5/13/15: 100%

Dear family and friends,

This last week was great! We just got back from the Sacramento Temple and it was pretty much amazing. I was so ready for that! In the Celestial room, I sat and pondered life and the mission and what it has taught me. It was really amazing, because I am serving around my MTC companion, Sister Day, and she came up to me and sat next to me as I was deep in thought. Slowly, everyone else left, and it was just her and I. She turned to me and we started talking. What she said really was an answer to my prayers. We talked about what we have learned and how even thought a mission isn't for you, it kind of ends up being so.

I love serving a mission! I realized the other day how short of a time it really is... and I don't really know how I feel about it. It was so good to talk to the family... I realized just how much I do miss them and how much I do fit in. I am excited to see them. And that just made me want to work harder, and go stronger, and reach higher than ever before.

I love what I have learned over the course of my mission. There are definitely times that are hard, but they are so worth it. The experiences where you feel the spirit are so worth it.

Something that I have learned from my mission is that I always want to live the gospel. Before my mission, I didn't really believe in myself. I didn't really know if I could make it to the Celestial Kingdom. I hope that I could, and I wanted to be able to, but I wasn't too sure if I could actually
make it. Looking back, I realize that the mission has taught me that I can do hard things, and that especially those things that are hard yet help us live the gospel.

That is another thing that I have learned. The gospel is always worth living. I know and have learned from experience that repentance is real, that it is hard, but that it is so worth it. Repentance require us to have a broken heart and a contrite spirit, to be humble and full of charity and love and submissive to the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I have also learned that Heavenly Father loves me. That I belong. I belong in His presence. That part of me will never change.... That's what I want and that's  other thing that I have learned.

I want to live the gospel.

It is so engrained into who I am, and I have chosen that, a little bit everyday. There are some that would look at missionaries and say that we are being brainwashed, indoctrinated, and forced into living the gospel. To them I say this: I have chosen this every day I have been out here. I have chosen to live the gospel, to teach and testify, and to share what I know to be true. At any point, I could have turned back, I could have come back home, but for me that was never an option. Has the mission been hard. Definitely there are hard days, but in the long run, I look back on every transfer with sweetness. I have loved being out here.

It is the thing which has been of most worth to me.

Okay.
 So .
A quick snapshot of the past week.
So last Monday we taught Liz the Restoration. The Spirit was so strong. She is awesome. I don't even know what to say about her lesson because it was perfect. So we taught about how God called prophets and how when people reject a prophet they are then in an apostasy. We taught her about how Jesus Christ called twelve apostles and gave them the priesthood and the authority to lead His church. She took it all in, having perfect questions and then she asked us "Okay, so then what about this Joseph Smith guy, tell me about him?" I literally thought she was a member, just playing a joke on us, pretending to be a golden investigator. Well, long story short, we share the Restoration with
her, and the Spirit is so strong. She understood everything so perfectly. She then came to church on Mother's Day and she absolutely loved it! She said as we met with her again last night that she felt
so many answers. Last night we talked about the Spirit, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost. She said she doesn't know if she has ever felt the Spirit, but then we explained what it felt like, and how she could
recognize it. The feeling in that room was so real. Liz really is a perfect investigator. She has definitely been prepared. We have asked her to pray about being baptized this week, and she said she would. She said that she has always believed that there were more testaments than one, and so she is excited to continue to read the Book of Mormon.


Also, this past week, we picked up another investigator! Yay! She was referred to us by another person we are teaching, and it was really cool. She is going through a lot of lifestyle changes with her housing situation, and is working really hard. She is open to meet with us again, but we are hoping that it sinks in a little deeper. She kind of believes in God, but she isn't sure. Yet, she did open up a lot with us. We are going back to see her tomorrow.


Also, I was sick this past week. Food poisoning. That wasn't fun. Then Sister Eyden has been having massive headaches, and then I caught a horrible cold.  I don't know what it is, but we have just been sick a lot. Not fun. Pray for us. But other than that, we really enjoy each other, and we organized our whole area book and are ready to get better and go out and find the elect!

Well.... I'm not sure what else to say, so I'll just leave it at that for now. Just know that the Gospel is true and that Jesus Christ is always there for us. He never lets us go! He will never give up on you! There is no hardship that is too great to have the true Gospel of Jesus Christ in your life! There is no person, no career, no hobby, no fear, nothing, literally nothing, that can get in the way of us living the Gospel in our hearts and in our homes if we set our mind to it. Choose.
We always have the choice. That is, and will forever be ours. The Gospel is always a choice.

Another thought that I kept having this week is that it is so much easier to live the Gospel 100% than to live it only in part. It is so much easier to give things 100% than to only give a portion of the
effort. It is so much easier to repent 100%, to contact 100%, to be obedient 100% and to love 100%.

