"We need to stretch ourselves..." says Elder Miles
January 4, 2016 Hello and Happy New Years!!!
Hello and Happy New Years!!! This week went by way fast. I hope you guys set some good goals. In Elders Quorum yesterday we talked a little about SMART goals.
S - Specific. Knowing exactly what you are working towards
M - Measurable. Something you can see improvement from the beginning to the end.
A - Attainable. Something that you can reach, but will push you to become better.
R- Reachable. Same thing
T - Trackable. Something you can keep track of and see results.
Something that I have seen on my mission is that setting goals are so important to everything. They make you better at what you are trying to become. Something coach Tillet always told us is "we are never staying the same. We are either getting worse or getting better."
We need to stretch ourselves. And that is what I want to challenge you all to do. Set at least one goal that will stretch your abilities. But is within reason.
I am running out of time but I love you all. Awesome job MAYCEE and congratulations!!! I will talk to you all next week!
Love always,
Elder Miles
S - Specific. Knowing exactly what you are working towards
M - Measurable. Something you can see improvement from the beginning to the end.
A - Attainable. Something that you can reach, but will push you to become better.
R- Reachable. Same thing
T - Trackable. Something you can keep track of and see results.
Something that I have seen on my mission is that setting goals are so important to everything. They make you better at what you are trying to become. Something coach Tillet always told us is "we are never staying the same. We are either getting worse or getting better."
We need to stretch ourselves. And that is what I want to challenge you all to do. Set at least one goal that will stretch your abilities. But is within reason.
I am running out of time but I love you all. Awesome job MAYCEE and congratulations!!! I will talk to you all next week!
Love always,
Elder Miles
**Author's "liberties"...** 1/4/16
I thought it would be fun to add in a couple answers that Elder Miles responded to on some questions we had for him...
Nathan (Elder Miles' father): Hello Elder Miles, How are things in the new year, any new investigators? Saturday I prayed that as we were baptizing Maycee that you and Elder Rudd would find a “Golden Contact” any luck?
Elder Miles: So usually we contact about 20 - 30 people per day. Saturday we contacted 101 people and set up several lessons. So your prayer worked!! We currently hold the record for the year on contacts. Last year it was 106.
Amy (Elder Miles' mother): Quick question...How has food been when it gets to you? I'd like to send a bunch of cookies we've made, but wanted to see if they end up being a mess or stale by the time you get to open them...let me know, thanks!
Elder Miles:
Nathan (Elder Miles' father): Hello Elder Miles, How are things in the new year, any new investigators? Saturday I prayed that as we were baptizing Maycee that you and Elder Rudd would find a “Golden Contact” any luck?
Elder Miles: So usually we contact about 20 - 30 people per day. Saturday we contacted 101 people and set up several lessons. So your prayer worked!! We currently hold the record for the year on contacts. Last year it was 106.
Amy (Elder Miles' mother): Quick question...How has food been when it gets to you? I'd like to send a bunch of cookies we've made, but wanted to see if they end up being a mess or stale by the time you get to open them...let me know, thanks!
Elder Miles:
YES SEND COOKIES!!
Elder Miles & Bryce Bender
Bryce walked into his home YSA branch in Vista, CA & noticed an Elder Miles there...
Bryce served in Bolivia with another Elder Miles & mentioned that to Elder ETHAN Miles. He asked him where he was from & long story short they found out that the other Elder Miles who served in Bolivia with Bryce is Durrant Miles, Ethan's cousin!! Holy small world!!
December 28, 2015 Here we are AGAIN!!:)
Hello all. Well since we saw each other on Friday I don't have a whole lot to say. Saturday morning we recieved a mini missionary. His name is Christian. He will be with us until Thursday morning. (This is a MOM note added: I wasn't sure what a mini missionary was so I found out it's one of the Youth in their stake that have a "trial run" or a "serve a mini mission" with the missionaries! Sounds fun!!)
Our investigator Duluce dropped us as well on Saturday. She wouldn't give any reason but she was pretty set on the decision she made. So the baptism that we had scheduled for January 9th is no longer going to happen.
Thanks everybody for all of the gifts!! They were awesome! And I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!! Love you all. And I will talk to you next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
Our investigator Duluce dropped us as well on Saturday. She wouldn't give any reason but she was pretty set on the decision she made. So the baptism that we had scheduled for January 9th is no longer going to happen.
