March 16, 2009

`Arroz y pollo‏

hey thank you everyone for writing me. I got a letter from all of you and it was great to hear from each and everyone of you. You all have these distinct lives, but still are connected so much. I guess that is how the family works. Always connected, for eternity.
I am still eating rice and chicken everyday. I just stopped talking about it because I started to think that you all were probably getting tired of hearing about it all the time. For breakfast i always eat these buns, though they are nothing like the buns from home, and a lot of the time yogurt. THe yogurt es lo màximo! Which means the best. They even have apple flavored yogurt. So good. I also eat mangoes, apples, oranges, and whatever I can find usually. I can´t eat the grapes here, because I always get sick when I eat them. It is a shame, because they are pretty good.
I am excited to see these new pictures of Angie and The Pfeiffer Family. Kristi has sent me some pictures, and Angie also has sent some, but I haven´t seen anything from anyone else. I would love to see how you all look now. Because I bet I won´t even recognize the family! I really would love to send the pictures that I have, but I can´t because I left the cord in Canada. But I will try to send some in the mail again.
We are having a great time teaching and learning here in Ica. THis week we had the baptism of Marselina. We have been teaching her for more than four months, and she overcame her challenges and was baptized this Saturday. IT was a great opportunity, and i was pleased to be able to baptize her. IT was kind of funny, because she didn´t really remember how the baptism would go, so I kind of had to teach her while I was doing it. Before she was baptized, she said,´So thats where you are going to dunk me.¨ It was really funny coming from her. I am so grateful for the blessings of the Lord in our lives, and in the live of each one of his children in the earth here. Marselina is 70 years old, and we love this woman mucho. It is amazing the love that I feel for each and everyone of our investigators, and especially those who we help pass through the door of baptism and the confirmation. I love them all, but it is a special feeling for those who have accepted Christ in their lives.
I know that this church is true, and I am so glad to be here. I know that Our Father in Heaven listens to everyone of us, and that he is guiding this Church.

Love, Elder Milner
P.s. Yes, Carli can call me on Mothers day apart.

March 9, 2009, Elder Milner

Responsibilidad‏

Hey everyone thank you for the emails. I am happy to hear that everyone else but dad is healthy and happy, but I am sure dad is still happy. I am also healthy and happy, aparte of the fact that I am without running shoes. I have lost my shoes. I can no longer admire my shoes, and I would like to be in them right now. We'll see if you can all remember the movie.
So you want to hear about my personal life. I am Elder Milner, and I am working in the area of Ica Central. I am companions with an Elder Rua, also from Ecuador, and we are one of three companionships here in the District Ica Central. I have had a baptismal interview, to answer dad's question, and each week we have a council, where I need to speak for two hours to the district, it is a training i guess you could say. I live in Las Torres de San Joaquin with two other Elders, Elder Fredericksen from Chile, and Elder Lazo from here in Peru. They are the zone leaders. We eat in the pension for lunch and supper everyday, and we eat breakfast in our house. I really don't cook anything, so sorry mom, it will have to wait til I get home.
My mission president, President Francisco Fierro, is a man of grand faith, and a powerful man in the Gospel. I have had the opportunity to get to know him better in the past seven weeks, and I have a lot of respect for him. I have not left Ica for four months and some, and I have not been able to go to the temple in a while. But I love Ica, and I am happy to be here still. My clothing is holding out just fine, but I lost my shoes. I am very sad for this, but oh well, what can one do?
This week we had a great blessing. We had what one calls a Surprise baptism, and we had the opportunity to baptize a really great sister named Merly Lopez. She has been investigating the church for more than nine months, and she really wanted to become a member of the church. She has been preparing and planning for a long time, and we had an interview to see if she had prepared sufficiently, and she had! So that day, Saturday, we had her baptismal service. It was really amazing, and I am so happy for the great blessings of the Lord.
I know that this church is true. It is something I have always said, and I really know that it really is. I know that Our Heavenly Father is guiding a prophet today, and that Our Savior Jesus Christ has restored his Church through His prophet Joseph Smith.

Love you all, Elder Milner

March 2, 2009, Elder Milner

cambios.‏

hey everyone! I can´t believe Carli´s going to England. It just isn´t fair. She´s supposed to speak spanish! just kidding, really I am sitting here, happy and content as can be. well, we´ll have to see who can learn spanish so I can speak with them.
So in a lesser note of excitement, we had our transfers this Saturday. And you will never guess where i am now. In Ica! Yep, thats right i am still in Ica, and I am going to have at least 6 months here. I am happy about it, as Ica has been my home for a while, and I feel like this is where the Lord needs me. i am happy to be serving the Lord´s children here in Ica.
We are having fun, teaching and inviting people to come to Christ here in Ica. We are teaching a woman named Marselina, and she is really a funny, special lady. We were planning to have her baptism this Saturday, but we went to her house to bring her to her interview, and we hit a road block. Her sister had spoken with her and her sister is very catholic. She told Marselina that she had to have a lot of knowledge, that she needed to know practically everything about the gospel before she could be baptized. Marselina is a woman who has never learned how to read, and for this she felt very weak at this time. She spoke with us, and told us she wanted to postpone her baptism until the 14 of March. so here we are. And she came to church, just as happy as normal, and really all of this is alright. It is a decision that each person has to make, and in their own time. The importance is that we know that she will have so much joy and understanding for this decision to be baptized, and we are excited to be a part of this great gospel with her.I can´t think of much to say. once i get on the computer, i forget all the stories and things that i want to share. THis week was pretty mellow, and so not too many crazy things happened. but we will see what we can do to change that for this next week.i know that shis church is true. I know that as we draw ourselves closer to the Savior each day, a new light will enter into our lives. I know that if we desire to serve our Savior, he will show us how, and what we can do. I know that this work is essential, really, that this world needs the gospel. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God, and that through him, Jesus Christ has restored his church.

