NO SLEEP TILL......

 Wow. What a week it has been.

Two weeks ago, President called me to tell me that I would be staying in Connecticut. He had told me that I would probably move my last transfer, but there were no guarantees. When I heard this, I felt reassured. Sister Mather and I have become best friends over these last few weeks. 6 more weeks with this dear friend of mine? I was surely in. Monday night, almost right after I said goodbye to my parents, we looked at our phone, only to see that President was calling.

"Sister Miller, you're getting transferred."
My jaw swung open.
"Wait, I thought you said I was staying."
"Turn of events," he responded. "But this much I do know, the Lord has called you to another place. You are going to love it. I am giving you the assignment of training once more."
My heart filled to the brim; joy and excitement but also sadness to leave this beautiful land of Connecticut.
Trying to be quick on my feet I blubbed out, "Where to, President?" He only laughed, telling me that I would have to wait and see.
The week seemed to drag by. Day after day I wondered and wondered.

Well, I'll get back to this story in a moment!

As I said last week, we went on a mission tour to Harlem and it was a ton of fun. We had meeting after meeting, which was a little less fun--but Sister Mather and I tried to make the most of it by going absolutely crazy in Manhattan. We ate pizza in Central Park, experienced several homeless men encounters and subway contacted for the first time (since covid!!). I was on cloud 9. We had a terrifying experience that I don't want my mother to know, so I just will say that WE WERE PROTECTED by the grace of God one of our nights in Harlem. The Lord was watching over us.

On one of our days there, we got on the bus to get back to our apartment where we were staying, when I saw a woman that I felt I needed to talk to get on and sulk to the corner of the bus. I immediately walked up to her and sat down next to her. What happened next was one of the most miraculous moments of my mission. Now, I have taken 2 years of Spanish in high school, but no more. At one point, I felt I could understand and speak to others in broken Spanish, but have felt unable to for a year or so. As I spoke with her, fully formed Spanish phrases entered my mind and I began sharing about the importance of the Book of Mormon in my life. My mouth opened and out came the words from the Lord. I cannot remember everything of that was said. But I do remember how it ended. I got her phone number and she ran off the bus smiling sweetly saying, "Dios le bendiga hermana, Dios le bendiga." I was able to pass her off to the missionaries living in Harlem and she is now being taught the restored gospel. I am grateful I was on the bus, at that moment to speak with my new friend Elihu.

If the miracles ended there, we would've had one packed week. But alas, it never ends on a WEDNESDAY! The rest of the week was long but good. I was asked to give a presentation to Elder Bassett on social media work in the New York City Mission and it went wonderfully. They might be having me share it with the area presidency haha. Cross your fingers that I can just share the PowerPoint and forego the stress of that experience. We finally got home and began street-contacting.

Sister Mather and I decided to go to a place where we have found several people to teach before. As we arrived, we began talking to people but with no luck. We realized we had a lesson online and began walking toward the car. At that moment, we saw a woman pushing a stroller down the other side of the street. I felt that we should go speak to her, but we had a lesson to get to. I was torn. We called the person we had a lesson scheduled with but there was no answer. Called again, with no answer. It looked like the lesson was not going to happen after all. Sister Mather and I bowed our heads in humble prayer in the middle of the street to ask the Lord where He would like us to go. We both felt we needed to go down the street that we just saw the woman walk down. So off we went, in a hurried walk. We rounded the corner only to find that she was nowhere in sight. We looked down side streets, but nothing. Straight in front of us, however, there was a boy walking down the street. In order to catch up, I would need to lengthen my strides drastically. I looked at Sister Mather and she agreed. We needed to talk with this young man. I stepped forward and began mini-chasing him down the street. My mind raced as I tried to think of what we could say to him. I looked at his feet and it hit me. "Nice CLEAN shoes," I called out. He stopped and smiled. We began talking to our new friend Derrick. What happened next was one beautiful experience. We taught him the restoration, right there on the street. He gingerly accepted the Book of Mormon and promised to read and pray. We set up a return appointment. As he walked off, he said that he had been praying for God to send him friends that would help him become a better person rather than bring him down. "I know I've found them." I couldn't help but tear up at that. The Lord is good, all the time.

