Week 61 - Huaraz

This week was  an awesome week here in Huaraz. Hermana Yaquelin and Hermana Roxana are still reading the Book of Mormon together every night and they got baptized this Saturday. It has been so awesome to see them progress these past few weeks with their mom, Hermana Agripina. Their mom has been less active for more than 25 years, and she has come back to the Church with her daughters. They seem very happy and content. They have been prepared, and the Lord put us where we needed to be so that we could help them. They have had lots of very good questions, and have worked hard to gain their testimonies. It seems like when we don't have the gospel in our lives we have a hole, or it feels like somethings missing. They realized that they needed something more, and it has been so awesome to hear from their family members and from them how the gospel has helped them to be more relaxed and happy. The work of the Lord is pretty great. This week in our ward we had four baptisms. I have included a photo.
This week my companion and I also got to work with a few other families. We found a few new families to teach, and we are excited to see them progress. In one situation we knocked on the door of a house that we have never visited before and talked with a lady at the door and agreed to come back the next day. When we came back the next day she told us that she felt like we could help her, and was happy to let us talk to her and let us say a prayer in her house. I am very grateful for the promise of the Lord that we can have his Spirit with us, and that he helps people to feel that the message we bring really can help them. I know that the gospel blesses families. I know that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for us. I am very grateful for his plan and for the many blessings and opportunities that he has given me.

the elders in our ward after the baptisms

a picture after their confirmation this Sunday

a picture before the baptisms. Hermana Agripina is in the middle and Hermana Roxana and Hermana Yaquelin are beside her in white. Their family is not members, but they came and supported them and are interested in learning more

Week 60 - Huaraz

Many great things are happening here in our area and we are really excited for this next week that is coming. We have a few people that are really progressing, and we have also gotten to know a few new families this past week.
The highlight of this week once again was working with Hermana Agripina and her family. We have been visiting them quite often, and they are still going strong with their goal to read the Book of Mormon for 21 days straight together. This week we talked to them a little bit about a few commandments. It has been great to see their progress, and as we explained a few of the commandments they really showed their humility and showed that they trust the Lord. As we taught them they actually bore testimony to us. Her daughters Hermana Roxana and Hermana Yaquelin have told us that they are willing to be baptized this weekend the 22nd of October. They are pretty excited and a little bit nervous, but they will be just fine. They have worked so hard to prepare themselves. The Lord has really blessed me by putting me here at this time. What a privilege.
Every week is always full of ups and downs. I have learned to trust in the advice that the Lord gave to the missionaries in the Book of Mormon, to be patient. Yesterday, after lunch we walked around for quite a while and didn't really have any lessons. We kept going, however, and the Lord blessed us big time. Our second counselor in the Ward, Hermano Javier, came by in his truck and took us to go visit a few people. We got to know a recent convert here a little bit better, and we had the privilege to get to know his family. Their family is very humble, and they are very willing to learn. We also went with him to go visit Hermana Agripina and her family last night. Getting to work with members makes the work so much easier, and its a pretty good time as well.
Today for Pday we hiked as a zone to the Laguna Wilcacocha. It was a pretty good hike and when we got to the Laguna I couldn't help but laugh. Its basically a pond, but we got to take some great pictures of the awesome view. It was a pretty great pday.
I am very grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I have now read it two times from the beginning to the end. I am very grateful for the restoration of the gospel, and for the hope and happiness it brings into our lives.

my companion and I. it was windy so I've got some nice hair

The Valley 

selfie by Wilcacocha 

Week 59 - Huaraz

One more great week in the work has come to an end. This week we were super busy and it has been super great to see the progress of the people that we are working with.
Hermana Agripina and her daughters are still progressing a ton. They have set a goal to read the Book of Mormon together every night for 21 days. It is amazing the progress that we have seen in their family as they read The Book of Mormon and pray. This last Saturday we had a family home evening with them and they invited their family members. It was a great time and it was a pretty full house. We explained the Plan of Salvation to them a little bit, and we got to answer a lot of their questions. The Plan of Salvation really makes so much sense and I believe that we had a knowledge of this plan before this life on earth. In the end of the family home evening Hermana Agripina shared her testimony with her whole family. It was so powerful. Yesterday we visited them as well, and we got to answer a few of their questions about a few commandments and we got to talk a little bit about baptism. They have been developing their testimonies, and they told us that they want to be baptized. It was so awesome. We were smiling pretty big. A few trials have recently come into their path, but I know that the Lord will prepare the way for them. It has been such a blessing getting to help this family and see their progress.
Lately we have been learning more about the restoration and how we can teach it better as a mission. This week we met a man who had a ton of questions about all of the religions and about all of the things that he has heard about the many churches that there is. It was really interesting, however, because as we explained the restoration his questions stopped and he began to listen more. This week we had a leader training with President Rios and the assistants. President Rios told us ¨La Restauración esta cargada de poder¨ which means, more or less, that the message of The Restoration is packed with power. I really have seen that that is true.
The meeting we had with President Rios was awesome, and I also got to see my trainer Elder Sanchez. He is ending his mission in a few weeks so we took one last picture which ill send in this summary.
I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that this life is a time to learn and to gain experience. I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow as a missionary in this great work.

