Monday, October 26, 2015

Kaylor loves letters!!!!

Elder Kaylor Miller
ARIZONA PHOENIX MISSION
18001 N. 79th Ave., Ste. C50
Glendale, Arizona 85308-8394

Glorious!


10.26.15

Hey everyone :)

So this week has been fun but really long haha. there has just been a ton of stuff going on.

So first off we had transfers on Wed. Like i said i stayed with my trainer Elder Wells. I'm with him for 6 more weeks. Hes cool, I'm glad I'm with him, he's a good missionary and has taught me a ton, I mean technically everything i know haha. but ya, transfers did affect us though. We got a new roommate. I haven't been able to talk to him much but he seems alright. The other elder is really excited because i guess he was his trainer so they're like long lost friends so their having fun. We also lost our district leader elder Nicholson. I'm actually really sad about losing him. He was elder that i did the bike jumps with. He was an awesome guy. I really hope i get to serve around him again. We got a new elder named elder green. He seems pretty cool. I haven't got to be around him much either but hes been out for 15 months so he knows what hes doing and I'm excited to learn from him.

We found some new investigators this week.
We found Julio, and he is awesome! Hes been taught by the missionaries before, but some stuff just happened and he kinda faded away. Well now were back, and hes super excited! We are going to teach him tomorrow and we already feel like we could ask him to be baptized. Speaking of baptisms we don't know much more than we did last week with Jennifer. We haven't been able to talk to her this week so we don't know if shes talked to her mom. she sadly also didn't come to church so we may have to push her date back :( but its okay because she is so awesome, and so strong and so ready, that a few weeks will be okay.

We have been teaching a old lady named Blanca ,actually the mother of a recent convert named Rosa, ( the one i gave my first blessing to, who we found out wasn't feeling good because she has cancer ๐Ÿ˜”) but she is so strong and keeps telling us that shes okay, that this is just a trial from God, to test her faith in Him, and says that He will help her. Its incredible to see how strong her testimony has become after only a few months of being a member. So ya that's Rosa shes awesome. but we've been teaching her mother. She has been accepting everything we've been teaching she comes to church with her daughter, and says she believes everything. So tonight were hoping to give her a baptismal date ! We may have 3 possibly even 4 baptisms just this month! Its super exciting to see the spirit really work on these people, that sometimes you don't think would want to hear the gospel. This work is amazing.

So this week were in the car and we got bored of our music. so im going through the glove box and pull out some cds. they were left by an elder who made them and brought them from El salvador. so we say why not. I throw it in and we start listening. Elder wells was like hey this is good. It was the song Glorious, but it was in Spanish. as we were listening i was like hey wait i recognize this wait this is ...... Oh my gosh its My cousins! it was Seli Desi and Ari ahh it was awesome. So looks like you guys are known down in El Salvador! it was fun. And CONGRATS to Seli on getting your call to Brazil. Thats so cool. You're going to do great.

We did some service this week and it was really fun. we don't get much around here, the Hispanics wont ask for help at all they want to do everything themselves. but anyway we did a huge like half the mission service project. we all got up super early, 5, and drove a ways to a different town, and we all painted houses. it was actually really fun. It always feels good doing service, especially for those that really cant do it themselves. there were a ton of missionaries and we ended up painting i think like 7 houses. it was super fun.

We got Halloween coming up, and its going to be super boring haha. So the morning will be the same, we will have studies till around 1 like normal, and then we will have district meeting that usually ends around 4, we have dinner at 5 and then we have to stay in our apartment the rest of the night :( haha so ya I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do all night in our little place but ya it'll be interesting haha.

I got to give my second blessing! it is so incredible. I know i said it last time, but that feeling of being able to be tool in the Lords hands is amazing. This ward all has some super tough situations and you can really see how much the Gospel has changed their lives, and continues to give them strength. I love being out here, serving the Lord and serving these people.

I continue to see the strength and power of scriptures and prayer. They seem like such little things, primary answers, if you will haha, but it will change you day, your week, your life. I know that if you just take a little time of your day to pray, to really talk with your Heavenly Father, and being reading the scriptures you will see the blessings in your life. It has helped me so much out here, and given me so much strength and help.

Love you guys,

Elder Miller

Thursday, October 22, 2015

10.19.15

OK, so my email has been super super lame. Apparently i have been
sending out emails that never arrive. I wrote a letter last week and
pushed "send" and it never went out. I found out that this is not the
first time, and many letters i have written have never been received.
I talked to the mission office and we in a way " rebooted " my email,
and now it should work. So if you have sent me a email that i haven't
responded to, PLEASE let me know. Because I promise I have responded
to every email i have received. it may have taken a little time or not
have been a huge email, but I honestly have replied to every single
one. so please send me a little thing just saying hey you missed me or
something haha.

