Week 11

Merry Christmas! 

Finished the Book of Mormon  Christmas Day

¡Feliz Navidad! I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I was blessed to be able to skype with my family and it was great and so fun to see all of them together. They are truly the family for me and are amazing examples to me. This week in Villas Del Sol was hard to find and have a lot of lessons. Most of the nights my legs just hurt so bad from just walking all day long. But I know we will have a lot more success in the weeks to come. 

The first day I got here in Cancùn they gave me a Book of Mormon and the mission was going to read the Book of Mormon for a gift to Jesus. I was blessed to finish the Book of Mormon on Christmas day. And I can say the Book of Mormon is true, and it is so special in my life to have it. If you have not read it...READ IT. It is such a blessing and you will know that it is true. I am so thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ, and his sacrifice for all of us. I know he loves every single one of us and knows us by name. Always know the savior is there. Do everything you can to feel our Saviors love. I am so thankful for this Gospel and it truly blesses every single one of us, and our families.

Elder Stabenow

Christmas Day!!

Skyping with this Elder was the best Christmas present ever.  He looked great and is doing great!!

Week 11

This week has been a good one. I was a little nervous to be in a different area but it is really great here. It also a lot hotter here too! Here it is really great. The people here are great! The members are really helpful and they go with us to lessons a lot. Villas Del Sol has 2 different areas and mine is the one closer to the Beach. So we have lunch with the other missionaries from the other area here a lot. I don`t really know how many people are in our ward. Because our experience was this on Sunday. 5 minutes before the meeting started there were people from our ward and a little bit of tourist, then right at 11, it just seemed like a wave of tourist coming into the chapel. It was just crazy, but it was fun to talk to some of them, and yes there was a lot from Utah too. This week I have been learning a lot of Spanish. It is been really fun to learn too, my companion Elder Balderrama is really helpful, and is really kind. We have been working really hard to find new people, it has been a challenge but we are getting better. I have been listening to talks this past week, and the one that stand out this week was "The High Priest of Good Things to Come", I love that. That is just what Christ is, as we keep moving forward with purpose and patience, we will have those good things come to us. I love the things I learn here, It’s really great to be out here, Its hard some days, but I know all will be worth it.


Love you

¡Feliz Navidad!

Elder Stabenow

Week 10

Wow! Week 10!

Serious!!  A Transfert!!

The Elders and Mateo he is great!

I don`t believe it. It has been crazy and really humbling. The first thing I have to say that this week has been really good, some experiences I will remember for all my life. First on the 12th of December people celebrate Mary. And it was a strange day, not many people were on the street, there was a lot of music, and some of the few people on the street were drunk. One of them came to Elder Calderon and I, and asked if we can forgive him. I was just shocked by the question, but all we did was take him to the side of the street, and said a prayer with him. It was so strange. But he was really grateful for it, and the strange thing is that he could speak perfect English too. Elder Calderon and I have been having a lot of success finding a lot more people possible teach. We have focused on more on finding people. We had a baptism on Friday of Carlos who is 9. It was great! But I was a little sad to find out Sunday morning that I would not be staying in my area to see them progress. I was transferred to Villa Del Sol in Playa. And my new companion is Elder Balderrama. He doesn`t speak much English which I think will be a good thing. But I look forward to the new experiences I have, I hope I learn a lot, and I look forward to all the new things coming my way. One thing, always remember the Savior, truly be humble unto him and feel his love for us. He is always with you. Thanks for all your support and love.






Elder Stabenow

Elder Stabenow and Elder Baldarama

Outside his new Apartment

Week 8

Hola!

This is crazy I hit my 2 month mark today. It is amazing all the places I have seen, the experiences I have had. The friends I have made, and things that have become part of my testimony.  I really am happy where I am at, even though it is hard, and I don´t understand everything that is going on.  The things that have happen here are way better than the things I would be doing in Utah.  This week was special Elder Calderón and I had 2 Investigators that got baptized! Edgar, and Regina!  It was truly a great day, and great to see that happen.  What I have learned is that it is the people really who matter.  Not how well you can understand or how well you can speak.  When you have the spirit with you the people will feel the spirit you bring.  I fell into the trap this week of getting frustrated with the language, and I did not feel happy at all.  But thanks to my Companion I was able to realize those feelings are from Satan to distract me.  I felt so terrible after I talked with him for doing that, and I felt bad to the Lord for that (Moses 1:16). When you feel overwhelmed with stuff, and you feel the adversary against you.  Realize that you can push through it, you can do it.  The Lord knows you, and he is with you, and he will sustain you.

