March 20, 2017 Service, Snakes🐍 & Beehives🐝,..oh my!!

Well it was a good first week of the transfer. Elder Figgins and I get along pretty well.  He is 18 and still acts like he's right out of high school though haha.  I wonder if I was like that at one point.  Probably not haha.  Just kidding I probably was.  But he is a good guy, and realizes he still has a lot to learn.  

This week we had a few St. Patrick's day parties. The best one was probably with the ysa where there were 5 non members there.  4 of which are willing to sit down and learn a little about the church.  I don't remember all of their names right now.  But I have them written in my planner.  We are going to try to get in contact with them this week.  

We still haven't been able to meet with Erika.  But we still aren't giving up.  We talked to her on the phone and she still seems hopeful.  It's just hard when her dad isn't giving in at all.

No contact with Melissa this week.

I don't remember if I told you this, but every week on Thursday we go do service for a woman named Sister Demkey.  She has a non profit horse ranch for kids with disabilities to ride her horses.  But she is getting old, so we go up every week and scoop horse poop for her and fix anything else that is needed.  She lives about 30 minutes into some hills west of Murrieta in the Murrieta Hills ward.  We decided that we would do some exploring around her property while we were taking a break and I stepped right on a bee's nest.  And when I realized it I was like, "Oh freak!" So I took off (which is probably the wrong thing to do) sprinting away, and didn't even get stung.  There were thousands of bees coming out when I stepped on it.  Pretty awesome! Then we found a 3 1/2 foot snake. Cool stuff. And of course I had to take a cool picture with it.  

I gotta get going.  Hope you all have a good week!

Elder Miles

Another dinner in a members home!!

Monkey in the Middle or a missionary "sandwich"😄 These missionaries are enjoying being with the good members of the ward where they're serving ....especially when they're being fed dinner😉
Elder Miles, Elder Nokes & Elder Wilson

March 13, 2017 Love all of you!

Ok so a brief summary of this week.  Not too bad.  We had a lesson with Erika on Wednesday and it was awesome! We finished teaching her the Restoration and she believes it.  But we still commited her to read and pray about the Book of Mormon.  She did and knows that it's true and wants to be baptized.  She told her dad, and he was mad.... so, we are going to give it a week or two and have the Stake President talk to him,... because he volunteered.  Her dad would be open to it as well, that's at least what Erika told us.  So we will be waiting to see what happens.

We haven't met with Melissa at all this week, she hasn't been responding to texts or calls, and she hasn't been home at all.  So not sure what's going on with her or if she's even wanting to take the lessons anymore. 

Transfers are tomorrow, and Elder Wilson is getting transfered to a ward in Murrieta.  So not too far.  My new companion is Elder Figgins.  He has been out for 7 1/2 months.  And that is all I know about him.  Never served around him or anything.  But I have heard good things.  So it should be good.

That's about it for this week.  Looking forward to it!  Love all of you! Send some pictures, I wanna SEE what's going on back home haha.  

Elder Ethan Miles

Thank goodness for amazing members!!

Received this photo from a wonderful family that was having our cute missionaries over for dinner💞😊

March 2017 "MLC" - Missionary Leadership Conference

The "serious" & the "silly"😃

After doing some service we had to have some fun by the cliffs..

March 6, 2017 Hello from 75 degrees!!

Hello from 75 degrees and no clouds!  It just makes me feel good to hear about how cold the weather is back home and I get to walk around in short sleeve shirts all day.  And get tan haha. 

This week on Tuesday we had to drive a companionship down to Vista to meet with President Thomas.  It is a missionary that goes home in 2 transfers and his greenie.  This greenie is on his second trainer, his first one requested to be trasferred 3 weeks into last transfer.  And now this one is requesting it as well because this greenie is super tough.  One thing that I would advise everyone, is that 18 is not the new 19.  Just because the new age to leave on a mission is 18, if you aren't ready to go, then wait until you are.  Because if you leave before that point, you will waste months if not more trying to either mature, gain a testimony, or even have a desire to be there.  Serving a mission is not easy at all.  And if you don't do the necessary things to prepare for it, it will walk all over you.  There are way too many missionaries that don't do these things and end up going home, and won't be able to come back out.  Now think if they would have waited another year or even two if necessary, and experience being away from home and taking care of themselves, they would have served an honorable mission. This week we had 7 missionaries ranging from 3 - 9 months go home because of this exact cause.  And likely more in the coming weeks.  

