What it means to have you on a mission...

As a part of our Come Follow Me lesson, we each wrote you a note to include in a Christmas package with the prompt, "what it means to me to have Sadie on a mission..."

week 9 ( November 29 2019)

Happy Belated Thanksgiving everyone!  I hope it was a wonderful week for all of you!  For me, of course they don't celebrate Thanksgiving so it felt like a California summer day- (you should see my shoe and watch tan!) mixed with periods of rain.

It was a full and busy week- when we aren't teaching, we are looking for people to teach.  I also spend a lot of time helping teach English to anyone who wants to attend the free classes, so I've met many people that way.  I'm starting to become pretty familiar with my arena, which I am proud of because navigating the chaos of the public buses here, is a feat in and of itself. Spanish is still giving me some grief, but I can understand and speak more than last week- so that's a blessing.

I have a bunch of stray street dog friends, they each sort of have their turf,  so when I go from street to street, a dog I know usually walks with us to the next dog's street.  It's cute how they recognize you- and some I've named (like a white Husky- I named him Gringo)  I bought little bag of dog treats hahaa. and so now I've got all kinds of dog friends.- which I love, especially when we are walking at night in the dark.  But really, I've felt very safe here, so don't worry. 

Yesterday something funny happened as we were walking the streets (and when I say streets, I mean cobblestone) My companion doesn't speak Enhglis so I've been teaching her that while she helps me with Spanish.  One day we were joking that we're going to get her an American boyfriend after her mission and so she needed to know the words, "I love you."  SO yesterday we walked past a middle aged man on the street selling toothbrushes and he yelled in English as we walked by, (people always talk and yell at me in whatever English they know- I haven't seen another Gringa here in Ibarra) So this guy yells out, "Hello!  Good Morning. I love you!"  We avoided eye contact, and hurried past him.  Later we both busted up laughing it was so funny and my companion says, "I know what he said: I love you!"  

Anyway the work here is a work in progress.  Most of our appointments fall through.  Punctuality isn't a huge priority for your average Ecuadorian.  But I love them, and love getting to know then, and living and serving among them.  

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I'll wrap up this email with just a few of the many blessings my Heavenly Father has given me: I'm so grateful for the love and support of my friends and family- it is such a strength to me! I'm grateful for the beautiful rain and green-ness here.  Most of all I'm grateful for my Father in Heaven and my elder brother, Jesus CHrist, who love me and love us enough to call a prophet in our day and move their great work forward,even with means as simple as a gringa de Idaho.

Much Love,

Hermana Miller

Week 8 email (11 27 2019)

Sadie with view of Ibarra

Hola!

My last email was short because I was trying to navigate a Spanish keyboard and sketchy computer equipment and we kept losing electricity in this little street tienda we were at. Such is Ecuador life, and you know what, I’m here and I love it! The weather is always beautiful, lots of rain, and the people are so kind.  My Spanish is coming along, understanding it is easier than speaking it, but I learn more every day.  I’m trying to not be frustrated with it, haha. I know the Lord will qualify me for this calling, and even send a little more or the gift of tongues my way :)

 Everything here is different: the transportation, the food, the language, how we wash cloths (by hand—it is the worst!), the sounds, the smells, the stores, what they call things, the greetings, manners, customs, plants, routines, the way they tell time (with 18:00 military style), and of course, my own personal life has just been totally turned upside down but I’m so grateful for it all.  While change is overwhelming, with the right mindset it can be exhilarating!  To be honest though, I’ve had some pretty crazy disgusting food: chicken liver (which I bit into thinking it was some sort of mushroom), chicken feet soup (that has chicken feet (with toenails still on) floating in it, and sardines with skin and backbones. And, no joke, that was all one meal.  Brutal.  Do the missionaries a favor when they come to eat at your house and just make them some nice mac and cheese- haha that’s my dream but they don’t have that in Ecuador. 

We’ve been doing a lot of contacting and I am already well acquainted with being sworn at, spit at, screamed at, having doors slammed in my face.  But I’ve also known the thrill of placing a Book Of Mormon, of having the spirit so strong in a lesson that the person is taken back, when they hear for the very first time that Christ appeared in the Americas; that I have the book that bears record of that glorious event, and then their jaws go slack :)  It all goes hand in hand, the good and the bad- and it is all AWESOME!  Even if I went home tomorrow, I would be so different.  I’ve learned so much and I am inexpressibly grateful to be a servant of the Lord in Ibarra, Ecuador.  Thank you for your sweet emails- I read each one and treasure them- it means so much!

