A Walk of Faith

Dear Family (That now includes my niece, Melody!),

Welcome to the family, Melody! I am glad that everything turned out okay! I have been praying for you!

This week has been a little on the harder side. Many people dropped us this week and we didn't have any lessons on Thursday, Friday, or Saturday. There were still miracles, though! On Wednesday, our schedule suddenly had a big hole in it because one of our lessons fell through, and the others all called and canceled. Elder Nelson told me that Heavenly Father has something else planned for us. We said a prayer and asked to be guided to those who were prepared. We felt impressed to stay in Meridian Green Apartments and contact there. While we were contacting, I felt impressed to knock on a door. At first I doubted because I thought we weren't allowed to knock on apartment doors. When I told Elder Nelson about it he said, "No, it is not allowed. Which door did you want to knock on?" We ended up knocking on it anyway. The man who opened the door was very open to us and he said we could come back! Elder Nelson explained later saying, "It might not be allowed, but to Heavenly Father, if it means saving one of His children, it is allowed." Over the next hour, we followed the Spirit and found two more people who are willing to take the lessons! I felt the impressions of the Spirit so strong that night. That is one miracle that has happened this week! We like to call it our Faith Walk, or our Walk of Faith.

Love, 

Elder Steiner.

PS: Sister Ellineta Smith's Conversion Story, Part 1

Ellineta grew up in the Philippines. Her first contact with the church was by the missionaries there. She was very young, but she remembered them because they were the only white people she had ever seen, while growing up. When she got older, she traveled around the world for a few years, but eventually settled in Kent, Washington, USA.

She had a dream one night, where she saw men in white. One of them touched her forehead and she felt like she was paralyzed and couldn't move. From that dream, she wanted to learn more about God.

She looked online to find a Bible. She came across a website called Mormon.org, where they offered a free Bible! She typed in her address and requested the Bible. She expected to receive the Bible in the mail. Instead, a pair of missionaries, Elder Green and Elder Nelson, showed up to give it to her. Since she lived in Village Green Apartments, which are in-door, they had to ring her bell from outside. Ellineta actually worked there, too, as a janitor. She was working next to the front door when she saw them. It was raining outside, where the missionaries had to wait. She opened the door and asked them who they wanted to talk to. They said ,"Ellineta Smith."

Ellineta had heard that Mormons don't believe in Jesus Christ, so after telling them she was Ellineta, she asked them, "Do you believe in Jesus?" The missionaries said, "Yes," and gave her the bible. They also said they wanted to come by and teach her about Christ. She told them she was busy and closed the door.

Several more times, the two missionaries came back. When she actually happened to be home, she would always ask, "Do you believe in Jesus?" The missionaries would always say, "Yes." She didn't ever have time for them to come and teach her. They would give her small assignments like to read their pamphlet or to search on Mormon.org, but she never did them.

One night, Ellineta had another dream. She saw the men in white again. This time one spoke to her, "You should join the Mormons." When she woke up, she told her room-mate, Fatima, that she would join the Mormons.

Later that day, the missionaries came by again, but this time there was a new missionary. Elder Steiner was Elder Nelson's new companion.

To be continued...

​This is my Zone! Elder Nelson and I are on the far left. The short Elder is Elder Gonzalez, and the funny Elder in the middle is one of the Zone Leaders, Elder Andrasko. The other Zone Leader is Elder Mousser, on the far right.