June 15, 2009

Hey Mom,

Yeah, the 10 months kind of took me off guard too. Double digits. Ew. Oh
well. It is weird to think that Elder Wahl, my trainer, was in his 7th
transfer when he trained me, and he seemed really old, and in a week I will
be in my 7th. Weird.

I will send a bunch more picutres, the internet was really slow last week,
so that is why I didn't send that many. And I didn't bring my memory card
this week, but next week I will try to send some more.

We are still working with Jorge, he is coming slowly but surely, as well as
a couple other people. We found a lot of new people to teach this last week
too, so things are looking like they should explode here pretty soon, that
will be really exciting. It is always nice when things are going well.

I usually don't like to talk about my Spanish, because if I say I am really
good, it sounds prideful, and if I say I don't it is self depreciating, but
I will just give a couple examples I guess, then you can decide for
yourself. I gave a 15 minute talk in church, none of which was written
down. In the last week, while talking to people in the park and such, I
have had several 30-50 minute conversations, where about 20 is about the
gosple, the rest just about other things. Stuff like that. So I guess to
answer your question, I must certainly can bear my testimony in Spanish,
without any english. I can do most thing without any english, just a few
words here and there that I don't use every day, like the other day I didn't
know how to say lock or cucumber in Spanish. I will try to record a little
bit of me speaking Spanish and send it to you.

I am down to less than a month being a teenager! I don't want to be 20.
That is old.

Omni Pod rep has not called me.

I do like the Black better than the brown. Haha. But yeah, being in the
city and not having been in a car for my whole mission, the shoes wear out
fast.

Yes, we spray for bed bugs, and all kinds of bugs. We do eveything we can,
but even after you do all you can, sometimes it just isn't enough.

It sounds like veryone is doing really well. That is good. This last week
was really good. We had a lot of success with finding new people to teach.
My companions Spanish is coming along too. I've been "forcing" him to go
talk to people by himself, and if he needs he can call me over and I'll back
him up, so it is coming along. The weather has been different. Cold, hot,
humid, all of it. It's just how it goes in New York. But everything is
going well. Transfer calls will be this Sunday, we will see what goes on.
It is almost a given that I will stay here, but as for my companion we will
have to wait and see.

I love you so much, I better get going soon. You are always in my prayers.
I will talk to you next week.

-Elder Miller

June 8, 2009

Hey Mom,

So another week has come and gone. It is crazy how fast time is going by.
It is kind of scaring me. But oh well. :)

Jorge is going good. We had a good lesson with him yesterday. He is
working towards baptism, we will just have to wait and see how it goes.
Keep him in your prayers.

If you send me the slide show I can watch it. That would be super sweet.

So I included a few pics. One is of when we sang for Mother's Day. Another
is of me and Elder Lee being sad. Haha. Another is of the district,
wearing glasses. And the last is a cockroche that we killed the other day
in our apartment. It was ginormous. Anyways.

Our church looks just like a church inside, just not outside. It is kind of
weird, but I like it. I played by default. There is one person in the
branch that can play, but she wasn't there, so the missionaries get the next
ask, and me and Elder Lee as both capable of playing one hand, so it was
between him and me, and I got it that week.

Well we had a few days notice on this talk, but in spanish is kind of weird.
But I like giving talks, so it's cool. You know when I wrote me farewell
talk don't you? While I was sitting on the stand. Haha. Those
communications classes I took it college helped me a lot.

The BBQ Zone activity was pretty fun, and Zone Conference was good too.
President does come to Zone Conference and he talks and such. They are
really good. They really pump you up spritually.

It is just a couple weeks until we have a new president. It will be really
weird.

Okay Pods, I got them all. So I am good on pods. I did not get any of the
bandage things, tagderms? I don't remember. Insulin I should be good, and
I am not sure on strips. I will get an exact count and e-mail you next
monday. I will also get you the Rite Aid address.

Okay, so you know how you always tell me to wear out my shoes. Well, the
other day it was raining really bad, and yep, it happened. My feet were
soaked. Haha. So I think that means that I have sufficently wore out my
shoes. They have holes through the soles. So, it may be time for some new
ones. So do you think you could get me and send me some. It is just the
black ones. The brown ones are still in decent shape. Obviously I will be
glad with anything you send me, but I from my experience looking at other
missionaries shoes, eccos are the way to go. And ecco makes this kind, they
are called New York Bicycle actually I believe (go figure, New York) and
they are square toe, and the have lasted tons of missionaries the whole two
years, so those would be sweet, but let me know. :) You are the best.

