lisellovingleeds : 2017-05-07

Hello! Hope its been a great week for everyone :)

So basically everyone we are teaching has fallen off the face of the planet or asked me to marry them or doesn't want to be baptised.

Thats basically how our week went until Saturday afternoon when we decided to just find all day. We prayed and asked Heavenly Father where He needed us to be. A couple former investigators stuck out so we went by them and did some knocking in their area. We were able to get return appointments with both of them! Then we felt that we should start our fast, one of the things Sister Cook I were fasting for was that we would be lead to people who would accept our message. We knocked for quite a while after that and then this lady came up to us asking for 60 pence or to borrow our phone. We let her use our phone and she took us to this lady who had the number. Then the first lady left and we started talking to the other lady who eventually invited us in and we got to teach her about the Plan of Salvation! She was so intrigued and said she could listen to us talk all day! She even accepted a baptismal date. Then a little while into the lesson her 10 year old granddaughter came over and was so interested too and loved the Book of Mormon. They are excited to have us over tonight to learn more. Haha she also gave us 2 of her family members to go by!

I am a firm believer that when we put in our effort and follow the Spirit Heavenly Father will guide us to people who are willing to listen and learn.

We were able to have Zone Conference this week and receive great instruction from President and Sister Turvey and our leaders. We finished the conference with a testimony meeting that was incredible. Its amazing to hear the other missionaries share experiences and their personal testimony of Jesus Christ. It was Sister Mo and Sister T's last Zone Conference and the last time I will see Sister T! It was so sad, I am so thankful for the time we go to serve together. They are both incredible missionaries and will continue to do great things. They both bore their testimonies and it is amazing the change that Heavenly Father can make in each of us when we allow Him to.

One thing that President talked about was what a testimony is. He said in General Conference no one said "I know" when sharing their testimony. President said a testimony is something you hope for. I thought that was really cool and I feel like when people look at a testimony like that they can realise they do actually have one. In Alma 32 a very popular missionary chapter it talks about how "faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen.." So when we have a hope that the things we learn or hear or feel are true, that is faith, and you do have a testimony!

Another thing that we have been talking about as a mission and even at church is going after the ONE. In Luke 15:4-5 it says, "What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing." Each of us know people in our lives who have wandered from the path and away from the gospel. And we have the responsibility to help those lost sheep come back. I feel like as a missionary I get overwhelmed of how many people who have strayed and how many people that are out there who don't have the gospel. But when we just focus on the ONE and how we can help that individual we are able to help bring that person back and not only that but we can show them they are loved.

So my invitation for you this week is to ask Heavenly Father who that ONE is in your life you can reach out to. You could just send a nice text, or bring them a treat! Just show them they are loved. I know you will feel so much joy when you reach out to others. I would love to hear any experiences you have :)

Make it a great week!
Love, Sister Stevens

Last time with Sister Chiu