June 7th, 2010
Dear family,
Well I was very happy to see you got those pictures, Sis C, is a great lady and her husband of 30 plus year got baptized last august finally! They are both active and looking forward to getting sealed this fall, and she is all about missionary work and helping us out.
J is getting baptized this saturday and it will be amazing, the w ward hasnt had any baptisms since it was created two years ago. The ward leadership is starting to warm up to us missionaries, but I think the underlying problem is still that there is no connection between us and the leadership, no trust or coordination. But oh well, we have worked our hardest for the ward and we hope they can welcome j with open arms. We stopped by R and taught him and he read the Restoration pamphlet and he said that he is really interested and wants to see the pictures of the twelve apostles we have today because he thinks its fascinating that there is twelve apostles again today.
The two sisters are completely out of the picture and I think that it is just going to be one of those things where we have planted a garden basically and in a few years maybe someone will go through the garden and find treasure. But it is pretty sad but we have to move forward and keep finding people.
Transfers are this weekend, well we find out what is happening with transfers, I think I will stay here for another transfer. I really dont mind staying at all.
We have a baptism June 19th in the K ward, it is m, she is 16 and her parents wouldnt let her get baptized till she is sixteen. She is golden, she was taught in December and just when I first got here. But we retaught her the past month and her parents are not interested in the gospel at all. She has read the book of mormon like 5 times and she goes to mutual every week and she has gone to church the past 9 months consistently. She is so excited and happy, a family in the ward that lives down the street and has brought her to us and to the church.
Family I love you and appreciate all that you do for me and helping me be here on my mission. Heavenly father is blessing us so much and I know that things will all work out for the good.
Love
your son
Elder Loren James Miller
June 1st 2010
Dear Family,
It is good to get the news from back home! I am happy that all is well in Idaho and Washington. This week has been and up and down week because some changes made in our daily routine.
Its June 1st today and I cant believe I have made it this far, one year to go and a lot more amazing experiences left. The priesthood fireside topic is great, that evil among us is creating divorces and bad relationships and is weakening the faith of many. Tatoos, is something that I dont understand, our investigator J has some tatoos but he is 35 and got them at 18. He told us the other day he regrets getting them and tries to cover them up as much as possible because he doesnt want his children to get them.
Speaking of J, the man is incredible, it is such a blessing to know him and his faith. He told us last week that he has lost friends and clients because of his choice to get baptized June 12. But he does not let that phase him, he is a student and a great man of obedience. He is all about obedience, that principle is the first law of heaven according to Jefferey R. Holland. So he will be a great addition to the fold of god.It is hot here in Houston! I bought a camelpack water bladder for my backpack at walmart so that will be good for the work.
This past week I had a powerful experience that solidified my testimony of the book of mormon even more. A month ago the spanish missionaries found some potentials in a trailer park and they called us and invited us to go and help one of the potentials with service on his yard. The potential's name is R and he is a lonely old man and has liver cancer. His heart was softened by the weekly efforts of spanish missionaries and us and became interested in hearing our message. So Elder M and I went over and talked to him for 45 minutes and he was so depressed and lonesome. It got to a point where he said he doesnt feel like he wants to live anymore and he was in tears. Elder M and I bore testimony of the plan of salvation and of God's purpose for each and everyone of us. I turned and got a book of mormon out of my bag and gave it to R. I told him to read this and pray about it, and I bore my testimony of the book to him. We left that day not knowing what would come from our invitation to read the book of mormon to him. This past week the spanish missionaries called us and told us that R read the first part of 1st Nephi and is interested in coming to church. On sunday R came to church and he was happy and he sat by a former senior missionary who lives here in houston, named elder C who sat by him in Sacrament meeting, He told Elder c this "if it wasnt for those 4 missionaries and this church, I wouldn't be here today!"
The gospel of jesus christ saves lives, the book of mormon is the difference maker in the work. This man was very depressed and he has completely turned his life around. It was amazing!
Family, Thanks for all that you do and I so privileged to represent the lord for two years and help him bring his children return to live with him. Continue living the gospel and being the example to others and never give up hope. I love you all and pray that you have a great week. Be Safe!
2 Ne. 4:5
Love
Elder Loren James Miller
May 24th, 2010
Dear Family,
I loved the pictures you sent me of stellar and dad on the tractor and lexie looks a whole lot older than a year ago. So this week was a very long and up and down week, we had 11 appointments fall through! But we are improving a lot more as far as ward unity and our companionship's unity.
It seems as though when we are busy, life seems to be much smoother and when things are slow, life gets kind of boring.
