Well people, I can`t believe I`m here. It`s been a long time coming. I`m seriously just still in denial. I feel like next week, I`ll just carry on with normal mission life, talking to people, teaching lessons, going to district meeting, but people keep reminding me that that`s not how it is. I wish I had epic last words like Paul or Abinidi, but my simple testimony is what I have. 

Missions are the best thing a person can choose for themselves. It is my opinion that a mission is the 2nd greatest decision a person can make. The 1st being to follow God`s plan and Jesus Christ in the Pre-mortal world. I suppose marriage would probably be 2nd, but for right know in my life my mission is number 2. That single decision changed everything! A mission is likewise the same. Missions change lives. Missions mold destinies. Missions are the atonement taking effect in you in every sense of the word. This is the greatest adventure I`ve ever had. I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father for allowing me to represent his son in this beautiful country with these amazing people for 18 months. It`s been a long 18 months. It`s been indescribably hard. But it is the hardest thing I have ever loved. 

As his representative, I testify with every ounce of truth that I know for certain that God is in reality our Father, the Christ is in real time our Savior. I know that those two beings love us with unfathomable love that we will never comprehend in this life. I know that a young boy, saw these two beings in a grove of trees in 1820. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet like I know that the sky is blue. He was a prophet and this is Christ`s only true church on this earth. The Book of Mormon is not just a good book, a nice story, a Mormon bible. It is God`s word. I love the souls that wrote it. I love them like I love my friends and family. I love them like I know them personally. Their words are true and I would defend what is written in that Book till the day I die. 

This is the truth. I know it. I know it. I love you all so much. Thank you for all those who prayed for me during these 18 months. I really felt your help and your love. 

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and he lives! I proudly testify of that fact in the name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen.

See you in a bit ;)

Hey Everyone!
Goodness gracious. I can`t believe where I am right now. All throughout my mission I figured that,
`Ya, diffidently at my 2 week mark, I`m going to feel it. I`m going to feel it like a brick wall that I`m going home.` Yup... pretty sure I`m at my 11 day mark and it still doesn't feel real. I think that`s a blessing though. Helps me keep focused on why I`m here.

Anyway this is short but today was super fun! You`re gonna love this, but our friend Casey-san, took us out the whole day and dressed us up in kimonos! I literally felt like Mulan when they were dressing me all up. This lady that did mine is a pro at dressing kimono`s. You have to go to a special school to learn all the details about kimonos. We got all dressed up, and went to an english class, and I got to teach and testify to the class about my purpose as a missionary and about God and Families. After we took pictures, and had Okonomiyaki for dinner. Goodness this lady, Casey, is seriously a saint. She`s not a member, but she might as well be, she has a heart of gold. She did it all for me because she knows I`m leaving next week. It was such a blessing cuz I`ve wanted to try  this out my whole mission but never had the chance till now. 
I love my mission so much. I cant express that to the least degree. I love this experience. I love my life. I`m so grateful for Heavenly Father for sending me here. I love these people with all my heart and I still don`t know how I`m going to leave them. I can`t figure it out, but I`ll leave that to the Lord. This is the true church. My mission might be coming to a close but that testimony will always be there. This is God`s church on the Earth. I know it with all my heart. I know my Savior lives and that God loves us.
Till next week!

Stevenson Shimai

Hey Everybody!
Sorry this will be short! Thanks for all the birthday wishes! You guys are the best. I still dont believe Im 21. I still feel like a 19 year old about to head to the MTC, but whatever ;D

This week was busy! We had Elder Choi of the 70 come to tour the mission and I got to meet up with all my peeps! I love being a missionary. I love all the missionaries in this mission SO much! Especially my comps. I got to see Healey shimai and Carvalho and Malone. It was great! Being around other missionaries is like no feeling there is. You`re just surrounded by young people all fighting for the same purpose and cause. I love it! And Im going to miss it so much. Gah! 

