Workin' Along!

Hello everyone!

A baby kitty we found on the street!

I do believe I haven't sweat so much IN MY LIFE! It has been so crazy hot this last week! I kind of feel like a fried egg.........

BUT all is good with the work of the Lord here in Salaverry! Cynthia and her family are doing great this week! Her oldest daughter, Jasani, went to the stake girls camp they had this week and said that she had an AMAZING time! And her and her other daughter, Lisani, signed up for seminary too! The girls are super excited, just working on their mom a bit more because she has to work so much, but really wants to know more!

Martina and her family have hit a bit of a barrior. They started listening to some missionaries from another church and when we come they have so many questions about what we have taught. It's a bit sad how Satan can put doubts in their minds so fast. But like an apostle said, 'doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith' and it's so true! 

Just a funny story, we had a FHE with a member family about the Plan of Salvation. When we got to the end and I asked their 8-year old son, Helaman, what he needed to do to get to the Celestial Kingdom. He sat there for a second then said 'Lose weight' with a straight face! Then his mom said 'he thinks that if he is too fat, he'll fall out of the heavens'. IT WAS SO FUNNY! 'Cuse he's this little chubby kid and is just adorable. We have laughed about it all week!

And now to finish, I found this cool scripture when I was reading the other day. It's in Moses 6:33-34. The Lord is talking to Enoch and calling him to go preach the gospel.

 33 Say unto this people: Choose ye this day, to serve the Lord God who made you.

 34 Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.

I love the confidence that God had in Enoch, Even though Enoch didn't feel like he could or WHY the Lord would call him of all people. Surely there was another that could do a better job. And that's how it is with all us too. We're called to be missionaries, teachers, visiting teachers, mothers, fathers, etc. Because the Lord knows we CAN do it and do so well!

Love you ALL and have a wonderful week!

Hermana Stephenson

Our service project with the Elders lifting a bunch of vines that were falling down

A sunset here in Salaverry

Week of Miracles!

Hey everyone!!!!!!!

We were able to have a WONDERFUL week this week finding families to TEACH!!!! We've been praying so hard to be able to find people who are really searching for the truth and who will listen and follow the spirit. The other day the Elders gave us a reference from one of their less-actives. We decided, one day, to stop by. It's a humble little home and there lives Martina and her 4 kids! They let us in and we taught a bit about prayer and they all loved it. Later we taught about the Restoration using the gospel art book and they were just glued to it! Martina can't read, she grew up in the mountains where they hardly learn to read or write, and is a little slow to pick up on things. But her daughter Angela is 13 and is just a firecracker! I love her! She promised to help her mom and read to her and her siblings. It just struck me how amazing the youth can be. I mean Joseph Smith was only 14 when he had his question and saw God!

The other family was a reference of an active member. His cousin and her family had been passing through some experiences that made them READY and prepared to hear the gospel! The mom's name is Cynthia and she's got 3 kids. Her husband works in the mines in Chile and comes home for a few days every few months. But we taught them Saturday and the kids were so excited they came to church on their own on Sunday (Cynthia has to work)! We stopped by to bring them with us and Cynthia was like 'yeah, they already left!' It was so funny!

So overall a wonderful week. Besides the fact that our pensionista feed us chicken stomach the other day...... EEEEEEEWWW!!!! I can eat just about anything, but that was a bit much!

Just to end, I'd like to share a video that caught my eye this morning that I just LOOOOOVE! It's theme is one of my favorite scriptures in 3 Nefi 27:27.

Christ-like Attributes

Love you all and have a GREAT WEEK!!!! 

Hermana Stephenson

Sometimes you just gotta keep yourself entertained...........

When it Rains it Pours!

HOLA TODOS!!!!!

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!!!! Hope everyone is doing alright and enjoying life :) Here we are SUPER happy with the RAIN we actually got this week! For three days straight, it rained for like 4 hours in the afternoon and I ALMOST DIED OF HAPPINESS. It was so awesome! 

Not so awesome was the fact that here, NONE of the houses are prepared for rain with an actual roof that'll keep it out.  So they all flooded, expecially those that live on the outskirts of the town. But we got to go out and help a bunch of members clean their house out and get it all back in order. It made me realize what a blessing it is to have a ROOF to keep the rain out! 

We had a great week teaching Alejandro and Luis, two less active fishermen who were here this week for a break before they head out to fish for the next 12-15 days. They are really amazing and their wives and kids too are really wanting to go to the temple to be sealed. So that's what we are helping them achieve! 

