Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Hi from Mostoles!


Hi from Mostoles!
It was a really good week, and a fun one as well. I made a delicious
M and M milkshake last preparation day and it was delicious. Also, I made taco soup again this week, and it was delicious as usual.
That’s awesome that Oliver was born. Congratulations to the Hopkins! The pictures you sent worked way good, thanks for sending those.
Our running at 6:30 is still going way good and is usually about 30 minutes, taking different routes daily. While I was on exchanges in Badajoz, Elder Jensen and I did a way cool run as well. We ran to the castle wall, and ran along the top. It was way cool with the sunrise and an awesome view, and a 30 to 40 foot drop on one side over the wall. It was what I would think it would be like running along the Great Wall of China, or at least as close as I’ll probably ever get. Then we ran back, and it was about 40 minutes with some pretty good hills. The wall had a bunch of stairs we would go up and back down.
I was able to see Badajoz and Caceres on Monday and Tuesday, and they were both just awesome. We were going to go to Merida, but decided there wasn’t enough time today. So we just took the bus home this morning. It was 5 hours home on the bus and then a 30 minute train ride to our piso, and that was the express bus with only 2 stops and super comfy chairs and enough space. Can you imagine the other buses the semi direct and indirect?
We got to Caceres after a 4 hour bus ride Monday, and then checked the elders’ piso and locutorio that they use to do email. The elders there had made us lunch, which was awesome of them, and they had a way clean piso. Then another hour and 15 minutes on the bus took us to Badajoz where we just bought cereal and went in for the night. When we got to the piso, Elder Jensen and his companion had a huge pot of chili waiting for us. It was awesome, and they had a way clean piso as well. We also got to go to a Japanese restaurant owned by a member in Badajoz yesterday during medio dia. It was delicious, and it was free. They have the missionaries over to eat there weekly, how awesome.
Elder Jensen and I had a good time on exchanges, and were able to teach their miracle of an investigator that he talked about in his email, named Francisco. He is amazing for sure, and it was an awesome lesson.

I cut my own hair with Elder Glad’s buzzer, and then Elder Brown, my companion, faded it for me. It was pretty simple, but scary and turned out well. It was free and looks like it was done by someone I paid.
Last Thursday, there was a baptismal interview for one of the Fuenlabrada investigators, and I got to do the interview because the district leader, Elder Slade had taught her, and so it is protocol for either my companion or I to do the interview. Elder Brown did Clever’s interview and so he had me do this one. I was pretty nervous, but I did the interview of Alejandra. She is an amazingly well prepared 13 year old, whose mother was activated after I left there. She has an awesome testimony and it was such an amazing experience.
On Friday, I got pooped on by a bird right on my shoulder. It was gross. I finished my 2nd journal as well on Friday.
We got to teach Wilson on Friday, and he told us he was going to do baptisms for the dead on Saturday at the Madrid temple and had done his interview with the bishop the night before. He is just awesome.
Elder Brown and I are having a great time in our area, and loving it. We get along way good and have a bunch of fun together.
Summer stormed in with a super hot Saturday and Sunday. It was 85 degrees I think, and just torched us. At least we didn’t get burned by the sun, just super hot to work in.
It was Romanian Easter on Sunday, and we got these way cool Easter eggs dyed by 2 of our Romanian investigators this weekend. They have leaves or flowers and are red mainly, but also some green and blue. Each of the investigators gave us one of them. They are really cool, and it was neat to see their traditions are similar to ours. One of the Romanians is Christina, who is just awesome. She is progressing well, and reads and prays daily. She asks awesome questions and gives awesome answers. She will hopefully keep on working towards baptism, so pray for her. I love you so very much, and have a great week.

Much love from Spain.

Elder Miller

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Elder Morgan Miller

 
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Hey how’s things?



Hey how’s things?

