Monday, January 14, 2013
La Humildad....
Dear Friends and Family,
I hope that you have been safe and healthy in these few months where sickness has been more common than ever. I hope that you are reading, praying, and feeling the spirit at church. In my letter today I wanted to talk about some of the blessed experiences that I have had in the week. But to start of my letter I want you to know that I am doing well, and I am Happy.
This week I had 3 almost full days of meetings. I went to a training on Tuesday for about 8 hours and we talked about how the mission could better their teaching. Well the sad part is I lost my voice the day before and so no one could really understand what it was that I was saying. Even though I had this problem, President still called on me 6 times throughout the meeting, maybe because he thinks I’m a good teacher or more likely to keep the meeting entertaining haha. The next day we had a meeting with the district and I gave a training on what we learned at the training meeting. My voice still wasn’t back but I feel like it went really well. Then on Friday we had the Zone Meeting that we have once a month, and I was asked by the zone leaders to give yet another training on repentance. They only gave me 10 mins, so I didn't prepare basically at all. When I saw the first elder's training and all the examples he used, I kind of freaked out and put together all the stuff I could think of that is on repentance and I prayed. When it was my turn, I just went with it and I felt the spirit super strongly. The Zone Leaders didn't stop the compliments on how well I did though. That made me feel pretty good.
One of the things I am focusing on this week is Humility. I went on an exchange with one of the Zone leaders this week and we talked about a lot of things. We talked about what would I need the most with my companion to make our companionship work and came up with being humble. My goal is to not fight, or put down anyone but more importantly my companion, no matter what he says to me or about me. I know Heavenly Father is blessing me for my efforts in being more humble and I have felt his hand in this last week helping my patience.
We had a few miracles this week and the most important one is that Paulette's husband came to church. She is a recent convert who just had her baby, and he has never really sat down with us for a full lesson nor has he ever talked about coming to church even though she is there every week with her 3 boys ages 2,1, and a newborn. This saturday we went by with a member and he actually sat down with us. Paulette said he had be drinking a little bit with his brother. (He’s not an alcoholic, just drinks sometimes) so he wasn’t drunk. He sat down and we focused on Eternal Families and the temple and how he needed to come to church and help his wife. He agreed with us and said he would try to go. I was so surprised when he walked into church yesterday. Paulette had told me before the transfer that she knows I was going to stay because she feels like I am going to be teaching her husband until he gets baptized. She said at church that the whole morning he was really slow at getting ready and said that if the ride comes and he wasn't ready that he wasn't going to go. Well right when the ride got there he rushed back in the living room and said "no! don't leave without me! Give me one second." I know that Heavenly Father softened his heart within those few seconds. After the gospel principles class that was about Baptism, he said that he knew that he needs to be baptised to go to the temple in a year. That was my miracle for the week.
Well I Love you all!
Elder Stewart
First Week of 2013......
Hey Family and Friends,
Happy New Years! I hope everyone had a good last few days of the year and that you didn't stay up too late. We had transfers last week and I stayed! I'm super happy to be staying here and am looking forward to another transfer here in my favorite area. My new companion's name is Elder Flint. He is from Washington State and has been out on his mission for 17 months a little longer than me. The first week has been kind of difficult. He is a good funny guy, but because he is older than me, i can tell that he is kind of upset that I am the senior. Apparently, a few transfers ago was not very obedient and so he spent 1 transfer with the Zone Leaders and now is put over with me to make sure he stays consecrated. However, I know that Heavenly Father has put him here for a reason and that I truly am supposed to be learning something from him. I just hope I learn it soon.
For New Years Eve we spent it with the Delgado family, who I consider to be my family as well. They make up like 70% of the branch and all 60 of them get together every Sunday. I truly have gained the friendship I have wanted with them and know I will be going back frequently to visit them. There is a Mexican tradition that every year there is a cake made and inside they put a bunch of little plastic babies. Everyone cuts their own piece and the first person to find one in their cake has to throw the party the next year. I was the last one to get the baby so technically I don't need to throw one, but I think I will come back to throw a party anyway.