Anyway, One short miracle. Yesterday we taught our 90 year old investigator Yasuko-san. Since shes so old, its so hard for her to hear.  We were teaching about the Atonement, which is the most difficult principal to understand in the gospel. Akuta Shimai has to write out a simple lesson on paper and show her using pictures. Akuta Shimai did her best to talk loud for about 10 minutes, and Yasuko would try to understand, but in the end she`d just turn to out member joint and ask what she said. Then I tried. I looked her in the eyes and said in a loud voice, ` You know Sister Yasuko, I`m really grateful for Jesus Christ and what he did. Because of what he did, we can live together forever with our families. We can be happy all because he made the path clear for us.` I looked at this 90 year old child of God, Body pretty much skin and bones and I promised her, `I`m grateful for Jesus Christ because because of him, we will all one day be resurrected and have perfect bodies.` After, she looked to our member joint and said,` WOW! I could really hear her.` Know I would like to say it was the spirit, and maybe it was, but it`s also because I have a deeper voice and old people cant hear high voices like all the Japanese have. 

What a blessing! I`m not insecure about my voice, but I'm not the biggest fan of it either, but I'm glad I was able to be use in the lords hands to relay that message to her. I love that feeling. I love that feeling of when as a missionary, you feel like you fall short in so many ways, and you try and try and then boom, God uses you. You make a difference and you feel like you did something. I love that feeling when God wraps his arm around you and says, `You know, you`re doing better than you think.` I love it!

Love you all!

See you in 0 fast Sundays :D

Sister Stevenson

Probably the best thing about this week for me was actually what I studied in personal study!

When I was in the MTC, my best friend Sister Allen (now serving in the Morristown New Jersey Mission) gave me a well known missionary talk called, "The 4th Missionary". It's 24 pages long, but in short it goes through the character traits of 4 types of missionaries. In short definitions that don't do them justice, here is what they generally are. 

1st Missionary: 0-25% true effort, dedication and desire
2nd missionary:  25-50% 
3rd Missionary: 50-95％
4th Missionary: 95-100% Gives their whole will to the Lord. The best kind of missionary.

I've reflected on this talk time and time again throughout my mission, often trying to measure up to a 4th Missionary, but all too often feeling like a little kid who is not tall enough to ride the big roller coaster; Not measuring up and just seeing how much I lack. But just as often in those times occure, I have felt the spirit teach me the same lesson over and over. "Do your best, that is all God asks of you." If I am doing my best, I am pleasing God. I might not be the picture perfect model missionary, but if I am doing my best, I am being a 4th version of something better. A 4th version of myself. A 4th Sister Stevenson.

An important lesson I hope every missionary learns is to be yourself, not compare yourself to others. I feel that God would much preference a 4th Sister Stevenson, than a typical clean cut, robot perfect 4th missionary. 4th version of yourself means to be the best version of yourself. Someone who still does all they know they should, but is still true to their personality, talents and strengths. God sees us from that perspective. He sees us for what we can become. Our potential. He sees our weaknesses and shortcommings now, yes, but those things aren't nearly as important to him as what he sees us to become. He sees the big picture. So this week I thought,` If God always sees me for what I can become, Well then, can I peak a look? Can I see who I can become? 

So this week, I prayed to God to teach me who I am. I prayed, "What does it mean to be a 4th Sister Stevenson? I have an idea of who that person is, but I'm not quite sure. Can you teach me? What does she look like? What does she sould like? What does she do? So I decided to do ask President Uchtdorf says, and he said, "The words written in the scriptures and spoken in general conference are for us to “liken them unto [ourselves],” not for reading or hearing only."
So I did! I put myself in the scriptures. As you read this, just replace Sister Stevenson with your own name (a 4th Maddy, a 4th Jacob, etc..) and take a peak of what it means to be a 4th version of yourself or in other words, you living up to your full potential.(not quoted exactly)

And a 4th Sister Stevenson suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
-Moroni 7:45

And a 4th Sister Stevenson is young, and is were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all--she is a woman who is true at all times in whatsoever thing she is entrusted.
Yea, she is a woman of truth and soberness, for she had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.
-Alma 53:20-21

And a 4th Sister Stevenson is a strong and a mighty woman; she is a woman of a perfect understanding;...a woman whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of her country, and her brethren from bondage and slavery;
Yea, a woman whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to her God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon her people; a woman who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of her people.
Yea, and she is a woman who is firm in the faith of Christ, and she had sworn with an oath to defend her people, her rights, and her country, and her religion, even to the loss of her blood.

