A Man Learneth Through the Spirit, Not by Other Men...

March 25, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

How are you all? I hope everyone is well, and happy. I have had a fairly good week, with successes and interesting experiences. I had a trial of testimony of the church this week that really wasn’t a trial, more of my testimony withstanding some of the most horrible discussions I have had with the people here.

We have an investigator whose wife is a member of the church named Oscar. He has been investigating the church for 2 years now and sometimes makes good progress and sometimes doesn’t. Well he had been avoiding us for about 5 weeks now and then finally answered our call. He set up an appointment and as I sat down and he started off the conversation with “I have so many questions for you two" I had a knot well up in my stomach. In the course of the next hour and a half, he began bringing up all the topics that we don’t really address. Polygamy, Blacks and the Priesthood, Stories about Joseph Smith, and why there is no historical proof on the Book of Mormon, Mountain Meadows, just to state a few. And as I sat there and listened to him, I thought about all the "Explanations I could give him and all the scriptures I could have thrown at him" and a voice or impression came to me about the way people learn. I began to ask him if he has been reading, no, if he has prayed, "We seemed to get away from prayer a bit", and he wasn’t going to church. I told him that Men can only learn through the spirit, and it is through the spirit that we can understand God, not through internet websites or buddies at work. He sat there quietly and my companion and I bore testimony to him that we didn’t need proof from man to know that the Book of Mormon is true, only the proof sent from God. After the lesson he promised to come to church, read, and he prayed for the closing prayer.

I realized for maybe the 100th time on my mission that no matter what we face here in this life, or what anyone says, our testimonies is what will be needed to endure to the end. If they are strong, we will be able to hold when things get tough or when others fall, we don’t have to fall with them, but can try to help them. Read, pray, go to church and don’t ever stop.

Love,

Elder Stewart

In the Middle of Nowhere Texas....

March 11, 2013


Dear Friends and Family,

We had quite a good week this week with some good adventures and success. This is the last week of the transfer and so I will know on Saturday if I will be leaving or not. I really hope to stay in the area but there are also 29 missionaries coming in, 0 of the 11 Elders are Spanish and I’m not sure how many of the 18 sisters will be Spanish. So that means that since we are in a nice area and are having lots of success, we will probably get "Pink Washed." So let’s pray that doesn’t happen.

We are still doing well, getting along, and trying to learn from each other. Despite our personality differences, our strengths have been playing off each other very well. We have been working with those part members and the "Low hanging fruit" and have been seeing a growth in the way that we are teaching. Elder Bath is really good at remembering all the appointments and making sure we get to places on time, and seeing as how I am so used to having members at lessons now it honestly feels like something is lacking when it is just the missionaries teaching. So I think that has helped the area as well, having on average 1 member out with us per day.

We taught some very good lessons this week, to the family Monroy and Guzman in particular. In both of these part member families the non-members have been so kind to us and we have built a bond with them to the point where we are able to see them 3+ times a week. And from what I have learned, if you can get to the point of seeing an investigator 3 times a week, the chances of them getting baptized is a lot higher.

This week my companion and I drove all the way out to the end of our area, it is 70 miles to get there and come back, and so we spent so much time driving out there. It is a Small little town called "Dell City" and we talked to some people there and visited all the stores to see if we could leave some pamphlets in the area, we came across this one Cafe called "Spanish Angels Cafe" and we knew that it was going to be golden. When we walked in the lady was so nice to us and made a little spot for our cards and things to be where people could see. What I found really interesting is that the other 3 stores we went to were owned by white people who spoke only English, and when they saw us walk in they gave us these really weird looks and told us that we can’t leave any pamphlets or anything. It’s interesting to me to see that even we are of the same Christian belief, and it might sound bad but the "same Skin color" that we are usually treated very poorly. I don't want to be like that when I get home.

Anyway, I love you all.

Elder Stewart

Wow, 6 Months Left....

March 4, 2013

My Dearest Family and Friends,

As this week was going by at what seemed like an abnormal rate, yesterday hit me that it was my 6 month left mark. How crazy does that sound? As I think about it however it just sounds weird, instead of hitting me very hard. I think they call it denial.

We had a wonderful week and everything is going according to plan. Heavenly Father is paving the way for us to have all of these miracles happen. I think there is a good possibility of us being blessed with quite a few more baptisms next month. Something (Less Spiritual) that happened yesterday is that I called the soon to be married investigators we have were I have never met the fiancé of the guy investigator and started talking on the phone to her. Her first question was "Wait, are you a Mexican?" Confused I said "what?" she replied " are you a native Spanish speaker?" when I told her no she was saying that she was super surprised because she thought all missionaries where "Americanos" and that she was surprised that I sounded like a Mexican. That made me feel pretty good.