 Remember him, just as he remembers you.  And that is why I love the Savior, He is always there, he wants you to keep going.  One of the Saviors name is "The High Priest of Good Things to Come" Stay with the Lord, stay in his Church, and Rejoice that this is the TRUE Church.  The Church is wonderful, all the good things that are meaningful in my life is because of the Church.  And I love I am a representative of Jesus Christ, and I get to bring people in the Church and closer to him.

Elder Stabenow

This sweet member shined the Elders shoes after thein lunch appointment!

What a kind man!

Their shoes look great!

This happy Elder got some packages this week!

Week 7

Hola!

This past week has been interesting. We have had some days with a lot of stuff to do. And some with very little success. But I would mainly like to share about yesterday first. We had a lot to do on this past Sunday. Get a investigator for church, We wait for a van from a member to pick us up in Bonfil with all of the members and investigators. The van was a little late, so we were running really close on time. We made it to church on time, and after we had to go to another church for a baptism interview. We got there and we soon found out that the baptism interview was not at the church, and not at 4. So we decided to go on splits with the other missionaries for an hour. So I went with Elder Cruz, We went to this one members house, who his son was the investigator. The member acted really strange. He is a member but he still wears the Jewish Cap, and he had blonde hair and a big beard. He soon found out that I was from Utah and that I can speak English. So for 50 minutes of the whole 60, He just talked and talked to me, "Why does the Prophet wants us to learn English?" And Just on and on, he talked about every aspect of English. It was so funny to me I loved it! So we only shared our testimonies about the church and went on from there.

Also in this week, we had a investigator drop us. We were devastated, our last lesson was so amazing and we felt that she would get baptized fairly quickly. But the thing is that it did not seem like it was totally her words. Unfortunately in life people decide to take other people’s words. And she decided to not take any more lessons with us. It got me thinking after that. I think of all the people I witness slowly starting to loose there testimony, or making wrong decisions that don´t go along with the church. I hear of people, I still witness it here. And It breaks my heart to see that, and hear of it. If you have the chance just listen to "Safety for the Soul" by Jeffery R. Holland. With this church, you can´t just go through the motions, without acting, you will slowly start to go off the path. I have witness it in my own life. But I pray that everyone at home, and the people here, just keep trying, keep looking for help from your Savior. That is all he Ask, just take that chance and act. I know you can make your life better in the Church, I have witness it in my Life. I know that this Church is TRUE. And Keep working to GROW your testimony, don´t let it stay in one place for a time. Don´t let others deceive you, the lord needs you in this Church to touch the live around you. Keep Working.

Elder Stabenow

The streets of Bonfil!

His Casa!

Ready to head out to work!

Elder Stabenows shoes when it rains in Bonfil

Week 6

Hola!

It has been a full week that I have been Cancún, its amazing! I really enjoy teaching, or trying to teach the gospel here. This week I set a goal for myself to contact one person on the street. It took a day or two but it happened! I just felt that I should talk to one lady on the street and I did not second guess myself. It was really cool, I did not do most of the talking but I still started it, I didn´t understand everything being said. But she was interested, she said that her and her husband was looking for a church to attend. I was so happy after! It was such a nice feeling to achieve my goal that I set. I really hope it works out and that there could be a baptism with them sometime.

A few days ago I found myself getting a little frustrated, because right now I am not at a point where I can follow along with the lessons, so I am mostly lost and a little bored with it. But after an appointment, I found myself getting pretty annoyed with not being able to teach, or even say anything that I wanted to say correctly. But I quickly realized that that was really a dumb thing to think. I laugh at myself right now thinking that I should be understanding everything being said. So I am just trying to learn Spanish Little by Little. And I know I will get there eventually. I have trust in the Lord that I can receive the Gift of Tongues as I work for it.

It’s been my first week, and already ups and downs. But I just know that it is so important to GROW, and be okay with change with new situations in a mission.

I Love You Guys

Elder Stabenow

In the field!

  

