Feliz Navidad?

 Feliz Navidad?

Merry Christmas from Virginia!

First Christmas as a missionary was awesome and we spent the day doing service and talking to people in the streets. Most of the people here in Woodbridge celebrate on the 24th so it was fun to have Christmas one day earlier! We ate lots of pan con pollo!! We got to help a random man wash his car! 

I'm getting to the point in this area where I'm starting to run into a lot of people I've already met before which has actually been really special! There have been some joyous reunions in Wendy's parking lots and public parks across Woodbridge. 

My Spanish is really starting to improve which has been a huge blessing considering Hermana Bell and I are both new so we're starting to stay afloat. The gift of tongues is real and  God really does qualify us for the work He asks us to do!!

And Christmas miracle!! We ran into a recent convert German at the park and it was a huge tender mercy!

This week we taught our friend Oscar about the Word of Wisdom as he prepares for his baptism and we broke the news about coffee, that if he wanted to get baptized he would need to stop drinking coffee. He was quiet for a minute and we were terrified but he finally responded telling us "How beautiful is it that I get to sacrifice something for God?" Woah!! And he is so right!! When we see commandments and responsibilities as an opportunity that we have to show our love for Heavenly Father, it changes EVERYTHING!! Mission life and regular life comes with a lot of responsibilities and guidelines that can feel restricting or exclusive, but Oscar's perspective has helped me so much to see those moments as opportunities to sacrifice!! I don't know if that makes sense but it was a really tender moment for me and I love him. 

Other than that I was really sick and we couldn't leave the house for a couple days so that was pretty sad BUT we still got some missionary work done!

Notable Things!

-Olven bought us McDonalds

-a lady knocked on our car window in the pitch black and we screamed so loud

-saw a parks officer do a trick on his motorcycle that also had a sidecar

-helped make food with a member (turned out it got fed to the elders #jealous)

-was literally healed for church 

-made a charcuterie board

-ate my first full crab

Love you!

Hermana Miller

Rubber Ducks and Jabon Zote

 Hello all! Merry Christmas! The new transfers started and I am out of training and now training a new missionary! Hermana Bell is AWESOME! She's eager to learn and super committed and a super mega athlete so I'm getting back into shape which is good.I am still in the Potomic River Ward in Woodbridge which is awesome the members are great so I'm really happy about that!

Tuesday I saw World Peace in action in the morning and then the most opposite of world peace I've ever seen. It was insane. Then I had to say goodbye to Hermana Morales and Hermana McGee which was painful because I love them so much. Truly some of my best friends. BUT it's ok and God needs us in other places right now. 

This week we had so many member meals (per usual) but even more because of transfers and so we had 4 member meals in one day!! I thought I might die!! It was wonderful though and I love the members and they are so kind. They bought me presents for Christmas and these women know me so well they got me my favorite Jabon Zote! I promise you this stuff will change your life forever, it is incredible, amazing, and a game changer!! I love it. We sang lots of carols and did lots of service!

I've been feeling a lot of guidance from the Spirit about how I can do the missionary work- where to go, who to visit, where to study and that has been awesome! We knocked a door and it turned out it was someone Hermana Bell knew! He had just gotten heart surgery and needed lots of help lifting stuff into his truck so we got to do that and have a delicious meal and lesson together!

On Saturday we had pancakes with the Stake President which is always a fun morning because I LOVE PRESIDENT AND SISTER BLAIR!!! For my fun fact I talked about my rubber duck collection and they gave me duck!! It was awesome. And for a little Sisters Activity we did a White Elephant and I got two more rubber ducks today so that is a win.  

ALSO two recent converts went to the temple for the first time this week and my soul shattered into a million pieces because that is incredible and I'm so happy for them. 

 Last week of the transfer!! I am officially graduated from training!! It feels crazy to think I'm not going to live in Woodbridge forever but we are just learning to love change and we'll see what happens!!

This week we met lots of people! Lots of lessons! Lots fell through! And church got cancelled!! Crazy!

We had some great lessons with our friend Angel before he left for Guatemala. Tragic. But I love him and I wish him so well!

