Letter-February 28th, 2016

Ok so this week was like one of the craziest weeks yet! So good luck keeping up. Everything changed this week also.

Mon: I found out that I would be transferring. Which means I will be leaving my bata or trainee and moving. But thankfully it's only next door :) Yep I got transferred to the next area. It's the same zone just a different ward and area now. So I am still here in Roxas. Which is good because I LOVE it here. The people are awesome. But I was also a little sad because I had only been in my last area 1 month and a half. So me and Sister Servesa are switching places. She is stepping down and I am going to step up and now have a new calling in the mission. It's called Sister Training Leader. It's kind of like the zone leader for sisters. I am really excited about it. But also feel a little unprepared. It makes me feel old in the mission having this calling. Anyway that was Monday. 

Tues: We traveled to Iloilo because we had sisters conference the next day. So we got on a bus for 4 hours to get back to the city and we had a special dinner at the mission home with President and Sister Aquino. 

Wed: SISTERS CONFERENCE. It was awesome. All the sisters in the mission. It was nice to see old comp's and housemates. We had a few speakers and some workshops too. It was such a spiritually uplifting thing. I think it will help the sisters step up their work in the mission. Well after sisters conference my comp sister Pancho went home and I now have my new companion Sister Tobias. She is awesome. I am so excited to work with here. And we couldn't go home that night because we had MLC or Mission leadership council. So 8-3 we had sisters conference and 4-8 we had MLC. So MLC was so cool. All the Zone leaders and STL's and the AP's just had this big open forum and we reported on the progress in our zone and it was really cool. I was just super tired by the end of the day 

Thus; MLC part 2. So this day during MLC we had more training from the AP's (Assistants to the president) The mission the last few months have been focusing on working with members. It's called phase 2. Like the mission has been changing for the better within the last 6 months. Like the mission has been on fire lately. Phase one was more about preach my gospel and now phase 2 is working with the members. Now our job is to follow up with the wards and make sure all the missionaries understand what's going on and understand everything. And have the excitement in the work. So we are going to go on monthly exchanges with all the sisters in Roxas and make sure that things are going good and make sure they catch on to that "fire" that's spreading throughout the mission. I hope this makes sense. If not sorry :)

Fri: Finally got to be back home in Roxas but we had planning to do and so we didn't get to work as much as we would have liked to. 

Sat: we helped clean the church and finally got to work :) I really like my new area. WE got to go meet the bishop and he is really excited about missionary work. SO I am excited to work and serve this new ward. Oh and we had a baptism. His name is Francis. He is truly converted. I was happy to see him get baptized. I actually know him and was there during 1 of his lessons. But his story is the missionaries came and started teaching his family. He didn't listen or participate at first. Then one day he decided to listen and read the book of Mormon. And he became a golden convert. The first Sunday he got invited to church. He was there. He stopped his word of wisdom problems before the missionaries even taught it, because he felt like that was right. He even had to work one Sunday but he didn't want to miss church. So he went to the morning church just to take the sacrament. His testimony after his baptism was so cool to hear. He had been searching for the truth and he is SO happy that he found it. I am excited to teach his recent convert lessons and continue to watch his testimony grow :)

Sun: Church day! We now have church at 1:30. So we work in the morning before church and a little bit after church. It's really weird because my old ward is in the same building just the morning time of church. They were all shocked that we just switched wards. But it was a good day. 

So that was my crazy week. I was super tired because of all the meetings and traveling. But I am spiritually full. MLC and sisters conference were amazing. I am really excited for this month. I am excited to learn my new area and find new people. Also I am excited to have this opportunity to serve the sisters in my zone :) 

I hope you area all doing well. Palangga ko kamo! 

Sister Miggin

Letter-February 21st, 2016

Hello my family and friends.

This week was great. Update on that investigator we found on Monday. He came to church and wants to be baptized! I am pretty sure he is golden. Just waiting for us to find him. He said he loved church and is excited to come back next week. He even circled his baptismal date on his calendar! I am so excited for him. I am so humbled that Heavenly Father guided us to find him and his family!

