Be Strong and of Good Courage

Letter from Home:

Dear Elder Milne!

First of all, I was sad all week because we didn't get to see your handsome face last week and talk to you! I am so sorry that happened. I was on my daily walk, and I didn't think you would be on that soon, so I didn't check until 30 minutes after you had posted, and then apparently it was too late. You must have had somewhere you needed to be. Anyhow, I will not let that happen today. I will check my email every five minutes - LOL! I hope you have had a wonderful week and that all is well. We sure love and miss you Ty, but we are so grateful for the opportunity you have to serve the Lord in Peru. I have already seen tremendous growth in you, and I pray for your continued growth and development and that Heavenly Father will bless you for your love and service. Your Heavenly Parents also love you very much, and they are pleased with who you are and who you are becoming. They have blessed you with a kind, loving, and gentle heart - a missionary heart. You will lift and bless the lives of many throughout your mission and throughout your life. "Be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee... And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed" - Deuteronomy 31:6, 8. Have faith in the Lord and know that He is with you always and in all ways.

This week was a busy week for me with school, but somehow, I made it through. Sometimes, I think I am too old for this school stuff. It hurts my 50-year-old brain. But then, when I am in my therapy sessions with my clients and I see the light of hope go on in their eyes, the stress of school becomes worth it. I just have to hang in there, and follow the advice I just gave you - be strong and of good courage, fear not, nor be afraid: for the Lord thy God is with me; he'll not fail me nor forsake! No matter how old we get, we still need the Lord's help to be strong and courageous.

Dad is still working very hard, and is trying to keep his back strong. It has been giving him some trouble, but the Lord is blessing him to hang in there. On March 13th, he will be working in St. George at this new implant office. We are hoping this goes well. He will work a Friday and the following Monday every other week, so we will get to see him a lot more, and if this office does well in St. George, then he can get even more days here and let go of the Bloomfield office. He will then only work at the Celebrate practice in Albuquerque and here.

Dallin was accepted at the University of Oklahoma School of Dentistry. So, it looks like he may be going there. It is a top school, so he is excited, but it is still quite expensive. I'm excited because it is in Oklahoma City and that is where my mission was! When we go visit them I will get to reminisce and eat soft frozen yogurt at Braum's - LOL! Hayley is still working hard as ever. Dallin is so blessed to have her as his wife - not only is she hardworking, she is super sweet!

Carter and Carley seem to be doing well also. They came down on Friday night to watch Pine View and Desert Hills play basketball in a playoff game. PV lost - boo! But afterwards we all went out to dinner. It was fun to sit and laugh with my two older sons and their beautiful wives. 

Well Ty, I can't wait to talk to you today, and I pray all is well. Please know you are in our thoughts and prayers all day, every day! Always remember to work hard, play hard, and pray harder! Love you to the moon and back!

Mom

Elder Milne’s Letter:

Hey Everyone,

Well, we had another baptism this week. It was another 9 year old girl. Our mission president has asked us to seek out the less active families and teach them. It is neat to see when we teach the family and their child wants to be baptized that the entire family starts going back to church. I got to perform the baptism, and it was a really cool experience. I wish I had time to write everything, but we have pretty strict rules on how much time we can spend emailing, so forgive me if these are always short.

I am really loving my mission so far, but learning the language is a daily challenge. I work hard at it, but it is still the thing that frustrates me the most. I have been blessed with a really great trainer. I am learning so much from him and he is a huge help. I’m nervous because in two weeks he will be transferred and I will be left to lead this area in Tenguina. This scares me, but one thing’s for sure, my Spanish will definitely get better. I really love the ward members here, and they will help me as well. We are able to do a lot of teaching, and we walk everywhere. It is super hot here right now.

Our friend Abel ghosted us, but that’s how it goes. We have many others we are teaching, and we are meeting new people all the time. I´m learning a lot and can teach a pretty decent lesson 1,3,4. Working on lesson 2 - it´s hard, ​but coming along. I just try to focus on showing love for the people and testifying of Jesus Christ. 

I really love the food here. We have a woman who cooks our lunch every day. It’s mostly rice and some sort of meat, but it always tastes really good. It’s a good thing we walk a lot haha. I hope all of you are doing well. I love and miss you. Thanks for your prayers and support.

Elder Milne

 

P-Day Fun

Baptism Blessings

President and Sister Richey and the New Missionaries

I Will Go, I Will Do, the Things the Lord Commands...

