For the Fletch's Birthday

I wrote to Fletch my single memory from the day he was born:

So....I remember the day you born. I was babysitting everyone while mom and dad were at the hospital. Dad called on the old white phone that used to be on the wall by the storage room door. I answered and I said "Well.....what did mom have was it a boy or girl?" and dad said "what do you think, take a guess." and I paused for a second trying to feel deep in my soul who you were and whether or not I had a new brother or another sister. And I felt...brother. So I told dad "It's a boy isn't it?" and he said "Yep." It was a pretty awesome day to finally have a brother. And you've been a pretty awesome brother since then as well. I love you tons!!!!

And Fletcher replied:

It's kind of weird to think that perhaps we got to witness from heaven the family that we were to be sent to.  I could have witnessed your birth.  I really wonder how I would have felt looking down at a family full of six girls and knowing that I'd be next.  Thanks for the story and awesome brother thing.  I appreciate it though I know I'm kind of a brat.  Matt Coss e-mailed and complimented your enchiladas.  Hope you have a great week. My birthday was awesome.  Thanks for writing.

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Hello Everybody,

This past week was pretty fun for me. I was just waiting for my Birthday to get here on Sunday and didn't really enjoy the week while I was experiencing it but looking back it went pretty well. It was all rainy and cold but we had nothing else to do so we went and knocked doors in it. Our Zone Leaders had challenged everyone to extend 10 baptismal invitations. So we only have a few investigators that we could invite to be baptized and so by Sunday we still had 8 invitations to extend. So for some reason, probably cause it was MY birthday, the weather was nice again and so we went to tract some more and everyone who opened their door were invited to be baptized on the spot. It's not a bad approach. Many people are really puzzled as to why you are asking them to be baptized that they sort of let their curiosity get the better of them and keep listening to us. One man responded to our invitation by simply saying "Sure", and I was so surprised I said, "Really, just like that." But that kind of put him off a little bit and now he was suspicious and asked "What do I have to do?" But he said he'd be interested in learning more from us and that is the best result I've every gotten from tracting. And then in the same neighborhood this really nice Muslim man sort of chuckled when we invited him. He said he doesn't believe Jesus was a god, or the son of God, just a messenger from God. But he invited us inside and we sort of discussed a bunch of stuff with him. Essentially we taught him the first lesson that we teach but it wasn't structured quite how it's supposed to be.

My birthday ended extremely enjoyably. Our Stake President just so happened to be signed up on the dinner calendar and I had managed to drop the knowledge to his wife that it was my birthday beforehand and so the Bishop and his wife as well as another couple from the ward came and they are all very funny or fun people and I was treated to dinner and a show, in a sense. So it was a great day. Much better than I could have hoped for.

Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying themselves. Have a good week.

Sincerely, Elder Miller

Pictures!!!

Fletcher sent me his memory card so I could post some pictures on the blog. He didn't tell me captions or names of people or anything, so what you see is what you get.

Hello Everyone,

This week went by really quickly but was extremely boring. I don't know how it happened but all of the appointments that we had made didn't work out. I had really been excited at the prospect of two new investigators who seemed like they would be what we call "golden", entirely ready to be taught and get baptized. But we didn't get a chance to meet with any of them and then our goal as a Zone was to get 20 investigators to church. So we were counting on getting 3 or 4 and then we had a whopping zero. So it wasn't a very successful week and I think that we are going to try and just tract and tract and tract until we find someone who we can teach. We haven't gotten any new people in a while and all of the people we have been trying to work with just aren't keeping the commitments we extend to them. You can probably tell that I'm a little discouraged but I'm counting on this experience of intense failure to drive me to do better the next time. I hope you have all had better weeks than mine but if not then you can join me in striving to make the next one marvelous. Well have a good week you all.

Sincerely Elder Miller

New Companion

Hello Everyone,

I guess the most exciteing thing this past week was getting another companion. He goes by the name of Elder Cowart and is from San Antonio Texas. He's a pretty cool guy but has been out on his mission just a little bit less than me so we are a kind of young companionship. Since we are you we are kind of just sticking to the basics of what we know and so far things seem to be falling into place.

A member called us and asked offhandedly who my new companion was and this member tends to be a little boisterous at times, but I found the conversation funny so I thought I'd write it down tot he best of my knowledge for your possible enjoyment as well.

"Hello Brother So-and-so"
"Hey what's your new companions name?
"Elder Cowart"
"Elder Coward?"
"No, C-O-W-A-R-T"
"You sure it's not Coward?"
"Yeah, I'm sure"
"I bet he doesn't get that alot, I'm pretty witty huh?"
"You sure are Brother So-and-so"
"Who do you like more, Elder Terry or Elder Cowart?"
"I'd have to go with Elder Cowart cause he's sitting right here and can hear you"
"Oh, okay, well bye"
"Bye Brother So-and-so"

I really like the members here. Brother So-and-so actually is pretty witty. That was just an off day for him I guess.

I'm pretty excited for the end of this week cause we already have a number of lessons set up and if they go well then will finally have some new investigators that will likely be much less of a headache than the ones we already have. I don't mean to sound critical but I don't think there is any escaping the fact that many of the people we try to work with have their lives in a mess. It's not necessarily their fault but it's true nontheless. Much of our time gets eaten up trying to get these people into better living situations so that they can get headed in the right direction and be eligible for baptism. God loves them all the same but that doesn't mean they're any easier to teach and get into the font.

Well, I hope everyone is doing awesome, and has a good week.

Sincerely, Elder Miller