La Noche Buena

So basically Navidad was a success. The members were really awesome,
they gave us like whatever food. We had dinner the 24th with a member
family and it was fantastically delicious. It was funny a little bit
because they had the nonmember grandma there and she brought her own
bottle of wine to drink. She only drank one glass but funny especially
because her daughter was calling her inicua(Wicked) the whole time.

Christmas we had someone come to church and she loved it. We found her
the other day in an intercambio with the zone leaders and her husband
is a little more... He is going to take a little bit of time. She
wanted us to come back and teach her whole family. The coolest part is
that since the first time we found her she was saying that since she
moved to temuco from Santiago that she felt that the people arent
friendly or nice but after she went to church she said that church and
the people there were excactly what she needed.

After church we watched the President Monson movie and it was great. I
know that he is a prophet of the Lord. I know that the church is in
good hands because they are the lords hands.

Love,
Elder Miller

Navidad! Navidad! Me gusta la Navidad!

Bueno en estos tiempos Navidenas quiero compartir lo que significa
para mi la Navidad. Ojala que me entienden. Bueno, para mi es un
tiempo muy especial en que todos cambian y se acerquen. Es un tiempo
de alegria y perdon. Mas que nada es un tiempo en que recordamos a
Cristo. Que nació y que gracias a lo que hizó todo cambió.

                                                                 Christmas Zone activity

So back to English. I had a wonderful week highlighted by a Christmas
conference with the whole mission. Lots of familiar faces and a few
new ones as well. that was really cool to see. It was probably the
most spiritual thing that I have seen in a long time. I loved the
experience. Also sad to think that I am hitting all of my lasts in my
mission as I am reminded so much by the younger missionaries. We are
doing good and we have had a great week in Labranza. We are seeing a
lot of miracles and such. I learned how to make sushi this week so
watch out. It is basically the best thing ever.

                                                              Chato (Chilean Saying)

Love you all and have a Merry Christmas.

Elder Miller

                                                                The crew from the CCM

Christmas miracles.

This week was fantastic. Everything just seemed to work out. members
were actually available when we needed them, we were guided to the
houses that were ready to hear the message, and we had a wonderful
conference with Elder Bragg of the seventy.

Also this week we got a bunch of references. We decided to contact one
in the morning before lunch and even though we didn`t have a phone
number it was Saturday so we thought they would probably be home. They
were. They let us in. We taught. They committed to come to church. We
passed by in the morning and they were ready. In church we invited
them to get baptized and they, although still a little unsure,
responded in the affirmative. All of this in the span of 24 hours. It
was great.

Also this week we were contacting after our plans had fallen and
sharing the Christmas video. We were about done with the street and
decided to contact one more house. The house we contacted, although
very nice did not let us in to share. However as we return to the
center of the street the neighbor across the street is in his front
yard. We talk to him and he lets us in to talk with him and his
friend. Both don`t really believe in god but really friendly guys. We
share the Christmas video and they begin asking us questions. To
answer the questions we share the restoration of the gospel. Time was
up and it was getting late so we put an appointment to pass by in a
couple days. We invite them to end with the prayer and I, in all
seriousness, think this guy might have read king lamonis prayer before
because it was just about exactly the same. Then as we leave they tell
us that the first guy that we contacted in the street had seen us in
the window and was like,(Rough translation all of this was in Spanish)
"Lets talk with the Mormons" "¿Hablamos con los Mormons o no?" and
went outside so we could contact him.

Those are just some of the miracles of this week. Love you all and
hope that you have a wonderful week of preparation for la Natividad

Elder Miller

.

Temuco Cautin, la Zona de Animo y Fuego

So first off we got transfer calls and it was pretty weird. This zone
has been about the same for the 3 transfers I have been here. I am
staying with Elder Jorgensen much to his chagrin. No hes great. We are
doing pretty good.

This week we actually saw a lot of rain, and a lot of sun. it is weird
here in Chile. Also we walked alot. Just being normal missionaries. We
have been seeing a lot of miracles and support from the members. I am
going to share an experience from this week. We asked for a reference
from a sister in the ward, She gave us one and said that she had been
talking to her neighbors and was going to invite them to a family home
evening sometime. We were like great. Then we gave her a pamphlet to
give to the family. She immediately went over to knock their door to
give it to them. We are meeting with them on Friday.

