Letter # 9

Hello Family!

It sounds like everyone had a good exciting week! From the unfortunate scout camp that Dad and Jonny went on...to Jenna getting her new teefys. 

That campout sounded miserable! Haha, but Jonny you will probably remember that campout as one of the most fun campouts during scouting. You will definitely not forget it. I can´t believe that little Jonny boy is already passing the Santa Cena! (Sacrament) That is so cool!

Jenna I am so excited for you and your new teeth!  That has got to be awesome! I can´t wait to see pictures of you:) I was touched that you have the picture of us at the Airport when I left as you phone wallpaper :) 

Sounds like Josh is living the work hard, play hard life of high school.  I have to say that I am not jealous of you working. :P Good times on the weekends there...   Josh, you eating at IHOP sounds soooooo good right now. They do not have maple syrup here and if you find it, it's probably like 10€... Kinda sucks.

Good work dad on fixing the sprinklers. I don´t know how you know how to do everything. Sounds like a lot of work! Thanks for the encouraging words in your last email. I am working hard to take advantage of the time out here. Time sure is flying by. I worked hard this week on using all the Spanish that I know.  I shared my testimony during a couple of lessons this week in Spanish and it was awesome!   Not quite the gift of tounges but I felt the spirit.

Mom, I hope the root canal went well. I assume it did because you sang in a few concerts this week. I am sad that I missed that concert. I am sure that you sounded as amazing as ever though. Thanks for sending me a couple pictures of my missionary plaque. Looks pretty fancy. I haven´t got your package yet... I am guessing that I won't get it until the end of the week though. I think it usually takes longer.  Thank you so much though!!! I am so excited!

My intercambio went really well Tuesday. Ferrol is basically the same as A Coruña but is a little more quiet with less people. I really liked it there.  I spoke Spanish the whole time with Elder Alvorez. That was some awesome practice. We taught two lessons and had a big dinner with a member family. The members thought I was shy because I had good table manners:) We had meat and they kept telling me to just eat it with my hands because I was taking too long to cut it all up with a knife.  So I ate it with my hands. It was good food with rice, meat, bread and fanta. My favorite part of the intercambio was going up to a town called Cedeira.  It was about 30 minutes out of town.  It was one of the coolest, most beautiful places that I have ever seen.  Of course I did not have my camera with me but I don´t think it would have done it justice anyway.  There were grass fields, forrests of eucalyptus trees, rolling hills, and an amazing coastline.  We visited a family there that lives in a classic Spaniard house. It had red shingles on the roof.  Cedeira was how I pictured Spain before I came out and am so glad that I had the opportunity to go up there. Galicia is beautiful.

The work this week was hard and a little discouraging. Elder Bird and I make awesome plans to visit a lot of investigators but half of our lessons fall through. Don´t worry though, my spirits are still high and I know that I am out here for a reason and there are people here that I need to teach.

One thing that I would love is a letter with pictures of the house.  Just like the average day at home of all the rooms to help me to remember.  Just like the family watching TV or eating at the dinner table in the kitchen. Candid photos of life at home. I would love that!

Also I sent a letter today addressed mainly to Josh but feel free to read to all the family. I think it would good for all of you!

Thank you so much for all of your emails!! They mean the world to me :) All is well over here in Spain. I am working hard and having good times.

Love,

Elder Jayden Miles

Letter #8

Happy Mother's Day:

It was so awesome to talk on the phone with you guys yesterday! It seriously lifted my spirit through the roof! Before the call I was nervous because I wasnt sure of what I wanted to say, but I think that it went very well. Yesterday, I was reflecting on that question that you asked me mom. "Am I happy?" I wasnt sure If I was yesterday when you asked but I was able to reflect on that more.  I am really happy! I feel super close to the Lord and I feel the spirit a lot everyday.  I know with all my heart that I am supposed to be here on a mission.

The mission is hard but I am trying to be patient with myself. I just want to learn a lot faster than it is possible, I guess, haha. I am working hard and I truly have a desire to be here.

