December 7th, 2015

It has been a very short week. Last Monday Elder Bennett and I went hiking in Creede and we thought it would be really fun. It was very snowy and we were walking through snow drifts and my feet froze! It was really cold and windy. I think I have gained a greater appreciation for the pioneers.

We helped the Smith Family put up there Christmas tree! It was really fun to decorate a tree with a family and it has caused me to reflect on some of the reasons why families are so important. 1st It teaches us about our family in Heaven. 2nd We have the opportunity to learn and to teach 3rd we are able to have a support in the truths of the Gospel.

Never take lightly the gift of families they are amazing.

We had an investigator at church yesterday and it was great! He was answering questions and got to know a lot of the members. I taught in Elders quorum about teaching the Gospel in the Home/ family. I am so grateful that I was able to learn about the gospel from my family and I know just as the 2000 sons of Helaman I "do not doubt for my mother (and father) know it" I was asked last week what I did to prepare to serve and my only answer was that I learned from my parents. I am so grateful for them.

For anyone that did not watch the First presidency devotional last night. Go watch it now. You will feel of the spirit of Christ. And you will be taught from the word spoken.

I am so grateful for this the Christmas season and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for His children this year. Everyone should go watch #aSaviorisBorn video. And I really want all of you to ask your selves why we need Christ.

I know that we each do and I know that as we do humble ourselves and follow him he will give us all that we stand in need of.

Don't forget to pray, don't forget that this time of year is about Christ not Santa, but the First gift of the season, a Savior which is Christ the son of the living God.

Don't let the stress of this time of year stop you from partaking in the Peace of the Baby born of Mary.

I love you all. And I challenge you to all go to Christmas.mormon.org and watch the videos on the site.

Elder Stewart

November 30th, 2015

To start off I hope that everyone has had a great thanks giving! Next Happy Birthday Dad! I would not be able to be out on a mission if not for the example of my parents, they are amazing people!

We had two thanksgiving dinners Thursday both with members of the Branch and it was great to see their families together and reflect on the great times that they have had together. Families are such a wonderful gift that God has given to us. I am so blessed to have been invited to be involved in their family dinner. I am also very grateful to have such a great family back home!

On Monday we helped the Food bank give out thanksgiving boxes and that was really fun to meet so many new people and help them. We volunteered at a thrift store and I found a record player from there and have been listening to Christmas music all week! It is so cool! I have also been reading the Nativity story from the Bible and it is such an amazing gift that we have all been given, #asaviorisborn and because he is born all can be born again. I hope that as the next several weeks go by you will all remember why we have a Savior and what that means for you. Hint it means you don't need to go through life unhappy, you can become free from anything that weighs you down.

Elder Bennett and I split wood with week at this old lady’s home and it was a really good work out. We did it the old fashion way with an ax and it was so much fun! But really tiring. It has been getting a lot colder here and it is supposed to be in the negatives this week for the low, I am very grateful to have heaters and warm clothing.

I gave a talk Sunday in sacrament meeting about my Gratitude for faith. Hymn 254 "True to the Faith" came to mind and I talked about that a little bit, as well as testified that Faith is not just a word; but is the power that miracles are performed by. Faith leads to knowledge and then Eternal joy.

I also taught Gospel principals this week and we talked about agency and how we are free to choose. What a blessing that is; we can chose to be happy or we can choose to be unhappy, but it is entirely up to us and the actions that we take.

Our Brach president taught the 5th Sunday lesson. He talked about how to have the spirit more and how we need to be supports to our families and each other in this ever unstable world.

I hope all of you have a great week! I miss you all and will keep you in my prayers. Time has been flying by and it’s hard to believe that I have been out for 3 months now! I know that our Father in Heaven loves you and wants the very best for you. If he didn't he would not have ever come. 

Go to Christmas.mormon.org and watch #aSaviorisBorn it is a really good video!

Love you all, Elder Stewart

November 23, 2015

This week we had a mission tour and Elder Marcus B. Nash of the 70 was in our mission and spoke to us and gave us some great council. I sang in a small group of missionaries Be Still my Soul. It was an amazing experience! We woke up at 4am to get to Publeo and we got home about 6pm. It was a very full and very helpful day.

We went up to Salida for District meeting and we contacted a few people. We were able to talk a little bit about the Handbook change with some people that asked us about it and we had the chance to talk about the Family proclamation.

