6 weeks ago I got off a plane from Washington and my life was completely different! However I didn't realize how different it was, I kept thinking I have just fallen back into life & I have, but I had a realization this week that has taken me 6 weeks to come to grips with...if you will.
6 weeks ago around this time my stake president said to me, "Sister Miller you can't go back to the Caitlin you were before your mission, and it wasn't a bad Caitlin by any means, but you cannot go back!!!" Well I thought about that and was like I am sure I will be fine, my mission changed me. Well reflecting on these last 6 weeks I have started to slip back into old habits. The last couple weeks I have really noticed a difference in me, a very distracted & not very happy Caitlin, finding myself in places & situations I don't want to be in & shouldn't be in. I was talking to a member of my bishopric here at home and told him I am trying to figure out who I am now that I am home and he said to me, don't do that! You take the you on your mission and you keep that you up and growing. I was so confused, how do you do that? But I finally got it today! & I am finally ok with letting go of the old Caitlin & bringing in the new one & letting her continue to grow! The mission was the hardest thing I have ever done in my life, however it provided me with experience that helped draw me closer to my Savior & learn about who I am & what I have potential to be. Looking back on these 6 weeks I have lost sight quite a bit of who I am, what I have potential to be & how the Savior can truly help me. That results in my lack of happiness and my many distractions.
I always loved transfers on the mission, it meant time to re-evaluate, get out of old habits, recommit to working harder, serving better & set goals. As I got the e-mails today of previous companions and hearing about transfers I couldn't help but be so excited! I talked to a sister I came home with & before we hung up she said well I am off to make transfer goals!
So I thought I should write mine down......
*20 min scripture study everyday
*Weekly temple attendance
*Daily act of Service.....This has been so hard since I have been home...
*Relying more on the Lord with my life, my life is up in the air a bit at this time and I have struggled relying on the Lord with it.
*Keep a clean room
*Exercise daily
*Write letters to my sisters (I have neglected them!)
*Seek opportunities to share the gospel
*Spend money wisely!
This will be a good list to work on, some I have done pretty good at, others not so much. If I can do this then by the time school starts in Aug it will be habit!
I mean it is a new transfer.....fresh clean slate, why not treat it like it is?? Be the Sister Miller that walked off that plane & keep learning & growing!
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
LOGAN!
So it is official....I am going to school in Logan this fall!
Honestly I can hardly believe it, on my mission everyone always asked oh where did you go to school? Where are you going after the mission? I hated this question, I would just say I was at the U before I came on my mission. Those that knew me well I could tell them everywhere I have been.
I feel as though my influence has just been needed throughout the state and so why not move a little farther north so they can enjoy me too!! hahaha! That's what I tell myself to feel better.
Anyway, so my 4th of July weekend was spent with my wonderful sister, Chelsey and her family, they took time off of work to take me to Logan, show me around and find a place to live. Which is not the most enjoyable activity! Especially since I am late with housing anyway.
But I feel like since I got the answer to be in Logan, then things would be provided, i.e. housing, classes....job (I am still working on that!)
Well we had looked all morning on Tuesday, called all around I was lucky if they said we only have 1 opening! While we were out, we decided to just pop into a couple of them and the one my sister said was the place to live, everyone wants to live there, well they had 1 opening! So I looked at it, but was supposed to look at another right after. I didn't love the place, but thought I should just be ok with it. Well we left for 20 min and came back to sign the contract and come to find out....it was filled! In 20 min! I couldn't believe it! So we went back to look online and to break for lunch, I found online a girl trying to sell a contract, so I called. We went to look at it after lunch and I loved it. I felt like it was just where I needed to be and the manager went to my mission before it was split into the Washington Kennewick, we left to look at another one and I just kept feeling like I should go sign a contract. So we called the manager back up and went and filled out an application, paid the deposit and first installment of rent! I couldn't even believe it!
I found a place to live! I move in Aug 25th.......
Honestly I can hardly believe it, on my mission everyone always asked oh where did you go to school? Where are you going after the mission? I hated this question, I would just say I was at the U before I came on my mission. Those that knew me well I could tell them everywhere I have been.
I feel as though my influence has just been needed throughout the state and so why not move a little farther north so they can enjoy me too!! hahaha! That's what I tell myself to feel better.
Anyway, so my 4th of July weekend was spent with my wonderful sister, Chelsey and her family, they took time off of work to take me to Logan, show me around and find a place to live. Which is not the most enjoyable activity! Especially since I am late with housing anyway.
But I feel like since I got the answer to be in Logan, then things would be provided, i.e. housing, classes....job (I am still working on that!)
