Transfers

From: elder.miller@myldsmail.net

As far as transfers goes, here’s the scoop: I am still here in Barrio 5, and Elder Weinert completed his mission and went home to Tennessee. Elder McBride went to be a Temple Zone Leader in Barrio 6. Hermana Salas, from Barcelona went to Barrio 6 also. The new faces in the district are Elder Glad replacing Elder Weinert as District Leader. He was my District Leader back in Mostoles my 6th transfer. We get along way well and he is way funny. He is from Copper Hills, Utah. Hermana Thompson is training a new missionary from Emery High in Castledale, Utah named Hermana Swasey. Right now my new companion and I are emailing together at a locutorio or internet store, and we did a temple session together this morning. I am with Elder Finlay, my companion from the Madrid CCM, which is just crazy. It really shows that we have both matured a lot, and it is fun to be back with him. So now I have been companions with both my Provo MTC companion and my Madrid CCM companion in the field as well. It’s really weird that I will be here in Barrio 5 for one more transfer and then 2 more in just one more area. It’s sad to think about. It was also sad to see Elder Weinert and Elder McBride leave, and its always different getting used to teaching with a new companion and stuff. I am excited for the usual exchanges, interviews, piso checks, locutorio checks, Mission Council and that stuff.
Elder McBride’s dad’s surgery went amazingly well, better than expected. It was under a 50 percent chance that he would live before, but he will recover and be better than before the surgery because they took some platelet thing out of one of the valves that was causing him mini strokes regularly. So it was amazing.
I am so excited for Thomas´ baptism on the 20th. He is so awesome, today he is moving into Quirico’s piso so that he isn’t living in the hostal with single women. He also committed to keep the law of chastity and the word of wisdom. We have taught him 6 times with 6 different members and he has been to church twice now. He does his reading, prays and receives answers from the Lord consistently during personal study and the lessons. It is just awesome. He talks about our church, and asked Andres, the recent Spanish convert of 4 months, to baptize him. It is just a miracle. We are going to finish up teaching him in the next 5 lessons and then take him to the Joseph Smith movie on Saturday. He will have his baptismal interview next Thursday. Pray for him please.
Manuel is doing well and passed all of the baptismal interview questions when we went through them to give him a feel for the interview, except the word of wisdom. I hate cigarettes. He needs some help with that and so he asked for a blessing and we are going to give him one tonight. We are going to have a member who is 18 and just got the Melchizedek priesthood to give the blessing. It will be a great opportunity for Jaad, from Colombia, and Manuel Robledo the baptismal candidate. By the way dad, Jaad´s family was baptized in 1981 or 82 and he wanted me to ask if you know his family. It is the Torres family and they were baptized by Elder McCoy and Elder Calderon, a Colombian, in a city right near Cartago, Colombia. I wrote down the city but I don’t have that planner with me.
Agustin and Gisela were at church on Sunday again with little Agustin, and then Thomas, and Oliver too. It went way well and there were 149 people there, a record since I have been here in Barrio 5. There are usually around 115ish on Sunday, so that was awesome. Right now we have had to drop quite a few investigators and we are in the search for new ones. We mainly just have Thomas, Manuel, Agustin and Gisela and kind of Quirico and Carl, but neither of them is progressing real well right now.
Elder Gorts is coming to our mission again and we have a Zone Conference with him on the 19th. I am way excited. On my mission we have had Elder Johnson of the Seventy come, and Elder Viñas of the Seventy as well. Elder Lopez visits regularly. Elder Gorts is coming for the second time, and Elder Bednar. It has been amazing to hear from them all.
I am loving the work, and learning more than ever as we try to apply the teachings of Elder Bednar. It really has revolutionized my mission.
I love you all a ton and I hope you all have a great week. Much love from Spain.
Love, Elder Miller