Wednesday, December 26, 2012

Merry Christmas!

Dear Familia,

It was the best Christmas present ever to see your happy faces and laugh with you like old times. And to put the cherry on top of the apple pie, as a San Bernardino Zone we were able to attend the temple this morning. I was overcome during the session with the love the Lord has for all His children, including me. It was a wonderful way to begin the day. 

There isn't much time so I'll just bullet point some highlights from the week: 

* Jody and her son Marshall want to be baptized together and are planning on the 12th of January. And her court case over custody went well and she was able to take Marshall to Florida with her to see family she hasn't seen in 10 years. The Lord blesses those who put their lives in His hands.
*We met with Amy on Sunday and after talking with her, found out that she wants to really know for herself is Joseph Smith is a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true. We are going to re-teach all the lessons and hopefully this time she can recognize her testimony. Desire is the hardest part I think, and she's got that.
* Even though the atrocities in Connecticut happened, one of our less active women we teach, Sister Thomas, was able to see God's hand in her life this past week. She received a check just in time from a compensation she should have got years ago, so she could pay her electric bill. The best part is that she knows she is loved by her Heavenly Father.
* Because Sister Bowen was given the opportunity to play the piano at both Christmas parties, and she's amazing like that, we were able to have 2 turkey dinners in a row, with a visit from Santa, and good fun and entertainment for two days! It was a joy seeing the sisters and old friends from former transfers, and of course making some new friends. Being a missionary rocks!
* Val wants to be baptized and we all felt a confirmation that January 12th should be her baptism date. It probably is going to change, but just that experience where we all felt the spirit together was worth it. She is having fun in YW and Josie is a great fellowshipper.

* We got to sing with Val, and the other YM/YW in the Christmas program 

*(Carol of the Bells)

* Seeing Sister Stacey! 

* Helping Sister Eastwood in our ward make her pastries and prepare her Christmas feast, while her daughter cut our zone leaders hair.
* Christmas Eve with the Martinez family and Christmas dinner with the Zurroff's. I felt a lot of love both days. 

I'm very blessed and know the gospel is true. There is too much good fruit that comes out of the gospel not to make it true. I know my Savior lives. 

Dad-thank you for your insight in your letter, it brought tears to my eyes. One of the best feelings in the world is knowing that you've helped save someone's soul. What a perfect plan our Father has where he gives us that opportunity to fulfill his purpose (Moses 1:39) 

Here is the letter for president...

Dear President,

Merry Christmas, Santa! It's been a wonderful year, and an incredible 5 months. This last week there were service opportunities everywhere, and all I had to do was pray for them and then keep an eye out. Even with two Christmas parties, we had a lot of time to teach and testify of the Restoration of the gospel. One example: on Sunday, we felt impressed to go visit Amy, because her concerns about tithing were causing her to think about stopping investigating the church. I learned some valuable lessons that day. First, I learned that there is a line between boldness and being overbearing, and I crossed it. Amy has a lot of why questions and she really wants to know for herself if what she is learning is true. She did look at some anti-Mormon stuff, and I got pretty upset. However, when I saw that she was drawing back, I knew my approach and attitude needed to change. I prayed that I would be more patient and loving towards her, and Heavenly Father answered my prayer. It was only when I was calm like Sis. Bowen, and let her take the lead, that we found out Amy's real concern: she doesn't have a sure testimony of the Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith. Without the foundation, of course the tenets of the gospel aren't going to make sense. At the end of our short meeting, Amy decided she wants to try again, and this time, we are going to really involve our WML and his wife, who knows her pretty well. That is something else I learned, the gospel is never a one try thing or you're out. It's not even a 3 tries and you're out. The Savior wants us to keep trying everyday and to repent so we can progress. The Savior is the perfect teacher of patience, and all things godly. I am so grateful for this semi-hard lesson I learned, it meant a lot more to see the gospel in action then just to hear about it. 

We were really blessed to have members at every lesson with investigators, and through listening to the Spirit on our WML's part, we were able to teach the Restoration to a new investigator, Larry. He is really a good Christian and wants to do what's right, but we don't know if he could comprehend all we taught, so for our next lesson we are going to re-teach the restoration. Just like with my 4th graders, if there was a lesson that went over their heads or I didn't explain well, it was better in the long run to review than to jump ahead and expect them to pass the test. The gospel is everywhere! 

