Be Comforted

So this has been my motto for the past day, it changes regularly... almost daily. There have been quite a few challenges in this area during the transfer, what with all the health issue and such. And it has made me think about many scriptures that have helped me when the answers needed seem just out of reach. For example Ether 12:6 ¨And now as I have said concerning faith, faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things. Wherefore dispute not because ye see not, for you receive no witness until after the trial of your faith.¨

When I decided to serve a mission I knew that it wasn´t your typical cake walk. Lots of spiritual growth was in store. If you don´t already know, this specific type of growth generally comes through difficult and or challenging experiences. Many times they are painful experiences. But the experience is necessary. It is through our trials that we prove what we can do. The amusing part is that we don´t realized that we are proving it. First of all, God already knows our abilities, what we can or cannot do, He doesn´t need the proof, so why the experience? WE need the proof. We need to rely on God -who has complete faith in us- and go through the trial. Then we look back and God says.... ¨Look at that. You did it, you didn´t know you had it in you. Now you know. You know that you can do hard things¨

We learn about who we really are, we learn that we are made out of stronger stuff. Spiritual stuff. Which burns like a fire. That fire will consume our fears and doubts, and leave us refined, having a witness of who we are, and with whom we stand. The trials will come, and we will bare them, but we won´t do it alone. During their trials the sons of mosiah are told by their Father in Heaven ¨Be comforted. And they were comforted¨ (Alma 17:10) I challenge you to take Gods words to heart and whatever growth you are experiencing right now, Be Comforted. I love you all.

Smile - Hna. Milmont

Ojos Claritos and 147 Mosquito Bites

Well the big news this week is that the size of my area just doubled. It was already huge, but sweet is the work. I have switched companions until future notice. The idea is that the two senior companions (the two with the most experience in the mission i.e. hermana Salva and I) will be doing twice the work until my companion is on her feet again. Currently she can work 5 hours per day. Needless to say we´ve come up with some new challenges in coordination and making sure all the needs of our area are met.

What I have learned: we have two choices. We can either twiddle our thumbs and wait to be told exactly how we are supposed run things, or we can pray for a vision, make goals, then plans to achieve said goals, and then act on those plans. So there is some experimentation going on, but I feel like we are moving in the right direction.

There is a story in the Book of Mormon that most people who are raised in the church are very familiar with. Its the story of Nephi and his brothers when they go get the plates (Scriptures and their family history). Due to the unforeseen challenges they needed to make several attempts to get the plates. Two of his brothers wanted to give up after the first try, but we all know that nothing worth fighting for comes easy. So Nephi knew what they needed to get, he set a goal, made a plan, and acted.

There are two kinds of people in this world, those who act and those who are acted upon.... I can´t remember who said that, but its true. And what's more, we are happier when we are following the pattern of action. I challenge you to set some goals and try out the pattern for yourself, it works, I know it because I've been doing it.

As for the bugs bites, I´m now using OFF religiously. 65 bites on my left leg and 83 on my right, but i haven´t itched them... talk about self control, its killer.

on Wednesday we stopped to talk to an old man on the street, and he said, ¨que ojos claritos tienes¨ what clear eyes you have¨ after sharing our message with him he said ¨hablan con sus ojos mas que nada, miran dentro una persona, dentro su alma. Que onda¨ you speak with your eyes more than anything else, and you look inside the person, inside their soul. wow.

Each person is born with the light of Christ, we preach the Gospel, and the light inside recognizes truth. Christ's Gospel has been restored. He lives.

I love you all

smile - Hna. Milmont

How you Feel about what you Know

There is nothing quite like being stuck inside all day. I am almost better, which is nice. But my poor companion had a terrible infection in her arm and is stuck indoors under the doctors orders for 7 days. I have studied and prayed and studied more in this time then ever before in my life. And I have come up with some very important knowledge. God is the best conversationalist you will ever know. One of my goals for the mission was to learn how much I love my Father in Heaven. I know that He loves me. But I´ve thought a lot about what I do to reciprocate that love. Elder David Bednar once said that ¨who I am, and how I act is dictated by how I feel about what I know¨ I need to know that I love God, and I need to show it. Another apostle once said that ¨nothing will surprise us more after death, than how familiar Gods Face is to us¨ I don´t want to be surprised. I want to know my Father now. I challenge you to evaluate your relationship with God, and to talk with Him about it.

I love you all

smile - Hermana Milmont

Sin Voz

Well, it was bound to happen, I haven´t been sick for... over 6 months, and the climate change doesn´t help any. I don´t know what I have, but it feels a lot like the flu. Luckily I think the worst is over. But the hardest part is that the sickness has left me mute. You never realized just how important it is to speak until you can´t. My poor companion has a ton of talking to do. Which is actually a good thing because she needs to practice talking. Her Spanish is phenomenal considering how little time she has here. But getting over that second bridge of actually using what you know is generally difficult. In short, pray that I get better and my voice comes back.

We´re teaching an English class each Saturday as a means to finding new investigators, thus far it's proved useful, so that's exciting for us. We always see bill boards that say ¨sabes inglés te hace crecer¨ which basically means if you know English you´ll get ahead fast. And who better to teach than two north americans right?

We´re a little north of Buenos Aires, I´m sure you could google it. Fall starts on the 20th of this month and it looks like rain is going to be coming in. Enough about this crazy new place.

In the introduction of the Book of Mormon there are three invitations for every person who ever comes across it. The first is to read it. Not all of it of course, but some of it to start off. The next invitation is to ponder in your heart, or in other words, think on what you have read, how does it sound, how does it feel? The final invitation is to pray and ask God in the name of Jesus Christ if the Book is true. If we take this challenge and experiment on the words, we have a Promise. By the Holy Spirit you will know, for YOURSELF if it is true. I have taken this challenge and I have received an answer. I know it's true, and nothing in this world makes me happier. I invite you to try it out, I promise that God will answer you. I´ve seen Him answer countless numbers of prayers here on the mission. But really, don´t take my word for, do it for yourself.

I love you all

smile - Hna. Milmont