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#2
And then there were fifteen!

Ahh this week has been so crazy and amazing! Last P-day we got to go walk around Madrid (a place called Seoul I think) and this city is GORGEOUS.  We went into a gorgeous cathedral, and saw some incredible buildings!  This place is unreal. 

 

Also, last Saturday we went to el parque and it was AMAZING.

Seriously the Lord´s hand is in this work.  Right before we left for the park, one of the teachers told me and my companion to interrupt people even if they´re texting or listening to music because this message is more important than any hobby.  Which lead us to this experience...

My park companion, Sis. Andrus and I saw a woman sitting on a park bench listening to music, we just went up to her and started talking-- SHE IS SO PREPARED FOR THIS GOSPEL.

She only spoke Spanish, so in my Spanglish we tried to communicate with her, but it was just so difficult!  Her name is Maisabel (Said like Maribelle),  i tried to ask her if she like music, and she said yes, so i told her that we sing at 4 by a fountain in the park.  It wasn´t for another hour so i was sure she´d be gone by then, but she agreed to come see us.  I thought maybe she was just being nice, but i prayed she would come!  When we went to go sing- there she was!!! Ah we freaked out.  We went and said hi to her, then went to go sing.  So i went up to a Sister in my district, Hermana Samuelson, who speaks spanish very well, and asked her to go talk to her about the gospel. WE GOT A REFERRAL!!!!!!! She wrote down her information and also wrote, ¨Please call me!!!¨ AHHHHHHHHHH. We were on a spiritual high!  We also met a man named Juan, he is 81.  He also only spoke Spanish, but we talked to him to forty ish minutes! He loved us, but didnt really want to here about the gospel, so i just asked if we could practice our spanish with him.  After making some spanish small talk, i asked my companion to tell him about the book of Mormon (¨she needs to practice her Spanish¨ i told him) so we then talked with him about the gospel and ahhh it was awesome!  He said he would like to learn more, even though he thinks he´s too old for religion, and he gave us a thorough referall! I just love this work, and i love testifying of how happy it makes me, i just want everyone i see to feel happy like me! 

 

So to explain my title-- there are literally FIFTEEN PEOPLE AT THE CCM NOW.  Uh. 10 Hermanas and 5 Elderes.  I cried so much when the others left, the next time i see most of them will probably be on the other side, I just love them so much!  And im seriously obsessed with the Russian language, and now there are no more Russians/Americans learning Russian. And im sad about it.  Now who can i practice my limited Russian words on?! The first day they left my companion and I got called as the new Sister Training Leaders! So that was exciting, i am excited, i need to learn how to better put others before myself, what a great opportunity! Ha, but after i had all of those feelings of gratitude, i got into a funk for the rest of the day, and seriously i was just so depressed.  There´s no one here but my district and one other one and i just thought i was gonna go crazy!!!!! I looked at them all and was like, ¨i seriously dont know if i can handle being with only you missionaries.´´ i think they all can kinda relate because no one was offended (i think) when i said that. Ah, but that day this place just felt like a prison! I miss everyone who left...if it werent for my companion i wouldve had a nervous breakdown! but i think i´m over those depressing feelings now and im just trying to enjoy the small number we have here. Ha, its so funny to think provo has thousands and we have 15. Weird.

 

We have been getting better at teaching, there are so many things to cover and our limited language abilities make it difficult, but one of the Americans learning Russian said, ´´God is not going to let our limited language skills get in the way of moving His work forward.´´ and i truly believe that!  Yesterday was such a cool experience, Hermana Bennett testified in Spanish to one of our investigators, and it was such a simple testimony.  I´ve heard her testify of José Smith in spanish before, but the spirit was just so strong this time...we were both in tears and i could feel my testimony burning inside me! 

 

 

 

Okay so I want to share an experience i had on THE BEST THANKSGIVING EVER.

 

So in my setting apart blessing my Stake President told me that I would have the opportunity to bear witness of Joseph Smith and the Restoration everyday that i prayed to have that opportunity.  It meant a lot to me because my testimony of Joseph Smith is so strong and close to my heart.  So on thanksgiving day i woke up and had the prompting to pray to have that experience.  So in our thanksgiving devotional there was this huge bucket full of slips of paper, everyone´s said different things like, ´´Say why youre grateful for eternal families.´´ and stuff like that and most all of them were different.  So there were like 40 different things you could get.  As i opened my paper it said, ´´´Bear testimony on the Restoration and tell how it has blessed your life.´´ I just broke down crying. What a tender mercy!  God is mindful of us. I know without a doubt that I did not recieve that paper by coincidence.  And i was reminded by a small slip of paper that God is involved in my life, and in this work, and that our leaders truly are called of God.  We can immediately talk to Him through prayer! We are blessed.  So so blessed, even if sometimes we dont take the time to step back and see it- but life´s a lot more enjoyable if we do!

 

I love you all, thank you for your prayers in my behalf.  I can feel them strengthening me!

 

Love, Hermana Miller