Eternal Principles Are Not Just Idle Words

Well this week has been very interesting, we had a lot of good things
happen this week. The biggest good highlight was Alexis' baptism. It
all went so well. Except that her Juno suit was huge on her and the
man conducting could not pronounce our names to save his life. And the
bishop is just laughing behind him. Way awkward. But she is baptized
and happy :) and her family all came so that was amazing as well. I'm
going to miss that family so much. Thankfully we get to see them for
two more weeks and have dinner with them next week. So it will be
solid.

We had an awesome experience this week as well. We went to go contact
a less active and they had unfortunately moved but we met a man named
Jordan! He was interested in us coming back and so we gave him a
restoration pamphlet. We came back on Saturday and two miracles
happened. One, he was home. And two, HE READ THE PAMPHLET!! It was so
awesome. We asked if he had any questions and he said he just wanted
to know more about Joseph smith. So we teach the first lesson and he
asked if we were Christians. We explained that we worship the savior
and Heavenly Father and he was really relieved. He said all growing up
he thought we weren't Christians. And so he said he wanted to learn
more because it seemed like we believed in everything he did just a
little more knowledge. And we are like YES!!! It was so great.

We also met with Tina this week. She first started to say that she
didn't think there was just one true church but she would talk to
anyone about Jesus. So we still taught the restoration and by the end
she really felt the spirit. We read the introduction to the Book of
Mormon with her and asked if she wanted to know if it was true. She
said she did and we are going back in a few days to teach her again.
So we will see what happens.

We also met with a less active family for dinner and as we were
leaving they called us back in and her son had a question. So we sat
and talked to him about the plan of salvation and it was really good.
We invited him to read from the scriptures and he said he would. It
was all just a great week for teaching. Oh and we also met with
Michelle and Rosa. We were supposed to see them again this week but
Rosa was sick. Hopefully next week!

Then the weekend came and it was pretty rough. When we found out about
the passing of Elder Lambert we were on our way to a lesson. To teach
the plan of salvation. So we just cried the entire car ride. It was
really, and still is a really hard thing to deal with. But we are
still going strong. Elder Lambert was one of the best people I knew
and I will always remember him as the pocket sized grandfather that he
was to all of us. As Sister Lambert said, "eternal principles are not
just idle words." And then on Sunday both of us were super sick so we
went to sacrament to see Alexis get confirmed and then went home.
President Taylor emailed us a tribute to Elder Lambert and a farewell
email as he is leaving on Wednesday. So it's been kind of an emotional
few days. But I know the work goes on and now the lord has a valiant
missionary working on the other side of the veil.

Friday is the day that we get to meet President and Sister Mcateer.
They are from Canada and we are meeting them on Canada day so we are
all dressing in red and white. Should be so good :) we are excited to
meet them but very sad to see President go. These next two weeks will
go so fast but I am excited to still serve and then to see everyone. I
hope you have a great week.

Love,
Sister Stephens

Alexis' baptism!!

Weekly planning with sister Slattery :)

Going to dq to say goodbye to elder lambert

Hard to Say Goodbye....

This week has been so good!! It started out a little emotional but it
is all good now :) Monday we had departing dinner with the Taylor's
and some of my favorite people were there that I haven't seen in a
long time so it was really good to meet up with them again. We ate and
then sat around to listen to president give us life advice. He talked
a lot about paying tithes and fasting and accepting callings. It was
really awesome. I can't quite describe the night haha but it was
awesome. At the end before everyone went home we let off lanterns in
his backyard. Two flew into the tree....thankfully nothing was let on
fire, but Sis Black ripped ours so it didn't really go anywhere. That
night we stayed the night at presidents and then went up to Longview
for zone conference the next day. We also had exit interviews with
president and departing testimonies. It was all just so much in two
days. At the end of zone conference we all went up and said goodbye to
President and Sister Taylor. It was rough. They leave next Wednesday
and then President and Sister Mccateer come in from Canada. We are
excited to welcome them in but so hard to say goodbye.

The rest of the week went good as well. We kept meeting with Alexis
and she is doing so great. She had her interview this weekend and is
all set for baptism on Wednesday! So pumped. It has been so amazing
being part of her teaching and teaching Ashleyanne. They are wonderful
young women and I have been able to see them change through learning the
gospel. That is why it is all worth it. The long and hard weeks that
turn into months so one person can enter onto the path back to our
father in heaven.  It's amazing.

We were able to find a few new people to teach this week. We talked to
them just briefly in the porch but they were interested in us coming
back to see them! So hopefully that all goes well this week. We talked
to them about the Book of  Mormon and the restoration and so now we
get to go back and testify more. We really feel the pressure setting
in to find and bear testimony in these last three weeks. It seems so
unreal and far away. But also coming so fast. But thankfully I have an
awesome companion and we keep each other motivated! Going hard until
the end.

We had an awesome ward party this week, it was a luau, and it was
massive. A lot of people brought non member friends and we may have a
new investigator from one of them. She was given a Book of Mormon and
invited to read it so we will see how that goes. But it was way good
food. We stood in the serving line and so we were super tired but the
Eddingtons took us out to DQ after. I'll miss them so much! And
everyone here, this has been an amazing area to serve in.

Some interesting facts from this week was we saw a vulture land in the
road....it was gross....and I accidentally ran over a bird....it was
just a poof of feathers. It was so sad. But then we got the left over
cinnamon rolls from Father's Day so it all kind of worked out :)

Life is good. The mission is good. I love you all so much! Have a
fantastic week!