This Sunday, President and Sister Miller came down and visited our branch's sacrament meeting, even though they don't speak any Spanish they came and sat in the back. When Elder Flint and I got up to share our testimonies they got up too and asked me to translate for them. It was the first time that I have ever done anything like that and so I was super nervous. I messed up 1 or 2 words, but everyone in the ward told me I did a wonderful job so that made me pretty happy. President and Sister Miller were able to talk to some of the branch's recent converts and were very impressed with the retention and conversion they saw in them.
As far as investigators, we had Ayline at church this week again and she is super close to baptism. She is reading, praying, and is coming to church all by herself. We did a lot of finding this week. We found some really solid new investigators. One of the ways we found investigators this week was kind of funny. So we got this media referral from salt lake and turns out the lady doesn't at the house but rents it out to the family who lives there now. well, they could not give us an exact address on the house the lady lived in but she told us that the landlord that we were looking for live in the area behind the school and that she had a blue trailer with a blue dumpster in front of it. So in the dark we went looking for this blue trailer with a blue dumpster. well we ended up spending 1 hour knocking on every blue trailer possible at 8 o'clock at night. We didn't find her but we did get a bunch of return appointments for next week so lets see what happens.
Anyway, I love you all and have a good week!
Elder Stewart
Happy New Years! I hope everyone had a good last few days of the year and that you didn't stay up too late. We had transfers last week and I stayed! I'm super happy to be staying here and am looking forward to another transfer here in my favorite area. My new companion's name is Elder Flint. He is from Washington State and has been out on his mission for 17 months a little longer than me. The first week has been kind of difficult. He is a good funny guy, but because he is older than me, i can tell that he is kind of upset that I am the senior. Apparently, a few transfers ago was not very obedient and so he spent 1 transfer with the Zone Leaders and now is put over with me to make sure he stays consecrated. However, I know that Heavenly Father has put him here for a reason and that I truly am supposed to be learning something from him. I just hope I learn it soon.
For New Years Eve we spent it with the Delgado family, who I consider to be my family as well. They make up like 70% of the branch and all 60 of them get together every Sunday. I truly have gained the friendship I have wanted with them and know I will be going back frequently to visit them. There is a Mexican tradition that every year there is a cake made and inside they put a bunch of little plastic babies. Everyone cuts their own piece and the first person to find one in their cake has to throw the party the next year. I was the last one to get the baby so technically I don't need to throw one, but I think I will come back to throw a party anyway.
This Sunday, President and Sister Miller came down and visited our branch's sacrament meeting, even though they don't speak any Spanish they came and sat in the back. When Elder Flint and I got up to share our testimonies they got up too and asked me to translate for them. It was the first time that I have ever done anything like that and so I was super nervous. I messed up 1 or 2 words, but everyone in the ward told me I did a wonderful job so that made me pretty happy. President and Sister Miller were able to talk to some of the branch's recent converts and were very impressed with the retention and conversion they saw in them.
As far as investigators, we had Ayline at church this week again and she is super close to baptism. She is reading, praying, and is coming to church all by herself. We did a lot of finding this week. We found some really solid new investigators. One of the ways we found investigators this week was kind of funny. So we got this media referral from salt lake and turns out the lady doesn't at the house but rents it out to the family who lives there now. well, they could not give us an exact address on the house the lady lived in but she told us that the landlord that we were looking for live in the area behind the school and that she had a blue trailer with a blue dumpster in front of it. So in the dark we went looking for this blue trailer with a blue dumpster. well we ended up spending 1 hour knocking on every blue trailer possible at 8 o'clock at night. We didn't find her but we did get a bunch of return appointments for next week so lets see what happens.
Anyway, I love you all and have a good week!
Elder Stewart
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Stayin' in Fabens....
