Miracles

It was another great week here in Paso Robles. I absolutely love this area, and all of the people, and the girls I am serving with. Transfers are next week, and that is terrifying! None of them can leave me! It is also insanely crazy to think that I have already almost finished my first transfer in the field. It seems like I just got here. Time goes way too fast out here! I have learned so much though, and my Spanish has gotten SO much better. (I still wouldn't even classify it as good, but it is still better than before.)

Just a picture of me, because I know you guys just wanted to see my pretty face. Really I just took it to try and get it to work for mormon.org, but it wouldnt work, so now you guys get to see it. Lucky you. 

One of our miracles this week was A. She was a contact before I got here, and I had never really met her. We tried her a couple of times, and she was never home, and Hermana Martin said that when they had talked to her before, she didn't seem too interested. However last week, we had had no success in visiting the people we had planned on seeing, and were at a loss for what to do when Hermana Martin felt like we should visit her. We were able to share with her a verse from Ether 12, and commit her to reading the rest of the chapter. It was just another time when Heavenly Father had everything else fall through so we could be in the right place at the right time.

It is hard for me to believe that I am going into the last week of my first transfer. I can look back and see so much progress, especially in my Spanish, but at the same time it feels like I have only been here for a couple of days. I am so grateful for Hermana Martin, and all she has taught me and for the great friend she has become. She is so amazing, and I love working with her. I am also grateful for the other two Hermanas that we live with, and how much love and support and fun times I have had and felt with them. Heavenly Father truly does answer prayers when it comes to everything. 

Portrait titled "Sister Missionaries gone Gangster Rappers" (We were slightly silly last night. Just a little bit.) There is a whole rap to go with this, but I don't even remember it. It was during language study so it was all in Spanish. :)  Also, before you judge my outfit. We are supposed to stay in skirts during studies, so we come home and put on our comfiest clothes that still follow rules. Yeah.

Our sentiments of the week. Courtesy of your local sleep deprived missionaries. (Also, the copier in the church library isn't working. This is where the sign came from. Anyone who has previously dealt with a church copier will not be surprised.) 

Other than that I wish there was more to report. I absolutely loved the Women's Conference on Saturday. It made me so excited for General Conference this weekend. We are going to be talking to a lot of people about conference this week.

We saw a lot of little miracles this week, and it is so great to see the hand of God in every step we take. We were able to be guided to a few people who truly needed us right at that time. Such a great thing. 

Other than that I wish there was more to write. I promise I will be better at this later. Hope everyone has a great week!

Hermana Miller 

Time is Flying!

It's a Monday!

The weeks are flying by way too fast here in Paso Robles. I am already on week 5 of my first transfer. This is insanity! But I am loving it here. It has been quite the roller coaster of a week, but great none the less. Here are my updates:

Firstly, the two saddest facts of the week. McDonalds stopped serving shamrock shakes this week. But no worries, we had some on St. Pattys day. Also, KU is out of the tournament. We will carry on. This is about all on those two topics.

Happy St. Pattys day! Love Hermanas Martin and Miller

Now on to everything else. Last Tuesday, we set two of our AWESOME investigators with a baptismal date. I am so excited for both of them. C. and A. are both shooting for the 26th of April right now. What is crazy is that is only about a month away! Time flies! They are both so awesome though, and I can not wait to see what this next month brings. 

We also had an awesome Zone Conference this Friday. It was an awesome day full of great talks and workshops and so much fun! We focused so much on the power of the Book of Mormon, and how to use it in our work. It truly is such a powerful book, and when used correctly, truly is the most powerful resource on the mission, and in every day life. We had the conference down in San Louis Obispo, so it was fun to get to be out and see some new sights! I feel like I have hardly seen any of the mission! 

Morning Fog over San Louis Obispo

Another fun fact we learned at Zone Conference, on Saturday April 19th, we are going to have Elder Russel M. Nelson here, and will be having a mission conference in Ventura. It is going to be so awesome. Getting to hear from an apostle will be so great, and I am so blessed to be able to hear from two so soon into my mission. It will be a lot of fun, and a really great experience.

After Zone Conference was over, we had to get our priorities straight, and so obviously we went straight to the Chipotle in SLO. Holy mother of goodness. However on the way home, Hermana Martin and I made a wrong turn, and ended up in Morro Bay. Oops. Well one 2 hour adventure later, we finally made it back to our humble abode in Paso, and needless to say we were exhausted. 

Sweet sweet glorious food.

This week has been great, but there is so much coming up so soon! We have Womens Conference this week, General Conference in two weeks, then transfers, and then Elder Nelson. This is going to be an exciting month for the missionaries of the California Ventura Mission.