Although we are not perfect, the Savior still loves us and can help us, even when we don't have it in us, and even when we do.

He is and will always be the only way back home.

John 14: 15,18,21
John 15: 9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.

John 16:21-24 as well.


Love,
Sister Darby Miller


P.S. My goal for the rest of my mission is to live my 100%! No holding back! No saying tomorrow, or next time, but really enjoying it and giving it my all.

<authors note: Holy frijoles, her hair is so long!!!! She was quite persistent that she wasn't going to cut it on her mission...looks like she stuck to her word>

Me and Sister Eyden!!!

5/4/15: Greater Faith: Blessed are Those Who Have Not Seen, but Still Believe!

Dear Family and Friends,

So a quick recap on the past couple weeks. Sorry. I realized that I am not as good of a writer as I once thought. Something to work on in the future I guess... :)

So...

Things really worked out with Sister Comer the past two weeks. We worked hard and had a couple really heart-to-heart talks about how to make things work. I realized that I have a lot of strengths that she needed, and she has strengths that I really needed. Wow. Those last two weeks were AMAZING with her... Not that they were bad before... but we just weren't as open in communication as before. We began to see so many miracles, and by the time transfers came, we both really wanted her to stay. I was so sad that she got transferred to Vacaville. But  before she left, we had this one miracle that I want to share.

So we do a lot of member lessons with active members.. part of our goal to teach three lessons a day. So Mondays we always meet with Sister Nelson. She is awesome. Young... in her 20's, and she loves to learn more about the gospel. So two mondays ago she texted us and asked if her friend Liz could come. Long story short, Liz took the lessons as a young girl with a friend. Her friend ended up getting baptized, but Liz didn't. Years later, she asked if she could come to church with Sister Nelson. She came to that lesson, and it was one of the most spiritual lessons I have ever had. She wants to be baptized, and she is committed to praying to know if this is true. We taught her about trials, about many bits and pieces of the gospel because she had so many questions. I feel the spirit just thinking about it right now. All the questions she asked were so perfect, so genuine, and she was so willing to believe. Anyway, she missed church because she got called inot work. Tonight we are meeting with her again, and we will be teaching the Restoration in full, all the way through. Pray for us! I am so excited!

Anyway... We are searching, searching for more people to find.

Something funny that happened yesterday: we ran out of gas on top of an overpass, and the elders had to go buy the gas and come get us. Awkward. Let me tell you, I've never had something so embarrassing happen. :) It was good though. We had a really really good heart-to-heart.

I am companion's with Sister Eyden. I love her so much! We get along so well... Just like Sister Whimpy and I did. Seriously, this could possibly end up being one of the best transfers of my mission.

Also, I have added a new goal onto my goals for my mission. Heavenly Father is teaching me a lot about faith. I love the idea of faith. It is the motivation for keeping every commandment, and it will lead us to everything else we need.

And since I have three minutes left on my computer, I will just copy what I told my mission president. I am pretty much an open book. Just take it as you will, and know that I am loving this more and more every day. Thank you all for what you do for me.

 I have learned a lot about the Savior here on my mission. I have been continually humbled by what He has shown me, and allowed me to experience. I have learned a great deal, and I do not regret any day of it, even the hardest of days. There have been moments that have been so worth it, so precious. Darkness cannot overpower light, but even the smallest light banished the darkness, and leaves no room for it. When there is light, that is all there is. We can see clearer, and things are simpler when there is light. But it is those dark times that teach us to trust that light will come, even when we can't see.

Something I asked Heavenly Father during hour of prayer was if I ever was going to find that family that I was sent here to find.
Something I learned is that it is not about me.
And then He taught me to have faith.
And so, I add a fourth goal, something I feel encompasses all my goals for my mission:
I will have faith.
I will have faith in my Heavenly Father, and not fear.
And so that is my goal for the rest of my mission. To have greater faith, and then when I go home, to have even greater faith, line upon line, a little more light every day.
Also, something that President Cuvelier said yesterday is something I have though a lot about lately. "When you go home, you are no longer set apart as a full-time representative of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but... you are still a missionary. Always remember that."
And that's what I want. I just want to be a missionary forever. I love it. It's not just what I do anymore. It's who I am. And I want to continue to grow in that

Love,
Sister Miller

I'll send pics next week! :) Love ya'll

p.s.  I love you Mom!

4/20/15 Short and Sweet! Let's Change a Tire!

So sorry that this is short and sweet... So in short.... The work has been pretty rough. I love it though. It is amazing how much your outlook can change your happiness. All those times I thought it was so hard....I should have looked for the miracles. So that's what I am learning boot do here. I've never prayed harder, and I've never had a transfer fly by so fast. We find out transfers and what happens this Friday. I think I'll stay, but anything can happen.

