March 29, 2010

Hey,

So about the whole weather being really hot. Well, that changed really quickly. The last few days have been freezing cold. But really not that bad for me, because you know me, I enjoy the cool more than the warm, so it has been alright, but the changing back and forth without warning is kind of hard and weird, but so is life I guess. Today it is raining pretty good, but the rest of the week is supposed to be sunny and warm. I don't know how I feel about that, but only like 6 more days of having to wear a suit coat, so I am excited about that.

Leandro got confirmed yesterday, so that was good. Everyone is still doing well. Javier is still good, Brother Ovalle is doing great, basically everyone is going good, so that is good. We are working with a bunch of really good people. We are hoping things go well, and maybe a few more baptisms in the next few weeks. But we will have to see. Our best prospect is this 20 year old-ish Dominican boy named Lenny. He is very intelligent, and is almost testing the church with his questions, which I love, I think more people should do that, because after testing you will be truly converted. He is doing great though.

Interviews were good, they are always about the same. He asks the normal questions that he has to. The are very unexciting actually. But I understand, he only has to do like 180 of them every 6 weeks. It would get old.

This week was another not very exciting as far as stories go week. But that is how it goes. On Saturday we had what is called a Zone Street Sweep, which is something when a bunch of missionaries from the Zone get together and go and talk to as many people as possible in an area. We did it in a train stop, and made a bunch of signs and stuff. It was pretty fun. There was a J-Dub that set up camp right next to us, and I actually went and talked to her for a good period of time. She was from Colombia and was really nice.

Okay, so here is the deal. I think I am still good on pods, I will check to make sure, I am not sure. But I am basically out of strips. I totally wasn't paying attention, but I am almost out, like 40 strips, maybe less left. Sorry for not paying attention, I will do better. So if you could try to get them in maybe the package you are sending tomorrow, that would be awesome. If i run out before I get some, I will just go buy some. I think I will be getting 2 more vials of insulin this week also, just so you know.

Well, other than that everything is going well. I love you all so much.

-Elder Miller

March 22, 2010

Hey All,

So here is the the weather talk, as that seems to be the first thing I always talk about. Haha. The weather this past week has been great. But there has been one downside. It has been a little bit on the hot side, like 70's, and we are still required to wear our suits. So with the suits and the weather, it has been really hot. But only 2 more weeks, and we only have to wear suits to Church. So I am super excited about that.

Next cool thing that happened. Leandro got baptized yesterday. I will try to include a picture or two. It was super cool. He is an amazing guy. He is proof of member missionary work. He had a member friend in Ecuador who talked to him about the gospel like 3 times, came to the US, met the missionaries, we got in contact with him, and got baptized 3 weeks later. So that was pretty exciting.

Other aspects of the work are all going well. Javier continues to be on fire. He is giving us referrals left and right. He is the bomb. He gave an awesome testimony during the baptism yesterday as well. As far as everyone we are teaching they are all doing pretty well. We also have a lot of really good potential people. So basically all is well with the work.

Saturday was Elder Call's birthday. It was fun. Elder Oakes and I got him some whitestrips for his teeth, because, well, I have become a little bit of tooth crazy on my mission, and have a lot of good tooth supplies, and it got him really excited about it, so we got it half as a joke, half as he would really like it. He really did. It was funny.

As far as how I am getting the fiber, a lot of different ways. I have tried a few of the fiber one cereals, I think the frosted shredded wheat is the best, but there are also other cereals that have just as much fiber and taste a lot better. The cereal that has the most fiber is All Bran, I haven't tried it yet, I think it will be horrible, but we will see. Also you can find bread that has upwards of 50% that tastes really good. And then just little things. I am eating lots of nuts. All fruit jam with added fiber. All sorts of stuff. So it is all going well. I need to work at getting more protein, and more fruit. I started buying fruit, but it is hard, and expensive.

It is sad to see Northridge HOSA going down. It used to be the best in the state. Mrs. Quilter just doesn't care. It is sad, but oh well.

Other than that I think things are all going pretty well here. Had interviews with the mission president last week. IT went well.

Anyways, I think I will include pictures of me at a place called Hunter's Point, the closest you can get to Manhattan that is still in our mission, and maybe a picture of me in front of PS 1, it is actually a school, but has a MoMA exhibit (Museum of Modern Art). We went last P-Day. It was way cool.

I love you all. Talk to you next week.

-Elder Miller

March 15, 2010

Hey,

Things are still going pretty well. This week was kind of that slow/fast kind of week, if that makes sense. Slow because not too much "exciting" happened, fast because, well, it went by fast.

The weather has been horrible. It hasn't stopped raining for a few days. If I was anything other than a missionary I would love that, but as a missionary, elements are the worst. But I guess I will take it for what it is, and just keep trucking on being wet. I don't know if it is the weather or what either, but I have been really tired lately, which is not fun. But oh well.

Yes, those pictures were of Rachel. It is exciting to see a dad and daughter come in to the gospel. They are both doing way good. The dad has actually gave us a few referrals that we are teaching and hopefully getting close to baptism. So he is great. We also have a guy named Leandro who will be getting baptized this Sunday or next, so that is really exciting.

I did get the shoes. They are perfect. Thank you so much.

It sounds like everyone is going pretty well. Which is really nice to hear. That always makes me happy.

So here is something you will laugh at mom and dad. So the other day I think I ask a question that very few people have ever asked. I asked if eating too much fiber is bad for you. Because well, the other day, by 11, before I had left the apartment to start working, I had already eaten 150% of my daily value of fiber. I am sure you will laugh mom, because you never would have saw me doing that, and am proud, and Dad, I am sure you will laugh because you think I am crazy. Haha. But so the healthy eating is going pretty well. The two hard things about it are 1) Hispanic people love you feed us, and they love to feed us lots of food, and the food they eat can be very unhealthy, deep fried and such, so that is hard, because you can't say no. and 2) Because healthy food is very expensive, and we don't get very much money for food. But I would say despite those 2 things, the eating is going well.

