GOLDEN!

Tuesday we woke up at 3:20am to go to the multi-zone conference in Trujillo, and I have been falling asleep all week(:  Good thing it was a good conference and I got to see Hna Clark!! President and Hna Marble, the assistants, and the Hermana leaders all gave really good trainings and then we had Papa John’s pizza!! #blessed.

The power has gone out around 8:15pm twice this week, which is kinda scary, because obviously it's like 100% dark. Good thing I have my headlamp(: #prepared.

Saturday we went to Huanabana (a teeny tiny little pueblito between Guadalupe and Pueblo Nuevo) to help Betty (Raul's wife) at her preschool. She's the only teacher, and there are only 13 kids, so we helped clean the “kitchen” and the elders helped outside. It was a fun project with lots of spiders and their nests.....also Saturday, we had an amazing lesson with Raul and his family. MariaJose (Raul’s daughter) has been going to seminary all week; she has friends in the church, and loves everything about the church. Betty said she received her answer that this is true, and Raul received the Aaronic priesthood on Tuesday. This family is GOLDEN. But wait, there's more. Their whole family (including Jorgito) went to church on Sunday. Jorgito said he was going to be baptized that afternoon so he can be 'hermano jorgito'. haha he cracks me up.

AND THEN, AT 10:35 LAST NIGHT. WE RECEIVED A TEXT FROM RAUL THAT SAID: "hermanas, good news, my wife has decided to be baptized the first week of May." If I hadn't already been in bed, I think I would have fallen over. We have to teach some things again, cuz Betty hasn't always been present in the lessons (courtesy of Jorgito, he's crazy), and she needs to go to church one or two more times, but WOW. Being a missionary is the best. I am so so, so excited to see this family continue to progress and to eventually be sealed in the temple. That text was the news we needed after a long day of no success. There are hard days in the mission, but if we work hard, the Lord blesses us.  A LOT.

Doctrine and Covenants 18:15 And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!

16 And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!

This is so true, there is so much joy in missionary work and finding people who are ready to receive the gospel and their salvation. I love being a missionary! 

Hna Stevenson

Guadalupe Plaza de Armas

With Hna. Clark in Trujillo

A little street soccer - oh oh, someone forgot his pants! Haha

 Hna. Mancilla

Hermano Chulo!!

Rama Guadalupe welcomed its two newest members yesterday! Raul and Susana (the elders' investigator) were baptized on Saturday! It was a beautiful service and I still almost can't believe it happened. Raul's wife, kids, and mom were all there and it was incredible. He and Susana were confirmed yesterday and he will receive the Aaronic priesthood this week. We are so excited to keep working with him and to keep teaching his wife and daughter. 

Semana Santa (Easter) was kind of interesting, we really only saw the live reenactment of the last week of the savior's life. They did that on Monday in the Plaza de Armas. But I forgot it was Easter Sunday yesterday until elder Wynn mentioned it.

Guadalupe also celebrated its 467^th birthday on Saturday. It was a special day - 467 years of Guadalupe, Hna Mancilla and I have been together for 5 months, and Raul was baptized! There was a fun branch activity on Thursday that we got to go to, we played volleyball and soccer and had lots of fun. 

Subject line brought to you by Jorgito, Raul's 4 year old son. He doesn't say papa or papi like other kids, he says 'chulo' or 'papi chulo'. I don’t know why. But at the baptism he heard everyone saying 'Hermano Raul' so he said to his mom 'ahora no es papi chulo, es hermano chulo!!' (now he's not papi chulo, he's hermano chulo) haha we laughed pretty hard at that, he's pretty cute. He didn't make it into the pictures because he was playing soccer. 

That about summarizes my week. It was the greatest to see our hard work pay off and to see Raul's baptism together. I just want to share a scripture real quick that I keep on finding in conference talks or scripture study that I love. "eye hath  not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him." 1 Corinthians 2:9. I love that scripture and it gives me lots of hope for the future. Love the Lord, keep His commandments, and He will bless us!

Love you all, have a great week everyone!!

Hermana Stevenson

Semana Santa

Hola de Guadalupe!! the biggest news of the week is that WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A BAPTISM!!!!!!! Raul Ventura, who studied for five years to be a priest, is going to enter the waters of baptism, and join the true church of Jesus Christ. It will be a double baptism this Saturday, with one of the elders’ investigators who is also golden. She and Raul have known each other since high school, and at church yesterday they were planning the time and everything for their baptism haha. It has been the best to see Raul's progress since we met them in December, and for Hna Mancilla and I to be able to see him get baptized is so awesome. I didn't think I'd be grateful for all the craziness that made us not have transfers, but I can't imagine Raul's baptism without Hna Mancilla there. WE ARE SO EXCITED!! pics next week(:  

Other than that, we've found lots of new people this week, received references, and had a great week having fun together. There are so many crazy things that happen between us every day that I couldn't write half of what happens. 

This week they fumigated (is that a word?) in all the houses to try and reduce the mosquitos, but we're 150% sure that they're just more ravenous now. So we continue with heat and mosquitos. But life is good! I love being a missionary and getting to do the work of the Lord with mi loca at my side es lo maximo!!

Love you all, have a great semana santa!!

I think Anna forgot some of us don’t speak Spanish – from google translate

Mi loca – my crazy one = Hermana Mancilla

Es lo maximo – it’s the best

Semana Santa - Easter

Hna Mancilla's birthday celebration with our pensionista, her husband, and her mom 

It's supposed to say Dodge but it looks like oooge hahahaha

The daughter of a less active who is super cute

 District pic on the hill in Chepen (minus the zone leaders)

The Church is True and Hermana Stevenson is Happy

Letter from 3 April 2017

Hey everyone! It's been a good week! Tuesday we had a super spiritual zone conference, it was the best! Our zone is super cool, and I really like everyone.

On Friday, we had a branch activity and Raul, Betty, and their two kids went! Their 4-year-old boy is CRAZY and wanted to be outside playing soccer, so we took him outside to play so his parents could listen to the message. After that got over, everyone came outside and we played volleyball. It was lots of fun, and I hope the message was good, cuz that was the first time that Betty has been to any church meeting or activity. Raul is still doing well, we taught them how to do a family home evening the other day.

General conference was the best!! I got to watch in English on Saturday and I loved those two sessions! Sunday I had to watch in Spanish, and it was less fun. Still good though. As I was watching on Saturday, I was just smiling so big and could only think that this really is the true church. Even if we didn't have a whole lot of lessons this week, I love being able to share this gospel, it is the TRUTH!   We are so blessed to have a living prophet and twelve apostles to lead and guide us in these days. The church is true, and Hna Stevenson is happy(: love you all!