July

July 6th, 2010
Dear Family!

This past week was pretty good, patience has been the key in this area because there was a huge problem with the missionaries out here earlier this year but then Elder W came in and white washed trained and so when he got here he started from ground zero. Elder w is getting pretty trunky, he is more trunky than elder M but he is still obedient. He is ready to go home and it kind of weird to him that his mission is over. The holiday was good, we went to a party hosted by a member who had like 30 non members there so it was pretty good. We had to be in our apartment the past three days at 730 pm.

When I get home from my mission I am going to be cooking real good haha. Everyone out in w loves to cook and they are going to teach me. They dont use any BBQ sauce out here, they just season it and smoke it in a metal barrell pits.

So I have came to a conclusion that I dont like the commercialized form of the 4th of July. I dont like fireworks, I like celebrating our free country and all that but fireworks are kind of ridiculous. They just dont do anything for me and I am glad that I am a lifeguard of some sorts.

The heat is not too bad and today we are doing service for a part-member less active family today on their property. The other person we do service for is a non member that lives across the dirt road from the place we are doing service today. We usually cut branches and help him on his property with his trees and vines. Today I think we are helping this less active member clean up horse doo doo and clean the horses or something. Teaching is okay, again we are starting from ground zero and the w ward has a lot of less actives that they need us to focus on. In the f ward they have a lot of Do not contacts and active members but we do have a less active samoan family we are working on which the dad is not a member. They are a great family and we are going to have dinner with them this week at an active members house that we set up. If the ward fellowships the dad and helps him and be his friend, I think he will get baptized in the future.

I have about 10 months left and time is flying by.

Thanks mom and dad for all that you do and I love you so very much. I am safe and fine and will be okay, I am learning a lot of things that are so essential that I couldn't get anywhere else. The gospel is true and the work in which I am a part of is special.

Love

Elder Loren James Miller


July 12th, 2010
Dear Family,

I am doing great and Elder w is trunky! Haha we are doing really well and a lot of people out here are really bummed that elder wood is going home. He is a really good guy and is really converted to the work and not lazy or crazy. Patience is the key to everything, I have advice for anyone that is preparing to go on a mission, MASTER chapter 6 of PMG, which is about Christlike attributes, if you dont work on any of them then the work will be hard and miserable. Setting goals to work on a christlike attribute is something that I have done each transfer, and Heavenly Father usually gives me the best companions to work on them with. I have had some that have tested my patience, charity, faith, obedience, and hope. But they taught me how to endure in each one of those attributes and I am very grateful for that.

This past week we have been having a lot of success with the Less-active or Inactive members and are working hard to get them into the possible idea of coming back to church. We had dinner with the M family at an active members house that we set up to help fellowship the family. It was a huge success and both families are really great for each other and hopefully this will help the family fit in with the ward. Also we are working with E, he is a inactive member who's family lives in the ward and they are all active except him. He is so cool though and we are making some progress with him, for being inactive he says we can come by anytime. In fact his girlfriend who lives in the neighborhood joined the church 4 months ago and she is working on him to so he can come to church with her. E comes from a great Jamaican family and through their patience he will come back.

We had a crazy sunday school class yesterday, it is the gospel principles class for returning to activity members and investigators. But before sacrament meeting that day a member came up to us with a referral but she didnt want to bring him to church because of the gospel principles class is kind of crazy because they talk about deep doctrine and political stuff. So this member had her other family members take him to the singles ward. It is pretty sad and so we told the bishop about everything and also our ward mission leader made it clear how crazy things are getting in that class.

Besides the crazy gospel principles class, the people out here are great and there is a lot of long time members in the ward. Elder B comes home during the second week of august! it is so crazy! I remember at his farewell saying goodbye to him and telling him I wont see him for three years and now he is almost finished.

Remember Elder Kikuchi from the seventy? Well he is visiting our mission for zone conferences next month and it is pretty exciting. I remember he visited your stake up in Idaho a couple years ago right? Our mission will definately benefit from his visit, we havent had a general authority visit in almost a year. When Elder w goes home, I will staying with another set of missionaries in a ward nearby and one of them is from Nampa and the other one is really cool. So it will be exciting, but it will be weird to cover three wards and to be in a three man for a week.

Well this week is the last full week for Elder w and I hope I can be the companion that he would want to help him finish! We are having a BBQ like everyday this week because he loves brisket! We have one tommorrow with the M family! I cant wait! I love you all so much and I pray for each and everyone of you always. I am grateful for my mission and all that it has taught me about life, people, and the savior. I am reading the book of mormon for the seventh time cover to cover and I am doing it with all diligence and patience, it is such a powerful influence in my life, I cherish it. I hope you all will do the same. Be safe and love one another.

