Getting to Work

 Hello friends!

 

This week was an adventure for sure!

 

On Monday, we rode down to Ilagan to drop off my companion. She met up with other departing missionaries and headed to the mission office, leaving me companionless.

 

I have had the amazing opportunity to be companions with the Tumauini 2nd Ward sisters!! They are absolutely amazing, and I have loved working with them!! They have helped me learn so much, and they have been so kind. It has been a good experience to look for the joy in missionary work.

 

This week has been absolutely crazy. Because I do not have a companion yet, we worked in a trio and tried to visit both our areas. It was challenging! We spent a lot more time in the other sister’s area because they had a really busy week, but it was okay with me as I got to meet a lot more people and learn and make mistakes! 

 

Speaking of mistakes…

 

I was in a lesson and I was trying to share an experience about how faith has blessed my life. As I was sharing, I ended up saying that as I was struggling and I turned to God, I could see the light of Christ in “your” life…instead of “my” life….everyone laughed. It might have drawn the spirit away a tiny bit, but it was also a good bonding experience and I have learned to be very careful with the pronouns and to really think before saying one.

 

I do make a lot of mistakes, but it is part of the fun! Sister Lafaele (one of the sisters I get to work with this week) has been helping me with my pronunciation and it is sooo helpful! Guys, learning a language is sooooooo hard! But it is also so cool and I know the gift of tongues is so real! I am working on patience still. Remembering that I have only been here for 2 and a half months, and no one can learn a language that fast is helpful.

 

We had an experience this week that helped me see that God is aware of all of his people. We were working in my area and we got punted (the people we went to visit weren’t available, and our backups were busy too). So we decided to go finding. I led my companions down a road and we saw a house that had a car in front of it (not super common here in the Philippines). Anyways, we knocked on the door and we met the sweetest sister. We got to talk to her about what she believes and shared a message. We ended the conversation with a prayer, and at the end of the prayer, she was crying. The spirit was so strong. We had an opportunity to visit her a second time this week and it was amazing too! I know that God is aware of all of us and that he can guide us! It was a beautiful testimony to me that God loves his children and the power of the spirit.

 

Another really big success this week was Brother ArJay and Brother Allan attended Sacrament meeting!! For the last few weeks we have not had any friends coming to church, but even with not really being able to work a lot in my area, we had 2 friends come to church!! It was truly a miracle.

 

Leading my area this week has been a bit of a challenge. There are a lot of problems in my area, but I have been learning a lot and made a lot of plans to help the people here come closer to Christ! I know that God will help me help this area as I turn to him. I am excited to grow through this new experience!!

 

For my spiritual thought this week, I am going to bring us back to my favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon. I know, I have probably shared the entire chapter with you all at this point, but it is so good! Everyone go read Mosiah 24 and feel the love of God!! 

 

Mosiah 24:14-15

 

“And I will ease [your] burdens…even that you cannot feel them upon your backs…that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions…[and] the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease.”

 

If you cannot tell, I LOVE this chapter. This week, it was a part of my personal study. The part that really stood out to me was that God will lift our burdens AND strengthen us. It’s not one or the other. As we turn to Him during our difficulties, we become stronger and can carry more, but we are not expected to carry our burdens alone!! Christ is waiting to lift our burdens and make them lighter. There have been many times in the last few weeks when I wanted to give up. There have been some really hard things that have happened, but I knew that I would not give up. However, I felt like my burden was too heavy to carry. I felt alone. However, I was not, and never am alone. I am able to give my burden to my Savior and He can carry it, and strengthen me.

 

I know this is a true promise. I know that God has strengthened me and carried my burden so many times in the last few months. I know the only way we can make it through life’s struggles is through the Savior. He paid the price for our sins and our burdens so that we never have to carry that burden alone. I love my Savior. I love this gospel. I know that it is true and it is the good news. I know that Christ is waiting to help us with whatever we need, we just have to turn to him. He will carry our burdens as we allow Him to.

 

I love you all!! Thank you for your emails this week!! I hope you all had a great week! Let me know if you need prayers! 

 

I love you all!

The church is true, God loves you!

Be happy, Be brave, Be smart!

 

Love,                    

Sister Miller