And it applies to all of us, that we all can be a 4th version of ourselves everyday. Who says it takes a long process to get there? We can be our best everyday. We can be like our Savior everyday. And when we do, we'd be surprised when it is said of us like it is said of Moroni.

Yea, verily, verily I say unto you, if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto a 4th Sister Stevenson, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men.
-Alma 48:17

If we look at our goals for ourselves as something we already are, as in my nature is to be a 4th version of myself, than our vision is so much clearer.I know God sees us for who we can become and in just waiting for us to see it too. I know he lives and loves us! And I know if we do our best, we will find that the 4th version of ourselves, is a lot like that of our Saviors. 

This is my testimony in the name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, Amen

Love you all!

Stevenson姉妹

This is going to be so pathetically short so, gomen ne.
I went to Mission Leadership Councel on Tuesday! Such a blast! All the mission leaders right now in the mission are the Best! I love them! 
Thursday we gave training to our zone and it was super good! The spirit was there and there were tears. The end ;) 
PS: I HAVE MADE A BREAK THROUGH IN MY ABILITY TO SPEAK JAPANESE PEOPLE!
I can now have an hour long heated conversation with a native japanese, all while playing a decent game of Pingpong. Boom! Talk about every japan missionaries dream fulfillled right there. Im super proud, just have you know ;) Haha jk, but this week was a blast!

Hey everyone!
This week was full of a lot of goodbye`s, Hello`s and Probably-see-you-later-but-nobody-really-knows`s. We had a birthday party for Malone Shimai and Parmley Shimai/a goodbye party for me, Parmley and Chapman Shimai. It was so fun!
These people are golden, I love them. I cant wait for the chance to come back and go on splits in Iwakuni!

Ube is super cool! Me and Akuta Shimai are super busy because we inherited all the Elders investigators and contacts because the shut down the Elders in Ube. Its kind of cool that so many sisters are coming out in the mission, but its kind of hard to adjust to the lack of elders too. This is a great place! I`m so lucky I get to end my mission in this area. So the past few days ,I was really thinking about a transfer theme for myself. My last one. What does the Lord want me to focus on? How should I live out these next weeks as his servant? I actually came across an awesome scripture. 

Jacob 4: 71-73

And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit... 

And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights; and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them;

I know the Lord is with me wherever I go. He watches over me and every soul on earth. He especially has his eyes on his missionaries. We are not alone. He`s by our side everyday, every second, every rejection and slammed door, he is there. He doesn`t leave us. I cant testify of that from experience. I know this is his work and I`m so honored to labor along side the Master. 

Love you all!


Sister Stevenson

Wow this has been a crazy crazy week! And I think Heavenly Father was really cutting me a break for missing his wedding because on Friday while everyone in Utah was having a ball, I was having a blast here in Japan too on Saturday;D

Saturday morning we had a breakfast with the military branch on base and there are few things I love more than this branch, and then just combined that with delicious american breakfast food and you're set! Then we took a train to our Japanese ward and Elder Shriver (from Lone Peak Highland believe it or not) taught the Relief Society sisters how to make american pizza, which was a blast! Then after that, we headed straight back to Iwakuni to a members house to watch the Kintai Bridge Fireworks! Japanese fireworks are as awesome as you hear. Their huge! It was such a fun day!

