Dear Family and Friends,
Well, I don't have as much time to write this week so this letter might be shorter. But here we go. I am writing in the Montgomery County Library because the computers at our apartment decided to break. Hermana Stephens warned me of this happening, but until today it hadn't happen. This week we had a special conference with President and all the sisters in the mission. It was awesome!!!! The spirit was super strong and everyone was spiritually edified. I got to see my old companions from the MTC together. Of course we took pictures. So I will have lots of pictures to show when I get home. We talked about how important charity is in our work as missionaries. We need to constantly remember that we are here on missions talking to people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ because we love them. And when you remember that it is a lot easier to make the sacrifice of the mission. To keep knocking those doors. Keep sharing the message. Keep studying the scriptures and the language in my case.
We all can apply this in our lives as well. We need to have charity for those around us, especially our families. So the question I have for everyone is "What are you doing to show your family that you love them?" I think we could all say we do alot for our families. But this week let us pick one extra thing to do for someone in our family to show them we care and love them. It could be a note in their lunch box. It could be a kiss and a hug every day they get home from work. Life is hard enough as it is. We need the love and support of those in our families. Also let us not forget to reach out to our neighbors. Satan is picking up the game. Trust me I am up close and personal with the battle against his efforts. He is picking up the pace. So we too need to pick up the pace in fighting back. I thought charity would be one of the best ways to compat him because "charity never faileth." Also because it was through one immense act of charity that we are all saved. Through the sacrifice of the Savior we enjoy so much joy, peace, and happiness.
The work is continually going forward. It will not stop, ever! We have 3 top investigators right now. And the 2 closest to baptism went to church this last week. Hooray!!!! We are finding new people to teach. We pray that they will be ready for the special message we carry. Oh how I love this Gospel!!! And how spoiled I have been to have the gospel since the beginning. Thank-you Mom and Dad. I have the best friends and family. You are all such great examples to me. If I haven't told you before I will now. Thank-you from the bottom of my heart. As I see where people are without the gospel and see their lives change as they accept it I come to realize how trully spoiled I have been. I hope every stays safe from both physical and spiritual dangers. We are working hard here in Houston. And yes I am developing such TEXAS PRIDE!!! I love you all!! Until next week!!!
Hermana Alaina Mills
P.S. Yeah for conference this weekend!!!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Monday, September 20th, 2010 Letter
Hello Family and Friends,
I was wondering what to write this week. There have been quite a few sad things coming to my attention this week. The first thing is how hard Satan is working at present. We must be coming to the last days because Satan seems to have really picked up the pace. As an active soldier at the moment for the Lord I see the carnage first hand. This week we had a ton of appointments cancel on us for this reason or that. We also had a lot of member visits that just had me worried. I came to realize how many families are struggling to stay together. Many families don't have jobs and are desperately searching. As soon as our investigators decide they want to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized the gates of hell seem to gape open after them. I can literally feel the demons working against our investigators. We as the missionaries are working hard to support our members and their families. We visit with the less actives a lot as well. They all love to have us over. Many are even requesting us to come over because they say they need more support. I feel like saying I am just one simple missionary. We pour our hearts out in prayer for those in our ward searching for job and those trying to keep their families together.
Now more than every it is sooooooo important to be doing the simple things the Lord has asked us to do. We all need to make sure our foundations are strong and secure and centered on Jesus Christ. So everyone if you are not already doing these make a goal now to do them or improve how you are doing them. 1-READ the scriptures. When you read the scriptures you don't just read but you try to apply the principles taught in the scriptures. Read personally, as a couple, read as a family. Talk to and support each other. 2-PRAY. Pour out your heart to the Lord for support and for his peace that even if things are hard now you will get through them. And if you hold on to your faith in Jesus Christ when the trial is over you will be better off. Pray personally, pray as a couple, pray as a family. 3-GO to CHURCH. Go to church every week. Go to church and help support the friends and members there. Many people need a friend right now. At church we can learn the doctrines of Christ and how to better improve ourselves and our families. But above all serve those in your ward. That doesn't always mean give them something physically. It also means talk to others. Show an interest in their lives. Or at the very least smile at those around you.
I am sorry if this letter sounds a little preachy. But I just love all of my family and friends so much. I want us all to hold strong together. The waves of life are growing bigger. We need to fortify ourselves and prepare for when it comes. And we can do it together.
