Dec.6th,2010
Dear Family,
I am doing pretty good here, my new companion is a lot more obedient and fun to be around than the past few, so it is good. He is from Las Vegas, he is really funny and likes motorcycles and cars and stuff. Elder C and I are trying our best to live the higher standard.
Disneyland pictures were crazy to look at, I can't believe how much older everyone is looking. I definately think I want to go to see Emily above anything else and I think Texas would be fun to come back to sometime in the future. Well I do not like the snow either, I just don't like the mess it causes and the slow down of traffic. It is getting colder down here in Houston area, not crazy hot anymore.
Well we had a pretty interesting week this past week, we got in touch with a part member family who we are going to be teaching. The husband isn't a member and he is from India, he has been taught for years and years. His wife is a member and she is from Sweden and is a convert. She is active and wants him to be a member but he thinks all churches are good and he hasn't been taught for a year or so. We are really excited to start teaching him, We are way confident that we can seal the deal on this one. The ward is pretty suprised about it because they thought that it would be for a while before he would start to be taught again. We are also teaching B still, and we had a really good lesson with him this past week and the ward is really doing a good job in supporting us with a place to teach him. I have seen a lot of families from the K ward this past couple weeks because I am right next door to the area. An investigator in W got baptized and the elders didn't even tell me, I found out at the mission office when I was getting Elder C. The investigator's name was A and she was way solid and I taught her a lot before I got transfferred to K. I am glad she finally got baptized, and now they are teaching her mom and so it is pretty cool!
This week we have a lot ahead of us as far as finding new investigators, because we dropped a lot of the ones that Elder T wouldn't drop. They weren't going anywhere and just liked missionaries not wanting to progress, and I am glad I am here to re-establish the trust with the members.
Well I am happy to say that I am doing great and I am looking forward to three more weeks until I get to speak with you all.
I love you all and I am grateful for the sacrifices you have made to get me here and sustain me for the past 18 months. The time is passing by and I need all the prayers I can get to finish strong and to be the best I can be. I am grateful for the blessings that we have recieved and for the help that we can get if we are obedient and faithful. Please be safe and remember christ this christmas season.
Love
Elder Loren James Miller
Dec.13th, 2010
Dear Family,
I am doing great here in the K and M S ward, even though it is getting freezing cold outside compared to the heat of the summer. Elder C and I are getting along pretty good and we are working pretty hard to get things rolling in this area. We are really trying to rebuild the teaching pool because we totally are starting from scratch. It is pretty good to serve with Elder C because he wants to work and be obedient, and he is fully invested in the mission. We are rebuilding trust with the wards here because it is need of it, and we are really making progress so far.
This past week the M S ward had their christmas party and an inactive member who's brother is the elders quorum president, came to it with his nonmember wife. This member is very inactive and is still a teacher in the priesthood, missionaries havent had any success with him in the past, so it was great to see him there. The whole time elder c was telling me that we need to go and talk to them and set an appointment to teach them, I told him that we need to be patient and let the members and the lord take care of it. So the next day at church they showed up to church for all three hours and we were hanging out by the bishop's office and he was filling out a tithing slip. The ward mission leader said that we might be teaching them in the near future. It is way sweet to see this happening, the members are really fellowshipping these part member families. That has kind of been the focus of Elder C and I's planning and prayers. So we will see what happens next week, and another part member family came to church as well for three hours and the husband is active and the wife is not a member.
Well I love each and every one of you and I am grateful to know what I know. I am grateful for my membership and my testimony that I have so diligently strived to gain the past 20 years. I am thankful for all the support and help you have given me. I love you and always keep you in my prayers.
Love always
Elder Loren James Miller
Dec. 20th, 2010
Dear Family!
Well it is great to read that email and her about all the exciting Christmas Plans. This week is the big christmas P-day with the whole mission, it happens on wednesday and then on Thursday it is the mission temple day. We had a really good week this past week and we are starting to pick up some support from the members. Elder C and I are doing really good, we are very happy to be companions. I hope I get to stay here another transfer with him, it is good to be with a companion that wants to be here.
We are starting to teach the part member family that came to the christmas party. We had a crazy dinner with them on friday, the wife is not a member and her name is c. C's brother came and is just returning from the army, and he is living with them for a few weeks. Well he was completely anti mormon, when c first said I have a few questions. He just kept bringing up contentious questions. Even c's husband (s) who is a member, was upset and wanted him to stop. We both kind of sat back and laughed it off, everything he said was funny, all of it was Anti mormon statements that I have heard all before. So we read 3 Ne 11:29 and left the scene, c was really embarrassed because her brother was a complete idiot. So when we got in the car, we both prayed for c and s, we prayed so long, we just really are hoping they can overcome this.
