Wednesday, October 26, 2016

KADAVU - Week 15

Tracting
Bula Vinaka everyone!

It's been a BEAUTIFUL week out here on Kadavu! It's been sunny and amazing! Super hot during the day but the evenings are just perfect. We're just going into summer now so it's going to start to get BLAZING. So think of me sweating bullets while you guys go sledding this winter!

Like my topic line suggests, we have been doing a lot of finding lately! Going to random people's houses, as the Spirit leads. To be honest, there hasn't been a whole lot of success. It seems like every other door we stop at happens to be the big preacher of some church. It turns out to be a lot of THEM trying to teach US. It's hard. But there is still no other work more gratifying. At the end of the day, even if you really had no success, you still feel the approval of God. And that's all that really matters, right? I love being a missionary!

I just want to give a shout out to my brother, Happy Birthday Bailey! His birthday was on Saturday.  That night we were invited to an Indian family's house for their 2 year-old girl's birthday party. We went over and had some WAY nice food. A mixture of Fijian and Indian foods. It was nice to celebrate 2 birthdays at once!

We also met this random German lady named Suzie staying at a bed & breakfast here. We talked for a bit and then this conversation took place:
Suzie: "So did you guys choose to come preach in Fiji?"
Me: "Well actually, we just volunteer to become a missionary and our Prophet sends us a letter telling us where in the world we're going."
Suzie: "How does your Prophet decide where to send you?"
Me: "Well... He just sends us where God wants us to be I guess!"
Suzie: "Oh ok! I would believe in God too if he sent me to Fiji!"

Haha, I got a pretty good laugh. But then I realized that I really am blessed!! Sometimes, while we're taking 45 min. to 4 hour hikes to investigators' houses, I just stop and take a look around and it just hits me. I am in the middle of a tropical jungle! My house is a 1 minute walk from the beach! Everywhere I go looks like it's straight off of a postcard - and I'm on my MISSION! I love Fiji with all of my heart. The people are the kindest you'll ever meet. The language is beautiful to hear. And the faith of the members is off the charts. I LOVE Fiji.

Well that's about it for this week! I love you all! As always, until next week, Keep on keepin' on!
Au lomani kemuni!

-Elder J. Jeremy Miller




Monday, October 17, 2016

KADAVU - Week 14

Long-term Miracles!
Bula vinaka!
Hey everyone! It's been a great week! The weather has been pretty random, some days blazing hot while some days it's pouring rain. But it's been a lot of fun, hard work! Having a new missionary as a companion is a whole new experience, but I like it! We're having a blast out here.

Unfortunately, I've had a few embarrassing stories recently... Haha. We were playing volleyball one day, and some dude on the other team hit it way far. It looked like it was way out of bounds to me so I took off sprinting so it wouldn't go into the bushes. I looked up again as I was sprinting and to my horror I realized that the ball was falling in-bounds behind my back. As I tried to turn around, I totally biffed it and fell into the bushes, and the ball landed with a soft thud in-bounds. Gosh dang it, the ENTIRE village laughed at me. I also just yesterday came walking out of my flat and then somehow a hole in the ground magically appeared in the perfect spot to trip me up and I completely face planted. Literally, there was grass in my mouth. Uggh.

I've also been learning a lot about miracles on my mission. I love this quote by Elder Boyd K. Packer: 
"Some people think a miracle is only a miracle if it happens instantaneously, but miracles can grow slowly and patience and faith can compel things to happen that otherwise never would have come to pass."
I know this to be true. As we've been working our hardest to bring the gospel to all the world, we keep witnessing these kinds of miracles. Not the "parting of the Red Sea" type, but miracles all the same. 

Well that's about it! I love you all so much! Have a good week! And until next week, keep on keepin' on!
Au lomani kemuni!

