On Mon, Nov 15, 2010
Hey family!
Well well well this week has been a little out of the normal, the past three days my companion hasn't been feeling too good. He started out with just some stomach pains then he got the chills super bad and got a fever. In the middle of it all he started getting this itchy rash. He's over the chills and his fever now but he still has the rash so we're not really sure what to do about it. I forget if I’ve told you or not but we cover all the way up to Reedsport which is like twenty five miles away. We get to stay with some of the members there when we go over there and we've been trying to do more work over there lately. Anyways we've been there the past three days because the members that we stay with are super nice and have been helping my companion out with getting him the meds he needs and stuff. So pretty much I’ve been reading the scriptures and studying a lot the past few days. Since I left two months ago (crazy how time flies) I've already read the Book of Mormon all the way through, I’ve read my search for happiness, my heritage, True to the Faith, and I’m already half way done with Jesus the Christ I’ve started the old (I’m almost done with Exodus), and the new (which I just started Luke), I’ve read the Pearl of Great Price and about twenty sections of the D&C. If you didn't learn something new each time you read these books I might get sick of them by the end of the mission.
We did find out about transfers and..............I'm staying in Florence!!!!! I'm super excited to be staying here on the coast. Out of the five companionships in our district ours was the only one that stayed the same. I don't think I told you last week but last Sunday we had Stake Conference but it was a state wide stake conference and they had a broadcast from Salt Lake. We got to hear from Elder Pipier of the Seventy, Sister Dalton, Elder Hales, and President Uchdorf. It was pretty awesome. It's interesting at how they are really pushing for senior missionaries right now. That is one of the really big things I’ve noticed ever since General Conference. Elder Pipier Talked about Politics and that was really interesting to hear.
I got to speak yesterday in Sacrament meeting. It was Invitation Sunday and me and my companion were supposed to speak but since he wasn't feeling to well it was just me and the ward mission leader. I had prepared my talk for ten minutes like they asked me two but of course when we get there and we are one speaker short they asked me to talk for at least fifteen.......I didn't prepare for fifteen!! Anyways I was the first speaker and I got up and started to talk about faith. I spoke on all of the points that I had written down bore my testimony and sat down thinking that I had maybe gone for eleven minutes. I look at the clock and somehow I had talked for sixteen minutes. I don't know how cause I didn't really add anything into my talk but the Lord was definitely helping me out with that one.
The work is still going good over here in Oregon. We've been trying to do a little more tracting than usual to help us find more people but everyone is pretty set in there ways. They all say they've talked to us before (which I believe because it is a pretty small town) but we keep tryin and I know the Lord will eventually open some doors for us. We do have a couple potential investigators. Some members in the Reedsport ward brought a friend with them yesterday and she said we would probably be seeing her around more often. She even went visiting teaching with her friend after the block; hopefully we can teach her pretty soon.
It sounds like all is well back home. I did get your pictures and the memory card. I'll send that home to ya in the next couple days. So when you told me that you were sitting on the bench all alone at church I got this image in my mind of you just crying uncontrollably....It made me laugh. Tell everyone hi for me if you happen to see any of them. Don't get to excited about beating everyone at the card games mom you know that I was always the one who was the competition. Thanks for your prayers and all you do for me. I really can tell a difference. Love you guys ton and I hope to maybe get a letter or two from the brothers.....hint hint. Hope you guys have a great week.
Love Elder Stephenson
I forgot to tell you a funny story. So I know you read Carlee’s letters, anyways you know how she got a new little companion right of the MTC....I was her Zone leader for five days before I left. I know how she broke her arm she broke it when she fell off of her bunk bed at the MTC; she was on the top bed. It’s sad that it happened but when we heard how it happened we couldn't help but laugh. Love you guys have a good week.