Week 13: Menos Activos, Don't Say I Told You So, Follow The Lord To The More Fertile Parts

Primero: Hermana Aldás envia su saludos!

Wow! Things are going so well, things are really starting to pick up here in good ´ol Baños! We are finding menos activos all over the place and relatives of members, which is great. Today we went to buy ice cream and the lady working there is a member but menos activo. She recognized us with our tags and everything it was really awesome. And last night we were returing to our house when this cute little old man comes up to us and shakes our hand and we begin to introduce ourselves and he explains that his son is a member turns out his son is the branch mission leader! There are people every were who are being prepared for this gospel. It is such a beautiful thing. Makes me all happy inside.

Ayer, tuvimos 6 investigadores en la capilla!! Woot! It was such a miracle. One family and two others. It was simply amazing! Nancy came she is such a sweet heart. We have been teaching her for the whole time I have been here and she doesn´t have a desire to be baptised but she is doing everything. She even came to church yesterday even though her knees have really been hurting her, but she came. She understands that in order to recieve blessings you need to keep the commandments. But she still needs to understand the importance of the priesthood. She recieved a priesthood blessing for salud ayer, espero que le ayude understand the importance of the priesthood. Family Portilla, they are amazing! The only problem is that they need to get married. Carlos y Veronica, they have three boys and they are soo cute and smart! We had a tour of the capilla with them and before we talked about bautismo as anything other than bautismo he said "yo quiero seguir el camino de Jesucristo" wow. Did I mention this kid is 10. The parents know that in the world there are not very good examples and they want more for their children. They stayed for all of church! Not just sacrament! And they want to come for General Conference!  And then there is José, he is the brother of Carlos and he is 19, it was so great that he came becuase he we tried to visit him but he had his friends around and didn´t want anything to do with us. But it was quite a surprise when he came. Hna. Aldás y yo hemos trabajado muy duro these past 7 weeks. And it is such a blessing. 

Speaking of blessings. It is so strange but the food that I normally don´t like I can eat just fine here. I don´t know, it is strange. Por ejemplo, rasins. I like this brand of granola that has raisins and I don´t know I just got lazy one day I didn´t want to take out the raisins and they tasted good...Now I don´t want to hear I told you so. The food is different here and it tastes better... jaja. And mayo.. they put it on the french fries and I eat it. Also bananas, I like them quite a lot....it is strange oh and hot dogs. I don´t necessarly like those but I´ll eat them. It is quite strange indeed. But one thing I am not used to is partially cooked eggs. That still gets me. Jaja. 

Mi pensamiento por la semana: 1 Nefi 16:16

In this verse Nefi y su familia are guided to the "more fertile" parts of the wilderness with the lehona (no sé como escribir en ninguno idioma). Following the Lord´s plan doesn´t mean that everything will be easy and it doesn´t mean that everything that happens will be good. Nefi had many trials, his family was living in the wilderness things were not peaches and cream. But because they followed the counsel of the Lord there were guided to the "more fertile" parts. Just like Nefi, if you follow the counsel of the Lord, you will be guided to the better in your life. I know that it isn´t always easy to be obiedient, some days I want to sleep in or wear pants but I know that the Lord´s ways are not my ways and if I follow along the Lord´s path I will be lead to those people who are waiting for this marvilous, fantastic, life changing message. Go forth with faith knowing that as you choose the right your Father in Heaven will guide you to where you need to go! And help others find this message too! when members give referals it is so much more effective. I challenge you this week to give the missionaries referals and just see what happens. So, will you think of someone who doesn´t have this gospel and give their name to the missionaries this week? I want to hear about how it goes. Por favor write me and tell me about the experience.

Con mucho cariño,

Hermana Milligan

P.s This past week we met someone from the U.S who is living here and it was so hard to speak english! There are somethings that are in my head as spanish and I can´t think of some words in english! Woot! This makes me happy. Just wanted to share that with you. :D

Week 12: No Change, Hard Work Rewarded, Was Understood, And Answers To Mommy

Esta semana es la semana de camios.

