Miracles

Wow it's been another amazing week here in Billingham! I am truly happy to be here and to get to know such amazing people. 

Miracles from the week:

Martin passed his baptismal interview this weekend and will be getting baptised on Saturday! We are so excited for him and for this step he is taking to follow our Saviour Jesus Christ. We have been a bit worried because we haven't been sure if he is ready but in a closing prayer he said the other day after a lesson I felt the Holy Ghost confirm to me that he is ready and he really does understand this commitment he is making. I felt so much peace and comfort and excitement for him! It's incredible how someone can go from not knowing who God is to being able to say he believes in Him just from prayer, reading the Book of Mormon, and coming to church. I'm so thankful for the simplicity of these 3 things that can bring us so much light and understanding. 

We taught another one of our investigators more about the afterlife because she was worried about her grandparents who haven't been baptised. We taught her about the spirit world and how they are having the opportunity to learn about the gospel & then through temples she can be baptised for them! She loved the idea and it brought her a lot of peace. I think it's such a blessing we have the knowledge of the restored gospel so we don't have to feel frightened or worried about what happens after this life. 

We found a salad and sandwich shop walking distance from our flat this week! Which is a huge miracle because literally I have no found a good salad since being here in England and it was delish :):) and it opened a week ago, Heavenly Father just knows haha. 

So we have been teaching English to this girl for a while here and this last time we taught her we asked her if she wanted to learn more about what we do as missionaries and if she wants to know more about God & Jesus Christ and how they can help her and she said yes! When we taught her that god loves her she wrote it down and said it made her really happy! It was so cute! 

I have recently read & studied the story when Christ walks on water and Peter walks to Him in Matthew 14. I just want to share with you all some of the things I have learned:

v. 25 - it wasn't until the "fourth watch" or the early hours of the morning, after all night of rowing and fighting the waves Jesus came and helped them. Sometimes we have to struggle and fight and keep pushing through difficult times until we receive our own heavenly help. 

v. 29-30 - when Peter walks on the water he does it while keeping his eyes focused on Christ.  But when he looks away and sees all the waves & what is around him he starts to sink. When we get distracted and our lives aren't focused on Christ we will start to sink and we won't be as happy!

v. 31 - but when Peter cried out Jesus "immediately stretched forth His hand and caught him". When we cry out for help, Christ will always catch us, He is always there. 

Ah! I just love the scriptures! They gave brought me so much peace, joy, and comfort as I have really taken the time to study & liken them to my life. And I know you can feel that same joy as you study them as well!

Thank you for all the love, support, and prayers! I can feel it!

Love you all! Have a great week!

Xx, Sister Stevens 

Sister Blair's last p-day

till they meet again in 5 1/2 months in UTAH!!!

Pday fun

This is how I feel about driving in England

                                                                                                                              Zone pday, the senior couple made sloppy joes 😊😊😊😊😊

Sister Melgarejo gave me this cute apron

When the sun came out for 10 minutes

Martin after he passed his baptism interview

finding JOY

To my family & friends, 

Sunday (the best day) selfie in our car :):):)

It's been a crazy but good week :) So my new companion is Sister Sorensen. We had a middle of the transfer transfer so we could be together since we are both facing some health challenges. We have had a bit more time to study and rest but it's such a blessing because I really feel like we are still able to make a difference and do exactly what Heavenly Father meeds us to. Because we have limited time outside we always pray who Heavenly Father wants us to see. A lot of the time I think it's just my own thought or Sister Sorensen's own thought but really it all comes from the Holy Ghost, we just have to be worthy of it. We have been reading the New Testament together, trying to learn and understand more about our Saviour and who he is and how he can heal us. I have recognised that healing doesn't always mean healing of my body, but it can mean a healing of my spirit. Because of my faith my heart is whole, my spirit is whole, and I still have the desire to serve and stay on my mission. And that can only come through my Saviour Jesus Christ. Through this constant pain I am learning to have more compassion and empathy. Trials can truly help us to become more Christlike. 

Now, please don't think I am all perfect and everything is great. Each day is such a challenge, I continue to make mistakes and focus on myself more than I should. I wonder when this will be over and how much I really can bare. But because of the Atonement, I can always change and become better each day. I think that is the best gift we have received. It's just up to us if we use it! 

I have such a testimony that Heavenly Father knows each of our situations and will help & do all He can so we can be happy and have joy!

Something I learned at church yesterday was this acronym:

J- Jesus

O- others 

Y- you 

I love it! When we put Christ first and then others we will feel true JOY! I have really recommitted myself to turning outward to focus on others and my Saviour (obviously this is something I will need to recommit myself to regularly).  Not much joy comes when we are so focused on ourselves and when we dwell on the hard things in life. 

Once again I am so thankful for the sabbath day and the opportunity to take the sacrament! 