Love

Elder Loren James Miller

July 19th, 2010
Dear Family!

Well I really am going to need those wet naps because tonight a member who makes the best brisket is cooking up a lot of BBQ for Elder W. Speaking of Elder W, he is doing great, he is ready to go home though! He leaves in about two days. Most chicken is smoked and I just like everything about BBQ food out here because its not heavily loaded with BBQ sauce. The people out here in waller are pretty bummed about Elder w going home and so a lot of expectations for me to fulfill because he has helped this area a lot. He has been like a breath of fresh air for me because he is mature and has a good attitude.

So this past week we ate Jamaican food, Samoan food, and Liberian food! It is crazy huh! Members are from all different parts of the globe. The M had all their Samoan family there for a BBQ for Elder W and they gave him a Lava Lava haha! Sis. M mom took a look at my second helping of the food and she said to me "Elder Miller you know how to eat" and Sis. M says to her " yeah he grew up with Samoans". The whole time I was there, I was thinking about S and all the times we had, I love the samoan people and their culture. We had a inactive Liberian old member cook us food from her country and she is really working on coming back to church. We have been also working on a family the past 5 weeks that I will not give up on until I leave this area. There is something about them that radiates future eternal family, their names are the e's, they are inactive and live down the street from us. They would come to church but sis. E never really had a testimony when she got baptized and Bro. E doesnt want to go to church alone. They have a son who is 11 I think who is not a member and they go to the catholic church because his wife feels comfortable there. 4 weeks ago Bro. E kind of shewed us out of his house because he didnt have time, and was not intesrested. Over the past few weeks we have visited them on their doorstep and this past week we stopped by later in the evening with their home teacher that they have never met because they avoid him. When we pulled up to the house, they were working on putting dirt on their driveway, so we rolled up our sleeves and worked with them that night in proselyting clothes. It was a great opportunity for their home teacher and them to get to know each other. We went by on saturday morning and helped Bro. E some more, and our relationship is really good now. Last night we stopped by and he invited us in his house and gave us a tour of some of his household projects, and he told us that we can come by anytime and he said we can teach him and his family. I know that if we keep serving them with the love of christ, they will come back and stay, not waver and go off the path.

This past week we got news about some changes to the missionary program worldwide, nothing is being replaced just some elements of the PMG is being more pushed for us to work on specifically. It is called the simplified curriculum, and last week the zone leaders and district leaders all met and had a three day training on it, its that big, it will start to be taught in the MTC in May 2011, because they want the missions to be fully going on it. Mom and dad this is an answer to my prayers because I have been worrying about my teaching skills lately and about my success as a missionary. But this church is built on continuing revelation, so this new revelation on missionary work is from God and I know the lord is helping me with this. The book of mormon is what I am going to teach out of when teaching the lessons, because it is crucial for an enduring conversion for converts. Most people know about the bible but many have no idea of the power of the book of mormon in helping people draw closer to christ.

I will take more pictures of BBQ's and tell you who my new companion is next week and I am so grateful for all the support from you guys. This work is great and I am learning such valuable lessons that a college or a job couldn't give me. This is what I am supposed to be doing and where I am needed, thanks for everything. I love you all so much, please keep praying for me and the missionaries and for your missionary work.

Love

Elder Loren James Miller

July 26th, 2010
Dear Family,

Well transfer calls came on saturday and it wasnt like the previous transfer calls where all I cared about all day was the call. I was very calm and confident with President's decisions and I did not worry about anything. So I am staying in w (not suprised!) but I am getting Elder S, he is a spanish speaking missionary so we will be doing a TEX-MEX companionship haha. This is a big blessing to the area because there is a lot of spanish people who are not members or are inactive. Elder S entered the MTC the same day I did so we will be leaving together next may, and he is from Bountiful. But I served around him in S Branch because he covered the same area but was one of the spanish elders. He is a pretty cool guy and it will be fun to try and learn a little bit of spanish from him.

This past week I said goodbye to Elder W, It was pretty hard to say bye because he was just such a cool guy. He really is enjoyable to be around and always made an awkward situation pretty funny and he was an amazing teacher! So after he left I worked mostly with the W Elders, and there area is about 20 miles from my apartment so not a lot of work got done in W. But they have a lot of great investigators and it was great to teach them. In w it is pretty slow as far as investigators but we will definately pick up with the spanish speaking missionary coming in. Also this week I had my fist encounter with Texas fire ants, we were doing service for an investigator in the other elder's ward and I was mowing the lawn and all of the sudden my ankles just felt like someone was squeezing them so tight. I looked down and there were like 20 fire aunts crawling all over my feet and legs, and oh boy they hurt so bad. It was kinda funny I guess because the other elders said I did a funny dance trying to shake them off! haha

I served with Elder H from Spanish Fork, UT. The other missionary I was with is Elder W from Nampa, Idaho and he went to nampa high school. It was great the past few days to serve with them and to get to know them and work as a trio.


