Good News...

Let me share with you some "good news" from this week:I got a call from the mission home that I needed to immediately send in some paperwork. Notarized paperwork. AKA THEY ARE WORKING ON MY VISA! Not kidding I started crying in a van full of 14 missionaries.

We were all in a van because we were at CHRISTMAS ZONE CONFERENCE for the "West-Side." Where we had a BOMB lesson on faith. Faith to perform miracles. Peter walked on water. He only started to fall when he got distracted by the boisterous wind. We must have faith, and we must stay focused on the "prize." Which is living eternally with our families and with our Father in Heaven.I started crying because I had decided in that meeting that I would stay. That I would be okay here, that I liked the cold and the people and the language. That I would accept my fate. Turns out Heavenly Father might have a different Christmas gift in mind for me. We all have the gift of our Savior's sacrifice. Through him we can be saved. But soon I may get to share that message in Brazil. Oh happy day.It will be a happy day because I can't speak a lick of Portuguese, and I will get to experience the amazing power of my Father in Heaven to bolster me, to hold me up when I would otherwise fall.I would fall because I am just a woman. With weakness and trials. But as I lean on the Lord to help me, those weaknesses can become strengths and I can be comforted in time of need.

Let this be a Merry Christmas because your Savior paid for your sins. Your Heavenly Father came up with a plan for you to return to live with him. And you fought for and accepted that plan. THAT'S where we came from, THAT'S where we are going, THAT'S WHY WE ARE HERE.

Now... on a hilarious note.I was using the analogy seen on "The District 1" where they are teaching about the authority from God to baptize. AKA the priesthood. Also, I think I should disclose that we were teaching this woman. And we were talking to her 6 year old and 4 year old daughters at this point. So I go- "If someone in an ice cream truck pulls you over and tries to give you a ticket, do you take the ticket?" "You don't take it." "GOOD! Now if a police officer pulls you over, do you take that ticket?" "No, you have to give it back!" WE DIE LAUGHING. Apparently they were taught well not to take things that aren't theirs. THEN we are talking about how after Jesus Christ died that authority left the earth. I go- "So now if Jesus Christ AND his apostles died who has the authority to act in their name?" The 4 year old goes- "THE COPS!" HAHAHA. Sister Armknecht goes- "WOW! You are such a good listener." And we literally laugh the whole way home.

We go to contact this mother/daughter with the last name "Daniels". We show up at their trailer and lo and behold a male answers the door. I go- "Is this uh.. Sister... uh I mean the Daniels?" He proceeds to tell us they moved out over a year ago and it's just him and he lives alone. So I go- "Well would you be interested in hearing more about the Gospel of Jesus Christ restored on the earth today?" He says thanks, but no thanks and we bustle along back on our merry way. Well when we sit back in the car I see that the contact also has a number! LET'S CALL THEM! The phone rings once and a guy answers. "Hi, is this Sister Daniels?" HAHAHA. Same guy. We have a festive little chat and laugh about how hilarious that was. Then I get off the phone and turn to Sister Armknecht and go- man, that must have been pretty awkward for him. OHHH the life of a missionary.

We were meeting with a family that is becoming more re-activated in the church with the last name of "Tracy." They were baptized about 4 years ago, and after they were baptized they got scared and RAN FOR THE HILLS. Well after 4 years of inactivity they decided that they liked what they had seen. But just in case, they wanted to keep going to this other church while they checked ours out so all their kids could still get some "sound doctrine." They were telling us about this experience because (they only did it for a couple of weeks) every Sunday they would go to our ward. Then they would brief their kids on the drive to the other church- "Don't TALK about the Mormons! Do we all have the other Bible? Turn your Book of Mormon in." "We are HERETICS!" HAHAHA.

I have another baptism on Saturday! STOKED!And I am giving a talk on Sunday? SURPRISE, being a missionary is the best!

LOVE YOU!

Sister Haley K. Mills