Hueco Tanks

Hueco Tanks

Hey Everyone,

    

Sorry I missed you all yesterday, all the Montana Vista Elders and some of the youth from the ward took a trip to Hueco Tanks for p-day. It is a place that I feel actually looks like what I think a desert should look like. We climbed mountains, jumped over rocks and walked through cacti. Sometimes we even did some rock climbing, and even though it was a little dangerous, we all made it back without injury, just super tiredness. We also played basketball afterward so last night and this morning was super killer.

Well other than that, things are going alright here in Montana vista, we are kind of lacking in people to see and its hard do get up the drive to go knock doors in 110 degree weather every day. We could do better than we are now though.  My companion is not very driven like the last 2 were and so it’s hard to stay focused and not letting myself slip back into that phase. Not to mention we see the other 2 sets of elders in the ward almost every day and we tend to get sucked into doing something or hanging out with them. So to be short the work is not going at a 100% but I’m determined to change things around and hopefully look hard this week for some people to teach. I’ll let you know how that goes.

I left my library card at home so I’m sorry to the people that emailed me and didn’t get a response because of lack of time. But I love you all

-Elder Stewart

The week of blessings....

Dear Family and Friends,

I hope everyone is doing well and that you had a good weekend and nice Sabbath day! I had a pretty awesome week here in El Paso. We have some investigators progressing, found some news and really have been improving in my Spanish. I can’t say I’m having the best of times with Elder Hurst. We get along alright and all, but its turning into being exactly like another transfer with a companion I had, named Elder Humphreys. Meaning that he kind of just sits backs and follows me around but won’t accept help with anything because he is "Older" than me and the "Senior Companion" for the first time. He really does not except help with his Spanish even though he complains a lot of the time about how bad he is at it. I just don’t know exactly how to help him out.... oh well.

Well I had the opportunity to give 3 blessings this week which was a growth for my testimony. One was to a little girl, who had an infection on her mosquito bite that wasn’t healing. The mother asked me to give her a blessing and just like always, you don’t remember everything or anything you said, but on Sunday the bite was completely healed and the infection gone. Later that week, we got in contact with this family that we have been trying to see for the last 3 weeks named the Pierrend family who were baptized 2 years ago and just awesome members. Well the younger daughter was going through a super tough time at school with her volleyball team. She was trying to go for varsity volleyball this year but because of her coach playing favorites and making tryouts unfair, she ended up on the JV team for a 3rd year in a row as a Junior. She talked to her coach and had pretty much decided to quit and change the sport that she loves. I, having a lot of experience with sports, was able to give her some good advice. And before we left she asked for a blessing and Hurst asked me to do it. So again I’m not sure what it was I said, but the next day we where over there again and she had gotten an answer for what she needed to do. Her mom, sister, and her all got there P-blessings out after we left the night before to read them. Apparently the things I said in the blessing were nearly word for word of what it says in her patriarchal blessing and that both the blessings where an answer to her. Turns out she is going to stay on the team so that she can help and uplift all the younger players. It was a pretty awesome experience that was a huge testimony builder. Well the sister of the girl I gave the blessing too really like how I gave advice and gave us a referral for one of her friends. So we met with him one time and I got to know him a little. We set up a time that we can come back to teach him. And I get a call the next day saying the he wanted a blessing before his final test that he is taking today to get his degree. He had no idea what a blessing was or what to expect, but we gave him the blessing, and he recognized the presence of the Holy Ghost. He told us to come back tonight so that we can answer his questions and teach him the lessons. I’m super excited for that.

Well other than that I just wanted to say that after reading Landen's letter home, I felt like he was playing up how dangerous things where over there! Now I know I’m not in Brazil but cool things happen here too! I just didn’t want to worry people. But now that I’m in a new apartment it doesn’t seem too bad. Weeeellll back in my other apartment, we lived in the ghetto of the ghetto. There were 5 cars stolen in the 3 months I was there from the parking lot. There were prostitutes every night on the bottom level of the complex as well a 5 or 6 apartments where gang members had their meetings, not including the 5 drug dealers. Not trying to show anyone up or anything, but one day there was a fight 5 mins after getting into our apartment and someone was stabbed and killed. The Lord blessed us though because we didn’t see or hear anything. Apparently there were 10 police cars and an ambulance and 13 people got arrested, everyone in the apartment complex heard and was outside the apartment, but we heard absolutely nothing. Strange right? Well that’s about how ghetto as it got.

Anyway, Love you all

Elder Stewart

20th Birthday...