It sounds like life is just nuts around home. Good job on the Eagle Project Evan; it should be fun to use, too. We went to the Reina Sofia Art Museum today, and it went well, I guess. We are right near there and near Atocha Station. Actually, we are in the locutorio that Elder Ott and his companion use, and right across from their piso. I don’t know if we will see them. We just had some way good dunor kebab around here as well. So at the Reina Sofia, the best parts were the big glass elevators, the people asking us for help and if we work there, the gift shop, and the fact that I have now looked at 4 ginormous rooms of Picasso stuff from a French museum. It gave me a headache, and we were there for 3 1/2 hours. We saw way too much art in a way cool building. We saw Guernica, I think that’s how you spell it, and it was breathtaking. There were photos that had 8 different steps along the way to its creation. It was crazy to see how it changed and evolved into what it is.
With transfers, well the emergency kind, Elder Baxter received Elder Finlay as a companion and moved back to Alcorcon. So now it’s down to 4 in the piso, and 6 in the district. Our area has lots of pueblos as well; kind of random... but pueblos I have been to for members, investigators, and potential investigators so far are: Villaviciosa, Navalcarnero, Parque Quimbra, San Martin de Valde Iglesias, Arroyomolinos, and those are just the ones I have been to. So the area of Mostoles and the many pueblos are awesome. I love it.
Wilson, the guy that got baptized the Saturday before I got here brought his dueƱo to the capilla on Sunday. It was way super cool, and we taught him after the meetings in the capilla. It was awesome, he is a 40 something year old Spaniard, maybe high 30’s. We will see how things progress there. Clever and Wilson both received the priesthood on Sunday, and that was awesome. They both got there baptismal certificates that they loved, and then the barrio bought them each “Preach my Gospel” to help them with member missionary work. Pretty cool stuff.
Also, I did two exchanges this week. One in the other Mostoles area with Elder Glad on Thursday night and Friday morning, which was way fun; then another yesterday starting on Monday, with Elder Slade in Fuenlabrada. Oh yeah kind of random, but our piso number is actually 35. So it was great to be back in Fuenlabrada, and to visit Talavera. We got to meet with their investigator with a baptismal date for Friday. My companion or I will interview her tomorrow at the Fuenlabrada capilla.
I got to see Amos, Miriam’s husband, but not Miriam. Also, I got to go to a noche de hogar at Rubie’s house. She is an old Colombian woman, and her daughter’s family came over the week I left Fuenlabrada. They are an awesome family. Just an update dad, Medellin has 3 or 4 stakes, and Cartago has a barrio of 150 members. So you definitely planted a lot of seeds on your mission, and they have been harvested.
Elder Peterson wrote Eliza. That would be cool if she wrote him back, I don’t have his email address, but his mom would.
Holy cow I can’t believe Lance Lowry got his mission call to Kennewick, Washington. That’s just crazy.
I will go with July 11, 2009 on my prediction for Sarah’s baby. Just kidding! But I will guess May 2, at 5 pounds 6 ounces, and at 3 o´clock in the afternoon.
My heart goes out the Whites and to Jake especially. I hope all goes well with his recovery.
Thanks for everything. I love you guys so much. Hopefully all continues to go well with the work over here. We have exchanges on Monday in Badajoz with Elder Jensen.

Much love from Spain.

Elder Miller

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Elder Miller's piso in Mostoles

 
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Hi from Mostoles!


Hey everybody! Things are great in Mostoles!

