September 22, 2014

So on Monday we got to plant flowers at the temple. It was so fun. I love planting flowers. Some members asked us if we had time to help. The elders couldn't but we had time. They even bought tacos for us so that was cool. 

 We ate dinner with one of the stake president’s counselors and they gave us a lot of part member families to go see. It was pretty exiting after we got dropped by some investigators and the other ones aren't progressing. Before we left we took a selfie with him and his daughter sent it to our moms 

:) it was pretty cool. After dinner we went straight home because we were both feeling sick and I had a fever ugh. We had specialized training and it was so cool. We have a lot of things changing in our mission and we have to be so much more obedient. We have to focus on just our investigators. some of it is less active work but we have to get the members involved because we are only here for a short while and the members are here all the time. It’s so cool to hear stories about our members that have gone on missions. On Sunday the Holles fed us. He is in the stake presidency. We have all our stake guys in our ward. It’s pretty cool. Anyway his wife told us she met him in the mtc and he was going to serve in her home town in Belgium. Cool huh. When she got off her mission her dad and mom invited the missionaries to for dinner and he was the missionary. Now they are married. So many crazy stories you would never think could happen. I wish I had more to say but like I said I was sick all week brother Arnold made us this drink that was supposed to make us feel better and I felt like I was home and my mom was making me drink those gross drinks that have like vitamin C in it. He was like, drink it fast and I really didn't want too I even asked him nicely if I could just not drink it but he basically said nope drink it. ugh so I did and afterward I almost threw it up. it was soooo gross. Then he was like OK now you two off to bed. it was only 8. I felt so bad we were in bed at 8. grrrr I hate being sick. A couple days later we had dinner with the Windsong bishop. We got soup and lasagna. I was so happy. then bishop said after this we need to go home and sleep Bishops orders. He told his wife to take us to the store and get us what we need. Before we left to do that bishop was showing us all his guns they have 4 safes in the house full of guns and one of them is out in the garage. His man cave is full of big guns. I was so excited. He was like do you wanna shoot one and I had to decline because we can’t shoot firearms on our mission Sad face. he was also telling us about how he is on a team that plays airsoft and the guns look so real it’s crazy. he said it doesn't hurt as bad as paintball so after the mission he said come back and I can be on the team. Woot!! Transfers are coming up and we have no clue what’s going to happen. Scary! We both wanna stay until Christmas and bishop said we can come get a pumpkin for Halloween. I love this area and I hope that with all the referrals we just got that we can help these part member families go to the temple one day :)



Love Sister Steen

 on our way to specialized training

September 15, 2014

This week was crazy! We had a specialized training on Tuesday and it was all about weekly planning and changing the culture of our mission. How we need to be obedient if we want success. Our weekly planning on Fridays went from 4 hours to 7. It’s so crazy. but its helping us have set appointments for everyday at every hour and when we don’t have a set appointment that’s when we go and find. Our mission has had a culture of breaking the rules and not being the missionaries we are called to be by just being tourists and college students. We are changing the culture and we are going to be exactly obedient in all things. God and the mission president are preparing us for something bigger than us as missionaries. We have to be ready. Me and my companion Sister Peatres are striving to be exactly obedient. When we wake up in the morning we say a prayer together and during our personal study we really strive to study for our investigators. Then in companion study we share what we learned and that usually helps us know what they really need to learn that day. I’m so excited to see the culture of the mission change. I came on a mission to be a missionary not a tourist or a college student.

The sisters we share the car with were driving and they had to stop really fast and the truck behind them hit them. They are ok. We didn’t have a car yesterday but the elders gave us theirs because they have a smaller area. That was nice of them.

I got pretty sick at church yesterday and slept all day and night and woke up with a small headache but I’m ok now. It’s probably just stress. idk. Lol I love my mission. So many things are happening. We are praying to find people who are ready and that means we have to talk to everyone we see because we never know if that’s the person God sent us too :) I’m so grateful to have this church in my life. Its strengthened my spiritual growth and its helped me have a better relationship with my family. I know that by following the example that Jesus set for us we will be in the celestial kingdom with our families for eternity. I want to marry my husband in the temple and be sealed to him for time and all eternity. That is how important family is to me. When I get to heaven I want to see all the people I love friends and family :). That is why we have the temple so we can make that covenant with god to be with our families for time and all eternity. Not just until death. I know this is Christ’s church once again and this earth restored in its fullness with the priesthood that was given to men for the salvation of his people. the priesthood is the power and authority of God given to men to act in Christ’s name to do the things Christ did when he was on the earth. I know that if you have a desire to really know if this is Christ’s church pray and ask God and when you feel that burning feeling inside I know that it is the spirit and that all good feelings are of God and when you get that answer act on it. This world is full of sadness and hurt but with the fullness of the gospel you can have a peace and happiness.