Thanks everybody for all of the gifts!! They were awesome! And I hope you all had a very Merry Christmas!! Love you all. And I will talk to you next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
This is a picture of me and Sister Bradley. I am laughing because she handed me the nice sign then I noticed that she had jokingly as well picked up the naughty sign. Good times in the mission field!
(author's note...hee hee, We just found out on our Christmas skype call that Sister Bradley is the daughter of Shawn & Annette Bradley...the 7'6" Shawn Bradley that played for BYU & went onto play in the NBA.)
December 21, 2015 "I wish you all the very best Christmas ever!"
Well this week went really well. Unfortunately Deluce didn't come to church because some family stuff came up. So we have had to push her baptism back to January 9th. But she is still doing really well. She keeps all of our invitations and is really looking for the truth. She wasn't quite understanding authority, so that is something that we really focused on. We also have two super solid fellowshippers. Ilse Gomez and Caitlyn Romney. They do a really good job with answering her questions. We've got her. It is just going to take a little more effort.
We haven't found any other people to teach lately. Vista (the area that I cover) is full of pot heads and any other drug that you can think of. So a lot of people are always down to learn more but we never get past the first lesson. Because most of the time they just aren't worth it when we can be out finding people that will understand the importance. So it has been slow. But everyone is having a good time.
It is super weird that Christmas is already here. And that it is going to be just another day. We have the day to rest but at 6pm we just go right back out and continue to work. And the fact that there is no snow, and its 70 degrees. I don't think that has ever happened in my life other than when we lived in St. George. But even then it was colder.
There is also a really weird and awkward missionary sitting next to me right now rubbing my foot... with his foot. Sooooo I need to go. But I wish you all the very best Christmas ever!
Love always,
Elder Miles
We haven't found any other people to teach lately. Vista (the area that I cover) is full of pot heads and any other drug that you can think of. So a lot of people are always down to learn more but we never get past the first lesson. Because most of the time they just aren't worth it when we can be out finding people that will understand the importance. So it has been slow. But everyone is having a good time.
It is super weird that Christmas is already here. And that it is going to be just another day. We have the day to rest but at 6pm we just go right back out and continue to work. And the fact that there is no snow, and its 70 degrees. I don't think that has ever happened in my life other than when we lived in St. George. But even then it was colder.
There is also a really weird and awkward missionary sitting next to me right now rubbing my foot... with his foot. Sooooo I need to go. But I wish you all the very best Christmas ever!
Love always,
Elder Miles
December 14, 2015 "I know that this is the TRUE CHURCH..."
Hello everyone! I hope you all had a good week!
This week we picked up a new investigator named Deluce (De-loo-say). She is 19 years old, her father is a pastor for the Seventh Day Adventist church, and she wants to be baptized! She is super solid and sincere, has a lot of questions, but loves the gospel.
This last Saturday the Sisters in our ward, Sister Bradley and Sister Call had a baptism. Her name is Tiffany and I had the opportunity of conducting her baptismal interview. She pretty much was already a member before. She has been coming to church and all of the activities since June. Also during convert baptisms missionaries usually share a spiritual thought while they are getting changed. So I had the opportunity to do so as well. The spirit was so strong! That entire baptism was so amazing and only strengthened my testimony even more. I showed the Christmas video then tied it in with the restoration. It was on point.
Well I have to go now but I am so grateful to be able to serve a mission here in Carlsbad. I am grateful for the gospel and to have a prophet to lead and guide us today. I am grateful for Joseph Smith and his courage to go through everything that he did. I know that this is the true church, and the constant spirit that is felt by being a member of it.
I am grateful for you all and wish you the best of luck. Talk to you all next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
This week we picked up a new investigator named Deluce (De-loo-say). She is 19 years old, her father is a pastor for the Seventh Day Adventist church, and she wants to be baptized! She is super solid and sincere, has a lot of questions, but loves the gospel.
This last Saturday the Sisters in our ward, Sister Bradley and Sister Call had a baptism. Her name is Tiffany and I had the opportunity of conducting her baptismal interview. She pretty much was already a member before. She has been coming to church and all of the activities since June. Also during convert baptisms missionaries usually share a spiritual thought while they are getting changed. So I had the opportunity to do so as well. The spirit was so strong! That entire baptism was so amazing and only strengthened my testimony even more. I showed the Christmas video then tied it in with the restoration. It was on point.
Well I have to go now but I am so grateful to be able to serve a mission here in Carlsbad. I am grateful for the gospel and to have a prophet to lead and guide us today. I am grateful for Joseph Smith and his courage to go through everything that he did. I know that this is the true church, and the constant spirit that is felt by being a member of it.
