Elders & EASTER BASKETS!!

**EASTER SUNDAY**

Thanks Sister Melissa Heisel for taking this cute photo!!

Good Day my Son Elder Miles,

I love Easter for the simple fact of the reminder and focus on our Savior's triumph over death as he was raised TRIUMPHANT, GLORIOUS and MAJESTICALLY from the tomb. I am especially grateful for the scriptural accounts of those who were blessed to see him in all his GLORY. I am grateful for Joseph Smith's Vision of our Heavenly Father and His Son our Savior Jesus Christ. I have a testimony that our prophet and apostles today have audiences with him when occasions require and for their testimonies of him. And what an opportunity we have this weekend to listen to them all. I loved conference weekend on my mission I hope you do as well. This will be the second of 4 conference weekends that you will experience on your mission. Make the most of it and learn as much as you can from it.

Have a great day & week!
Love ya my son,
Papa

March 28, 2016 Press Forward...no sugar coatin' a missionary's frustration...

Well, one more week of the same stuff. I don't know what's going on. We haven't taught a lesson to a non member for over a month. Sorry there aren't any stories or experiences to share. I also don't have a lot of time to talk. Just stuff that's going on.... And I am sick of people yelling at me while they drive by and try to dump chewed up sunflower seeds on me. That's how things are going here. Hope you guys are doing better. Talk to you next week.



Author's note: Some scriptures that aid in our confusion, sadness, discouragement, frustration, & feeling overwhelmed. 
Doctrine & Covenants 58:4 For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand.

Moroni 7:33 And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is expedient in me.
  
Doctrine & Covenants 121:1, 7-8 1 O God, where art thou? And where is the pavilion that covereth thy hiding place? 7 My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; 8 And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.

Alma 38:4 For I know that thou wast in bonds; yea, and I also know that thou wast stoned for the word’s sake; and thou didst bear all these things with patience because the Lord was with thee; and now thou knowest that the Lord did deliver thee. 5 And now my son, [daughter], I would that ye should remember, that as much as ye shall put your trust in God even so much ye shall be delivered out of your trials, and your troubles, and your afflictions, and ye shall be lifted up at the last day.

Doctrine & Covenants 24:8 Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.

March 27, 2016 Happy Easter

                                                                                                                    

Did Jesus really live again? 

Yes, when the third day came, 

He wakened and he left the tomb; 

He called Mary's name. 

Did Jesus come to those he loved? 

Yes, people touched his feet, 

And of the fish and honeycomb 

He did truly eat. 

And there were nail-prints in his hands

And a spear wound in his side. 

Did Jesus really live again 

After he had died?

Oh yes! And so shall I! 

Words: Mabel Jones Gabbott, b. 1910. 

© 1977 IRI Music: Royce Campbell Twitchell, b. 1939.

© 1977 IRI 

Children's Songbook pg. 64

March 21, 2016 That's my story & I'm sticking to it....even if it is short

Hello hello,

This week was a pretty good week. We had the opportunity to do a ton of service. We were able to go to the Bishop's Storehouse and work a shift there, we helped someone move & we broke down someones fence. Good stuff. Service is fun.

Our investigators aren't investigating anymore. So there really isn't an update on that.

We were able to witness a crazy miracle on Saturday. I was literally a step from coming home... So more than half of our area is desert. We were walking along a trail next to a ditch to get to one side of our area to the other. As we were walking I heard Elder Trounce say "stop!" And so I did, confused. I saw him looking down at my feet, so I looked. And right there, kissing my toe with its tongue was a baby rattle snake. About 9 inches long. This thing blended perfectly with the rock and sand. And if anyone knows anything about rattle snakes, ususally they will bite you if you get anywhere near close to it. Our Heavenly Father truly does watch over us.

Well that is all for this week.  Talk to you later.

Love,
Elder Miles

RUN AWAY SNAKE!!!

I MEAN SLITHER! QUICKLY!! 

Not for the faint of heart! SNAKES, LIZARDS & Eeeww....oh my...

After researching a bit because Elder Miles' father was a somewhat concerned that killing a snake may be illegal in California...excerpts of an interesting article was found.

Rattlesnakes in California    

As springtime calls people and snakes alike to the outdoors, encounters with snakes become inevitable. California has a variety of snakes, most of which are benign. The exception is California’s only native venomous snake - the rattlesnake.

(it continues on with other information & several do's & don'ts of which 2 will be included for the reader)

• Do not handle a freshly killed snake, it can still inject venom. 
• Teach children early to respect snakes and to leave them alone. Children are naturally curious and will pick up snakes. 

Author's note: Ok, so good safety tips!!  Make sure to discuss these scenarios with your missionary before putting them on a plane:) Also, it is not breaking any laws to end a rattlesnakes life. So long as you adhere to the "bag limit of 2" per day. 

