Jan 30, 2017 Do you all want to know the answer??...

So the question that EVERYBODY has been asking for the last 6 months has been, "Has Johnathan been baptized yet?" And I can finally give the answer that EVERYBODY want's to hear. YES! He got baptized this last Saturday. It was a darn good meeting and very spiritual. The most recent convert in our ward, Jane who was baptized a month ago by the sisters, spoke on baptism and her conversion and did an excellent job. Elder Nokes spoke on the Holy Ghost. Johnathan's parents were there also. It was a great night.

I will be getting transferred tomorrow to Murrieta Springs YSA ward and the Alta Murrieta ward. Yes two wards, a ysa and family ward. Should be fun. My new companion will be Elder Wilson. He has been in some of my pictures, so when you see him you will recognize him. He is a good guy. I think he is from Oregon. But we are pretty similar. He has been out a transfer longer than me. It will be good, and I am excited! Other than that not a lot happened.

This week we were driving around a lot doing administrative stuff for other missionaries. We had to drive to Vista to get the mail this week. It usually gets dropped off at one of the church buildings in the stake though. So that was fun.

I am just ready to learn a new area and meet new people. Today is packed just trying to get ready to leave. And we have what's called "journal signing" where you have people sign and you can sign other peoples journals at the end of every transfer. So those are my plans. And thats about it!

Love you guys!

Elder Ethan Miles

January 28, 2017 Johnathan's Baptism... BIG SMILES ALL AROUND!!

Elder Miles has been in Palomar YSA for the last 6 months & has been teaching his amazing friend Johnathan with 2 different but great companions, Elder Nokes & Elder Phillips. Elder Miles is now headed to Murrieta Springs YSA ward and the Alta Murrieta ward & new companion will be Elder Wilson. What a terrific send off it was for him to witness

Johnathan's baptism last Saturday!💓

**Sisters Timmons & Gallacher 

with Elders Hopkins, Kindmark, Phillips & Miles**

SUNNY🌞 CALIFORNIA.... can still get a little rainy & wet!😄😂

Sisters Timmons & Gallacher *Elders Wilson & Higginson *along with our Elder Miles &  companion Elder Phillips😃

Jan. 17, 2017 Guess what?!

Dangggg I can't believe it has been 18 months.  I've said this before and I will continue to say it forever, I feel like the time has gone by way fast, but then I look back at all of the experiences and the things I've learned have been uncountable.  I was able to talk to Elders Raddon and Higginson this week and they said the same thing.  It was just yesterday that we walked into the MTC together, and now we are "seasoned veterans."  But I still have no idea what I'm doing.  We are instruments in the lords hands, but He does all the work.  We are just sorta here.   But he's the one that moves and blows and we just make the sound.

Well the miracle for this week is that we were FINALLY able to meet with Johnathan's parents.  And they signed the papers!  We just need to go over some things really quickly with him and he will be ready.  He will be baptized January 28th.

This week was pretty good actually.  We were able to be 10 ft from the ocean, see Dr. Suess fish and seals then touch snow in the same day!  I will put some pics in.  While we were on the mountain we were above the clouds.  It was beautiful!  Elder Phillips asked me to take a picture of him throwing a snowball.  The first time I wasn't ready so I didn't get the picture.  Then the second time I got the picture with the snowball in mid-air, and it hit me right in the face! Haha!!  And of course I had to get some payback.  So I grabbed some snow and shoved it in his face.  That was fun.

  

We were also able to go to Edson Range on Sunday.  It was good to be back.  They are teaching a lot of people so they asked us to come up and help out.  They need us the next few weeks as well.  But we are going to push to be able to stay up there every week haha.  It takes us out of reality.  Just a bunch of humble, elect guys ready to hear the gospel.  One of the guys I taught is getting baptized this upcoming Sunday.

  

Well that's about it for this week!  

Love you all!

Elder Ethan Miles

18 month mark....eeekkk!!!😄

W H A T??!!!😮 Where did that time go??... not that we're counting or anything...😆😍😂

Jan. 9, 2017 "...take time to hear what I actually represent..."

