Zone Conference + a healthy dose of miracles

This week was awesome! We've been doing plenty of finding, and now we're finding and teaching a bunch of positive, prepared people. The work of the last transfer and a half has started to pay off, and we're building up a good base of investigators here. One day we were out finding and we tracted into a lady who appears to be active in her own church, but who said she was interested in reading a Book of Mormon and who asked us if we could set up the appointment so that her husband could also be there. She's got three kids and is open to hear more. She also asked us for our phone number, just in case, and gave us hers before we suggested it. And when we asked for a referral, she ran back inside and pulled out a list of people that lived nearby that went to the same church as she does. 9 referrals on the spot! None of them so far have turned out to be positive, but we're sure excited for our appointment with her and her husband. Unfortunately it has to be in a week and a half from now, but we're pretty sure that she'll read some of the Book of Mormon (she asked us if there was anything specific she needed to read). We had some other great lessons with single, middle-aged Dutch men, a segment of the population that most people don't expect to teach. We've got a ton of support from our branch and we're really excited about these potentials/investigators.

The other miracle of the week was zone conference. (BTW, thanks for all the letters! I got 9 in this batch and was grateful for them all! I love zone conference and I learned so so much from this one. One of the things they really focused on was that we need to pray and fast and ask for miracles, and expect them to happen. Sometimes success comes in lessons to be learned rather than in new investigators or baptismal dates, but the success always comes as we ask for it.

The gospel is true and it is such a blessing to be able to share it with others! Enjoy General Conference this week, I sure will!

Brussels, Blitz, and Bomb First Lessons

Dearest family and friends.

This week was a really good week! We had lots of miracles happen, including some unexpected lessons. The day of the blitz in Assen was probably one of the best days we had this week. On Thursday, the zone leaders, our district, and our sister training leader and her companion came to blitz the city and they found several potential investigators. We visited one of them last night and they let us in and we taught a Restoration lesson and extended a baptismal invitation! We'll see where it goes--she was seriously concerned that we were a sect and her husband was less than positive (he was actually gone for most of the lesson putting their son to bed, which turned out to be a blessing). But she said that she would pray about it and she seems to have a lot of real intent, so that was really good. Then after the blitz on Thursday Sister H., our sister training leader, and I went on splits. Sister W. and Sister H. kept tracting, while we went to teach a lesson to a lady who was a member referral. The lesson went super well. The lady is super sweet and we had a good lesson about prayer and ended up resolving one of her concerns that we didn't even realize that she had. But at the end of the lesson she said she was really grateful that we had come because what we said perfectly answered her question that she'd been struggling with for awhile. Also, yesterday while we were tracting we ran into a man who we were able to essentially teach a first lesson to. He also accepted a Book of Mormon and said he'd read it and made a return appointment with us! We're really excited about that.

I also went to Belgium to finish up my legality. I talked to a man from Brussels in English the whole way down (he speaks French and English and not a lot of Dutch) and a girl from Nederland in Dutch most of the way back. They both took Books of Mormon, so that was good.

One of the things I re-learned this week is that everyone needs to feel loved. That includes entire wards/branches as a whole. Good thing we love Assen! They are wonderful. Read D&C 18:10-16 and remember who you are because you are something special.  (Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God; For, behold, the Lord your Redeemer suffered death in the flesh; wherefore he suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto him. And he hath risen again from the dead, that he might bring all men unto him, on conditions of repentance. And how great is his joy in the soul that repenteth! Wherefore, you are called to cry repentance unto this people. And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!)

I love you all dearly! The gospel is true!

Love,
Sister Stevens

Statue of Bartje. Bartje Bartels is the main character in a series of Dutch books written by Anne de Vries

Belgian Waffle

Menorah in Assen

Alles wel! Alles wel!

Dearest family and friends,

This week's title comes from hymn #30 ("Come, Come, Ye Saints") in English or hymn #15 in het Nederlands, because it was related to what we talked about yesterday in Sunday School and because that's one of my favorite hymns. We have so much to rejoice for and be grateful for! We have the gospel of Jesus Christ, restored on earth today! I love Elder Porter's talk from last Conference, "Beautiful Mornings". (Click here to read). And another Conference is coming up! I'm so excited!

