Week 71: A Baptism, Much Progress In The Work, The Book Of Mormon Given For Gathering Of Israel

So well I just want to tell you about this crazy week that I had. So do you all remember the story that I told you about José Miguel? Well he was baptised and confirmed yesterday, I´m going to send a foto (even though in the foto he doesn´t look very happy jajaja) It was such a neat experience, he shared his testimony after and it was very simple but he said that he felt so light and clean. It was such a powerful testimony that he shared! It was a crazy process that we had to go through though. I´ll let my mom fill in the crazy details. But that was such a great experience. 

Right now we have a lot of people progressing! it is like a Christmas miracle, before Chrstimas! jaja there are sooo many people who are prepared to recieve the Gospel of Christ ya! We have Henry, who is going through a lot of changes in his life but his is doing it! There is Mariana and her children who have gone through soo much but are trusting in the Lord. She is such a strong woman. There is Margarita who has sooooo many questions but has such a good heart, she wants to know! I love these people soo much. It is something soo incredible to know that the Lord can use me to help others come unto Him. The mission is up until this point in my life the best thing that I have ever done. It is also the hardest thing that I have ever done. But I love this work soo much!

So well we had an incredible training this week about how using the Book of MOrmon is how we can see the fulfilling of the Abrahmic covenent. It was powerful. The Book of Mormon was given in our time to bring to pass the gathering of Israel in our days. The Book of mormon is our strongest tool in helping bring others to Christ. We should make it our standard. I challenge each and everyone of you to find your way to make the Book of Mormon your standard each and every day. What can you do to help others come unto Christ using the Book of Mormon? 

Les amo mucho!!!

HAVE A GREAT WEEK!! REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE!!

Hna Milligan

Week 69: Food Baby, Zombie Dog, And Blessings Of Obedience...A New Person to Teach

Okay so I haven´t gotten much time to write a general letter.. so I am going to write this one first! :P

So first things first, last monday was a holiday here, día de los difuntos. Or day of the dead and also it was my companions birthday. they have a few traditions here for this day and most of them involve food. they have a drink that is called colada morada, it is like a thick beverage that is purple and has a lot of fruit, like strawberry, pinapple, and a few that they only have here. It is really yummy! But they like to give it with bread in the shape of a baby. I don´t really know why and no one else does either jajaja but it is really filling. REALLY filling and the thing is that EVERYONE gives it to you this day. And well Hna Redondo wanted pizza for her Bday and so we bought and ate pizza and then some members called us over to eat lunch with them. Chuso. We were full with the pizza. Then get this we had a FHE with members and guess what? They give us colada morada with rice and chicken. AHHH I was dying. But just wait that is not all. We went to another family and they knew that it was the birthday of Hna Redondo and so they gave us cake AND rice and some sort of meat. NOOOOOOOO we almost exploded from an over dose of food! If any of you have seen the movie about the sister missionaries, Errand of Angles or something like that. Well I can relate, when they give her plate after plate of food. I am going to come home with a lot more to love! jaja.


So I didn´t get to tell you about the week before last or Halloween... Well Halloween isn´t really a

think here. They do have parties but it is just an excuse to have parties. But that good old halloween day we were walking along and we see this dog, that was sooooooo very dead, it was left on the side of the road and had its legs in the air the head at a strange angle. needless to say it was VERY dead. and well we passed by a few hours later and the dog wasn´t there. But I look over on the other side of the road and there is the dog and it was breathing!!! AHHH Zombie dog! That was a halloween scare for sure :P


So, I have to share an experience that was really neat with you. So we have a district leader that is really awesome, he does everything above and beyond. But any way. He gave us a challenge as a district to carry a Book of Mormon in the hand for one whole week. And that is all and well, but it rains here like no other, that makes things a little complicated. But well my companio gave up on that after one day or so but I kept going and one day we were walking past a few chicos working, and well the habit is to ignore them, because the whistle and say anyoing things, But one chico calls us over and for some reason we go over and then he starts asking us about who we are and all that and then he sees the Bood of Mormon and asks us what it is. And well it turns out he is golden. Trully, he went to church yesterday and in prestehood they talked about consagrated oil and passed out the little containers for the oil ( I don´t know what they are called) and well he has his little flask for the oil. First sunday he came with a nice button up shirt and dress pants. That hardly happens here. WOW. The Book of Mormon is really a great great tool we have to help people become interested and to gain a testimony.
I have a question for all of you, you ready for it? How is your study of the scriptures going? I know what mine was like before the mission, almost non existant. I do believe that many many many of us as members take for granted the things we have, we think that we know the scripture stories and that

yeah we don´t need to keep reading. Well I can say that because that is what I thought. But think about it. Are you keeping the commandment to read the scriptures? It doesn´t take much just a little bit and you can have so much help in the day. So this is your challenge for this week. Will you read the scriptures everyday? For at least this week and then just tell yourself one more week. and then write down the blessings you are able to see more clearly. I can promise that you will be able to see a change it your week. I know that God listens, I know that He knows me personaly. I know that He is aware of where I am and how I feel. I know that Christ is my Savior, I don´t fully understand what He did for me, but I do have time to learn more and feel His love more. So for now I will know worry myself but I will work to understand the Atonement of my Savior better. I bare my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.


