Saturday, May 28, 2016

Look To God and Live

Hola Y'all!!!

Well this week was pretty much amazing!!  I feel like I always say that, but i want yall to know that it is the truth!!  Life is just amazing, wonderful, and incredible!  Golly Im a missionary for goodness sake, what could I ask more.  
I want to start by saying that I love it here in Cedertown.  I love the people.  I love my companion.  I just love it!!  I am truly blessed to have the opportunity to serve and learn from the people here.  
Well Shirley got baptized this week!!  
The baptism was incredible.  So many people came out to support her, it was fantastic.  One of my most cherrished experiences of any baptism ive attended is singing the hymns.  There is such a special spirit that comes with singing at a baptism.  I just cant help but feel of my Savior's love for his children and feel so blessed to be a missionary.  I have NEVER experienced more joy in my life than ever before.  It is simply amazing!Shirley was just glowing with happiness and joy!

Okay so a couple of cool highlights from this week we had.  
1.  We got to go to the jail with the senior missioanry couple we serve with and teach the women there.  That was a really neat experience!!  We taught the Restoration both times and it was amazing that Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of his children.  Teaching those sisters was really special.  I couldn't help but feel love and hope for them.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is for ALL and Jesus Christ made it possible for us ALL to make it back and live with him again.  We can be clean from our sins and mistakes.  We can experience joy and happiness.  We can make it back and live with our Heavenly Father again, but only through our Savior Jesus Christ.  Look to God and live.


2. A couple of weeks ago we met this neat lady and her husband in the store parking lot.  We gave them a pass along card and we asked if we could come by and teach them a message about Jesus Christ.  They agreed and on Tuesday we went and met with the Lady.  We had a member with us, which members are the best!  They make an instant friend and they bring such a sweet spirit with them when they come and share their testimonies with those that are investigating the church.  She accepted to hear the 5 lessons that we teach as missionaries.  And we taught the First lesson (The Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ) that night.  Wow it was incredible!  She had great questions, and the spirit was so strong!  She accepted to be baptized if she came to know these things are true.  She told us that if this book(the Book of Mormon) was a blessing in her life then "why not."  she would be baptized.  When we shared our testimony promising her that Book would indeed serve as a blessing in her life, i couldnt help but feel my testimony grown of the Book of Mormon.  I know that the Book of Mormon is a blessing in our life.  It is a HUGE blessing in our life, and if we but open it daily we will see the blessings come.  When we open the Book of Mormon we are following the commandments.  Look to God and live.

3.The first week when i got here in Cedertown we were out trackting.  We werent having much luck and then we just said a prayer that we would meet someone in our path that day that would accept the gospel.  Then we met a guy on a bike named Odell.  I think i have talked about him before, but not sure haha!  He is the sweetest little old man ive ever met!!  He is taking the 5 lessons right now, and this week he accepted to be baptized on june 18!!!  He loves reading the Book of Mormon, and he just wants to do the right thing!!  I know that prayer works yall. I know that Heavenly Father will put prepared people in our paths.  All we have do is open our mouth.  All we did while he was riding his bike past was say, "hey do you have a minute?"  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is changing this mans life.  It is changing my life.  When we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ we change we find new life, we discover purpose.  Look to God and live.

I love being a missionary yall.  It is seriously just wonderful!  I also LOVE being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  Today during my personal study i was studying in Alma 37.   I love this chapter and the previous chapter, its when Alma is talking to his son Helaman and there is just great council found in the Book of Mormon.  Something that really stood out to me was toward the end of the chapter in verse 41 it says "they were slothful, and forgot to exervise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey."  I thought about how we are all in a journey, a journey to make it back and live with our Heavenly Father again.  This journey we are on takes effort, it takes work.  Just like anything in life that is of worth, we have to work for it!  We have to show our earnest desire and want for it and then show that desire by working for it, setting goals and stretching ourselves.  What is our end goal?  To live with God, Jesus Christ, and our Families for eternity in a state of never-ending happiness.  How do we achieve that goal?  By living the Gospel of Jesus Chirst.  It is as simply as that.  but just like Alma councils "do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way." (verse 46)  Now hermana Stewart had to look up the word "slothful" because all i could think of when i read that word was Sid the Sloth off of the movie Ice Age.  The first defenition....slugardly.....nope still didnt get it.  The second defenition....idolently...still had not a clue.  The third...lazy!  Hot Dog!  Thats a word that we are all familiar with.  Laziness is such a trap we fall into, but "the way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever."