I am grateful for you all and wish you the best of luck. Talk to you all next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
Ding Dong!! We're here! So excited for our yummy
Sunday dinner with the Summers Family!!
Get some food in 'em quick Alexx!! Elder Friend, Elder Rudd, Elder Wilson & Elder Miles are slipping into their crazy food deprived missionary mode!!
Ready for some grub!!
Yep!! That hit the spot! Feeling great with a full belly!
THANK YOU AMAZING SUMMERS FAMILY FOR TAKING CARE OF OUR BOYS!!
December 7, 2015 Nothing wrong with short, sweet & to the point:)
Sorry I don't have a lot of time today.
We had an awesome service project this week for a widow that lives in our stake. Her grandson, who had previously taken care of her yard, passed away in a motorcycle accident about a year ago. So the yard hadn't been touched since then. So we spent most of our day Saturday to fix it up for her. And it was so sweet to see the gratefulness that she had for us and our ward members who came.
So I am sure you all have heard of this years Christmas video. This is something that the church is really pushing for and it is a great missionary tool. For members and full-time missionaries. I would like to challenge you all to share it on as many social media sites as possible, and continue to re-post it throughout the month. And any of those less actives or non members that you know that like it or comment on it, invite them to learn why.
Why did God send his only begotten son to atone for our sins?
In our mission we are already seeing sooooo much success from it. #miracles! Invite everybody! And those that are ready will hear our Heavenly Father calling them to come into the kingdom of heaven by being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God!
Anyways I gotta go now, talk to you all next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
We had an awesome service project this week for a widow that lives in our stake. Her grandson, who had previously taken care of her yard, passed away in a motorcycle accident about a year ago. So the yard hadn't been touched since then. So we spent most of our day Saturday to fix it up for her. And it was so sweet to see the gratefulness that she had for us and our ward members who came.
So I am sure you all have heard of this years Christmas video. This is something that the church is really pushing for and it is a great missionary tool. For members and full-time missionaries. I would like to challenge you all to share it on as many social media sites as possible, and continue to re-post it throughout the month. And any of those less actives or non members that you know that like it or comment on it, invite them to learn why.
Why did God send his only begotten son to atone for our sins?
In our mission we are already seeing sooooo much success from it. #miracles! Invite everybody! And those that are ready will hear our Heavenly Father calling them to come into the kingdom of heaven by being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God!
Anyways I gotta go now, talk to you all next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
November 30, 2015 Thanksgiving...and all the fixins'!!...uh, all the BLESSINGS:)
Man, Thanksgiving was a BLAST!!! We started the morning off playing in the annual Vista vs. Fallbrook Turkey Bowl. And we owned Fallbrook. It was so legit, we had actual plays and positions and roster. It was a lot of fun. We ate at the Norris' house. That was way fun also, there were about 40 people there and just mountains of turkey, and mashed potatoes and everything you can think of. Except there weren't any yams... I ate 6 full plates of food! And I was so stuffed. Dang. After that we left and went to the Tanner's house and had dessert. There was cheese cake and pie of every kind. And the Lord blessed me to be able to at least eat one peace of every dessert. It was really good. Then we played some card games (which I am not a big fan on) for about an hour or so. Then we went back out and started to work!
We still don't have anybody that we are teaching right now. Everybody that we have lessons with don't keep the commitments that we give them. So we have to give them their space for awhile until we feel like they are ready to be taught again. But we are still working hard as always and having a blast doing it!
Another crazy thing happened Thursday night. President Kendick called and asked if I would be a District Leader. It's going to be a crazy ride for at least the next 6 weeks. I am also staying in Vista. Which also means by the end of these next six weeks I will have serve 1/4 of my mission in my first area. But that also means I am for sure being transferred next transfer. Most of all I am so excited to be able to serve the missionaries in my district. It is going to be a great experience.
Well I have to go now. I will talk to you all next week. Love you guys!!
Love always,
Elder Miles
P.S. Maycee don't forget to check the mail this week ;)
We still don't have anybody that we are teaching right now. Everybody that we have lessons with don't keep the commitments that we give them. So we have to give them their space for awhile until we feel like they are ready to be taught again. But we are still working hard as always and having a blast doing it!
