Mi Familia,
This week was a good one. We have been really busy!
This week I have learned a lot about what it means to be a representative of Jesus Christ. We had a change in the Branch Presidency here and the new President is a convert of only about 4 or 5 years. He is a really good man and I am really close to him. He is pretty stressed, but his wife always just tells him that he can read the manual or talk to us. I was thinking "I have never been a branch president" but feel grateful that they trust us so much. He has been asking us a lot of questions in the last few weeks and now we know why. I am excited because the members are getting excited to work too. I hope we can help the Branch in the transition.
We didn't have the baptism this week because the investigator didn't pass his interview. We will see if he gets baptized in the future. But despite the trials I am really happy and excited for the work. I don't want the mission to end, and it is going by way too fast. If I could, I wouldn't go home and just be like the 3 Nephites, but I don't think that is going to happen.
We are teaching a sister named Consuelo, and she is great. Someone robbed her and left her on the other side of the city. We visited her 2 days after and she said she was doing really bad. She has a baby boy and doesn't work and relies on the money that her ex husband gives her. It is pretty rough but we got to teach her about the atonement and I don't know if I had felt the spirit so strong in a lesson before. She is doing a lot better now.
Also I forgot to tell you guys but I had a pretty neat experience last week (2 weeks ago?) Anyway, we were teaching a woman named Magdalena and she is pretty catholic but listens to us. We taught her about the Restoration and how she could know for herself if it was true. It was one of the first times on my mission when the person I was teaching didn't want to believe what we were teaching. I told her that I had prayed and felt it was true, and she started making fun of me. She started saying that God doesn't communicate with us and a lot of other stuff. Shortly after that, the earth started to shake. I couldn't believe it and thought it was a coincidence but it was pretty crazy. She got scared, not because of what she had said, but because of the earthquake (we were outside as well). After the earthquake we kept talking and I started asking her why she didn't believe in revelation. She said that all we need to do in this life is do the will of the Father and we could be saved. So I asked her how we know God's will. She said just by doing good things. So I asked her how we knew about the commandments and and in the end she realized that all we know about God has been revealed from God to man. She said she would pray : ) but we haven't seen her since then.
I am so happy to be here. I am working hard, and I know that this is the Lord's work.
I love you and miss you all!!
Con Amor,
Elder Riley Stevenson
Monday, March 26, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
Los Juntaré Como La Gallina Junta A Sus Polluelos Debajo De Sus Alas
Mi Familia,
This week was a lot better. We had some good lessons and found some new people to teach. We have transfers today but Elder Bernal and I stayed together, as expected. I am happy that I have the opportunity to keep serving here in Ciudad Hidalgo, even though it has been really hot lately! And everyone says it is going to get hotter. Everyone is getting sick because of the change of temperature. I hope we can stay healthy! Right now we are good.
The funniest part of the week was when we went to teach a referral, when Elder Bernal introduced himself he said his name was Elder Stevenson, and it surprised me a bit. I didn't know what to say in that moment but I told her that I was Elder Stevenson and that my companion was Elder Bernal. I think it was one of the funniest moments on my mission, because Elder Bernal hadn't realized till I said it, and the investigators laughed a lot too. I guess you could say we are pretty united, seeing that Elder Bernal confuses his name with mine.
We are also teaching a lot of Marías right now so it is hard to know which one is which. So one of them sells chicken so in my agenda when I wrote the appointment, I drew a little chicken next to it to clarify which María it was (sometimes I do drawings). Then Elder Bernal saw it when we were putting an appointment with other investigators and it made him laugh and no one knew why (haha). He told me about it after.
We found a family this week that the missionaries were teaching about 5 years ago. they are really great, it is the family Santos Mendoza. They have 4 small children and aren't married, but we are going to see what can be done. Their neighbors are also listening to us.
This week Salustio is going to get baptized. He is an older man (66) and the majority of the branch is related to him in some way. It is very exciting because he is a good guy and we have been teaching him for a few months now. He lives alone and has a lonely life, but really wants to do what is right. He has a ton of land and animals so it is fun to go to his house. He has geese that bite and snarl at us, puppies, and chickens that climb up a ladder and sleep in the palm trees.
We are teaching some great people and are always finding people that are interested in the gospel. I know that this is Christ's church, and that Joseph Smith restored it. I know that President Monson is a prophet of God.
I love you and miss you all!
Elder Riley Stevenson
This week was a lot better. We had some good lessons and found some new people to teach. We have transfers today but Elder Bernal and I stayed together, as expected. I am happy that I have the opportunity to keep serving here in Ciudad Hidalgo, even though it has been really hot lately! And everyone says it is going to get hotter. Everyone is getting sick because of the change of temperature. I hope we can stay healthy! Right now we are good.
