Monday, January 27, 2014

I love mail!

Good Old Rain!
¡Hola Familia!

We had a really good week this week! Finally got people to church and progressing!
 
First is Joy and Tristian. Ee met with them a ton this week! Met on Tuesday and read a little of the Book of Mormon explaining it on the way. We had our ward mission leader there helping out. He served in Salt Lake english/spanish so he speaks perfect English. He's from Colombia, the same mission Kalob is serving in. Anyways that lesson went really well and we read 3 nephi 11 and taught the importance of this being true. We then met with them again on Friday and taught the gospel of Jesus Christ. This Wednesday, we had a zone meeting and they challanged us to invite every one of our investigators and so we invited them for the 15th of Feburary and they accepted! They are really enjoying the lessons. They love when we come over, they can feel the difference. We then met another time Sunday night and taught the 10 commandments. we were able to get them a book in Tagolog and so they really understand the doctrine. They are doing really well and we just hope they keep progressing towards the 15th. They are going to be moving this week and so we are having a couple members that speak English come help us to get them some friends in the church.
 
Got my Mail!
The next progressing investigator is Alberto. We weren't able to meet this week because of some emergency but he came to church on Sunday! We had ward conference that day and so we had some really good talks. He enjoyed it a lot and was able to make good friends with some of the members. In fact one of my MTC teachers was there because she has a stake calling with the young women and so she was talking to me, then I introduced her to him and they talked for roughly 10-15 minutes. I just wish she was in our ward. He made good friends with some Brazilians because they both speak Portuguese.

Wednesday, we passed by Julio, I think I talked about him. The blind guy that served in the US Air Force. We gave a little service to him and shared a little from the plano de salvaçáo (Portuguese). It was a very good lesson. With his phone he is able to call the United States and wanted to talk to mom and dad but I didn't feel comfortable with him calling. He wants you two to know how much he appreciates you two for letting me come out here to Spain. He is just very grateful for the service we give him. Other than that we just contacted, found some really great people.
 
Cool drawing from Ariela's letter
 
Thursday, we passed by our Brazilian family again and once again they were home! It was a huge blessing. He had just gotten done eating and only had 30 minutes before he had to go back and so we had a short lesson about the Book of Mormon. It was a really powerful lesson and he understands the importance of it in recieving an answer, expecially since he doesn't always understand us. We also met with our investigator Fernando and taught him the rest of the plan of salvacion. He is doing well but his work is getting in the way. He also wants a special letter from the prophet to his parents in Santo Domingo inviting his parents to Utah to visit Temlple Square. That one is a little hard to do.  =/

Friday, I got to do companion exchanges with Elder Fonseca. I entered the MTC with him so it was kind of cool working with him that day. That was the day we hit 6 months in the mission. It's so sad to see the time pass by so quickly but I guess that's why we need to work our hardest while we still have the time because 6 months came quick! Anyway,  that day we went and met with Pablo and had a really good lesson with him. He really has a strong testimony and needs to get baptized. He will be talking to his parents on the 31st and so we will see what happens! We then met with Samuel again and he wants to find out it's true just doesn't do the stuff to find out it's true. So we taught him the importance reading, praying, and coming to church really has in ones conversion.
 

another drawing from Ariela- Disney Birthday pin!

Saturday morning, we met with Omar and shared a little from the Book of Mormon and tried to figure out what to do to get him and his girlfriend married. Hopefully they can start making plans to do that. We then met with Adriana and her mother and had a really good lesson there. They really feel like this is the truth but they keep on not coming to church. We are going to try and get a member that can bring them to the church.

Sunday, we had a really good ward conference. Later that night, we had a fireside put on by the missionaries and the Jacksons talking about missionary work for the members. Sadly the ones that showed up were the ones that actually do missionary work but "it's all good." It was a great meeting and hopefully it will help the ones that do some do more because there is much to be done. 
 
We went Bowling on P-Day  = )

This was our week that we had. It was a very progressive one. Hope everyone has a great week. Mom & Dad have a safe trip to Pennsylvania and enjoy the baptism. Tell the twins, "I'm excited for them!" love you all! 

-Elder Stevenson

P.S. If anyone has mission appropiate music, can you send it to me? I have a pin drive so I can just put it on there. Thanks!

Monday, January 20, 2014

Donuts and Soccer Jerseys!

Donuts!

Hola Familia! 

We had a really good week this week. Not as busy as last week but we got a lot of work done and saw a ton of miracles!

