Hello Everyone,
It was a pretty slow week. All of our investigators were either gone for the holidays or wanted to skip our weekly lessons due to the holidays. So there isn't much to report by way of missionary work. But in the opposite side the weekend was awesome. We had a spectacular Christmas. Christmas eve actually we were invited to a party type nativity performance and it was good. The children played all the parts in the story of Jesus birth but they were short one wise man. So guess who they asked to fill in. So the audience was quite amused when I walked out wearing a pink snow flake adorned bath robe that was quite too small, and presenting a some sort of lotion that I guess was supposed to be myrhh. one sister in the ward snapped a picture and then demanded my parents e-mail address so that they could share in the amusement. So there's my explanation for when the e-mail gets posted all over the internet. Our mission president has all the packages held onto at the mission office that way they can ensure that every missionary gets something from their families and if not then the mission buys them some gifts. My companion had his parents send a package straight to our house but it hadn't arrived yet and so the mission got him a shirt and some ties and candy. We met at 5:30 on Christmas eve for our President wearing a santa hat to distribute all the packages. I'd like to take this time to thank everyone that sent me a letter or package. I think I had the most out of my entire zone. I got about 10 letters and 7 packages so I was looking forward to Christmas morning. That is more attention than I usually get each year. I'm thinking I've got to leave home more often.
But Christmas was great we really just went to three different members houses and had a grand time just sort of visiting with them and eating alot of food. I hope you all had a good Christmas and were able to take some time to think about our savior and the wonderful gift of the atonement. The mission is a great place to celebrate Christmas for it's really easy to keep in the true spirit and recognize the importance behind the holiday.
Have a Happy New Year everyone and I'll write again in 2011.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
Not Transferred Afterall
Hello everybody,
There are quite a bit of computer problems here at the library today and so I used up all of my time trying to get the internet to access the LDS e-mail website. I thought having reliable internet service was one of the upsides of not going to a third world country on my mission but apparantly not. So I don't have much time to write which is unfortunate cause I think I got the most e-mails of all time from people wishing me a merry Christmas. So not much to tell I guess, Christmas has really snuck up on me. Every day is so similar on the mission that it really doesn't seem like Christmas should be allowed, it will throw the schedule out of whack. It should be fun though. I wasn't transferred like everyone here was telling me I would be. I think our mission president prefers not to move people around too much during the holidays. But since my companion will be going home after this transfer I will likely stay another one after that in order to immerse another person in this area. I am afraid that the baptismal date that we have for a man we've been teaching will be cancelled. The man it seems to me is really only taking the lessons because his girlfriend who we have been teaching is making him. I doubt that he has his own testimony yet and he is really more inclined to keep to his old church. I think that if we try to impose the law of chastity on him before he can get baptized he would rather just not be baptized. It's kind of funny how people can hold so closely to a religion but refuse to recognize or act upon the commandments they hold from God. I guess everyone deals with that but it really stinks when they seemed so close to baptism and now aren't looking so strong.
Merry Christmas everyone and I'll write next week.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
There are quite a bit of computer problems here at the library today and so I used up all of my time trying to get the internet to access the LDS e-mail website. I thought having reliable internet service was one of the upsides of not going to a third world country on my mission but apparantly not. So I don't have much time to write which is unfortunate cause I think I got the most e-mails of all time from people wishing me a merry Christmas. So not much to tell I guess, Christmas has really snuck up on me. Every day is so similar on the mission that it really doesn't seem like Christmas should be allowed, it will throw the schedule out of whack. It should be fun though. I wasn't transferred like everyone here was telling me I would be. I think our mission president prefers not to move people around too much during the holidays. But since my companion will be going home after this transfer I will likely stay another one after that in order to immerse another person in this area. I am afraid that the baptismal date that we have for a man we've been teaching will be cancelled. The man it seems to me is really only taking the lessons because his girlfriend who we have been teaching is making him. I doubt that he has his own testimony yet and he is really more inclined to keep to his old church. I think that if we try to impose the law of chastity on him before he can get baptized he would rather just not be baptized. It's kind of funny how people can hold so closely to a religion but refuse to recognize or act upon the commandments they hold from God. I guess everyone deals with that but it really stinks when they seemed so close to baptism and now aren't looking so strong.