We picked up a new investigator this week!  Her name is Melissa.  She grew up surrounded by members of the church and was even a brides maid at a wedding a few weeks ago for a member of the church.  She doesn't have any religious background.  She was contacted by the missionaries in the Winchester ward and they passed her off to us because she is YSA aged.  She is pretty cool, and will probably take a little longer to progress.  So we will see how it goes.

On Friday we had MLC which was really good.  We weren't given any training.  It was a team building meeting.  We did a lot of activities and it was super fun.  

Well I gotta get running right now, but it was good to hear from you all! Wish you all a good week!

Elder Ethan Miles

P.S. I fixed my camera.  I threw it at the ground and it started to work again

Funny story about these pictures....

We couldn't see them until we were done taking them.  Soooooo our heads are cut off!  But you get the point. We were having fun!

February 27, 2017 We all can improve:)

Well this week was pretty good.  We were pretty busy teaching lessons to members in both of our wards.  And we even picked up an investigator this week.  Mom and Papa already know about her.  Her name is Erika and she is friends with a girl named Darby Conners.  She is the daughter of one of the bishops in the stake and returned from her mission not too long ago.  Erika is super solid.  We only taught her the first 3 points of the restoration just to keep it simple.  But she had a lot of sincere questions about God and in her closing prayer she said that she is excited to continue learning more. Darby will be a really good friend to help fellowship into the church.  If she stays in good contact there is no doubt that Erika will get baptized.  She's ready. We wont be able to meet with her for the next few weeks because she will be out of town.  

This week we will have Mission Leadership Conference.  We were asked to study this article from President Spencer W. Kimball.  https://www.lds.org/ensign/1979/08/jesus-the-perfect-leader?lang=eng

I would encourage you all to read this as well because we all can improve on our leadership skills. For real though that's about it for this week.  Love you all!

Elder Ethan Miles 

Elder "Chef" Miles cooking up a storm!!🍴🍖🍲

Hamburgers on the menu for LUNCH!!

February 21, 2017 Hopefully this week will be better..we have a lot of lessons set up with members...

Well there wasn't a whole lot that happened this week.  We spent most of the week driving around the mission going to zone conferences doing car inspections.  Then we had our own zone conference.  So that took up most of the week.  Which sucks because we didn't really have any time to work in our area.  And I'm sick of it.  With all of the administrative things that we are asked to do as Zone Leaders it feels like we never have any time to actually work.  Especially this transfer, but as well as the last 4 transfers.  I feel like I haven't even been a missionary because I'm not doing what missionaries do.  So I think I am going to ask president to release me at the end of this transfer and be put into a full time bike area.  I just want to bike all day and it doesn't matter if I'm not teaching lessons, I am at least outside, sweating, and talking to every person I get the chance to.  Right now at the end of the night I go inside and I can still smell my deodorant just as strong as when we leave in the morning.  Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it means I am not really working hard.  And it's making me super stressed out.  I only have about 4 1/2 months left, and I am not going to spend it driving around in a car.  I'm so sick of it.  I feel like I will be able to make more of an impact if I'm able to do that.

That's cool to hear that Mark Dressman is working for Uncle Dave!  I was his ZL for 3 months in Escondido.  He was companions with Elder Nokes right before I got there. So that's why he taught Johnathan.  He's a super good guy and I respect him a lot.  Maybe Uncle Dave could hook me up for a couple months when I get back? Haha I don't know if it would work with commuting and stuff but maybe it could work out haha?  

Hopefully this week will be better.  We don't have as many meetings and we have a lot of lessons set up with members. We have interviews with President Thomas on Wednesday so I will have a good talk with him about what I'm feeling.  It should be good.  Well I gotta get running now.  We are going mini golfing with one of the districts in our zone and hit up some batting cages.  Should be fun.  I love you all!

