Batismos January 27, 2014

This week we BAPTIZED! Not one! Not two! Not three! Not four! But FIVE!!!! Ate que em fim!!! [Until that in order. ?] We baptized I., the lady we have been working with for a while and J. an investigator we found two weeks ago... and we found a family of three who had been to church several times, but were never baptized. A month ago they tied the knot and they wanted to change their lives. We showed up and re-taught them the lessons... invited them to be baptized and they happily accepted. Our Bishop is a good friend of the husband’s and he baptized him! It was sweet!!

Also, I.'s son F. who is 22 and daughter T. who is 25 went to church... They loved it and we are going to start working with them now.

This week I did 14 baptismal interviews!!! I ran around like crazy and we had 15 baptisms in total in my district... as far as I know it’s a record in the mission for baptism is one district in one week... Só milagres! [Only miracles!]

A few annoying things happened this week: Elder Perez was transferred this morning IDK [I don’t know] why! My new comp is elder Paz... it means peace... he should be pretty chill haha. He’s from Espirito Santo (a state in Brasil... it means Holy Ghost haha).

Mom... I think I get home September 7th as it is... but they told there are lots of missionaries wanting to go to school in the fall and President will let us go a few week early if need be... please let the scholarship people at BYUI know that... I didn’t think they understood ha. I finished the essay questions and I’ll type them up here in a sec... The answers aren't very good. I didn’t have much time or inspiration this week. ha

Dad! Congrats on the weight loss! You shed the weight! And the work bench sounds like it’s coming along well.

Ryan, it’s good that you’re bored... it means you will write me more ha. Good idea with the gym membership... that’s what I did when I was bored... And art... for you I think saxophone would be the equivalent.

Remington, you bike-riding stud!! You are a trooper. And I bet your legs are strong as an ox by now. Keep up the hard work.

I love you all and I will send pics!
 

Elder Miller

From the back and forth:

Dad: How was lunch?

Elder Miller: It was good. Chicken stroganof (I have no idea how to spell that.) beans and rice and salad and mashed potatoes...

The owner of the Lan house (where we use the computers) is a member of the church and she makes lunch for us on p-day!

Pics:

Elder Perez was pooped

The view from our house.

Coffee we took from the family we baptized… We traded them for juice. ha

Doodles January 20, 2014

So this week was good. I. accepted the invitation to be baptized . . . not for this Sunday but the next . . . I think she was a little scared by the invitation and it didn’t go as well as we had hoped . . . But this next Sunday she will be baptized! And we took a guy to church named J.! He’s elect . . . and hopefully he will be getting baptized this next Sunday too!

I think my district is going to baptize a ton this week! Everyone has someone to baptize! I’m probably going to interview a ton of people this week aha but I’m excited and I want to get started already!

Mom, I finished up the essays and will send them today... and President should finish his part this week as well. He said, "If you’re worthy to be out here in the mission, you’re worthy to be at BYU." haha And yes you could probably use the bull, [Painting of a rodeo rider Reece did for Scott’s office.] but I didn’t like it very much . . . I think I can do way better.

Dad, the work bench looks great . . . now I can make more sense of the pics from last week. Congrats on losing weight! You weigh less than me! ha

Ryan, where are my pics of Universal??? That is sweet you can just drive home now and surprise the family. I want to hear more about work though . . . like sales and stuff. Fill me in bro!

Remington . . . that’s sweet you don’t have school! Enjoy your bike ride and time at the mall . . . buy some Vans for me!! Ha

I’m going to send some pics of drawings I did this week. I don’t have much time to draw but some of them are cool.

I love you all!
Elder Miller

Interesting Transfer Jan 13, 2014

So this week was interesting...

Elder Lima was transferred and my new companion is Elder Peres from Chile! He still doesn’t speak much Portuguese so it gives me more time to practice Spanish. haha I was his district leader in Almirante Tamandare and I have already been on several divisions with him. He is way cool and a nice guy! It’s gunna be a good transfer.

Also... I’m now in my 6th transfer as district leader... and up until now I have never had sisters in my district... but this transfer they changed the areas around in the zone... so my new district is me… Elder Perez... and 8 sisters. haha. It’s gunna be interesting.

The couple that stopped us in the street went to church and liked it... We went by during the week and explained the Book of Mormon (they had lots of questions about it) and we invited them to read and pray... Unfortunately, instead of praying and asking God... the husband asked the internet... and now they don’t want anything to do with the church :(

BUT we do have an investigator named I. who will hopefully be baptized this week. It’s going really well with her.

We are working like crazy here... and having little success... But it’s going to be a good transfer and I’m going to stay positive regardless of what happens.

