Elder Millar

Side Kick Board Break

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:59:30 -0600

Side Kick Board Break

Cross Punch Board Break

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:59:10 -0600

Cross Punch Board Break

February 17, 2012

Fri, 17 Feb 2012 22:53:00 -0600

Some of Elder Millar’s thoughts about his brothers getting their first degree black belts last Friday night:

Mom and Dad,

Thank you ever so much for not only putting together that wonderful video for me but for also composing your fantastic emails rehearsing the details of the black belt night. Both the video and text brought proud tears to my eyes. I’m so PROUD of my brothers! I had no doubts that they would push through and succeed, but hearing details of how they did succeed brings a glow to my soul that I didn’t know was possible. I love my brothers more than anything and to hear that they’re turning into strong, confident young men makes me happier than anything ever has. The Spirit is testifying to me of the truthfulness of eternal families through the strength and courage of my brothers.

Your missionary,
Elder Millar

Jameston!

You’re a black belt! You survived! I’m sooooooo proud of you! I think it’s the softness I get from Dad, because I had a few tears come to my eyes when I read about you and your test and watched the videos Dad sent me.

Mom and Dad told me about the struggles you had during the test. I’m so PROUD of you for turning to your Heavenly Father. I know those prayers you, Mom, and Dad said together during water breaks helped you have courage to continue. I’m super glad you and Riley were able to go through the test together. I’m sure it was a big help having your big bro right next to you going through the same tough stuff you were.

You’re so brave, little man. I wish I had your courage. And, boy, do I wish I had your strength! You didn’t just snap that brick in half, you DEMOLISHED it! There were like seven pieces of brick strewn all over the floor! Wow, wow, dude. If I had been there in person for the test, I woulda been screaming and yelling your name from the sidelines cheering you on. Keep it up and remember to fight strong in tae-kwon-do and life! Fight Satan with the same power you used to destroy that brick!

Your loving and proud brother,
Jesse

Riley! My bro!

You’re a black belt! Whoa. I knew you would get there, but who knew you’d get there with such courage and ferocity! Dad sent me videos of your test and both Mom and Dad wrote me in detail about how things went and how you handled the trial. I couldn’t be more proud of how you handled yourself.

Something that I really admired about you during your test was how you always seemed to be smiling. You made the crowd laugh when you were about to break your brick for Pete’s sake! In all the photos and video I’ve seen, you were grinning ear to ear even though I could tell you were absolutely exhausted. I’m so proud of you for being an optimist!

The thing that hit me most about your black belt test was how you strengthened your brother. Mom told me that you would frequently say, “We’ve got this!” to Jameston. You’re taking up the big brother mantel fantastically. Please continue to grow and mature. I’m so PROUD of the young man you’re becoming!

Seriously, dude…you’re making me so proud. Keep fighting hard in tae-kwon-do, life, and in spirituality. I want you to fight against sin with TWICE the ferocity you fought during that black belt test.

Keep on keepin’ on, bro,
Jesse

February 11, 2012

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 08:59:00 -0600

Hello there, family! Another week has come and gone and it’s magically P-Day again! Woo!

I honestly don’t know what there is to say about this week. I emailed last week on Monday and said that I was starting to get a little sick. I got worse over the course of the day and was completely out of commission by Tuesday morning. My sickness wasn’t anything major, just a bad cold (sore throat, runny nose, and congestion), but we still felt we should follow the advice of President Neider and stay inside so as to not spread the virus to the ward and our investigators, especially since Elder Stone came down with the same cold a couple of days later!

Being sick is hard, but it’s all part of life and God’s plan for us. Elder Stone and I are using our down-time to increase our companion unity and friendship. Keeping a smile on your face and as much spring as possible in your step is really the key to making it through this trial. Here’s hoping by next week I’ll have some more exciting news to report!

Hang in there, family. Life’s good even when times are hard! I know the boys’ black belt test is coming up on Friday. Boys, you’ve prepared like champs and you know I’m proud, your parents are proud, and your Heavenly Father is proud. You’ll do a fantastic job. Put your trust in the Lord and you can do anything! I’ll be praying for you this week, especially Friday night.

