Hello Everbody,
This past week has really shot by for me. We had a number of activities throughout the week that cut back on our regular proselyting time which I'm still trying to figure out if that's a good thing or a bad thing. On Wednesday we had to drive for about an hour to go to a special informational meeting about the Church 12 step addiction recovery program. It lasted about 2 hours and was really interesting. I hadn't known anything about it but there were some powerful testimonies shared as to its effectivness and its ability to change lives. I was really nervous cause as part of the meeting they went through and did everything that a normal meeting for addiction recovery would be like and I was given a slip of paper detailing a persons story and reason for attending the meeting and was asked to share when the sharing time came. Perhaps I have too much confidence in my thespian skills but my initial fear was that some one wouldn't recognize that I was acting and would think that I actually was a drug addict. But I realized that other people probably had little scripted pieces of paper as well and it wasn't a big deal. Then on Thursday I spent the whole day on companion exchanges with my District Leader who is in the Spanish program. So I was in the Spanish program all day and almost fell asleep a few times because lessons can be very boring when you have no clue what is being said. Of course some of our investigators are probably bored enough to fall asleep even when they understand everything that we say. Church was pretty good. We had two less active people show up that we've been working with, as well as two investigators. And then we are waiting on a few other people to finally start coming to church and then they will be eligible for baptism. The Spanish elders who we share the area with had two baptisms on Saturday and have been doing amazingly well lately. My companion and I are trying to make the same thing happen in the English program. The few converts in the past years have all pretty much been Hispanic people who know English well enough to be taught in English. So referrals from the Spanish Elders are always appreciated. Biggest news is that we get to go to the temple on Tuesday. Prior to conference we get to go every 6 months, it seems weird that it's been 6 months since I was already there. I hope everyone is doing well. Write back next week.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
Monday, March 28, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Hello Everyone,
My new area is pretty terrific. It's still kind of odd how we use up most of our car miles just getting to our area, at least the area that we plan to work in mostly that day. I got sort of sick on Friday and part of Saturday then felt better so that was a bit of a bummer but I slept it off and was able to keep at it. Not too much to report on otherwise though. Our most promising investigator is a 13 year old girl who recently moved in with her Grandmother who is a member of our ward and has succeeded at converting most of her family and just this girls left. I'm sure she'll come into the church eventually but right now she has a lot of doubts that we are working to overcome. We met a former investigator who I don't think was ever too serious about learning more about the church, she's just extremely friendly and refers to one of the past Elders who tracted into her as her adopted son. She requested my Mom's e-mail address just to say hi. She then invited herself to Church before we could and we just said, "that's a great idea". So there she was at church and we didn't even remind her to come. I can't really see any reason why she isn't a member of the church yet so we're working to figure that out and then resolve it. That's about all we're up to. There is a less active man who was quite interesting. He's a mechanic and as a hobby builds Rat Rods. Frankenstein like cars made out of every type of car you can get your hands on. They aren't much to look at but it sounds like we'll get to help him sometime. I expect to have a lot of fun in this area. Have a great week everyone.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
My new area is pretty terrific. It's still kind of odd how we use up most of our car miles just getting to our area, at least the area that we plan to work in mostly that day. I got sort of sick on Friday and part of Saturday then felt better so that was a bit of a bummer but I slept it off and was able to keep at it. Not too much to report on otherwise though. Our most promising investigator is a 13 year old girl who recently moved in with her Grandmother who is a member of our ward and has succeeded at converting most of her family and just this girls left. I'm sure she'll come into the church eventually but right now she has a lot of doubts that we are working to overcome. We met a former investigator who I don't think was ever too serious about learning more about the church, she's just extremely friendly and refers to one of the past Elders who tracted into her as her adopted son. She requested my Mom's e-mail address just to say hi. She then invited herself to Church before we could and we just said, "that's a great idea". So there she was at church and we didn't even remind her to come. I can't really see any reason why she isn't a member of the church yet so we're working to figure that out and then resolve it. That's about all we're up to. There is a less active man who was quite interesting. He's a mechanic and as a hobby builds Rat Rods. Frankenstein like cars made out of every type of car you can get your hands on. They aren't much to look at but it sounds like we'll get to help him sometime. I expect to have a lot of fun in this area. Have a great week everyone.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Tranferred!
