March 22nd
Dear Family,

Well transfer news was delivered and some big news, I am staying and Elder H is leaving. Elder H is going to be a district leader somewhere else.I am staying and getting Elder T, he has only been out for 3 months and I will be his second companion, which means I am going to be senior companion and I am greeny breaking him. Greeny breaking means to be the second companion to someone and make them not a greeny anymore. I have no idea who Elder T is because he is coming from College Station, and that area is like 1 1/2 hours away from here. It will be a lot of stress but it will be worth it totally! I am really going to miss Elder H,but he is needed and will do a great job.

So last week was a big week for us! We taught two teenage girls who are friends with some youth in the W ward and they are totally golden! Their names are K and A, they are sisters and a member who is a senior in high school who is in some after school stuff with them read the whole lessons of PMG to them and gave them a book of mormon before we even met them. So a few days later we taught them again, but the night before we got a call from our zone leaders saying that they are going to help us out with something. We were thinking that we were getting some supplies or something but, they said that President H is going to go teaching with us to the second appointment with K and A! So President H called us and we went teaching with him to the girls' house. Oh man, it was an incredible lesson, I extended the Baptism date for the end of april to the girls. They are so committed to the gospel its incredible! This will be the first baptism in the W ward's two year history! It is crazy! We have been working so hard and we got two solid investigators!

So after the appointment, President was praising us for our teaching and I was like oh man this is different! Haha, but the other day we went to a funeral of a Ward Mission leader in one of the wards around us who owns a BBQ restraunt in our area, he was incredible man, he died on the golf course which is his favorite thing to do. He even taught President Eyring a few years ago how to golf,and he went with his ward's missionaries to teach a lot of investigators and he would always convert them by his powerful teaching and testimony. He is a convert of like 40 years I think, he loved the gospel and thats all he talked about on the golf course, he love to work in the temple, he was 100 percent home teaching his whole life. He even went to his families' childrens baseball games and different events in their lives. He was probably the best member missionary and he loved to feed the whole mission during zone conferences and other things. It was a huge blow to this mission and the C ward. He will be truly missed, he gave himself to the lord and I know now that he is definately teaching others on the other side of the veil the missionary lessons.

We got a ride with President H to the funeral and afterwards we were getting in the car to go back home. President puts his arm around my shoulder and like kind of puts me in a headlock and is like Elder I just love teaching with you. I feel that president knows me so much better than before because of that teaching moment we had.

Well I am really happy that your trip was great! You are SOOOOO lucky to go to washington, give the babies hugs and kisses. I truly miss them very much! Well mom and dad I love you so so much and dad happy birthday and I love you. You are my best friend and I look forward to the day I return and we can do the things we use to do. Mom, time is flying by but your baby boy is doing great, I am safe and healthy. The lord watches over me and protect me because I love the work at which I am doing. I cant wait to help Elder T grow up more in the mission, because I have to be the example now and be the leader. I love the book of mormon and I love the the savior and that gives me the desire to put my shoulder to the wheel and push along. Mom and Dad thanks for supporting me throughout my mission and helping me choose the best I can be. I love you all, Lexie be strong and keep being a good girl and helping mom and dad. Travel safe and pray always

Love
Elder Loren James Miller


March 15th
Dear Family!

Well weeks are like days here now, the weather is beautiful and things are going up. This week we have two investigators in the w ward that we are teaching! The w ward is only two years old and they have never had a convert baptism! We are trying to break that drought and help the ward be strengthen with missionary opportunities. I am blessed to be here in Texas, it is truly a beautiful state!


I am at 10 months in the mission and I have grown up a lot! President H said to me in interviews last week that I have gone from boy to man over the past few months. I have really seen that huge improvement in attitude, christlike attributes, work ethic, and obedience.

