More One Sentence Movie Reviews!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 - While the film does feel disjointed because of contrived character interactions, the chemistry between Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone, as well as the amazing visual effects make this a fun summer blockbuster. 7/10

Godzilla - With the exception of Bryan Cranston, the human characters are flat, and there isn't quite enough of the titular monster in this film, as enjoyable as Godzilla's battle scenes were. 6/10

X-Men: Days of Future Past - While not quite as epic in scope as the film trailers made it out to be, the all-star cast delivers strong performances in a well-handled plot thanks to the direction of Brian Singer. 8/10

Maleficent - The first third of the film is heartfelt and moving, but loses its way due to a lack of loyalty to the source material and laziness in the writing. 6/10

One Sentence Movie Reviews!

Here are some thoughts on films I've seen recently, along with a 1-10 rating:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier - 9/10
The best superhero movie since 2008's The Dark Knight, this film stretches itself past the limitations of its genre into a timely and surprisingly political thriller that mainstream audiences have enjoyed.

The King's Speech - 9/10
This 2010 film is simple, yet powerful, thanks to refreshingly original cinematography and set design, accompanied by fantastic performances from Colin Firth and Geoffery Rush.

The Breakfast Club - 8/10
It took me a while, to see this 1980s classic high school film, but the touching and honest portrayals from the Brat Pack are moving and uplifting.

Helvetica - 7/10
This documentary about the titular font gets a little bland as time goes on, but the director appropriately captures the excitement and passion of designers, and gives an appropriate peek into the thought that has gone behind the text that we see almost every day.

On Returning to My Blog

As the great modern philosopher George Takei would say, "Oh, Myyy."

Here I am, back in the blogosphere. It feels kinda weird, but somehow feels like the right thing to do right now. The mission was a great opportunity for me to keep up a blog. I wasn't able to stay in touch with a lot of people, and it also meant a lot for me to be able to share all the incredible experiences I had in Arizona. I'm really grateful that so many of you gave me lots of positive feedback, and even that you simply took the time to read it.

As you may have noticed, my blogs became less and less frequent. I suppose I just got really caught up in what I was doing, and couldn't really find the time to write a full blog each week or even each month.

Then I came home. What's it like coming home from a Mormon mission, you ask? I suggest watching Captain America: The Winter Soldier. Yep, that's pretty much it.

Anyway, for a while I didn't really think that I had anything interesting to say. I'm still not sure if I do. However, the idea of starting this back up again has been nagging at me over the past few weeks. I've surprised myself with this sudden desire to write my thoughts before an internet audience again, considering how many stupid blogs I've seen posted on Facebook over these last few months. But blog I must! I shall go over some reasons why I feel the sudden need to do this thing again.

1) I'm really bad at carrying on interesting conversations.

Let's face it: I can do better at keeping in touch with people. However, when I do, I run out of things to say quickly. It's not that I don't care or that I'm not doing anything with my life. I feel like I can express myself more when I have time to think about what I'm saying. Hopefully this blog can be a springboard to more meaningful talks with the people I care about.

2) I want to get better at analyzing films.

I'm hoping to write regular and well thought-out reviews of the movies I see. I've been writing several one-sentence reviews on Facebook, but I want to get more in depth and share with all of you how I really feel. And while we're on the subject of Facebook.

3) I need to spend less time on Facebook.

I will never be one to talk about the evils of Facebook. I refuse to accept that it is inherently evil. That said, I need to cut back the time I spend on mindless Buzzfeed articles and write about something that has substance.

4) I want to improve my writing skills.

I really like writing, but I haven't taken any kind of English class in a long time. Unfortunately, my grammar and punctuation have taken quite a hit. I'm sure that there are some mistakes in this very blog, and that's why I need to spend more time practicing.

5) I need to balance out the stupid blogs.

Need I say more?

I hope that this will be interesting to whomever is bored enough to check this out. Hopefully we can end up a little smarter with our discussions, become a little more loving, and have a little more fun. As Abraham Lincoln once said:

75 Degrees in January :)

 

You read that right. 75 degrees. I might never go back.

So, here I am, officially 3/4 of the way through my mission. I suppose that if I wanted it to be, this could be the trunkiest 6 months. But I am doing everything I can to stay focused and enjoy the time that I have left. I really am enjoying myself. Last night my companions and I got home really late after a long Sunday...we usually go to 7 or 8 hours of church, and run around to different appointments afterward. I was completely out of it, but I couldn't help telling myself how much I love this gig :)

I am in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I have two awesome Polynesian companions and we have a blast with each other. I get lots of chances to overcome my natural nervousness in meeting and talking with people and I get to share the gospel that means so much to me. Even when people are slamming the door or throwing oranges at us while we're riding our bikes, it's just so much fun. I just love this work.