Elder Bird and Elder Miles

Today was a really good day.  The four of us Elders took a bus over to the Torre de Hurcules.  Usually on Pdays it´s really cloudy and bad weather but luckily today it was perfect. Sunny and warm.  The Lighthouse is way cool! Hurcules was not buried there but the head of the giant that Hurcules killed was buried there.  The tower was built in 1 century AD and there were renovations done to it in the 18th century.  It was really interesting to see how it was built and I loved the veiw from the top. Oh yeah, we got to go inside and climb the stairs to the top. It was sooo windy at the top! It reminded me how windy it was when we went to Dead Horse Point. I took a lot of pictures for you.  

This week was pretty good.  I pretty much told you over the phone about it.

I am really learning to love this city. When I first arrived here I was not too fond of it.  The more I become familiar with it and get to know it the more I am enjoying my time here.  

I am in a the ward choir and singing the tenor part for a confrence thing that we are having.  I am not very good at figuring out which note to start on but its fun to be with the ward.

I have changed my attitude about being quiet during lessons and around other people.  I have been kind of shy about my Spanish and it is really easy to just sit back and listen.  But I have been trying to speak all the Spanish that I know.

I am going on an intercambio tomorrow with the district leader.  He only speaks Spanish so I will get some good practice with him.  I am going up to Ferrol, which is another city that is north west from here.  I am excited. 

I miss you all at home. I hold on to my memories like it is my life.  I hope you all don´t miss me too much, don´t be sad. It´s fun to write letters back and forth to each other!

I love receiving LETTERS in the mail so if anybody wants to make my day out here.... yeah :)

Also, Mom I am doing great with supplies and stuff.  You were wondering if you needed to send me anything?  Little American snacks and candy would be amazing:)

I love each and everyone of you so much! Things are going great in Spain and I am having a good time.

¡Hasta proxima semana, Ciao!

Elder Miles

 

#7 My first Mission Area - A Coruna, Spain

The MTC was a great experience for me.  I learned a ton, made great friends and had a lot of fun! I was excited to get to my first area in Northern Spain called “A Coruña”.  

President & Sister Jackson

Life in A Coruña is great.  My trainer, Elder Bird, is an awesome missionary and I am learning a lot from him.  He is very patient and hard working.  He is an answer to my prayers! I am glad that my companion speaks English so that he can explain to me what happened after the lessons that we teach.  I am glad that Sister Jackson sent you pictures. Everyone here pronounces his name like Elder Beard. It’s pretty funny.

I am pretty much used to all the studying that we do in the morning and I am actually enjoying it a lot. We taught 9 lessons last week and they all went well.  We have 3 fechas for the next month. (Baptismal dates)

The members and the people are super nice and generous. We always have galletos and Fanta Narajan at their houses.  We’ve already had two meals with members. Neither of the meals were Spanish because all of our members and investigator’s are from South America. haha.  The Northern Spaniards are not quite as nice.  Especially on the streets they do not want to hear what we have to say at all.  They all have a lot of prisa. Tengo prisa, tengo prisa lo siento... I get tired of hearing that but I know it is worth the try just in case we find somebody that wants to hear the glad message of the restored Gospel.

We live on Ronda de Outiero, which is the main street here in A Coruña. It is very conveniently placed.  We live close to our grocery store, to the church and to the place where we write email. We are also very lucky to have an elevator in our piso.  Although, someone in our building forgot to pay the elevator bill! So, since yesterday the power to the elevator has been cut off which kind of sucks since we live on the 8th floor.

Thank you so much for the information on A Coruña, I love that kind of info.  I read up on it in my Spain book but there wasn´t much about it.  I can see the light from the Hercules lighthouse at night. It is really cool and I am definitely going to go there during one of my P-days. I am not going to today because it is overcast but when it is better weather I will go.