It was just nuts not to go home to Segovia last week, but rather stay in the city. We go on exchanges with the elders in Badajoz the 4th week of this transfer, and the 3rd week is my old area, Fuenlabrada. It should be fun. I will get to visit Caceres, Badajoz and Merida. Also, I get to go to Fuenlabrada and Talavera for piso checks in the zone, and for district meetings, and exchanges. We just lump the first 3 into one 24 hour period. Its 5 hours down on a Monday to Caceres to check the piso, and then a half hour to Badajoz, I guess, and then exchanges on Tuesday. We will spend preparation day in Merida, and then home on the bus again. So it should be an action packed long trip.
I’m living with 4 other elders, not just 3. There is a trio along with the two of us. The trio is Elders Brown (different one), Baxter, and Glad. So it is crazy to be living a different way completely than I was in Segovia.
Exchanges with Elder Manning in Barrio 2 were awesome. We were in the car, which was way sweet. Barrio 2 includes the Plaza de toros in Madrid, which is the main bull ring. It was way cool to see. We taught 3 lessons that night, and had a great time. Last Friday we had zone leader meeting at the mission home. That is the first week of every transfer. We got to eat delicious food, cinnamon rolls for breakfast and Hawaiian haystacks for lunch. It was great, and I just love Hermana Farnsworth’s cooking. Also, the interviews went great. We talked on goals, and the assistants talked on stepping stones. It went great and there was yummy Texas sheet cake from Hermana Farnsworth as usual.
The capilla is awesome. The address of our piso is Calle Magallanes 5. It is near some parks and Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, and renfe stop El Soto. Our building looks like a bunch of crosses all hooked together from an aerial view. We are going to an eating appointment today with all of the 5 elders in our piso here in Mostoles. Then we have one on Saturday that is with a British man and his Spanish wife. They are awesome members, and he is from Liverpool. We are going to have tacos.
That is a bummer that the ski resorts are closing this week. I hope Evan got lots of chances to go. I’m glad Evan is finally finishing his Eagle project. Good luck Ev. You should tell Isaac’s brother to go over to the Frisbee Park and try it out. Zach is a pro at Frisbee golf.
There was a baptism here in Mostoles of a Brazilian man named Clever last week. He is just amazing and so humble. Also, the zone leaders had a baptism the Saturday before I got here. So on Sunday, there were 2 confirmations at church that went sweet. The members just did the whole thing, and they really focused on the importance of using different members and letting them exercise there priesthood. At the baptism of Clever, there were 40 members there supporting him, and it was just amazing to see. At the capilla on Sunday, there were 117 in attendance. I am just blown away still at the blessing it is to be here.
An amazing Colombian investigator came to church. He is named Arley. His 3 yr old, Alexander was just loved to death by the members. It was awesome to see. He stayed all 3 hours. Also, I translated for a Nigerian recent convert, during investigator and recent convert class. There are about 10 or 11 who attend the class weekly. It is just amazing here, and I love it.
Thanks so much for everything, and much love from me to you.

Love,
Elder Miller




Thursday, April 10, 2008

9 months!


Hey everyone!
Yesterday, myldsmail messed up on us, and so we are using our contacting time with you today. We used half an hour before we realized there was a problem, and then it was too late to send or anything. So sorry about the scare, and hopefully this works. I am in Mostoles, the area that was where Elders Manning and Clark were serving when I came into the mission. Elder Ott is a zone leader in Cuatro Caminos in Barrio 5, so over Segovia, Salamanca, and Villalba, where he and I have served. I am down here as zone leader with Elder Brown, a cowboy from St. Johns Arizona. He is just stupendous, and I have so much to learn from him. Elder Jensen is the Badajoz district leader and I get to do exchanges with him. Also, I go to Fuenlabrada to do exchanges. I live in the same piso I sent home pictures of a while back when Elder
Van Dyke and I were staying here during the floor remodel. So it is pretty crazy. I live with a trio of Elder brown (a different one who was Elder Peterson’s MTC companion), Elder Baxter who I lived with in Fuenlabrada for 7 weeks, and Elder Glad who is in his 5th transfer. They are all way awesome, and I am way excited for this area and transfer and companion and companions of the piso.
We have a barrio of about 110 active members, including the auxiliaries I haven’t been around yet (young men, young women, primary). So the Primary is about 30 kids, and there are just awesome members to take to charlas and stuff. Elder Brown is 23, and so is the other Elder Brown. My companion Elder Brown works on a ranch, and went to the Air Force Academy for 2 years. His dad is a lawyer.
We have exchanges with the assistants this coming Monday to Tuesday night. We have interviews that we have to prepare a lesson for on Tuesday. Also, we have pedidos meeting every Monday in Pavones at the stake center to pick up the mail and recieve the announcements.
We are a zone of 3 districts including our own, so exchanges are in Badajoz and Fuenlabrada. I will be going on exchanges with Elder Manning in Barrio 2 in the car, so that should be fun. It’s kind of crazy, and I didn’t ever expect any of this.
The baptism went just peachy with Kenneth. President and Hermana Farnsworth came, and it went just great. Kenneth was a little nervous, and I forgot to say his name the first time. But, I only got half way through before President caught it and started me over. There were 24 of us there, including the temple zone leaders and an investigator, Elder Jensen and his companion, then 3 families of relatives of Patricio and Mayra. It was great, and how could I forget Presidente Galera. It is sad to be leaving that wonderful and beautiful city.
Here it looks a ton like Fuenlabrada, by the way. Oh, and Elder Peterson got an amazing companion, named Elder Lindstrom from Idaho. He was an office elder, and just got out after 5 transfers, so he should be raring to go and work like a mad man.
Sorry about the email thing, but I will try to find out at this zone conference or next.
That is sweet you have your license Evan, good luck and watch out for the black ice and the left turns without an arrow....
Conference was fantabulous. I just loved it, and learned so much. Alvaro wasn’t able to go to conference up in Valladolid, but he should continue his church attendance up there. Also, the family of Andres, Humberto and Rubiela hopefully will progress towards baptism.
But I’m here now, and its kind of weird. We have had some awesome lessons, and correlation, and today was planning session. Yesterday for preparation day, we went to Xanadu, that mall I went to with Elder Van Dyke. So, I hope all is well over there, it sure sounds like it. I can’t believe its 9 months tomorrow. So, I just want you guys to know I love you, and I will try to not let myldsmail mess us up next week, but we will see.

