WEEK 24

As far as work goes, we are completing a baptismal record for Jun Jun right now and working towards February 13 for his baptism. We just got another investigator, his name is Sergio. He set his own appointments and everything, twice a week, he even called us to set it up! 

Missionary work is so fun especially when things are going your way!

 

I sure miss yall! I love you. 

Love, 

 

~Elder Stevens

WEEK 23

Hi Y'all,

 

This week has been awesome! On Monday we played soccer, so you know I started the week out great haha! On Tuesday we continued teaching the new member lessons to a new move in, in the ward. Her name is Danielle, & she is super excited about the Gospel and reminds me a lot of my Mom. Wednesday Elder Gallano and I went out to lunch to some hole in the wall Chinese place, with Elder Meraz and his new comp, Elder Folau. The food tasted super good but very bad for me & I got minor food poisoning. My appetite hasn't been the same yet. Later that night we went on splits with the 3rd ward, a member of the Elders quorum, Bro. Harper, and I went to our appointment with the Jesse Vycital. At first I had no idea what to say. Earlier I had prepared something along the lines of Understanding promptings from the Holy Ghost, but the words just weren't really flowing out of my mouth. After a while I just stop talking for a minute and immediately a thought came to me. The thought was a memory of Elder Gallano and I studying in the morning a while back, we prayed to know for a good time for Jesse to be baptized, we decided on March 5. I began to talk again to Jesse and I invited him to be baptized on March 5... He said yes! We still have a lot of work to do to get him to that point but it will be fun! I am excited to see the effort that Jesse puts in as he works towards his goal of March 5.

I love you all. Hope all is well.

 

~Elder Stevens


Jun Jun and his cousins and of course Elder Gallano

WEEK 22

I'm healthy and well, legs are just always tired from biking so much but I hope that after a while it will eventually go away haha. It has been pretty cold but it has actually been getting warmer which is good!  

 

Sorry I didn't email yesterday, P-day was super hectic and we had a bunch of errands to run for Elder Gallano.

I love y'all too.

~Elder Stevens

WEEK 21

 

You forwarded this message on 12/22/2015 4:06 PM

This week has been really good. We picked up a new investigator! That's 3 weeks in a row with a new investigator! We also made contact with Jesse Vycital again, and Jun Jun has committed to baptism, just need a date on it!

This week we have met with Jun Jun a total of 4 times! We have taught all of the lessons except for the Law of Tithes and Offerings and that other Law that every missionary dreads to teach... the Law of Chastity. Remember Jun Jun is 10 so it should be interesting. We are bringing Bro. Riley (3rd ward Ward Mission Leader) with us and he has a way of teaching things that should be awkward or hard to teach and makes it so simple, I have learned a ton from him since teaching with him. Jun Jun is accepting everything very well and he really likes the fact that he will be able to have a "bodyguard" or the Holy Ghost with him at all times.

 

On Saturday night we found out that the pipes in the church building broke, due to the flooding we weren't able to go to our own church building, so we just had Sacrament meeting at the Stake Center for both wards. We called Jesse to notify him of the change and he FINALLY answered and told us that he and Natalie would be at church on Sunday. He was true to his word and they were both there! It was a testimony meeting as well and it was just perfect for him. There was just recently a Stake Baptism where 3 of the 8 year olds in our ward and others through out the stake got baptized. 2 of the 3 in our ward got up and bore their testimony on how excited they are and how good they felt, which was perfect for both Jun Jun and Jesse who were sitting with the rest of us in the congregation. Bro. Riley got up and bore his testimony as well, he was actually the first one, and he directed his testimony for Jesse on purpose but in a nonchalant way. Also, a young lady in the ward who was baptized about 6 months ago got up and bore her testimony on how proud she is to be a Mormon, and due to the example of her husband and his family, she made the best decision in her life to be baptized. It was just perfect for Jesse. We were able to talk with him and Natalie after and we are going over to their house on Tuesday! Wish us luck, we are asking him about his decision on when to be baptized.

Earlier Sunday morning we had an appointment with that new investigator we got, Jennifer, she is 40 years-old and she said she is interested in the church. She was a referral given to us by a family in the Greenhill ward, the Lewis's. We sat down with Jennifer and the Lewis family in the Lewis home and taught the Restoration. At the beginning of the lesson I was doing most of the talking, Elder Gallano isn't to comfortable with his English yet even though it's really good. But once we got to Joseph Smith, Elder Gallano took over, he killed it. The Spirit was so strong in the room, Jennifer was holding back tears. We asked her if she would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized and she said yes. We then extended the date of January 13 to prepare her self for baptism. She told us maybe, that she needs time to soak all of what we told her, in. She said that what we told her makes sense. We committed her to read the Book of Mormon and that it has all the answers to our questions, as does the bible. After we left, Elder Gallano and I were on our bikes and he said, "That's how we do it in the Philippines." It's really cool to see the growth that Elder Gallano has had with his English and how the Lord really does look out for us when we are on his errand.

Time is moving way to quick and it should really slow down, I love it here in Idaho, especially here in The Greenhill and 3rd wards. The time is approaching that I will probably get transferred, either after this transfer or the next. I love the people here and not ready to go, I know that where I get transferred to will be just as good if not better, and I will learn to love the people there as well. Missions are Awesome! I hope that y'all all had great holidays and may 2016 treat us all well.

 

~Elder Stevens

My District