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

Week 21: A Friendly Reminder, Better Off Dead, Another Baptism

Que vuela el tiempo

Buenas tardes mis queridos hermanos y hermanas!

 

I hope everything is well in Los estados unidos. I hope you all are keeping up on your scripture study and prayers as well as attending church. These things really REALLY help in everyday happenings. They may sound like the "primary answeres" but they are trully the foundation for our testimony and we can recieve strength in everything that we do with these little things.Your Father in Heaven loves you and wants to bless you, and we recive blessing when we are obedient. Entonces,will you continue doing those things in order to recieve this strength? Reading the scriptures? Praying? Attending church? I can promise you that there is power in the scriptures and that as you continue praying your eyes will be opened to the blessing the Lord has blessed you with and that He will continue to bless you with. And that as you continue going to church you will be able to be more receptive to the promptings of the spirit in your life. I know this is true not just because I have been taught this but because I have experienced this. God is my loving Heavenly Father and He knows what I need and what others need as we continue being obedient he can bless you and you will feel His love more.

Something funny that happened this week.

As we were getting off the bus there was this small child on a bike and as we passed him all he said was "two dollars" in english as well. It made me think of Better off Dead and the paper boy. But it was also soo random that i couldn´t help but laugh anyway. But it made me think of you Daddy and this movie. it was a good laugh. Another movie connection in real life. We have this one investigator who is really attatched to his bible, I think he has like 20 or something but we were in one lección and he turns to me and asks if he can see my bible, sure why not. He looks it over front and back looks at me and says this is a good bible. It reminded me so much of Nicholas Nickleby (if you don´t know it, look it up, it´s a good ´un) with the door. It took everything in my not to laugh.

This is a fruit here that is really wierd

 but strangly enough I like it

(A type of Passion fruit)

This past wednesday we had a baptism. For Nancy. She is seriously fantastic, she is so intune to the Spirit. She is a sure sign that the Lord is preparing people for us to find. I don´t know who learned more, her or me. She is such an example of the believers. It is such a humbling experience to be able to work with her and teach her. I have learned soo much from her and I know that she will do great things in the gospel.

Quiero que ustedes sepan que su Padre Celestial les ama y que todas las cosas que Él les ha dado, cada dificultad, cada día feliz, es para su beneficio. Y es por obediencia a las leyes de Dios que podamos recibir bendiciones, y últimamente ser felices. DyC 93:28. 

He that keepeth his commandments receiveth  truth and light, until he is glorified in truth and knoweth all things. D&C 93:28

Cuídense mucho!

Tengan una bonita semana!

Hermana Milligan

Week 20: An Early Day Of Thanksgiving, What Not To Say, And The Process of Learning Patience

HOLA Familia mía,

Okay I really don´t know how to write in spanish but somehow I can speak it. It really is a great blessing to have the Spirit guide me in what to say, most of the time I just open my mouth and words come out. I am so grateful for all of your prayers for me and I hope you all know that I am praying for you too!

Today we had Thanksgiving zona oriente (that´s my zone just so ya know) style. We had a great turkey bowl of ultimate frizbee ( I almost took out our zone leader going for the frizbee....yeah just know that it was not on purpose) Then we ate mashed potatoes and chicken with deviled eggs (I am losing the ability to spell) and a lot of deserts. It was great! So much fun! I know it is a bit early but it was so much fun anyway. 

This week we have another baptism! Her name is Nancy and she is so awesome! She has been such a great light for us and she understands soo much, it is obvious that she has been prepared for this gospel. She has a little girl and she is soo funny, a handful but so funny, she kinda reminds me of Natalie. Hna. Negro is great, she is starting to get used to Ecuador, and her accent is starting to stick to me. I don´t really know how to describe the Argentiean accent (ask aunt Jodi) but it is different. We have had some fun with the change of words here. Words that are bad in Argentina are used regularly here and words that are normal in Argentina are bad here and it makes me laugh. I probably shouldn´t laugh but I do. Jaja. 

