November 18, 2013

 

This week was interesting since we have been in the tri-companionship it has been hard to focus on our area since half the week was spent in another ward. Tomorrow is actually the last day with elder Dunn he is getting put with another elder until transfers. So this week I and elder Armatage will be able to focus on our area. I am so excited for Isaac to be baptized this weekend! I know I've already been blessed and seen people be baptized but with Isaac I've been able to see him from the very start and with others I haven't, tonight we are actually going to the visitor center with him and that will be fun. David and Daniel got the priesthood on Sunday! It was awesome I was privileged to be the voice for Daniel and it was really cool. And this Wednesday we are going to the temple with them and their mother (Karen) to do baptisms for the dead! I guess as missionaries there are rules about missionaries performing the baptism in the temple which I don't get or something but we can go and at least watch and I think be a witness or hopefully confirm and stuff. On Saturday we chocked down a forest in a ladies back yard and there was a huge tree like 40 feet tall and 3 feet wide and the guy cutting it down let me run the chainsaw and it was a huge chainsaw-like 36 inches long and it was really cool. and we cleaned a shed that had old-old stuff in it and I found a really old book of Mormon in it and it’s got pictures and stuff and she said I could keep it but its falling apart a little. We had a training meeting and a guest speaker at it his name was Brother Ough. and it was reallllly good he talked about recognizing the spirit and he talked a lot about humility and being dignified I learned so much and either 12 with the light and barges and all that. One of the things I really liked is how humble he is. He's a multimillionaire but no one would know if they didn't see his house for example he drove a Nissan frontier and it really just showed it doesn't matter if you’re rich, poor, famous, or homeless whatever we need to give all the glory to God because without him we are nothing. Just like in Alma 26 with the story of Ammon. We had a really good lesson with Zach, and at the end of the lesson Josh (his dad, LA for long time) said yes when he was asked to give the closing prayer! And his son always asks him but this is the first time he said yes and he gave a really good prayer. Zach is basically ready for baptism he just needs to come to church and the only way he's going to come is if his dad will come, that's why we've been playing basketball. Now that he's been in the church a few times hopefully soon prayers will be answered and he will decide to come and attend sacrament. I don't get what's so hard about it! One night this week at dinner we had avocado ice cream it was really weird but it was pretty good actually. It had lime and stuff to make it better. I have actually started like guacamole since I've been here I think the Arizona people just know how to make it better and that's why it doesn't taste bad. Well I’m out of time and next week p day will be on Wednesday since transfers just so you know when to expect a letter.

Love you all,

Elder Stevenson

November 12, 2013

     Today as a zone we woke up super early and went hiking a mountain (mountains are tiny here) called camelback and started hiking at like 6 and I think it was like 1-2 miles pretty straight up. And we got to the top just in time to look at the sunrise it was pretty fun and I’ll try and send you pictures. Then everyone came over to our house and we cooked breakfast.

     Instead of having 2 missionaries we got a new one last night, Elder Dunn. So now there are 3 his companion got transferred to Scottsdale cause a missionary had extended and went home and so now there are 3 of us for the next 2 weeks before transfers. On Friday night we met with Isaac again and set a baptismal date! For November 23 so a couple weeks down the road. He's definitely ready he loves coming to church and learning about the gospel. we had a referral and went to the address and it turns out he was a half block out of the ward but we still taught him the first lesson and it was awesome he had lots of questions and know the bible well and is open to new things and is golden but since he was out of our area we had to pass him along.. but now that we have elder duns area assigned/mixed with ours he’s in that area so I can still see him for the rest of this transfer so that's pretty cool and a blessing! as for Izzy we try and see him as often as we can but he didn't come to church this week cause he broke his hand and is drugged up to try and help the pain and sleeping a lot and so that makes it difficult for us cause we would like to teach him in a members home buts he’s really hit and miss so scheduling is a pain. I think I mentioned the Harris family's name before they're a less active family in the ward with a lot of problems but this week we went over a couple nights and it’s really going well. before it was always fight ,fight, fight and then one night they were watching a movie as A FAMILY and another night we ate dinner there as a FAMILY it was awesome!! And everyone was happy and getting along. we got to meet with Zach again, it’s been a few week which stinks but our lesson went really well and he's remembering what he's being taught. But he has to come to church but I think he will be here this week he was going to come last week but he didn't have clothes that fit when they were looking Sunday morning so his dad said they'd buy some. Then after the lesson we had Zach and josh (father and son) in the church! We played basketball with a few members in the ward and it was awesome to get them inside and see it’s not that bad and people are happy to see you and want to see you here at church. We helped build a chicken coop one day that was pretty fun. we got to go to the visitor center one day this week to it was really nice I love the visitor center here it’s awesome! I just wish we could go to the temple more often because it’s even better. Well I hope you have a wonderful week and keep up the missionary work!