This week was pretty slow. Lots of hard work with not much success to show
for it. BUt that's how it goes sometimes. We have a few people taht are
looking good, but we are going to continue working hard and see what
happens.

I have to agree with Heidee, I played for graduation that one year, and pomp
and circumstance I am so very sick of.

Well, things are going pretty good otherwise. You know how as a joke in
Utah you say don't let the bed bugs bite. Well, it isn't a joke in New
York, it happens a lot, and I got my very first bed bug bite this week. It
has been amazing that I have gone this long without a single one. I haven't
got any more since though, so that is good, because sometimes you get
thousands, and it gets really serious, so I am good. As you saw by the
picture, roches are fun too. The pad I am in now has the worst roches I
have had yet. Good old Jamaica.

Well, I better get going. I love you so much. Let me know if there is
anything I can do for anybody. Tell next week. I love you.

-Elder Miller

June 1, 2009

Hey Mom,

So another week has gone and passed in Jamaica New York. I have already
been here for 3 weeks, it is pretty crazy. I am finally starting to kind of
like it though. I didn't like it at first. I just really missed Dyker
Heights. I was really looking forward to serving there for a while longer.
But Jamaica is growing on me.

Yesterday we had a lesson with a guy we found named Jorge. We taught him
about the Plan of Salvation, and we had already taught him the Restauration.
So it was our second lesson with him. He accepted it very well. At the end
we ask him if he would be baptized. He said yes, but he wanted to wait to
set an actual date. So pray for him that he will set an actual date. I am
very excited for him.

Transfers happen every 6 weeks, but you don't always get transfered. Here
is how my mission has gone.

12 weeks with Elder Wahl in Flushing
6 weeks with Elder Powell in Flushing
6 weeks with Elder Hernandez in Dyker Heights
6 weeks with Elder Heiner in Dyker Heights
3 weeks so far with Elder Zimmerman in Jamaica

That is sad to hear about Pres. Bankhead. He was a great man.

Last week was a pretty slow week. But we are continuing to work really hard
and try our best, and the Lord will take care of the rest.

So here are a couple interesting things that have happened in the last week.
On Sunday I had to give a talk. I spoke on the Restauration and the
Atonement. It went pretty well. Want to know something else really crazy.
I played the piano for the first two Hymns. Haha. I only played the top
hand, because I am only capable of playing both hands for like 2 hymns. But
I thought it was pretty funny that I played, since I don't play the Piano.

So just so you know a little bit more about everyone, in my district there
are just 4 Elders. Me, My comp, and then there is Elder Lee and Elder
Paulson. Elder Lee is the district leader and he has been out for about 15
months. He is Chinese, born in america, but it is really funny to watch him
talk to people with him, because they think it is really weird for a chinese
person to speaking spanish. I get along with him really well, probably the
best of everyone I leave with. Then there is his comp, Elder Paulson who is
a new greenie, Elder Lee is his trainer. He is pretty dull. Just a normal
person. He graduated in 08 which is really weird. It makes me feel old.
Then we live with the Zone leaders who are Elder Johnson and Elder Wiggins.
They are both pretty cool.

Our church is actually the second floor of food market. They have plans to
build a building, and they even already own the land and everything, but the
church says they won't build it until the percentage of members paying a
full tithe goes to a higher percentage.

I am going pretty good. No complaints right now. Today we are going to go
to Hunter's Point for a Zone Activity and have a little BBQ, so that should
be fun.

Well, I better get going, so I will talk to you later. I love you. I will
get the Rite Aid address ASAP.

I love you.

May 26, 2009

Hey Mom,

I know you were freaking out to not get an e-mail from me yesterday, but we
recieved permission to e-mail today so taht we could use a library, and not
have to pay for an internet cafe. So that is why you didn't get an email
until today.

Nothing is set in stone as far as transfers go. It is guided by the spirit.
I know of one change, it was several transfers ago, that was changed during
the transfer meeting. President had to grab the list and change the names
on it before the names were read out.

There are parts of New York that are bad, and there are parts that aren't.
You can choose not to go to those parts and you are fine. And like I've
said before, in broad day light nothing happens. And then is when
missionaries are out, so it is nothing to worry about.