This week's letter from Blaine:

Congratulations Elder Milne,

This week marks you serving 2 months on your mission.  That is cool...

I hope you are doing well and coping with missionary life’s pressures and stressors.
If it wasn’t that way you might not appreciate your mission and your accomplishments on your mission.

Being able to “stick to it” will give you the much needed experience of following through and finishing an assignment. Finishing your mission no matter the difficulty, will allow you to reflect on your mission with confidence once you return home with a knowledge that you can do hard things.

Your mom went to church last week at Bishop Elijah Luke Milne’s ward with Jaclyn.  Your mom taped it for me and sent the recording to me.  I thought Eli’s talk was awesome.
He spoke in his ward conference and his topic was “The Gathering of Israel”
His points in his talk were these:

1.  Who is Israel?

2.  To whom does Israel gather?

3.   How do we gather Israel?

He states that Israel is not necessarily the people of Israel but all people born on this earth with a desire for righteousness.

He states that Israel doesn’t gather to America or Utah or to the church or anywhere else, but gathers to “The Son of God, the Savior, Jesus Christ”

He states how do we gather Israel? First we need to be living righteously but once there we “invite them to come unto Christ “ as taught in the preach my gospel manual.
Through Faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, Repentance, Baptism and receiving the Gift if the Holy Ghost and then enduring to the end.

I listened to his talk over and over and enjoyed it each time I did.

Eli spoke about being “all in” with the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and related the story of a young man who all he ever wanted to do was serve a mission. At the age of 13 this prospective missionary would rise ever morning and do jumping jacks and jump rope and read two sets of scripture for 30 minutes each.  When he received his mission call he felt he was most prepared and was so excited he was assigned to the Lima Peru South mission.
This missionary did well in the early going of his mission but as time went on in his mission, the stressors and pressures of his mission began to affect his health. As his mental health continued to fail his mission president called him in and send “ Elder, the doctors in Utah feel it is time for you to return home and get well and then finish your mission in a stateside mission.”
The Elder was very saddened but said, “Presidente, I have prayed and i know if God thinks I need to go back to Utah , I will do it.” “If God wants me to stay, I will.”
Well, the missionary was able to stay and complete his mission in Peru.
Eli then said, “this missionary returned after completing his mission and married a wonderful women and had wonderful children and recently was called as a bishop nearby.”  He said this missionary was “all in.”

So Ty, I loved this talk and wanted to share it with you because you are in this same mission and Eli when speaking of this young man on a mission to the Peru Lima South mission, was speaking of himself. This is how Eli’s mission went. Very hard but very rewarding....

I hope you can use Eli’s experience in the Peru Lima South mission to help bless your early hours so far on this same mission.

We are very proud of you and pray for you and think of you serving every day expressing your love of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of Peru.

Stay strong my good hijo....

Mucho Amor,

Daddy Milne

This week's letter from Natalie:

Dear Elder Milne,

How's my favorite missionary doing this week? I saw a sign yesterday that said, "Love is dancing in the kitchen," my heart smiled because it reminded me of all the times you and I would dance in the kitchen and then laugh! Then I became sad because I really miss you - it's not as fun dancing in the kitchen by yourself 😢! I hope this email finds you happy and well, and not too homesick. I hope you have had a fantastic week of missionary work and that you are able to see the Lord's hand in your work each day. I also hope you are able to see the Lord's tender mercies and miracles each day. I find myself praying for you throughout the day, and I know he hears and answers my prayers. Sometimes I am completely overwhelmed with the love that I have for each of my children. You three boys and your dad have been my greatest blessings in life, and it is truly hard at times to have one of you so far away. But happy day, two months down and only 22 more to go, and there isn't any place else I'd rather you be. What an amazing opportunity serving a mission is, and I am confident the Lord will lead you, guide you, walk beside you, and bless you with whatever you stand in need of. 

