Week 25: Feliz Navidad From Middle Earth Otherwise known as Ecuador ;)

WOW! Can you believe that tomorrow is Christmas! And we get to talk via Skype? I can´t really believe how fast the time is going. I think I´m still in shock from the first day in the mission till now. It´s just flown by.

Well I came to Ambato and had my first baptism in the sector this Saturday. He is a great example of faith, even with a lot of oposition he did everything possible to prepare for baptism. His name is Anibal, and he is great.

So, I was expecting Christmas here to see the different traditions that they had, and so far there isn´t much different here during Navidad. They have a lot of goody bags though. It´s pretty fun to see what you get in those. For Christmas tomorrow we are making a ricisimo american like Christmas dinner for a family of some conversos reciente. Today we made the mashed potatoes and they are sooooo yummy if I do say so myself, and we made a lot. Hopefully we have leftovers jaja.

Well, this being the eve of Christmas day, I would like to share a scripture. Acts 3:1-8. In these scriptures Peter and John heal a man lame from birth. This man was on the steps of the temple and he looked at Peter and John only expecting a few coins. But what they say is what really struck me, they say "silver and gold we have not, but what we have we give. In the name of Jesus Christ...Rise up and walk." And then the man with their help recieves strength in his legs and leaps up and walks into the temple with them. During this Christmas season, not everyone has much in the way of "things" but what we do have, the knowledge of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, can be just what those around you need to leap up and walk. It is for this that Christ came down to the world in the most humble of circumstances to lift those who had fallen. We can really feel the Spirit of Christmas as we reach out to those around us and really do what the Savior would do-lift up others. That is my challenge for you. Go about this next day and share what you have with others to lift them up. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Les amo mucho,

Hna Milligan

Week 24: Good bye Baños, Hello Ambato, A Companionship Adventure to Middle Earth, And A Dream

Yep that´s right, I got transfered to Ambato with Hna Carter! Woot! I don´t know if you remember the first person we saw in the airport when I was sent off... well that´s Hna. Carter. We are in this journey of middle earth together! 

Needless to say it was hard to say goodbye to certain people and it was a bit hard to say goodbye to Baños as well. I am glad for new experiences and for new people but I will have it known that Baños will forever have a special place in my heart. I am now in Ambato and it is HUGE! It is like I went from Moab to New York City. I am in a bit of shock jaja. There is a mall here a mall. Yeah, and Chinese food! Que rico! I thought I was distracted in Baños jaja. Here it is a whole different type of distraction like people everywhere and cars and everything. I bet you can imagine. I am excited to be here though. The changes came really hard for Hna. Negro. She is finishing the training of another Hna in Baños and she is so nervous for it. But I know she will do great! I will say it is quite the miracle that I can comunicate with my latina companions and rather well not to sound boastful or anything but somehow they understand me and I know that my Heavenly Father is watching out for me. Now me toca con una compañera norteamericana. The experiences that we will have, oh the places we will see, the people we will teach. I am feeling great things coming. 

Hermana Milligan and
Hermana Carter at the
Airport in July on the way
to El CCM

I would like to share an experience that I had this week with you all. I have dreamed a dream or in other words I have seen a vision... jaja. But really the other night I was feeling a bit down and like I wasn´t really doing much good here and I went to bed feeling that way. And that night I had a dream, and it started that I was teaching a family and they didn´t show any signs of interest at all and, then followed by the weird time warp thing that happens in dreams, and I was at the temple in Salt Lake for the sealing of Amber and Eric and outside in the temple grounds was this family. And this family told me that I was the missionary that got them started in the Church, one of the young children told me thank you. And the father told me that they are now working on entering the temple to be sealed. I know this is only a dream I am not one who is really big into dreams, especially after Baños (where everyone has the craziest nightmares ever) but this dream came to me as an answer to my prayers. That although I may not see the fruits of my work it is still there and I may not be the one to see these people baptized but Everything is for a reason. For me this was such a great experience that really helped me feel peace and furthered my testimony that my Heavenly Father loves me. 