This week we had a party in the ward. Everyone made food from where they were from. We had a lot of food from Honduras and Mexico. Some from El Salvador, Argentina, Guatemala, etc. It was delicious!!! I tried cow's intestines. It was okay. It really just tasted like I was eating tougher fat. It was a little slimy too. I also had some interesting prayers this week. While knocking doors we met Dale. He was really nice and very interested in the Book of Mormon. He wanted to pray with us before we left him. We held hands and he prayed for us to be safe and thanked God for sending us to him. It was very sweet. We also met this little old lady named Erma. She couldn't see very well but she loved talking to us. She says she gets lonely sometimes and would love the missionaries to come over sometime. She said we were the sweetest girls she had ever met. Of course this was all in English though. So we will be sending the Elders over to their houses. We find lots of referrals for the Elders. Many times I feel like God uses us as the way to contact these people and the Elders for teaching. Ha ha. But with our investigator we found knocking I noticed that when I prayed if Hermano (Brother) agreed with something I said he would say things like "amen" or "please Jesus" etc. It was very interesting, but fun. The work keeps going forward. And my spanish keeps slowly getting better. It is slowly not as hard to express my thoughts in spanish. And I am slowly starting to understand more what people are saying. I keep going and praying that it will come.
Love you all, stay safe,
Hermana Alaina Mills
I was wondering what to write this week. There have been quite a few sad things coming to my attention this week. The first thing is how hard Satan is working at present. We must be coming to the last days because Satan seems to have really picked up the pace. As an active soldier at the moment for the Lord I see the carnage first hand. This week we had a ton of appointments cancel on us for this reason or that. We also had a lot of member visits that just had me worried. I came to realize how many families are struggling to stay together. Many families don't have jobs and are desperately searching. As soon as our investigators decide they want to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized the gates of hell seem to gape open after them. I can literally feel the demons working against our investigators. We as the missionaries are working hard to support our members and their families. We visit with the less actives a lot as well. They all love to have us over. Many are even requesting us to come over because they say they need more support. I feel like saying I am just one simple missionary. We pour our hearts out in prayer for those in our ward searching for job and those trying to keep their families together.
Now more than every it is sooooooo important to be doing the simple things the Lord has asked us to do. We all need to make sure our foundations are strong and secure and centered on Jesus Christ. So everyone if you are not already doing these make a goal now to do them or improve how you are doing them. 1-READ the scriptures. When you read the scriptures you don't just read but you try to apply the principles taught in the scriptures. Read personally, as a couple, read as a family. Talk to and support each other. 2-PRAY. Pour out your heart to the Lord for support and for his peace that even if things are hard now you will get through them. And if you hold on to your faith in Jesus Christ when the trial is over you will be better off. Pray personally, pray as a couple, pray as a family. 3-GO to CHURCH. Go to church every week. Go to church and help support the friends and members there. Many people need a friend right now. At church we can learn the doctrines of Christ and how to better improve ourselves and our families. But above all serve those in your ward. That doesn't always mean give them something physically. It also means talk to others. Show an interest in their lives. Or at the very least smile at those around you.
I am sorry if this letter sounds a little preachy. But I just love all of my family and friends so much. I want us all to hold strong together. The waves of life are growing bigger. We need to fortify ourselves and prepare for when it comes. And we can do it together.
This week we had a party in the ward. Everyone made food from where they were from. We had a lot of food from Honduras and Mexico. Some from El Salvador, Argentina, Guatemala, etc. It was delicious!!! I tried cow's intestines. It was okay. It really just tasted like I was eating tougher fat. It was a little slimy too. I also had some interesting prayers this week. While knocking doors we met Dale. He was really nice and very interested in the Book of Mormon. He wanted to pray with us before we left him. We held hands and he prayed for us to be safe and thanked God for sending us to him. It was very sweet. We also met this little old lady named Erma. She couldn't see very well but she loved talking to us. She says she gets lonely sometimes and would love the missionaries to come over sometime. She said we were the sweetest girls she had ever met. Of course this was all in English though. So we will be sending the Elders over to their houses. We find lots of referrals for the Elders. Many times I feel like God uses us as the way to contact these people and the Elders for teaching. Ha ha. But with our investigator we found knocking I noticed that when I prayed if Hermano (Brother) agreed with something I said he would say things like "amen" or "please Jesus" etc. It was very interesting, but fun. The work keeps going forward. And my spanish keeps slowly getting better. It is slowly not as hard to express my thoughts in spanish. And I am slowly starting to understand more what people are saying. I keep going and praying that it will come.