Hey Mom & Dad,
Since I talked to you
all on Skype this week I was not really planning on typing a letter this week.
The news is that I am staying in Fabens for another transfer and my companion
is leaving to go up north. He was pretty sad about it but I know it will be
good for him. I’m really excited to stay in this ward, one because the members
make me feel like one of the family, two because lots of blessings are being
poured out on the people of Fabens and on me, and third because I get to stay
around to try to help the recent converts stay active. I’m not sure who my
companion is but I will let you know in a week. My address will be the same for
a while so if anyone needs to get anything to me it will be the same.
Anyway, I love you so
much, have a good New Years!
Elder Stewart
4 days left until the end of the world....
December 17, 2012
Dear Friends and Family,
So we are now 4 days left until the end of the world...... or at least everyone down here is getting really scared. I have been hearing of some pretty scary things happening in the world right now and one can only think of how much the gospel could turn this nation around. Our job as members of the church is getting more and more important and lifesaving as time goes on, this gospel needs to be spread to all. No longer should we think about if we get rejected by the people we try to share with or if us sharing could damage friendships or relationships, but put off the pride we have and just do it. That’s something that I really have been trying to work on this transfer, we have many good relationships with people who are not members that I feel like will never accept the gospel, Catholics in particular. But to my surprise, when we tried with Ricardo Sanchez a few weeks ago he really opened up and was baptized last Friday. (He comes from a family who has 2 Giant Virgin de Guadalupe shrines in their front yard and he even plays the drums on his birthday for the church.) The miracle that Heavenly Father worked on that family has been such a miracle in my life as well and I’m so glad to be a part of it.
Well we have been having a lot of success lately in the area and Elder Keddington and I were worried about having people to teach after this week. We were praying and praying to find new people and to get some referrals from the members but were just unsuccessful in getting anything from the members. Then last Friday during planning we were praying for new ways to help the members feel comfortable enough to share their friends with us and seriously spent 1 hour and 30 minutes on this new idea we came up with. The next night we got a call asking us to set up tables and chairs for the Christmas party that we had totally forgotten about. I didn’t remember for some reason that there was the party and we didn’t go around asking members to invite friends. How amazed and humbled I was to see the members bring 15 non-member friends to the party, and fellowshipped and introduced them to us. We have some really good return appointments.
The relief society got together and gave Elder Keddington and I a present full of bathroom stuff like soap, razors, and tooth brushes "for all the hard work we have been doing." I feel so grateful to Heavenly Father for helping us gain the member's trust back after a long time of missionaries breaking it down, and that we were able to start the healing process of the relationship between Member and Missionary. We are now working on a new plan with the ward mission leader on how to help the people that have been baptized stay active and also a Ward mission plan for next year. We are having so much fun in the area and are looking forward to next week.
We had Christmas Zone conference with week, which was a lot of fun to be able to see many of my past companions. Especially Elder Perez who is going home in 2 weeks. He will be the first companion I had that is going home and it is making me a little trunky. anyway, There is so much I could talk about, but not enough time nor do I know where to start, but I can fill you all in on the little details in 9 months.
I hope you all have a good week and that you are looking for ways to share your testimonies.
Love You,
Elder Stewart
Dear Friends and Family,
So we are now 4 days left until the end of the world...... or at least everyone down here is getting really scared. I have been hearing of some pretty scary things happening in the world right now and one can only think of how much the gospel could turn this nation around. Our job as members of the church is getting more and more important and lifesaving as time goes on, this gospel needs to be spread to all. No longer should we think about if we get rejected by the people we try to share with or if us sharing could damage friendships or relationships, but put off the pride we have and just do it. That’s something that I really have been trying to work on this transfer, we have many good relationships with people who are not members that I feel like will never accept the gospel, Catholics in particular. But to my surprise, when we tried with Ricardo Sanchez a few weeks ago he really opened up and was baptized last Friday. (He comes from a family who has 2 Giant Virgin de Guadalupe shrines in their front yard and he even plays the drums on his birthday for the church.) The miracle that Heavenly Father worked on that family has been such a miracle in my life as well and I’m so glad to be a part of it.