The funniest part of the week was when we went to teach a referral, when Elder Bernal introduced himself he said his name was Elder Stevenson, and it surprised me a bit. I didn't know what to say in that moment but I told her that I was Elder Stevenson and that my companion was Elder Bernal. I think it was one of the funniest moments on my mission, because Elder Bernal hadn't realized till I said it, and the investigators laughed a lot too. I guess you could say we are pretty united, seeing that Elder Bernal confuses his name with mine.
We are also teaching a lot of Marías right now so it is hard to know which one is which. So one of them sells chicken so in my agenda when I wrote the appointment, I drew a little chicken next to it to clarify which María it was (sometimes I do drawings). Then Elder Bernal saw it when we were putting an appointment with other investigators and it made him laugh and no one knew why (haha). He told me about it after.
We found a family this week that the missionaries were teaching about 5 years ago. they are really great, it is the family Santos Mendoza. They have 4 small children and aren't married, but we are going to see what can be done. Their neighbors are also listening to us.
This week Salustio is going to get baptized. He is an older man (66) and the majority of the branch is related to him in some way. It is very exciting because he is a good guy and we have been teaching him for a few months now. He lives alone and has a lonely life, but really wants to do what is right. He has a ton of land and animals so it is fun to go to his house. He has geese that bite and snarl at us, puppies, and chickens that climb up a ladder and sleep in the palm trees.
We are teaching some great people and are always finding people that are interested in the gospel. I know that this is Christ's church, and that Joseph Smith restored it. I know that President Monson is a prophet of God.
I love you and miss you all!
Elder Riley Stevenson
Monday, March 12, 2012
Quienes Pongan Su Confianza En Dios Serán Sostenidos En Sus Tribulaciones
Mi Familia,
This week was one of the harder ones, but that means opportunities to change and be better. We didn't have the baptism we had planned, but we are going to see if she gets baptized the week. The investigator left to visit her dad and we think that her mom also might not want her to get baptized so fast, but we will see.
We lost contact with a ton of investigators, but found other ones. A lot of weird things happened this week. Like a church met outside of the house of an investigator just in the street, so we couldn't go to teach her. Or we were teaching a lady and when we invited her to be baptized she said she was already baptized like 30 years ago in our church. I felt silly for inviting her but I did it because she has a lot of Virgin Marys in her house, and says bad words. I didn't think she was a member (haha). She hasn't gone to church though since the month of her baptism. We had 3 other investigators, 2 of which had baptism dates that left on vacations so we have been looking for new people to teach while we wait for them to come back.
Despite the difficulties, I have learned a lot and learned to trust more in the Lord. We don't always understand why things happen but we can always understand that the Lord knows why they happen. I am still happy and know that this week is going to be better.
We found an investigator this week that is named Rosa, and she is great and just wants to learn more about God. Her son was sick this week and we gave him a blessing. I am really excited for them because I feel like they are going to progress a lot. In my patriarchal blessing and also in my blessing when Elder Haynie set me apart, it was said that I would use the priesthood a lot in my mission. Here in Ciudad Hidalgo we give a lot of blessings, to members and non members. This week I think we gave 4 blessings. It is so special and I know that it is the power and authority that God gives to man. I know that the priesthood is real.
I am enjoying the mission, I am very happy. I love you and miss you all.
Elder Riley Stevenson
This week was one of the harder ones, but that means opportunities to change and be better. We didn't have the baptism we had planned, but we are going to see if she gets baptized the week. The investigator left to visit her dad and we think that her mom also might not want her to get baptized so fast, but we will see.
We lost contact with a ton of investigators, but found other ones. A lot of weird things happened this week. Like a church met outside of the house of an investigator just in the street, so we couldn't go to teach her. Or we were teaching a lady and when we invited her to be baptized she said she was already baptized like 30 years ago in our church. I felt silly for inviting her but I did it because she has a lot of Virgin Marys in her house, and says bad words. I didn't think she was a member (haha). She hasn't gone to church though since the month of her baptism. We had 3 other investigators, 2 of which had baptism dates that left on vacations so we have been looking for new people to teach while we wait for them to come back.
Despite the difficulties, I have learned a lot and learned to trust more in the Lord. We don't always understand why things happen but we can always understand that the Lord knows why they happen. I am still happy and know that this week is going to be better.