Well our prayers were answered, s's family lives all in the area in surrounding wards, came up to us at church, (a few attend the same building) they are all active and the dad lives in the ward next door and he called us. They all told us that S and c went over to S's parents house and talked to them till 2 in the morning about the gospel after the meltdown at dinner. Seth's dad called and set up an appointment with us to teach S and c. S's family told us all yesterday that it is a miracle that we are being a part of. One of his brother's was in tears, telling me that 20 years of family prayers for s to come back and be active, have been answered. It is incredible what I am a part of, seeing a family rejoice and are way happy because the Black Sheep of the family is returning to the fold. S has been to church the past two weeks with his wife, pays tithing now, both live the word of wisdom, c studies the book of mormon and is really seeking the truth. Elder C and I are so excited to teach her and see a family be started in the gospel. I will tell you more on saturday over the phone alright? Pray for us! I am grateful that are family is all active and we are staying close to the church. S hasn't been active since he was 15. His dad was in tears on the phone with me last night and I got a little choked up.
We will probably set a goal for c to be baptized by end of january. We hope that s will baptize her, if he is worthy, and ready to. B called us yesterday and he wants to be baptized January 1st, so we have to teach him tonight and get him interviewed for baptism tommorrow. He leaves thursday for louisana and gets back on Jan. 1st in the morning. We are excited, because he is ready, he is young, but he has formed friendships with the ward youth. So yeah!!! Things are going great!
Well I love you all so much and look forward to the big phone call! I am not a hundred percent sure when we are going to call but I am guessing about later in the day like 5pm or later. I might send you a little one minute call in the morning to let you know when. I will call dads phone alright? Well I hope all is well at home and I am grateful for the gospel and the authority that god has entrusted his servants with. I am so thankful for my membership and our eternal family, it is so beautiful to bike home at night or drive home at night and to live a football field away from the temple. I look forward to hearing your voices, I am grateful to have you as my family. Heavenly father has definately blessed me! Be good and be safe. Study the birth of the savior from the book of mormon or from Luke. I promise if you do that christmas will be more purpose centered.
Love you and talk to this saturday!
Elder Loren James Miller
Dec.27th,2010
Dear Family!
Well it was quite an adventure to talk to you the other day! I really needed that phone call because it has been forever since I have heard your voices!
So C might be baptized this saturday! We have to teach her like everyday this week to make it happen. She wants it to be done quick! She has a testimony and knows everything is true! It is incredible! We will be working with her this whole week and preparing her for the baptism. We are going to hopefully do some finding this week and find some new investigators. It is getting pretty cold here and hopefully we get some people outside to talk to.
We have the spirit with us more when we attend the temple and we gain more spiritual strength. I definately want to to go to the temple once a week when I get home, because it helps me out so much.
I am working hard and trying my best, I just need to keep looking forward and not look back. I am trying to be happy and trying to find joy, I am doing some amazing things here and I have changed a lot. I am really excited to be home in may but right now I got a lot more things to do. My companion and I are doing the right things and are trying to help others do what is right. I am not really worried about home things right now or feeling trunky! I love my mission and I love the work that I am doing. The lord has molded me into the adult I need to be for my future. I love you all and hope you have a great week, be safe and keep me in your prayers always! I look forward to next weeks email!
Love
Elder Loren James Miller
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Monday, March 14, 2011
You thought I was never coming back...
Well I definitely should get the worst big sister of the decade award. It has been MONTHS since I updated Elder Miller's Blog, but guess what?! He comes home in like 2 months! How incredibly exciting is that!? WOOHOO! So lets see here perhaps we should do a bit of catch up. Hopefully I can get you all caught up quickly so you are all up to speed with him.
Nov. 1st 2010
Dear Family,
Well Halloween has come and gone, thank goodness its over, because I just am not a huge fan of halloween espeically on my mission. Now that it is November the weather is cooling down and it is really pretty with the fall leaves falling and being right next to the Temple it is so nice. I sent you an email with the T-shirt sizes and I am pretty sure they will all be suprised by the shirts. About the whole Disneyland thing, it is all good, I really dont mind at all, just be safe in your travels. I think it is best for the little ones to go experience the whole disneyland experience. I am having the time of my life here in Spring so don't worry about me having fun or being left out.
