Crazy (but Good) Week!

Hello everyone! What a crazy week. I pre-apoligize for my grammar and
spelling. There is a lot to write, so I am going to be writing really
fast!

Casual car pic

Paso

Firstly, we had a zone conference this Wednesday. What an amazing day.
One thing that I really liked was President's remarks. He said, "A

trial of your faith can help you strengthen your commitment to serve

our Heavenly Father." How true that is. What an awesome week it has

been, and I know that everything that I went through really did

strengthen my desire to be a missionary. It was an amazing day.

Learned so much. We are starting this program in our mission called

"Just Serve." It is something that I am so excited about. We are going

to be doing a lot more service, and really getting to get out there

and help the people. I know that it truly is the way to be able to

best utilize our time here, and can't wait to get started.

 Our district at zone conference (well, most of it.)

A lot of squealing occurred. I love this girl so much! It was so good to see her!

Hermana Howell, Me, Hermana Jeronimo

So Thursday, we had to take this survey online at the library. Well, the internet was down, so while we were waiting on an answer from the

zone leaders on what we were supposed to do, the 5 of us went down the

street and got carmel apples at Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory. We

then went and ate them in the park. So naturally I have a ton of

pictures from that.

Casual

Hermana Costilla, and our giant bag of caramel apples

Saturday morning was when all crazy-ness broke loose. Right after studies, we got a call from the zone leaders telling us that Hermana

Howell was being emergency transferred to Pismo Beach, and that we

were going to have to drive her down to Arroyo Grande on Sunday

morning. So basically Saturday was a ton of crazy. There were two

things that Hermana Howell wanted to do before she left, get Jamba

Juice, and Pizza. So obvously we had to do both of those on Saturday.

I realize the amount of food pictures that I am sending home. No

regrets. 

Casual Jamba Juice

A lotta pizza!

Dropping off Hermana Howell!

Hermana Howell and me

So, Since I don't have a TIWI card yet (the card to use to log in to

be able to drive,) when we dropped off Hermana Howell, we weren't

going to be able to drive. So the Quote of the week goes to my Zone

Leader, Elder Atkin, who said, "I can't believe I am going to say

this, but you have permission to unplug TIWI." We couldn't figure it

out, so an Arroyo Grande Elder did it for us. Obviously we took pictures.

Anyway. So now it is just me and Hermana Jeronimo chillin'

like villans here in Paso Robles. She was being back up trained by

Hermana Howell, so now I am back-up-back-up training her. It is so

crazy. I am so grateful she is such an amazing missionary. She is

teaching me so much. We are working on speaking all Spanish, all the

time, and it is helping me so much. 

Hermana Jeronimo and me

I am so excited to see what will

happen these last few weeks of this transfer. I am so grateful to know

that Heavenly Father truly has a plan for me, because otherwise, this

could all be really crazy. I will send a lot of pictures.

I love you all.

Stay awesome.

Hermana Courtney Miller

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

A little change of plans

Hello Everyone!

Sometimes, plans change. We don't always know why, but they do.

This is actually me speaking, Hermana Courtney Miller. I am currently on Medical Release from my 18 month mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and am back in Olathe for the time being. I got back this morning. The goal is to hopefully have things figured out, get healthy, and to be back by the end of this next transfer, sometime in the beginning of August. I have only been home about 12 hours, and I am already itching to get back.

Right now, as far as health goes, we just have a lot more questions than answers. I have a list of things that I do not have wrong with me, now it is just a matter of finding out what is going on. Hopefully answers will come quickly and I can get back up on my feet as soon as possible.

So many amazing things were being done for me in the mission, especially by President and Sister Castro. They bent over backwards to do everything possible to make the last month or so easier for me, and to do everything within their power to allow me to stay. Unfortunately, my condition was still getting worse, and important decisions had to be made. They were involved in every step of decision making and the going home process, and will continue to stay in contact throughout this whole process.  I am so beyond grateful for President and Sister Castro. I love them SO much, and know that it was through their help that I was able to do all I have done in the mission.