Spiritual thought for the week: Patience.

Matt has been asking for a picture of a frog.
Unfortunately the first frog
spotted was a dead frog.

So, I was going through some hard times last week. And I decided to take the little attributes of Christ test in Preach my Gospel. And I found out that I was lacking in Patience. So I went to work, studying and pryaing for patience. What I found: Patience means the ability to face adversity calmly and hopefully, trusting in the Lord and HIS timing, knowing that everything will be okay. Then I went to work. What did I need to change to have more patience. First my heart. Replacing my negative feelings with singing a hymn or contacting\talking with others. Next my mind, I had to change my thoughts and to do that I decided to count my blessings everytime a negative thought decided to try and find room in my mind. This lead to my actions, instead of a look of concern or worry I decided to smile and do something more than just think. I found that this really helped me to change my attitude to one of gratitude and thus one of more patience. As I replace things that were making it hard to be patient with more positive uplifting things I feel better. I would like to challenge you all to take this into practice, don´t just say you are going to change something but actually do it, by replacing those things that are holding you back in your heart, mind, and actions. Repentance is real, The Savior is real. You don´t have to have a big sin in order to feel the healing power of the Atonement you just need to accept what has already been given to you and you can do that by repenting, or in other words changing, changing those things that are not in harmony with the teachings of Christ. Negative self thoughts, anger, frustration with yourself, yep those are contrary to what Christ thaught. The amazing thing is that these things that feel like they are only part of you or your flaws. well let me tell ya, they don´t have to be "your flaws" they can become your strengths. Your Father in Heaven Loves YOU. I love you and hope that you all have a great week filled with spiritual experiences.

Les amo!

Hermana Milligan

Week 19: No More Newby, Lost And Found, A Personal Note To Daddy :)

Hola mis quierdas hermanos y hermanas!

This is my weekly report on the goings here in Baños. This is my 3rd transfer! Woohoo! I made it though 12 semanas y now I am out of the ranks of newb. But in all honesty I think I have learned more this past week than I did in the past 12 weeks. My new compañera se llama Hna Negro ella es de Argentina y tiene 23 años. She is great! I think of her as my 23 year old Argentinean twin, except we look nothing alike and she is, you know from Argentina. But in all honesty we are really similar, which sometimes makes things hard because we have similar debilidades but with this I have already learned sooooooo much. Hna Aldás really was like my mom (in the mission she is my momi) and I was like a child. I am still like a child but now it is more like we are both in this growing and learning field together. And we are both learning and growing BASTANTE.

One spiritual experience for the week.

We had received a reference a couple weeks back and hadn´t been able to contact her for some time and I had asked for the directions from various different people and they all said something different (here there aren´t really any addresses) and I still don´t really understand directions very well but we decided to head out and look for this person. And we went to the first house that fit the description that I was told and. No one. I was feeling a bit down that day, but this image of this one house that we had passed before came to my mind and it fit the description of this persons house. And on a whim (I still am not very good with directions) we found this house and it was the correct house! And it just so happens that the daughter of this woman, the member who gave me the reference, just so happened to be

there at that time. She let us in and we were able to teach her with her daughter it was a really neat experience. 

Scripture for the week. 3 Nefi 22:10-11

The Lord´s love is always there for us even when we feel as if we are alone and with out comfort. Our loving Father in Heaven is preparing our path with precious stones.

Much love a todos,

RECUERDEN QUIEN SON!!

Hhn Milligan

This was an excerpt from my personal letter from Lauree this week.


 Daddy, even though we so far apart you some how know just what to say in your status updates that just help me in just the right way. Inspiration. :) Daddy I love you soo much...
  ...Oh this is a bit random but on the way to one of our sectors we pass by 5 big waterfalls and that isn´t counting the little ones on the side of the road. Just to make your photographer mouth water :P This place is soo pretty but it isn´t very friendly to those nice big fancy, expensive cameras. Jaja. Daddy I love you soo much. I think I shared this scripture last week but I would like to share it with you with a bit more detail. Romans 8:16-17 it says that the Spirit testifies that we are Children of God and that we are joint heirs to the Kingdom with Christ. I just want to say that everytime you remind Spencer and Matt and for everytime you reminded me to "Remember who you are" you in all honesty were speaking the truth and as such the Spirit can then testify through you. I don´t really know how to explain myself any better but I just want you to know that I am grateful that you would say that to me all the time and that you live worthy to hold the priesthood to bless your family. Daddy, REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!