I am very grateful for the gospel and all the answers to prayers my Heavenly Father has given me. I've been blessed to be here in San Bernardino, and Sister Bowen is teaching me a lot. We are doing well and very open with each other. She is letting me practice be senior companion, and its been a good learning experience for me. I'm desiring to lead more with love and effectively. And, to be more patient, especially with investigators and less actives that won't commit. but giving my life over to the Lord and trying to be as He is, is the best motivation in the world. 

Love,
Sister Allison Mills


I made cookies for the Zone!



Cooking at the Eastwoods--Sister Eastwood, Elder Graf, Elder Crozer, and Marissa



Martinez Family




Opening Jenepher and Phil's Christmas present (it took at least 2 minutes!)




Breakfast with the Spanish Elders--Smith, Heredia, and Hernandez




Sister Bowen, Sister Adams, and me at the Temple this morning


(And two more pictures I took off the mission website highlighting their zone's Christmas Party...now you'll understand why she called her mission president Santa.)




With her Trainer, Sister Stacey (and her new comp), and Sister Bowen...plus a few elders



Sitting on Santa's lap (He had all the missionaries do it)





Monday, December 17, 2012

A Christmas Gift

Dear Family,

This week has been wonderful! We have had some ups and downs, but I know the Lord is watching over us so closely, and when one bad thing happens, we are given so much more. Here is what has happened this week and how we were given so much:

First, some sad news. Our investigator, Amy, decided to forgo learning about the Church because of a misunderstanding with tithing. She just can't accept that the Bishop needs to "keep tabs" on what members tithe. She loves that we give, but doesn't understand how those who don't have can give. We are praying for her and hope that we can see her with a member of the bishopric this week to better explain tithing and accountability. It is so hard explaining tithing sometimes, so I want to study that more so this doesn't happen again. It reminds me a lot of the misunderstanding Angela had with spirit prison. The difference is that she was still willing to learn from us and try the Lord (her being baptized and having the gift of the Holy Ghost helped I think). The Lord knows when His child is ready to accept the gospel. I know one day Amy will. It's not so much that I am sad she rejected us, but that she is rejecting the most amazing gift she could ever receive: eternal life and the gospel of Jesus Christ. why wouldn't someone want this?

We were so blessed, though, with hearing from one of our investigators, Tabatha, that she read AND prayed!! Her text came to us right after the drop text from Amy. Jody also is doing great. She is going through a lot of personal trials right now, but we all felt it was right to postpone her baptismal date until January so that she and her son Marshall can be baptized together. Marshall just needs his dad's permission, and we are all praying and fasting for that. Jody is so committed though, and she has a lot of friends in the ward. I love how this ward is so friendly and willing to fellowship. The rest of the week just seemed to fly by with meeting a lot of people, and meeting some harder goals. We have 5 new investigators to add to our teaching pool!!!!!!!!! I've never had that before and oh, just knowing the hard work is showing forth some fruit is such a blessing. Some of those new investigators were totally led by the Lord and not planned by us. For example, at dinner on Wednesday, the less active woman we eat with has 2 foreign exchange students and they wanted to make cookies for dessert. So we changed our plans and made cookies with Solongo (Mongolia) and Laura (from Spain). While we baked, we taught them the Restoration, and they understood it and were so willing to read The Book of Mormon. AND THEY HAVE!!! We probably can't baptize them, but the seed is being planted. I'm becoming an excellent seed planter :D So teaching and cooking made for a perfect Wednesday evening. Solongo and Laura are very sweet and smart. They are exchanging for the year. Laura is a sophomore, and Solongo is a senior. I forgot to bring my camera hook up, but there will be a Christmas card coming your way, and a picture of all of us is on that card :)

We had a wonderful lesson with Elsa and her two children, Hazel and Victoria. Hazel is the way we even got to know this family, because he told us to come back. He ate up what we talked about from the Book of Mormon. His mom seems interested, but he definitely is. When we asked if he would like his own Book of Mormon, he practically grabbed it out of our hands! Kids are just so wonderful. He's ten and very happy and a quick learner, and observant. The Lord is truly preparing him.

On Sunday, we were blessed in 3 main ways. 


The first was a wonderful lesson on the Restoration with a former and now new investigator for us--Juanita. As we talked about the truth of the gospel, we asked her if she could believe there was only one true church on the earth, and she said "of course." that there should be only one. We testified that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that church, and how she can know for herself. She asked us how to pray so she could do it on her own. It was an awesome, spirit-filled and open lesson. She seems really open and very spiritual. She knows the nature of God well and wants to please Him. 

