May 25, 2015

This week has been WOW amazing!! So many miracles. We have gotten tonz of referrals. we were able to get in contact with one and his name is Phil. We set a time and day and saw him after church yesterday. He is golden. I’ve never had someone so ready for the gospel. He said he just wants to find a church family that will love him and his 3 kids the way they are. He has a lot of tattoos and gages :) He is a young single dad that just got his kids :) We invited him to be baptized and he said yes and now he is on date for the 13th of June. We asked when we could come back and he asked if we could tomorrow so we are going over today :) woooooot! We are trying to find him some good fellowship. Its hard cuz it’s a holiday. lol wish us luck :) We had a wedding / baptism on Saturday.

 It went sooooo good. The spirit was so strong. We got to sing. Thomas and Lara were smiling :) so I guess we didn’t sound too bad. lol we have a new investigator, Luke, he is moving to Adams so it’s going to be a long drive every time we go see him. Hopefully we can get him some good fellowship. Right now he is in the 2nd ward and he knows the Marshals and he knows some people in 1st ward so it will be good. Dee is still on date and wants to be baptized before I go home. We have 3 people on date for baptism next month already and our goal before I go home is to be baptizing weekly. Our ward mission leader brought that up in class the other day and he said “the sisters have an impossible goal but I love their faith” and I was just thinking that’s not impossible it’s the vision the Lord has for this area and he is giving us the people who are ready. We talked to both of our bishops and we told them an idea we have to help the members get excited for the work. At dinner we are going teach them by role playing how to place a book of Mormon. We realized people really think it’s the scariest thing in the world and it shouldn’t be. Really all we need to do is give the people we love and care about a book of Mormon because the book of Mormon is something that is a part of our lives that makes us the people we are. We need to love our friends and family enough to give them this book. It’s a book. If they don’t read it that’s their agency but we need to let them have that opportunity to accept or reject. We are going to start doing that at dinners and we are going to set up a 3 ward firesides in June. It’s going to be soooo good. The members are getting more and more excited for the work. One day this town will have its own stake :) the bishop asked us if we wanted to do some service for him. We said yes and got to help him kill some of his chickens today. 

We have been able to gain a lot of trust with the wards. We got to talk in church yesterday about our conversion stories and we got to teach in class. It was fun. I love my mission and we still have a lot to do before the end of July :D



Love Sister Steen

 Just pulling weeds. We wouldn't let them pay us so they paid us in Pepsi.

me and sister T and training :)

                      We are all going home together kinda lol Sister T, Elder Ojata and Me :)

I might have corrupted my companion. Sorry!!! ;) lol

May 18, 2015

Wow! My new companion is a powerful missionary. During our trainings we role-play with each other inviting people to be baptized and or just asking inspired questions. Something I love about her is she isn’t afraid of silence. The most powerful role-plays we have done only maybe had a couple of things said in them. The other day we were doing a training on how to begin teaching and I explained kinda how to do it then she turned to heaven, she waited for the spirit and then she opened her mouth and everything she said was powerful. As she asked me inspired questions I made sure to give inspired answers and at the end of the role play she was just glowing with confidence and the spirit. We talk about the things we learned and how to use it in the work. On Saturday we had zone meeting and it was amazing. We learned so much and the spirit was so strong. Something I learned was to cut out the fluff. We got to do a role play on street contacting someone and making sure you cut out the fluff. So that’s what me and another sister did. We just taught simple truth. We taught simply the restoration and let them read some of the introduction and then invited them to be baptized. The spirit was so strong. After that we had to rush home and fill the font for David’s baptism. His Baptism was so good the spirit was so strong and the speakers involved him as they gave their talks on baptism and the Holy Ghost. Everyone told us he was just a dry mormon and he just needed to get wet. lol its funny he is definitely one of the elect. When we invited him to live the word of wisdom he quit that day cold turkey and it’s just crazy to know that if people are truly willing to follow Christ they will do anything for Him. This is the lords church not the Mormons church. Its Christ’s church and we are his sheep

Me and my comp talk about the day at night and it’s cool. I feel we have really inspiring conversations. We talked about what miracles wouldn’t have happened if Christ slacked off in his last transfer. The reason we were talking about that is because I have 2 transfers left and I want to finish strong. Then it dawned on us that Christ last transfer was the Atonement. It was crazy to think about.

