The Great Plan of Happiness

Hello Family

This week has been a very special week very spiritual.

On Wednesday, we had the opportunity to meet with Elder Dyches from the Second Quorum of the 70. We had a great meeting talking a lot about pure testimony, diligence, motives-pure desire to serve the Lord, becoming master teachers, and gaining the trust of members. It was a very good meeting we learned a lot that we can apply to missionary work.

The next day, we had the mission leadership counsel and Elder Dyches was there as well. We talked a lot about desires and agency. How to not let the things around us affect us. A lot of times missionaries blame the area or companions or the members. The lazy man finds an excuse the dedicated man finds a way. It was a very inspiring meeting that can really help us all in all times.

 

 

It was really surprising for me as well to hear of grandpa's passing. President Jackson called right before personal study and I had planned that day to study more of the Plan of Salvation because that is what we were to be teaching our investigator that day. As President Jackson told me the news, I was calm; completely calm. I sat there for the first couple of minutes and just stared at a picture I have in Preach My Gospel of Jesus Christ standing with his arms wide spread.

 

 

That was my study on the Plan of Salvation. The spirit and peace I felt knowing that he is O.K. in the spirit world with his eternal companion was just what I needed to be able to declare to that investigator the truth of these things. I always loved grandpa because that's all he ever did to anyone else, declare the truth of these things. I'm thankful for the knowledge I have that he will be with grandma forever.

Some of my favorite scriptures are found in Alma. I love how he describes what Jesus has taken for us. in chapter 7 it says:

 

 11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.

 12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.

Then, I love these words found in chapter 40.

11... -- Behold, it has been made known unto me by an angel, that the spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.

 12 And then shall it come to pass, that the spirits of those who are righteous are received into a state of happiness, which is called paradise, a state of rest, a state of peace, where they shall rest from all their troubles and from all care, and sorrow.

and I absolutely cherish the words of Moroni 10

 32 Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.

 33 And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ, and deny not his power, then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God, through the shedding of the blood of Christ, which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins, that ye become holy, without spot.

 34 And now I bid unto all, farewell. I soon go to rest in the paradise of God, until my spirit and body shall again reunite, and I am brought forth triumphant through the air, to meet you before the pleasing bar of the great Jehovah, the Eternal Judge of both quick and dead. Amen.

This is the example the scriptures have left us, as well as grandpa. He loves the Lord and has served him faithfully all his life, may we all learn from his Christ like example.

 

The week ended with the baptism of German it turned out very well. Christian the man that was baptized two weeks ago baptized him so it was very special for us. I was able to do the confirmation for him and it was just a great way to end off the week.

I thank you all for your support. I feel your prayers daily. Missionary work isn't just a missionary affair, it's a family affair so I thank you for all you do to support me. I love being here. Everyday is more and more special and sacred for me.

Hope you all have a great week.

-Love 

Elder Stevenson

 

 

 

Quick funny story, at the church the water comes out brown sometimes. So we started filling the font for the baptism and it turnded brown. = /  So we tried pulling the plug and it broke! I had to get in to pull it.

Happy Vaentines Day!

 

HEY FAMILY

Happy Valentines Day!

I will probably get your valentines on Thursday at the mission tour with Elder Dyches of the 70.

We had an absolutly amazing week this week! On monday we go to meet with German, the guy getting baptized on Saturday. He had invited someone that lives in the same building as him to meet with us. Her name is Mara. She is 16 from Paraguay and she looks exactly like Krista!! I showed her a picture and she was freaking out because they are pretty similar. We have already met with her 4 times. She has read about 10 chapters of the Book of Mormon and come to church already, has a best friend in church, and she wants to get baptized! The best part is her mom is totally ok with it. 

German is doing well, super prepared for his baptism. We still have a bit left to teach. Tomorrow he is going to have his baptismal interview. So hopefully all goes well.
 

