November 24, 2009 "I Am So Grateful for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ Through Joseph Smith"

"We get our flight plans on Friday ahhhhh!! Thanksgiving....will be a very special Thanksgiving to have it here at the MTC. Supposedly this is the best holiday to be here at the MTC for as far as food goes, and we will be doing awesome service projects like making 8,000 emergency preparedness kits for future natural disaster victims. NO CLASSES Thursday either! WOO! HA HA On another note with Thanksgiving coming. I am so grateful for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ through Joseph Smith. We have a knowledge of our relationship with God. We have the Book of Mormon. WE know we can have the gift of the Holy Ghost. WE have temple ordinances restored. WE know we have modern day prophets. We know we can pray to God and He will answer our prayers. I am so grateful for the gospel this year more than ever before. Sad, but I guess that is one of the main things this mission has done to me so far.

I am really starting to freak out, but I am so so so so excited to get to Italy! Last night I had a breakdown realization that in 12 days I will be halfway across the world with REAL people, with REAL problems and I will be a means of them receiving this gospel in a language I hardly know. It was an overwhelming moment. I just have to remember that all I have to do is know that I have been called of God and that he will help me open my mouth. I'm scared out of my mind but I know the Lord can work miracles through me. He does it for everyone else, and I've already seen him do it for me. I love you all and thank you for your prayers. My prayers continue to get longer and more frequent as the reality of this mission gets more real. Please pray for families in Catania. The gospel blesses families. Ci veddiamo, in bocca la luppa!" Sorella Miller

The Catania District November 1, 2009 / Our Italian Zone just keeps growing November 9, 2009 ! "Almost Everyone!"

MTC or ATV?

Fall leaves

Thanks-we loved the Italian Salami Party!! ha ha

1. 

The New Italian Sisters going to Milano

Halloween in the MTC

November 17, 2009 "I Am Actually Doing This!"

CIAO! "This week was great. Maybe I have said this before, but this week it really sunk in that I am actually doing this. Sunday was a very spiritual day for me. In church we sang "I Stand All Amazed" before the Sacrament. A goal of mine is to read 3 Nephi 11 once a week at least. This made the Sacrament a much more precious and personal experience for me. I know it can be a weekly experience for all of us that can be the highlight of our week. Coming to understand Jesus Christ as our individual Savior makes the whole perspective of day to day life different. Sister Sheri Dew came to speak at Devotional last week and it was very incredible. She spoke on "Seeking Greater Spiritual knowledge" in our lives. She based her talk on Abraham 1:2 and striving to be Greater Followers of Righteousness. This talk was very good because this week I focused on knowledge. Each week I pick a different Christlike attribute that I need to strive for and then she gave this devotional. It was like the Lord knew this was something I had been striving for. Goals are so important. I reflect back on my life and realize when I was striving to prepare for something. When I had spiritually minded goals, my life went the smoothest, and I was the happiest. The mission is just an advantage because I have this time set apart to gaining greater spiritual knowledge, but really, I am just greatful because I am a different person than I was 2 months ago. I have come to love reading the scriptures each day and learning from them. Reading my scriptures was a struggle I had my whole life. I pray with real intent. Personal prayer had been something I was not diligent at. It is about diligence, and establishing patterns that help us become a little better each day. 2 Nephi 9:51" Pray to develop Christlike attributes. Since being on the mission I am way more aware of my weaknesses, but at the same time so greatful, because it has brought me closer to my Father in Heaven. I just can't thank God enough for continuing to give me promptings to come on my mission, when I was so set on MY will. It has been the most life-changing experience thus far. I am changing. All thanks to God. No credit to myself, but I know it is something we all can do. Incorporate Christ's attributes in our lives if we truly have real intent and desire to do so Read 3 Nephi 27:27. This week I tested my Spanish as we did the RC. I made outgoing calls to follow up with Book of Mormon requests to spanish speakers. WOOOO I am a little worried ha ha ah Garcia and I were laughing as I struggled to read a spanish script, but my mind now thinks in Italian. IT was an interesting language I was speaking....hopefully the Lord blesses me when I return home ha ha There are problems with the Brazilian visas. We have way more missionaries that are in the MTC now. We added about 70 new elders to our Italian Branch. We now have 3 more Districts of Portugese Speakers. It's quite the change. Looks like I'm a "coordinating Queen" this week because we have 6 new Brazilian sisters and one new Catania Sister coming in on Wednesday! And I know the Catania Sister from Idaho! This week I made a new goal. All Italian from this point on Pray for me. Its hard sometimes! ha ha Thanks so much for your prayers. This is truly the only time in my life I have had thousands of people praying for me all at once ha ha can't let them down. Tell Steph congratulations for me. Wow that's awesome I'm happy for her. I am grateful for the opportunity I have to be here. Time is winding down in the MTC. I pray every day for the families in Catania and people who are in darkness being prepared for this LIGHT to come into their lives. I can't even tell you how much I learn every day. It is so fun to read the scriptures and have all these lightbulbs light up in my head as I make connections and gain new understanding for things I never fully understood. I truly have come to know that "Man's greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others". I can't wait to start losing myself and continuing to FIND myself. I pray for you all. Please know I love you, and thank you for your prayers. Pray for the people in Italy! Ci Veddianmo! Sorella Miller

November 10, 2009 "Fire to Find"

"This week there was a "fire to find" lit in me. A devotional speaker spoke about getting over our fears. This work we are doing is about saving human souls. I think I am starting to get past a fear of being afraid of what people will "think" as I come to understand how important the gospel really is for everyone. It is incredible the thing he said...that as a missionary, "I have the front row seat as God performs the greatest miracle of time, the changing of the human heart" Wow. This week was hard. But I know the Lord strengthens me. I often get frustrated with feeling like I don't know how to teach, or at least teach in Italian, but the Lord always comforts me." Thank you for your prayers!!!!! The gospel is true." Love, Sorella Miller

November 3, 2009 "Amazing Good Friends"

" Sister Prima and Sister Cozzens leave for Milano in two weeks. They are amazing and such good friends."

"This week there has been an emphasis of having faith in the Lord to help you accomplish. It has become more of what are "We " capable of accomplishing in my goals, rather than what can "I" do?" I can't do anything without the help of the Lord. This week we switch to TUTTO ITALIANO! Everything in Italian from this point forward. "Fast Sunday it really hit me how much I owe to the Lord for blessing me with the Language. As I bore my testimony I had a realization I'm speaking Italian, this is not me. This is the Lord truly putting the words in my mouth and recalling information". "I am becoming more domestic as I proudly teach Sisters to sew on buttons and sew a hole in a shirt. I feel like my few skills I know have helped others. Great. Ha Ha!" I want you all to know that this is the best decision of my life. It is soooooo hard, and sooooo exhausting but the gospel is so wonderful. My testimony has grown so much. I can't even describe it in words. I just am greatful for your love and prayers! Please pray for Catania! Love Sorella Miller