friends in the mish and all the people who gave their last testimonios they were all in the CCM with me. 11/11/13

Pictures

one of the toughest days of my life

Well folks I know I just got you all really excited about the title of this email but first I just want to tell you all that I love you all so much. I am so grateful for everything I have been given.   I cannot tell you how many times I tell people my father taught me or my mom said this or my teacher in seminary or sunday school or bishop or good friend taught me this and the truth is you all have a big part of who I am. Thank you for  loving me enough to teach me. 

First off to explain the pictures. This last week We had our Leaders meeting here in the mission. It was the biggest one we have ever had because we invited lots of district leaders to come because a lot of the zone leaders go home this change and we needed some of the younger guys who may take their spots to be there. Lots of people Can you all believe how far we have come people I went from the kid who hated to be outside his comfort zone to a missionary who teaches and testifies to over 35 missionaries. Can you believe it? I am so grateful for what the Lord has helped me to become. I still have so much to go though like Elder Dube said we do not look back we look forward! There are miracles yet to see here in the mission. I am writing this letter from the mission home again. My companion went with President to a stake conference pretty far away so today my companion is Jerry Smith the son of our mission president. the great news is he is Fletcher so It is like hanging out with Fletcher all day. Today we went to the Golf course to try to play golf but it was closed for a tournament (because jerry is almost a pro golfer) but then we went out to eat and I helped move a lot of things here in the mission home. Fun stuff. 

Anyway mom a couple of things,  you need to get on my Facebook and add some people but be careful because most people in this country send invites to anyone so they can make friends. You could also upload some pictures and Quotes from my lettres to help share the gospel with all my non mormon Friends.. 

Anyway lets get to the exciting things well.... These last couple of weeks We had been working on some new ways to teach, to demonstrate to the missionaries in our leaders conference. But when we got down to two days before conference we went to have a meeting with President and as we talked it through we all felt that it was too much and that is was going to overload the missionaries. And we all felt that it was not what we needed to share to help the mission. So two days before the meeting we changed everything. Almost everything and all we really did was just get everyone super super hyped up for the end of the year the end of the year 2013 when god began to hasten his work. We have huge Goals and lots to do to bring to pass miracles this end of the year. We are all so excited. 

During this whole time I have been talking to President Smith about extending my mission. We called salt Lake to see how much it would cost we talked about what I would be doing if I stayed How I could work and help the mission in this extra time. And after an interview with president he told me Elder I feel Good about it we can use you but lets see what the Lord thinks. So I left from there looking for the Lords will and the truth is I have been praying a lot lately to know if I can stay. So as the leadership of the mission We all were going to the temple and I knew that is where I would get my answer. I could not believe the clarity in the temple as I went through.  It was the first time in a while and now they had updated and wow.  I felt one answer after another and in the final room I said to our father in heaven I think I have received my answer is this it. I need an answer. I got my answer..... No..... It was so hard for me as I stood there tears falling down my face knowing that I could not go against His will and that I would be Going home. How I love serving Him and it was so hard to just say thy will be done. But I have done it His will is my will. I do not know quite why But I know I am needed home. So I will be home on the normal time. I wept. there is still lots to do here and I plan to go down giving every last bit of myself to God before I go. 

First off I just have to tell you all I Love you As usual I have no time but Just feel my love and know that I have lots to share. I love you all be safe 

 I was thinking about something this week The importance about having a testimony about the sacrament ponder it this week. I love you all 

Elder Stewart-Chester

All My Loved Ones

Well I have not come to a conclusion here whether I stay or if I go quite yet this week I will be in the temple praying and i'll find out then. But until then whatever happens will be the will the lord. 

Today I am sitting in President's house hanging out with his family. It has been such a good day and made me feel like I was home with you all once again. We even had a water fight. you know how much I love water fights. Well I am so happy to hear from you all the truth is I miss you all and this thanksgiving I just want to tell you that truely I could not ask more from God than the family I already have.  You are all amazing I love you all so much. and everyone who wrote, thank you.

My thanksgiving was great just to let you all know as well. There is a missionary senior couple that work in the offices and they cooked an amazing Thanksgiving dinner for all of us in the offices.   It was fantastic. Some day when I'll tell you all more about all my journeys. ( ps from mom: I hate when he says this!!!!! I want more!!!!!)

The truth is there is no time whatsoever. But just to answer some questions really fast I am soooooo happy!!!! I love it here.  I have been so blessed by the Lord. We have a stake conference starting shortly and today was the birthday of one of the AP's so we are eating with everyone here in the mission home.   It is great forgive my short letter I love You all.  

I am with Hermana Smith right now and she wants me to tell you that You have an amazing son and that she is so happy to have me closer here in the mission and she said if I did not write it in she would take the computer and write it for me.

Elder Stewart-Chester

Big News---My Last Stop

Well I am sure you all wondering where I am headed and where will I be serving the last parts of my mission..... Well lets go through it shall we?

So saturday during the day we were expecting a phone call from president telling us what was going on how everything was going to be working out and whatnot, which one of us would be leaving and to where. I expected to leave because I have been here for 6 months and that is kinda like the max normally someone is in an area so ya but because I have only 1 change left we thought maybe we will stay together or maybe I´ll stay. Anyway so after doing visits thinking about how to help our investigators progress and attend church the next day, we were knocking a door who did not attend to us when we ran into a recent convert walking to visit her family that was in the plaza nearby. She talked with us and asked if we knew who was leaving yet and we told her we did not know and that we would be passing by in a half an hour to teach her husband who is going to baptised this next month. We were in midsentance saying we dont know who is going and staying when we got a call from the mission home. My companion handed me the phone and I talked to president.