Well we have been having a lot of success lately in the area and Elder Keddington and I were worried about having people to teach after this week. We were praying and praying to find new people and to get some referrals from the members but were just unsuccessful in getting anything from the members. Then last Friday during planning we were praying for new ways to help the members feel comfortable enough to share their friends with us and seriously spent 1 hour and 30 minutes on this new idea we came up with. The next night we got a call asking us to set up tables and chairs for the Christmas party that we had totally forgotten about. I didn’t remember for some reason that there was the party and we didn’t go around asking members to invite friends. How amazed and humbled I was to see the members bring 15 non-member friends to the party, and fellowshipped and introduced them to us. We have some really good return appointments.
The relief society got together and gave Elder Keddington and I a present full of bathroom stuff like soap, razors, and tooth brushes "for all the hard work we have been doing." I feel so grateful to Heavenly Father for helping us gain the member's trust back after a long time of missionaries breaking it down, and that we were able to start the healing process of the relationship between Member and Missionary. We are now working on a new plan with the ward mission leader on how to help the people that have been baptized stay active and also a Ward mission plan for next year. We are having so much fun in the area and are looking forward to next week.
We had Christmas Zone conference with week, which was a lot of fun to be able to see many of my past companions. Especially Elder Perez who is going home in 2 weeks. He will be the first companion I had that is going home and it is making me a little trunky. anyway, There is so much I could talk about, but not enough time nor do I know where to start, but I can fill you all in on the little details in 9 months.
I hope you all have a good week and that you are looking for ways to share your testimonies.
Love You,
Elder Stewart
Super Busy!
Hey All,
I'm doing really well this week. Super busy. I didn't really have time to get on yesterday because of how busy I am right now but I wanted to let you know I am alright. Things right now are so awesome, Christmas is coming, people are thinking more about Jesus Christ, and I feel like I am now at the top of the language and teaching skills of my whole mission. Our investigators are progressing and we are having so many blessings in this area.
Well it is nice to hear about everyone and that you guys are doing well. Tell Emily good luck on her college apps. Those are super stressful but I know that she will do awesome.
Tell everyone I love them,
Elder Daniel Stewart
Sunday, December 9, 2012
The Christmas spirit of success...
Dear Family and Friends,
How is everyone? I hope all things are going well and that you are getting ready for an awesome December. We are seeing lots of blessings here in Fabens, TX, that truly are just miracles. This week I had a pretty good week and we were happy to see some people with us at church on Sunday who our Heavenly Father is preparing to be baptized. How amazing it is to see the affects of the spirit on the heart of someone who is willing to change their life to receive the blessings needed for salvation.
I had a few really nice experiences this week. A great one was that I was asked to confirm Nathan (A recent convert) to the Aaronic Priesthood. It was the first time I have ever done a confirmation. All of the priests in the quorum I am currently teaching on Sundays stood in with me. Later in the week Nathan went and did baptisms for the dead in Mexico with the youth. I didn't see him till Sunday, but when I did, I could already tell there was something different in his conversion. He was actually dressed in shirt and tie with a sweater vest on instead of just a white shirt and slacks. He passed the sacrament in church for the first time and even though he messed up a little bit he said that he wants to be there early every week so that he is one of the kids who gets to pass the sacrament. Later, I taught the class of the youth because the teacher did not show and I asked Nathan to share the experience he had in the temple. Even though he is really shy, he got up and shared an amazing testimony about how strong he felt the spirit in the temple and that he knew that temples were from God.