We had a lesson at the Welches with Dee and we taught the restoration. At the end we invited her to be baptized and she said yes. That’s what the plan is. The only thing that is holding her back is that the Sabbath is on Sunday. Well I was studying and my comp was studying and so the seventh day was part of the law of Moses and it was before Christ. When Christ came and set up his church and when he was crucified on the first day he fulfilled the law of Moses and with that we worship on Sunday (The lords Day) as the commemoration of the lords resurrection. wow I had no clue but it just makes so much more sense now :) I love the scripters (Acts 20:7) if we can help her understand that she won’t have anything holding her back.

on the 23rd is a wedding and baptism :) for Thomas :) president wear invited every companionship to baptize monthly and I know it’s possible. Me and sister Satele, with the Lords help, want to baptize weekly :) it’s going to be hard work but I know it’s possible and that goal will help us with baptizing monthly. Yesterday we were invited to a youth thing at the bishop’s house. it was about the temple and it was sooo cool. He answered all the youth’s questions then he made us this Brazilian hotdog. It had mashed potatoes, avocado, ketchup and mustard and other stuff I can’t remember. it wasn’t bad but i wouldn’t want to eat it every day. He also made us a Brazilian drink and it was soo good. We got the recipe to make it at home and we are going to try and make it better than it already is. I’m sooo exited.

I’m sure I’m forgetting a lot. There is just soo much but I just know that it’s our time to harvest. No more planting seeds. The field is ready today. There are so many people out there waiting for us to invite them. We are going to help our members get excited for the work. At dinner we are going to talk to them about how to place a Book of Mormon and invite them to read it and invite the family to do it together and to share with each other and the other members the experiences they have. We are so excited for the work. It is hastening and people are ready to receive this massage. We are all God’s children.

I love and miss you all.



love Sister Steen

 doing service at PAWS

 This is a salad Sandwich it is one of the most amazing things I have ever eaten

 David's Baptism

May 11 2015

#whatislife #Pregosauce #newcomp #Greeny #amazingabs #cantstopwontstop #laughingiscontagious #Ihate#’s lol

Wow so this week has been pretty different. I was with the sister training leaders for 3 days and it was a pretty fun time :) When I was with them I got one new investigator. His name is Randy. He is a really nice guy and we met his dad right after we left. He has the same name so it was funny teaching the Restoration to a guy with the same name is the last one. He was really nice. His problem with it all was going to church. He doesn't follow organized religion so we were able to explain the blessings of church and why we meet as a ward to worship. I bore testimony that we go to church to partake of the sacrament. To do it in remembrance of Christ and when we are baptized we can renew our covenants. We also explained that we go to learn and grow as a ward family. As we share our testimony with one another and prepare to teach we learn more and we help others learn too. He said that it made more sense and we invited him to his son’s home for the lesson on Tuesday to learn more of the restoration of Christ’s church. That same day we were walking around and we saw this guy walking his dog and so one of the sisters were like “HEY!!” and he didn't turn around so she said it a bit louder and he still didn't hear soo I was like ok this is it. I’m going to do something I have never done before. I said a quick prayer in my head hoping that this doesn't fail miserably and I started running and was like HEY!!! I love your dog what kind of dog is it!!??? He turned around and started talking to me. We ended up walking with him telling him about the restoration of the church. It was super cool and really scary ahhhhhh lol I’m still freaking out about it and it’s been like a week. lol well on Wednesday I was on my way to Walla Walla when I got a call from the mission office telling me that my Aunt just passed away and it really hit me hard at first. When we got to Walla Walla I asked my zone leader elder Nelson if I could get a blessing and he was so in tune with the spirit. Everything he said is what I needed at the time. I was getting ready to go and meet my not only new companion but a new missionary that just got out on her mission. I needed that blessing so that I could be at peace with my aunt passing and so I could focus on training my new companion. I was really having a hard time until I got to the transfer sight in Kennewick then I needed to be happy. I didn’t want my first impression to Sister Satele to be that her companion is just a wreck. I did pretty good. Then we sang and the song just made me cry. I’m not really sure why and the elder that gave the spiritual thought made me cry. Then I pulled myself together until I hugged Sister Ware then I kind of lost it. I needed a hug from someone who understood and she was it. I’m so grateful for her :) I’m ok now. I’m at peace with everything and I know things truly happen in the Lords time. I know that this had to happen while I am in training or I’m sure I would have been really distracted. Whenever me and my companion role play its sooo spiritual, like for example last night we did 60 min of training and at the end of it we role-played. I was one of are current investigators and she had to invite me to be baptized and I had to say no and have a concern so before we started she said a prayer and I said a prayer I prayed to know what his concern really would be. Then we began the role play. It consisted of a lot of inspired questions and a lot of silence. The spirit flooded the room and at the very end I was crying and Sister Satele was just sooooo excited about what just happened. We realized in that role play that this investigator needed to understand and gain a firm testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I had no clue. I thought that he knew the atonement but I now know that he doesn’t and the spirit guided us to what he needed to know :) we are so excited to have our next lesson with him :)


