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!  

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!

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

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

Opening and Training, Round 2

Well, here I am, sitting in Assen and being pretty happy with life right now, especially missionary work. We had a very adventurous transfer day up to Assen on Wednesday, with all my stuff, including my bike, plus all of my new companion's stuff. I'm grateful that we made it. There was a member at the station to help us with our bags to our new apartment, so that was great. Sister W. is my new companion! And she is wonderful. Very ready to work, very fun to work with, and very great just all around. She's from Salt Lake City and was going to Utah State before, studying biological engineering. We're going to get along great.

Assen is wonderful. It is a beautiful city, and relatively small, which is nice. Our area reaches pretty far down south, to Meppel, but so far we've mostly been working in Assen. We don't have too many investigators yet, it's taking a little while to pick up where the Elders left off 3 transfers ago, but we're working on it, slowly but surely. We still managed to get a couple of on the door lessons in, which is always exciting. The branch LOVES us. Everyone is always so excited to see us, even those who don't come to church often, which is cool. And we love them! Great things are in store for Assen!

Thought for the week, from Elder Hales' Conference talk from last October: "For many, the call to be a Christian can seem demanding, even overwhelming. But we need not be afraid or feel inadequate. The Savior has promised that He will make us equal to His work. 'Follow me,' He said, 'And I will make you fishers of men.' As we follow Him, He blesses us with gifts, talents, and the strength to do His will, allowing us to go beyond our comfort zones and do things we've never before thought possible." (to read the rest of the talk too, click here) It's true! I know it, and the gospel is true too. 

To Assen

So, here's the verdict on transfers. I'm leaving for Assen (sounds kind of like awesome, I don't think that's a coincidence) on Wednesday, via Leiden to pick up another brand new missionary, fresh off the airplane tomorrow. So I'll be training again! Assen sounds great, and the accent is sure to be different. It's been closed for the last 3 transfers, and they've never had sisters before, so it will definitely be an adventure. Sister A. will be staying here and training too! I'm way pumped for the baptisms scheduled for Saturday. I won't get to see them, but I've had the privilege of being a part of the whole teaching experience, and that has been wonderful. We're revving up for more miracles in Assen.

On a prompting on Saturday we went by a referral that had seemed not too positive (but we were going to give them another chance). Met a man on the door a few doors down in a wheelchair instead, and he took a Book of Mormon. We testified of the Plan of Salvation (and of course the Resurrection) and set up a return appointment. The people we went to see weren't home. So always follow those promptings, you never know why you get them!

Stay strong in the gospel. Always. Some of the hardest appointments I have been in have been with members who have decided that they have something better and are now inactive. What could be better than eternal life? The gospel is true. The Church is true. Not everyone in the church is perfect (actually, no one in the church is), but it's still true.

And so the work continues...faster and faster every day

Hoi!

So this week was one of the best weeks we've had so far, which is awesome because it means that hopefully we'll be finishing the transfer up strong. Transfer calls are next week Sunday or Monday morning, so you'll find out then what I'll be doing for the 6 weeks following July 24th. I will be too. But, now for some updates:

The family that is getting baptized next week (the 27th) is so solid! We had two lessons with them this week and they are the best people ever. I love them so much. This week for ward council Bishop lined up joint teaches (all from the ward council) for all of the rest of their lessons, so that they can be as welcomed and fellowshipped as possible. We had two lessons with another family we've been working with, and although the kids aren't ready to set a date yet, they are excited to have the lessons again and hopefully are all set up to be reading out of the Book of Mormon and Book of Mormon stories. Also, they should be coming to the baptism next week! Which I think will help a lot. Exchanges with Breda this week were awesome--I was with Sister N. again in Heerlen for a day.

Some thoughts for the week. It is our responsibility to open our mouths to teach. It is others' responsibility to open their hearts to listen. Remember that at one point or another we are every one of the people in the story of the Prodigal Son-- both sons and the father. No matter where we are, we can always come back, and those who are waiting for us to do so (the important ones at least) are waiting with open hearts and open arms, and with great joy. The gospel is true.

I gave a talk this week (in Dutch): if you want the most important part, it's in Elder Holland's talk "The First and Great Commandment" from October Conference. (click here to read)

Love love and more love,

Zuster Stevens