FIRST EMAIL WOHOOO!! - 13 January 2026

Kia Ora from NZ!!!!!!🇳🇿🇳🇿 Hey guys wow I’m in New Zealand!! Crazy to think I’m literally on the other side of the world right now.

It's only been a few days since I've gotten here but it feels like I've been here forever cause so much has happened so I'll just tell yall everything.

I left last Wednesday and it was the longest flight of my life. I really tried to sleep most of it but it was so hard to get comfy. But we met up with some missionaries in LA and I was sat with some sisters on the flight so luckily I wasn't alone. But after the longggggg flight we time traveled to Friday morning and we got right going. I was so surprised with how quick they jumped into things I was so exhausted. I got my tag and we just had some orientation kinda stuff and my companion is one of the sisters we flew with!!!!!!!! 

Honestly the first day was SO OVERWHELMING and all I was thinking was that I wanted to be home. It's been hard. Held back tears all day lol. We had a meeting with our MTC president and he shared that it's okay to cry and feel overwhelmed and how we are all in the same boat but we are NOT alone. Needed to hear that wow. He also emphasized how we have angels that are with us that will lift us up and I know my ancestors are with me and are proud of me. I had an interview with Elder Pulu and he asked about my Book of Mormon reading. That's something that I worried so much about before my mission cause I'm truly not necessarily the biggest scripture wiz. But he challenged me to FINISH it before we leave the mtc. I am really trying to accomplish that. I am currently in Alma but ill keep yall updated. Even if I don't finish it, as I've been really diving into the BOM I've truly come to know of its truth and testament of Christ. I've seen such a change in myself.

Saturday was still pretty overwhelming it was the first like real day with classes and stuff but my district is seriously amazing. I'm so blessed. I have learned so much from them and we are all already super good friends. Me and my comp are the only sisters in my district along with 3 sets of elders but it's so fun. We have an elder from Australia and from England in our district it's so fun to hear their accents. Oh also majority of all the missionaries here are like Samoan or Tongan or like Poly and it's so cool they are the nicest people. The MTC is SMALL. There's like maybe 80 missionaries. But I love it it makes it feel more like a home. 

Sunday! First Sunday of my mission and first Sunday in the MTC! We got a paper on Friday to prepare a talk and EVERYONE prepares one and then throughout the day either in Sacrament or other meetings we have they will call on random missionaries to give their talk. I didn't get called on this time but I bet I will next week lol ill let yall know. But because it's so small we all meet together which is awesome. We have a specific time in the day for singing time and it's now my favorite thing ever I don't think ill ever experience something like this outside my mish. But all of the like the people of different culture sing with SO MUCH POWER it feels like we are a whole congregation. We are learning a song in Tongan and it's genuinely my new favorite song ever it's so cool. 

Monday was another busy day full of classes and stuff but truly I have learned so much. The first couple days were hard to get used to and even now thinking about how long my mission will be is hard to grasp and is overwhelming but as I've been learning and been with my district I can't wait to be a missionary. I do love the mtc and how much I've grown but I definitely think it'll be even better to actually be out in the field. 

I love being a missionary and learning and growing in the gospel I have really noticed such a change in myself. To be able to put aside everything and focus my whole life on Christ and the gospel and bringing others to the gospel is such a blessing. I'm not gonna sugar coat it it's definitely hard but I know this is the best thing I'll ever do in my life. 

The MTC is on the temple grounds of the Aukland temple so we get to go to the temple every week while being here and I’ll get to go tomorrow I can't wait. I love the temple and it’ll be so nice to feel some peace. I'll definitely be taking it all in cause I'm not sure I'll be going much when I am out in the field cause we don't have a temple in our mish. Never take for granted the temple it's the best place to be!!

It's summer here and when we go outside for like exercise time or personal study and stuff I've been getting FRIED. The sun here is no joke lol.

Okay I need to wrap up this email it's so long I'm so sorry but I love and miss you all SO MUCH!! I hope you all are doing great! And all the missionaries out there I'm praying for you all! This is hard work but I know that this is the best work! 

Oh also I have a Google photos but we hardly ever have our phones so I haven't taken any pics but stayed tuned I’ll try to get some good content for ya so you can all join next week 🙌🙌

Love yall

-Sister Milius 💕💕