Tuesday, September 22, 2015

Semana De Milagros!


Hola TODOS!

Well, its definitely OFFICIAL. Summer has come early here! It has been a week of sun, sun, and more sun! Its actually suppose to be winter still, but with the whole air current of ''El Nino'' coming in, it's totally changed the weather patterns here. AND all the kids have to go to school on Saturdays too because El Nino brings torrential downpours and the schools have to close a lot. So every time we ask the kids how they're doing they're all bummed because they have to go to school! Que triste.

BUT! On to this week: we got to have a sweet multi-zone confrence with Presidente and it was awesome! Learned a whole lot about Unity and love for everyone. When me and Hermana Carbajal were able to apply those principles to our daily teachings, we were able to see so many miracles!

First off, we got a call from the Bishop one day and aparently there is a family of less-actives that moved into our ward that want to come back to church because they have a 9 year old son, Jheremy, who isn't baptized! So we were able to go to their house and teach them and Jheremy is AWESOME. Super attentive and wants to learn more. We're planning a baptismal service for him for after General Conference!

Also, we were knocking on doors when we were able to meet Susan! She's studying to be a dentist! I told her that my dad is a dentist too and after a bit of talking she invited us in and we were able to teach her. AND she came to church yesterday with us! She's super interested and wants to learn more.
And Alondra's doing pretty great. She has such a great spirit and desires to be baptized, but her parents are pretty against it. But the other day we had the impression to teach her about fasting and we were able to fast with her yesterday so that her parents might understand. So I know something good's going to happen. But its all in the Lord's time.

Just to finish, I'd like to share a new favorite scripture! Its in D&C 6:13. I've only got my scriptures in spanish with me right now, but it talks about how the GREATEST of all the gifts of God is salvation. And if we have faith and are fiel, we WILL recieve this gift. And it gives me hope that even though we might fall and make mistakes, we can ALWAYS repent and have that hope to gain eternal life with our families.
Love you all and love being able to help these people here gain that gift which is the GREATEST gift of all: salvation.
Hermana Stephenson

P.S. My companion from the MTC, Hermana Updaul was at the Muli-zona!!! She was in mission Trujillo and I was in Lima Oeste, but now we're both in TRUJILLO SUR!

Me and Hermana Updaul


All of us that came from the Lima West Mission

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Conferencia de Estaca!


Hola todoooooooooos!!!!

Hope everyone had a fantastic week this week! Things over here are pretty sweet. :) Still looking for people to teach, but I've come to recognize the wisdom in Dori's theme: 'just keep swimming, just keep swimming!'

Our investigator, Alondra, is really progressing! She's reading and finding her answers and wanting to learn more. Things in her family are getting so much better and she even got to share the little pamphlets that we gave her to her CRAZY catholic grandpa! She told us she was kind of scared of what he would say, but he listened and was super impressed with how she was changing her life for the better. She was so happy to share a bit of this gospel with her family and it made me realize that ANYONE, no matter how much they know, can share this gospel and receive the blessings of joy and peace that come! So get out there and share! :)

Funny story time: so there is this old couple in our ward who have a big flock (herd, pose, I don't know what its called!) of cuy! (its pronounced 'coo-i') They're the big fat guinea pigs that they EAT here. Anyway, so we were out back helping them clean out the little pen that they keep 'em in and I was like 'awww they're so cute!!' and my companion (who is Peruvian) was like 'yuuummm. I want one on my plate!' Quite the culture difference there!! We had a good laugh :)

Also, another theme from this week was our stake conference! It was AMAZING. One of the Area 70 came and it was fantastic. He spoke about families and how we should build the lives of our families and our homes around the Savior. How EVERY aspect of our family life WILL improve if we look to HIS example. I loved thinking about how in my life right now I can build more strongly on the rock of the Savior and it made me think about Nephi when he was building the ship. That the Lord knew how the ship would work, but the Lord didn't show him all at once how to build it. It was bit by bit that the Lord showed him how to work the timbers of the ship (1 Nephi 18:1). And its so true in our lives! That the Lord won't tell us what is going to happen or why certain things are happening in our lives, but he will show us and guide us bit by bit as we trust in him, study the scriptures and the words of the living prophet and apostles, and pray.

Love you all so much and I love being a missionary! Peru is the greatest place on earth!
Hermana Stephenson

And here are some pictures of the CUY!!!


Monday, September 7, 2015

What a week!



Hola Everyone!!
I hope everyone´s had a great week! Things over here yonder in peru are kicking up! With a new companion, it takes a bit to mesh our teaching styles and how we work, but once they do, BAM! Miricles!
This week we had a baptism!! Zilary is 20 and has had SUCH a hard journey to get to her baptism!! Her family kicked her out of the house and a million other things. But she is SO strong and SO steadfast in Christ, its amazing. I learned so much from her in this last month we´ve been teaching her. The spirit was so strong during her baptism and after, she was just crying she was so happy! It was one of the most spiritual experiences I´ve had on me mission! There really are people prepared for the gospel. People who are just waiting to be found! It made me want to work that much harder to find them!

