One month down! October 24, 2012

Milkshake at Mr. Cheney's. Thanks for the pic MissionTies.com!

 

Oiii Mom, Dad, Ryan and Remi!!

 

It was so good to hear from you today... Ryan your trip sounds awesome!!! I am so jealous. Venice sounds amazing!!! I hope I can go there one day! Remington I love that you are quoting “Had a Bad Day” to Gma haha that made me laugh. And good luck with buying the blower!!

 

Mom, Ryan and especially Dad!! Thank you for the answer on my questions. Dad you really went above and beyond on it and I feel a lot better about it from reading what you wrote. I think I am going to make a habit of asking you for advice haha. Today the Temple was better than it has been before too, so my testimony is definitely building every week. And Mom thank you for your answer, it helped as well. And you too Ryan! They were all very helpful for me.

 

I am turning into quite the scriptorian, too. I have found scriptures on everything!! And I am on page 212 of the book of Mormon! I am trying to read it cover to cover before I leave the CTM!

Other than that, I am just cramming Portuguese and the Gospel into my head every day! Nothing super exciting has happened really; it’s all becoming routine... except today is my halfway point!! So that’s cool. Half way in the CTM and first month down of the mission!! It weird to say I’ve been out for a month. It feels like a long time but a month is crazy ha.

Today at the temple I talked to a Portuguese guy for a long time and it was cool. I could understand most of what he said! It’s so exciting!! But I have had a really hard time with the different accents. Some of them are hard!! I swear they are speaking a different language ha.

This week for devotional, the choir sang “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer.” My whole district is in the choir... we sang it super well, and when we were done singing the CTM president got up and was crying and asked for us to sing it again. So we did and it was even better!! Then the speaker, who is the mission president for Sao Paulo got up to speak and he was crying!! The spirit was so strong that whole devotional! It was awesome.

Other than that not too much has happened. We play volleyball every day for gym and we are getting better and better at that ha. One of the guys in my district rolled his ankle super bad and it was so swollen!! He asked me to give him a Priesthood blessing, so I did, and it’s already healing up! He’s off the crutches now, so that strengthens my testimony of the priesthood power!

 

Oh, and yes mom I still have cookie money! [We got him a gift certificate to Mr. Cheney’s, that apparently works for milkshakes, too!] I got two more today! Thank you again for that!!

 

Anyway I am loving being here at the CTM. I can’t believe it’s been a month! The spirit is so strong here and I am growing every day.

 

I love you all and miss you all. Please keep me in your prayers especially with the language! I pray for you all every day. I love you so much.

 

Elder Miller

Email and Letter on 3rd P-day! October 17, 2012

Email:

Oiii,

Well it’s the end of week three! I just finished reading [your] letter from mission ties!! Thank you for all the love this week Mom, Dad and Remi! I got my first letter from you, Mom! And I got four extra cookies for doing the Mission Ties thing! I’m gunna get fat!

This week has been great! The language is still a work in progress, but I learn more every week! I know the missionaries here have the Lord helping us every step of the way! I surprise myself all the time on what I am able to stammer out during practice teaching the investigators or understand during devotional. I definitely know the spirit is here at the CTM!

Anyway, this week I went to the police station to register with the police and it was quite the adventure. I swear they speak a different language outside of the CTM! Ha! It was muito difficil to talk with the people there, but it didn’t stop me from trying. Ha. I’m sure I looked stupid but learned some new phrases and bore my testimony!

Also this week, my district sang in church, “How Firm a Foundation” and we did pretty well. We all sing the parts so we have some good harmony and we did it acapella! So, to answer some questions... no I’m not sick, ha. I got over my first cold, and the plane ride was miserable because of my sinuses, but then I started to get another cold a couple of days ago, and I pounded the vitamin C pills, and I’m feeling great now.

