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