1/13/14

Dear Everyone,

Well guess what? Transfer week (AGAIN). I totally forgot that Transfers were this week! It is pretty crazy to think that I have been out 10 months today. Time flies when you are where you are supposed to be and are working hard. Anyways...transfers...I got a call last night about 10:47, which I was prepared for, except when I looked down and saw that it was President Francis and not the Zone Leaders. Long story short I have been called to be Zoned Leader of the Rochester East zone. I am a little nervous, not because of being called as Zone Leader, but because my zone has the Assistants to the President and President Francis in it. It is going to be an awesome experience. I will be serving in the Irondequoit area, which is supposedly the ghetto, so that will be a change :) I am really excited about this, it will be a blessing for sure.

 

Steven & his new companion

This news makes this week a little bitter sweet. Mainly because it was a pretty successful week. We were able to help two of the people we have been working with a lot prepare themselves to be baptized the 25th of this month. I promised them that I will make it to their baptism so I am really hoping that I can keep my end of the bargain! I will be taking pictures today of the people that we are working with so you can actually see them :).

One thing that I am not going to miss when it comes to this area is the weather. This week we had to stay inside for two days because of FREEZING COLD weather. It got all the way down to -41 degrees on Tuesday, but guess what? On Saturday it was 48 degrees and raining! I am still in shock. My body is pretty messed up. I get really hot and start to sweat now when our apartment gets over 65 degrees. I guess that is

just how Western New York rolls.

Well I have experienced many miracles this week. I think the most memorable one was last night (maybe because it just happened?) It was a usual night of visiting people and trying to find new investigators. Well, we decided to go see one of our investigators that is working to overcome some addictions. When we got to the driveway of his house we felt like it was not the right time. So we began to brainstorm where to go next, since we knew God brought us to this place for a reason. We eventually thought of this woman who had been referred to us by a member. We drove to her house (which was 3 doors down from where we were) and knocked on her door. She welcomed us in (luckily her son was there so we could go in!) and we began to talk. Well she told us some things that had happened to her this past week and told us that we were an answer to her prayers. We were able to resolve some of her concerns (her main one was, Who Is GOD?) and help her come to know that the Book of Mormon will answer those questions. I am so thankful for my knowledge of the Book of Mormon and have made a commitment to receive a witness everyday of it's truthfulness so that way I can truly testify of it with power. I know that the Book of Mormon gives us answers to our prayers, and through the Spirit, it will tell us ALL things that we should do. I am so grateful for the changes that are taking place in my "outside" missionary life but I am even more grateful for the changes that are happening to my "inside" Spiritual life. God has been good to meI am so grateful for all that I have been given because I have been given so Much. 

I will let you all know my address when I get to my new area up in ROC City.

I love you all,

Elder Bevan

January 6, 2014

Dear Everyone,

Sorry about not getting my last weeks email out. I was slacking. It seems like my missionary life is kicking into another gear as time moves on. I used to have days or even weeks that I felt just dragged by. This is not the case as of now. I feel like more and more responsibilities are being placed on me as time goes on and I am able to find more an more ways to spend my time being productive. 

For example this week my companion and I found two new investigators who are "prepared". In just one week they were both committed to a date this month and have been taught all of the lessons. We are working with one of them on the word of wisdom but aside from that they are both ready to be baptized (our other investigator that was supposed to be baptized last month is working on setting another date, so we have a chance of 3 baptisms this month (fingers crossed)). It was such a blessing to stumble upon them. We also had 10 member present lessons which is unheard of in our area. We are finally learning the principles of teaching for conversion. 

Along with all the teaching and finding opportunities my companion and I were asked to give a training in Zone Meeting on Motivation and Confidence. Which I personally think is weird that they would ask us. Along with that we had to prepare for our monthly Missionary Fireside that we give. It was a little bit stressful trying to prepare enough so that we could feel comfortable teaching. I thought teaching in the beginning of my mission was scary. Well it only gets worse when you are teaching a large group of people.

The biggest lesson that I learned this week would have to be don't pray for humbling experiences if you don't want them :) Our missionary fireside this week was humbling for me. It was humbling because it did not meet my expectations (which I have come to realize those "expectations" were prideful). I wanted it to be something "magical". Something that would shock and awe. Instead it was a simple and humble declaration of truth. This is what humbled me the most because despite how well (or how poorly) we performed the Spirit was still felt. I have a testimony that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass and that feeling the Spirit in this world that we live in is a GREAT THING! I know this church is true because it is moving forward and filling the hearts of the children of men, despite the weaknesses of mankind. 

I love you all thanks for being my support!

Love,

Elder Bevan

 

P.S. We have not had a lot of snow until TODAY!! It has been blizzarding all day long so far.