Helloooo

Updates on Johnathan.  So he was able to set up an appointment for us to meet with his parents this last week.  And we even confirmed it the day of.  And just a few hours before, his mom canceled.  Because she did want to talk to us.  Probably because she was on drugs.  So yesterday we gave Johnathan the Baptismal Form and he is going to have her sign it himself.  Because what we are doing now isn't working.  It's pretty frustrating.  

I am ready to get transferred out of this area.  We just can't seem to get anything going.  Everybody here is so liberal and fine with where they are at they just don't want to talk to us.  So many return missionaries come home and just brag about the people in their mission and the culture.  And how much they miss them and want to be like them.  I think I have learned what I don't want to be like and the culture I don't want to live in.  I seriously can't wait to be able to walk in a store and not have people curse and glare at me just because of what I wear when they take no time to hear for themselves what I actually represent.

That's about it for this week.  Hope everybody has a good one.

Elder Ethan Miles

Jan. 3, 2017 Crazy to think Elder Miles is coming home THIS YEAR!!

Happy New Year!

So we have a lot of greenies in our zone, and because I go home in July they all have been teasing me about how I go home this year.  Then I tease them how they don't go home until the end of 2018.  But it is weird to think about.  Exciting.  Especially how some of the goals that I've set not only are for my mission, but are for the last half of the year when I get home.  Time to finish strong and start strong!

Johnathan still hasn't been able to set up a dinner for us.  But his mom told him that he should be able to this week.  He still wants it. So we are praying and fasting for him this week.  Our fingers are crossed!

We are still trying to find more people to teach. We still have 3 or 4 more weeks until transfers, so I gotta help Elder Phillips find some people so I don't leave him in the desert haha.  That's what I call it when we don't have anybody.  We are going to work super hard.

Sorry I didn't have a whole lot of time, but I need to get running now.  I hope you all have a good week! Love you!

Elder Ethan Miles

Happy New Year!! Jan 1, 2017

Brother Brandon Hernandez sent these pics. He is Palomar YSA Elders Quorum President where Elder Miles & Elder Phillips are serving right now😊

Elder Miles & Brandon Hernandez

 

Elder Miles & Elder Phillips

"Class time":)

Family Home Evening in YSA

Painting was the activity for the young single adult branch😃Thank you to Jeana Skinner for the photo!!❤

Dec. 25, 2016 Christmas call with Elder Miles...

Elder Miles' thoughts & testimony about studying the parable of the sower…

“It’s been eye opening to me. As a missionary you live a higher life, you live a higher standard, but there are still things…Satan still puts things in your path & distractions that you need to keep out of your life. So I think where I’m at right now as a missionary (and even when I go home)…what distractions do I need to get rid of…what thorns or temptations do I have … am I putting myself in situations where I’m not able to grow roots…am I growing at all…am I in soil, at all.

I’ve definitely gained a testimony of likening the scriptures unto myself. In every verse, ever story that is taught can relate to us. We’ll always have trials in our lives & in one way or another they can help us through those trials. That’s also helped me to receive a testimony of Heavenly Father & how he loves us. He’s given us all these things…he’s given us our family, the gospel, commandments…because they’re not there to restrict us, but help us maintain freedom from trials & torment & guilt throughout our lives. So I’m grateful for that.

I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to be raised in the gospel & in a righteous family like my patriarchal blessing says…I’m grateful for the blessings I’ve received from that. As I’ve realized seeing different situations with Johnathan, you know…he lives in a really sucky situation & he’s going to learn a lot of lessons from that as he continues to progress in the gospel. By seeing the things that he learns & be able to apply them in my life, I’ve been able to see the things I’ve learned and to learn from him. I’m very grateful for that.

I’m grateful to have a Heavenly Father that loves me & has given me these things & given me the opportunity to repent & become better. Repentance is a process. I know that Heavenly Father really does want us to come back to him because he gives us a lot of chances…a lot of chances. On my mission I’ve realized I haven’t taken a lot of those chances & now is the time that I need to.

I’m grateful for all of those things & I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

(we recorded him but it wouldn't download to the blog.  It's been so amazing listening to him say it & typing it down...to reread over & over again....love this boy)

Dinner at Salvadors

Love surprise photos!!

Received this photo last week with a message.."Enjoying a banana split. Miss you mom"❤😊❤

Dec. 19, 2016 Drum Rollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll !!!!

