Hey everyone!! What a BEAUTIFUL day! It's sunny out, I've got a lot of errands done already and we are about to head out to play some wiffleball down at Petco Park (which is the stadium that.... some big team plays at haha... clearly I don't keep track of that right now).

   This week was such a good week! GABRIEL WAS CONFIRMED ON SUNDAY! He had an interview right before sacrament meeting to make sure he was still clean and staying strong keeping the commandments, and he passed! So one of the Elders who shares the ward with us, Elder Hepworth, confirmed him and we had the bishopric and some of his new friends he has made stand in to confirm him. There was also another confirmation done on Sunday, her name is Alex. I'm not sure if I've told you about her yet, but she is AMAZING! Her parents were just baptized about a month ago, on Christmas. And Alex has been taking her time, really just trying to figure everything out and if it's really true. Alex is really in tune with the spirit, I keep reminding myself to not covet that talent of hers, haha. She receives answers to her prayers quickly and so clearly too! She wrote down a list of questions she had, and then said a prayer and asked God about all of the questions, and she got answers (the right ones) that we (and the elders) had never even taught her! She had an interesting experience, she was having a GREAT morning and then for some reason, it changed drastically, and for not apparent reason. We shared with her Joseph  Smiths experience in the grove when he was about to pray, but then Satan came tempting him right when something miraculous was about to happen. Satan will try anything and everything to bring us down and put doubts in our mind. She was able to relate to the story and we even talked about baptism with her, she's praying about either the 16th or the 23rd. WELLLLL this last week we get a phone call from the Elders saying that she wanted to be baptized, that night (Wednesday night). One of the elders (a visa waiter) had just received his visa so he was leavin gin the morning, so she decided she needed to do it that night. Soem phone calls were made (because she wanted to do it in the ocean!) and we all headed down to La Jolla Shores! She was baptized right at sunset, the spirit was strong, and the elders played a song on the ukelele and sang "How Can I Be". It was a memorable night to say the least :) Friday night she called us CRYING, just sobbing! I thought, oh no... what happened! Well it turns out it was a good cry. She's been going to a lot of doctor appointments for her health to see if she will be able to have kids someday... and on the day before she was baptized the doctor had told her she wouldn't be able to. And then the day after her baptism, she found out she could! She recognized it as a blessing and miracle straight from the hands of God. She took the step of exercising her faith, and in return He gave her the best gift she could ever receive. We were texting that night about her miracle and she commented, "I YEARN to tell others about this! ITS TRUE!" Anyways, she was confirmed Sunday too :)

   We haven't been able to meet with Oscars friends yet, but we are still trying! But we were able to witness a miracle Sunday which continued on to yesterday! Thomas brought his roommate to church with him, Ralph, we were able to set up an appointment with him for yesterday. When we went over to his house we were able to get to know him and his family situation, apparently his entire family converted to mormonism a few years back, but he's been the "black sheep" and never joined. He feels like he needs a new "hobby" and he wants church to be one! We were able to introduce the Book of Mormon and prayer, we have our next appointment for Wednesday! I'm excited!

   So good things are happening and I'm excited to be apart of it! We have transfers tomorrow morning and I think there will be a lot of switches between all the sisters. Our mission is piloting a new program that deals with training new missionaries differently, I don't really understand all the details about it so I'll probably expound more next week... if I remember :) Well I hope you all have a great week! And I love you all soo much!

Love,

Sister Miller

Hello everyone! This week has been soo good, I don't even know where to start...

   The ward is great! Oh my goodness, Oscar is doing so good! Remember, he is the one who got baptized Dec. 18th and since then he has told us of three of his friends who he would like us to visit and help, and he plans on us  meeting a few other ones soon too! It's incredible to see how he has embraced the restored gospel and how it has changed his life around. Last night we had an appointment and discussed the importance of serving a mission, he said he would like to go, his only set back is that he is the provider of the home. His Dad isn't around so ever since he was in 9th grade, he has had to work and pay all the bills. He believes in miracles and he said he trusts in God and will pray for a way to be provided! Sharing a message of missionary work is my FAVORITE thing to do, I just get filled with so much energy that I can't even contain myself. And I probably don't make much sense, and it doesn't sound real eloquent (mostly because I don't give myself time to think, I just start blurting out how amazing a mission is) but hopefully they get the point and at least understand how much joy and enthusiasm being a missionary and doing missionary work brings into ones life. It's the best... I don't even know how to describe my feelings about my mission, it's just the best! Haha. Oh boy.. moving on..

