New Area!

Hey Family!

I am now in a new area and I'm farther up North. I am in the Simpsonville 1st Ward in the Greenville East Stake. My companion is Elder Herr and he is so amazing!!! He is from Southern California. He has 2 transfers left so most likely I will be killing him (sending him home in missionary speak). I hope I get some of his ties before he gets to go home. 

I am doing great! I am feeling great and I love being out here. I was at first freaking out cause I got a call on Saturday to teach the High Priest's the next day. I basically let the Spirit take over and it worked out better than I planned. I shared with them the talk by President Uchtdorf "Lord, is it I?" I think it was a great start with the ward. I have a new friend named Mark Harmond and he is such a hard worker. He was baptized about 5 months ago and he is trying to find work. He was in a car accident and his back is causing him some trouble. He tries to hide the pain so much but often it will be hurting him no matter where he is. I feel really bad for him.

My new area is a little bigger than my last area. We have a car and we can bike!!!! I am so glad we get to bike. I really missed it. My apartment is with only me and my companion. :) It's a little more quiet but I like it. I think I will have more time to write letters now but I'm not sure. It's up to what the missionaries do on P-day here.

This week has been a long week. I love it out here but I am trying so hard to get to know the new area. It's a different kind of challenge now. 

Something I have been thinking a lot about this week is the internet. A question came to my mind and it was... "When did people start believing what the internet says rather than asking God themselves?" I think that Satan is trying to get people to look for "All" answers on the internet. A testimony of Jesus Christ comes from faith. You first have a belief and then you have works to create faith. Through the experiences I have been through I can say that I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I Know that he lives and that he loves me.

Sorry this letter is short but I haven't written much in my journal this past week. Just leaving Blythewood and then coming to Simpsonville 1st Ward. I hope that everything goes well you all. I miss you. and I can't wait to see all of you again. I love you and my friends. Don't forget to read that Book of Mormon and to pray about it. Ask God to know the truth.

I love you!!! Good Night!!!!

Love,

~Elder Bryson Steiner

Transfers!!!

Hey Family!!!

It 's so crazy that Logan has already done his farewell talk (He is leaving in a week and a half headed to the Washington, Vancouver Mission) . I feel weird when it comes to others going on missions. To be honest at the first of my mission I had a problem comparing myself to other missionaries. I then gave myself a challenge, I would only focus on the area I am serving and I wouldn't read any other missionaries letters they send home. So, I honestly have no idea what Colton or Rey are doing out there. All I know it that they are my buddies and that I miss them, but that I will see them soon.

As the subheading says. Transferrs!!! I am finally getting transferred out of Blythewood. I really don't want to leave. This is all I know in the South. I remember Elder Wright telling me that the leaving the first area is the hardest. I can testify that that is true!!! When I left home I knew I was going to be back in two years. Now that I am leaving Blythewood I don't know if I will ever come back and if I do it won't be the same... But hey life changes all the time and we need to prepare for the future.

On Sunday I felt like I have a boss moment. (Where I felt like a boss). I was passing the sacrament and we were walking back to put the bread down so we could bless the water. I don't know why but I felt that I should look to my left out into the audience as I was passing by the pulpit. I saw Sister Ferona and she was looking at me. She then mouthed the words that she never got the bread because she was on the very first row in the middle section. My tray was empty so I went up and I asked that I needed a different tray. I then went to Sister Ferona and gave her the bread. She was really happy that I did that. I then mad sure she got to have a chance for the water.

T. and Jackie are sad that I am leaving. Last night, (Monday) They gave me a T-shirt. It has a picture of their family on it and they made it into a missionary/ Gamecocks shirt. I love it and I can't wait to wear it!!! It totally would make any missionary jealous!!!

Last week Monday when mom emailed me about Becca, I laughed so much and I was in the library and others just looked at me like I was crazy. (Becca announced, out of the clear blue, that "It's official, I think I like...") But hey it's not like I get that every day. :) hehe I am glad Becca likes a guy. I could just picture her saying something like that. I love you Becca!!!!

Yesterday, we had a fun time. We went to 5 Guys!!! I love their food. We also went to play gator-ball and volleyball. I have lost weight now, and I am now sitting at about 133.4 lb. I think it's because I am forgetting to eat breakfast at times. We came to the library to email yesterday and well nope. It's closed because it's a holiday. So that is why we are emailing today.

I will tell you next week where I am and who my companion is. I hope that everything works out. I love you all and I can't wait to see you! Bretton!!! Happy Birthday!!!! Well, early birthday. You all have fun now. Love you! Good Night.

Love,

~Elder Bryson Steiner

P.S. Save me some Cake??? :) hehe

Baptism and Integrity

Hey Family!

This week has been a stressful one. I hope that you have been all doing well. 

Mya was baptized on Saturday and I confirmed her yesterday. What was really stressful was that the baptismal font water wasn't clear. It was a green color. I almost felt bad for her but I soon realized that it was okay because it was an ordinance of salvation. 