I am going to go grocery shopping after we are done writing emails. I am excited! I am going to get some good breakfast food; fruits, yogurts,cereal, bread, milk that you can leave on a shelf.  Mom, I thought that you would be excited to hear about all that good stuff :) Something really cool about my lunches and dinners, I don´t cook them! We are paying a

woman from the Dominican Republic to cook us meals for 75 Euro a month. It is Dominican Republic food and it is pretty good.  Lots of pastas,rice and mystery meats.  It is nice to not have to cook a meal at night or during medio dia.

In this area we walk A LOT. I am pretty sure that we walk around 10 miles a day. My shoes are doing great though. My feet get tired but they are not sore. I love being outside and I enjoy the ocean air.

I am glad to hear that all is well at home.  I am great, I am safe and having a good time! Oh by the way, the first two day´s that I was here

I was able to play the guitar on two of our visits. I played the

little Spanish tunes that I learned before I came out and they loved it! Taking advantage of my talents out here as well.

Dad:  It sounds like you had a great week of work and play as usual.  I am glad to hear that the Subi is running better than ever! All the cars here in Spain are stick shifts and they look like fun little cars to zip around it. The drivers here in A Coruña are very well trained at letting pedestrians cross the crosswalks as soon as your foot touches the road. It kind threw me off guard because I am used to waiting for a while before a friendly Utah driver lets me cross…

Tell Jonny that I am excited for him about his new fishing rod and for his 50 mile hike! That hike with you Dad was my favorite of all my years of scouting!

Mom:  I am so glad to hear that you had a good week this past week.  Elder Berry told me that his mom organized a little Mission Mom luncheon. haha. I´m glad that you went! I am still laughing just imagining all the missionary moms! LOL. I know everyone of those Elders that you mentioned! Most of them were in the other Zone so I don´t know them as well as the ones that were in my Zone but they are all great guys.  Fun Fact, Elder Easton has been writing Lauren Bretzing! He went to Woods Cross and they were dating. Funny connection – small world.

I liked your joke about me and Elder Bird being related in some “Fowl” way! That was a good one and then I could practically hear you saying Ha Cha cha Cha! I will be sure to tell him that. 

Well I am excited to hear about your next week! I love your weekly emails!

Love you all so much!! 

Love, Elder Jayden

Hasta proxima semana, Te amo mucho!

Letter #6

Hola Familia,

All is well here in Spain! I am leaving the MTC on Tuesday and I find out where my first area is on Monday! I am way excited to find out where I am going. I hope that I get to go up north, but I may be serving in the Pavones Mission area which is where I am right now. I will be fine with where ever I am sent, I know that the call is inspired.

I am so happy to read your emails. I wasn’t able to print them off today because there was no more ink… That made me rather upset because I love to read them throughout the week.

This past week was pretty good. Although, everything that I thought I knew about Spanish got crushed with a bomb with the subjunctive tense.  Dad you will know what I mean.  I remember you tried to explain a little bit of it when I was at home.  I am getting the hang of it though.

I am sorry that this email is kind of short this week but I will send you a letter later.  I have a little package coming in the mail for you guys. It reminded me of you so I hope that you enjoy it.

I have really enjoyed my companion Elder Berry.  He is a great guy and we get along really well.  We are both pretty easy going and have a lot in common such our music tastes.  He is really great at futbol. He played soccer a lot as a kid.  Be sure to tell his mom that he is a great guy and all is well here.  

Something spiritual I learned this week, we can overcome fear through love.  I learned that if I love to serve the people then I will not be afraid to talk to them or teach them. You can apply this in your lives as well.  Do not be afraid because the Lord loves you and will help you in hard times.

Ooh, something that is crazy about being in the field!  I discovered that I am probably going to be a trainer after my first transfer and I will be a trainer for over half of my mission.  I am excited!  That means that I am going to be a pro at teaching Spanish and I will be able to go to all the cool places in the area multiple times!  There is a huge group of missionaries that will be coming to Spain after this group i'm with.  I am just on the beginning of the wave and it is starting to curl! 

