First P-day email (week 1)

2.0 10-5-2019  at 8:40 AM (from miller.sadie@missionary.org)

Mama and Daddy,

Oh how I miss you! I never really thought this day would come,  that I'd be sitting here writing an

email to you and here we are. These past few days have been really confusing and difficult

emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.  Seriously,  it feels like everything that I think

or feel is at level 10, and that's the only level I can feel at, all or nothing. Luckily, I've been able to

mostly stay in control of my emotions...mostly. I like it here. The food is much better than I was

led to expect but I haven't had much of an appetite thus far. I'm sure that's just the stress of so

much change, and it will improve, but don't be worried because I am still making myself eat.

As far as sleep, I miss my bed like crazy!

I'm on the top bunk and it just cozy, so I am so grateful for the pillow you gave me

and also the pillow case from Sister Colman, please tell her how much I love it!

I put it on the pillow they gave me and it seriously made me feel so much cozier

and at home and helped me sleep. The first night I kept Hermana Kendell up all

night sleep talking! And then the next night I had one of my infamous sneeze attacks,

so I felt bad about that. So last night I prayed that we would both sleep through the

night without waking, and when we got up she said, "wow, I finally slept through the

entire night without waking up once!", and so did I!

It was a small miracle and blessing for us both, Heavenly Father answers prayers!

My district is cool, but inevitably there are a few elders who really get on my nerves Haha. There are four Hermanas in our district and eight Elders, they are all good kids.

I mentioned briefly before, Hermana Kendell is a huge blessing, I really love her.

We get along great and can talk really openly, which has been good for me since I

miss Emma. Please tell Emma my hair always looks like garbage. She lives on a

farm that was established by pioneers and has been in her family for five generations.

She loves cows, fuzzy things, candy, breakfast, and swims competitively. So far she

struggles more than I do with the language, but it had been a blessing for me to

practice helping someone in subtle ways that make them feel confident while also

being humble and grateful for the gift I've been blessed with to learn and comprehend.

We are working hard together and are on our way to speaking Espanol! We set a goal

to start and finish reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish by the time we leave the MTC,

and I know that will help us both to learn the language like nothing else will. I like my

teachers Hermano Frias (from Panama, his English is very hard to understand), Hermana Cash

(served in Mexico), and Hermana Inskeep, who is a small sister from Wyoming who served in

my mission just a few years ago! I also forgot to mention that Hermana Kendell is going to mysame mission, and so that will be so fun! We are the only Ecuador missionaries in our district. Anyway, it is so far the hardest thing I've ever done, but I'm learning to like it and from there can work on learning to love it. :) Sometimes I wonder if it is that this is harder than I thought it would be or if I'm just not as tough as I thought I was. At least its keeping me humble!! Here we say big baby steps. Im trying to remember to just lose myself in the work. And there's plenty of that! Hope all of you are doing well, I miss the kids. Kiss puppy boy for me:)

Love, Hermana Miller

Here are some pictures:

Greenie package from Uncle Nate & Aunt  Jenny

 Package from Aunt Mel

 Missionaries watching General conference

 Quote I saw in an office I love

Hurrah for Israel story painting

PS,

I can read emails all throughout the week, just not respond till pday ,

so tell the kids not to hesitate to email me about what they're up to, I miss hearing about their days.

Since it was your p-day- we got a few emails and we got to talk to you which was wonderful!  You needed some face lotion and some body lotion, so I ordered that from amazon-- that's nice while you are in the MTC, it's easy to send you stuff.  It was wonderful to see your sweet face, and there were tears, but they were so sweet- it made all of us feel better just getting to talk to you.  Later in the day we emailed some more: 

On Sat, Oct 5, 2019, 4:03 PM Holly <clevelandmiller@yahoo.com> wrote:

Loved your pictures!! Get your beautiful face in some next :)

I wondered if you’d think that too about elder holland- and the mic drop-your district must think you are fun :)

I sent you some lotion from Amazon—the scent was described by a review as heaven on a ferris wheel- thought I couldn’t go wrong with that. That was a cool quote that you sent

I love that

Your packages are awesome!!!!

So sweet of them- I will text them today and go overboard

I’m glad you have snacks!! That will be nice

And I’m sure it’s fun to get a package that you can so easily share with your companion

I told dad- and I read everyone your email- we are so proud of you

During our call your Spanish sounded great

What was that scripture

Moroni 15? What verse?