It is Emily's birthday this week! The next one she has, I will be there! I can't believe that it is November already, it seems like it was just yesterday when I got to Waller and it was June.
It is so much fun with Elder T, We get a long really well and we had a pretty good week, we found two new investigators and we have gained a lot of trust with the members of the wards we serve in. We had a good talk, Elder T and I about companionship unity and working hard. The talk was very helpful because it helped us stay on the same page. One of our new investigators name is v, elder T talked to him on the street before I got here a couple weeks ago. We had an appoinment with him last saturday but he couldn't meet so we met with him this past saturday. We gave him a pamphlet on the restoration when we first met him, so he read it before we met with him the other day. What was interesting is that he told us he read through it and told us that his mom actually investigated the church years ago. He said he found two copies of the book of mormon in his house and actually read a little bit. It is so crazy how the Lord leads us to people that are prepared because Elder T and I feel that he has been prepared. Hopefully we can take a spanish speaking member with us so we can invite his mom to learn more about the church.
That is a pretty cool experience you had with trick or treating, I think that you have done a great job recognizing when a missionary opportunity occurs, how to respond to it. Keep praying for missionary opportunities, I really think our family is really becoming member missionaries. I think that if every active member of the church chose one person, either inactive,less-active, or nonmember and set goals to bring the gospel fully into their lives, the work would move forward and we would see more and more converts or re-activation. It was really powerful this week to read my line of authority and to realize that the Priesthood is here on the earth and it will never be taken away. I am grateful to be apart of that line of authority in which it came from the lord himself.
I thank you for the sonic money and the money in the mail last week, I really appreciate it all. I am losing weight and fitting better into my clothes again. I am glad I left waller because Thanksgiving would have been crazy to be out there. They feed you like crazy out in waller and we never ride bikes or go to the gym so it is hard to work off the food.
I hate being sick on a mission because it definately slows down everything. I hope everyone who is sick feels better and that your all safe. We are really working hard here in our area and enjoying the fruit of our hard work. This area is unique, the members are the source of the conversion of people and so we have to help them find people. I have learned a great deal of patience and diligence in the past few months, when we work hard and we do what is right the spirit is with us and when the spirit is with us many good things happen!
I am grateful for the call and decision I made to serve a mission, this will spring board my life to greater heights. I have a testimony of the first vision, it happened and I do not doubt the events that followed. The restoration is still unfolding to this day, we are led by a prophet I know that is called of god, the priesthood is here and is the authority given to man to act in the name of god. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that the pages hold key words and passages that can change lives. I testify that God lives and his church is here and I am grateful to be a member and a messenger of it. Thanks for being my family and being sealed in the temple for all time and eternity, it has been such a comfort for me to know that we are together. Be safe and thanks for all the prayers.
Love Always
Elder Loren James Miller
Nov. 8th, 2010
Well it was a pretty rough week as far as the work is concerned, but things are looking up and I am pretty excited about what is to come. Elder T was sick most of the week and a lot of our investigators have been missing in action and we need new investigators. Most of the investigators we have are not progressing at all and I really want to drop them and I don't think that would go well with Elder T. We did how ever find out that a son of a Recent convert wants to be taught and baptized. His siblings and his mom were baptized the past few months but he wasnt interested at the time. B has been going to seminary and to church regularly. B actually stood up for the church on a recent wrestling trip, a teammate on the team stood up on the bus and asked who ever is mormon to raise their hand. There was three of them that raised their hand including B, who isn't a member!, and the teammate actually tried punching b but he missed and was later kicked off the wrestling team. The bishop of the ward said in PEC yesterday after that story was shared, "send him to missouri"! haha they could have used his courage down in missouri when the saints were being pushed out.
A lot of the members of the wards are trying their best to help us build a teaching pool. There is a lot of members working on their neighbors and friends, it was a pretty good feeling at church yesterday to have members come up to me and tell us that they are going to try and set something up with their friends. I am in a pretty hard area where people are set in their ways and are very successful where they are at. Also there is a lot of misinformation about the church in this area, for example about the temple. But for the work to move forward in the most successful way, the members are key to everything.
So saturday night we went to a family's house for dinner and we walked in and they would not turn off the TV. They had to watch TCU vs. UTAH and so I probably made a mistake but we watched a little bit of the game.