I bear witness that the family is of God and I will defend the Family with everything that I am. I know that the Lord has a plan for each of us and that Families play a key role in that plan.

It is warming up again here the high all this week will be in the mid 40's (warm right) but I am actually really enjoying the weather.

Thank you so Much Grandma for the gloves I really do like them and they are quit warm.

We have started to listen to Christmas music and it has made the days so much more. I love the spirit of Thanksgiving and Christmas. The focus is on our many blessings and then on the greatest blessing that any one of us has ever has, the Atonement of Christ.

Friday night we had a community showing of Meet the Mormons, we didn't have as many people as we were expecting but it was really good we had a few interested people come and learn a little bit about who we are as people.

I know that the Lord has a lot planned for us and that if we listen to His still small and patient voice he will bless our lives and will give us the gifts that we have been searching for.

I love you all and I am so grateful for your prayers and your thoughts.

Love Elder Stewart

November 9th and 16th

Nov 9th
It has been a good week. Yesterday I taught in Gospel Principals about our Heavenly Family, it is such an amazing thing to think about! We had and have a family no matter what, who or where we are we are part of something eternal and amazing.
It snowed at our apartment this week not very much but I was still really excited about it. The snow is all gone but it was still fantastic! It has not gotten about 50 this past week and I am very grateful for warm jackets and gloves.
Thank you Grandma Brenda for the box! I gave some of the popcorn to one of our investigators son, he loved it and so did I!
On Friday night I saw some Raccoons in a member’s yard and I took pictures of them! I was way more excited to see the Raccoons than I really should have been... but it was exciting.
In my Book of Mormon studies I was reading about Helaman and the stripling warriors. They were very young men but they knew and believed that they would be protected as they fought to protect their home and their families. What are we doing to protect our Homes and our Family’s? If we are not praying and if we do not teach about Christ in the Home we have already lost the battle. There are big things that we can do but those big things are made up of little things such as daily prayer and scripture study.
The time has been going by so fast! I can't even believe it has been like 2 months already gone.
 My companion and I found this jerky place that is pretty cool.
On Saturday we went to our Branches Relief society’s Super Saturday! And we made Pillow cases it was so much fun. Elders and High Priest's Quorums should have craft days I think. They would be so much fun!
I love you all and I love hearing from everyone! I hope that everyone is doing well.

Elder Stewart

Nov 16th

It has been a good week! We have been trying to find this guy for the past few weeks; then a few days ago got a call from his wife and we were able to go over and teach the Restoration lesson with them both! They agreed to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, I know that it will be a blessing to their family’s life. 

It has been getting colder but that just means more people let us in and then we can share a message with them.

This Friday we are having a community showing of Meet the Mormons and we are hoping for a good turn out, we have been inviting people for the past two weeks and a lot of people said they would come so I am very optimistic about it.

Elder Nash of the 70 is going to be visiting our mission this week and I am singing in a quartet for when he gets here! 

We had zone training this past week and we went around Adams State and contacted several people!

It was great seeing some other missionary’s and we all went out to eat after as a zone and someone paid for our entire zone to eat! It was about 24 missionaries that they paid for. I pray that the blessing of Heaven will find them.

It has been cold! And it snowed a lot last night, so this morning we went over to the church building a build some snowmen! I had never really done that before but it was so much fun!! I learned a new skill about how to roll the snow into a ball. It was pretty sweet!

We also got to watch the new Christmas video for the church it is entitled #A Savior is Born and it was amazing I know that Christ is our Lord and Savior and I am so grateful for him and I invite all to ask and to Discover Why.

Thank you all for your emails and letters and know I love you all and pray for you all.

Elder Stewart

October 26th, November 2nd, 2015

It is crazy that Casas Adobes is now in the North Stake! That is pretty awesome though!

This week Elder Bennett and I went up to a small old mining town called Creede. It was really pretty. We talked with some less active members and one of them showed a book of Mormon that the cover had been slightly burned. A few years ago his house burned down, he was unharmed but so much was destroyed in the fire. One of the only things that survived was this old copy of the Book of Mormon that his grandmother had given him when he was a boy. Other than the cover it is completely unchanged. The Lord protects his work, The Book of Mormon is not the work of man it was not written by Joseph Smith it was written by many of God's prophets I

testify if that. It was amazing to see and hold that copy of the Book of Mormon.

I also learned how to bake bread! For anyone who does not know fresh bread is the greatest thing other than the Gospel. I am way more excited about bread than I should be but that is beside the point. It was great.

