Monday, June 19, 2017

Missionaries Are Investigators, Too!

Dear Family,

This will be my last email to all of you unless I choose to write one from home next week. I am very grateful for the opportunity I've had to serve this mission. I know that the Washington Federal Way Mission was exactly the place I was meant to go and I feel like I have done good work here. I have also grown personally to become a better person. One of my favorite things that I've heard from a member recently was something like this: People are missionaries' investigators. Missionaries are God's investigators. He is helping us to do His work at the same time that He is helping us to draw closer to Him.

I know that Heavenly Father has helped me change on my mission. I feel like a new person. I have learned some truths that I cannot deny. As a missionary, you learn some very important things that will help you for the rest of your life. One thing that I've learned is how the Spirit speaks to me. I have a confidence that I didn't have before in receiving personal revelation. I know that I have a Heavenly Father who loves me and all of His children and He is eager to bless all of us and provide guidance.

Another thing that I have learned is that love goes a long way. The pure love of Christ is Charity. Love is the greatest factor in leadership. If those you serve feel your love, they will be more willing to progress because they will know you have a pure motive; to help them progress. I have noticed also that when I learned to love the people I serve, it suddenly wasn't a burden anymore. It became so much easier and my work was filled with so much more joy and satisfaction.

I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world. If you are thinking about serving a mission, I would strongly recommend you do it. I am not saying it will be easy. You will still face trials and hard times like everyone does. But you will also have many great times and Spiritual experiences. What I am saying is that you will emerge from those trials and experiences a new and stronger person if you will let Him. So let Him in.

I know that my Savior, Jesus Christ lives! I knows that He performed the Atonement because He loves all of us. His Atonement is infinite meaning that no one is exempt from the blessing of forgiveness that comes from Him. Never give up on yourself. Never give up on God. If you turn to Him and rely on Him, you will be able to accomplish things you never though were possible in your life!

I hope that these emails that I have been writing have been a blessing to someone's life. Even though my mission is coming to a close, I will still strive to continue on as a disciple of Jesus Christ. I love you all. See you soon!

Love,
Elder Bretton Steiner.

P.S. The whole Graham Zone went on a hike to the Eatonville Falls earlier today! It was awesome!






Elder Steiner Signing Off:






Friday, June 16, 2017

The Power of Service!


Dear Family,

Happy Birthday Bryson!


This week has been awesome! Elder Fullmer and I got to do some service on Saturday. This was a little different than I am used to. Usually, when we would be asked to do service, it would just be us and the people who asked us. This time, it included a lot more people.

Brother Daines lives on a short dirt road off of a highway. There are about 5 or 6 houses on this road and they all have large properties. He asked us to come and do service for his neighbor. Brother Daines's neighbor has been going through some tough health challenges and so he has not been in any shape to take care of his large yard.

When we got there, to our surprise, almost everyone living on this street came together to help out. We had people bring weed wackers, their riding lawn mowers, rakes, and other things. As a group, we worked together for just over 2 hours to move away the things on top or over grown from the grass and we mowed it all. Elder Fullmer and I aren't allowed to use a riding lawn mower, so we usually had rakes to gather up all of the grass shavings and put them in the yard waste can. It was really fun service!

I don't even know the name of this person that we served, but when it was all done, his yard looked amazing. He said thank you to everyone. As we were walking away, we saw tears in his eyes. I am so grateful that we were able to make a difference in this man's life. Service is a powerful thing. It brought everyone on this little road together in an unified effort to help one another. I believe that everyone on this block has grown closer together. It has also opened up windows for missionary work.

Jesus Christ, the perfect example, always went about doing service for others. He always turned outward and gave of Himself. He expects every one of us to do the same. As we go out every single day, I hope that we would all have a prayer in our heart that we can have opportunities to serve that day. If you always seek to serve, you will be happy. All of your problems will no longer seem important.

That is one of the truths of missionary work that I have learned on my mission. If I turn outward, thinking only of others and their welfare, I will be happy. It's that simple. And I will be a great instrument in God's hands.

I love you all! I hope you have a great week!

Love,
Elder Bretton Steiner.

My last moments with my bike. I have just sent it off to be boxed and sent home.

The sunset yesterday night while we were returning from the Enumclaw Mission Devotional.




Wednesday, June 7, 2017

Conducting A Baptism Interview!

Dear Family,

First off, Happy Birthday Mom! I love you so much!

It seems like this week has been full of things to do! We had our district meetings, interviews with our Mission President, weekly planning, and also My Plan (for those missionaries on their last transfer). Because I am the district leader, I also got the opportunity to conduct an interview for an investigator that the Sister missionaries have been teaching.

Her name is Sammi. She is amazing! The Sisters have been working really hard with her to teach her everything that she needs to know. She gets nervous easily and thus prepares a lot for things like this. She passed her interview with flying colors. She was bearing her testimony to me multiple times through out the interview. I really feel like she is ready.

An unexpected thing happened after her interview. We walked out and told the other missionaries that she passed her interview and they got very excited. Sammi started to cry. She walked down the hall with the Sisters who were trying to comfort her.

The Sister missionaries later told me that Sammi has been feeling stressed about all of the commitments that come from being a member of the church. They pulled out a scripture that we talked about in district meeting to share with her. It was in the Doctrine and Covenants and talked about Joseph Smith as he was going through trials and his testimony. Sammi liked the scripture and was comforted.

We are looking forward to her baptism this week! I hope that all goes well and that she will be able to overcome the temptations that Satan always tries to throw at investigators the week before their baptism.

I know that this is the Lord's work. Anyone who asks God, with a real desire to change, will come to know that this is the true church and that it has been restored to the Earth. This knowledge can only come from God. No one else can make you believe. If you haven't obtained a testimony of this church, I invite you, ask of God in prayer. And be willing to act on His response. I am very grateful to be here as a missionary, serving the Lord.

I hope you all have a great week! I love you all!

Love,
Elder Bretton Steiner.

​Hitting at the driving range. A nice member let us borrow their golf clubs. From Left to Right: Elder Tripp, Elder Oliva, Elder Northrup, Elder Koffard, Elder Steiner, Elder Fullmer.

The south half of the mission​ with Elder Dube! (I won't be listing off all of their names...)