Normalness rocks

This week was the first normal week I've had in a long time. It was awesome! But there's really not that much to write about. We have cultivated a really great group of investigators. Heavenly Father just keeps putting them in our path. It's nice to have our faith and hard work yield results.  Plus we are working with the ward so much. I LOVE Yigo ward. We are getting an English class set up to help the Chuukese that live in the poor part of town be able to get jobs. We have also been hard at work picking lice out of our investigators hair so that they can all come to church. The ward bought lice shampoo for them so Sister Memmott and I spent Saturday morning shampooing and picking through 5 heads FULL of lice. I hope it serves as a testimony of how important going to church is. 

LOVE YOU ALL! Thanks for the prayers and the love. God is good:)

Sister Milne

I remember who I am, a daughter of God.

Kamry wrote 2 emails this week.  She felt really inspired to share her story of how she has been dealing with depression and anxiety while on her mission.  It has been a hard long road but she is finally feeling like herself again.  Thank you for praying for her and all the other missionaries around the world.


For the past several months I have been struggling with anxiety and depression. Changing countries, culture, and language while training and white washing is extremely hard on a mission. Throw mental illness on top of there and March and April turned into hell. Thanks to the love and support of many people around me, plus medication, I've been slowly getting better. I was getting back on my feet, but although I kept turning to prayer and scripture study, something was still missing. I felt like the darkness was fading, and the sun was coming up, but I was still walking through thick fog. Just a couple weeks ago, I emailed my dad telling him that I often felt more like a child of hell than a child of Heavenly Father because hell is dark and sad like me. I had completely and entirely lost who I was. This week however, I remembered. 

While sitting in a district meeting on Wednesday, we were watching a really powerful video about a mans conversion to the Gospel. As I watched, it was like a light switch was flipped on in my mind. I AM A DAUGHTER OF GOD! He has a plan for me! He LOVES me and VALUES me. This knowledge filled my mind with a light and peace I have been begging God to give me. During the hardest moments of despair I would repeat over and over, "I am a child of God. He loves me and I love me". But now, instead of just saying it, I really know it and feel it. Growing up in the church, I think I grew accustomed to hearing that I was a child of God, I didn't know how precious that knowledge was. I didn't know what it was like to not have that core understanding of my identity. Now I get it when converts say that they learned who they were and that it made such a massive difference in their lives. I testify that the light of the Gospel is real and tangible. It is centered in knowing that I am a daughter of Heavenly Father and that He loves me so much that He sent His son to come and die for me. This knowledge is powerful, it is healing. It is truly the most important thing a person can know. 

I am aware that the rest of my mission, and the rest of my life, will still be full of trials and struggles. And I'm definitely staying on my medication. But ever since that moment in district meeting when I felt the spirit so strong and remembered who I really am, it's like everything has changed. I am filled with light and joy that I can't put to words. It is like energy that reaches out through my fingers and toes. And now I can see how blessed I am to have been given the opportunity to taste the darkness so that I can more fully appreciate and feel the light. I know who I am and what I can become. I am special, powerful, strong, righteous. My potential is unlimited. I am His. 

20 Years Young!

This week was awesome! We visited so many people and really felt the spirit. 

On Tuesday, I felt that we really needed to visit an investigator whose boyfriend got in the way of us visiting her. When we went I didn't really know why were there, but I told her that I had gotten an impression while praying that we needed to come visit her. She said, "What? Are you sure?!" I assured her that it was from God. She then told us that the day before she had been praying for help and she had heard the words in her head, "The Mormons will help you still". It was amazing to be an answer to her prayer and although she might not be ready to progress towards baptism yet, I know that this experience was crucial for her to know that God answers prayers. 

We also got to visit a woman that Sister Memmott used to teach who is really struggling. When we went it turned into a chaotic mess of people screaming and a man throwing a puppy into a the jungle and throwing a 10 year old girl across cement. And then the girl ran away and people went after her. It was crazy and I didn't really know what was going on. But we were able to sit and listen to the woman and help her feel God's love and as we left with a prayer and blessed her with specific blessings, she was in tears. It feels good to be on the Lord's errand. 

Saturday was my birthday and it was so fun! Sister memmott decorated and made me breakfast. We also got to join a relief society activity that was all about palauan culture so we got to help make palauan food. Then we got to attend a chuukese man's baptism. And we got to visit all my favorite investigators and less actives. One made me homemade lumpia which is my favorite!! 

On sunday I got to give a talk all about ministering and loving like the savior and it went really well! I actually volunteered because someone bailed on the bishop and I really enjoyed it. 

I love this ward and these people and we are seeing so many little miracles, including 2 brand new amazing investigators that were a referral from the manager of our apartments. 

Sister Memmott and I are seriously having too much fun together. We are so in tune with the spirit that sometimes it's weird because we always have exactly the same thoughts. 

I AM HAPPY! 

Kamry Testimony in Pohnpeian and Chuukese

I Love You Mom!

