Week 11 Pictures

 

FALL IN IDAHO

This dog actually really huge. This picture doesn't give it justice. It's a Great Pyrenees & is 160 POUNDS!!!

WEEK 11

Hi Guys,

This week was pretty normal except for one part, which I'll get to later. This week we found 4 New Investigators this week! As a mission we found 107 new investigators in one week! that was a record high for the mission! Our zone fasted this last Sunday to ignite the area, to help us do better in finding. I think I've fasted most of the Sunday's I've been here haha. Our zone is the 2nd best in finding. It's great to be around hard-working missionaries!

As I said this week was normal, not much that is email worthy, BUT... We found a Golden Investigator named Tom. Tom is 58 and lives in a trailer park. (SIDE NOTE: We found 3 Investigators out of that trailer park) We set up a return appointment with him and that was it when we first met him. When we returned we went out and sat on some lawn chairs. We shared the 1st lesson, he all of a sudden brought up baptism and how his parents always told him he needed to be baptized into a church. So as the spirit directed me I gave my second ever baptismal commitment and it was a yes. I'm 2 for 2 now haha. We then set up a date! He is going to be baptized on Nov. 21!

As we are obedient and always in the service of our Lord, during both hard and easy times, we will be blessed. My mission is SO fun. Love y'all.

Love,

~Elder Stevens

WEEK 10

Hi Everyone,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLY!

This past week was pretty normal. It was just one of those weeks where you feel like you're doing a lot but not seeing many fruits from your labors. We had a lot of appointments that fell through and every door we knocked was another no. It's been a slow week, not much going on. We have people we are teaching, but you can't teach those people every single day. Near the end of the week and yesterday it picked up.

On Saturday we went to go to a trailer park to tract. We prayed for success and got some! We got 3 return appointments. We are looking forward to see what may come from it.

At 3rd Ward ward council we reported on our week and people were impressed with what we have accomplished. There we found the fruit of our labors. We received information from the people at the meeting that other people were effected, in a good way, by the work we had done. For instance, we were knocking on doors in a neighborhood and we came across Jennette. Jennette is in her late 40's and, as we later found out, is good friends with our ward mission leader, Bro. Riley. She is Episcopalian but said we could come by and practice our lessons. She then later Facebook messaged Bro. Riley and asked if he had sent us. When she found out that he didn't she told him that we were welcome to come by any time and share the lessons. It looks promising!

This week I focused a lot of my studies around faith. In a talk from President Eyring he says "If the foundation of faith isn't in our hearts, then the power to endure crumbles." Therefore, we need to go forward with faith!

I hope that everyone had a good week and has a good upcoming week! I miss and love y'all.

Love,

~Elder Stevens

Jaden's First Baptism

WEEK 9

Hey Everyone,

This week has been one of the best yet. At the beginning of the week I was nervous since I would become the area leader due to Elder Meraz leaving, but it actually made me a better missionary. I'm not as nervous talking to people I LOVE it actually. I'm always looking forward to the next door or the next person to talk too. As I approach every door anxiousness kicks in, but it's just something I'll have to deal with and overcome. I got my first door slam this week! I take pride in it haha. We went up to the door, a lady answers and her exact response is, with no hesitation, like she has done it a billion times before, saying "Hi what can we do for ya? You're Mormon, we're Catholic, not interested. Bye. *slam*" Elder Castillo and I turned around silently and I said "Well, There's my first door slam." Haha. Elder Castillo Has 2 months left of his mission. He is ready to be home, but it doesn't mean he isn't willing to do work. There are some days where I just have to be enthusiastic and just get him going, It's pretty funny. For example the other day we were driving around, going through a list of Less Active members our ward mission leader, Bro Riley, gave us. So to get Elder Castillo pumped, in the car as loud as I could I kept screaming "I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!" then I'd tell him to yell it... but he wouldn't haha. After every person we contacted I would run back to the car and tell him "Let's GOOOOOO" He'd work a little harder each time. Anything counts.