Love you all, stay safe,
Hermana Alaina Mills
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Monday, September 13th, 2010 Letter
Dear Family and Friends,
So the rain here was crazy on Tuesday. It just poured all day. Wednesday was pretty wet as well but not like Tuesday. Then it decided to turn back to hot. That is right it is still hot here. They don't have a fall/autumn here. It is just from one extreme to the next. Even with all the rain the temperature only got down to like 79 degrees according to the car reading. We have had some 100 degrees again. But honestly that is how it always is. You get use to it after awhile. You don't notice the weather, because it is always the same, HOT!! They tell me it goes from one extreme to the other. It will be hot here they say until December. Then it will be bone cold until March. March warms back up and we get Hot again. I like the weather much better in Utah. Also, Utah drivers are much better drivers than here in Texas. I hope I don't pick up any bad habits here in Texas. Like not signalling or going 10 over all the time. That is the speed of traffic here.
So the miracle of the week happened while we were tracting. I felt like we needed to knock this certain street. So we got out and started knocking. We were not having any luck. We would hardly get to say anything at the doors because people would just cut us off as we were saying Hello and tell us no, but we pressed forward. On the second to last house on the street, after having knocked about 20 doors, we came across a woman doing yard work outside. We said hello and talked to her for a bit. She invited us to come inside. We ended up teaching her the first lesson which is the Restoration with the story of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. She grew up baptist, but had been investigating a lot of different churches. She studied with Lutheran, Catholics, Jehovah Witnesses, etc. But everytime she would find something they did that was contrary to what it teaches in the Bible. She would ask the preacher about her concern and he would just make up an excuse for why they didn't do that or say he didn't know what that was. So she would stop going. She had her husband would read the Bible and study every night. They came to the conclusion that they needed to ask God and he would tell them. And he told them to stop attending where they were going. She even said she knows we were led to her door for a reason. We gave her a Book of Mormon and passed her onto the English Elders. We heard she even went to church on Sunday with them. She told her mom about Joseph Smith. Her Mom is very Baptist, and even her Mom was interested. It was awesome.
It is so true that God is preparing people to hear our message. Not everyone is ready. So we have to sift through quite a lot of people to find those who are. But we keep doing it. As it says in Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." I really have seen and felt his influence here on the mission. I am ever grateful for his support and love. He is the real missionary I am just the instrument.
As for our investigators, the investigator who had the broken pipe at his house decided to take his old job back. So he is on the road a lot. But he calls us all the time. He still wants to be baptized. His parents are both in the states now. So all they and we are waiting for is when he can get time off work to come back here and get baptized. He is still praying and reading his scriptures and trying to go to church where ever he is for his job. The other investigator who is struggling finacially didn't come to church on Sunday. We think it was because the person who she wants to give her a ride to church wasn't there this week. She was insistant that she had worked out her ride. Her lesson was full of distractions. But we keep pressing forward with her. She is so close to being ready. We keep praying for her. We keep working hard to help others come unto Christ. The mission is hard, but it is a great opportunity to work so closely with the Lord.
I love you all and pray for you!!! Keep being amazing!! Keep going to church, fulfilling your callings, praying, and reading your scriptures. Satan is working hard against us so we need to continually be protecting ourselves from him. Everyone be safe.
Love, Hermana Alaina Mills
Oh also my old MTC companions didn't get transferred. Their trainers got transfered. They are still in the same areas. But Hermana Stevenson's trainer is training another brand-new sister this transfer. So Hermana Stevenson has a new companion. Hermana Donkin's trainer "died" which means she went home. So she is also in the same area just with a new companion. I get along well with my companion. So she is staying with me again, Hermana Stephens, for one more transfer. But I think they will be transferring her after this transfer. We don't know I just like to guess. She has been in this area for 7 transfers now. That is a long time. President is trying to leave people in the same area for a longer time. So I think I will be staying here in this area for awhile. I am guessing I will be here for 6-7 transfers as well. When you hit your 8th transfer you have been out on a mission for a year. I don't think Hermana Stephens will be here with me her 8th transfer in the field. But you never know.
Love you!!!
