Hello there everybody!
This was a crazy week. I got a new companion this past week! I am now with Elder Limocon, a newly called zone leader! I will be helping him on how to help the wonderful missionaries in our zone. We are actually in the same batch coming into the field! So actually we have been out in the field the exact same time. He served in the city for his first two areas so serving in the province is a little different for him. We are really excited to serve together though and we're excited we get to especially serve as zone leaders together. This past week we had the opportunity to teach a ton of wonderful people. The Vigunti family is still loving the gospel and we can really see them coming unto Christ. Each time we share with brother and sister Vigunti they always accept it so well and I can tell it is because the Spirit is just working thought them and testifying of the things that we are teaching. We also had a great opportunity teaching some brand new families this last week. It was awesome because we were just testifying of the Restoration of the gospel in these the latter days. The Spirit is just so strong when we as missionaries testify of the truthfulness of the gospel and I am so grateful I have the wonderful opportunity to spread the gospel here in the Philippines Manila Mission. We are also really trying to work with the members here to get the work rolling even more. We have had some great meetings with the leaders of the Narra Branch so we are really excited to see how it all works out. I am so grateful I get to work with the wonderful leaders here. I know that as Elder Limocon and I just stay diligent, obedient, and busy, we will experience wonderful blessings out here in the field. I love the mission so much. I can't believe it is coming up on one year, it see like yesterday i got on the plane to go the the Provo MTC. I have learned so much and I am grateful for every minute I have had to serve the Lord.Well, til next week I guess!
Elder Stephens
Monday, August 26, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
August 12, 2013
Hey there everybody!
What a week! We had a ton of work again and I just felt super duper busy the whole time. There was no time to rest which was great because I really felt we are being diligent and fulfilling our purpose as missionaries in helping others to come unto Christ. I was really grateful for the work that the Lord blessed us with this past week. We had a really awesome opportunity to teach a referral given to us by members this past week. Her name is Rosemarie and she is just great. We shared about the Restoration the very first lesson and invited her to baptism. She said she is so willing to follow Christ and be baptized! I was so happy, and it reminded me of the time I was first taught by those wonderful Sister missionaries and the feelings I had the first lesson to follow Jesus Christ. We shared about the Book of Mormon and she is so excited to read it and pray about it to come to know that it is true. I can't wait to see how she progresses and comes to follow her Savior, Jesus Christ. I had the opportunity to work in Carbar this past week as well with one of the district leaders in the zone, Elder Clarito. It was a great experience getting to help him out in his own area and seeing how the work is progressing over there. There are not a whole ton of people over in Cabar because it is super duper jungle and houses are really spread apart, but the missionaries over there are doing great and really working hard. It was a great time because I got to learn a ton from Elder Clarito as well. We found out this week that Elder Balonsong, my companion right now is getting transferred. We only got to spend one transfer together here in Narra. I am going to miss him so much. I really learned a ton from Elder Balonsong, probably the most I have learned from and other companion on my mission so far. I am very grateful that I got to serve with Elder Balonsong as a zone leader. He is going to open up an area in our zone and he is going to be training a new missionary at the same time! He is going to do great and I know his trainee is going to be able to learn a lot from him as well. So next transfer I am going to have a new companion, my 6th new companion in my last 5 transfers. I think he is going to be a new zone leader so that will be exciting helping him to learn how to be a zone leader and stuff. I can't wait! I am going to miss Elder Balonsong a ton though. I love this work and I love being able to help others to come unto Christ. I love all of my companions I have had so far and all the things I have learned from them. I can't wait to continue to learn more bu more importantly I can't wait to invite and help more people to follow Jesus Christ. Well, that's it from me. I love you all and can't wait to hear from you all again. Till next week.
Elder Stephens
Monday, August 5, 2013
August 5, 2013
Hey everyone!
How is everyone doing?! This week went really well for this kid. this last week we had our monthly Missionary Leadership Council. It was great of course. We got to talk about the entire mission and how we can really help them mission to grow. We had a rough month in July so we are really relying more on our Savior instead of ourselves to help others to come unto Christ. President Stucki really gave us some great council on how we can grow as a mission and how we can really internalize our purpose as missionaries. He has decided that we are going back to the basics of missionary work which we all learn in our first 12 weeks when being trained. they are called the "fundamentals" and they all come out of Preach My Gospel. We are going back to the basics just like Coach Vince Lombardi did with his football players, and we all know how good they were! I am excited to see how the missionaries are going to respond and the blessings that we will witness as we continue to do this. We are also going to pray and fast a lot more to find people who are ready to receive the gospel so they can really experience the blessings that come from living and following the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so excited!! This week our work went pretty good as well. We had a ton of lessons and we even taught a ton of new investigators. We taught a lot of friends of a member family here on Saturday, and that Sunday all of them came to church! It was awesome. They also expressed that they enjoyed church a lot and really want to continue being taught. It was great to witness the power of prayer and fasting as we found those people ready to receive the gospel. We are really trying to work more with the members to help; the work in each branch or ward grow because without the members, missionaries can't do the work of the Lord. President Stucki is also giving us council on how we can more effectively work with the members in all of the areas we are assigned. With the work of salvation video coming out, we have really put an emphasis on member missionary work. I am so excited to see the work grow in the entire mission. I know this is the work of the Lord, but without Him, we can't do it. We have to do this work His way, and not "some other way." I know the gospel is true and that it can bless the lives of all those who follow principles and ordinances of the gospel.That's all from the kid, so I'll see you all next week! Over and out.
