The Last Post - 16 January, 2015

No one can quite understand the entertainment that can be found on Temple Square 
until they have served a year and a half there. Just a few of my favorites:

-Watching countless people wait for the automatic doors to open on the wrong side 

of the door, then look around to see if anyone saw that

-People asking me if we have real cows in the baptistry

-Large groups of Asians and their audible gasps and glances around the 

building as they watch the pin drop demonstration

-Guests asking us if we are Christians after listening to us talk about Christ 

for a few minutes

-Listening to the homeless peoples' stories. They really just want people 

to listen

-And of course watching the change in people's views about the church, 

or their views about Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ

Just an update on my investigators:

We received a new investigator this week! He is so cool and he is from 

Saudi Arabia. He is currently attending the U. He has been to church only 

twice, but he is definitely willing to learn more. We start teaching him 

tomorrow!

We meet with our Iraqi investigator Sunday afternoon. He is going to bring 

his 6 kids and his wife!! Woah! He is so excited to learn more. We hope the 

Spirit will guide us during that tour. 

We are making appointments left and right with our people and are seeing 

lots of miracles!!

I hope that you all are continuing your missionary work. The work of the 

Lord is so special. Anyone can do it. It doesn't have to be scary. It can be 

done on a bus, in a grocery store, when a telemarketer is calling, when the 

Jehovah's Witnesses come to the door, when the lawn guy comes over, 

at the doctor's office etc. I know that this work is true. Ninety thousand 

18-26 year-olds all out from 10am-9pm each day doing the work of the 

Lord? It shouldn't work. But it does work because it is the work of God. 

I hope you all remember the resources we are all given to be happy. 

The mission will still commence even after I'm released this next week. 

Love you all! 

Sister Steenhoek OUT!

Jump picture on Ensign Peak on P-Day

Last District team photo

Thoughts from January 9th, 2015

We watched Meet the Mormons as a zone for zone activity! I posted pictures 

below. We walked to the Square to a theater in presentable clothing, but 

underneath, we wore pjs!

The ladies in their PJ's for the Zone Activity

We are hiking Ensign Peak today as a Zone (Zone unity!)

We have this awesome Temple Square regular (he is a recent convert) that always 

visits the square. In just a few months, he converted a Jewish man! The first day 

he met him, he committed him to learn more, and now he is baptized! David is just 

awesome because he speaks Hebrew and Latin, so he is able to understand how 

the Jews think and comprehend truth.

We are teaching a member that is struggling to gain a testimony of the Book of 

Mormon. When we taught him last week, we weren't sure if he would actually 

read the Book of Mormon. But this week, he read up to 1 Nephi 13 and underlined 

what meant the most to him! We were so happy! This week, we not only committed 

him to read, but we also committed him to attend institute to gain more friends.

Alejandra. She is a very strong girl who has decided to go on a mission. Her dad 

is an antii-mormon and she also has depression. We were walking home at night 

when we found her sitting on a bench crying. We taught her by the Spirit. I know 

that the Spirit knows all of God's children.

We met Safaa from Iraq. He has 6 children and he is thinking of coming to our 

church on Sunday with his wife and kids.

Not too much time today. But have a wonderful day! Talk with you next week!

Sister Steenhoek

PS. "Don't pray to change your circumstances, pray to change yourselves."

Happy New Year - 2 January, 2015

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I have many good goals to start of this new year. I want to attend the Temple 

every week. I want to continue my personal study each week. I LOVE to study! The key to studying 

is studying what interests you. 

I have learned so much about the Gospel of Jesus Christ while on my mission. I am very excited to 

continue learning more about the gospel after my mission!

Miracle story. So I had been calling a convert named Rob nearing the start of my mission, 

but stopped calling him right before outbound the start of Summer. We called him last night, 

and he had told us he stopped going to church because he had gotten offended by someone. 

We talked through alot of his concerns, and Rob decided to go back to church because we 

called him! I know that the Spirit will prompt us at the right time, but only as long as we are 

showing our willingness to follow God. I know that God wanted Rob to receive the blessings 

of going to church and partaking of the sacrament.

We met another Robert in the Tabernacle. Such a funny man! He was saying that when people 

are mean to him, natural disasters happen on the other side of the world. Woah! 

I saw Cathy from my home ward. She is so nice! Thanks so much Cathy for all of your love!!

We mailed a package for Kristen and we hope she likes it! Kristen has 2 young kids and 1 on 

the way. Her and her husband were not able to make Christmas happen for their kids, so we 

sent them a cute little package and we hope they like it!!

We met Mr. Sweden from Iran. He is so prepared!! He is not a member, and 

he is currently living in Idaho right now. Both him and his wife are Physicians in Boise. We briefly 

talked with him and he said he is so interested in learning more about the church and reading the 

Book of Mormon. The gospel is truly being spread to all nations as it says in Matthew 28.

We took a tour with 4 people from Macedonia! The couple was visiting a friend and brought their 

12 year old autistic daughter. We know they felt the Spirit as we explained about eternal families 

by the temple model.

We talked with a group of YSAs (Young Single Adults) who were at Temple Square for family 

home evening. We met a couple who had been dating for 25 years. Twenty. Five. Years on 

and off. I pulled the man aside and gave him some advice. It went something like this, but 

as the Spirit directed: "Brother, God trusts you to make your own decisions. He will let you 

know what is right, but only when you make a decision first as it says in Doctrine and 

Covenants 9:7-9. God trusts you. I invite you to make a decision within the next week. 

Will you do that?" Here is how the conversation played out afterward:

Man I told that to: "What did you say???" (to his girlfriend of 25 years)

Girlfriend: "I said nothing!"

Me: "It was the Spirit"

couple: (kisses)

Deed is done.

My departing class had a class today on how to relate the mission to finding a job by LDS 

Business College professors. Okay. Our mission is great I will hopefully interview like a pro!

No more Christmas lights. What a sad time!

Someone asked if we sell hot chocolate in the Visitor's Center? We are a church all about 

refreshments, but not that much!

Love you all! You only have 2 more pdays to repent and write me an email:)

Sister Steenhoek

"Today I obey, tomorrow I understand."