The second way we were blessed was seeing Ashley, a recent convert and her husband being friendshipped by two other couples in the ward. We had a lesson at the Larson's (yep, the family with the son in the Mendoza mission that Jackson may know), and openly talked about the priesthood and our testimonies. I didn't know Ashley before she converted, but she has such a sweet spirit about her, and a strong testimony of the gospel. As she shared some of it last night, tears welled her eyes, and we all felt strengthened. Brother Larson is right, she is a special woman of God. It is wonderful to know they are in good hands. 

And the final blessing, and probably the most shocking, was the gift from the ward Primary here. I guess a few weeks ago they started preparing a Christmas goody bag for the 2 missionaries who were coming. Little did they know I would be here, but they prepared it just the same. Well, we thought that we were going to get a bag of goodies each. No. The presidency had us sit up in the front, and bags after bags of gifts were given to us from the children. Overall we each got about 20 gifts each, if not more! I was so humbled by the generosity of these children and their families. These families are living in hard times, yet they gave up a lot and sacrificed their means to help us in our missionary efforts. It was truly one of the best Christmas presents I ever received. The kids had fun watching us open the gifts and hearing our reactions (ok, I was the loud and crazy one, being so animated, but that's what I do).

Did I mention how blessed I am? The Lord is so good to all of us, and even in our extremities He lets us know how much He loves us. It was horrible what happened this week in Connecticut, and the world all felt the pain. I pray for those families who lost their children to that brutality. We taught a less active woman who wondered if God really was there if such a horrible thing could happen. We promised her there was a God and he was mindful of these families, and we challenged her to ask God himself if he loved her. She did, and she got an answer. We have to talk with her more this week to find out what her answer was, and the experience she had, so...next time :D

Dear President,

Hello!

We had a really good week, but with the normal ups and downs. Sadly, one of our investigators who had a baptismal date for later in the month decided she doesn't want to investigate the church anymore because of her issue with tithing and accountability. And, she hasn't responded to us except to tell us why she decided to forgo her learning. The ward is really willing to help though, and for one of the members of the bishopric to help explain tithing and it's purpose better. I love this ward a lot, and they are so willing to help and meet the investigators that come to church. The friendliness of the ward is inspiring, and I know it is why our investigators, specifically Pat and Val loved church this week. Val is 12 and has a baptismal date for January and she seems really committed to learning and growing in the Church. The young women love her and she has some friends already that she sees at church and at school :) Yes! It was also really great for Pat to be welcomed and for the Bishop to come with us for our lesson with him. He opened up about his concerns, some we had no idea about, and now we can really counsel together with the Lord to help Pat the best.

This week was wonderful in that we got a spiritual confirmation with one of our investigators, that instead of being baptized this weekend as planned, she is going to wait til January so that she and her son can be baptized together. That would be so wonderful! Jody is a wonderful woman and is doing all she can to learn from the scriptures. she inspires me to be more committed. We have been so blessed with the people we are teaching, and we met one of the hardest goals I think there is to meet weekly--we found and taught 5 new investigators! Most seem very open and willing to learn more and progress towards baptism, especially the youth we are teaching. Two are foreign exchange students and can't be baptized here, but if this is the time for an introduction to the gospel, then so be it :) The Lord knows when and how each person in their spiritual journey should hear and decide about the gospel.

We have been working really hard, and Sister Bowen is so supportive. She is teaching me how to be a better follower and receive instruction graciously and how to set goals and make plans to improve myself. I've started doing that more, and I have been happier as I have seen the little improvements each day. Change is hard and so gradual, but with the Lord all things are possible. I learned that to be the 4th missionary, I must surrender my will to Him. In losing my life, I will find it. One of my goals was to find myself and love myself during my mission, and the answer is staring me in the face: get out there and serve, forget yourself, and discover. I am praying for inspiration about how to forget myself and I know the Lord is listening and answering my prayers, just as he does with our investigators. We just have to take that first step. One more story. Tabatha doesn't usually read, but the next day after our lesson when we texted her a follow up she replied with enthusiasm and happiness that she read and prayed! I could tell her countenance was different, even over text. The gospel does change us, if we let it.