Lets see, on Friday we went on splits with the Japanese sisters. And of course on splits, you always see amazing miracles. We were having a lesson at the door of this new investigator and at the beginning she was talking for like 15 minutes about how she's not really interested in religion and just politely rejecting us, but then as we talked and got to know her more, by the end of the lesson, she was asking us where the church was and when church is and told us that she'll come at the end of the month! Holy cow! What a miracle!

On Monday we went to a pottery class with a member. I cant tell you how good it felt to be in an Art room again. It was like coming home, i loved it! Yesterday I went on another split with Parmley and Chapman Shimai, because my companion, Malone Shimai went to Fukuoka for Trainers training meeting! Yup. She's getting a new missionary again, and you know what that means ... I get another new companion!!! Holy Cow! I've had so many companions! 12 Transfers 11 companions! I guess the Lord is trying to teach me to get along with a lot of different personalities, because I can tell ya, none of them were the same. I'm not complaining though, I've loved all my companions SO much!!!! I've learned so much for each and everyone of them. And this is just another opportunity to meet and get to know someone new. I dont know who it is yet, but we'll find out today ;D

Anyway on our split we taught their investigator named Kelley. She is so GOLDEN! She grew up around the church in Idaho and has family and friends that are Mormon, and has even been to church a few times but she herself was never baptized.  She told her story of how just 2 weeks ago she was feeling bad for not going to church in a few months because she was sent to the Military base, and all within that week, she met 3 members and the couple missionaries by chance. Her boss was a stake president. A member and the couple came into the doctors office where she worked. She said it was amazing because until then, she hadnt heard about anyone being Mormon around her for 2 months. Anyway, one way or another, we finally met with her, had a lesson and invited her to baptism and she said yes! Right when Sister Parmley invited her to become a baptized member of the church, it wasnt even a moments hesitation and with tears in her eyes, she said, "Yes. Yes. Absolutely." She talked about how its been out here in Japan with the Navy and Marine Base. 20 years old, all by herself, surrounded by strict schedules, 24 hour shifts, no sleep, rude men and perverts. She had been looking for light and she felt that she found it. We taught her the restoration and I just could feel how much God love his daughter. He was looking out for her the whole time. So amazing!

Well I love you all! I can't believe it. As of this week, I am starting my last transfer here in Japan. I am on my last 6 weeks. I can't believe where the time has gone. It was so fast and yet, I feel like its been so slow and so long that I can scarcely remember what my life felt like before my mission. Missionary work is all I feel like I know anymore. So weird. But I"m excited to sprint to the finish. 

Love you all! See you soon!

*Sister Stevenson

P.S Ummmmmm,........ Some just got my transfer call. I, transferring :D
(AGAIN!!!!!) to UBE. It's in the same zone as Iwakuni. And my companion is Akuta Shimai! I love this girl! I've been around her my whole mission. She's been in my same district and zone nearly my whole
mission. And me and her are the new Sister Training Leaders. Holy cow, I thought the lord was going to let me have a nice graceful, quiet death for the last of my mission, but nope! He's putting me to work!
I just want to cry. I love Iwakuni so much. I love these people so much. If I could have it my way I wouldnt leave. But at this point in my mission, I've learned to many lessons that it's not about what I
want. It's never been about me. It's about the will of the Master and other people.
Pray for me because I'm gonna need it!

Miracle week! First off on Monday, we did some sight seeing in Iwakuni and went to one of the most famous bridges in Japan called "Kintai kyou" and after went to Iwakuni Castle. Japan is so cool that it has preserved and rebuilt a lot of their ancient castles in the way it would've looked hundreds of years ago! Super cool! :D

This has also been an interesting week in the fact that we've found two cockroaches in our apartment, which is like more than I've seen my whole mission. Not to mention the huge spiders we see every night when we tract some super old apartment complex's! Seriously, Those bad boys could be found in the forbidden forest of Hogwarts, they're so huge! On top of that, it's starting to get to the hottest part of summer. You walk outside and within a minute, your forearms, you legs and every other part of you is wet. But I'm okay, Im kind of use to it. Reminds me of the good ol days last year with Fujita Shimai in Miyazaki, where you feel like your swimming in the air, it's so humid and hot.