I would just like to sign off today saying how grateful I am for this experience to serve. I can truly see the hand of God in everything we do, and the little miracles that happen every day. For me one of the greatest miracles this week was being able to give a 15 minute talk in Sacrament Meeting this week about Faith in Christ, ALL IN SPANISH.  I didn't know I had that much Spanish in my brain. I know that I am being watched over, and the things that I need, the Lord is truly providing. 

I hope everyone has a wonderful week, and that everything will be as awesome as it is for me right now!

Peace and Blessings my friends.

It's a Monday.

Hermana Miller

Exchanges, and MORE Miracles!

Hello one and all!

So last week I learned that I need to be better at managing time, so I am hoping that I can get better of utilizing my hour of e-mail time. 

A few fun things from this week:

Lauren would be so proud. (Yes it has no fish, and yes, it still made me feel sick, but hey. I ate it!)

Tuesday we had exchanges, and they were so awesome. We got to meet so many amazing people. Our miracle of the day was named C.  We saw him at a bus stop, and as we walked by, he jumped up and was saying, "Missionaries! Sisters! What a miracle!" Needless to say we were confused. It turned out he had just moved here this week from Seattle, and he had been working with missionaries out there, and going to church for a few months. When we met with him on Saturday, we asked him if he had ever read the Book of Mormon. He said yes, and that he had also had the chance to pray about it. He just smiled and said yes. When we asked him about the answer he had gotten he said, I found out that I need to be baptized. WHAT? Could we be any more lucky. He came to church yesterday, and we will hopefully set him with a baptismal date tomorrow. He is such a miracle in our lives, and just another way I know that Heavenly Father is looking out for us every step of the way.

Hermana Higgs and me (Hermana Higgs is the sister training leader that I did exchanges with.)

Another fun thing, we got to spend an hour on mormon.org on Wednesday. What an awesome time. I searched Olathe, and it was so fun to see so many familiar faces from home! I found all of my friends that are serving all over the world right now, and even found DADS! That was so much fun to read. I love getting to read a little bit more about why the church is important to everyone. That was so much fun. I should get my profile up here in a couple of weeks, and I will let you all know when you can take a look at it!

The wonderful city (slash tiniest town I have ever been to in my whole life) More commonly referred to as Mars.

I mean, Shandon

Welcome to Paso Robles. Where gigantic tumble weeds blow across the roads at stop lights. Casual.

Yesterday we had the chance to have a potluck after church with the branch and the ward, and all I could think about were the good ol' days of Kaw River fast breakers. I love being in that kind of atmosphere again, and the opportunity I have to serve so many amazing people. Also I now have a new favorite food. Pupusas. Yeah. So good. 

Happy Saint Patricks day to all! I know this isn't a ton, but I have a ton of pictures to make up for it, so I hope that works for everyone!

It's the most wonderful time of the year. (March Madness, and Shamrock Shakes.)

How the Mike and Ikes box from mom's St. Patty's day package was put to use. Hermana Corniea hurt her wrist. 

Lots of love from Cali!

Hermana Miller.

Mid-Week Update

(Courtney wrote a hand-written letter to us to be posted on her blog this week.  Here it is!)

Sorry about Monday; I slightly lost track of time while writing my letters.  Anyway, I wish there was more to report this week, but we had a lot of just weird things, and first lessons.  

Our miracle of the week is this lady named A.  We got her as a referral from the elders, who met her while they were out with a member who happened to speak Spanish. (the Elders are English)  She came up to them and started talking.  Of course when they gave us the referral, they couldn't really give us very much information; only what little the member could tell them from what he understood, and that we had an appointment with her the next day at three.  

We showed up, and I don't think anyone has ever been so excited to see missionaries on their doorstep.  She invited us in, and there was absolutely nothing  in the apartment.  Right away she started talking about how she wanted to pay tithing and how she wanted to feed the missionaries, and asking how she could give service in the branch.  Meanwhile, we stood in her empty apartment, completely confused.  Upon talking more, we found out that she had just moved here from Utah with her 6 month old son, and she is 4 months pregnant with another one!  She said "Oh yes, I am a member, I am just not baptized yet.  The father of my kids wouldn't let me."  4 out of her 6 sisters are members, and she has been going to church with her family in Utah for the last 4 months.  We aren't quite sure what her history with the missionaries is, but we are so optimistic for her.  She asked to come to church before we could even ask her, and she came yesterday.  Everyone loved her, and her son, Kevin.  He is so stinking cute!

We are so optimistic for her,and hope everything works out.  She has absolutely nothing, no furniture or anything, so we are working with the branch on that.  We have a table, couch, and bed lined up for her, so that's great.  We have an appointment with her tomorrow, and are planning on setting up a baptismal date.

