Elder Miller : January 2017

Tuesday, January 31, 2017

Week 74 - Huaraz

This week was an awesome week here in Huaraz. We are having a great time helping a few people here and we also had a worldwide telecast this week that brought us a few changes in the work. it was another busy week in the work.
Last Monday we got to go play soccer again with a few members and it was super fun. Then in the night we had a family home evening with Hermana Agripina and her daughters that were baptized a few months ago. They are doing very well. We had another family home evening with them Thursday with the second councilor of our ward and his family. We talked a little bit about faith with them. It is so awesome to see their progress. I have realized that the conversion process isnt easy, but it is much easier if you decide to do the little things like reading the Book of Mormon and going to church.
We have also gotten to teach Hermana Estela a little bit this week. She has been investigating the church for a few months now and we are trying to help her strengthen her testimony so that she can make the decision to live the gospel. We got to read the vision of the tree of life this week with her. It really brought the spirit and we were able to help her to apply the story to her life. I am very grateful that the Lord has given us the Book of Mormon.
This week we had the privilege to teach one member´s friend. Her name is Hermana Jacky. Her daughter passed away about a year ago and she has has been trying to cope with that. When we went to visit her she told us a little bit about how tough the past year has been, and I was so amazed by her strength. As i listened to her I realized what a blessing it is to know about the Plan of Salvation. I am very grateful for the chance to help her understand this perfect plan. I am also so grateful for Jesus Christ all that he has done to make the plan possible.
We have one investigator that is really progressing. His name is Hermano Franklin. He is 21 years old. We lost contact with him for about a week, but finally this last Friday we got to talk with him a little bit. He was a little bit worried and discouraged, but we listened to him and read with him in Ether 12 and he is doing much better. He also went to church yesterday.
This past week we had a worldwide training and I learned a ton from the missionary department. I realized how important it is to have the spirit with us and how important it is to listen and be patient. They also told us a little bit about a few new changes that they have made. They changed our daily schedule a little bit, so now we have more time to proselyte and to decide when we are going to study. We are excited for the new changes.
I am grateful for the chance to be a missionary. Today we went back to my first area to help a few elders there that are moving to a new room. It feels like just yesterday that I was there in Caraz. Time sure does fly by. I know that the gospel blesses our lives and that our Heavenly Father has a perfect plan for us. We just need to trust in him.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Week 73 - Huaraz

This week was another super busy week here in Huaraz. A lot of great things are happening. My companion and I are excited for one more week in the work.
This last Tuesday we finally got to visit a reference that we got from another companionship here in Huaraz. Her name is Hermana Elizabeth. She has a little family and has learned quite a bit from the missionaries in the past. We got to meet with her in the church with the help of a few of the members here, and we got to teach her about the restoration. She has a very sincere desire to understand the gospel. As we finished the lesson one of the members explained how she had gained her testimony and how she felt, and when she finished the Hermana Elizabeth told us, ¨that's how I feel.¨ It was so awesome. I was pretty happy when we left the lesson.
We are also teaching a young man named Franklin. He is still progressing little by little. We got to teach him a little bit about the Plan of Salvation this week. He was really interested. President Rios actually told us this week that we need to work with more young people, and we are starting to see why. They are very willing to learn and have a strong desire to find answers that the gospel gives us.
This week we got to go to Trujillo again to a training with President and Sister Rios. It was awesome. President Rios showed us Elder McConkie´s last talk about the atonement. He helped us to understand how Christ has atoned for all of us, but we can only receive his help and the blessings of the gospel if we are obedient and live the principles of the gospel.
I am very grateful for our Mission President and for all that he teaches us. I am grateful for modern day revelation that helps us to progress. This week we have a worldwide training for all of the missionaries in the world. Its going to be interesting! Im excited.
I know that obedience brings us blessings, and I am grateful for our Savior and for his perfect example.

this picture is from august when Elder Montoya came with his wife.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017