Two weeks ago we gave a book of mormon to this one investigator and we weren´t able to visit him till one week later and before we even asked him he  brought out his book and had read almost 200 pages! and he said I´m sorry that I couldn´t read more I was really tired these nights. And he had even marked the scriptures that he liked, and the ones he didn´t like so much jaja. That to me is like a wow, I need to step up. There is a lot of things we do everyday and sometimes it feels like oh I don´t have time but just remember what a little 5 minute time to read can do. You could recieve exaclty what you need to know to help someone else that day. Or at least you could show your love a su Padre Celestial. Today I would like to challenge you to take that little extra time to read and do it. and Then see what revelation you recieve. ¿Leerán las escrituras cada día? SÍ!!!!! Woohoo! I know that there are soo many great things waiting for you as you keep the commandments. 

Los amo mucho!

Cuídense,

Hna Milligan 

Week 23: A Trip to Quito, Growing As Companions, and Alma 7 Challenge

Hola familia mia! Le amo bastante! Today we have our Christmas dinner in Quito and I only have un ratito para escribir. I just want to let you know that I love you all and that everything is great! As compaions we are growing more and more and we are learning sooooooooooooooooo much. I don´t have time to say much just know that I love you all and that Christmas time is here it is sooo beautiful! The scripture I want to leave with you is Alma 7 all of it. I have been really studding this and want to share it with you. Will you all read this and send me the impressions that come to you?

Love you,

Hermana Milligan

Week 22: 5 Months Down, It Helps To Forget, We Need The "Furious Winds"

Feliz cumple mes a mi

Today is my 5 month mark. Wow, I can barely believe it. Yo he estado en el campo por 5 meses! Que loco! The time goes by sooooo freakin´ fast, there is a small part of me that is like woot I can see my family soon, but more prodmanetly it is "Ahhh I don´t have enough time to help all these people! maybe I can get an extension..." I love the mission soo much, in just these 5 short months I have learned soo much about myself and even more about the love of Christ. I trully have seen miracles every day. One of such is that I have forgotten a lot about how things used to be back home, don´t take that wrong. It really is a great blessing that I don´t remember how things are, I had even forgotten when was Thanksgiving ( I was reminded by a fellow United Statesian) It helps to not feel super trunky. And you know I´m glad that it isn´t really similar to home here for Christmas it is easier to not feel sad. Jaja. 

This sunday was fast sunday as you all know and as companions we decided to fast to find a family. We started our fast and headed out to work. Right now we are in search of less-actives, but the problem is that direccions don´t really exist here, but somehow we find them, I like to think that it is my gift with directions that helps us. But we were on the hunt for this one less active family and we had a small idea but not certain. We took one street, that just so happened to be the wrong street but there we found this young woman and it turns out that she just got married and is expecting. We found a family. She is wonderful. Now we just need to find her with her husband.... It´s gunna happen.

Also this fast sunday I fasted that our investigators would come to church. We headed out to pick up the people who we said we would and when none of them were there, I was feeling pretty down. So we head to the chappel and right before they pass the sacrament, Nancy sits next to us (she is the one who just got baptised and she told us that she wouldn´t be able to make it this sunday) BUT SHE CAME!!! And then Maria and Mariana came in they are family members of a family reciently baptized and we are teaching them. It was like the best Thanksgiving ever! My testimony of fasting has been fortalized. 

Now I would like to talk a little bit with regards to the Work of Salvation. First, this is nothing new, or it shouldn´t be something new it really is just what we as members should be doing anyway. It is just keeping up with your baptismal covenents. For those of you who don´t know the work of Salvation is to help strengthen the members, recient converts and continue inviting and helping non members come unto Christ. With a focus on the members and the missionaries working together to do this. There is so much I would like to say but one so much time. I would like to challenge you all to step up to your potential and do your part in the work. and if you don´t know what is the Work of Salvation, look it up and see what you can do. It is really something great and I can promise you that as you help others you will feel better, your problems will seem smaller and you will feel more strength to overcome challenges. And remember Moises 1:39. When you help others come unto Christ you are helping your Father in Heaven with His work and His glory.

Scripture for the week. Ether 6:5. We need the "furious winds" to help push us to where the Lords needs us to be. And remember that the wind is sent from God and He knows where we are heading even if we don´t. Trust in Him and know that He will always lead you to where you need to be and what you need to become what He seens in you.

I love you all soooo much I can´t even express the smallest part of it. I am sooo grateful to know you all. Please keep me posted and REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!

Les amo mucho,

Hermana Milligan