12/15/14 Transfers!

I am being transferred!

To Arcada! Up near Eureka. So sad to be leaving Woodland. I cried and cried. Sister Bear is going to Napa/Vallejo YSA to be with my MTC companion. I am going to be co-STL with a Sister Wimpey and whitewashing (both of us brand new to the area) into our area.

Mixed emotions. That is all that I will say. I have a ton of pictures for next week that I will send with mini stories about all the people.

We did find this sweet family this past week called the Medina family. They came to the ward Christmas party and loved it. They want to be baptized. More on them next week.
Also, Kayla and Joseph texted us last night and asked when we are coming back over. Cool. That was so cool. We were just going to let the elders take over that, because they are closing our area because the mission is losing so many sisters, so the elders in our ward are taking over all our investigators. They'll do great. I'll just miss them.

Also, we've been talking to Lynn after a month of her not answering phone calls or anything. More on her when I know more about her status.

Also, the all mission Christmas Party is Wednesday. I'm super excited yet sad, because that is transfer day too.

This week I learned that the Atonement is for stress too, and I also learned that when all is said and done, the most important thing you will leave with people is your testimony and love. I've been overwhelmed at how many members here cried and cried when they found out Sister Bear and I were leaving. Sometimes as a missionary, you doubt yourself. Those feelings don't come from Heavenly Father.

Sometimes as a child of God, you doubt yourself. You doubt that the Atonement will work for you. You settle for less than was paid for you. The price was very high. Infinite and Eternal was the sacrifice paid for you, and for this gospel. I learned this week to never waste a moment, to never doubt His love for you. To forgive, to forget, to stand up for yourself. To listen, to be brave, to study the scriptures, to let yourself relax and let go, to feel the spirit, to laugh, to watch my facial expressions, to deal with investigators crushing on you and your companioin, to deal with investigators ignoring you, to love a Less-Active who opens up, to learn to love the rain, to learn to not hurt, to learn to share the light and joy of the gospel.

If only I could tell you what I learn everyday. There would not be room enough in a million emails. But one of the most important things I learned this week was to love. This week I learned Charity. This week I learned Charity from the best Example of it ever.

We as a mission have been reading the gospels. More on that later.

If anyone were to ask me if they should serve a mission, I would say yes. I don't care who you are. Go. If you have the desire, you are called. If you are thinking about it, praying about it, GO. Don't look back. Don't let the things of the world hold you back. Just GO.

It's been the hardest thing I've ever had to do. A mission brings out all your weaknesses. Satan would throw it in your face. Heavenly Father would lay all the cards on the table. "The struggle is real." That's a CASRM quote.

Despite all of that,

I WOULD NEVER TAKE IT BACK.

l don't have to even say it to prove it, but I will say it anyway.
Every night, when I lay down in bed, before I go to sleep, I am happy.

And that's a gift from the Savior.

#HeistheGift
(watch it on mormon.org)

Love you all!

Love Sister Miller