British Birthday #2!!

Wednesday, I was told that BBC said it was supposed to be ALL sun for the next six weeks. (It’s been hot and beautiful.) So I was excited to hear that was the official report said it would stay like that.

And then it poured on Thursday.

And we had a thunderstorm on Friday.

And it rained on Saturday.

And drizzled a little bit yesterday.



Isn’t it great to know the weathermen are equally accurate all over the world?



But actually, I kinda loved it. There is no better feeling than walking down a street in the pouring rain. I can’t even tell you how much I love it. British rain is fantastic. I’ve noticed people think  you are nutters if you walk down the street smiling in the pouring rain.



I’ve been studying a lot about happiness lately. It’s simply a product of righteous living. We can be happy even in the midst of our trials through living the gospel. God gave us the pattern. He can give/allow us to experience anything. Why? It’s the question I get asked all day by nearly everyone we stop. If God is there, why do bad/hard things happen? This isn’t the complete answer, but I think the biggest part of it is that the refining fire is necessary. We need polishing. It’s why we are here. We agreed to come and be tested.

 It’s okay, because He has given the tools for us to find joy and peace in any circumstance. We cannot pick our trials. But we can choose to use the provided tools. No trial is too great—the resources at our hands can overcome anything. That’s the crux of agency. It’s not the situation or the tools. It’s the reaction. It’s the action.

I spent ages studying and linking all references to happiness in the scriptures. We are meant to be happy.



And in case you were wondering, the Malvern Hills are the best thing in the world to hike. They are just a few feet short of being peaks. The hike is lovely, and the VIEW. Oh my goodness. I didn’t know that there was anything in the world that beautiful. I wish I could bottle it up and send it to you. (One sister I went on exchange with told me her greatest wish was to send her eyeballs home. Haha.)  Basically, I could see all the way to Abergavenny mountain, which is in Merthyr Ward. And I could see all the way to Birmingham as well. So I got to stand up there and see everywhere I was called to serve for the past eighteen months. It was such a sacred experience. We may do it again next week, weather and travel arrangements pending.



And this week I broke my own rule. For six months, I've been telling people that I've been on my mission for "a year". But this week I started telling members that I would be leaving soon (only those that asked). I decided it might be weird if I magically disappeared and then my companion said I’d gone home. Last thing I want is for them to conclude that I am dodgy. Haha.

It felt so odd. And I hated how they are all like “How do you feel?”

Answer: NO idea. I’m so confused by it. And a bit excited. But I know I will be “mission homesick” for the rest of my life.
Basically the whole thing feels so surreal that the question seems pointless.
So I will just keep loving my mission.
 I will procrastinate thinking about it till next week---I'll be older and wiser by that point.

xxxx

Sister Miller



PIC:
Part way down. It took us less than n hour to hike it, but we sat at the top for like two hours. It seriously was mindblowing.