Hello everybody! It's yet another pday and another week has passed in the Mighty Virginia Richmond Mission!! Things here are still chugging along and while we did see more blessings than last week, it was still a tough week for us. But I'll get right into the good stuff...
So throughout the past two weeks we have been struggling not only to find people but to just get someone to say yes to church. That was until Thursday this week when we finally got to meet two people who were in the looks for a church and we both were jumping for joy when they agreed to come to church!! We didn't get solid return appointments which was sad but it was a blessing in its own that they actually said yes to church!!! Hopefully in the next week or two we can get in touch with them and help them progress.
Just yesterday we actually had an awesome phone call with this referral we got. He said he is currently looking around for a church home because he tried to do things on his own and it didn't work so he needs the strength! We ended up talking about baptism and he was so down to be baptized again! We got a solid appointment set to go show him around the church building so hopefully that will stick! Please pray for that to go through, we've been needing people to teach for a while!
On Saturday we had a very unique opportunity to hear from and visit with Elder and Sister Haynie of the presidency of the quorum of the seventy over our area! This was such a unique and wonderful blessing as we were uplifted and edified by a general authority. He talked to us about the rapid growth of the kingdom of God on earth and how the North East area in America is the highest baptizing area of the entire country! This past month we had about 1050 baptisms which was incredibly higher than previous months and years. He then talked about the faith and drawing upon the powers of heaven to work smarter, not harder. He encouraged us go have faith to baptize every week. Now this will take some time to get going, I believe it is possible to see blessings and miracles according to our faith we have!!
To get into what the title is about, we were at 7/11 standing at the front inviting people to church and this truck pulls up. I didn't say anything to the guy in the passenger seat cause I just was gonna wait till he got out. But then while I was inviting other people he asked me about what I was doing. He started questioning where I was from, why I was here, why I have so much faith in God. I took this as an opportunity to share my testimony and so I did. But then It quickly turned to something I never had experienced on my mission. To be fair, he was under the influence but he started mocking me, laughing at me, calling me an absolute delusional idiot. He started yelling at other people about how dumb I was for spending money as well as my time to come teach people about God. He said I'd never stand a chance in this world if I kept believing what I believe. I just sat there and took each insult as they came my way. I didn't say anything but inside I was so distraught. But after he finally left, we headed home as well and my mind took me to what the early saints experienced, being kicked out of states and killed for their beliefs. Then my mind took me to Jesus Christ, being spit upon and mocked at his whole life. I then remembered the scripture in Acts 5 that talks about how the apostles were cast into jail and beaten but walked away joyful because they were worthy to suffer shame for Jesus Christ. As I pondered that experience, that's exactly what I felt. I am joyous because of my worthiness to suffer shame for representing Jesus Christ. I will never shake from that faith I have. No crude comment, insult or mockery can keep me from experiencing the blessings of heaven as I keep the flame of my faith alive!
OK now that I've ranted a bit, I hope yall had a great week and that you have a wonderful week ahead. We are getting into summer soon so keep cool and love God. I love each and every one of yall and know for a fact we are all sons and daughters of God, a God who loves us perfectly!!
-Elder Milius
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