Ether chapter 9 is good! The whole book of ether is amazing, the Jaredite record is so interesting to learn about. In Mosiah they talk about it and how it was found. Ether chapter 12 is truly an amazing chapter and it is perfect to gain insight on faith, humility, and patience.
The gospel changes lives for the better, it is life altering and it improves the pathway to heaven and makes it understandable. The gospel principles book holds topics that basically explain salvation all together. Reading the book of mormon lately, I have found that the lord keeps his promises and the prophets truly have the revelation from god. I don't know where the members of this church would be without the priesthood keys and revelation to guide the church. A prophet is crucial for each one of us, each one of them have a personal touch or meaningful example to us. I am so excited for conference as well, I really cant wait for the necessary words to improve our daily lives.

Transfer news will come this coming saturday night and I am so nervous for it. I have a feeling that Elder h is going to be transferred! I have really enjoyed serving with him, he has taught me a lot and he is a true example of overcoming the world and following christ. We work well together and do all we can to improve our areas and to help people build their faith in christ. He probably has been my favorite companion so far, he has been such a blessing to me.

Also I have stopped my snoring! So my companion has been struggling with sleeping because he wakes up and then cant go back to sleep because I snore. So I finally got him to admit it was me that was causing the problem. So I said it is all good I can fix it. So i went to the walgreens and got some breathing strip things. Also I got these homeopathic pill things called snorestop, they work! My companion has been getting so much sleep, it is incredible!

Well mom and dad and family, I love you so much and I am so blessed to be a representative of Jesus Christ. To bear his name when teaching people and to hold the priesthood. I love my mission and I have truly lost myself in the work and have improved so much. I have a sure foundation that Heavenly father knows each one of us by our desires and our hearts. He will prepare the way through christ if we first love and serve him sincerely. I know that the book of mormon is not just some other scripture, its the word of god for our day. Never take it for granted. Things will get better for each one of us as long as we diligently serve the lord with a humble heart. I love you all so very very much and never forget that!

Be safe and follow christ, our redeemer.

Love always

Elder Loren James Miller

March 8th-

Dear Family!
I am doing great here, we are working very hard and are doing all we can to find people to teach. We have been tracting a lot lately and are doing all we can. Elder H is great. I have learned so much from him. He tells me all of the time that I am probably one of the most dedicated missionaries and righteous missionaries. I would have to say that it might be true but I did not get the way I am from just me. I have truly had heavens help through obedience and sincerity of the calling which I have.

Isn't the book of mormon amazing? Everyday I am studying it so hard, I love it, and I have found that in comparison to the bible I feel more of the truth that makes sense. I love the story of Alma and Amulek, and also the career and person that Captain moroni was. I love the scriptures, as I make them more apart of my life each day in my mission, I see myself transforming into the person I need to be. Sorry, I dont really know what the wards are doing for humanitarian, haha, we are just so caught up in the missionary work in the ward!

So we have had some interesting experiences tracting and knocking doors last week. We have been called out, slammed, laughed at, argued with, yelled at, cut off in sentence, and we still have been blessed. We received two referrals from members yesterday after a long week of hard tracting, and it all paid off! I am so happy because I know the faith we exercised was just enough for heavenly father to bless us with teaching opportunities. We actually went to a less-active's house and knocked on their door and they werent home so we decided to knock the next five doors next to them. Well the first door we knocked on, and it opened and this lady invited us in and she and her husband listened to the first lesson. She is friends with a strong member of the ward and the member told her recently that she should let us in if we ever knock on her door. It was kind of funny, but it showed me that the ward members have been doing missionary work by opening their mouths and engaging in gospel conversations. We gave this couple the challenge to read and pray from the book of mormon. As soon as we extended the committment, she said to us well we go to his church pointing to the husband. Her husband is catholic, and the member later told us that they are not really active at all in the catholic church. It is just funnny! haha but it was a great testimony builder of courage and doing the work regardless of the outcome.

