SEE YOU ALL NEXT WEEK!!

7/30/2018
"Well. This is it! Still doesnt feel real but im going home! These last two years have been incredible. Everyone asks me "What have you learned in these last 2 years?" My anwser are these 2 things.

37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

38 This is the first and great commandment.

39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

I have gained a testimony of the Lord. I love hime with all my heart, sould, and mind. I know that this is his church. I testify that it was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith and I know that President Russel M. Nelson is a prophet of God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I have seen the changes that other faiths can do to the people. I have seen many people change their lives through other churches. I know that whatever church one joins can change your life. But only the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has the power and authority of God on the earth to do the sacred ordinances that permit us to enter His kingdom.

My second response is the love that I have gained for Gods children. I know that sometimes im not the nicest person. But God has made me an instrument in his hands to better and to love more. It is so important to be nice to the people. Its something I will take with me for the rest of my life. I love the mission. Its the best! I will miss this dusty place. I will miss taking crazy buses and almost dying everyday in them. I will miss all these screaming children next to me playing video games. But Peru has given me something I wouldnt have been able to recieve anywhere else. That is my testimony. Go on a mission! It will bless you forever. I love you all. I know the my Redeemer lives and love me. I share these things with you all in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Youre all invited to my homecoming Sunday! 

See you all next week!!!!!"

life is good here in Peru!

7/16/2018
"Life is good here in Peru! We baptized Juana and Marylin! That was awesome! Me and my companion are working hard! The work of the Lord is fun with this guy hahahaha! I love the mission. Idk what more to say! Heres some cool pics Love you all!"

7/23/2018
"Sorry this email is going to be really really short! I have a lot of stuff I need to do but everything is going well! I love the mish! Time is flying! Love you all!

I love the words of our living prophets! Read them!

4/16/2018
"Hello everyone how are you doing? This week was awesome! We had a great week in Huandoy! I just want to share one little story that was way awesome that happened this week! SO here in Peru there are A LOT of people from Venezuela. With everything that is happening over here many are migrating to Peru to try and get some money to eat. We have been able to get to know a lot of them and they are all such amazing people. The living situations are so sad. Most of them live in big groups and live in houses where there is only a 8x8 foot room with 3 mattresses on the floor and the few clothes that they have. BUT they are so humble and nice and fun to talk to hahaha. This week we were walking and saw una familia venezolana and I went to shake the dads hand and he said "mormones!" He knew who we were but he never had the oppurtunity to talk with us! He couldnt talk in the moment that much but we said "Lets go to church tomorrow!" and said "Awesome! What time?" So yesterday they sent us a message saying that they were waiting for us! We took them to church and they loved it! AND that awesome part is that President Stauffer was waiting for us in the church to teach one of our investigators together! So we taught the Familia Pereira together and they loved it. Such and amazing family. They are now preparing to be baptized in May! I love this work I know its true!"

4/23/2018
"Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes! This week was awesome. Just wanted to share a quick story about our investigator Janeth. So she has had a rough life hahaha she is a single mom with 5 daughters and one more on the way! She got to know the church through the father of her next daughter who fell off the path of the Lord... We went to her house and started teaching her and she started telling us all about what happened! So she is pregnant and the dad is a returned missionary who is 10 years younger than her... They got into a little fight a few days before and he stopped talking to her. She has been really upset because he has just been ignoring her and she is pregnant with his daughter too! So two weeks passed by and he still did not face his responsibilities so she went to find him only wanting an anwser if he was going to help or no. Well in her search for this man he ran into her mom who also was a member and she started saying the worst of things to our investigator. And telling her that she needed to lie about the situation and everything. Janeth went to church that day and said "I just felt calm." "I prayed to have the words to say and I was just calm." At the end of their conversation she invited her to her baptism the 5th of May!  She told us "I know that in whatever church you go to youre going to find bad people. But I know this is the true church and it just fills and empty space inside of me." Even though she had such a bad experience with members of the church she still wants to get baptized so bad! I love this work. We dont go to church for the people we go for the Lord. Shes not even baptized and she understands that very well. Go to church! Theres no good excuse! Love you all!"

4/30/2018
"Well this week was a good week and a sad week but a very spiritual one! The amazing Familia Pereira from Venezuela are moving back to Venezuela on thursday... SOOOO much has happened and we have been right there with them the whole time and they are incredible. They are going to get baptized in Venezuela the 19th of May! Thats the most important. I love that family!

Well I just wanted to share a few scriptures that I liked that I read this week! 

7 And lo, he shall suffer temptations, and pain of body, hunger, thirst, and fatigue, even more than man can suffer, except it be unto death; for behold, blood cometh from every pore, so great shall be his anguish for the wickedness and the abominations of his people.

8 And he shall be called Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and his mother shall be called Mary.

17 And moreover, I say unto you, that there shall be noother name given nor any other way nor means whereby salvation can come unto the children of men, only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.

the atonement is real! Only through Jesus Christ can we receive our salvation!

Love you all!"