Preach my gospel is a fruit of continuing revelation which our church is so blessed to have. We have the heavens open and guidance of a living prophet and he teaches us the things we need to know to be a better follower and doer of the gospel. Preach My gospel is something that will stick with my life forever, and I just could not be where I am as a missionary without it.

When I was being interview by my stake president at snow, he told me about how a mission is the best thing for a family to come closer together. I believe that this two year journey I am taking is going to be the base of my life forever and will be a journey that will be taught to our future generations because it has changed each one of our family's lives. It means the world to me to represent Jesus Christ and his church and as well to wear our family name "Miller" on my chest. THanks family, for all that you do and for the love and support you have given me, I am so well taken care of. I know that this work is true and that the news of the restoration is spreading like wildfire and that through the atonement more people will be happier in the times to come than from any other source. Keeping pressing forward and doing the best you can do! I love you and am happy to hear about all of the success and changes that are good in our lives. Cant wait till next week! Be safe!

Love your son

Elder Loren James Miller

These last few letters have been so fun to read from Loren, he seems so happy, and sounds like he is LOVIN' the country life(which includes lots of bbq.)We are all a little curious to see if he comes home with a pair of cowboy boots on.I have also really loved seeing these great pics of him too!

June 28th-
Dear Family!

Waller was great this week, we are trying to get in the groove of things out here. We are working on a lot of less actives and part members out here, tracting wont get it done. My companion is great, he leaves here in 3 weeks or so and I have to learn a lot more about the area but I will be fine. It is getting hotter and hotter out here and the summer is definately here. We have been doing a lot of service out here in the heat but we are getting plenty of water so no worries.

I feel like I am breaking the word of wisdom out here, haha, by eating so much meat! We have BBQ every day and they know how to cook it out here. Its all about coals, wood, and cut out all the oxygen and you let the meats smoke. I have come to love Brisket, it is a texas thing out here, and we dont use any sauce out here because its all seasoned up while its cooking. For 4th of july we will have church and meetings then probably have dinner with a member and be in by like 7 because people can go a little bit crazy with fireworks. A tip for uncle mike and aunt sandy in Alabama, a tip to beat the heat is to drink water more than eating food, haha, it gets pretty nasty heat, also eat lots and lots of fruit, and stay away from candy or sweets.

Waller is very open and very widespread and full of cattle and horses and farming. It is pretty nice and people are very friendly and love their BBQ. Sorry to bring it up again but BBQ is the thing out here, its how people gather and get to know one another. The other night we had BBQ that was fantastic but we had it the next day too, so i hope i dont get tired of it.

The other day it hit me really hard that my mission is on the downhill and with the way things are going so fast, I will be home quick. It is already the end of june and so I am done with june's on my mission! So you want me to tell you all I can about my new area, well I have told you a lot already but yeah we dont have any investigators except in the F ward, we have a part member family we are working on. The wife and the kids are members but the dad is not, but however we did have a major breakthrough, we got him to come out and play volleyball with the elders quorum last week, something Elder wood has been working on for a couple transfers now. Bro. M (investigator) has been taught by the missionaries before and we are working with the ward to fellowship him so it would be easier to teach him with fellowship because I think that was the problem with him in his last ward he was in.

Well family all is well, I have a lot of pictures to send you and I want you to see the cool country living in Waller. So i best be fixin to do that right now haha! I love you all so very much and hope that you are making the book of mormon a priority in your daily schedule, it will improve every thing I promise! Be safe this week and I look forward to the news of next week! Also dad, is leBron with a new team yet? Hows Boise state? anything new? But you can answer those questions next week, thanks for everything family, my mission is the springboard to the rest of my life! I know that everything good that will happen to me in the future, will come from this two year service to the lord. Love you!


Love

Elder Loren James Miller

June 21st

Dear Family,

Greetings from Waller county, TX and I am so happy to know that you got the package right before Fathers day. I actually kept that hat for a long time, and I almost thought about leaving it in Spring. But I chose to do what I originally planned and send it home, I am so happy to be in the country! It is so beautiful! We cover like 4 little townsand we cover a huge but rich subdvision in the Fward. There is so much country folk mixed with humble people and lots of BBQ! Oh man I have had BBQ everyday this week, out here in waller they know how to cook some good ol brisket, sausage, pork, and chicken. In fact the ward is putting on a huge labor day weekend BBQ for the whole county basically, so the ward members can invite their friends to come to it. Whenever we work in the F ward though we bike but it is no biggy to me because biking there is so nice because its all connected with bike trails. We do service at a non-member's who is a rancher and rodeo guy and he has horses and has a ranch, it is pretty cool.

