LOVE AND AFFIRMATION MAKE US SOAR! I got a speeding fine :(((((

Hello!!!

Our new Golden Missionary (brand new) is sweet sweet Sister P.  She  is from Vigen, Philippines. She is almost 12 inches shorter than me, is freezing in 20 degree weather and is the most humble missionary I know. She is such a joy and a blessing. I have the most wonderful companions.

The night Sister P. arrived, one of our neighbours was playing Greek music really loudly, we can see into their backyard from our appt and could see a few older men and women drinking and dancing and yelling "OPAH!!!" for hours. It was a great way to welcome her to Melbourne!!!

We have been teaching a woman named K. for months on and off...she has been taught by so many missionaries. This week we got a text from her saying that now is the time. She is ready to be baptised and follow God completely. We met with her this week and she's had a complete change of heart. Such miracles.

There is a girl in our branch named A.    A.  is 16 and was baptised earlier in the year. She and her family moved from Malaysia recently and now live in the city. Honestly the miracles continue ceaselessly....we were invited over to their house for dinner this week. It was such a delight and afterwards we asked the father if we could share a gospel message. By this point, 4 of their neighbours from Malaysia had also come in and we were teaching a large room full of Buddhists. We talked about the Godhead and Jesus Christ's Atonement. We asked Alicia to bear her  testimony,part way through she suddenly started sobbing. It was as if she was a very shaken fizzy drink that was being opened. This was the first time that her family was listening! This was her chance.  For the next 40 minutes she bubbled out as much gospel knowledge as she could. "I believe in something called agency...agency is..." And then her father would interrupt and give philosophical view points. By then end her dad just said that he has such a special daughter...she has always had such a love for truth. The family said they would try to come to church on Sunday.  It was such a miracle night.

Stair Step Sister's

Unfortunately I've had the flu all week...all is well though! I was given a blessing that talked about how we must experience the bitter in order to appreciate the sweet. Touche. 

 I am choosing to be grateful for this flu! 

I am SO thankful for my trials that allow me to be grateful for good health and my healthy body and the ability to walk and run and jump and dance! I am so thankful to know that there is UNIVERSAL TRUTH and bright, glorious, shining HOPE through Jesus Christ.

Oh family, there are so many people that are suffering in the world. I am around so many homeless, hungry, sad and angry people daily and my heart cringes. It makes me weep. We do are best to lift and encourage and help them. How are you helping people today? God's children need love. Every one of them. Love and affirmation indeed make us soar!

Are you being a nurturer for God?

My heart burns with desire to tell EVERYONE about the Gospel of Christ. Everyone deserves to know that we are God's children...to know what that means changes everything. He loves us more than we can comprehend. We have inherited divine qualities from Him! We can become like Him!! I know that He loves us.

I love you all so very much. :) :) :) Please be kind and serve the people around you. We need each other! 

Sister Stevenson
PS.    I got a speeding fine :(((((

Back in March! Haha.  The fine was  mailed to me.

I was in unknown territory and there are speeding cameras and I guess I was going 2ks over and now I have to pay $180.

Money is temporal...money is temporal...money is temproal..... :(

Wow...Wow....Wow Wow...

Hello hello!!

I am JUBILANT! Sister Larsen and I are staying in the City another transfer!!! And we are training a new sister from the Philippines!! Eeeeeee! We will continue to do exchanges with the sisters in Heidelberg, Narre Warren, Gippsland, Braeside and Maroondah Zones.We are so excited for this transfer!

Last week J. prayed during our lesson about whether or not this is Jesus Christ's church. After she said "amen" we sat in silence and she just said, "wow....wow.....................wow wow......wow" I have, and then she moved her hands up and down her arms. (goose flesh anyone? ;) She told us that God told her in heart that she is in the right place. She was so excited to get baptised.

Two days later we were confirming our appointment with her and she told us that she probably wouldn't be coming back to our church. Her friend had told her some things and she said that she would now go to another church. We were devastated....we bore our testimonies to her and she said that she would pray and ask God what to do. She hasn't answered our calls since. :(

But  we know all will be well. J. is so special and her prayers will be answered.

There is an INCREDIBLE Taiwanese lady in our branch who lives in a huge penthouse in the city....guess what. This week, M. moved in to the extra bedroom. She isn't charging him a cent. So now he doesn't have to pay rent (he was living in the city before which is $$$$$) and Huang Mei LOVES to feed everyone in sight. This is such a miracle. She would not take any of my gratitude and insisted that he will bless her home because he is a Melchizedek Priesthood holder and is a good boy. She then said that she would be taking him to the Temple every Saturday to do baptisms for the names of all her cousins that have died. Heavenly Father is so aware of M.

We love him so much, I could cry just thinking about how happy he was this weekend.

This week we were able to do some training's at a couple of Zone Conferences. It is a special thing to be around so many missionaries. I love my calling! I love teaching people about hope and truth! I love my family! I love my Saviour!! There are so many reasons to rejoice!

