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!

Week 4

Hey Guys,

Week 4 its crazy! I am almost out of here. It definitely excites me to leave, but at the same time, it is scary. I heard that you just sweat through the day, and you sweat at night, and the people down there has a different accent and speaks way faster than here. But I will just trust in the Lord that I can eventually understand Spanish if I put in my part. Here at the CCM they always tell us that there are far more important things to learn here at the CCM rather than just Spanish. Spanish is still important, but gaining spiritually is the most, we should still put a lot of effort in Spanish but it should not be our "Top Priority".

This week on Tuesday, I was able to meet Elder Nielson who is apart of the First Quorum of the Seventy, and he is in charge of all the Training of Missionaries around the world. And he just came into our classroom and just shake hands with everyone and just talked. It was really cool, and before he was at the CCM he was down in Cancun at a training for all the Mission Presidents in Mexico. He told a really cool story about 204 missionaries in the Philippines Tacloban Mission, during one of the Strongest Hurricanes ever to be on the earth. It was Crazy some of the stories and the devotional was really good.

Now that i have been at the CCM for 4 weeks now, most of the days just seem to blend together, besides funny or special events. I was sick on the 24th, i was just achy everywhere, i couldn´t focus, and I needed to go the the bathroom all the time. And it was hard because that day, they shut off all the water for the Hurricane (for some reason), so when I needed to go to i had to walk all back to our Casa. So we decided that i needed to get some rest and see if that would help. I slept for about 2 hours, and then we had to teach our Book of Mormon lesson for 30 minutes, so we started preparing our lesson, and it was on the 2000 Stripling Warriors. So we started teaching our lesson to our district, and it was going really well. Then Elder Harmon was in the middle of a really good thought about the Stripling Warriors, then Elder Her started to get a cramp in his leg. During his thought, Elder Her just says "Cramp" not really loud but everyone heard it. And he started to try and stretch his leg out. So he puts his legs in the air about a foot and a half above the ground, and then he accidentally "Let One Out". I just could not hold in my laughter! And several people were the same way, but then i realized that i´m teaching this lesson and I should not laugh and I should try to keep the Spirit. But that was just such a hard battle. I was just back and fourth with laughing and not laughing. I felt bad that I was having a hard time not laughing during other peoples thoughts but it was just too funny. I got to give it up to Elder Her making back to back appearances in my weekly email.

I loved all the experiences I have had and made here at the CCM, and I can't wait to go out in the field and do the Lord's Work. This week even though I have had funny experiences, has been one of the harder ones here. I just started to miss a lot of things, because of things that are hard here. But I understand that the Lord brings us down, so he can bring us up higher. I know a lot of things are really different on a mission. And that shows with the Missionaries, some miss their boyfriend or girlfriend, some people miss their music, and some just don´t like the whole missionary life at all. I believe that this is what the missionary life is suppose to be, "Change" and some people here, don´t do well with that. I believe that change is definitely hard but it is necessary. Either with a new job, a trial, missionary life, and a lot more. We should realize that the Lord will take you as you are, but won´t let you stay as you are, because he can see the potential in you. He truly knows what is best for you and can see your Eternal Potential. Trust in the Lord, that is the biggest thing to remember in every aspect of life. He knows you, he wants to help, pour out your heart and soul to him in pray and follow HIS will exactly, and you will make it through your life with no regrets if you stay with the lord. It is one of the most important things to do in life, he will direct and guide you, not in your favorite paths, but the paths that you will learn and grow closer to him. Counsel with the Lord, with ALL your doings. And he will do what is right.

Elder Stabenow

CCM Campus!!