September

September 6th, 2010‏

Dear Family,
Well this week we did find out about transfers and I am staying putwith Elder S for another six weeks. I am very excited about it because there is a lot of good things happening and we actually having a teaching pool. The BBQ has propelled the area and it gave membersconfidence in inviting people to do stuff. Speaking of the BBQ, it wasa blast and there were more non members than members there. We have afew good potentials and a lot of good feedback from the guests at theBBQ. We were there from 9 AM to 4 pm and we were wiped out for therest of the day. It was hot and in Proselyting clothes, it just getsworse with a tie. Everyone was having a good time there and Iparticapated in the watermelon seed spitting contest. I didnt do sogood but it was fun and also elder s got 4th place in thejalepeno eating contest. He got really sick the rest of the day andhis face was completely pink and just was way out of it. It wasprobably the best thing for this ward out here because it helped themunite and work together and be involved with other's lives. L is doing good and we have a lesson with him tonight. He willprobably get baptized in the beginning of october or at the end ofthis month. He studies out of gospel principles, joseph smith manualfrom last year and the book of mormon. The lord has definatelyprepared him for us to teach and help him. We are working with an Inactive member who I think Ihave told you about, his name is E, and he is a RM.He told us that he is pretty excited to watch thegame tonight and he is rooting for Boise. I wish for just one night I canwatch a football game, but I know that obedience is the price forblessings out here. We are pretty busy tonight anyways so temptationwont be a problem. I can't wait to watch some football with Stellar and dad.I have pictures from the Waller BBQ and I willsend them to you soon.Well I am grateful for the Lord's hand in our lives and I am so happyto be who I am. I have about 8 months left and I have to lengthen mystride and finish working hard. Time is flying by, but that is becauseI have lost myself for the welfare of others, the heat doesn't matterto me anymore because the people need us. The book of mormon is theone thing that has gave me a boost of spiritual power and has broughtme so much happiness in times of afflictions. Never take that powerfulwitness for granted, it is something that saves lives. I hope that youhave a wonderful evening watching the heart of boise on the nationalstage. I love you all so much and pray for each one of you everyday! Love always Elder Loren James Miller

September 13th, 2010
Dear Family,
Well it was a pretty interesting week and we had a big week as far as our teaching goes. The Boise State game was very much a jumpstart to my happiness, I had members invite me over to watch it but I declined. A lot of members watched it and said that Boise State might be too good for the Mountain West and that Kellen Moore is something special.
That BBQ is still causing much good in the Waller ward, oh man we have non members coming to church with their family members who are members now. We have a couple members telling us to go talk to their friends who went to the BBQ. The spirit of missionary work and unity is really radiating in this part of Texas. So we got ourselves this past 6 new investigators! None came from the BBQ, all came by our finding efforts and our faith! So we went to an inactive member of the church's house and she is the only member of her family and her husband used to be kinda ANTI and he has warmed up a lot in the past few years. So we go over there and knock, she isn't home but her 22 year old daughter answers and lets us in and three of her other kids were there as well. We taught all of them and they all agreed to be taught. It was just kind of funny how that happens, we had no idea they had kids at home and so the lord blessed us there. Another new investigator couple we found through old records in our area, they haven't been taught in two years and so we taught them and the wife knows that joseph smith is a prophet and that the book of mormon is true even before we started the lesson. The husband I think feels the same way, I am not sure because they speak only spanish! haha. So they are solid and we are going to really work hard with them and prepare them for baptism.


An interesting experience happened this past week, E, who is inactive, coaches at the high school and his team had a game on friday. A member told us that we should get permission to go to the game to support evroy and we thought it was a good idea. We called President and he told us that we could but there is risks involved with it and that we should pray and ponder about it. So Elder S and I did and we just felt that it didn't feel right and that heavenly father has something for us to do or someone for us to teach that needs us. We called and told President H this and he told me on the phone that he trusts me and that he knows we are making a good decision. So we went out knocking on a random street that afternoon at like 4 pm, friday. Instead of doing something else that would allow us to go to the football game later so we worked on a street nearby another street where we have contacts. So the first door we knocked on, we did the door approach that Elder K taught us that works and the lady told us to come back next week. So a couple doors later, a guy answers the door and lets us in because its too hot he says. We walk in and we talk to his dad mainly who is in his 50's and we had a great lesson on prayer and seeking to know the truth. Towards the end of the lesson, I felt prompted to ask him what his last name is and he told me, then it clicked, he is the older brother of a member in our ward. The guy's name is T and he is very open and wants us to come back teach him. I fully believe that heavenly father wanted us to meet him instead of the football game and it is such a blessing to be guided to people.


We are having a lot of success in W and I have a feeling like we are really planting seeds in this wonderful land.I am so grateful for this work and for my mission, I have been out for 16 months and I am just having the time of my life. I need to lose weight but it will come, besides that I have no worries and no doubts, this is where I need to be doing with my life. I am trying to sustain the drive and keep doing good and helping others no matter who they are. The book of mormon is true and though I was not there in 1820, Joseph did see our father and his son in a sacred grove. My mission president is called of god and knows what is best and he has been very good to me. I can't believe general conference is right around the corner and the lord's servants will speak to us again. How great and marvelous is this gospel! I pray that you are all safe and sound, travel safe and be the best you can be.