There's been a lot of fun stuff happening out here in AJ. I still get the chance to hike every now and then. There's lots of different trails around here. I'm getting used to the winter visitors. I had a dinner with a bunch of older folks from Canada last night and it was surprisingly really fun. Although one unfortunate thing is that whenever I hang around Canadians my accent comes out...I didn't even know I had an accent. At least I still pronounce "bag" correctly. Elder Fuiava has let it slip that I have a YouTube account. More often these days I walk into houses and people want to talk to me about my videos...it's fun, but some of those old ones are pretty dumb.

As far as the people we're teaching, we're having a lot of success. It seems like people are coming out of nowhere, wanting to come closer to God and learn more about the gospel. It seems as if we've found more people in the last few weeks than in the last few months. I also got the neat opportunity to go to a baptism for somebody who I taught about a year ago. Her name is Amber, and her family is a lot of fun. I got to teach her a lot with Elder Hernandez, and the memories of teaching her are some of the most powerful that I've had. I was so happy for her. I suppose that's why I'm loving this so much. I come to love people so much who were strangers to me just a little while ago.

Thanks everyone for your letters and postcards, especially around Christmastime. I love you all!

"For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." - 2 Timothy 1:7

Title: You wanted a blog post...

So my mom informs me that my friends like my blog and that I need to write another one. I have like 5 minutes to write this one. Here it goes...

- November is here, and that means that the snowbirds are back. I see more and more North Dakota license plates every day and I'd like to think that my driving is better than the average snowbird.

- The weather is awesome...still in the 80s

- Quails are awesome. Pigeons are gross.

- I have another Polynesian companion. His name is Elder Fuiava and he's from Samoa. I traded him two ties for a lava lava.

- I look really good in that lava lava

- I love talking to people about the gospel! We've talked about 2012 and aliens a lot.

- I'm voting for a Mormon for President. Me.

- Alma 44:4

- Jesus is our Savior :)

Love,

Ammon!

Title: In the Desert on a Horse with No Name

Well, I've been ridiculously bad at writing these blog posts. I hope that what I do write is interesting enough for the people who read!

Let's see, where did I last leave off? Probably with Elder Kawano? Okay, so after the whole appendix fiasco, I got better. Getting to drive a car has been really nice, and I don't think I've done too many things that would make my mom uncomfortable with that. Elder Kawano got transferred to Scottsdale, and so I got an American companion for the first time in 6 months. Elder Francis from Portland, Oregon, came to my area, and we had a great transfer together. In our time in the Mesa Central Stake we saw a ton of miracles. Many people came out of nowhere who wanted to learn about the gospel, and it was exciting to see them and learn from them. Everything seemed to go incredibly fast, and we always had somebody new to teach or to help out.

Fast forward to two weeks ago. I finally got transferred out of Mesa! (That sounds like being in Mesa was a bad thing, but I just had been in the same area of town for a year or so...longer than most missionaries!) I went way out to the eastern border of the mission to a town called Apache Junction. This place is awesome! It's everything you think of when you think of Arizona. The sunsets are unreal, there's cacti everywhere, and lots of desert wildlife. I have a black light that I use to hunt for scorpions. (If anybody wants one, just write me and I'll send one to you :) People here are really nice. Not quite as nice as North Dakotans, but those folks are pretty hard to beat.

My new companion is another foreigner! Elder Moala is from Aukland, New Zealand. He loves to play rugby, and has a dream of one day playing for the All Blacks. He's also about a foot taller than me. This guy is huge. I guess he's Tongan, so what can you expect? We're both new to the area, so we're having to work extra hard. But it's been so much fun. God has blessed us very much. One of the great people who we get to work with is named Lee. He's an incredibly nice guy. He cooked us a humongous Texas BBQ the other night, and it was amazing. Anyway, Lee's a great example of sacrifice. He wants to get baptized, and in order to do that, he needs to live the word of wisdom, which is the health code that members of the church follow. We don't drink coffee, which has been something that Lee has wanted to stop doing for a while. He's tried lots of times, and has't been able to. But last week, he tried one more time and just gave it all up. He still hasn't had any coffee, and he's struggled a bit from withdrawals, but has pressed through. It helps me realize how important sacrifice is and how all of us have something that we can give up that'll make us a little stronger and will help us get a little closer to God.

So that's pretty much what's cooking right now. This whole mission thing was a really good idea. I was excited as I'm sure many of you were, at the news that the minumum age of missionaries has dropped. I for one, have loved my mission, and it's been the best thing for me. I hope that the additional groups of men and women who decide to go on missions are as blessed as I've been.