Well I guess I will start off with the good news! Drum Rollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll !!!!
Johnathan got permission from his parents to get baptized !!!!! Boom! We still need to get them to sign his form and then we will get him interviewed and we will be seeing a white Christmas! I've been dreaming of it for a while now haha. I am super excited for that and want to thank all of you for your prayers! It payed off.

The sisters in our ward had a baptism this week as well. It was really good. She had been in investigating for almost as long as Johnathan has. And she asked Elder Phillips and I to stand in the circle when she was confirmed which is always a neat experience. We also had a non-member show up to church on Sunday. We contacted him at our booth on Palomar campus and gave him a card and he showed up. I don't remember him so I don't think it was me. But he came anyways and seems pretty interested. We will start teaching him hopefully sometime this week.

So info for skyping: I have church that starts at 11:30 and we are only having sacrament. The family that is feeding us is going to be at 2. So there isn't going to be much time between that. I will probably be calling around 4 to talk to you guys. So be on skype ready for a call.

Well I guess I will talk to you on Sunday! Write down a list of questions that you want to ask so that we have stuff to talk about.

Love you!

Elder Ethan Miles

An object lesson....??

This photo came from Brandon Hernandez from the Palomar YSA. Brother Hernandez serves as the Elders Quorum President. He said Elder Miles wanted to try on his helmet before class started....looks like a great object lesson.😊 The Priesthood can SHEILD you like a HELMET!! Brother Hernandez was very sweet to say, "Your son is a great Missionary! You raised him well"😄

🎁🎄San Diego Temple Lights🎄🎁

Family Home Evening Festivities!!

Elder Phillips makes a mean gingerbread house!! 

Elder Miles

is in complete awe!!:)

Dec 12, 2016 We'll be praying for a Christmas Miracle for Johnathan!!

Sorry I don't have any time to email this week. We have had to run a ton of errands today and still have more to run. So I will give a brief update. Well, I am not getting transferred, which means I will be in Palomar YSA for 6 months! Just like Vista. I will have 6 months left by the time I leave which is also crazy! 

On monday for FHE we went to the temple! Took some pretty cool pics there. Johnathan is going to ask his mom to be baptized for his Christmas present. Fingers are crossed!

I am doing good, just wishing we had more people to teach. I will hit my 17 month mark this week. Don't know where the time has gone. Every month gets faster and faster. And that's about it.

Glad to hear things are going well back home! Love you all!

Elder Ethan Miles

Christmas Zone Training Meeting

😄 H A P P I N E S S 😄

This is Liam Armour.  We introduced the Christmas initiative to him and then took some pics from his house. 

Dec. 5, 2016 "...not just different, but BETTER..."

Man this week was a pretty good week.  It was awesome to see how much of an impact the #LIGHTtheWORLD has made on social media down here.  There have been a ton of non-members "liking" and "sharing" the videos and posts.  We haven't got any referrals yet but hopefully they are on their way soon!  So I hope you all are doing your part as well.  You never know who you can impact.

We had MLC (Mission Leadership Conference) this week with President and the "First Lady", the AP's, ZL's and the STL's.  It was super good.  We have had a little bit of a slip in obedience over the last few months.  Not just the little stuff.  So we discussed what we thought might be the causes of all of it.  And after like 2 hours of discussion we decided that we need to go "Back to the Basics." We have become too "relaxed" with everything.  The way we talk and act.  Which doesn't seem to do much, but in the long run it makes a huge difference.  Think of how long it takes to build up to have a healthy body.  By missing a day or two leads to weeks then months of not working out.  And before you know it, you are back to the way you were before.  And in our case, the people we were before our mission.  Which isn't really bad.  But not the way a mission should affect you.  You should come out mentally and physically different. Well not just different, but BETTER. So we need to go back to the basics of the little things.  So Elder Phillips and I are going to prepare a training on this for our Zone Training Meeting for this Thursday.  Should be good.

The Christmas Devotional was awesome.  The music was sweet!  I loved President Eyring's talk.  I don't have my notes, sooo I can't really remember all that he talked about.  But I thought it was good.

Well, some of you asked if it was cold here in California.  YES IT IS! I have calculated the temperature that I can't handle and need to put on a jacket or sweater.  65 degrees.  Yes.  65 degrees is when I start shivering.  When it drops below 50, I dread getting out of the warm car to go knock on doors haha.  That's only happened a few times though.  I don't know what I am going to do when I go home and it drops below 50 during the summer haha.  We will just have to see!