So this is last weeks. It wasn't very long but I did write, And you
can even see the date and time soo ya


This week has been awesome. First I got a bunch of questions so I'm gonna answer some of those. :)

What time do you wake up at? 6:30  and we exercise till 7:15 we usually jog but ya. What time do you get home at? 9 unless we are in a lesson we need to be home by 9:30. Then we plan and be in bed by 10:30. What do you do in the evenings? After studies and stuff we go and do lesson and go see less actives and just go do appointments. What do you eat when you are cooking for yourself? I have been steaming a bunch of vegetables, and then usually cook some chicken or fish. What are you studying? Right now I'm focusing on preach my gospel, and the Book of Mormon. Do you get to drive? Sadly no I don't because I'm jr companion. But I did get to drive on Saturday during my exchange. What do you do all day? So I exercise, usually jogging. Then we study for 4 hrs, then we go out and go to lessons, have dinner, go finding and ya that's a rap up of my days haha. I have never heard one tracting story? We don't tract. Ya our president says there are a lot of better ways to find so we don't really do that. How is your Spanish? It's ok I guess. I can speak with people but have the grammar of a kid. I can understand most things, I miss things here and there but am ok for the most part on understanding. What do you love about the mission? I love finding people who have been prepared by the lord and is ready to let the gospel change them. I also love seeing the change the gospel brings to people lives. How are you enjoying the ward? Have you spoken in church? I did this Sunday and it was scary but it was okay I guess. I talked about the atonement, and what it really means for us. How much of your day is in Spanish? Usually the second half of the day we do in Spanish, that's when we have all our lessons and stuff. What is Phoenix like for a missionary? Well I'm in the ghetto area so it's interesting haha, because it's definitely still the Us but How much money do they give you a month? Like 130 How much do you use? I'm not sure because we weren't sharing the cost of food then we did and we're back to not sooo ya I'm not exactly sure.

So this week was great.
On Wednesday we had zone conference. That is were a couple of the zones all meet and president Griffen talks to us. It was really cool. I learned a ton. It was a lot about making a good culture within our zones and mission. He talked about a culture of service and how that's really what Jesus came here and did was serve us in every way possible. I got to talk to him a little after and I love him he's such a cool guy.

Thursday we had a great lesson with a new investigator named Nicky. She is awesome.  We were invited over to a newly baptized part member home. I say part member because the wife and kids were baptized but the husband and the grandma did not . So we have still been teaching them but they are stubborn. But any way back to Nicky she is the wife's sister and she was there and she sat in the lesson with us. She has never been taught by missionaries but pretty much testified to us of the Book of Mormon and the spirit. Like what?!? Hahah and in the middle of the lesson elder wells straight up asked her if she was already a member. Haha so we are super excited to continue to work with her and hopefully soon baptize her๐Ÿ˜Š

Saturday I had my second exchange. But this time I stayed in my area!! It was scary. I was with our zone leader elder ashby. I love him. He is an awesome guy and is super smart. He taught me a ton, especially about Christ. But since he's an English missionary I had to do everything! It was intense I was freaking the night before, but it turned out pretty good.. I assume, haha because no one seem to surprised or shocked at anything I said. We had a few lessons and a dinner, and it was kinda intense having all the conversations directed just at me but it was good, and I learned a lot of what I didn't know haha, and learned a lot about just missionary work.

Sunday I had a talk. Holy crap. Hahah I was freaking out inside. At first there was like no one there( because they're Hispanic and being on time isn't a thing) but then it was packed we had 7 investigators attend which is the high since I've been here, and ya it was just way full. So that was fun. I got up and did ok I guess. Idk everyone said I did good but you never know how good it really was haha.

Oh I'm getting hit on by a gay investigator haha it's really quite weird. He sends me good morning face book messages and made us dinner and was really weird ahh but ya hahaha idk we'll see how it all goes we have a lesson with him tonight soo ya. Oh Jennifer the 17 who is on date for the 7 came to church this week! And we have a lesson with her tonight. We are going to find out if she has gotten permission from her mom. Her mom is just very set in her religion and doesn't like Mormons much because I guess there are some pretty similar thing we believe in, so they don't like that because they say we've change the doctrine but whatever. That's one thing we really make sure of is respecting everyone's religion and their feelings and stuff. She's a cool lady just sorta harsh on the outside but on the inside I bet she's a squishy marshmallow hehe. Wow I'm tired hahah, but ya. So we're praying for all that.