This week I have set a goal to not get in the way of the spirit teaching I have been trying to teach lessons and that is just wrong. I am not the teacher the spirit is. I know that this is the Lords work and not my own. Time has been going by so quickly I can even believe it! I am almost done with my first transfer it is Crazy!!

Elder Bennett and I went up to the mountains to help an investigator get fire wood. I got to cut down a tree! That was a first for me. We were up there dragging logs around for like 6 hours it was really hard but so much fun serving others. It was also a fantastic workout!

For morning exercise this past week we hiked up this hill it overlooks the town it was really pretty as the sun was rising to see the whole town and a lot of the San Louis valley.

Next month we are going to be having a community movie night and we are going to show "meet the Mormons" we are really looking forward to that I think it will be fun and it will help answer some questions that a lot of people have about us and we will be able to meet a lot of new people!

I love getting all of you emails and hearing from you all. Thank you for your prayers and all of your support!

Elder Stewart

Happy Birth Day Scott!! I will make bread and eat it in memory of you.

It has been a good week! It was the end of my first transfer! I am so grateful to be on a mission I love going out and talking with people about the Gospel. I understand a little bit better Alma the younger when he went to the Zoromites and he was just shocked by the ideas that they had about prayer and about how to worship our Father in Heaven. Some people have very interesting ideas about Heavenly Father. A sister in my District is going home this week she was really awesome to learn from but at District meeting Elder Bennett and I made breakfast for everyone! It was a lot of fun!

On Friday night our Branch had a Halloween pot luck. I make spooky punch! It was really awesome we had 22 non-members there! We also went on a church tour before it started which was really cool! I testify that there is a very special spirit in the Church buildings.

On the 31st we went Gospel singing with one of our investigators at this guy’s house. We sang hymns for about an hour and a half before we left Elder Bennett and I sang "I believe in Christ" for everyone it was an amazing opportunity. I love the Hymns and the different music that we have in the church. "The song of the righteous is truly a prayer unto the Most High.

Last Monday I learned how to knit!! I have started to make myself a scarf it is going to be blue and gray and it matches one of my ties! It is really fun and I am glad that I am learning new skills that I can use in my life.

Colorado has daylight savings and that started this week. It is such a weird thing. It is bright and sunny at like 6 and it is dark at like 5. Super inconvenient for tracking but we will find a way!

With this month being Thanksgiving ponder on the many blessings of the Lord. He loves all his children and will help you when you ask for it. Look for the reasons to be happy and don't let the world get you down.

I love you all and I know that the Lord will be with you as long as you strive to remain clean

Elder Stewart 

October 19, 2015

It has been a good week here is Colorado! Elder Bennett (my trainer) and I went tracking and found 2 new investigators. We were walking up to this house and a lady came out and just said "We aren't interested we are Christians." So our reply was simple “So are we!" After that we had a great talk about The Book of Mormon and Scripture and we were able to bear our testimony of Christ, His love for us and the blessing of Prophets on the Earth in these latter days. So many people see us and think we are earthier Jehovah witness people or trying to sell them something. I am glad to say we are not, we are missionary's for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We are also known as the Mormons. It was great talking with her and her family and we are hoping to meet with them on Thursday.

We had specialized training this week with President Rehm and the assistants to the President. President Rehm spoke about how as missionary's we are called to live by more rules then we have ever had to live by and that is not an easy thing but it allows us to stay focused and safe. He answer some different questions people had about many of the rules and taught this very important principal about rules: For every rule there is reason behind it and a reason for it. If you think something could go wrong with what you are doing or if it is unsafe do you want to be the reason for a new rule? (And my favorite) Think before you act and you should almost never have a problem. The AP's talked about how to set goals and make a plan step by step to reach them, it was super useful for our weekly planning I was able to see what I needed to do.

I taught Gospel Principals on Sunday about the Final Judgement. It went really well! We get so caught up in our fear of it we forget who our judge is. It is Christ and He has already said in D&C 18 that "the Worth of Souls is Great in the sight of God" I testify that is true. It is not something we need to be afraid of but it is something we need to prepare for.

     We went to a New Life Fellowship worship service with one of our investigators Sunday night because he came to church with us. It was a nice service the topic was unity in the body of Christ (in the church.) What their Pastor had to say was true, as Disciples of Christ we need to act and be more open with talking of Christ.