Well that is really all I can think of.

Love you all,

Elder Miller

Ilumina el mundo (Light the World)

Photos found from Mission Face Book Page  

So this week the church started its Christmas initiative and it is
fantastic. So for those of you who haven`t seen it yet it is on
Mormon.org and there is an advent calendar of a whole bunch of
different things you can do to give service this Christmas season. I
love it because it focuses on how we can follow the example of Jesus
Christ.

This week was pretty great. We ended up having 
4 people in church and
that was really cool. for two of them is was their first time ever
going to one of our church services. They both seemed to like it.
Actually one of them offered to give us a ride to the church so that
was really cool. The other person we had taught once before and we
taught her with her family. Her family didn`t really want anything but
she knows a member in the ward that she went to school with before so
she met up with her and went to church. So that is another example of
how missionary work is much more effective with the members.

I am doing okay. The weather is kind of killing me because it is
really hot and then really rainy but that is fine.

I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT THANKSGIVING!!!!

So it was really cool because we actually had thanksgiving. They don`t
celebrate it here in Chile but a member knew that we had thanksgiving
as a tradition so she invited us over for a thanksgiving style meal.
Then in the night when we got home we made thanksgiving burgers.
Thanks Wendy`s for the experience. Overall it was pretty cool.

Well love you all.

Elder Miller

Heat wave!

  So it was really cloudy recently and it was raining again but now out

of the nowhere: SUN!

This week has been a good week. we have had to travel to Temuco so
much this week for district meetings, correlation, Zone conference
with president (It was great by the way), and a baptism of the other
elders in the ward. A bunch of fun if I do say so myself. Anyway the
investigators we have a doing good. Actually recently we got some new
pamphlets that finally got translated into Spanish about families and
temples and we are super excited to start teaching it.

Also today as a zone we played quittich. That was pretty fun. Actually
my team went undefeated. Not that we are counting but we are. Loads of
fun.

Recently I have been studying alot of Lehi's dream and I wanted to
share a scripture from it. So We probably all know that the dream is
first told in 1 Nephi 8 and then interpreted in 1 Nephi 11. So I just
wanted to share a verse from 1 Nephi 8 that talks about the people in
the big and spacious building. 1 Nephi 8: 34 "These are the words of
my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away."

I know that it is important to read the scriptures. As well it is just
as important to give heed, or listen to, people who scorn or mock what
we as member of the church believe. I invite you all to read these two
chapters and I know that you will feel the spirit as you do it.

Love, Miller


Photo from Elder Jorgansons blog bush  they found while out contacting  "It was so funny and we played with the nose and the whole bush was shaking and it was just hilarious."

The seventh day...

If you all remember last weeks email I told you a little bit about
some of the investigators. Well as it turns out I was right and one of
them is totally an Adventist. He is so Adventist that he doesn´t want
to believe. It kind of was lame.

Sometimes people are so convinced that something isn´t true that even
when they read they don´t learn anything because of the bad
misconceptions that they have had before.

Other than that experience we had a wonderful ward party. It was the
most fun that I have had at a ward party in my life but to be honest
it might  have been a little apostate. However all is well in Zion.
The ward party was like lip singing songs. They ward asked the
missionaries to do something. The Hermanas in the ward imitated a
baptist choir but we did a different song. I will try to send it but
no promises.

We also participated in a festival of nations. We went to represent
the united states. It was at a really big soccer stadium. the owner of
the stadium came by with his paparazzi and took a picture with us. That
was cool.

One of the elders in my zone had an idea to buy a big bag of ties.

Anyway This week I am going to leave you with 4 Nephi to read. Don´t
worry it is just one chapter.

Love you all.

Elder Miller

It appears that I cannot send the video but it is funny I promise.

                                                              Singing Praises

Keep it up

​                                                                   Photo: Kelton
This week was really quite interesting I am sure.

As far as investigators go we finally convinced someone to get married. Now all he has to do it go get the document from the civil. 

We are teaching a really interesting Adventist. He won`t actually confess to be an Adventist but I got a feeling that he is. 

