D&C 63:23

Hello everyone,

This week was crazy with valentines the whole town was up with music and there was a massive party at the “fair grounds” food all along the street it was crazy smelled so so good but my comp doesn't like chicken or fish so we didn't get any. This week we will have a zone conference with President Monga it could be our last one with him haha pretty crazy. This week in my studies I came across D&C 63:23 But unto him that keepeth my commandments I will give the mysteries of my kingdom, and the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life. I really like this scripture because it's about our desire. (Again to go back to attitude) If we really want we can achieve anything. I am so very grateful to be here on my mission and to be able to share the gospel with those who are in need of it in their lives. I know that the book of Mormon is true and that our Savior Jesus Christ is our redeemer and that through him we can return to live with our families and our Heavenly Father again. I am so very grateful for all of your support I love you guys and I hope everyone’s doing well! Have a great Week!!

Love Elder Stephens

Attitude

Hello everyone,

 This week was really good. My companion and I were able to get a lot done. On Sunday I learned that if we go to church with the attitude to learn we can, but those who don't come with that attitude won't. I really study my attitude with each thing that as a missionary we have to do. It was eye opening. So this week I'd like to challenge all of you to look inside and see if there is something that you need to change your attitude towards. It also made me think of repentance and how when we repent we make a change in our lives for the better. I love you all, I hope you have a good week and think about your attitude towards the little things!

Love
  Elder Stephens 

Preston.stephens@myldsmail.net

Repentance

Hello everyone,

    This week was pretty good I had splits with Elder Temahuki on Friday, it was really good. I got to teach in French again. This week we found out about transfers and two missionaries moved this transfer an Elder and a sister missionary everyone else stayed the same.

    Something interesting I thought about this week was repentance. As missionaries we are to teach repentance. But how do we forget all the other things that we know about? We need to show how repentance and faith are the keys. Without faith we will never repent. Why would we repent if we didn’t think it would work? It’s like jumping off a cliff and saying well the parachute isn’t going to work but I’m going to go for it. When we have faith we believe that the parachute is going to work and so we jump. And then we have faith we then need to use it and repent. We can see if we look carefully that repentance helps us to change. It’s making changes big and or small in our lives to become more Christ-like. I’m so very grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the path of repentance that we can all take to align ourselves to return to him. I love you all have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Stephens

Republic of Congo, Brazzaville Mission / Cameroun District

Adventures

Hello everyone,

     This week was really good. In one of my adventures in walking we decided to try to find a short cut…. Well we did but it included jumping off of a 6ft high ledge over a rocky little stream and then onto a sloping rock on the other side. I said yeah right! But then my comp jumped so I had to follow him! Well I made it haha but it was pretty funny. It cut off like 20 minutes of our walk. I also got to see some people who came up from Congo for a conference. That was sweet I got to know them when I was in Guynemer. I was able to give a blessing in French and it’s been a while since I did that, but I was impressed to feel prompted to say that our heavenly Father loves the person. I know he loves all of us and I think we forget that sometimes. I love you all hope you have a wonderful week. Don’t forget to pray and read your scriptures. 

Love,

Elder Stephens

Republic of Congo, Brazzaville Mission / Cameroun District

Good Examples

Hello Everyone,

                This week was pretty good we got to see one of our amis who we haven’t gotten to see for almost three weeks so it was really good to get to see her. Sunday was really good the district relief society came and spoke in our sacrament it was really good they talked a lot about the importance of visiting the members and new member retention which is so important to do.

                I know that this church is true its Jesus Christ’s church. We are his hands and we need to be a good example that is the best way to do missionary work, to help his church grow. I know that our Heavenly Father loves us and wants us to choose the right and if we do that and follow what he asks we can live with him again. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

                Love Elder Stephens

Missionary Work

Hello everyone,

This week was crazy we had our district conference and well being a missionary here sometimes you don’t get to go to them because you can get transferred before you can go to it. I left two weeks before the stake conference in Brazzaville so it just depends on your transfers.

Our district president gave two wonderful talks. I loved the first. He told a story how a couple of weeks ago he was visiting his sister and she has pigs and when he got there that day they talked and then she made something for the pigs and she put a lot of salt in it and then she called out to the pigs and they came right to her. He asked how she trained the pigs to learn her voice she explained how. Then he explained how we need to know our saviors voice and if we don’t ever come and listen to him we won’t know his voice. His second talk was about how when he was a child and learning to fish. He said there are two rules. 1. Don’t make too much noise and 2. Don’t stir up the water. If you do that the fish won’t be able to see the hook. And then you will go home without food. As members of the church we need be good examples. If we aren’t good examples then the people who are looking for the church won’t be able to find it. I know that it is true by our example we can lead people to the saviors church or not.

I am so very grateful to be a missionary and share the gospel of Jesus Christ, but missionaries need help. They need your examples and your willingness to share your love of the gospel with others. And then the missionaries can talk to them and they have a friend in the church is so helpful. I love you all I hope you have a wonderful week.

Love Elder Stephens

Preston.stephens@myldsmail.net

Christmas

Hello how is everyone 

I hope that you all had a wonderful Christmas. I really enjoyed Skyping with my family and getting to see our new house.  Our district was blessed to be invited by a family in another branch to come and celebrate Christmas with them because every Christmas they have the missionaries come and celebrate Christmas with them it was so cool and kind of them. I know that there was lots of food and family time but I hope that each one of us took the time to remember the real reason we celebrate Christmas. I know that our redeemer Jesus Christ lives and he loves us. I know that through him we can be saved and live with our heavenly father again. I know that families can be together because of the temple and restored Priesthood power I love you all hope you had a wonderful Christmas.  Elder Tshibanda is leaving for Douala my new companion is elder Izere.

Love,

Elder Stephens

Republic of Congo, Brazzaville Mission / Cameroun District