After weeks preparing and promoting throughout the two stakes on Maui, we held our first Healing through the Savior, 12-Step Addiction Recovery Program support meeting. As we’ve traveled and met with leaders and members of the Church, they always nod appreciatively and with tender confirmation, “That is really needed here,” followed by a humble or passionate, “Thank you for doing this.” On a recent flight we conversed at length with a stranger, a part time resident who expressed these same things. Some have indicated that Covid-19 shut down in-person 12-step meetings. Others say the recent Lahaina fires and devastation contributed to an increase in addictive behaviors. Since the program is safe and anonymous, we will never tell names or specifics in our writings about participants, however to share our spiritual enthusiasm and increase awareness, we may share our personal application of the 12 steps to our own weaknesses and shortcomings. And since no ‘sign-up’ is required and no roll is taken, we had no way of knowing how many would come to the meeting, except by the often-heard statements, “I’m going to encourage my [relative] or [friend] to come,” and “My people are good people. Some of them just have bad habits.” Bishops and missionaries often tell us they have people whom they will encourage to participate.

Turnout at our first meeting was good. In addition to Sister Hardman and myself and our excellent ‘facilitator,’ we had those who were struggling with some kind of addiction, and we had those who came for awareness and healing because someone they love is struggling with a destructive behavior. We also had those who have been sober for decades but came to strengthen their own ongoing recovery and provide support to others. After doing our best to give Christ-like love as each person entered the room, we had a prayer, talked about resources available to them on the Church website, and then we took turns reading from the 12-steps in the guidebook. The text is honest, loving, and inspiring, written by recovering addicts who have found Healing through the Savior. I’ll share my personal experience with the text shortly. During our first meeting, after reading and discussing Step 1, our facilitator, also a recovering addict, shared about her experience, then invited each participant to share encouraging them to focus on their recovery and not on the graphic details of their behavior or the behavior of others. There were tears of burden and tears of hope. When the sharing was completed, Sister Hardman and I bore our testimonies of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in ourlives. Then the meeting closed with prayer. Participants lingered briefly to give each other encouragement.

In preparation, I personally had given much thought to the first few steps in the guidebook. I thought about my own shortcomings I hoped the Savior would help me with and make me stronger (Ether 12: 27). After feeling low about a personal issue, I felt drawn to the phrase, “power of Christ” and wondered how I could access more of His power. I woke early one morning and felt prompted to go through the entire 12-step guidebook and circle every occurrence of the word, ‘power,’ which I did with the help of the online version and search function. As I circled each occurrence I noticed frequent use of the term ‘grace’ and so I marked that word as well. A pattern emerged and I began to see the word power associated with principles of the Gospel, specifically with the things Jesus taught and did. The power of faith, the power of repentance, the power of the Holy Ghost, the power of love, the power of forgiveness, the power of loving your enemy, the power of going the second mile, the power of honesty, the power of humility… I was beginning to see that enabling the power of Jesus Christ is in part doing what he does and says and teaches. 

For example, I reflected that if I’m prideful, impatient or get angry too often, then if I humble myself and have actionable faith in Christ, not only will he “make weak things become strong unto [me]” but after my best efforts “[His] grace is sufficient” for an additional endowment or gift of power to overcome my weakness. By loving instead of hating, by being patient instead of hasty, by trusting him instead being fearful, then his power emerges, and his grace brings additional comfort and rest. By actively facilitating and participating in the 12-steps, I see that the Lord not only wants to redeem the addict, but also the shortcomings in me, in all of us. Based on what I have felt so far, I have every confidence that as I yoke with Christ, I will find rest to my soul. (Mathew 11:28-29)

With our first recovery support meeting now in our memories, we go forward inviting others to participate in weeks to come. Little (or big) miracles happen along the way. Last week we took announcement posters to each foyer in the six meetinghouses on Maui. In Lahaina we found a member needing a listening ear. On our trip to Hana we met the new senior couple serving there. They told us of a young adult they met at the Kahului Costco earlier in the week. That young man showed up at our meeting. Our calendar is filling up with appointments to meet with ward and branch councils, 2^nd hour 5^th Sunday combined adult classes, and sacrament meeting speaking assignments across both stakes. We are grateful for these opportunities to invite and testify of Christ and his ability to bear burdens and redeem us.

On Sunday, we attended church in the Makawao Ward up-country, where we shared about the program and met some wonderful people. We concluded our Sabbath having Father’s Day dinner with the other senior missionaries on the island. We love them and love serving with them. And they are helping us in our work.