Love,
Sister Allison Mills


(And some sections from her letter to me):

...My companion, Sister Bowen, is going to be done with her mission in 1 month and then is going home to Turkey. Her dad is in the air force, so she is an air force brat, and has lived all over (Germany, Ohio, and some other cool places I can't remember right now). So she is going to Turkey for a month until she goes back to Utah for school. She has one more year and will graduate with a chemical engineering degree. Very kind, smart, and athletic. She reminds me of Christina Nelson and Laurel Burrup. She plays the piano beautifully and is always the missionary we call on to accompany any choir (so I don't know what we are going to do when she leaves), and she played the oboe and some other instruments. Such a wonderful person and we are getting to know each other better each day.

...As for Christmas day, we can skype most likely. I still got to check with President. But with timing, Sister Bowen is talking with her family at 7 am since the time difference is so huge, so I will probably be calling you around 9 am. Would that work? Is that too early? Let me know.

(We can't wait until 9 am on Christmas Day!) 

Monday, December 10, 2012

Hallmark Ward, San Bernardino!


Dear Family,

In this email, I'll write, and in the one following, pictures! So much has happened this week, but I don't have much time. We have a lesson tonight with a really great investigator Jody, whom I haven't met yet, and she is getting some great fellowship with the ward. Her baptismal date is set for Dec. 22nd, so I just get a free one. I'm really excited to meet her. Sister Bowen says she is so great and we found out from Jody that she really is determined to be baptized on the 22nd no matter if she's ready or not.

Which takes me to my new companion, Sister Bowen! She is wonderful. Very kind, a great listener, and really determined to give her best every day. I can tell she loves missionary work and the people she's around. Her capacity to love and be so enthusiastic and positive is admirable. She told me that I need to be more positive about myself, and I"ve been taking her advice. When those negative thoughts come, I ignore them. It's not easy, but my days are going better and I'm more focused on the work and the people we are teaching. We have been able to really get to know the ward through visiting with the Bishop, Bishop Hankins, Ward Mission Leader, Brother Moody (and he is the happiest, most genuine person I have ever met, so not moody in the slightest) and crashing the mutual activity and getting to know the girls and YW leaders. This ward reminds me a lot of Hillview, so I really love it here. 

Sister Bowen and her last companion, Sister Dodge, really worked hard here, so we have a pretty good sized teaching pool. The ward is getting more involved in missionary work, and as we continue to counsel together, it's going to get really good. Some of the awesome people we are teaching are:

Karen (I met her my first day in San B). OH YEAH...I'm in San Bernardino :) Pretty safe too up in Devore, where we are staying. More on that later. Back to Karen, she is a really sweet lady, but has a lot of health problems so it's hard for her to come to church. She's been investigating for years, so we may have to drop her if she doesn't progress, which I hate, but I know we are to teach those who will receive us. She knows she needs to read and come to church, but it is up to her. We are seeing her this week with another member, a really recent convert who is just awesome and gung-ho about the gospel, so maybe it will fire Karen up, as well.

Alegria and her two boys, Brandon (8) and Bryan (6). Alegria is less active and we've been teaching the two boys the Articles of Faith, and we had a really fun lesson with Article of Faith 8. We did "telephone" to illustrate how translating the bible so many times makes the message not as clear. The boys are really active and loved the activities. We hope they start coming to church. It's really going to help if we can get another mom with similar age children over so the boys feel included at church.

Lulu (RC) and Tabatha (I)--best friends and really helping each other to understand the gospel. we played 10 commandment jeopordy and they loved it! I used jeopordy all the time with 4th grade, but until Sister Bowen showed me that idea I never thought about using it with the gospel. So awesome! Lulu is great. She loves church and wants to go on a mission really bad. She's 10 and so happy and loves being around us. Tabatha is 12 and really helpful when Lulu wants to understand something. Sadly, Tabatha and Lulu don't have the best home situations, but they are a great influence on each other. Tabatha just needs to come to church! That is the hardest thing for most people.

Amy (I)--what a spirit-filled lesson we had on Sunday. We went in with our plan, but she had questions about tithing and fasting, so we just changed our plan, and the member we had was perfect for testifying of the power of tithing. Amy understood it is an act of faith. We talked about prophets and she asked where she could find their writings, and Sister Hankins, our member, gave her an extra copy of the October Ensign! Awesome! I was so humbled by the spirit that was there and how the Lord totally led that lesson. She has a baptismal date as well, and a lot of good questions, so she can truly be baptized for the right reasons.

