Finally an e-mail 7 January 2009

Hi Family,

This is Elder Miller, Sister S. is sending this email for me through her email.
Below is the email I sent a couple of weeks ago. This week went really well, Ceasar P. is progressing and has a baptismal date for 2/7/09. The new Elder's name is Elder Lindstrom and he is really fun guy; he has only been out for 1 transfer longer than I have, so we have an apartment full of new guys. This week we learned a new contacting technique, from President Darrington, we had fun helping Kathy( brother S's sister ) move some things out of AJ s house. We shared "Green eggs and Ham" in relief society this week, they liked it a lot. I loved hearing from you and hopefully by next week my email will be working OK. Please send another email address to me so I can try that one next week.

Love
Elder Miller



Last weeks email:

Happy 2009!

It was great to talk to each one of you on the phone and I loved hearing your voices and opening the presents I sent. That was really special for me because it's the closest I can be to you.

Thanks for all you kind gifts! I use the Professional Push-ups as part of my daily routine now and I can feel the results. : ) Thanks for all the candy Reece! And thank you for all the Christmas decorations, ornaments, and letters!

Dad, it means a lot to me, what you said in the email, and all the advice you give. Thanks. By the way, will you send me Josh's address. I still don't have his mission address. Thank you. I'm glad you were able to wear the tie! I love you , Dad.

Reece, wow, I just want to let you know how much I appreciate your emails and letters too. Thanks bro, it means a lot to me! So you went with the ipod touch! How is it working out for you?? I'm glad you were able to get some new songs and wear the tie to church. I sincerely look forward to your letter. Say hi to Jeff, the Loyds and all our friends for me, 'k? Love you bro.

Remi, I was glad to hear you helped out holding the microphone for the baby's blessing. That's really special! And I can't believe on Sunday you'll be in the youth Sunday school now. Wow! Glad you enjoyed your presents and I look forward yo your letter. : ) Love you!

Mom, I am really glad you liked the gifts! I hope everything at your job goes well for the year 2009. : ) Thanks for sending all those pictures. It really, really, makes me happy to see pictures of you guys and everything you've been up to. : ) I love you, Mom!

So my week has been a great week of reflection and memories. Christmas went really well. when I called you in the morning I had just gotten home from the L's house. They have 5 kids and we had nerf gun battles in the house. Fun stuff! We had breakfast there and it was nice to be with a family on Christmas morning. It helped me feel closer to you guys. Elder Carlisle has left our little apartment for Disney World today. He flies home on the 31st and I said good-bye to him this morning. He was a great missionary and it was good to have served with him. I'm going to send this and send another one, one moment...

...Also this week I really enjoyed your package, thanks so much for sending it (and I got the second package of goodies! thanks) I read all the Christmas stories you selected for me and I even shared the one about the boy in the school play with the S's. It was good especially because I know David would have done the same thing. [The innkeeper told Joseph and Mary they could have his room] : )

Later on Christmas day we also went to the T's house (Bro. T is in the Bishopric) and we talked with a lot of families that were there. Christmas Eve I may have told you about, but we had an Italian Christmas Eve at the B's from the Clermont Ward. It was a lot of fun to see Wess B. open his mission call because it brought back a lot of memories for me of my mission call. On Monday for FHE we went caroling in the D's neighborhood and that was a lot of fun because we had a large group. Then we made gingerbread houses. I'll send you lots of pictures of all this stuff on the next picture CD I send. : )

The new Elder coming into our apartment tomorrow is Elder Lindstrom. He is Elder Sprague's new companion and he has only been out one more transfer than I have. So we have an apartment full of new Elders! Can you say, greenie fire?

Tracting this week was interesting because either a lot of people were home or no one was home because of the holidays. We talked to this man in his late 80's and he gave us the low down of an area we were tracting. We talked to a lot of people tracting, but no new investigators lately. I know if we increase our finding efforts we will be blessed with new investigators and people to teach.

It was great to hear last week from so many members from Visalia 6th ward and to get all the Christmas cards. Tell them I said Thanks!

On Tuesday I went tracting in Apopka on an exchange with Elder Goodwin and we mainly contacted people in Espanol. It was an all Spanish neighborhood so it was a good experience for me and good practice for my Spanish. Are you still using your Spanish dad??

Well that about sums up my week. Next week I hope to tell you about some new investigators as well as plans for baptisms (I just have to find the people first!) I love you all and appreciate you making my first mission Christmas so special!

Happy New Year!

Love,
Elder Miller