      I am so grateful for the understanding that the Book of Mormon gives about Prophets and Apostles. We have a living Prophet who is called of God and we have many others who are called of God to help edify and support the Church. The LDS Church is unified under God and I know as we strive to help our Fellow man, we will only grow closer together.

     The other day we found this nasty looking bug in our apartment. It was HUGE! We got rid of it and then finished our day.

     It has been a fantastic week. I have seen the Hand of the Lord working we were in a lesson and as we were about to close we asked if they knew of anyone who would benefit from what we had to say. The family suggested their friend who lived next door and then there was a knock at the Door and she walked in! We gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and set up an appointment!

This is not my work, this is the work of the Lord and I am so grateful for the Gift and blessing of the Gospel in my life.

Thank you all so much for your letters and your strength

I love you all and love hearing from you all,

Elder Stewart

Oct 12, 2015

This past week our branch had a chile cook off. My companion made a fantastic White Chicken Chile. I made a salsa and I won 2nd place! (People here don't like cilantro) with my Tomatillo salsa.

We had 12 investigators come to the party it was great! It was like 1/4 of the people there!

We had Zone training this week and the lesson was on the importance of obedience and how when we are obedient we can live without regret and with more joy. Making a chose to be obedient really is the best thing it will lead to more trust and greater understanding. There are times when we want to be disobedient to a commandment or to a rule but if you like about it how hard is it to break a rule? It is super easy right. So when we break a rule we are doing the easy, and really the weak thing. However. When we follow the commandments of the Lord we are showing to ourselves and him that we are strong and that we have some sort of backbone. Be diligent in following the rules of the Lord. They are not there to hold us back but to keep us safe from the storms of life.

I have started The Book of Mormon again and I decided to ask a question and find the answer throughout my study. I have already learned so much more than if I had just started to read it. I challenge you all to ponder a question it can be about anything and write it in the front of a copy of the Book of Mormon and go through and study that question out pray each day and night and I testify that as you do this your faith will grow and you will learn so much!

The weather here in Colorado is really strange it can be really cold one day and then super-hot the next I am okay with cold and okay with heat but I need some sort of consistency with it! I love it here in Del Norte I found out that when leaves fall off of trees here it does not mean that the tree is dead. Who knew! I am in awe of the world that we have been given it is so amazing and beautiful. I am looking forward to seeing what else this new part of the world will teach me!

I love you all and love hearing from you all write me letters or e-mails :)

 Elder Stewart

October 5, 2015

It has been a good week here in Del Norte Colorado! The people here are very kind and even if they aren't interested they will listen to us for at least a little bit.

This Friday will be my one month date! It doesn't feel like that much time has passed at all. Here are some of the thing I have learned this past month:

This is not my mission but our Father in heavens, as He said "this is my work and my Glory to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" Moses 1:37

I was not sent here to Colorado because of anything I can do but because this is where the Lord knows I will grow the most.

Missionary work is not easy. However it will make the difference of an eternity of Joy.

The harder the task the more reward you will be given.

I am so grateful for the gift that we have to be guided by living Prophets and apostles and that we hear directly from them every six months! Each of those men were not called by men but by a living all-knowing Father in Heaven who loves us and wants the best for us. As we listen and heed the council that they give to us we will be protected from the storms of sin that rage on everyday trying to weaken us.

The branch I am working in is great! The members are very kind and willing to work with us. I know that this is the Lords work and that I am only here to be a tool in his hand.

I found a tea pot last week and have made hot coco pretty much every day. I always thought that I could handle the cold but turns out I am not quite used to it just yet.

The Lord has a plan for each of us and he knows out limits He will push us only when we are willing to let him push.

I got to play with some little baby kittens this week!! It was great they are pretty much just balls of hair. And they aren't cats yet so that was even better! The more I spend time here in Colorado the more I see that I was placed here for a reason. I know that as we seek to find what the Lord has planned for us the happier we will become.

