Sa Wad De Kaw!

My subject is how you say Hi in Thai! (defs not how you spell it but...)

Anyway, this week has been great! My new comp is from Thailand! Sadly she can't cook thai food but, she is still amazing! We have been working hard and have been quite busy but it feels so good to be busy. It is the best feeling coming home each night feeling like you did everything you could for the Lord that day. I am happy and too busy to even feel homesick! hah its been great.

 Heavenly Father is blessing us so much and we have been able to see so many miracles. We visited by a less active this week who hasn’t been to church for a while and she came on Sunday! And 2 recent converts got up in Sacrament Meeting to bear their testimonies! One of them brought a friend to church and we had actually met her on the bus a couple weeks ago, but she said she is ready to learn more now! So we will be teaching her this week :) Because it was fast Sunday we fasted with one of our investigators who we were finally able to set a date for his baptism. He has been investigating for over 6 months so this is a miracle! He said when he fasted he felt so much closer to Heavenly Father and he knows he is making the right choice. We will continue to work with him so he will be ready! 

ALSO... I SAW ELDER NORTON!!!!!!!! He was coming to our chapel to get his new companion so we got to shake hands (lol) and get a pic (we couldn’t touch) but its okay :) It was good to see him and chat for like 2 minutes. He got moved further away from me but he is needed elsewhere!

This week I have felt the stress of a lot of things, first time leading the area, first time with a new companion, and navigating everywhere. It has been quite the experience, but I am learning so much and really working on how I can help others around me. Life can be stressful at times but we need to remember what the most important thing is and that is our Savior Jesus Christ. 

I am so thankful to know about this truth! And I feel so lucky to be able to share it with people in Leeds! It’s amazing how God puts people in our path that are ready to hear the gospel. We see it everyday, so many little miracles testifying that Heavenly Father is really there and He loves us so much. 

Thank you for all the love and support!

love you all!

sister stevens 

New companion from Thailand, Sister T

with Tracey, a member who is our BFF.  She comes teaching with us

awkward pics with Cayden, no hugging :(

Said Goodbye to my trainer and 1st flatmates

Transfers!!

Hey everyone! 

It's been quite a slow week here in Leeds. I have been

sick most of the week so me and sister pro got some extra sleep. Haha

the doctor said I can't be a missionary and kill this virus at the

same time. But good news I am doing much better now and am excited to

get back out there and do some real missionary work.

We had transfer calls last night and we were all a bit nervous. But I

am staying in Leeds and sister pro is leaving me :(:( we are very sad

but know we are going to be where Heavenly Father wants us. My new

comp was already in my district so we know each other a bit. She is

from Thailand and we call her sister T. She's the best I am so excited

to serve with her! Haha also she had a dream the other night that we

would serve together. So crazy!!

Time is just going by so fast, I literally feel like I just got here

and met sister pro! But it's been 3 months and I can't believe how

much I have grown and learned!

The hightlight of my week was definitely interviews with president which was amaze! He is such an inspired man it's incredible.  He told me to tell you a couple things. 

He said to tell you thank you for

raising me so well and sending me to England to save the mission. And

dad must be a saint to put up with so many girls. He said having 2

girls and a wife was enough. And he said little benny must be the

luckiest boy in the world. And to wish you well from president. He is

the best! He asked if I did seminary

and I said yes and he said I bet you have probably learned more in the

past 3 months than you have in the 4 years of seminary. And he is

right. When you are completely immersed in the gospel you can learn so

much and grow so much closer to Heavenly Father. He only has 4 weeks

left and it's so sad! I didn't know I would have so many hard goodbyes

on my mission too! Anyway, so president has this special very posh pen

that everybody knows about and no one ever gets to use and he let me

use it!! Haha it was a miracle and all the missionaries were pretty

jealous ;)

Anyway, life as a missionary is great. The Book of Mormon is true and

such a blessing. Remember how lucky we are to have it! Never take it

for granted. I want to challenge each of you to immerse yourself more

fully in the gospel, by reaching out to someone who needs it or

studying the Book of Mormon, or whatever it is notice how much happier

you are and notice how much Heavenly Father is really in your life.

