Transfers Chacho

 

Hello family!

Soooo we got transfers this week and I got transferred. I'm in a place a bit away from Madrid. In fact about 3 hours in a plane. I'm in the Cannary Islands! I'm in a area called Telde on the island of Gran Canaria! I got here an hour ago and I'm super excited! My comp is Elder Bigelow. He is from Rigby, Idaho. He has been out for about 7 months now. I'm no longer zone leader just a normal missionary out here ready to work!

 

It was really hard to leave Barrio 2 especially since this week was sooo good! We found some good new people. We are working with a lady who used to be less active but lately has reactivated. She is actually our gospel principles teacher. 2 weeks ago she brought a friend to church and we were invited to start teaching her. So we set up a time to eat baleadas (a meal from Honduras) and teach her. We met with They have a ton of interest I hope Elder Hawks can help them get baptized!

 

We also started working a lot more with a guy named Gabriel. We had met twice before but it was spread out over a couple weeks. But he recently has had a lot more interest and so we have been able to meet more which is good because he has potential. We have invited him to be baptised and he is willing to do it if he feels its true. 

We were in the street quite a bit but were able to find a lot of good people that are interested. The work is starting to pick up again and so it should go well.

 

We have also been working a lot to help the members with the ward mission plan. None of them had a single clue about it so we are just trying to help out. The ward is really good. One of the best in Madrid but the members just need to work a little harder but if they do it will keep growing.

It was super hard saying bye to the members yesterday. They are all super nice and really like to help out with the work. And they did feed us pretty well. Don't now how I lost 3 more kilos. 

Well I hope everyone had a good week and spring break. Love you all, take care!! Sorry no pictures the drive slot doesn´t work.

-Elder Stevenson

P.S. You may not want to send stuff to the mission office since it's far away. Packages yes keep sending those there but if you are going to send letters send them to me here in Telde, Gran Canaria.

 

Cuenca!

Hello Family!

This week was just an amazing really good week! Even though we only had few days to work but very spiritual and helpful.

On Tuesday, we had a mission leadership counsel at President Jackson's house that was amazing. We talked a lot about becoming Preach My Gospel missionaries and talking to everyone. It was really what our mission needed because we noticed that only about 20% of the mission uses it daily. Even though in the introduction it says use it daily. And then we talked about talking to everyone because it's really not that hard but not everyone does it. I found a quote that was really good it says. "A consecrated missionary leaves all fear on the sacrifitial altar. They talk to everyone. This will be one of the hardest things in the mission field. It often seperates the consecrated missionaries from the good missionaries." It hit Elder Hawks and I hard and so we have been working really hard  at talking with everyone and it has been amazing. A huge blessing to our area so we are just helping others do the same.

 

Cuenca

The zone training we have Wednesday went really well. We just taught them the same things we learned at President Jackson's house. Then right after I went on a companion exchange to Cuenca, a tiny little city in between Madrid and Valencia. it was a really good one, found a lot of people and saw many Holy Week Processions. 

 

 

Holy Week Procession Cuenca Spain

 

Then right as I get back from Cuenca we did another exchange with the elders in our district. So I wasn´t with my comp for a couple days. But we did get to work together Saturday before going to  General Conference. 

Our investigators are doing well. We got to take Mara on a temple tour while we were there. She is doing very well still. We're just working with the mom. We got to meet with a guy named Gabriel. We met with him about a month ago but due to lots of work haven´t met since then but this week he was free. He is doing well and he really has desires to know if the Book of Mormon is true. He wants to believe it is because he feels it makes sense. 

 

General Conference was amazing! I really liked Elder Ballard's Talk because I wanted to learn how to take the things I have learned from my mission and use them at home. So I really liked that he talked about magnifying our priesthood duties. Elder Holland's was also amazing as always. Really liked the story he used and how the fall is very important in our eternal progression. I haven´t seen Sunday afternoon yet. I just downloaded it to listen to in the apartment during medio dia so I am excited.

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

-Elder Stevenson

 

 

Super Good Week!

Hey family!

We had a super good week this week!

