It came and went,
There goes another transfer in the Great ABM! It’s been a miraculous transfer and it all concluded with a wonderful week as we received a visit from Elder Andersen. It was a special meeting with all of the missionaries from our mission there as well as Elder Andersen, Elder Coasta, Elder Alba, and their wives. With the reorganization of the First Presidency this week Elder Andersen had to cancel his meeting with the two Atlanta missions and only came to ours. Like I said, a special experience.
I guess I’ll start with a few thoughts from Elder Andersen and the things he said. First, he is an Apostle of the Lord, Jesus Christ. There is no doubt in my mind. I know that Russell M. Nelson was called of God to be the Prophet and President of the church. Elder Andersen spoke a little bit about that process. He shared a few other thoughts that pertain specifically to our mission and to what we needed to do in order to better the Lord’s work here. One of those emphasized was getting to know the New Testament. He said with all those down here who believe so deeply in Jesus Christ, we have to know about His life in the New Testament. He talked about how we need to talk to everyone we can about the Restoration and Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon to those who will listen. If they don’t want to listen, having a conversation central on the New Testament and Jesus Christ is not a negative thing; you’re not a failure of a missionary. That was something that I had learned about a year ago when I was serving in Wetumpka and I haven’t realized that fully until he mentioned it. Elder Andersen talked a lot about the Savior and never tuning on the Savior. He said something interesting, he said that if you decided to turn on the gospel and to not believe in the Restoration of the Church then at least be a Presbyterian or a Baptist or something. “Don’t turn on the Savior,” he said. Our testimonies in Jesus Christ are so important, and as members of the church I don’t think we realize how important it is that our testimony is foundational on Christ. Now, Elder Andersen is also mention that, “It is harder to believe in Christ in a lesser way.” Meaning, that once you know all the truth, once you have the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ, it’s more difficult to hold on to Christ because without the Book of Mormon and the Restoration we don’t know as much about Him and about our Father.
The people we are working with here in Hoover are doing amazing! Couldn’t be better! Oscar and Crystal both came to church yesterday with Crystal’s two older kids John Michael (12) and Heather (9). They all loved it and and the ward was great at fellowshipping them all. We are now teaching and talking to Oscar and Crystal like they are getting baptized and it’s just hopefully going to be a smooth walk to the font on the 17th of February! We are also teaching Teressa and her two boys Jabori (13) and Javon (11) who made a valiant effort to get to church but couldn’t find the address...ugh! But they said that they would definitely be there next week! They are all reading from the Book of Mormon and we are going to share the Plan of Salvation with them next. President went on a team-up with us to go and see Crystal and Oscar as well as Teressa and her boys on Thursday which went great. The lessons couldn’t have gone better!
One more solid couple of people are Mandy and Lauren, a mother and her daughter who are just excited about the gospel and about learning. It’s all making sense to both of them about the Book of Mormon and about the Restoration. So, we’re hoping to get all of that figured out and on it’s way! We put them on date for the 24th so praying that that works out too! Cassandra is another lady we went and taught this past week. I don’t know how far that’s going to continue because as cool as she is, she doesn’t understand the idea of there being one true church. “We’re all part of the body of Christ,” she says. We have met a handful of other people this week that we’re excited about though, so more to come!!
We’ve been blessed here in the past few weeks to find prepared people. I don’t know what it is but I know that we are being trusted with God’s children. That is always the case but it hasn’t been more evident to me than now on my mission. God does love all of his children. His wish is that all of them are able to find Him and use their agency to accept the blessings of the restored gospel He’s provided for them. I know that Jesus Christ is the centerpiece to all of what we do. He is the Living Christ. We ended the meeting with Elder Andersen by singing all seven verses of “How Firm a Foundation,” and I’d like to close with some of those:
How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he hath said,
Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,
Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?
Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,
For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of sorrow shall not thee o’erflow,
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee, and sanctify to thee,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply.
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, thy dross to consume,
Thy dross to consume and thy gold to refine.
The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!
I will never forsake, or abandon, or turn from my knowledge of the Savior Jesus Christ. And my prayer is that none of you will either. Thanks for all you do for me, for your wonderful examples and prayers. Hope you all have a blessed week.
Much Love,
Elder Milius
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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
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