Week 4 email (10-26-2019)

The time is flying by! And that makes me both panicky and super excited! I can't wait to be out in the field, but I also can't imagine my life without English, drinkable water, hot showers, and recognizable food, so I'm also very nervous. It's going to be such an exciting adventure and I just want to get this party started! We finished meeting with Nicole this week, and even though we'd only known her for literally a few hours stretched over a couple weeks, it was hard to say goodbye, and I realized that I'd really come to love her, and worry about her and what she has going on in her life. Today she's taking the ACT in English and I'm praying for her! We should start meeting with a new friend in Spanish this week.

This last Tuesday for the devotional we got to hear from Elder Walter F. Gonzalez of the seventy (he spoke in conference) and his cute wife whose English is adorable. She kept saying "uh-huh" after every sentence and we were all laughing, and it was cute. Something he said that I really loved was, "The doctrine of Christ is faith unto repentance and repentance unto covenants." I think it's the perfect summary of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our district discussed a lot this week about the simplicity of the gospel. Oftentimes we overcomplicate and fill our lives with lots of stuff, good stuff, but stuff that is only overwhelming us.

Another quote from Elder Bednar I love, "Fill your life with better stuff, not just more good stuff. Just doing MORE stuff doesn't make us saints, it only makes us crazy!" It's been something on my mind this week that was a little blessing and reminder that I don't have to do it all, and even the stuff I do I don't have to do perfectly. Just my best and a little better every day.

 I was in the choir again on Tuesday. I'm now unphased by seeing my face blown up on the screen in front of the whole MTC. Yep, it happened again and the jokes are still circulating. I make the screen every time, “MVP style”, I've started to tell them.:) Whatever. Haha. We did sing a beautiful rendition of "I Stand All Amazed". It had an extra fourth verse that isn't in the hymn book and I loved the lyrics. Something like this, "I am secure in the promise of life in His victory, and ransomed from death I will live to my Savior's praise". Isn't that beautiful? I was proud to be a part of that praising, even if I did have to make a special appearance... :)

 On Wednesday this week I got to host some new missionaries, that was a fun way to mix up our day, and I was happy to be able to make somebody's experience just a little bit better. I got a little teary watching all the cute families hug and say goodbye and cry together. You've never felt strength like there is in the parking garage of the Missionary Training Center, you can just see and hear and feel the faith of so many people who are giving so much because they love Jesus Christ. It's amazing. The first girl I helped was also going to Ecuador, is the oldest of six kids, and has three sisters and two brothers!! What are the chances of that?! I see her in the halls sometimes and it is fun to say hi.

The weather here in Provo has been beyond beautiful and I am loving every second of sunshine and outside time that I get. We were joking as missionaries that looking out the window is like a special event around here. Whenever we have a minute or two of break time ("descanso" is my favorite word:) we all rush to the tall window stairs to watch the street and wave at strangers. It's probably pathetic but we love it, it's so funny to watch all the outside world carry on as usual while every moment of our lives feels so urgent! Yesterday we were watching a BYU student on a jog, so funny like ten of us at the window on the third floor, and he tripped BIG TIME. It was so funny, but then we all felt bad for laughing because he got up and limped so painfully and slowly back to his apartment. It was so sad! And the poor guy's only consoling thought was probably, "At least nobody saw that." Haha. If you're ever on the campus of BYU, look up at the windows and wave at the missionaries, you will make their day:)

The Lord is taking very good care of me here, and this opportunity is helping me grow in ways I never even imagined that I could. It is "wonderful to me!". Another thing I loved that Elder Gonzalez said was, "You wanted to be a part of something big, now you are." It's such a privilege to be a missionary and to be so close to my Heavenly Father every minute of everyday, and to develop a stronger relationship with Him and with my Savior because of it.

I love and miss all of you at home, and pray for you all personally and collectively and am grateful for the continual flow of sweet words of encouragement and love. I'm blessed to have so many wonderful influences in my life. We talked about this week how missionaries are so lucky because we are probably the most prayed for group of people in the world, and believe me, we need that and we feel it-- I feel it! Thank you! Lots of love, 

Hermana Miller

 Pictures from this week: Emma sent Sadie and her companion (Sister Kendell) some vending machine treat money for Em's  fave Creamery Ice Cream: Raspberry Lemonade - YUM!

View towards BYU from MTC Classroom

P-day video chat with our missionary- THE BEST PART OF THE WEEK!