We are over here with what I seem to do best. Working with part-member families. Idk what it is, but I seem to always work the best with part member families. And when Elder Bath and I teamed up, we have had countless miracle with these families. Finding, being able to teach, and being able to baptized/ reactivate.

Elder Bath and I are doing so much better together. We have been able to work some of the rough edges out and are getting along a lot better. He says that it was really good that I came in and helped him fix his morning schedule. He say that the preparation that we put in for the day if levels above what it was before I got there and is probably the reason for all the Miracles that have happened.

I was knocking doors this week and I had an interesting experience. We knock the door, and a lady came out with this look on her face like she thought we were clowns, as I went to open my mouth  she blurted out, "I don’t want to listen to anything you say." as she was about to close the door I asked if there was something we did wrong. She said "sorry, I’m a Christian." I responded, "We are to, we are sent from God to help people grow closer to Christ" she said "not interested" I responded with "You not interested in coming closer to Christ?" "Nope" She said. I said "Well, God loves you, and have a wonderful, day" I don’t think there was much else I could do. I hope that lady's heart changes.

Well that’s all for this week. Love you all so much.

Elder Stewart 

Teaching the Gospel in My New Suit....

February 25, 2013

Dearest Family and Friends,

It has been a great week in El Paso this week, despite the high speed winds that blow dust into the sky that blots out the sun. Last week I found a grey Calvin Klein suit coat at good will for $8, and it looks like it had been worn like 10 times. I was so excited to wear it, that I wore it every day this week. Many people have said that it looks really good so I was pretty excited about that.

Elder Bath and I have been trekking along. We still have our many difference however I feel like we are starting to get used to each other and there is a lot of giving and taking now. This has allowed us to teach more in unity and has allowed us to receive so many more blessings and new people to teach.

On Saturday we had an amazing baptism which has sincerely built my testimony on the fact that if it is God's will, he will provide a way that we can accomplish his commandments. Ana Maria has had so much opposition this last week, mainly with people who are closest to her. She was living with a friend that she has known for quite a while when the missionaries started to go over to teach her. At first the friend was indifferent about them being there, but later received a call from her brother (a pastor of a "Christian" church who told her that we were a sect of the church of the devil, and that joseph smith was the brother of Satan, and that being baptized was like selling your soul to the devil. She said that if she kept talking to the missionaries, that she would kick her out. So Ana, with her great faith, left the house and started living in her little store. (Sleeping on a sleeping bag on the tile) During the week before her baptism she spent all her time in her store reading and praying and little by little God showed forth his power in the softening of the hearts. To make a long story short. This lady who had told her not to see us anymore, let her back into her home, after asking for forgiveness of what she thought, is listening to Ana tell her about the plan of salvation and the BOM, and on Saturday, she even lent her white underclothing to wear under the baptism jumpsuit. At the baptism, Ana, without being prompted, asked if she could bear her testimony, she talked about her conversion for 10 whole minutes. I feel so blessed to be a part of her life and mentioned in her testimony.

Most of the week was focused on her, and so that’s really it for this week. The Church is true, God and his Son lives, they Love us, In the name of Jesus Christ Amen.

Elder Daniel Stewart

Coming Back to the MTV Ward

February 19, 2013

Hello friends and family,

Because of President's day yesterday, the libraries where closed and so I have to email today. The connection is really bad due to some update they did to the servers. Oh well. Anyway I got transferred back to Montana Vista ward, only this time I am in the "Las Tierras" area which is the best of the 3. We have a truck again and an amazing apartment. Heavenly Father has finally given me a nice apartment for all the not so great ones in the past. It has refrigerated air and my favorite, a super big gym, so it looks like for the last little bit of my mission I will be able to get back in shape. The address for this place is 14363 Edgemere Blvd, Apt # 2405, El Paso, Texas 79938. Called "the Cottages"

I was given a new assignment this transfer and this time it has to do with an Elder. My new companion is from a very different way of life than me or any other companion I have had and that is probably the reason he has never had a companion for more than one transfer straight. His name is Elder Bath, and he is from Hawaii. His parents taught him that "eating meat" is against the Word of Wisdom and for that he is a vegetarian, Its makes dinners pretty interesting. He is in the "BYU Ham Radio Club" and runs like Napoleon Dynamite, however we play for the same team. He has done a lot of good work in this area and he and his last companion spent the time "GPS"ing every member in this "700" member ward, including all the currents investigators, Referrals, and all the formers as well. Basically everyone in the wards boundaries that has ever received a lesson from missionaries in the past. Thousands and Thousands of points it would blow your mind. But like every other piece of modern day technology, once you start to understand it, it becomes an amazing tool. Anyway, it’s nice to be back in this ward and it looks like I have many good things to learn in the coming transfer.

