Being Home

I cant believe it!

I  just cant believe it! I've almost been home for two whole months! Its so strange being home. These past two months have just flown by. I miss being a full time missionary but find comfort in knowing I did my very best every day.

Holidays flew by, the "awkwardness" has worn off (a little), and i'm starting to get a hang on things.

SO, the big question is what am I doing with all my time?

Apart from driving my mom crazy I've set some goals for myself:

• The obvious Work/School (I will elaborate more on that later)
• Gym time! Not only is this a new years resolution, but its a fun way to get rid of the "Mission Weight" that most RM's know so well. (Also, my sister Mariah is kind of the best person to work out with, we make a dang good team if I do say so myself!)
• Institute and personal scripture study! Even though the traditional study schedule of missionaries isn't really an option anymore I am trying my best to keep up with the reading and studying daily.
• Developing old talents such as painting, guitar, etc. 

I'm catching up on what I missed while I was gone. I'm excited this year to really start my future and focus on me. Its a little nerve racking to be honest, but I know I've got all the tools and support to do it!

-Megan

I did it!!!!!!

Wow, I don't even have words to describe how im feeling. Well, for starters satan is just trying to get  his way and send me all kinds of feelings... including la GRIPE! that's right, I'm coming home sick. Haha stuffy nose, sore throat, and a cough haha.

This week has been a mixture of emotions. I cant help but look back on this part of my life with a sense of accomplishment. I did it! I served a full time mission! IN ECUADOR! I speak spanish! I helped others come unto Christ. I completed with my calling. It breaks my heart, la verdad, to go home. But I feel that its time. Ive done what I needed to do here and now I have other callings and responsibilities awaiting me. 

I leave my sector on Wednesday and will be in Guayaquil until next Monday where I will begin my travels home Monday late at night. I will be traveling for approximately 12 or 13 hours straight! YUCK! haha..... and the funniest part?? I will be taking three airplanes. My first flight I will be with an Elder that is going home as well! Not just any Elder, my Zone leader! haha Its okay, he is cool. It will just be weird... Not only will I be without a companion... but I will be with a guy! haha Talk about uncomfortable. 

This mission is amazing. Being a missionary is amazing. I have no words to describe it. It was the hardest thing I've ever done and I will forever be grateful that I did it. I know that God was with me and I continue to feel his help everyday.

I'm not the same person I was when all this started, lots of things have happened. Im not perfect but I  understand more about what I need to do with my life. 

I love you all! This will be the last email you recieve from me as a missionary. I love you I love you I love you!

Next week,  HUGS! haha and lots of tears!

Dont get scared when you see how much weight ive gained. hahahaha 

Love, Hna Miller                                                

Mango Man!

A VEEEER. Okay entonces solo voy a hablar en español. Jaja BROMA. Hablare en ingles. This week felt like a replay from the last week. Im still with Hermana Rojas we have been in and out of the house. I JUST WANNA WORK! haha I dont like being at home, but good news is that she is feeling better so we are going to be working a little more. Bad news? No hay Pday hoy. We only get Pday from 12 to 2 today just time to eat and write the family because this tuesday (mañana) we are going to travel to Guayaquil because WENSDAY (wedsday?...Wednesday?... No se) we have the CHRISTMAS CONFERENCE! Woohoo! CHRISTMAS! They are doing it early this year for the people that go home the 1st of december. and on jueves I have a meeting. We call it "taller por los muertos"... or the "Dead ppl meeting" AKA the meeting for those who are going home. Its like a meeting or class to put goals for your life or something.... im in denile. haha I still dont feel like im going home, it feels like a joke. Im just waiting for the punch line. 

Anyways, maybe you are all asking why the title of this email is mango man? Portoviejo is known for (other than its bad water) its mango trees! There are so many mangos all over the place! So the other day instead of just doing normal contacting we decided to ask this little old man if he would give us some of his mangos....he did.. :) and then we gave him a picture of Jesus Christ and started talking about all kinds of stuff. Turns out he is a painter, he let us in to show us his paintings, we met his wife and in the end he opened up and told us that he feels empty sometimes, like his life is missing something, and that he feels like he has a hard time being happy. So what did we do?? WE SHARED THE GOSPEL. Boom. He is always a little busy but we will be passing by his house one of these days to teach him a message. Cute little old man.