El Parque Reterio

Elder Jayden Miles and Elder Marcus Berry

These pictures were taken in the El Parque Reterio. Everyone comes here to just hang out and get sun.  A lot of people just lay out on the grass in their swimsuites and sunbath. The only place I can think of that compares with this park is Central Park in NYC.  I love this park though its so peaceful and friendly.  We go proselyting in this park aswell.  The people that are just hanging out on the benches are golden because they will give you the time of day to have a conversation.

Prado Museum

This picture was taken infront of the Prado Museum of art. We didnt actually get to go in but it is pretty cool on the outside :P The line was way too long and we didnt have enough time.  I plan to go there sometime during the mission though for sure. The Prado is the second largest art museum in Europe, behind the Louvre. Since we spent so much time in the Louvre I am excited to go to the Prado sometime.

The park

This second picture is in the park again. This is the famous picture that you find when you look up Spain Madrid on google images.  It is such a cool park. I would chill here all day if I wasn´t on a mission :P

Dont send any letters to me in the mail until I send one with my new address. I am leaving the MTC this Tuesday and I don´t want anything to get stuck here in the MTC. I think I'll get to email home on Monday to inform you on where I am going though!!

The mission is getting harder than it was the first couple of weeks but I am learning so much! I love this Gosple.  It is so worth it to serve a mission and it is only the very beginning for me!

Thank you for all your love and support! I love you so much!

Que tenga un buen día :)

Elder Miles

P.S. Happy Birthday Mom!! I hope you had a wonderful day! You are the best Mom that a kid could ask for.  Thank you for being my best friend and thank you for being so fun to hang out with.  Thank you for raising me the way I have become. 

I love you!

Letter #5 

I have a letter coming your way! I figured that I could use my 30 minutes of computer time uploading pictures :) 

Me and my companion Elder Berry

Everything is going well here. I am working hard and feeling the spirit.  I love getting your letters, they make me so happy and they keep me going throughout the week.  I am having fun with all the other Elders here.  We play fútbol and workout and mess around by teasing each other.  Me and my buddy, Elder Weixler draw stupid pictures of weird faces and give them to  Elder Curtis. It is so funny and it helps relieve the stress. 

This week I basically studied. The language is getting tough.  We really dived into the meat of things this past week.  I need to keep studying so much more. I know and can feel that the Lord is helping me learn at a much faster pace.  There is no way that I could have learned this much in the same amount of time at home.

Loving all the art and the sculptures!

This picture is from Sol.  It's a really cool place with tons of people! This is where most people go to do their souvenir shopping in Madrid. 

P-days are nice to get out and about to see the city and the people!

These two photos are from the Real Madrid Stadium. I went there a couple weeks ago.  I can´t really remember because the days here have all molded into one :P The Stadium was really cool. I play fútbol sometimes during activda fisica. I am not that good but I enjoy it. Every once in a while I surprise people with a nice boot across the field.  Most the time we play on a cement court.  It is a lot smaller then the grass field but it is a lot more action packed!

Love you all!!

Letter #4

Dear Family,

It´s another P-day already!! The time here is flying by so fast! Has time felt fast over there?
My week was pretty great. I did a lot of language and scripture study.  Confrence was great! I took a lot of notes on each of the talks.
I hope everything is going well at home! Thank you so much for keeping me updated on everything you guys are doing.

Last P-day I went to the Real, Madrid Stadium! It was really cool. We were able to take a tour through the whole thing, including the locker rooms and the field.  I definitely have a better appreciation for soccer the next time I watch a game.  I took some great pictures so don’t worry about that.

I went proselyting again in Goya, which is the city.  Once again not very much success.  The city is so much harder than the park.  People know who we are on the streets and they know that we want to talk religion.  Most of the people here are either atheist or catholic.  I was temporary companions with Elder Eskleson.  We had a good time just walking the streets and saying "hi" to everyone we came across.

