What a wonderful week.
Transfers bring a time of changes and what an opportunity we have to change! First of all, I'd like to apologize for late emails-today we are going to the temple so this is our P-Day. It should be back to Monday next week. But, the news y'all have been waiting for... I'm in Weatherly!! It's a great ward just outside of Huntsville, AL. I am serving with Elder Holm and I will talk a little bit more about him in a minute. Lots of amazing things happening in the mission though and I'm excited to be a part of it all.
Elder Holm is an awesome missionary from Idaho Falls, Idaho. He has a great sense of humor and is ready to learn. I look up to his coachability (if that's even a word). He loves basketball and all sports really and wants to go into sports casting as a career. He is always looking out for the Lord's hand and is quick to blame good things on Heavenly Father. Elder Holm served in the Montana Billings Mission for a couple transfers before coming to the Great ABM and served with a good friend of mine up there, Elder Phillip Bredsgard. Small world, especially in the church.
Now, into the activities of the past week and a half or so. We picked up the new missionaries last Monday evening and helped them out that evening. We played a game of sotra-jeopardy that Elder Canty put together and it worked out great! We got to talk a little about culture and what this mission does and what we are trying to become. Transfer Meeting was the next day and that's always an adventure. It adds to it all when you don't have a car area and have to figure out how to get two peoples stuff up to Huntsville. We worked it out though and Elder Holm and I were on our way. By the way, Elder Nielsen is training this transfer as well so I have a "grandson" in the mission! Wahoo!
Throughout this past week we have been meeting all of the investigators that we have and I'll tell you a little about them:
Mike and Mary are an older couple and the missionaries tracted into them, I think. Mike said that before they came over and before the Book of Mormon he was a "wretch." But now he feels like he his getting on the right path. Mary has some heath struggles, but both are very kind and open. They are both studying out of the Book of Mormon and now the trick is trying to help them realize that they are ready for Baptism.
Matt is a guy we haven't met yet but he has the desire to be baptized as far as he's texted us so we look forward to finally getting to meet with him. Along with Matt, we met Anthony who is in the same boat-and I will share more about Anthony a little later. Just kidding I'll just say that the other Elders were having a hard time contacting him. We went by last night and met him and asked if he still had a desire to be baptized. He said yeah and so we are going to help him reach his goal!
Rose is a lady we met our first evening in Weatherly and we got to teach her the Restoration a couple days ago. She loved it and committed to read the Book of Mormon. We are looking forward to teaching her more often.
Jennifer and Miguel are the definition of "selfless service softens stoney souls." Their only downfall is they haven't really done anything as far as keeping commitments but we will see what we can do.
Tim and Laurie with their daughter Syann are similar to Miguel and Jennifer. They are great people and let us come in and talk but as far as doing things and understanding to severity of the Restoration they are slacking. We'll see how that goes though.
The Shellmans are another awesome part member family that we are working with. They love music and art and we are working on the church. We'll be keeping up in them though.
We have met several other new people, but then again everyone we meet is new. So I will just talk about them as they progress. We've also met several members, unfortunately however this past Sunday was Stake Conference so not the best Sunday to meet people. But, many members have honked and pulled over next to us as we've been walking. Great people, great area, great ward, great companion, great mission.
Elder Holm is an awesome missionary from Idaho Falls, Idaho. He has a great sense of humor and is ready to learn. I look up to his coachability (if that's even a word). He loves basketball and all sports really and wants to go into sports casting as a career. He is always looking out for the Lord's hand and is quick to blame good things on Heavenly Father. Elder Holm served in the Montana Billings Mission for a couple transfers before coming to the Great ABM and served with a good friend of mine up there, Elder Phillip Bredsgard. Small world, especially in the church.
Now, into the activities of the past week and a half or so. We picked up the new missionaries last Monday evening and helped them out that evening. We played a game of sotra-jeopardy that Elder Canty put together and it worked out great! We got to talk a little about culture and what this mission does and what we are trying to become. Transfer Meeting was the next day and that's always an adventure. It adds to it all when you don't have a car area and have to figure out how to get two peoples stuff up to Huntsville. We worked it out though and Elder Holm and I were on our way. By the way, Elder Nielsen is training this transfer as well so I have a "grandson" in the mission! Wahoo!