I love you all!

Love, sister Stevens

Chopped Sister Pro's hair!  Sorry only pic this week bc we are emailing from iPad.

DONE WITH TRAINING!!!

Well peeps, I am officially not a new missionary anymore (even though I probs will always feel like one) I have completed 12 weeks of training. A lot of blood, sweat and tears, but I did it...lol just kidding. But seriously I cannot believe it has been 3 months since I went into the MTC. What a wild ride, I would not give up a second of it because I have never been so close to my Savior and Heavenly Father.

This past week I went on an exchange with a newer missionary from Taiwan who is amazing! I was a bit nervous because I am the worst at directions and maps (i only got us lost once) and I really had to take the lead because she is still learning English. But it went so much better than either of us thought it would! You don't realize how much you know until you actually need to do things. There is no way I could be a missionary and say the things I say without the power of the Holy Ghost. That's why it is so important to be obedient so we can have the Holy Ghost to guide and lead us. Now, Im not saying I'm perfect and I dont make mistakes, trust me I make plenty and my comp lets me know haha ;) That is what is so great about the Atonement. We can make tons and tons of mistakes, but because of our loving Savior we can be forgiven and we get so many chances. His plan is perfect. 

One of our investigators Allison went to Paris for the week and she went to DISNEYLAND! And if you know me, you know how much I love DL!  She showed me pics and videos and brought me back a t-shirt! It was the best :) I love all the people I am meeting and getting to know. It is such a blessing to be able to share the message of the restoration with so many people. 

We were also able to go to a baptism of some other missionaries in our zone and 2 of our investigators came and after they were both like, I'm ready to get baptized. haha it was a miracle! So we are continuing to work with them and prepare them so they are ready :) 

I have been reading this book called Our Heritage about the pioneers and the saints crossing the planes. It is so inspiring what they went through and everything they did so we can have the truth! They are all amazing examples of being obedient to the Lord and enduring to the end. And even when they were obedient, they still went through plenty of hard times, but they were always blessed. The Lord will always bless us if we are doing what we can. 

Everything is great in Leeds! Love and miss you all!

xoxo, sister stevens

W...a convert from China came with me on a split :) great times

a Missonary Couples' daughter just got off her mission so she came out teaching with us!

Sister Blair"s birthday on Friday!  We ordered pizza and milkshakes :)

Me and Sister Chiu

yummy Ranch packets...thanks! (can't find ranch there)

I decorated my planner

3 months tomorrow!

This week was just incredible, full of so many miracles. Being a missionary is the greatest blessing. I am learning so much about myself and about Gods plan for us. There are still plenty of hard times but I don’t think I have ever felt true happiness like I have the past week. The sisters I live with are so inspiring and we spend our nights telling stories, laughing so hard, sharing miracles we had during the day, and of course eating cookie dough. I made a challenge for myself this week to be happy, even through the hard times and I just felt so good and I was able to do my best. When you put a smile on your face it makes the biggest difference. We all go through tough times that we can’t control, but what we can control is our attitude.  Attitude is everything!! 

It’s crazy that I only have 1 more week of training and 2 weeks til transfers, I’m anxious to see what lies ahead, but Gods plan is perfect! 

We had stake conference this weekend and President and Sister Pilkington spoke which was amazing!  They are such great examples. 

Another thing I was able to work on this week is listening to my investigators with love. When we listen to people with a desire to help we will always know what we need to say to them through the power of the Holy Ghost. One chapter in the Book of Mormon I really loved this week was:
 Moroni 7
 Read it!  I wish I had time to talk about it but I’m too busy sharing the gospel ;) haha

A still doesn’t have his visa, but we are waiting with patience. Heavenly Father knows.

I am so thankful to be a missionary for the only true church!  And to share this amazing message that can bring us true happiness!  I am so honored to be a representative of Jesus Christ. He lives and loves us so much. Keep your heads up!  Life is so good, sometimes we just need to look for that good.

Love you all!  Thank you for the love and prayers :)

love, sister stevens

lisel.stevens@myldsmail.net

I promise we do more than eat out...haha.