Peace out!

Ammon

Elder Moala and Elder Miller

Title: The Miller Diet: How to Lose 20 Pounds (And Your Appendix) In Two Weeks

Well, the month of June was interesting for several reasons. First off, I was transferred to a new area with a new companion named Elder Kawano. He's from a city called Miyazaki in southern Japan. Things started off great! Fun area, fun companion, and all the wasabi a man could dream of. I had a blast for the first half of the week, when, on the night of June 1st, I went to bed with a stomachache. I didn't think anything of it until I woke up an hour later and the pain had intensified. I usually just try to sleep off any pain that I have, but this just felt awful. Finally, at about 2:30 in the morning, I called the zone leaders and the mission president, and we decided that I needed to go to the ER.

When I arrived, everyone started asking me the same questions over and over, and started looking really confused. They drew blood, and eventually told me they had no idea what was wrong with me. They gave me some morphine and sent me home, speculating that I might have acid reflux. I spent the next couple days in bed, trying to get some rest. After about three days, the pain became manageable, and I got back out to work. I found that I had no appetite and got dehydrated really easily. That week I lost about 10 pounds. All the while the pain persisted, and I had a lot of trouble standing for long periods of time.

That Saturday, the pain increased again, and on Tuesday morning I went to the doctor. I was going crazy, just wanting to know what was wrong with me. After doing some poking around, the doctor told me that it was probably my appendix, and sent me to get a CT scan. After drinking about a gallon of some really, really disgusting liquid that the nurses gave me, I got the scan done and, lo and behold: I had appendicitis!

The first thing that went through my mind was overwhelming relief. I was so happy to actually know what was wrong with me! They sent me to the ER, which was about two blocks away. We had gotten dropped off and didn't have a car, so we had to walk over to the hospital. When they checked me in to the ER, one of the nurses that helped me out was someone that I had the opportunity to teach several months ago. Her name was Megan, and she walked me through everything that was wrong with me. Apparently they would not operate on the appendix that day, as my appendix had burst several days earlier and there was a huge risk of infection. Basically, I had walked around with a burst appendix for a week (I have to admit, that made me feel pretty manly). Fortunately, my body had walled off the infection in an abscess. They doctors would drain that out for a few days and then operate. The exact same thing had happened to Megan, so she was able to let me know what I was in for. The next day I got the drain put in me.
(Here's where we get the fun, juicy details. If you get sick easily, stop reading)
Basically it was this tube that came out of my stomach that went into a little water ballon-looking thing. I got to watch the pus come out of me every day and that was pretty close. When I went to surgery about five days later I was pretty calm, because things had gone pretty well so far. What they had hoped would be a quick labroscopic surgery ended up being an open appendectomy. They found that there really wasn't much of the appendix left. There was a hole in my colon where the appendix used to be, and so they cut off part of the colon and reattached it to the other intestine. The first thing I remember after the surgery was pain. Crazy pain. If you want to know what it felt like, read Breaking Dawn.
The doctors gave me a little button that I could press every six minutes when I wanted more pain meds. I pressed it a lot. It was certainly the most under the influence I've ever been in my life. Also, there were other tubes and things stuck in very uncomfortable places. But all the while, things were still pretty good. I'd like to think of myself as a positive person, and I determined to keep that attitude during this whole thing. I think the thing that helped me the most was keeping a sense of humor throughout the whole thing. It actually became really entertaining...I had a great time with the nurses and everybody who came to visit me. I can honestly say that being in the hospital was one of the most fun experiences of my whole mission.
Things are going well now. The recovery has been going quickly, and I'm finally back to work. I can't lift anything above 20 pounds for another month, and then I'll be totally back to normal. Plus I got a car, which isn't half bad :)
I've pondered a lot upon what I was supposed to have learned from this experience. I don't know if I can sum it up in anything profound, or if I even should. But I am certainly grateful for the experience that I had. After all, is that what life is all about? We gain experience that forms our character, and then we act upon what we have learned. My belief and faith in God has been solidified, and my love for life is stronger than ever. Life is so awesome! I love being a missionary. It's great to be back to work!
Thank you all SO MUCH for your thoughts and prayers for me during this time. I felt those thoughts and prayers, and they have helped me heal quickly and keep a positive attitude. I love you all!
- Elder Miller

Title: Bring it on!