This week our greatest miracles came from working through members. At the beginning of last week we decided to stop by some members and talk to them more about their family mission plan and what that really meant and how we could help. We were able to get some of their questions resolved and the next morning the wife called us very excited, wanting to set up an appointment with us both for her personal mission plan and goals and for their joint plan and goals. My companion and our sister training leader met with her during exchanges about her personal plan and we've got an appointment tonight to talk about their joint plans. They're getting really excited about it and that's neat to see. Also, yesterday a member brought her friend (who she actually hadn't seen in a long time) to the baptism of a child in our branch. She really enjoyed it and we've got an appointment with her now. She really felt the Spirit yesterday, she really likes us, and she already said that she does want to come to something else too, so those are all good signs. Also, Friday night some members joined us for our dinner appointment with a part-member family that they home teach. They suggested that the wife take the lessons from us and she agreed. It won't happen until after the husband's surgery, but it was definitely a big step.

Life is good in the hood, and also in Assen! Hopefully there also, wherever there is for you. I'm grateful for you all and I love you! The gospel is true and miracles happen. Of that I have no doubt. We just have to be brave enough to open our mouths--we all need that courage, whether we are missionaries or members. But the Lord will help with all the rest, because this is His work, always and forever.

I love you all!

Stake Conference and Transfers!

This week was great! Yesterday was stake conference in Zwolle and that was pretty swell. President and Sister Robinson both spoke and so did some recently returned misisonaries. Transfers happened last week: 30 new elders! The mission blog's got the details. (Click here for the blog). We now have 148 missionaries in our mission! And a year ago there were only 68. Crazy amount of growth! But it's awesome. It's way cool to see everybody stepping up to the changes. And it's way exciting to see so many missionaries here! Most of the sisters stayed more or less the same. I'm super excited for another great transfer in Assen!

One of my favorite things to do now is to work with members. Strong members are so important, especially with missionary work! I also love to see how much the Lord is involved in this work. Really, this is His work, and He's doing it. We are just privileged enough to be allowed to be a part of it.

I love you all!

Love,
Sister Stevens

It's a Miracle!

First of all, everyone needs to read the talk "It's a Miracle" from Elder Neil L. Andersen from last conference. Amazing and so so true. (click here to read)

Second of all...our investigator got baptized!!! And confirmed yesterday. Pretty much two of the best days ever. It is so incredible to see someone taking that step in their life towards something so much greater! And he was so ready. He bore his testimony after his baptism, sharing the story from how he felt he needed to go home early from his bike ride after he saw us at his neighbor's house, and how it looked like there was more light than usual in that carport where we were standing when he first saw us trying to get ahold of his neighbor. He also said that he knew that if he went back, his life would be changed. Well, changed it was! The branch welcomed him really well and we're way excited for him and for them. Being there for his confirmation was even more special than his baptism, especially because I know how much that gift of the Holy Ghost will mean to him personally.

I'll be staying here in Assen with Sister W. this transfer! Now it's all of the Elders going through major changes: 30 coming in this transfer, no more sisters for now.

I learned a lot this week about how to recognize and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost as they come to me, and also a lot about how and when to testify. The how is with the Spirit and with conviction, and the when is always. The other day we were given a non-member referral, who we contacted. The man almost immediately began bashing on Joseph Smith, whose name he didn't even know properly (he kept saying John Smith). This might not have been the most powerful or clear testimony I've ever borne, but I was able to stand without backing down, look that man in the eye, and say, "Joseph Smith was a prophet of God." I don't remember what else I said, but I know that I was able to say that much, for which I am grateful. We can't get frustrated or angry when confronted by such people, that only drives away the Spirit. But we can always testify, no matter what else they do or say or how little they listen. Just because some people won't act on our message doesn't mean we shouldn't invite them to action. They can't act without an invitation. And if they turn it down, that is their loss. The purposes of God are still being accomplished.

I love this quote from President Monson, "[Missionary work] requires long hours and great devotion, selfless sacrifice and fervent prayer. As a result, dedicated missionary service returns a dividend of eternal joy which extends throughout mortality and into eternity."

And this one from Elder Eyring about missionary work: "Since you know that the Lord always prepares a way to keep his commandments, you can expect that He will do that for each of you."

It's true! So go out and share it!