Well, the miracle u want to share ( although we saw so many more, that I couldn't write all of them if I tried) is this:

On a given night, all of our appointments fell through and we stopped at a gas station to fuel up first. There was this family trying to put a tire on, and so we asked them if they needed help. They said you
see, and it surprised us, but sister comer spent the next hour helping the uncle and he dad (farm girls! Ha! They rock!) and I taught the mom and the kids, and showed them Because He Lives. They left, and we taught he uncle. He cried, and told us how ,ugh it meant to him. No one had stopped to help for 2 hours, even though it was a busy street. we taught him about he Book of Mormon and invited him to read and pray to know, and we got his phone number to give to the Spanish Speaking missionaries. It was really cool, and was a tender mercy to my heart because it had been a rough day. All day we had had to defend the family, and why having kids is not a sin, but a party of God'a plan.
At the end of our conversation with Justin, the man, he told us something that made me cry. He said that for the rest of his life, not matter what we may be going throughout or how alone we may feel, we should remember that there was at least one person out there praying for us everyday our lives, until the day he dies. He really meant it took and it touched my heart.

I have learned a lot about prayer and about gratitude this week. All in all it has been a good week. :)

Weekly challenge: pray every morning before you leave the house or start your day. Also, pray before you go to sleep or get into bed every night. If you so please, you can share your miracles that
happened with me :)

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

4/6/15 The Things I Have Learned From My Mission

Dear Family and Friends,

Our area is a little harder than I thought. Last friday I had the opportunity to go to MLC, which is a meeting where President Alba, Sister Alba and the AP's (assistants to the president, for those of you who don't know mission lingo) all teach and present training for us to take back to our zones. The past few months, starting in January with Camp Liahona, we have had extra meetings with transfers, Elder Nelson (who spoke this past conference about his sister coming back to the church... He is an awesome man, and is a really really good teacher) came to talk about missionary work to us, and then came again to present training on the new ipads versus the way we used to use ipads for missionary work. We also have had meetings on many other important topics, such as the goal we have as a mission to talk to 20 new contacts a day, teach 3 lessons to people a day, and also to invite someone to be baptized each day. It was really neat when I was with Sister Whimpey, because we were co-STL's and so we went to all the meetings together and we both believed it and wanted it so bad. I learned so much from her example. I learned a lot about myself too. Some of the things I learned will stay with me forever. Anyway, I am rambling, but the point is, it has been really different not having that the past couple weeks. I have felt myself kind of plateauma little, and so General Conference and MLC really gave me a kick-start again.

At MLC, they did something different. The President didn't assign topics, but rather, he wanted it done like General Conference. He asked them to pray about it and study, and really ponder on what they should present. The Topics and the things that I learned were as follows:

What is it to REFLECT? To look back, to instrospect, to ponder your life and your situation with God? What vividly came to my mind as they challenged us to reflect was this: a mirror in a dark room, and a person sitting in front of it with a candle. When we reflect, we see ourselves AS WE REALLY ARE.... all the beauties and the flaws. No one is perfect, but there is also a beauty in every person that comes here to this earth. Now, I am not just speaking about phsyical beauty. Spiritual beauty is in all of us, because we are children of God. Now, whether or not that natural beauty stays with us is our choice, just like it is our choice by how we take care of our bodies. But unlike our phsyical bodies, which age and die, our spiritual beauty has no limitations. We can always be more like our Heavenly Father. We can always be more spiritually beautiful.
I also learned that the candle, the light by which we can truly see ourselves is the true Light: Jesus Christ. All who come to this earth are given the Light of Christ, and all those that are baptized and confirmed into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints can receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost, which illuminates our lives even more as to what direction we need to take to become more spiritually beautiful.

As I am emailing this, I feel like this is something we all need to remember, and it is something I am still striving to learn.  There is no stopping point on the path of progression.
We never have the excuse of "I go to church on Sunday, I fulfill my callings, I pay my tithing and I pay a fast offering. I am good enough. I am not perfect, but I am as good as I can get."

As I reflect, I remember that covenant with Heavenly Father I made in a sacred and holy temple whose parking lot was a place of refuge for me in my darkest times, even before I received those covenants. The Law of Consecration is something that I have come to understand on my mission so much more. It is not just about money. We have so many more things to consecrate than our money.
So as I reflect everynight when I pray, when my whole entire mission and life play out in my mind, I am constantly asking myself "Am I consecrated?.... Am I His?"