Funny story, so when it was raining, We were just getting all wet (and it was awesome). It was just a warm rain. But we stopped at a members house to get a plastic trash bag to cover our backpacks and the sister was SO upset with us because we were so wet.  She was convinced we were going to get sick and all this stuff. We were just laughing as she piled us with towels and some warm water. AWESOME!

 

Well, just to end, (like always) I found a cool scripture in Mormon 9:28. 

 28 Be wise in the days of your probation; strip yourselvesof all uncleanness; ask not, that ye may consume it on your lusts, but ask with a firmness unshaken, that ye will yield to no temptation, but that ye will serve the true and living God.

This scripture seemed to be teaching me how to make good choices. To always make our choices so that we are serving God and not ourselves! It's something I'm learning here in the mission. When I make choices based on just ME then I don't get all the blessings or joy that the Lord might be willing to give me. But when I can think what it is that HE wants me to do, then I'm blessed as well as those around me who I'm serving! 

Love you all! Love serving here and learning every day!

Hermana Stephenson

Sun and Sports!

Hola todos! 

So sorry, but don't have much time this week! Just want to say that everyone is doing pretty good around here! Found a new investigator this week too! It's a guy named Hiroshi and he is the best friend of our ward mission leader! He was a bit nervous at first but as we taught, you could feel the spirit and see him begin to understand! The spirit really is the best teacher. He's going to be baptized in March.

Another cool thing, is that our stake is having an olympic tournament every Friday with all the wards.  Our ward is hosting all of it! It was so much fun to watch the ward get so excited and invite all their friends and less-actives! Me and my companion got to play volleyball and basketball (my first time playing basketball and I actually made a basket!) and it was a LOT of fun! The daughter of our landlady (who also feeds us) Mechi even came too! Her family are WAAAAY catholic, but little by little :)) 

Just to end, a little scripture I found! It's in Alma 1:25. It talks about how the members of the church of God faced a LOT of persecution from the people who didn't believe. But how they moved forward, steadfast and immovable. I love these two words. It reminds me of how the winds of the world want to blow us every which way. But when we trust in the Lord, we can become immovable and steadfast in ALL things. This chapter really taught me a lot and I loved it! The scriptures are so awesome!

Well, Love you all and hope you have a FANTASTIC week!

Hermana Stephenson

 When we went to this sweet Huaca. It's a cool ruin from a billion years ago. It's called the Huacas del Luna y del Sol if you wanta check it out,

 Us after our basketball game!!! SO tiring!!

What a week!

HOLA TODOS!! 

One part of my area

Hope that everyone is doin' alright! Things here in Salaverry are pretty chill (ha, punny....)! Funny story real fast, yesterday after church we walked out of the chapel and there were a BUNCH of people standing outside in what looked like a giant line. Turns out there was a HUGE cruise ship that had come into the port and was letting people go though and see it. Apparently it was like the top cruise ship from the states. I didn't have my camera so I couldn't take a picture!! It was crazy big and sooooo pretty :)

But other than that we really had a quiet week here! Got to go on....... intercambios? I'm not sure what that is in English!!! Like a change for a day with the sisters in Truijillo and it was super fun! But being in the city I almost DIED from the heat! But it was a great experience to see all the good that the sisters are doing in their area and to see their testimonies grow and grow!

We stopped buy Angels house a few times this week but couldn't ever come in contact with his family. But I just know there is a family that is waiting for us!  BUT AMAZING NEWS!!!!!!! Remember Jheremy? The kid who was scared of water and his parents were less actives in Chimbote?! Well HE GOT BAPTIZED on Saturday!!!!! And his whole family is coming to church strong!!! I couldn't go, but I got permission to call and talk to them and It was soooooo amazing. Lifted my spirits so much to know that he has started on the path to the celestial kingdom!

Well, just to finishI 'd like to share a cool scrpture. It's in Alma 13:28-29. Two things really stuck out to me: the first is when it talks about being LED BY THE SPIRIT. All the blessings promised in the first verse (humble, meek, patient, full of love) all come when we listen to the SPIRIT. It just made me realize just how important it is that we do all we can to keep the spirit with us at ALL times! Then the second part is about 'having the love of god always in your hearts'. We went  through some tough experiences this week that could make a person pretty bitter towards another. But The Atonment is REAL. And the love of God can be with us to wipe away pains and heartaches that maybe others have given us. It may be hard at first, but it's a MUCH better way to live!

But I love you all sooooo much!!!

Hermana Stephenson

Teaching the other sisters how to braid on P-Day

Making tacos on P-Day!

Me, my companion, and Heleman--He's so ADORABLE!