4/13/15

So Davis is pretty cool. It's starting to sink in a little better. Church yesterday was good. I feel like I'm just starting to get to know the members, and that is always that has meant so much to me on my mission. I've learned a lot about reaching out. I think with missing church a week, I felt a little out of he loop with the Lord, but as I sat during the sacrament, I felt a change in my heart. I realized that I needed to be  the one to initiate the friendships. It was awesome. I have had some pretty cool experiences this past week with something called Power Hour. After having dinner with a member family, we share a mini lesson or spiritual thought with them that we hand picked as something we think they would need. Then, we ask them if they know anyone we can reach out to, and then we ask them to pray for us in the next hour that we will see miracles, wether we are finding or if we are teaching a lesson. So last Monday we ate with this young couple named.... (Get this....) the Allred's. Pretty funny. They were awesome. Before we came and ate, they asked us to bring picture of our family, and come prepared to share stories. I took all my pictures off my wall by my bed, and put them into a little photo album. It was so fun just to talk about all my memories and things, and to hear everyone else's stories too. It never fails to amaze me how much someone's family has to do with the person they become.

Well, for that power hour, we were walking in downtown Davis and we contacted  this Less-Active from the Woodland 2nd Ward... I never knew her when I was there, but she was so open and receptive. We shared the Because He Lives video with her and her fiancé, who is at a member. It was beautiful, the feeling that was there. She feared up, and he was open. He agreed to read the Book of Mormon.  It was really cool to see her heart softened.

So something really cool happened.
Another miracle we saw this week was that we saw Tony. He's a student from China who came here to study. He has a belief in God, but it is very different from the norm. We have been trying to catch him at home for a long time. This weekend we caught him at home. He had read through the introduction and he understood it, and although he didn't outright believe it, he was open to it. It was a really cool doorstep lesson. We taught him the restoration and showed him the short restoration video on the interactive pamphlet. The spirit was so strong. I was so happy. He told us that he didn't believe that anyone could see God, but as we explained how he could pray and ask God for himself, he said he would. When we explained that we would have to pass him offline the singles ward, he was actually excited, which was a relief. Usually it doesn't go that way, but he was excited about it. Before we turned to leave, the thought hit me that we hadn't asked him to be baptized, and that we should. I felt the spirit helping me ask him. He without hesitation that he would be baptized, if he knew it was true.

I'm sitting here at the parking lot in a little town called Winters, typing out this email on the bleachers, in the shade. There are young women from the Winters ward playing the ukulele. There is a perfect temperature in the breeze, and the chatter of missionaries talking and carefree, while some are out one field playing baseball. This moment is just so precious, yet a mission life is filled up with special tender mercies like this all the time. There will always be struggles, but it's always about how you look at it. There are so many moments in life that make it so worth it.

As I had an interview with President Alba and Sister Alba this past week. We talked about what I have learned. On my mission, I have learned that Heavenly Father's plan is perfect, that He is always there for me, and that Jesus Christ really knows me. I know that the gospel has been restored. I know that He always has a plan. I told her that I have learned to be obedient, and to trust in Him. We talked a little about the future, and I realized that although I don't know exactly what will happen, I know that I trust in Heavenly Father's plan.

I know that God lives and hay He loves us. I know that we will one day see our Savior Jesus Christ, and that if we endure the end, we can live with Him again. I know that He hears and answers our prayers.

I know He loves us.

I know that our lives are important, and I know that there are forces of God that we can't see, working for us, working with us.
Do not take the commandments lightly. There is no more important time than this time. Would you rather receive a prophecy, or fulfill a prophecy? Well, we live in a time where prophecy is being fulfilled. We need to wake up, and shake off the chains which bind us. Anything that comes from the Prophet, Thomas S Monson, or from one of the Twelve is a commandment of God. It is not enough to just avoid grievous sins. Let me be very clear. When we do not do something we know is right, we are choosing to sin.
And for those of you who have made sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father, by being baptized and also further covenanting in the temple of the Lord, you have promised to be obedient. So when you don't keep the commandments, do not tell me you are choosing to disobey, tell me you are a covenant-breaker.

It is simple. Follow Jesus Christ IN ALL THINGS.
If you do, Heavenly Father will bless you with those blessings He reserves for covenant keepers.

With all my love,
Sincerely,
Sister Darby Eleyce Miller