The graffiti here or what I called graffiti is actually like murals, and awesome art! I would love to do something like it one day! The city has some weird smells, like vomit was today’s smell, ha. But it’s still awesome!! I’m starting to get used to the culture and the people. I laugh a lot with the Brazilians here, ha. And a few of them from another district, always come up to me like we are going to fight so I take my name tag of and give it to my comp and say “let’s go,” in Portuguese, and they think it’s hilarious, ha.

Anyway, I am going to see if I can’t finish my letter home for you guys and send it through Cheney’s [Mr. Cheney’s / Mission Ties] before P-day is over! It's free for me, so I will try and hurry and do it!! Thank you again for the love and support! I hope you get my first letter soon.

I love you all so much,

Elder Miller

 

Scanned Letter from Mission Ties:

Oii Mom & Pop! And Remi & Ryan & Truman & Roxy…

Thank you for signing up for Mission Ties. The mail lag time is ridiculous! You just barely got my first letter from over 3 weeks ago. Ha ha. So this will help a lot!

I just finished working out and playing volleyball and showering… I love P-days! I sent a letter last week, so it should be there in only 3 more months. Ha. No, probably about 4 or5 more days, I hope. I am sitting in Cheney’s [Mr. Cheney’s Cookies/Missionary Ties store front] right now. The cookies smell great! Thank you again for the package… that combined with the four I got for you signing up for Mission Ties should hold me over for the next month or so! I’m going to get fat!

I saw that you replied to my emails right after I sent it, but I didn’t have time to reply. L I could have, but it’s the honor system and I am “obeying with exactness.” [When Reece’s email came in I noticed that he had just sent it minutes before, so both Scott and I tried saying hi back in real time, via email.]

The debate sounds awesome, or the first one at least . . . I hear the second one was a bit of a mess. Dad, I laughed so hard at what you said. Ha ha.

Anyway, I’ll keep this short because I just emailed. . .

I am trying to strengthen my testimony of Temples before I get out in the field, because I have a great opportunity to go every week. I have been 3 times already! I am praying and trying to learn.

I love you all!

Elder Miller

 

Elders Miller and Farr October 10, 2012

Munching on cookies at Mr. Cheney's Cookies. Thank you MissionTies.com!

Hoi!

Thank you so much for the pecote! (package) I was so excited to see that today. [A gift certificate to Mr. Cheney's Cookies, through MissionTies.com] The lady took a pic of me and my comp eating our cookies so hopefully you get it soon. But it was so nice to get something. I haven’t got a letter yet.

:( Ha but it’s ok. I think I have some on the way!

I just got back from the temple and sending a letter to you and Jaimee! I hope you get them soon.

Anyway, I am feeling fine! No more cold! I play volleyball and work out every day, so the ship is in shipshape (rocket man) anyway, the CTM is still awesome. I can’t believe I have been here for two weeks! The first week went by very slow... not gunna lie, but this one flew by!! And the language is coming along really well. I wanted to send some pics today, but the photo printer was out of paper at the shop by the CTM, so I have to wait until next pday ;( sorry.

But Dad that was nice of you and Mom -- thank you for the package! Tell Ryan I said hi and Michelle I’ll be praying for her. Remington, I love you to bud and I miss you a lot!

So the random stuff... I play volleyball and workout every day! I tell my Brazilian roommate, “Boa noite meu amor,” every night, which means good night my love... So he thinks I'm crazy. Ha. I drew a temple on the whiteboard in class and people think it’s cool. People have taken pictures of it or with it, and I drew one for this cool guy from Plant City, right next to Lakeland... so I will send pics of both!

I loved conference!! My fav talk was Elder Holland; it seriously brought me to tears! I wrote a lot about it in the letter I sent so I won’t go into to details, but it was the best talk I have ever heard!

Today on the way to the temple, I was the last one on the bus, so I had to sit in the jump seat, RIGHT next to the driver who doesn’t speak any English. So I had to whip out my amazing Portuguese for the hour trip... and it went really well actually! I’m sure I sounded like a gringo, but I was able to say a lot of stuff and understand him!! Also, the drivers here are CRAZY! We almost got in 5 wrecks... no joke! We got cut off so many times ha.