I’m still really grateful for the opportunity to be on a mission. It’s really interesting how we come out here to serve but the Lord ends up serving us. What a wonderful system! I’m so glad I have the Restored Gospel in my life. Make sure you always count your blessings and pay attention to the positives! I love you all immensely and can’t wait to talk to you again next week!

Much love,
Elder Jesse Millar

“Hey, hey, family!”

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:56:00 -0600

“Hey, hey, family!”

February 1, 2012

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 21:49:00 -0600

Hey, hey, family! Another week has come and gone! What’s with time passing so quickly?

The biggest news is transfers. Elder Stone and I got a phone call on Saturday which informed us that we were both sticking around in good ol’ Wells for another six weeks at least. One more transfer in the Land of North! Let’s see what we can get done!

We’ve been visiting a member recently who is in her mid-seventy’s. She’s an awesome and interesting woman. She talks like Yoda with a raspy voice. She’s even reversed a couple of her sentences on accident during our visits. She’s a really cool lady who just needs a boost in her faith. Her health frequently keeps her from coming to church which means our bi-weekly visits are her only source of spirituality. I really like visiting her. She may be old, but her conversations are still on-topic and coherent. She’s struggling with the challenge of taking care of her friend, Ruby, who has dementia. I tailored a spiritual thought to that need the other day and shared a bit about our family’s experience with Grandma’s dementia and how knowledge of God’s Love and Plan has sustained us.

We spent a number of days at home organizing and making phone calls. Planning ahead is an absolute necessity here in Wells. If you don’t plan, you have nothing to do. I imagine that adult life (meaning post-mission) is very similar. I’m definitely working hard on increasing my planning and fore-thinking skills.

Soccer on Thursday was fun but not quite as awesome as other weeks. Elder Stone and I weren’t quite on our game. I didn’t play goalie this time. I guess our team captain wanted to try me out as midfield. I suppose it went alright. I scored something like five goals. It was a fun night and a good exercise which was what made the night worth it. We’re hoping that we eventually get an investigator or two out of our association with the Hispanic ranch hands. I suppose time will tell.

The rest of our week was dominated by consoling and celebrating with the other half of our district. Elder Chowen was just transferred out of our district after being here for six months. That was his first transfer. He was rather distraught and needed some fellowshipping before heading out. We had two sleepovers with them (for missionary-related reasons, not just for fun).

Life is good and missionary work is awesome. I love my life and the opportunity I have to serve and grow so much. I’m positive that I’m going to come home completely different from who I was when I left which is a good thing!

I hope you’re all having a wonderful day and doing your best to keep the Spirit with you. Remember to be humble and follow the Lord’s will. This Gospel is truly the key to happiness in this mortality. I know that for a fact and have a solid testimony that this Gospel is Truth restored in these last days. I look forward to continuing to spread it among my brothers and sisters.

I love you all immensely,
Elder Jesse MIllar

The snow wasn’t the only WHITE this week!

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:22:35 -0600

The snow wasn’t the only WHITE this week!

January 27, 2012

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:21:21 -0600

We had a baptism this week! WOW! Who woulda thought that that could happen to little ol’ me? Hallie (the mom), and her two boys, Dustin and Brandan, decided to enter the waters of baptism to join The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! How cool is that?! We’ve been teaching them since Thanksgiving. Once 2012 started, we taught them discussion after discussion, and doctrine after doctrine, and they just accepted it and kept asking for more! They were actually developing testimonies of the things we were teaching! What an elect family!

Their baptism took place on the morning of January 22, 2012. Elder Stone and I showed up at the church building at 7am to start the font and shovel the walkways. We’ve been experiencing quite the blizzard here in Wells! Once the walkways were clear and the font was getting warm, we tidied up the Relief Society room and set up the TV for our video presentation. Hallie and her boys arrived at about 8:30am and got dressed in their stylin’ white jumpsuits. We snapped a couple pictures and took our seats in the chapel (there were too many people in attendance to fit in the Relief Society room). Brother Haskell conducted. Opening prayer by Elder Stone. Talk on baptism by Sister Egbert. Once that was completed, the congregation made their way to the baptismal font which is on the other side of the building. Elder Stone and I served as witnesses as Hallie was baptized by Brother Egbert, Dustin was baptized by the Egbert’s son (a priest), and Brandan was baptized by Bishop Johnson.