So the rain here was crazy on Tuesday. It just poured all day. Wednesday was pretty wet as well but not like Tuesday. Then it decided to turn back to hot. That is right it is still hot here. They don't have a fall/autumn here. It is just from one extreme to the next. Even with all the rain the temperature only got down to like 79 degrees according to the car reading. We have had some 100 degrees again. But honestly that is how it always is. You get use to it after awhile. You don't notice the weather, because it is always the same, HOT!! They tell me it goes from one extreme to the other. It will be hot here they say until December. Then it will be bone cold until March. March warms back up and we get Hot again. I like the weather much better in Utah. Also, Utah drivers are much better drivers than here in Texas. I hope I don't pick up any bad habits here in Texas. Like not signalling or going 10 over all the time. That is the speed of traffic here.
So the miracle of the week happened while we were tracting. I felt like we needed to knock this certain street. So we got out and started knocking. We were not having any luck. We would hardly get to say anything at the doors because people would just cut us off as we were saying Hello and tell us no, but we pressed forward. On the second to last house on the street, after having knocked about 20 doors, we came across a woman doing yard work outside. We said hello and talked to her for a bit. She invited us to come inside. We ended up teaching her the first lesson which is the Restoration with the story of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. She grew up baptist, but had been investigating a lot of different churches. She studied with Lutheran, Catholics, Jehovah Witnesses, etc. But everytime she would find something they did that was contrary to what it teaches in the Bible. She would ask the preacher about her concern and he would just make up an excuse for why they didn't do that or say he didn't know what that was. So she would stop going. She had her husband would read the Bible and study every night. They came to the conclusion that they needed to ask God and he would tell them. And he told them to stop attending where they were going. She even said she knows we were led to her door for a reason. We gave her a Book of Mormon and passed her onto the English Elders. We heard she even went to church on Sunday with them. She told her mom about Joseph Smith. Her Mom is very Baptist, and even her Mom was interested. It was awesome.
It is so true that God is preparing people to hear our message. Not everyone is ready. So we have to sift through quite a lot of people to find those who are. But we keep doing it. As it says in Doctrine and Covenants 84:88 "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." I really have seen and felt his influence here on the mission. I am ever grateful for his support and love. He is the real missionary I am just the instrument.
As for our investigators, the investigator who had the broken pipe at his house decided to take his old job back. So he is on the road a lot. But he calls us all the time. He still wants to be baptized. His parents are both in the states now. So all they and we are waiting for is when he can get time off work to come back here and get baptized. He is still praying and reading his scriptures and trying to go to church where ever he is for his job. The other investigator who is struggling finacially didn't come to church on Sunday. We think it was because the person who she wants to give her a ride to church wasn't there this week. She was insistant that she had worked out her ride. Her lesson was full of distractions. But we keep pressing forward with her. She is so close to being ready. We keep praying for her. We keep working hard to help others come unto Christ. The mission is hard, but it is a great opportunity to work so closely with the Lord.
I love you all and pray for you!!! Keep being amazing!! Keep going to church, fulfilling your callings, praying, and reading your scriptures. Satan is working hard against us so we need to continually be protecting ourselves from him. Everyone be safe.
Love, Hermana Alaina Mills
Oh also my old MTC companions didn't get transferred. Their trainers got transfered. They are still in the same areas. But Hermana Stevenson's trainer is training another brand-new sister this transfer. So Hermana Stevenson has a new companion. Hermana Donkin's trainer "died" which means she went home. So she is also in the same area just with a new companion. I get along well with my companion. So she is staying with me again, Hermana Stephens, for one more transfer. But I think they will be transferring her after this transfer. We don't know I just like to guess. She has been in this area for 7 transfers now. That is a long time. President is trying to leave people in the same area for a longer time. So I think I will be staying here in this area for awhile. I am guessing I will be here for 6-7 transfers as well. When you hit your 8th transfer you have been out on a mission for a year. I don't think Hermana Stephens will be here with me her 8th transfer in the field. But you never know.
Love you!!!
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Tuesday, September 7th Letter
Dear Family and Friends,
I am writing on Tuesday because Monday we couldn't use any computers on Monday with it being a holiday. But I am writing now HOORAY!!! I love everyone who writes me. It really is such a highlight to hear of the details of the lives of those I love so much. So thank-you everyone and keep them coming. This week has been full of battles against Satan.