Our investigators are still doing well.  This week Franz invited two of his friends to come listen to us. It was a really good lesson. We were able to share The Plan of Salvation with them and the two people that came were really interested. They are going to meet with us again on Friday so we are excited.

I got to do a comp exchange with an elder from our zone this week and it was a really good day. We had some good plans set up and they all went through. Their area has been pretty hard lately and we just had a good day. We saw him yesterday and he seemed way more excited about missionary work. Hopefully he was able to put that fire into his area. 

On Wednesday, we got to do some nice service. There is a man that is in a wheel chair always asking for money on the street. He lives in the house of a member and she has to push him to the hospital every week. We were able to do it this week. He is a really nice guy and he has a good trust in him now.  Hopefully we can teach him here soon.

sancocho- Colombian chicken stew

Friday, we had comp exchanges with the assistants and it was an amazing day. I was with an Elder Ridd. He is in my group of missionaries but I had never met him until now. We were able to do a lot of contacting and we were able to find a lot of people. The better the weather the more willing people are willing to listen I have noticed. Then we ate with our bishop and he made us sancocho one of my favorite Colombian dishes. We were able to meet with a couple investigators as well as some less actives so it was a good all around day.

 

Yesterday was really good for us. The members did very well and invited friends to church each companionship got one reference from it. We are going to start teaching a lady named Dina. She is from Honduras. We are going to meet with her Thursday. Than in the evening we had a devotional with Brad Wilcox. He talked a lot about the house of Israel and it was really good! Learned a lot from it. Then right after we had a Easter concert. Very good day!

This week there is a lot to do. Tomorrow we have the mission leadership council at President Jackson's house, then the zone training on Wednesday, then after I'm going on a comp exchange to Cuenca, a tiny little city in the middle of no where! Kind of excited. Then we have General Conference! (watch it here) And it's Easter on the same day! How great is that! A lot of learning this week, should be good.

I got the package on Friday, we are enjoying the girl scout cookies too much!

 

Love you all. Hope you have a great week!

-Elder Stevenson 

 

                                                    More photos from our P-day in Segovia

 

COLD!!! again???

Hey family,

I don't really know what happened with the beautiful weather we had but this week it took a turn for the worse. This week it's 35-40 degrees and rain and last week it was 80 degrees and short sleeves but its all good. It was cool on the way back from Segovia today. It was snowing!! A lot the cars were covered. 

 

 

Anyways, things are going really well here! Mara is still doing awesome. We have been trying to meet with her mom for forever. She always said she didn't have time but we know she is 100% free on Sundays. So we got a good group of members to come with us and we surprise visited them. It worked! The mom sat down with us and we were able to share the restoration with her to help her understand why her daughter wants to be baptized. The mom just had a lot of doubts and questions. We feel like she was afraid to let her daughter do something she didn't understand so we are finally going to be able to meet with her more.

Franz and Scarlet are doing really well also. They are progressing!!! They read and are praying so we are super happy. We were able to teach the plan of salvation and it turned out really well. They just want to know the truth.

Other than that, we did a lot of contacting and trying to meet with new investigators. But they never showed up so we are still trying to find news. Elder Hawks was on intercambios and went and visited one of our investigators that has not been progressing and they were having a drop talk basically. See if they were willing to start progressing. They started talking because the brother is a member and will be sealed in the temple. They asked if they could go and he had to say no. But if they started doing the things they need to, one day they could go in as a family. They are starting to progress more.

Things are going pretty well here. We just need to find some new investigators. But things are going well. Hope everyone has a great week. Love you!!!

-Elder Stevenson

 

P.S. There are many things I have learned on my mission. One is: If you really have desires, there is time for everything. ;P 

 

 

 

Alcalá de Henares

This week has been really amazing! A lot of comp exchanges and a lot of time at the temple and finding miracles.

Just to start because this is the higlight of my week. Wednesday, we had the chance to go to the temple as a zone. It was really nice after not going in so long. I really enjoyed it. We started of with a spiritual high then we went and had a really good district meeting. We talked about how we need to be excited and happy about missionary work.