Sister Stephens

Us with elder lambert!!!

Elder funk!

We met Ronald!

Lighting off lanterns

Sis black ripped our lantern so it didn't work....

 I spilled chocolate all over me.....

Lunch with woodland 1st

Ashleyanne and Alexis at the luau!

Doing So Much Good

This week has to be reported backwards from Sunday sacrament meeting.
We had an amazing talk given by a sister in the Ward, who is now our
Sunday school teacher, all about obedience. She gave an analogy about
how mice press a button that then gives them a treat. And how when
they press it and nothing comes they lie down in defeat. So she
applied that to our life and how we expect so much when we are
obedient. But just because obedience brings blessings doesn't mean it
takes away the trials. That just hit me so hard. We have been pushing
the button over and over and expecting the treat to come. And she
talked about Elijah and how he felt so inadequate and he laid down and
asked God to take him. But he did so much for this world and because
of him we have the sealing power on the earth again. So he didn't know
how much good he did. That is where we are at. Sometimes we work and work and
feel like we are so inadequate and not able to do the work but we are
doing so much good.

So I have been reflecting on the week and how the lord has used us as
His hands this week. We had a great lesson with Alexis this week and
she continues to progress in the gospel. She is set for her baptism on
the 22nd of June. And we prayed and prayed and received permission
for her mother for her to get baptized!!! It's so great!! We had
dinner with her and Ashleyanne at the Eddingtons house this weekend
and it was a huge tender mercy. We talked about the principles of
tithing and fasting and Bro. Eddington just threw it down about praying
to know. And how the missionaries can't tell her or anyone in the
church but she has to know for herself and feel that. And she does.
There was such a strong spirit in that lesson.

We went to tell her the news at the church, and use the wifi, and it
was pretty awesome. That night we went to go and see a former
investigator, Tina. We introduced ourselves and she was way down to
have us back over. It was pretty amazing. She is going to be out of
town for a few weeks so we will see her when she gets back. Should be
good.

We did had a few fun heartaches this week. We were going to teach
Debbie and she brought a church friend....as soon as we started
teaching about the restoration the bible bash started....so we just
bore our testimony and got out of there as soon as possible. We also
had a less active member we met with at the beginning of the week and we
go back to teach her and she left us the restoration pamphlet with a
note telling us she doesn't want us to come back....that was fun.
Definitely character building.

Oh and another fun story was we found fleas in our room!! So gross!!!
So we spent pday night de fleeing our room. Thankfully it was natural
chemicals so we didn't die!!! Man oh man just a fun week.  Another fun
thing was we had zone meeting and I had to give my first of many
departing testimonies.... Tomorrow is zone conference where President
and Sister Taylor give their departing testimonies as well... The time
goes too fast. Tonight we are going to Vancouver for departing dinner
with President Taylor. He is doing one last one with my group and then
he leaves on the 29th! So crazy.

I love this work, the area is struggling but I am growing and for that
I will ever be thankful. The time is far spent so we are going to
continue to work hard.

Have a great week,

Sister Stephens

A note from a less active.....awkward.....

Cleaning the room.....

Yes that is flea supplies....our Monday evening was rough.....

Zone meeting!

We found a frog in the kitchen when we were on exchanges!

No Effort is Ever Wasted!

This week has been pretty good. We have had a lot of tender mercies
that helped us during the week. We had an fhe lesson with Alexis and a
family in the Ward. It was so awesome. We talked about repentance and
the Sabbath day. We read from the "for the strength of youth pamphlet"
and the spirit was so strong. We talked about the savior and Alexis
said she just feels it. I was blown away. I love teaching her! She is
still on date for June 22nd and we are going to talk to her mom about
it on Tuesday so pray it goes well!

As for other investigators this week, we really didn't meet with a lot
of them. Our appointments that we made fell through and we haven't
been able to contact them. A new investigator from last week hid from
us when we went to our appointment with her.....I don't think she is
interested anymore....it was somewhat humorous. And sad.

We did service this week for a less active family in Longview and we
were moving them out. But when we got in the basement there was black
mold everywhere!!! The basement had flooded and we all freaked out and
the elders went to get masks from the hospital across the street and
gloves. So no worries, we were safe. Kind of. But it was a fun
service! However Sister Slattery has a bad back so she really hurt it
when we were there. So that night we went in early and she took some
heavy pain pills and slept. Thankfully she is doing better now! So it
was a fun couple of days haha.

We were able to see a lot of less active members this week which has
been great. And we had a Book of Mormon study class and Ashleyanne
came! It was so good, we just talked about the testimonies of the
witnesses. It was a good reminder to always be a witness of what we
know to be true. 12 people saw the plates and bore witness of it, it
is pretty amazing. I love the Book of Mormon and I know it is true!
Now we just have to get the rest of Woodland and Kalama to believe it
as well :)

We spent a lot of time this week knocking on doors and visiting less
active members in the ward. We keep having faith that no effort is
ever wasted. And the lord has people being prepared for baptism. We
try not to get discouraged and keep working, just have to stay
grateful and have an attitude of thanksgiving and then things just get
better....all in the attitude. I know this work of salvation is so
important and is true.

I hope you all have a great week!

Love,
Sister Stephens

 Sis Nilson! She was transfered :( she's the best!

We found tree stars!

This most awesome tree ever!

Sis Slattery had to take drugs for her back and she asked me to draw this on her haha don't worry it was washable ;)

Last pday of the transfer!

Cows. Describes Woodland.

These little houses are everywhere for the kids to wait in out of the rain for the bus.