Alabama Birmingham Mini Missions!

Missionaries in the three Huntsville area Zones of Madison, Huntsville North and Huntsville Southeast were grateful for the opportunity to help 16 and 17 year old youth to become more familiar with missionary life as they prepare themselves for their next big steps: into the mission field themselves!

Twenty-six Young Men and Women signed up for the two day event, which began with a two hour orientation toward life in the mission field from recently returned missionaries who are members of the Huntsville Stake.  They were followed by a short welcoming talk by a member of the Mission Presidency, then by orientations by two Zone Leaders and testimonies by two Sister Training Leaders.

In much the same way that newly arrived Sisters and Elders in the Alabama Birmingham Mission do on Transfer Day, they then went to meet their new companions.  As their names were called, they met the full-time missionaries with whom they would be working and then left for their fields of labor. 

In anticipation of these mini-missions, Full-time missionaries planned in advance to focus on maximizing this experience for the youth:  scheduled appointments, tracting, providing service, contacting, studying, planning, teaching and most of all – inviting others to come unto Christ.

As just one of the many experiences enjoyed by these youth was an opportunity to accompany missionaries who “run through the tape” every day.  While tracting for several hours, and still not having placed the Book of Mormon that had been their planning goal, he learned what it was like to go to the last door on the last street at 8:59 p.m. and there be welcomed - and later to be able to place – another copy of that life-changing book of scripture, and to set an appointment for a return visit.