WTMI

Oiiii! It's been a long week! BUTTT we made it! And that's a blessing.It looks like we have reached the end of the "health probs" rope! I spent the whole weekend twiddling my thumbs{slash}taking 3 bottles of laxatives and not eating in prep for my colonoscopy on Monday! Don't worry though, I kept the missionary work up and made best friends with all the nurses and doctors. They want me to come back? What they don't realize is they'll be getting a gospel lesson next time.

The results for my colonoscopy aren't all in, BUTTT he said it was healing great and I'm so excited I ran out of their and danced in the snow. In only a v-neck. And Sister Taylor (who came with us and is maybe my favorite person in the whole world right now. Sorry not sorry.) was worried I was going to catch a cold and die... or fall over. I was still a little loopy from the anesthetic! Ohhh well! Yolo! Sort of...

I have to tell you about "Brian." This Less Active who is in LOVE with me. Wish I was kidding. He is 60 years old, and hadn't been to church in a long time, but the missionaries came and visited him every week. Welllll, we go visit him my first week here, and he has been to church ever since. Never missed a Sunday. On Friday we were meeting with him and he goes, "Now, what if God sent me a younger woman to get me to heaven. I mean way younger. But God wanted us together, so we would have to get married right?" Silence. Me, "wellll you always have your agency." Brian, "But we could even have children, like Abraham and Sarah." Silence. Brian, "She would be in her twenties, and have Sister Mills' personality.... and looks."BAHAHAHA. We booked it out of there. I just kept thinking. He is a child of God, he is a child of God, he is a child of God. We told the Elders and they wanted to come with us next time and protect me? I assured them I was in no danger, but if they wanted an invite to the wedding they better not joke about it! HAHAHA.

Also, sorry, you start to realize how much you talk when you write letters. desculpNAOdesculp. We got a new investigator this week, "Heather." When they talk about golden investigators they mean her! Remember that inn we have been painting? Welllll we were helping for the 3rd week in a row when I meet the owner's daughter (recent divorcee) inside cleaning paintbrushes. She tells me that she had been looking into the church in Montana before her and her husband got divorced, but he was anti, and the elders couldn't come in when she was alone. So she moved to Cody and starting praying one night that something would happen to let her know what to do and the next day one of those Elders messaged her on Fbook and said he was thinking about her and wanted to send the Cody Elders over (he didn't know WE were here!) So she was considering it when we showed up to paint the first time. Then her mom tried to talk her out of talking to us. Then the second time she KNEW it was a sign. Then the third time she was trying to decide how to approach us when chatty kathy (me, obviously) struck up a conversation. I sincerely hope this all works out, but it was a miracle and we are so blessed despite all the health stuff we have had to deal with lately.

LOVE!

Sister Mills

Sisters Helm and Mills

Blizzards bring Miracles - and not the Dairy Queen Kind

Things I'm still waiting on... my VISA, mom's Pumpkin Bread recipe, and now her crepe recipe... BUTTT all is good in Cody this week! Someone in the ward (who knew of my fervent love for reading) informed me that Tom Clancy died?! Whaaat?! Saddest event of my mission so far! He will be missed by all of us true fans who consider his books classics! Hahaha.

This week was PRETTY amazing, despite my... sickness. (I'm worried it won't be gone after the anti-biotics, because it's still going strong! But we'll exercise some faith and go get tested again on Thursday. Get tested... boy does that sound awful! Haha.) It snowed! Like... 8 inches. SNOWED. And different members of the ward called us over to pick out some winter clothes because they know I was in no way prepared for this! And in October of all things! It's a running joke though, because I LOVED it, and I ran straight outside to take pictures and chuck snowballs at Sister Helm. She loved it. I hit her with one outside of an investigators house and she goes, "AND SHE'S GOT AN ARMMMMM!"

My favorite miracle of the week is Mary Kay. Her friend formerly lived in our ward, and moved the DAY we arrived. She had been praying for sisters as SHE served a mission herself and knew some of her friends would be PERFECT for the sisters! Well she met us at a wedding and gave us a ton of referrals, but didn't have their addresses, so it was like getting to peak at your Christmas presents, only to find out you have to wait til Santa gets home to South Wyoming and looks up the addresses to open them... wait. I think that metaphor might have just gotten real. Hahaha. So I get on Facebook last week and in my inbox is Mary Kay's address!

We were so excited! It was snowing hard core outside and she lived up like 10 miles on the South Fork (aka in the mountains), but we know we receive blessings from contacting referrals right away so we took a chance! HA! As we drive up the hill, the snow is getting worse and worse til it is practically a blizzard (I say practically because it was, but I don't want to freak you out). We get to her house and thank GOODNESS she was home.

We knock and wait a while, and then she finally opens the door but not the screen and goes- " WHO IS IT?!" "OH MY GOODNESS YOU GIRLS! GET INSIDE RIGHT NOW YOU ARE GOING TO FREEZE!" Then she proceeds to show us the gun she had pulled out when someone knocked on her door in a blizzard. Ohh the life of a missionary. Anyway she let us in and we talked for about 2 hours. We answered her questions about caffeine and taught her about the Restoration of the true Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Then she tells us- "I just don't think it's right that if you are raised Muslim or something that you would be punished for not knowing the truth! When you never knew any better!" I answer- "You won't be, everyone will have an opportunity to accept the true gospel of Jesus Christ, buuuut, if you had an opportunity and you didn't take it..." She goes- "OH MY GOODNESS WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE THEN! OH NOOO, LEAVE!" Hahaha. First person I have ever taught that has ever made that connection. That this is her opportunity. Anyway, she promised to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and said we could come back and visit with her husband too next time (who was hunting. Like everyone. In the whole state of Wyoming.) Then her son goes, "we should let them spend the night! Now, Sister Helm, I don't care if people behind you are going HONK HONK, you drive as slow as you need okay?!" ... he's 9.

I just love the people here. I love them so much, I never knew I could feel this way about everyone in a certain geographical area despite their troubles and pains. I can feel the Savior's love so deeply, and I know this is his gospel.

Oh, I almost forgot conference! WHAT THE BEST CONFERENCE EVER! Not kidding, I can't pick a favorite talk! I LOVED THEM ALL! We had the opportunity to watch Elder Holland's talk with our member who has had MS for 25 years and is just so amazing about it. By the end we were in tears and I gave her a big hug and said, "NORMA, YOU'LL BE WHOLE!" We laughed for a good 5 minutes after that.

I also LOVED President Uchtdorf's talk. I want everyone in the entire world to hear that talk. Everyone. Because we've all have doubts. We've all wondered why. And here we are, getting the answers through our loving Heavenly Father.

"Whether by mine own voice, or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." D&C 1:38

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2013/10?lang=eng&vid=2721983168001&cid=12

I've included it so everyone can watch it again. Because WOW. This church is true. I love you very much and am so appreciative of all the prayers. I can feel their influence and impact on my life!

LOVEYOUMISSYOUMUITOMUITOMUITO!

 

Sister Haley K. Mills