Well, I think that is about all that is up with me. Like I said, not a too exciting week. But all is well. I hope all of you keep doing well, let me know if there is anything I can do. I love you all.

-Elder Miller

March 8, 2010

Howdy Hey Hey,

So are is everyone doing? I hope that everyone is doing great. Things are going really good here, so that is good.

Transfers are indeed this week. We recieved transfer calls on Saturday, to let us know if we were leaving or if we were staying. All three of us will be staying together. It is very strange. I know if doesn't mean too much to anybody outside of missionary life, but trios are pretty rare in the first place (we are the only non-sister trio in the mission), and when they do happen, they never stay together for more than 1 transfer. But we are trend breakers I guess, haha. As the story goes President is really happy with the work we are doing, we are doing fairly well, and he didn't want to ruin a good thing. We are all super excited about it. Elder Oakes and Elder Call have been some of my favorite companions on my mission so far, and I know they feel the same way, so it will be fun to spend 6 more weeks with them, even though it is very rare. :)

I am getting over a little bit of a bug right now, it was really funny, because it has been a few days, Elder Call and I have the same thing, and Elder Oakes had it for a little bit. But anyways, we got our transfer calls on Saturday, and we were all super excited, but Elder Call and I were feeling very poorly, and so we couldn't be very excited, it was a very funny moment.

So here is the big news for this week. Hermano Ovalle got baptized on Saturday. He is the excommunicated member. It was one of the most amazing experiences on my mission so far. He is such a great man. I love him so much. It was so great to see him get baptized, and then on Sunday he recieved the Holy Ghost, and I got to take part of that. It is going to be great to have him as a member. He is a great leader and teacher. I already have promised him that I will come back and go with him when he gets his endowements taken out. He is the man. I will try to attach some pictures of his baptism.

Everybody else is doing really well. Javier's daughter did not get baptized last Sunday, but she is getting baptized this next Sunday, some things just came up. But it will be exciting, because Javier is recieving the Priesthood next week also, and he will be able to baptize her. It will be great. Norma we are still working with. She is stuggling a lot with her relationship right now, but she is doing well, and we are still working with her. We met a new guy this week named Leandro, he was found by the english missionaries. He had heard about the church in his country, and is really excited about it, believes it is true, and has accepted to be baptized on the 21st (I think that is the date) of this month. It was pretty awesome. So the work is flurishing. It is great to be a part of.

I haven't got the insulin yet, I will call in today, and get some. Is that still going to be okay, I know you mentioned the insurance was changing. If it won't work, just call the mission office I guess. But I will call and get some.

It is always good to hear that everyone is doing pretty well.

I think that is about all new that is going on with me. Had a good week, other than the sickness, we had a big snowstorm that wasn't very fun, but that happens. The Weather should be warming up now. Well, I guess I will get going. I love you all.

-Elder Miller

March 1, 2010

Howdy Hey Hey,

So are is everyone doing? I hope that everyone is doing great. Things are going really good here, so that is good.

Transfers are indeed this week. We recieved transfer calls on Saturday, to let us know if we were leaving or if we were staying. All three of us will be staying together. It is very strange. I know if doesn't mean too much to anybody outside of missionary life, but trios are pretty rare in the first place (we are the only non-sister trio in the mission), and when they do happen, they never stay together for more than 1 transfer. But we are trend breakers I guess, haha. As the story goes President is really happy with the work we are doing, we are doing fairly well, and he didn't want to ruin a good thing. We are all super excited about it. Elder Oakes and Elder Call have been some of my favorite companions on my mission so far, and I know they feel the same way, so it will be fun to spend 6 more weeks with them, even though it is very rare. :)

I am getting over a little bit of a bug right now, it was really funny, because it has been a few days, Elder Call and I have the same thing, and Elder Oakes had it for a little bit. But anyways, we got our transfer calls on Saturday, and we were all super excited, but Elder Call and I were feeling very poorly, and so we couldn't be very excited, it was a very funny moment.

So here is the big news for this week. Hermano Ovalle got baptized on Saturday. He is the excommunicated member. It was one of the most amazing experiences on my mission so far. He is such a great man. I love him so much. It was so great to see him get baptized, and then on Sunday he recieved the Holy Ghost, and I got to take part of that. It is going to be great to have him as a member. He is a great leader and teacher. I already have promised him that I will come back and go with him when he gets his endowements taken out. He is the man. I will try to attach some pictures of his baptism.

Everybody else is doing really well. Javier's daughter did not get baptized last Sunday, but she is getting baptized this next Sunday, some things just came up. But it will be exciting, because Javier is recieving the Priesthood next week also, and he will be able to baptize her. It will be great. Norma we are still working with. She is stuggling a lot with her relationship right now, but she is doing well, and we are still working with her. We met a new guy this week named Leandro, he was found by the english missionaries. He had heard about the church in his country, and is really excited about it, believes it is true, and has accepted to be baptized on the 21st (I think that is the date) of this month. It was pretty awesome. So the work is flurishing. It is great to be a part of.

I haven't got the insulin yet, I will call in today, and get some. Is that still going to be okay, I know you mentioned the insurance was changing. If it won't work, just call the mission office I guess. But I will call and get some.

It is always good to hear that everyone is doing pretty well.

I think that is about all new that is going on with me. Had a good week, other than the sickness, we had a big snowstorm that wasn't very fun, but that happens. The Weather should be warming up now. Well, I guess I will get going. I love you all.

-Elder Miller