Tuesday, October 14, 2014

October 13, 2014

This last week was great! Heavenly Father really blessed our area, last Sunday we counted up the time we had spent in other area's due to exchanges, planning meetings, meetings, helping other missionaries, and what not for the week, it was 50 hours (way more than a typical week), that's 2 whole days but this last week we had more member present lessons then I have seen in a long time and more than my comp has seen in this area in a long while so God definitely "repaid" us well. On Sunday me and my companion both bore our testimonies, unplanned we both talked about God's love for his children. He read a poem and I talked about about Alma 26. The Phoenix temple open house started on Friday and lucky for us we were the first ones there on Saturday with a less active family who is returning. It was beautiful. We had ZTM on Tuesday (Zone Training Meeting) it sure was different than before, but it went super well! Here is an update on some people we have been working with: Mary and dad and Andrea: Andrea just stopped coming to our appointments but brother Armstrong and Mary were both at church and we hope to go to the open house with them this week! We taught the word of wisdom and the biggest hold up was eating meat sparingly so that was pretty awesome! (Especially for having parents who don't set a good example) Last week I may have mentioned a family from Africa?... Well the dads name is Erick and the moms name is Lucy (I wonder what their real names are...) and they have 2 little kids, a one year old and a 1 month old and yesterday they came to church!! They loved it and want to come back again next week. Our main goal for them is to help them understand the temple; why they need to get there so they can be sealed and be a forever family. We started teaching a father in a (PMF) part member family, he is at church every week but isn't a member and just like the African family we want them to be sealed, so tomorrow we are going to the open house with them! In our lesson yesterday we talked about the god head and about how the gospel blesses families. We had a good lesson with Nicole, she is on date for the 15th of next month. 2 good lessons with her last week, well much more has happened but I am out of time. I love you, have a great week! Sorry I don’t have time for a scripture :( But I am grateful for yours mom and dad! Love Elder Stevenson

Saturday, October 11, 2014

October 6, 2014

This week was very good, as you know General Conference was great, I really enjoyed Saturday, it was very.. comforting. A lot of the things I have personally been trying to do were things talked about on Saturday morning so it wasn't like a 'great awakening' but more like a confirmation of my choices. A few really good ones to me was Elder Klebingat's and Lord, is it I? Also there was a lot of basic doctrine retaught and testimony's of Christ and the Prophet. The world is going to get more wicked on one end and more righteous on the other before Christ comes again, which side are you on? Last week I went on exchanges with a Spanish companionship, it was pretty fun! I know a few more words and things but was mostly lost in the day. We got to watch Meet the Mormons this last week, its great! You will like it although you will cry as well. On Friday, we went to the temple and it was great, conference and a temple in one weekend, can't beat that! After the temple we had a meeting which was good, a lot of new tools we can use that I am excited for! A huge focus on inviting people to the temple, not only baptism. going back to "beginning with the end in mind" My companion has been quite sick so sadly we haven't been able to work to much in our area this week but on the bright side we had a good lesson with Mary and Andrea Armstrong (on date for 10/25) and watched conference with them Saturday. If I could ask a favor, please pray for Br. Armstrong, that he will be able to be worthy to baptize by the 25th, he is struggling with smoking and coming to church due to poor health. We also watched conference at 2 less active homes, and a member family who had recent convert over so that was good. We ran into a guy and offered help moving some stuff with him, he accepted so we helped unload his truck then he let us in and we talked for a while. He was catholic and asked about every question there is (polygamy, JS, etc.) it was cool to unfold them to him piece by piece. Don't know that they have true intent but we will give them the choice to follow or not. Lots of other stuff but you can hear about it next week, have a good week! Your turn to send me a scripture. Don't forget, if you don't apply what you learned at conference there was no point in watching it. Love Elder Stevenson