President and Sister Kirkham with Elder Stabenow when he arrived in Cancun

All the new arriving missionarie

Hey Guys,

It is crazy! I got to Cancún yesterday and it was kinda overwhelming. I was the only person on my flight here, that was not Latino. So I had a quiet flight. The night before I did not get a lot of sleep, so I was very tired, and I just needed sleep, so I thought I would sleep on the plane. On the plane, I could not get myself to sleep. So I went through out my day, just on 1 hour of sleep. So we landed and I met my Mission President, and his wife. They are great people, and they are always there for you. So we went in the Chapel in Cancún and had some meetings. I had a Elder next to me telling me what was being said, because I could not understand everything being said. After we had Interviews with the President. Then after I got assigned to a companion! It was really cool, every trainer got up described the Area that they are serving, then the president would call up the person that they are serving with. When one of the Elders was up, I could not understand what he was saying, but after he finished. President Kirkham said, "Now can you say that in English?". And I was just shocked, because my companion speaks english very well, and I was sitting there amazed. It was so cool. I am the first missionary that he is training, and he is a really good guy, and hardworking. So after all the meetings we got to go the the apartment, and all I got to do was drop my luggage off and go to appointments that we had that night. We had 2 appointments, one inviting a lady to a FHE, and then FHE. Maria, the investigator, unfortunately did not show up to the FHE. But it was very good anyways. I could not be happier about how my first day turned out to be. I was so happy that all I could do was set my stuff aside, and go out and work. My Spanish is terrible, but I am trying. I am trying, and that is what counts. I am learning to set myself aside, and help the people. I want to be better, and I am trying to do everything the Lord wants me to do, because the Lord wants me to help the People. I come out here with high hopes, and faith that I can help people. I am so thankful for the people that have helped me. Because you guys caused this feeling and desire to help others. Thank you so much, I can´t wait to serve the people of Mexico, the people I have met are so amazing and so nice. I will send the next email on Monday, so hopefully I will have some good stories to tell. Thanks for your support.

 Elder Stabenow

Elder Stabenow with his trainer Elder Calderon
   

The view ourside his Apartment!  Seriously!

Fun Pictures of Elder Stabenows district before they left the CCM!

Elder Stabenow and a Buddy from the CCM

Week 5

Wow it is amazing! I still don´t believe that on the 9th I will be going to my area, that is Hot, I will be sweating all the time, and teaching real investigators. But I am really excited, This past Sunday was Fast Sunday, and it was one of the best that I have ever had. I was pretty worried about a going out to the mission field. So there is a area at the CCM where there are a lot of trees all around, we call it the "Mini Sacred Grove". But we got to go there and start our fast. It was just so nice, and you can feel the spirit, I was on my knees and I was not really close to anyone, so I could just say the words out loud quietly. And that improved my experience so much. So I went through the next day, I stood and said my testimony in sacrament meeting, in as much Spanish as I can, I talked about how the area of the mission is not important. It is the people that are in our areas. After Sacrament Meeting, we ended our fast and I still felt the same about going out into the field. Then later that day, every Sunday we watch a devotional that happened in the Provo MTC, and we watched one with Jeffery R. Holland. He talked about how Preach My Gospel came into missionary work. And how much it changed missionary work. It was so good and right at the beginning of the Devotional he said somewhere along the lines of "I hope that I can say and teach about the right things, so that you can feel more ready for the field", and when he said that I just whispered very quietly "Oh Thank You" And he did teach and said the right things. I came out of there more committed to study the Preach My Gospel. it was so nice to receive a answer like that. I wish I studied Preach My Gospel before I came out here, but it definantly applies a lot more because I am out here.


I have come to love my district, I don´t know if it is because we are all thrown into the same situation and we are studying for most of the day in the same room. But they are great, and it will be sad to leave them soon. But I look at how I started my CCM experience, and I honestly have changed a lot already, I learned a lot about myself personally, and I believe that is how it is suppose to be. I have tried to open up to them a lot more, and lately I have been trying to talk to the Latinos. It is really fun, and very hard to just do it in Spanish. But I will improve, life is all about improving ourselves. I learned that there are many things to improve on. And as a missionary, I just keep moving forward, having faith in Christ, and put in my part so that he can help and lift me up. Ether 12:27, it is a very popular scripture, but it was the one that actually made me realize with all the trials and hardships I was having, was going to be alright. And there are so many scriptures in the Book of Mormon, that actually talk about coming unto Christ and how he makes us strong. I have grown to love the Book of Mormon because it is so personal, and it will give you personal revelation in your life. And we need the Book of Mormon to be a constant in our lives. Think about all the years of stories, and lives given into writing that book, and all the things that the learn, and testify of. It´s the most important book, and I know all that time spent writing and lives given for that book, was for each one of us in the Latter Days. I love it, and we can all find peace in it. Study it, Love it, and Keep It In Your Heart. And you will always find a answer. I have changed so much in my life because of it. And I have changed so much studying it on my mission, it would be weird to go home now, so imagine how I am going to act 23 months from now. I love this gospel, and being here has testified of it´s truthfulness in my life. Don´t worry our Heavenly Father is a loving and knowing Father, Trust in him.


Elder Stabenow

Happy Halloween!!

Enjoying the Halloween treats with his District!

Studying Spanish

The classroom where he has spent all his time there in the CCM

Hanging out!