Dear friends and family,
   
I hope everyone is well and that they enjoyed the weekend and partied hard on Sunday night for my birthday by doing "Sabbath Day" things haha. Sorry I was unable to write yesterday. One of the sets of Elders in our ward was moving apartments and they needed to be out by today of a house that members rented out to the missionaries a few years ago. A word of advice to all of you, do not rent your house out to the church for missionaries to stay in while you are gone. Unless you request only sister missionaries, because the missionaries assigned to that house for the last 8 months completely wrecked it. Holes in the wall, melted curtains, and bad smells everywhere. So many damages have happened to that house and now the family is coming back to live in it. I feel really bad for the family so we went over there and spent p-day helping them move into their new apartment and clean up the place a little.
   
So... my birthday. I’m not going to say it was my best birthday I’ve ever had, or the second, or third. It was probably they 20th best. But it’s because no one really knows me in my new area. The worst part about it is only 3 missionaries remembered it. I even stood up at the pulpit on Sunday and put that it was my birthday in the talk and I had 2 super old ladies tell me happy birthday out of the 300 people present. Oh well. I guess birthdays are not really that important in the end. I am really grateful to The Cazier family and Grandma and Grandpa Stewart for sending me packages. Also to anyone else who sent one but it came back. It was my fault. I accidentally forgot to tell my dad that it was apartment #509. The only reason that Erin and Grandma Stewart's packages got here is because they sent it through US mail and the mailman knows us. So they got lucky.
   
My talk went pretty good. I got to talk last even though I was the youngest missionary to speak, and we were supposed to talk for 10 mins each but the 2nd missionary took like 3 so I got to speak for 17 mins which was pretty nice. I’ve gotten to that point where I can’t write a talk under 15 mins anymore. I feel like I did really well with the Spanish and got many compliments on it. I’m getting better and better every day. I felt like I might have thrown down a little too hard at the end there. The topic was how to do missionary work through your example. I read the story of Ammon and Lamoni, shared the scripture in Timothy 4:12 about being an example to members as well, and to end it all off I shared the story in Alma 17 or somewhere around there where Alma is talking to his son Corianton and says that because of the example he set for the Zoramites and how he committed a sin and he says. "And when they saw your conduct, they did not want to believe in my words" or something like that in English and just said that we all need to watch how we act and what we do because people are always watching and the saddest thing is when someone we find will not listen to us because of a member of the church and something they did. I think they got something out of it.
   
Other than that things are moving. We found some new investigators this week and are on the path to getting people we can teach regularly. Elder Hurst and I are getting along really well. Hope you all have a great week.

Love Elder Stewart

Montana Vista Del Sol

Hey Everyone,

Hope you all had a great week this week! There were a ton of changes in the last week and so I’m trying to get everything straightened out. Well to start off, I’m in a new area. The ward is called "Montana Vista" and there are 3 pairs of missionaries in this one as well so I’m in an area called "Del Sol". The missionaries here before where not obedient at all and so President last transfer got rid of all 3 of the senior companions in this ward and put 3 more in. This ward is the biggest ward in the mission and is real close to my last ward. Those are pretty much rival wards. My companion is Elder Hurst, who has been out 13 months. He is my second companion from Idaho, and for some reason I have this opinion that all kids from Idaho are pretty weird. Now that doesn’t mean I don’t like him, but sometimes realize the difference between a boy raised in the city and one raised in the country on a farm, not going to lie, I’m glad I was raised in the country. Other than that, I am back to taking the majority of the load back on me because his Spanish is not that great and he is a little shy. I am so grateful to have had 2 native companions in the past because it really has helped my Spanish and has prepared me to be at this point today. Well I went from a full bike area to a car share area. So even when I thought that my bike days would probably be over, I only bike 3 /7 days a week now. I really missed having a car and so I feel so lucky now. Plus the area that I am in now is all hills compared to my virtually flat area before. I’m glad to be in Montana Vista though, because it is said to be the best Spanish ward to be in. There are a lot of youth and they are willing to go teach with you. I am looking forward to the success that we will have together in this area. The only thing is I will have to give a talk on my birthday this Sunday that I am pretty nervous about. Hope everything goes alright with my first talk totally in Spanish.