Tu hija,

Lauree

Week 18: Cambios!!! Sis Aldas Got Her Visa...

Okay voy a escribir más later don´t worry. But today is cambios and Hermana Aldás has her visa and is leaving today and I am going to cry. I´m going to stay here and it is going to be an adventrue... I love you soooooo much and am grateful for all you do for me for your support and todo! Les amo.

Hermana Milligan

Well I don´t have time like I thought I would. But I just want to let everyone know that all is well. And I will be getting a new compañera and we will be in Baños still. Gracias por su apoyo. Y por favor sepan que les amo mucho! Escritura Romans 8:16 I think that this is the escritura it is about how we are children of God. Remember this. REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE.

Les amo,

Hermana Milligan

Week 17: The 3 Miracles, Specific Prayers, 5 Steps In The Plan of Happiness

Hola Familia mía! ¿Como les va?

I want to say thank you for your support and for writing me and for your love. I am really grateful that I have such wonderful people in my life and for the encouragement and example you have given me. Gracias. Y también puedan enviar cartas por pouch..... Every Monday they send out the pouch so if you get the letter in to the church offices before then I can get it fairly soon. Jajaja. I am so grateful for all the support you give me though in all honesty it is just what I need every week. I don´t know how that happens but every week I have some sort of struggle and I can find an answer in something that someone has sent me. Thank you for being an answer to my prayers and for being in tune to the Sprirt in order to be an answer to my prayers. 

This week has been a great big emotional rollercoaster. Again I had a whole bunch of bug bites that had again become infected and my foot was swollen again. I was scared that I would have to take another three days off and I didn´t want that for anthing. So I did the only thing I could. I prayed. Specifically. There is such power in specific prayer. I prayed that in the morning my foot would be better and I would be able to go to work without problems. Then next day my foot wasn´t completely healed but the swelling had gone down and I could walk on it just fine. It is true that we don´t recieve a testimony till after the trial of our faith. I had a testimony of prayer before but it was strengthened as I acted on what I believed; that my Father in Heaven could heal me. And so I asked, and I was blessed. That is one miracle. 

Second, we have a baptism this thrusday. For a young man se llama Oscar. He is awesome! Hna. Aldás had contacted him before I came but because of complications had lost contact with him for some time. It wasn´t till a little before my first transfer (semana 4 o 5) that we started to vistit with him again. Last night he told us that before he met the missionaries he had been looking for a church to join but he didn´t know which one was the true church and didn´t want to just join any church. And he knows know that this is the Lord´s true chruch. I am really grateful for him. He has been through a lot. But he still goes about life with a smile and a good attitude. It is so wonderful to see people as they grow in light and knowledge of the truth. 

Third miracle. I can understand and speak spanish. I know that there is A LOT more to learn but in all honesty it is a miracle. I have only been here for 11 weeks and I can sit next to someone on the bus and talk with them. For me this is a miracle. I can say that I have improved a lot. I even can use the subjenctive! Woot! I don´t always use it right but when in doubt I usually opt for that and if I´m wrong Hna. Aldás corrects me. But lately she hasn´t had to correct me as much or translate for other people jaja. Also I have noticed that people respond to my questions. This is something that helps me a lot to know that I am speaking better. I know that there is a lot to work on but I am grateful for what I do know. 