Thanks mom for who you are and the love you have for others who are not even your own children. I am grateful for the foundation and the standard you and dad have set for the future generations. I hope I can have a marriage and family like you and dad. I hope I can continue the faith exemplified by you two in my raising of my children and my marriage. I am thankful for the atonement and the savior's life, he dedicated it to us and to his father, now it is our turn to do the same. We are his children and his prized possesions, he knows us and will be there every step of the way as long as we do our best. Despite all the conflicts, the trials, and when the journey seems long, we always know that the "church is true".
I love you all and appreciate the family I come from, it has helped me on my mission so much. I am fine, take care, be safe and be grateful.
Love
Elder Loren James Miller
Nov.15th, 2010
Dear Family,
It is getting much cooler and darker here in Texas and it feels like Idaho sometimes for sure. I did get some pictures from Emily in her email to me and I think its so incredible to look at them and see how time as flown by.
The missionary work this week went pretty good, it is hard to adjust from w to K/MS wards because in W there was so many investigators and potentials. Over here its much more established and rich and people know about the church because they have lived in the area forever. But we did find a new investigator named D who we found in the weirdest way. We had an old ward list and we looked at a family's name and we decided to go visit that family. Well when we got there, D answered the door and said that he bought the house from them 8 months ago. So it was kind of awkward but we did prevail and we talked about who we are and what we do. He invited us into his house and we taught him about the restoration. He is really open and he hasn't had much religious experience in the past, he even thought about being atheist. I know that the spirit was there and it did touch his heart, because I could feel it powerfully. Sometimes we just sat there in silence as he pondered what we taught him, and thats when the spirit flowed in. We are very excited to teach him, he is looking for a direction, it was such a humbling experience to teach him how to pray, he did not know how and Elder T coached him through it.
We did start teaching B,I wasn't there because we were on exchanges. If his dad approves of him getting baptized we will set a date for early december and shoot for it with him. The MS ward is where we have investigators and the Klein ward is pretty tough right now. The K ward is a powerhouse ward, very active and very successful in the past as far as missionary work. But earlier this year they split the wards and half the area got moved into the other wards. The area has been tracted out all this year because there was really a lot of hard work put into finding. There are some members that are really working on giving us referrals so we can just pray and help inspire them to continue to work on their friends.
Elder T is really good and he is so funny, but he is very very quiet. Well we do service together a lot and do P-day together, but we study and do our own work in our areas. We do go on exchanges , but we did them already this transfer, and the groceries, we all pitch in and buy what the whole apartment needs. Each companionship is in charge of their own area and so we can't really invervene with each others investigators or ward work.
We are doing service at the temple again and actually I kind of miss doing the service at the horse stalls in W. We helped the local thrift store the other day build used christmas trees for their christmas display. It was a lot of fun and we built a huge 9 footer and those things are huge.
So I might need a new pair of shoes but I am not sure, because I have six months left and I don't want you to buy 80 + shoes that I will wear for six months. I dont really need anything else, my pants are doing fine and my coat is good! My fitness is going great and I am excited to continue to try to burn off some fat and my big belly that I built in waller. The thanksgiving plans are pretty big, we have a lot of families to visit and we have turkey bowl in the morning.
I am in the 4th quarter of my journey and I have a lot good to do still. There is so much more for me to experience and I am very grateful to serve this mission. I thank the lord every day for the blessing of serving the people and teaching the truth. It is the most rewarding thing ever and I am thrilled to be here. I appreciate all that you have taught me before I entered the MTC because it has helped me out here in Texas. I know that the gospel is true and that the heavens are open and the blessings are being poured upon us. Thanks for all that you do to support me out here and travel safe whereever you may go. I love you all so much!
Love Always
Elder Loren James Miller
Nov.22nd, 2010
Dear Family,
It is thanksgiving week and the holiday season is in full swing, which means missionary work gets twice as hard. People are way busy and out of town! But we do have 4 thanksgiving appointments and 2 turkey bowls on thanksgiving day. So I will be a blimp by the time its black friday!
I can't believe I am the next one to come home in our ward! Is my mission plaque up? Take a picture of it next time?
Speaking of christmas, is there anything you need from Houston, Texas? The missionary work here is pretty slow like I said, but we have a lot of work to do. We taught B this past week and we asked what he thought of baptism and he said that it would help him fit in. At that point we decided to hold off on giving him a baptismal date because he needs to realize that baptism is not just another thing to do on a random day. He needs to have that testimony of following the savior and being baptized by his authority. We are going to teach him this week hopefully and teach him about covenants and how baptism is the gate to the journey to heavenly father.