The cool thing that happened this week is that Bridget in my old area got baptized this Saturday. And she asked if I could come baptize her. So I got permission from Elder Keller and was able to go down to her baptism. She was so ready. Yeah it’s sad that she got baptized 4 days after I left the area, but I still taught her everything and am really close to her, so I feel really blessed. The baptism however was pretty bad. To start off, 2 people that had jobs on the program did not show up and there was a total of 7 people there not including missionaries. So there was not really a whole lot of support from the ward which was really the Elder's fault in the area because they didn’t tell a whole lot of people. The worst thing that a ward can do is not go to a baptism when one is about to happen. It is the saddest feeling for the missionaries and the person being baptized when they look out there and see that no one came. I hope you guys and the ward back home always makes it a priority to go to a baptism of a convert. The next day on Sunday, I got permission to go back down to my old ward to take part in the confirmation. It was nice to see everyone one last time again and see her get the Holy Ghost. I really am proud and thankful to my Heavenly father to have given me the chance to know her and to help her to baptism.

Well that’s all for this week, Love you all, Keep me in your prayers this Sunday.

Love,

Elder Stewart

Transfer 7

Dear Friends and Family,

Well it looks that I will be spending next transfer somewhere else. I’m not sure where but it will be somewhere here in El Paso so I’m excited to go somewhere new. I’m super sad to leave Elder Vallejo though. We only got to spend 1 transfer together and feel like we kind of got robbed. But I guess I am needed somewhere else. I don't know if I told you last week but he will be going district leader of the new district. He is not very excited and repeatedly asks me to switch him as a joke, but I wouldn’t want it unless God called me to it. Like yeah sure I would love to have the opportunity to be a leader. But I know that I already have a lot of those qualities. So God is helping me learn humility and obedience. Plus it will be nice to be able to just put my 100% in the area and God's children there. Anyway, it’s kind of sad to leave 12th ward, the only thing is it is super big. So I only really know a few families and really the only ones that live in our area. I think I’m up for a challenge though.

I have gotten to be the one to go to for the "Transfer Gossip" news. I don’t know how I ended up getting that spot but I find out everything really quickly, and because President does transfers super secretly, everyone doesn’t know anything until Tuesday and it drives us nuts. We call it "Secret combinations" but I pretty much know more news than anyone else and then as they call me I get whatever news they have dug up and give them whatever I have. So I don’t even have to call around to get transfer news anymore. But it turns out that all my previous companions are training. Richardson, Perez, and Humphreys. I’m super excited for them and that chance, even though I wouldn’t want to train. It’s too risky ha-ha.

Well this week we worked really hard. The Standard of Excellence is 20 lessons a week and the week we had the baptism we only taught 15 lessons so we wanted to finish with an all 20 average. Meaning we needed to get 25 lessons this week. Well we got 27, on bikes. Which is awesome, but it also helped us realize that we could have gotten more the other weeks... So we raised the bar a little for Elder Vallejo and his new companion. I feel pretty accomplished though because we had the chance to say goodbye to everyone I wanted to say goodbye too. We also went by some families that were reactivated when I was here with Elder Humphreys but slowly faded away.

Well I know it’s not much but I’ll have lots to say next week,

Love,

Elder Stewart

Eternas Puedan Ser Las Familias

Hey Friends and Family,

How is everyone doing? I hope everyone had an amazing 4th of July. To be honest I forgot all about it. How patriotic right? On the mission I guess its just not that important to you. I was more looking forward and stressing out about the 7th of July. My 10 month mark and also the Marriage of the Family Ortiz and Maribel's baptism. I think I saw more american flags than usual that day, but having almost everyone here from Mexico it was kind of different.

Maribel was baptized on July 7th 2012. It was the first baptism in this area since it opened in January, and Elder Vallejo and I are stoked! We really feel like we are getting this area moving. We should have another one on the 21st and 2 more in the new future if it's the will of Heavenly Father. Elder Vallejo and I contribute it to how well we get along. It is so true that the spirit is so much more powerful when you are with someone you are happy to be around. Not to mention the help with Spanish I get everyday. I thought I was getting the hang of it before, but now I feel like I'm growing at a more rapid place. I know that my friendship with Elder Vallejo will last forever and ever, and I kind of wished he would have been around back when it was Landon, Cory, and Me ( and of coarse Mitch). I feel like they would be the best of friends as well, and also probably added more of an example spiritually to help Landon from basically doing it himself. Not to mention with 2 hispanics in the group Landon wouldn’t have felt like a minority.

