Letter #71

Feb. 2, 2015

Hola mi querida familia,

Calle San Vicente is right in the center, that is will be a really cool area to stay in :) I will be able to navigate us pretty well around those streets. Right I am living in the North East part of Madrid, called Hortaleza. My address is Calle Opon 2: 1 Izquirda zip:28033. B4 doesn’t have any of the center where we are staying but if we wanted to we could take line 8 up to Mar de Crystal and have a Kebab with Elder Heslington :) He said that he would be fine with that. I don´t think there would be any troubles with that. I will ask the president later though. 

This week went pretty well. We were able to visit with Carmela and invite her to baptism. She needs to receive an answer but more like she needs to recognize it. She notices a different feeling of joy and peace and a burning in the heart. That is a huge step! She told us that she went to the medic to figure out why she has been having a burning in her heart because she didn´t know where is was coming from. I thought that was great :) Hector is another one that we need to get baptized. He has known the church all his life but he just has not been baptized. We finished teaching him everything and now it is time for him to act! All the members that know him are tired of him not being baptized haha, mejor dicho, they want him to have that blessing in his life. 

This week we had a cool experience with prayer. We decided to talk to a woman that was sitting on bench. She doesn´t believe in God and she has had deaths in her family and she figured that this life is just to suffer. We told her about the Plan of Salvation and I bore her my testimony that I know that she will see her family again. I wanted to leave her with a prayer so we explained how we pray. She knew a memorized Catholic prayer like the majority of people here. I prayed for her and her family and to help this woman know that God exists and that she will see her loved ones again. I ended and she said amen and to my surprise, when I raised my head she had tears falling down her face. She felt the spirit. It was a really cool experience. I felt so grateful for the opportunity to be apart of that. I don´t feel like I did anything but be in right place in the right time. 

Today for Pday we went to el Parque de Retiro to hang out for a bit. We went with 3 members that are our age. After we went to a burrito bar to eat. It was very similar to Chipotle. It was fun to be with us 4 Elders and the other 3 members :) 

Sounds like the Patriots won the Superbowl. My comp is a fanatic of American Football haha. He was waiting all week to find out who was going to win because the Patriots are his team! He lived in the states for 2 years so that is why. 

I have listened to the same talk that you mentioned to me a couple times as well. I have the conference talks from last conference on a zip drive and I like to listen to them every once and a while. Hebrews 6: 10-11,18-19 is the scripture that I have been implying to my life right now. I have been enjoying reading teachings from the prophet books. It has been cool to see how the prophets were qualified to be who they have become for the Lord! 

Well I hope you all have a great week!! Love you and take care mucho.

Elder Jayden Miles

Letter #70

January 12, 2015

Hello family! 

Well I am just going to jump into what happened this week. I am tired again! 

This week went well. We were able to see a lot of people that we have not been able to see in a little while. We found some new people to teach which I am excited for that. Elder Heslington and I are doing great. Something that I like about our companionship is that we are constantly trying to improve our efforts. Sometimes it is easy to slow down and complain when things don´t go as planned but we just keep on keeping on. 

Something cool that I saw this week. We are teaching a family that has been having troubles with alcohol. We had a lesson on the word of wisdom and the Dad, who is the one who drinks.  He understands that he needs to stop but the lesson was crazy. He was arguing with his wife and blaming everything on her. It was sad to see and I tried to show compassion to his wife so she understood that we were on her side getting him to quit. We had a lesson with them 2 days earlier and it was completely different. The spirit was really strong and everyone was chill and it was just amazing. I know that the gospel blesses families. We are working with them for baptism and most of all getting a testimony of the Book of Mormon. There was just such a big difference between the two lessons and it was a miracle for me to see. 

One of our investigators decided to come to church yesterday! He had to decide whether he was going to help out with work or come to church and he decided to come to church. It was awesome to see him there. I feel like we saw progression this week.