My companion and I did a demostration during companion study so that i could fully comprehend this principle.  I stood facing towards the wall (the wall was "Heavenly Father") and she stood closer to the wall but wasn't facing towards wall (Heavenly Father).  We are experiencing progression, joy, happiness, peace, when we are looking to God.  We look to God when we go to church each sunday and partake of the sacrament, when we open our scriptures daily and feast upon the words of Christ, when we say our prayers daily, when we keep the commandments.  Wow it was an amazing realization for me, and it doesnt matter where we are, what hardships we are going through, what we look like, how smart we are, how much money we have, as long as we are "looking to God."  I know that Heavenly Father loves us each so very much.  "his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round." (verse 12).  "yea, see that ye look to God and live." (verse 47) I know that if we look to God we will make it make to him and live in eternal happiness.

I hope yall have a wonderful week!!  I love yall so much and you are amazing!  Yall are such incredible examples to me.  Yall inspire me and uplift me.  Yall motivate me to want to be better.  Thank yall for that.  I hope that we all remember to always "look to God and Live."  
All my love and prayers,
Hermana Stewart
P.S.

We went to Alabama again this week!!!  

Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Ask and Ye Shall Recieve

Hello!!!  Wow what a wonderful week we had here in good ol Cedertown!!  I think I have officially reached a whole new level of being tired this week because ahhh we are on bikes!!!!  We still have cars, but we are testing out sisters on bikes in Cedertown for right now!!  Let me tell you, bikes is the greatest!! We have found, contacted, talked with, and taught more people on our bikes than ever in our good ol car.  Wow it is just amazing!!  We love it!!  Okay here is a picture of our first day on bikes a before and after picture haha!



Haha its pretty humid here in Georgia and very hot, but we are just having so much fun!!  Ok so a couple of cool miracles from this week!
1: The miracle of Bikes: In preach my gospel it says "just as important as teaching by the spirit is finding by the spirit." or something along those lines!  Last week while we were weekly planning trying to think of ways we could talk to more people because so many people are just out and about here in Cedertown, and we proposed the ideas of bikes.  We are crazy right?!  Well we ended up getting the okay go with bikes and we have seen soo many miracles.  Riding up and down the streets of Cedertown and striving to be guided and directed by the spirit, we have had the opportunity to find and teach those we would have never found other wise.  I know that God is preparing the hearts of the people here in Cedertown.  It is so wonderful being able to see the Lord prepare and the spirit touch the hearts of those we teach and testify about the Restoration of The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  This week we will be returning to many of the people we found on bikes and I know some of those people we met are ready to hear and accept this gospel.  One of the many miracle people we found was a young women and young man probably both in their young 20s outside of a laundry mat.  We saw her and we rode right past her.  The spirit told both of us to turn right around and go talk to them.  Right there we opened our mouths and spoke boldly and with love about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ and that they will have the desire to change and become better as the spirit testified of what we were saying.  It was incredible, and we are going back to visit them in their home on Wednesday.  

2. Service.  Something we saw this week was the miracles and blessings that come with little acts of service.  This week we strived really hard to look for opportunities to offer our service, after all we are "called to serve".  Offering a helping hand is sometimes just the key to gaining the trust of someone that would have other wise rejected us.  We have see that little acts of service, even just a friendly smile and hello goes a long way!  I just testify that service is what truly brings us joy, not only us giving the service but the ones that are receiving the service. Yesterday we went to the nursing home and painted a lady's nails and sang hymns!  That was pure joy for me.  Even helping a little turtle get back home brought a big smile to my face and hopefully to the turtles face!