Love always
Elder Loren James Miller


September 20th, 2010
Dear Family,

So I have to say that the letters were pouring in from family members and others this past week and it has truly been crazy to get stuff each day. I really have to say thank you for asking people to write me. It kind of made my companion a little upset, but he got over it when he got some mail on saturday. I sent an email to Elder and Sister S with my notes from Elder Kikuchi, hopefully that will help them out. I really loved the Boise State shirts, the orange one didnt fit Elder Steagall because its too big but I gave it to a member who I am converting to a Boise State fan. I gave it to the member and he is an old granpa Texan, he said "gee how much do I owe ya?" " I might have to ask the bishop if I can wear this on sunday because this is beautiful". This member almost got choked up a little bit it was cool to see how appreciative and grateful he was for that gift from home.


So yeah our teaching pool, is incredible, we are having a baptism with a 9 year old who comes from a recently activated single parent home. He is going to get baptized between satuday conference sessions and he has came a long way, he didnt even know how to pray or who god was 6 weeks ago, now he knows what baptism is and why he needs to be baptized, he even offers to say prayers now. We have another new investigator as well thats pretty solid, she was a referral from her daughter who is in the w ward. Her daughter called us out of nowhere last week and said hey you should go see my mom and my mom's neighbor. So we are teaching her mom and her next door neighbor but her next door neighbor is an inactive member who doesnt have her records here. It is crazy, our investigator is helping the inactive member come back to church and the inactive member is helping us teach our investigator. We have a lot of good things rolling here in w, it is a dream, we have a teaching pool of like 7 investigators that have a few bumps in their road to baptism but we are going to work on smoothing things out. It is amazing how in a 3 month span, an area has gone from ground zero to the top of the mountain. The baptism of the 9 year old will be a great event because investigators will really feel the spirit of that great ordinance.

A lot of members out here give us peaches and canned things, people are very self-reliant and love farming. Yesterday we had an interesting experience, we were getting into our car and a lady came out of nowhere in a chevy blazer and pulled up to us and said where you elders from. We told her and she told us she taught sister missionaries how to crochet like 20 years ago and she knows members of the ward. I asked her if she can teach us how to crochet and so hopefully this can lead to teaching her! Next week we will head over to her house down the street!

I really am blessed for all that you and dad do! Well I have to get running, but I love you all so much, the gospel is important to me and is in my mind and heart. The Lord loves us , he did before we came and will love us as long as we love him. My mission has saved my life and has helped our family out so much, I am grateful for the book of mormon and the first vision, that spring day changed the world in 1820, it sure has. Thanks for all the support and letters, I have 8 months left but I know that each day matters, and each person is a child of god. I look forward to hearing how this week turns out for everyone, be good and travel safe! I love you!

Love,
Elder Loren James Miller
Septemebr 27th, 2010
Dear Family,
The Lord has definately been taking care of you all and meduring the past 17 months. October is almost here and it is gettingcooler here in Texas, I am done with summers on my mission, now tokickoff the fall is General Conference weekend which I am excited forbecause members really do stop and listen to the prophet's voice. Thisweekend will be a great opportunity for our investigators to come outand listen and go to a baptism in between sessions. Elder Holland oncesaid that 80 percent of investigators that go to baptisms of otherswill get baptized. I am excited to see some of our investigators makea leap of faith and come to a session of conference so that they cangain a testimony of the restoration by hearing the lord's servantsspeak. Many members out here told me about the success of Boise State thispast weekend. More members are starting to follow the Broncos than theBYU cougars, hopefully this isnt just a temporary thing. We had a lotof let downs this week with appointments with investigators fallingthrough but also we have an investigator who is engaged to a memberwho is going to out and teach with us. It is kind of funny to see thata non-member is more willing to come out and help us than the Eldersquorum of the ward. We will see how that goes, but anyhow, we justhave a lot of investigators that have great stories and backgrounds.We just picked up a new investigator this week who is 11 years old andshe is from venezuela and she is a niece of a member family. She is ona 5 year visa for education and trying to learn english. She hasfamily in Venezuela who are members but her immediate family is notall members. She is a great girl and told us yesterday that she feltthe spirit so strong that she wanted to bear her testimony insacrament meeting yesterday. We set a goal with her to be baptized atthe end of the month IF her mom allows her to. We had another great moment with one of our investigators this pastweek. We gave him a pamphlet about the restoration and followed upwith him a day or two later and taught him. The first thing we askedhim if he had any questions and he said to us "yeah, where can I get abook of mormon?". This man who tracted into three weeks ago,completely understands the book of mormon's purpose and he found itout on his own. That is another miracle of my mission, the power ofthe book of mormon in people's lives. If this investigator never getsbaptized within my time here in waller, but understands and feels thespirit of the book of mormon, I will feel accomplished. The difficulty about serving in Waller is the distance between peopleand the miles we are allotted to each month. We are supposed to teachinvestigators twice a week and its very challenging to teach themtwice a week. People are very busy and also there is too little timein the week. I really missspending time with the family, so I hope next summer I have time towork and spend time with family. Well I am very happy to hear about all the good things happening inthat end of the country. I am doing great and I am working hard tobecome better each day, and my mission had definately changed the wayI work with people. In closing I leave you my testimony of this gospel and of therestoration, another great fruit of the restoration is generalconference. I wish I would have been more appreciative of generalconference earlier in my life but I guess that is what the lord hadplanned for me. I still have great memories of saturday sessions andmom turning on conference in all parts of the house, while she cleanedor did other things. No matter what room we were in we can here thevoice of the lord, I ask you to take advantage of conference weekend,and please pray and ask for guidance before the conference sessions.Be together and write down everything! I love you all so much and I amgrateful to be a member of a great family who loves me so much.
Love Always
Elder Loren James Miller