We had an interesting experience eating dinner at a member's house who invited their non-member friend over. Bro.C (member) asked the friend if she had read any of the book of mormon that they gave her a while back. Sis. C was like hunny don't drill her at the dinner table with questions like that. Well their friend responded and said she gave the copy back to them and is happy being catholic and her church's bible study groups. So later on we shared a message after dinner like we normally do, and we shared a lesson on the holy ghost and its role in our life. I shared Moroni 10:5, and then elder T shared Galations 5:22 and we taught the C's and their friend that the Holy ghost is how we know the truth and how we are comforted. The spirit was so strong, Bro.C shared a scripture in the bible and then their friend asked for a pen and paper to write the scriptures down. She asked me where I got my scripture from and I said the book of mormon, and she said "oh i dont have one of those,". So at the end of the evening she got back a Book of Mormon and she is very interested in reading about. It is funny how things work out by the power of the holy ghost! It was very powerful and the members were way happy!
We had zone conference last week and it was basically, a question and answer with President H. There wasn't any general authorities there or anything. I hope thanksgiving is great for you all in Idaho, be safe in that winter storm, and I hope my thanksgiving is great too!
Well I am so thrilled to be here in Spring, I love my companion and the calling which I have. Thanks for all the love and support, I am grateful for the gospel and for the opportunities it gives us to repent, to become clean, and live better. I have a testimony that god lives and his church lives as well, and that it will never leave the earth again. This thanksgiving, I ask you to be thankful for your membership in the church of Jesus christ. Everything good that has happened to me in my life is because our family's faith and beliefs. I love you all and please never forget the book of mormon, read it, no matter how long each day, it will be a guide!
Love Always
Elder Loren James Miller
Nov.29th, 2010
Dear Family,
Thanksgiving has came and gone and it was a lot of fun in Texas this year. We played in two turkey bowls and ate three dinners, it was so much fun. The first turkey bowl we played in was at K M Stadium on turf and it is K High School's stadium and it is huge. After we played for an hour at that Turkey bowl we went over to a middle school and played with another ward for another two hours! It was crazy! We ate dinner at 2 o clock and then at 430 and then had a mini dinner at 7. The food was really good but I do miss thanksgiving dinners at home.
Transfer news came saturday night and it was kind of weird this time around. I am staying in the area but Elder T is leaving. I am suprised that he is leaving and he is too because he wants to stay. My new companion is Elder C and I am not sure what to think about it. Hopefully he wants to work and be obedient, because thats something I definately need, a companion who is both of those.
That is pretty exciting about disneyland! I hope I get to see some fun pictures of the grand kids. I will send you a bunch of pictures for christmas so you can scrapbook them, and I have a lot more to take between then and now. There is actually a section in Preach my gospel in chapter 9 about family history as a finding tool. I do not know a lot about family history but I do know that it is a big hobby for people. One of the ideas preach my gospel gives us is to go to a local family history center and meet with a member to help us understand it and learn about it. When investigators get baptized, the home teachers and ward missionaries help them prepare names for temple work for them to be baptized for. It is a lot better for members to teach new members or investigators about family history because it helps create relationships that can last forever. We as missionaries focus a lot on teaching people the doctrine of the restoration, and helping them find out through feeling the holy ghost and recognizing the holy ghost.
It is incredible that Grandpa is 88! I forgot how young he is! It is getting pretty cold and dark here, which is no fun to bike in! But I am staying warm, and I am being protected on the busy roads at night. Thanks for the package and advent calendar you sent this past week! Elder T appreciates the money and he says thank you! Elder w gets home in 6 weeks! He comes home January 12th I think? I definately think you all should go down there and see him.
Well this week will be pretty interesting, we have a lot of finding to do because you can't do missionary work until you find someone to teach. Elder c and I are going to do all we can to find someone to teach. A lot of investigators have dropped us lately and now we have to rebuild our teaching pool. I thank you for your prayers and all the help you have given me! I am doing good and I am excited for another fresh start. I hope you all travel safe and sound this week and have fun and know that I am doing good. Only like 26 days until I speak on the phone! YEAY! This work is true no matter how hard it is! I love my mission and I am grateful for the lessons that I have learned from serving.
Love always
Elder Loren James Miller
Nov. 1st 2010
Dear Family,
Well Halloween has come and gone, thank goodness its over, because I just am not a huge fan of halloween espeically on my mission. Now that it is November the weather is cooling down and it is really pretty with the fall leaves falling and being right next to the Temple it is so nice. I sent you an email with the T-shirt sizes and I am pretty sure they will all be suprised by the shirts. About the whole Disneyland thing, it is all good, I really dont mind at all, just be safe in your travels. I think it is best for the little ones to go experience the whole disneyland experience. I am having the time of my life here in Spring so don't worry about me having fun or being left out.
