This week Elder Milne reports he spent most of the week calling people - he said he and his companion called every ward member so they could setup appointments. They also called people from their area book who had had an interest in learning more about the gospel in the past. He was able to get through to five nonmembers, and setup appointments with them. He says he loves calling and talking to people on the phone (something he never thought he would enjoy). He says those they contacted have some potential for progressing for sure. He said on Saturday they were able to teach four member lessons. He loves working with the members. He really enjoys assisting them in strengthening their testimonies and challenging them to invite their friends to learn more. He said on Sunday they were teaching some zoom lessons at a park and as they were finishing up, a guy came up to them and started asking them questions. He was super interested in learning more, so they will refer him to the YSA missionaries because he is in that age group. Jerry invited them over for a steak dinner and they had a really good lesson with him and his daughter. She is really progressing, and they are hoping she can get permission from her mother to be baptized. They are praying specifically for this to happen. They also felt impressed to invite a less active member to join them at Jerry's, and the guy was so happy. They were able to administer the sacrament to him. They also had five investigator friends join them for church. They also had a nonmember family invite them over for dinner and then they joined them for church on Sunday. They are trying to work closer with the Elder's Quorum President and the Relief Society President, but with the whole COVID situation, it has been a bit tricky. They met with a new guy named Strauss this week. His friend is serving a mission and he was able to join them via Zoom for the lesson. This was a really cool experience, Ty taught him from John 14, and he told that before the lesson he was so tired, so he went into his room and knelt down and prayed to ask the Lord to give him the strength to go forward. He says that during the lesson it was amazing how the Spirit put into his mind the things to say and gave him the strength to teach an awesome lesson. They also went over Mosiah 2:41: And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it. Ty and his companion also are continuing to teach a man from Morocco named Azedeen. This week they taught him about the restoration of the gospel and the story of Joseph Smith. Ty said the Spirit was so strong, but it still doesn't seem to click with Azedeen regarding the importance of having the priesthood authority and a prophet of God back on the earth today. Azedeen does join them for church every Sunday, so maybe someday everything will click. Ty says he really loves training a new missionary and having more responsibilities.
Letter from Home:
Dear Elder Milne,
Another week has come and gone. I hope
it has been a good week for you. I pray you are happy and doing well. I am
looking forward to talking with you later today to hear all about it. Dad is working
in Farmington today, so he will be finished with his work shortly after 5:00,
so maybe he will have time to jump on a call with you as well, if you are
available at that time. I have availability at 1:00, 3:00, or 6:00 pm our time
to talk. Hopefully, one of those times will work for you. How is everything
going for you? How's your district of missionaries doing? How's Elder Dopp
doing? How are your investigator friends doing? How are the ward members doing?
But most importantly, how is Elder Milne doing?
Yesterday in Sacrament Meeting the two
elders serving in our area spoke. One was from Michigan, and he had been
serving in Thailand before Covid hit, and now he has been reassigned here. He
gave a really good talk on the blessings of service, and that it is through
service that we most become like our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The
second missionary was from the Philippines. He had such a sweet and tender
testimony. His English was pretty good, and he spoke plainly and humbly. He
shared how the worst day of his life was when he graduated from kindergarten,
because on this day his father passed away. He did not know his father had died
until after the graduation and he returned home. Just before the graduation he
kept looking for his parents, but they were nowhere to be found. Then it was
time for the ceremony to begin, and still no parents. He said he was so sad,
but when his teacher called his name and he went up to get his diploma, he
looked out into the crowd and there he saw his dad smiling and waving at him.
He said his dad was surrounded by light and was wearing a white polo shirt. He
wondered why his dad didn't come up to him afterward to give him a hug and
congratulate him - he said he remembers feeling so sad and confused. Then when
he arrived home, he learned his dad had passed away. He then shared that his
father investigated the church for five years before joining, and less than a
year after his dad and family joined the church, his father passed away from
lung cancer and leukemia. He then bore a powerful testimony of how through the
Atonement of Jesus Christ he would not only see his father again, but they
could be together as a family forever. He also remembers what a strength and
comfort his ward family was during this time and moving forward. He then shared
that his best friend was now serving a mission, and that he had just received
letter from him, thanking him for the powerful influence he had been in his
life. His friend had joined the church just a year before serving his mission,
and he joined because of the Elder that spoke yesterday. The friend also sent
the story that we have all heard called "I'll find you my friend."
His friend told him that this was the two of them in the premortal world, and
then he expressed how grateful he was that his friend had kept his promise to
find him and share the gospel with him. It was a really great meeting. We are
hoping to hear soon from the area authorities regarding when we can return to
church full-time. It will be a blessed day. Last night as I took a basket of
goodies to each of the sisters I minister too, I was reminded of how much I
miss interacting with our ward family, and of the joy that comes from serving
them.
I found the original author of this
story - it was originally written as a song. Here is the song and the account
of how the song came about. What I love is that the song was inspired by the
Holy Ghost, and thus it is a true story that so many of us can identify with,
because truly, that is what we are all doing - searching to find those we
promised we would help back home, because as they say in Spiderman - with great
blessings come great responsibilities. Having the gospel in our lives is a
great and privileged blessing, and along with it comes a great responsibility
to not only live it, but to share it.
There was this place called the
pre-existence.
Where we lived with our friends so
dear
A council was called and plans were
made
Free agency is why we're
here.
Our Savior said,
"Please find my lost
sheep, and teach them and bring them home."
