January 25, 2009

Hey Howdy,

So my week has finally gone by with my two companions. So far it is going pretty well.

The living arrrangements are pretty interesting, because there is a rule that you have to sleep in the same room as your companion, and as such, we have 3, so right now we have 3 of us in one room, and just a matress on the floor, that has to be picked up during the day to get out of hte way, because, well, it takes the whole floor room. Also, we are planning on moving pads, because the lease is up on this one, and they are having hard times with the landlord, she is getting old, and demanding crazy things. So we should be moving this week. It has been interesting with 2 new people in the pad, knowing they would only be there for about 10 days, so they have been out of there bags since they have been in, so that has been weird.

The insulin worked out fine, so that is good. I got 2 vials. I don't know when I am supposed to pick up the other ones or anything, just let me know. I used my debit card, it worked well. So yeah, that is how it is going as far as insulin is going.

I am glad that you enjoyed the picture. They both got confirmed yesterday. It was super cool. Matilde is going to be an awesome member. She is really excited about it. It is also very exciting to see how excited she is.

We got invited to the funeral because she was really into missionary work and such. I think I was the only one who hadn't met her also.

The weather has actually been alright. It is raining like crazy today, which is not fun, but it is what it is.

That is sad to hear about Ralph. I hope all works out well. He is a great guy.

Okay, so as far as the companions are going, I am liking them both pretty well. Elder Oaks is from Arizona and is pretty different from me, but a really nice guy who is willing to work. He is funny. Elder Call is from Kaysville, so basically our neighbor, he is really goofy, and like a said, the best piano player I have ever met. So it is going really well. I think they are both liking it a lot too. It is still weird that them added togetehr haven't been out as long as me. It makes me feel old in the mission. But everything is going well.

The work is going well. It is weird getting used to walking around and going to appointments with 3, but we are doing well, and the investigators are doing well.

So something kind of fun we havce been doing lately, our shower doesn't work, so for a while we have been showering with a cup. It is kind of interesting and I haven't felt very clean for a realyl long time. When we move though, it will be nice to get a good shower again, hopefully.

Well, it seems like I better get going soon. I love you very much, and I will talk to you next week.

-Elder Miller

January 18, 2009

Hey Mom,

So here is the deal, I already found out about what is happening for transfers. So here it is without delay. Elder Oliva is leaving. He is going to East New York, the most ghetto area in the mission. As for me I will be here in Rego Park for at least 6 more weeks. As far as my companion, well, that is the thing, let's say companions. Yep. I am going to be in a trio. My companions will be Elder Call and Elder Oaks. I have never met Elder Oaks, Elder Call is alright, and is the most amazing piano player I have ever met. But yeah, it should be interesting. I am really nervous, because, well I have never done a trio before, nor did I ever think I would. So I am not really sure how it is going to go, but I hope it goes well. I am just nervous like there will always be one of us left out. But hopefully not. I will let you know how it goes. Another stange thing is it is goign to be my 12th transfer, and I am pretty sure that both of them will be going into there 5th. So if you add both of them together it still won't be as much as mine. Strange, no?

Let's see, to answer your question, and I agree it is weird to talk about comign home, for the record it still feels like it is never coming for me, but I am not sure when I will be coming home. My "official" release date is August 18th I believe, but I don't think that that will be when it realyl happens. But nothing is positive yet. As far as my first feelings, I think I will be coming home a few weeks before that, and that you guys won't pick me up, I will just come up, and then like a month later or so we will go to visit. Those were just my first feelings though. I still have some prayers to do about it, and a final decision will be decided later on.

Well I have no idea where you originally sent the prescription for the insulin, so that could be a problem. Please let me know asap. If worse comes to worse please call the mission office. But please get stuff worked out asap, and let me know, because I won't make it very much longer, mabye a few days. I was planning on having it all good for today and getting some.

That baptism went well. It ended up being 2 people. Only one that counts as far as numbers go, but numbers don't matter to me, but anyones, the other one is a 8 1/2 year old of a part member family, that we have been workign with. So yeah, that was cool. But all went well, and the baptism went smoothly.

Something kind of interesting that I had to do this week, we went to a funeral for a lady in the ward. I had never met her. She was apparently a great person though. The missinoaries put on a littl emusical numebr. It went well.

Well it sounds liek everyone is doing well. That is always nice to hear. I have to get running, kind of short on time today, my companion has to pack. I love you all, and I will talk to you next week. Happy Birthday to you mom, while I remember, because I always forget those things, so better to do it now while i remember.

I'll try to include some picture.