One of my favorite Sisters from Brazil...LOVE HER she is hilar (hilarious)

Zone Conference was amazing and inspiring

Five Guys...yum!  I felt like I was at home!!

Tacos in our flat

Sister Pro's 1st taco

Sunshine!

Can’t believe its still sunny, this is a miracle everyone!

This week has been so great and so fast! I gave a talk in sacrament on choices and how we are all faced with difficult choices and we don't always know which path to take, but if we are doing what’s right our loving Heavenly Father will never lead us astray.  I shared from conference when President Monsen said to take the harder right instead of the easier wrong.  We need to follow that counsel because the right decision might not always be easy but when we put our trust in the Lord we can know everything will be okay. He will always provide a way for us to accomplish the things He asks. ‘I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unot the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.’(1Nephi 3:7)  I am so thankful I am not alone on this journey!!!

We were teaching one of our Chinese investigators who we hadn't seen for a couple weeks and we taught him about the10 commandments and the Sabbath day. As we were talking, he asked, “what do I need to do to be baptized?” Me and sister pro just looked at each other and of course told him, but we were freaking out inside!  We didn’t think he wanted to be or anything, it was so cool!  So we are preparing him to be baptized and hopefully he will continue to progress!

We fasted again for A’s visa and we get a call from him later during the day and he told us his friend got his visa which is hilarious. We just had to laugh and wonder why things happen the way they do. But God has a plan for each of us!!! Just put your trust in him! Hopefully it will come soon!

Only 3 weeks left in the transfer which is crazy!  Missions are awesome but hard and I wouldn't trade this experience for anything. There are times when I still have doubts, but those are just from Satan.  He always tries to get us to think we aren’t good enough and that there is no point in choosing the right. But when we choose the right we can always be happy :) Thank you for the advice about not letting Satan get to me. I need to remember those are not thoughts from God.

That is what I am working on this week, to be happy all the time. I’ll letcha know how it goes ;)

Heavenly Father wants us to be happy and it is a choice!  We just need to choose to be happy, so this week I am choosing to be happy and enjoy even the hard days. 

Teaching is going good, there are still lots of things to improve on but this week I realized I am going to be happy and focus on serving the Lord. thank you for reminding me that we don’t just teach the lessons but we are here to be a light to people too.

xoxoxox

hope all of you have a great week! love and miss you all!

love, sister stevens 
lisel.stevens@myldsmail.net

cutest little ice cream shop
(don't worry, we actually do missionary work too) haha

A on his doorstep

pretty tree

after skyping with the fam I needed some DC majorly!

Another week has flown by!

Monday was a holiday in England; May Day.  So we got to hear from Lisel today!

This week has been crazy!  We've had snow, rain, hail, and sun! England weather is a bit crazy most of the time.

Well, I had a pretty high fever and was quite sick for a couple days this week but I was able to rest and I am feeling much better now :) 

We have this activity thing for recent converts and investigators that everyone loves. It’s called cottage evening and me and sister pro were in charge of it this week! All our progressing investigators came and it was one of the best nights of my mission so far. We played some games, ate some yummy food, and shared a spiritual thought. I just remember looking around and feeling so much love for these people. It was such a tender mercy seeing them all together laughing and talking and getting to know each other better. It was a great night! I felt so happy and blessed that I got to experience that feeling! 

A from Egypt is still progressing so well!  He has definitely noticed a difference in his life since we met him and in every prayer he says he always asks heavenly father to protect us. It’s so cute!  Anyway, so his baptism was supposed to be this next weekend and me and sister pro planned it and were so excited!  We really felt like he was ready. But A doesn’t have his visa yet, which is crazy because he has been here for 7 years and he legally is allowed to be here. But we called president and made sure it would be okay if he was baptized but he said he needs his visa before he can be baptized... so please keep him in your prayers! He is ready, just waiting. We are putting our trust in the Lord, He knows what A needs and when the time is right. 

