October 14, 2013

Hello everybody!
How is everyone doing?! We had a wonderful week! General conference was great of course! I just loved being able to listen to our living prophet and all of the other leaders of the church! I noticed that so many of them talked about the family and how following the gospel can really bless families. It helped me to really understand just how wonderful this gospel is and how it really can help all of us to be happy here on hearth, despite all of the challenges that we face. President Thomas S. Monson's words about his wife were so beautiful and his testimony following those words were even greater. I loved his testimony about returning to be with his wife after this life and I too know that through this gospel we can be with our families forever. Elder Limocon and I had an opportunity to work with President and Sister Stucki this past week! He texted us and said he really wanted to help us "go to the rescue." So Elder Limocon and I prayed about which less-active families we could go to and we went to a couple families and we taught with President and Sister Stucki. The spirit was so strong and I know that the messages that we shared with them really help them to know these things are true. It was an awesome experience to see them share with these families, and I was able to learn so much from them. Then we had interviews with them the next day just to make sure all the missionaries are doing good. It was a great interview as well and I just know that President and Sister Stucki are called of God to be here to labor with us and help these wonderful people in the Philippines Manila Mission to come unto Christ. Both of the families that we taught when we were with President and Sister Stucki came to church this past Sunday and were able to listen to General conference. I love this gospel and I know it is true. I know that all of the leaders in the church have been called of God to serve. I know President Monson is a prophet of God, called to help us in these latter-days to return to the presence of our Father in Heaven. I am so grateful I have the opportunity to sere and I know this is the work of the Lord.

Elder Stephens