Elder Stephens
How is everyone doing?! This week went really well for this kid. this last week we had our monthly Missionary Leadership Council. It was great of course. We got to talk about the entire mission and how we can really help them mission to grow. We had a rough month in July so we are really relying more on our Savior instead of ourselves to help others to come unto Christ. President Stucki really gave us some great council on how we can grow as a mission and how we can really internalize our purpose as missionaries. He has decided that we are going back to the basics of missionary work which we all learn in our first 12 weeks when being trained. they are called the "fundamentals" and they all come out of Preach My Gospel. We are going back to the basics just like Coach Vince Lombardi did with his football players, and we all know how good they were! I am excited to see how the missionaries are going to respond and the blessings that we will witness as we continue to do this. We are also going to pray and fast a lot more to find people who are ready to receive the gospel so they can really experience the blessings that come from living and following the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so excited!! This week our work went pretty good as well. We had a ton of lessons and we even taught a ton of new investigators. We taught a lot of friends of a member family here on Saturday, and that Sunday all of them came to church! It was awesome. They also expressed that they enjoyed church a lot and really want to continue being taught. It was great to witness the power of prayer and fasting as we found those people ready to receive the gospel. We are really trying to work more with the members to help; the work in each branch or ward grow because without the members, missionaries can't do the work of the Lord. President Stucki is also giving us council on how we can more effectively work with the members in all of the areas we are assigned. With the work of salvation video coming out, we have really put an emphasis on member missionary work. I am so excited to see the work grow in the entire mission. I know this is the work of the Lord, but without Him, we can't do it. We have to do this work His way, and not "some other way." I know the gospel is true and that it can bless the lives of all those who follow principles and ordinances of the gospel.That's all from the kid, so I'll see you all next week! Over and out.
Elder Stephens
July 29, 2013
Hello there everybody!
The Internet in Narra wasn't working yesterday so we had to do our emails today. Sorry for the late notice! This week was a pretty great week! We found a ton of new investigators again and this week we actually had a lot of investigators come to church! It was great because for some of them it was their first time to come to church and feel the spirit and they explained that they really enjoyed it. I was so happy to see them exercise their faith and come to church to come to know if this is the true church of Jesus Christ. Elder Balonsong and i are really just trying to work hard to find those people that are ready to receive the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We are teaching the Manija family which is one of those families that came to church for the first time. They are so awesome and they just really want to change their lives and come closer unto Christ. We are also continuing to help out the Vigunti family. I just love them so much and after church Brother Vigunti sent us a text that said it was so great to go to church and how excited he is to continue to come. I really admire the faith that they all have in their Savior and the changes that they are making to become more like Him. I really love being here on the mission and getting to spend so much time with these wonderful people. I especially love helping them to come closer unto Jesus Christ and helping them to receive His restored gospel. I know that his is the work of the Lord and that He has a hand in it. When we ask Him in faith, and as we show our obedience and diligence, He blesses us so much. I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and that they love each and every one of us and they know each and everyone of us as well. They do all that They can to help us to be happy here and in the eternities. I love this work and I love my Heavenly Father. I know this gospel is true and that the Book of Mormon is the work of God. They Book of Mormon helps us to grow closer to our Heavenly Father and we can feel His spirit every time we read and ponder about it.Thank you for all your letters and love. I will be writing next week!
Elder Stephens
PS. Elder Schroeder is on Palawan as well but he is in the other zone.We have zone conference at the end of this month so I will probably get to see him then! I will let all of you know then.
The Internet in Narra wasn't working yesterday so we had to do our emails today. Sorry for the late notice! This week was a pretty great week! We found a ton of new investigators again and this week we actually had a lot of investigators come to church! It was great because for some of them it was their first time to come to church and feel the spirit and they explained that they really enjoyed it. I was so happy to see them exercise their faith and come to church to come to know if this is the true church of Jesus Christ. Elder Balonsong and i are really just trying to work hard to find those people that are ready to receive the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. We are teaching the Manija family which is one of those families that came to church for the first time. They are so awesome and they just really want to change their lives and come closer unto Christ. We are also continuing to help out the Vigunti family. I just love them so much and after church Brother Vigunti sent us a text that said it was so great to go to church and how excited he is to continue to come. I really admire the faith that they all have in their Savior and the changes that they are making to become more like Him. I really love being here on the mission and getting to spend so much time with these wonderful people. I especially love helping them to come closer unto Jesus Christ and helping them to receive His restored gospel. I know that his is the work of the Lord and that He has a hand in it. When we ask Him in faith, and as we show our obedience and diligence, He blesses us so much. I know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live and that they love each and every one of us and they know each and everyone of us as well. They do all that They can to help us to be happy here and in the eternities. I love this work and I love my Heavenly Father. I know this gospel is true and that the Book of Mormon is the work of God. They Book of Mormon helps us to grow closer to our Heavenly Father and we can feel His spirit every time we read and ponder about it.Thank you for all your letters and love. I will be writing next week!
Elder Stephens
PS. Elder Schroeder is on Palawan as well but he is in the other zone.We have zone conference at the end of this month so I will probably get to see him then! I will let all of you know then.
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