I know that He did that for me. I know that my Savior lives. And even if I am not perfect, I one day will be through Him. He is my hope. And it's not even about being perfect. It is about being like Him. I have felt the past few days that I CAN DO IT! I don't understand all the reasons for why things happen, but I do know this: I can always trust in My Heavenly Father. I know that He loves me. I know He is real. HE IS REAL. He is a real Being who we can have a relationship with. He wants that, so much more than we can comprehend. So do I understand all the pain that the people I have taught have to go through. No. Do I understand why so many of them that I love turn away under the weight of doubt in themselves. No. Do I know why sometimes, missionary work is so much harder than you think.
No. I don't know the answers. But one day I will.

This past week, I had the privilege of visiting a person that was and is very dear to my heart. I was able to address a concern that for me was once a big question. But I just went on with faith, JUST TRUSTING. And in the moment that that person brought up the concern, I found my answers. My mouth was filled, and the mouth of my new missionary companion was filled, and my understanding grew.

So are we perfect? Do we have to understand eveything? We hear the prophets speak to us... not even they understand the Atonement perfectly. But the point is WE CAN.

Jesus Christ will not ever leave us alone. This I know. He won't ever give up on us. I know this is true. When our light dims and we can't see our reflection very well, all we need is to turn to Him. He will come to our aid. In reality, He is already there, and He can see us... who we really are. He bled from every pore. He bore the burden of our sins. He underwent our physical pain. He felt the heavy burden of our emotional pain. He understands our spiritual pains and longings and even at the times where we have turned away from the light of the gospel, and we feel our hands slipping across the gritty, sandy rock ledge... He knows. He knows.

And after all that pain, all that suffering, He bore the beatings, and the crown, and the mockings and scorns of those who condemned Him. He went like a lamb to the slaughter. He allowed it.

Can you imagine the feelings of His heart?

He knew it all, even when He carried the cross... up the steps, through the streets, out to His death. As He hung there on the cross, He prayed for us, and for those who were there. He chose every bit of it. Heavenly Father couldn't force Him. Even Jesus Christ had to choose.

His body was lain in a tomb.

On the third day, He appeared to Mary.

He lives.

I know that my Redeemer lives. Jesus Christ. One day you will see Him. One day, I will see Him. How beautiful. What a moment of reflection.

 Moroni 7:48 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

All this, so He could reach out and catch us.

I have loved being on a mission. I know that it has helped me. I know that this is where I was meant to be. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan. All we have to do is start to work on our relationship with Him, no matter where we are in that, and then listen to the spirit. It always comes down to this:
Make and Keep Covenants.
Remember Him
Follow the Spirit
Have Hope
Love
Faith

Endure to the End in following His example.

I know that Thomas S Monson is a true prophet of God, along with Joseph Smith. I know it. I will never deny it. The Gospel is so simple. Follow Jesus Christ.

I am looking forward to miracles this week! :) I am so ready. The missionaries I am serving with are amazing, and I am just ready to work!

Miracle of last night:
We tracted and nothing. No one was interested. We went one street over instead of giving up and going contacting downtown and we ran into a member and her non-member husband on a walk, and they had us come in and share an Easter message. Never postpone a prompting. :)
That tender mercy from Heavenly Father built my faith and I am ready to work. I know He will provide. :)

Pray for me! Pray for Davis!

His,
Sister Darby Miller

3/30/15

Dear Loved Ones,

So this week has flown by!
So we have been working hard! Just trying to settle in and get everything up and running. So we have been doing a lot of service. Please pray that we will find some new investigators! :) We currently have two... I finally met one of them last night. Both of them have been going through some health struggles and they need prayers. I am excited to work with them! It always comes back to reading the Book of Mormon and praying to know if it is true, with faith in Christ and real intent.

I'm just going to share something that I have been learning:

We dont' have to be perfect. We just have to rely on Jesus Christ and do our best. He is there. I know that He loves me. I have felt Him close.
Satan will do everything he can to make us feel like our weaknesses and imperfections keep us from having a relationship with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, but that is not true.

I have found that on my mission, the times that I come to know the Savior Jesus Christ better are the times where I am so exhausted by my own sins, shortcomings and imperfections that I find myself desperate, on my knees. Those prayers where my soul cries out are the prayers where I feel my Heavenly Father's love come washing over me in light. There is a line in Preach My Gospel, which is basically modern scripture, which says something along the lines of "[Our Heavenly Father] weeps with us when we suffer, and rejoices when we do what is right."  I know that that is true.

 “And if men come unto me I will show them their weaknesses. I give men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.” [Ether 12:27]

I learned a lot from Nephi this week about how to rely on the Savior, and how REMEMBERING is a huge part of that:
https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/4?lang=eng

http://www.mormon.org/easter