This week has been another busy week. Last Monday, Diane Eyre and I met up at her house over in Entrada and we made 20 boxes of chocolates and 40 suckers to give to people for Valentine's Day. We had a lot of fun; she is a good soul and a wonderful friend. She also gave me $500.00 to give to you for your mission, so I bought you an MP3 player and some Reese's Peanut Butter cups and sent them to you through the same courier as last time. They will be delivered to your mission home. The rest I will use for future items and shipments. Please let me know whenever you need something. The remainder of the week I was really busy with school. I have started seeing clients on Wednesday evenings. At first, I was a little nervous, because I had no idea how things would go, but now I love it! I have learned that even though I don't feel like I have enough training or education right now to be the most effective therapist for my clients, what they really need and want is to be heard, to have their feelings validated, and to feel loved and accepted. This has made me reflect on your situation with the language - even though you cannot speak it as well as you would like to right now, you are still contributing to the people you meet and teach. I am 100% convinced that the biggest difference lies in how we make others feel - not what we say. When people look back on their interactions, they do not remember the words that were said, but how they were feeling at the time. It is the Spirit that ultimately teaches and testifies of the truths you share. If you have the Spirit with you, whatever message He wants conveyed to the person you are teaching will be conveyed. It is the Spirit that counts, it is the Spirit that matters most. Furthermore, it is through the Spirit that your own growth, development, and language acquisition will occur. Therefore, above all, do all you can to have the Spirit with you each day. The Godhead consists of three separate beings all united in one purpose - to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. Each plays separate and joint roles in accomplishing this. It is important to nurture a relationship with each one. In your prayers and in your thoughts, acknowledge the Holy Ghost and thank him for his help and guidance. Take notice of how He communicates with you and how He makes you feel. In Galatians 5:22 of the New Testament, the apostle Paul teaches us the nine fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance (these are things we experience internally). Paul also teaches us about the gifts of the Spirit in 1 Corinthians 12:7-11. They are: the word of wisdom, the word of knowledge, the gift of faith, the gift of healing, the working of miracles, the gift of prophecy, the discerning of spirits, the gift of tongues, and the interpretation of tongues (these gifts are bestowed upon us so we can bless God's children).  These are all the wonderful things we receive through the Holy Ghost - and they are given to bless our lives and to serve and bless those whom we meet and teach. Pray for the gifts you feel you need right now and I know Heavenly Father will grant you your desires.

Well, I have said enough! I can't wait to talk to you today! I love you to the moon and back, and I am so proud of you. I have already seen so much growth and development in you, and you truly have that missionary glow! 

- Mom

This week's letter from Elder Milne:

Hey Everyone,

Thanks for the heart-warming messages – I really love reading them every week. The mission has been such a blessing for me already. It´s been hard and getting harder, but only because of the language. The language is coming little by little each day, and even though I’m not great at it, I love bringing smiles to all I meet and seeing the light in the peoples’ faces we teach. Our baptism went great; I´ll send pictures. They had me sing “Nephi’s Courage” in Spanish with Elder Washburn at the baptism - it was awesome haha.

This week, I invited Abel to be baptized, and he said yes! But there is still quite a process to go through with him, and we are hoping he comes to church next Sunday. We also have a few more baptismal dates set, one of them is a family of three, which will be awesome. They are really great. I really love serving in this area. Things are pretty good here, we stay pretty busy, and we are teaching a lot.

Today for p-day, we went to the oasis here in Ica. Ica is a desert, but then there is this beautiful oasis. We went to the top of the dunes above the oasis and we ran as fast as we could to the bottom. I was running so fast that I totally biffed it and tumbled halfway down the hill. I had sand everywhere – in my teeth, eyes, ears, and in my clothes. It was pretty hilarious. My hips still bother me now and then, but I just ask the Lord to help the pain to stop and sure enough, the next morning it is gone. I'm building a really close relationship with God and it's been great. I love and miss you all.

Elder Milne Milne

The Oasis of Ica

The Baptism

Week 7 - Working Hard in Ica and Mom and Dad Take-on Nashville

This week's Letters...

Letter from Home:

Dear Elder Milne!

Greetings from the back of an Uber ride heading to the Albuquerque airport! Dad and I spent a fantastic few days in Nashville, spent Super Bowl Sunday at our home in Albuquerque, and now I’m off to St. George to get back to class. I hope this letter finds you happy and well in Inca, Peru!

How have the past few days been since speaking on Wednesday? You have been weighing on my mind heavily since then as I could see and feel your struggle. All the emotions you are experiencing are normal but not fun! I know you are frustrated with trying to learn the Spanish language, but I know with patience, persistence, and prayer you will get there. I challenge you to approach each day with an excited attitude to learn something new and also the ability to look back and see progress! Aside from the language, I also challenge you to look each day for someone to love and serve. Share that beautiful heart of yours and recognize through small and simple means, great things are brought to pass. Trust in the Lord, stay close to the Spirit, and look for His tender mercies. Develop a relationship with the Holy Ghost. Strive to be worthy each day of His companionship. He will enlighten your mind, and through Him we are given the gifts of the Spirit - one being the gift of tongues and the most important being the gift of charity. I know the Lord will bless you with all the gifts you need to carry out the work He has for you in Peru!