We had an appointment this week with the soon to be married daughter and (soon to be) son in law of the Morales family. He had not come to church this week and when we entered the room we could literally feel this tension in the room that was not the spirit. They were sitting across the room from each other with the whole Morales family in the middle and Richie was not saying anything. It really took asking the right inspired questions that got him to open up. The lesson was a really good lesson and by the end, they were sitting together, and he asked the father if he could marry his daughter and then got on one knee and asked if she would marry him. She said yes. When we were planning the date for them to be married, I was expecting it to be later in the month right before the baptism, but they looked at me and said, "Well, we need to be following the commandments, so would it be ok if we got married this Sunday?" WOW!
Anyway, I hope that everything is going well and that you are trying to have some good missionary experiences this Christmas season.
Love you all,
Elder Stewart
Thanksgiving in Fabens....
Hey Friends and Family
I hope everyone had a great week. I know my week went pretty well. We had a good Thanksgiving this year where we ate at 3 different houses and died once we got home. I have not been so full in a long time. Thanksgiving is basically the same here but they still have tortillas with every meal.
Other than that, this week we started a "40 day fast." from Thanksgiving day to the end of the year there is 40 days and my companion and I were reading a letter written to a missionary by his father (who was a stake president) about how to purify yourself so that you can have the spirit with you as a constant companion. What you have to do is fast to find out a few things that keep you from having the spirit with you fully and then starting the next day you covenant with the Lord that you will do nothing on that list. Every night you sit and talk with Heavenly Father about what happened and areas that you lacked in and every morning you recommit to not doing anything on that list, taking it one day at a time.
So we started on Friday and that night we had an amazing lesson with the boyfriend of a less active member that we are helping to come back to church. We taught to his needs and he accepted a Date and came to church to Sunday. It was a miracle because the parents of this less active member never thought that he would come around and accept the gospel.
The next time we saw him on Saturday night, he said that he wasn't going to go to church and he did not read because he didn't feel ready for it. It was then that I felt the spirit most and I preceded to tell him that I knew he felt the spirit and that I know he knows it is true, and that all we are asking him to do is read, pray, and go to church so that he can learn from the Holy Ghost. I told him that we can’t give him his answer, that only going through the steps unnecessary to feel the Holy Ghost will he learn. He understood it, and was at church!
Well I am super happy, I love the area, training, and I finally feel like I can fully express myself in Spanish to the point that I can help these people progress through the spirit. I wouldn't mind staying in this area for the rest of my time here.
Love you all,
Elder Stewart
I hope everyone had a great week. I know my week went pretty well. We had a good Thanksgiving this year where we ate at 3 different houses and died once we got home. I have not been so full in a long time. Thanksgiving is basically the same here but they still have tortillas with every meal.
Other than that, this week we started a "40 day fast." from Thanksgiving day to the end of the year there is 40 days and my companion and I were reading a letter written to a missionary by his father (who was a stake president) about how to purify yourself so that you can have the spirit with you as a constant companion. What you have to do is fast to find out a few things that keep you from having the spirit with you fully and then starting the next day you covenant with the Lord that you will do nothing on that list. Every night you sit and talk with Heavenly Father about what happened and areas that you lacked in and every morning you recommit to not doing anything on that list, taking it one day at a time.
So we started on Friday and that night we had an amazing lesson with the boyfriend of a less active member that we are helping to come back to church. We taught to his needs and he accepted a Date and came to church to Sunday. It was a miracle because the parents of this less active member never thought that he would come around and accept the gospel.
The next time we saw him on Saturday night, he said that he wasn't going to go to church and he did not read because he didn't feel ready for it. It was then that I felt the spirit most and I preceded to tell him that I knew he felt the spirit and that I know he knows it is true, and that all we are asking him to do is read, pray, and go to church so that he can learn from the Holy Ghost. I told him that we can’t give him his answer, that only going through the steps unnecessary to feel the Holy Ghost will he learn. He understood it, and was at church!
Well I am super happy, I love the area, training, and I finally feel like I can fully express myself in Spanish to the point that I can help these people progress through the spirit. I wouldn't mind staying in this area for the rest of my time here.
Love you all,
Elder Stewart
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