So what happened this week:

Tues: P-day! We had a activity on the beach with the elders. We played sports and this old drunk guy joined. It was SO FUNNY. One of the Elders drew a circle in the sand around him and told him that was his boundary. He just stood there and cheered. It got less fun once he realized I was there. Then all he wanted to do was try and talk to me. Thankfully by the time that happened we were getting ready to leave to go email.  Anyway it was pretty funny.

Wed:Work day as usual. We got to go to a birthday party for a ward member. It was fun. And the food was great :)

Thurs: Regular work day, but i worked with the STL Sister Servesa. She was with me in my last area and just transferred here. So it was nice to go on splits with her again. 

Fri:Got to teach our new investigator Andro and he accepted a baptismal date!!! 

Sat:Lots of Less active lessons and we also found a new potential family. We had a cool experience when the father of the house prayed at the end of the lesson. We taught them how to pray because their whole life they had just said a memorized prayer. He gave his first prayer from his heart and his reaction after was so humbling to watch. He was like wow if feels really good to have that freedom to talk to God. It was cool. 

Sun: Andro and his daughter came to church and love it! He participated in the classes and said he really felt the spirit. I am so happy for him and his decision. He expressed to us later that night that his new dream is to go to the celestial kingdom with is family, and he said he feels like this is how he can get there! Yup golden. 

I hope you are all doing great. Thanks for all the sweet comments about my dress. I love it! I also cannot believe that Saturday is my halfway point. It is freaking me out how the times really moves so fast during the mission. Sometimes the days feel like so long. But before I know it it's like P-day again and now its half over. I hope to make the next half even better. I love this church and I know that it's true. I am so happy to be a missionary and to be doing this work. Thank you all for the love and support you have given me the first half of my mission. I know that the next half will be even better :) 

Have a good week. 

Love, Sister Miggin

Letter-February 15th, 2016

Hello everyone. Sorry this week our p-day is on Tuesday and not Monday. We had Zone conference on yesterday. It was awesome! I felt so spiritually uplifted. I was eager to learn more and to be able to apply it in my work. Later that night when we went out to work I tried to apply all the new things I learned. And it works! We taught a first lesson to a new family and we really didn't do the teaching. the spirit was so strong. They have lots of potential. I am excited to see what happens. I am so grateful that we were guided by the spirit to find them. Hopefully I will have an update about them next week. 

So what happened this week:

Mon:p-day 

Tues: I went on exchanges with Sister Batin. We taught a lesson to one of my investigators who had lots of questions. Well we were able to work together well and really follow the spirit as we taught him. He even said the closing prayer. We both almost cried the spirit was strong. We pray he felt it to. 

Wed: We went street contacting most of the day and that was about it

Thurs:Went to the doctor in the morning for a check up on my comp and then regular work day. 

Friday: We were able to teach quite a few lessons and go visit some of our less active members 

Sat: Stake conference. Elder Meim of the area 70 was there. He gave a wonderful talk about keeping our lives anchored on Jesus Christ. He gave 10 ideas of different "stones" we can use to build a solid foundation 1.Faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement. 2. Repentance 3. keeping our covenants 4. prayer 5. daily scripture study 6. keeping our testimony strong  7.service 8. tithing 9. fasting and 10.keeping the Sabbath day holy. I loved his talk. I know that if we are strong in these 10 things we will be strong when Satan tries to tempt us and when the storms of life arrive in our lives. 

Sun: Stake conference. Also President Aquino and his wife had dinner at our house. We had crab! 

Mon: Zone conference! This pink dress was the dress I wore. Also it was made for me by a member! I LOVE IT!!! 

This week was wonderful. I really am glad that I was able to have a uplifting week. I am excited to keep finding ways to improve me teaching and my work as a missionary. Palangga ko kamo! Have a good week! 