Les amo,
Hna Milligan

Week 67: Big Temptation, Glorious Tacos, A Frog, Finally A Real Missionary, Why Is The Secret To Perfect Obedience

So this week a lot of little things have happend. One, one of the biggest challenges of my mission. So every saturday, we eat lunch in a restaurant owned by members and well it is a restaurant and they have a huge big screen tv. But normally they just watch football or WWR or something like that and so there is no temptation jajaja but this saturday was a different story.... That´s right. Lord of the Rings, right there in front of me. AHHHH it was aweful. I died a little inside but I was strong and didn´t watch it jajaja

Another event in the mission, this tuesday our momita couldn´t make us lunch so we called another family and well they made us tacos!!! We about died of happiness! I think I ate about 8! hahaha I was about ready to roll out the door jaja after day after day of rice and soup I was sooooo happy jaja! They know how to make two missionaries happy! Just give us tacos! 

Another little thing, after 15 months of my little brother Matt asking me if I have seen a frog (a live one) I can finally say that I have seen a live frog! It was a land mark moment and well I did not have my camara. Jajaja But hey it happened.

As for event number 3. I got bit by a dog!! Dumb dog. It wasn´t anythig big, it didn´t draw blood or anything but I was just walking in the door when this ugly little thing just comes up out of nowhere and bites my leg! What the heck! But now I can say that I am a real missionary jajaja The thing that makes me more mad is that my new pair of tights now have a great big hole! Ahh jajaja 

Well this week I have been reading in Mosiah for the chapters with Abinadi and it really makes me think a lot about obedience. (especially Mosiah 13) This is when he teaches the 10 commandments and it is really an interesting thing obedience. We have soooo many rules in the mission sometimes I couldn´t help but think that there are too many but I have come to realize that the rules don´t matter, now now don´t get me wrong! We have rules and commandments that we need to obey. But trully what does it do for us if we obey but our heart is not in it? The thing that really matters is why. Why are you being obedient? Because you are afraid of the consequence? Because you want blessings? Or because you love your Father in Heaven and want to do all you can to please Him? I know that obedience when it is perfect obedience comes from love for my Creator, my Father, for my Savior. As Abinadi said that the salvacion does not come from the law but that we must obey but with the spirit of Love. That has been one of the things that I has really called my attention this week. I invite you all to read Mosiah 13 and think about it. I know that The Book of Mormon is trully another testement of Jesus Christ and that we can draw closer to our Heavenly Father when we read and study the teachings in that book. I share these things in the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Les Amo mucho!

Hna Lauree Milligan

Week 65: Transfers In Comes Hermana Redondo, General Conference, Much Gratitude For The Blessings Of The Gospel...

Buenas tardes a todos!

Well just to say the least transfers have come and Hna Negro left. And now I am with Hna Redondo, she is from Honduras. She has soooo much energy, I love it! she will be a good reminder in these last couple months and a good help along the way. I feel that good things are in store, we are going to see a lot of external miracles! Woohoo!

Wow, this General Conference was amazing!!!!! I LOVED the talks in their native language, that was one of the most amazing things ever! And it was a blessing to be able to hear it in spanish as well. I love it! 2 Nefi 31:3. The Spirit was felt very strongly. It was fantastic!

So the past week we had a family that just showed up at the church just because they wanted to and well they loved it and want to keep going. They are great! I love them so much even after just one lesson with them. The only problem, they live outside of the sector, by a lot. So well, we just have to pass on the reference, but I know that the power of the Spirit to guide those who are trully searching for the truth is so strong that they cannot or will not say no to the promptings that they are given. This family is waiting to buy a house in our sector so a few prayers for that would be really appreciated or that they can continue recieveing the missionaries for where they live.... :) I love this Gospel sooo much and I am forever grateful for the blessings that I have recieved, the miracles I have seen, and the changes I have experienced. I know that my Savior lives and that He loves you! That´s right you! What things has He given you, that show you He loves you? What are you going to do to show your love to Him?

Hope you all have a fantastic week!

Les amo mucho!!

Hna Milligan

Week 64: 4 Seasons Every Day, Remembering Bishop Ryan, General Women's Conference, What Are You Giving To Christ This Year?....

Well we are experiencing all four seasons in one day! It starts out all pretty and perfect, like spring. Then by lunch we are dying of heat, like summer, and then right after lunch (I mean right after) it pours like no other, I mean there are rivers in the street! It´s not really like autum, but we will just say that it is. And then in the night it is soo cold that is is almost like winter. Well really, it is more like autum, but for the sake of the story it is winter. Jajaja. We have gotten soo wet these past few days, we had to return to the house to change because we where just sooooo wet and it was so cold. What can I say it is an adventure every day. :) There is a saying in the mission, that every time we are out working in the rain our future husband gets better looking. Well by this point, I should be marrying an Aman or Nefi. Jaja. 