Another crazy thing happened Thursday night. President Kendick called and asked if I would be a District Leader. It's going to be a crazy ride for at least the next 6 weeks. I am also staying in Vista. Which also means by the end of these next six weeks I will have serve 1/4 of my mission in my first area. But that also means I am for sure being transferred next transfer. Most of all I am so excited to be able to serve the missionaries in my district. It is going to be a great experience.
Well I have to go now. I will talk to you all next week. Love you guys!!
Love always,
Elder Miles
P.S. Maycee don't forget to check the mail this week ;)
Nov. 23, 2015 Investigators AND Elder Miles'... TIMES TWO!!
This week was a little better than last. There wasn't a whole lot of stuff going on during the first part of the week, but this weekend was Stake Conference. As missionaries we aren't allowed to go to any of the Saturday services unless we have an investigator with us. But they didn't show up. But as we were waiting, there was a random guy that walked in and wanted to know what happens during church. So we told him and now we have a lesson with him tonight and he seemed really sincere and honest. That was on Saturday. Now on Sunday after Stake Conference we were getting ready to leave & another random guy walks up to us who also wants to learn more about our church and already committed to being baptized if he came to know that it was true. We have a lesson later this week with him. Those were some very much needed miracles!
We also went on exchanges with our Zone Leaders this week. The Zone Leader who came with me is Elder Miles.... And I am also Elder Miles! So we had a 24 hr companionship of the ELDER MILES'!! We had a lot of comments while we were out working, and it was way fun. We get along really well. He also has family up in Rupert, Idaho. I know we have Carpenter family up there but do we also have Miles Family? Because that would be cool if we were related.
I am so stoked for Thanksgiving this week! Thanksgiving morning the Elders Quorum are having a Turkey Bowl. We got permission to go and play with them! That is going to be really fun. And then for dinner we'll be with a family that have a really nice home on top of a mountain. Whenever we eat there they always feed us a ton of food. I can't even imagine how much there is going to be for Thanksgiving.
Well that is about it for this week. I am glad it was a little bit better. Still working hard and having fun! Talk to you all next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
We also went on exchanges with our Zone Leaders this week. The Zone Leader who came with me is Elder Miles.... And I am also Elder Miles! So we had a 24 hr companionship of the ELDER MILES'!! We had a lot of comments while we were out working, and it was way fun. We get along really well. He also has family up in Rupert, Idaho. I know we have Carpenter family up there but do we also have Miles Family? Because that would be cool if we were related.
I am so stoked for Thanksgiving this week! Thanksgiving morning the Elders Quorum are having a Turkey Bowl. We got permission to go and play with them! That is going to be really fun. And then for dinner we'll be with a family that have a really nice home on top of a mountain. Whenever we eat there they always feed us a ton of food. I can't even imagine how much there is going to be for Thanksgiving.
Well that is about it for this week. I am glad it was a little bit better. Still working hard and having fun! Talk to you all next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
Nov. 16, 2015 Remember, "I can do all things through Christ..." and Cupcakes!! Cupcakes are good!
Well this week was pretty un-eventful. All of our investigators aren't keeping commitments. And our recent convert Lili is struggling with past habits. It was also a very stressful week. Mainly because we just haven't seen a whole lot of "success" physically or spiritually. So it has been kind of a bummer lately.
But we did go on exchanges with our district leader this week. And we made cupcakes and that was really good!! haha.... (Elder Miles shared some other things, but requested it not be on his blog:)
Well I have to go now but I will talk to you all next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
Well I have to go now but I will talk to you all next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
November 10, 2015 P-Day is on TUESDAY!!
Sorry for not telling you that this week pday is on Tuesday! We had Elder C. Scott Grow come to our mission yesterday and taught us how to receive revelation. First we need to have faith, repent, pray always, and seek. The Lord doesn't give people answers to questions or prayers to those who aren't going to act on the answer that they get. Which is very humbling. Because sometimes as human beings we are always trying to find the easy way out of things (me in particular).
A lot of the time we aren't willing to make God's will, our will. Which makes perfect sense on why we see so many people who fall away from the church, or stop believing in God because they aren't getting the answer that they "want" to hear. So they don't act on it, and after going through that cycle the spirit departs and it becomes very hard to receive revelation. So when we are searching for an answer to something, we need to constantly be thinking, "Is this what I want? Or is this what Heavenly Father wants?" And act on the answer that we get. Anyways that's just some of the stuff that he taught us about.
