So, It's My Birthday!

Hello, Everyone!

So, It's my birthday. WOOT! Thanks for the love packages from Mom, Dad, and Lynz, and the one (again) from Danny, Naomi and the kids! Thanks also for any and all birthday wishes!

Today has been good so far. I am looking forward to later because a few of us missionaries are getting together to watch "Errand of Angels" about Sister Missionaries! The Thompson's (who I live with) have a theatre in their house, so we're gonna watch it in there. Also, there is a member in one of our wards who is going to take Sister Holliday and I out to ice cream. She is so good to us. She took us out to lunch on Thursday too, for Sister Holliday's birthday. Sister Tanner's (my trainer's) birthday is on the 29th. Pretty exciting! And even more exciting, mom and dad's anniversary is on the 30th! Woot! Woot! (I'm sending you something today. Look forward to it).

Hmmmm...Nothing too exciting is going on right now. Each of our investigators are progressing pretty well. We have two dates for Nov 6th.

As far as biking life goes... it's pretty much amazing.

The weather is PERFECT right now, and despite the fact that my legs kill, it's really not so bad. This amazing family, the Cowleys, have a relative that owns a bike shop, so they got us brand new, matching beach cruisers with baskets, lights, locks, and helmets. Talk about blessings!!! They even dropped them off inconspicuously so that we couldn't shower them with thanks. They are so good to us. It is especially nice because since they are new, they will last much longer for the sisters who get them after us. (The bikes will stay in the area after we leave).

Let's see....

Mom, the apron is SO CUTE!! Did you make it on your machine? Maybe we should get you to make our Zone T-shirts ;-). We'll see....

Thanks for the planisphere! It is in my backpack now. WOOT WOOT! So have you sent the travel bug out yet?

Ok, Well, I better begin wrapping it up. I love you all! Sister Tait, thanks (again) for doing the blog.

Love always, ME

PS.....

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, MOM AND DAD!!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, LINDSEY KER!!! (hehe...you have the same b-day as MWAH! Woot! Woot!)
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, UNCLE NEIL!!! (My mom told me it was on Halloween. Coolio!)

We're on BIKES!!!

Hey all!

So, this week has been pretty good. In case you haven't heard, Sister Holliday and I are staying in our area, but they are taking our car. Can you guess what that means?! We're on BIKES!!! AHHH!!! Thankfully, we have awesome members who are obtaining bikes for us, as well as helmets. Just the little things left to take care of now, like locks and lights. The bike I get to ride is BRIGHT pink. We're gonna be stylin'!

Mom! I saw 3 PUGS today! I loved it! However, I miss my snuggle/nap time with Duncan... Thanks for the card, by the way! I just laughed when I saw it.

So, one miracle we've been seeing develop of late is in the case of a 13? year old girl. She is living with a family in our ward and for the past year or two they've been trying to adopt her. However, complications getting permission/paperwork and such from her biological parents was preventing that from happening. but last week I think they got the papers and now all they have to do is fill them out, do a couple of other things for the legal work, and then getting a court date. So the progress is HUGE! And once we have a court date, we can set up an appointment for her baptism. Cool, huh?! We are really excited about it.

We've had to push A's baptism date to Nov. because she said she wants to learn more, and read the BOM again, not to mention she hasn't been coming to church. But she said she wants to be baptized, so we know it will happen, it's just taking a little longer than we thought it would.

We went to a baptism with K the other day and the next meeting we had with her, she thanked us for inviting her to go. The talk on baptism was AMAZING and SO PERFECT for her. We set a date for Nov. 6, but that solely depends on if her husband Justin can quit smoking so that her can baptize her. He can do it though. We know it. That is also the date we set for A. So, Eric, we set two dates.

Tomorrow is Sister Holliday's birthday. We have a lunch date with Sister Campbell (the sister that called dad) and then she's taking us out for a light lunch on my birthday, too. I told her that we would prefer a light one because the wonderful family we are eating with that night is Tongan, and they cook tons of amazing food. So we want to be sure to be hungry for that.

Hmmm....So much to say, so little time.....

I guess I'll just have to sum it up for now with these few notes:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CORY! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, DANNY AND NAOMI!!!!

Well, I love you all. I will send you pictures of Sister Holliday and I and our sweat marks. I know we can all just imagine a Narcoleptic riding a bike all day.... This will be interesting. Thankfully, miracles happen on the mission.

Love,
Me

And so thus it is....

Hello Everyone!

Guess who gets to go to the temple today?! Pick me! Pick me! I DO! I DO! Sister Holliday and I are going with Sisters Tanner and Robinson and with a less active who hasn't been in years. We are SO EXCITED to go with her! Of course, we'd be excited for any opportunity to go, but this is even BETTER!

So, this week has been interesting....

After emails last week, we went and got mini preach my gospels. Cool, right? Then we went and played frizbee dodge ball. SO FUN!