This week we helped a family prepare their new house so they could move. It was fun I got to use plaster and it riminded me of Bishop Ryan a bit, but ssshhh don´t tell him that. jaja. 

This week we also had the wonderful opportunity to listen to the General Women´s broadcast! Woohoo! It was the best! I was really touched by the video of all the testimonies of the temple. Especially one about a young girl who her mom passed away, and the girl and her family got baptised and then she went and did the temple work for her mom. That story really hit me hard, because right before the conference we were visiting with a mom and her daughter and they told us their story and five months ago the father had passed away. The mom was a less activ and her daughter just got baptised. It really struck me that, these conferences are made to touch the heart of every person. Just like that message was especially for that family, there is always something that is directed epicifically to YOU. You just have to be prepared to recieve it. 

One of the other talks that really struck me was just a one liner, it wasn´t even the main theme of the talk but she just said "make a Christmas gifot for Christ"  and well we still have time between now and Christmas but I want to leave you all with the challenge to pick something that you want to do to give a gift to Christ this Christmas. It could be many things, give up something or even better make a habbit of doing something good or do something special for you Savior this Christmas. There is pleanty of time to decide and start doing it so. Go for it! I still have yet to decide but I leave you with that challenge and I will be home around Christmas to ask you all in person so you can´t just ignore my followups! :P jaja

There are trully many many miracles in every day. Are you prepared to see and reconize them?

LOVE YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH!!! 

Hna Milligan

Week 63: A Long Awaited Baptism, John 4:37, 2 More Transfers...

Well this week we were able to finish with a very beautiful baptism of a wonderful sister named Inés. 

So for starters this ward has quite a few eternal investigators, that in many cases are more active than actual members. Hna Inés was one of those. But because of a chain of, what some may call, unfortunate events, and what others would call miracles, she was at last able to be baptised. She had been waiting 3 years! Right three years, she had only missed one or two sundays in the whole process, and she was just waiting for the time to come when she could be baptised. And Septemper 20, 2014 came. During the whole process I was reminded of a scripture John 4:37. More or less it says, that to some it is to plant and others to harvest. My companion and I have been planing A LOT and we were given the oportunity to harvest. Honestly she knew everything, she knows more than some members, and so we just set up the interview with the DL and yeah. Lights. Camera. Action. She was just ready. It was such a special experience, she had been waiting for quite some time and at last it came. It goes to show that, truly, it is soo important to keep on keepin´on. Keeping the commandments even when you don´t see the results(blessings) you want right away. Sometimes we have to wait 3 years or more. But the blessings will come.

So that was the high light of the week. The funny moment of the week: when an investigator told us that he milked a dog. Umm Akward....jajajaja we died laughing, the poor hermana that came with us was dying of laughter. That was one of the funniest things ever! I can´t look at the dogs the same anymore. Bajaja. 

So, this week we had interviews with Pres. Christensen, and well he told me that I have two transfers left. Ouch. What did I say? "Presidente, that hurts more when you say it." Honestly, the time is going by so fast, but in the words of a very wise person I know "the mission is the MTC for life" I feel like I am being prepared to become someone far better than I was, maybe there won´t be much of a change but I feel like I am being molded so much in this time. This is truly the Lord´s work here on the earth. It is the most amazing ever. 

I love you all sooo much and hope you have a wonderful week and keep on keepin´on! SMILE!

les amo,

Hna Milligan

Week 62: WWJD?, Listen To The Still Small Voice, And I Found A Hobbit Hole Here In Middle Earth...

Oh the good ´ol What Would Jesus Do. I have been thinking about that a lot in these past days. How would Jesus respond to critisms? How would He handle a bad day? What would He do if he wasn´t feeling well? That has been a big motivating factor this past week. We are here to follow His example  and to do as He would. Work on becoming more and more like Him. It is hard but if we continue in a life of repentance it is more and more possible.

So I just want to share a little experience with you. So Sunday I felt the need to bring a Book of Mormon with me to church, normaly I have a lot more books to carry in my backpack and we are in meetings most of the day so I almost didn´t give heed to  this small impression. But in the end I put in in my backpack. Half way through the sunday meetings. They call us out of Gospel Principles to talk to a señora. Turns out she is a member from the Galapogos islands and she came here to recieve an opperation but didn´t have time to bring her book of mormon and she just asked us if we had one so she could read it while she was recovering in the hospital. And well, I had that book of mormon in my backpack.

And we gave it to her and she went about her way  but trully it was an amazing experience for me to help me recognize the promptings of the Spirit. It is a lot of the time hard to recognize these small, quite promptings. But we are blessed when we listen. I know that this is the Lord´s true church, restored on the Earth. I know that God answers prayers and that he wants to guide us in this time. For this we have Prophets. This is an amazing Gospel and I am soo grateful for the opportunity to help others in the Gospel.

Love you all soo much and I hope you have a geat week! REMEMBER WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU STAND FOR.

Hna MIlligan

After a year of exploring and adventuring I have finally found evidence that Ecuador is trully "Middle Earth".... IT¨S A HOBBIT HOLE!!