3/9/15 Prayers Yelled Out Loud

Every time I go to email, my mind goes blank.

Go ahead. Laugh. It's okay. I'm laughing too.

I've realized that life is a lot harder without humor. Now. Don't be worried. My email last week was not meant to be sad. You'd have to be a missionary to understand. It's sad and happy at the same time. :) Promise.

Okay. So I see the need to include some humor. So, I will begin with a funny story.

Sister Whimpey and I went to see a home bound less-active member. She could not hear anything. We literally had to yell everything. And she had a dog. A cute one. A hairy one. (I realized that wearing black is not the best thing around dogs.) So we sit down to share a message with her, and we started with a prayer. She said it. We then attempted to share a message with her about Jesus Christ, but she kept yelling "WHAT?" at us. Sister Whimpey wasn't helping because she was trying so hard not to laugh because we make fun of me all day about asking what a lot. So then I start trying not to die laughing. Not a good situation when the sister can't hear, and both of us can't talk because we are trying to hold in our laughter. It's a good thing we love her and she is a good sport, because then we gave up and decided to show her because of him. Well, right before we show it to her, she tells us that she hates movies that show Jesus Christ being beaten because it gives her nightmares. So then I panicked, because "Because of Him" has a little bit of that in it. Then we attempt to share a scripture. That went well. While this is all happening, her little dog is laying across my lap, and wouldn't let me stop rubbing it's belly or it would lick my face. Still, Sister Whimpey is trying not to die laughing. She did a good job of holding it all in, I will give her that.
Finally we come to the closing prayer. The sister asks one of us to pray, and so I do. Well, I stop scratching the dog's tummy to fold my arms, and the dog goes balistic, licking my face and jumping all over me, with me trying to hold the dog down while folding my arms. The member starts to yell at the dog, trying to call it over, and Sister Whimpey is trying to control her laughing, and I am trying to quiet the dog, half laughing, half frustrated. Finally, I get so fed up that I grab the dog, set it next to me, and while holding it down, I yell "SIT down and FOLD YOUR ARMS! NOW!" At this point, Sister Whimpey loses it, but the member is already folding her arms, eyes closed. I then attempt to pray, and the member looks up and tells me to pray louder. I try, and then she asks me again. At this point, Sister Whimpey is clenching her sides, shaking is silent fits of laughter and I am yelling, literally yelling a pray. "DEAR HEAVENLY FATHER...."
Good thing the member was deaf and couldn't hear Sister Whimpey dying, but one thing is for sure: Heavenly Father heard that prayer.

:) Things like that happen everyday. If only I had the time to write them all down.

On a more spiritual note, we had really spiritual lessons this week with the families that we are teaching.

Arcata truly is an amazing place to be. It is not only beautiful, but the people here are really humble for the most part. Sister Whimpey and I again met with Anthony and Steven, a father and son, and we taught them the plan of salvation this week. I've never seen investigators just grasp it as well as they do. The past couple weeks we have shared the Restoration and the Word of Wisdom with them.This week, we started off with a doorstep lesson on Monday, and we taught the creation, and somehow the spirit worked it's way in to a baptismal invite, and they accepted for April 4th. At the time, Sister Whimpey and I didn't realize that that is general conference weekend, but we informed them and they are praying about if they should have it the week before or the week after that weekend. Steven is 12 and is so excited about it all. He even ran from playing with His friends the other night, all the way up the apartment staircase, and burst in the door, excited to meet with us. Steven always has really deep questions that bring the spirit, and oftentimes he explains the answers to his father without even having heard it for himself first. Really cool. Anthony too loves it. He is a single dad, who is working hard. We asked him last time we met what this plan of salvation means to him, and he said second chances. They both love what we are sharing with them.  I am just amazed at how much they have progressed from when we first met them outside their front door. They truly have a desire to live the gospel, and they have so many good questions and things.

The lessons we shared with them were really cool because we talked about our purpose here on earth. It's been good for me. I've learned so much about the Plan of Savaltion, and how when people understand it, they have more hope. A reacurring theme that I testify of to them lately is that we don't have to be perfect, we just have to do our best in following Jesus Christ. I think that is one of the biggest things I have learned on my mission. Heavenly Father definitely lets me feel my weaknesses, but that is all what the gospel is about: being forgiven and strengthened despite your weaknesses. Did you know that in PREACH MY GOSPEL, it says that a qualification for the Exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom is that we are freed from sin and suffering through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Ether 12:27  has become one of my favorite scriptures, because I know it is so true. I am so far from perfect, but I have hope because of Jesus Christ. When we come unto Him, He will show us our weaknesses and then teach us to turn them into strengths by using His Atonement.

We are teaching another family, the Youravish family, that is pretty much the same way. We also taught them the Plan of Salvation as well this week. The mom told us recently that she keeps coming back to this, again and again. It was really cool. At the end of the last lesson, they had lots of really good questions, and they were excited about the answers. They really understood. The 10 year old boy asked about how if we are all brothers and sisters, even with Jesus Christ, then who is Satan? It was really cool because the spirit had been strong throughout the whole lesson, and when he sincerely asked that question, I paused, trying to think of how to phrase an answer. Before I could reply, the 14 year old daughter looked at her brother, and explained to him that before, when we lived with Heavenly Father, we all were able to choose, even Satan, but the difference is that he chose to rebel. The Spirit was really strong as she said that. I've never had anyone teach themselves the Plan of Salvation before. They all really loved the idea that we chose to follow Jesus Christ, and that is what we are trying to choose on earth too. This family too is really amazing.

Thank you for all the love and outreach. We find out who stays and who goes this week. I really really REALLY want to stay, but I don't know if I will or not. Pray for me to have strength, but more for the Noriega family that they will continue and have strength against temptation and continue to read and pray, and also for the Youravish Family that we can meet with them more, and that they will continue to read and pray.

Also, sometimes, you just need to yell your prayers out loud. I do that a lot, both temporally and spiritually. :) You are all in my prayers. :) Love you!

“We have to have faith. We have to have faith in God. We have to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. And oh, how desperately we have to have faith in ourselves!"
~Elder Ballard

"Don't look back... you're not going that way!" ~Unknown

I know the Church is true! Love you all! You must read and ponder the Book of Mormon WITH A SINCERE HEART AND REAL INTENT to know that it is true. :)

Love,
Sister Miller