Merry Christmas everyone and I'll write next week.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
Monday, December 13, 2010
Striking a Balance
Hello Everybody,
Things are goind well here. I had been hoping that we would have two baptisms this month. We've had a bit of pressure from our ward to try and get close to fulfilling their goals for the year and also from our Mission President to fulfill the goals for the mission, but unfortunately we can't force people to get baptized on our schedule. Our one date we set yesterday is for the 15th of January. We have set a lot of dates and all of them have fallen through. But unlike the rest I can't find a reason for this one to fall through. It's a little flawed the way in which we commit people to be baptized. We are encouraged to invite them to be baptized after we teach the first lesson unless prompted by the spirit not to. Usually I have been able to recognize a major issue blocking their way to baptism that must be resolved, the only problem is that we never tell them about this issue until it pops up in one of the following lessons. I'm thinking I'll start just trying to be as straight forward and up front as possible. Invite them to be baptized and then when they accept tell all the changes they must make in their life. Of course that is liable to scare them off. So it becomes a delicate balance. You pile commitments and life changing challenges on one side and try to not topple the scale. If you tell them too much at once then it's a turn off for them, the thought of all these life alterations compound and make them feel unable to surmount the obstacles. If you tell them too little though then they are never prepared in the frame that you have set up for them. So I haven't got the hang of it yet and it kind of seems like my companions haven't either. It's really more a game of chance that you will get someone who is so ready to change that nothing you tell them is any problem.
A recent convert in our ward when she was being taught assumed that part of joining the church meant going on a mission. She was so converted though that she was prepared to go on a mission until the missionaries informed her that is wasn't required. I can't wait to get an investigator like that. Someone who has truly sought out the truth for themselves and knows exactly what they must do and why they want to do it.
But I am thankful and proud of the investigators that I get to work with. Each of them are working hard to overcome the whatever is keeping them from being baptized.
Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the holidays.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
Things are goind well here. I had been hoping that we would have two baptisms this month. We've had a bit of pressure from our ward to try and get close to fulfilling their goals for the year and also from our Mission President to fulfill the goals for the mission, but unfortunately we can't force people to get baptized on our schedule. Our one date we set yesterday is for the 15th of January. We have set a lot of dates and all of them have fallen through. But unlike the rest I can't find a reason for this one to fall through. It's a little flawed the way in which we commit people to be baptized. We are encouraged to invite them to be baptized after we teach the first lesson unless prompted by the spirit not to. Usually I have been able to recognize a major issue blocking their way to baptism that must be resolved, the only problem is that we never tell them about this issue until it pops up in one of the following lessons. I'm thinking I'll start just trying to be as straight forward and up front as possible. Invite them to be baptized and then when they accept tell all the changes they must make in their life. Of course that is liable to scare them off. So it becomes a delicate balance. You pile commitments and life changing challenges on one side and try to not topple the scale. If you tell them too much at once then it's a turn off for them, the thought of all these life alterations compound and make them feel unable to surmount the obstacles. If you tell them too little though then they are never prepared in the frame that you have set up for them. So I haven't got the hang of it yet and it kind of seems like my companions haven't either. It's really more a game of chance that you will get someone who is so ready to change that nothing you tell them is any problem.
A recent convert in our ward when she was being taught assumed that part of joining the church meant going on a mission. She was so converted though that she was prepared to go on a mission until the missionaries informed her that is wasn't required. I can't wait to get an investigator like that. Someone who has truly sought out the truth for themselves and knows exactly what they must do and why they want to do it.
But I am thankful and proud of the investigators that I get to work with. Each of them are working hard to overcome the whatever is keeping them from being baptized.
Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying the holidays.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
Monday, December 6, 2010
Promising Investigator
Hello Everyone,
Things just got interesting around here. Our most promising investigator just got more promising. She has always from the get go been really excited about learning from us and agreed instantly to prepare to be baptized but we finally taught her commandments and brought up that she couldn't be baptized until she either moved out of her boyfriends place or married him. So she was quite upset but she still wanted to be taught which is good. Sometimes they take that lesson as a personal attack and figure that you're insulting them by telling them that they are sinning. But she just figured that she'd wait until the time she could be baptized. I think they were already engaged but when she told her boyfriend her dilemma he simply told her that he was ready to get married any time she wanted to especially if she felt the need to be baptized. This is a bit of a shock to me, no offense to California but this was the first time I've come across a relationship here that was a legitimate relationship. All of our other investigators are living with people who they aren't even involved with anymore. So she may very well be my very first baptism. And if I stick around long enough then perhaps her boyfriend will start coming to church with her and join the church as well. Only problem is that everyone keeps telling me that I'm probably going to be transferred on the 20th. So now it's a little depressing to see that I've been with my investigators this far and when the time arises for them to actually be baptized I'll be shipped out of here. But I guess that is the nature of a mission. It happens to everyone I'm sure. Well that is pretty much my good news. Don't really have any bad news so I guess that's good news as well.
I hope you all are doing well and I'll write next week.
