WELCOMING COMMITTEE

Hey friends! 

Time is flying here at the MTC! The first few weeks felt a little slow, but this week has felt crazy fast, and I can't believe I'll be leaving the MTC in just over two weeks! It's crazy to even think about. I don't feel ready right now, but maybe I will in two weeks. If I don't, I am sure it will still be great! 

 

Also, shout out to my big sister, Hailey, for turning 22!! Happy late birthday!! I love you so much! 

 

This week was amazing!! I got to be a greeter for the new missionaries on Wednesday and it was so special. I remember how hard it was to leave my family when I got here, and it made my heart hurt for all the missionaries who left their families that day. It was also so sweet—I could see their desire to serve the Lord and how excited they were to serve a mission. It truly was a special experience.

 

It was especially amazing that I got to see both Sister Partridge and Sister Robinson!! Sister Robinson was in my ward at college, and I had the opportunity to help her from her car and deliver her to her first stop in the MTC. It was so special. Sister Partridge was one of my roommates at college, and I got to help her find her dorm and introduce her to the MTC. It was so nice to see them both and be able to talk to them. It was a highlight of my week, and I was so grateful to get that chance!!

 

And…I get to do it again tomorrow! I love greeting the new missionaries, so I am so excited to do it again!!

 

Other than greeting new missionaries, this week was very similar to my other weeks here at the MTC. Classes are getting better! I understand more every day. Not a lot more, but it is improving! Yesterday my companions and I talked to one of our teachers about how we were struggling with the language, and he told us that we were actually doing very well! He might have just been being nice, but it was nice to hear. He also said he could tell that we were working hard, which was also very comforting.

 

Learning a new language has really taught me to trust in the Lord. I know the only way I will learn this language is with His help. We are fully immersed in the language, here at the MTC, and there are times that I have no idea what anyone is saying. In these moments, I feel myself praying for His help, His guidance. And then, there are also moments when I do understand, and at these times, I know that He is guiding me and helping me.  As I am learning, I have felt myself come closer to my Savior and I am so grateful for it. It is hard, but completely worth it! 

Speaking of the language being a little tricky…we had our first Helping Others Appointment in Tagalog!! It was an adventure, for sure! I had no idea what the person we were teaching was saying 99% of the time, but I was able to bear my testimony about faith. I am learning that the spirit carries the feelings of our hearts more than sometimes our words. And I am relying on that right now. (At least when I get in the field my trainer should know the language a little bit more than I do, which will be helpful for teaching lessons!) Even though I wasn’t able to speak as much as I was hoping, it was still a great experience. Plus, I get to try again on Thursday!! I'm so excited!! 

On another note, there used to be two Tagalog districts here at the MTC, but the other district left this week! It was really sad to see them go, but also super exciting! I know that all of them will be great missionaries, and it made me so excited to head out into the field soon too!!

 

That's been about it for this week! It was an amazing week, and I am reminded everyday how amazing it is to be a missionary serving the Lord. 

For my spiritual thought this week, I wanted to share a little bit from the Book of Mormon! 

I was reading in Alma 24. In this chapter, the Lamanites were converted to the gospel by Ammon and his brothers. After their conversion, they decide that they do not want to go back to their old life, so they decide to bury their weapons and not fight anymore. The part I love (I love it all…it is an amazing chapter, and everyone should read it;)) is in verse 17 where it says: "And they did bury them up deep in the earth". 

 

I love this so much! I love that they buried them deep. They forsook their sins and promised to be better. I want to be like them. I want to be as fully committed to the gospel as they are! I love that they were willing to do everything to repent and come unto Christ. They trusted him completely. As I continued to read the chapter, I was impressed over and over again by their faith. They had complete trust in God and His plan. 

 

The Book of Mormon is so good. I learn something new every time I read it, and my love for the Book of Mormon just continues to grow as I study it here on my mission. I know 100%—without a doubt—that it is true. I am so grateful for it in my life. 

The gospel is so good!

Thank you all for your emails and messages! I am so sorry if I haven't responded yet! Last P-day was a little crazy!

 

I love you all!

The Church is true, God loves you!

 

Love, 

Sister Miller

 

Pictures:

Last P-Day Hailey and Jaxon knew where I was in the MTC building and they came and waved to me from outside the MTC. It was a highlight!! There are some fun selfies while we study and in the classroom for you all to enjoy. We also got to go to the temple again!