So that's been my week๐Ÿ˜„ I know I've probably missed a lot of stuff because sometimes I forget you guys aren't around here with me haha, and sometimes I tell one person something but forget to put it in my main email and just assume everyone knows. Sooo if I've left stuff out or just have questions let me know I'd love to answer them!

This morning I re listened to a talk from this conference by Elder Larry R. Lawrence of the seventy and he talked about becoming better. About asking the lord on ways and things to work on to become better. The question was the question to ask was "what lack I yet?". Being out here I've asked for thing to become better on and have really had my weakness slap me in the face a little, hahah but I know that it's just to make me better. I know that if we really want to improve our selves as better fathers mothers kids student whatever, i know if we ask he will let us know, and then On top he will help us grow stronger in those things.

I really do love being out here and am excited to continue to grow and help others to grow as well.
Really really hope this gets sent out hahaha.
Love you guys

Elder Miller

10.12.15


Friday, October 16, 2015

Pico de Gallo

I actually made some dinner one night. I took the inspiration of that
dinner from last week and did pretty much the same thing. I made pico
de gallo, without the napales cuz Idk how to do those, and put it over
some grilled tallapia. It was pretty good if I say so my self haha.


Friday, October 9, 2015

8.6.15

How's everyone doing๐Ÿ˜„

Missionary work wise, this week has been slower, but I think I'm
getting comfortable enough with everything because I'm back into where
the days are kind of feeling like weeks, but weeks are feeling like
days. Everyone says one day I'll just wake up and have been out a year
and it will feel like it's been 3-4 months. Some of the returned
missionaries in our ward call these two years the twilight zone
hahaha.


So not a ton of lessons this week, but a lot of great food! One night
we had a sister take us out to eat at a place called los Rey's del
Torta. It was soo good. Their kinda claim to fame is the guy from that
show man vs food went there a few years ago. I had a great torta with
steak,guacamole,  pico de gallo, peppers, some really hot salsa, and
queso Fresca (the white Mexican cheese), along with a limonada. It was
a fun night with her. She is a less active from monte Rey Mexico. She
has been a less active for awhile but she says she wants to be coming
back because she says she can tell the difference it makes in her
family each week., so we'll see, we really hope so. We had another
amazing dinner with a family from Mexico City. She made tilapia with a
topping kinda thing(sorta like at sanoviv) with tomatoes queso Fresca
onions and napales, which is cactus. I really liked it. There was also
some really hot sauce that they had on the side but I put it all over
and was sweating pretty good hahah, but it was delicious. She served
it with rice and tortillas and it just made me all happy๐Ÿ˜‹ They are
really cool. She's actually the young women's president,but her
husband and youngest son don't come to church. Hopefully we can get
the son baptized because he is 9, but the wife wants her husband to
baptize him and He hasn't been active for a few years, so we'll see.
Haha but one thing they have kinda a security um phobia. So they have
5 dogs. 2 little white fluffy dogs like high shin height. Their super
soft cute dogs. But then they have a boxer, a huge Doberman, and a
Rottweiler, that has bitten the son twice sooo. Ya it kinda scares me
goin in there hahah.


Conference was awesome! I hope you guys got a chance to watch some. It
was so different watching it as a missionary. I received a lot of
revelation for different people, including a lot for myself. They're
were a ton of awesome talks. They are all so different , I'm not sure
which was my favorite, but I do know I loved elder Hollands talk about
mothers. They really are our personal Angels. Love you mom. If haven't
watched it you should it's awesome.
This week we have been working with a girl named Jennifer. Her older
brother got baptized about 3 months ago. He's been a great influence
on her. She is 17 and really wants to get baptized. We gave her a date
this week for November 7 and she accepted it excitedly. The problem is
her mom she is a Jehovah's Witness and doesn't like the whole idea of
her daughter getting baptized too. We are going to fast this week for
her and finish up  teaching the last few things, so that hopefully
everything will be on track for the 7th!


At the end of our lesson I had this feeling about letting her know
about the power of the Book of Mormon. I wasn't quite sure what so I
started saying something and it just kinda came out, and the spirit
was really strong, and I said, we promise you that if you read the
Book of Mormon everyday, even if it's just one verse on busier days
where you just can't get to it, your life will change. You will
receive the the help to get you through the rough times, and will
start to see so many blessing in your life. After it was all quiet,
and it felt super cool again, sort of like the blessing, that I could
be used as a tool in Gods hands to give light to one of children. I
really love times like that, and honestly they are what make me love
this work and why I stay out here.


