Maayong pasko! and eating pig tongue!

Christmas!!!! My goodness the people of the Philippines loove Christmas and have been celebrating since September so it was sooo neat to be here for it! We went to a Plaza where they had tons of trees and set ups all made out of recycled products and everyone was just so happy. The people here love Jesus Christ so they have been so willing to take our light the world cards and our little branch gathered together to share food and play games and of course sing karaoke because that is so big here. 

My companion is healing from her surgery so we will probably start working together in Toledo soon which is soo exciting! Yesterday we taught a lesson about sharing the gospel with a member, Sister Dakay, and after we finished she got up, filled a plate of food, and walked with us to her friends house where we were able to share the first lesson and just feel so much love for Sister Jean! And then after we finished with Sister Jean, she walked with us and Sister Dakay to her friends house where we were able to teach another first lesson. On Christmas day these people showed me the real joy and meaning behind Christmas.. JESUS CHRIST and sharing His Joy and Gospel!!!! I continue to be amazed by their faith each and every day and by how willing they are to give us so much food. 

The mission isn't always easy I can guarantee that in just the short time I have been here but the Gospel of Jesus Christ is so good and how comforting to know that He knows me individually and each of the people I come in contact with!!!! Also MY FAMILY soooo good to talk to them and see them and feel their spirit and see their Christmas pajamas!!! Merry Christmas and happy new year!!!!! 

Sister Miller

Dinner with my housemates.  They prefer to do all the cooking

Riding on a large Trike

Headed to Cebu for Sister Dumagiun's foot surgery

                                                                             Branch Activity

Eating Pig - the whole pig

At the Wilson's - Senior Missionary Couple

Catching a baby lizard before I knew that these lizard bites cause warts.  

Out Visiting

Talking with my pamilya on Christmas.  It was the BEST! I LOVE them sooooo much!

Toledo & Balamban

What a ride ah HI everyone. I am actually in my mission in Cebu!!! I have been assigned to Toledo and my trainer is Sister Dumagiun (from Lujon, Marilaobulacan in the Phililppines) and this is her last transfer before she goes home! She is fluent in Tagolog and Bisaya (Bisaya is what they call Cebuano here in the Philippines) and always asks me grammar questions about English because she is practically fluent with that too haha.

 My housemates have been really good at giving me new foods everyday like chicken feet and intestine, squid, spicy sardines, powdered yogurt, ah they love watching Americans try the food and we eat rice for every meal what a blessing!

Balut is a developing bird embryo (usually a duck) that is boiled and eaten from the shell. It originated from and is commonly sold as street food in the Philippines 

Chicken Feet on a stick

 It has been kind of crazy because Sister Dumaguin is an STL so after only 3 days being in the mission I went to Balamban on splits to work with the Sisters there and meet more people and then we went to Cebu to go to the doctor so we have been all over the place but it is so good to know that the work is true everywhere!!! 

It has been a big struggle for me to open my mouth but I am working on it because this Gospel needs to be shared! In the short time I have been here I have seen such humility and love in the people. Sharleen was the very first person I met with Sister Dumaguin and even though she has VERY little in material things, she loves the scriptures and we were able to testify that the Book of Mormon answers questions of the soul.

 As we were walking down the street some people called out to me asking where I was from (that happens quite a bit) and we started a conversation with them and ended up teaching about 10 people and children the first lesson right there in the road and the Spirit was so strong!!! Sister Dumaguin is so good at getting me to testify because she will just stop talking and then leave it to me to fill the space and even though I really don't understand what is being said or how to say the things I really want to say, I love testifying of Jesus Christ. The people here love Him and I have so much to learn from their happy and loving selves!!!!

 I was reading in Alma 56 about the Stripling Warriors and I LOVE how "they did not doubt God would deliver them" and they "do not doubt our mothers knew it." Because of willingness to obey every word of command with exactness and their faith they said "we trust God will deliver us, notwithstanding our weaknesses." they did receive many wounds but they were strong in their faith and not one soul was lost!!!!