Love, Elder milner

February 23, 2009, Elder Milner

Hey everyone, sorry about last week, but it wasn´t my fault. I had a nice long email all written out, but when I had one minute of time, i sent it, and it said, Error, your email couldn´t be sent. So nothing was sent, and I didn´t have time to write a new one. Oh well, I will make sure this one gets through.
I am still here in Ica, and we are in our sixth and final week of this transfer. Things are going well, and we are working with a lot of new, really great people.
It was nice to hear from all of you, and thanks for the support. I am still waiting to hear news about Carli´s call, but it sounds like all of you are as well. Peru lima Central. Thats my guess. Or Boise Idaho. But wherever she goes, its where she is needed. And she is needed in Boise. Just joking.
We had the baptism of Feliciana on the 14 of Febrero, and it was really something amazing. During her whole time as an investigator, she always fulfilled her commitments, and always read a little bit each day from the Book of Mormon. And she was a little bit afraid of the whole baptism idea, but she put her faith in the Lord, and she is now happy and faithful in the church. It was kind of funny, because my companion had the opportunity to baptize her, and it took three tries to finally get her totally under the water. The first two times, her foot sprung out of the water. But the third time she kneeled on the ground, and it worked. I had the opportunity to confirm her and confer the Holy Ghost the next day in church. It was really a great experience, and I know the heavens rejoiced as another child of God entered into His outstretched arms.
I heard that Carli had to speak in church this Sunday. It is funny, because I had to speak in my ward as well a week ago, and it was for 15 minutes as well. In Spanish! Oh well, throughout my Spanglish talk, I got the message out. The language is coming, and I am still learning bastante (a lot) more everyday. I know this will be a process really for all of my life, and I am excited to stay with it.
I know that this gospel is true. I know that the work most important in this world is when we bring the lost children of God into His house, and invite them to repent and accept the sacrifice that our Savior made for everyone of us. Share your testimonies. REally I have come to see the power of faith and the willingness to share it. I love being here, and I love serving the Lord.

It is so great to have a family like you all, and to have friends that always have supported me. I will talk to you all next week.

Elder Milner

February 10, 2009, Elder Milner

Guànatama‏

Hey everybody, it is so great so hear from you, and thank you Carli and mom and dad for the inspiring words. I am excited to hear that Carli has her papers in already, and i can´t believe how fast time flies when you are having fun and working hard. You all have always had that philosphy in life, work hard and play hard. But more work...I am happy to hear that the ward will now have three missionaries out in the field, or preparing for it. I can´t really imagine a better place to be. Elder Pomerleau and Sister Milner will be missionaries that I am know are going to bless and change many lives. And also importantly, their own lives and that of their families. I have a real testimony of this work. I have a really testimony of the power of conversion, as I have seen it shape and bless the lives of the people here in Peru.
We are doing well here in Peru. The zone and districts are doing well, and we are excited to do the work of the Lord.
I forgot the last week to share a funny experience that we had. We almost every morning don´t have water until about 9 oclock. And also during the day the water frequently shuts off and we are left waterless. That is a horribly created word, but that is okay. Words are starting to become more difficult to exchange between the languages. Thats alright, I still have a long way to go. But anyways, the other elders in our cuarto had tried to turn on the water earlier that day, but there wasn´t water. So by accident they left the tap in the on position, ready to shoot out water. And so me and my compañero returned to the cuarto, and as we were putting in the key, we noticed a puddle of water forming under the door. Confused and a little worried, we opened the door, and our fears were confirmed. Throughout the entire cuarto (apartment) there was an inch of water flooding across the floor. Throughout the whole cuarto. It was awful, and we entered to find the tap faithfully shooting water, and the sink overflowing. So we worked for more than two hours, cleaning up this mess, our 6 missionaries ringing out towels, shirts, and whatever we could get our hands on. It was funny, because we are on the fifth floor, and the water was falling down the stairwell, and we saw people coming out, wondering what was going on, and having water shoot down outside their rooms.
Well, on the more spiritual side we have a sister Feliciana who is preparing for baptism this week, and she is doing great. She is a very humbled lady, who has seen a lot of pain in her life and struggle. But she has found finally a message of peace, a way of life to know that she is not alone. That her Savior has always been there, every step of the way. The Savior has descended below all sin, pain and sorrow, so that we may be free to escape the pain and sorrow.No more time!