Elder Ethan Miles

Words of wisdom...& dinner!!😄

So grateful that the Rawlins family had Elder Miles & Elder Wilson over for dinner & sent a photo & some thoughts...(we were, well my Mama Bear kicked in & I was concerned about Elder Miles' experience the previous Sunday with the Stake President)  Sister Rawlins said....

"The Elders and we had a long talk about preach my gospel statement that as long as they were doing the very best they could - they could feel peace in what they have done - 'When you have done your very best, you may still experience disappointments, but you will not be disappointed in yourself.'  I had no idea why I was saying these things to them - they hadn't and didn't mention anything - now I understand though.  I was also telling them about the difference in the preparation of the hearts in different areas.  Elder Wilson made the comment - "as long as we go home converted that is the main thing" and I had to say amen. They shared an awesome spiritual thought about obedience to commandments and blessings and then were off to an appointment to teach a family. Elder Miles is strong - we will help keep him buoyed up. : )"

February 13, 2017 Hello everyone!

Well this week was super long!  We were way packed with administrative stuff to do all week.  We worked a total of probably 8 hours the whole week.  We wen't to vista twice, which is like a 45 minuet drive.  Both times we were there for the majority of the day.  We might end up needing to take a missionary to the San Diego airport this week because of health issues as well.  So much driving.  But it's nice though, because we have a brand new 2017 Chevy Malibu.  Thing has less than 5000 miles on it.

We still haven't found any new investigators.  The non members that came to church last week and to activities aren't interested in taking the discussions.  And one of them just wanted to record the first discussion so he could go back and show it to his pastor.  So we aren't going to teach him.

So get this. Yesterday at church we had Ward Conference and one of the classes the Stake President was teaching.  And he asked me to come up and show every member in the ward how to give a pass along card to their friends.  And just fyi, he doesn't trust any of the missionaries in the stake.  So I knew what was about to happen wasn't going to be good.  So I went up and he was acting as a non-member.  And I asked him, "Like how a missionary should do it?"  And he said, "Sure."  So I do it.  And I feel like I did a good job.  As good as any role play could be I guess.  And he says, "Thank you." and I go sit down.   Then he continued on to say that what I did is exactly how a member SHOULD NOT invite a friend to take a pass along card.  And I was like, well obviously, because I did it how a missionary would talk to someone on the street. But then he proceeds to tell me and my companion that we need to be trained on how to talk to people and how we need to learn how to teach.  And that nobody in the ward should give us referrals until we show that we actually know what we are doing.  And then he showed everyone how he would like them to hand out a pass along card.  And it wasn't even that good either.  It was a rough day at church

This attitude that this stake has towards missionaries has changed so much from the time I left in may to now.  It is so hard to get along with them. But we are doing our best.  So thats all that matters!  Here's a video that I watched that I thought was a good one.  I gotta get running now.  But talk to you guys next week!

Elder Miles

New Companion Elder Wilson😃

Elder Miles writes... "Elder Wilson and I trying to take serious pics. It took me a little while to get a straight face haha"

February 6, 2017 Members are good at member-missionary work!

This week flew by!  No idea where the days went.  But it was eventful, which is good.  

The stake up here is very micro-managing.  Constantly breathing down Elder Wilsons and my neck. They want every ward to be taught 20 lessons every week.  That means that we need to be teaching 40 lessons because we have two wards.  But that's just member lessons.  Those don't include investigator lessons.  So they are constantly on us about that.

We don't have any investigators.  They have struggled teaching any non-members the last 3 transfers.  They've taught 1 or 2 the whole time.  But there were some non members at church yesterday that we are going to try to work with.  The nice thing is that the members in both our wards are really good at member-missionary work.  So that's exciting and we will see what happens.

Elder Wilson and I get along really well.  In the apartment we talk about hunting and guns and stuff like that.  Pretty fun.  But that's about it for this week.  Good to hear from you all!  Love you!

Elder Miles

California Carlsbad Mission

A mom posted this photo on the CCM Mission facebook page & entitled it "The leadership of the mission"
☺

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