The "digestion" AND "dissection" of a rattlesnake....hence the eewww

Elder Miles on the "WALL OF MURRIETA"!! .....Nephite last week & Lamanite this week...hmmm, wonder if Samuel the Lamanite flashed the people a "hang loose" sign before he fled from their arrows...hopefully that's not sacrilege

Yea, for this cause I have sent you hither, and have selected my servant "Elder Ethan Miles" and have appointed unto him his mission in this land. 

Doctrine and Covenants 58:14 

(Some words taken from Nathan Miles' email to Elder Miles - March 14, 2016)

"The phrase “March Madness” this time of year means the NCAA basketball tournament and all the excitement with the "fanatic" and casual college basketball fans that turn fanatical for their teams. All of the build up for a 40 minute game that only one team can win and advance and the other goes home totally dejected. Let’s use this as a metaphor for missionary work. As of your last email a week ago you have one person ready to except the Gospel and get baptized this upcoming week. We are hoping and praying for him to make it to that “game day” and come out of the water victorious over the opponent, the Adversary. A victory for the Greatest team of all time lead by the Greatest coach of All, our Savior Jesus Christ."

Even though their investigator Shannon dropped his baptismal date, he still wants to learn more.  He told Elder Miles & Elder Trounce that he knows he will be baptized eventually.

March 14, 2016 Time does in fact "fly"!!

Hello hello,

This week has gone by way too fast. And the longer I'm on my mission the faster and faster it goes! Its crazy!

We were able to teach a couple more people this week. Including the Tinsay family. We have another lesson with them this week, but his daughters are excited to start coming to different activities like mutual. The ward also had an Easter egg hunt on Saturday morning and they went to that as well. And they helped clean the church building. So yeah, they are super cool.

Shannon dropped his baptismal date. So that is a bummer. But we are still working with him. He still wants to learn more. But there is something behind the scenes that we need to pull out that is holding him back. He brought his son to church again this week. Which is also awesome. He told us he knows he will be baptized eventually. He just feels like something is telling him not right now. blahhhhhhh! But things are going good. We are trying to figure out ways to get our ward more missionary minded. So if there are any ideas from you guys let me know!

The temperature here has cooled down to a freezing 65 degrees!!! Hahaha its funny to watch everyone walk around with huge winter coats on. But it has felt really good. You even get little hints here and there of the ocean breeze. It is so nice.

Anyways that how this week was. Super fun stuff. Talk to ya next week

Love,
Elder Miles

Silly shinanigans with the fun Heisel family!!

Sister Heisel mentioned that Elder Miles was trying out a GQ pose....alrighty!:)

March 7, 2016 Elder Ethan S. Miles........ Our "Nephi"

Springtime blossoms in Southern California - San Diego Temple grounds

"Let our hearts and hands be stretched out in compassion toward others, for everyone is walking his or her own difficult path. As disciples of Jesus Christ, our Master, we are called to support and heal rather than condemn. We are commanded “to mourn with those that mourn” and “comfort those that stand in need of comfort.” 

- President Dieter F. Uchtdorf "You Are My Hands" April 2010

Elder Miles & his
signature photo of the local wildlife....

Thumbs up 

MR. GOAT!!

 San Diego Temple Trip -Elder Trounce & Elder Miles

"The San Diego temple is my favorite temple, and we are really lucky to go because it is outside of our mission."

March 7, 2016 "When you are focused on the Lord's work it is fun!!"

Hello all,

This week was pretty good. We were able to go to the temple on Tuesday. It was soo good. The San Diego temple is my favorite temple. And we are really lucky to go because it is outside of our mission.

We finally had a lesson with Shannon this week. And guess what?!? WE SET HIM ON DATE FOR MARCH 20TH!!! I feel like there is something else on that day though. Not really sure what it is. Oh well. But we are excited for that. He is such an awesome person and is so converted to the gospel. He knows that the Book of Mormon is true, and knows that Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. 

We also did some service this week at a Catholic food pantry, where we are pretty much slaves for two hours. We clean up everything after people come through and grab food. But it is fun because we have other missionaries from our zone that go and we just mess around and play games.

This week Elder Trounce and I were talking about how fast time has gone by on the mission. He just hit his 6 month mark. And it really does. When you are focused on the Lord's work it is fun! We work really well together and get a lot done. We are going to start working with a part member family of a recent convert. He just received the higher priesthood. His whole family aren't members, but they have been going to mutual and came to his ordination. So we are also looking forward to that.

Well that is about it for this week. More good stuff coming up for next week. I will let you know how it goes!

Love, Elder Miles

P.S. Oh yeah!! The 20th is Miranda's birthday! Happy Birthday Miranda!

 

PASTRAMI BURGER 

+

ELDER MILES

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BIG SMILE!!:)