I promised my Savior I'll find
them,
And teach them the way to go.
(Chorus)
I'll go and find you my
friend, I'll help you.
Our Savior's plan is the way.
Please accept me when I find you
And we'll be back with Him
someday.
Remember the worth of souls is great
in the light and the sight of God.
Look and search,
And teach His sheep
To find the Iron Rod.
(2)
My time has come to teach the
gospel.
There are souls out there who are gold.
The gospel of Jesus Christ rolls
forth
And this is what they need to be
told.
And if your joy be great with one
soul
You have taught and have brought unto
me,
How great will your heart be
exalted
To bring many unto me.
(Chorus)
I'll go and find you my
friend, I'll help you.
Our Savior's plan is the way.
Please accept me when I find you
And we'll be back with Him
someday.
Remember the worth of souls is great
in the light and the sight of God.
Look and search,
And teach His sheep
To find the Iron Rod.
I'll find you there my friend.
The true story behind the composition:
"Throughout the years I have
heard many rumors, stories and other amusing tales of how (I'll Find You My
Friend") came to be. I chuckle as I hear what has been passed around
the church and would like to set the record straight. I was preparing for
my full time mission to Atlanta, Georgia in 1979 when my sister, Laurel Ann
suggested I write a song for my farewell. I responded with, "I don't
know how to write a song. You've got to be kidding!" When it
was her turn to prepare the family home evening lesson, she had the whole
family write poetry. The poetry that came out of our little family was
incredible. This gave me the confidence, and along with her encouragement
I decided to try. Laurel Ann's greatest belief is that "you can do
anything you want, if you want to badly enough!"
Laurel Ann also suggested calling
Wanda West Palmer, composer of "Oh That I Were An Angel", who lived
in Mesa to receive directions on how to even begin such a task. When I
called her she invited me to come to her home and she shared the secret for
song writing with me. She told me the key was just to PRAY--that Heavenly
Father would work through me as an instrument in His hands to write down His
words and music. Two weeks before my farewell the music came as I was
visiting in the home of Ray and Frances Rolph. Frances asked me to play
her piano and at that very moment I began composing the music for the song.
I left her home and went back to my home and was surprised that I could still
remember the music that had come into my mind and out through my fingers.
The next morning, I awoke and went to the piano. I could still remember
the song that had come the night before through inspiration. I had no
lyrics yet but I began trying to create words for this music. I worked
for two weeks on lyrics but nothing came. I guess I had faith that it
would develop into a song because I even asked a close relative, Lynette
Carling to sing it for my farewell.
The day before the farewell, Lynette
was to be at my home at 3:00 p.m. to rehearse the song which still had no
lyrics. She called me from the grocery store at 2:45 p.m. to tell me she
was running a little late but that she was still coming over to practice.
I was about to tell her not to come when her child fell out of the grocery cart
and she quickly hung up. I thought. "she is going to be so disgusted
when she drives all the way to my home and I have no song for her to sing."
I went to my room and began going over my notes for my talk when I read a story
about two friends in the pre-existence. One was being sent to an LDS home
and one was going to be born to a mother in another part of the country and
would know nothing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. After I read the story,
I began to tingle; it was as if a surge of electricity was penetrating my
soul. I felt the Spirit of the Holy Ghost going through me so strongly
and I knew this was the time to pray. As I knelt beside my bed, I pled
with the Lord to help me with lyrics. Within a few minutes the lyrics
flowed through my mind and I was finished before she arrived around 3:30
p.m.
In 1985, George W. Dyer and Tina
Brunsdale Wright recorded my album entitled, "I'll Find You My
Friend." Since the first publication, I'll Find You My Friend has
been translated into twenty languages. In 1987, a sequel to the first
album was released entitled, I'll Find You My Friend Part II" with a
song called "I Found You My Friend." The vocalists for the
recording are George W. Dyer, Lori Bowen Whittle, Keenan Kanahele and Lynette
Vance Carling."
-Linda Leavitt Hartman
Anyhow Ty Guy, I hope you are having
an amazing day! Do something fun and de-stressing today! Can't wait to talk to
you later today! Love you to infinity and beyond!
Mom
Letter from Elder Milne:
Thank you,
mom for another amazing email. I look forward to reading these each week. I
love you. We had an interesting week but it turned out good! This week should
be a busy one. Excited to talk to you I'll probably call 3 o'clock your time
and can call at 6 too. Loved the story you shared, I'm very blessed to have
this opportunity to serve. And so blessed to have an amazing family! Talk to ya
later!
Letter from
Blaine:
Hello
Ty
I just realized I needed to send you a email, so here I go.
I am sitting in Bloomfield between patients.
I will be changing offices here tomorrow. They need me over in the
Farmington office so my time up here will be changing to the Farmington office
until further notice.
So I am getting a transfer tomorrow, just like you get sometimes. I have Buster
with me. He is out in the truck bed in his kennel.
This is a hard go being separated from your mom. I am so proud of her and
what she has done.
May God bless her. She has been simply amazing.
Well I better get back to work. I hope you are doing well. Take some
batting practice for me...
Love
Dad
Letter from
Elder Milne:
Thanks for
reaching out dad. That's exciting about getting transferred to Farmington haha
you're amazing Dad super grateful for your hard work. Your hard work motivates
me to work hard too. Mom is incredible what a blessing shes been in our lives.
Have a good week of work dad, I'll go hit the field
Love Elder
Ty Adams Milne
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