Transfer! March 25, 2013

 Oii tudo mundo,

So... I’m not writing this email from Bon Sucesso!!! I was transferred, and I’m now in Almirante Tamandaré! It’s pretty cool... it’s an entire city and on the outskirts of Curitiba! I just got here like 2 hours ago though, so I don’t really know much. ha. My comp is Elder Reeves, from Utah. I already knew him because he was in my zone in Ponta Grossa, and he’s way cool. He’s been out for a year and 6 months, and he’s a way good missionary! I am super excited to work with him!

I’m a little bummed to leave Bom Sucesso. I loved that place and the people. It really is the best area in the mission ha... We baptized a lot there... which reminds me, we baptized this Sunday!!!!! R.! He’s 12... and he lives with his mom and older brother... who are going to be baptized this next Sunday.... We marked baptismal dates with them about a month ago… for March 24th.... but there was one Sunday when the mom, I., and the older brother Rh. didn’t go, so they had to wait one more Sunday... But we asked R. if he wanted to wait and be baptized with his family and he said that he wanted to be baptized this Sunday! It was awesome! His whole family went and a few of his friends that live on the same street..... It was an awesome last Sunday... but I was robbed ha! I want to baptize his mom and brother too! But they will for sure be getting baptized this Sunday, and I’m still counting them as mine because we taught them everything!!!!! Ha

Also, I gave a talk in sacrament meeting (for 15 minutes) about strengthening the missionary work in the ward. It went super well. I was a little nervous to talk for 15 min in another language ha, but it went super smooth and I talked really well. It was funny, I wrote a lot of notes to use, but when I started talking I didn’t look at them once, so I talked a lot about things I didn’t plan ha.

So Ryan, your solo sounds sick. I want a video!!! To answer your questions. I had sardines the other day (big ones) that were fried with the heads on, and you just eat the eyes and everything ha. It was a little weird. Also, the mission is way different than I imagined it. I am loving it! It’s hard work... some days are super hard, but it’s always rewarding and I know the lord is helping me.

I can’t believe I have been out for 6 months... going on 7 now. It’s going by fast. Not super-fast... but it’s getting faster every day ha. It feels like I just left the CTM last week!

Oh!!! So my [debit] card stopped working... Brother P. let me call on his phone (It was collect so it didn’t cost him anything.) and when they asked me my security questioned I answered wrong ha. I had to call back and try again.... the problem was that I still had the Morgan Wieland address as my place of residence. But I got it on the second try. But they told me that they thought my card was stolen so they cancelled it... and sent another one on Feb 21... to the Morgan Wieland address. So I explained it all to them, and they canceled that card and sent another one to the right address! It should get there today or tomorrow. Please send it off to me with lots of letters as soon as you can ha! I’m a little mad they didn’t call to ask! They just canceled it and sent another card to an old address ha. Stupid bank.

Mom I’m glad you got the letter [B-day letter], and that it made you cry!! Remi, I’m so excited for you that you get to spend the 2 weeks with Ryan!! That will be so fun for you, buddy!

But anyway that’s all for now. It’s been a crazy week, and I am super excited to get to know my new area.

I love and miss you all.

Elder Miller

 

R's family at his Baptism, March 24, 2013.

 

 

Good bye Elder A. Silva!

Oiii!!! March 18, 2013

Oiii tudo mundo!!

Happy B-day mom!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 50 years old? I think so, ha!!! Only 551 weeks until I come home and can give you a big hug!! Whoo!

 

 

 

 

[Photo from my (Mom's) surprise B-day dinner. I received a wonderful missionary countdown block set. I was so proud that my guess for the picture was 551 days, when I got home and checked it was actually 558! But the next morning Remington pointed out that the block actually says "weeks." Now, that would be a L-O-N-G mission! The actual number is now 78 weeks! Tomorrow is the 6th month/Quarter mark!!!]

 

Thank you for the email; I loved hearing all about your weeks. Mom's B-day sounded super fun. You're are living it up!! Ha, Mom congrats on the progress with your novel and for stepping in Truman's poop [Don't ask.]. Remi, congrats on the back pack blower, you little stud. Dad email me back! ha

 

So this week was another good one. We found two awesome families and we have been teaching them almost every day! They are progressing really well and I am excited to see what happens. This coming Sunday we have a family that should be baptized. It's a single mom and her two sons ... Her sons love us, haha. We played soccer with them for about 10 minutes the other day (I'll send a pic) and afterwords cut their hair (in prep for their baptisms) ... They both said they wanted "hair like Elder Miller." Ha. We also did a huge family home evening with 3 families and watched "The Testaments," a movie from the church about when Christ visited the Americas. (Have you seen it?) It was so spiritual and lots of people cried. ha.