Our investigator is so close to being baptized. And so many hard things have been coming his way. For instance, he had a huge water leak at his house and had to cancel our appointment. He is closing down his business and his worker just left on him to finish everything on his own. His old job offered him his old job back. This job has him traveling a lot. He passed his baptismal interview and wants to be baptized. But the baptism just keeps getting pushed back. But we think he will be getting baptized on the 19th of September now. His parents are coming here just to attend his baptism. They are very excited for his decision to follow Jesus Christ. Maybe through him they will all be baptized and sealed as a family one day.
Our other investigator is having a hard time at work. She is not making as much money as usually which is making her family struggle financially. She is working more trying to make up for the lack of money. This has made meeting with her difficult. Her lights were turned off on her one time so she canceled the appointment because she had to take care of that. But she is accepting and living everything we are teaching her. She loves the gospel and we found a way for her to come to at least part of church on Sunday. Her baptism is set for the last Sunday in September.
So I have decided this transfer will be the transfer of baptisms. We are still knocking on doors and looking for other investigators. If you aren't constantly looking you will go through the feast and starve cycle. For awhile you have lots of baptisms and teaching lots of people. Then once they are all baptized you end up looking and searching for someone to teach for awhile. As for what is happening this transfer the verdict is I will be staying here in the same area with my trainer for another transfer. I was expecting this and am glad it happened. My two companions from the MTC are all getting new companions. We call this being greenie broken. I have a feeling I will be in this area I am now for awhile. My companion has been in this area for 7 transfers now. This was her first area and she hasn't left since she got here. It is a really nice area. Others call it the Ritz because it is the nicest area in the mission. I think next transfer they will be moving my companion to a new area. President is trying to move people less which is why I think I will be in this area for awhile.
Well, there is expected to be a ton of rain all week. So my next letter will probably be on how wet it is. Today already it has been pouring. I loved the pictures Eric sent of the family. All the younger boys look bigger. And Eric does look taller. I love you all!!! I miss you all!!! Keep living the gospel because it really does bring true happiness.
Love,
Hermana Alaina Mills
I am writing on Tuesday because Monday we couldn't use any computers on Monday with it being a holiday. But I am writing now HOORAY!!! I love everyone who writes me. It really is such a highlight to hear of the details of the lives of those I love so much. So thank-you everyone and keep them coming. This week has been full of battles against Satan.
Our investigator is so close to being baptized. And so many hard things have been coming his way. For instance, he had a huge water leak at his house and had to cancel our appointment. He is closing down his business and his worker just left on him to finish everything on his own. His old job offered him his old job back. This job has him traveling a lot. He passed his baptismal interview and wants to be baptized. But the baptism just keeps getting pushed back. But we think he will be getting baptized on the 19th of September now. His parents are coming here just to attend his baptism. They are very excited for his decision to follow Jesus Christ. Maybe through him they will all be baptized and sealed as a family one day.
Our other investigator is having a hard time at work. She is not making as much money as usually which is making her family struggle financially. She is working more trying to make up for the lack of money. This has made meeting with her difficult. Her lights were turned off on her one time so she canceled the appointment because she had to take care of that. But she is accepting and living everything we are teaching her. She loves the gospel and we found a way for her to come to at least part of church on Sunday. Her baptism is set for the last Sunday in September.
So I have decided this transfer will be the transfer of baptisms. We are still knocking on doors and looking for other investigators. If you aren't constantly looking you will go through the feast and starve cycle. For awhile you have lots of baptisms and teaching lots of people. Then once they are all baptized you end up looking and searching for someone to teach for awhile. As for what is happening this transfer the verdict is I will be staying here in the same area with my trainer for another transfer. I was expecting this and am glad it happened. My two companions from the MTC are all getting new companions. We call this being greenie broken. I have a feeling I will be in this area I am now for awhile. My companion has been in this area for 7 transfers now. This was her first area and she hasn't left since she got here. It is a really nice area. Others call it the Ritz because it is the nicest area in the mission. I think next transfer they will be moving my companion to a new area. President is trying to move people less which is why I think I will be in this area for awhile.
Well, there is expected to be a ton of rain all week. So my next letter will probably be on how wet it is. Today already it has been pouring. I loved the pictures Eric sent of the family. All the younger boys look bigger. And Eric does look taller. I love you all!!! I miss you all!!! Keep living the gospel because it really does bring true happiness.
Love,
Hermana Alaina Mills
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