Throughout this past week we have been meeting all of the investigators that we have and I'll tell you a little about them:
Mike and Mary are an older couple and the missionaries tracted into them, I think. Mike said that before they came over and before the Book of Mormon he was a "wretch." But now he feels like he his getting on the right path. Mary has some heath struggles, but both are very kind and open. They are both studying out of the Book of Mormon and now the trick is trying to help them realize that they are ready for Baptism.
Matt is a guy we haven't met yet but he has the desire to be baptized as far as he's texted us so we look forward to finally getting to meet with him. Along with Matt, we met Anthony who is in the same boat-and I will share more about Anthony a little later. Just kidding I'll just say that the other Elders were having a hard time contacting him. We went by last night and met him and asked if he still had a desire to be baptized. He said yeah and so we are going to help him reach his goal!
Rose is a lady we met our first evening in Weatherly and we got to teach her the Restoration a couple days ago. She loved it and committed to read the Book of Mormon. We are looking forward to teaching her more often.
Jennifer and Miguel are the definition of "selfless service softens stoney souls." Their only downfall is they haven't really done anything as far as keeping commitments but we will see what we can do.
Tim and Laurie with their daughter Syann are similar to Miguel and Jennifer. They are great people and let us come in and talk but as far as doing things and understanding to severity of the Restoration they are slacking. We'll see how that goes though.
The Shellmans are another awesome part member family that we are working with. They love music and art and we are working on the church. We'll be keeping up in them though.
We have met several other new people, but then again everyone we meet is new. So I will just talk about them as they progress. We've also met several members, unfortunately however this past Sunday was Stake Conference so not the best Sunday to meet people. But, many members have honked and pulled over next to us as we've been walking. Great people, great area, great ward, great companion, great mission.
:)
Some stories from this week:
Some stories from this week:
- When we were driving back from Transfers we passed a Church's Chicken as they were wheeling a guy out on a gurney. There were also a ton of Police there and Elder Townsend said to Elder Holm, "Welcome to AL where people kill for their chicken."
- We saw a guy named Chad on our way back up from transfers at the gas station that I had met previously. It'd be funny if you knew Chad.
- When we met Rose she gave us knuckles when we ended our conversation and said, "Y'all are cool with Jesus!"
- Elder Townsend and I told them story of John Turner to Elder Holm and Sebastian on the drive up.
- One day as we were walking there was a guy who picked us up in his jeep and drove us across town where we needed to go.
- At the Cox home for dinner their young daughter who is almost two, I think, gave me hugs before we left. It was precious and I almost cried. It made my day!
- Elder Holm wore his suit pants over his shorts on accident one day. "No wonder my pants felt so weird!"
- One day we played a lot of riddles and Elder Holm was frustrated. But, he learned how to paint the moon.
- We walked 105,049 steps in four days. Elder Holm said on Friday night that he wanted to get back to the apartment and die.
- There were probably a lot of others but it's been a crazy week so I'll let the Spirit help me remember all of what happened.
This past Sunday we had Stake Conference and there was a lot of talk about Ministering. Something that the Stake President said that hit me was, "Ministering is simply developing friendships." President Sainsbury also mentioned the motivation now behind our ministering efforts. He compared it to how the church used to keep track and record temple attendance. Now, that doesn't happen and we visit the temple because we love the Lord. Likewise, we will now minister to others because we love the Lord and because we love them. While spending time in the temple today my testimony has been strengthened about why we do what we do as members of the church. All things that we learn and do in this life is for our progression to become like our Heavenly Father. With the Plan of Salvation as evidence, He is the perfect minister, teacher, God, and Father. He loves us, and devotes all his time and effort to helping us grow.
I love y'all! Hope you have a blessed week!
Much Love,
Elder Milius
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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