WEEK 79 DECEMBER 27th, 2016

It was so good to see the fam on Sunday!! You all look so good. I hope everyone had the merriest Christmas! It was a great way to end the last one for me out in the field. Now I can listen to I'll be home for Christmas next year hehahaheheh

On Monday we got to go to Dresden for pday and overnight there because of ztm. Best Weihnachtsmarkt ever. It was so dang cool! I got some rad German Christmas items. 

Tuesday early morning we took off to catch the early temple session. I haven't been in the temple for like 18 months so I felt like I was going through for the first time again. It was fun to see it all in German. Afterwards was ztm and President showed up and gave a really good first lesson. The theme was fear not. He had to leave right after though and from there unfortunately everything just kinda went down hill. It's all good though. We went to the city center afterwards as a zone and "Christmas Caroled” except it was so cold anytime you would try to open your mouth and sing it would just freeze your throat and you would start coughing hahah. 

The rest of the week was quiet until Christmas Eve. In Germany the families open all their presents on Christmas Eve. So all the families, even the ones who don't normally go to church, go to church for an hour. While the family is at church, that's when Santa comes. 

Lots of member appointments kinda came up at of nowhere just before Christmas so that was nice. Lots of member time, lots of games. President even let us watch Disney movies for the 3 days of Christmas. Fritzy and I watched Inside Out, How to Train your Dragon, Monsters Inc, and I watched tangled by myself;) so good. Felt so so good to watch a movie again - wow. Hopefully that's not all I do when I get home cause it was honestly incredible. 

Hard to believe we're coming up on 2017. I can't wait. It's going to be a great year - I know it. 

I am outta time! But I love you guys like always and I'll write sometime next year:) Happy New year!!

WEEK 78 DECEMBER 19TH, 2016

Heyyy

It was an interesting week.. it does not feel like Christmas in the slightest. I cannot believe I get to see your faces on Sunday! I cannot wait. I have tried to have a positive attitude since I have been here in Forst. I have always tried to have a positive attitude in everything I have done my entire life. But I've discovered recently for myself, sometimes it's okay to be real about things, even if it's not so good. So I'm gonna be real, and I don't know, maybe just try and laugh it off. Forst is honestly terrible. It is bad. Not the ward, the ward is fine. But everything outside of that. Sooo words of encouragement especially now around Christmas would be super appreciated:)

Fast forward to dope Thursday and my bike was stolen. We had been doing some contacting and then we decided to take a break at the church and do a short language study. 45 minutes later we came back outside and I thought, welllll I ain't no mathematician buttt I think we got one less bike here then we had when we walked in! Yes my bike was locked and no I don't know how the person took it. We went to the police station after with a member to file a report. They asked for a picture and the one I sent was the only one I had so I gave it to them hahah. Luckily Bruder Bentke made, I kid you not, the best schnitzel I have ever had since coming here. So at least the night ended good:) 

Friday we went to institute cause one of our investigators wanted to come. Actually I don't even know if I'm allowed to call him that because I have actually never taught him.. but we ended up watching the CHEESIEST short religious film. You could not add more cheese. I really enjoyed it though actually if I'm honest. 

Saturday the ward had a little Christmas gathering. Santa Clause was suppose to come and he had presents for all the little kids who came. But when he walked in 50% of the kids started bawling, it was so funny... Santa would call all the kids' names and those who weren't scared, would come up and do a little performance whether it was sing a little song, read a poem, etc. etc. and then they would get their present. At the end Santa called Elder Fritz and I up to the stage and we had to sing 'Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer' in front of everyone. I was surprised and lucky I remembered all the words..

We get to go to Dresden tomorrow for Pday and then overnight there because we have zone training meeting on Tuesday! And even better, we get to go to the Temple as a zone before hand and do a session! That's pretty much unheard of because Pres does NOT like when missionaries gather. So it's a nice treat! I love being around other missionaries! That means it's a realllyyy good start to Christmas week and I hope it stays good. I will make it stay good. 

I hope everyone has the best week and Christmas! It's really easy to get over stressed and overworked this time of year but just take a step back and enjoy everything. Enjoy the lights, enjoy the music, enjoy being with the family. That's what Christmas is all about, Love.. God so loved the world that he sent his only begotten son so that we could have eternal life. There is no greater gift. I'm so grateful for that. I'm so grateful for my family, my friends, and the life I have been blessed with. I love you guys. 

Frohe Weihnachten

Elder Miller

Week 77 December 12, 2016

Dear family and friends,

Another transfer finished! 3 LEFT - WHAT? Slowly starting to freak out. Elder Fritz and I will be staying another one together here in Forst. I'm excited. We're starting to get rolling. 

Tuesday we took some pday time out because Monday we painted the entire day. We pretty much just slept and sat around cause we were so tired and there is 0 to do in Forst anyways. But that night we had a lesson with Mike. I don't know if I explained already who Mike is? But he has had a really rough past and has completely turned his life around. He has come to church the entire past year and has stayed out of trouble. I asked him why has he not been baptized yet or why does he not have a date and he said because the previous Elders told him he wasn't allowed. Elder Fritz and I said umm actually no…. that is not their decision and I texted President and he called me 10 minutes later and wanted to talk to Mike! They talked for a while and President said he wanted to come meet Mike and interview him. Fritz and I were pretty pumped afterwards.