Because church was cancelled we weren't going to be able to take the Sacrament which we were really disapointed about BUT members save the day per usual and we got to go to a members house and have a little Sacrament meeting. It was SO meaningful to take the Sacrament in such an individual way. Just three pieces of bread on a plate and three cups of water. And how true is that!!! The Atonement is so personal! I'm so grateful for the sacrifice Jesus Christ made for me so he could know me personally and individually!! He is there master healer and the reason we can have new beginnings! So inspiring. So beautiful.

We had Zone Conference and it was so so good. All focused on the Savior and I learned how to daily plan wayyyy better! I'm a new woman. We talked a lot about courage and what we can do to be more courageous. Food for thought! 

Other notable things:

-filmed more content. yikes. 

-showed my friend Edwin lacrosse and he loved it. #spreadthegame

-met Scrappy. one of my favorite dogs here so far. 

-JOYS - Jesus Offers You Smiles

- Webster (our neighbor) was HILARIOUS i can't explain but I'm dead. 

- exchange with Sister Wallin! fun!

- went to historic Occoquan! 

I love you!! God loves you!! 

Hermana Miller

Strongbad do you have a virus?

 A great week per usual but not a ton to report!

I contracted a little virus and we had to spend 2 days inside just making hundreds of phone calls. Literally hundreds. BUT it was good because we actually made a lot of new friends and had a few lessons over video calls! The work goes on!

An Elder in my zone had a sweater that I've had my eyes on for many weeks. It has a little  Salt Lake City emblem on it and he thrifted it HERE IN VIRGINIA. It's beautiful. And this very Tuesday he gifted it to me!!!!! I'm still beaming about it because I'm so happy. It's huge and it's perfect and it has brought so much sunshine to my soul!!

The work has been a little crazy this week. We have a lot of friends working towards baptism who weren't abel to come to church which is always kind of stressful but I'm letting God take control of it all and putting all my stress and fear on the alter. And since then I've felt awesome. 

We went out last night with some of the youth from the ward and that was so so fun!! I was with Rony who is also 19 and got baptized just 6 months ago and he is an ICON his testimony is inspirational and Iearned a lot from him about how to be a good missionary!!

This week as a mission we've focused on how we can be better disciples DAILY. We talk about the importance of daily prayer and sctripture study and Ilove the phrase we use that "Daily Disciplines Determine Destiny" How true is that!! The efforts that we do each day are what determine the growth of our testimony, personaility, and skills!! I'm working on being better at the little daily stuff!!

That's mostly all. God's aware of you!! I love you!! Look out for small tender mercies every day because they are there!!

 Another good week!! They're flying by but also going slow. I can't explain it accurately but it's so fun!!

It's starting to get really really cold here but we had one last warm day where we did all our studies outside at the River and it was BEAUTIFUL! Highlight for sure!! God took his time with Virginia because it's so pretty!!

Thanksgiving was really fun! We made so many hand turkeys and left them on cars! In the morning we also learned a little authentic Mexican dance and that was really fun. It got me excited to see the Christmas dance this year #rip We also filmed Spanish content for social media for 3 hours and that was slightly dehumanizing but we survived and at the end of it all my video had no volume because the mic was muted the whole time. Rough.️

Elder Goesche (a senior missionary in our ward) taught a class about the priesthood for our recent converts which was awesome!! He's awesome and it was fun to help our friends learn more about how important the priesthood really is. So fun. 

We had a cool.experience this week where we felt prompted to talk to someone and turns out we were his THIRD contact with missionaries THREE DAYS IN A ROW! He said "wow I guess God's trying to tell me something?" So true Luis!! And I know he's trying to tell you something too!! Sometimes through the still small impressions of the spirit and sometimes through people! He is in relentless pursuif of you! So cool!

Our friends are progressing really well which is so incredible to watch! We have three friends on date for December 14th so please pray for David, Oscar, y Andherzon!

Other notable things:

-got some incredible finds at Black Friday Deals and it was Wednesday so they were $1!

-played Lotería which was so fun!

-watched part of Brother Bear out of the corner of my eye!

-dogs and cats have been popping off so cute per usual

-our friend Angel has been stalking the blog HAHAHAHA

-met a woman with the most defined 6-pack I've ever seen ever. No words

I know that gratitude softens our hearts!! Im so grateful for so much and especially for my Savior Jesus Christ!!

I love you! God loves you! 

Hermana Miller