Maybe we can work on memorizing it too- I could make that our come follow me challenge...

We loved the one talk by elder Aullid (sp)

Especially because he pronounced baptized like

“Bappp-tized” like Nacho Libre ;)

When  Elder hollland ended with
welcome to general conference
Didn’t you feel like after Elder Holland said, “Welcome to General Conference” at the end of his talk that there should’ve been a mic drop? 😊

I got emma and Dad on google hangouts- & I  added them to our Family hangout group and put the app on their phone so hopefully we’ll all be more aware of when you are available next week

I can imagine what you are saying about being at a 10 or nothing- that can be tiring and overwhelming- but being tired in the Lord is the best tired - just take it one day at a time- you’ll get feeling more focused and scheduled and that will help

I also got your first email ready to send out

I double checked it three times- all edited/good

I think I need to send it from your missionary gmail account rather than from my personal email So reply emails will come to you -

so I will do it that way if that’s ok with you

Emma and I made sure we got everyone’s emails today/ it took us awhile-

you are wildly popular

I think it ended up as 170 emails- since you can only group 100 together I’ll send them in two batches - it’ll be good- I’m sure a lot of them are anxious to hear from you- it’s s neat  missionary opportunity

I’m still glad I get more detail so thank you for that- it makes my heart happy

Emma fed your fish and I cleaned out the aquarium/ they are doing well

Tonight all the girls (even Lainey) will go to the stake center for women’s conference with me - dad and the boys will watch the BSU game here and then a Lakers game

I don’t think they’ll miss us

I’ll be thinking of you-

Love you Buggy-

We’re praying  you have a wonderful week- that you wax confident in the Lord and continue to feel blessed in learning Spanish and in teaching gospel truths...

I loved what you said about learning how to help your companion feel confident while being subtle in your approach

You have so many gifts that qualify you for this work and I know the Lord has many waiting in the wings to pour upon you- as you seek them, trust Him, and give it your best— Let’s  Go #10- you’ve got this!! Baby steps are perfect!

Keep praying for good sleep- you both need it-

Love you so so much-

Mama

On Sat, Oct 5, 2019, 5:45 PM Sadie <miller.sadie@missionary.org wrote:

Mama,

The lotion sounds perfect! Thank you so much and sorry you had to do that. That's hilarious, when Elder Holland said that I literally looked at my district and charaded a mic drop!! You're still reading my mind even when I'm gone, I love that we can do that:)

I got two packages today, from Nate& Jenny and Aunt Mel. I'm one spoiled missionary! Hermana Kendell and I are now pumped about our snacks! If you wouldn't mind telling them how much I appreciated and needed and loved their sweet kindness that would be awesome, I don't know that I will be able to email them today, but I will, for sure if anything next week.

I love you so much!! Please also thank Daddy for his email, it meant a lot to me that he would take the time to do that! I needed both of your words of encouragement today. I cried a ton during the phone call, but I hadn't really cried yet and after that and seeing you guys I just feel the best yet, so much better. I'm so so grateful for my family.

   Saturday, 10-5-2019 5:50 Sadie Miller<miller.sadie@missionary.org>

Last one for the day, oh it's been a great day for me since talking to you, I feel much better. 

Know I'm really emotional when talking to you only because I'm so happy to hear your voices, 

they are good tears!

The scripture I memorized in Spanish was Moroni 10:5

Thank you! We've had a big lesson on pronunciation, so I've been working at it:)

I will so miss Come Follow Me with you all-- I was thinking about what you've 

done for our family with that during conference. Have a fun girls night!! 

Thank you for figuring out all the email stuff for me and also for taking care 

of my fish, it's the lamest thing ever but I miss them, and especially when 

I realized I forgot to say goodbye to them. Sad. But thanks for watching out for them! 

See if Emma remembers their names.😉 

Hermana Kendell finally got ahold of her parents and just bawled, and then I 

did too, so it feels good to cry and know that I'm not the only super emotional

 one when I think of or talk to my family. They are very nice and I got to talk to them.

  I'm turning into dad the bishop version!! 

Thank you for supporting me in this and being such a huge source of strength for me.

 I've talked to so many here who have situations that are so hard and no 

support or love notes and calls from home and I'm so blessed. I love you. 

I'll be so looking forward to Saturday, 

Hermana Miller