Week 72 - Huaraz

This week was a great week here in Huaraz! It started off a little bit slow Monday and Tuesday, but by Wednesday we got busy with more lessons.
This week we got to visit with Hermana Estela a few times, and we got to help her a little bit. She progressing well. We are really trying to help her with few of the commandments right now, and she is very willing to be obedient. This week we went to visit her with one of the sisters in our ward and she really helped Hermana Estela understand the blessings of living the commandments. Being obedient to the commandments can bless your whole family. It the end of the lesson Hermana Estela prayed and it was the most sincere prayer that I have heard from her. I am grateful that the Spirit has helped her progress so much in the time that we have been visiting her. One of the happiest moments of this week was this last Sunday when Hermana Estela came to church with her mom, daughter, and her sister. The gospel has really helped them to be more united as a family.
We have also started working with a young man about our age this week. His name is Hermano Franklin. He is very willing to learn, and we got to teach him about the restoration and the Book of Mormon this week. It is always such a blessing getting to teach people who are willing to listen. The message of the restoration is such a blessing for those who choose to listen to it and accept it.
This last Saturday was a pretty great day as well. I cant believe that I am 20 years old. Time here in the mission sure is flying by. We ate tacos for lunch, and when we ate dinner we ate cake as well. Our pensionista is very generous to us.
Yesterday was an interesting day. We had transfers last night. I am going to be staying here in Huaraz for one more transfer!!! I am very happy about that! I feel very blessed that the Lord has put me where I am at at this time. I know that he knows us and loves us.

my birthday lunch, tacos!!!!! Hermana Gaby really spoils us

my companion made sure that I enjoyed the cake. I guess its tradition here in Peru to take a bite out of the cake, so I went for it!

Week 71 - Huaraz

Weekly Summary from January 9th, 2017

Another week in the mission has flown by. It was a great week filled with lots of rain and a little bit of sunshine. Its hard to imagine that its so cold at home when its more like summer here.
Hermana Estela is still progressing and its so awesome to see how her desires to keep learning and do the right grow every week. This week we taught her a little bit about a few commandments and she seems pretty determined to keep them. She also got to go see a baptism this week that the other missionaries in our ward had. It was a great experience.
This week we also got to know one of our less active member´s dad. In my time here I had not had the chance to meet him until this past week. He works in another town, but comes here every now and then. He hasn't every really been too excited about his family listening to us, but this week when we were teaching them he arrived just as we were starting the lesson. He accepted the lesson really well. We talked a little bit about the plan of salvation and in the end we talked with him a little bit about the importance of his family. He told us that his family is part of who he is. We then talked to him about how he can have an eternal family. It was so awesome to get to talk to him finally, and in the end he told us that we are welcome to teach him and his family.
This week we also got to visit Hermana Roxana and another convert named Reinaldo. We got to talk to them a little bit about the importance of reading the scriptures as well. I am very grateful for the vision of the tree of life in the beginning of the Book Of Mormon. I know that the story of that vision has been preserved for a purpose. I know that the Lord has given us the Book Of Mormon for our times.
I am very grateful for the time that I have to be a missionary. I am grateful to be able to help families. I know that families can be eternal and that the principles of the Gospel and the commandments have been given to us to protect us and guide us.

Monday, January 2, 2017

Week 70 - Huaraz

his week was a great week. It was interesting and a little bit challenging at times, but it was still a great one. Many people have gone on vacations so it was tough to find a ton of people to teach, but our legs are a little bit stronger after walking a little extra this week.
Last Monday we got to go play soccer with the second councilor in our ward along with the other companionship in our ward and a few members. It was pretty fun! The people here are pretty good.
This past week we have gotten to visit Hermana Estela a couple of times and we also got to visit her sister, Hermana Delia, as well. They are doing well and have really sincere desires to learn, but they don't really like to read very much. We are trying to help them to read the Book of Mormon a little bit more so they can strengthen their testimonies of the restoration.
This week we also got to visit Hermana Agripina, Hermana Roxana and Hermana Yaquelin a little bit. They are doing well. They are still studying their Books of Momon and had a few questions for us. It is so important that we can keep them holding fast to the iron rod.
The people here in Peru are so generous. Many times this week the people that we were visiting gave us paneton and hot chocolate to drink. Paneton is a big loaf of sweet bread with little pieces of fruit in it. Its actually pretty good. I am very grateful for the generosity of the people here, but I'm pretty sure that I dont need to eat páneton again for a while! I actually said to my companion on Saturday night, after being so full of paneton, that I never wanted to eat it again. It was funny, however, because when the sacrament tray came around on Sunday I realized that they used paneton for the bread. I had to laugh a little bit about that.
It was a great week and I am excited for one more week in the work. I know that the principles of the gospel bless our lives. I am grateful for Jesus Christ and for his atonement. I know that thanks to him we can always become better.