Shirley is all set to be baptized on Saturday!  Wahoo we are so excited!!  She is so incredible.  The gospel is just amazing, and i love love love seeing the change it brings to peoples lives.  
Something i have truly come to realize is that life is hard, trials will come, hardships will happen, people will reject us, things won't always happen the way we want them to, but when we turn to and embrace The Gospel of Jesus Chirst, it will bring us comfort, give us hope, increase our faith, open our eyes, ears and hearts to truly feel the Love of  our Savior.  "[we] can do ALL things through Chirst which strengtheneth us." philipians 4:13.  The ONLY way is The Gospel of Jesus Christ.  If only we all realized that we can get through life, our trials and hardships, if we turn to our Savior and be truly converted to and live the Gospel of Jesus Chirst, and "and but that ye shall have patience, and bear with those afflictions, with a firm hope that ye shall one day rest from all your afflictions." alma 34:41  I know that when we turn the our Savior and embrace the gospel, we will find peace and the Lord will comfort us.  I know this to be true because time and time again when life just gets so hard, i have went to my Savior and to the scriptures and through him i find hope and he helps me bear with patience mine afflictions.  I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ!  I love my Savior!  I love being a missionary!  And i love you my wonderful family!


I hope yall have a wonderful week!!  Embrace and live the Gospel!!  Smile!  Serve one another!  Love one another!  And i promise you, you will change.  You will be happy.  You will have joy.  That is my hope and my prayer always, in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Love always,
Hermana Stewart

p.s. Happy 1 Year

Monday, May 9, 2016

Happy Mommy's Day!

Hello everyone!!!  Happy Mother's Day again to my wonderful mama, Melissa, Stephanie, Mitzi, Grandmas, and all the other amazing women in my life!  You are all amazing, and i look up to you and your Christ like examples of love.  I am so very thankful to my mama for loving us kids and raising us up in this Gospel.  How blessed am I!

This week was a super great week!

Monday: We just had Pday and chilled in the house!  Super great!  Then we went and taught one of our investigators!  She is on date for May 21, and boy is she incredible.  She is a lady of great faith, and I know how proud her Heavenly Father is of her for her decision to be baptized!  We tried visiting some less actives and we got soaked in the rain!  I have sure come to love rain because there is just so much of it here!

Tuesday: We had district meeting.  We got trained on finding in creative ways, and our mission President extended an invitation to contact 15 new people each day and boldly tell them who we are.  We have already seen many miracles come from that this past week.  Then a member took us to lunch at Waffle House, and then she accompanied us to a few teaching appointments.  One of them being Autumn and that was great!!  Then we visited a less active Hispanic family, and the lil 8 year old girl just came running up to me and hugged me and wouldn't let go. It was the sweetest thing ever, she hardly even knew me, but she demonstrated great Christ like love.  I love the little children!  Then we did some tracking the rest of the day, and for the first time i had a legit door slammed on my face!!  Haha i just love being a missionary!

Wednesday: We woke up and headed to Peach Tree City (2 and half hour drive) to have a training with all the sisters in the mission!  It was wonderful!!  There was such a sweet spirit there as we joined as sisters in the mission.  It was so good to see Sister Bringhurst and other past companions!  It is true what they say that companions make for life long friends and have a huge impact on the rest of your life.  I am thankful to each of my wonderful missionary companions!  We had a few little classes, one of them was self defense.  That was a hoot!  My favorite part was when we sang I am a Child of God.  The spirit was so strong, and i couldn't help but feel our Heavenly Father's love he has for each of his children and that we truly are sons and daughters of our Father in Heaven.  

Thursday: It is sure a whole lot different teaching southern baptists here, but it is a new challenge and definitely keeps things interesting!!!  We had a really cool miracle today though!  So it was 8 p.m. and we had only contacted 6 people fore the day, but we were so determined to get to 15 like our mission president asked!!  We talked to ask many people as we could before 9, but then it was about time to go home, but we still needed 3 more!!  That day we read a scripture in Alma 26:27 with a member "now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold the Lord comforted us, and said: go amongst thy bretheren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and i will give unto you success."  We pulled into the house about 9:50 something, and we were bummed we didn't make it to 15.  We were praying so hard that last hour to find those last people.  We got out of the car and with arm fulls of books and things walking into the house 2 ladies walked out by our apartment.  Sister Sundwall and i looked at each other, set the stuff down and ran up to them to talk to them!!  It was great!  They were so friendly.  So we made it to 14, and we went into the house.  We had to "take out the trash" before 9 but we just knew the Lord would provide a way for us to accomplish what he needed and asked of us.  We walked out to the garbage can, and their wasn't a soul in sight haha.  Then when we were walking back, all at the same time about 5 people came out of their house.  We went and talked to this sweet lady, and then headed inside for the night.  It was such a testimony builder to me that the Lord will put people in our path, and he will always provide away for us to do what he asks us like contacting 15 new people a day! :) it was great!