We had a ping pong tournament this week as well. I have not lost a match in 2016;) I was pretty nervous going in because I did NOT want my streak broken and this old fart named Wolfgang is pretty dang good, bringing his own german hand carved paddle while I have this terrible walmart wood. I won my first 4 matches and I was with Wolfgang in the championship. Took care of him no prob tho, just like I have taken care of Rhett Rasmussen, Rigden Brinkerhoff, Tanner Erickson, Nick of course, and anyone else who thought they could contest ;) hahahah

Thursday I was not feeling good. We went to service anyways like we do every Thursday at a place called the Water Mill. I love to serve and help people, but when we go there I don't even know who we're serving or why. Not that there has to be a specific reason but this guy just tells us what to do and then leaves and that's that. They usually have us stack wood or something. Not to mention it's like 30 degrees outside. But one of the guys there kept giving us a hard time because we don't drink coffee. He kept telling us it was healthy because it prevents him from getting headaches, while he was drinking his cup and smoking a cigarette. I don't know what the guy was doing working at the water mill… he should be a nutritionist!! But after an hour and a half I had about enough of that so I was like alright Elder Fritz let's go. Then he threw another fit about how we weren't there long enough blah blah blah. So if it's up to me, Elder Fritz and I will not be going back to that. 

The rest of the week was spent going by some members and preparing for President to come. We also went Christmas caroling with the young men which was a good and funny time. 

Sunday rolled around, President came and then after sacrament meeting we drove to Cottbus to see Mike in the hospital! On the way there he says" You guys are literally in the boonies!" Haha were like thanks Prez - we know! Mike had an operation on his ear for something so that's why he was there. To make a long story short Mike is not quite ready for baptism yet. We made a plan together to prepare him so that when the time comes he can be baptized and he will be ready. Mike is fully willing to do what it takes to get to the next step and that is something really cool to see. 

I gotta bounce but I love you all and hope you have a good week! 

Love,

Elder Miller

WEEK 76 DECEMBER 4TH, 2016

Howdy folks

To be honest this week was just eh....its ok, it happens. We didn't really get a pday because we helped Monday morning with building a stage for the primary program. They had a play they would be performing throughout the week in the church. It was hilarious. Every time at the end, all of them would come back on stage, which was about 8 of them, and they would sing a song. Out of the 5 times I saw the play, including the last performance, they forgot the words halfway through, and all just started mumbling and laughing. Never got old. Cracked up every time. Hahah but Monday night when it was time to write emails the wifi decided to stop working:) Still doesn't work:) Elder Fritz and I just feel kinda awkward about going to a members house and emailing for 2 hours.. maybe we are just overthinking it? But yeah, pretty much got nothing done on Monday that needed to get done. 

Tuesday we ate at Familie Bode. It was good. Sister Bode made enchiladas and then the three sons were there and we all just chatted. One of them leaves for his mission to England on the 13th. After, we got a call from an exterminator. Prior to me coming here the apartment had maggots:) he wanted to come spray our apartment with poison one more time to be safe. So we pretty much had to trash the rest of the day and prepare everything and move furniture and things so he could spray. Luckily we still had time to meet with Mike that night. We are hoping we can make a baptismal date out with him very very soon. We just have to wait and work out some information to see if he is ready and able to be baptized. 

Wednesday was the best day of my life. We were locked out of our apartment in a blizzard:) 

Woke up on Thursday and wondered why I was sick:)

Ferrriday. Ate with familie Gäbler and had enchiladas again hahah. We headed over to Landry's afterward (The dude who just really wants to know if Jesus was black or white) and had a lesson. I learn something new every time I go over there. This time he told us that Satan does good things..? He was like "yeah Satan can heal the sick! That's good! all they gotta do is give him their soul!" He was 100% serious. I wish everyone could sit in with us on a lesson with Landry. The stuff he comes up with kills me. We decided we are just going to start completely over with him from the top. 

Saturday we got another call and were told we are getting a dryer on Monday!!!! We were goin insane! But then they said they wanted to repaint our entire apartment and they need our help and it's going to take about 7-8 hours:))) So we simmered down. That also meant everything we just put back after the exterminator came we had to rearrange all again for painting. Yap so we painted today and had pretty much a VERY deep clean. It was funny the lady that cleaned our kitchen reminded me of mom. She kept telling us "Elders come here I just wanna show you something real quick!" And she would show us, and 5 minutes later she would call us back. Did that like 5 times hahah. But our apartment is so nice now. We got a bunch of new accessories outside of a dryer too, like a trash can and towel hooks:) 

And there ya have it. Elder Miller's week in a nutshell. Oh also, I bought a box to send you guys your Christmas presents. Stuff didn't fit inside though. So I bought a bigger one that I thought would for sure fit this time. Still didn't. Only have myself to blame for that one. 

I have been having the gnarliest dreams lately. Too much Gummi bears before bed so ima take it down a notch. Sometimes I feel like I haven't slept in days.

Love you all!

Elder Miller