Sunday, February 23, 2014

27 January 2014

Hello Family and Friends,

Elder Horst and I have had our best week together in regards to numbers. We worked really hard and it all started with a simple suggestion last Monday. We were home and just conversing about the past transfer and what we expect from this transfer. We starting pondering the idea of a baptism goal for our companionship. Some ideas were suggested but I was not feeling it so I thought for a few moments and then I asked Elder, "How many baptisms did you want when you came out on mission" and he stated his number to me. Then I said, "Well how many baptisms do you have until this point on your mission" and just like before he stated his number. I paused and then mentioned that he has this transfer and one other to achieve this goal and so with previous numbers I divided by 2 and we got the number 16 for our baptism goal for this transfer.

I do not know if it was inspired or what but it ignited a fire in my companion that I have never seen before. He believes 100% that we can reach this goal, and his faith has started to strengthen mine. I am really liking this goal and I do not know why I have not made goals like this one in the past. It has always been 5 or 6 baptisms and we thought that was over the top, and now we are fighting for 16! We are working a lot more than in the past weeks and it is all because of this number. Just imagine, even if we do not reach this goal how much farther ahead we are going to be than if we made a goal of 5 or 6. It is going to require everything from us and we are ready to make the sacrifice.



 

We are also happy with our new missionaries in our zone. Tuesday we had our first meeting with them and they all seem to be ready and willing to work hard. We received 2 green sisters and 2 elders with just a few months under their belts. The young blood has given our zone a kickstart that was much needed. There is a new Brazilian living with us, Elder Saboia, 18 years old, from Rio de Janeiro and he is pretty cool. He played American football in Rio for the championship team. He says that American football is having a lot of success where he lives. He has joined me in a few workouts that I do outside the house, jumprope, running, push-ups, and abs. I destroyed him which was pretty funny and so I think I lost another workout buddy. To update you all about my weight I think I have lost about 7lbs and I have put on more muscle. I am sure the air force program has some kind of push-up, pull-up, sit-up, and running requirements. I would like to know what that is to start preparing.

Another cool experience I had this week was working with one of the Assistants to the Presidents. His name is Elder Reis and he is from Bahia, the same place where Elder Capistrano is from. We worked here in Restinga. We managed to teach a lot of lessons and every street contact we made was amazing. I was thinking the whole day, why does this not happen more often? The day was literally perfect, we were inviting people to be baptized in the middle of the street! He gave me a lot of advice and insight, and I was grateful for every bit of it. This is my favorite thing to do on the mission, divisions with missionaries that are really in tune with the spirit and just know what to do. I learn so much from them.

In other news, the weather was pretty horrible this week. It was about 40C with like 100% humidity, and Restinga has no shade whatsoever. I felt like a piece of churrasco meat over the charcoal flame from Monday until Friday. Then God sent the rains which killed the temperature and humidity Saturday. I almost had to sleep with a blanket that night because it was chilly. It was such a relief but they say the heat is coming back with a vengence. I guess we should be worried but we are too focused on baptizing to worry.

 That is all for now,

 Lots of Love,

Elder Miller

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