While the three newly baptized members changed, we went back to the chapel where we watched a short video about missionary work (“By Small and Simple Things”). Elder Stone had a great idea to pass out paper and pens to everyone and we each wrote our testimonies to give the family when they came back into the chapel. Then, Sister Haskell gave a talk on the Holy Ghost followed by various “Welcome to the ward!” addresses. After the baptism, we parted ways for our church meetings. Elder’s quorum first, followed by Gospel Principles, and then sacrament meeting. In sacrament, Elder Stone and I, Bishop, Brother Haskell, Brother Monroe, and Brother Egbert stood in a circle to confirm each new convert so they could receive the gift of the Holy Ghost!

After sacrament, our ward threw a “Linger Longer” luncheon in honor of the Hallie’s family. It was quite the sight to see the ward rallying around their new members! It may have just been me, but I seemed to see a visible change in our three converts once they were confirmed members of the Church. What a wonderful blessing it was and is to be involved in the conversion of such a fantastic family!

It’s such a wonderful blessing to be able to serve the Lord while staying in contact with my family. I love my mission, both the good and bad, and I’m excited to see what else it has to bring. Please continue to pray for me as I do the same for you all. Remember the Lord in all you do and make sure you read your scriptures and pray every morning while continuing to pray throughout the day. The Gospel is really the key to happiness in this upside-down world of ours. Always remember that. Have open and frequent communication between everyone in the family. Have Family Home Evening. And above all, know that Elder Millar loves you completely and is rooting for you! Have a fantastic week, family. You’re wonderful and I can’t wait ‘til next week when I get to email you again.

Elder Jesse Millar

Cleaning the Baptismal Font

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:53:30 -0600

Cleaning the Baptismal Font

Sunday’s BAPTISM

Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:46:15 -0600

Sunday’s BAPTISM

Me and Elder Tagilala (NOT in the MTC)

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:18:37 -0600

Me and Elder Tagilala (NOT in the MTC)

January 16, 2012

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:14:11 -0600

Hello again, family!

Yet another weekly email has landed in your inbox. A lot has happened this week, but I’m kind of unsure about how to describe it all. As I told Mom a short while ago, I’m kinda frazzled by everything which means this email MIGHT not be completely stellar. We shall see!

First up, we had a good district meeting this week. I went in with an entirely different attitude thanks to last week’s exchange with Elder Dixon (our zone leader). I enjoyed the experience and left with a smile. I’ve never been much of a fan of meetings. I’d much rather be out working than inside a stuffy chapel.

In other news, I’ve started teaching piano to a young boy in our ward. His name is Joshua. He’s a really cute kid who’s about nine years old. His mother plays flute but doesn’t really know how to teach him to read music or play with his left hand on the keyboard. I’ve only had one lesson with Josh, but he seems like an avid learner who actually wants to play piano. I’ll obviously have to tone everything down for him and teach in short segments, but I see it as good practice for teaching kids the gospel sometime down the road of my mission. Cool, huh? I’ll keep you posted on how things progress.

We had a service opportunity with a less active lady in our ward the other day. She lives on the Indian reservation. Her wood pile was starting to get a little low, especially in the kindling department, so we offered to help her cut some pieces into smaller chunks to help her start fires more easily. It only took us an hour, but it was quite the workout because she didn’t have a chopping block for us to use. When you have to precariously balance the wood on the ground and tap it with an axe instead of wailing on it with an axe (which is what you can do when the wood is balanced and raised off the ground), things are much harder. Against all odds, however, we succeeded!

We’re still working on setting up yearly mission plans with the members of the Wells ward. We’ve only visited two members thus far, but the two we’ve talked to have spread the word and people are beginning to see that we know what we’re doing (at least to an extent). Do you all have a mission plan? What are you doing to be more spiritual and open to more missionary opportunities?

The only other news I had was that of how our investigators are progressing. Hallie and her boys are loving the Gospel and everything about the Church. They’re set to be baptized on the 22nd (in one week) and are very excited. We’re excited too! Salvador has a few concerns and is hesitant about setting a date, but we asked him to pray about January 28th and he said he would. Those are the main investigators we have now. I’ll tell you more about the area in later emails as things progress.

I love you all and am incredibly grateful to know I have you as my family for eternity. That’s an incredibly comforting thought. Enjoy your week! Life is good!