Anyway, Sunday was a day of miracles! We called Morioka-San in the morning.
"Morioka-San! Are you coming to church?" 
"Mehhhh..... I want to sleep." He says half awake.
"No no no Morioka-San, today's a good day to come to church." We talked, but he stilled seamed 50-50 on whether or not he would actually show up.
"Okay see you in a bit okay?"
"Mhhhhh..."

I actually fasted today that he'd show up to church. He needs this so bad. He needs good Latter Day Saints in his life. But getting investigators to church is probably one of the hardest things in missionary work. So I fasted and me and Malone Shimai headed on a train to Yanai for church. The whole time I'm just praying, "Come on Heavenly Father, help us out. Wake him him. Help your son get out of bed."

We're walking up the hill to the church and guess who drives by in his car? Yup! Morioka-San! Is this real life?! We met this guy not even 2 weeks ago, this is his first time to church and he showed up! He stayed for all three hours, Before sacrament he even joked that he was going to take a nap during it. After sacrament we jokingly asked him,"so did you sleep?" "Nope." He said wide awake. Our branch president taught a great, very much needed introductory lesson on the church during Sunday school and then went to priesthood. Me and Malone were a little worried about him going to priesthood, thinking that they might go into super deep priesthood stuff ... And they did. Good thing the Elders were there to help him out. They talked about some super deep things about the Aaronic Priesthood and of course, Morioka San was lost and asking a bunch of questions. One of the elders told us what Morioka San said towards the end of the lesson. Morioka San turned to Elder Nyegaard and asked, 
"So, what must I do to get this power?" As in, the power of the priesthood. Elder Nyegaard told him about baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We were so excited to hear that! I love those words, "What must I do?" In missionary work, that is the number one thing that distinguishes a normal investigator and a golden investigator. What must I do? Action. That is true faith. I believe there is more faith when we go out and do, than in just quietly sitting in our rooms and praying for faith. Faith is a principal of action and power. This reminded me so much of King Lamoni's Father in the Book of Mormon.

Alma 22:15 And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.

I know great miracles come into our lives when we stop wearing out the Lord I our prayers,"Help me do this." "Please make this happen..." "Please, please, please..." And we change our language to, "Lord, what must I do to obtain this blessing?" I know that is true in the name of our Savior Jesus Christ, Amen.

-Sister Stevenson

こんにちは！今週は滑らしかった！ This week was awesome!
On Friday we met with our new investigator Morioka-San. We knocked on his door last week and ended up talking to him for like 20 minutes. He shared his sad story of how he's divorced and separated from his 2 year old son. They've been separated ever since he was born and so his son probably doesn't even know who he is. He said that his only purpose in living is to sustain is son through child support, spending his days working long hours and the rest of the time drunk. He related all his problems and recounted that that is why God doesn't exist. He's had too many trials and hard times to believe in God. We taught him a lot of things, about God, his love, Christ, prayer and even faith. We made another appointment and he said he'd listen.This week we showed up at his house, knocked and no answer. Ah come on! Not today. We missed out on a baby shower for one of the military members just to me meet this appointment. We were bummed but decided to write his a small note to stick on his door. Minutes later, who pulls up I his drive way but Morioka-San! He said that he actually remembered and rushed home from work.

Morioka is a good man. We've already become good friends with him. He's easy to talk to and joke around with. He listens and gives his honest opinion on things, in a very non-threatening way. It's actually funny because we had our lesson in the middle of a small neighborhood road, because he was showing us the power lines on the mountain that he helped build, and I guess we just stayed there. We asked him if he prayed like we challenged him to do last week and he said he didn't. "I don't think anyone is there." He reasoned. He just went on how God doesn't exist and how He doesn't believe. We taught him the restoration, laying out all the proof of God's love for us like calling prophets, the Book of Mormon, the restoration, this church. God even sent his own son, Jesus Christ, to painfully pay the price for our sins and die for us so that we did not have to face a doom of eternal death in the utmost pits of misery. God does love us. We are his children. He wants us to know the truth. If he didn't love us, he wouldn't bother to go through the trouble. Morioka-San would politely listen, but then come back to his original case....