Skyping with my mom on Mother’s day was really good :) I was so scared that it was going to be a sad skype session but it wasn’t and I got to see Sage Amber Zach Marcus Rosie Everett Evelyn Olyvia Mom and Dad :) it was soooooo happy. Me and my companion just sat on a couch and talked to them. I love that my companion wanted to be a part of it :) I am just sad we all forgot to take pictures.


Well I love you all and I’ll see you in 3 months ;)





Love Sister Steen!!!!

May 4, 2015

 our investigator David

Investigators Mark and Tanya

This week has just been full of miracles and the Lord is just blessing this area so much. We are teaching so many amazing people. Thomas and Lara are still on date to get married and Thomas is still ready to get baptized right after. I’m so happy every time we see Lara. She is just excited. It’s cute. She was able to announce it at church and everyone is so excited for her and wants to help which is good :) We taught a 12 year old, named Aaron, the restoration. He is in a part member family and his grandparents invited us to teach the kids. During the lesson Aaron was asking so many amazing questions :) and he was just really excited about it all. We asked him if he had a Book of Mormon and he didn’t so we gave him one and he was just glowing saying “this is mine to keep?” :) After the lesson we were leaving and we heard him say he can’t watch the movie with his sisters because he wants to read the Book of Mormon. We told him he is like Nephi so that made him really excited. He also asked if he could read it at school. It was so cute. We have 7 people on date for baptism! Wooo hooo!! Our lesson with David last time was soooooo funny. We started talking about the word of wisdom and he saw the list of stuff and he was like what??!! Coffee!! I love coffee. I don’t think that should be on the list. It was so funny. He was raging lol he even pretended to flip a table. We were all busting up laughing. It was so cool. He was able to see just right there how coffee was controlling him so he said he will live the word of wisdom. It was funny the member said when his dad was quitting he just took everything and threw it away so there was no temptation and he said maybe he should keep it so it can make him stronger. We explained that it is better to get temptation out of your life. Then he was like yea you’re right. I can just imagine me doing homework and I here a voice whisper” DAVID DRINK ME” lol and he acted it out. It was sooo funny. If these lessons were recorded like on “the district” it would be just way funny ;) He is a good guy. He really wants to do things right. Casey didn’t make it to church again. This is the big thing that’s holding him back. I’m praying really hard he will find that desire. We have invited him to pray for it. So Eli and Brittani are MIA right now and so we are trying to get in with them. Josie’s family has been out of town so we keep trying to set stuff up with them. It’s rough so yea lots of big things happening in this area. We were invited to have a baptism every month and we are really praying for that. We had 2 last month and we have 7 on date this month. If we do all we can I really think 3 of the 7 will make it to their dates :) something I really want to focus on this next transfer is getting the investigators in to the member homes. A guy came to church and shared his testimony. He is from Wales England and I guess he served here a long time ago and he said the investigators that got baptized were the ones that we got in to the member homes and the ones that didn’t get baptized we didn’t get in to member homes so that is my focus. I really want our on dates to progress :) WE HAD MIRACLES HAPPEN AT CHURCH! WE GOT 7 INVESTIGATERS TO CHURCH!!! it was such a long day we had a referral we got on Saturday night and a member was able to bring him to church and he loved it. David was there. Thomas was there. Jamaka was there. Dee and Jane were there and Jessica with her little boys. Aaron was there :) and his little sister who we are teaching also :) Church was amazing. The testimonies were amazing and they heard that elder get up and say “if you are in a members home you will have a desire to be baptized that’s a promise” usually I freak out when people say stuff like that but Dee needed to hear that. Dee told us after church that she wants to come back. All our investigators just felt at home and participated in the lessons in Sunday school it was so cool. I was really emotional. lol my companion was saying good bye to everyone and a lot of our investigators made it to church so I was just crying all day. Sometimes I hate being a girl lol Dee was like “the women in your church cry a lot” my response was “yea the spirit just makes us emotional. We can’t control it” which was 1000% true. Everyone was crying this Sunday. It was different lol in relief society in 2nd ward we talked about honoring the priesthood. It was such an amazing lesson. I thought about my amazing dad and how he has been that amazing priesthood example in my family. That’s the kind of husband I want in my life someone who honors his priesthood calling as a father and a husband. I wish I could tell you all I learned but just know it was really amazing. the lady in our ward, sister Rasmussen lol not my companion, is an amazing teacher and she just taught me a lot :)