But I got to go, my time is up!! The email situation is hard! Only 30 min to read and write!!!

I love you all so much!

Love

Elder Miller

First P-day Temple Trip Oct. 3, 2012

First Real Letter September 26, 2012

Oi,

Como Vai? Meu nome’ e Elder Miller, e este e’ o’meu companiero Elder Farr. No’s somos missionarios de a Igreja de Jesus Christo dos Santo dos Ultimos dias…

Well, Hi Mom & Dad and Remi.

This first Day has been quite an adventure. The Red Eye, 11 hour flight was the start of a very long day. I only slept about 2 hours on the flight. So I’m pooped! But on the plane I sat next to a psychiatrist who studied religion,  but lost his faith in God over the years. He was traveling to give a lecture at a University. Anyway, we talked for hours and mostly about religion. I told him about the First Vision, and the Plan of Salvation and gave him a pass along card. I doubt it will result in anything, he is very firm in his beliefs, but it was a good conversation at the very least.

Also, it served as a wake-up call to me! At some point during our conversation, I stopped and thought about where I was headed and what I was preparing to do. Some of his questions were very challenging and I almost wished I had you there, Dad, to answer them. But I realized that is what I will be doing for the next two years, so I sucked it up and did the best I could, and it went surprisingly well… Now, if I can just learn Portuguese I will be set!! Ha ha.

But the CTM has been quite an adventure! Sao Paulo is insane! The traffic is crazy. The city is massive and there is so many people crammed in it! But there is so much color and graffiti and culture it’s awesome! I love it so far and I am excited to explore on P-day with my companion Elder Farr. He has dreamy eyes. Ha. He is super cool and he’s from North Carolina! Well, I love you guys and I will write again soon.

Love,

Elder Miller

Oiiiii

Oiiiii,
Como vai. The question mark on the keyboard doesn’t work! Ha! But hello!

Well, I love Brasil so far! The people are so cool, and the culture is awesome!

My flight was terrible, it was 11 hours and I only slept for two, so my first day was exhausting! But I did talk to the guy sitting next to me for a few hours about the first vision, Joseph Smith and the plan of salvation... basically I gave him the first three lessons and a pass-a-long card. It was a cool experience, and really opened my eyes to what I am hoping to be doing for the next two years!

I only have 30 minutes to email so I am stressing out! Ha! But the CTM is pretty cool. The schedule is different than what I am used to... but I love it! I’m learning the language very fast, I think, and I love all the guys in my district. My companheiro is Elder Farr and he is way chill. We get along really well and laugh a lot. The other guys in my district all met up with me in Atlanta before we flew out and they are so fun.

In class we have been working on singing How Firm a Foundation in Portuguese and we sound way GOOD! We’ve got the harmonies down and everything, so that is cool.

The pineapple here is sooo good, too. It’s called abacaxi. It’s fun to say. Ha!

This fast Sunday I also bore my testimony! So good job Remi!

Dad, I am glad macros are fun, I can’t tell if you are being sarcastic or not though.

And mom, I miss you and love you.

Today is my first P-day and it was pretty good! I woke up at 6 and we got to go to the templo! It was verry pretty inside. Then we got back, ate lunch, and got to go out and walk around the streets. My comp and I bought candy at the candy store here (its super good) and walked around the different shops and stuff. The culture is awesome, and Sao Paulo is HUGE. It seriously goes on forever. It’s like the 4th biggest city in the world I think; at least that’s what I heard.

But I love being here. I am so glad I came. I feel the spirit every day, and it has been an amazing adventure so far!

I am writing letters this week so I will be sending them next P-day. I hope you got my first letter, it has my address in there and it should be there this week if it’s not already.

I love you all so much and miss you a lot. Tell Truman hi for me and Ryan as well.
Please forward this email to him and anyone else that wants it.
I love you!
Love, Elder Miller