Paso Robles Take 2

Wow! Can not believe I am here writing you again from the great State

of California. What a crazy week it has been. I can not believe I only

got my call to tell me I was coming back a week ago today. Time flies! It

has been really strange talking about things from home that only

happened a week ago.

So, as some of you might have heard, I am serving back here in Paso

Robles! President and Sister Felix picked me up from the airport, and

when they told me I was coming back here, I might have squealed, just

a little bit. I tried to keep it somewhat under control though,

President and Sister Felix don't need to know just HOW crazy I am

right from the start, right? Anyway, I freaked out. I was so happy to

get to come back. It was really hard to leave, and to get another

chance to come back is more than I could have ever asked for. We drove

up from Santa Barbra, and met up with everyone at Wednesday's Zone

Meeting.

On the way, we stopped at "Old West Sticky Buns" in Pismo Beach and

got some amazing cinnamon rolls. Picture attached. They were amazing!

When we left, we went down this street to turn around, and I got as

close to the beach as I probably will ever be on my mission!

Thanks for the walnut roll, President Felix.  It was absolutely amazing!

Pismo Beach.  The closest I will ever get to the actual beach during my mission.  It was gorgeous!

It was really neat to get to drive up with the Felix's. I got to

know them, and hear more about all the awesome things that are going

on in the mission. It was a really neat chance to be able to catch up,

and not feel left behind now that I am the newbie!

We have zone conference Wednesday, and we are going to Santa Maria for

that. I am so excited. I know that at least Hermana Rubow will be

there, I haven't told her that I am here in Paso, I am going to

surprise her. I can't wait for that! It is going to be awesome. I love

Zone Conferences, and can't believe my luck in getting to be back for

that. I hope to have some awesome things to share from that next week.

I am serving in a tri-pan with Hermana Howell, and Hermana Jeronimo.

They are both so amazing! I love working with them a lot. We get a LOT

done, and have fun while we are doing it. It is great. We also live

with Hermana Costillo and Hermana Brown, and they are both a blast

too. I have been blessed with such great companions and apartment

mates since I have been a missionary. It is wonderful. I have a

feeling this will be an amazing transfer. Hermana Jeronimo and Hermana

Costillo are both native speakers, and I have really been pushing

myself to use more Spanish, especially with them. I can already see my

Spanish getting better, I can't wait to see what happens next.

There are still a couple of missionaries from the zone that are still

here from when I was, but it is a lot of new faces. There was a lot of

amazing work done in our area while I was gone, and it is so neat to

come back and see all of that. I have gotten to see a lot of people

that I knew from before, and that was great! It has really been a

testimony builder for me, that this is where I need to be, and that

there is work here for me to do. It was a little hard at first getting

thrown into something SO familiar, yet that had changed so much, but I

am absolutely loving it now. Things might be different, but the work

of the Lord is still the same, and that will always be the constant.

I really feel like I am back in my second home. It is so amazing. I

have such a love for Paso Robles, and everything here. I am so glad to

be back. This is going to be a great transfer!

Love you all,

Hermana Courtney Miller

I'm Baaacckk!

Why hello there, everyone!

I promise I didn't forget about the blog, I really am just that bad at keeping things updated.

So, first, the quick version of my last 2 months:

I found out I had gallstones. I had my gallbladder removed. I am leaving early tomorrow morning to go back to the Great California Ventura Mission.

(Like I said, quick version.)

Now, onto the fun stuff.

So, for the first bit of being home my life was a seemingly endless string of doctors appointments, dead ends, and not a lot of anything else. It took us a couple of weeks (and quite a few tests) to be able to determine that I had gallstones. Now, any normal sane person my age, when a doctor told them they had gallstones, would think, "Gallstones? But I am only 20! How can this be? Oh, no! This is horrible!" You all should know me well enough to know I am not a normal sane person. I was actually slightly giddy at the diagnosis, all smiles, and giggles, and just generally happy. I was just so glad to know what was going on, and to know that, as far as medical problems go, it was a pretty easy fix. A quick surgery, easy recovery, and back at 'em pretty fast. 

I was able to have the surgery about a week or so later. All things went well, and according to planned. One fun story I figure you all will appreciate: when I woke up from the anesthesia, I could only think or speak in Spanish. If you want to see a really confused nurse, come out of anesthesia speaking a language that no where on your file it says you speak. (She double checked just to be sure though, no worries.) I still get a kick out of that when I think about it. Once I was able to get my brain switched back to English, it was all smooth sailing once again. I was actually able to go home the same night, and it was pretty smooth sailing from then on. 

One cool thing that happened while I was home was that one of my best friends, the wonderful Marissa Albrechtsen (now Fryer: spoiler alert) got married. It was so wonderful to get to be home and to be able to be a part of that. Marissa and I have known each other since we were about two, and our families have pretty much been inseparable since then. I couldn't imagine not being here for her big day, and so when I knew I was coming home, and would be here for the wedding, I can't lie, it was a HUGE plus. She was married about a week after my surgery, so I was back to feeling well, and was able to have a fun weekend with everyone, and it was just such a blessing (and absolutely perfect timing!)

After the wedding, it has just been a waiting game. I had to be "fully" recovered before I could come back, meaning I had to be able to walk a certain amount, and get a doctors note, and all that fun stuff. I was able to put in my return papers about 2 weeks ago now, and now leave in just a few short hours.

It was also great while I was home to be able to catch up with other friends and family, and to be able to spend time with my family. I love them all to pieces and it has been absolutely wonderful to get to have this time together.

This time at home really has been a blessing. I have loved every minute of it. Don't get me wrong though, I am BEYOND excited to be getting to go back to California tomorrow. I know that is where Heavenly Father wants me to be, and that amazing things await me. I am so grateful that I am able to return and finish my mission. 

I have learned so much these last two months, about who I am, and why the mission is so important to me. I am grateful for everything I have, and for the gift of the Gospel in my life. I am so excited to be back on the Lord's errand, and to be able to wear his name over my heart yet again.

California, ready or not, here I come!

Hermana Courtney Miller