Your missionary,
Elder Millar

This is NEVADA!

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 21:58:00 -0600

This is NEVADA!

Wood Splitter Pro?

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 20:00:52 -0600

Wood Splitter Pro?

January 10, 2012

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:58:00 -0600

Hey, hey, hey, family! WAZZUP?!

This week was incredibly momentous. Life exploded with work. Wow! Gotta love Wells! Here we go!

After district meeting on Tuesday, Elder Stone and I had what I call a “Violet Hour.” Remember Violet from “The Incredibles?” She could turn invisible. For a Violet Hour, we walk around town or ranches in our P-Day clothes and offer service. The service clothes make us blend in instead of standing out as missionaries which makes us feel invisible, hence the name! We walked around Starr Valley and asked members if we could help them with anything. After trying a few doors, we found John and Tami who were willing to let us split their pile of cottonwood. We set to work with a sledgehammer and splitting spike. We were successful for about an hour. At the end of that hour, I, the little guy that I am, managed to break the splitting spike clean in half. That put a stop to our work!

We had a wonderful dinner with a different member family later that evening. That day was kinda tough for both me and Elder Stone so chilling with this great member family for a while was incredibly soothing.

The next morning, we spent five hours splitting wood for Brother Haskell. My aim wasn’t the greatest and I managed to hit the axe handle on the wood a couple times which was not good for the tool. I should probably retire from wood splitting…I bought Brother Haskell a new axe though!

We’ve had a couple AWESOME lessons with our investigators this week. We met with Salvador and also with Hallie and her kids. They’re all progressing wonderfully! We’ve set baptismal dates for all four of them this month. BOOYA!

Those baptisms are a result of us working the area to death. We’ve had back-to-back appointments for the last few days which means I’m exhausted but pleased with our progress. Life is good, especially when it’s hard! As you might remember, I started the Book of Mormon again when I entered the field. I just reached 3rd Nephi the other day. Exciting! I’m sure I could read faster, but I’m really enjoying the added understanding I’m gaining!

One last thing which I suppose you can put on the blog for comedic purposes. I’ve been exercising religiously of late and am rather pleased by how I’m “buffing up.” I love being able to do hard labor, especially if it means I’m returning to the strength level I had in college.

I hope you’re all doing well! Enjoy your week and keep the Spirit with you! Life is good and the Lord is wonderful!

Forever yours,
Elder Millar

We took our journey into the wilderness.

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:42:35 -0600

We took our journey into the wilderness.

Our Splittin’ Wood Service Project

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:41:18 -0600

Our Splittin’ Wood Service Project

Stocking from Santa…Wells, Nevada style!

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:39:55 -0600

Stocking from Santa…Wells, Nevada style!

January 2, 2012

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 20:37:46 -0600

Good day, family! I hope this weekly email finds you well and attempting to re-enter the world of normalcy after the holidays.

There’s not too much happening in the Wells area in terms of true missionary work, but I do have things to report! Here goes!

First up, we FINALLY got our truck (mostly) fixed. We ended up spending something like five days in Elko waiting for the dealership to order parts and install them, but our alignment is now…in alignment and the whole vehicle feels a little more sturdy. It’s still leaking a bit of fluid and the tires go “flat” every other day, but we’re alive, safe, and are doing our best to take care of the Lord’s vehicle!

As Mom mentioned in one of her emails, I’m entering the only full year of my mission; a full January to December cycle. Here in the field, that’s referred to as your “black year”. I’m in my black year! I’ve been out for almost seven months! How on earth is that even possible?! I barely feel old enough to go to college let alone on a mission! Wow. Life and time truly flies by on “wings of lightning”. (Name that hymn!)

I partook of deer sausage the other day! Brother Speir in our ward went hunting recently and made homemade deer sausages. He had us over for lunch a few days ago and fed us some sausage with mustard. It was actually pretty good! I guess I can check “eat deer” off my bucket list now!