One of the kids in our ward got his mission call and he wanted to open it up with just his family and us 4 Elders there. He is awesome and has been waiting for this call since I got here. He helps us out with visits and stuff and we are good friends. It was cool to see that excitement. He is going the Spain Malaga Mission and leaves in April. He announced this call to all of his other friends later that day just how I did mine. 

We went to Toledo today. That is a cool city. I have been there a lot now but I am excited to show Mom and Dad. 

Jenna: Congrats on the patriarchal blessing and on the service trip! That so cool that you are going to Cambodia. When are you leaving and for how long? 

Josh: Keep on working hard man. It seems like you are enjoying the mission life. 

Jonny: Hope school and stuff is going well. sent me a pic of you hitting up a box on your skiis :) 

Mom and Dad: I love you guys! The coolest Parents that I could ever ask for! 

Pday goes by too fast sometimes haha.. Well back to the old grind.

Love you all!   Elder Miles

Letter #69

Jan. 5, 2015

Happy New Years to you all!! It is crazy that 2015 is here already! New Years went well. We had a nice dinner with a sister in the ward. She has been feeding us a lot lately and its always really good :)  The four elders always eat together when members invite us over to eat and it is always fun. We take the Metro together and ride over and then we visit and get to know the members better. There were lots of fireworks that went off on New Years Eve. Where I live there were not many that shoot up in the air and sparkle and stuff, although there are some even it being a city with 5 story buildings, but most of it was firecrackers and things of the sort. Our window in our bedroom is right next to our bunk bed so we just lay in bed and stuck out heads out the window to listen to the war zone of fireworks around us. It was pretty fun just Elder Heslington and I. 

As I most likely explained last year everyone who wants to experience the real New Year goes down to La Puerta del Sol, which would compare to Time Square. Everyone counts down and the when the clock tower strikes 12 everyone tries to eat 12 grapes in 12 seconds. Keep in mind that the grapes here have seeds. That is what everybody does here. Tomorrow is los Reyes and I feel like it is bigger than Christmas here. 

This week went well.  We didn´t get very many lessons which I was disappointed about, but we worked hard with what we had. We did a lot of contacting and calling and Area Book work. We met a lot of cool people and we have been able to set a couple things up with them. 

Our three main investigators that were progressing before have come to a complete halt... So frustrating. I have wracked my brain trying to think of things to share to help them realize how important the Gospel really is but it has been pulling teeth trying to meet with people. I respect their agency but I just wish that they understood better. 

We had a Family Home Evening (Noche de Hogar) with the Sarrango family. They are from Ecuador. Hermana Sarrango has her brother living with them who is also one of those investigators that has stopped progressing. We organized it all a week before and when we showed up Javier (the brother) Didn´t want to be there for it... It was really annoying for me but it was sad for Hermana Sarrango... She prayed while she was coming home from work that our message would help her understand better how she can help her brother and then he didn´t want to come out and listen. We explained the Gospel by using a Tea Bag, I can show that one at home. It really hit her how she just needs to continue on with her faith and enduring. She cried and was really grateful for the message. 

She also explained about her mission a little bit and how she was frustrated that people would not get baptized. And she basically said what Mom said in her email that there are a lot of missionaries that are called to be seed planters. That really hit me coming from Hermana Sarrango and then reading it again from Mom. Hearing this helped me realize more of what I have done here on the mission. I have never had lots of success with getting people to come to church or getting people baptized but I am grateful for what I have been able to do in this huge work! 

I am glad that you all had such a great week. I loved hearing about you going sledding and skiing and watching movies and just being together. That is how I pictured home being like during the Christmas break season. Thank you for the google drive pictures! I loved them. Everyone looks great! 

I thought it was funny how all of you said something about me coming home... I have less than 2 months. Mind blown!!! It is such a strange thought... I feel so comfortable here in the mission life. Even though everyday has its different challenge it just all seems so normal to me. Mom, remember that I am here in Europe where you can´t really be too sheltered from the world. I am sure that there are many differences for the worse but I have gotten a taste of that here as well. Sheeze!! It was cool to hear that Jonny is doing boxes and rails on skis! I hear that it is harder on skis than snowboards to do the park, so props on that one man. It was good to hear from you all and sorry about my lame excuse of an email last week! 

