11/17/14 Sister Bear Arrives!

Dear Family and Friends!

Thank you for all your lovely emails! I appreciate them very much! In answer to your questions... If you would like to send me things for Christmas, please coordinate with my mother at plainejanequilting@gmail.com PLEASE NO CANDY! :) Thanks. I appreciate it. I get fed too well anyway.

Well...
Santa Rosa for a couple days for training and transfers. I said goodbye to some very close friends. That was rough. I felt like I was going to die, and then I got Sister Bear. So cool.

So Tuesday after transfers we meet the new missionaries, and then we all go into training, not knowing which companions go with which. Then we trainers (Sister Decker and I) went and taught a lesson to a family connection of her in the AP's area... we taught with the AP's. Super cool... I was able to see how the ipad should work in a lesson. We took it from casual conversation to looking at the new interactive pamphlet, which is really cool, then to showing a clip from the Restoration, and the to testifying of Joseph Smith as a prophet of God. The family there though... I could just feel the spirit so strong as I watched the family react to it. It really strengthened my testimony of families and individuals being prepared for me to teach.

Wednesday I was assigned to Sister Bear. So fun! She is so cute, and kind, and we hit it off. We've been going like crazy, talking to so many people. We have so many lessons set up for this coming week, and I talked to Lynn on the phone. She apologized for being upset with Sister Carter leaving, she didn't understand and she had been a little upset with Sister Andreasen, but we are going to meet with her hopefullly at the end of this week because she is out of town currently.

Also, we were done with a lesson in the park and we were hurrying off to do service, and out of the corner of my eye, there was a young man on a swing, smoking and looking at his feet. We go up to him and talk to him, and come to find out he almost had a loved one pass away from overdosing. We shared the Book of Mormon with him, taught him about the Atonement and invited him to be baptized. He also said his family would be interested. Eric (that's his name) then came to a baptism, and he felt so good. You could see him glowing. We are going to meet with him this coming week, because he has another family issue come up Sunday morning and he wasn't able to make it to church.

Heavenly Father always knows exactly what we need. I'm starting to realize WHY He had me go through a lot of hard things last transfer.

This transfer has been really really good. Sister Bear and I get along really really well. I don't even feel like she needs to be trained. She gets the hang of things really easily.

This week I learned hope. I learned trust, as once again I let all the people that have been in my life walk away again. (ugh. transfers.) I learned that change is a part of Heavenly Father's plan. I again learned to look for the tender mercies. My heart still hurts a little over some decisions, but lemme tell you, I received a letter from my mom this week that really helped. In it she talked about her testimony. That letter made me realize the same thing, and how much I have learned this past year. It made me realize that I really do trust my Heavenly Father and that I really am willing to follow Him. I now believe in myself, and I am able to face my future for after the mission with courage and hope because I know that Heavenly Father isn't just going to drop me after I leave the California Santa Rosa Mission. He is going to help me until I am back in His arms again.

So do I need to know all that is going to have to happen? No. Just like Sister Bear is trusting me, I need to trust that I will be taught everything I need to know to live a good life after this... the life that He has planned for me.

JUST TRUST

Ether 12
Moroni 10

I love all of you!

Sincerely,
Sister Miller