Great Week...

Dear All,

  This last week was a great week! On Thursday we had our Zone Conference, up at my old stake center in Gaoxiong. When I used to serve in Nanzi, Gaoxiong, we would take the MRT (subway) to the stake center just about every week for meetings and such. So going back there this week was fun because I got to see some of the old sites.

  The conference and training was really good. We talked about the importance of teaching very clearly each of the three members of the Godhead. Because many people here do not have a clear concept of the true nature of God, it is very important that we help them understand the basics; that God is our Father in Heaven. He is literally our Father, and we are created in the image of Him. And because He loves us, He sent His Son Jesus Christ to come down to the Earth to atone for our sins. And in order to help us learn and recognize these truths, we can feel the Holy Ghost in our minds and hearts. If people here can't understand these basic truths, they don't have a foundation for any of the other principles we need to teach them. I realized that I take for granted the fact that we know what God really is like. But to the people here, it's an entirely new concept. In our lessons with new people this week, Elder Lin and I tried hard to really make sure they understood these basic things before moving on, and they were really great lessons.

  After the Zone Conference, we went back to Ping Dong and met with President Wang, our Stake President. He's a great guy and so are his counselors. We are working hard on helping the individual wards with their own mission plans, but it's also hard because there are many other things for a new Stake President to focus on. In April we have a big Family History activity which we hope can be used as a way to introduce many people to our Family History tools and to the church. That'll be fun!

  Last week, Elder Lin and I laid down some expectations and a step by step plan of how to pick up the work in this area. Even the Stake President said that the work in our ward has been too slow for the past year or so. We really hope that we can work hard to change that! This is a great area, with lots of people! We definitely believe that there are many people here that are waiting for this knowledge of the restored truths of Jesus gospel!

  I'm sorry I don't have much time to email any more. Alexa! Congrats on winning the piano recital!! That's awesome! Also, Dad, thanks for your advice on working with the Stake leaders. 

  We're having a great time! I love you all!

 Elder Stevens


Dome of Lights, Formosa Blvd., Gaoxiong, Taiwan


Lots Of Dogs!

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