Hello Everyone,
Sadly I've been transferred and it almost feels like I've had to leave home twice to go on a mission. I was in Fremont for almost 7 months. Fremont is almost the most northern part of our mission and I've been transferred to the very bottom. Straight down to Greenfield which covers a bunch of small towns that are all spread out. It'll be quite an adjustment and thusfar I feel way out of place but it seems like there is are a lot of potential members that we are working with and I've already met some nice members, (I've only been here 3 hours). Plus the part I'm most looking forward to is I heard tell that there are some very adept unicyclers in the ward and they shall soon become my best friends and I'll perfect my knack. My new companion is Elder Maughan from Cash Valley? Cache Valley? Utah. He has only been on his mission a transfer longer than me but this area seems like it will require a bit different style of missionary work than I'm used to, so I'll have to learn a lot from him. If you're worrying about my previous companion Elder Cowart and how he'll fare without me. Don't, he got paired up with an Elder Joyce. I don't really know Elder Joyce but he's all Elder Cowart could talk about while we were companions. I had hoped to get my old MTC companion this transfer but my hopes were squashed when I got to the mission office and saw his picture along with the new missionary that he's training already. Well at this point I'm too new to have any news in this area. Our apartment I like. It's on the third floor which is the only downside I can see. I think it has more square footage than the house I was in and there is definitly more closet space which is nice. It's odd all of the sudden living more south cause the weather is already nicer. I'm not sure I like the change yet. Sometimes the sun is just too beating and degrading. But then again the clouds can be a downer. I guess I sound like a downer right now complaining either way. But it's beautiful here and I've noticed a lot of references to Steinbeck. I figure he must have lived here at one point perhaps. I'm practically out of time. But thanks for reading and I hope you are all doing well.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
Sadly I've been transferred and it almost feels like I've had to leave home twice to go on a mission. I was in Fremont for almost 7 months. Fremont is almost the most northern part of our mission and I've been transferred to the very bottom. Straight down to Greenfield which covers a bunch of small towns that are all spread out. It'll be quite an adjustment and thusfar I feel way out of place but it seems like there is are a lot of potential members that we are working with and I've already met some nice members, (I've only been here 3 hours). Plus the part I'm most looking forward to is I heard tell that there are some very adept unicyclers in the ward and they shall soon become my best friends and I'll perfect my knack. My new companion is Elder Maughan from Cash Valley? Cache Valley? Utah. He has only been on his mission a transfer longer than me but this area seems like it will require a bit different style of missionary work than I'm used to, so I'll have to learn a lot from him. If you're worrying about my previous companion Elder Cowart and how he'll fare without me. Don't, he got paired up with an Elder Joyce. I don't really know Elder Joyce but he's all Elder Cowart could talk about while we were companions. I had hoped to get my old MTC companion this transfer but my hopes were squashed when I got to the mission office and saw his picture along with the new missionary that he's training already. Well at this point I'm too new to have any news in this area. Our apartment I like. It's on the third floor which is the only downside I can see. I think it has more square footage than the house I was in and there is definitly more closet space which is nice. It's odd all of the sudden living more south cause the weather is already nicer. I'm not sure I like the change yet. Sometimes the sun is just too beating and degrading. But then again the clouds can be a downer. I guess I sound like a downer right now complaining either way. But it's beautiful here and I've noticed a lot of references to Steinbeck. I figure he must have lived here at one point perhaps. I'm practically out of time. But thanks for reading and I hope you are all doing well.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Hello Everybody,
I'm doing very well. It's sad to think that this is probably my last week in the area that I've been this whole time though. Aside from the lady sitting at the computer next to me cursing at her computer and banging the mouse on the desk, I've really enjoyed everyone I've met here. I'm hoping I'll stay one more transfer here although it's already been 7 months. Our mission has over a hundred people with baptismal commitments for the month of March and 17 have already been baptized. It's our mission presidents goal to get one hundred baptisms every month and I really want to and think that I can contribute to that. Our most promising investigator is a man who's family all joined the church about 15 years ago but he didn't join only because he couldn't quit smoking. He has recently quit and we are really hopeful that he is still interested in becoming a member. Aside from him we don't have many people to work with so we are tracting more than I've done before. It's not too bad. I've found that for some reason the thought of tracting is more daunting than the actual thing. I'll be so downcast at the thought but then I get started and we have to put on our cheesy smiles at the doors that answer and then all of the sudden the smile becomes genuine and I have a good time. So I'm doing great. I hope all of you are as well and I'll write again next week.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