Well, I gotta get running now but I love you all and will talk to you next week!

Elder Ethan Miles

Big "thumbs up" from 

Elder Phillips & Elder Miles😊

Elder Miles sends this photo he calls
"Fruit of my Loins".... he's labeled it with the "missionary lingo":)

An elder's trainer is his DAD & as he then becomes a trainer himself he has his own SON, GRANDSON...& so on.

San Diego Temple - SERVICE

Doing some service on the Temple grounds before Elder Nokes transferred. ..Thanks to Johnathan @nitehawk92027 for the photos! 

Hanging Christmas lights!!🎄

This photo captures Elder Miles' 

boyish grin, a sure favorite....😊

Nov. 28, 2016 "We help people feel the spirit and want to change..."

WELL there is so much that has happened since I have been able to send off an actual email!  So I will try to remember what has happened over the last two weeks.

First big thing: November 19th, 2016 I was able to meet with Elder Dallin H. Oaks of the Quorum of the Twelve of The Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter-Day Saints!!!  Woah! I shook his hand!  It was kind of cool.  He talked about a lot of stuff.  One thing that he said that most of the missions do around the world baptize just to baptize.  But our mission does a really good job at baptizing converts.  People are converted to the gospel before they are baptized.  And that our retention rates are above average.  And we are good at it because we teach repentance.  We help people feel the spirit and want to change.  Then he told us some things that we can work on.  But it was really good.

For Thanksgiving we had two appointments for dinner.  The first one was with the Marlors.  He is in the bishopric.  It was a little different just because there were a lot of people there and we just felt like we didn't really fit into the group.  And they barely ate any food.  But they wouldn't let us stop eating.  Even after they were done they told us to keep eating.  Even after we told them we had another dinner.  And we were late to it because it took forever to get out of their house.  So we show up to our next appointment, and he loads our plates with food.  I maybe ate half of it.  Barely.  Then had to lay on the ground because my stomach hurt, haha.  Then I felt like he was shoving pie down my throat.  He made it himself and told us we had to finish.  Then at 6 we were supposed to leave, but he again wouldn't let us leave.  So we just sat there and had small talk until 7.  Then we were just exhausted the rest of the night.  That was my Thanksgiving experience haha.  Kinda rough but I know I won't forget it!

Johnathan is still doing well.  Douglas surprisingly came to church two weeks ago.  But didn't come this week.  Our bishop is a little hesitant for us to keep teaching him, just because he would have to be babysat if he was going to be active.  And we can't set him up for failure.  So we will see.  We dropped Anthony.  He doesn't respond to us.  And we are still looking for some new people.

So Maycee will hit home with this one.  Doc McStuffins, the cartoon of the black girl and she fixes her toys and pretends to be a doctor? The voice of the girl lives in one of the wards in Murrieta.  She's a member..... and she's white haha, thought that was kind of funny.

Other than that, not a lot has changed.  

https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2016-03-0019-being-an-agent-to-act?lang=eng

Thought this video was a good one.  Worthy to share. Anyways I will talk to you all next week!  SEE YA

Elder Ethan Miles

Elder Miles & Elder Phillips (photo courtesy  of @nitehawk92027) 

The Will of God

Elder Miles really liked this video & wanted to share with all of us.

Palomar Mountain

"Picture with the view...You can see the sun reflecting off of the ocean about 30 miles away!!"😮

Also, Elder Miles was excited about being out in nature & properly shows his manners to his new companion... "I saw deer poop!!! It's been a long time.  So I picked it up and threw it at Elder Phillips!"

Nov 14, 2016 "The Lord prepares them..."

Well the week was pretty good.  Elder Phillips and I get along really well.  We don't really have anything in common other than our personalities.  But we do have a lot of fun together.

This morning we played football with our zone and the San Marcos zone.  It was a blast.  We got a lot of athletic greenies this transfer. So we will be trying to get more football in on pdays. 