-Elder Jaxson Jeremy Miller

Talatala

Bedbugs





Tuesday, October 11, 2016

KADAVU - Week 13

New Companion!
Bula Vinaka!!
Hey everyone! It's me again! Today I'm actually emailing from the main island, in a city called Nausori. It's been a crazy week, bouncing around Suva and receiving my new companion! Today we're flying back to Kadavu. Well, that's if it stops POURING rain like this. Man, where was this cool weather when we were proselyting in the blazing sun?? Haha. 

So, I received my new companion!! Straight from the MTC. His name is Elder Solomon. He's from New Zealand. He's way cool!! He's SO buff. Haha. He played tons of rugby back home. He's 21 years old. We're already way good friends, and I'm looking forward to serving with him out in Kadavu! He's super lucky to start his mission in Kadavu, it's a way cool area to serve in. His Fijian will SKYROCKET. Hopefully I'll be able to teach him how to be a good missionary!

Another highlight of the week was going to spend a couple nights in Lami, my first area!! It was SOO fun to see all the members there! It's a way awesome ward, and the members are the BOMB. It made me so happy to say hi to everyone again, and see the area! It is an amazing feeling to see someone active in the church and know that you were an instrument in bringing them closer to Christ! Missionary work is the BEST!

We also got to watch general conference!! Oh man, I loooove general conference. It's just the best huh?? Here's my favorite quote from conference: "Are you really praying? Or just saying prayers?" -Elder Juan A. Ucenda. I love that quote. It's so true. How many of us just say prayers, instead of really praying from our heart? When you pray, pretend like you're really having a conversation with God. Because you are!! You will feel the difference in you life. I promise!

Well, that's about it! I love you guys so much! Thanks for the prayers, I really do feel them, and it inspires me to work my 110% best! Until next week, keep on keepin' on!
Au lomani kemuni!


-Elder Jaxson Jeremy Miller










{Looks like Elder Miller loved your story Mimi!(Grandma)}


Monday, October 3, 2016

KADAVU - Week 12


Changes!
Bula Vinaka!
Another week has flown by! It was a great one! Things are really feeling great in our area. Church has been improving SO much, and the spirit is just so strong! It was also a really HOT week, and I've been working on my tan. ;) 

So last night we received transfer calls! My companion, Elder Feliua'i Lene will be leaving Kadavu, so that's a bummer. We've become way good friends, and I hope I'll see him around the mission later. I'm actually not quite sure who my new companion is yet, it'll be someone brand new from the MTC. I'm excited! It'll be really fun to meet someone new and try to teach them how to be a missionary and the Fijian language! I'm also looking forward to going into Suva to pick up the new missionary! It means I'll get some way nice lunch! Haha. I'm super stoked for all the things to come!

In other news, the mission is witnessing miracles! For each month we set a mission goal for the amount of people we want to bring closer to Heavenly Father through baptism. This month we were 12 away from our mission goal with only 3 days left. So it seemed like we weren't going to hit it. But then, the Lord provided a miracle and in one area 12 people asked to be baptized. So we hit our goal exactly! It is amazing to see what the Lord will do for those in His service. I've seen it many times in my mission - people happening to sit on the same bus as the missionaries, the missionaries happening to knock on the door of a woman who's husband just passed away and needs consolation, and countless other ways that the Lord prepares people for us to teach. I testify that this is truly God's work.

Well, I think that's about it! Thanks for everything! I love you all and hope all is well! Until next week, keep on keepin' on!
Au lomani kemuni!


-Elder Jaxson Jeremy Miller


My companion, Eddy, and Vua Lal
The Lal family. They live next door, and we live in their old house

Namalata Bay, I live in the silver house on the hill on the left side, up top

Taking the boat to Yavulu! We rode with some tourists going to a resort

....big spider....




Doing service for someone in the village
Yavulu village. You can see Kavala village on the far side of the bay


Fijian-style lunch
Me and the crew from Yavulu

Service at the chapel




That's actually another island in the background, called Galoa


Neimani, an investigator