Monday, June 24, 2013

Flooding and Flu


Oiii tudo mundo!

Well, this week was all right. I’m sick :( I got sick on Friday and I’ve just been working through it ... and it had almost gone away Saturday night, but last night it came back with a vengeance ha. I had a fever and I terrible headache... but I took some meds, slept a lot and my comp gave me a blessing and I’m feeling better now.

This week it rained a ton!!! Tamandaré flooded... (I’ll send pics) and it made it a little hard to work... but we were able to teach a good amount anyway. And we found an awesome family!!

All of our investigators are still progressing... and I am hoping we can get them baptized this week! I think the most likely is C. (D’s mom) so we are going to really focus on her ... and P. and L. as well.

R. (E’s boyfriend) is progressing really well!! Tomorrow we are going to mark a date with him!! He went to church for the second time yesterday and loved it.

The training is going well ... Elder Cruz is speaking really well!! [He’s a native Brazilian!] Ha no, but he is being positive and putting effort into his mission ... which I am really happy for. ha He’s been taking the lead on teaching the first lesson and it’s been going well. He is improving every time he does!!

Oh, I got a package this week!!!!! From me :((((( It was your Christmas package that I sent on Dec 5th with the soccer jerseys and a map of Paraná and a bunch of other stuff too. It went all the way to Florida and wasn’t delivered ... IDK why. But I’m mad. I spent 35 bucks on sending it!!!!

Ryan, email me you tur[key]!

Remi, scout camp sounds awesome!!! You’re not my big brother you punk ha I'm going to beat you up in the airport when I get home!

Mom, I’m so excited for the package! Can you throw in (along with whatever else you want)... more of the shampoo, maple syrup, Reisens and Reese’s, and a hard cover Book of Mormon in Portuguese (O Livro de Mormon) you’ll have to order it online I think... but they don’t ever have them in the temple here when the members go (I ask them to look for me). I really want one though! Ha (I want to mark all my fav scriptures and use it when I teach.)

Dad, I’m glad you liked the letter. Did you cry? Ha also, have you read Cleon Skousen's talk on the atonement? If not I suggest you do... it blew my mind! Mom and Ryan too! It’s an awesome talk!

But I’m going to send some pics now,

I love you all and miss you all.

Elder Miller

Oh, President Cordon leaves this week! Crazy!!! I’m excited to meet the new pres!
 
The flooding in Almirante Tamandare:
 






Elders Cruz and Miller

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Beleza June 17, 2013


Oii tudo mundo,

This week was awesome. It was a challenging week, for sure, but really spiritually lifting.

Training has been really fun. On Monday we went to the center of Curitiba with all the other trainers, and had a conference with President Cordon and training on “how to train.” Afterwards we left and went and slept in elder Reeve's new area with IC [?] in the more industrial part of Curitiba.

Tuesday morning we went back to the center and had another little training and then went outside to wait for our "sons". haha [Missionaries call the Elders they train their sons…] We stood in a line and waited until the group of new missionaries turned the corner and we all started singing "Called to Serve." Then we all walked inside and had a little conference/pep talk from Pres. Cordon and met our new comps! My son’s name is Elder Cruz! He’s a shoemaker from Brasil, from Rio Grande Do Sul (the most southern state in Brasil). He’s an awesome guy!

This week we marked two baptismal dates... one of them being with D’s mom!! I think she is really firm and I am really excited to continue helping her!

Also E’s boyfriend came to church this week. He saw all the changes that E. made and said he wanted to change too! So we will be going by this week and teaching him!!

The work is really going well here in Tamandare and I know we will baptize this transfer!

Dad... HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!!! I thought a lot about you this week and I wrote something* for you. I'm going to type it up and send it in an email after I send this one, because it would take a while to get there in a letter.

Mom I’m fine on money! But I’d love a package! Did you ever send the ham radio card or make the ham radio cards???

If you do send a package can you put reasons in there and Reese’s peanut butter cups and lots of fruity candy? ha I’m missing American candy and food!! And more deodorant would be great too :) love you, Mom. I’m excited you and Dad are taking dance classes and driving around with the top down. I hope I am as cool as you two when I’m an old fart! :)

Ryan... congrats on the sales, bro!!!! That’s a killer week. You are talented, bro!!! Keep it up.

Remington... "Big brother"??? I don’t think so ha. IDK why you signed your name like that, but you are still my little brother you punk ha. Have fun at scout camp and keep working hard to get that Eagle!!! Poor mom will be the only one without her Eagle haha
[I’ll have four, thank you very much!]

Well that’s all for now. I love you all and miss you all.

Tchau,

Elder miller


 

I was on a division with my District Leader and playing guitar at night... and it was a little cold in the house because they don’t have heaters… so I put the sheet on my head, and then Elder Een walked in and put the hat on my head, ha so he took a pic!