This week there was a lot of planning that went into the baptism. Pretty stressful. People to call, Places to go, and Bro. Driskell's health was on the decline the day before the baptism! On Friday we had Zone Meeting. During Zone meeting we got a call from Sis. Driskell, She notified us that Bro. Driskell woke up shaking and had a high fever, she was very scared she told me and didn't know what to do. I asked her when she would like us to come over but she told us that she didn't need us. We returned to the meeting. After every Zone meeting the zone goes to lunch, we chose Panda Express, then took it back to a church building. When I sat down to eat Elder Castillo hands me the phone and it's a lady from the Hospice center, Becky, Calls us and tells us that Bro. Driskell is on the decline and is going to die soon. She told us that we need to do the baptism right then on that day. So after I hung up I called Bishop Newby and told him all about what was going on and to be on standby if the Driskell's wanted to do the baptism that day. After him I called Elder Meraz and told him as well then told him to meet us at the Driskell's. We then went and and got in the car and called Sis. Driskell and told her we were on the way. When we arrived Bro. Driskell was hooked up to his oxygen and in bed with his fever still high. It was scary and spiritual all at the same time. We started reading Joseph Smith-History, when Elder Meraz and his new companion arrived from Boise. We continued on with the scriptures and then prayed. After 3 hours Bro. Driskell got up and was walking around, we left and later got a call that he was eating and feeling much better. A very stressful day!

Day of the Baptism. It was so cool to be apart of the baptism and play a role. Once the baptism started, it was smooth sailing, no more rushing around. Elder Meraz and I were dressed in our whites and ready for the baptism. I was super nervous to perform my first baptism, wondering if I was going to mess up or what. I went first and baptized Sis. Driskell. The whole thing went great. After she came out of the water she started swimming around a little bit and saying how goo the water felt, haha. Then Elder Meraz and Bro. Driskell followed. So amazing to be apart of such a big part of somebody's eternity and help them get closer to their Heavenly Father.

As I was thinking about the baptism that night I realized that this makes missionary work awesome! Missionary work is also going "forth bodly (and) nobly" making sure that it is "sounded in every ear". I have made an effort to talk to everyone. On Thursday I stopped Jasper on the street. Jasper was a random guy that we always saw walking on the street playing his guitar. On our way to an appointment I was Jasper, I passed him in the car. The thought of my goal to talk to everyone flashed in my mind. I quickly flipped a U turn and parked the car and we got out and talked to him. He was drunk and he is a big hippy. He didn't understand much but at least we gave him the chance to learn of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

I hope that everyone has a good week.

Love,

~Elder Stevens

WEEK 8

Hey Everybody,

This week has felt pretty long, yet fast due to all that happened. It's a new transfer, a lot of work going on and so forth. Since it's the new transfer we got transfer call outs on Saturday morning. Elder Meraz and I were both expecting what was to come for the most part. Elder Meraz got transferred to Boise North, he is going to continue to train an Elder I came out with and is a District Leader now. Elder Meraz started in the area I am now, Meridian Central Zone, he had been here for 7 1/2 months, which is why we were expecting him to get transferred. I got my new companion Elder Castillo, He is 24, a convert at 19, and has 3 months left! He is also from Temple, Texas and knows a little about College Station, we talked a little about that. The best part of it all though is that he's not an Aggie ;) haha. I'm looking forward to what comes from this companionship. With Elder Meraz gone, I have a lot of weight on my shoulders now because I am now "in charge" of the area, due to the fact that Elder Casillo is from a different area.

This week we contacted a media referral we got. The couple are in their mid 20's and pretty interested. Nicole was a member quite a while ago and is looking into coming back, her husband/boyfriend, is not a member, and as we were teaching them Lesson 1 he was paying very close attention and asking questions, seems to me he has great potential. We are set to return Thursday!

THE DRISKELL'S ARE FINALLY GETTING BAPTIZED!!! This Saturday at 3. Earlier in the week on Wednesday we went over and just set up a date with them we had decided on the upcoming Friday, which was the 2nd, but later that night they said they couldn't do that because some of their friends weren't able to make it. So that Friday, instead of them getting baptized, we took the Bishop over to get things settled. It really helped and worked. Then just yesterday we met with them to fill out their baptismal record and get the agenda set. While we were there we talked with them about General Conference. They said that they loved it and that it answered a lot of their questions. They said they loved President Uchtdorf a lot, it was so awesome to hear that coming from people soon to be baptized. They have great souls and attitudes despite their age and condition. As we were talking we asked them who they'd like to perform the baptism, They said that they would like Elder Meraz to do it since he was there from the start, but after a while and out of no where Sister Driskell said that she would like me to baptize her! I can't wait! I told her that I would be honored too and that it would also be my first baptism ever performed. She, in turn, was honored.