So, I feel like I have so much to say but I dont know how to say any of it. ME FALTAN LAS PALABRAS. Les quiero un monton. Espero que esten bien y aunque va a ser muy dificil terminar yo se que todo estara bein. Cuidense!

Hna Miller

Ants in my pants!

Okay, so the title of this email might be a little strange but I couldnt help it. No matter how much bleach I use. No matter how much I sweep, here in ecuador THERE IS ALWAYS ANTS! Ants in my food, ants in my clothes, ants in my bed! Haha, always. Its okay, I will probably miss them when I get home... maybe.. haha

So this week I went to the temple with the sister that has been a little sick. She did baptismal work for her grandparents! It was a cool expirience. She wasnt doing to well so we had to sleep in the mission presidents house... and let me tell ya it was one of the coolest yet strangest expiriences of my entire life haha!! Not every missionary gets to eat breakfast with the mission president, haha. We went to guayaquil wednesday night, slept in the temple housing, thursday morning I had my last leadership meeting. It was hard to accept that it would be my last one. Here in this mission at the end of every official meeting we sing the missions hymn and this time I couldnt help but cry while we sang it. I love being a missionary so much, and time is just the worst enemy. Thursday at about 4 in the afternoon we went to the mission house and just hung out with the mission presidents wife. She made us chocolate chip cookies. We watched a church movie, it was so strange to be in a normal house. And even MORE strange to felt taken care of.... haha if that sounds weird lol I dont know, like.... someone made us cookies! haha... It was a fun expirience! It made me miss my mama. Haha

I cant believe how much time has gone by I know that when I go home I will be leaving a part of me here. Its a strange mixture of feelings but I know that I will be okay.

This week we had an entire FAMILY come to church, we hardly had any time to work but a whole entire family was able to come with us to church. I was so happy to see them there! I know God is mindful of each one of us. This week I will still be in and out of the house with this Sister but I know that I will do my best to keep the work moving forward!

See ya soon!

Love, Hna Miller

funny story!

Hey everyone!

Okay everybody, mom asked me for a funny story so here you go...

About 2 weeks ago me and my companion were walking in the street (in an area with businesses, big buildings, apartments, traffic, etc) when all of the sudden I hear MOOOOOOOOOOOOO and guess what? it was a VACA! haha or what you gringos call a cow! haha just stampeding through the town! haha it had escaped from a little farm about five minutes away and was just raging its way through the streets.. and me... being the silly gringa that I am wanted to take a picture of it. So what did we do? We followed the angry cow around trying to take a picture of it haha for like ten minutes BUT dont worry, in the end I did end up getting a picture of him. The funny part was when we lost track of it for a minute I walked up to a litle boy that had been watching him in the street and said ¨Excuse me.... have you seen my cow? He´s seemed to have escaped.¨hahaha and the look on this little kids face was priceless he was probably thinking like ¨what is this gringa doing with a cow??¨

Sorry its a story from two weeks ago this week nothing has happened. I am sister leader here and there is a sister that is sick with all kinds of problems and cant leave the house and so I am in charge of taking care of her. We were inside since friday so I didnt even go to church yesterday! haha I was actually kind of bummed because it was my last fast and testimony meeting as a missionary and I wasnt able to share my testimony. I was pretty bummed but I just let myself be sad for a minute and then I realized that I share my testimony multiple times everyday so I dont need to be sad.

I will be in and out of the house with her this week because she cant work very much. At first I was sad for the asignment because I only have 4 weeks left and I just wanna get out there and get work done but also I know president trusts me and I am willing to accept whatever asignment he gives me. Also, I just love the heck out of this sister and feel bad that she is passing through some hard stuff. We will be like this for one or two weeks more. But the good news is that we can go out and work a little, just not all day. 

Hna Espinoza (My comp) is working during the day with the companion of the sick sister. She is doing so good! She has learned so fast, and I am happy that I have been able to train her she is so great! 

I love you guys! I love my mission, and even though its hard to see it end Im ready to see you guys again!

Love, Hna Miller