All is well here at home. All of us are busy trying our best to move forward in work and school. Nothing exciting or new to share. We love and miss you so much, but we have faith the Lord will bless you and keep you safe. Our thoughts and prayers are always with you!

Love,

Mom

PS... Depending on what time you are on today, I may or may not be available. I will for sure be available around 1:00 our time, but it will be hit and miss before then, depending on where I’m at in my flights, etc...

Elder Milne's Letter:

Hey Everyone!

My first week in Ica, Peru has been pretty great - got to experience a lot. First day out it was pouring rain and it was so awesome. A man Abel asked us why we were out working in the rain, then we explained who we were. He invited us in, and we were able to set up an appointment to start teaching him. Yesterday we taught him about the Restoration of the Gospel. I was able to teach part of the lesson and bare my testimony. He had a lot of questions and nice comments. He even complemented my Spanish haha! It made me feel good. I love the smiles we bring to these people; it motivates me to keep going. Abel told me he thinks God brought me to Peru for him. This made me really excited, but super frustrated at the same time because I still don’t speak Spanish well enough to be able to say everything I want to say. I have to be patient and just keep doing my best each day.

I have a baptism this Saturday! It´s a 9 year old girl, but her parents aren't super active and baptizing her is bringing them all back together, so it´s great. It has been neat to watch the faith of this young girl. She has been praying that her father would be able to come to the baptism, and now it looks like he will. I’m happy Heavenly Father answered her prayer. The food is way good, people are really nice, my companion is perfect for me.  He is from Ogden, Utah, and he has been serving just over a year. He is a really obedient missionary and is teaching me a lot. We share our apartment with two other missionaries, and one of them is from Beaver (my mom’s hometown). His name is Elder Washburn, and his family is in the same ward as my Aunt Nanette. It helps knowing people from back home. Things are good. Long road ahead but, I´m loving it. 

Elder Milne

New Missionaries Arriving in the Peru, Lima South Mission

Week 6 - Welcome to Ica, Peru Elder Milne

We knew that Elder Milne would be leaving the MTC this week and would likely not be able to call us, but we were wrong. We not only received a phone call from him on Wednesday, we also received a nice email and a picture from his mission president and his wife. We were so excited. I was able to FaceTime Blaine so he could be in on the conversation as well. As soon as Ty saw his dad and heard his voice, the tears began to fall. He hadn't spoken with Blaine since New Year's Day, and he was just so happy to see him and hear his voice. He said he really like his new area and his companion and roommates, but the reality of not knowing Spanish very well had really set in. He expressed his frustration over not being able to communicate with the Peruvian people the way he wants to - he says that he has so much he wants to share with them, but for the most part the words just aren't there. We were able to offer our love and support and give him a bit of a pep talk. We told him to be patient with himself, and to work on the language a little bit each day, and then before he knows it he will be speaking Spanish fluently.

He was excited to have a trainer from Ogden, Utah. I forgot to write down his name, and now I can't remember it, so I will update that as soon as I know. He says he is a hardworking missionary and very obedient. I am so happy about this. He was also excited to report that one of the missionaries in his apartment is from Beaver, Utah - my home town. His family lives close by my sister Nanette, and they attend the same ward. I called my sister later that evening and she said that Elder Washburn's mom had just told her the news. Nanette said that Elder Washburn is a really nice guy and loves to sing, so he and Ty have something in common.

Here is the letter from Ty's mission president and his wife:

Dear Milne Family,

Sister Richey and I thank you for trusting us with your son.  We are thankful that he is serving in the best mission in the world.  We know that missionaries are called by revelation and that your son is where the Lord wants him to be at this time in his life.  In 3 John 1:4 we read, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.”  We testify that your son’s service will bring joy to you all and bless the lives of thousands.  We love your son, and we will do our best to take care of him.

Sincerely,

President and Hermana Richey

Peru Lima South Mission

Elder Milne with President and Hermana Richey

Elder Milne's Letter from the Mission Home