Missionary Work is Seriously Amazing!

Thank you all so much for the birthday wishes and for the many birthday
memes that I received. It was a really great day and I'm really
feeling 22. Also thanks mom so much for the birthday package I really
loved it all. The iPad case it's just great and I love the book and I
bought two new pairs of shoes today so that was awesome. Sorry this is
taking me a little bit to get to you, but we went hiking today, so I
finally have some time. This week has been really great we found six
new investigators. They are all pretty awesome so we will see how they
progress. Jeffrey hasn't committed to anything. So we are still
working on that. We also haven't been able to contact Shay so that's
been discouraging. We finally met her at her apartment and she seemed
to have a lot of reservations and didn't want to talk to us. We aren't
sure what happened but we will keep working hard. The field is white
already to harvest.

We were tracking the other day and this guy came up to us and said are
you taking me to church tomorrow? We were super confused and finally
he said that the city Bible has a bus and they just pick people up for
church. We talked to him some more and he said that we could come back
the next day to teach him. It was super awesome, his name is Chris,
and he has a little girl named Riley. The lesson went really well and
the spirit was super strong. He wasn't quite sure about Joseph Smith
but he had a sincere desire to know. So that's what really
counts. Super awesome guy loves the Bible and is looking for God more
in his life. We are excited to see what comes of this. The other Chris
is MIA we have no idea where he's at. So we just keep trying to call
him and pray for him. His fellow-shippers know where he's at and said
he will contact us in a few weeks. And he still wants to be baptized but we
have to meet with him for that to happen. Also we got a referral today
and the description said I want to take the lessons so I can be
baptized. So we are super pumped about that!

We are just seeing so many miracles here and it's been really great.
They are from meeting super cool people to making appointments to
finding the elect. Missionary work is seriously amazing. It's hard.
But the hardest best thing I've ever been a part of. We are now in the
Gresham zone. Which means we have a new district leader and a new
district and Amazon. They are super cool though and we all went hiking
today. We went to horse tail falls the one that we went to a long time
ago on that Old Highway by Multnomah Falls. It was way fun and I'll
send you some pictures. We were hiking back to the car and I was
talking to my companion and apparently I just lost sight of my feet.
And then I went down the cliff and this couple behind me ran and
grabbed me arms to keep me from falling more. So that was fun. Then we
caught up with the elders and I was crying and shaking and my leg is
all bruised and beat up. But no worries I am alive 😀

I have been studying a lot in Alma and in the war chapters. I have
been so impressed on how Moroni supported his people in God. He
fortified them and always told them to look to Christ for their
support and deliverance. This world is hard, and we have to fortify
ourselves against Satan. He will have as much power over him that we
let him have. So we have to build our foundation on Christ. And we do
that by doing the dailies. Daily prayer and scripture study. As well
as following the commandments and keeping the Sabbath day holy. There
is no time to waste. He gospel is hopeful and brings the most joy in
our lives. I just love it. I love you all so much and feel your
prayers give me strength. Have a wonderful week!

Sister Stephens.