My new companion is Elder W, He is very laid back and very calm and is really experienced.He actually goes home a week early than when he is supposed to so he could go to a family reunion/ festival in his little town. So I have to learn the area in 5 weeks and get to know everyone, It will be a challenge but I will be fine. You know that question about killing off companions can be answered easily, it is because President is inspired and has been set apart by the Prophet to lead the missionaries here. Elder w is a lot of fun and I am grateful to be his last companion and to serve with him. President when making transfer decisions goes to the temple and meditates and recieves inspiration in the lord's holy house. He has several transfer meetings the last two weeks of each transfer and meets with his two assistants to decide who goes where.

So I talked to the sister missionaries who took elder m and my spots in k ward and they are doing really good. J will get baptized soon, actually right before we left J told us he will get baptized soon and the reason why he wanted to get baptized last weekend is because he wants to share his testimony and conversion with others. It was powerful to see this man have the faith to know and to want to share what he knows to be true. He told us when he makes his mind up on decisons he sticks with them. The sisters also said that they talked to A and her mom and they are going to start teaching them again and helping them out, which is great! Dad, I hope you know that I love you and that next father's day I will be there with you and celebrating and honoring you! Thanks for all that you have done, I wouldn't be here in Houston if it wasnt for you. Your a major part of who I am and I love you and miss being there and hanging out with you. Everything you have taught me has stuck with me and has been excellent help during my mission. I have 11 months left, and I want to make every minute count, and time is flying by so pretty soon I will be home.

I cancelled my gym membership and I absolutely love the ties you sent me mom! They are great and I am currently wearing one right now. The work is moving forward and I am loving my new area and I am really blessed. People out here in Waller will take care of me like the rest of my wards have.
Well I love you all soo much and I hope that you are safe and sound there. I appreciate dad that you are putting together your baptism story, I think of it as a treasure to me because of the eternal impact of your decision to get baptized. Be strong and pray as a family for missionary opportunities around you there in caldwell. Thanks for everything! I will be excited to hear back from you and I gotta go, we are fixin' to leave real quick hahaha (texan) .


Love your son

Elder Loren James Miller



June 13th
Dear Family!

Well Big Big news! I am being transferred!!!!!! I am being transferred to Waller, TX! It is pure country! I cannot wait! They are placing sisters here in the K and W wards, I am so excited to move on! It was such a big upset! Nobody thought I was going to get transferred! But I am and I am going to Waller and I am going to be with Elder Wood, who goes home at the end of July so I am "killing him off". This is good that sisters are coming in because they can probably connect with some people that My companions and I couldnt connect with.

So J didnt get baptized, So the transition with sister missionaries is good because they can probably connect with J's wife and instead of just him getting baptized it will be a whole family. J's is so golden, he told us he really wants to get baptized so he can be a better husband and father. He also told us that he wants to meet with the bishop of the ward and ask him for some counsel on his marriage and other things.

I am going to really miss some of the families in the wards I covered but I know that the time has now come for me to move on. I have seen a lot of people that have changed and become stronger and I am so excited for the future of J and other people we were working with. So there is a family in the K ward that are amazing and great missionary members, and I got really close with them over the past six months, and I am going to miss them. Their names are the Scardino family, they actually got me a going away present, History of the Church, which is an 8 volume set. She is sending to you pretty soon, so be ready for that and also I sent a box in the mail with some random stuff I dont have room for. Sister s joined the church 7 years ago and is amazing! Her mom is not a member and has been over at their house a lot when we have been there and we have definately helped her mom a lot by just talking to her about gospel things, nothing formal but just being a support to her. So there was a huge seed planted with Sis S's mom, which if she does get baptized in the future , I really want to come back and see. People's lives can change mom and dad by just being the person heavenly father wants you to be, it is really that simple.

So I have not much time to email, but I will have a lot more to right next week after my fist week in the country, I am just thrilled to go to Waller! I love you all so much, I have to go because we have to go deep deep clean our apartment for the sister missionaries who are moving in. I love my mission so much and I am blessed to be a representative of this church and of his gospel, I thank you my loving family for the support and raising me in the way that the lord would want any child to be raised. I am going to be missing some people here in Spring but change is good! Keep reading the book of mormon! It will inspire us to greater lengths and to more accomplished goals I promise!

Until next week, I love you! Be safe!

Love Elder Miller