 

But hopefully next week we will have 5 baptisms!!!

 

Mom, only the jacket was missing from my package. I guess some mail worker was cold. I'm glad he wasn't hungry though, because the candy and peanut butter and protein bars were so good! Thank you!

 

I think that's all for now ... I'm having a serious brainfart. I will send some pics and try and think of more news!

 

But I love you all.

Tchau, [Good-bye]

Elder Miller

 

 

[I don't know what or why. Because they are guys and they can, I guess.]

Tranquillo March 11, 2013

Oii tudo mundo [Hello everyone?],

So this week was a good one! I’m not sick any more and I’m feeling great! Back to working out hard in the morning and walking all day in the sun ha!

So the big news!! We had two baptisms!!!!!!!! F. and R. F. is 18 and he is awesome. He wants to serve a mission and it is crazy how fast he has soaked up the gospel. We are teaching his family still and they have come to church the past two Sundays now! The mom and dad smoke but they are progressing well and should stop completely this week.]

R. is 14 and he was a challenge. We have been teaching him for a while and he has changed a ton. IDK [I don’t know] if you remember but Luis ( I baptized with Elder Arrioala) also is 14, and they have hit it off! They are super good friends and I think they are going to serve missions one day!!

R's mom also has changed a ton! She did NOT like the church at first and heard some things about baptisms for the dead... but she let us help R. because she was desperate for help ... but she came to church this Sunday to see his baptism and loved it!! We are teaching the whole family now and they have dates for their baptisms!

We marked 11 baptismal dates Sunday after church and had 10 investigators at church! Milagres [Miracles]!!

Also... I got my packages!!!! Thank you, thank you!! Everything was fine... except the jacket was missing? Was it stolen? I saw you bought insurance so you should use it if it was! But thank you so much, I loved it all! The work out band is awesome and the jump rope will be used a lot!

Other than that my week wasn’t too crazy. Oh, I saw a man bleeding out on the sidewalk and having seizures, but the ambulance got there at the same time we did, so there wasn’t anything we could do.

But that’s all for now. No, Mom I’m not sick. ha I’m not dying... Tranquillo [Chill?]. Sam … congrats!! BYU man!!! Que legal! [That’s cool!] Ryan how was the superman song?? Did you already perform? I want a recording!!! Remi … the backpack blower!!! Minha nossa! [Wow!] Your business is legit, Buddy!

I love you all,
Elder Miller

I’m sending pics!

Elders Miller and A Silva

Elder Miller with a ward friend who often goes tracting with them.

 

Um abraço March 4,2013

REMINGTON! Mom, Dad, Ryan, Jaimee and Sam!

Thank you for the emails!
So, this week was terrible!!!!!

JK [Just kidding] It was another good one. But I am sick : ( I got sick like three days ago ands it's really sticking with me : ( But I'm working through it and we are having success.

Remington!!!!!!! Before I forget, that blower sounds awesome. You are so rich with over 200 dollars!!! Buy me a car?

Mom and Dad, the new car is pretty sweet. It moved you up 20 cool points! (So you have 20 now. haha)

Ryan, to answer your questions: What's the craziest experience you've had lately? How long does snail mail usually take to get to you from the states? Do you miss American food? And what's your current companion like?

The craziest experience lately: I saw someone get robbed! It was crazy and it was far away so there was nothing I could do. But they were fine and no one got hurt.

I think it takes like a month for letters to get here... It's pretty slow. Sometimes three weeks or two and-a-half if you're lucky.

 

I miss American food... a lot ha. I would kill for In and Out, or Five Guys, or one of Dad's hamburgers!

My current comp is way cool. He's CRAZY and can be super scattered (It gets pretty interesting when we teach -- sometimes I have to tie things like the restoration in with college, or the plan of salvation with soccer -- he loses his train of thought. ha) But he is so excited about the work!!!!!!

But this week, our investigators weren't progressing super well. We didn't have baptisms, because they drank coffee!!! Dangit! But we are gunna have three this next Sunday! I know it!!! Coffee is a huge problem here ha! But we also found an awesome family this week, and they are soaking up the lessons. The mom smokes, but she wants to quit so bad! I'm very excited to keep working with them.

And we had 10 investigators in church this week! And they all loved it!! I was so excited to have that many there, because the week wasn't a super good one, but that helped make it a lot better.

But thats all for now!

Love you all and miss you all!!!!

Um abraço, [a hug]

Elder Miller