Last Thursday was ZDM (Zone Development Meeting, I think...), which isn't really called ZDM anymore, but I don't know what else to call it... It was really good. I had an interview with Pres. Ellsworth and it was pretty good. I think it helped a lot in helping Sis. Holliday and I feel like we are doing well and learning how we can improve....

Friday was crazy. We had weekly planning all morning, and then we went and dropped in on a few people before going over to Alma's to see what we could help with for her Quincenera. We couldn't do anything but I have to say WOW. Just wow. They had so many flowers and so many decorations. They even had a doll made of her! It was CRAZY!!

Saturday we went and helped put cloths on the tables and chairs, and then we tied tons of bows on the back of the chairs. Then we had a few meetings and appointments before we went to some of the Quincenera to see Alma dance. It was amazing and she looked gorgeous. Now just to plan for the BAPTISM!! WOOT WOOT!!

Sunday, as always, was pure madness as we tried to get to all of our meetings. I was so tired and ready for bed when 9 pm came around.

As far as the haircut goes, I'm not loving it as much as I was hoping. I've been told it's cute, but that's only if my hair is down and it looks weird if its up. So... I can't wait for it to grow out. Lol. I mean, it's a good haircut, I just don't care for it.

I can't tell you how much I wish I would have brought a planisphere with me! You can see so many stars almost every night! And I think it's funny that you all are trying to get ready for winter. I feel like I'm one the other side of the world when you say that because the Jensen's are just starting to plan their neighborhood garden tour! Lol.

Danny, you know, everyone else has sent me emails so far but you. And I can't send this email with little notes to you unless you email me first... So, I'm hoping you or Naomi read this on my blog so that you both can write to me :-P

And so thus it is....

Oh, just FYI: Next week is transfers. I don't think either of us will be transferred, but there's always a possibility. And if we are transferred, I don't know how it works as far as emailing goes especially since last transfer was changed to a Wednesday (aka not p-day)... So, if I don't email, I will try to hand write a letter home.

Ok. Love you all. Send pictures. Of everything and anything. Nieces and nephews (in Halloween costumes, too), sisters, brothers, mommy, daddy, puggy, kitty, gardens...

XOXOXO
Sister Stephens

PS: To be said on the 16th: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BELLA!!!! I LOVE YOU!!!! XOXOXOs from your auntie in AZ!!

PPS: Sister Tait, what is your address?

I"m Still Alive!! NO Worries!!

Hey, everyone,

Yesterday the library was closed so we changed our p-day to today. But that was just for this week, so make sure you still email on Tuesdays!

So, conference was AWESOME!! I loved so many of the talks, but I think Elder Holland's, Pres. Uchtdorf's, and Pres. Monson's were my favorite. I am proud to say that I was mostly awake for all of the sessions, even if part of it I was in a half-daze and not really taking in a lot. But hey, I was awake.

As for this week,it was an OK week. We've been really struggling to find people to teach, so we're doing a lot of praying and we've decided to redirect our efforts to getting to know the members better and gaining their trust more so that they will give us referrals. We're not sure how that's going to work, but we don't really know what else to do...

Today is our zone activity. We're playing some weird game that I don't really know what to expect, and then we're playing foam Frisbee dodge ball. I'm really excited for that. It will be fun. Then, Zone conference is tomorrow and we're getting a new cell phone, so that's exciting. And on Friday we're getting some service in by helping arrange flowers for Alma's quincenera. We are also going to help out on Saturday with with it.

It was really cool last Saturday because Sis H. and I went over to Alma's and they were practicing dancing. The dance was so cool! It was a special dance where it is basically the daughter passing into womanhood. It was touching watching the dad pass her over to a young man.

OH, and I also had my first Mexican tamale. It was good, but I'm not crazy about them like some people. Hmmm... what else?...

Next week we have a mission tour and Elder Evans, our area seventy is going to be there. I'm really excited about it.

And I suppose you want to hear about the storm that happened. Lol. I almost forgot about it! There was a lot of flooding and a lot of pouring rain. We even had a little hail. Afterward, Sis H. and I drove around and there was a bunch of damage. Trees fallen over, branches broken, telephone poles broken (so we heard) and we even saw a light post that had snapped at the base and was supported by 3 telephone wires. Dangerous, indeed. But it was awesome. And it was even cold enough that I thought about asking if we could go back to get a jacket.

Mom, thanks for the package. It really made my week and I sleep with the bear and the penguin Lynz gave me (before I went to college) quite often.

I got my hair cut. It's long in the front and short in the back. I'm trying to love it. I told Abbi that I wanted (basically what I've had before) and she was like "What?! No, you want this. And told me and I finally just said OK. I'm putting my faith you. Just do whatever." Except she said it in a less blunt way... I love her.

I love you all!!
XOXOXOXOXO

Sis. Stephens