Talking with family was so nice and it means I'm gonna make this real short. My week was good! I had a lot of moments where I felt GOOD. Like just happy and content and at peace and it was such a blessing. 

I love loving people like the savior would and that is really the biggest indicator for me that I am doing what I came out here to do. Forget about the numbers and the leadership and sometimes even the rules. I'm LOVING these people and it is so incredibly fulfilling as people begin to love and trust us as well. We had a lot of moments this week where some very poor and in need Less Active members called us for help because they know that they can turn to us. It's amazing getting to devote all our time to serving others.

One of the ways I served this week was picking lots and lots of lice out of various people's hair. I've become a professional. 

Also, we water colored flowers and delivered them to our friends that are mothers yesterday.

And we cleaned out a members kitchen (her husband is a hoarder). the land lord came in a started demanding payments and then her adult kids were getting aggressive and cussing and it was like a movie. 

Also, my beautiful best friend sister Laulusa was in town for a few days. It was a real good time:)

Sushi Bake Recipe

Sushi Rice

-Cook 3 cups of medium grain or short grain rice as directed.
-In a microwaveable bowl mix together the following:
1/2 cup Rice Vinegar
1/4 cup Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon salt
-Microwave for 1 min on high.
-Remove from microwave and stir until sugar and salt dissolve.
-Pour over cooked rice a little at a time and mix until all the rice is flavored.
-Sushi rice may now be used for sushi or sushi bake.

Sushi bake
Ingredients:
Rice
Furikake (seaweed sprinkle)
Imitation Crab meat
Mayo
Kimchee base
Siracha sauce

Pre-heat the oven to 350. 
Fill the bottom of a (glass/foil pan) with cooked rice. Sprinkle furikake over the rice to your liking. 
In a seperate bowl mix crab meat, mayo, kimchee base, and siracha sauce. 
Spread the above over the furikake and rice and cover with tin foil.
Cook for about 30-40 minutes. Then broil for 5-7 minutes or until brownish not burnt!

Enjoy plain or with sushi wrap!

Hafa (nice) Adai

Here's my week squished down to a few highlights:

• The beach on monday! If you're wondering if Sister Memmott and I are unified, just take a look at those cute pics down below. We had the WHOLE BEACH to ourselves. 
• We found a kitten! We tried to find it a good home and we spoon fed it milk and named it mufasa. Pets however are not allowed so it was hard kicking her out into the dark. But another girl at our apartments took her in, yay!
• We are working with a lot of members, especially less actives right now. We visited this one who will not let any members inside her house, but she loves us. We finally got her to pray and as she was praying I had the thought, "This soul is worth just as much as anyone else you could be teaching and baptizing". I got teary eyed and felt the spirit SO STRONG, then it turns out Sister Memmott had the EXACT SAME experience as the sister was praying! She also came to sacrament meeting with her kids and it was wonderful.
• We got a new chuukese investigator who is way excited to be meeting with us. She came to church and it turns out some of the members are related to her. They started teaching her about why she needs to be baptized, which we haven't even gotten to yet so it was a really cool blessing. Members are the best! Also, this woman has the cutest kids! And since I don't speak very much chuukese, I get to spend most of the lessons loving on her children:)
• We had dinner with lots of members this week and one of my new favorite foods is Sushi Bake!! Its like sushi and casserole mixed and it was AMAZING.

Thanks for the love and the prayers. Love you all so much!!

Love,

Sister Milne

Mercy Through Christ

Okay, I didn't write last week so quick life update:

• I'm in the same ward but with Sister Memmott. The way we think is scarily similar and its awesome. She helps me laugh.
• Sister Stewart is going to YAP! That means she's been on 3 different Islands each transfer she's been out. Heavenly Father just trusts her a lot:)
• Last week back in Sapwalap on Pohnpei, our investigator John finally got baptized!
• This week Sister Memmotts old investigator that I got to help teach a bit got baptized. His name is Don and I have never met someone accept the Gospel so completely and so quickly. On the day of his baptism, the water at the chapel was out so we had to move the whole thing to another building in just 2 hours. Then his car broke down so he was late. Satan really did not want him getting baptized, but he persevered and it was so amazing. 
• We were at the airport picking up some missionaries, and there was a Sister missionary who was visa waiting in the Marshall Islands where she is from. When she saw my name she said, "Milne?! Are you Scottish?!" apparently there was a Scottish Captain named Thomas Milne who visited the Marshall Islands a long time ago and he is one of her ancestors. So I guess we have some Islander cousins! Also, she pronounced the same way we do which I was really excited about because a lot of people say "Miln" which I don't love. 
•  This week we had an amazing lesson with Willy who is our pohnpeian investigator. We taught him the word of wisdom and he really loved it! As he described the feelings of the Holy Ghost that he gets when he reads the Book of Mormon and prays, both of our eyes got all watery and we just held eye contact and the spirit was like connecting our spirits or something and it was just a beautiful moment. 