5/7/2018

"Hello everyone!! So I definitely got on internet 45 minutes late so sorry if its short. But I just wanted to tell you all that its my dads birthday! So you should all say happy birthday to him. I am so very lucky to have the best parents in the world. I love them so much and will forever be grateful for everything tthat they have put up with these last 20 years hahaha. Love your parents more! They need it. Im so grateful that I get to be with them FOREVER! Love you dad. Love you mom."

5/14/2018

"Hello everyone! Happy mothers day! I just wanted all of you to know how much I love my mom! Yesterday we were able to talk and she shared her amazing testimony with me and she is just the best! This week was awesome! We were able to find some new investigators! Its been a good week. I dont have much to say cause I said it all to my family! Hahaha love you all and heres some pics."

5/21/2018

"So this week was wild! I got transferred! Now im in one of the areas that was in my old district here so im still really close hahaha but im with my buddy Elder Castillo! Hes an awesome chileno so that is so sweet haha. We are also living with 2 other missionaries that are ending their missions this transfer hahaha its so awesome! My companion is such a good missionary! We got to our area and got to work! So I am so blessed to be here. Me and my comp went and found some new investigators 3 young men just ready for the gospel. We taught them and invited them to a baptism and then to church on Sunday and it was so sweet! They want to go on the mission so bad! They went to church and theyre awesome. I love this work and I know that if one calls down the powers of heaven God will help. He is always looking to help us. Love you all."

5/28/2018

"Hello everyone! Things are going great here! The mission is so awesome! I really cannot explain how awesome these last few days have been with my new companion! He is really the best. We have been working SOOOO hard these last 2 weeks and its so fun and funny hahahaha. We are definitely trying to get this area going! There arent like any members in our area hahaha so we are trying to chhange that! I know this work is true and I know that God has control over all things! I know that if I do my part he will do his! Love you all!"

6/4/2018

"So this week was awesome! I went to the temple with one of my converts from my first area! She was so happy to see us and it was just such a great experience! I also got some news that next week I will be going to another one of my converts sealing! (Funny story hahahaha) but ya it will be awesome! I love the mission so much. The blessings of the temple are so real! I know that if anyone needs peace from this crazy earth you should go to the temple! Especially of you are in Utah because there are a million hahah. The mission is great and we are working so hard! Love you all! I had some awesome pictures to send but this internet here really sucks hahaha."

6/11/2018

"Well everyone! This week was awesome! WOkring hard working hard! My companion is so freaking funny so thats awesome hahah. It feels good to be working how we should! We have an investigator named Windy! Shes from Venezuela! She is so awesome and is progressing so well and is going to get baptized this Saturday! It was a close call because she almost moved out of our area... But me and my comp fixed that and found her and her cousin a sweet room where they are going to live! Always busy but thats good! Love the mission and I love my Savior. 

Heres a few pics! Love you all!"

6/18/2018

"So this week was a good week! Pretty wild! I had to travel a lot hahaha! So Tuesday was an interesting and awesome experience! I went to a temple sealing of one of my converts! and my first companion.... It was funny and weird hahaha President and Sister Stauffer went and me and President were the witnesses! It was an awesome experience! While we were there President was talking to me and said "I was thinking Elder Stevens... Weve taught together baptized together and now attended temple sealings together! Thats awesome!" He is such a good mission President! We also went to our zone conference which was awesome but the coolest was friday! We had a MLC with Elder Godoy who is going to be apart of the presidency of the 70 in August! It was awesome. It was really spiritual and definitely a moment im never going to forget! He taught us about the atonement of Christ. He shared with us that many see the atonement as a way to repent and nothing more! He shared with us that the atonement makes the bad people good and the good people better. We must set aside the natural man and become better and not settle for good! I love that message and I hope you can all aplly it too! Love you all!"

6/25/2018

"Well another week in the mission! My last transfer! Yesterday I had to say goodbye to my best bud Elder Bates but all is well cause I know he will be there when I get back! But this was a good week! This Friday we found a new investigator her name is Karen. She was a reference! We sat down with her said a prayer and she just started to cry! She told us that she is going through some hard things right now and we just showed up! She said that everyone passes by shares a scripture and leaves and she said she was so thankful that we sat down with her and shared the gospel. It was a cool. She wants to get baptized! I love the gospel. I love the words of our living prophets! Read them! "

7/2/2018

"Well another week in the mission! My last transfer! Yesterday I had to say goodbye to my best bud Elder Bates but all is well cause I know he will be there when I get back! But this was a good week! This Friday we found a new investigator her name is Karen. She was a reference! We sat down with her said a prayer and she just started to cry! She told us that she is going through some hard things right now and we just showed up! She said that everyone passes by shares a scripture and leaves and she said she was so thankful that we sat down with her and shared the gospel. It was a cool. She wants to get baptized! I love the gospel. I love the words of our living prophets! Read them!"

7/9/2018

"So this week was a good one! We have 2 baptisms ready for this week! Please pray for Juana and Mary! We had an aawesome lesson with them and Hermana Juana told us that she has read about half the book of Mormon! She started explaining to us about Jacob 5 hahahaha she actually understood it even better than I did! Hahaha I love the Book of Mormon and this week all I can do is invite you all to read it! Love you all!"