General Conference was awesome! I was most definitely excited to hear from the Prophet and Apostles. I have gained a greater sense of gratitude for the blessing we have to have a living Prophet on this earth to guide and lead us in these latter-days. I think that because of this gratitude I've gained, and maybe due to the fact that I stayed awake for all of it this time haha, it was my favorite Conference yet. I really liked what Elder Bednar had to say when he quoted Elder Nelson. Elder Nelson said, and paraphrasing, "When you can't do what you used to do, then do what matters most." I thought it was perfect for missionaries. The things that matter most are bringing souls to Jesus Christ.

I miss and love everyone. I can't wait for this next week and to see what's in store.

Love,

~Elder Stevens

WEEK 7

Hello Everyone,

It hasn't been long since my last email, but not too much going on these past few days. A lot of good appointments though. Oh and Transfers are coming up! Although Elder Meraz is training me, and he should technically train me for two transfers, he has been in the area for 7 1/2 months! Usually you say in an area for 4 1/2 and sometimes 6 months. So I think I may get a follow up trainer. Elder Meraz doesn't want to go, he said he received revelation the other night in a dream that he isn't leaving haha it's very possible that he won't get transferred.

We have been blessed to find a lot of new investigators and potential investigators. We've also been successful with our progressing investigators. We have also had some decent success with some reactivation's! One in particular is a young family, in their early 30's, that just moved into our area. The husband was excommunicated and he's working his way back to being re-baptized. It was an awesome experience. We just taught the First lesson, the Restoration. He really opened up to us, he kept telling us he doesn't talk about it much, but that he felt he needed too. Every time he spoke it was profound and the spirit was felt. It was a neat experience. 

The Vycitals are progressing well. Sister Vycital is completely active again in the church after 7 years. Bro Vycital is progressing well as we meet with him. We're getting him closer and closer to baptism every week. He told us right now he is still in the healing and recovering process from the loss of their baby and he wants to be 100% when he gets baptized. Most of his concerns are on the Temple. We are making that the center of our next lesson and getting the Bishop of the 3rd ward, Bishop Christensen, to come with us. 

We got a media referral a couple weeks ago and we went to contact on Friday. It was an apartment Building with 4 different apartments, the referral only had the Building number not the apartment number... So we knocked every door, hoping every door would answer so we could talk to them about the church, but out of 3 of the 4 apartments, no one was home. Ironically, the last door opened, a lady answered, we asked if she was Nicole and she was. She told us that she had been a member when she was really young but we don't believe that she was baptized. So we set up a return appointment for Tuesday (tomorrow). Excited to see what's in store.

The downside of this week though is that out of 5 people we committed to coming to church, and they said they would, no one showed up... One thing we are trying to figure out is why people don't just tell us they aren't going to come. The funny part is, when we asked why they weren't able to make it, 4 out of 5 of them said they were sick, NO ONE COME TO IDAHO THERE IS A PLAGUE, haha. People are weird yeah we are 18 and 19 but we aren't that dumb haha. We are working together as a companionship to hold people to their commitments. Wish us luck!

I would just like to end with my testimony of the Book of Mormon. I know that that Book is the Word of God, as is the Bible. As missionaries we try to help people understand that the Book of Mormon is there to help us return to our Father in Heaven, just as the Bible does. Whats better than 1? 2! We have 2 books to help us return to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. I am very thankful for the opportunity to study the book everyday, to learn and to grow, spiritually and mentally. I invite everyone to read the Book of Mormon, just a couple verses, then get on your knees and ask God, in prayer, if the Book of Mormon is true, even if you already have done so, President Eyring, of the First Presidency of the Church, once said that he prays every morning to know if the Book of Mormon is true. I end my testimony with this, The Prophet Joseph Smith once said "...the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.” In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Love y'all,

~Elder Stevens