[Tissue warning: and excerpt from Elder Miller’s Father’s Day email.]

*Dad
I thought a lot about you this week ... I really can’t remember what day Father’s Day is (They don’t celebrate it here.) But I think it was yesterday, right? ha Regardless though, Happy Father’s Day, Dad!

I want you to know how much you mean to me and how much I look up to you ... not literally ;)

The other day I was studying, and I caught myself running my hand through my hair, exactly like you do when you read and study. I’ve noticed out here on the mish, how much I act like you ... it’s crazy!! From the way I stand and walk, to the cheesy jokes I make (and the devilishly handsome good looks) ... I am your spitting image. 

It’s funny how a son follows his father’s example. Not just with the big things, but even in the little mannerisms and personality. I think that’s why a father is so important ... Literally everything he does, will be mirrored by his sons, whether it be good or bad ... and for that reason, I am SO grateful for you, Dad. I am so grateful for your loving example, for your warm presence in my life, for the time you spent with me one-on-one, and for the way you raised me and my brothers ...

... thank you for everything dad. For your patience and love. I know it wasn’t easy raising me ha.

I hope one day I can be half the dad you are. That I can have a son writing me a “Father’s Day email” from some other country while he is on his mission ha.

I love you dad. I miss you A LOT. But I am so happy I’m here serving the Lord.

Love, your favorite son,
Elder Miller :)

Monday, June 10, 2013

Staying in Almirante Tamandare and the Curitiba Mission! June 10, 2013


Oii tudo mundo,

I don’t think I have ever had so much to write in one email!!! I don’t even know where to start!! I guess just by saying that this past week has been the best of my mission and one of the best of my life!!

A. and D. got married on Friday! It was a very simple, but none the less official!! I took lots of pics for them and after words Elder Reeves and I went and got them printed out and made a photo album (I’ll send a few) and took them the photo album and a copy of Jesus the Christ for A. (who is a member, Dad... he just hadn't come to church for about 10 years) that night when they had a few people over and bbq´d to celebrate.

Then on the day of D’s baptism tons of people from the ward went... and D’s mom, too! About 5 minutes before the baptism though... the power shut off. We all sat in the dark for a min... I started taking pics of everyone and blinding them with the flash ha (I’ll send some of those too) and then I started getting worried. I left the room and said a quick prayer (Elder Reeves did too) and then I grabbed some matches from the kitchen and lit them, to light up the room. haha After about 5 more minutes the power came back. We sang "Families Can Be Together Forever" and then A. gave the opening prayer. Afterwards I left a message [gave a talk], and got a little emotional in doing so. I talked about baptism and the significance of it (D. has come from a rough life) and I expressed how all of the guilt, sin and pain, from her past will stay in the water, and that she would leave completely clean (she started crying) and then I went on the explain the Holy Ghost, and I used the ironic example of how when the power went out we sat in darkness, and when I lit the match we were able to see... I compared the match to the Holy Ghost and how He "lights the way" in our life, so that we can navigate the darkness. Then I bore my testimony, and got pretty emotional. As I looked at that wonderful family and thought of them being sealed in the temple (which is a goal they have) I felt the spirit so strong.

Then after the baptism there was a special musical number. The sister really wanted to sing for D. Then our ward mission leader who was directing the meeting also decided to share a message. I just sat smiling and enjoying the sweet spirit that was present ha. Quite a few things went "wrong" but none of it mattered to Elder Reeves or me ha. We were on cloud 9!

Then yesterday was Ie’s baptism. She is such a sweet girl and it was awesome to see her boyfriend who wants to serve a mission baptize her. One of her friends in the water [?] left a message and got really emotional and they both cried together. It was once again a wonderful baptism!

We also marked two dates this week with some awesome investigators. And we had 9 investigators at church this week!!!!

BUT... the transfers. I’m staying!! [And that means Elder Miller will stay in the Curitiba Mission, when the mission is split July 1.]
 
And TRAINING!!! I’m pretty nervous. ha I leave today to the center of Curitiba for some training on how to train, and then I’ll get my greeny comp on Tuesday. IDK if he’s American or Brazilian but either way I’m STOKED!!

Dad I forgot to answer your q... on the house [they are building for a church member] I have been mixing and pouring a lot of cement and I helped lay some bricks, too!

Thanks for all the support... I have tons of pics to send so I'm going to send this email off now!!

Love you all,

Elder Miller

 


 Pics from the wedding


More pics from the wedding.
 


 
 D's Baptism
Also the Relief Society women pitched in and bought a wedding cake for A. and D.!
They have really been accepted well into the ward.



Also, here are those pics from the baptism... from when the lights went out. ha
 
I forgot to tell you... our iron is broken, so we have to heat it up on the stove to iron our clothes and it’s been working fine... but Elder Reeves was a little tired Friday morning and forgot he had left it on the stove...