 Bouganvilla everywhere

 Family they eat with almost daily for main meal

 making Ecuadorian mac and cheese

 A little tienda she passes by often with Graham's name :)

 donuts for pday

 her companion, Hermana Andrea Anibarra

District on pday

With the elders, the one right next to me is Elder Canon the district leader. Big guy is in Cpt America shirt is Elder Hopper (the only one besides me from States- he's from OREGON)  Next to him is Elder Seranque, and his comp on the far right is Elder Pajarito

FIRST AREA IN ECUADOR: IMBABURA- Ibarra

week 7 (first week in Ecuador)

Hello all-

I´m here! This is crazy and so unreal. I wish I had more time to write all about it.   I´ve appreciated so much the sweet emails, and while I´m not able to respond today, I hope to be able to soon. If not, please know how grateful I am and how much I enjoy reading them. Thank you!

I´ve had such a cool week. I heard before so many times that the first few weeks were going to be mostly hanging on for dear life, but I´m having a blast! Seriously, this place is amazing. I love being a missionary, it´s so much fun. My companion is awesome—she’s a native of Bolivia (and doesn’t speak any English- which is going to help the language come along quicker for me—although she told me I’m learning “Bolivian Spanish”)  I am grateful for her and know I will learn a lot.

My desk area in Imbabura

kitchen

 bedroom

I’ve been assigned to an area in the North Andes called Imbabura- it’s beautiful. It’s about 3 hours from Quito by bus.  It sits at the base of a volcano.  I haven’t had a change to really see very much of this province yet, but I’ll attach a photo of my view outside my kitchen window. 

There are only 6 missionaries in my district, my companion and I, and 4 elders.  Just one of them is from the United States- the rest are from South America.  I have no idea what my district leader is saying yet- he’s from Columbia and speaks super-fast.  But I’ll figure it out soon enough. 

Pday with the district: My Companion, Sister 

A lot of people speak Spanish and the Quechua language.  Some people only speak one or the other so that’s interesting.  I have had to eat a few interesting things—but no chicken feet soup yet, thank goodness.  Almost everyone here has brown eyes and straight brown hair, so they comment a lot on my blue eyes and wavy hair.  It’s funny.  We walk a lot and take the bus- which I’ve learned doesn’t really stop, just slows down so you have to kind of hop on and off while it’s still moving- so far so good.  We´ve already met two people this week who we are now teaching. The key has been the Book of Mormon, of course. Some of these people have never even heard of it. One woman said, ¨why didn´t anyone tell me that Jesus Christ came to the Americas, that´s amazing!”

The culture is different and I’m enjoying Ecuador, but I can´t wait until it feels like home.  It rains almost every day and the clouds come in low in the morning and surround the mountains--It’s so beautiful and the people are wonderful. It´s a great day to be a missionary!! 

YOU'VE ARRIVED!

 President Jorge Chacon and his wife with Sadie in mission home

Welcome meal

 Meeting her companion, Hermana Anibarra

 at airport

other elders

new incoming group

gathering first day

Waiting on the Lord... but not as patiently as I should be....

You've arrived in Quito.  I only know that because the American Airlines flight tracker says so.  Your flight was delayed so I waited up, by my phone for an email or call- nothing.  I tried to sleep but I couldn't very well. I was sure I'd wake up to a call or text but nothing.  Quito is two hours ahead of us.  I justified it with maybe they got in so late- and then had  a breakfast-- and then as the day has gone on I've just wondered why-- why wouldn't they be allowed to just make a quick call- I need to know she is okay.

A member in one of the airports took this picture and texted it to me- I was so grateful!

I am not the missionary mama that calls the mission office.  (not yet anyway).  I want to be the missionary mama that waits on the Lord-- and I'm really trying- but as I texted Roarke and said, "I really need to know she's okay and she's there" I put down the phone and burst into tears and I felt this surge of love that I have for her-- it was like Mama bear mode and I JUST NEED TO KNOW.  I know the Lord will look out for her-- so I need to trust that.  I know there is so much going on with transitions and getting settled and the late flight- and I think there's a general authority coming to their mission this weekend-- but this mama right here needs to know that Hermana Miller is all right and happy. I think I just need to pray to get some peace.  So I'll go do that right now.

The next day (that's an eternity in a worried mama's heart!) we got a very short email from her and I was so so grateful! So much peace flooded into me with just one little email....