I have got all the supplies that I am supposed to have been expecting I
believe. I have like 10 pods, insulin, got my strips, and my goodie
package. Thank you so much.

I know of a Rite Aid, I will get the address for you as soon as I can.

I have had a very interesting mission so far, Sister Heininge was talking to
me about it the other day when I saw her. I hadn't even really realized it
until she started talking about it. I am on my 6th transfer, 5th companion,
and 3rd area. I know a couple missionaries who have only had 3 areas their
whole mission. It will be interesting to see how it keeps going, but I am
enjoying it none the less. I just know all of this is happening because it
is supposed to be, and I am needed to be in these areas and with these
companions.

It was great to be able to play a guitar. I didn't realize how much I
really missed it until I had it back. But oh well, there are a lot of
things that I miss, that I have learned I can live with out. But that
doesn't mean I will live without them when I get back. :)

It sounds like everyone is doing pretty well. That makes me happy. As for
the Heidee Quilter thing, her not competing this year probably hurt her a
lot, but also Quilter is a little different. It is sad to see how down hill
the HOSA program has gone since she has been the advisor. My sophmore year
we were 3 members off of the biggest HOSA group in America, and then up to
my senior year we only had like 15 or some joke like that. But what can you
do?

Which Young Women do you work with again?

I hope that the missionaries in the area are good. It is almost weird to be
on a mission, I will never look at missionaries the same when I get home. I
know how they act, think, which ones are good, which are less good (didn't
want to call them bad haha.) and so on. It would be cool to find someone to
teach in our home with them though. That really is the best way to do
missionary work. Member referals are gold.

It was a little weird having President bring me my package. I usually only
see him a couple times a transfer, let alone have him bring something for
me, haha. But is was great, he didn't mind at all, he was going to be there
anyways.

This week was pretty normal. Just working hard, still trying to get to know
the area and get used to the swing of things. I went to church for the
first time in this are, since last time was conference. Our church is
actually on the second floor of a food market. It is really different.
Very small. But it was good. There are some really cool members.

Well, I better get going pretty soon. Have a bunch of work to do. I love
you very much. Put the word out that I am always willing to have cute girls
write me. ;) So if anybody knows any, you have my address. Haha.

Well I love you bunches, and I will talk to you next week.

-Elder Miller

May 18, 2009

Hey Mom,

Okay, so this will really be interesting since it has been a week since I
have talked to you last, but I have a crazy story that you will not
believe.

On Monday I enjoyed Coney, and yes, I did grab a hot dog, we just got it to
go. It was really good, but very expensive. Haha. But that's how it goes.
Volleyball and soccer and the beach were great, it was maybe my favorite
P-Day so far, I really enjoyed it.

Okay, so now for the story. Tuesday morning we are in the apartment, moving
things around to get ready for the new comers. We are going to leave in
about 30 minutes to take the train to the mission office to go to transfer
meeting. Then we get a phone call from the AP's (assistants to the
president). Elder Heiner answers it, and all I hear is Elder McLean say,
"We made a horrible mistake." At this point both me and Elder Heiner are
thinking that we are both splitting and that we will just both get a new
companion, that is how they are going to add a companionship. But that was
not it. So Elder Heiner finishes the phone call, and gets off, and turns to
me and says, "Elder Miller, you are getting transfered. You are going to be
step-poppsing (mission lingo, explain later) in Jamaica." It took me a
couple seconds to realize what he said, and then it was off to packing. I
had to pack all of my stuff in about 20 minutes, and then off to the mission
office for the meeting. So I did get transferred, to Jamaica. Oh yeah, and
step poppsing just means that I am my companions second companion, so he
just had his trainer, and now me. So I am senior companion and such now, it
is really weird. So that is my crazy story. I heard from the AP's that
what happened is when they made transfer calls on Sunday, the were looking
at the list from Thursday, but a few changes were made by Sunday, but they
didn't have the updated list with them. So remember how you said you were
scared I would go to Jamaica at one point in my mission, well, it just
happened, and I have been here for about a week.

My new companion's name is Elder Zimmerman, he is from West Valley. He is
pretty cool, we actually share a lot of the same interests, so that is nice.
He is in his 3rd transfer, actaully just hit his 5 month mark yesterday. So
it has been a weird adjustment for me having to be the senior companion,
when he doesn't understand what somebody is saying on the phone he hands it
to me, as in a lesson. It is really weird. I guess it has been nice
knowing I am capable of it though. His spanish is not very good yet, but it
is progressing. So taht is all that matters.