I know that it really can change everyone's lives, if we just take a
little time out of our busy schedules and read the scriptures. To put
aside our worries of the day, and bring the spirit into our heart and
homes, I know we can receive many blessings.


Something  that we are trying to push here in our ward is to pray for
their own "missionary" experiences. Maybe it's actually talking to
someone about the church, or  it could be helping someone out, or
maybe it's just posting something that you liked from conference, and
someone sees it that needed to hear it. Idk haha but I do know that
sometimes God works in mysterious way s we just need to trust Him. So
I challenge you guys to pray for one this week and then be willing to
act, because I know that you will receive them, and I know you will
feel the joy and receive the blessings of sharing your light.


Hope you guys have a good week.


Lots of love ๐Ÿ’š๐Ÿ˜›


Elder Miller

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Boiling water, new haircut, blood moon!




1st Baptism!

Hey everyone.

This week was awesome. We had our first baptism. His name is Jesus and he is great. He has taken lessons for about 2 months now, and loves it. His wife was
baptized at 8 but has been inactive most her adult life. She is
awesome though, and talks a lot about her experiences with the spirit,
and how much it has helped her, because she is blind. She became blind
at around 20 because of diabetes. She is always happy though and we
love her and Jesรบs.

I learned though that something will always go wrong the day of a
baptism. So we got to the church Friday to make sure we had clothes
and make sure everything was ready, and we find out the font was only
spitting out cold water. We had heard that it wasn't working but they
had said they had fixed it. But the day before we had asked him if it
was okay, but he freaked out and said he didn't know how to swim and
that he definitely didn't want it cold because he was scared of that
feeling of not being able to breath when you go in really cold water.
So we didnt know what to do. We were going to try at another church
but there was another baptism, so we didn't know what to do. On top we
He is a bigger guy so we were looking everywhere for a big enough
jumpsuit and couldn't find one bigger than a L. Then we finally did
but it was a XXXL hahaha.

So Saturday morning we got to the church at 8 and boiled water in 9
pots and were dumping them and refilling them till 2 hahaha. It was
warm by then so it worked out.
He asked Elder Wells to baptize him, and he was really nervous all
week that he was going to be able to. Elder wells is kinda , well a
toothpick, and this dude is big. Haha he ended up having to do it
twice because he couldn't get him up and Jesรบs threw his foot up haha.
But it all worked out. The spirit was really strong. He was super
happy and kept saying how he just felt peace and said he knew God was
happy with him that day. There's definitely a special spirit at
baptisms, I really hope we get another one before we get transferred.

I got a haircut today in this little ghetto shop by a little Mexican lady haha. I was really nervous every at first because I really didn't want another dumb haircut. So I figured she would do better if I just told her to do whatever she thought would look good. So she started going at it and mid way she whips out a straight blade and I kinda got scared haha, but she was really good with it. She did my side burns and what not with it. It ended up being pretty good I think, it was just 20 mins of heart beating because I didn't know how it would turn out haha. Elder wells is makin fun of it o. He said I got the Mexican cut with the pointed sideburns and what not. I just told him I'm trying to fit in better haha.

So I got to do my first blessing on like Tue. I was freaking out inside when she asked me. It was a new convert and she has had a ton of trials since she was baptized and had been to the hospital twice this week and just a lot of stuff. So we went over and elder wells asked, who would you like to give you the blessing. She said she wanted me to, and she speaks English so she said I could do it in English which really scared me at first. So I stand up to go say it and my heart is beating sooo fast. I said a quick prayer, and we placed out hands on her head. At first I was worried about saying my own thoughts or just not knowing what to say at all. Then all the sudden I had all these things co,e to my mind, and the spirit came really strong. And me being a baby started crying haha, but she did too so I didn't feel to bad haha. No but it was amazing that Heavenly Father could use me to let her know how much He loved her and to bless her. 


After hearing her stories and seeing in my own life, the adversary tries to rip you down every time you're doing the things we need to be, or just trying harder and doing better. These are the times when we need to ask for help and have faith that He will help us through the hard times. When we do I know we will be blessed for pushing through them and continuing to do what he asks us.

Hope u all have a good week
Love u guys
๐Ÿ˜˜
Elder Miller