Not yesterday but last Sunday I got up and I bore my testimony in front of the ward and some words kinda slipped out. I told everyone that I knew that Mya was going to get baptized this Saturday and well she did. There was a lot of things we had to go through in order for her to get the building time for the baptism. 

Yesterday I confirmed her and all of it went well. I just hope that she will remember everything about her baptism. Her mother is a less-active and she really wants to come back to church. Mya has been the key for her to do that. Now that she is baptized I just hope that they continue to come to church and renew that covenant with the Lord.

Saturday after the baptism we went to Blue Ginger and we ate some Chinese food. As we were about to leave I saw a $50 bill on the ground. I picked it up and all the other missionaries were looking at me. Someone said that I was lucky and another asked if I was going to keep it. I shook my head and then told them no. I found the money right next to the paying counter. I turned around and I asked for a waitress for assistance. I told her the story and I gave her the money. She then went and told the owner and he caught us just as we were about to leave. He then started talking to us and then he asked us which one gave the money back. I hesitated but razed my hand. He then told me that I could eat the next 2 times for free. 

The Lord really does give you blessings for doing the right thing. :)

On the other hand some sad news is that Amberley has a crush on me. I am now almost positive that I will be leaving the area the up coming transfer. I am sad because I think she is only taking the lessons because she likes me. I hope that isn't true but now i just don't know what to do. 

Today Elder Webb and I are just going to sit around in our apartment. Every P-day we are up and about doing random things. We hardly get time to write any letters. But today will be different. I just hope i don't sleep through the day. 

I want you all to know that I love being out here. I love the wonderful people i get to meet every day. I love being a missionary. I love you all. Have a wonderful week and I hope that everything turns out well with y'all.

I love you again! I can't think of any other experiences right now. 

Love, 

~Elder Bryson Steiner

Kickboxing

(We didn't get this until Tuesday so here it is)

Oops, I think I forgot to send this to you...

Hey Everybody!!!

This week has been really fun! Last Monday we got permission to go to a members gym. It was a 9 Round gym and we learned to kick box. I loved the workout. I got really dizzy and wanted to throw up. They said I was going to hard. I really miss that feeling of giving it my all physically for a competition. T. drove us there and he was so kind and got pictures of us kickboxing. That was pretty cool. I am going to ask to get those pictures from him soon.

On the 31st we went to Blue Ginger and Amberley was our server. After we ate I left her the envelope I made for her. I didn't find out until Friday the 2nd that, that it made her entire day. She was interested in hearing our message before hand and had scheduled a meeting that Friday. On exchanges, Elder Franco and I taught her the Restoration and put her on date for baptism on the 24th of January. That was a really cool moment. After the lesson I asked her if she got the envelope and she said yes. 

Later as we were about to leave she stopped all the missionaries and asked me if she could speak to me in private. I then asked Elder Franco to come with me and we went around the corner. She then expressed gratitude for the envelope I gave her. That was a really cool experience. I hope that she decides to get baptized. 

At church yesterday I got up and bore my testimony and talked about the power of forgiveness. I read Doctrine and Covenants 82:1 and then talked about the Atonement and how it makes everything new. That was pretty cool. Later in Priesthood I was asked to sing "When I was Baptized" I couldn't get the notes right and was so shocked... I was so embarrassed because I was at first singing off key. My companion and I were singing together and well he wanted me to carry it cause he couldn't sing, but I ended up messing up. Still, it wasn't the end of the world. I now can laugh at it cause no one will really remember it in 2 weeks. 

Mya our 10 year old investigator will be getting baptized this Saturday. Elder Webb will be Baptizing her and I will Confirm her in Sacrament Meeting. She is so ready for this important step in her life.

Yesterday was Elder and Sister Ferguson's last Sunday in the ward. They leave tomorrow to go back to North Ogden, Utah. We had a lot of Less-Actives at church yesterday cause everyone wanted to say goodbye to them. I just hope they continue coming to church. 

I find myself at time looking at my desk and wondering why it is so messy. I feel like I clean it every day but no matter what I do it always gets messy from running around. Hehe. Missionary life is so fun and easy. If you can handle stress and rely on the spirit it will be easy. 

So I was at T. and Jackie's on New Year's Eve and he didn't want us to go until we got to see him light one firework. It was cool but we had to go. That night he told us that we were his 2 best friends. That meant a lot to me. 

I sometimes think of home but to be honest the things I miss at home are the moments I shared with my family. I often think of moments where I learned something from my parents and I will share them when we start talking about Families. 

I still don't have an iPad and no word on it yet but transfers will be on the 21st I think. I hope I stay in the area but I know the Lord will place me where I need to be.

I want you all to know that I love you and that I miss you. I know what I need to be doing out here. I love being a missionary and I am understanding more and realizing how much Satan will try to distract you from the single most important thing. Missionary work, (The Salvation of Others).

Love you again! Good Night!!!

Love,

~Elder Bryson Steiner