Friday: We had lots of great appointments today with less actives.  They are just a hoot hear and i love being able to hear the different stories of people, backgrounds they came from and how they came to find the gospel.  It just strengthens my testimony each time.  We had an amazing lesson with Autumn again.  She said that she read the Book of Mormon into and testimonies, and she loved it!!  She told us that when she reads it and when we come over something is filling this emptiness inside of her and she doesn't feel sad and angry anymore.  I could see the change happening in her when i saw her this day.  It was like night and day from the first time we met her!  The Gospel is true!  It really is and i know it is because i can tell just how much it changes peoples lives.  It just has to be true!!!  Then we had dinner at the Gine's house.  They are a senior missionary couple in the mission.  It is soo wonderful serving with a senior missionary couple in your district and Branch!  They are great examples to us, and i just look up to them so much!

Saturday: We had some great lessons with some former investigators that are Hispanic.  It felt so good to be back teaching in Spanish!!  We did lots of tracking and met some really cool people.  Then we brought some church clothes over to Autumn's house and we got to meet her older son.  He was really sweet.  

Sunday: Church was wonderful!  We had two awesome investigators at church, and it was just so great to be a church and take the sacrament.  Translating was pretty interesting this time.  There was a few poems and stories that the speakers read that had some pretty interesting words that i had no clue how to translate and they were speaking so fast and in thick accents.  During one of the talks when she read the poem, i just sat there and was at a loss haha.  i know that i did the best i could, and that is all i can do! :) It is definitely helping me alot with the language that is for sure!  Then we went to eat lunch at a members!  mmm i sure am loving southern food.  We had porch chops, mashed tatrs, corn on the cob, green bean, and corn bread!!  Then we taught our investigator that was on date the rest of the commandments!  She is amazing!!  She is married to a member, and he is a great example!  Then skype!!!!!  Wow it was so great to skype and see you all!!!!!!!  It really did feel like nothing has changed.  We are still the same tight, silly, happy family!!  You are all amazing examples to me and i look up to you.  It made me so very happy! :)  you all look so great!! :) I cant believe how grown up the kiddoes are!  My heart just melted hearing them talk and sing and stare at the screen haha!  Oh i sure love you all so much!!  

I want you all to know that i have a testimony of this gospel.  I know it is true and that it brings us the most happiness ever!  I have never been so happy in my life when im living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know that we have a living prophet called of God on this earth today, Thomas S. Monson.  I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  We can find peace by opening and reading its pages.  I have felt that in my mission time and time again, where I'm sad or discouraged, but then i open up the Book of Mormon and read from it, and EVERYTIME i feel my Saviors love for me, i feel peace in my life, i find answers to my questions, i finds ways of how i can improve, i find joy.  I know God loves us, and that we are children of our Heavenly Father.  How beautiful of a  realization it is to know that.  I know that now, and it is simply incredible.  I would hope that w don't ever forget that we are children of God.  In times of discouragement or heartache, sadness or even exhaustion, confusion or helplessness, turn to your Savior Jesus Christ, open the Scriptures, get down on your knees, and i promise you you will find peace, comfort, joy, and you will feel the love our your Heavenly Father.  