Conference was awesome, I will give you the highlights of what I picked up in each talk.

Packer: Times are getting worse
Davies:Build on a firm foundation
Dalton: Be an example
Carden: God forgives
Ballard: Priesthood Power/ We have unlimited potential
Eyring: Serve the Lord and in result we will get blessings
Hales: Be a faithful priesthood hold, Armor of God
Callister: Priesthood/ The right to have revalation
Beck: Ministry: Act as if you were Jesus Christ would
Uchtdorf: Priesthood titles

There are more notes but I don’t have much time left… I went into conference wanting to know the pure love Christ.  My prayer was answered. As I was listening to conference I looked out of the window and saw people walking on the street.  My heart literally ached because they were missing out on what the prophet of God was saying to all the people on this earth. I truly wanted them to come into our classroom and listen.  We watched conference on a recording since there is a time difference.  We were able to watch Sunday sessions live at 6 pm Spain time.  I imagined what you guys were doing at home.  My guess is that you were all having a delicious breakfast together and enjoying each other's company. 

Keep me updated on everything!
Josh: I want to know how debate, work, your bass and your driving is going.
Jenna: let me know what you are up to and write me what you did every week
Jonny: let me know about the news on the lizard. That story you shared with me was hilarious about the lizards!
Mom and Dad: let me know how work and the family is going.  What shows are you watching? Just your average day to day stories and fun.

I love you all and I want you to know that the church is true and time is flying by in the MTC.  I am leaving the MTC April 30^th and then I am going to be put in the field.

Love you,
Elder Jayden Miles

Letter #3

Dear Family,

Thank you so much for your emails. They mean soo much to me to hear from you.  Keep emailing me please ;)

I sent you a letter in the mail on Monday so hopefully you will be getting it today or tomorrow.  I answered some questions that you guys had.  I am not reading your emails that you have most recently sent because I don´t have time on the computer to read them and respond.  I will give you a brief summary of my past week and I will try to write a more personal letter through the mail.  I am really scatter brained right now so I hope that everything makes sense.

I am teaching investagators in the MTC with my companion.  They are pretend investagtors but we are to treat them like real ones.  Elder Berry and I have been teaching Miguel Luis and Edjuardo for the past two weeks since I've been here. I am already teaching lessons in Spanish!  We have commited them to baptism already.  This has been very good practice for me and my Spanish.

Last Saturday we got to go proselyting in the biggest park in Madrid.  It is huge! It is like 3 miles by 3 miles.  I was companions with Elder Jacobson.  He is from St. George. He is a cool guy and we made a good team.  I will just share one experiece that I had with proselyting in the park.  We found an old man sitting on a bench.  We weren't sure how we wanted to approach this man so we just introduced ourselves as misioneos de la igesia de jesucristo de los santos de los ultimos dias.  We began to talk to him in Spanish.  As I taught him about the Libro de Mormon, this man just peered into my eyes and I could feel the spirit as I testified to him.  We gave him a Book of Mormon and then wished him a good day.  We walked away and then realized that we should have gotten his information so that more missionaries could meet with him.  We turned back and we saw that he was flipping through the Book of Mormon.  This made me so happy!  I thought for sure that most people would just toss it to the side and continue about their day, but this old man was looking through it!  We returned to him and we asked him if he wanted to learn more.  He responded, Sí.  This was awesome. We asked him if we could get his name and number so that more experienced missionaries could meet with him.  He seemed to be super receptive to what we were telling him.  I felt so good doing missionary work and was filled with the spirit.  

The church is true and I am loving it here.  I have grown to really enjoy reading the scriptures.  If you read them with pure intent then you will feel the spirit and you will know that they were written for this day in age.

Let me know how things are going back home.  I love reading your emails throughout the week.  I print them off and read them even after I respond to them. 

I am working hard here in the MTC and the language is coming.

Thank you so much for everything. 

You are in my thoughts and prayers.

Love, Elder JJ