Well, the infamous Arizona summer is upon me. From the time I've come on my mission everybody has asked, "So, have you been here for a summer yet?" I've answer no, which is then followed by a villanous laugh by the person asking me the question. "Well, you're in for a treat!" (I then inform the people that I've experienced 114 degrees in North Dakota, but that's besides the point.) I guess it doesn't get really bad until July, but we've had a couple of days that have been over 100 degrees already. At this point I've gotten used to the whole white shirt and tie thing, so it's not as uncomfortable as it used to be. Elder Hernandez keeps things entertaining while we're biking. At this point my Spanish comprehension has improved dramatically. I have to admit, funny stories are twice as funny when Elder Hernandez tells them in Spanish.

The work has been great! Every day I feel very humbled to be where I am, serving the Lord. I'm very grateful that I've been able to recognize my faults, because that's given me an opportunity to improve. I've had to sacrifice more, which has given me a greater opportunity to look to the needs of others. I'm not sure who reads this blog, but there may be many that have been wronged by me somehow. I look back at my life and see the ways that I have been immature and selfish. I've made my own interests a greater priority than that of my loved ones. I haven't shown very much love to my fellow men. But I am sincerely trying to improve. My relationship with God has increased and I know what I need to do to be better. I just need to do it. Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, my faults can be changed.

I'm so grateful for the support of everyone. I wrote on my Facebook page before I left that everybody in my life has taught me something, and that's true. How many times I have been grateful on my mission for friends who took the time to listen, teachers who were so much more than teachers, and others who were an example of excellence even though I may not have known them very well. I know that there are challenges ahead, but with the strength that I've received from all of you, and most importantly the strength I receive from God, I know that I can do greater things.

"And if men come unto me, I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." (Ether 12:27, Book of Mormon)

Ammon

Title: Bienvenidos! (That's Spanish, right?)
Well, things have definitely gotten a little more colorful in my life since I've been paired up with Elder Hernandez! He's from Playa del Carmen, Mexico, which is about 20 minutes from Cancun, and we've been together a month now. Elder Hernandez has been Spanish speaking for his whole mission (He's been out 19 months) but just switched to being English when he came to my area. And he's been doing awesome! Of course, now when I walk around with him, everybody assumes that I can speak Spanish as well...I just smile and nod.
We've been having a lot of fun talking to all the different people around here. Interestingly enough, we've been learning a lot about Judaism lately, which has been pretty interesting. Perhaps I'll pick up a little Hebrew as well. I think that's always been my favorite thing about missionary work - being able to meet so many people and hear their stories. (It's certainly given me some movie ideas) I think there would be a lot fewer problems in the world if more people took the time to just listen to each other. It's always nice to be able to sit and talk to somebody about their beliefs, even when we differ on some things. I think that when we get the chance to sit down and really communicate with someone, sharing what matters most to each other, we always leave feeling a little bit better.
I've had the great opportunity on my mission to simply share what I know with everyone that I meet. It's been the hardest thing I've ever done. There are some weeks where I come home exhausted every day, and when I wake up it feels like I just slept for 10 minutes. Sometimes it's hard when people yell things at us from their cars, but we just keep smiling and riding our bikes. It's great knowing that I love what I'm doing enough to keep at it, especially when it gets hard. I don't know that I've ever put more effort into anything in my life. And I think it's only right that I try to serve God after all He's done for me.
Over the past week, we had General Conference for the church, where we heard from our leaders. This was one of the talks I really enjoyed. I hope you do too!
http://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2012/04?lang=eng&vid=1542112418001&cid=3
- Ammon

Title: (Really) Quick Update

So, it's been a while since I wrote a blog, and things have still been going pretty well. It took a little while to get adjusted to my new area, but things are really starting to turn out awesome. I happen to live near some of the nicer trailer parks, so I'm running into more and more snowbirds. It seems like every other day I see a North Dakota license plate, which makes me a little homesick, but it's fun to see. It's starting to warm up and everybody keeps warning me about the summer. "You're from North Dakota?! You'll go home by June!" I keep telling them that it gets hot in North Dakota too, but I guess I'll find out how bad it is in a few months. But I've been enjoying the weather and the citrus. I just made homemade lemonade out of lemons I picked myself the other day. It actually wasn't that great, but it was homemade.

Things are really, really good. Really hard, but really good. I think that most of the reason that I'm enjoying my mission so much is the satisfaction of knowing that God is giving me the opportunity to work harder than I ever have, and be more than I have ever been. I've never had to put in the kind of effort into anything else in my life that I've put into my mission. In placing me in difficult and uncomfortable situations, God has helped me love his children more and see more in them and myself than I ever have.

I'll just share this scripture quickly before I finish up:

"But Ammon said unto him: I do not boast in my own strength, nor in my own wisdom; but behold, my joy is full, yea, my heart is brim with joy, and I will rejoice in my God. Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things." (Alma 26:11-12)

 

Title: Hagona' Shikiss

This Friday I received a sad phone call from my former companion Elder Wadman. He's currently serving in Taylor, and he called to let me know that on Wednesday, January 18, Bennie Tsaipi passed away.