 


Monday, June 3, 2013

A Baptism -- So Proud He's Popping Buttons June 3, 2013


E's Baptism, June 2, 2013
 
Oii tudo mundo...

This week was awesome!!! One of the best I have had on the mission!

It started off with finding an elect named I. We were eating lunch with a family in the ward and one of the sons who’s getting ready to go on the mission had his girlfriend over. I have seen her lots of times at church and always thought she was a member... Elder Reeves, too. ha We were both shocked to find out she’s not a member!!! We started talking to her and asking her basically why she hadn’t been baptized yet and she explained how her mom wouldn’t let her get baptized till she turned 18... she had already been taught the first lesson and prayed about the Book of Mormon (and got an answer) all about a year ago... She then told us she turns 18 this Tuesday (tomorrow) :)))) and that she wanted to hear the lessons. So this week we have been going by a lot and helping her get ready for her baptism that will be this Sunday!

Then on Thursday... we baptized E.!! She is such an elect and her baptism went so well. We had a good turn out from the ward which is surprising for a Thursday. The Bishop gave a little message and welcomed her to the ward and the spirit was very strong when he was talking. Something funny though... my baptismal pants are a little tight ha I have to suck in to button them.... not because I’m getting fatter though, they were like that when I left. They're the ones you gave to me, Dad... which I don’t know how you fit into them either ha... Anyway, they have worked just fine up until now and I’ve never had a problem... but when I was baptizing E., as I bent down to pick her up out of the water the button popped off. haha... No one noticed but I quickly hurried out of the font because it was pretty obvious haha.

 [I think they might know now, Elder! You do remember all those times you hacked my Facebook...]

But on Sunday she received the Holy Ghost and later on in gospel principles [Sunday School class], the lesson was about baptism, and the brother teaching the lesson asked her lots of question about her baptism... he asked her how she felt during the baptism and she explained how when she was under water she felt like her sins were leaving her and that she was being cleaned in the very moment. It was so cool hearing her testimony. And she said she felt an incredible warmth when she received the Holy Ghost, too!

E. and G. are doing well too. Last week we re-invited them to read and pray about the Book of Mormon (They hadn’t prayed about it yet.) Then at the end of last week we did a family home evening with E., G. and A. and D. and all their kids. At the time we didn’t know it, but E. and G. had gone to the doctor the day before to see about E's leg (It’s got a bullet in it, that can’t be removed). The doctor explained that he wouldn’t ever be able to bend his leg at the knee again or to control that movement. Then after the family night was over, he was trying to explain to A. what the doctor said... and out of nowhere lifted his leg up (bending it at the knee). He was shocked and G. was too! G. cried a little, actually, because she was so happy. But when we went by this week we asked if they had read and prayed... and he explained how they had both read and prayed right before the family night, and that they were waiting for their answer... and they both felt that his leg miraculously being able to move was their answer! I hadn’t even thought of it like that! But it’s crazy to see the way God works! They are now getting their documents together so they can legally get married and then get baptized :)

Also, this week we have been building a house for a lady in the ward... she was living in a shack basically, made of rotten wood, and it didn’t have a bathroom (IDK what she was doing-- maybe using her sisters that lives down the street), but all the Priesthood brethren have gotten together and started building her house, and Elder Reeves and I helped quite a bit, too. It so awesome seeing how grateful she is, and being able to serve with such an awesome Priesthood body.

Also we have had a lot of success with our other investigators and found a few other new [investigators] that have lots of potential.

This weekend we are getting ready for a marriage and two more baptisms!!! D. and A. are going to get married this Friday!! And she will be getting baptized on Saturday!! The Ward wants to do a little reception for her and A. on Saturday after the baptism so we are super excited for that!

Dad, there is going to be a lot more of that in my life! [They are talking about Reece sitting on random bulls sitting along the road -- see earlier post!] I want to run with the bulls in Spain!! And actually ride one, too, like in a rodeo!
 
Mom, I wasn't robbed! [His bank balance suddenly disappeared, so of course I worried.] It costs 5 dollars every time I take money out or even look at my balance, so I just do everything at once. Don't worry!

Ryan!!! HAPPY BDAY!!! Para bens pra voçe!! 24 years young!! I’m so stoked for you Ryan. I’m glad sales are going well! I knew you’d get the hang of it! Your B-day sounded fun and I almost wish I could have been there ha... I’ll just miss one more though... and the 26th we will party together!! I have a few things I’ve already bought for you and for everyone in the fam, but it’s expensive to send them... so you will have to wait another year and 3 months to get your presents... sorry bro ha. But I love you and I am so grateful to have you as a big brother. Thank you for your example bro. um abraço!!

Remington, I love you too buddy. I hope you’re doing great. Only 3 more days of school!!! You lucky bum! What are your plans this summer???
 
Love,
Elder Miller