Josh! Your area seems really cool! You sound like you are living like a king down there.  All your fancy scripture cases and handmade ties. That is super cool! I met another family that was from Guatemala. I feel like I have more of the Guatemalan accent more than you have now ;) haha with all that Kiche. I like it though, it is just very latino. Que te vaya bien en todo y que aproveches de cada momento que tienes. Sigas el consejo de nuestro padre sabio. Ame el Evangelio, tu compañero, y la gente a tu alrededor. Dígame cuando recibes tu corbata. Que la quiero ver. Cioa tio. 

Love you guys and hope that everything is going great!! 

Letter #68

Dec. 15, 2014

Hey family,

Had a pretty good week this week here in Madrid. The work is a lot quicker here. The members are all pumped up to do missionary work and they feed us just about every day! The metro makes everything close by and we have some really good progressing investigators. I miss the little branch up in Santiago but this area is fun too. 

My comp. Elder Heslington and I are getting along great. It has been fun to work with him.   He and I are pretty similar which has been fun. I have been doing the majority of the talking in lessons and street contacting but he is studying really hard to pick up on the Spanish. 

There is another companionship here in Barrio 4 so that has been fun to be with other Elders more often. They live in another piso across town but we see them just about everyday when we eat with the members. 

It has been really fun to get to know everyone here. I feel really confident in my Spanish so I have been able to get to know people a lot quicker. The majority of the members here are Latinos. They are all super nice and love the Elders. I have been trying really hard to make a good impression on the members so that we can work together well. 

This week we made a ton of calls to meet with people. We have an investigator named Hector who has a baptismal date this month on the 20th. We hope that we are able to get him ready for it. We also met with a new investigator named Leonardo who has a ton of potencial! 

Lately I have heard a lot from all the other Elders that I know that are here in Madrid. Elder Williams, Eskelson, Harrop, Weixler, Avila. It has been fun to be close to them all of them. 

Today we had to drop by a skate shop that is right next to our piso. I talked to the guy that owns it and asked him where some cool spots were and how skating is in Spain. He says that there are a lot of people that go to Barcelona to skate! It was fun to be able to be back in my old element. 

Well skyping next week! We will be on around 4-5pm this time which will be around 7 or 8 your time! Cant wait to see you guys again!!

Hope that you all have a great week! 

Love, 

Elder Jayden Miles

Letter #67

December 8, 2014

Drum roll please! 

I got transferred down to Madrid! I pulled into town a couple of hours ago.  I am very sad to leave Santiago and everyone there. I am now in Barrio 4 with Elder Heslington from England! I am finishing up his training. His accent is not too strong but it is fun to hear. It is weird to know that this will be my last area.. My life right now kind of feels like I did when I had 3 months before I left on the mission. I try not to think about it too much. I am excited to see what goes down these last two transfers!!

I got your Christmas package :) I packed it with me back to Madrid. Thank you so much! I haven’t opened up anything yet. I want to wait until the 25th.  Sounds like we will be searching for a members house to stay at for Christmas. 

This last week:

We helped out a member with his yard. I mowed the lawn in the first time in a while. We trimmed the bushes and trees and everything. It reminded me of the good Saturday mornings when we did yard work. 

Marcos, the branch mission leader in Santiago, said when we come back up together to give him a call.  The Bujans are one of my favorite families here that I have met! 

It was awesome to be able to be with Elder Molina! He was a hard worker and I learned a lot from him. I feel like my Spanish has improved since I have been with him. My new comp has only got about 3 months out from home so it will be fun to help him out with learning Castellano. 

Well I love you all!! Have a great week and remember the true reason of CHRISTmas. 

Love,

Elder Miles