 I know very little about the future or what every day or minute will hold but my goal is to have that same faith as the Stripling Warriors. I have the best mother and family that I KNOW knows this gospel is true and their faith gives me so much strength and I KNOW that it is true. Have the best week love ya so much!!!!! 

Love you all,
Sister Miller

A few of my favorite things.....

1st package from home.  I love my Pamilya!

Cebu Temple

Mi Pamilya

i am in Cebuuuuuuuuu!

Kayla sent us a quick email from the Mission Home in Cebu before heading out to her 1st area in Toledo:


PAMILYA HELLO!!!!! i am in Cebu!!!!! I am here and that it's so good!!!! We woke up at 1 am to make our flight and met our mission president and WOW They are sooo nice and have the biggest heart and my companion is Sister Dumaguin (do/mah/gen for reference) and we met just like an hour ago and we are waiting for a ride to our mission in Toledo!!!

 I don't know anything about it and I am with all filipinos and man I have been so so so blessed. they are amazing. we got to go to the temple and it was such an incredible experience. it is GORGEOUS inside like words can't even describe. it is sooo lovely and the workers were so happy to have us and I just sat in the Celestial room for so long and read in Alma 42 and felt the spirit so strong that I need to rely on the Lord and just go and preach even though I know seriously nothing and the Sister Pajaro gave me the biggest hug and it was soo good.  I wish I could accurately describe but yeah it's so good!

 I said goodbye to Sister Bingham and everyone else. they are mostly assigned to Negros so different islands and that was hard but man I think Sister Bingham is a life long friend no doubt so we just know we will see each other again and yeah life is so good. I know so little and I definitely don't know cebuano but I love it here and I would love your prayers so much. I hope you are having the best week and are so excited for Christmas to celebrate Jesus Christ and ah you are so wonderful I love you so so so much!!!!

With President & Sister Pajaro - Cebu Philippines Mission

I don't think we are in Provo anymore

I MADE IT TO THE PHILIPPINES!!! And it is so beautiful!!!! I will be in the Philippines MTC until Wednesday when I will fly out to Cebu and I am soo excited to be here! Ah the weather is so gorgeous, the temple is even more spectacular than the pictures, and the Gospel is still more true than ever!!! 

On our plane ride over to the Philippines (it was a quite a few hours) I sat by a man who was so nice, but really didn't believe in what we were doing, and really wasn't a fan of the Book or Mormon or Joseph Smith. The missionaries I was sitting next to all listened to his concerns and anger towards our religion and the crazy thing is, I felt sooo much love for him! I felt like we really were brothers and sisters and I felt God's love for HIM! I just testified of the simple truths we agreed on and then felt prompted to give him a pass along card with my testimony on it and ah I felt like the name tag I had on really testified to me that this is the Church of Jesus Christ and when we strive to become like Him we will feel that same love for all of His Children! 

And I don't know if you're wondering but we eat Filipino food everyday here and it is sooo lami! (yummy in Cebuano) We get rice every meal and they make sure we are never hungry because they give us snack time everyday and we even get to eat with our hands because it's the true culture of the Filipino people! 

I have met so many missionaries with the most amazing testimonies and I really just love the humidity and rice and Filipino people so much already. Okay this is so scattered but life is good and the gospel is so so true even halfway across the globe!!!

 I read in Alma 36:27 this week and how I love that when I put my trust in Him, he will still deliver me and help me through all of my trials and shortcomings and mistakes and failures and worries and doubts and EVERYTHING!!! I love my Savior and I love the Philippines!!!!

We got snow on our last day on Provo; We had already packed up our boots and coats to send home

Talking to people on Trax en route to the airport.  The girl I met has a sister currently serving in Cebu?!  Tender Mercy

Our Travel Zone

Getting to talk with my family from a pay phone at LAX

The Manilla Temple - it is so Beautiful!

You can see it from the grounds of the Manilla MTC.  We are in Paradise.

My new companion is from the Philippines - Sister Barroca

Light the World

My watch can't keep up

Hello again!!! We are leaving for the Philippines in 3 days!!!! Time is flying!!! We don't really know what to expect or how long we will be in the Philippines MTC or how we will understand Tagalog (which is the language they speak there) but we are so excited!!!! Everyday Sister Bingham and I say "we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us" in our broken Cebuano and I know it's true!