Well we had looked all morning on Tuesday, called all around I was lucky if they said we only have 1 opening! While we were out, we decided to just pop into a couple of them and the one my sister said was the place to live, everyone wants to live there, well they had 1 opening! So I looked at it, but was supposed to look at another right after. I didn't love the place, but thought I should just be ok with it. Well we left for 20 min and came back to sign the contract and come to find out....it was filled! In 20 min! I couldn't believe it! So we went back to look online and to break for lunch, I found online a girl trying to sell a contract, so I called. We went to look at it after lunch and I loved it. I felt like it was just where I needed to be and the manager went to my mission before it was split into the Washington Kennewick, we left to look at another one and I just kept feeling like I should go sign a contract. So we called the manager back up and went and filled out an application, paid the deposit and first installment of rent! I couldn't even believe it!
I found a place to live! I move in Aug 25th.......
Saturday, July 2, 2011
June 14th.....I'm home!
As a missionary there were days that I could not wait for this day to come, however there were days that I prayed it wouldn't come. But I found myself feeling as if I just woke up and only had 1 week left on my mission! I could hardly believe it!
June 13th we report to the Mission Home, where we have a delicious dinner, a touching testimony meeting, laugh and cry!
Here are all the elders and sisters that departed the same day! They usually stick the sisters on the bottom, we felt as though we should be at the top.
As soon as the elders left we had a special surprise for my mission president's wife, Sister Greer.
When I was really struggling on my mission, S Greer was always there to comfort my weary heart! I LOVE this woman, but this one day I was not feeling well and was just really struggling, so I laid down for a quick nap during lunch when I began to dream. My dream consisted of S Greer consoling me in a yellow moo moo and telling me I could do it, I can keep going! I will make it! I then told her this and she died, "yellow is not my color, I have pride, good pride!" It became this big joke between us all, so I decided I would get her a moo moo for my last night in the mission home! I got me a yellow one and she told me that blue, red and black are more her colors. She ran in her room and changed and made President come take pictures. Then we did the dishes all together and she told us her and presidents story!
President had said something really funny here....I can't remember it now.
I LOVE THE GREERS!
Then next morning they took us to the temple and then to the airport! I bawled like a baby saying goodbye to S Greer, I felt like I was leaving my mother all over again!
I then boarded my plane in Pasco, WA and headed straight for Salt Lake City, UT. The plane ride was rather surreal it didn't feel like I was headed home, I was just on an airplane with a bunch of other missionaries. Then we started descending into Salt Lake, we all started looking at the mountains, the U on the hill and ALL the churches. We were back in Utah! S Kendell and I got off and headed straight to see our families, we then decided we better wait for everyone else to get their carry ons and come out in our big group. They said Sisters 1st. I was SO nervous, I thought my family isn't going to be there,they are going to be late, they didn't make it. Then I got to the corner of the escalator and I peaked around the corner and saw all these people and I couldn't see mine and I turned a little more and right below the escalator they were! So I headed down.....
June 13th we report to the Mission Home, where we have a delicious dinner, a touching testimony meeting, laugh and cry!
Here are all the elders and sisters that departed the same day! They usually stick the sisters on the bottom, we felt as though we should be at the top.As soon as the elders left we had a special surprise for my mission president's wife, Sister Greer.
When I was really struggling on my mission, S Greer was always there to comfort my weary heart! I LOVE this woman, but this one day I was not feeling well and was just really struggling, so I laid down for a quick nap during lunch when I began to dream. My dream consisted of S Greer consoling me in a yellow moo moo and telling me I could do it, I can keep going! I will make it! I then told her this and she died, "yellow is not my color, I have pride, good pride!" It became this big joke between us all, so I decided I would get her a moo moo for my last night in the mission home! I got me a yellow one and she told me that blue, red and black are more her colors. She ran in her room and changed and made President come take pictures. Then we did the dishes all together and she told us her and presidents story!
President had said something really funny here....I can't remember it now.I LOVE THE GREERS!
Then next morning they took us to the temple and then to the airport! I bawled like a baby saying goodbye to S Greer, I felt like I was leaving my mother all over again!
I then boarded my plane in Pasco, WA and headed straight for Salt Lake City, UT. The plane ride was rather surreal it didn't feel like I was headed home, I was just on an airplane with a bunch of other missionaries. Then we started descending into Salt Lake, we all started looking at the mountains, the U on the hill and ALL the churches. We were back in Utah! S Kendell and I got off and headed straight to see our families, we then decided we better wait for everyone else to get their carry ons and come out in our big group. They said Sisters 1st. I was SO nervous, I thought my family isn't going to be there,they are going to be late, they didn't make it. Then I got to the corner of the escalator and I peaked around the corner and saw all these people and I couldn't see mine and I turned a little more and right below the escalator they were! So I headed down.....
S Greer hinted to us all the night before that the 1st person we are to hug is our mother!
I already was planning on that...It was a long awaited hug!
The whole family (-1)
It was one of the greatest moments of my life! To see all my family after 18 months!
The mission was the hardest 18 months of my life, however I could never, ever trade those 18 months for anything else! The Lord has truly blessed me!
I already was planning on that...It was a long awaited hug!
The whole family (-1)
It was one of the greatest moments of my life! To see all my family after 18 months!
The mission was the hardest 18 months of my life, however I could never, ever trade those 18 months for anything else! The Lord has truly blessed me!
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