Just Another Week in Paradise:
Hello again! Hope everyone is blessed and doing well wherever you might be. This week was kinda short and uneventful, but it’s always a good one! The biggest news is Transfers are this week (so we're about to get busy, sorry in advance for a shorter letter) and I'm staying here in Hoover! I'm so excited to be with the ward for another 6 weeks and to work with the people we've been finding recently. Plot twist though: Elder Egbert is leaving. What?!? Everyone is kinda surprised but we will see how it goes this transfer without him.
Like I said this week wasn't super exciting. We had an exchange with the Birmingham Elders and that went well. A lot of finding and tracting but hey, sometimes that's just missionary work. We did find this one lady named Vivian who seemed open to talking with us. She lives with her two kids and her mother who is 92. Grace (her mom) is doing pretty well I might add; we visited with her yesterday. We also made contact again with Derrick one of the guys who opened up to us a lot about some struggles he is going through last week. He hasn't read the Book of Mormon yet but he said it's sitting right next to his bed.
We've been trying to get into more of the technology side of things this week. We had a conference call with our people from Salt Lake and we are going to plan what we need to train on as MLC and ZC 2 for Technology are coming up. It's been pretty nice, weird to be on Facebook and things but that's just because I've never been on Facebook before. However, it's been interesting for us because for a week or so it was like the smartphone was a cool new toy. Now, it's simply another tool we use. It's been cool to see how it's taken that role and hasn't really been a distraction. I will say, LDS Tools and the Map feature on our Area Book Planner App have been my favorites. Whenever we are in an area and have extra time, instead of blindly knocking doors we pull that out and see who we are close to then make visits according. It's also helping identify which members are gone and which ones are still here.
As far as investigators not much had changed in our teaching pool. We've found a couple people, Vivian being one. Another guy we started to meet with is Gift. He has had us over a couple of times but he doesn't really grasp the Apostasy, Priesthood, and the need for a Restoration. We've invited him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon and are going to see him later this week. Clinton is another man who we are trying to teach more often. He is interested but busy with work. He almost came to church on Sunday but wasn't able to make it. Jabori and Javon are doing great! Teressa, their mom, is a little stressed with work and everything but all is going well with them.
Sunday was definitely the highlight of the week. Jabori and Javon came to church and it was fast and testimony meeting. A little ways in Javon (11) said that he wanted to go up. I told him to go ahead and just to say what he knew and believed to be true. So he did! He talked about how God loves all of us and how he loves the Bible. Then, when he was up Jabori (13) whispered that he wanted to go up as well; but he said he wanted me to go up with him. I told him I'd follow him and so we went up. He bore his testimony about when we first knocked on the door and how he was just "chillin watching TV." But then he talked about how the Book of Mormon has opened his eyes to God. It was the sweetest, purest testimony and I was so impressed about how the gospel works in our lives. Yes we all come from different paths, different walks of life, different circumstances and situations, but the gospel of Jesus Christ always has a positive and lasting effect on whomever allows it in. The Spirit converts us, but only if we let him.
- Elder Egbert almost biffed it walking up some stairs on Monday night.
- Later in the week I almost ate it walking up some stairs.
- Sunday night was full of who knows what. Elder Egbert stuck out his tongue and spat at a racoon and I got in a fight with a moth that airel attacked me.
- Balled up with some kids late one night and unfortunately lost by a couple points...it was disappointing. But before we had started one of then said, "It's just like them videos on YouTube!"
- We met a guy, Jason, who plays online poker for a living. He's pretty cool; hopefully more to come on poker guy.
- I had an awesome conversation with a 17-year-old kid we met about a month and a half ago named John. I’ve been a missionary in the South way too long. The conversation is pictured below in this issue of Elder Milius’ emails. :)
With Transfers and everything happening it’s always a time to reflect. The Lord is definitely in charge of his work, and we are simply instruments. Pieces on the chess board. It's been amazing to see where the Lord has placed me and with who as I've gone through my mission. I have learned so much and I continue to learn each and every day. It is my belief that similar to how the mission is, life is; and similar to life is our eternal progression. We will always be placed in certain places with certain people to help you and/or them. Sometimes it's just for them, but it is all by divine design. That is why our "Plan A" needs to be the Lord's Plan; and we can create our plan as "Plan B."
Thanks again and as always for all your support. Love you all and hope you have a blessed week!
Much Love,
Elder Milius
John 17:3
PS: I ate the best Mexican food I’ve had on my mission, let alone my life at El Barrio on Thursday! Shout out to Neville and Papa, thanks! :))
No comments:
Post a Comment