Elder Simon Miller (Doniphan Ward) recently returned from the Mexico Mexico City East Mission (Spanish-speaking) after two years of faithful service. Elder Miller said that there were a lot of experiences that impacted his life during his time in Mexico. One such opportunity was teaching a friend who had recently served time in prison.

“It was really cool to see his progression and change,” Elder Miller said. “I kept meeting with him throughout my mission. He has to wait a bit to be baptized, but he goes to church every single week and participates in all the activities. His example showed me diligence in a way I haven’t seen before. I think as members we get a little lazy sometimes, but just seeing this guy, it was really amazing and it taught me a lot.”

Elder Miller said that the mission helped him learn to change and gain life skills for the future.

“I grew up with three brothers, and we fought a lot. It’s kind of the thing that happens. I didn’t know this, but I guess I was pretty volatile when I got to the mission. I had this really amazing companion, but every couple of days I would get mad at him for little, normal things. Being with him, I realized that I had a problem. It made me think, ‘What would Jesus do?’ I knew I needed to change. This was something I needed to work on and fix. The mission prepares you for the next stage of life such as your spouse and working with others. I really learned to be more tolerant, patient, and loving and to have more charity for people.”

Elder Miller ended his report with his testimony of the Savior.

“I had some experiences on my mission that led me to know that God has a plan for us. God knows us and loves us. Jesus is my Savior, and I’ve come to know that while serving others. Service is one of the building blocks to bring people to Christ. Everyone has needs, and if we can find out what they are we can help people. By going on my mission, I’ve learned to help others physically and spiritually.”