We found an investigator this week that is named Rosa, and she is great and just wants to learn more about God. Her son was sick this week and we gave him a blessing. I am really excited for them because I feel like they are going to progress a lot. In my patriarchal blessing and also in my blessing when Elder Haynie set me apart, it was said that I would use the priesthood a lot in my mission. Here in Ciudad Hidalgo we give a lot of blessings, to members and non members. This week I think we gave 4 blessings. It is so special and I know that it is the power and authority that God gives to man. I know that the priesthood is real.
I am enjoying the mission, I am very happy. I love you and miss you all.
Elder Riley Stevenson
Monday, March 5, 2012
Parte Cayó en Buena Tierra y Dio Fruto
Mi Familia,
This week was great. I went to Tuxtla Gutierrez for the Leaders' Training, and learned a lot. I have felt so good ever since. We learned a lot about the sheets we fill out when someone gets baptized and about working with the wards in missionary work. We also talked a lot about faith and the light of Christ. I learned a lot and got to see a bunch of friends. And that means finding out what has been going on in other parts of the mission! I talked to one of the Elders serving in La Salle and I found out that an investigator we had, (one of the daughters of Blanca Estella) got baptized. Her name is Ana Marthi.
Another Elder that was in my district told me something awesome too! Ok the story goes like this. One time we were teaching an investigator in Tuxtla that was going to get baptized. We felt inspired to invite a sister from the ward to meet her and be in the lesson with us. When we got to the member's house, her friend was there so we talked to her and said she would listen to the missionaries. She lived in the ward next to us so we passed the referral to the other missionaries. Then we went to the lesson. The investigator told us she had gotten a job and worked from 10 AM to 10 PM all week so we couldn't visit her, and she couldn't go to church either. I felt bad that the member came with us. Elder Nay and I were so sad that we just told the member she could go home because we didn't want to take her tracting in the sun when we told her we were just going to a lesson. I always felt like that was one of the saddest days on my mission. But Elder Granados was in that ward and he told me this week that her 2 children got baptized, and that she is probably going to be baptized soon. It made me so happy and now I know why the Lord had us go there with that sister. Besides Ana Marthi and those 2 youths, I know of three other people that have gotten baptized that I was teaching in La Salle.
This week Ana Michel is going to get baptized. She was a referral from the Branch President: She is going out with a less active member who has been going more (because of her obviously). But this sunday he left after the first hour and she stayed all 3 hours! She is already a great example to him and she is so excited for her baptism. All of the young women promised her yesterday that they would go and she was so happy about that and told us all about it.
I am so happy and I know this work is true! I see miracles everyday. I don't want my mission to end, and it is going by way too fast. I love this work and I know that Christ leads it, and is actively participating in it.
I love you and miss you all.
Con Amor,
Elder Riley Stevenson
This week was great. I went to Tuxtla Gutierrez for the Leaders' Training, and learned a lot. I have felt so good ever since. We learned a lot about the sheets we fill out when someone gets baptized and about working with the wards in missionary work. We also talked a lot about faith and the light of Christ. I learned a lot and got to see a bunch of friends. And that means finding out what has been going on in other parts of the mission! I talked to one of the Elders serving in La Salle and I found out that an investigator we had, (one of the daughters of Blanca Estella) got baptized. Her name is Ana Marthi.
Another Elder that was in my district told me something awesome too! Ok the story goes like this. One time we were teaching an investigator in Tuxtla that was going to get baptized. We felt inspired to invite a sister from the ward to meet her and be in the lesson with us. When we got to the member's house, her friend was there so we talked to her and said she would listen to the missionaries. She lived in the ward next to us so we passed the referral to the other missionaries. Then we went to the lesson. The investigator told us she had gotten a job and worked from 10 AM to 10 PM all week so we couldn't visit her, and she couldn't go to church either. I felt bad that the member came with us. Elder Nay and I were so sad that we just told the member she could go home because we didn't want to take her tracting in the sun when we told her we were just going to a lesson. I always felt like that was one of the saddest days on my mission. But Elder Granados was in that ward and he told me this week that her 2 children got baptized, and that she is probably going to be baptized soon. It made me so happy and now I know why the Lord had us go there with that sister. Besides Ana Marthi and those 2 youths, I know of three other people that have gotten baptized that I was teaching in La Salle.
This week Ana Michel is going to get baptized. She was a referral from the Branch President: She is going out with a less active member who has been going more (because of her obviously). But this sunday he left after the first hour and she stayed all 3 hours! She is already a great example to him and she is so excited for her baptism. All of the young women promised her yesterday that they would go and she was so happy about that and told us all about it.
I am so happy and I know this work is true! I see miracles everyday. I don't want my mission to end, and it is going by way too fast. I love this work and I know that Christ leads it, and is actively participating in it.
I love you and miss you all.
Con Amor,
Elder Riley Stevenson
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