Being zone leaders, we get to do a lot of companion exchanges. This week I did one with Elder Brownell, a missionary that was in the MTC with me. It was really cool. We had a super good day. He was one of the missionaries I went to the park with to contact one of the Saturdays. I got to see an ex-sister missionary who was in my district and zone for about a year of my mission. She lives in that area and came to help us with some lessons. It was super cool. 

Then I went to their district meeting to see how they are and after as a district we ate pancakes. SOOOO GOOOODDDD!!! HaHa! Also this week in the appartment we found a waffle iron! Let's just say we have had waffles a LOT for breakfast. Pretty soon we will get sick of it. 

While on exchanges, Elder Hawks met with a man and his wife that we had found a bit before. They are also from Paraguay. The husband is a member and she isn't but he wants to come back and she wants to get baptized.

Barrio 2 is just full of miracles right now. People are getting excited about the work! We had 12 member present lessons so they are getting out there with us and we are having success. We honestly need the members help to get these people progressing.

Well hope you all had a great week. Love you!

-Elder Stevenson

 

BAPTISM!

MADRID!

Hey everyone!

This week went really well! Sounds like a couple of you were sick and so was I. Just the stomach flu for a day but I'm over it now. 

It was a great baptismal service. Christian's mom was actually able to come from Valencia to see the baptism which is really cool because she isn't a member. It was a really spiritual service so hopefully she could feel the presence of the spirit. A member did the baptism and the bishop confirmed him yesterday. Such great member relationships so all is well with him! = )

 

We are also working really well with German. He is progressing super well. He came to the baptism and is now super excited to be baptized. He origionally was going to get baptized in London because that's where his fiancee lives and she's a member. But she is actually going to come down here because he wants his member friends here to be at the baptism as well. We had a really cool experience. We met with him Tuesday and made sure he was reading and praying and he actually hadn't been praying. So we re-explained the importance of prayer expecially asking about the Book of Mormon. The next day we met as well and he had prayed 3 times since the visit! The people that progress are those that IMEDIATLY apply what they learn into their lives. If not, they forget and never end up doing it. 

We also met a really cool person Monday night. Her name is Karina. She is from Peru. We met with her on Friday and she is super prepared! We had an amazing lesson. She understood the Restoration so well. She also came to the baptismal service and just loved it. We are going to put a date with her this week.

The work is going well. Hope everyone has a great week. Love you!

-Elder Stevenson
 

Madrid Temple

Cathedral

 

COLD!!!

 

Hey Family! 

Madrid has been really warm lately only like 55 degrees. Not even bad and so we thought winter would be done soon. Well the groundhog didn't see his shadow here today. Yesterday the temperatures dropped and today it was snowing so there goes that, but things are still going well!

This week was a really good week. We were just preparing Christian for baptism and he is sooo ready. We took him to the bishop's house for lunch on Friday and he was able to get the baptismal clothing there. Then saturday morning we had the interview and of course all went well. He is really excited and ready for this Saturday.

We are also working really hard with German. He has serious desires to get baptized. He is going to do the baptismal service in London because that's where his fiancee lives. But we get to do all the teaching and we will confirm him here. He is so prepared understands well and is doing the things he needs to. He is even being a missionary. He has invited his friends to meet with us. In fact we are teaching one, his name is Jhonny. So all is going really well here.

We had a good week getting along with the bishopric. We really won their trust. It's just before we got here, the missionaries were pretty disobidient and so the members had zero trust when we got here. Well this week we met with one of the counselors and he made us a great paella. And just fell in love with us! We now have weekly Spanish food because he loves us so much. Then we also helped the second counselor move pisos. The new one is on the fifth floor without an elevator. My legs are still sore and my stomach still full.

So there is a lot of progression in this ward! The members are doing so well in fact this week, we were able to get 5 member references. It's really helping with the work here. 

On Friday, we were also able to do 2 baptismal interviews for another ward. It was really cool. It was a mother and her daughter who turns 8 tomorrow. Both are Cubans which is really cool because in their country there is zero religious freedom. They are really excited.

Well, I hope you all had a great week. I will let you know next week how the baptism goes!!

Love,

-Elder Stevenson