 Sister Bingham has been feeling so sick since like day 2 and just has toughened it out, until finally we went to the clinic and she has a sinus infection!!! We had to go pick up antibiotics from the BYU clinic and so we went outside the MTC walls! We felt like we were really missionaries and it was scary but so thrilling! We even helped someone find the BYU flower shop, so that was neat. 

I have been reading in Alma and something I loved so much in chapter 29 was how the same God who created the universe, who knows all, who performs miracles, and delivers people out of bondage, that SAME God "has called me by a holy calling to preach the word" no matter how small and simple I feel ah what an incredible thought!!! 

In one of our devotionals this week we sang "Have I Done Any Good?" and talked about how President Monson was always serving and being such a good example by loving everyone.  And how the ministering change in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was started by him, and how it has been in the works for a couple of years and now how amazing is it that we get to serve in new capacities! 

And LIGHT THE WORLD!!!! It starts tomorrow and I promise that as we try to serve others this Christmas season and think about Jesus Christ and all He has done for us as we celebrate His birth, we will have TRUE JOY. And not just the joy that comes from getting a package from your family or actually hitting the volleyball over the net in gym (which I have to admit those are pretty good things) but it is the real deal!!!!!

 I can't wait to serve Him and look outside of myself more this month and hopefully throughout my whole life! ah I love you all so much thank you for the prayers!!!

Sister Miller

A newspaper headline from the day after Thanksgiving that our Branch President gave to us.  I'm near the back of the row

Feasting upon the word and pink grapefruit

Our district all bought matching Philippines shirts

Roommate shenanigans

I LOVE sour patch watermelon

My Fav's - Sisters Ikari, Rybin, & Bingham  

My parents went to Sister Ikari's home ward with her parents last week in Oahi, Hawaii and brought back the Sacrament Program from that day.  She was soooo excited!

Serving as Sister Training Leaders and ensuring the needs of all the Sisters are met makes for some late nights for Sister Bingham and I, but we LOVE it! (this was actually taken at 11:11 am before gym time but haha)

You speak English, right?

Hi!!!! Man I have soooo much to be thankful for this week!!! First, we did our first TRC skype call with a woman in the Philippines named Wilma.   She was the sweetest because she listened to our broken Cebuano and we talked all about Thanksgiving and being so thankful for God's Plan and how he was willing to give us His Son Jesus Christ and then we found out that Thanksgiving doesn't exist in the Philippines, so she was probably confused, but a good message to share any day amiright?? 

On Wednesday my district did an all day English fast and it's so crazy that we could go a whole day without English!!! But also, it really showed us how many words we don't know hahah  Good thing we aren't leaving quite yet!!!  While we were at service cleaning bathrooms, the Sister that was helping us tried to explain everything very simply and then finally asked if we spoke English, but we could only respond with oo, so she was so confused and throughout the day we realized how much we use charades and hand gestures to communicate. 

Sister Bingham and I had the opportunity to be the missionaries that get asked questions by people that go on the tour and it was so cool to talk about the MTC and the sweet sweet spirit here and then we got to share our testimonies in Cebuano for the first time in front of a big group like that at a pulpit and it was so powerful! anddddd we had the biggest surprise ever on Thanksgiving because ELDER AND SISTER UCHTDORF CAME!!!!! They are so lovely and talked about how we should be thankful in all things!!!! After the devotional he went around and ministered one by one to missionaries in the conference center and I felt sooo much like it was Christ going from person to person and following the Spirit to minister and just radiate love everywhere!!! As they turned to leave we began singing "I Know that My Redeemer Lives" and he sang with us before pointing to his heart and then to us and it was soo powerful!! I am so so thankful for living apostles and prophets that sacrifice so much for the true and restored Gospel of Jesus Christ!!!

 We also got to do a service project and make breakfast for children in Utah and I have such a powerful testimony on service and that if we strive to serve like Christ we will feel so close to Him! We also got to watch the Other Side of Heaven and listen to Christmas Hymns and look at the Christmas lights which was so neat!! 