Mi pensamiento espiritual por la semana (My spiritual thought for the week):

El Evangelio de Jesucristo o en ingles The Gospel of Christ. Okay I know that seems like cheating because that encompases everything. But I have come to understand this a lot better. In all honesty before the mission and even in the MTC I didn´t really know that Gospel of Christ was. (I can only say this now because you can´t see my face turn red). In my search to understand this better I truned to the Bible Dictionary. in the Definition of GOSPEL dice que gospel means good news; good news that  Christ has made a perfect atonement for all of mankind. That through Him all will be saved from the grave and all will recieve a reward according to their actions in this life. But more speicifically the Gospel of Christ is 5 steps that with and through Christ we can become like Him and live in the pesence of our Loving Father in Heaven. 

1. Faith in Jesus Christ

2. Repentance

3. Baptism by those who are in authority

4. Recieve the Gift of the Holy Ghost

5. Endure to the end

This is the Great Plan of Happiness. This is the only path that leades to Eternal Life. It is through our Redeemer and Brother Jesucristo that we can returne to life with God.  We always present this as our central message. That today because God loves us we have a living prophet to guide us and help us. Through the prophet Joseph Smith we have the fullness of the Gospel of Christ. I know that this is true. I also know that I have so much more to learn. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that He lives. He live so that I can live again. He suffered all of my pains and insecurities todo. He knows what I need when I need it and He gives me guidance through promptings of the Holy Ghost. I am so grateful for this knowledge. In the name of my Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.

Con cariño,

Hermana Milligan

Week 16: Too Much Food, A Good Laugh, And God Knows What You Need

Due to volcanic activity
President Ghent told them to
wear these masks.

Algún día voy a escribir completamente en español y ustedes vayan a necesitar un diccionario. Pero hoy no es el día. 

Today I am going to be focusing on more personal letters for my family and they can then decide what they want to share with everyone. But I want to leave you with one funny experience and one spiritual with a challenge.

Funny experience:

So, one day we were in one of our sectores that is really far and we don´t get to visit very much. But for some reason or another EVERYONE decided to give us food. All sorts of different food. And it just so happens that it is a mission rule that we cannot turn down food. Also it is a sign that the people are really comfortable with us and all in all it is a very good sign if the people give us food (I think I have gained 10 lbs.) But one of the sweet old ladies gave us milk fresh from the cow. remember "Los gringos son bien delicados"? Yeah. Well I couldn´t stomach it. Needless to say it wasn´t a pretty picture. But the worst part is that I threw up in front of the house of a family that we were teaching. So yeah that happened and I thought nothing of it untill we go back to that area and we were back at that same family and at the end of the lección they tell me that they thought I was pregnant. Okay I know I have gained weight but ¡Ay caria! En serio. Hahaha it made me laugh so much. 

Lauree Says this is the biggest chicken
she has ever seen. Bigger than a turkey.

Pensamiento Espiritual:

So this week has been great! Rough but great. One day that was a bit harder that others and I was feeling a bit overwhelmed with everything I opened the scriptures and encontré 3 Nefi 13: 32-33. Verse 32 says that God knows what you need. And verse 33 says "first seek the Kingdom of God....and all things will be added unto you." I was told somewhere that when we pray we are speaking to our Father in Heaven and when we read the scriptures is when Our Father can talk to us.Yo puedo testificar con todo certeza de mi corazón que en este tiempo mi Padre Celestial estuvo hablando a mi. This gave me such peace. I want to challenge you all to remember the scriptures and the value they have. And then think of your friends who don´t have this valuble gift and you don´t have to give them a Book of Mormon unless you feel so prompted but think of how much The Book of Mormon has helped you in your life and share an experience with someone today. Share a scripture with your mom, your dad, brother or sister, friend you know just anyone and then share how this scripture has helped you.

Con mucho cariño y oracion,

Les amo mucho,

Hermana Milligan

Happy Halloween!... Creepy monkey

Matt keeps asking Lauree to get him a
picture of a frog. She hasn't seen one yet
so she sent him this picture to satisfy him
until she could find a frog. haha

This is a bird that was at the
zoo. Lauree said this was one
of her favorites. 

 Lauree wrote more personal letters to us. I tried to share what we could through the pictures. I hope you enjoy!