Christy is less active and really good friends with the Moody's. We had a wonderful lesson on the Gift of the Holy Ghost and the experiences we've had where we knew we were being led. Christy gave a beautiful prayer and cried. She knows she has to come back to church, and she wants to understand more about the gospel. I know that as she makes those changes her whole understanding will grow brighter and brighter. That's the promise the Lord makes, and he is bound when we do what we need to.

Some highlights and crazy happenings....

1. Sister Adams, the member we are living with, is the Grandma of Selina Adams, my dear friend from college, freshman dorm days! I love you SELINA!!! Sister Adams is so sweet and makes the best bread in the world!

2. Met Sister Larson, whose son, Elder C. Larson, is on a mission in Mendoza Argentina, and he got there in June. So Jackson Ostler may know him. When I told Sister Larson that connection she was so happy. So Jason, ask Jackson if he knew an Elder Larson. 

3. THE CRAZIEST!!! While tracting, Sister Bowen and I knocked on a door and a man came out and started talking to us. His wife from the background sounded like she didn't want to talk to us, but then as we explained who we were and about Christmas, she came out and we got to talking. When I first saw her, I thought I was looking at my Aunt Jamie. This impression came over me to ask if she knew David Nelson. I ignored it. Then when she said that she was really busy and couldn't go to the nativity thing we invited them to because of her plays she is helping with, I knew I had to listen to the impression and ask. When I asked if she knew David, she gasped and said, "YES!" I told her that was my uncle and Jamie was my aunt. We went down memory lane and talked about them a little bit. Found out her name--Misty--and she told me that she used to act all the time for David, and was there for him during his worst times. She even said that maybe God wanted us to meet (or very close to those lines). I knew the Lord guided us there. She gave us her phone number, and may be interested in talking with us. Her son went to the nativity thing with another family, so there is definitely potential.

I want to bear my firm testimony of this gospel. I know this gospel is true. I know the Lord is aware of our needs and he places us in the paths of others who will help us come unto Him. I know that families can be together forever. I know Christ is our only hope and way of salvation. I know He lives. He watches us, guides us, and loves us perfectly. I am so grateful to be a missionary and a member of the true Church of Jesus Christ in these latter days.

Well family, I love you. That testimony is for all of you.
Love,
Sister A. Mills

(I'll also add a bit from her letter to her father, which arrived first):


Dearest Dad,

I am all well and settled in Devore, San Bernardino! Sister Bowen is my new companion and she goes home in 5 weeks! So I have a whole new area to learn in that short time and then it's me and a new sister. I pray Heavenly Father will help me with getting to know the area and the people as well as I can. I know He will. I've been very blessed this week and in my new assignment. I'll go into more detail of how, but a few of the ways I've been blessed have been crazy! The Lord is looking out for me :)

First, we are living with a member, and her name is Sister Adams. We got to talking that first day, and I told her I went to BYU and used to live in Riverside. She has lived in San Bernardino in the same house for 32 years. The impression kept coming to ask her if she knew Selina Adams, my good friend from freshman year. So I asked and she said with a quizzical look "yes..." I told her we were really good friends and went to school together. We hugged and yelped like happy puppies. She showed me the most recent picture of Selina and she is getting married!! Her bridal shower will be at her grandma's here (we are going to be reassigned for a week so as to not get in the way), and she knows that I am here too. Crazy, small, wonderful world! 

Another answer to your prayer--our Ward Mission Leader is really sensitive and I really like him. He has a big heart and is so willing to work hard and get organized. Thank goodness Sister Bowen and I are both blessed with that ability. A third amazing happening I'll save for the email to the family, but let's just say, I met someone who knows our family member on mom's side...

The Hallmark ward is wonderful, and I met some people you may know. Everyone first asked me if I'm related to Brother Harold Mills, who was an institute director here for years. I said no, but was I wrong? Then, in RS when I introduced myself, a woman shouted for joy when I said I was from Tri-Cities, because she used to live there. Her parents, Merna and Earl Palmer still live there and he is the stake patriarch for Richland Stake, so you probably know him! Crazy huh? All these connections. Bishop Knudson was right when he told me back in August, I'm going to make lots of connections here, because my roots are here. And the church is really small :)

That is so wonderful about Mom's performance! I'm proud of her for using her talents. I'm going to be singing with a quartet on the 23rd in Sacrament Meeting, doing the alto part for "Still, Still." I need to practice for sure, but I'm grateful for the opportunity to grow my voice. The Ward Christmas party sounded like a blast!