"i am a child of God, and he has sent me here.  has given me an earthly home, with parents kind and dear.  lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way. teach me all that i must do to live with him someday."  I love you all.  Have a most beautiful week!
All my prayers and love,
Hermana Stewart

Building a garden in Alabama

Me and my Book of Mormon in Georgia and Alabama

Our Apartment


Wednesday, May 4, 2016

From Big City to Small Town

Howdy Y'all!
I guess that is how they say it now days in Cedertown hickville Georgia!  Wow it is a hoot here!!  It has been a good week.  Saying goodbye to Chamblee and my amazing companion Sister Bringhurst was way hard, but I know that this is where the Lord would have me be.  I have felt that on a many of occasion here in the past 5 days or so.  I love the people of Chamblee, but I love the people in Cedertown as well!  The people here are incredible!  They are truck southerners with their sweet tea, thick southern accents, and missing teeth.  Wow I love it here.

My companion's name is Sister Sundwall.  She is from Tremonton, Utah, and she has been out on a misison for 3 months.  She is really nice.  I already know that i am going to be learning alot from her.  She is a great missionary  and we are working hard here in Cedertown because Cedertown is ready to harvest.  There are sooo many prepared people here and we have seen soo many miracles!!

Monday: I mostly just packed all PDAy and then we whet and had an awesome FHE with the Mata Family and Fermin!  It was hard saying goodbye to them, but they are so strong and I love them!

Tuesday: We had a great disctrict meeting.  It is weird saying goodbye to the district Ive been in for 10 months, but it was great being able to say my testimony and here the other missioanries who are leaving's testimony.  I love my fellow servants.  We visited lots of people to say goodbye.  We had dinner with the Zuniga's and Alex.  We had pig feet.  Boy I'm not going to miss some of the crazy food we eat haha.  It was an adventure though.  Oh and I saved the toenail of the foot that was in my soup, maybe I'll send it to you mom? ;) Then we went and taught Flor and Rogelio the law of chastity.  That was a great last lesson to end on! It went super!  I love C
hamble!

Wednesday: We drove to Peachtree for transfers.  Saying goodbye to Sister Bringhurst was really hard.  I got my new companion and we headed off on a two hour drive to Cedertown.  The 7 lane highway gradually got smalled the closer we got to Cedertown and ended up a 1 lane highway haha!  Back in the boonies small town.  It is like Salmon Idaho mixed with Island park.  The houses are 5 miles appart.  It is super great.  It is quiet and I love not being in the city!!  We visited some awesome cute member families.  I love the people here.

Thursday: We had a great weekly planning session.  I definitely felt the holy ghost confirm to me that i am supposed to be here as we went over all the people we are teaching and going to start teaching.  I felt super pumped and ready to go after that planning session.  The Holy spirit helped us come up with some AWESOME finding activities and we are so excited to put those in action.  We went finding for a couple of hours.  We found this awesome guy named Odell on a bike and he is so legit.  We havent been able to teach him officailly yet, but because of him we have found so many other people.  We visited an awesome less active spanish family.  Their family makes up 1/18 of the branch, so wouldnt that be cool to get them reactivated?!  It was a great day.

Friday: A member took us out to lunch at a place called Gran Gran's.  First experience of real southern food.  Mashed taters, chicken fried stake, deep fat fried corn on the cob, homeade mac n chees, and a biscut! mm mm mm!  We taught a few part member families.  Those are always the best.  It is so much fun being able to meet sooo many new people!  I really love that!  We taught a few lessons in Spanish.  That was great!  During one of the lessons, as i was talking about the Book of Mormon, i cockroach started crawling up my leg eek!! i smoothly wacked it off using my Book of Mormon.  Gotta love the country.  There are sooo many bugs out here!!!  We made a bunch of calls from the Spanish area book and some from the english one.  We are excited to start visiting all these wonderful people and working with the less actives.  Most of the less actives are spanish people, so there is a lot of work here to do that is spanish.  These less actives are JUST as important as baptizing new members... I have a strong testimony of that.  They are all God's children and Heavenly Father needs all his children back to him.  

Saturday: We went to Alabama and made a Garden!!!!  It was so fun to be in a different state.  That was too cool!  We went and helped an elderly couple in the ward week out 3 garden beds.  It was fun work!  I have 9 blisters on my hands, haha Hermana Stewart is week sauce haha!  It was so much fun being able to help them out.  It is beautiful where they live! We got ourselves a sandwich from a cute little sandwich shop in Cave springs, that was fun.  Then we went and we went on a team up to this awesome hispanic family with a member. Then we did a bunch of finding and visiting people.