Right now is just a waiting game. I have been blessed enough to get some appointments scheduled, and hopefully we will get some answers soon.

The decision to come home, but it was a decision I know I needed to make. I am not totally sure why Heavenly Father needs me to be home right now, but I know that this is where I need to be. (Just for a little bit though. The second I am cleared to go back, I will be on the next plane!) I know that this will truly be a time of growth for me and my family. I am so glad to get to spend this time with them, and to have this time to get to be around those I love, and to get the rest and recuperation I need. This will be a time for me to learn a lot of patience, and a time to truly put my trust in the Lord. I know that there is a plan for each of us, and that this is just a piece of mine. 

At this point, I am just grateful for this opportunity to learn and grow, to get healthy. I am excited to see what is going to come in these next few weeks. They are definitely going to be different than any others in my life. 

I am so thankful for all of the prayers, thoughts, and letters of support I have received over the last few weeks. Your love means more than I can express. It puts such a smile on my face just to think about it. I know that I could not do any of what I have done, am doing, and will do without all of you.

BRING IT ON!

Hermana Courtney Miller 

(P.S. Stay tuned for more details about what is going on.)

Miracles Really Do Happen!

Wow.

What a week.

I think it was Tuesday night,

Sister Castro started telling me that if this didn't get better, we

would have to start talking about maybe going home to get over it. It

wasn't anything I wasn't expecting, but it was still devastating. It

was a really rough night. She told me I could try going back to the

urgent care on Wednesday, and see if they could find any answers, but

if not, she would have to get in contact with missionary medical.

So then we go to Wednesday. I went to the urgent care with Hermana Ah

Mu, since we were on exchanges. (We have been doing a lot of those

lately, so Hermana Hardy can keep working.) Anyway, so we went, and

they ran a few more tests. They tested me for an ulcer, which

came back negative. She also explained more of my test results to me.

It is not an infection, or anything. All of my lab results from

everything came back normal. She was puzzled. You know it is not a

good sign when she says, "You should call me when you figure out what

this is, I would really love to know." Well at that point I was pretty

resigned to the fact that I was going home. The doctor told me I could

try getting an appointment with a GI specialist, but that might be a

challenge. I really thought they would send me home to get all of that

done. I talked to Sister Castro later that evening, and she told me I

could try getting an appointment, and that if I could get one by the

end of the week, then I could stay. I got off the phone with her and

just started crying. It was the most amazing thing to hear ever. I

really did not want to go home.

So then we get to Thursday morning. I called every single GI

specialist in San Louis Obispo County. None of them could get me in

before middle of July or August. At that point I gave up again. By

this point of the week I was trying to figure out how to best pack up

all of my stuff. I was in so much pain, and nothing was working, we

had no answers, and we were pretty much out of time. I talked to

Sister Castro (You starting to see a pattern yet? I don't know how she

hasn't gotten sick of me! Haha) and she said she was going to be in

meetings all day, but she was going to have Sister Truman in the

office make some phone calls. Sister Truman called me about an hour

later, and told me she had gotten me the appointment on Friday at 2:15

in Santa Barbara. I started crying on the phone with her. I have never

been part of a happier phone call. I was so resigned to going home.

She told me Sister Castro had told her that it didn't matter where the

appointment was, as long as it was in the mission, just to get me one.

I was beyond thrilled. Sister Castro had told me though that I would

still probably be going home if it was going to take time to get over.

Friday, we went to the appointment, the doctor looked at my tests, and

did some quick test things, and we found out that it is still the

mesenteric lymphadenitis. He said he didn't know why the er doctor had

told me only 3-4 days, and that he says it could easily take 3-4 weeks

to get over. I was so bummed. He gave me a prescription for Tramadol,

and got me more anti-nausea medicine, but that was about all he could

do. He said it would have been caused by a virus that I would have had

a week or two earlier, and sometimes it would do that. So the ride

home was awful, because at that point I knew I was going to have to go

home. I was a wreck. I knew I did not need to come home, but that at

this point we were out of options. I talked to Sister Castro, and she

told me that missionary medical was closed, that we had missed calling

them by like 5 minutes, so she would have to wait to call until

monday. That turned out to be my saving grace.

