Week 32

Good morning! This week is transfer week! I will be staying in my area and getting a new companion! Her name is Sister Labrum (I think that's how you spell her name). I've met her a couple of times and she seems fun! I'll be leading out the area and driving the truck! Whoop whoop! I'm nervous because I be only been in this area for six weeks and I don't know my way around at all but it's okay! Well last week...

Missionary feet.  ouch!

Lots of miracles! You know the investigator Tiffany we met? She accepted to be baptized September 9th! We are so stoked! We found a lot of investigators last week that seem very promising so good things are happening here! Saturday night we tracted for two hours and let me tell ya...we were so sore the next day. We were literally hiking haha. It was good exercise though! After tracting for two hours we hadn't found a single person. Most people weren't home but the ones that were weren't interested. At first I was disappointed but the realized that the Lord sees our efforts. If we do our part, he promises to make up the difference. With this next story it shows that he really does provide. Last night after receiving transfer calls honestly I was whining. I was thinking more about myself than others and worrying about how I was going to handle this area. Well turns out it was a good thing Sister Packer pulled off to the side to listen to me vent. We pulled off in front of this house not even paying attention that we were blocking the person's parking spot. A car pulled up and we looked for a second but then kept talking. We were both hesitant to talk to this woman because we were distracted but talking about our own problems. Well finally it became awkward just sitting side by side with her so we got out and asked if she needed any help with bringing her stuff inside. We then began to chat with her and she noticed that we were Mormons. Most people run away at this point...well she stayed. She was telling us how she has yet to find a church so we shared with her our message. She set up a time to meet with us so we will be seeing her tomorrow! When we were saying bye to her we apologized for being in her spot and said said "Well I guess it was meant to be". (yes I am crying right now)

The Lord truly has been placing people in our path and it's been the most wonderful thing. Andrea and Isaiah who we met a week or two back have been going through some things. We were set up for a lesson but it wasn't able to happen because Andrea had told us that she had just found out that her cousin had passed away in a car accident. As she was standing there sobbing to us I then realized why this gospel is so important. It says in the scriptures to come to the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and he will heal us. Andrea had exactly that. I saw the hurt in her eyes and I poured out my testimony of the plan of salvation. I testified to her that she will see her cousin again and t hay we believe that families can be together forever. She then responded "I hope so." She said I hope so...there are so many people out there in this world that hope for this great news, but I am glad to say that this church has that great news. Families are eternal. I cried after that visit just so happy but broken that not everyone has that knowledge. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the hope that comes from it. I have a testimony that this life is just but a small moment but that there is more to after this life. I have a testimony of the Book of Mormon. That book changed my life. The Book of Mormon is how I know this church is true. This week I will be finishing the Book of Mormon for the first time in my life. As I have come towards the end I have been so emotional at the power that comes from one book. My heart is so full from the message that the Book of Mormon contains. It filled my missing piece in my life that I didn't know I was missing. 

Today I invite you to look up the words to the hymn 219 "Because I Have Been Given Much" and to ask yourself: What have I given today? 

I love you all. Have a wonderful week and HAPPY ECLIPSE DAY! (Montana gets to see 90% of it) 

Part 1 of pictures! 

Love,

Sister Austin Miles ♡

1557 COLORADO GULCH
HELENA, MT 59601

Montana Billings Mission 🇧🇿

Week 31

Well hello! Wow last week was just amazing! We found so many new investigators! The work is moving along! Transfers are next week! Just a heads up! I suspect I will be staying but who knows! Today is deep clean Monday so we get to clean the heck out of our apartment! It's also starting to cool down here. Today's a bit gloomy so it'll probably rain! Can you believe it's august? A year ago this month I decided to serve a mission...wow time flies. In another six weeks I will be halfway through my mission y'all! THIS CALLS FOR A CELEBRATION. Well let me tell you about all the miracles...

Tuesday we were on exchanges and I led out the area. It was my first time driving a truck but I did it! I was with Sister Medley and I was actually the one who took her place in Great Falls. She was companions with Sister Decker as well and knew all of the people in Great Falls so it was nice sharing something like that in common. She is such an amazing missionary. I look up to her. We had a great day that day. It was full of finding new people, getting sunburnt, sweating, having a creepy man take pictures of us, and a crazy women preach to us. It was great haha! By the end of the night we were going to visit a less active. We knocked on her door a few times but no answer. She always answers her door so I was very surprised that she didn't come out. Well as we were heading back to the car I stopped and said "We should go try the neighbor." The neighbor happened to be a former investigator who I remember trying my first week here but was always so busy. He usually talks to us for about a minute and then goes on his way but this time he stayed. We ended up teaching him for 45 minutes on his porch. He opened up to us and shared his life story. He was more open than he ever has been and asked us to share something with him. We started to share some scriptures from the Book of Mormon and he asked if we could mark them for him. He went inside and came out with his book and we began to start highlighting some of our favorite scriptures. Towards the end of the lesson I asked if we could say a prayer...well I have never prayed on a doorstep but the spirit was prompting me to. As I closed our prayer Jerome looks at us and says "Wow I've got chills. I've never had this before." We said "that's the spirit!" We invited him to church and he said "well if I felt something as strong as that I'll go to church everyday." It was a miracle. From being super bummed our lesson had fallen through we then knew that it was a blessing because Jerome was then prepared to hear the great message that the truth has been restored. So pumped! 