We're not sure about the details of what happened, but he had a history of health problems and it could have been anything. Fortunately he died peacefully in his sleep.

Bennie, Patty, and their son Stetson were the first people that I taught on my mission. I remember my first real day in the mission field and the anticipation for my first lesson as Elder Lyon and I drove the four hours from Scottsdale to Taylor. When I stepped into Patty and Bennie's house I immediately knew I was home. I was delighted to find out that they knew how to speak Navajo and I jumped at the chance to learn as many words as I could. Bennie was always excited to teach me new words. I would get after him for not reading the Book of Mormon, and he would get after me for not practicing my numbers in Navajo. Eventually, with his help, I could successfully count to one hundred.

I went through a lot of ups and downs with Bennie. He and his family have a lot of struggles, and I felt like everytime they were struggling, I was too. When they were happy, I was happy. We saw them almost daily and it became the highlight of the afternoon to go and visit them. Every day we would show up and greet Bennie with "Yaateeh, shikiss!", which means "Hello, brother!" and he would reply with "Yaateeh Gamalees!" (Gamalee means Mormon or Elder). We would laugh, and laugh and laugh. The Tsaipi family had a strong desire to be together forever, and did whatever it took to strengthen their family and come closer to Christ. Although there were some differences and struggles, I feel like I came to love that family in a way that I don't know that I've loved anyone before.

Saying goodbye to them on Halloween night was one of the hardest things I've had to do. After we talked for a while, they asked me to say a prayer. I only got a few words in before I started sobbing. I wasn't the only one. We all embraced, and we gave Bennie one last goodbye, or "hagona' ", obviously having no idea that it would be the last time that we'd see him.

When I got the news that Bennie had passed away, however, there were no tears. Strange as it seems, I'm very happy. I think it's because I've spent so many hours in Bennie's home testifying to him that he would be with his family forever, that death would not separate him from his loved ones. Although I do feel a sense of loss, I know that the time that I'll be separated from Bennie is very short in the grand scheme of things. It's not a fairy tale. It's not just something that makes me feel better. I will see Bennie again, and we'll both be a lot happier that we ever were in this life. His family will be together forever, and we'll be able to walk together again in the presence of God.

Hagona' shikiss, ayoneshneh.

- Gamalee Miller

Elder Miller’s companion featured in this video

https://lds.org/youth/video/priesthood-duty?lang=eng

The Best Christmas Ever!

 

Christmas 2011 was incredible! I thought that it would probably be really depressing since I wasn't at home, but Elder Hill and I have kept ourselves busy enough that we haven't had time to be homesick. We just had our first baptism in the area, and it was great! Isabelle is 9 years old, and she's hilarious. We've been spending time with her family lately and she's been lots of fun to work with. She has a little brother named Nathan who's completely crazy, but just as fun.

We spent our Christmas Eve with the Alldredge family. They have eight kids and everybody was there, so it was a packed house! We ate a ton of food, only to come home to more food that people in the area had dropped off to us...people are so great around here. Although I'm probably going to be eating nothing but Christmas cookies for the next month. Elder Hill and I live with two other missionaries, Elders Tomlinson and Simcox, and we've been trying to keep the Christmas Spirit in our apartment. We made our own Christmas tree out of empty boxes stacked on top of each other and we've been blasting the same three Christmas CDs over and over. Elder Tomlinson and I kept our family traditions of opening one present on Christmas Eve, and then Elder Hill set a timer for the lights on our "tree" to go off when it was time to wake up.

Christmas morning we woke up at 5:30 to open presents. Then we went to President Castaneda's home (of the mission presidency) for a breakfast of pancakes, spam tamales, and breakfast burritos. We went to church, and then we got to Skype home! It was great seeing my family and knowing that they're all doing well. I even got to see my dog. Then it was back to work. I'm so grateful to be a missionary! It's so great to serve God, even on days like Christmas when it's hard to be away from family. Our dinner appointment was awesome. We ate with the Requenas, who are an awesome family from Philedelphia. They made the best Italian food I've ever eaten, and afterward we all jammed out to a Gladys Knight CD. It was so much fun! After that, we spent the rest of the night caroling.