Love Ya, 

Elder Stevenson

 

 

 

 

November 4, 2013

 

This week was good yesterday we had a miracle happen at church. I think I mentioned Izzy before? well he stopped keeping appointments and commitments with us and so it was kind of we just saw him when we saw him then Saturday he was driving and we were on our bikes and stopped for a sec and he said he’d come to church Sunday so Sunday morning we went and reminded him and then church rolled around and he wasn't there. And about 10 min in before the sac song started he came in and sat by us and stayed for sacrament and fast and testimony meeting. then after sacrament he didn't want to stand up we sat for 40 minutes there with him and he said he could see a glow around each person as they bore there testimony and he felt at peace and it felt like home even though he’d never been here before and it was awesome. so we had a little lesson with him right there in the chapel and talked about the spirit he was feeling and telling him it was true and that was what was speaking to him then he said randomly I think I want to be baptized. Those are the best words a missionary can hear! And the ward was very welcoming and friendly to him and introduced themselves to him and some people invited him over for dinner in the week :) 

As for Anthony we haven't been able to contact him at all he’s never home and won’t answer his phone... but did I tell you about Isaac? its Aishas (she was baptized right before I got here) son he’s almost 9 and at first he didn’t want anything to do with us or go to church or anything but now he loves it and we’ve been having lessons with Aisha and visiting her and he started sitting in on them and now we are having lessons for her and lessons for him on another night and he said he wants to be baptized! The lord has blessed us this week.

We visited a lot of less actives this week I was telling you about that last week I think? And trying to get them back to church so far it’s going good we had one family there Sunday that only comes sometimes. What I can’t understand is there’s some LA's in the ward that are RMs and a couple have lost their testimony completely and smoke and drink now and don’t believe Joseph Smith was a prophet anymore. I guess that shows Satan will work on anyone and everyone so you can never let your guard down and always remember to do the little things.

Have a good week! 

Love elder Stevenson

 

 

October 28, 2013

 

Elder Teh from the 70 came and talked to us last Tuesday and came to tour the mission. It was amazing, I learned all sorts of stuff. He mentioned a scripture, D&C 82:3 (I think) that says where much is given much is required. We had a training on this and the teacher also said we can read this backwards where much is required much is given. So as missionaries, or a member in the bishopric or whatever the calling may be the lord will bless is for our service. So when you talk to that lady again Dad you could talk about that and how we are blessed for what we do. Elder Teh also taught about being a effective missionary and I'm glad for all the thing I could learn so I can become better serve people better. I wish I had my notes but there at home to tell you more. I'm glad you are learning so much in your scripture studies (hope your reading on your own to Lexi) I wish it hadn't taken so long for me to come to love the scriptures. I'm reading in Alma right now and my scriptures are starting to look like there bleeding from all the amazing stuff in them I can't not highlight or write notes next to! I've realized that pretty much everything in the Book of Mormon is in there multiple times and repeats over and over in just a little different wording because we need to be reminded over and over of the importance of the commandments and  laws and everything else in order to prepare ourselves to make it back to God. On Saturday we had a ward Halloween block party it was really good. Me and Elder Armitage had a booth as missionaries and it was a roping booth we set up a bale of hay on a saw horse and put one of those plastic heads into it and then had the kids rope it. We had a really good turn out of people we have never seen before and less active family's and so that was really good for them to come and see Mormons are normal people and we had a table set up next to our roping and it had Book of Mormons and pamphlets and stuff and there was quite a bit of stuff that got taken and seeds planted, hopefully now the seed can grow. Church was really good on Sunday. We had a good meeting in ward council about member missionary work and the ward party and missionary work in general and then it was some of those same people in ward council that spoke in sacrament so they spoke on the same things and it was powerful and the spirit was there. (I think I told you this is the first time the Beverly ward has had there own missionaries?) and the ward is finally seeing the vision of the importance of missionary work. We went thru our ward list on Friday and there is 100 last names we don't know (probably like 25 are active we just don't know) so we are going to get them back to church and help them see the importance of church in there life. Have a good week

Love ya!