Love Sister Steen <3

September 7, 2014

This week was good. We did a lot of service. A less active lady asked us if we could mow her lawn and line trim. So we did and we pulled some weeds and made it look beautiful. She asked me if I could fix her sprinklers because one of them was not working so after we were done I looked at her sprinklers and some of them where just turned all the way off. So I turned them all so they were facing the grass and we made it look real good. We picked all the tomatoes that needed picking and put them in her house and then we had a lesson with her. She told us she was having a really rough day and when she saw her lawn she just wanted to cry. It was so cool. We stopped by the Gurney’s to tell them we stopped by Jen’s and we were going to invite her to stake conference. They told us they already invited her and she can’t make it. They asked us how our week has been and we told them it was so good. Brother Gurney told us this is why he gave us Jen because most of the missionaries that came to their house always told them the negative parts and it was so cool to be the one companionship that is ready to help their friend come in to the gospel. They told us she stopped going to her church because it just doesn’t feel like the right church. She wants to come to church when she finishes her tests. I’ve been praying about how to help the Hyatt’s youngest boy Trent. I was asked to give the lesson tonight for family home evening and it’s going to be on the Priesthood. I was able to practice it last night at the Monson’s house. Their son is turning 12 and Brother Monson is our ward mission leader and asked if I could share what I learned with him. It was so cool I felt the spirit so strong I really hope the spirit takes over the lesson tonight and helps open Trent’s eyes to the powers of the priesthood. He is 12. D&C121 is what I’m reading with them tonight. :)

I love and miss you all so so much :)



Love Sister Steen

"I can almost reach"

September 1, 2014

Well this week has been so fun. We have been praying for miracles all week and on Wednesday it happened. we went to a less actives house java and we saw how he was doing. He told us to go to his friend’s house they all work for Vivint. So we went the first time and I knocked the wrong door. we were with a sister missionary that was going home this week. On Wednesday we tried again and it was just me and my comp this time. We knocked on the right door. She let us in and we got to know her a little and she started giving us all these names we should go try. They all live in the same apartment it was her brother and some other Vivint guy. When we knocked on the door a guy answered that I new in Yakima. He was installing a Vivint system in the Black’s house, the family I lived with out there, so it was so easy to get in and talk to them. Megan, the lady that gave us the referrals came down and we talked to them about missions and the temple and baptism. They are all in different places of their lives. Two of them weren’t even members but they listened and asked questions. We read some out of the Book of Mormon and the two members that lived there ran and got theirs. It was so cool to see how exited they were about us being there. Jonah is the one I met in Yakima. He is getting ready to go on a mission and Randy is a recent convert and has been a member for a year. So we got to talk about the temple and missions with them we invited them to church. Java, Randy and Jonah came. We didn’t know Randy and Johan came but Java sat by us and we were able to share our testimonies in front of them. it was crazy. i usually get really scared and go blank but i was really calm and just said what came to my mind. I looked people in the face and it felt so good. Java was so sweet. He said I did really good and i could really tell he needed to be there. There is a foreign exchange student in are ward living with the Brooks and they took us out to eat at a Thai place and I was so scared cuz I don’t do that scary foreign food stuff hahah. He was laughing at me the whole time and he snap chatted his friends back home me eating a really spicy soup. i was dying! lol Brother Brooks came up to us after church and told us he is so glad we shared our testimonies because when we got up there he was excited because he knew us. so that was cool. we have family home evening with the Hiatts again tonight and I’m so excited. Sister Hiatt is teaching the lesson :) and she got to go out to some of our lessons this week. she is really trying to set a good example to her kids by getting more active :) this morning at 10 Eli and Shantel, the family we live with, dumped a huge tractor of water on us. 

 It was soooo cold and sooo fun. My mission is so so fun and every day is a new adventure. 

We have a bear going around the mission and his name is elder Oso. 

The new district leaders said they found him hiding in their closet haha. So he said the other zone by us found out and are now trying to steal Oso back. So he gave him to us and we are keeping him safe. He got to ride around with us in the car on Sunday but he is safe in our room now :) I love you all. Share the gospel with the world. flood the world with your simple but powerful testimonies and for all of you who are thinking about going on a mission do it!!! It will change your life forever in the best way possible way. I’m a different person then I was before I left. I never thought the mission would teach me so many life skills and I know because I’m serving the Lord my family is being blessed. your testimonies will grow stronger and you will have the courage to share your love of the gospel with the people you love members and non-members alike. Pray about the mission build your foundation on Christ and you will never fail. I can promise you that. In the name of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ amen





Love sister Steen

 This is our area boundry

 Gracy and Cadence

Planning

August 25, 2014

Its transfer week Me and Sister Peatross are staying. Yay! I love this area and its starting to pick up. We have at least 1 lesson a day which is a big deal for our area. Woot! haha Not a lot has happened this week but Frank is on date to be baptized for October 4th and we took him to see a baptism the other day. He seemed to love it. we have a lesson this week with him.... I just want you all to know that prayer works and that when you are going through a hard time God is there and He will comfort you. You just have to take the time to talk to Him and ask Him to help you. He is a gentlemen and He isn’t going to do anything until you ask Him. He has given us that agency. I love you all. I got an email today from elder Walters a guy I met in Utah and we weren’t close friends. I met him once and this week has been kind of rough for me. When I got his message I knew he was listening to the spirit because everything he said to me is what I needed to hear and he didn’t know if it was my email he just guessed and it just was an answer to my prayers. When you feel promptings to do something never ignore it because it can help someone :) I’m so happy to serve a mission and it’s gone by so fast. it’s been a little rocky but I’ve grown soooo much. all I know is my mission has changed my life and I’m so grateful for the opportunity to serve the Lord and bring people closer to the gospel. I invite everyone, member or non-member to read the Book of Mormon and to pray and ask God for guidance. He is the only way. I have so many friends back home that I wish I could have talked to them about my beliefs because I love them I should have. that’s why I’m doing it now. It’s not scary! If you love someone invite them. Share your testimony. I know God loves all his children, which is every person you see. Share with your brothers and sisters the gospel of Jesus Christ even if they are not interested. It is there and they can use their agency to accept it or deny it. Give them that opportunity to learn.

I love you all



Love Sister Steen

 My zone leader Elder Crane

 My old zone leader Elder Adling

 Selfie

 Sophie

 The Arnolds

 we love our family

zone conference