8.15.16

Hey!
I just found out im staying with elder Clough in cottonwood and im super happy.

Crazy week this week. On Monday, the elder we lived with went home and
that was super weird. So then the rest of the week, I went back to the
trio life. Speaking of trio my old trio companion, from Argentina,
goes home today as well. But ya we were in a trio this week with an
English companion. It was hard trying to do stuff in technically 5
wards but it all worked out. Even being together we still both hit
standards of excellence in our numbers!

A few times I went on splits with a return missionary, as of about a
month ago, and we had some good lessons. It was cool to see how he
taught while being in chile, but of course that it was the same
gospel. It's always fun to pick up new ideas of how to teach a certain
point.

While being with elder Townsend this week, we taught a few English
lessons here and there and they were really cool. One was with Mr
Parker. Mr Parker is 82. He has been a Methodist his whole life, but a
few years ago married a Lds woman. He has thought we were always
interesting and finally decided to let us by. We had three lesson with
him and he loved it all, he lives the different ways we look at
things, and how we do them, and wants to be baptized. His hold back
this week was Coffee. 60 years of drinking coffee is quite the habit,
but by the time we returned a few days later, he had acted upon his
faith and trust in this gospel, and through it all away, and according
to his wife, boldly told her that we would never drink it again. Haha.
It was really cool to see. And really touched me by seeing his faith
in the lord, and really wanting to change his life. He is getting
baptized in 2 weeks.😊

I had another really cool eye opener teaching some English lessons
with a man named Mr Allen. Mr allen is 94, he was a rocket engineer,
and a Atheist. Now this was the first person I have taught that was a
true atheist. Add on top that he's an engineer an boy is he stubborn.
Haha. His member wife, and member brother died within the last few
years, and finally decided to let the missionaries in. As we begin
teaching very quickly we learn he has absolutely no belief in God or
any sort of religious deity. He cant believe that something could
listen to all our prayers at once, or fort the least answer them all.
So this has been a real struggle, but he has invited us back 3 times
now. He is quite stubborn haha but seems like he wants to know if
there is such thing.

It was a cool experience and in the days following the lessons, has
really made me think, and shown myself really how grateful I am to
just have, at bare minimum a belief in a greater being, but also for
the blessing of having the knowledge he is our Heavenly Father, who
loves us more than we can comprehend. And like almost all things on my
mission, it has help me grow my appreciation and love to my parents
and family for teaching me about the gospel, for loving me, and never
giving up. Thank you, I love you guys.

Stephanie and Lupita are progressing really well. They like everything
we teach, they like coming to church, they just haven't felt like
they've received and answer yet. Luckily however that hasn't slowed
them down. They are still listening, still reading, and praying. We
have felt like we should move their baptismal date back a little, but
just because we need a little more time to teach, and its stake
conference that weekend, and the English elders are taking the morning
for a baptism of their own. So it will be good.
I had another awesome experience with the gift of tongues in a lesson
with them. Neither of them speak any English, and I was with the
English elder on splits, and I got to a point where I felt I should
really say something and talk about something but I didn't know how, I
never had talked about it in this way I guess. And I sort of was
getting frustrated with myself. But I took a second a said a little
prayer and asked for help. Immediately after I said all these things
that just flowed together and used some words that I think I may have
only heard once ever. It was really cool and definitely a blessing
that I needed, and like many of our experiences with the spirit, a
testimony builder of God answers our prayers. Sometimes it is
immediate and those are always super cool, but if it's not quickly, it
will come.

I have been praying and studying about Christ for a while, and each
time I've asked for a confirmation of what I've read, what I've
learned, and on Christ as our savior. And it's been a while now, but
some answers don't come when we want them or expect them, but it came
this week and it was incredible, just as the spirit always is.
We were closing zone meeting with a hymn. I have listened to, and sang
this song many many times, but this time it was different. About
halfway through the first verse I couldn't sing anymore, I actually
couldn't really see the page anymore, because I was overcome with
tears and happiness and love and comfort from my Heavenly Father. It was a super special moment, and an answer to praying and studying. The song was: I Know My Redeemer Lives.

I know he truly does, and that because of his atonement we all have
the opportunity to be forgiven of our sins, to have the chance to
start over and be clean, and on top of that incredible gift, the gift
we all will receive of living again. I love my savior and and am so
grateful for him.

Love you guys so much

Elder Miller