Step by Step, Day by Day

Hello, my beautiful people!! 

It's a new day, in a new place, with some new people!!

This week we had transfers, and after being in Santa Rita for 6 months, I finally got transferred to a new area!! My new area is Orion and my new companion is Sister Gonzales. She is Filipina and almost done with her mission. This is her final six weeks in the mission field! 

My new companion, Sister Gonzales, and housemates, Sister Pati-on and Sister Snow

My new area is awesome too! We are right on the coast of Manila Bay. The area is HUGE so we've got it all...the beach, the jungle, the rice fields, and a little bit of the city!

Following Sister Gonzales along a path.

Green, green rice fields!

I haven't actually been in my area much this week.  I arrived late in the evening on Wednesday and I had to unpack and get organized.  On Thursday, we had Zone meeting and then a planning session so we didn't go out until 5-ish. On Friday, I had Mission Leadership Training at the mission home and didn't get back until late that night either. Saturday was my first real, full day in the area and since then we've been working really hard!!

We had so much luggage we had to hire a jeepney to take us to the bus station!

It was really hard leaving my first area! I feel like the people there are my family! I miss them a lot! Let's just say there were many leaking eyes as I left for the last time! We tried to visit all of my converts the day before I knew I would be transferred! I told them all I'd be back in less than a year to visit them! 

I love these kids....

...and these kids...

...and especially this kid!  She was my first baptism!!!

It was especially hard to leave all the kids! I can feel the Spirit so strongly when we teach them. They are so cute and innocent! I really just want to adopt them all and take them home with me! But I don't know if I could find a man that would be down with marrying a 22-year-old with 9 kids! I guess we'll just be pen-pals for the rest of our lives. It's weird how I only knew the people in Santa Rita for 6 months but they are such a huge part of my life now. I feel like I knew them in the pre-existence and we planned the day when we would meet here on earth. I am so happy for the knowledge that we can see each other again after this life. It's going to be like a huge party where everyone we have ever loved is invited! And there will definitely be Krispy Kreme and Taco Bell there, too :)

I love it here, as always, and I love all of you! I finally got my Valentine's box and LOVED the heart attack! Thank you so much to everyone who sent me a message. I loved reading them all! You guys are the best!

I love you all!

Sister Miller