My feet are healing!!!!! Thank you for your prayers!!

Sister Stevenson

I Was Blown Away

Bonjour!!!

Mama I met a boy from Lyon, France (my mom's mission) this week!!! And two others from Paris! One of the boys was Muslim, they were all very kind.... and very uninterested in our message of Jesus Christ...

I love teaching English class! My eyes are being opened to how confusing our language is...

Warm is pronounced like "worm", but worm is spelled like "werm." Oh my.

Mas. received the Melchizedek Priesthood this week...he is so righteous and such a blessing to the branch.

He also attended a Young Single Adult dance this weekend and I guess made quite the impression...haha

Riding to the Art Museum on P-day

This week one of our dear friends was sooo tired and looked especially skinny and withered...we asked him if he was okay and as usual responded, "I fine!" After a couple minutes of prodding he told us that he is very hungry...the only food he has everyday is rice and water. He lives by himself in an apartment and the money he has is what his little sister sends him from another country. Lam heard us saying that we could help him get food, and within an hour came in with bags of groceries for him. I am continually inspired by the humility and charity of the members in our branch. Lam is such an angel. We are praying that her PR paperwork from Vietnam will workout so that she can go on a mission or enroll in school. 

Elder Dudfield came to our MLC this week...he is an inspired man of God. He spoke mainly about Priesthood organization...I was blown away. Our church is so orderly...God is a God of order and of course His church will align with Him! 

He mentioned that the area he is over as a seventy, covers more languages and cultures than any other in the world.

We are teaching a man named K.from Mauritius 

When we first met him he wasn't sure if he believed in a God...he works over 60 hours a week and can't sleep at night...His faith has increased so much thanks to the Book of Mormon...he KNOWS there is a God..he said that since he has been praying, he can now fall asleep immediately at night. Prayer changes things!!  He said when he prayed about the Plan of Salvation, he immediately had an understanding come over him that his trials are of a temporary nature.

This week we met and started teaching a girl from Korea named J.!!! She is darling and bubbly and LOVED church...she hung on to every word during sacrament meeting and used her phone to translate words like "hymn" and "sacrifice" She cannot wait to be baptized!!!  Such a miracle!!

I love you all so much. I am so thankful for your righteous choices and acts of kindness. Hurrah for Israel!!!!

Sister Stevenson

P.S Please pray for my feet!!

BULA VINACA!

Bula Vinaca! 

I was able to go on an exchange this week with the lovely Sister B. from Fiji!  She has only been here two weeks, what a JOY she is to our mission. She is so positive, humble and friendly. 

We had a Cultural Night this week for our branch. It was one of the happiest, most delightful things to see the Men of our congregation learn a Maori Haka.

Cultural Night

We had a really interesting lesson with a Pakistani man who has studied comparative religions for the past 15 years. He mostly wouldn't let us say a word, but nonetheless explained to us the lead in to the Restoration of the Gospel. It was interesting... we were able to tell him that our views are very much aligned and that there IS universal truth...I'm so grateful to know that!

We have been working with a girl named A. who hasn't been to church in quite some time...she is a Bollywood performer!!! She has come to church the last three Sundays and bore her testimony yesterday....it is so special and joyous to help people rekindle their faith.

Tomorrow is a Victoria holiday!  Melbourne Cup Day! I have seen so many women in BEAUTIFUL, colorful, toule and feather-filled derby hats. So fun!

Some of the missionaries I work with are struggling with an emotional issue of some sort...President Maxwell has talked to us about not taking ones temperature too much, but helping them to love to work. I thought this was interesting.  I've found that every missionary is different, their needs, struggles etc. It's good to have one on one exchanges to figure out what their specific need is...One of my dearest sisters really struggles with anxiety and depression, she gets so nervous between 6:30 and 8am that it makes her sick....this week we tried listening to the scriptures on cd while she got ready and for the first time in 6 months, was able to start studies on time. This effected the rest of her day...she feels more at peace. It's like the prelude to her personal study/day.  

I love my Saviour, He sets such a perfect example for us. I have found such a change in my life as I pray for charity...the pure love of Christ. Will you study Moroni 7:44-48 today?https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/moro/7?lang=eng

Love you forever. Hurrah for Israel!!!

Sister Stevenson

It Was Quite Humorous When She Saw Our Badges :)

Hello!

This week we were able to attend the Temple...oh how entering the Lord's Heavenly house makes my heart soar!!!! 

This morning I read about Christ visiting the America's after He has been resurrected...the first thing He commands the gatherers to do is to "Arise"...He then has them come unto Him to feel His prints...later He has Nephi also "arise" and the gives Him the authority to baptise. I studied about Joshua and Ezekiel who were also commanded to not just worship the Lord alone, but to arise and act. I want to ARISE in every situation and help others do the same...there has been no greater joy in my life than to be an instrument for the Lord.