It is Emily's birthday this week! The next one she has, I will be there! I can't believe that it is November already, it seems like it was just yesterday when I got to Waller and it was June.
It is so much fun with Elder T, We get a long really well and we had a pretty good week, we found two new investigators and we have gained a lot of trust with the members of the wards we serve in. We had a good talk, Elder T and I about companionship unity and working hard. The talk was very helpful because it helped us stay on the same page. One of our new investigators name is v, elder T talked to him on the street before I got here a couple weeks ago. We had an appoinment with him last saturday but he couldn't meet so we met with him this past saturday. We gave him a pamphlet on the restoration when we first met him, so he read it before we met with him the other day. What was interesting is that he told us he read through it and told us that his mom actually investigated the church years ago. He said he found two copies of the book of mormon in his house and actually read a little bit. It is so crazy how the Lord leads us to people that are prepared because Elder T and I feel that he has been prepared. Hopefully we can take a spanish speaking member with us so we can invite his mom to learn more about the church.
That is a pretty cool experience you had with trick or treating, I think that you have done a great job recognizing when a missionary opportunity occurs, how to respond to it. Keep praying for missionary opportunities, I really think our family is really becoming member missionaries. I think that if every active member of the church chose one person, either inactive,less-active, or nonmember and set goals to bring the gospel fully into their lives, the work would move forward and we would see more and more converts or re-activation. It was really powerful this week to read my line of authority and to realize that the Priesthood is here on the earth and it will never be taken away. I am grateful to be apart of that line of authority in which it came from the lord himself.
I thank you for the sonic money and the money in the mail last week, I really appreciate it all. I am losing weight and fitting better into my clothes again. I am glad I left waller because Thanksgiving would have been crazy to be out there. They feed you like crazy out in waller and we never ride bikes or go to the gym so it is hard to work off the food.
I hate being sick on a mission because it definately slows down everything. I hope everyone who is sick feels better and that your all safe. We are really working hard here in our area and enjoying the fruit of our hard work. This area is unique, the members are the source of the conversion of people and so we have to help them find people. I have learned a great deal of patience and diligence in the past few months, when we work hard and we do what is right the spirit is with us and when the spirit is with us many good things happen!
I am grateful for the call and decision I made to serve a mission, this will spring board my life to greater heights. I have a testimony of the first vision, it happened and I do not doubt the events that followed. The restoration is still unfolding to this day, we are led by a prophet I know that is called of god, the priesthood is here and is the authority given to man to act in the name of god. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that the pages hold key words and passages that can change lives. I testify that God lives and his church is here and I am grateful to be a member and a messenger of it. Thanks for being my family and being sealed in the temple for all time and eternity, it has been such a comfort for me to know that we are together. Be safe and thanks for all the prayers.
Love Always
Elder Loren James Miller
Nov. 8th, 2010
Well it was a pretty rough week as far as the work is concerned, but things are looking up and I am pretty excited about what is to come. Elder T was sick most of the week and a lot of our investigators have been missing in action and we need new investigators. Most of the investigators we have are not progressing at all and I really want to drop them and I don't think that would go well with Elder T. We did how ever find out that a son of a Recent convert wants to be taught and baptized. His siblings and his mom were baptized the past few months but he wasnt interested at the time. B has been going to seminary and to church regularly. B actually stood up for the church on a recent wrestling trip, a teammate on the team stood up on the bus and asked who ever is mormon to raise their hand. There was three of them that raised their hand including B, who isn't a member!, and the teammate actually tried punching b but he missed and was later kicked off the wrestling team. The bishop of the ward said in PEC yesterday after that story was shared, "send him to missouri"! haha they could have used his courage down in missouri when the saints were being pushed out.
A lot of the members of the wards are trying their best to help us build a teaching pool. There is a lot of members working on their neighbors and friends, it was a pretty good feeling at church yesterday to have members come up to me and tell us that they are going to try and set something up with their friends. I am in a pretty hard area where people are set in their ways and are very successful where they are at. Also there is a lot of misinformation about the church in this area, for example about the temple. But for the work to move forward in the most successful way, the members are key to everything.