I hope that all of you had a fantastic Christmas, and that 2012 is the best year ever! (Insert end of the world joke here)

- Elder Miller

First Baptism

 

This week was awesome! Isabelle's baptism was perfect. Everything was really stressful until it started, and then everything went according to plan. I was so grateful and humbled that she asked me to baptize her. I was feeling really nervous about it before, and I turned to the Book of Mormon. I decided to read over Mosiah 18, since that talks so much about baptism. The following verses really stood out to me, "And now it came to pass that Alma took Helam, he being one of the first, and went and stood forth in the water, and cried, saying: O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon thy servant, that he may do this work with holiness of heart. And when he had said these words, the Spirit of the Lord was upon him..." Well, I offered that same prayer to Heavenly Father, and He answered it. I felt the Spirit so strongly and really felt that Heavenly Father was proud of me.

 

Isabelle and Elder Miller

Just some pictures from Elder Miller

 

Celebrating with the Elder Miller flair!

Never use dishwashing soap in the dishwasher. It was Elder Hill’s idea.

Thanksgiving

Things are going good, as always. Thanksgiving was pretty fun...we sort of had a day off, and so I got to write some of you letters. Speaking of which, your letters are awesome! Thanks so much for taking the time to write. It's so great to hear how everybody is doing. But anyway, Elder Hill and I had a good time. We started in the morning by playing some futbol with the other missionaries. Then we went out for breakfast together and kind of chilled out after that. We had two dinner appointments, so we were really struggling to bike back home after the second Thanksgiving meal. So it wasn't too eventful of a day, but at the same time it was awesome. I have so many things to be thankful for, but I'm mostly grateful for the chance to serve a mission! In the four months I've been out I've met some incredible people. I'm most especially grateful for the days that were completely terrible. Although I try not to burden you with such things on this blog, there have been some pretty lousy days.There have been times where I've found it difficult just to keep pedaling on my bike. My legs get sore, I'm hungry, and I just don't want to do anything. Everything goes wrong, appointments fall through, and I just want to be able to go home and take a nap. But out of those days, I've learned to put complete trust in God. When all else fails, I just tell Him that I've done all I can do and put it in His hands. And every time He's blessed me with some sort of miracle. I've come to appreciate the little things in life, whether it be somebody honking and waving at us when we're biking, or how awesome scrambled eggs and tobasco sauce taste. I love being able to forget about myself and go to work. There are way too many times in my life where I just sat in my room and lamented about how bad of a day that I had when I could have been out helping somebody else or at least enjoying the many things that God has blessed me with. We always have countless blessings. We need to list those off everyday and always be grateful. I know that the Lord has blessed us with more than we can ever comprehend, and that even in our difficulties and trials he's pouring out more blessings upon us. I hope that all of us can express more gratitude to God and to our loved ones for all that we have.

Love,

Ammon

 

Elder Miller and Catus man

Elder Hill and Elder Miller

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes

Well, it's almost been 4 months since I started my mission, which is really weird to think about. In some ways it's been really long, but in some ways it's gone by way too fast. I've just started my third transfer, and I'm no longer a "greenie" in the field. I can't remember if I've explained transfers in my blog before, so I'll just explain it, and you can deal with it if you already know. Basically while you're on a mission, the time is organized into six-week periods called transfers. You're placed in an area with a companion, and that's where you serve for at least those six weeks. Near the end of that time, you'll get a call from one of the missionary leaders to find out where you'll be for the next transfer. You may go to a new area, your may stay where you are and get a new companion, or you may just stay where you are and have the same companion. Well I found out last week that I was going to be moved down to Mesa and have a new companion named Elder Hill.

I haven't talked too much about my last compaion, Elder Lyon, but he was awesome. He's a super good musician, and is especially good at piano. He tells the lamest jokes you could possibly think of, but they're the kind that are so bad that they're hilarious. He did a really good job training me and taught me a lot of things by example. One of the most important things that Elder Lyon taught me was patience. I realized just how impatient I am. When I want something really bad I tend to complain a lot until it happens the way that I want it to.  But Elder Lyon rarely complained about anything. He put up with my complaining and a lot of other dumb things that I did, and always tried to be positive no matter what was going on. He always looked out for me and made sure that I was doing alright. I'm always going to be grateful for Elder Lyon and what he's done for me.

I'm really going to miss serving in Taylor. I'll miss all the awesome people I met, especiallly Patty and Bennie. I'll miss Navajo Tacos, killin chickens and even the goats that would keep me up all night. But I'm really excited to be in the city! Mesa is awesome. The temple is gorgeaus, and there's so many people. Oh, and the weather is AWESOME! This North Dakota boy can hardly complain while experiencing temperatures in the 70s in November. The palm trees and the sunsets are gorgeous. Although there was a duxt storm my first day. That wasn't do cool. But overall, it's pretty rad. There aren't as many hills down here, so biking is a lot nicer. Oh, and I need to get way better at Spanish. People think that I'm lame down here for being hispanic and not knowing Spanish. Some lady came up to me at Walmart the other day and started talking to me in Spanish. I honestly probably know more Navojo than Spanish nowadays. Oh well.