It has been a good week.  Lots of little things.  I am so grateful for my area and my Hermanas.  Heavenly Father truly knew what I needed.

My challenge for you this week is to read/watch (preferably watch) Elder Holland's talk from a few years back on the Book of Mormon; the one where he basically just bore a testimony.  Watch it.  I have seen a couple of clips this week.  It is so good.  Also a good passage to read is the Bible Dictionary, under "Miracles." (preferably the 2013 edition).  So good!  It is our zone's scripture of the week this week.

Also, one of my favorite quotes this week comes from this month's Ensign.  It says "If our hearts are in the right place, then service will become a part of who we are, and not just what we do."  I love it because it is just so simple.  It goes along with one of my favorite scriptures; 3 Nephi 27:27, where Christ says "...Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be?  Verily I say unto you, even as I am."  As we go about our lives, every question we have can be answered in the question, "Is it helping me to become more like Christ?"  At the end of the day, that is all that really matters.

I love you guys lots.  It is hard not being able to be there for Bri right now, and having to miss John's funeral, but I know that there are people here who need me as well.  I am so glad for our family being sealed, and the knowledge we have of what happens after this life.  It really just keeps everything in perspective.  

I love you all, and will email you on Monday!

Courtney

Update: Since writing, we moved a couch, TV, entertainment center, table and chairs, and recliner into A.'s apartment.  people in the church are amazing!  Now we just need a bed.  Life is good!  :)

A Very Quick Update--More to come

Hey everyone!

I am out of time for today! Just know that I am not dead, and everything is beyond great! I can truly see the hand of Heavenly Father in our work. I will send a blog post in the mail to my mom and she can type it up and post it later this week.

Love you all

Hna Miller

Paso Robles

Happy March from California Everyone! What a crazy week it has been!

It was really hard to leave everyone at the MTC, but know that all of our adventures will be amazing. We took some fun pictures on Sunday night, so here those are....

Noe, our favorite guy at the Comedor

District 10c

The entire zone

I am loving California though. I am serving right now in Paso Robles California, all the way on the northern most border of the mission. It is wine country up here and absolutely gorgeous. It has rained here every day since I arrived though, but after six weeks of straight sun, it is kind of nice. My companion is Hermana Martin, and she is absolutely great. We get along wonderfully, and she is a great trainer. I have learned so much just these last few days I have been here. We serve in the Paso Robles 3rd Spanish Branch (which is slightly ironic seeing that it is the only Spanish branch in the stake. Oh well!) We serve in the northern half of the stake, and our area goes to San Miguel and Shandon, if anyone knows the area or cares to google it. We live with two other Hermanas, Hermana Corniea and Hermana Rubow who serve in the southern half of the stake. I love them all so much. We have so much fun together, while also getting so much done. I could not have asked for a better group of girls for my first area. 

Hermana Martin

Love it here!

Our first dinner in the mission. Love it!

The branch around here is so awesome. There are only about 38 members with records in the branch, and so on a good Sunday there are around 20. It reminds me so much of the Kaw River ward, and it just makes me so happy. The members are so welcoming and friendly, and put up with my fairly broken Spanish quite well. :)

I guess I can talk about what we are doing out here. Every day we do the typical teaching and other stuff you would guess come with missionary work. I am also working with Hermana Martin on my 12 week training program, so that is another hour of my day. On top of that we usually try and have something else every day of the week for a few hours. We go to the Food Bank on Tuesdays, go to a Soup Kitchen on Wednesdays, have District meeting on Fridays, and alternate what we do on Saturdays. Obviously Sundays we have a full schedule with meetings, and then on Mondays it is P-day. I am blessed in every way. Mostly with Target, Walmart, In and Out Burger, and 7-11. I am a little bit spoiled. I love it. 

Quality can at the food bank

One quick fun story from the week. On Saturday, we were up in San Miguel visiting some people, and were walking back to where we parked the car, and it started POURING rain, We ducked under the overhang on someones garage to keep dry. They saw us out there, and let us in until the rain calmed down. We talked for a bit and headed back to the car and headed home. About an hour later, I realized my glasses were missing. We went back, because I knew I had taken them off in their house to let them dry off, and figured I must have left them. However, they weren't there. I was slightly worried, becasue I didn't know where else they could be. Well the puddles were starting to go down, and well.... you can see the pictures.

Do you see them?

Glasses

They fell out of my bag on the way back to the car. I was lucky nothing else happened. 

I have a few more pictures, but I have to run. Hopefully there will be more next week. 

Love you all and thank you for your love, support, and prayers.

Hermana Miller!