ok i can’t hold it in anymore. So i am staying here the rest of my mission. 2 transfers 3 months in Pendleton cuzzzzz............. I’m training a new missionary and the training program goes for 12 weeks. I got the call like on Thursday and transfer calls are on Saturday so when president wear called sister Rasmussen was freaking out because she just thought the president was going to tell her she is a terrible missionary which she isn’t so I don’t know why she was freaking out. He was telling us how happy he was with our area then he was like Sister Steen I have been praying for weeks and at that moment I started backing away from the phone and started crying and saying no no no no lol it was kind of pathetic but i knew what was coming next. So he asked me if I would train a new missionary and as I was shaking my head no I said yes. it was a really strange feeling being so terrified and so excited at the same time. So yep I’m training for the last part of my mission. Ahhhhh!!! pray for me. I can do this!!!!! I know this church is true and that the church of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth and the priesthood is fully restored to the earth so that Christ church can be run correctly by that authority of God. I know that Joseph Smith is called of God and restored the church by that same power. the priesthood that was given to him by Peter James and John. I know the book of Mormon to be the word of god and goes hand and hand with the bible and brings the fullness of the gospel. I know that you can know this to be true by reading the book of Mormon with and open heart and a willingness to know the truth and to pray to know if it’s true. I know by the power of the Holy Ghost you can know the truth of all things. I know that families are meant to be eternal. I know the temple is the house of the lord. I know that in the temple by that priesthood authority families can be sealed together for time and all eternity I know that God lives and that Jesus Christ is the son of god our savior and redeemer. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of transformation. let it transform you. This is the lord’s kingdom once again established to the earth and I know Christ will come again. In the name of Jesus Christ amen



Love Sister Steen <3

 waiting and watching

 We had to walk an hour and a half to our car

 Watering for the people we live with.

Just waiting around.

April 27, 2015

So we got to go to WALLA WALLA last p-day and play chair soccer with the zone. It was really fun! We got to have FHE with are recent convert Andrea. She has grown so much and her testimony is so strong. We taught her how to do a family home evening and we will do that with her every Monday until she is used to it and is doing it on her own. In exchanges sister Johnsen came to my area and I got to stay. We had a lot of big plans that day. We did service at PAWS then we went to lunch. After lunch we were trying to find a former and I went to the wrong street so we just decided to tracked it. so we did and there was a really mean guy that didn’t want to talk to us so we moved on and when we got to the third person he let us right in. His wife was shy and didn’t want to come in the living room so we taught him the restoration and he said he knows it true. He is from the Philippines and said he has talked to missionaries before. Well at the end of the lesson we invited him to be baptized he said yes. We put him on date and he accepted it. So when we left we got in our car and wrote down all of his information and then our car window shattered!!!!