I love all of you guys! As always, thanks for your letters and support.

Love,
Ammon

Title: Transfer #2 (So Far)

I apologize for not writing a blog sooner! I'm into my second six weeks in the mission field, and it's really starting to feel like home. A lot of the people here have truly become my family. One great thing about being a missionary is that you talk to practically everybody you come into contact with, so you meet the most amazing people you never would have otherwise. One thing I've learned is that everybody really does have a story, and if you take the time to actually care enough to find out as much as you can about each individual, you find out how incredible each one of us is. A few weeks ago a new friend of mine named David cut off his finger with a table saw. He was hilarious as he excitedly showed us the pictures that he made sure to snap with his phone just minutes after it had happened. He loves to show us all the bloody details. As we continued to talk about it, I found out that David is pretty familiar with stitches and operations. Almost his whole torso is covered in scars. He's been pronounced dead three times on the operating table. Despite all of that, he's still living happily and loves to tell his stories with a smile. He knows that God is watching out for him.
Speaking of blood, I've slaughtered chickens for the last three Mondays! (I apologize: this blog is probably not the best for the squeamish.) We love helping any way we can as missionaries, and that help can often come in...interesting ways. I have to admit there were some times when I was really grossed out, but I really think I'm getting the hang of everything! I have great respect for the good farmers of the world. It's a lot harder than it looks, and some of those people are amazing at these things. I suppose I won't gross the poor readers too much more. But yeah, it was really bloody.
It's still pretty warm up here. At least warmer than North Dakota usually is. I love telling people where I'm from, because they will inevitably reply with one of the two following responses: "North Dakota...is that the one with Mount Rushmore?" or "Boy, you come from Cold Country! I bet you're roasting down here!" It's either one of those, or the person has actually served a mission in North Dakota. It's been cool to run into so many people that are familiar with home. I've also heard that lots of people down here are moving up to work on the Bakken.
My Navajo is still coming along pretty well. I know the words for lots of farm animals (there's a lot of opportunities for practicing those words) and I can count from one to ten. Patty and Bennie have been testing me just about every time I go over so that I stay on top of everything. I also have been able to meet with Laura and Emerson, a mother an d son who also speak Navajo. Laura is great...she's older and pretty much only speaks Navajo. She makes fun of me every time I attempt to say something. It's hilarious watching her crack up as this little half white/half Latino kid mispronounces words all over the place.
I'm loving being a missionary. As I've said time and time again, it's the hardest thing I've ever done, but the best thing I've ever done. There's nothing better than sharing the message that means the most to you, and helping people find faith in Jesus Christ. God loves everybody...I know it. I've come to see how much He wants people to be happy, and how much happiness we are missing out on if we don't love everybody like He does. I know that He lives and is mindful of every one of us. Only He understands perfectly what we're going through and he knows why we need to go through it in the long run. I know that Jesus Christ really did die for us. I hope people don't think that I'm just saying this to say it or that it's just a nice idea that's been pounded into my head. I really mean it. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior because I've seen Him in every person I've met, every good thing that's happened to me, and every friend that I've made. He's carried me through the hard times and laughed with me in the good times. He's real. I know it.

Ayoninshneh! (I love you!)