Sunday: BEST day so far here.  We had meeting early in the morning.  Then we went and tried knocking on a few people's doors to remind them for church.  As we were driving back to church we drove past this one house and I noticed that there was 2 lil girls out playing in the yard and the mom was sitting on the steps and she looks so sad.  I told Sister Sundwall to turn around.  The Holy Ghost told us we needed to go talk to her.  We got out and struck up a conversation.  We told her that God loved her.  She had tears streaming down her face.  I knew we were sent there for a reason.  We invited her to church, but due to certain cercumstances she wasnt able to come.  We have an appointment with this lady and i am soo excited!!  She is prepared.  I know she is.  And if not her, someone by her maybe, but i was so glad the spirit guided us to find her. 

Church was great!!   I get the awesome opportunity to translate!!!! ahhh ive never done that before.  I had the neatest experience sitting in the back of the chapel with my lil headset and mic translating into Spanish the testimonies and sacrament meeting.  I was so nervous to translate because they talk so fast and in such thick southern accents.  I was just praying so hard that the Lord would give Hermana Stewart the strength and power to do that.  It was one of the most powerfullest experience feeling the spirit work through my mouth and ears.  I know that it was not me translating, but that it was the spirit. There were words that were said that I have never studied before.  The gift of tongues is real my family.  There is no way that Hermana Stewart could have translated, there is just no way.  But I know that the Lord can do anything, and he will help us accolmplish that which he needs done.  As we sang the closing song "nearer my God to thee" I couldn't hold my tears in.  I felt so close to my Heavenly Father in that moment.  Sister Sundwall and I taught the Spanish Sunday school class.  We didn't have any books, but luckily I knew it was on agency.  So once again the spirit helped us again acomplish what he needed us to do.  It was great, and the family we taught was so cute!  This branch is a missioanry branch!!!  Yay!!!  It was a great time on sunday!  and hearing relief society in english was actaully really great! :) so i am in an english branch.  about 30 go each week.  It is very small but it is great and i love them all so much!  We had a wonderful evening visiting people.  We had dinner at an awesome families house.  They have a son on a mission and two daughters at home, one is preparing for a mission!  It was great!  

Really, life is good.  It is what you make it, and it is all about your attitude.  We are working hard and we are having a lot of fun, and we are already seeing so many miracles!!  Being a missionary is the BEST it donsnt matter where you are!! "behold, these many years we have suffered in the wilderness, which time we might have enjoyed our possessions and the land of our inheritance; yea, and we might have been happy." 1 Nephi 17:21 I know that things and location DOES NOT determine our happiness.  WE determine our happiness!!!!  "and it came to pass that they lived after the manner of happiness." 2 nephi 5:27.  I am happy my wonderfuly family because i have the opportunity to share this beautiful message with the people here in Ceder Town.  Black or white, english speaking or spanish speaking, crazy or calm, the toothless and the toothful, hick or not, God loves them all, and they need this Gospel.  I love them all, and i am sooo honored to be a CederTown Missioanry!!!  I love you all so much! I hope you have a blessed week!
Hasta Pranto Y'all!
Hermana Stewart 
xoxo 
P.S. 6 days til skpye!!!!! I cant wait to see your faces!!!!!
P.P.S. my new address!!!!!  I LOVE LETTERS!!!!
504 Valley Drive #F
Cedertown, GA 30125

I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go

Hello!!!!

Well as you all know from my title this week, after hitting 10 months in my wonderful Chamblee Branch, they are shipping me away to a new area with a new companion.  That was quite a curve ball pitched to us.  I honestly never thought I would ever leave!  The Zone Leaders called us Saturday night and said, "I know you are going to hate us for the rest of your misison, but Sister Bringhurst you are staying and Sister Stewart you are leaving."  Then we got a nice call from our Mission President this morning saying "How are you sisters doing, i hope you dont hate me."  haha so great, we just love being in Chamblee so much and being companions, but newer and better things are awaiting each of us, no matter how hard it may be, the Lord knows what is best for each of us.  We just have to always keep that in mind.  I am really going to miss the Chamblee Branch, they are like my second family!!!!   and my amazing companion i will miss her, she is truly my best friend and sister.  We just keep moving forward with faith, and everything will work out wonderfully.  