In one of the talks a new member of the bishopric read Matthew 26:40 and it hit me pretty hard. This is when Christ was suffering in the garden of Gethsemane and He asks His apostles to stay awake but they end up falling asleep:

"40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?"

Can we not just follow and do the things He has asked for one hour or for one lifetime? He has suffered FOR US! To save us, to heal us, to comfort us, to redeem us, to strengthen us, to enable us, and to help us return once more to our Father in Heaven. Realising this it has caused me to study more and to serve Him more diligently. 

On a lighter note Sister Sorensen and I are finding ways to keep our spirits high and escape our worries for a bit. We can be found cruising the streets of Billingham wearing batman masks in our spiffing new car handing out rice crispies, possibly eating half of them along the way. Helping members identify that they don't have any friends. Hahaha it's hilarious we've been trying to help them share the gospel with their friends and apparently they don't have any! But don't worry by this time next week we will have trained them all in the art of friend making. 

I am thankful for the goodness and the love from our Father in Heaven each and everyday. He loves us so much! I hope you can all feel of God's love. If not pray for it and you will be able to feel it more in your life!

We are happy, hanging on, and just doing what we can. 

Make it a great week!

Love, Sister Stevens & Sister Sorensen xx 

what we give our investigator who is sick but tryna eat healthy

District plus the assistants at Zone Conf...before Sister Sorensen came

lol...tea at a members home.  Her dog is literally INSANE

rice krispie treats and batman masks

missionary couple bought us this from Costco in Leeds :)

all our fruits and veggies.  We are eating healthy :):):)

WE SAW THE SUN!!☀️☀️

Hello!

I am amazed at the love and mercy I have seen from Heavenly Father this week. It has been an extremely hard week with many times I have almost given up but Heavenly Father won't let me, He is really trying to keep me out here! There have been so many incredible emails, little tender mercies, and amazing experiences that have been able to keep me going. I feel so grateful to still be here! As I have reached my year mark it has been so bittersweet.  I have come to love the people here so much. They have taught and made me realise how much living the gospel really does help us improve the quality of our lives. I don't think I could've gained the testimony that I have anywhere else. It is all worth it! 

We had Zone Training this week and the lovely Sister Blair organised a zone fast so the whole zone was fasting for me and my back! It was so thoughtful and brought me to tears on numerous occasions. 

In the training we listened to the Hymn Let Us All Press On. I wrote down some of the words that stuck out to me: 

Courage, for the Lord is on our side

We will not retreat

An unseen power will aid me and you 

The Lord we will obey

In the day of trial, the saints He will cheer 

Fear not 

I love this Hymn! One of the elders said it's like a battle cry. How we are all just trying to keep going and do our best to serve our Heavenly Father. We are never alone, He is always there to aid us and cheer us on. There is nothing Heavenly Father wants more than for all of His children to be able to return to live with him again. I know when we keep pressing on and when we don't retreat we will be able to make it. 

This week I have really been putting my trust in the Lord, He is in charge and He knows best. Even though we may wonder why we go through certain things now I know they are all for a purpose. One scripture really helped me to remember this this week. Helaman 12:1, "we can see that the Lord in his great infinite goodness doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him." I know when we put our trust in the Lord He will bless us! So simple, yet so powerful.

Some more miracles from the week:

Our ifriend Martin is doing so well! We have been able to see him quite a few times this week and we committed him to live the word of wisdom. We brought a recent convert couple who have given up things to live the word of wisdom and it was amazing to have Martin hear the blessings from members of living the law. And so cool to see how they have been blessed for keeping the commandments. He is excited for his baptism on march 10! Please keep him in your prayers! He is making lots of difficult changes right now. 

3 of our progressing ifriends were able to come to church on Sunday and it was such a great experience for each of them. We are excited for the progress they are making!

Due to my current back issues and the little to no progress anything is doing WE ARE GETTING A CAR! #hallelujah So the drivers of Billingham better watch out because I will now be driving.... bless please pray for our safety. But I am so grateful, I'm hoping it will help me be able to continue to work and do all I can these last 6 months. 

Sister Bensige is a total boss. She is like training me again. I'm so thankful for her example of hard, dedicated service and exact obedience. She truly has a desire to help all those we come in contact with. I have been blessed with the most amazing companions!

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love, Sister Stevens 

PS. I am going with my new driving instructor right now ;) wish me luck!  I'm excited to drive again.

Zone training and interviews with President :)

Sam, our friend who rides her 'bike' to church

Haircuts from a member this morning. Hallelujah! It's been too long.
He even blow dried our hair for us!!!💇🏼💈✂️

Christ is the way!

hiya!!!!!! (what they say in billingham)

This week has been a bit more difficult and I've had some setbacks with my back. But stake conference was this weekend and it was much needed. Everything was taking its toll and I felt overwhelmed and alone and homesick (which is the worst feeling & I haven't been this homesick since the early days!!) Saturday night sister Blair and sister koepf (her comp) slept over because we had stake Conf Saturday night and then again in the morning which was fun! Somehow whenever sister Blair and I are together I end up crying haha she just makes me emotional. I have been proud of my self because I have been holding it together but that night I couldn't anymore. (She's like my mom here) But the next morning was perfect (even Martin our new investigator came to church!!!!) and I have such a testimony that conferences and Sundays come at the best time to fill our tanks. Everything was just exactly what I needed to hear and it's amazing how the Holy Ghost can tailor everything to our needs. 