 Y todavía estoy en Baños y todavía con Hna. Aldás! Woot!!!! I am sooo incredibly grateful for this. Because we finaly got things going in our area and FINALY have investigators who are progressing. It only took 6 weeks. But all our hard work is starting to pay off. This sunday we had 4 investigators attend sacrament meeting! I know it is a small number but it is quite a change from the 1 we had all the other weeks. This week has been quite a blessing! We have found some really great people but it has also been really challenging. We have this one investigator and she is 19 and has the cutest little boy. She also has had a horrible life. It is so sad to hear what she has been through. But she has such a strong desire to change and help her son have a better life. It is so amazing to see her push through all that has happened to her and want to change. In one of her prayers at the end of a lección she wanted to be baptized and after she asked what she had to do in order to be baptized. Wow. She is so strong. We are working really hard to help her.


Tambien this sunday I gave a talk. And of course it had to be the day that our little branch, that usually has maybe 30 people, was FULL. Like 100 (or maybe 80) people full. Yeah. I was so nervous. But thankfully Hna. Jones took a lot of time and I only needed to speak for 5 minutes. Jaja. And of course after my talk I was reminded of all the things I could do better. Oh and did I mention that I only had like 12 hours notice. Yeah. It was great. But the best compliment ever came from one of the members and she said that she could understand the whole thing! Woot! I was so happy to hear that. It has been one of my struggles not so much to speak but to speak something that can be understood. 

Thought for the week comes from 2 Nefi 32:1-5. In versículo 2 dice que if you have recieved the gift of the Holy Ghost you can speak with the tongue of angels. En versículo 3, angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost because they TESTIFY OF CHRIST. Y en Alma 13:24 it says that The Lord has sent angels to prepare people for the work. In other words those of you who have recieved the gift of the Holy Ghost (all members) are sent to prepare those around you to recieve the gospel. Missionaries can do a lot to progress the work of the Lord but members can do soo much more. References and helping the missionaries teach lessions are fantastic! But the best thing to do is just share your testimony with your neighbors, friends, coworkers. Set the example or in other words plant the seed. You don´t need to be a missionary with a name badge to help someone accept the gospel and come to Christ. I love you all soo much and am so grateful for your letters and support. I love hearing about the missionary work my family is doing. It makes my heart all happy and light. I know that there are so many blessings that come from opening your mouth and speaking those feelings of the Spirit.
Les amo muchísimo,
Hermana Milligan

                                                               Letter to Mommy

Haha Mommy it is either a weekly update or answer to all your questions haha. No, I will try and answer all your questions as best I can. First things first. I ABSOLULTLY LOVE LOVE LOVE your letters they are perfect. It means so much that you write me at all. I know how hard it is for you to write and feel good about what you write and so anything at all is wonderful wonderful wonderful. But that doesn´t mean you can write less now. Haha I love you so much and I miss your hungs and talking to you about how I feel, but rest asured I don´t build up the tears here. I am like a fountan without an off switch. Poor Hna. Aldás she doesn´t know what to do with me sometimes. Haha. 

Speaking of Hna. Aldás. She is great she is a convert. Her mom came to know the church when she (hna. Aldás) was 8 and she was baptized then too. Her family writes her and are supportive. They are having some struggles right now but they are supportive. Her grandma passed away this past week. But Hna Aldás is so strong and it is so hard but she is doing her best to be in good cheer. She is really outgoing and friendly and she likes to be punctual. Haha I need to work on liking that. I think we get along really well. I mean there is still a language barrier and sometimes I feel bad because she has the same desire to be understood that I do and sometimes I just can´t be that person she can talk to. and that is hard. But she is great great all the way around. I love her so much and am soo glad she is my compañera. To be honest about the location of Baños I have no idea. I think it is twoards the bottom but I am not so sure. 

Con recipes just anything from scratch will do and without the oven. (because we don´t have an oven) As of right now I eat cearal con yogurt with fruit for breakfast and dinner. I love it though so don´t be worried. I just want to be able to contribute more for food wise. And yes I have been eating bananas it is a crazy miracle that has happened here. I like things that I didn´t like before and one miracle in particular there is this fruit here that tastes like honey dew and I can eat it!!!! Woot it is quite amazing! I am doing fine with money. Everything here is really cheep like a dosen bananas for a dollar or a pound of rasberries for a dollar. The blankets ar great they keep me nice and warm I have like 5 though.... jajaja When it comes to the shoes my favorite are my boots the other ones are okay but I always roll my ankle with them and I like my boots because I feel like it is a protection against dogs jaja. And cloths I wish I had brought more things for cold weather. More sweaters. but all in all it is fine. 