You know conferene is is in like 3 weeks and I am so flippin excited! haha, I am trying to lose weight by eating better which I totally am and eating less salt foods and drinking plenty of water. I have a great companion who supports me in my dieting and exercising. I am hoping tto get down to atleast 215 by the time I go home in 14 months! I am at 245 but I know that I am not just a michelin man or a blob you know? I have been doing just straight cardio machines for 50 to 60 minutes every morning, like elipticial,stairmaster,and cycling. I hope that I shed some pounds, but members make it tough with the good food they feed us with!

Well I am getting pretty nervous lately, because in two weeks is when we find out what the next transfer cycle looks like. I have a feeling like I am getting transferred to a new area or something. I feel that the lord has special purposes for me being in certain areas at certain length but who knows. Elder H and I could stay together for another one which I would love. But whatever the lord asks I do. I am so happy and I know that we are eternally blessed for the sacrifices and submission we make to the lord. I testify that the heavens are opened and we have a living prophet on this earth and what a mouth piece of the lord he is. One of the twelve apostles is coming to houston to see how the missionary work is going, its L.Tom Perry. I dont know if we will see him but I know that he is one of the special witnessses of christ. I love the lord and this work, I feel like my course in life is set up by how much I work and put into this effort. Thanks mom and dad for the sacrifice you make to have me be out here and for the years prior of giving up things to help me. I love you all so much! Thanks for being YOU! The gospel is the way and there is no other way that is going to get us the true happiness we seek than what has been restored. I am so honored to be your son.

Love always
Elder Loren James Miller

March 1st-
Dear Mom and Dad,

Well it is already march 1st of 2010, and time is flying by, first and foremost, Happy Birthday mom! Something should be in the mail soon ok? This past week we had a lot of downs and a lot of ups, we had 9 appointments fall through and that caused a lot of frustration but, it was all good. On friday night, the k ward had a chili cook off, which the ward brought 13 non members! That totally made up for the 9 appointments, I am most happy when I see the members being missionaries themselves, I enjoy their success! We will see what happens with those people that came to the ward activity, but I did ride my bike the other day and it was pretty nice, my bike is doing great. The weather is great here and it is in the 60s and sometimes it changes here and there but it is all good.

So members feed us every night, we are pretty used to being taking care for meals at dinner time. But on friday, our district of 8 missionaries went to a mongolian grill type place and had a blast after district meeting. Right before we were getting ready to finish our meal, the waitress comes up to us and says that the lady who just left paid for our whole bill. It was so cool, we never saw the lady or talked to her but she definately helped us out a lot. We have a lot of potential investigators in our area, but there is something always holding us back from teaching them, like the member that referred us to them cant make up a time to have us over to teach the person or they never call us back or anything.

I am grateful for my obedience to you mom and dad, for the decisions that I made because of you taking me to church every week. The gospel has affected every single decision I have made in my life. I am grateful I have a testimony and I have such a knowledge of the restored gospel of jesus christ.

Transfers are March 23rd, so we are at halfway, we will find out on the 20th, I have no idea whats going to happened. I love K ward and the w ward. This area is so cool and its way fun to be in, but who knows what is going to happen. President h is inspired and I know that where ever he sends me, it is an assignment from the lord. It would be fun to serve in College Station, home of Texas A&M but who knows. I am going to go on a diet and try and lose a lot of weight, thats the one thing I do know.

Well this past zone conference we talked about faith, President h said that the thing that measures our faith is our obedience. The more obedient we are the greater faith we have, we also talked about using faith in finding people. Zone conference was really amazing, I feel like my faith has increased tremendously in the past two months. Obedience is easy if you get in the habit of doing things that are asked of you and don't think about it or analyze it. Faith is an action word and I think the more we exercise gospel principles in our life, faith will sky rocket.

Well Mom and Dad, thanks for all that you do, thanks for helping me get to the point of where I am at in my life. I have been blessed so much because of the things that the lord has commanded. I testify to you that the savior has done it all for us, if we have faith to do everything his way then the blessings will come. If we are patient and are humble we can do amazing things. I love you all so very very much! Happy Birthday mom and be safe everyone!

Love always

Elder Loren James Miller