-Sister Miggin 

Letter-February 8th, 2016

Hello loved ones,

I hope this email finds you all safe and warm. I got photos of the snow! Crazy! I can't even remember what it feels like to be cold. Next year I'm sure I will remember. 

So what happened this week:

Mon: P-day! 

Tues: We had zone training. We got to watch a worldwide mission training by some of the apostles and it was amazing. They talked about how to teach with the spirit and how our purpose should be to baptize truly converted people. And also gave us advice on how. It was amazing. I had like 4 pages of notes after that. It was such an uplifting thing. I for sure needed it. I have been praying for ways to improve as a missionary and a teacher and a trainer. And I did get some answers to my prayers though the training. 

Wed: Work! About half way during the day the ward mission leader called and asked where we were. He then showed up and worked with us for half the day! It was awesome. HE went finding, he wanted to lead the lessons and talked to people on the street just like us missionaries,and it was so much fun.We actually were a really good trisome! He said he missed missionary work and wanted to work with us. It was fun.Thank you Brother Llave! 

Thurs: Regular day I think. I can't remember hahaha 

Fri: We walked and talked and walked and talked and finally once night came we finally got some lessons. It was a fun day of street contacting and Sister Pancho was able to practice talking to people and not by shy. I don't have shy in my vocab and she said that was the first thing she learned about me as a missionary. I talk to everyone that will listen hahaha. I hope she is like that one day too. 

Sat: We had some return appointment and found some new investigators and also got to teach some of our part member families 

Sun: Church again, and we worked with 2 ward missionaries and it was a good day. 

I hope you all have a good week. I love you all! Talk you next week! 

Love, Sister Miggin

Letter-January 31st, 2016

Maayong aga Kamo!!

I can't believe its p-day again. Here is what happened this week:

Mon: P-day! we went shopping with the Bishops wife and bought fabric and took it to her mother in law and now she is making us super cute dresses. I am super excited. We also had an FHE at the house of the ward mission leader

Tues:It was a normal work day. Also I found my cousin Jacie here in the Philippines. I never believed that they are part pinoy till I met this one less active member. They look super similar! It was crazy. 

Wed: We studied in the morning and then got ready to go to Iloilo. There is one other set of sisters in our zone who is training, so we went with them to this meeting. Most of Wednesday we spent on a bus traveling to the city. We had dinner with President and Sister Aquino. It was super nice of them to invite us. Then we stayed the night in my old apartment, which was great because I got to catch up on my old area. The people are active and great news is that the last 2 baptisms I was able to see. They are getting ready to receive the priesthood are are active, tithe payers!!! YAY! Prayers are real. I was super happy when I heard that. 

Thurs: We had trainer and trainees meeting. It was awesome. I learned so much and got spiritually revamped for the work. It also made me really grateful for the opportunity to train Sister Pancho. 

Fri: Back to work :) 

Sat: I went on exchanges with Sister Batin. We worked in both of our areas, It was a long day, but really good. 

Sun: CHURCH, and I payed the piano as usual. Also I played for them during a musical number. It was where can I turn for peace. So I almost started crying during that song. It brought back memories about my sweet grandma Ream, and I knew she was there with me. We then worked with a YSA in the ward and later that night with the Bishop and his wife! 

This week was great. I hope that you all are doing well. I was reading Jesus is the Christ this week and it was talking about the story of the lost sheep. I think at times in all of our lives we feel like we are the lost sheep. I for sure remember a time where I felt super lost in life. But as I was reading I understood more Jesus's love for each of us. I am super thankful for him and all he did for me. I now consider myself a "found sheep."  I think at some point we will be lost, but whats important I think is once we have been found. To stay close to the shepherd and keep our eyes fixed on him. So we don't get lost again. But I do know that no matter how many times we get lost. He will ALWAYS come find us. I love this church and I know that it's true! 

-Sister Miggin 

This photo is proof that I do wash all my clothes by hand :)