[NOTE: With application deadlines looming, we are having to re-apply to college on behalf of Elder Miller, so we had asked him a lot of questions to get it right. And we had encouraged him to send home pictures of any artwork he’s done to re-apply for his art scholarship--thus, the photos.]

Mom, I prefer an exercise physiology major if they have it. And an art minor... basically my focus is dental school and when I was at BYU Idaho, they said an exercise physiology major covers most of the pre-dental courses needed. (Also I like the idea of learning more about fitness... I love working out.)

I just found out that this fall BYU will be opening a DENTAL SCHOOL!!! [This may have been bad information from a spoof.] That’s convenient! ha Please look into that and what I need to do to go there. I think a health since [science?!] major would allow me to fulfill pre-dental requisites but I’m not sure. Also...in Rexburg I was the Sacrament coordinator for a semester. I’ll get working on the essays today.

Oh, and in respect to the art scholarship... I don’t think you can use the owl painting or the painting I did for Dad's office because basically I copied other artists' styles. You probably could use the golf course painting and peacock painting though... they were painted from photos.

Also, I took and edited some pics here on the mish that you might be able to use... I’ll send them in an email and you and Dad can see what you think... I’m also drawing a few things... They are a little random, but next p-day I will send a pic of those as well.

Dad... I didn’t get any pics the workstation... can you send them again? And please help Mom with my art scholarship stuff. I trust your artistic eye ha. I hope that I get one again!

Ryan... it sounds like you are having fun out there! Have you made a sale yet? How does the sales process work now? It sounds like you have a lot of responsibilities now.... and I wish I was there to enjoy your car as well... and Dad’s car ha.

Remington. I love you, Bud. I miss you a bunch. I’m sorry you were bummed about going back to school. Keep your head up buddy. You’re almost done already. Make sure you keep going to seminary because you need to graduate!!!
I love you all,
Elder Miller

From the back and forth:

Yep, I got them now. [Pics Scott sent of the workbench he’s building.] It looks cool. I can’t quite understand everything you are going to do, but it sounds sweet. Are you going to stain or paint the wood? Did you use the router a lot?

Right now those were just pics I took on the mish. I might draw one with pastel today... 

I just messed with the tone curves in a simple program.

First of a new year! January 6, 2014

Oi todo mundo!

This week was ok.....

I think I’ll start off with New Year’s... On New Year’s Eve day we knocked doors until like 8 o’clock when everyone started drinking and then we went home and made some food and waited for the fireworks to start. Here in Brasil there is no such thing as illegal when it comes to fireworks... So New Year’s is very loud. ha At midnight we climbed out the window onto our balcony/ledge and filmed the fireworks. It was pretty cool but not a very fun New Year’s over all. ha

But on New Year’s Day... we went to A. and M’s and I got to realize a life-long dream of mine... I killed a chicken. haha We had been talking with them the week before about how M. grew up on a farm and had to kill chickens and stuff and I commented that I wanted to kill a chicken... so on New Year’s day we went to a neighbor’s house (that sells chickens) and bought one. ha We had to cross a river on a super sketchy bridge/gondola... I’ll send pics. (Dad it reminded me of when you fell in the river in Ecuador... haha)

The sketchy bridge.

But then we headed back to their house and A. sharpened a knife and I killed the chicken. ha I think they thought I wouldn’t do it... but I did... And then Maria cleaned it and cooked and we ate it. It was pretty good… I felt like Bear Grylls. ha

 Walking back with the chicken.

The chicken after it was cooked.

Being dumb with A. ha

[Please note that the tough guys have yarn in their hands!]

As far as the work goes... Elder Lima was transferred and will be leaving tomorrow...

The highlight of the week was probably when a couple stopped us and said they wanted to know more about our church. We went to their house Saturday morning and taught them an awesome lesson about the restoration and they went to church and Sunday and loved it. They are super cool and really sincere.

Mom... I’m sorry New Year’s was lame... mine was too ha. With the BYU stuff what did you find out? I want to know more about that! And nope... I’m still a little sick. I already went to the doctor and I’m taking medicine and getting better.

Dad... I’m sorry you had to go back to work ha... it’s good that your car is a tiny bit faster than Ryan’s haha. You two need to have a drag race ha

Ryan... your car is sweet!! Congrats, bro. You are doing really well for yourself. Were you able to get into my BYU-I account?

Remi... Family Fun Center sounds fun! And going to the dump even more fun haha for you. The spiral Christmas trees sound sweet too bud. Way to keep the house decorated! ha

Love you all... I’ll send pics
Elder Miller