VIDEO CHATS (Ibarra, Ecuador)

I always try to get a screen shot of us talking to Sadie on her p-day-- I won't admit how many times I've started at this pictures later in the week and just cried;  missing our missionary.  What a sweet blessing though and a whirlwind of emotions.  I always ask her if it's helping to talk to her or if it's just hard-- because usually when she sees us, the tears come- but she says it's the release she needs adn then she's ready to get back to work.  It sure is wonderful to see her and hear her-- to ask her questions and feel more involved in her missionary experience.  I am so grateful for the example she is to the kids- to me- to our family.  We are so proud of her everyday efforts to be extraordinary and to qualify for the blessings promised her as a representative of her Savior.

Ibarra:

Week 5 email (11-2-2019)

11.2.2019: One month down, say what?  Things are starting to get crazy around here! We are beginning  our last full week at the MTC, or "week six" which means we’ll get to teach seven lessons this week! It's a lot, but it will be awesome.

We had snow this week in Provo!! It is so cold, which is especially terrible in my Amazon Jungle clothes – haha. I didn’t really bring winter wear because I won’t need it in Ecuador.

We began meeting with our new TRC amigo this week. His name is Octavio. The week before we had some TRC amigos in our actual class and one of them was named Oscar. So, when we walked into our appointment, it was Oscar!! Wait..what?? Yeah so it was confusing.  Anyways, to make a long story short, he is an identical twin, which we didn't find out until we left the appointment and ran into Oscar haha. I don’t know why he didn't tell us before that he was a twin, but we all laughed about it later:) Octavio is awesome, he has such a strong desire to know truth and to do what's right. His family isn't thrilled about him meeting with us, but he just said, "They're not going to stop me, this Joseph Smith is one cool guy." Isn’t that so awesome? 

One really great experience we had this week with him was that he said part of his issue with his family was that they had a lot of questions and points that weren't made very kindly, and he wanted to be able to defend the things he is learning with us, but he feels like he can't because he doesn't have his own testimony yet. He kept saying the word "desire". He wanted to know what was true. Coincidentally, (or not :) a scripture I'd been studying earlier that day had the answer: Alma 32:27. The spirit was strong as he read the verse aloud and then looked up in surprise. Then he asked us how he could feel what the verse described, and again, I told him the Book of Mormon could answer his question, in the very next verse. He read 28 aloud and then laughed and said, "wow, you guys are good!" I just grinned and replied, "Yo pienso que Dios es bueno!" It was so much fun.

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It isn’t a collection of a bunch of nice ideas for other people. The Book of Mormon has applicable principles for me, and for you! How wonderful that is, that right at our fingertips is THE manual for becoming more like Jesus Christ. I'm learning so much as I study with themes and questions in mind, and I feel closer to God through scripture study than I ever have before. God is so good. I love being a missionary:) 

--

Hermana Miller

 Sadie got to see a few friends from Nampa this week in the MTC, Truman Benjamin, and also Kamele Hoopii.... she said hugging Kamele felt like home.  (and I think it was a great thing for her too, because Kamele had  only been in the MTC a few days when they saw each other)

 Hermana Kendell and Miller, MTC Companions

Spiders near their name tags (sent with packages)

We also sent her some halloween donuts from the Provo Bakery

"Do-nut you know we're thinking of you on Halloween?"

Her MTC residence hall roommates

view from MTC classroom

From our video chat with our missionary on her P-day (our favorite day!)

              

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!

video chat week 3

Well it was awesome--- and as long as you are in the MTC and can talk and video chat for a few hours, we're taking advantage of it.  I hope and pray it is a lift to you like it is to us.  This week we ditched the everyone gather around approach (because Dad starts talking super loud- like an old person who doesn't have hearing aids in and asking you interview style questions) while Lainey pushes to be front and center camera-- Emma fades to the side and Miles starts to disengage.  Avery and Graham are also jockeying for the best camera position and I'm flustered because all of that is so distracting and it feels like we are wasting our precious and long awaited (week to week is so long now) time to talk to our missionary.  So this week, we just chatted on on one and I loved that because I think it was important for your siblings- to get that time with you.  And I loved my time with you too.

These pics we took in the car on our way to Lainey's first basketball game. 

 We were able to text chat with you and send them on to you. Miles was four wheeling with the priests and Graham was in Provo with the Wheelers for the BYU/BSU football game.

 We saw this bumper sticker and knew you'd like it....

You had a wonderful week at the MTC and seemed a lot more situated.

  I tried to get a pic of this weeks chat, but did't really capture it... 

Hooray for Video Chats!

The first time we chatted- we all tried to gather in close so we could all see her and all talk- that was day 3 at the MTC for her and we were all emotional... but it was a blessing and I can already tell that being able to communicate with our missionary weekly will be a huge blessing.  My mama heart needs to see her big blue eyes too, and it gives me great comfort.

We got to talk to her on second p-day and that time was a little less emotional and we each got individual time with her. I cannot imagine having a missionary that I could just have a phone call with on Christmas and Mother's Day-- I think the Lord knew I'd need more.

So while she's in the MTC, we are living for Saturdays (her p-day)!