So about the baptism. I have attached some pictures from the baptism of Maribel and Her family. They were married first in one of the most beautiful weddings I have ever been to and will probably be until I of coarse get married. It wasn’t big, or expensive. There where no rings yet cause they couldn’t afford them, no giant white cake that is enough to feed all of Africa, and she was in her best dress (not a dress that costs too much money) and he was in a borrowed white shirt and tie. I went on for maybe 15 mins at most. Now all of you that had an amazing wedding that was expensive and beautiful, I'm not saying yours wasn’t amazing. I'm just saying that this couple, who have barely enough money to get from month to month and who had to borrow money in order to pay for the license, made a commitment with each other to change their lives into what God wants for them. A true commitment of love I feel is when someone who is comfortable where they change their lives even though they can't afford it, in order to be approved by God and be on their way to an eternal family. Thats what made it so beautiful.

After that Maribel's baptism started where she had asked me to perform the ordinance. While I tried to get her to ask a member in the ward, she still asked me, and I was happy to do it. It went perfectly and the baptism was amazing and celestial. She told me after she sat down that she "feels it" and when I asked her what "it" was, she couldn’t explain it because she was crying. I can't explain the feeling I had right then but I imagine that it's referred to in D&C 18. "how great shall be your joy, if ye shall bring many souls unto me." The next day Elder Vallejo confirmed her and he did an amazing job. Yeah he is already fluent and all in Spanish, but it was his first time and he was super nervous.

Family and Friends, This Church is true! I don’t say that as an opinion of mine, but as a fact. There is nothing to compare it to anywhere out there. It grieves me when I see people that have fallen away, and I know that there will probably be a day where I need to be reminded of it when I am slipping. Im glad I have all of you to be there to remind me. Don't lose the faith. Endure to the End. So that we can all see each other after this life and be happy. I love you all so much.

Love,

Elder Stewart

Month 10!

Dear Family and Friends,

     Well in 6 days I hit my 10 Month mark. Can you believe that I have 14 months left. Then I have to worry about school, work, girls again..... woooof. I''m just praying things slow down a little bit. We had an awesome week again this week despite the fact that its been 110 degrees outside all week, and I still have no hope of getting a car. Oh well. The hardest part is staying motivated to go out when its that hot and still do work, but I know why I'm here. I'm not here to be a baby and cry about the heat. I'm here to help people feel the heat of the spirit.<- (missionary jokes are so lame) But we still seem to laugh at that one. Other than that I have had some big leaps in knowledge this week, as well as some miracles this week.

     Ok well study wise. I studied up a little bit this week about making your calling and election made sure. And if you don’t know what that is I encourage you to look it up and learn about it. Anyway, I made a commitment to myself that I would see Jesus Christ in my mortal flesh. Meaning that I will either see him when I receive the second Comforter or the second coming will happen. (Which is closer than we all think) I want that so bad. Just imagine it for a second. Being able to converse with him, see the prints, feel his love for real. I feel the spirit just thinking about being able to behold my Savior and creator of this world. Thanking him in all my mortal weakness and hearing him tell me good work. There is nothing that gets bad thoughts or anger out of my head faster than that. I have a few guesses for when he will be here again, but then again there is no way anyone can know. I don’t have too long to prepare myself for that.


   I received a testimony of repentance this week. There was a night where I stayed up kind of late. Not doing anything bad, but it made it so when I woke up at 6:30 the next morning I could not focus on anything and I knew I did something wrong. And my previous thought of sin is that I'm just going to have to deal with the consequences of feeling bad till the spirit decided to come back to me. Well we got a call at 7:15 from a member and we didn’t get to it in time so she left a message, saying that she had someone at her house right then that wanted to talk to us right then. And so I called back right away. Nothing.... So an hour later I called again 2 times. Nothing. I called back 3 more times and still no answer. At that point I was feeling terrible. I knelt down and said a prayer, feeling it in my heart. Before I got done we got a call back from the member saying that we should come over right then. So we got on our bikes and rode all the way out there and we met Bridget Mota. And had an amazing lesson. She is so amazing.

Her story is that her whole family was converted to the church but her and when she was learning about the gospel in Mexico, her son was murdered by a cartel and she went into so deep of depression that she just stopped her studies with them. Well 2 years went by and she moved to the US and began work that week with the member as kind of a care taker who helps her do things she really can't do anymore. Luckily enough this lady is a powerful member of the church and knew that she needed to hear the message again. Well when we went over there and taught the lesson she cried many times, especially when we talked about the temple. She is so committed to be baptized and going to the temple for her son that she will be baptized in 2 weeks time. She has already left all word of wisdom drinks and has read non stop in the BOM. Everyday we go over, she has more questions and has read a lot more. What a blessing it has been to meet her.

    Other than that Maribel has her wedding this saturday followed directly by her baptism. It will be an amazing experience to see that and Im so excited.

Well thats all for this week.

Love,

Elder Stewart