 eating lunch in Trujillo at the leader training

Elder Sanchez, his trainer.

Elder Guerrero. an elder from my group 

Week 58 - Huaraz

Elder Miller's weekly summary from October 3rd, 2016

This week was a great week in the work. We were super busy all week doing things for the zone and working in our area. Time sure flies by when you are having fun.
This week we have been working with a less active member, hermana Agripina and her daughters. They have started to read The Book of Mormon from the beginning and yesterday we had a really awesome lesson with them. We got to answer a few of their questions about The Book of Mormon and about why Joseph Smith was disciplined by the Lord for a short time during the translation. After we had answered a few of their questions my companion asked them if that felt like they had received an answer to know that the book is true. They explained to us their feelings about The Book of Mormon and told us that what they have read up to now they know to be true. They told us that it has in a sense opened a door into another world. My companion, hermana Agripina, and myself had some pretty big smiles. We were pretty happy. The Book of Mormon is so powerful, and I am so grateful for it.
The less active member that we taught last week, hermano Luis, is still progressing and doing very well. We have gotten to visit him a few times this past week, and he always gives us a big hug when we see him. He got to come to conference and it seemed like he quite enjoyed it. It has been such a blessing to see his progress in these past two weeks.
I really enjoyed general conference this past week as well. It was a great weekend filled with great council from the Lord´s leaders. I really loved the talk by Elder Hales in the first session and how he talked about families. I also really enjoyed the talk by Elder Holland in the priesthood session. Holding the priesthood is a great privilege. I liked how many people talked about repentance and how it is a blessing in our life. I know that the general authorities, apostles, and Prophet Thomas S. Monson are called of God. I am so grateful to be a missionary in this time. It is a great privilege to be a missionary. I really love it. I know that the Lord loves us and knows us, and I also know that we can come to know him.

a little bit of a zoomed in pic of the mountains from our room

Week 57 - Huaraz

One more week in the sierra here in Peru was pretty awesome. It has rained almost every day this past week, and when it rains it really pours. Its nice to have a little bit of a change in the weather that's for sure. Its also a huge blessing getting to see the mountains here every day.
The highlight of my week was probably getting to work with a less active member. We got to know him a little bit last Tuesday, and we got to visit him quite a bit this last week. He has been struggling a little bit with a few commandments. Seeing him humble himself was a very good experience. As we talked with him this past week and as we read The Book of Mormon with him this past week we have really been able to see the Spirit working in him. He was excited to go to church Sunday, and when he got there he told us that on the way to church he met someone for us to visit.(which as missionaries is awesome news) We had a great day at church with him and in the end he told us that he felt like new. That was definitely a huge miracle that we got to see this last week. I am very grateful that Heavenly Father has put me where I am and given me the chance to help this man and his family. More than anything I am grateful for the atonement and for the chance it gives us to change and become better.
This week the assistants and President Rios came to Huaraz to do a little conference with us. It was really awesome. President Rios really is very good at inspiring us and helping us become better. On Saturday after the conference the assistants went with my companion and I to proselyte with us. It was such a huge blessing to get to go teach a few families with my trainer Elder Sanchez again. I learned really how much you can learn from one little scripture. It was a great day.
We have been working with two sisters and helping them with their Books of Mormon a little bit these past two weeks as well. Their mom has been a less active member for quite a while, but has started to come back to church. We had a really good conversation with them yesterday. They told us how they never really imagined that they would be listening to the missionaries, and that they were shocked that their mom has been coming back to church. As we talked with them we really got to see their sincere desire to gain their own testimonies. It is amazing how the Lord prepares his children.
I know this is the work of The Lord and that He restored His gospel in these latter days. I am very grateful for the chance to be a missionary in this great work.