Our investigator pool is pretty low but we are going to try and get some more by the end of this week. Members are really working hard and we are really working hard so I know something will happen. We had stake conference this past weekend and J came to stake conference and we sat in the front row. It was probably the best stake conference I have ever been to, J said at the end that " this has solidified my decision to get baptized". At the end of stake conference President and Sister hansen, the klein stake presidency, and a number of members who dont even know who he is came up and shook his hands and said thanks for coming. J is doing amazing! The other day he called us to return our phone call because we couldnt get a hold of him all week! He quit tobacco and tea and we havent even taught the word of wisdom yet!
Mom and dad can you compile like a summary of dad's journey to being a member of the church. I just want to know what the full story is, what his thoughts were, what his religious background was before he joined the church. I just have thought a lot about him when I teach investigators because I think of how he was baptized and how that effected me being the missionary I am today.
So I had a great opportunity to go to a Sealing of a family in the Kleinwood ward this past saturday. They invited us, we visit them once in a while the past months and helped them prepare for the temple a little bit. The husband has been a member his whole life but was inactive for a long time, his wife was found by Elder W two and half years ago. Elder W knocked on her door, and they werent married at the time, but they were engaged. he was an inactive in the spanish ward. So Elder w got transferred and Elder B came in and taught her and baptized her two years ago. They are both very very active and they have a nine month old baby. Elder b came back with his parents to go to the sealing and he came to our apartment the other day and visited us. I will send you a picture of me and him next week or so. It was so amazing to be at that sealing, it was just picture perfect, that is what every missionary's goal should be, seeing a family be sealed in the temple. It was such an amazing experience!
We tract a lot now and we live in the strongest part of our mission as far as activity wise and so that brings a lot of opposition. When we tract, elder m gets all the great nice people who say thanks but were good in a gentle way. When I knock on the door I get Anti people who just go crazy on us! haha but I had a cool experience the other day, I knocked on the door of Messianic Rhabbi (I dont understand why he said he was jewish). So he said he knew our church and that he is good with his church and that we were wrong with the book of mormon. he said that I need to read Revelations 22:19, he quoted it. I just knew in my mind this guy has no idea about the bible, they didnt have a bible compiled in that time period. So i asked him if he read the book of mormon and he said a piece of it but thats all. I said back to him sir how can that be fair to say that the book of mormon is not true if you have not read it and prayed about it. He just said I am sure its a cute story with all about Joseph Smith. So I then bore down with pure testimony against him and said sir i know that the book of mormon is true and by the power of the holy ghost I have gained that witness that it is true and nobody can take that away from me. He basically shut down and said see you later and shut the door. I was like nephi and slayed laban, spiritually speaking not really physically.
The best thing I did to read the book of mormon, was have a study journal to re-write whats happening in the chapter in my own words and right down key points on that page in the study journal. Also highlight everything about christ in red! read the book of mormon for 30 minutes a day and things will get better. I am half way done with the old testament and I have the doctrine and covenants then I am done with the standard works.
Well family, I love each and everyone of you so much and I am seeing a lot of great things happening in the lives of individuals. Remember how powerful the gospel is and never forget that its not about how much knowledge you have, its about the testimony you nourish each day. I love you all so much, I am doing my best and representing our family well and hope that your love of the gospel of jesus christ will spread throughout family, friends, and neighbors. Be safe. Love you
Love
Elder Loren James Miller
May 17th 2010
Dear Family!
Well this week was a great week because I hit my year mark.
We celebrated my year mark with 3 of my MTC district members and it was so weird to look back and see how far we have all come. We went to Fudruckers and talked and had some good burgers, I am not sure if it is Holten meat burgers but still they are really good.
We are teaching a 15 year old girl named M and she has been going to church for a year but her parents wont let her get baptized till she is 16. She is golden and has read the book of mormon 5 times, she is getting baptized june 19. Our appointment with her the other night was good because we had an ex mission president go teaching with us.
I have learned on my mission that I need to be a leader and not just wait for others to do stuff. Taking the lead and being the one who sets the pace for the day is something that I have had to step up and do. But I do it with love and diligence for the work and for my companions. We also gave J a baptismal date for june 12 and his wife will be hard to get a hold of to teach. That is what we are doing is trying to set up appointments so his wife could be there. But he is doing great and doesnt have any problems with word of wisdom, tithing or other commandments. He reads the book of mormon with his heart and wants to know it is true.
It is getting pretty dang hot here and very humid, we went tracting in some trailer parks and had some fun doing that the other day. It was fun because I felt like I was on that TV show my big fat redneck wedding. But although we didnt find any investigators we still talked to a lot of funny people that didnt have any teeth! haha YeEEHAW! So anyhow we are working hard and doing our best to help both wards out and the things we discussed on Mothers day was good conversation.
