It was pretty crazy. Finally Sister Carter and I went into the library and said a prayer. Little did we know that the Elders were on the other side of the building saying a prayer as well.
Then literally an idea hit Sister Carter. We fiddled with the wi-fi, logged off and then on again, and then poof! it worked
Then the counselor.. Bro Garman had turned it on and off again to reset it.
anyway....
When Eli was baptized he has the biggest smile on his face. It was soooooo cool. I just felt so happy for him. Sister Carter talked about baptism, and I talked about the Holy Ghost. It was so cool. He is quote "Ready for life after baptism!" :)
Seeing him get the gift of the Holy Ghost was so cool. When he came and sat back down on the bench right next to us, I felt the glowing. Wow. :)
We texted him later on Sunday. He told us he was doing great... "keeping the Sabbath Day Holy."
#recentconvert
:)
well... Until next week. :) We picked up this family this week.... Jack and Roslyn. He loved politics, and so it's been a test for me to try to keep the conversation focused, but it's been good. :) I'm getting better at controlling my words. I've already made that mistake once, so I won't make that mistake with Jack...
That's the thing about missionary work. Once you make a mistake, you try your best to never make it again.
I just want to give a shout out to all you that have been writing me. This week was a hard week, so thank you so much for being there for me to send me letters. Every one of those was a miracle. I really needed it. :) But i'm doing great. I love Woodland. I love being a missionary. There are so many hard things, yes, but if you choose to see the beauty, then it's all good. :)
It's been hot, but oh well. You learn to just sweat it out. People give us water bottles all the time. Heavenly Father takes good care of us. :) lots of Poweraid and water. :) learned that lesson last year... huh, Megan and Grandma Deb. :) I haven't gotten sick from the heat once yet! :)
What else? I can't remember? :) well. More miracles to report next week.... :)
Sorry.. i just realized I send a lot of smiley faces. I've given up on being proper a long time ago. :) I'll spell check when I get home :) :) :)
Love you all. The Church is true. The Book of Mormon is true. It blesses families. Nothing else will replace the blessings the family can receive from going to church every week and renewing their baptismal covenants, reading scripture EVERY DAY and praying individually and as a family EVERY DAY. small and simple, but such a big deal. Makes all the difference. I've learned my lesson about church. I've repented.
Church isn't about going for yourself, although it is.
It's about going because there are people there that need your help.
As a missionary I see a lot. People feel like they can open up to us. They trust us. You can never judge a person til you walk a mile in their moccasins.
:) And know that Jesus Christ loves you and knows that You need Him. So just ask for His help. He will give it. It just might not be in the way you want it. So you have to be willing to have eyes open to what He can do for you.
Love,
Sister Darby Eleyce Miller
P.S. I'm in the process of putting pictures of my family and friends on my wall. I've not been brave enough my whole mission, but I think I can take it now. :) I love all of you and miss you. But you are all the reason that I am doing this. Mom, especially you. :)
EDITOR'S NOTE: sorry it's taken so long to put up here...but here it is! :)
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Eli got baptized!
Yup. It was a pretty crazy week. Lots of meeting with him. It was good. :) #baptism!
There were so many miracles that took place. We had the sisters that originally found him Skyping in, and the wi-fi wasn't working. The people that Eli had invited hadn't showed up yet. Everyone was running around crazy with a million little problems, setting up more chairs because TONZ of members were showing up (which is good.) All the while we were trying to take pictures before the baptism with Eli in his white jumpsuit. It was pretty crazy. Finally Sister Carter and I went into the library and said a prayer. Little did we know that the Elders were on the other side of the building saying a prayer as well.
Then literally an idea hit Sister Carter. We fiddled with the wi-fi, logged off and then on again, and then poof! it worked
Then the counselor.. Bro Garman had turned it on and off again to reset it.
anyway....
When Eli was baptized he has the biggest smile on his face. It was soooooo cool. I just felt so happy for him. Sister Carter talked about baptism, and I talked about the Holy Ghost. It was so cool. He is quote "Ready for life after baptism!" :)
Seeing him get the gift of the Holy Ghost was so cool. When he came and sat back down on the bench right next to us, I felt the glowing. Wow. :)
We texted him later on Sunday. He told us he was doing great... "keeping the Sabbath Day Holy."
#recentconvert
:)
well... Until next week. :) We picked up this family this week.... Jack and Roslyn. He loved politics, and so it's been a test for me to try to keep the conversation focused, but it's been good. :) I'm getting better at controlling my words. I've already made that mistake once, so I won't make that mistake with Jack...
That's the thing about missionary work. Once you make a mistake, you try your best to never make it again.
I just want to give a shout out to all you that have been writing me. This week was a hard week, so thank you so much for being there for me to send me letters. Every one of those was a miracle. I really needed it. :) But i'm doing great. I love Woodland. I love being a missionary. There are so many hard things, yes, but if you choose to see the beauty, then it's all good. :)
It's been hot, but oh well. You learn to just sweat it out. People give us water bottles all the time. Heavenly Father takes good care of us. :) lots of Poweraid and water. :) learned that lesson last year... huh, Megan and Grandma Deb. :) I haven't gotten sick from the heat once yet! :)
What else? I can't remember? :) well. More miracles to report next week.... :)
Sorry.. i just realized I send a lot of smiley faces. I've given up on being proper a long time ago. :) I'll spell check when I get home :) :) :)
Love you all. The Church is true. The Book of Mormon is true. It blesses families. Nothing else will replace the blessings the family can receive from going to church every week and renewing their baptismal covenants, reading scripture EVERY DAY and praying individually and as a family EVERY DAY. small and simple, but such a big deal. Makes all the difference. I've learned my lesson about church. I've repented.
Church isn't about going for yourself, although it is.
It's about going because there are people there that need your help.
As a missionary I see a lot. People feel like they can open up to us. They trust us. You can never judge a person til you walk a mile in their moccasins.
:) And know that Jesus Christ loves you and knows that You need Him. So just ask for His help. He will give it. It just might not be in the way you want it. So you have to be willing to have eyes open to what He can do for you.
Love,
Sister Darby Eleyce Miller
P.S. I'm in the process of putting pictures of my family and friends on my wall. I've not been brave enough my whole mission, but I think I can take it now. :) I love all of you and miss you. But you are all the reason that I am doing this. Mom, especially you. :)
EDITOR'S NOTE: sorry it's taken so long to put up here...but here it is! :)
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