Fellow Saints!
Hello!! Man, what a week it’s been. Time keeps flying by but I’ll be the first tell you that it’s always a good week. Not too much went on this week, nothing really special and out of the ordinary, but I’ll get into sharing a few of the cool experiences and people from this past week!
So, to start off with a bang I’ll share what we would call a “Missionary Miracle” here in the Alabama Birmingham Mission! Elder Krupa and I were driving down the road and met this guy named Demetrius. But, let me start from the beginning. We were tracting in an apartment complex and I had the feeling to go and follow-up with this investigator in the same complex just a different building a little ways away. It was the end of the night but I got the impression and I felt like we’d be able to visit them! We did. But Twila wasn’t home. There was another potential though and so we went and knocked on her door. But Shaquele wasn’t home either. Feeling a little bummed I got into the car to drive home thinking, “I thought I was inspired. Why aren’t they here?” Then the Lord in a gentle way reminded me that it was indeed a prompting and I need not worry about the outcome. With a little bit of a lifted heart I told Elder Krupa about my simple spiritual experience and we headed for home. As we were driving I saw a man, barley. I really could only see the light of his cigarette butt as he puffed on it walking down the road. Out of nowhere I slow down to a stop-in the middle of the road-and tell Elder Krupa to roll down his window and talk to this guy. His name was Demetrius and he had met missionaries before. He used to play ball with them at the church and with little conversation we had discovered that he was a Christian but went to different churches here and there, wasn’t really grounded anywhere. I then invited him to be baptized and told him we could come to teach him more about Christ’s Restored church and gospel. Then after exchanging information we drove off and the Lord reassured me that my initial impression was from Him.
Last night we also had a couple cool experiences. One was with a lady named Hannah. She was standing outside of her car as we were walking by and we had seen her previously unloading groceries-big target for missionaries. “Hey do you need any help or did we miss the unloading?” We had missed it, but we started talking about church and the gospel and she seemed pretty cool but not very interested per say. Before we ended the conversation and left however I asked if she would pull up the #LIGHTtheWORLD video on mormon.org. She did and we watched it with her and let me tell you the Spirit couldn’t have flooded in faster. Once the video ended we stood quietly, Elder Fotu and I weren’t going to break the silence and we could tell the Spirit was working on all of us. Then Hannah spoke. She said in the most heartfelt way I could put into words, “So, tell me what’s different about your church and every other Christian religion.” She then expressed some of her confusions growing up in the Baptist faith and reasons she went non-denominational. We taught her a brief Restoration lesson in which the Spirit was amplified, especially as the First Vision was quoted. Elder Fotu and I were both very impressed after the fact and I could remember somewhere in the video feeling so blessed and grateful for my opportunity to be a full-time missionary. I guess you could say that was a tender mercy, but as the LIGHTtheWORLD video testifies of, all the small things that we do can be compared to the miracles our Savior performed.
Everyone else that we’ve been working with is mostly in the same spot. We have a few people who are on date to be baptized at the end of this month and the beginning of next month which is fun and exciting! Kenneth, the guy who was struggling with alcohol needs some breathing room so we haven’t seen him too recently. We’ve also found a few other people who are either potential investigators or current ones; Travis and Ash are 20 year olds living alone which is super mature of them. We left them with a Book of Mormon. Lataria was another, she missed her return appointment but we contacted her and got in to teach her because Elder Lewis had to use the restroom. Janette is an older lady, kind of like Brenda, who keeps telling us she won’t be Mormon but who seems more interested than she wants to admit. Deedee we contacted like a Romeo and Juliet scene. Lindsay was that lady that we met while trying to find a less-active and we followed her up to her apartment which used to be the less-active’s. Also, trying to teach the Hollensworth family. Yeah!!
- In connection with contacting Lataria, Elder Lewis needed to use the restroom. So, we were at a door and this lady was standing behind it. She told us in the conversation that she was busy and was taking a bath so I asked if we could come another time. Then, thinking with his bladder, Elder Lewis asked if he could use her restroom (he really needed to go pee). I about died and I whispered, "She's taking a bath..." Then she speaks up and was very awkwardly like, "Well I'm naked behind the door and..." How great is that story?! Anyway, good times.
- This one isn’t super funny but it was cool. We were in Wal-Mart and it was the end of the night. We were trying to promote the #LIGHTtheWORLD video and so we went on the laptops and got on mormon.org. After pulling up the video I looked around and called this guy over to come check out the video. He came over, watched the video, said “That’s a cool video” and walked away. Not exactly how I imagined that but it was good nonetheless.
- Also regarding the #LIGHTtheWORLD campaign: we went with the Hoover Sisters and stood in front of the Library handing out pass-along cards to people who came in. That was fun! Go missionaries!
It was another great week in Alabama and we’re looking forward to another one. (It’s Elder Lewis’ last full week so it better keep us busy!) He’s doing good though! I hope everyone is enjoying the Christmas season and enjoying the LIGHTtheWORLD campaign! It’s going good here! I love you all, and as always let me know if you need anything from me!
Much Love,
Elder Milius
PS: We went to the temple this morning (which is why I'm emailing today) and it was great! I love the temple!
--
Godspeed,
ELDER MICHAEL S. MILIUS
ALABAMA BIRMINGHAM MISSION
"Behold I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of Him to declare His word among His people, that they might have everlasting life." ~3 Nephi 5:13
No comments:
Post a Comment