Letter 14

September 19, 2011

Hola mi familia y mis amigos! Como le va? bien? bien.

Hey my family and friends! How's it going? good? good.

 I don’t think there should be any problem with the package. I'm usually taking lunch the time the mail comes. And if not the other Elders are or the mail man hides it so it doesn’t get stolen. The only thing I know about my neighbors is that their dogs hate us, they like to smoke, and when you say "what’s up?" they say,"chillin’ chillin’. Sippin’ sippin’." So... they’re not much help. You could send gummy worms in it too! I love those. haha. I'm really sorry but yeah the camera plug in thing is really gay... I don’t know how to work it. And I’m really smart so that’s saying something. It’s broken. Can I just send you my memory card and you could send me a some new ones in the package? That would be nice. Yeah... do that please. I know what kevlar is haha.

Anyway... It’s all good here in Laredo. This week is Transfers and no one in my apartment is leaving which is nice. I'll probably be here for a while. Elder Wood thinks that he'll be here for like 2 more transfers and then I'll leave on the next one... but I don’t know about that. Whatever the Lord wants I guess.

This week we also had TRAINING. I freaking loved it. President and Sister Trayner came down with the APs and we talked about the 8 lessons (tools for teaching) and we role played teaching with them. It was amazing. I learned so much about how to be a better teacher and help my investigators progress. Can’t wait to use the stuff I learned. President Trayner is a spiritual giant and I love him. He's so darn funny! haha shoot... anyway I really enjoyed that. Oh and mom they went from Tuesday to Thursday from 9 am to 5 pm. And yes they fed us lunch too haha. I love you mom.

Elder Wood and I witnessed some miracles this week. One day after training we went to see our investigator, Daisy. We knocked on her door and one of her roommates came out and talked to us.  He told us that he works a lot because he needs to save his money so he can be with his wife who lives in UTAH. I'm like..."No way I’M from Utah too!" haha Elder Wood was like... "Does she go to a church up there?" haha and he said, " Yeah I think its like the Mormon church" hahah I was literally laughing. After we told him we were from that church he continued to tell us that he loves reading and while he was in jail he read the Bible like 10 times. Then he asked us if we had a Bible cause he lost his. "Nah we don’t have one right now... but here's another book." We then had a lesson on the Book of Mormon. This was a powerful witness to me that the Lord knows all. Before I left the apartment that day I looked at a Book of Mormon on the shelf and felt like I needed to put it in my backpack. So I did. And there it was when he needed it.

Oh we also found a family of 4 that is really tight. The mom is Catholic but has a lots of doubt and she has 3 kids, a 17 year old boy who is really cool (not too cool for school) and nice, a sweet little 12 year old girl, and a baby boy. He loves running around and touching stuff, so I pull out pass-a-long cards for him to play with. He also drew all over my planner last time... precious… haha I love that family. There are indeed baptisms scheduled for the month of October.

I love you all and I pray for you every night. I’m so glad Madi passed her test and that Chase is playing football and that Austin isn’t letting him on the team. Sounds like home. Good luck with that waterfall Dad! haha and thanks for all the letters Mom. You’re the best. I love you all.

-Elder Stewart

PS- I’m buying stamps today so hopefully I can send letters... so if you send me one... there is a high chance you'll get one back. If I like you. haha just kidding.

PSS- Thanks so much Kindra! You’re only a little bit older than me.

Letter 13

September12, 2011

HeyEveryone!

Solets start off by answering some questions... because apparently I'm not verygood at that.
1.Members feed us like... 2-3 times a week it really depends. If we don’t have anappointment we just work until 9. We can take an hour break for lunch -  which we usually take at the apartmentand sometimes at Taco Bell haha. Yes I still steal the hot sauce packets :D. 2.The members here are really nice. I love going to church every Sunday. It’s soawesome to know that the gospel is the same where ever you go. It’s not asstrong of a branch as the wards in Utah that’s for sure, but they are tryingand that’s what counts.

However,a word of caution to you future missionaries.. Membersare EXTREMELY thoughtless/stupid sometimes! If you take aninvestigator to church, be prepared to help them cope with the DEEPDOCTRINE that the members feel is their DUTY to explain to them... and notin a profound apostolic manner... but in rambling sentences consisting of wordslike:  intelligences, Adam and Eve,spirit PRISON, spiritual progression within Kingdoms, Kolob, etc. This isvery real... and it happens haha so be prepared. Haha there was thisguy in Priesthood that was investigating and actually just got baptizedyesterday. And we were talking about the Plan of Salvation and the teacherthrew out intelligences and the Spirit World and progression and all ofthis nonsense... and all the missionaries there were like, "AHHH! SHUT UPSHUT UP!" in our minds of course. Oh boy haha luckily the guy was stillbaptized so... yeah. But the members are super nice and I love them don’t getme wrong.

