There Is Strength In Numbers

Hello Family,

This week I have been thinking a lot about how I have changed as a person and how that has improved my ability to be a missionary. I went onto my mormon.org profile for the first time in months. In fact I haven't been on it since before my mission. I read the things that I had written and it made me realize actually how much I had changed. But change can be good depending on what is being changed. Something I have seen change in myself is how I love people. Like I am constantly wanting the best for complete strangers. I am constantly thinking of ways that I can help others.

Something I studied a little this week was integrity. Integrity is doing what's right when nobody is looking. I think that is why I am constantly trying to change. Something people say when we ask them what they noticed about the members of our church is that we have very good morals. Integrity is not just having high morals but living them as well. Something that was said in a BYU speech I read about integrity was that "when we have integrity we can not be bought for a price." That is a trait that isn't found in everyone. We should always strive to be like Christ. Christ was the perfect example. I know that it is through the Savior and his atonement that we can be cleansed from sin and return back to our Heavenly Father. I love Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father and I hope that someday when I return back to them I will be told "Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord." (Matthew 25:23)

Sunday 05/28/2017

Harry Bonner (from the mormon message "I am here") came and spoke to our ward. It was a very interesting talk. The entire thing was about how we can talk to God about anything because he is our father and he wants to hear from us. I also got to shake his hand, which was pretty cool. Keidi was extremely happy when we began talking to her and through our lesson. It pleases me to see the change she has had within herself and to see how happy she is. We also talked with Nate. He is starting to get help for his daughter which is fantastic. I hope from the bottom of my heart that she is able to grow and to live, and that Nate's able to support her although I have never met him and his family.

Monday 05/29/2017

I went on exchanges today. I was companions with Elder Southwick for the whole day. We started the day by talking with Josefine. She went to a baptism on Saturday and she said that it was a really special experience for her. Josefine said that she was crying throughout the baptism because of the spirit that was there. She saw the boy that was being baptized that received a red scripture pencil after he had come to the meeting room where everybody was. Josefine said that she thought that was really cool. The next day at church two people gave her red pencils. She loves it. There were also four new missionaries that started at the referral center today.

Tuesday 05/30/2017

Elder Massimo De Feo of the seventy came and talked to us for Devotional. Some things that he said were "when the spirit tells us to do something, we need to have the courage to do it." Also, "when you are set apart, you are literally set apart from the world. You are set apart to fulfill the covenant that you made at your baptism." He gave us three tips to follow. 1). Plan to succeed, so you can succeed on the plan. 2). You should follow the spirit even when it changes your plan. 3). Rely on the lord after all you can do.

Wednesday 05/31/2017

Josefine said that she might get baptized on 10th, which is amazing because her original date was in August. She said that she really wants to come closer to God and find her place in God's plan.

Thursday 06/01/2017

I saw Sister (Natalie) Stevenson at breakfast. Her district sat at the table next to the one the referral center missionaries sit at. She also introduced me to her companion (Sister Mecham) and an old co worker. I started teaching The plan of Salvation in my Spanish class today. I got feedback in English from the teacher that was playing the investigator. He said that I have a really good vocabulary and I know what I want to say but that I don't always conjugate my verbs correctly. So I can work on that.

Friday 06/02/2017

Today was a super good day. We talked to Kaitlyn this morning. We talked about keeping the law of the fast and fast offering. The lesson went really well. We asked her to fast with a purpose this Sunday and she agreed to do it. Kaitlyn is moving into her mom's house who is an inactive member. The great thing is that we gave her the local missionaries' number, but she doesn't want to have the lessons at her mom's house. What's so great about Kaitlyn's mom is that even though she is not a member anymore she still raised Kaitlyn with the standards of the church, so Elder Savoie and I are hoping that Kaitlyn's mom can remember the good experiences she had come back to church.

Saturday 06/03/2017

Elder Savoie and I went to a place for lunch called Spicy Thai. I have never been there before. We both got orange chicken and it was really good. When they brought us our fortune cookies in my attempt to open the fortune cookie it dropped on the floor. I set the two broken pieces on my plate and took the paper and read it. "Learn Chinese" is what it said, I was super confused. Elder Savoie told me to turn the paper around and then I found my actual fortune. The real fortune said "Keep your plans secret for now." Elder Savoie's fortune was "Don't ever slam a door, you might want to go back."

I have one more funny story. Elder Savoie and I went to Walmart again because we finished up our loaves of bread that we use for sandwiches on Friday and on Sunday and the paper plates that we use to put our sandwiches on. So a few weeks ago Elder Withers, Elder Arndt, Elder Savoie, and I were at the big Walmart and Elder Savoie asked Elder Arndt to hold his bread and not to drop it. Elder Arndt dropped it by accident and then I took it confident that I wouldn't drop it and I did by accident as well. Elder Withers thought it was so funny that it was only Elder Savoie's bread that was being dropped. Elder Savoie held his bread this time and dropped it. He then said to me "Don't tell Elder Withers."

I know that Jesus Christ is my savior, my brother, and my king. I know that in this world of darkness Jesus Christ will be the light that brightens our path. God is our Father and He did send us here for a purpose. We are all children of God, and He loves us. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Con amor,

Elder Stevenson