 

 

 Then we went to teach Mara and she is doing super well. Right as we leave the lesson, we head down into the metro, we go one stop and then here comes walking in someone I haven't seen since before the mission. It was... ITALIA!!!!! One of the Ayala Water Polo coaches!!! I freaked out and she just yelled BRYCE?!? It was soooo weird! And cool!!! She  lives in Madrid right now, teaching english at a school!! We were able to get her number so I want to try and teach her! We are still in shock that it happened! 

We had a really good week of finding. We found a lot of people. It's what we need right now to start finding new people. Yesterday we were able to get a new investigator. We have been teaching a guy named Franz for a while and he hasn't progressed. But his wife finally decided to join us, her name is Scarlet. She is super prepared. She has been hopping around churches, trying to find the truth. She was born Catholic, raised Evangelist and now she is studying with the jw´s and she just wants to know. She really liked the restoration, so we think this will help Franz and if she does what she need to, she will recieve an answer. We are excited.

We had a really cool experience on Saturday. One of Elder Hawk's converts got sealed to her husband and family and we were given permision to attend the sealing. It was a really beautiful experience to see them all in white in the temple being sealed. Taking people to the temple is an amazing experience.

 

In response to a letter you sent 9 months ago. I met the Braun's daughter. Send this to her parents. They would like it. (We knew the Braun's when we lived in Whittier, we both moved from the area and later our children were called to the same Mission.)

 

Well hope everyone had a good week! Love you all!!!

-Elder Stevenson

Alcalá de Henares

 

 

Primavera!



 A cool park in our area

Hey Family !

The weather is soooo nice! Sounds like it was fun in California as well.We had a really tough week! I n the end Mara didn't get baptized on Saturday. Her mom wants her to wait a little bit more which is ok. She is only 17 so we need the mom's permission and we dont want to push it. We are going to start teaching her mom just so she understands more of what her daughter wants to do. But Mara is still doing super well.  It was her birthday this week so we got her a cool blanket scarf. They are the best scarves ever! Super soft and warm. I wish they had them for guys but no. She came to church this week and everything. She absolutely loves it.

 

 

On Thursday, I got to do a super cool comp exchange with a Spaniard! There aren't very many Spanish missionaries so it was really cool. So Spanish people in the streets when you contact them don't want to listen. It's pretty tough, but when he opened his mouth every Spaniard stopped and listened. It was super nice.

 

We are doing exchanges with all the missionaries in our zone because we are trying to help the Elders serve more effectively and have a purpose when we visit with the members. It is basically taking better advantage of the time we have as missionaries. It has been working really well. Even just going by the members and giving them a card but then leaving right after works!  This is what we have been doing a ton because there are new "Because of Him" cards, the video that came out last Easter. so we are handing those out to members asking them to watch it then give that card to a friend. It's going really well.

 

This has basically been our week slow and long but very effective.

love you all!

-Elder Stevenson

 

Last P-Day with Elder Williams

Good bye, my friend!

 

Concilio de Liderazgo

Hey family,

It sounds like all went well with Grandpa's funeral. It's weird to not have been there with you all but I'm way happy to be here. I'm glad to see in all the pictures smiles and my beautiful family. Everyone has changed a ton! 

Things are going very well, We are still teaching the roommate of German and surprise!   ... SHE IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY! We are super excited and she loves the church. We are being sooo blessed. None of what is happening is from anything special. We are just being obedient and working hard. A lot of the times the people find you and that is what is happening to us.

We also started teaching two Cuban ladies, who are a member reference from El Ferrol in Galicia. They are super cool. They came to church on Sunday and basically want to get baptized as well. We are going to keep meeting with them a lot. 

 

Elder Hawks, Elder Williams, and me

Transfers came this week and Elder Hawks and I are staying together as zone leaders. We are super excited. I don't have much time to write because we have to go take Elder Williams to the Mission Home. I am super sad he is leaving. He is honestly one of my best friends. He served well and all will go home well. He may be going to BYU-I (I have been trying to convince him and he is thinking about it.) He actually lives in Vegas so he will be a bit easier to see. He is just flying into St George because he has family there. 

 

Other than that things are going well. I love you all and hope you have a great week. I will let you know how the baptism goes!

 

-Elder Stevenson

 

 Also I got to go to the temple for the first time in almost a year!