Monday, we passed by Joy and Tristian. We went to give them a Book of Mormon and were able to teach them a little bit. It was really great because Tristian had an experiene that day with work. He was about to lose a ton of work hours but he deided to pray about it like we taught him and instead of losing hours he got more! He was telling us that he was super confused and was asking if it was a sign from God. So we taught him that when we put our faith in Him, He blesses us. We went by again yesterday and brought our ward mission leader Ricky, who served in Salt Lake and so he speaks perfect English! We had a great lesson about the Plan of Salvation and extended an invitation to be baptized and they accepted! They are making great progress. We just need them to come to church! Hopefully now that they have a friend in the church they will come. We will be meeting with them on Tuesday so we are really going to emphasize that in the lesson.

New Soccer Jerseys!   Thanks for the Christmas $$$  I  got this one because the stadium was in my last area. Passed by it all the time.  = ) 
 
 
Tuesday, we had a huge miracle! I mean HUGE. we had this reference of a guy named Noelio so we were trying to call and pass by his house so much but never got an answer! So on Tuesday, one of our appointments canceled us and so Elder Lloyd asked if we had the faith that he would be there? We both turned to each other and said he will be there with full faith. While we were on the metro on our way there, we get a text from his phone saying he thinks we were confused with the wrong number because he doesn't speak spanish very well. He speaks Portuguese. We get to his house and he was there! We had a great first lesson with him and his wife. It's a great thing the gift of tounges is real because we were able to understand him and he understood us!. It will be really hard to meet with them though because he doesn't know when he will be working and not.

 
Wednesday, we met with Pablo again. We had a really great lesson and we think he will talk to his parents soon. It was basically a lesson of testimony sharing with all 3 of us and the spirit was really strong.

Thursday morning, we had to go to the city hall type thing to let them know I am living here and Elder Lloyd had to do something with his residency. I see a man with a PWC backpack so of course I talk to him. He just started there this week. It was cool telling him I have a brother that works there too but he was very surprised when I said he works at an office in California. He said it was a little far from here. Too bad he didn't want to hear the message of the gospel. 

Friday, we taught Marlen. She really isn't receptive to new thoughts and so she told us that she didn't want to meet with us anymore. But she said she has friends that may be interested and so she is going to give us those.

Saturday, we had a really good day. In the morning we met with Omar and Ricky helped us there too. We taught about the 10 commandments and tied it in to the law of chastity and that's when we found out they are not married. So we have to work that out before they get baptized. We then met with Alberto and he is doing well. We taught the Plan of Salvacion and he really liked that. Eternal families really touched his heart because his parents died when he was young. He was raised in a Catholic orphanage. We then taught Adrianna, the one here in Madrid and her mother. And they had read a ton of the Book of Mormon! We talked about it and shard a lot of testimony. They told us that Jesus Christ coming to the Americas just seems right and logical and then they pulled out John 10:16 "And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd."  They were super animated about it. We think things will start picking up with them very soon.

So this was our week. We had tons of great experiences! It has also been cold and rainy. Happy Birthday Mom! have a great week! Love You!
 
-Elder Stevenson

Monday, January 13, 2014

Mas delgado y mejor Español

Me and Elder LLoyd
Hola familia!

This week went really really well! I have no clue how to tell you all the people we taught!

So Monday when we got there, we went and taught a lady who was baptized the week I  left Majadahonda and she hadn't been back to church since her confirmation. We feel like she only did it because she was getting pressured by her uncle to do it : (   So we are working with her to bring her back. 
 
A few more good bye pics from last week

Our District in Madrid

Tuesday, we went out to Majadahonda and had a couple lessons.  The first was with Adriana, a lady Elder Gillam and I found knocking doors. She gladly let us in and we taught her and her son the restoration again. It was a great lesson. said she would come to church on Sunday but didn't.   : (   Then we passed by Manuel and Gretel. Manuel wasn't there so we just talked a little by the door and right as we were leaving he came walking up so we ended up having one with them.
 


Wednesday, we went and taught a lady named Marlen. She is very evangelist and was hard to get to. She was very interupting and cut in with her doctrine. We then went and taught a lady who lives by the KPMG building, named Adriana. She is very interested but we just had a short lesson in the lobby of her building because no members were able to help us out.
 
Thursday, we taught a less active family who had a death in the family a couple years ago and they are very hurt mentally from it. It was sad to see but we promised that he would be with his wife again. 