 I felt really weird. I was looking at my companion when it happened and the sound was so hollow I thought we got shot!!! It was scary!! I had already put it in drive so when it happened I tensed up and took my foot off the brake so we rolled forward and when I came back to my self I drove away from that house a couple doors down to the house where that guy was really rude to us but I didn’t care because I was really scared and I felt safe by his house. Elder Spurgen our car guy called it in and the police came. Thank goodness. I knew the cop. He is in our ward and it helped me calm down. We figured there was a guy mowing and he might have run over a rock but we don’t know it’s hard to say. The mower was pretty far so we don’t know. Anyway we took pictures and Officer Zaugg got our info. The sister training leader was sooooo mad lol she kept saying satan is ruining our day but i wasn’t mad because we got to talk to the mean guy and he helped us clean up the glass and he said if we ever need anything just ask so he might not be interested in our message but he is a really nice guy and he changed my outlook on people that don’t want to listen to us. He was really nice and we got to go back the next day and talk to the guy that was mowing and tell him that the window is all fixed and he doesn’t have to worry about anything. He was a really nice guy we got to pray with him. Well that morning before we left on that adventure we got a text from Thomas and from Lara and Thomas told us to call him so we did. He told us Lara got her answer and they are getting married on the 23rd!!!!!!!! ahhh I was so excited and sad because sister Rasmussen was in the other area so I kept it a secret until we went there on Wednesday lol that was so hard. She wants us to be in the wedding :) I’m excited! Hopefully I don’t get transferred. We get the call this Saturday and Sister Rasmussen is going home next Monday well she goes home on the 5th but she leaves me on Monday :( I’m going to miss her. She has changed my whole life and I love her :) on exchanges I put 3 people on date and Sister Rasmussen put two people they street contacted on date. Well 2 of them and so that day in our area we put 5 people on date is was a miracle :) Danny one of are on dates dropped us on Friday. He was the house that the car window broke. I was trying to figure out why God needed us to be in that area if Danny was going to fall off date and drop us and I really thought about that and I don’t know but I’m sure that it changed someone’s life that day and that just makes it all worth it :D

There is a little 8 year old girl we met one day with her mom. Her mom said she would love for us to teach her daughter so one day we were teaching Andrea and we were outside and Cici and her mom came out and we talked to her and we are going to start teaching them at Andrea’s :) she is already doing missionary work. The Lord is going to bless her so much :) We had a lesson at the church on Saturday and talked about church and how important it is. Casey’s wife is already a member and we put him back on date for the 30th of May :) we really have faith he will make it this time :) then we had a lesson right after with David at the Bagglies his fellowshipers and the lesson went so well he had questions and the members just got in there and helped him. As a parents view and he really needed that on Sunday. 3 of our investigators made it to church 2 on dates and 2 of our recent converts. That was such a good Sunday. I was just on top of the world when people realize how important it really is to go to church :) and brother Baggly came to our class with David. He is so solid. I love this area and how willing the members are to help fellowship these people that are willing to change :)

I was talking to Sister Rasmussen and she said to me

Falling away isn't like cancer it’s a choice and that really made me think. I keep being so scared to go home because I see so many members of the church and they fell away. Even people that went on a mission and I was so scared I would do that but when she said that I thought. yeah it’s a choice and I’m not going to make that choice. I have a trunky journal and in it i wrote down some things I’m going to do when I get home like going to the temple every Saturday and doing family history and reading daily with my family and on my own and there is so much more but I know if I just do the simple things like go to church and be active not only in church but in the gospel then I won’t fall away :)



Love Sister Steen

 My companion got a care package!

 I'm so silly!

 we clean out the car every Monday

 We finally got to visit the Mill!

 A rug they made a long time ago

That Pendelton country life!