Miracle number two: 

Saturday evening we had just gotten out of a lesson with a less active and we were running late for our next appointment. As we were walking (speed walking) down the hall a girl stopped us and asked us when the farmers market was. We had no clue but we got to chat with her for a little. She then asked us "who are you with?" Well we jumped right into it and shared with her the message of the Book of Mormon and the power behind it. She said "I'm actually looking for a church!" We asked if we could come back and share more with her and she said that she wasn't interested in the lessons but said she would love to come to church. Sure enough next day she came to church. We sat down for sacrament and all was well. Thirty minutes into the hour she looks over to us and says "Do you think I can go home? I don't know if I fit in here." We then didn't want to push her so we agreed we would find someone to take her home after the first hour. Ten minutes after that conversation she looked over again and said "I actually think I'm okay. How am I ever going to know what it's like if I don't try?" Inside we were screaming! She later than shared with us that because she will now be attending our church she wanted to learn more. We are know teaching Tiffany! We bare testimony that we know that the spirit can change the hearts of the people here today. We were all worried about being late to our next lesson but realized what a blessing that was. If we had not been late, we wouldn't have met the sweetest of them all...Tiffany. The church is true! 

Our week was full of amazing things so I am super excited what is to come of this area! How has everyone been? School season is here! Have fun! 

I love you all very much and leave you with my testimony that I truly know that this church is true. I plead with you as Heavenly Father does to read the Book of Mormon, go to church, pray as a family, and strive to go to the temple. It's true. The church is true. 

"The work is demanding, the impact is everlasting." -President Monson

"Satan is really good...but the good news about the gospel is that we are better."

"Stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight."

"Have as much faith in yourself as you do in the Savior."

"If for a while the harder you try, the harder it gets. Take heart. So it has been with the best people who ever lived."- Elder Holland

"Our opportunities to give of ourselves are indeed limitless, but they are also perishable. There are hearts to gladden. There are kind words to say. There are gifts to be given. There are deeds to be done. There are souls to be saved."-President Monson 

Have an amazing week! 

Keep the faith! 

I will send more pictures later! 

Love,
Sister Austin Miles ♡

1557 COLORADO GULCH
HELENA, MT 59601

Montana Billings Mission 🇧🇿

Week 30

In n out hats from Dad

Well last week wasn't the most eventual except for zone conference and tiwi boxes! I was sick on Wednesday so we stayed home the majority of the day. I had a doctor's appointment as well and we had to get our truck fixed. We had some lessons with investigators and less actives as well. We found another investigator Libby and she has no belief in Christ or God but said she wanted us to come back every week and teach her because she's curious. It's pretty much a miracle! 

So with the tiwi boxes we were the last mission in the United States to get them so we are pretty darn lucky. We have to log in every time we get into the car with our tiwi cards so it identifies whose in the car and whose driving. If you're going too fast it'll say "check your speed" or driving over bumps too fast "aggressive driving" so it talks to us haha. All of the reports go back to the mission home and there's a camera so they can see where we are, how long we were there for and how many miles we went. If you're doing something wrong the light will go red and it notifies the mission. It's pretty intense! 

Anyways...zone conference! It's always great seeing President and sister Wadsworth. They go home the first week of July and apparently my group goes home July 23rd or so so I will have a new mission President for my departing interview which is sad! I'm bummed! Zone conference was so amazing. I cried pretty much the whole time. The spirit was so strong and every one's inspiring words. We had departing testimonies for the missionaries going home and one of the elders bore the most amazing testimony. He explained the Atonement throughout his mission and how it has affected him. Just recently he got a call from home with some sort of devastating news regarding his family with only a few weeks to go until he is home. He bore his testimony on how sometimes we have to go through Gethsemane to realize how much the Savior loves us. He stood in our place. Because of him we don't have to suffer, IF we come unto him. That is the most important part. I have such a strong testimony of Jesus Christ. He is the Son of God. Everything is possible because of him. 

Let this gospel change you. I know families can be together forever. This is the true church which we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again. Jesus is the Christ. 

"For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors." - Alma 34:32 

I love you all  

Keep the faith! 

Love,
Sister Austin Miles ♡

1557 COLORADO GULCH
HELENA, MT 59601

Montana Billings Mission 🇧🇿