I'm doing very well. It's sad to think that this is probably my last week in the area that I've been this whole time though. Aside from the lady sitting at the computer next to me cursing at her computer and banging the mouse on the desk, I've really enjoyed everyone I've met here. I'm hoping I'll stay one more transfer here although it's already been 7 months. Our mission has over a hundred people with baptismal commitments for the month of March and 17 have already been baptized. It's our mission presidents goal to get one hundred baptisms every month and I really want to and think that I can contribute to that. Our most promising investigator is a man who's family all joined the church about 15 years ago but he didn't join only because he couldn't quit smoking. He has recently quit and we are really hopeful that he is still interested in becoming a member. Aside from him we don't have many people to work with so we are tracting more than I've done before. It's not too bad. I've found that for some reason the thought of tracting is more daunting than the actual thing. I'll be so downcast at the thought but then I get started and we have to put on our cheesy smiles at the doors that answer and then all of the sudden the smile becomes genuine and I have a good time. So I'm doing great. I hope all of you are as well and I'll write again next week.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Hello everybody,
I'm doing great. I'm most excited over the fact that it would appear we are experiencing some actual success from tracting. We went back by to visit some people we ran into while knocking on doors and a couple are actually interested and we were able to teach and have a new investigator officially. He initially rejected baptism cause we invited him right off the bat but he is agreeing to meet with us and perhaps is just extremely polite and won't turn us away but he shared with us his trouble in his life right now. He is really thoughtful about his standing in life and he says he feels blessed but he feels that there is a particular type of happiness that he feels incomplete without, that he feels God hasn't let him obtain that happiness. He would never really talk in specifics but I got the distinct impression that he couldn't describe it because it was the feeling of the Holy Ghost. I can't wait for Saturday when we plan on teaching him more and introducing this thought topic to him. Of course I have hopes and anticipate that he'll be curious and then when we teach and identify the Spirit to him he'll want it and accept baptism but realistically odds are that he'll say, "No that's not the happiness I'm speaking of." But just the fact that he'll meet with us is a huge step. We are also excited about a man who is married to a member of our ward but is not a member. He was interested in the church years ago and was the reason his wife and kids got baptized but he never managed to quit smoking. He recently quit smoking so on Saturday as well we plan on inviting him and see what his current feelings are. I really like this family. They're really interesting to talk with cause they just have the most random stories and family relations. The couple are in their late 50's I'd guess and then the lady said, "My aunt is a professional wrestler" and I asked for clarification and said, "that was her profession?" And she said, "well she still does it." I was so surprised, her aunt must be in her seventies, and in the pro wrestling circuit. They also have some noisy parrots that interrupt the the talk at times but they're really funny. So I'm looking forward to this week. I've probably reached the end of this area. My first and favorite. But I hope to go out with a bang.
Sincerely Elder Miller
I'm doing great. I'm most excited over the fact that it would appear we are experiencing some actual success from tracting. We went back by to visit some people we ran into while knocking on doors and a couple are actually interested and we were able to teach and have a new investigator officially. He initially rejected baptism cause we invited him right off the bat but he is agreeing to meet with us and perhaps is just extremely polite and won't turn us away but he shared with us his trouble in his life right now. He is really thoughtful about his standing in life and he says he feels blessed but he feels that there is a particular type of happiness that he feels incomplete without, that he feels God hasn't let him obtain that happiness. He would never really talk in specifics but I got the distinct impression that he couldn't describe it because it was the feeling of the Holy Ghost. I can't wait for Saturday when we plan on teaching him more and introducing this thought topic to him. Of course I have hopes and anticipate that he'll be curious and then when we teach and identify the Spirit to him he'll want it and accept baptism but realistically odds are that he'll say, "No that's not the happiness I'm speaking of." But just the fact that he'll meet with us is a huge step. We are also excited about a man who is married to a member of our ward but is not a member. He was interested in the church years ago and was the reason his wife and kids got baptized but he never managed to quit smoking. He recently quit smoking so on Saturday as well we plan on inviting him and see what his current feelings are. I really like this family. They're really interesting to talk with cause they just have the most random stories and family relations. The couple are in their late 50's I'd guess and then the lady said, "My aunt is a professional wrestler" and I asked for clarification and said, "that was her profession?" And she said, "well she still does it." I was so surprised, her aunt must be in her seventies, and in the pro wrestling circuit. They also have some noisy parrots that interrupt the the talk at times but they're really funny. So I'm looking forward to this week. I've probably reached the end of this area. My first and favorite. But I hope to go out with a bang.
Sincerely Elder Miller
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