"God probably doesn't exist. I've never seen him. He's never made himself evident in my life. Even if I believed in God or Jesus Christ, that doesn't change the fact that I'm still separated from my son. That my ex-wife still has him. He will grow up and not even know me. He will not know that I'm his father."

In that moment, an idea forced itself into my mind and I felt a surge in my heart, like a fire, the way I do when I speak boldly to people. There was a moment of silence and then I said...

"Okay Morioka-San. Do you remember what we said about God and who he is?"
"Ah...hmm." He said trying to think. 
"We said that God is our Heavenly Father. He's your father. He's your spiritual father. Remember how we said that you are his son? You are his kid and he loves you. He loves you so much you cannot even comprehend. Now God is in Heaven and you are on earth. Right now you are separated from him. Now how do you think God must feel being separated from you? He misses you probably a lot more than you miss your little boy. Now image even more if your own son grew up. He grew up and was supported by you and loved by you all without him knowing or recognizing. Now imagine your son, now old enough to be on his own, imagine if he had the opportunity to meet you. He finally has a chance to meet you, but he says,"Psh, No! I don't want to meet him. I've never even seen him before. I don't have a dad. I've never had a dad. He's never made himself evident in my life. He doesn't exist........ How would you feel?" 

The expression on Morioka-san's face changed. He looked like something just connected in his brain that he's never considered before. This was a real fear he had in his life, to have his son never know him, and for the first time in probably his whole life, he made a personal connection with God. He paused and said tenderly,"Oh, I see. I understand." He looked at us and said "あなたの言葉は私の心を響きました." Which is to be interpreted as "Your words ーーーーーーmy heart." We didn't know what the last word "hibiku" meant, so we looked it up. 'Hibiku' can have a lot of meanings. It means, 'To resound. To be heard from far away. To reverberate. To shake. To vibrate. To have an effect. To make an impression." Me and Malone Shimai testified of the truth that we knew, that God is there, that Christ's atonement is real and that the Book of Mormon is true. From that point on in the lesson, he didn't resist with his comments. He just nodded and listened intently. When we gave him the Book of Mormon, he bowed and he gladly took it. When we challenged him to pray, he said,"Yes. I will try it." And he even committed to come to church next see which is a 30 minute drive away in another town. Me and Sister Malone said goodbye, walked down the street to our bikes and looked at each other with a ,'Holy cow what just happened' look. We said a prayer of thanks for the amazing miracle lesson we just had. 

An RM told me once,"You're going to say some pretty bold things on your mission." As a young missionary, I would often say things nicely and politely. But as my mission has gone on and The Spirit has trained me to know how to speak, the more firm, the more proud and unwavering my words have become. The Spirit is soft and quiet. But that is the way he speaks, not nessisarily what he speaks. What the spirit says is not weak at all. It's often powerful, firm and bold. For the past few months, I've been trying to make up a perfect definition to exactly what boldness is. My simple answer is that boldness is the courage to speak the truth out of love, regardless of the outcome that might follow. But I think no one gave a better definition for it than Moroni when he said. 

"Behold, I speak with boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do; for perfect love casteth out all fear." -(Moroni 8:16)

I love being a missionary and I love being bold. I love being bold not just for the sake of feeling good, but because that is how God shows his love for his children and the urgency of his desire for them to return to him. The Spirit seams to teach me the same lesson all the time, 'Have courage. Be strong. Be even more loving. Be bold; you'll see more miracles that way anyway.'

- Stevenson 姉妹