I No Speak No English!

Blog: So i don't have a new area but i have a new companion!!! Sister Lubrido is only my 3rd pilippina companion but my 7th all together comp. She is from ilo-ilo, and is really sweet! we get a long really well. we are co-Sr's, so we share the responsibilities, she is quick to laugh, humble, obedient, and kind. she has a strong testimony and we work well together. i feel like we are going to get a lot of work done this transfer!!! we have had a lot of fun just in the last 4days! i feel this is a great opportunity for me to work on and improve my Tagalog even more! last Sunday we had an American visitor from Utah come to our ward, i kept talking to him in tagalog! He doesn't know ANY tagalog at all it was soooo hard to speak straight english! what am i going to do when i go home!!!?!!! kawawa kayo na kailagan na makikinig sa akin. i also spoke in sacrament for the first time on my mission, in tagalog cuz i don't know how in english! then we had a stake fireside for missionary work and i was in charge of 'games' so i had them make 3 groups and grab hands of the opposite persons from them, you know, "the Knot" then you all get untangled and form a circle holding hands. after a ll that we all talked about team work and communication. then i shared Mosiah 18:9, 28 about choosing to help each other and share our testimonies. it went really well! :}

I love the Lord, I love this work and i know that we all have the Lords promise that if we ask him and seek his guidence, he will help us in the ways a righteousness and on the path to a happy life and an Eternal Life! (3Nephi 27:28-29)

Love you all,
-Sister Stephens
ps shout out!!!: Mama Nikk, thanks for the cherries of thought, and Nora of course always pulling through for me with a sweet/yummy package! and thank you for the letter i really needed it and will write you back, promise!!!

Transfers and new district!

Blog: We had a baptism!!!! last week it's so amazing to see the change in peoples lives! Sister Nene is an amazing woman, single mom with 4 grown kids, she is a great example and leader in her family and you can really see the change, the light in her eyes from the Holy Ghost! i love this work! and i get to stay here one more transfer! we should have lots of baptisms this next transfer! Sister Schostak will be transferring (my 'little' girls al'grown up...) don't know yet who will be my new companion! But it is now official that i am in Quezon City North Mission! yep i'm gonna be a first missionary in QC North and this will be my 3rd mission President! it'll be fun i want to work hard and kick this mission off with a running pace! i know that this is the Lords work and that he loves all his children and that this work is to invite all people to follow Christ and enter the kindom of God!!!
--Sister Stephens

Mom i heard rumor that everyone in QC North will be getting a 3 week extension!!! woot woot!!! love you mom keep up the hard work and trust and follow the Lord and in the last days you WILL find rest in him!
-S.S.

One More Week Till . . . . .

Blog: One more week... till transfers and we find out what mission I'll be in!!!! yeah our mission is splitting next transfer so i might be in Quezon City OR Quezon City North!?!!!! anything can happen!!!!so this week went fine Sister Nene was interviewed for baptism and will be baptized this Wednesday morning so her family can come! Nene is a strong mother and will be a good example to her now grown children. Last week was a typhoon so it cooled a little but this week is all toasty hot again! we have a couple of challenging investigators right now, keeps me on my toes, and we had lots of investigators come to church!!!!

How Hot Is It?
"Wheew I've sweated through my shirt already!" groaned Sister Schostack.
"Yes you have." agreed Sister Stephens. They could feel the heat seep through their shoes from the smoldering cement. Heat waves were only ten feet away. The sun happily beat upon them. Sister Stephens squints up at Sister Schostak, "Well shall we leave the shade of our apartment?"
"Yeah, but we might be burnt pieces of toast by the time we get to our appointment."
Love ya!
-Sister Stephens
Ps: shout out to Dallas thanks for the letter I'll try to write back later today!

Happy Mother's Day!

Blog: This week was good despite the storm, we were able to visit 11 less active families!!!! and through that we were able to teach their family who are not yet baptized and we now have 2 new baptismal dates for part member/former investigators!!! they were taught by the elders before but didn't continue for one reason or another but have expressed to us that they wish continue and to be baptized! we are very excited! Through these individuals the families will not yet be completed but it's a step in completing them in the future still!!!! things are good, no mishaps and no problems.
It was so good to hear from the family. Something i learned on my mission is even if your life gets crazy and uncertain we need to stick to the basics, reading and praying as individuals and as a family! it was so good to hear that even in these times of trail our family isn't falling appart but supporting each other and continuing to spend quality time together (dinner at grandma's) i love you all, and can't wait to see me nieces again and help out the family, but as of now i am happy to give this sacrifice to help the building of the kingdom of heaven on earth and to invite our brothers and sisters to come and dwell with us in the kingdom of God. I know that everyone is our spirit brothers and sisters and no matter where they are in this world they deserve to know the truth of God! Love you all and wish you all the best! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY MOM YOUR AMAZING AND GREAT!!!!!!
--Sister Stephens

What A Week!!!

blog: What a week!!! we had a great Zone Training, on tuesday and learned a lot about how to be better teachers and missionaries! then on Saturday was the 50 year anniversary Jubilee for the Church here in the Philippines!!! there was singing and dancing! oh it was so cool they had a bunch of native dances perfomed by over 3000 youth from the metro manila area! it was so amazing! then on sunday there was an area conference and we heard from Elder Teh, Sister Beck, Quintin L. Cook, and Boyd K. Packer! it was good. They testified about the Book of Mormon and how we need to study it and if we have a problem we need to try the virtue of the word of God, they also testified how it doesn't matter were you are or who you are the gospel is still the same everyone needs to be baptized by the priesthood, receive the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, and everyone needs to endure to the end to enter the kingdom of god and the there is no other way! I want to add MY testimony that this is true and that i have seen the gospel change lives and save souls!
-Sister Stephens