Monday, August 26, 2013

Hooray for Members!

I don't have a ton of time this week, but I just wanted to say that good members involved in missionary work are indispensable. This week especially demonstrated that to me. Everyone needs to read Preach My Gospel! Also make a family/personal mission plan, kind of like a stake/ward mission plan, but more specific (and with dates). That is something our stake is doing, and it is amazing to see our members rising to the occasion on that one.
I'm doing great! We had another zone training this week (thanks so much everyone for the letters), and that was fantastic. I learned tons.

I've learned a lot about faith this week, and more over this transfer. Faith precedes and produces miracles, of that I have no doubt.

The gospel is true!  

Monday, August 19, 2013

Onward and Upward

Howdy!

Our baptismal date is making so much progress! I'm super excited for him! Because of Stake Conference, we've moved the date up to August 31st, which is fast, but he's totally ready.

This week was awesome! We finally found a recent convert who lives far away and who no one has been able to make contact with. We've got an appointment with him to go through the new member lessons with him!

Life is good and missionary work is great! We need more member missionaries, so invite your friends to church! Read your scriptures and stay strong!

I love you all!

Monday, August 12, 2013

Faith Precedes and Produces Miracles

Hallo from Assen, (actually Arnhem right now, but I´ll explain that in a minute)

So, my first full week in Assen the Christ-like attribute I was working on developing was faith. And boy we needed it. Things started out a little slow there. But at the beginning of this last week, every day of that faith paid off. 

Our first Sunday night here we were looking some people up, and were debating knocking there or going somewhere else when a man rode up on his bike, just back from a training bike ride. I felt like we needed to talk to him, so we did. And he wasn´t interested. Believed in ¨something¨ but not necessarily God, not religious, and not interested. Those of you who have served or are on missions know the type. But I kept talking to him, using ¨comebacks¨ as our mission president has asked us to, and it turns out he just had a lot of great unanswered life/soul questions, all of which can be answered by the gospel. So we taught him basically the entire restoration, there on his driveway, and committed him to read the Book of Mormon and invited him to pray about it too (said he would on the first, the second he was less enamored with). We said we´d come back in a week to see how he´d like it, which he said was fine. Then, I figured we´d gotten that far, further than I expected, and so I asked him if we could pray with him right there on his driveway. He gave me about the funniest look ever, but said okay, so we did.
Then we went by on Monday, figuring maybe he´d glanced at the Book of Mormon if we were lucky. He´d read up through 2 Nephi 29 and had prayed and gotten an answer. Plus he had found D&C online and had read up through section 60. Say what?! Yes. And then he showed me Mormon 7:10 (And ye will also know that ye are a remnant of the seed of Jacob; therefore ye are numbered among the people of the first covenant; and if it so be that ye believe in Christ, and are baptized, first with water, then with fire and with the Holy Ghost, following the example of our Savior, according to that which he hath commanded us, it shall be well with you in the day of judgment. Amen.) So, naturally, I extended a baptismal invitation. And he said, basically, probably, but I know I need to change some things in my life first. 

So we set up an appointment, in which he more or less taught us the Plan of Salvation (also online) and the Word of Wisdom. And so we´re working towards 7 September with him for his date. And he came to church on Sunday and we had another lesson with him at a member´s home on Saturday! He´s about the coolest, most prepared person I´ve ever met, and he´s Dutch, which is even cooler.

The Lord prepares people. And our faith and the faith of the members here and throughout the world and family and friends truly produce miracles as we trust the Lord and ask for those.
On a side note, I went to Brussels for legality on Wednesday (so much fun, the waffles were unbelievable and I saw nearly everyone in my MTC group again, which was the best). And we are having district P-day right now in Arnhem! (We had district meeting here earlier today). Life is the best! The gospel is true and I love you all!
Love,
Zuster Stevens

Monday, August 5, 2013

Hallo again! From Assen

Hoi!
As the work always is when opening a new area, the work has been just a little tiny bit slow this week. But things are picking up and it's all good. We had Zone Training on Friday, which was awesome, as always. Learned lots and got another good boost that should last until the next one. We finally were able to meet with the most promising of the Elders' former investigators. The members still love us, the weather's getting significantly better, and life is good in the hood, and in Assen (which, by the way, is one of the most beautiful places in the world. And when vacantie [vacation] is over, few people will be as happy about that as I, but that's another story. I am doing great, I love the work and I love Assen. Read your scriptures!
Love,
Zuster Stevens