I love your hair super cute!! Joel did a good job. Please give grandma Davis a big hug from me and send my love. oh and Hna. Aldás send her love and greatings. Good luck for the 5 K you will do great! Love you soooooooo much

Have Spencer give you a hug from me and give one to daddy and Matt

Tu hija,

hermana Milligan

Did I answer all your questions?

Week 11: Snow!?!, The Gift of Interpretation of Tongues, And Hold The Higher Ground

Harmana Milligan with her Zone.

Yes, indeed there was snow this past week the 10th to be exact. ( I wrote it down so I could tell everyone). I guess the weather is just going crazy all over the world. It has rained almost every day here, and the natives say that Baños usually has really great weather but so far I think there has been maybe 3 days of sun shine and brightness. Every other day has been cloudy and raining. Which I am okay with personally, pero esta poco frío.

This week has been a bit of a trial. Pero also a blessing. We had a zone conference and it was AMAZING. Hermana Ghent spoke to us about breaking cycles of discoragement and finding missionary princibles en El Libro de Mormón. It was pretty much amazing. But the most wonderful, amazing, fantastic part of the whole conference was that I was able to understand almost all of it! I think I have developled a super power or better yet I think I have the gift of interpretation of tounges. Pero slightly different. This is going to sound strange. But I don´t ever really know what people are saying but I can feel what they are saying. It is really rather strange because I think back on it and I don´t know what they said or how to respond when I think about it but some how I know what is going on in the moment. I know that the Lord is blessing me bastante. Yeah that´s right, I have super powers. 

I love hearing from you all soo much! Daddy I love your thoughts a LOT, muchas gracias!  Y Hna. Aldás les saluda. Y ella dijo que ustedes son muy buenos y ella esta agradecidos por mi familia. Yo tambien. Estoy muy muy muy agradecidos por mi maravillosa familia! Gracious por su apoyo y amor. Es difícil para expresar en palabras. Les amo muchísimo. y you quero que ustedes sepan mi amor para cada uno de ustedes. 

This week I want to share my study en 3 Nefi 3. Versículos 1-11 are the treatings of the leader of the Gadianton robers. I want to point out that in v. 7 lo dice "become like us" this is exactly what Satan wants. He wants us to be miserable como él. He uses flattery, treats and tries to make us doubt our divine worth. But in versículos 12 is the response of a rightous leader who "could not be frightened" and therefore did not listen to the treats. He then had his people pray for strenght not to have the challenge go away but for strenght to be conquerers. Next he had them gather to one place, like church. Church is a place disigned to give strenght one to another and help combat satan. Then last he preached repentance. This is really important. Repentance is change, becoming better. The only way we can become like Our Father in Heaven is by becoming better through repentance. I loved this whole chapter. Also another insight in versículos 20 y 21. The people went to the prophet for guidance ( they wanted to go to the land of the robers to fight) but the Lord tells them that if they do that they will fall into the hands of their enemies. 1. The Lord didn´t say don´t do this. period. End of story. But rather if you do this here is the consequence. 2. Never lower your standers. ALWAYS seek higher ground, not the gound of your enemy. You cannot win that way. The challenge I leave with you this week is seek for higher ground. Turn to the Lord in all you do and then listen even if it isn´t what you want to hear.

Les amo! You are always in my prayers.

Hermana Milligan

Week 10 Crazy People, Eyes of Jesus, And The Divine Purpose of Rain

Familia mía! 