So saturday night we went to a family's house for dinner and we walked in and they would not turn off the TV. They had to watch TCU vs. UTAH and so I probably made a mistake but we watched a little bit of the game.
Thanks mom for who you are and the love you have for others who are not even your own children. I am grateful for the foundation and the standard you and dad have set for the future generations. I hope I can have a marriage and family like you and dad. I hope I can continue the faith exemplified by you two in my raising of my children and my marriage. I am thankful for the atonement and the savior's life, he dedicated it to us and to his father, now it is our turn to do the same. We are his children and his prized possesions, he knows us and will be there every step of the way as long as we do our best. Despite all the conflicts, the trials, and when the journey seems long, we always know that the "church is true".
I love you all and appreciate the family I come from, it has helped me on my mission so much. I am fine, take care, be safe and be grateful.
Love
Elder Loren James Miller
Nov.15th, 2010
Dear Family,
It is getting much cooler and darker here in Texas and it feels like Idaho sometimes for sure. I did get some pictures from Emily in her email to me and I think its so incredible to look at them and see how time as flown by.
The missionary work this week went pretty good, it is hard to adjust from w to K/MS wards because in W there was so many investigators and potentials. Over here its much more established and rich and people know about the church because they have lived in the area forever. But we did find a new investigator named D who we found in the weirdest way. We had an old ward list and we looked at a family's name and we decided to go visit that family. Well when we got there, D answered the door and said that he bought the house from them 8 months ago. So it was kind of awkward but we did prevail and we talked about who we are and what we do. He invited us into his house and we taught him about the restoration. He is really open and he hasn't had much religious experience in the past, he even thought about being atheist. I know that the spirit was there and it did touch his heart, because I could feel it powerfully. Sometimes we just sat there in silence as he pondered what we taught him, and thats when the spirit flowed in. We are very excited to teach him, he is looking for a direction, it was such a humbling experience to teach him how to pray, he did not know how and Elder T coached him through it.
We did start teaching B,I wasn't there because we were on exchanges. If his dad approves of him getting baptized we will set a date for early december and shoot for it with him. The MS ward is where we have investigators and the Klein ward is pretty tough right now. The K ward is a powerhouse ward, very active and very successful in the past as far as missionary work. But earlier this year they split the wards and half the area got moved into the other wards. The area has been tracted out all this year because there was really a lot of hard work put into finding. There are some members that are really working on giving us referrals so we can just pray and help inspire them to continue to work on their friends.
Elder T is really good and he is so funny, but he is very very quiet. Well we do service together a lot and do P-day together, but we study and do our own work in our areas. We do go on exchanges , but we did them already this transfer, and the groceries, we all pitch in and buy what the whole apartment needs. Each companionship is in charge of their own area and so we can't really invervene with each others investigators or ward work.
We are doing service at the temple again and actually I kind of miss doing the service at the horse stalls in W. We helped the local thrift store the other day build used christmas trees for their christmas display. It was a lot of fun and we built a huge 9 footer and those things are huge.
So I might need a new pair of shoes but I am not sure, because I have six months left and I don't want you to buy 80 + shoes that I will wear for six months. I dont really need anything else, my pants are doing fine and my coat is good! My fitness is going great and I am excited to continue to try to burn off some fat and my big belly that I built in waller. The thanksgiving plans are pretty big, we have a lot of families to visit and we have turkey bowl in the morning.
I am in the 4th quarter of my journey and I have a lot good to do still. There is so much more for me to experience and I am very grateful to serve this mission. I thank the lord every day for the blessing of serving the people and teaching the truth. It is the most rewarding thing ever and I am thrilled to be here. I appreciate all that you have taught me before I entered the MTC because it has helped me out here in Texas. I know that the gospel is true and that the heavens are open and the blessings are being poured upon us. Thanks for all that you do to support me out here and travel safe whereever you may go. I love you all so much!
Love Always
Elder Loren James Miller
Nov.22nd, 2010
Dear Family,
It is thanksgiving week and the holiday season is in full swing, which means missionary work gets twice as hard. People are way busy and out of town! But we do have 4 thanksgiving appointments and 2 turkey bowls on thanksgiving day. So I will be a blimp by the time its black friday!
I can't believe I am the next one to come home in our ward! Is my mission plaque up? Take a picture of it next time?