I love you,

Elder Miller

January 11, 2010

Hey,

So that is really weird that people are talking about me coming home. I am pretty sure that it still feels like I have forever. So people thinking about me coming home makes me feel kind of weird, because it still feels like I am never coming home. But oh well. I'm sure it will be soon enough. But we will wait and see.

Alverson hasn't said anything.

Okay, so I got the package of the pods. But I haven't got the other one with the strips. I will probably go look today, at the office, and see if they have shown up. I'm sure they'll be in soon. I should be good on insulin for a little bit, if a big emergency happens, I will work it out. There isn't a train that goes to Lynbrook, trains don't go out in the island. But I am sure that whatever needs to happen could happen. Worst comes to worse I could even have the mission office call you. Anyways, just let me know what is up and it will all be good. I should be good on insulin though.

The cold is doing alright. I am ready for it to be done, but what can you do right? I am about ready for the cold to be over, but it won't be for a long time. So oh well.

Well, as far as things that are going around here. Transfers are coming up, so I will probably only have 1 more week with Elder Oliva, unless something crazy happens. It is just his time to leave. But you never know, right? Crazier things have happened. But I will find out this week, so my next email I will let you know.

Work is going well. We shoud be having at least one baptism this sunday, maybe more. And a couple more coming up in the next couple weeks. We have some good people right now. One is this lady named Matilde, she is so awesome. So she came to church last week, and afterward in our next appointment we met with her and she told us how much she enjoyed it, and she said Relief Society is what really put it over the top. That was so awesome, especially because I have had people say that they didn't like RS, due to drama. haha. But that is awesome. Then our next appintment she broke down and told us how excited she was and ready to change her life and get baptized. So that should be sick. She will be baptized on Sunday.

Everybody else is doing really good. We are still having struggles with Oto and Steffi's mom, so we could use some prayers for her.

So we had one super funny thing happened I thought I would let you know. I don't 'know if I told you this, I told Dad, but we have this member that has this taco stand that is like kind of in a bar, but kind of not, hard to explain, but anyways, if the bar isn't open and we are there, we go in the bar to eat, anyways, we were there teaching a lesson to this guy name Javier, and it went well, and he left, then we were just eating same gorditas, and then these other people came in, anways, they like asked us if they could use the bathroom and stuff, because they thought we were the owners of the bar. It was pretty funny. I guess that's what we get for wearing ties while in a bar.

Oh yeah, so Karen sent me this quilt that you guys apparently had started making while on the family reunion. It was super cool. like one of the best presents ever.

Well, I better get going. I love you all so much. Talk to you next week.

-Elder Miller

January 4, 2010

Hey,

Yep, officially 2010. Pretty crazy. The last of the 3 different years I will have been gone.

Our New Years Eve was pretty uneventful. We didn't end up getting anything to play, just kind of chilled, did some reading and stuff. Nothing crazy or fun. Just another day. It is kind of how they all are as a missionary I guess. But it was good. It is still crazy to think that it is 2010. But that is how it goes I guess.

As far as January being good for missionary work, despite new years resolutions and such, I think it is not very good for work. It is just too cold here and everyone just doesn't want to talk and such and just wants to be by themselves. But it is all good I guess.

That is cool that you got a letter from Elder Alverson. He is a really good guy. I am glad that he liked it.

Here is the info of what I think is the closest Rite Aid to me.

57-16 99th Street
Flushing, NY 11368
(718) 592-0738

It's really not in what is considered is Flushing, if you were wondering. Haha. It is just how addresses work out. It is really in Corona. But yeah, let me know. If you get anything done and I just need to pick things up, you can call the mission office and have them call me.

I think I have like 40 strips left, or less. So if I need some I will just go get some. But I will wait and see when I get the ones you are sending. As far as requests on treats for the package, I know this will sound weird, but maybe some more healthier stuff. I am just having about enough with eating junk food you know. I actually had my second throw up experience on the mission last night. Haha. I think it was just a combination of lots of really bad food. It was weird, I was sleepign, and I woke up at like 1, got up, went to the bathroom, threw up, and went right back to bed and was just fine. It was just like my body was like, um, I can't digest this, you have to get rid of it, sorry. Haha. But it was strange. I have been totally fine since then.

So as far as me, everything here is going pretty well. It has been freezing lately. And I mean freezing, like to the point that I thought I was just going to stop moving because I was going to turn into and icecycle. It was weird, the other day we were doing what is called a Street Sweep, where a bunch of misisonaries get togetehr and talk to as many people as possible on the street. Anyways, it was to the point that like my knees and elbows wouldn't bend anymore it was so cold. But other than the cold I think things are going really well. Last week we committed 4 people to be baptized int he next couple week. So that should be good. We also have a lot of other people that are really close. I hope things keep going well.


Well, I better get going. I love you all so much.

-Elder Miller