This week I have just been getting used to the area and trying to work hard.
We met a guy on Wednesday that the English sisters had found, and we
commited him to be baptized on the 31st, so it will be great to keep working
with him. There was also an existing commit when I came for the 31st, the
husband of member, and we went over this week and had a lesson with him and
talked about temples. We set a plan for them to get sealed in the temple in
a year. It is awesome that he isn't even baptized yet and he already has
the goal of going to the temple. Other than those two there aren't many
investigators that I came in to. It will be fun to try to build it up. It
will be hard though, Jamaica is all black, there are about 5 white people in
Jamaica, and they are all missionaries.

It was weird to not be able to say bye to anybody down in Dyker. Even the
Sister Missionaires didn't even know I was leaving unitl after I was gone.
One funny thing is that I was going to be giving a talk down there on the
31st. Guess I am not doing that anymore. Haha.

I am sorry I have not got you the serial number yet, this week has been a
little crazy, as you can see, but I will send it today, as well as find a
Rite Aid or somethign that you can get my perscription to.

I am going to see if Pods came today. If not I will be on shots until they
do, because my last Pod expires tonight. But that will be fine, I had to go
on shots in the MTC too. I could use some more syringes. You can talk to
anybody in the office about contacting me, I am not sure who the office
elders are right now, but one of the office couples should answer the phone,
and then will contact me if you ask them.

The guitar belongs to a member, her name is Catherine Tolentino, she is like
21 I think. It was fun to play. A lot of people told me how cool they
thought it was that I played, that they had never had anyone play the guitar
as part of a talent before. I might get to play a sax or clarinet if a
member has one and if the situation arise, but we will see.

I will start taking more pictures, i have set a goal.

Yesterday was stake conference, it was actually a regional conference, so it
was telecast from Salt Lake. Elder Hales and Elder Eyring spoke, so it was
way good. It was weird being back in Queens, at a Queens stake conference,
because I saw a lot of members from Flushing. It was cool.

So you are going to find out soon enough, so I might as well tell you, don't
get scared or freaked out, but you know how 50 Cent got shot in Jamaica? He
got shot on the corner of Parsons and Hillside. You want to know where my
pad is? The corner of Parsons and Hillside. The exact same place. I sleep
seconds away from where he got shot. It is kind of crazy. I will take a
picture of the corner and send it to you. hey, you said you wanted
picutres. :)

Well, I love you mom. It has been a crazy week, but good. I will talk to
you next week. Try not to freak out too much that I am in Jamaica.

I love you.

-Elder Miller


PS for everyone that does not know. Jamaica is a city in new york that is
umm kind of tough, Keep Bradon in your prayers. I am his mommy and worry!

May 11, 2009

Hey Mom,

Happy Mother's Day Again! It is weird that I just got to talk to you and
such. It was great. I was excited for it. I have heard the two middle
calls are the best because they are just relaxed and everyone is happy and
content, and it totally was. I loved it.

So are you ready to hear about what happened in the transfers calls. . . .
. . I am going to Bermuda!!!! Crazy, Huh?




Okay, just kidding, I am not going to Bermuda, sorry for yanking your chain.
What is really happening is I am staying with my comp, Elder Heiner, in
Dyker, and the sisters are also staying together. But there is one twist.
They are adding a companionship to the area, so there will be two more
Elders in the area and living in my apartment. So that will be weird to get
used to. Haha. So I finally get to serve in an area with more Elders then
my companion. My reign has ended of just serving in the Districts of 4.
BUt it should be really good, but it will be really interesting to see who
they bring in and what happens next transfer based on that. But anyways, I
am excited.

As for the serial number, I totally wrote it down and left it in my
aparment, but I promise I will send a little today with the information in
it, does that sound like a deal? I will see if there is any way I can get
on and send another e-mail, but I can't promise that, but I can promise to
send a letter, so that will get to you in a couple days.