As I was reading about mercy and the atonement this week, I had a personal epiphany. I had always wondered why Christ had to feel all of our pains and sorrows. Why could he not just take the punishment of our sins? I think it's because He needed to understand WHY we sin. God cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance. But because Jesus felt it all, He is able to stand before God and say, "Father, Sister Milne did sin. But I understand why. I understand the situation she was in and how she did the best with what she was given. Have Mercy."

I'm eternally grateful for the mercy the is extended to us because of our loving Savior who understands us perfectly. 

Thanks for the prayers!

Love,

Sister Milne

Uwa sidei foosun Chuuk. Ekkis. ( I know Chuukese. A little.)

This week was filled with sickness and such as my food poisoning turned out to not be food poisoning but rather a long lasting stomach bug.....

BUT we still filled the week with lots of great lessons and prepared people. Also we had an awesome zone conference which was all about Jesus Christ and His Atonement. It was amazing, we had a great testimony meeting. Here is my testimony:

In the last couple of months, I have had the privilege of coming a lot closer to Jesus Christ. The more I come to understand Him, the more I realize how HARD what He did was. I wonder where I was as He suffered in Gethsemane. I suppose I was a spirit in Heaven looking down and watching. And now, more than ever, I wish that I could have reached out and put my arm around Him. He ultimately had to be entirely alone. But because of Him, I don't have to be. I know Him and I love Him. When I feel weak or broken, He makes me strong. 

Also, this week was Sister Stewart's 21st birthday and we celebrated with Martenelies. I'm so grateful for her love and patience with me. 

One of the best parts of the week was getting 7 investigators to church! Okay, really only 4 but including the little kids it was 7. It was way crazy and kinda stressful getting everyone in the right place, but it all worked out well thanks to the amazing help of the ward members.  

Uwa sidei pwe Kot a fukkon tongeikich. (Chuukese) 

I ese me Koht udahn poakepoakeikitail. (Pohnpeian)

I know that God really loves us. (English)

Love,

Sister Milne

I soumwahu pwa!

This week had a lot of highs and lows but the absolute best part was teaching our investigator Willy Ludrick. He was one whose family I know back on Pohnpei. When we first met him he said he was Baptist but he was willing to listen to us. He started reading the Book of Mormon and now has an amazing testimony of this Church. He told us that he reads all of his reading assignments over and over again slowly, because if he reads too fast then he can't feel the spirit as strong. He also told us that before he reads he prays that Heavenly Father will help him understand and he knows that his prayers are being answered because he really is understanding. He gives me joy and is such an amazing example to me of how to study the Book of Mormon. I can see that this is truly the Lord's work and He is preparing people to receive this wonderful message. 

The worst part of the week was getting food poisoning and passing out. Conference was way good but all during the Sunday sessions my stomach was killing me and I had the runs because of some bad chicken I ate on Saturday. After Conference on Sunday, I had my companion drive home and on the drive, the pain and nausea became so intense that I passed out in the car. Then we pulled into our apartments and I came to enough to stumble out of the car. I ran head first into a wall and then passed out again on the sidewalk. When I came to again, I got up and rushed to the door a neighbor who had seen me collapse came over and asked if I was okay. As my companion tried to unlock the door, I passed out for the third time but luckily this time she caught me. The neighbor opened the door and helped carry me inside. I came to again as they tried putting me in bed and I hurried into the bathroom. My companion later asked me "Why didn't you just wait for me to help you?! I kept shouting at you to wait!" and I told her, "I just REALLY had to get to the bathroom!" I love my companion and I'm so grateful to her for taking care of me and catching me:) Please don't eat undercooked chicken and please stay hydrated if you get sick. Otherwise, you might pass out and think you're dying....Honestly, though it's so funny thinking back on it!

But really I'm doing much better now. I'm grateful to be a missionary and to be part of this work. I know Heavenly Father is watching out for me and guiding us to those ready to hear this message. I'm thankful to have a living Prophet and I'm thankful that I can listen to his words and come closer to my Father in Heaven. 

Love, 

Sister Milne

Easter

Last monday we went to the beach which was so fun! THERE ARE ACTUAL SAND BEACHES HERE. Then we had exchanges and I was with my lovely STL friend Sister Memmott. Seriously she is awesome, I love her so much!

We got to join in the relief society birthday dinner and easter egg hunt and dinner this past week. I love our ward, it is such a blessing!

All in all it was a good week. We had a lot of good lessons and met some more really cool people. 

For Easter we joined one of our investigators and her big catholic family for a steak and chicken BBQ dinner and it was so fun! It was cool to be with people of a different culture and religion. We shared the "Because He lives" video with them and they loved it. 

Also, church yesterday was so good. I love focussing on Christ and His resurrection. I know He lives and I know that we will all live again. 

We are adjusting to Guam and although its way different it is still great. It is fun to have new and different experiences as a missionary. 

I'm grateful for all the love and prayers. I love being a missionary. It's a privilege to get to bear testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ every single day. 

Love, 

Sister Milne