Good day, mate! October 5, 2009

Dear Family,

Thank you so much for your emails. I could tell you each put a lot of thought into them so I am going to email you each separately to answer all your questions.

Reece, I really, really enjoyed conference, too! We watched it at our chapel in Daytona on the big screen with a projector along with some friends in the ward and some investigators. I am glad to hear that you are working hard. Something that came to mind as I read about your school work, Mimi's work, and working on the house was you are gaining experience, confidence, and knowledge that will help you in whatever you choose to do with your life after you mission. If you continue in this way you will be well prepared for the future! That's awesome. :) I am glad you enjoyed watching those videos. I completely forgot they were on there, ha ha. :) We move into our new apartment on the 14th (next Wednesday) and recently we have been hunting down some furniture to put in it since we don't really have any due to our small existing apartment. I am definitely excited because it will be a much better location, a lot nicer, and a lot more room! Here is our apartment's website from their business card they gave us: www.integrashores.com/. This way you can see what it looks like. our floor plan is the Cape Side and it over looks the two lakes and the pool (which we can't use :). Daytona is a cool place and a fun place to visit but I could never see myself raising a family here. But I love it for right now because I am here to share the gospel with everyone who lives here. I am so excited to hear how nice the house is looking. I hope to see some pictures of the finished product when it's done. I love you Reece and hope you have a fun-filled and hardworking October. :)

Remi, Daytona beach is going really well. I love teaching the people here and I know that I am doing God's work. It actually hasn't rained at all lately. Must be one of the few places in the world that it's not because it sounds like the rest of the world is being flooded! (Samoa, Georgia, Texas, Indonesia, etc.) We are definitely in the last days but I am so grateful to have living Prophets of God on the earth today and for the guidance and counsel we just received this weekend in regards to our current struggles. We have taught a lot of people lately, most of them from tracting. We taught over 30 lessons this past week. Our last baptism wast Eddie and Kathy a couple of weekends ago, but we have more coming in October and I will tell you more about them next week. Right now Mike P. (a media referral) has a baptismal date for October but he still needs to come to church. He was at Eddie and Kathy's baptism and a church tour (took him around our meeting house and described what goes on during the 3 hours of church) so that was good. I love you Remi and hope that you have a great week!

Dad, I absolutely loved general conference, too! I was also very impressed with Elder Jeffery R. Holland's talk because of his powerful witness that the Book of Mormon is true. I especially enjoyed it as he is one of the Apostles that I have personally met and spoken to. And the whole world does have the opportunity to hear it even if they don't take it. So they at least have a chance to receive the message through satellite, television, radio, the internet, magazines, and so forth. My favorite talk from the priesthood session was Elder Ballard's talk about fathers and sons. I took lots of notes and plan on implementing what he said both now and especially after my mission. During his talk I thought about the Priesthood sessions we have been to together and going out afterward to get ice cream and Baskin Robin's. I miss sitting next to you at those but I will have the opportunity again sooner that it feels. I love you Dad. You're right before my mission I was a little rambunctious and although I still plan on having fun (snowboarding, diving, etc.) I will be much more careful. :) I am currently having the time of my life and the most fun I have ever had sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with everyone I see. Time sure does fly but I will do my best to make the most of it in every situation. I want to please Heavenly Father with my work here and be able to hear Him say, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Thank you for all you advice and support! I love you.

Mom, don't worry, no one was hurt (including me) in the making of those videos. :) [We just found a video of Ryan letting his BYU-I friends push him down the stairs in a clothes basket on a skate board! At least he was wearing a helmet.] And like I told Dad I will definitely be more careful after my mission (and during of course). I loved general conference, too. I enjoyed hearing about your first experiences in the church. That's something that I haven't asked you and Dad very much but something that I have come to appreciate very much while being on my mission. I share yours and Dad's conversion experiences all the time with investigators and it means a lot them and especially me! Thank you for sending that missionaries story. [A first hand account of the tsunami from a missionary in Samoa.] It is amazing to hear the things that missionaries experience in other parts of the world. I heard from Andy and Justin recently and they both are really blossoming and enjoying their missions, too! It sounds like there has been a lot of progress made on the house and a lot more to go. But I definitely know that Heavenly Father will help you finish the house and that everything will work out right. I will continue to keep you in my prayers (specifically with working on the house.) It was also great to hear about your novel coming along. I am glad you find so much enjoyment in that and I look forward to reading your novel next summer. I love you, Mom. Thank you for all you do.

Well, in other news today was zone p-day again and this time we actually got to go to the beach because we didn't get rained out. It was a lot of fun and I got some great pictures! I will send a picture CD from my camera soon with a LOT of pictures that I hope you will enjoy. Also this Friday we are having a mission conference with Spencer J. Condie of the seventy. I really look forward to the knowledge and insight I will gain from this experience. Afterward there is going to be an awesome investigator fireside with him so I look forward to that with anticipation for our investigators as well.

Well, I love you all and wish you a great second week of October! Stay strong!

Love,

Elder Miller

Thank you for the update, Mom. :) [A long-time friend from California just got a mission call to California!]

By the way, Dad, do you have any advice for seeking member referrals?
Love,
Elder Miller