Notes from 13 October, 2014

Okay, always exciting stories on Temple Square. Expect nothing less(: So Sister Stigsson and I were walking around Temple Square trying to find people to talk with, and we started talking with a man with a loonnng beard. We started talking with him, and he said, "excuse me." He turned on "Walk Tall, You're a Daughter" on this little radio attached to his belt loop. Nice pick!!(: He told us he always has uplifting music on. Even when he is river rafting with the young men in his ward! I really enjoyed how he doesn't care what others think, he does what helps him feel the spirit. People are so cool!

We went to the temple this morning. I love going to the temple to feel peace and get my spiritual batteries recharged. 

I talked with my recent convert, Jacqui (from Surrey, England), yesterday! She was baptized in January. She thought she would be able to stay in the Gospel Principles class for a full year, but they just called her to primary. I am excited to hear how her experience goes.

Has anyone seen "Meet the Mormons?" It just came out 3 days ago and is being shown in AMC and Cinemark theaters across the United States. You are able to look up theaters on the internet. Let me know what you think about it!

We met 2 exciting people in the North Visitor's Center this past week.  Scot is a a children's book author. He came to temple square to write a church-affiliated children's book and take some pictures for it, but he is actually not a member. He started learning with missionaries about one year ago, but stopped. We got his contact information and are starting to teach him! We taught him yesterday, and he started going back to church, is reading his scriptures, and praying. Slowly he is gaining a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was QUITE the exciting week because it was a week of seeing famous Mormons. For those of you returned missionaries who watched the District on your mission, we talked with Elder Murray from the show. He is now married with a little boy. We also ran into Germaine, Jeremiah, and Abram from "Meet the Mormons- the family from Atlanta Georgia. They were soo down to Earth. Germaine was telling me about how he went on his mission to Brazil and how he is working on learning Spanish right now. 

We ALSO were very privileged to have a special guest come to our mission last night and put on a musical fireside. David Archuleta came and gave a wonderful performance and also a Q and A. As you know, he just came back a few months ago from serving a mission in Chile. That was probably one of the most spiritually uplifting times on my mission. He is an incredible musician, and his story and testimony were very inspiring. WOW. While he was on tour, he decided that he was in control of his life. He started going to church on Sunday wherever he was in the world, and later decided to go to the temple once a week as well. As for post-mission advice, he said: don't stop praying as much as we are now-we don't have a reason to stop! Also, continue reading the Book of Mormon each day.

While I was talking with a girl in the assembly hall, she mentioned to me that the thing she wanted to change after watching General Conference was consistency in her life. Consistency in scripture study and prayers. It really hit me at the moment that "enduring to the end," the fifth step of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, means consistency, and is one of the main struggles worldwide. If we all endured to the end, how would that increase our faith in God?? What kind of members and Christians would we have in the world if we all endured to the end?

Love you all!

Sister Steenhoek

PS: pictures of the week: 

1.we did a session at the temple today!

2. this picture accurately describes the excitement of our Asian guests in the Summer time when they spot blonde hair.