Thanksgiving Service

Christmas Lights with our District.  I LOVE Christmas!

We were all just on top of the world yesterday after the devotional with Elder Uchtdorf and the whole MTC was just glowing it felt like ah so cool! Also the power went out on Wednesday so we got to read the Book of Mormon around a flashlight in a circle in class and eat cereal for dinner in the dark and it was soo bonding!!!! Man I am so thankful for this opportunity and I know that the Lord knows each one of us individually and ah I LOVE THE MISSION SO MUCH!!!! 
Love you all,
Sister Miller

Provo Temple with Sister Bingham, Ikari, & Rybin.  I LOVE these sister and I LOVE the temple!

Did i tell you I LOVE Sister Bingham?

She is such a blessing to me!

Striped Skirts are very IN at the MTC right now

Finishing up in the Meeting Room

Such an awesome District!

Heading to Manilla MTC

Kayla will be leaving the Provo Missionary Training Center (MTC) on December 3rd and will arrive at the Manila, Philippines Missionary Training Center (MTC) on December 5th.  She is excited to learn from and be taught by so many wonderful people on both continents.  

Sister Training Leaders

On Sunday, November 11th,  Sister Miller & Sister Bingham were called as Sister Training Leaders (STL's).  They now help to strengthen and serve all of the sister missionaries in their Zone.  They meet with them, pray with them, and help with any needs or concerns.  Sister Miller & Sister Bingham are working hard to balance these new responsibilities with their own classes, study, and current missionary responsibilities.

The role of sister training leader has been created as more female missionaries serve in missions around the world. Sister training leaders will be responsible for the training and welfare of female missionaries assigned to them and will be members of and participate in, the new mission leadership council. Assistants to the president and zone leaders will also participate in the council, and those roles will remain unchanged. Missions will continue to be organized by zones and districts, with district leaders being responsible for baptismal interviews, but the mission leadership council will replace the zone leader council.

Sister training leaders will continue to proselytise and will also spend time each week training and evaluating the needs of female missionaries. They will report directly to the mission president on the needs of sister missionaries. Additionally, the wives of mission presidents are now being asked to play an enhanced role in training and caring for sister missionaries, subject to their individual and family circumstances.

Cough drops & more Cebuano

What a week!!!! I don't even know where to begin, but I guess I can start with how the Lord truly knows each and every one of us! On Tuesday we had a devotional per usual, and our zone always sings in the choir, so we were asked to move to the second row for the choir, and then they announced that Gary E. Stevenson from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles was there!!! WHAT?!?! We got to sing a missionary medley for him and for the first time as we were singing called to serve, I realized for the first time that I am the missionary that has been called to serve!!! His testimony was so strong and he testified that we were supposed to be sitting there on that day, at that time, listening to that message, and preparing to serve in a specific place that has been chosen by the Lord. How cool is that! 

Sister Ikari, Sister Bingham (my companion) Sister Rybin, & me

My bracelet & matching flag 

In our lessons and TRC's this week I realized how lucky I am to be sharing something that means so much to me! This Gospel truly brings peace and happiness, and I feel so lucky  to be here learning how to be a better instrument in the Lord's hands.

 This week we got new Elders in our zone! but kind of sad because we didn't get any new Sisters. But we did start praying with all the Sisters in our zone every night and I feel so close to them. They are all such inspirations and worked so hard or sacrificed so much to get here and they always laugh at my minnie mouse onesie.

 Also our district is all getting sick so now we aren't allowed to touch anyone or anything haha. Also we are all still just wearing our Philippines attire even though the temperatures are dropping so fast, so now we are getting everyone to run between classes!!!

I was reading in Mosiah 26 this week and I love verses 18 and 19: "blessed is this people who are 
willing to bear my name; for in my name shall they be called and they are mine. Thou art my servant... go forth in my name... and gather together my sheep." I love this Gospel I love my Savior I love Cebuano and I love the Philippines!!!! Have the best week and thank you for the prayers!!!! 

Love you all,
Sister Miller