He asked me If he felt our Zone Oeste could handle not having me in the area and I said yes if thats what the Lord wants. Then he told me that I would be going in to work with him. My new change is= Assistant. I have been enormously blessed to have the opportunity to finish my mission learning from president and teaching with him. I was to say the least overwelmed and shocked.... I am excited and know that it will be something that will change my life completely. 

I did not want to tell anyone so I kept it a secret for a while but slowly the whole mission calls one another and everyone finds out. Sunday morning I asked God in my personal study what He wanted me to know and what He needed me to focus on as i entered into this new resposability I needed to know what he needed me to know. and he brought me to a talk that opened my eyes and brought tears and peace to my heart. It was a talk by Elder Uchtdorf in the General conference in october 2011 called= "You matter to him" I remember it impacting me huge when I was at home listening to it but here in the mission it gave me the vision I will need. I cannot explain how I got there to that talk all I did was after my prayer look up think I am going to read a talk and I grabbed the Conference Liahona that was sticking out the farthest oppened it up looked at the table of contents traced the titles of all the talks with my finger and I could not get past that talk so I did not get very far. and then I read. One of the things that most jumped out at me was this phrase:    

                The Lord doesn’t care at all if we spend our days working in marble halls or stable stalls. He knows where we are, no matter how humble our circumstances. He will use—in His own way and for His holy purposes—those who incline their hearts to Him.

The truth is in the mission field for those who have served here or are serving here we all know that where I am going is the most coveted spot. But what God revealed to me is I have been called to serve. To serve harder than I have ever served before. Give more than I have ever given before and that To God it does not matter if I am AP or junior comp what matters is I give him my whole heart my whole being my whole soul. I love my Saviour I could not do anything without him. 

I have some very busy days ahead I have to get the mission ready for the presiding 70 of our area here in our area Elder Gonzalez and Tomorrow I will be capacitating all the trainers of the mission how to make a difference in their child's life. And that is just a small sample of what lies ahead. 

The truth is all that I have been given is a huge blessing it has nothing to do with who I am or how I teach or that I have had lots of success. The Lord needs me here to learn to give to be taught. I feel like the most spoiled man alive I get to learn from president himself almost every day. God has been so good to me. i am nervous but I know He will lift me to where I need to be. I will need your prayers more than ever but dont worry the Lord has been preparing me. 

There is so much more I would love to say about my week.  Another spiritual experience was as I knelt in prayer with a missionary who was doubting his testimony and the spirit engulfed us and he remembered that he knew. I committed him to write it down. Satan always tries to make us forget. The holy Ghost helps us to remember. 

The only thing left to say is the Church is true I know it!! The saviour Lives and loves us all. Be strong and of good courage because He overcame the world for us. I love you all

Elder Stewart-Chester

ps. I will have another pday saturday my new pday is saturday and Rodrigo is doing really well miracles are raining from heaven for him and it looks like he will be able to have the operation  and everything thank you I love you all 

pps. If I dont reply to you all individually it is not because I do not want to there is just no time I love you and love your letters that fill me with stregth and peace I love you 

my zone in zone conference

I wept

Just as we all expected folks I got up to the pulpet to say my final testimony and I had already begun to leak from my eyes as I sat with the other missionaries... I walked to the pulpet tears streaming down my face and began my testimony telling everyone the things that the spirit has helped me to know to be true. It was a miracle from God aswell because he knows that when I cry I cannot speak and he wanted all the other missionaries to understand what I had to say. So when I sarted to speak the tears stopped even though I got very emotional and everyone knew I was on the road to tears flooding down my face God let me have all the emotion but not until I closed in the name of our saviour and turned to set back down with all the others My eyes streamed once more.... I told them all If I could I would go Straight from this mission into another that I did not want to leave and it is the truth. Sometimes lately I am a bit trunky but the truth is if I could go again I would. There is so many more to help so many more to teach. I love this Gospel.

It was a powerful zone conference. There were 3 zones instead of 2 which is the norm. And we did a music number like none other we kinda a little bit changed one of the hymns into a fight song But we did not chant we sung and seeing as our zone is all men it came out really well. we even brought out our zone title that my companion made and it really showed the other zones the unity and strength there is here in our zone. The great thing was our Stake president also went and was very impressed with us. We also did a tug of war between districs in the diferent zones and Oeste our zone dominated that as well. We beat out all the other competition and it was Oeste agaist Oeste in the final. It was a good day. 

After that day It was like I had an extra jump of the spirit. I love testifying and since then I have felt the spirit a ton as I have testified in the lessons. I love being able to do this. I cannot imagine not being able to. that is why I will always push myself to share the gospel. 

Our Halloween Party was a super success. Lots of fun the Rootbeer that I did with dry ice lacked sugar darnit but they got a kick out of all the smoke it put out. We have been having troubles lately finding new investigators and now that is what we have to focus on this week every lesson every person who is being prepared by the Lord. 

Anyway I know this is a short one I am sorry I am tired and have much to go look for because this could be my last full week in this area. Next week we have changes so expect my letter with where I will be spending my final months here in the mission serving the Lord full time. 

Look for those in need and lift them up always. I love you guys.

Elder Stewart-Chester

Dear mother I am sorry I completely forgot my camera at the rerun of the halloween party but the sister missionaries took lots of pictures and so did members so we will get them all on Facebook aswell. But here in the orange I painted and my costume they painted my face at the end of the night. It was not painted at first