Transfer calls came on Saturday night. We were on the edge of our seats. I am the very first person on the list because we are at the very tip top of the mission. President began, "Sister Miller will be going to Sister Patterson, training in Brooklyn 4." I hollered and shouted with excitement. I am going to Flatbush, Brooklyn. My dad has been rooting for me to go to Brooklyn ever since my call to New York City. I was beginning to think I wouldn't have the chance. Yet here we are. And I'm going to Brooklyn!! Dad, you'll have to tell me where Kevin Durant lives so that I can go knock his door ;)

Sunday morning came in a rush. We had so many people confirmed to come to church but not many actually came. Christian came though, which was amazing! After church, we ran to the New Canaan chapel to get ready for Christian's baptism. The font usually takes an hour and a half to fill, and we wanted to be ready. We began filling the font and then joined ward correlation (a meeting we have as missionaries). All of a sudden, the New Canaan elders came running around the corner and said that there was flooding. We ran into the room to find that the font had filled in literally 30 minutes and it was overflowing. We began dashing back and forth, cleaning and squeegeeing and mopping up the water left and right. We had to call and have the other elders bring us more towels because there were only 30 minutes until baptism time. They arrived and helped us get everything situated just in time. It was a miracle. The baptism went wonderfully. Christian bore a sweet testimony about his knowledge and reassurance that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Christ's church on the earth again and that He is our Master and Savior. Nothing could have been sweeter to me than seeing my dear friend share His love of the gospel with the ward. I will not be surprised to come back to Connecticut one day and find Christian as bishop. He is amazing and I am so proud of him. How blessed I feel that the Lord loved me enough to allow me to meet him, teach him, and learn from him. The Lord surely loves me dearly.

I can't believe I'm saying this but I am so sad to leave my home here in the far outskirts of our mission in Connecticut. I guess you could say I grew rather fond of the boonies and the gross pizza. I love my roommates, and I especially love my companion. I love the people I have met. I love the ward. I love my three wonderful recent converts, Joseph, Christian, and Kat-liv. I have come to love the Lord more here, and it will always be sacred ground to me.

My spiritual thought of the week is once again about Jesus Christ and His Atonement for all of us.
Thomas B Griffith once said, "His suffering proves His love, but it does more. It is the means He uses to get us to “repent and come unto him.” When we come to have some sense of what Christ has done for us—and, in particular, what He has suffered for us—our natural reaction as children of God is to want to show our gratitude and love by giving our lives to Him, by obeying Him." I know this is true. One of the reasons I love the sacrament so much is that it gives an opportunity to completely reflect upon the Savior and His sacrifice for us. He gave EVERYTHING in order that we might live. He is our Master. He loved with a love that none of us can yet fathom, yet we can imagine. The depth and breadth of His atoning sacrifice cannot be measured by mortal minds. Yet that price was paid willingly. It was paid with precious drops of blood for each of us. As He walked the hill to Golgotha with a cross on His back, He really was carrying you and me. When we give pause to remember this act of divine love and redeeming grace, we allow His power into our lives. We are transformed into new creatures. True remembrance is and will always be a sacred part of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Elder Renlund once stated beautifully, "Reverence for the givers does more than just make us grateful. Reflecting on Their gifts can and should transform us."

I hope we all take some time to reflect upon the matchless gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ each and every day. He is the light and life of the world, a light that is endless.

The gospel is true my friends.

Be happy. Be brave. Be smart.
Love,
Sister Miller

In the words of the Beastie Boys, "NO SLEEP TILL BROOKLYN" 

1-3) Christian's baptism :))

4) the rescue squad helping us clean up

5) sista sleepover in Harlem!! 

6-7) the temple

7) Bridgeport district line up 

8) Sister Mather & I in Central Park!! 

9) city embroidery 

10) the roomies, I love them forever 

11) pizzzzzaaa

12) more temple !! :))