I was thinking about the past year of my mission and wonder this is the fastest thing I have ever been a part of, I made it out a year! It is truly weird to think I have been out a year, I only have a year left but they say that the second year goes by faster. I am excited for the summertime though because summer is better time for people because school is out and more flexibility.
Well I love you mom and dad, lexie and emily, and everyone who reads this email so very much. I thank heavenly father for the support that he has given each one of us through this year in Houston. I still got a year but I need to savor every moment of it and keep on having faith in the lord jesus christ and be persistent. I have a testimony of the priesthood power and the great opportunity to hold it and to know of the restored gospel. I have a testimony of the book of mormon, it enlarges our memory of the saviors ministry and his infinite love for us. Please keep going strong, we have came a long way as a family and we have more to go, just "remember him" in all the hard times, when giving up is tempting, "remember him". I love you all and I am safe and sound and doing great things!
Love always
Elder Loren James Miller
May 10th 2010
Dear Family,
It was a very good day yesterday because of our great conversation on the phone. I hope you know that I am safe and sound, that I am in the lord's hands.
I was so thrilled to to talk to Stellar yesterday because it was so different to hear him talk and make sentences and not be a little baby anymore. It is great to talk to all of you and have a minute or two with each of you. Just think two more phone calls and my mission is over! But lets focus on the now, haha, so we got a phone call earlier today and it was J and he wants us to teach his wife this week. His wife came with him to church yesterday and she didnt understand the sacrament meeting organization and about how we dont use the bible mainly. So J wants us to bring a sister along with us to teach him and his wife. I have a good feeling about this, it is a great opportunity to bring in a family in to the fold.
So ways that you can be a missionary is pretty simple, I would tell you ways to do it but I will give you talks to read to help you. Search these on the church website:
Dallin H. Oaks, “Sharing the Gospel,”
Gordon B. Hinckley, “Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep,”
Don R. Clarke, “Learning to Share the Gospel,”
Just know this mom, you can be a member missionary through your example and just being a friend who takes an interest in others.
Well family, I have a sure foundation of testimony that is built upon the savior, jesus christ. Remember to be grateful for the blessings, and know they you are worthy of them by the power of the holy ghost. I am loving my time here in Houston and cant wait to move forward to the next day to teach and to help others finding better faith in christ. I love you all so very much, Thank you for all that you do! Be safe, I love you all!
Love
Elder Loren J. Miller
May 3rd 2010
Dear Family!
Well the transfer news has come and gone! I am staying put with Elder M, I will be "killing him off" because this is his last transfer. I really thought I was going to get transferred but it is all good, I love the area and we work well together. This week was pretty rocky because I got the flu for two days and so we didnt teach a lot this week. K and her family are not on good terms right now so we couldnt get a baptismal interview for A and her, so their baptism is being postponed. It is completely different this week, its like they fell off of the face of the earth. We are going to be patient and I know they will be baptized! We had some great appointments that fell through but it is all good, the trials we face in the mission will lead us to success.
It is already May! I cant believe that in 10 days I hit my year mark! I cant believe it! Really time is flying by because of all the work that is involved and the dedication that is needed. The mission is hard! I am not going to hold back anything, if one is not prepared for this two year journey than it will be a long long long road. I have been blessed with great people to teach and to work with, but difficult weeks are in there too! But overall I love my mission and I love being a missionary and cant wait to wake up and do the lords work each day!
I did need new shoes but that was taken care by a great family in my area. They have a son on his mission who is the same size as me and there is another member in the ward who is quite wealthy that gave their son a bunch of suits and shoes before he left and he didnt take some with him. So the members last night show me some of these shoes and the ones they gave me are custom italian brown shoes that are way good! I am so happy that it all worked out!
This week is mothers day! I am so honored mom to have you as my mom and I am so blessed to know of great mothers in our family. I love you mom so very much! I hope you have a great week and I hope that you will be safe. Dad thanks for your emails! And yes a mission does trasform one to become a man from a boy. I look and feel different sometimes but I still am the son you raised! I love the lord and his gospel and I am not afraid to share it with those that need it! I cant wait to talk to you all on the phone this weekend! I will call on sunday around 5 o clock your time or so okay! so be alert and I will try to call dads phone! Thanks for the great support and love you all give me and I can feel it everyday as I wear the saviors name and our last name. I will save the rest for this weekend! I cant wait to talk! This is 2 out of 4 phone calls so its the halfway point! I am glad you all enjoyed the pictures! I will have more as soon as more things happen, sorry about the lack of information but being sick does damper the work from the week. I love you all!
Love Elder Loren James MIller