Speaking of christmas, is there anything you need from Houston, Texas? The missionary work here is pretty slow like I said, but we have a lot of work to do. We taught B this past week and we asked what he thought of baptism and he said that it would help him fit in. At that point we decided to hold off on giving him a baptismal date because he needs to realize that baptism is not just another thing to do on a random day. He needs to have that testimony of following the savior and being baptized by his authority. We are going to teach him this week hopefully and teach him about covenants and how baptism is the gate to the journey to heavenly father.
We had an interesting experience eating dinner at a member's house who invited their non-member friend over. Bro.C (member) asked the friend if she had read any of the book of mormon that they gave her a while back. Sis. C was like hunny don't drill her at the dinner table with questions like that. Well their friend responded and said she gave the copy back to them and is happy being catholic and her church's bible study groups. So later on we shared a message after dinner like we normally do, and we shared a lesson on the holy ghost and its role in our life. I shared Moroni 10:5, and then elder T shared Galations 5:22 and we taught the C's and their friend that the Holy ghost is how we know the truth and how we are comforted. The spirit was so strong, Bro.C shared a scripture in the bible and then their friend asked for a pen and paper to write the scriptures down. She asked me where I got my scripture from and I said the book of mormon, and she said "oh i dont have one of those,". So at the end of the evening she got back a Book of Mormon and she is very interested in reading about. It is funny how things work out by the power of the holy ghost! It was very powerful and the members were way happy!
We had zone conference last week and it was basically, a question and answer with President H. There wasn't any general authorities there or anything. I hope thanksgiving is great for you all in Idaho, be safe in that winter storm, and I hope my thanksgiving is great too!
Well I am so thrilled to be here in Spring, I love my companion and the calling which I have. Thanks for all the love and support, I am grateful for the gospel and for the opportunities it gives us to repent, to become clean, and live better. I have a testimony that god lives and his church lives as well, and that it will never leave the earth again. This thanksgiving, I ask you to be thankful for your membership in the church of Jesus christ. Everything good that has happened to me in my life is because our family's faith and beliefs. I love you all and please never forget the book of mormon, read it, no matter how long each day, it will be a guide!
Love Always
Elder Loren James Miller
Nov.29th, 2010
Dear Family,
Thanksgiving has came and gone and it was a lot of fun in Texas this year. We played in two turkey bowls and ate three dinners, it was so much fun. The first turkey bowl we played in was at K M Stadium on turf and it is K High School's stadium and it is huge. After we played for an hour at that Turkey bowl we went over to a middle school and played with another ward for another two hours! It was crazy! We ate dinner at 2 o clock and then at 430 and then had a mini dinner at 7. The food was really good but I do miss thanksgiving dinners at home.
Transfer news came saturday night and it was kind of weird this time around. I am staying in the area but Elder T is leaving. I am suprised that he is leaving and he is too because he wants to stay. My new companion is Elder C and I am not sure what to think about it. Hopefully he wants to work and be obedient, because thats something I definately need, a companion who is both of those.
That is pretty exciting about disneyland! I hope I get to see some fun pictures of the grand kids. I will send you a bunch of pictures for christmas so you can scrapbook them, and I have a lot more to take between then and now. There is actually a section in Preach my gospel in chapter 9 about family history as a finding tool. I do not know a lot about family history but I do know that it is a big hobby for people. One of the ideas preach my gospel gives us is to go to a local family history center and meet with a member to help us understand it and learn about it. When investigators get baptized, the home teachers and ward missionaries help them prepare names for temple work for them to be baptized for. It is a lot better for members to teach new members or investigators about family history because it helps create relationships that can last forever. We as missionaries focus a lot on teaching people the doctrine of the restoration, and helping them find out through feeling the holy ghost and recognizing the holy ghost.
It is incredible that Grandpa is 88! I forgot how young he is! It is getting pretty cold and dark here, which is no fun to bike in! But I am staying warm, and I am being protected on the busy roads at night. Thanks for the package and advent calendar you sent this past week! Elder T appreciates the money and he says thank you! Elder w gets home in 6 weeks! He comes home January 12th I think? I definately think you all should go down there and see him.
Well this week will be pretty interesting, we have a lot of finding to do because you can't do missionary work until you find someone to teach. Elder c and I are going to do all we can to find someone to teach. A lot of investigators have dropped us lately and now we have to rebuild our teaching pool. I thank you for your prayers and all the help you have given me! I am doing good and I am excited for another fresh start. I hope you all travel safe and sound this week and have fun and know that I am doing good. Only like 26 days until I speak on the phone! YEAY! This work is true no matter how hard it is! I love my mission and I am grateful for the lessons that I have learned from serving.
Love always
Elder Loren James Miller
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