In other news, I’m seriously enjoying the church magazines. I can’t believe I never discovered the gold that’s contained within those pages before my mission! We recently had the newest Ensign delivered to our apartment and Elder Stone and I devoured the whole thing in less than a day. Boys (and parents), PLEASE don’t forget about reading the church magazines. They truly are modern-day scripture. And boys, please don’t make the mistake I did in thinking that the Ensign was above my comprehension level until I was college-aged. The Ensign is awesome and is honestly easier to read than the Book of Mormon. Give it a read sometime, but don’t forget about the Friend and New Era because they were written just for you two!

Here’s a bit of info that’ll be sure to surprise Mom: I’m learning to love writing on physical paper. Remember the days when I refused to compose English papers on anything other than the computer even though I knew that writing on paper with a physical pen would improve my writing ability? Kiss those days goodbye! I love paper! It’s got a cool feel about it and a style that a computer will never be able to emulate. I’m still looking forward to using an iPhone as my planner instead of this paper thing I carry in my back pocket, but writing in my journal, composing letters, and taking notes throughout the day with some awesome pens has given me a love for my handwriting and fingers.

Here’s a bit of wisdom for the boys: Please don’t underestimate our parents. When you’re having issues or struggles, please go to Mom and Dad instead of your friends. I made the mistake of relying on texting friends and girlfriends (gag) when I was having issues instead of going to my incredibly intelligent parents. Don’t fall into the trap of thinking that Mom and Dad couldn’t possibly know what you’re going through. Believe me, they know what you’re feeling and what you’re dealing with. They’re wise, loving, and kind. PLEASE use them. I know I wish I had when I was younger and I know I cherish every ounce of love and knowledge they share with me now.

I got a killer workout the other day at the Sorenson ranch. Brother Haskell runs that ranch and asked us to come over to help chop some wood. We spent five whole hours over there chopping away! It was quite the experience! I had a good deal of fun as that was the first time I’ve ever chopped wood. We ended up loading the entire bed of our truck and more with quarters and rounds (chopped and unchopped wood). We’ll be delivering it to some investigators in the near future. We also helped clean up a couple messes caused by a crazy wind storm that happened recently. It knocked over half a tree (a BIG tree) in the front yard of one of our members. We chopped it up with the help of Brother Haskell and his mad chain saw skills and loaded the wood in our trucks as well. The front yard looked a good deal better when we were through. My muscles are still sore two days later though!

And the last thing I wanted to say is “thank you” to each one of you. Thank you so much for the consistency of your writing and email composing. It’s so heartening to know that I have a loving, gospel-centered family backing me on my adventure here in the crazy Las Vegas mission. You’re all wonderful. I’m so glad that I know you’re mine for eternity. Keep the faith. Stay strong. Read your scriptures. I love you eternally.

Yours forever,
Elder Jesse Dean Millar

December 28, 2011

Wed, 28 Dec 2011 07:27:00 -0600

Good morning, Mom!

My day is going well and I have basically as long as I want on the computer. All we have today is some cowboy shopping that Elder Stone wants to do. I’m gonna jump right in to your questions since my answers will pretty much address everything else you mentioned.

My new companion is Elder Stone from Washington state. He has been out for 17 months, and he is the senior companion. We are getting along well enough. I was actually rather distraught that I was not made senior or designated driver. Elder Cunningham, who is a FANTASTIC elder, told me before the end of the last transfer that he felt I was ready to go senior. I felt ready and I was pretty confident that I would be made senior since I would be the companion that knew the area. I guess that’s not what the Lord had in store. I learned a bunch about controlling my emotions from the shock of having things turn out differently than I planned though, so that’s good.

My Christmas gifts are awesome! I can’t imagine better presents! I wasn’t disappointed at all by the lack of technology. My Christmas was sweet. I kept having to remind myself that it was Christmas and a Sunday though. That was odd. The spirit of Christmas is different on a mission.

The Skype experience was fantastic for me! I was in the best mood I’ve been in yet on my mission. I loved seeing you all and knowing that I’ll get to do it again someday!

The family history center people are rushing us out of the computer lab. LAME. I guess my email this week will be VERY short. There were a few things I wanted to say that I didn’t get a chance to. I’ll record them on my dictaphone and send them next week since the family history center lady is breathing down my neck.

I love you all immensely and can’t wait to talk to you more next week! I hope my short email (which is out of my power…) isn’t too bothersome since we just got to talk yesterday. Have a wonderful week! Be safe, happy, and loving! I adore you.

Your elder,
Jesse Millar