Anthony and Douglas both had no shows at church this week.  If either of them don't show any progression we will probably end up dropping them.  To allow the Lord to prepare them in his own time.  That's something I've learned is that there really isn't anything that I do that help people come closer to Christ.  The Lord prepares them in all sorts of different ways, and I just happen to have been GIVEN to harvest.  Even though I have had only 1 baptism on my mission, I know that I have done what I can with what I have been given to help in the preparation of all of the people I have taught throughout my mission.  And that is enough.  Even if I never baptize again, the fruits of my labors will go far beyond what I will see in just these two short years.  

We also went down to the temple again on Saturday to finish putting up the lights.  They are going to look way good.  Not as good as Temple Square, but still good.  We will be able to go down and see them at night when our ward goes for FHE! Way excited for that.

Well that's about it for this week.  Love ya!

Elder Ethan Miles

Elder Work & Elder Play😄😂😄...new companion Elder Phillips

Nov. 7, 2016 Short & Sweet😊

Well, Elder Nokes is getting transfered.  My new companion's name is Elder Phillips. He is from Tampa, Florida.  Pretty cool guy.  I served around him when I was in Vista the first time.  He was there my first two transfers.  So I'm excited to be with him.

Sorry I don't have any time to email this week.  Our day today is packed because of transfers tomorrow and stuff.  So I will give a brief update.

Johnathan: Still the same basically.  

Anthony: We met with him this week one time.  He invited his girlfriend to take the discussions as well and she accepted.  He didn't make it to church yesterday though. So that is what we will focus on with him this week when we meet up with him.

Douglas: We met with him twice this week.  We just can't figure out whether or not we should just hand him off to the family ward missionaries.  And try to get his family to take the lessons with him.  We found out he has autism, so it would be better if he was able to do that.  To have the support coming from his family as well.  

I watched these videos a few weeks back and thought that they would be good to share with you all! We always need a reminder on Sabbath Day Observance!

https://www.lds.org/blog/more-than-ever-we-need-his-holy-day?cid=HP_MO_24-10-2016_dOCS_fGC_xLIDyL1-A_&lang=eng

Well I love you all.  And can't wait to tell you how my first week with my new companion goes!  

Love,

Elder Miles

Double Peak Hike....& new bike😆🚲

We had better get Elder Miles a new basket for his bike!! It's looking pretty worn out😄

San Diego Temple Trip

Oct 31, 2016 Temple, Ocean & In-N-Out

Well this week was pretty good.  We were able to go to the temple on Tuesday.  That's always a neat experience.  It's crazy to think that I only have 2 more temple trips left on my mission! Dang time flies by.  Then we were able to stop by the beach on the way home and get to breathe in some of that "ocean breeze."  Haha it really just smells like fishy water.  But it is a nice fresh feeling.  We also stopped to eat at In-N-Out on the way back.  And while we were there I realized that I have eaten at In-N-Out at least once a week on my mission.  Not even joking.  Everybody eats it here.  We also get to go back to the temple on Saturday to help put up the Christmas lights for the holidays. Should be fun.

Johnathan is still doing good.  He still hasn't gotten permission from his step dad.  They aren't on very good terms and he doesn't want to meet with us.  But we are still able to meet with Johnathan at least.  He has an assignment to help out with the activities in the ward now.  

We met with Douglas a few times this week.  We are still trying to figure out how accountable he is.  It's hard to tell.  He also didn't come to church yesterday.  So if we don't see any progression with him this next week we will probably have to drop him.  

We picked up a new guy named Anthony.  He has been taught by the missionaries before and wasn't very ready at that time.  But he seems like it now!  We were able to explain some of the things he didn't understand from before and he looked really excited.  He is a little nervous to commit to coming to church. But is reading and praying.  So if he keeps that up, naturally he will want to come with us to church.

Well it is HALLOWEEN!!!!!  I am excited for today.  Elder Nokes and I have planned this out for a couple weeks and we have the day packed.  Our Pday is also for the whole day, just because we aren't allowed to proselyte on Halloween.  So we have a Murder Mystery planned with lunch and games.  We started off today with the sunrise on top of Double Peak! It was beautiful.  I will try to take a lot of pictures.  But that's about it.  Love you guys!

Elder Ethan Miles

Oh! Also Elder Dallin H. Oaks will be visiting us on November 19th! So that will be cool.

CALIFORNIA COAST - Moonlight Beach