   We had a Mission President Fireside Sunday night... a night of music and testimonies. I sang in the choir and all the musical numbers were so good! The spirit was strong and the congregation really liked it I think.
   So I found out something really cool yesterday! We've had a new senior couple serving here at the historic site for the last 2 months, Sister and Elder Thomas. There's a great spirit about them! I haven't had a chance to get to know them as well as I would like, but boy did I get to know them a little better yesterday! Apparently (and I feel kind of dumb, like I should have known this) Sister Thomas served as the first counselor in the general young womens presidency back in 2000-2003. During her service there, she spoke in every session of general conference, giving a total of 6 talks! Oh I feel so awful about not having a single clue about it. She hasn't even mentioned it to anyone here! She had made mention about having assignments from the church in other countries, but sheesh! Anyways it has been so great to serve with those two. They served a mission previously together at BYU Jerusalem, Elder Thomas served as the doctor there. They are such a fabulous couple and I plan on getting to know them a lot better real soon! Just thought I would share some exciting news with you all.

   The church is soo true :) and I love sharing it with everyoneeee, it brings peace and happiness, aww it's just amazing. Anyways, well that's it for this week, I love you ALL and I hope you have such a great week! You are all in my prayers.

Love,

Sister Miller

Love,

Sister Miller

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! I love having "new starts" in things, especially having a new year. What a great opportunity to rededicate, refocus, and realign our lives with our Saviors and do the will of our Fathers. I am always amazed at the thought that our Father in Heaven really does know the end from the very beginning, our view is far-sided and sometimes we have blinders on the sides... but with an eternal perspective and the help of our Father, we are still able to do amazing things. At the end of the Mormon Battalion tour there's a line that says, "God gave us what we wanted most from where we least expected it." we really are ordinary men and woman, who are capable of doing extraordinary things. May we all rededicate, refocus, and realign... I know that in doing these things, we will be prepared to receive the blessings that our Fathers wants us to have and knows we need.

    The last week was a GREAT one! It was Sister Stott's birthday on New Years Eve so that morning we had an app. at the church that really ended up being a gathering of missionaries from the surrounding areas and members from our ward, it was so fun! We were then called to serve at the temple grounds for what we thought would be 11-5, however we quickly found out the temple was closing at noon with the grounds closing shortly after that. Well when we arrived, there were wedding parties all around the temple, there were 19 weddings in just 3 hours. So here Sister Stott and I were, hustling all over the temple grounds, talking to members and visiting those just "checking it out". In those few fast hours we were able to get 8 referrals, what a tender mercy of the Lord! There were people coming onto the grounds prepared and searching for more truths, and we were there and ready to help them. The spirit was strong that day, and I will treasure that memory forever.

    Terrell passed his interview on Saturday, just after we had finished teaching him some of the questions he would be asked, haha it was a stressful 3 days of teaching him everything he needed to know in order to be prepared for Sunday! Terrell is SOO AWESOME! It was a testimony meeting on Sunday, and he went up there- wearing his bright blue suit and all, he read a poem he had written and thank everyone for their support and welcoming him. Sunday we had a double baptism as Thomas was baptized too! They both had people there to support them as well as our entire ward! We had our regular classes and then after church we all gathered again in the chapel where we had the baptism program, when it came time for the ordinance we all walked into the primary room where the font was, watched the two get baptized, then went back to the chapel where we did a presentation on Christ's life and him being our perfect example. Towards the end of the program Terrell got up again to read another poem and bear his testimony, when the program had finished, Tatiana who was there to support Thomas came up to us asking when her date was to be baptized and that she was very excited for it. She still needs to come to church a few times and meet with us to get her prepared for that day which will be the 16th. From the chapel we all went into the gym where we had a "break the fast" and ate lunch together... then we hurried off to serve at the Mormon Battalion! What a perfect day :)

     What a great way to start this brand new year :) I'm so grateful for this past year that I had the opportunity to serve a mission and learn and grow-- I have learned so much, I can't even begin to start listing all the lessons I've learned. I just know I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve with our Savior in bringing others unto the knowledge of him and our Father in Heaven and helping them return to live with Him someday. Serving a mission is the best thing in the entire world :)

    I love you all so much and I hope you have a wonderful week and start this year off right :)

I love you!

Sister Miller