Also,a crazy cool miricle yesterday! We were short our goal of 15 new investgators and were just praying and searching for a family that would be receptive to the gospel and are prepared to be baptized and enter the temple in a year. Because that´s the end goal of all this, THE TEMPLE! And at church yesterday, a recent convert told us that she gave a book of mormon to a friend and the friend wants to know more! So we went with her to her friend house and it turns out that she´s MARRIED (for 25 years!) and has 8 kids who all but 1 are over 8! We taught them about family home eaving and they are super interested! So pray for the family of Sandra and Jose!

Other than that, not much! Lots of work and teaching! And we had an old investigator show up at church yesterday, Juan Saminego! So mircles are real!
I love this work and testify of the truthfullnes of the Book of Moromon! It changes lives! I´ve been reading in Alma 37 about prayer and holding fast to the truth! I love it!
Have a great week!!
Hermana Stephenson

Sunshine Days!


HOOOOOOLA!!!!

Well, it was quite the week here. LOTS OF SUN!!! Its kinda crazy actually. Right now its winter and because we're on the coast, its ALWAYS cloudy and usually a bit windy. Its probably like early fall weather back at home, but here everyone is freezing! They think I'm some sort of yetti from the north that's immune to the cold. Its pretty great :) But I DID end up getting sun burned this week and my companion said I look like a tomato!! Aaand its kinda true. The curse of being white..... THE SUN.

ANYWAY, this week was pretty crazy! We FINALY were able to have our big ward activity!! A night of family games and there actually was a good turn out of members!! We decorated the gym and had music and everyone had a great time! There were some non-members, less-actives that came too! So that was super great. We were having so much fun that we barely made it home it time! Love it.

As for a bit of an update, Alondra came to church yesterday!!! WOT! Miracles really do happen. She even brought her two younger siblings! She said that she really loved it and is excited for us to come back! We so very excited for her and her progress.

Other than that, lots of searching and perserverance! I ALWAYS learn a specific lesson in each area that I've been in, and here I've definitely learned about the importance of perservering with FAITH always! I love in James 1:1-6 it really teaches us about patience and praying with FAITH. I've always known about James1:5 that Joseph Smith read, but the other verses really touched my heart this week while I was studying the other day. Because Joseph Smith didn't just come up with his question of which church to join in a day. It was a long process of searching dilligently and with patience, looking for his answer. And I know that's how the Lord works in our lives. Its a journey really. And when we finally receive an answer, we'll look back and realize that we actually learned lot more than we ever thought possible!

Love you all and have a great week!!
Hermana STephenson

Our decorations for the activity! Sorry I don't have any more! We were sooooo busy running around all night. I took a bunch of videos, but I cant send them!!!


Wednesday, September 2, 2015

What a week!


Hoooooooooooola a todos! Como estan este semana? :)
Well, hope everything is going great for all you guys! This week was quite to week of WALKING for us down here in Chimbote! But hey, is great exercise :)

Freddie and David are doing pretty great! Going to Institute together and making friends from the other wards too. We're planing a temple trip probaly next month or so to go to Trujillo with them and Luiggi! I'm so excited!!

We've really struggled with finding new people to teach this week, lots of knocking doors and talking to people in the streets, BUT Alondra, our only investigator, is really progressing!! AND her mom, Jakie, is also interested and wants to learn more.. They are passing through some rough times as a family and they both commented what a miricle it was that we came into their lives just at this moment when they really needed God in their lives. It just shows to me more and more how the Lord knows each and everyone of us and our lives and problems. And he'll provide ways to help us along and through our dark times! And as a missinary, we'll be led to thoes who need us!

AND this week FOR SURE we're going to have our huge ward missionary activity! We're doing a night of family games (kind of like Aspen Follies mom!) and having the members invite all their friends and everything. And a bit of a surprise yesterday, because it was a 5th sunday, the bishop stopped us in the hall and wanted US to give the lesson to pretty much the WHOLE ward about giving references and helping them invite their friends to hear the gospel! I was so nervous!!! But it went pretty good (I hope!). So we're all pretty excited for Friday.

Okay quik funny story. The other day we were knocking on doors and this old lady answered the door all happy, but when she saw who we were she just scowled and shut to door! We stood there for a second when we heard someone inside yell 'who was it?' and then the old lady yell back 'TESTIGOS!' (that's what we call Jehovas Witnesses or Testigos de Jevova). Me and my companion were like NOOOOOOOOOO!!! It was great :)

Lastly, I've been studying a lot about Humility this week. It's actualy quite a deep subject and I've really liked reading about it. In Jacob 4:6-7 Jacob is teaching that the Lord will show us weakness so that we can learn to come to the Savior, and that through HIS grace and love and power, we CAN do the things which are needed of us. Sometimes I feel as though I'm holding the world on my shoulders, but in reality, I'm just being more prideful than humble. Christ suffered and bore our pains for us. And he's there waiting to help us with our burdens! So just trust in His power to do so and look dilligently in your life what the Lord wishes for you to learn and acomplish, because he'll help!

Love you all and have a great week!
Hermana Stephenson