My trainer Elder Sanchez and My companion Elder Pacherres this week in Huaraz

Week 56 - Huaraz

My first week back in Huaraz was great! I got here early in the morning last Wednesday. This week my companion and I have been visiting quite a few of the members and we have gotten to visit a few investigators as well. The members here in Huaraz are awesome!
This week my companion, Elder Pacherres, and I had a family home evening with a Family of members. We invited another family of investigators to come with us and they came and had a great time. We talked about obedience and about Mosiah 2:41. I really love how simple the Gospel is. Keep the commandments and receive blessings.
Yesterday we got to visit the same family of investigators and we got to talk to them a little bit about The Book of Mormon. They had read a little bit in their Books and had a few questions when we got there. We talked for a little while with them, and helped them understand The Book of Mormon. It was really cool to see them light up as they understood the answers to their questions, and in the end of the lesson one of them said that it made so much sense. I am very grateful for people who have been prepared by the Lord to be humble and to listen to us. I am very grateful for The Book of Mormon and for the message that it contains of hope.
This week we visited another member family that I knew when I was in this Zone when I started my mission. It was so great to see them again. They have had a few trials lately, but they let us visit with them and we watched a Mormon message with them. In the end of the lesson they bore their testimonies and it was really cool to see the hope that they had because of their faith. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to get to help the great people here strengthen their faith.
Yesterday we had stake conference here in Huaraz, so I got to see a few of the members from Caraz, my first area. It was so great to see them and to talk to my first bishop here in the mission. One of the sisters, that was our pensionista there for a few weeks, brought me manjar(its a sweet spread that they put on cakes here or on bread) because she remembered that I loved it. The conference was great. I really liked the talk from our Stake President, President Zavaleta. He talked about how we need to strive to be perfect like our Savior was. He explained that, although we will never become perfect in this life, we need to strive to know the Lord and to follow in his footsteps.
This week my companion and I have really gotten to see how the Lord fulfills the promises that we leave with the people that we visit. I remember hearing earlier in my mission that we should be the most optimistic people. I am very grateful for the gospel, and for a Loving and patient Heavenly Father. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that The Church of Jesus Christ has been restored.

Lunch today (Elder Miller & his companion, Elder Pacherres

Week 55 - Viru (last day in Viru)

Elder Miller's Summary from today, September 12th, 2016

heres a pic of my second companion Elder rodriguez and I at the multizone conference we had

One more week here in Viru is in the books. It was a great week. Last Monday we had a really nice family home evening with our Pensionista, who is an investigator, and her sister, who is a member. We got to talk a lot about the Savior and we invited her to read the Book of Mormon. Then a little bit later we went and visited the councilor of our branch president and his family. We got to have a really good visit with them and we reminded him of our Branch Council meetings that we have. He was so humble and really listened to us and I really appreciated that. The people here in Viru are so great. They are very humble.
This week we also got to know a new family. It turned out that the mom had actually worked for the member who fed some of the first missionaries that came to Viru. She remembered that they were really good people and that they worked hard. It is interesting how something so little that happened so many years ago had an impact on this lady, and that it helped us to earn her confidence. It didn't take me long to realize that as a missionary baptisms don't really come easy. Helping families to progress doesn't really come easy either, but we are planting seeds that will help these families and the missionaries in the future.
The highlight of my week was probably seeing a less active family come to church yesterday. I have passed by this family and visited them during pretty much my whole time here. At times they haven't really wanted to listen, and at times we have been able to have really spiritual experiences with them. They finally came to church yesterday. I couldn't help but smile as I saw them enter into sacrament room all cleaned up in their Sunday bests.
Yesterday we also had changes. After seven months here in Viru I will be going to a new area to proselyte. I am going back to the mountains of Huaraz. I am sooooooo excited to go back to Huaraz. It is definitely tough to leave the people here and the great missionaries in this zone, but I am so excited for the new opportunity to serve in Huaraz with a super great missionary named Elder Pacheres. I will head to Trujillo tomorrow morning, then tomorrow night I will head to Huaraz and I will get there early Wednesday morning. This week is going to be quite the adventure.
I know that this is the work of the Lord. I Know that He knows us personally and that He is very patient and loving. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have been given to serve in this great work.