Okay, one other cool thing that happened this week, that I realized I didn't
even mention in the phone call. On Saturday our ward had an activity for
Mother's Day, and they asked the missionaries to share some sort of talent
or something. We thought about it for a while, and what we ended up doing
was singing Love Is Spoken Here, in Spanish, and I played the guitar to
accompany. I think I know a couple people that have a recording of it, so I
will try to get it to you as a Happy Mother's Day present. It went pretty
well. Another one of the talents these two kids that were probably about 8
or 9 did a Peruvian ball room dance thing, and it was amazing. It was some
of the best dancing I have ever seen in real life, kid or adult. It was so
cool. Their footwork and stuff was amazing.

So that's about it, I talked to you about most everything I believe. Today
we are going go down and play volleyball on the beach of Coney Island, so
maybe I will stop and get a hotdog, but now it isn't a hurry anymore,
because I will probably be here for 3 more months. What I am really excited
for is the 4th of July, from the roof of our apartment building you can see
Manhattan perfect, so we will have to go up there and watch the fireworks.
It will be really exciting. But that is still pretty far away.

I have found out the area and Babalon is in, now it is just a matter of
finding out which missionaries work in that area, so I am working to find
that out.

Let's see what else. Elder Wahl, my trainer, will be training another
missionary this transfer, and Elder Powell, my second companion, is training
his second also this transfer, which is almost unheard of in this mission.
Other missions missionaries train more than once, but this one it is usually
just once, if that. So that just shows how blessed I really was with my
first two companions and how great they really are. I am excited for them.

I love you a lot. It was great to talk to you yesterday. Love you again.
Talk to you next week.

-Elder Miller

May 4, 2009

Hey Mom,

That is cool that she lives in Manhattan. It is weird to tell people that I
have never been to Manhattan, but that I live in New York. It really
confuses people at first, and it still confuses them a bit after you explain
why you can't. I can see Manhattan from my appartment, and I'm no allowed
to go there. Haha. It is pretty funny.

I know it may not be possible, but if the Pods could be done in the next
week, that would be great, because I will probably get the chance to go to
the mission office next week, but just let me know. I am down to like 6
left, because I had a few duds. So taht it just about 2 weeks worth.
Insulin, I realized I still have the pens, I totally forgot about them.
Also, I have another favor to ask. You rememebr when I was first on the
pump, back when I was like 15, and I got those like, pads, that I put on
under the actuall pump site, could you look in to those. I am having a few
problems with when i get sweaty, the pump trying to fall off, and I think
those would help. For now I am just putting normal like ace bandage on to
hold it on, and it is working well, but I think those pads would work great.

I got the card and I will be calling in a few days. :) If for some reason
I can not call on Saturday, I will probably be calling around 1 there time,
hopefully. It will all work out.

I am still working on the Jon Thomas thing, there is actually limited
communication between missionaries and things, but I will find out for sure
next week, because I will probably be at the mission office for transfers.
Oh yeah, it is transfers. Haha. Crazy.

Just the other day we ran into a guy who talked to us a bit, was very nice,
in Spanish, he was homeless, and we gave him a pass a long card, and then we
asked him what his name was, and he said, "Leonardo DiVinci". Pretty good,
huh? Within two weeks I have met Christ and DiVinci. Crazy.

Well, it sounds like everyone is doing pretty good. It is always a relief
to me when you are all doing well. It is hard for me to no be able to help
first hand, you know? Anyways.

So some cool things that have been happening. After english class we have
been trying a new thing, we tell everyone that in 5 or 10 minutes we are
going to start a lesson on Christ and if they want to stay they can, but
they are not obligated. Usually only about 4 people stay, but this one guy
has been staying everytime, he took a book of mormon, has read most of 1st
nephi, came to church on Sunday, and we asked him if he would like to be
baptized, and he said yes, so we are going to set a specific date with him
on Tuesday. It is really interesting how the prepared people really convert
themselves. It is almost makes you feel worthless as a missionary. Haha.
Just kidding. But it is awesome how when they are ready, they are ready.

The weather has been horrible, it has been raining for litteraly 5 days
straight, and it is supposed to continue raining until Saturday. I really
love rain, as a normal person, back home, it is probably my favorite
weather, but as a missionary it is horrible. So i am hoping for it to stop,
but oh well.

Everything else is going pretty good. Work is always there. We have a
couple people that could be really good that we are working with. So we'll
see. But transfers are next week too, so I very well could be up and gone
in a new area, or not, we will just have to wait and see on Sunday night
when I get the call. It will be interesting. I am having a feeling that I
will be leaving.

I love you very much. Talk to you Sunday. :)

-Elder Miller