Love, Elder Milner

February 2, 2009, Elder Milner

Gringo‏

Hey everyone, thanks for all the emails. And photos, thanks to kristi, a little strange, but thats alright. Well, it was nice to hear from each one of you.
It seems like everyone is pretty content in their everyday life, and that always it is essential to have a little fun. I find that we do much of the same things each day, but still each day is a whole lot different. I always have new opportunities to learn and grow, and serve the Lord better and His children here in the earth.
It is crazy to hear how close Carli is to going on her mission. I just know that she is going to be sent to the Peru Lima North, East or Central missions. Not south, because that would be really strange. Especially if she was in my zone or district. Just kidding. Wherever she goes it will be exactly where the Lord needs her.
Things are going well here. We had the baptism of a young boy named Juan Avalos, and his brother Roger. Juan is 9, and Roger is 8. Their parents are less active members, and they haven´t attended the Capilla in a long time. They are now reactivating in the Iglesia steadily, and for the example of their children I hope to see them fully active and participating in the church. The baptism was really great, and I had the chance to baptize Juan, while my companion Elder Rua had the opportunity to baptize Roger.
The river of garbage is once again refilling, and I am happy to see that. It, apparently, will raise in level a lot durante this month. I am hoping that all of the basura(garbage) will be wiped out soon, and that por fin (finally) we will have a normal river.
We had kind of a funny but sad story this Sunday. We have an investigator, Marselina, who is progressing really well, and her husband, Virgilio, is really a great support for her. She agreed to be baptized this 14 de Febrero. However, she said that this week she probably wouldn´t be able to go to church, because her family was coming from Lima for her birthday (cumpleaños). But we told her she should make this a priority to come, and so she said she would. Well, all things certain, she didn´t come to church this Sunday, and we went to visit her in her house and we saw her and her husband walking in the street with a large group of family members. Her husband turned around and saw us, and then in a panicked glance, started hustling his family away, and his wife too. It was kind of funny, because they are both hitting about seventy, and so it was kind of funny to see them shuffle off. Oh well. It was sad to see them miss church, but we have faith that the Lord is with us, and that we will be able to help them in their weaknesses.
I love so much the scripture in Ether 12:27, that says if we come unto the Lord, he will show us our weakness. We have these weaknesses so that with faith we can become even stronger than before. That we can overcome all weakness with the help and strength of the Lord.
I know this church is true. I know I have weaknesses, but I know that with the help of the Lord I can overcome all things. I know that this work is real, living, and life saving. Soul saving. I am so grateful to be here.I love you all and I will talk to you next week.

Love Elder Milner

january 26, 2009, Elder Milner

Carta‏

¿Còmo estan todos ustedes? I am doing just swell here in Ica. Its hot, like always, and the river dried up again. Oh well.
It is great to hear that all of you are doing so good. It seems like really Dad should start a business, with all this practice that he is getting.
My new companion, Elder Rua, and I working hard, and learning a lot each day. I am learning a lot from him, as he has been in the mission for 11 months. He is different than Elder Velasquez, but always it is nice to learn to work with different types of people.
We are still working with a bunch of our investigators that I was teaching before with Elder Velasquez. Marselina, an elderly lady, is progressing very well, and we are excited to help her along the way. She is preparing to be baptized here in February, and we are excited for that. She has come a long way in the two months that we have been teaching her.
We are also teaching still Patricia, but we couldn´t reach her this last week to teach her. She came to church, like always, and she is like a member already, pero falta (but lacks) the ordinances esenciàl for her life and salvation. We are going to continue working with her.I don´t know if I told you about our investigator Feliciana, but she is really great. We were contacting before lunch, and we weren´t finding anyone to teach. It was really hot. We were thinking, we really need to find a new investigator who is really ready to listen and change, and we were praying hard. We arrived at the last door of the the street, and Feliciana opened the door. I started to introduce myself and our message, when immediately she said (Pasen, Pasen!) which means enter, or pass by. We walked in, a little shocked, but very grateful, and we began to teach her and her daughter and grandson. They listened intently, and were very receptive. They received a Book of Mormon, and promised to read it. And Hermana (Sister) Feliciana did just that. She also came to church that week, to our great surprise, and this week as well, at sacrifice of her work, came for the Sacrament Meeting. When we asked her why she let us in, she simply said, ´It was hot outside´. Well, it was a little funny, but the Lord definitely blessed us that day to find Feliciana.
We have an almost completely different zone now, and there is only one sister missionary here that has been in Ica longer than I have. Its a little strange, as I have only been here three months. But the new zone leaders and missionaries here are really great, and we are going to see some progress here in Ica, I am sure of it.I know this church is true, and I know that Jesus Christ leads it. I am so grateful for the chance I have to be here, and for the opportunity I have to grow and help others accept Jesus Christ in their lives. This really is the greatest work we can do.

Love you all, Elder Milner