April 20, 2015

This week was a bit crazy! Monday we stayed in town because my toe hurt and I didn’t feel good. At the end of the night we were looking at my toe and decided we needed to get it looked at so we went to doctor marshals He is a member in the ward and he told me he was going to numb it. I didn’t realize numbing it meant sticking a needle in it until his little girl started talking about how bad it hurts then I started crying. I don’t know why but I have a huge fear of needles ahhhh!! It hurt so bad! He did it 3 times just to get it really numb for me. After it was numb I didn’t feel anything. It was weird.

Well I think I either have really bad allergies or I have a sickness that no one can fix. I’ve tried everything. Ugh well I’ll just have to stick it out. My comp goes home on the 5th and she is so ready to be done. It’s been a hard transfer but we are trucking threw. we got another baptism on Saturday Kevin Ottosen :) he was so happy. His family came to support him. His mom isn’t a member or his little daughter or his son and his wife daughter is less active so it was a really cool experience. So many people came that we had to move to the chapel :) we never filled the font in this building before. Last time for Andrea a member did it for us so when we came to check on it it was freezing. We didn’t realize we had to turn on the water heater pump. lol but it all worked out and the water was worm when he got in. we were kind of freaking out lol but I’m a pro now so if I have a couple more people that want to be baptized ill now how to fill the font.

We had a lesson with David in a member’s home, the Baglies, they are so awesome they have a younger daughter that is friends with David’s daughter Sophie so they got to play while we had the lesson. We haven’t been able to have a spiritual lesson with him this whole time but this one in the member’s home was so spiritual. David didn't keep his commitment so we don’t think he felt it like we did but he will. He is on date for the May 16th now :)

Andrea is in her new home and she loves it. We had a lesson with her then did some service for her after. We are so excited for her to get a calling and we are going to get her out with us :)

David and Thomas, our investigators, came to church on Sunday and it was ward conference. President Roly came up to me and asked if I could introduce him to our investigators. I introduced him to David then we had and awesome lesson all about marriage and being a worthy priesthood holder for your family in the home. Laura was asked to read and it was so good for her. We have been praying for her to get the answer to get married to Thomas. a while back we had a lesson and in my studies I fond these awesome scriptures and we shared it with them and invited them to get married. Then at church they brought up that scriptures again I was so excited.

We have been trying to stop by all of our less active people in our wards. It’s crazy. There are way more less actives than actives. We stop by and talk to them and invite them to take the missionary lessons and do family history :) one of the families we stopped by, the non-member, when we asked them if they would come back to church she said wow I haven’t really thought about it. Let me talk to my husband. It’s crazy. People just need to be invited. I definitely have a testimony that us as members need to do our part in this work by inviting and fellow shipping the lost sheep. If our members got the vision that the Lord has for this area I’m sure almost all of these members that fell away would come back. I just know it. I pray every day for this area and the members. We ask and invite them to help. I just hope they see the Lords vision. This area has so much potential.

In my studies today I read in Alma 31 and what stuck out to me is Prayer. I am always praying for help in this work, praying for the area, for my companion, for the people I am teaching. Pray for the people you want the Lord to put in your path and pray for yourself to recognize the promptings of the spirit. I got the prompting to read my patriarchal-blessing and I didn’t get all the way threw it but I read what the Lord needed me to read and it went with what I read in Alma and how I need to attain the attributes in Alma 7 23-24 and so I wrote that down and I’m going to pray for that :)

The church of Jesus Christ is THE true church. It has the Authority, the Priesthood!!! Just like when Christ was on the earth!!! I know that the power of the scriptures. It really brings you closer to your Savior and it brings a clear understanding of his gospel. As you read you get a stronger testimony of his gospel. Of the prophet Joseph smith and Best of all you get a testimony of Jesus Christ!! there are so many little things that just build to my testimony and I just know without a doubt that this is Christ’s church restored to the earth and I know that you can know this is true in 3 simple ways. read the book of Mormon with an open heart, ponder the message it contains and pay attention to the feelings you have as you read then Pray and ask God if it is true and I know you will get an answer :)

In the name of Jesus Christ Amen



Love Sister Steen