Midland

This week has been just an eventful week. We got 3 new investigators. Randy, Lenord and Bryan. I am so grateful that I am leaving Sister Garner with people to teach and hopefully baptize in the weeks to come.  The work here in Midland is moving along very nicely. I hate to leave it, but I know that the Lord has much in store for me and that I am needed elsewhere. I have absolutely loved getting to know the ward here in Midland. The members are all so loving and kind and will miss them greatly as for all the people that I have been working with. I have been told so many times this week that I am part of the ward. That they know they can all just talk to me and know I know exactly who they are talking about and know that I will do whatever I can to continue to bring people into the fold.

 So you're probably wondering where in the Michigan am I going~ Well I am traveling up north west about 2 hours to a little town named Cadillac!! I hear wonderful things about it and have been told so many times that I am going at the perfect time. My new companion is Sister Beir, I have no idea if that is how you spell her name but I will let you know next week. She is from Washington, I have met her a few times, she seems just adorable and has the most incredible voice. ( I feel bad because all knows that I definitely have a Milar's voice :)) Hopefully, she won't judge too much.

Well on Tuesday we did a lot of tracking,  we sang as we  walked and walked and talked and knocked!! hah We walked 12.5 miles, all courtesy to the fitbit we were able to track it. It was great. I LOVE WALKING! We talked to so many people and got a good amount of potential investigators.

We have been busy this week teaching a lot of lessons. We have an investigator named Joe. Joe is a dentist and is very awkward and very very catholic. He wants to keep meeting with us though. He doesn't agree with a lot that the Catholics believe but still says he is very catholic. Sister Garner will do a wonderful job teaching him.

YESTERDAY in MIDLAND it was 70 degrees! It was crazy, Sister Garner were walking all around town and just dying of heat as we were both wearing sweaters and jackets. We ended up dropping off our jackets at the church because it was so warm.

Oh the church has put up a new movie about Joseph Smith. It is so fantastic. They did a wonderful job editing it and putting it all together. I invite all to watch it. I know Joseph Smith was called as a prophet of God and did indeed restore the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was 14 years old, when everything began. Just like when Mary was visited by an angel and told she was to give birth to the savior of the world. Both only being 14, that is like little Emma, seems so young but Heavenly Father know he can trust children as he always says to have the children come to him and he reminds us to be like little children.. Innocent and desiring to do what is best and trying to follow what they know to be best.

I read this talk this week and just wanted to share it with each of you. I hope you take time to read it. It is by Elder Holland and it is Called Broken things to Mend. I read it this morning and would love to hear all of your thoughts about it.

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2006/04/broken-things-to-mend?lang=eng

One part I really enjoyed was when he said this:

If you are lonely, please know you can find comfort. If you are discouraged, please know you can find hope. If you are poor in spirit, please know you can be strengthened. If you feel you are broken, please know you can be mended.

 We all can do hard things! I love you so very much! I hope you have a good week.
Oh and for each of you that have children under 5 try checking this out. It is Called The Dolly Parton Imagination Library. FREE BOOKS! I don't know if it is in Utah but hey it won't hurt to check.

All my love!
Love Sister Milar

Transfer 5 Week 5

This week was great, we had Zone Conference this week which was great. There were some wonderful things taught and shared with everyone. One comment that I would like to share with you is found in 1 Nephi 7 :17 and 18

17 But it came to pass that I prayed unto the Lord, saying: O Lord, according to my faith which is in thee, wilt thou deliver me from the hands of my brethren; yea, even give me strength that I may burst these bands with which I am bound.
18 And it came to pass that when I had said these words, behold, the bands were loosed from off my hands and feet, and I stood before my brethren, and I spake unto them again.

Now when you look at these verses you read that Nephi Prays that the lord will Burst these bands, but in verse 18 the lord just loosed the bands. I love this because it reminds us that the lord does answer our prayers, but not always exactly how we want them to be answered. Every prayer is answered! We just have to look and see exactly how it is answered. So this week I challenge you to all look for the answers to your prayers and Thank Heavenly Father for the answers.

We also had a celebration of the 175th Relief Society Birthday. It was a stake activity and it was wonderfully put together. We got to attend it and be apart of the event. I love how many women are striving to be such wonderful examples to everyone, it made me think of all of you women and think how special I am to have such great examples in my life.

We taught a lot of wonderful lessons this week, we haven't had a car so we walk and walk everyday and pray that someone will pick us up on the way. We averaged about 17,000 steps this week. We had a cool experience while out door knocking. We knocked into this woman and her husband. We sat and talked for about 30 minutes. She said she has always been curious about the "Mormons" and would love to learn more. So we are going to go stop by this week!