Sorryabout that little thing right there... 3. Yes you can send those things to myapartment address. BUT... if I move obviously you won’t want to do that, butthat wont happen for a few more weeks. 4. Yeah you can send me some new tubesfor sure... I was actually going to call and order some for myself haha my rimsare kinda getting jacked too because I've been bunny hopping all over theplace... soo.... I'll fix those. There is a bike shop down here. 5. Uhh... Ican’t remember all the questions you asked me... OH! this stupid card readersucks and I cant send pictures so ill just print some off some time... is thatok? 5.The weather is great. There is basically no humidity here. It’skinda like southern Utah. It’s only humid when it rains and it doesn’t do thatmuch. 6. I got a letter from Carmen, Lauren, Hannah Groom, and others Ibelieve... and I freakin’ loved it! I was laughing so hard. Well done.... welldone. You made me really trunky guys. Thanks!

Otherthan that I’m fine and the investigators are fine. Sorry I’m a little rushedand have to go but hopefully I’ll write Austin or something and send pics. Ilove you and I love the Lord! Have a great week and pray for the work inLaredo!

-ElderStewart

Letter 12

September 6, 2011

Hola!

Como estan mis amigos y mi familia? Todo bien? Espero que si. Pues... Todo bien aqui para mi y Elder Wood aqui en Laredo. Yes that was Spanish... I hope you’re impressed. Oh and sorry I couldn’t write yesterday! Yes mom we write in a Library and Labor Day did affect our schedule. You are so darn sharp... Those detective shows; combined with worrying about your children has molded you into a super heroine of discerning outcomes.

Chase: It’s ok that you shaved your mustache... you’re just storing up your hair for when I come home and can do it with you. How is Operation Winnie the Pooh?

Madi: That sucks about that test... that happened to JD Ashman too. But maybe your teacher will take pity on you because you don’t get any college credit.  That’s what happened to him! haha jk. Good luck with Homecoming! Don’t you dare kiss ‘em.

Austin: What have you been doing? I haven’t heard from you in a while. Is your hair long? Have you been working out? What is the lady situation? Also…in honor of Mary Poppins... imagine me doing acting out my favorite part where Bert and that little boy shake their fingers at each other.

Dad: Sorry I didn’t tell you happy birthday last week. Hope you got my letter. Good luck with that fountain haha I can just imagine you struggling out there and it makes me happy I'm on my mission.  You can write me letters if you want too. I love getting mail.

Mom: My bike is doing fine.  Don’t worry about me.  I'll let you know when I need more help. Also I told you last time to send me that suitcase... with "goodies" haha whatever you want. I love all gifts. Especially letters (from Auntie Tye, and like Tanner, Christian, Shayla, Carmen...)  If you can do that that would be so cool.

Teniamos mucho exito esta semana pasada.  Pero nuestro investigadora, Sammy, esta... no se.  She had that problem with her mom letting her be baptized, and then school started back up, and it just seems like she doesn’t have a lot of time to meet with us.  I'm afraid that if we don’t see her soon she will forget everything that has happened and just say that it’s not important to be baptized.  We can’t let her "procrastinate the day of[ her] repentance".  So we'll be working with that this next week.

Also we got to see Alex again yesterday, who is pretty darn "golden".  He knows everything we are teaching him is true and he has a lot of GREAT questions.  I love teaching him.  Also he works at a frozen yogurt place (or as Chase would call it: FroYo) and he said he could hook us up! AND he said there is like 35 different toppings! HOLLA! Good thing  I'm on a bike or I would get fat. We have appointments with him the rest of this week, so I'll let you know how that goes.

Fernando has a crazy schedule and he seems really cool when we talk to him, but he never is home so... I don’t know... we'll see.

We found someone named Daisy last week who is really cool.  She is the girlfriend of a contact that we had, and we were trying to get a hold of him, but she answered the door instead.  We talked and set up a return appointment and there we committed her to be baptized on Oct 11.  We thought she would have Law of Chastity problems since she was living with her boy friend, but apparently they got in a fight and are over.  So that’s... sad but good for us... and her... cause that’s not right. Get married first people. I feel bad though because she is only 18 and she has a son who is almost 2 and she needs a job and an apartment.  She said she's going to move back in with her mom in about three weeks, but the bad thing is her mom lives outside of our area! So... we need to teach her really fast! haha. Please pray for her to be able to find a job though please. She needs one so she can buy a phone so we can call her and make appointments.

Today we had a Zone Meeting to help us reach or goals for the month of September.  I learned so much.  We focused on how we need to be helping our investigators be converted before baptism. It’s our job to help them understand that baptism is just the 1st step not the last.  The more we do this, the more retention and stronger converts we will have. Before we can do this though we need to be doing all that we can to apply the principle we teach.  They need to know that we care about these things and that we know that they are true. "You cannot light a fire in another man's heart, unless it is burning in your own." Well I can tell you that after that meeting I have a fire in my heart that I want to share with all of the people of Laredo.  I can tell this week is going to be a good one. Be praying for Elder Wood and I.

Also don’t be mad but I bought a shirt at American Eagle yesterday... it was only 10 bucks! 40% off EVERYTHING!! I had to... it looks really good too.

I love you and pray for you every day!

Hasta proxima semana!

-Elder Stewart

Letter 11

August 29, 2011

Hola mi Familia y mis Amigos!

Everything is going well here in Laredo with me and Elder Wood.  We struggled a little bit finding new investigators this week, but the investigators we do have are progressing a lot.  One of our investigators, Sammy, is really cool.  She is 17 and when we first talked to her she seemed to be one of those people that doesn’t really care about religion or anything like that.  She is very open minded and has looked at a lot of different religions, but nothing really stuck for her I guess. She needed something that applied to her specifically. She has had the sisters over before and they gave her a Book of Mormon. Elder Wood and I decided to started with the Book of Mormon and told her that our whole church hangs on the truthfulness of it.  If it is true then our church is the true church. We told her that she could know for herself through prayer, something that she didn’t feel very comfortable with at first because she felt like she was talking to herself, but after we explained that she was talking to her Father and could say whatever she wanted she loosened up.  When she prayed she said she felt Spirit and felt like she was actually talking with someone.  Everything around her she said just faded out and she felt like it was just her there.  It was a really powerful experience.  The next visit we were on exchanges and I was with Elder Hunt. Elder Wood and Elder Peterson committed Sammy to be baptized on Sept. 25. However her mom said it’s not a good idea. We’ll be working on that tonight.

Moms Questions: 1. I don’t really care what you put in the suit case... haha I would appreciate anything. 2 . My bike is fine it just has weird sized tires. I haven’t had a flat in a few days. OH but I have a story to tell... later though. My bike will be ok. Yes I am spending money I should be spending on food and things but it’s ok. 3. Our apartment is good. haha I’m sure YOU would think its disgusting haha but it’s ok for us. There are "cucarachas" that come out every once in a while but we kill 'em... so it’s ok. I do most of the cleaning in our apartment though haha I know right? Everyone there says that it’s fine and that they've lived in worse... haha but I don’t really care how they lived before. PICK UP YOUR DANG STUFF! Living with Austin really prepared me for mission life! Thanks bud I love you. Hate how you don’t pick up after yourself! 4. My apartment is in an ok area. There aren’t like gunshots and stuff like there are in other ones so that’s good. I like it. 5. We haven’t seen Alex since that first time, but we actually got a hold of Fernando last night! We had been trying to meet with him and his wife FOREVER, but they were never around cause they have crazy schedules. I was about to lose hope with him but then we talked with Fernando last night. After catching up we asked him what he remembered from what we talked about the last time and he said "Baptism. I still want to be baptized." hahaha what a great memory that guy has! haha we made plans to see him again this Thursday so... yeah Fernando... 6. Yep we go out every single day, even Sunday. Weekends are usually the best time to find people home.

So here is the long awaited story. This Wednesday I went on exchanges with Elder Hunt. I was with him in his area riding around on a tube with 3 patches on it hoping to get through the day. Unfortunately that didn’t happen and we had to call a member to give us a ride to Walmart to get a new tube. So I put the new tube in and we were all set to go. We set out again and literally 10 minutes after we left the apartment I tried to jump a curb (because Elder Hunt taught me how to bunny hop) and my back tire, the very same one that I just changed, hit the edge and blew up... pppthhhhh.... (deflating noise). So... that day was pretty much wasted getting 2 new tubes. Good story though right?

Anyway... so today I was planning on buying some Cowboy stuff so if you see a little decrease in my account... that is why. Tanner your going to SWOON when you seen pics of the stuff I’m gonna buy. Let me know if you want me to get you anything ok? I’m convinced I’m going to come back a Cowboy.

I'm glad everything is still normal at home. Dad taking longer than he needs to on a project, Austin trying to shmoosh his way through a class, and apparently Grandma working again? Tell Madi to send me a pic of her in her dress... and pics of the waterscape. Tell Gpa Garner to hang in there and I love him and to avoid temptation! That devil can get ya at any age!

 I’m super excited for everything that’s going on here in Laredo and cant wait to find more people next week. I love you guys and I can’t wait to hear back from you! Take care and don’t forget to say your prayers! 

Elder Stewart

Letter 10

August 22, 2011

Hola mi amoroso familia y amigos

Wow who knew that my family was so lame without me? You need me on those vacations haha. Just kidding it sounds like you all had a really good time there.. just weird without fun kid... which is me... Jordan.  Oh and Chase your mustache is phenomenal... just so dirty... I love it. Madi your smile is pretty too. Thanks so much for the pictures.

Anyway... this week has been pretty good. My bike keeps getting freaking flat tires and I’ve spent like $25 on bike tubes. My tires are like European skinny tires by the way haha and everybody here throws beer bottles on the ground like it’s their birthday so they're not really the best thing. I need some tubes that are solid rubber so I think I’ll get some of those today. Other than that my bike is great. I still haven’t named it.. I was thinking about lil' shiz be cause it gives me so much grief... but its a work in progress.

Mom's Questions:1. Yes I did get the box, but I already have sheets and stuff... did we buy two pairs or something? 2. Yeah you can send me an extra suitcase but fill it with goodies please 3. President Trayner is super cool I love him. He’s really funny; all of his kids are older and one of his sons lives with them (he just got back from his mission), but none of that stuff is important so I don’t know why you wanted to know haha 4.Elder Wood hasn’t been to 9 different places he’s just been through 9 transfers... which is a 6 week period. 5. Yep the members feed us occasionally here. In fact yesterday I had sushi at a member's house. They are part Japanese. 6. Yes it is really hot but I’m getting used to it. 7. Send my friends letters in the mail because I don’t have enough time to read them. I can’t print here so... yeah please send them.

Elder Wood and I found some really good people to teach; but it wasn’t easy. My bike has got a flat tire almost every day, which really hinders the work. One day we didn’t have bikes so a member drove us up to the most northern part of our area and we started there and walked all the way back down to our apartment in the southern part. Needless to say I am very thankful for bikes. The northern part of our area is a richer part of town, and it was really hard to find people that would listen. Apparently they have "everything" they need. So I was depressed. I said a silent prayer to myself... Please Father, lead us to somebody who will listen. 30 minutes later we knocked on a door of a former investigator, Eric, in the area. The guy who answered the door was Eric's cousin, and said he was sleeping, so we told him that we would try back later. He looked like he wanted to say something else, but we were tired and we didn’t ask. We left and started down the street. Then Eric's mom yelled to us to come back "we'll wake him up." she said. So we went inside. Eric didn’t want to get up, but his cousin, Alex, the guy who opened the door, turned out to be a former investigator too. He was SO prepared to hear the message. Everything made sense to him he said, and so we committed him to baptism. It was definitely a tender mercy from the Lord. It turned the whole day around. I didn’t care that I didn’t have my bike, or even that I was rejected all morning. The scary thing is that we almost missed that opportunity because we were lazy and didn’t talk to him at the door. I learned that day that even if you’re tired, even if your bike is broken, even if everyone rejects you, you can’t let up, because you'll miss opportunities. I’m so grateful for the Lord and his tender mercies and for the knowledge I have that He loves me and is looking out for me.

I love you guys so much and I appreciate everything that you do for me. Try to have some fun without me though alright? Tell my friends to write me ok? Just the ones that haven’t... like Sheree, Elisa, etc. List of friends that OWE ME LETTERS: FREAKING TANNER BROWN, CARMEN, SHAYLA, CHRISTIAN... I love you! see ya!

-Elder Stewart




Letter 9

August 15, 2011

Hola mi familia y mis amigos! Estoy viviendo! I am alive haha.

SO sorry it’s taken me so long to write you guys this week.  I have been working hard here in Laredo, Texas.  My very first area.  So it used to be a sister area and we're going to be the very first Elders that have been here in like 2 years.  Its called "white washing" I found out from my new companion Elder Wood.  He’s really nice and he is from Virginia. He's been out about a year or so and I think this is his 9th transfer... not too sure.  But he’s cool. I've heard good things. We get a long great and I can tell we are going to do some work here in Laredo. 

My first day was nuts! We touched down in McAllen and I stepped off the plane and was immediately blasted by a wall of heat and humidity hahaha... I was like... you gotta be kiddin’ me! AND the airport smelled like bananas, which I liked.  We met the mission president and his wife and headed to the chapel to get some things and brief about the mission and then we headed to the mission home.  When we got there we just relaxed and got to know each other a little bit better. There were 19 of us fresh out the MTC, so it was pretty packed.  We had dinner and by the way Texas BBQ is the best thing ever... Sister Trayner is a saint.    Then we had interviews I believe... then we went to bed. There weren’t enough beds at the mission home for 19 of us so like 1 or two stayed there, like 5 others went to the Assistant’s place, and me and 5 others went to another apartment.  My numbers might be off... but you get the idea.  The next day we went to the Chapel, met our new companions, and then we were shipped out to our areas. It was pretty crazy! haha but I love it.  Oh yeah and all of this was on 8 hours of sleep! haha but its ok I slept on the way to Laredo. It’s like 3ish hours from McAllen.

Oh our area is all bikes! haha so... I get to ride all day long and get super sweaty! I love it haha my thighs are going to be soooo ripped! The good thing is Laredo is dry kinda like Utah.

My first day was a little different than everyone elses. I thought I was going to be tracting or contacting right when I got out, but we didn’t.  We had have a planning meeting with the Sisters leaving our area and they gave us a bunch of stuff on the area like potential investigators, cool people to talk to, bad people to talk to haha it was really helpful (Sisters take good notes).  So we did that and then the Zone Leaders needed us to help them move their stuff out of their apartment and into their new apartment because us and another companionship were moving into theirs.  and that was pretty much my whole day.  I live with another companionship Elder Hunt from PG Utah, and Elder Peterson from AF Utah. Both of them are really cool and funny. I love Elder Hunt haha he reminds me of Matt Decker.  So that’s good.  Our apartment is pretty good. There is absolutely no food in it haha but that’s ok I'm buying some stuff today. It makes me feel like an adult.... ew....

Elder Wood and I have a lot of pretty cool investigators already so that’s cool.  Fernado is a guy we met who has a small family with kids and had never been baptized. We told him that he needed to be baptized because that was part of the Doctrine of Christ and he said he would... in like 8 minutes of talking... who knew it was that easy some times. We still need to teach him more and his family and there is still a lot of work but... still... we'll see how that goes.  Then the other day we were walking because my bike got a flat... haha don’t worry I’ll fix it.  We were walking to an appointment and it turned out she wasn’t there, so we just walked around the area and Elder Wood and I both just started heading for this house. The lady that opened the door was totally prepared and had a friend that needed to hear our message too. The Spirit.... yeah... its awesome.

ANY WAY... I need to go and I’m really sorry I can’t reply to all of your letters this week, but have fun at the beach and maybe I’ll catch you next week! I love you!!

Your little boy,

Elder Stewart

A letter from the Mission President

10 August 2011

Brother and Sister Stewart,

   We had the privilege of meeting your son, Elder Stewart, when he arrived at the McAllen International Airport. He looked great and appears very anxious to go to work.

   We are grateful to have Elder Stewart in the Texas McAllen Mission. Already he has impressed us as a well-prepared young man with a great spirit and a desire to serve the Lord. He has had excellent training and orientation at the Missionary Training Center in Provo in preparing for missionary labors here in South Texas. Your support from home will be of great value to him as he serves his mission.

   Elder Stewart‘s first assignment area is in the Laredo Zone. His first companion is Elder Wood who is from Arlington, Virginia.  Elder Wood is an outstanding missionary, and your son will receive excellent training under his direction. Their mail address is as follows:

 4420 Loring Ave, #9

Laredo, TX  78040

   We thank you for sharing your son with us. We are confident that he will bless the lives of many people here in South Texas while serving as a missionary. May the Lord bless you abundantly while he is in the mission field and always.

With warm regards, 

Stephen J. Trayner, President

Sister Sandy Trayner

Texas McAllen Mission