Saturday we had an activity that we went to. The stake had an activity

for all of the activity day age girls, and they asked us to come and

speak and teach a workshop. It was about four hours. It was good for

me, because I got a lot of time to sit down and rest in between

teaching, and was able to handle it. It was an amazing activity and I

loved it a lot.

Sunday was church, and that was all I was able to handle that day,

along with correlation, but again it was just a few hours.

Last night I talked to Sister Castro again, just so we could all be

updated before she called missionary medical today. I was kind of

stressed out. I just told her what I had done this weekend, and about

the new medicine, and how tired it makes me. Like seriously, it is

like nyquil. I don't know how I am writing this right now. I want to

pass out. But she said that that is enough. I have been eating a

little bit more, and she said as long as I can be eating a bit, and

working even a couple of hours a day, and do regular studies, than I

can stay! I am so beyond excited! I can not even tell you how happy I

am. The Lord's timing truly is perfect. If she had called me 10

minutes earlier on Friday, she would have called missionary medical,

and I would probably have been flying home today. Instead, because she

just waited a couple of days, I can stay. We will reevaluate at the

end of the transfer, but things are looking up. I am so grateful. It

isn't even funny. You don't understand. I DON'T HAVE TO COME HOME!!!!!

When I talked to Sister Castro last night, she was talking about what

a great attitude and determination I have.  Now I was never

thinking about coming home for good, but there were quite a few times

this week where I was so close to picking up the phone and telling her

to just send me home to get better, that I felt like I was wasting the

Lord's time, and that I could be a better missionary if I could just

go home for a few weeks, get better, and come back. For some reason I

never did though. Heavenly Father obviously had a different plan for

me.

Okay, so that's the week. 

All of the Leaders in the mission, mainly zone leaders, APs, and

Sister training Leaders have been praying for me this week. Sister

Castro asked them to at MLC on the first. I can feel the strength I am

getting from their prayers, and I know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't

for all of your prayers and fasting, and everyone else from back home.

I am so grateful for everyone's support and how much everyone cares.

It brings me to tears to even think about.

I know I wrote about it to Dad, but have you read the talk The

Ministry of Angels by Elder Holland? It has been my support this week.

I know that the three Hermanas I live with are my earthly angels right

now. As is Sister Castro. I would not be here without all of them. I

was also thinking a lot about Katie this week. Dawn told me it was her

birthday Friday. I have felt a lot of support from the other side of

the veil, and I would not be surprised if it is her being there to

help me through all of this. That talk has helped me realize it. It is

amazing. Read it. Also, D&C 84:88. That's your homework.

I love you lots.

Have a great week.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Court

Oh, here are two fun pictures I do have to share!

This is living outside of our apartment. This is the small one. There

is a bigger one with a huge red spot on it. It might be a black widow.

Management can't do anything about it. The zone leaders are coming up

to kill it today. Welcome to California!

Being Sick is NO FUN!!

Well, I am still alive. Thought you all might like to know that. I

ended up in the hospital with what they thought was appendicitis on

Wednesday morning. Turns out it isn't. Just some weird bug.

What else would you do when you are stuck in an ER? Take pictures of course!

Other than that I have had to stay inside all week fighting this fun

little thing.

We had interviews on Friday, so that was fun. Got to see the Castros.

I am sorry for looking like death in that picture.

Reasons why Friday rocked: Sister Castro, and Panera!

Also, we roasted a Peep. (It was not as good as you would expect.)

Peep roasting

Basically, I am just going crazy and ready to get better.

Hermana Hardy has been going on exchanges with the other Hermanas all

week, so I am glad she has at least been able to work. Other than

that, there is not a lot to report!

Hopefully next week will be more eventful!

Hermana Courtney Miller