-Sincerely Elder Miller
Things just got interesting around here. Our most promising investigator just got more promising. She has always from the get go been really excited about learning from us and agreed instantly to prepare to be baptized but we finally taught her commandments and brought up that she couldn't be baptized until she either moved out of her boyfriends place or married him. So she was quite upset but she still wanted to be taught which is good. Sometimes they take that lesson as a personal attack and figure that you're insulting them by telling them that they are sinning. But she just figured that she'd wait until the time she could be baptized. I think they were already engaged but when she told her boyfriend her dilemma he simply told her that he was ready to get married any time she wanted to especially if she felt the need to be baptized. This is a bit of a shock to me, no offense to California but this was the first time I've come across a relationship here that was a legitimate relationship. All of our other investigators are living with people who they aren't even involved with anymore. So she may very well be my very first baptism. And if I stick around long enough then perhaps her boyfriend will start coming to church with her and join the church as well. Only problem is that everyone keeps telling me that I'm probably going to be transferred on the 20th. So now it's a little depressing to see that I've been with my investigators this far and when the time arises for them to actually be baptized I'll be shipped out of here. But I guess that is the nature of a mission. It happens to everyone I'm sure. Well that is pretty much my good news. Don't really have any bad news so I guess that's good news as well.
I hope you all are doing well and I'll write next week.
-Sincerely Elder Miller
Monday, November 22, 2010
Investigators
Hello all,
It is the start of my third week in my third transfer and all is pretty well with me. We have a few investigators but each of them have pretty complicated situations that we have to work with until they can be baptized. One of them lives with the father of her child who she no longer is involved with but she recently got engaged to her boyfriend that we have taught a few lessons to. She can't get baptized until she moves out of the house or marries the man she's not engaged to so that doesn't seem likely. So right now our plan is to try and encourage them to drastically speed up their engagement process and then baptize them both. Our investigator who seems most prepared for baptism unfortunately lives with her fiance. We haven't taught her that rule yet so she doesn't know that she needs to move out or get married already but we're hoping that she takes the message well and perhaps their engagement will be drastically shortened as well.
I'm getting along with my new companion pretty well. He's very easy to get along with, just kind of relaxed and funny. He's not exactly at the most focused stage in his mission since he is looking at going home in, he told me this morning, 79 days. But he is still working pretty hard and I'm trying to get him up on time in the mornings.
We are also involved with some less active/ part member families and trying to teach there and see if we can get anyone active or baptized. One family are pet fanatics. Apparantly their house used to be a complete sty and no one could hardly stand being in there for any period of time. They had so many dogs and cats and whatnot that the smell was unbearable. My last companion had visited once before I got to the area and he had to go home and take a shower directly afterward. But the city cracked down on them and they are watched and limited to two dogs and cats and then they have two parrots. They used to have a bobcat that weighed 40 pounds and it was the youngest childs best friend. The parrots are funny. One of them is named Toowie and has just the best timing when delivering a line. And my favorite is when one of the owners yells at him to be quieter and he then whispers his own name repeatedly. But they are a fun family and the father likes the church he just couldn't quit smoking 20 years ago when they were investigating.
So those are the people we're working with as well as some others. It's hard to find new people but we're trying. Not that the old ones aren't a handful enough, but we are here to find as many as will listen.
Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone and I'll write next week.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
It is the start of my third week in my third transfer and all is pretty well with me. We have a few investigators but each of them have pretty complicated situations that we have to work with until they can be baptized. One of them lives with the father of her child who she no longer is involved with but she recently got engaged to her boyfriend that we have taught a few lessons to. She can't get baptized until she moves out of the house or marries the man she's not engaged to so that doesn't seem likely. So right now our plan is to try and encourage them to drastically speed up their engagement process and then baptize them both. Our investigator who seems most prepared for baptism unfortunately lives with her fiance. We haven't taught her that rule yet so she doesn't know that she needs to move out or get married already but we're hoping that she takes the message well and perhaps their engagement will be drastically shortened as well.
I'm getting along with my new companion pretty well. He's very easy to get along with, just kind of relaxed and funny. He's not exactly at the most focused stage in his mission since he is looking at going home in, he told me this morning, 79 days. But he is still working pretty hard and I'm trying to get him up on time in the mornings.
We are also involved with some less active/ part member families and trying to teach there and see if we can get anyone active or baptized. One family are pet fanatics. Apparantly their house used to be a complete sty and no one could hardly stand being in there for any period of time. They had so many dogs and cats and whatnot that the smell was unbearable. My last companion had visited once before I got to the area and he had to go home and take a shower directly afterward. But the city cracked down on them and they are watched and limited to two dogs and cats and then they have two parrots. They used to have a bobcat that weighed 40 pounds and it was the youngest childs best friend. The parrots are funny. One of them is named Toowie and has just the best timing when delivering a line. And my favorite is when one of the owners yells at him to be quieter and he then whispers his own name repeatedly. But they are a fun family and the father likes the church he just couldn't quit smoking 20 years ago when they were investigating.
So those are the people we're working with as well as some others. It's hard to find new people but we're trying. Not that the old ones aren't a handful enough, but we are here to find as many as will listen.
Have a happy Thanksgiving everyone and I'll write next week.
Sincerely, Elder Miller
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