Monday, December 3, 2012

Transfers Are Coming!


Dear Family,
 
This week has just flown by! The work had a slower start this week because of meetings, doctor's appointments, and the best part....THE REDLANDS TEMPLE!! I think I mentioned this in an earlier email, but our zone had a football challenge and the companionship that won the most yards for meeting certain goals got to have a free temple trip. Naturally, we won :D So, Monday was P-Day, a day of relaxation. Tuesday was meetings, Thursday was immunization shot for Hep A, and due to my lack of awareness of NSEW directions we got lost for the appointment and had to reshedule for later that day, but all is well and worked out. We were able to see some of the Ontario Sisters and have lunch with them, so I got to see Sister Brinkerhoff!!! She is doing fabulous and loving Ontario. But the best day was Wednesday. That morming a member in our ward picked us up, and though she couldn't go in, she drove us all the way to the temple so we could enjoy and feast in the spirit. The temple has such a powerful effect upon the mind and heart. As we go with a willingness to learn and become a little better, the Spirit teaches us and we are left with peace. I love the calm atmosphere and the beauty of the temple. Also, I was surprised and pleased to see 3 women from our old Orangecrest ward!! Sister Guyaux, Sister Moyer (Courtney's grandma), and Sister LaDeena Christensen! We had a wonderful visit and they want all of you to know how much they miss you (especially you Jason and how proud they are of you). The temple is the best place to see old family members, because these women are like my family. It was a great way to start the morning.
 
Later that day we had CRECHE festival practice and got to perform on Saturday. It's an interfaith festival the Upland Stake puts on and we missionaries got to perform 11 songs. Sister Stacey had a duet part and she did beautifully! It sounds like our ward is doing something similar to what the CRECHE festival does---they have the cultural hall full of nativity sets. I wish I would have taken pictures! It set such a wonderful mood. I loved singing with the choir. I'm glad you're lending some of your nativity sets for the ward Christmas party. And Mom, you are going to do great with the guitar and the kids, it will be so fun! It sounds like your voice is going to be spent this season, but what a gift you are giving to so many souls :) I hope all the performances go wonderfully. Please send pictures or videos so I can watch :)
 
Amidst all the practices and other happenings, we were able to see the Carrillo's, Nicole Howell (a sweet Recent Convert who just got married in August), Justine and Sister Smith together--great fellowshipper, Angela, Veronica, David (new investigator) and Jonny (a referral from the Owens actually). All of these people have real hardships right now, but these experiences are helping them to become humble and willing to listen to the missionaries so they can change and make those necessary covenants. It makes me realize how easy I have it and what a wonderful family I have that supports me. All of our experiences will help us to come closer to Christ.
 
Saturday night brought sad news---both Sister Stacey and I are leaving the Oleander Ward. That was a shocker! We thought for sure one of us would stay. I'm going to miss this ward a lot--it's a wonderful ward with so many people who are missionary minded and humble. We were lucky to be with them for 3-4 transfers. The hardest part of Sunday was when we had to tell Veronica. I was putting it off, and then another member told her we were leaving, (bad news on my part). Veronica took it really badly; it broke our hearts! I pray sisters come into the area, because sisters tend to be more loving. We hope as she is taught she can see that we all love her and have the same good news. It was wonderful to see that the ward immediately enveloped her with love, and that some completely understand her situation. The Lord knows who we need to meet for sure. Veronica is a special woman and she knows it's true. It's just so hard to leave! These investigators are the world to me. But like you said Mom, change is good.
 
We don't find out where we are going until transfer meeting on Tuesday, so for now, Sister Stacey and I have been guessing. Our apartment is pretty messy right now, and I keep laughing to myself how Dad would have a fit (haha). It's sad to leave the area, but I know that if I keep using my light that I have been given by God, it will bless others and that the Lord knows wherever I go, the people there need that light.
 
I love you all!
 
Shoutout: Dear Peterson Family: I am so glad Ryann is doing so well in 5th grade! Teaching the gospel is wonderful and seeing people come unto Christ is the best experience in the world. This work is true and God is leading it. I hope your family has a wonderful Christmas, filled with happiness and the love of Christ. Love, Sister Mills.