Another has read like 50 pages of the book of Mormon after just one lesson.

We found one investigator when his wife answered the door and told us to go away and then he was like i want to listen to them. We got in and then found out that his wife is a member and he isn`t. Don`t judge her. Her husband had recently had surgery and she didn`t want to stress him.

That is just some of the fun things that are happening in Labranza city. It is pretty awesome.

Also suggested reading for the week. John 15. That was actually one of the things we talked about in zone meeting this week. It was great.

I really always forget to take pictures but here is one that shows how much it rains sometimes.

                                                                 Photo: Elder Jorganson

Insert from Elder Jorgenson ~ "So, this week I accidentally put my hand down on my razor and cut my hand open, but luckily my companion had some Minion Band aides ready for me, lol."

 So glad my minonary care pages was able to serve the missionaries. 

It's halloween?

That awkward moment when you don`t find out that it is Halloween until
you are already writing home to your family.

They don`t really celebrate Halloween here in Chile. the closest thing
that they had to celebrations were a bunch of evangelicals in the plaza
singing. I think they might of even been there against Halloween but I
wasn't paying attention. The only noticeable thing is that basically
all of the small stores are closed today.

This morning we played soccer on this big synthetic field here in
labranza. It started raining a little bit as we played but it didn`t
really matter for us.

This last week was getting to be a bit hot until today when winter
came back with all its rainy wrath. It hasn't been as bad as some
other times but nonetheless it gets you soaked. All in all though the
weather doesn't really matter.

This week was good. We found a lot of really cool families. Labranza
is a really cool place in general. We got a few different less active
families to come back to church this week as well. It was really great
seeing them there. Also yesterday we ended teaching this guy who
didn`t believe anything we said unless we backed it up with a
scripture from the bible. however we were able to do that even though
he had a lot of questions. Not lieing it was pretty amazing.

Anyway love you all.

Elder Miller

                                                                 Service            

Permiso

                                                                      

So this week was great. I did an exchange and I went to a town called Cunco.
It is basically Vilcun but on the other side of the volcano. I
felt a little nostalgic for my first sector. It was really fun being
there. It was also raining really hard. For basically this whole week
actually. Did I mention it is supposed to not be winter here. i`m not
sure that they know that. We had a load of fun though.
I am really happy today it is sunny again and it isn`t too hot yet.
This last week we worked really hard to find teach and bring them to
church but it turned out that actually arriving at church is always
the hardest part. The ward is really cool and we actually had a
primary program this week. It was really well done. I missed teaching
primary a little bit. Shout out to Valiant 9`s.

Also here everyone always wants to give us food. Lets just say that
the challenge is real. I think i am gaining more weight than when i
was in the office and didn`t walk all day. Also Chileans have a type
of pride that gets really offended if you don`t take their food.

This week i did a lot of studying and thinking, you might say
pondering even, about how god gives answers. in the scriptures it says
almost countless times phrases that say "ask and ye shall receive,
knock and it shall be open unto you, seek and ye shall find" Things
like that. The basic principle that we can learn from this is also a
principle that is taught much better by Elder Bednar about being an
agent. Acting and not being acted upon. Basically god wants to bless
us, answer our prayers but the answer cannot precede the question. As
we take the proactive to study and ponder and pray that is when God can
reveal things to us. Revelation then is things we learn from study and
that God then helps us understand on a deeper level than intellectual.
Anyways that is my soapbox for the week.

love you all

Elder Miller

                                                                       

Great week, great beach!

So this week we were really working hard and we did an intercambio
with some other elders. I got to work with elder Ivory here in
labranza. It was really cool. We also talked to some drunk people,
Contacted a bunch, taught a lot more, and played around just a little.

This week was really great and in my studies a learned some really
cool things in 3 Nefi about the sacrament.

 Also we did so much service this week as a district. I guess it is to
make up for the service that I haven`t done the rest of my mission. I
will attach a picture.

  Also today we went to Puertos saavedra. it is a cool beach. really
rocky but it is a great view. Also there is a lake that connects to
the ocean. I thought that it was really cool.

I don`t have too much time but love you all.

Elder Miller