This week was pretty good. Do you remember Gilberto from a couple weeks ago? We picked him back up. He got fired from his job! Miracles! Haha so now he can finally come to church and other activities. We also have another investigator right now named Eric. He is super solid. We have only taught him the restoration but he said that he would really give it a shot to come to know if everything is true. He was really nervous to set a baptismal date though. But we heard from some other missionaries that tried to contact him on the street last night and he said that he was meeting with us. So they brought up baptism and he said that he would when he knows more about our church. I don't know what that means but he also said that he was super excited to meet up with us again tomorrow. So we will see.
But I have to get going now. So I will talk to you all next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
A lot of the time we aren't willing to make God's will, our will. Which makes perfect sense on why we see so many people who fall away from the church, or stop believing in God because they aren't getting the answer that they "want" to hear. So they don't act on it, and after going through that cycle the spirit departs and it becomes very hard to receive revelation. So when we are searching for an answer to something, we need to constantly be thinking, "Is this what I want? Or is this what Heavenly Father wants?" And act on the answer that we get. Anyways that's just some of the stuff that he taught us about.
This week was pretty good. Do you remember Gilberto from a couple weeks ago? We picked him back up. He got fired from his job! Miracles! Haha so now he can finally come to church and other activities. We also have another investigator right now named Eric. He is super solid. We have only taught him the restoration but he said that he would really give it a shot to come to know if everything is true. He was really nervous to set a baptismal date though. But we heard from some other missionaries that tried to contact him on the street last night and he said that he was meeting with us. So they brought up baptism and he said that he would when he knows more about our church. I don't know what that means but he also said that he was super excited to meet up with us again tomorrow. So we will see.
But I have to get going now. So I will talk to you all next week.
Love always,
Elder Miles
Nov. 2, 2015 We worked our very hardest and we felt very accomplished
This week was really good. Our teaching pool is still really low, but Elder Rudd and I worked our very hardest. And we felt very accomplished. One thing that I learned this week was to have patience. That has been something that I have let go the last couple weeks & one of the things that I saw help with that, is prayer.
Prayer is something that you can just start to take advantage of in your life and your prayers become less thoughtful. But this week as I made my prayers more specific and special, the blessings that I saw from it were amazing. One of them being more patient with others.
Elder Rudd and I are really getting along with each other. It is weird having somebody that you have never seen in your entire life, and in 5 minutes you are told that you have to be with each other 27/7. (typo is staying because of the irony...:) And this last week we have really bonded and have really good companionship unity. And it is cool how we see the spirit working through us like we are the same person. For instance, I felt like we should stop by one of the members in our ward and when I talked to Elder Rudd about it he was feeling the same way. So we stopped by their house and helped them overcome some of the trials that they were having. So that was cool.
WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE!!!! It would be facebook official (if we had facebook) that the San Diego Temple is my favorite temple. Oh my goodness. I have been on the grounds before, but being there as a missionary just made it so much more special. And the spirit was so strong! It was the best experience of my entire life. I am so grateful for temples.
Yesterday we were told that we were in charge of teaching the Gospel Principles class in sunday school. We were informed of this at the end of sacrament. That was definitely an adventure. But the topic was easy and that helped the lesson flow a little bit easier. That was another good experience of learning how to rely on the spirit. As in D&C 84:85 "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man."
Well that is about it for this week. I love you all.
Love always,
Elder Miles
Prayer is something that you can just start to take advantage of in your life and your prayers become less thoughtful. But this week as I made my prayers more specific and special, the blessings that I saw from it were amazing. One of them being more patient with others.
Elder Rudd and I are really getting along with each other. It is weird having somebody that you have never seen in your entire life, and in 5 minutes you are told that you have to be with each other 27/7. (typo is staying because of the irony...:) And this last week we have really bonded and have really good companionship unity. And it is cool how we see the spirit working through us like we are the same person. For instance, I felt like we should stop by one of the members in our ward and when I talked to Elder Rudd about it he was feeling the same way. So we stopped by their house and helped them overcome some of the trials that they were having. So that was cool.
WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE!!!! It would be facebook official (if we had facebook) that the San Diego Temple is my favorite temple. Oh my goodness. I have been on the grounds before, but being there as a missionary just made it so much more special. And the spirit was so strong! It was the best experience of my entire life. I am so grateful for temples.
Yesterday we were told that we were in charge of teaching the Gospel Principles class in sunday school. We were informed of this at the end of sacrament. That was definitely an adventure. But the topic was easy and that helped the lesson flow a little bit easier. That was another good experience of learning how to rely on the spirit. As in D&C 84:85 "Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man."
Well that is about it for this week. I love you all.
Love always,
Elder Miles
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