Friday, we had an amazing day! Started out with Pablo, a 19 year old kid, who lived in Utah and investigated the church and knows it is true but is deathly afraid to tell his parents. He basically taught us the Plan of Salvation because he knows it all. He is going to try and talk to his parents soon. Then we taught a man named Juan Carlos. Good lesson but he is not very interested. He has his views and doesn't want to change. We had a lesson in the street while walking back home for medio dia but then after didn't want to hear more. Then we taught  Alberto first time meeting with him and he had his beliefs but was willing to learn more and find out if these things are true. We also taught a man named Fernando and set a baptismal date for him. He is a very good man and hope it works out but he works a ton!

CRAZY!!!

Saturday, We met with a family and set a date with them too. They are very interested and read the Book of Mormon a lot. Then Elder Lloyd got sick and so we just did area book at home.

Sunday, he wasn't feeling better but still went to church of course. All the members were so shocked and happy when they saw me. Especially the ones from Majadahonda. "Mas delgado y mejor Español" (skinnier and better spanish) is all I heard all day. It was really funny. We then had a lesson with Joy and Tristian, a little Pilipino family we contacted in a post office. We had to send a letter to the mission office and so we went and they were in there and their daughter kept running up to us and yelling HI! in English. So we went over and talked to the family. We had a great first lesson with them and they invited us back for more. We are very excited to see what happens there.

Well that has been my week. Meeting tons of new people and finding tons to teach. Super excited to work here! Oh and with She opened the door and she was breathing super hard. They asked if everything was ok and she said that she was in labor! They rescheduled. So I think she now has little baby Kimberly!

Have a great week everyone. Love you all!

-Elder Stevenson
goodbyes to Elder Piñiero     : ( 




Monday, January 6, 2014

Seis Semana Suerte

Empty Madrid!  New Year's Day
Hola Familia!

You are all going to be very surprised but I am getting transferred today! I was very surprised also but I know why I need to go. I am headed of back to Madrid 1, the ward that serves Majadahonda and the area where Leidy´s boy friend lives. I will explain that later.
 
                                   Abuelita  (little grandma) Nicest lady ever! We ate at her house on Christmas Day.




The one in the center has a mental disability and every week she tried to hug me. It was so sad to have to turn down.











This week we have been working very hard with Leidy to get her baptized this week. But unfortunately, it didn't happen, but we made huge progress with her. She told us her story and she told us why she wants to be baptized. She was in a park for a family gathering the day after she had been taught by the missionaries and she was reading the Book of Mormon. She came across a scripture talking about the spirit and baptism. She said that she felt something different that day. We explained to her that it was the spirit testifying to her and she just lit up with the biggest smile. We explained to her that she knows these things are true and so she needs to be baptized. She agreed. We are working things out with her mom. Then she said that she wants an eternal family since her baby is about to be born. And that she wants her boy friend to know of the gospel and so she gave us his information. Now this is why I need to leave. This is who the Lord needs me to go teach. Her boyfriend lives in Las Rozas which is in my new area! We had a lesson with them 30 minutes ago and they brought that up. The spirit just hit me super strong that this is what I need to go do. It was sad to say bye to this area and Elder Tanner so quick. But I am content with it. I did things here that I know that I specifically needed to be here for. Iris the less active from Mostoles is now coming to church every week and if I hadn't been here she would have just been passed by. 
 

Leidy, Ramber, y Yamil

 




Hermana Adair y Dieze















We had some other appointments with Nicasia also the mother of the member that is in Vienna. she really opened up to us more about her doubts. We asked if she had been reading and said no so we promised her that every doubt that she has will be gone if she reads and prays about that book and she was very pleased with that. she is a great lady that wants to know but struggles.
 

Angel. he's the  son of one of our investigator's.













We really cleaned up this area a lot this transfer. Missionaries are going to be very happy when they come here. We had a good week, ended strong and we just hope the best for these people here. They have a lot of potential and know the truth but at times get strayed. I'm excited for this new area and will be working hard out there. Well I have to go hop on a train soon and still need to write president. Have a great week! love you all!

-Elder Stevenson

This morning at Yamil's house with all of their family.

 
Yamil, Leidy, y Ramber
 
 


My train ride went safe here in the north of Madrid. I'm with Elder Lloyd. He is from Roy Utah and has been in the field a little less than a year. He started in March. He also has a sister with the same due date as Hilary!