Love you all,

Elder Stewart

September 21, 28th 2015

This past week a lot has happened, a member of my mission district went home, I discovered the true power that fervent pray can bring.
 I also played spike ball with my district.
 So in TRC we teach "investigators" the missionary lessons many of the people are members but there are also real investigators and resent converts to the church. One of our TRC investigators that we are teaching has been taking lessons for a long time now and she probably has read the scriptures more than I have but still she was not feeling a confirmation that this is true. She was baptized a few weeks ago hoping that as she kept listening to the missionaries that she would know, she wanted to know and has changed so much in her life to know that the church is true. She hoped it was true and was faithful in all things she was told to do. We did not know any of this until Wednesday; we promised her that as she followed the teachings of the scriptures she would feel the Spirit of God and she would then believe it was true. However she could not take not feeling these promises any longer and told us how she had never had that confirmation and since her baptism her life has fallen apart. She was about to leave and not ever look back. Now comes the power of prayer and that hand of the Lord. The missionary s at the TRC that teach after us dropped their lesson plan and just read 2 Nephi 31 with her, and verse 20 stuck out to her because of a lesson she has with a visiting teacher a week ago. when she got home that night her roommate was sick and so she was taking care of her roommate and her Visiting teacher come by an had cross- stitched that verse in fabric for her. Everything came together in such a way that shows that our Father in Heaven is ever mindful of his children and that all promises make by those in authority to make them will come to pass.
I have never prayed more for the welfare of a soul than I did for hers I know that angles touched her heart that night and she now knows that she is a daughter of God for we are all his children and he knows what we need and what will truly change our hearts and help us for the better.
I am loving the MTC my teachers her are incredible and my district is truly a brotherhood only three of us in our district are going to Colorado however I will never forget these men that I get to work with. I am in a trio now because one elder's mission was to come teach us a district and then to return to be with his family, his father is very sick, I know that he will come out again soon to serve the Lord.
God is mindful of is children and he wants to hear from us, as we pray to him he will teach us the things we should do. I love this gospel because it is the Gospel of happiness and truth in its fullest. As you read the Book of Mormon and test the promise found in the Moroni 10: 3-5 I promise as a missionary in His church you will know of its truthfulness.
Thank you for the letters and emails I love hearing from you all please email me and ask me questions I will answer with an email or I will write a letter to you. I love you all and wish you all joy throughout your lives.
Happy Birthday Mychal!!!

Elder Stewart
mckay.stewart@myldsmail.net

I am in Del Norte Colorado my trainer is Elder Bennett he is GREAT! I love being out here in the mission. We are working in a small branch. We are working to try and reactivate members of the branch, we have 2 investigators that we might be able to give a baptism date to hopefully.
Del Nor is a very small town and we are in the valley so anytime I tell people I am from Arizona they just tell me to get ready for winter. It gets to about -40 here so that will be interesting I think. The people are very kind here and everyone hunts and goes fishing, you can’t go into any home and not see at least 3 fishing rods and a rifle. The valley here is indescribable it is so beautiful.
We are visiting with many people and everyone is so different than the person we met with just a few minutes earlier, Everyone here is kind of old to. I think that the fountain of youth is somewhere is Colorado because there are like 7 people we are teaching that are 90+ and people are just kind of old... but the nice old people not the mean ones.
We are teaching a man who wants to try and find out the "fast way" if the church is true, so he is going to the all-powerful search engine of Google. My friends this is not the way to know if the Gospel is true you have to read the Book of Mormon and pray to our Father in Heaven. The truth could be found online but it would take years of digging through every little thing and study to figure out if what one person said is truer than what another person said.
General Conference is this week and I encourage everyone to watch any part that they can it is on BYUtv Saturday and Sunday. (And also you can stream it on LDS.org) We will truly hear from the Prophet of God who lives on the Earth today, 3 new apostles will be announced and sustained by the church under the direction of our Father in Heaven.
Thank you for all the letters and Emails. I love you all and look forward to your words
Elder Stewart


Tell Bri congratulations for me!! I am so happy for her.
I love the mission it really is God’s work. Elder Bennett and I are working a lot I like the small town but I feel like I need to be somewhere else I am not really sure where or why but something is just... well off. I am not sure what or why but I am hoping to get clarification from President tomorrow when I go in for an interview.
I miss everyone but I am so glad that you are all doing well. How is everyone?

If you could I would like those two coats. It is going to get really cold here... maybe you could also send my boots? they are heavy but I think they might be warm enough they are my steel toed one just think about it I don't need the boots anytime soon but they get a lot of snow here and I don't know what to do haha. Also I can’t charge the glove batteries there is a piece missing.
Can you have dad send me a chili recipe there is a cook off next week and I want to make a pot.
I love you mom tell everyone that I am thinking about them!
Elder Stewart

PS this is my address
1145 French street apt #5
Del Norte Colorado 81132