Sister Lacey Steen: October 13, 2014

Hey everyone!!!

So this week was transfers. I got my new companion on Wednesday and it was a little scary at first. I’m younger then my companion but I’m senior companion. It’s kind of funny lol. She is way tall and I’m short so I look 14 next to her. Ugh! haha its been crazy I loved conference soooo much. There was so many amazing powerful talks. I know I already talked about it in my last letter a little but we had a lessen with our investigator Jen on Tuesday at the Gurnee’s and we watched Elder Bednar’s and President Monsen’s talk of Sunday afternoons session. it was so powerful, then it turned into talking about the plan of salvation and she broke down and told us her grandma just passed away and I Knew how it feels to lose someone you love so much but I was able to bear testimony of the plan of salvation and how families can be together for eternity in heaven in the presents of God and Jesus Christ. Something I have been working on a lot lately is obedience and patience this area isn’t so easy. Lots of people know the LDS missionaries and sometimes confuses us for the Jehovah Witness but I’ve seen that when I just remember what Christ went through I can’t give up because my mission is so much easier then Christ’s was. Me and my new companion sister Allred have made it a personal goal to talk to every person we see because that is what we were asked to do. I have a strong testimony that when you are doing all you can and are being obedient God will bless you. I got to see the blessings of God last night around 8:55 ish. It was almost time to go home but we stayed out until 9 because that is what we have been asked to do. I decided we should go walk around the season’s apartments. As we were walking there was a guy that was cleaning out his car. We started talking to him about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he asked us what is the difference between his church the Calvary Cross and our church the Mormons. Sometimes I don’t really know what to say but this time I just said the difference is the priesthood. Then my awesome companion went in more detail about the priesthood and how it’s the power and authority given to men to act in God’s name. She told him how we have a living prophet today and how through God he guides Gods children. The messages we hear every 6 months are not just for the Mormons to hear. The prophet isn’t just the prophet of the Mormons. The prophet is called to testify of God throughout all the world. This is Christ’s gospel on the earth restored in the fullness. I’m so blessed to know this and I’m so blessed to be able to share it to everyone I see. Mike told us we could go back and tell him more. a funny thing that he said to us was his preachers teach him how to know what to say to the Mormon missionaries but he wanted to read the book of Mormon anyway and he asked us to come back :) I really have seen Gods hand in my life and I know this is God’s work not mine. These are Gods people who we are so lucky to be set apart to do His work. I’ve never been so happy in all my life then I am being a sister missionary for Christ’s true church. I know Christ lives. I know he loves us all so much and that he wants us to return to live with him some day. I was asked to give a 5 minute testimony yesterday in sacrament meeting. I was a little scared and a return missionary Brother Vickary was giving his home coming talk. So that made me more scared but as I was taking the sacrament I sad a prayer in my heart to have peace and to have the spirit guide my words and thoughts. When I got up to share my testimony the spirit did just that. I was calm and I felt at peace. I was able to share my testimony on exactly what I have been telling you about obedience and patience. I was able to talk clearly and slowly and I looked at people to really show them how much I care about them. I shared a small story that happened to me and my new companion with sister Vickary. she was going out with us as a member missionary and we still had 30 min until we had to be home so we told her she can just drop us off at home and we will just walk around and talk to people. Well she decided she wanted to go with us so as we were walking no one was on the streets and we were walking past her good friend Pam’s. She looked at us and told us we can maybe go to her house and see how she is. We said it’s up to her and you could really tell she was being led by the spirit because she just said Okay let’s do it. We walked up to the house and talked to Pam. Pam talked to us for a while then sister Vickary basically started teaching her the restoration and invited her to take a book of Mormon. Pam said she has never read the book of Mormon and we shared with her that it goes hand and hand with the bible and that there are foot notes that you can go back and forth from the book of Mormon to the bible and that it’s just more of Gods amazing word. Pam took the book and said she would read. We prayed with her and then walked back home. Sister Vickary said she has been trying to give her a book of Mormon for 5 years. You could really see how much love she had for Pam when she was testifying about the restoration. Pam is so lucky to have someone that loves her so much. I love this gospel. There are so many people out there sharing the thing that means most to them to the dearest friends. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ. If you haven’t done this yet. I invite you to share your testimonies of the restoration with the people that you care most about. I have a best friend back home that means more than the world to me she is my Best friend in the whole world. This is my testimony to her that I know Jesus is the Christ the son of God our father in heaven. I know that God loves us so much that he sent us to earth to gain a body of flesh and bone in his image and that we were put in families for a reason. I know we were put on earth to learn and grow and to gain an education and use and share our talents in this life. I know God has a plan. A plan of happiness. A plan of salvation. That in this life we learn and grow from our mistakes and short comings. That as we are following Christ we will always make it out of that fog and into His light. I know God made families so we can be together forever in this life and the life to come. I know as you follow Christ he will lead you on the path of happiness and comfort. That he will show you the way. I only know this because I’ve done what every missionary has done. Invited the people they are teaching to do. I knelt down and asked God. I didn’t get all my questions answered at once but He did answer me. Through reading and studying His words and through the amazing warmth of the spirit. I know Christ’s church is restored through a prophet called of God. God loves us so much that he has called a prophet. I know this gospel has saved and changed my life. I’m so grateful for Christ’s atoning sacrifice. That I am able to repent daily and use the atonement more fully in my own life. These things I say in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen