Blog Archives

Chivo

7/25/2016

that one time that my mission President let me go and visit Tate in the Netherlands...

Que hubo familia?
How has everyone been this week? I pray for the best. Your support and love means so much!
This week has been fantastic.
We had a few exchanges that were really great experiences, so I spend my time talking about those:
The first was with Elder Ruiz. He is a fantastic Elder. For those who remember, he was in my district in Arlington Heights as well so we have know each other for awhile. Actually I've known him since he was born, which was 4.5 transfers ago (7months). On the exchange we went and did service at a huge huge food pantry. Like it was gigantic. Super fun. We meet a lot of differents sorts of people and it is wonderful to be able to speak Spanish to the people that come and those who work there. Elder Ruiz and I ended up working in the freezer the whole time sorting food. It was disgusting but really worth it. People always ask us where we are from and it is a great way to share simple testimony about what we do and how much we love it. Most people can hardly believe that we would volunteer to be missionaries, but I laugh inside imagining what my life would be like if I had not chosen to come out. Wow what a dreary thought. My life is the mission.
The next exchange was with Elder Atkinson. He continues to impress me. This is only his 2nd transfer in the field. We get along really well. On our exchange we acomplished alot in his area doing service and teaching some less active members. I want to focus specifically on those less active lessons because they were really inspiring! The first man that we taught is such a nice man, and we chose to focus on the Book of Mormon to be able to re-ignite his passion for the gospel. Just before we got to the appointment we both felt strongly that if he hadn't been reading, that we were just going to read with him and start at 1 Nephi 1 (the very first chapter in the Book of Mormon). So we did! It was one of the more powerful lesson in my mission. We took turns reading and the Lord showed us how much the scriptures can apply to our lives, even just in the first chapter of the Book! At the end of the lesson the man just held the Book of Mormon in his hands and said, "This book is speaking to me!" We all laughed, and then the Spirit of the lesson got really sweet as he got choked up and said, "Thank you for this message, I am going to read this Book everyday."
Let me tell ya, I love the scriptures more than I can describe. Sometimes people just need to see how they can use and apply them into their lives! Don't give up on people. Read with them. Love them.
I am happy and healthy! Time is going by too fast!
I pray you all have the best week,
Elder Stewart-Chester
1319 Butterfield Rd Ste 522
Downers Grove, IL 60515

0 Comments

Humedad

7/18/2016

0 Comments

Hola Familia! Que tal ha estado?
Hey all, it's me again! Another Monday comes rolling through and I still have no idea how to write effective emails. I think they should have a training on this or something...
Anyways, I'll start with my title, humedad or humidity! Hahaha I will try to take some pictures so that you can see just how humid it is, but nothing really compares to it. It is nice because you stay hydrated! (you basically drink a cup of water every time you breathe outside) hahaha This shouldn't sound like a complaint, my body is actually quite used to it. The bottom line is that the climate is just very different than anything I have ever experienced.
This week has been....well, great! (Im running out of descriptive words) We have continued to struggle a little bit to find people to teach, but we had some really cool miracles happen nonetheless. The main family we are working with right now is the Luna family. The two oldest daughters are on date for baptism August 20th, but it has been hard to get in touch with them and we are thinking they might need alot more preparation. It is an interesting situation teaching them. The family consists of a Mom, an 18 year old son, 16 year old daughter, 9 year old daughter, and a 3 year old daughter. They are all very different and have unique needs and concerns, so when we teach them it is hard to focus on all of them at the same time. For example: The mother loves the story of Joseph Smith and often tells us how much she knows that it is true, but the 16 year old daughter is struggling to know if God exists or not. While the 18 year old son is mostly concerned with work and soccer.
Crazy right? I know. We are seeking revelation on how to go about helping them, but we might end up having to take a break from teaching them if they don't start showing desires to change.
Really cool experience:
The other day, we were tracting a few streets and we got a phone call from one of the companionships, (they had some sort of problem they needed help with), but right at that moment I saw a man standing in the middle of the alley way. We both looked at each other and hesitated on whether or not to take the call, the man ended up turning and walking away, so we ran after him hahah! We began talking with him just simply about life. We told him that we were missionaries and we talked about his job and where he was from ect. He began to feel more confortable and began to talk more and more and my companion and I just listened. He spoke about his life, how he had moved here when he was 16 to make money for his family. He spoke of his family, mother and father, a sister that he was very close with who wasnt able to walk or talk because of disabilities. He explained that he saved up all of his money so that they could afford stilts that would allow her to move and walk freely. He spoke of the terrible tragedy of her passing away shortly thereafter. The events that followed were was the death of his mother about three months later, and then his father within a year. He wept as he described the hole that he felt in his heart everyday.
Now, I do not pretend to know or even comprehend the pains and struggles of this man, but I do know something that is very real. When I heard my companion promise him that the Atonement of Jesus Christ could heal all pains, and fix all broken hearts, I looked into that man's eyes and knew that it was true.
The Holy Ghost has borne witness to me time and time again that the healing power of the Atonement is real. I know it is.
Please don't wait to experience that for yourselves.
I invite you all to repent. Feel His love.
As the Apostle Paul wrote, "I die daily" 1 Corinthians 15:14 I am grateful to have the opportunity to put my old self behind me each day and be reborn and renewed through the power of His Grace.
I love you all, have a great week!
Con amor,
Elder Stewart-Chester
1319 Butterfield Rd Ste 522
Downers Grove, IL 60515

0 Comments

July 12th, 2016

7/12/2016

0 Comments

Elder Roper and I. He is a super stud, he is getting transfered to Arlington Heights!

Hola Familia! Que tal?
It has been a great week here! Things are constantly happening and changing here in the mission. This week we was transfer calls and Elder Reyes and I are both staying in the area! But that is pretty much the only consistant thing hahah most of our zone is being effected by transfers which means that next week we will have a few more missionaries to get to know. It is actually a really fun lifestyle, constantly being able to meet new people and learn and grow from them. It is sad to see some of my favorite missionaries get transfered or die (finish their missions), but these are definitely lasting relationships. I have some of my best friends out here.
So starting from the end of last week: after I emailed we went to a panchanga...I mean a Ward Activity. But if there is one thing that I have learned about the Spanish program, it is that they go all out for parties. So we went to this park and tons of people were there and we had a marachi band playing...it was good fun. The downside is that I felt sooo sick. Of course I still played soccer with the Ward, but I felt worse afterwards haha. That night I had a decent fever of about 100...so I took nyquil and all that good stuff because the next day we had Zone Training, meaning that we were going to have a 4 hour long meeting that we needed to train at.
Somehow everything turned out pretty well and it was a great meeting. We invited Jennifer (the woman that I've been telling you about) and her daughter Lucy to come to our training and participate by roleplaying out a real live lesson. It was a huge success because Jennifer is a ridiculously "golden" investigator. (meaning that she was super prepared to accept the gospel). It was great to be able to recognise as missionaries that there really are people like her that are waiting for the right opportunity to hear the joyous message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She definitely is a miracle in the lives of more people than one. Her little daughter is now going to Primary and growing up in a life that will be centered on the principles of righteousness and truth. Miracles. Miracles I tell you.
Here is a wonderful, wonderful quote from Jesus the Christ, a book by Elder James E. Talmage. I read it this week and loved it. Shout out to all you people that might need to open your eyes to the miracles that surround you,
"To deny the actuality of miracles on the grounds that, because we cannot comprehend the means, the reported results are fictitious, is to arrogate to the human mind the attribute of omnisience, by implying that what man cannot comprehend cannot be, and that therefore he is able to comprehend all that is."
Just because something is hard to explain, or difficult to understand, don't deny yourself the joy of recognising miracles. When our mindset changes from looking for the things we lack, to looking for the things that we are given, the world will look different to us.
I know that God loves his children. I know that this is THE message that changes lives, and helps people come closer to the Savior Jesus Christ.
I love you all and hope that you have a great week! Thank you for your love and support, it means a whole lot more than you know!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Stewart-Chester

0 Comments

July 08th, 2016

7/8/2016

0 Comments

Familia!
Como les va?
It is a beautiful day friends and family! The day that we get to celebrate the independence of our country. I feel like the longer I serve the more I appreciate this country and the benefits of being here. I have met countless, countless people who sacrifice so much to be here and enjoy the freedoms that we enjoy! Don't take it all for granted.
This week was really great! We were able to teach a few people and receive a ton of direction from the Lord on how we can be better. We went to Mission Leadership Council on Friday and I can't even tell you how much I love to hear from our leaders. President Griffin is an inspired man. I almost feel like sending you the notes that I took....but I'll save you all the pain.
The only bummer is that somehow I am always sick on mondays....I think I ate some bad street tacos. Tacos de cabeza (cow head) that a member gave us and I havent been feeling well since. This morning I woke up and felt kinda feverish...but I am hoping it will pass quickly.
Besides the sickness I am doing wonderfully! I am beyond happy and I feel my testimony and love for this work growing daily. I really do love the people that I am privileged to serve. The other day I met a man from Mexico but he was indigenous, which means that his first language is not Spanish, it is one of the dialects of the indigenous people. (descendants of the Mayans) He explained to us some pretty incredible sacrifices that he has made so that he family could grow up with education and freedoms, again, don't take it for granted!
I know that it was part of God's plan to have the Gospel of Jesus Christ once again restored to the earth in the american continent. I know without a doubt that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. He restored the true church to the earth today and translated the Book of Mormon. I know that the Book of Mormon is the means the Lord has provided to gather scattered Israel. People are waiting for the peace and joy that this message brings. Please share it!
I love you all, have a fantastic week!
Con mucho amor,
Elder Stewart-Chester

0 Comments

Chivo

Humedad

July 12th, 2016

July 08th, 2016

Fletcher Stewart-Chester

Categories

Archives