Elder Stevenson

Paradise Valley, Papago, Maricopa & Pinnacle Zones

Scottsdale, Biltmore, Phoenix Zones

 

Snowflake, Show Low, Payson Zones

 

October 21, 2013

Dear Family,

It feels like I just wrote you family. Saturday we did lots of service we started early in the morning and moved a lady houses then did yard work for an 85 year old widow.. She called me a government worker when i stopped for like literally 5 seconds and caught my breath ha-ha old people.. and we also trimmed trees and cleaned up from a relief society program and also cleaned up lots and lots of branches and logs and wood. it was a busy day. then Saturday night our stake put on a play, Saturdays warrior it was pretty good. We had a guy from the 70's coming to tour the mission this week that should be cool. We are struggling finding new investigators but hopefully this week will be better. So we've been working with less actives and recent converts. I think we have like 5 out of 10 people inactive here.. I like what you said mom is that it doesn't matter who they are as long as your helping them become a better person and more Christlike. Tonight were having a big FHE and we've invited some LA's and RC's to visit and get to know the ward more. We are meeting with a man named Anthony (i think i told you about him?) He is like a perfect investigator, he already basically lives the gospel but the bad thing is he wont come to church because his church is at the same time and he already goes to it! But he likes meeting with us and can feel the spirit. any ideas on what we can do? I love you have a wonderful week!

Love Elder Stevenson

October 16, 2013

This week was transfer week so p day is Wednesday. its crazy I've already been out almost 2 months. I'm still in mesa and still with elder Armatage. we moved houses tho. just down the street one block to a older widowed lady in the ward named Sister Shepherd. It's crazy we can live with a single lady but they can't have us over for dinner but oh well. first time I haven't had a dishwasher which is kinda weird and the stove/oven is from like the 30's its pretty cool but doesn't have a thermometer. we did a lot of service this week. one day we went to a families house and killed some roosters for them. they had like 7 so on a few we chopped there heads off and watched them run around and on the other ones we  wrung there necks. The family we did it for one of the kids wanted to do one so she wrung its neck and it was dead looking and we put it in the bucket and a little later we came back and it was alive! So some neighbors took it home for a pet.. but it was lots off fun and I forgot my camera but I got some good pics and videos to send on home! Then another day we carpeted a basement and that was pretty cool and moved lots and lots of boxes. dad asked how I would teach about baptism and the covenants we make. I would start by explaining why we need to be baptized and showing that we will follow Christ as well as following his example. Then explain how we are cleaned and its a new start. I would take about 2 Nephi 31. i would talk about the sacrament and how after baptism when we make mistakes we can be forgiven off them as well. I would read the sacrament prayer with them and talk ask them to pick out what 3 things we promise to do when we take the sacrament and are baptized. then talk about what is promised to us and about the spirit. and a lot more but that covers the basics. This week was little hectic. it probably would be for you if you went to visit someone and they are locked in the bathroom and the roommate is worried there gonna OD and kill themselves! ha-ha but don't worry they are OK and are getting professional help now. We are working a lot with less active an recent converts and making sure they get the friends and stuff to feel welcome in the ward. Be a missionary and teach someone something about the gospel!
have a good week,

Love Elder Stevenson 

October 6, 2013

Family,

I hope everyone got the chance to watch conference. I'm glad you went to the stake center for priesthood dad and Taylor even tho they broadcast it. its a good tradition. it was awesome, my favorite talk was probably m Russell Ballard on missionary work. i like how it applied to members and missionaries. i like the quote said about 3 times by different people about now is the time to come together and work together by Joseph smith. keeping the commandments was another topic heavily covered that really struck me. everything from keeping the commandments and being kept out of bondage to being blessed to enduring to the end it all leads back to keeping the commandments and that starts by loving god. if we truly love god we wont complain or be mad about keeping those commandment either, we will have a good willing wanting attitude. We went to the bus stop one morning this week for one of the "creative" ideas. it went pretty well we went with the Spanish elders and passed out 20 English Book of Mormon's and quite a few Spanish and talked to lots of people. there was lots of people interested in what we had to say so even if we don't ever see them again we can at least pass there information on to missionaries in there area so they can get in touch with them. I wish I had more time. love you and have a great week!

Elder Stevenson