One of the main things that was able to help me is my personal relationship with my saviour. This last week I started using the extra 30 mins in the morning studying the New Testament and I love it!  Building my relationship with my saviour is something I am trying to improve on. I realised at conference that my relationship with Him can get me through to the end of my mission if I keep working on it. It brought me comfort to know I am truly out here because of Him and His sacrifice for me. I can give up 18 months if He gave His life. When we really want a good relationship with Christ we need to forget what we want and focus on what He wants. I think that a big reason I am facing this trial right now is so I can come to know my saviour better. And to me that sacrifice is worth it. I am labouring and serving and working because I love my Heavenly Father and Saviour. He is the reason I came out and He is the reason I am staying out. I know Christ can heal me, but for now He wants me to keep learning and growing for now but one day I will be healed. I know as I keep trying, He will give me the strength & help I need. We just need to PRESS FORWARD (2 Nephi 31:20) & God will provide a way. 

President Turvey talked about the miracle of feeding the 5000+ woman and children with 5 loaves & 2 fishes. He had the congregation close their eyes and try and image this scene. I remembered watching the bible video with a recent convert this past week and the simple prayer that Christ said to bless the food. And miraculously there was food in abundance. Heavenly Father will give us all we need plus more sometimes we just need to ask in a simple prayer. Miracles are brought through prayer & through prayer we receive the strength to carry on. That doesn't always mean He will give us everything we want, but when we align our will with His, we will be given what we truly need in abundance! I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who loves each one of us unconditionally. 

Here in Billingham we meet lots of completely different people sometimes you can't even believe some people's lives. One guy we met this week is named Martin. We have been able to teach him a couple times this week and he came to church! He doesn't have much belief in anything but his motivation is what happens after this life, we think he is worried about what happens next. We have to teach him very simply, but he seems to be really enjoying everything so far. Another is Joann, she is going through many challenges and there couldn't be a better time to have the gospel in her life. We are just trying to help her recognise it by teaching the results because she is quite closed off and mad at God. It makes me sad because a lot of her choices have gotten to where she is now.

But I know that God truly loves us no matter what and He is always there for anyone who will turn to Him.

Love to you all!!

Sister Stevens 

Investigators Daughter

Past companion Sister Chiu!

fail cookies

Billingham!

Wow where do I begin? This week has been amazing! 

My companion is Sister Bensige from Sweden! She is a hard worker and so focused! A great example to me, I am so happy to be her companion. 

I'm in Cayden's old area so I get to meet all the people he knows haha so they have high expectations of me.. thanks cayd ;) 

It was so amazing! This week we visited his recent converts Ruth & Lawrence and they were so grateful to have met missionaries. They shared when cayden bore his testimony it really touched them. It's amazing how a simple testimony can help someone so much! I love being able to know all the same people as he does!

So this week on our second day together we met this guys named James. He was with his son Jack who is 6. We were just talking about God and his beliefs and we invited him to learn more. He said it would be okay if we came by to teach him more! So we've been teaching him this week and he came to church with Jack on Sunday! The most amazing thing is that he doesn't have a belief in God at all but he has a desire to know and hopes that there is a god which is the start. Everything everyone said at church was perfect for him! It was fast and testimony meeting and it was the most incredible sacrament meeting I've ever been to. The bishop got up first and just explained what a testimony is, that it's not about our travels or big long stories and it doesn't have to be long at all. Everyone who got up just bore a simple, yet powerful witness that Jesus Christ is our Saviour and that we do have a Heavenly Father who loves us. And how the church truly has changed their lives. It was so perfect for James to hear! Heavenly Father was directing that meeting. It was incredible haha Jack the 6 year old investigator even got up and said he just found out Jesus died and he was so sad about it because He was his only hope! The next people who got up quickly explained that Jesus Christ does live again & yes it is true that Christ is our only hope. Haha I don't think I stopped smiling the whole meeting! 

Today we went to Redcar which is the seaside! We got together with some other sisters and ate fish & chips and lemontops which they are famous for. It was fun to see an English seaside town and do some exploring. 

We watched the Joseph Smith movie with one of the recent converts, even though I have seen it a million times it still amazes me how much he went through for the gospel. It truly inspires me how willing he was to follow Heavenly Father's counsel no matter what. 

Hope you all have a great week!! 

I'm sorry to those who I was not able to email back! Love to you all!

Sister Stevens 

1st day in Billingham

Seaside!  Redcar with the Sisters