- Elder Ammon Miller

Title: How Sweet It Is

I'm absolutely sick of eating corn. For about the last two weeks I've had corn on the cob for almost every single meal. Apparently Taylor is famous around these parts for their sweet corn. It was really good the first three or four meals, but it's gotten a little ridiculous. We have a bag of old corn cobs sitting in our apartment right now. We really need to throw those away...To top things off, this past weekend was the annual Taylor Sweet Corn Festival. I guess it was pretty fun to have the parade go right by in front of our house. The theme was "How Sweet It Is". We got about a dozen free frisbees and an entire bag of tootsie rolls. The only downside to the festival was that just as the whole corn thing was dying down, everybody got reminded of it, so we're eating even more corn now than we did before. It was fun to see everybody come out for the festival, though. They had a rodeo, which usually is a pretty big deal for the people here. We live right behind the rodeo grounds, so it brought a lot of excitement to Taylor.
I'm getting better at riding my bike! It doesn't take me 10 minutes to go up each hill anymore. We usually go at least 10-15 miles every day, and it's finally started to build up my endurance. In addition to all the biking, I have to exercise 30 minutes every day. That's way more than the 0 minutes I did back at home. Surprisingly, I'm getting a lot better at it. I still make a complete fool out of myself every time that I play basketball, though. I'm no Jimmer.
The people down here keep getting more awesome. Teaching Patty and Benny is always the highlight of my day. Every day they get funnier, happier, and more spiritual. I can't believe all the things that they keep teaching me. I never get tired of hearing about their faith in Christ and how dedicated they are to Him. They're such a great example. I feel like I'm a pretty stubborn person and that it takes a lot for God to get me to change. When Patty and Benny know something is true, they change. They don't need somebody to push them along, but they show so much trust in the Lord. It continues to amaze me.
The other Taylor elders had a baptism this past weekend! They baptized Kayla, a teenage girl. It was awesome to see all her family come out for such a sacred experience. I love baptisms. I especially love the account of the baptism of Jesus in the book of Matthew. "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him. And lo, a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." I love what it says about the Spirit. I definitely felt that as Kayla was baptized, taking that essential step to coming unto Christ, and I know that Heavenly Father was pleased in the decision that she had made.
So things are going pretty awesome so far. I haven't been deported to Mexico, so that's always a plus. (Especially considering how much darker I've gotten since getting down here.) I love this work. There's nothing that I'd rather be doing right now, and I really mean that. Tying into the theme of the Sweet Corn Festival, I'm thankful for how sweet it is to be able to work with the people of Taylor, and how sweet it is to be able to see the light of God in other people, of all faiths. I love the Book of Mormon's account of Lehi's vision of the Tree of Life:

"And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy. And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen."

I know that God has sweeter blessings for us than we can even imagine, and it truly is wonderful to come unto Him.

Thanks for your letters and all the support! Sorry I take so long to write all of you back. You're all in my prayers, and may God continue to bless you.

Love,
Elder Miller

Navajo Word of the Day: Shi-kiss (Brother/friend)

Greetings From Taylor!

Yateeh!

(That's Navajo for hello!)

I've finally made it to Arizona, and I'm absolutely loving it. We flew out from Provo on the ninth, and went right to Phoenix. Our mission president, President Ellsworth and his wife were waiting for us and President gave us all a big hug to welcome us. After loading up our things, we went to the Mesa Temple, and got to meet in the Visitor's Center. I can't begin to tell you how beautiful that temple is, and how much of the Spirit I felt as we walked the grounds. After a short testimony meeting, we went to the mission home in Scottsdale, where we were interviewed by President Ellsworth, and then sent out right away to work. I got paired with Elders McBride and Keating. We had some great experiences teaching some families and I completely fell in love with the valley. The palm trees and sunsets are absolutely gorgeous.

The next day we finally got to meet our companions and find out where our first area is. I've been assigned to pair up with Elder Lyon in the town of Taylor, whose population is about 2000. It's almost as north as you can go in the Mesa mission, and is actually about 4 hours away from Mesa. The town reminds me a lot of Casselton, my home town. It surprisingly looks and feels a lot like North Dakota, except of course for the fact that it's about 80 percent Mormon. The other awesome thing about Taylor is that there are a lot of Navajo people here, who have just been incredible. I've learned about a dozen Navajo words so far, and hope to learn as much as I can while I'm in the area. One family we're teaching is Patty and Benny and their family. Elder Lyon and I just love them. Every time we go, we see how the gospel has lit up their lives as they've struggled to make better choices and follow the example of Jesus Christ. They've made some incredible steps and I admire them so much. Not only have they taught me Navajo, but they've also taught me how to really rely on Jesus Christ and have faith in His Atonement.

Although I've seen incredible miracles and felt the Spirit more than I ever have, this week has been probably the hardest of my life. A wise person in the MTC said that a mission is "the greatest miserable thing that will ever happen to you." I have physically and spiritually never had to push myself to the limits that I have in just this first week. We're a biking area, and some of those hills have been completely ridiculous to climb. I've been sore every day and more tired than I've been in my life. Waking up is the hardest thing. I don't think that I can move sometimes. However, the greatest comfort comes each morning and night as I get on my knees and thank Heavenly Father for all He's given me, ask Him to show me what I can do to serve Him that day, and promise that I'll follow the promptings of the Spirit. By the time Elder Lyon and I are done studying, I am excited to get out and work harder than I ever have.

I absolutely know that this is Jesus Christ's church. This is His work. Through Him all things are possible, and if we have faith, repent, are baptized, and do all we can to serve Him until the end of our lives, we'll return to Him again and be united with our families, with more joy than we can even comprehend. I know Christ lives and loves us. He suffered so that all these things are possible. I bear my witness of these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love,
Elder Miller

Elder Ammon Miller with his Mission President and Misson President's wife.

President and Sister Ellsworth