An Unforgettable Easter Week(end)!!

My Easter week's top 10 (in no particular order)

1. Sister Nelson is my temporary SLC temple square companion and we are BFFs. It's sorta complicated but we are in like a foursome companionship with the other sister.  Sister Nelson and I decided that in order to more fully get the work pumping here in Lost Mountain we needed to divide and conquer and ride...BIKES! Yahooligans! Dream come true! We were granted permission from the President and off we were! Oh heck ya, we are the first sisters in the history of our mission to be on a bike! It is the best of times getting around on a bike! There are no sidewalks here so you can only imagine how much fun (!!!) we have.

2. I get to work in the family history center for a couple hours each week! Our stake center holds the largest genealogy facility in the southeast! I am absolutely CLUELESS and honestly kinda sorta uninterested currently; however, I think that will most def change as soon as I get really into it!

3. I'm taking piano lessons once a week on P-day...pray for me. 

4. We committed four more fabulous souls to baptism! Miracles, I tell ya! 

5. We got to teach 6:30 am seminary this past week on the atonement and it was incredible! I am so happy when I am talking about the gospel, no matter the time or place; it is always the best of times! 

6. I am studying more deeply the reoccurring story in the scriptures of the "change of heart" and I'm obsessed! Further elaboration to come but wowzers, what incredible stories we have to read from that can apply precisely to us in our own personal lives! 

7. In the mornings we do yoga and other workout funzies with our land lady we live with, Sister Carnell. She is the greatest! She told me last night she is gonna email president and ask him if I can serve my entire 18 months here in Lost Mountain. Miracles, right? JK only in my dreams! But hey, I'll make the most of it while I am here! 

8. Saturday March 30th is a day I'll never ever forget.  Four of my soul sisters entered the waters of baptism and it was pretty incredible. Gail's daughter is Tory and Venissa is Gail's neighbor (Gail referred her to us!) and her daughter is Tribeca. What a sight it was to watch these women follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized in His name. Venissa said, "When I was under the water for that split second, it was as if time stopped and I was in heaven." She came straightway out of the water with that huge Jamaican smile on and we were all so touched! The chapel was 2/3 packed with friends and family and it was such a day of miracles. What a way to celebrate the life and death of our Savior! My soul rejoiced, everyone's souls were rejoicing and I can say that I truly felt the presence of angels rejoicing over these lovely daughters of God and their decision to be baptized. One year from now, we will go to the temple together and this precious friendship I have with them will live on for the eternities!

9. We had the best Easter Sunday, ever! We taught 9 lessons in like 3 hours and hustled to spread the good news that He lives! Every part of me knows with surety that He absolutely lives! He lived a perfect life, and endured a painful death all for me, Why me? Because He loves me. And because of Him, we can one day return to the presence of our Father in Heaven! Without the atonement of Jesus Christ, none of us would be granted salvation. It's as simple as that! The Savior took upon the pains of the world so that we may one day live with our Father, our Maker, in His kingdom someday. I'm grateful that Christ's atonement is all encompassing. Sure, He died to take away the sins of the world. But truly, he died for everything unjust in this world: our insecurities, our sadness’s, our fears, our regrets, our sicknesses! Happy day when we understand that and take advantage of that! He already paid the price, don’t waste it! I love my Savior with my whole soul (Omni 1:26).

10. Julie McClain was my little Easter surprise miracle. Don’t quite know how she found me but she did! I came back to my home and there she was!!! In all her smiley glory, we had the most joyous reunion! We are the definition of two peas in a pod. My companions were like "okay you two are the same person." I'm grateful for Julie and her role in my life. How blessed I am to have a friend and an example like you!

To quickly wrap things up, I'm so very thankful for the blessings that are being literally poured out in front of me.  The only answer to why this is happening is because I'm trying my hardest out here. I've come to realize that we will always be blessed for doing righteous things no matter what! No act of kindness or choice of righteousness goes unnoticed.  Be so very good and I can promise you that as surely the Lord liveth, He always rewards the righteous. Don’t get me wrong, I have loads to work on but I'm motivated by my weaknesses because as soon as I humble myself and offer up those weaknesses to Him, then can He make them my strengths!

Honk if you love Jesus,

Sister Miyahara

p.s. GO Blakey boy for your eagle project! Those pictures looked awesome! So proud of you!! Lookin' goood too ;) Love you Blake!

p.s.s HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADELINE!!!! I hope you have the best birthday evs and that it is full with lots of love :) You're one of my greatest friends I'll ever have and I'm so thankful for the friendship we share! muah!! Love you so much mads.





My sweet Torey girl! She is one spunky sista of mine! We've been teaching her weekly since I got here and I have also been giving her gymnastic lessons for some of my service for the week! This precious child has forever left something so very special on my heart! 

These two angel babies are Trianna and Trinity and when they turn 8 years old (the year of accountability) they will follow the example of Jesus Christ, as well as their mama and big sister (Venissa and Tribeca) and be baptized in these waters! So much love! 

 Gail+ Torey+Venissa+Tribeca=my sisters in Zion forever and ever and ever! 

 Eternal friends 

This is my little lover, Hannah. She's the cutest, happiest, most obedient girl there ever was! 

The most pleasant park we found to eat our PB&J dinner after a TWO hour bike TREK to get to a former investigators home! Sweaty eddie to the max, lemme tell ya! It is all so totally worth it though 

It was an Easter miracle! Sister Julie McClain found me!!!!!! It was the most joyous reunion! We sat and chatted on my couch in my apartment and just soaked up the goodness of one another! I love this lady so much and seeing her was (as the say in the south) a slice of heaven! Thanks for making the trip out to find me! Muah! So much love! 

So ya btdubz we're on bikes now! We froze going the down street with zero bike lane and died laughing all the while! School buses were practially clipping our ankles but don't worry we made sure we were waving hi to the passing cars and flashing our distinguishing LDS missionary name tags. I can't even tell you how hard I was laughing...like when my face is paralyzed in a scary "is she crying or laughing?" face because I was literally in complete hysterics! The mission is seriously so fun, everyday! 

The whole gang! The happiness levels on this day went through the roof. The stake center chapel was 2/3 packed full of loving friends and family that came to support these daughters of God! Incredible! The Spirit was so strong, it could have been bottled up and canned!