This week there was an International Jehovah's Witness conference in Melbourne....70,000 representative covered the city all week with big purple lanyards and badges. It was quite an interesting experience! I met many kind people from around the world...all united for a good cause! When we were walking to our apartment from our Richmond tram last night, we found one of their purple badges on the ground, we called the number on the back and met up with Ros from Perth. She was so happy that we had found her badge! It was quite humorous when we approached each other and she saw our badges :) She was so friendly and it's definitely not coincidence we met her!

This is where we live!

Yus. is doing well! This week while talking about the Plan of Salvation with him, he said that "life on earth is picnic....we had to come to picnic so we could go home later" 

The next day he said that life on earth is training, and we are his trainers.  No matter the analogy, this life is just a drop of eternity! Please, feast upon the words of Christ everyday. It is worth it. Talk to God....tell Him your joys, your concerns, your desires, everything! I KNOW that He is listening...I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ can change us. It changes my heart...only HE can change me! I can try and try so hard to change my behaviour, but as I plead for this change of heart, he changes my nature so that I have no disposition to act in any way that is unpleasing to Him. I love repentance. I want to change everyday!

I know that this is His work. I love serving the Lord as a missionary!!

I love you, I love you, I love you!!!
Sister Stevenson

These are the cheapest grapes I have seen so far

A DROP OF ETERNITY

This week we went outside to GQ/street contact...I had decided in my mind that the first person I saw, I would talk to. That first person's name was Chris. He is from Bosnia.  He came up to the church with us for a tour...we ended up sitting down with him in the chapel. As we discussed his belief in a being that has looked out for him, I became very aware with everything in me that the reason I hit my head my junior year, and then was burnt a few years later, was preparing me to meet this man.   I have never thought that I could empathize in a way that would truly effect someone. 

This man is near homeless, and his words a little slow because of a car accident he was in last year. And I know that He means everything to the Lord. I have never loved someone so much that I didn't know. I was able to testify of Jesus Christ and His enabling power to lift us. To give us strength beyond our own capacity. I understood him so much...my heart has never felt so soft and full of love.  He so humbly wants to follow Jesus Christ...he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny apple seed that he had picked up at a park earlier. He picked it up because it had a tiny sprout growing. He thought it was amazing and compared it to his own faith...

He said that he felt "so special" and "so much good energy and power here". We explained to Him the role of God and His spirit and so many things began to click in his mind. He talked about the power he felt when he saw me, he said it came from my shirt because he didn't know how to explain it in English, haha. He said he couldn't see anything else but was so drawn to a power coming from me and he knew that he had to talk to us and partake of what we had to offer.

My faith in God's plan for us continually grows and deepens. He is so aware of us!!! I know it!

Going to watch General Conference

I yearn to emulate Jesus Christ.  Conference inspired me with many many ways I can change! I want to be more genuine and kind with those around me. "Kindness is powerful!" Our life here is just a drop of Eternity... I want to do everything I possibly can to strengthen my brothers and sisters. I want to study the Sacrament and think about it daily....How interesting that that was such a focus. What a miracle that we get to be cleansed weekly.

I am so grateful for our Prophet and inspired leaders!  We are blessed beyond belief.

I love you so so so much!

xoxoxo

We saw this in a bathroom at Melbourne Central!

Sister Stevenson

"Hook em Horns"  even in Australia!

I Had A Nacho Libre Moment

Hello hello!

The General Women's Conference was incredible....so inspiring and edifying. I bawled watching the  beautiful sisters from around the world share their testimonies of the Temple..https://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2014/10?lang=eng&vid=3810258133001&cid=6.     I feel continually blessed to serve a mission. I am so spoiled being here.... we have been able to teach someone from just about every country that was represented. The more people I meet, the more I realize how similar we all are. We all just need love.

How are you helping those around you feel loved?

I can't wait to watch general conference!!!  

This week we started teaching a boy who just moved here from Korea. As we  taught Yus. about God and His son, Jesus Christ and prophets, he just nodded his head and didn't say much. Koreans do this great head bob :) We had him read aloud the first vision in Korean, when he did, he sat there in silence with wide eyes. He didn't know how to explain himself in English so pulled out his translator...the English word he showed us was "gooseflesh". Goosebumps :) He told us "I feel light, not heavy, never before felt, first time feel, no explain."

We have seen him a few times since and he is doing so well. The gospel of Jesus Christ is real and true and is for everyone...oh how I wish I could help all the hundreds of people here!

(On a small side note, at English class I had  a Nacho Libre moment when someone mouthed to me very seriously "I love you"--haha. we've got the situation covered though, no worries :)

 It is a special thing being in a small vicinity with 27 other missionaries. I love serving in the branch.

Mas. passed the Sacrament on Sunday. It was so joyous :) The Elders gave him a white shirt and tie and he taped a "member missionary" black missionary badge to his shirt..hahaha. Oh how we love him!! He brought another friend to church and she is planning on getting baptised next month!!!

PLease remember how influential each of you are....help those around you feel loved!  Lift where you stand! There is no greater service you could give someone than helping them know Jesus Christ...I know your examples do this!!
Love you so much!!!!
Sister Stevenson