I love to see how things slowly work out. I am sorry this weeks letter is so short, but I will be back online on Saturday as we get our transfer call of Friday and get shipped out Monday!

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week.
Love Sister Milar

Temple Week ~

This week has been just a great week. It just flew right by. We had trade off's in Mount Pleasant at the beginning of the week. That was fun, we just went all around town and door knocked.

We also had an amazing lesson with Nicki this week! I was so happy about it. We watched Meet the Mormons with her. She was asking some questions that I knew were in the movie so we watched it Tuesday. After we were talking and I kept getting a strong feeling, put her on baptismal date. So finally, I got the guts to ask her and she thought for a second and said well I am going to be going to Beauty and the Beast that night. So it wasn't a no! I was so happy about that. Then on Friday when we met her again, she told us that she found herself telling other people she was getting baptized and to her that was a big sign that she was excepting it. I was so, so happy.  She wants to wait till just after General Conference as she has some questions and knows that they can be answered during conference.

 

We also have a family of 3 that we are meeting with. The two younger girls Kristin and Katelin are wanting to get baptized. We told them we have to finish teaching them the lessons and then they can decide if they still want to be baptized. The mother is very patient and is learning for herself. She is very supportive and has lots of good questions. IT is so fun that we get to teach them.

Lastly, we got to take Robin and Anesha to the temple this week! They both were so nervous to go, but they loved it so, so much. Anesha after we went said, "Sisters, I don't want to ever leave!" She loved the temple and the feelings that were there. Robin told us that she also loved it and was not sure she liked to do the temple names as much as the names that she took. But it was all still very nice.

General Conference is coming soon! What a blessing! I hope that you all start preparing now for conference. Think about it, Christ himself is speaking to each of us all weekend. What an amazing thought. He does that for us during general conference Through the Prophet and the men called of God! How amazing :)

The work is still moving along very nicely. I love it so much. Thank you so much for all that you all do for me. Keep being such wonderful Christ like examples.

Love Always and Forever,

ANESHA GOT BAPTIZED!

We were so, so happy for her. She is just so cute. Something amazing that happened at her baptism was after when she was coming out of the font. She looked at Sister Garner and I and said, " Sisters, my body feel different. It just feels... fresh!" The rest of the program she was just beaming. It was amazing to see how the result of a lot of hard work. We are so proud of her and the choices that she has made. It was also fun to see all the other missionaries that had worked with her.

Later after the baptism we went out door knocking. The Lord is blessing us so much. We found 4 Potential investigators in about a 2 hour span which is absolutely amazing. One of the guys we talked to, we chatted for a solid 45 minutes on his door step, everything we said to him just rang true and he told us all of his beliefs and we agreed with all of them as well. We are excited to meet with him this weekend.

Church was also so fantastic. We pulled up to church and our very Catholic friend Joe shows up! Say what! We were blown away. We couldn't believe he actually came, he also stayed for all 3 hours of church!! He was even making comments in the meetings. WE hope and pray that he had a good experience at church and comes again next week.

Then after church we picked up a new investigator named Kristen. She is 13 years old. She has been coming with a family in the ward and loves it. She goes to Young Women's each week. Her parents are completely supporting her in this too. We are going to be meeting with her on Thursday as well and have our first official meeting with her. Pray all goes well.

This week we also had interviews with President. The first thing he said to me was, " Wow, you've been in Midland a long time. About the longest I keep missionaries in an area." I laughed and said, "So President where are you going to send me."  Throughout our conversation he told me he has no idea yet where I will be going but most likely I will be transferred out. Any guesses on where in Michigan I'm going!?

I am so grateful for all that goes on here and I love being a missionary. A quick quote I want to leave with you all.

"Things work out. It isn't as bad you sometimes think it is. It all works out... Put your trust in God, and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will not forsake us... If we will put our trust in Him, if we will live worthy of his blessings, he will hear our prayers"

-President Hinkley

"So often we get caught up in the illusion that there is something just beyond our reach that would bring us happiness: a letter... situations or the end of a challenging trial. The older we get, the more we look back and realize that the eternal circumstances don't really matter or determine our happiness. We do matter we determine our happiness. You and I are ultimately in charge of our happiness. "

-President Uchtdorf

I love you all and pray everyone has a magnificent week!!
Love Always and Forever

Sister Milar