Oh boy as a lot happened in the past week...where do I even start. First of all the MTC is awesome! Our last Sunday was amazing. It was fast and testimony meeting for sacrament meeting. That was super powerful. Each missionary that bore their testimony with such power it was AWESOME! My testimony of how personal our relationship with our Heavenly father and with Jesus Christ was strengthened as I listened to multiple missionaries bear their testimonies. I went up toward the end and bore my testimony too. The closing hymn was "I need thee every hour". I don't even think I sang most of it because of how powerful the spirit was-couldn't sing without crying and sounding ugly *face-palm*. The Holy Ghost knew I needed that, and testified so strongly to me that my savior is there, that he loves EVERYONE, He loves me, and I need him EVERY HOUR. We went from that to a mission conference. The theme was "why we need scriptures". One interesting thing that stuck out to me. Wouldn't it be nice if we had a device like the liahona that would tell us where to go/what to do? Well we do! It's the scriptures just open them up and read, it's the word of God, we will find answers, specifically as we read the book of mormon. From that we went to a departing devotional, and after that we went to the Sunday night devotional. Man it was a long day but awesome! Jenny oaks Baker (president Oaks daughter) was the person at the Sunday night devo. She's a famous violinist and played a bunch of songs with her children (violin, guitar, piano, cello). The last day at the MTC went by quickly, we sang "God be with you till we meet again" as we said goodbye to two elders from our district.
Tuesday was CRAZY. 21 of us were going to our mission (four of them are waiting for visas). We got on a bus, to a train, to another train, then to the airport. Me and Elder Gregg found Cafe Rio at the airport and I was able to buy it and eat it before we boarded the plane, that was a tender mercy. We flew to Denver and met our mission president and wife there. They are SUPER awesome and I'm excited to get to know them better. We drove to the Colorado Fort Collins Temple, which is awesome!! (I actually get to go in a couple of weeks because my companion had a recent covert going through, yeeeeeeees). We drove from there to the mission office and did orientation stuff. We then were told where we are serving and who our trainer is. And I am in CHEYENNE WYOMING, cornerstone ward. I have a pretty big area, it partially goes I to Colorado. But even though the area is big there is only like 3 neighborhoods the rest is empty land. My companion wasn't there because I was going to meet him in cheyenne on Wednesday and he was driving down from somewhere else. (we got swept into this area/we're both new and had to figure out what the Elders were doing here before which is hard) So I spent the night at this random apartment and there were 7 Elders in it!! I slept on the floor. Surprisingly slept great!
Wednesday we woke up early and I drove from the mission office to Cheyenne...it was like 50 miles wasn't too bad. I finally met my companion. His name is Elder Killian and he's from Payson Utah and he has 2 months left! He has as many months as I have years. Transfers here are 6 weeks and Wednesdays are transfer days...so I will probably stay with elder Killian for two transfers and I'll "kill him" and he will go home. Fun fact, Elder Killian can't drive so I'm the driver (we drive a Rav 4 it's real nice). He's never served in cheyenne so I've been driving around a place I've never been it's kinda exciting. Thursday was great, we had district council in the morning and went from that to some service. We washed dishes and stuff during lunch time at a retirement home place. The nurse ladies that work there were fun...kinda creepy but it's cool. They nicknamed me Jimmy Neutron for some reason, and nicknamed Elder Killian Russell (the kid from UP). The people here in Wyoming are REALLY nice. Some guys gave us fresh peaches and water as we were walking by, weren't interesting in our message, but were still suuuper nice. Apparently people in Wyoming are super nice...and not so much in Colorado...so I'm lucky to be here! Thursday we ate breakfast at the stake mission leaders house, with the stake president and all the missionaries in the stake. They had CHICK-FIL-A FOR BREAKFAST. That was awesome.
Throughout the few days before Sunday we kinds just walked around to meet the ward because we don't know who we are teaching yet. The ward is super nice and everyone is friendly. One family had a missionary enter the MTC the same day as me, and he's going to Madagascar! Another members home invited us in. They were and old couple and their daughter was there. The older sister was sick and when we asked if we could do anything for them, the daughter mentioned a blessing. She agreed and we were able to give her a blessing. How awesome is it that Heavenly Father can send two worthy Priesthood holders to your door in a time of need...we thought we were just walking around to meet the ward, but I know the Holy Ghost guides us as we do what we can, and in most cases His plan is different than ours. I belive our thought to walk around that neighborhood was for her. Church on Sunday was GREAT. Elder Killian was asked to speak Wednesday night at dinner (we get fed almost every night the Ward is AWESOME). Not as many people there as there are back home in Gilbert though...looks like me and Elder Killian have to start getting some people there!!
We got a SUPER Cool opportunity to clean the temple on Monday!!!! Elder Killian has never done that I'm super lucky. We woke up early to drive all the way to Fort Collins. Me, Elder Killian, and four more missionaries were there to clean. It was a super cool experience. We cleaned as if Jesus himself would be walking the halls the next day. We vacuumed then raked the carpets. We were told to make it look like the Garden of Eden before Adam and eve were placed in it. Untouched. I got to go into the celestial room and clean. That is the house of the Lord. Peace that passeth all understanding is truly felt there! And peace was what I needed...im so grateful I was blessed with the opportunity to go there. Also there is one Cafe Rio in the mission and it's near the temple so of course we got Cafe Rio. A member paid for us too!!
Actually being here in the mission feild feels a lot different than being in the MTC. Everything is different, home is far away, I don't know exactly what I'm doing. My testimony of prayer and the spirit has grown so much this past few days. I have prayed to my Heavenly father many many many times. I don't know anyone here, but my Heavenly father knows me, and so does his son Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for that knowledge. I'm grateful I was reminded right before I left the MTC that Heavenly Father and Jesus christ are there for me personally. In the departure devotional we were told to remember "who we are and WHOSE we are". If you ever feel alone, turn to your Heavenly Father. He is only a prayer away, and He wants to hear from his child, whom he LOVES. And Jesus christ knows how you feel. You're not alone, you're just not dont listen to that lie. Being here so far away from everything I know, the only familiar feeling I have is the spirit. That feeling from the Holy Ghost is what I've clinged to. Church was great. The truthfulness of everything there was testified to me with the same feeling I get when I am at home in Gilbert in sacrament meeting. The feeling I had in the temple while cleaning was the spirit. It was familiar I knew what it was. Each time I pray I speak to someone I know and feel that familiar spirit again. The knowledge that we can at anytime, anywhere, speak to God is amazing. He has heard every single prayer you've ever said, and will hear you when you pray.
Fun stuff
-I saw Elder Pomeroy at the MTC!
-Elder ward said "Roman numeral candles"
-sister young threw a highlighter at me across the classroom at the MTC and it landed in pocket
-there are sooooo many rabbits all over Wyoming I love them...also if we ever run out of money Elder Killian said we can hunt rabbits :)
-the car yells at me whenever Im speeding "CHECK YOUR SPEED"
-I have 19 mosquito bites
-Elder Milius
Elder Pomeroy and Elder Milius
Elder Milius with his MTC District
Elder Milius one of 21 new missionaries to Colorado Fort Collins Mission
President McMurray, Elder Milius, Sister McMurray
Comments
Post a Comment