Much love from me to you guys.

Elder Miller


Wednesday, April 2, 2008

It's April


Morgan Miller (elder.miller@myldsmail.net)


Hey Mom thanks for the crazy Easter pictures. I can’t believe that all my little cousin buddies are all growed up. They are all towers.

We have transfers this weekend, along with the baptism and General Conf., so craziness basically.

To start out, we taught Fructuoso again, and it went great. He didn’t have a problem with anything we said. But he did not understand the difference between us and the catholic church, and encouraged us to talk to their missionaries because we would get along really well with our same desires, work, and standards... kind of funny, but it is going to take a couple more times I think for him to understand apostasy. He is still amazing. He has this awesome watch that tells you the time because he can’t see the face. He is ordering me one, and I am so excited for it. It will be super sweet.

Alvaro came to church again this week and it was just awesome. We taught him also for the 2nd and 3rd times this week. He will be up in Valladolid for a birthday party this weekend, and we are hoping he will be able to go to one of the sessions of conference that are broadcast by satellite to the capilla there. We will be attending in Madrid, and one of us will probably have all of our bags with us for transfers. Andres, Juan, and their parents Rubiela and Humberto are just awesome. We taught them Thursday after zone conference, and then Saturday we took over a bunch of United States candy for Juan’s birthday. Then on Sunday, we taught them again. They are just amazing, and say all of the prayers, and read the scriptures, and answer the questions really well, and have amazing questions, and comprehend what we teach and are able to explain it back. They are just awesome! I will be sad if I get transferred away from this amazing companion in a down right awesome city and a home away from home family of a rama. I love it here!

Zone conference went just awesome as usual.

Oh, I just remembered an awesomely funny fad that went around like wild fire. It was the final four balls when Utah was in the final four in San Antonio. How sweet! We went to every 7/11 in the valley. At least it felt like it. They were orange and yellow and red. I don’t know what made them so cool, and a must have because I am a BYU fan, but that’s what I love so much about those hilarious fads. You look back and just realize how ridiculous they were. Got to love it!

I broke a bed. It is really a crappy situation, and I have to pay for it. It will go on the credit card I believe, and cost about 105 euros. It is really lame because the bed is supposed to have 6 legs and the ones in our piso have the spot for the 5th and 6th but no middle legs. So we are meeting with our dueno. I just sat to hard and it half- snapped right in the middle on a knot in the wood and the screw in spot for the other 2 legs. It is only broken on one side, so we will see what happens with the dueno of the piso today. We had exchanges on Monday and I was in Valladolid with Elder Lambert. It was a blast. I always love exchanges.

I can’t wait for conference. I encourage all reading this email to watch at least 1 entire 2 hour session. I encourage all reading this email who want to be spiritually uplifted by the prophet and apostles and leaders of the church of Jesus Christ, to watch all 4 sessions- each and every minute of the 2 hour sessions, and take notes as prompted by the spirit on things that can better your lives. You probably won’t have time to do the second thing, but try your heart out to do it.

I just love this work, and this country. Day-light savings time was this week on Saturday night. I don’t know why it is different here.

See you later.



Love from Segovia,

Elder Miller