I am going to an area called Ceder Town.  I will be serving in both Georgia and Alabama, pretty neat right!  My companion got switched to spanish speaking when she came out on a mission 3 months ago, so that will be wonderful!  That is about all the details i know, but of course next week i will fill y'all in. New adventures!

We had a really wonderful week!  I wanted to tell you the COOLEST miracle ever!!!!!!!!!  My first sunday here in Chamblee a family got offended and stopped coming to the Chamblee Branch and just went to the English Ward.  We have worked faithfully with this family ever week, except for the past month we hadnt been over to visit them.  One of my goals before i left Chamblee was to get this family back to Chamblee.  We would invite them every week to come back to the Chamblee Branch, and they always would tell us, "one day."  But that day never would come!!  When i found out i was being transfered i thought of this family, and i was a little bumbed that they never made it back before i left Chamblee.  Yesterday we are at church at its about 10 minutes til church starts, and i look over and there walking in the doors was this family.  We ran over and Sister Bringhurst and I just couldnt hold in our tears of pure joy.  They said "you see, i told you we would come."  That was a tender was such a tender mercy from the Lord, that they just happened to "one day" show up on my last day in Chamblee.  The Lord is amazing, and i just testify that diligence, patience, and perseverance brings miracles.  


We went to the Temple with Hector and Alondra this week!  It was fantastic!  Wow we are so blessed to have a temple in our mission.  It is something so neat seeing the people you teach in white twice!!!  He had such a cool experience he told us it was like being in heaven and that he liked it so much he wanted to go to baptisms every saturday!  This gospel is amazing.  The changes it brings people is incredible.
​Something kind of funny that happened on Saturday is that we had the feeling we needed to share 1 Nephi 3:1-7 with this less active lady in our Branch who is going through a hard time, and then it just so happens that just a few hours later our own little spiritual thought is exactly what Hermana Stewart needed to learn after finding out i was being transferred.  The spirit works in such a way to teach us exactly what each of us need to hear and learn, not just our investigators.  That was a cool little lesson learned for me though that we need not be like Lamen and Lemual and murmer for what the Lord commands of us, but we strive to be like Nephi and go forward with faith and good attitudes in knowing that we can accomplish what ever the Lord asks of us.  I know that is true!
A cute little story i wanted to share.  This week we were over at a members house for a family home evening and the kids were not getting along.  One of the little girls was being a little bossy and telling the others what to do.  Then the little five year old said something so profound, "hey!  you're not the boss of us.  Jesus is the boss!"  For only being five, she has got it right, that we must always follow Jesus.  It was kind of the cutest thing ever!

Well my wonderful family, i bid you farewell until next week!  Life is wonderful.  It is what you make of it after all.  Something a member told us this week, "algo mejor viene para mi."  "something better is coming for me."  Wherever the Lord needs me, there will i be.  I know that the Lord knows better than Hermana Stewart, and im anxious and excited for what waits ahead.  "It may not be on the mountain height Or over the stormy sea, It may not be at the battle's front 
My Lord will have need of me. But if, by a still, small voice he calls To paths that I do not know,
I'll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine: I'll go where you want me to go.  I'll go where you want me to go, dear Lord, Over mountain or plain or sea;I'll say what you want me to say, dear Lord; I'll be what you want me to be."
I love you all so very much!  I can't wait to skype in just 13 days!  You are always in my prayers!  Trust in the Lord, he will never lead us astray.  I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord
Love,
Hermana Stewart
xoxo

The Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is Simple, it is Clear, it is Right

Hello!!!!!!!!
Good morning to everyone!!  I hope yall had a wonderful week!!  I sure did!  It was absolutely spectacular!!  I just want to start off by saying that this Gospel is beautiful.  We are so blessed.  Nothing has given me greater joy than living the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is simple, it is clear, it is right.  Our Heavenly Father loves us.  I know that he does.  I have felt his love in numerous occasions, and i cant help but feel his love for each of you.  He loves each and everyone one of you.  