One of the things that I am excited about is the growing potential of the work in the area. I feel like the Lord is using me now as a "Finisher" like "The Freak" in baseball ha-ha. By that I mean I feel like Elder Bath and the Companion he was with did a lot of planting and prep work. Then sent me in when all of these people became ready to teach. In fact this weekend there will be the first baptism in the Ward in over 6 months. I am so excited for the plans that God has for me and this ward in the next coming transfer, I hope that I will be able to keep up with all the work he has for me including helping my companion out.

Anyway, that is pretty much it.

Love you All,

Elder Stewart

My 17th Month Mark

February 11, 2013

Dear Family and Friends,

I am in awe as I realized this morning that I on the 7th hit my 17th month mark as a missionary.... And even though my brain is trying to through me into panic mode, I will try to sit still to write this letter home ha-ha. Well I got a call that I am being transferred this week, which always brings excitement, but at the same time sadness. And this transfer in particular will be extra tragic due to the fact that it feels like I am leaving my second home. I have gained a love for the members of Fabens in 6 months that I feel like I had built in other home wards after years of being there, and I can really feel their love to. Who would have thought, that in a town of 1500 people in the middle of nowhere Texas, where there is only Dollar stores and gas stations to by stuff at, and tons and tons of dirt and dust, that I would find myself here. If you would have asked me 17 months ago, I would have laughed at the thought. But I truly do love it here.  

Ayline was baptized yesterday which was so wonderful to see. She is part of a part member family who has not come to church in 4 years due to being offended by some of the church leaders in the area. The hard thing is, is that it was members that where family of this family. So they were directly related and thus making it harder for them to come back without putting off the natural man. Anyway, After 6 months of teaching her, her family decided that she could be baptized (They are all members) and they came to church for the first time in a while. At the baptism there where 50+ people there which was really cool and after we saw the family that were offended with each other talking on the couch. I hope and am praying that their relationship can be healed so that Ayline can have her family at church with her every week.

Well that’s about it for this week. I look forward to the new people and adventures I will have this week in my new area.

Love you,

Elder Stewart

Power of the Priesthood

February 4, 2013

Dear Friends and Family,

This week we had maybe one of the hardest weeks of my mission, not because we were unsuccessful, but because of circumstances going on with some of our investigators. However, I have seen a manifestation of God's grace, power, and mercy that has no rival in my eyes. Through the power of the Priesthood, a life was saved and the mother of 2 little kids is recovering from what looked like the end of her time here on earth and because of the sacredness of this experience to me, I will give only the main details.

In my letter last week I wrote about Stephanie, who is the mother of 2 kids and the niece of one of the recent converts. Well her boyfriend is an abusive man who on Saturday night beat her, and then again when she got home the next night mercilessly beat her again. Tuesday night of this week we get called over and find out that she is seizing because he hit her in the back of the head so many times. I have never seen anyone having a seizer before and if any of you know what one looks like you understand how heart wrenching it is. There is nothing you can do till it stops. Anyway she starts seizing and they have me give her a blessing. In the blessing I felt prompted to tell her that her brain would be healed and that she would be able to recover and return to her kids soon. After the blessing within 5 mins she had a seizure that was worse and lasted longer. As I was sitting there on the verge of tears wondering why she was still being afflicted by the seizures, a peace and warmth came over me that I will never ever forget. I knew she was going to be ok. I knew she was going to pass through a lot in the next few days but I told her that she was going to be alright and that if she had faith, she would be healed by the Power of the Priesthood. 3 days passed with worse and worse seizures. Throughout those three days where the most tears and hardships I’ve been through in I can’t remember how long. But I kept going back to the feeling I felt as I was comforted by the Spirit. On Friday we got a text saying that the test results came back and that her brain has absolutely no damage done to it. And they coin her "Seizures" to be from trauma from all that happened. I admit that it might be due to that now, however I know that the Blessing given to her is what made the difference. Yesterday we fasted for her along with the whole family. I got a call last night that she hasn’t had a seizure since about right when we started fasting. I know that by faith and the Priesthood, along with the will of God that miracles do happen, maybe one has to go through a great trial of faith first, but miracles are real. It brings me back to the song from that bible movie "The Prince of Egypt" where they sing "There can be miracles, when you believe" I know the church is true, I know that we can be comforted by the Holy Ghost, I have no doubt in the Priesthood, and that Heavenly Father loves us. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen
   
The Uncle of Stephanie, Richie, received the Aaronic Priesthood today! It truly is a miracle in my life, and makes me so happy, Life is good.

Love,

Elder Stewart