This week I studied a lot about the sacrament and the importance of it. And also how we can get the most out of taking the sacrament each Sunday. It is the most important part of the week and the greatest part of the week! I have been setting a goal each sacrament meeting and really working and focusing on it during the week and then I evaluate and if still need to work on it I will keep the same goal or set a new one. I have really noticed a difference and felt the spirit so strong during sacrament meeting. It is also so important that we remember why we take the sacrament. We are becoming clean again! We get the chance to recommit ourselves to our Savior and Heavenly Father, and get a fresh start! It is seriously such a blessing!

I am so thankful the Lord has trusted me with this assignment to serve Him and His children. I am learning so much about myself, about the scriptures, and my Savior. If you are thinking of serving a mission, make the choice to do it! There will be hard moments and moments of doubt but it is so worth all the pain you go through. Just put your TRUST in HIM and everything will work out. 

I love you all!

xoxo, sister stevens

french braid selfie

We heart attacked Peter's door

cake and hot choc with investigators

Sister Chiu made sushi!

We went to a Chinese Market to get stuff to make Mango Sticky Rice!

And I got a 100 plus! (fave drink in Singapore)

A week of sunshine

I can’t believe it’s already Monday again, time flies when you’re a missionary. I cant express my gratitude for all the emails and prayers sent. I wish I had the time to respond to everyone but just know that all your words have meant the world to me! I have felt Heavenly Fathers love so much this week. Of course there are still challenges but we need sorrow to feel joy! We had 3 full days of complete blue sky and sunshine and it was a miracle for England!  It was such a blessing from heaven. I even got sunburnt on my cheeks a little! crazy haha. 

Last Monday for pday a member took me and Sister Pro to Skipton castle! We got to drive through the English country side and see fields of the greenest grass and so many little lambs! I felt like I was in a movie!  The castle was very old but so cool! I’ll send pics.  The member is around 70 something and he loves the sisters so much! He always buys us chocolate and other food. He is so sweet, and he gives rides to our investigators and us all the time. I don’t know how we would be missionaries without him. 

A is still progressing, we had to move his date back because its tough for him to understand things because English isn’t his first language (we are literally teaching no English people) but he has been keeping his commitments and he can tell a change in his life since he has been meeting with us. It’s so cool to actually witness someone changing because they know what they need to do to become happier. It is such a miracle!  We had a member come with us when we taught him and when she was saying the closing prayer A just started crying and at first we were all scared but he said that the prayer made him cry and we explained that was the Holy Ghost. It was such an amazing moment! He knows this is true and I am so happy for him! 

haha funny story, we had a tea appointment at the Bishops house (they are the best and they are hilarious) and they had this hole in the floor because they were fixing something and it was like 3 feet deep at least. When we were getting ready to leave we were shaking Bishops hand and one of his legs fell in the hole hahaahah but he got up really fast like nothing happened and then he looks down at his pants and he has a huge rip in them. Oh my gosh we were laughing so hard, you should have seen his wife she couldn’t even breath haha it felt so good to laugh so hard. 

One thing I have been studying in preach my gospel this week is the power of a testimony. When you’re a missionary you don’t always know what to say (people think you do, but you really don’t) but when I don’t have anything to say I testify of Christ because that is how you can help people feel the spirit. It is so important to testify because it invites the spirit and you can state with confidence that you know what you have said is true. Testifying is key! I am so grateful for the inspiring words of our Prophets and Apostles and the Book of Mormon especially. I have been studying more prayerfully this week and it has helped me realize how much good is in it! It has so many lessons and so much advice! I admire Joseph Smith so much. Everything he did was for the Lord, not for himself. It is so important that we are following Gods plan for us because he knows us so well! I am so thankful to be apart of the only true church and as a member of it we are commanded to share it with others. So this week, I challenge all of you to reach out to someone who could use the gospel more in their life. You don’t necessarily have to teach them about the restoration or even share a Book of Mormon, just show them that you truly care about them and you want to help them. Get out of yourself and follow Christs example. Ask yourself, what would Christ do?  I am thankful that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with this opportunity to learn so much and to become the person he wants me to be. I love this gospel and I love my Heavenly Father, and I love all of you!

Thank you again for all the love and support!

xoxo, Sister Stevens