A few amazing miracles we had this week i wanted to share with yall.
Luordes (aka miracle lady): We had our first appointment with her on Friday, and it was simply incredible.  We sat down on her couch, and we asked her about her kids.  She has a 11 year old son and a 14 year old daughter.  She said they were in their room doing homework and what not.  After conversing after the lesson, the spirit told both of us to have the kids come out and join us but neither of us had acted on that prompting, woops.  First lessons are always a little awkward, and Hermana Stewart was being a little chicken and didnt want to bother them.  Well about 30 seconds after ingnoring that prompting, the Holy Ghost took matters into its own hands and imedietely walked out the daughter, Rachael.  The Holy Ghost sure showed me that he doent need me.  Lesson learned for Hermana Stewart, dont EVER ignore the spirit!!!!!!  You are never bothering people by asking them to hear this message, you are just inviting them to partake in the most great happiness they will ever experience!!  Anyway so after we got to know them, we taught the Restoration.  We absolutely love teaching that lesson to people for the first time.  It is just so powerful.  After we got done explaining all about Joseph Smith and that this is the true church and what not, Rachael with eyes so wide said "i get it!"  I cant even explain how incredible of an experience it is to watch the Holy Ghost make connection with the light of Christ in those very people that are prepared.  Thinking back to the first time we saw Luordes standing by the bus stop.  She looked so sad, like something was missing in her life.  Her and her daughter after feeling the Holy Ghost, they were so happy.  They had the biggest grins on their faces.  And then when they read Moroni's Challenge out loud, that is my favorite part.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple, it is clear, it is right.  
Flor and Rogelio: they are doing great.  We weren't able to meet with them this week and they didn't make it to church either because now she is so busy working from home doing hair and all that jazz, but they are doing wonderful!!  

Little children: One of my most favorite parts about church besides taking the Sacrament is going to Primary.  Hermana Bringhurst plays the piano for singing time, and Hermana Stewart gets to enjoy a choir of angels sing the primary songs each week.  We had a full primary and there was no chairs.  i went in and stood in the back of the room.  A cute lil girl from primary Camila, we are buddy buddies, walked all the way across the room carrying her chair over to me.  She said "here Hermana Stewart, i brought you a chair so you can sit."  That was the sweetest thing.  I hugged her and told her thank you so much.  That taught me such a valuable lesson.  As King Benjamin taught us "become as a child- submissive, meek, humble, patient, and full of love" Mosiah 3:19 It made me really ask myself do i recognize the little opportunities to as he so taught "to become as a child?"  There is so much we can learn from little children as we strive to become one our self.  A quote I love from Jean A. Stevens from 2011 general conference talk "become as a little child" said "If we have a heart to learn and a willingness to follow the example of children, their divine attributes can hold a key to unlocking our own spiritual growth."  Just as a little child would be taught, we must learn and become as them.  After all the Gospel of Jesus Christ is simple, it is clear, it is right.

Temple: We went to the Temple with Fermin and some of the Elders Recent Converts!!  It was an amazing experience!  I loved seeing their excitment to enter and do the work for those that have passed on. It was a very special experience for me, and there was a very sweet spirit we all felt being in the House of the Lord.
Being a missionary is so amazing!  I am seriosuly living the life here.  I want you all to know that i have a testimony of this gospel.  The gospel is simple. "And for this cause, that men might be made partakers of the glories which were to be revealed, the Lord sent forth the fulness of his gospel, his everlasting covenant, reasoning in plainness and simplicity." D&C 133:57.  I know that the Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Redeemer.  He lives, and we can be like him.  The path is clear.  "Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate" 2 nephi 9:41​  When we do what is right and follow our Savior, we will be on the right path.  The Gosple of Jesus Chirst is right.  When i do what is right, i feel good.  When i choose the wrong, i feel bad.  When we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we feel good.  The Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is simple, it is clear, it is right.  
I love you all so much.  I hope you have a wonderful week!  I can't wait to talk to yall in 20 days now!  wahoo!!  Talk to you soon
All my prayers and love always,
Hermana Stewart