Hello From Florida #1 & #2

Hello Family!

It was great to hear from you and hear about your week. It's amazing to think that I have already been out 1/8 of my mission. (13 weeks approximately).

HAPPY BIRTHDAY REECE!!!!!!!!

I can't believe you're already 17!! I hope you have an awesome birthday. I sent your present out earlier this morning along with Remi's and Dad's presents and it will get there on Wednesday of Thursday. Sorry it's a little late but I did send it out on your birthday so that counts right?? : ) Along with the presents there are pictures and mementos and a brief letter explaining everything. Hope you enjoy!!

Well let me tell you about my week . . . Adam L., an eight year old boy in Minneola Ward awoke with a painful headache a few weeks ago and they since have found that he had a large malignant brain tumor in the center of his head. It was right next to the optical nerve which made operation difficult but they operated on half of it and removed it. Right now he is in critical condition in the hospital and they are debating what to do with the other part of the tumor. The whole L. family has been with him at the hospital for the past few weeks and definitely are there to comfort him. Please keep this boy and his family in your prayers. He is currently in an induced coma but his brain is still responsive so they are slowly bringing him out of it. I fasted for him this week and I know that everyone's prayers and fasting will help.

On a lighter side of things we have had very cold weather lately, but it feels great to me! But the past two days it went back up into the 70's and it feels even better! Halloween was a lot of fun! We helped pass out candy in front of the D. home with both D. families, the C.'s, the C.'s and some others from our ward. We got a lot of goodies as well. Of course I dressed up like a missionary for Halloween. : ) But when it got cold I dressed up like Brother D. (I borrowed his sweater.) On Monday ( a week ago ) we carved some really cool pumpkins so I'll send you pictures in the mail today. I want to see your Halloween pics too, especially Reece's pumpkin (the miner).

On Monday we also went to Citrus Tower and went to the top of it! It was a lot of fun and I sent pictures in the package that I sent to you. Enjoy!

Our investigators are all doing well. We had 7 investigators at church on Sunday!! Our investigators are: Kalya (15, a friend of Katelyn B. in our ward), Nikki (23), Kathy T. (Bro. S's sister), and the McI. Family (8 of them total, but only 6 of them are investigators). The work is going great and I love the people here! I never thought I would be able to love another ward as much as I love 6th ward but I really love it here!

Lately I've been trying to brush up on my high school Spanish with members and investigators. I'm learning a little each day.

I'm going to get off the computer and then sign back on so I can finish the rest of this letter. Talk to you in a bit . . .

Hello again!

So on Saturday we had an amazing exchange with the K. brothers (David, 19, and John, 16) are from a Tongan family in our ward and they are really great kids!) I took John with me and we did some amazing missionary work. We started off with them bringing dinner to our apartment. Then we went to some apartments where we had tried coming in contact with Diamond and Hector from E. R. high school for about a month after our first lesson. The spirit told me to try yet again even though I had tried many times before, so John and I knocked on her door and sure enough she was there as with her mother! We set a return appointment for yesterday. And we taught her and Hector another lesson yesterday during another exchange!

Then john and I had time for a few minutes of tracting before the next appointment and the very first door that we knocked on was opened and it was Carlos (16 and at E. R. high) who is the same age as John and goes to the same school. We taught him the message of the restoration and went to our next appointment. What a miracle! Then we visited with Pablo (16) who was baptized when he met the missionaries many years ago, but his parents got divorced and he fell away from the church. but now he wants to turn his life around and come back to church and he are helping him along the way. Then we "commitment-yarned" the entire smith family of 7 to have someone in their home for FHE. After that I introduced John to the McI. family and he got a long great with Ramone who is also 16. What an amazing night of missionary work!!

Reece, you should go on some exchanges with the Elders. It is such a great experience to have and you get to witness many miracles that take place in missionary work. Will you commit to going on an exchange? ; )

I taught gospel principles class on Sunday and 5 members of the McI. family were there!! It was a lesson on chpt. 27 of the manual (work and personal responsibility) which applied directly to the McI. family's business and their hard work. It went really well! Last night was Weston W's baptism (the family is in our ward and he just turned eight). I led the music and Elder Holland played piano. The service was really special and I felt the spirit strongly. All throughout the Baptism and sacrament meeting earlier that day I kept on thinking about my future family. I thought about meeting my wife and being married in God's Temple. I thought about having children and then being able to baptize them when they reached the age of accountability. I had some very powerful witnesses of the spirit yesterday as I was fasting and praying and looking forward to these things in my future. I love the Gospel!

I will be singing in church on Sunday or the next Sunday a duet with Elder Holland (because he is leaving) so I am looking forward to that.

Oh, and tell Megan I said CONGRATULATIONS!

Well, that was my week and it was another amazing week of missionary service. I pray for each of you every day and am so glad I am a part of our family and that we can be together forever. I love you all and wish you a month of Happy Birthdays! : )

Hope to hear from you soon. Keep the faith! Stay strong!

Love,

Your son and brother,

Elder Miller