Les amo muchísimo. I don`t have as much time to write today. We had a activity de zona hoy. It was in Ambato which is about an hour away and so we were gone all day. And I only have an hour to write you and Presidente Ghent. Pero, todos esta bien. I was called an angle today.... that was a very interesting story. So on the bus ride to Ambato there was this rapping preacher type person. And he wouldn`t leave me alone. He said that as missionaries our hearts are far from God but I have eyes like Jesus.... I don`t know. It was quite the experience. I seem to attract the crazy people. I blame my hair. Haha. There is a lot I want to share but not a lot of time. This past Tuesday I went on splits with the hermana lideres. That was quite the experience because I didn`t have Hna. Aldás with my and my companion for the day didn`t know the area and it was quite strange to be in charge to an extent. Something funny here. The garbage trucks play music like an icecream truck would. It makes me smile. :)

In my scripture study this week I have been focusing on how to recieve revelation. My studies took me to Praying with faith. And it lead me to Isaiah 55:8-11. In versículos 8 y 9 it is about how God´s thoughts are not our thoughts and God has higher paths than we do. In versículo 10 it is about how God sends the rain and it is always for a purpose, to help the the seed to grow to bring bread to those who are hungry. And this is my favorite, versículo 11 the same with the word of God. He sends it for a purpose. "It shall prosper in the thing whereto I send it" Wow. In life there are lots of times when we feel like it is raining always and there is no end to the rain, or metaphorically speaking, no end to the trials but we have to remember that nuestro Padre Celestial sent the rain for a divine purpose that we cannot see. But it will not be in vain. EVERYTHING we go through is preparing us for something. And we just have to remember that the Lord knows us and what we need. The rain is for our benefit. Look for the blessings in trials. 

Les amo. I hope all is well with everyone. How is Grandma Davis? 

Oh, p.s Hermana Aldás likes Hi-Chew or Dots. 

Les amo,

Hermana Milligan

Week 9 Successfully Finding For The Other Sisters...

¡Hola buenas tardes!

Hermana Milligan and Hermana Aldes
at the clinic...see story in last weeks post.

Hola soy Hermana Milligan y tengo una adiciona a el pan.... I don`t think that is the right way to say that pero, I love the bread here! It is so good! I could eat it all day and some days I do. haha That new word is actually from  two weeks ago pero...es nuevo por ustedes. Haha. It is pronounced wha-wha. It is cetchwa (I have absolutley no idea how to spell that) for baby or child. This week was a LOT better than last week. I am still struggling with the language but every week it is a little better. Poco a poco. 

I LOVE love love o en español me fascina sus fotos papa! Muy bien hecho! And Spencer is the perfect little nerd it makes my heart all happy and fuzzy. Y Spencer ¡Bien hecho! So happy to hear you are setting a good example for those around you, keep up the fantastic work!

The work here is great! It is a bit dificult because we keep finding people who are really receptive but they are in the other hermana`s area. Ay carai. Pero, en this town/villiage se llama El Placer we have been doing really well. The people there are so humble and so friendly. There is a family who are members and I just love them so much one of the daughters reminds me sooo much of Aunt Becky it makes me smile. We have quite a lot of people let us in to share a message only because they like to hear the word of God but rather than listen they want to talk more. I can understand parts, like last night we were teaching a family and after I bore my testimony (pretty much the only thing I can do) the head of the house was like "You can teach with the spirit" and then he continued on to tell us to look up these scriptures and such and went on and on. That happens a lot. When I first got here I was worried that the people would be really blunt about how I speak. But ether they are really really nice or my spanish isn`t as bad as I think it is. Because I haven`t had many people say that my spanish is bad. Although they say that I`m doing really well and then I speak more and they get this funny look on their face... Haha. I did have an investigator pray for me to learn spanish quickly. Tan amable!  This week one of our investigators (the one who has been attending church) is right on track. She is doing so well. She doesn`t know about baptism yet but she is so great, she comments during doctorine principles and is really spiritual. She is great! Just working on helping her feel prepared for baptism.

This picture is from the El MCC. This is
Lauree's Trio. The young man is
Miguel, their investigator/ trainer.

This week my favorite scripture is Santiago 1:5 (James 1:5). I certainly lack wisdom and it is such a comfort to know that I can turn to my all knowing Father in Heaven for the answer. It is kind of like sitting next the the smart kid in class pero, mucho mejor because 1.) It isn`t cheating 2.) Padre Celestial wants us to have the answers. Prayer has been my biggest help in this time. I tell mi comañera "Mi vida es una oración" Es la verdad. Yo sè que Dios es nuestro Padre Celestial y Èl nos ama muchísimo. Èl quiere que nosotros tengamos felicidad en esta vida y para siempre. Les amo mucho. 

Hermana Milligan