Sister Stapp Meets Urdaneta: Kumustapp!!

Hello Family and friends!!!

I love you all very very much! Thank you for your emails and letters and love.
This week has gone by so fast I hadly know what to write! We are teaching a lot of new investigators this week which is really really great! Sister Cabrera and I have been praying and praying for new families to teach and we have two new families this week! They are both very interested and we are happy to be able to teach them. One of the families is part member. Which in this case means that the wife is a less active and the husband is not a member. His name is Danny and he sells bread from his motorcycle for a living. He used to be a member of Iglesia Ni Cristo. He is really excited to hear our message and keeps his commitments. He says that when he prays he feels like this is the church that he needs to join. When I teach this family I feel like they really have been prepared by the Lord. I feel their hearts have been softened and that they are ready to take the next step to becoming an eternal family! We have not yet extended a date for baptism but will probably tonight!!
We are still working on Sister Nova and her daughter. Sister Nova is very special. She is very interested but has so so so many questions!! She feels the spirit but is having a hard time recognizing it. We are helping her with her prayers and BofM reading. Sister April, her daughter, was prepared by the Lord! She is 13 years old but she understands the scriptures so clearly and simply. She has a believing heart and is humble and enjoys reading and praying. I have very high hopes for this family.
I love missionary work and I am becoming the missionary that the Lord expects me to be every day. I am learning so much about what I need to to to become more like Christ so that I can be an example to the people here and to my future family.

This week was District conference!! We were able to hear form our district presidency and from Pres. Monahan and from our area authority Elder Agustin. It was wonderful! We learned all about the area goals. There was a lot of enphasis on rescuing lost members of the church. The rescue effort is strong here in the Philippines and we need all the members to put forth their best effort!

As for the questions I will try to answer as Many as I can.
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Questions for you--

1. Have you been outside of Caba or Agoo lately? We get out of caba every monday. We spend p-days in agoo wich is a 30 min bus ride. Other than that we only get out of Caba on Sundays because church is in Aringay. Oh! and district meetings on Tuedays are in Bauang! So we get out quite often. I like Caba though. I feel like it is my home now!

2. How is your scripture study going?
My scripture study has never been better! I read the Book of Mormon every day. Right now I am in Mosiah. I just finished King Benjamins speech. He is so amazing! I want to be a leader/missionary like him. I also re-read d&c 100 the other day. It is very comforting and empowering. You should alllll read it!

3. Are you conversing in Tagalog with your companion?
I try to converse in Tagalog as much as I can every day. I am slowly transitioning to all tagalog but not quite there yet. I am studying very very hard to memorize new words and express myself more. I am working had as I can to qualify for the gift of toungues! I am getting better at conversing with members and such. It is very exciting

4. Are you aclimating to the weather?
I am becoming more aclimated to the weather. Yet I am still sweating buckets every day! haha! It is just hot and more hot all day. But I am used to being sticky and so it doesnt bother me :)

5. Have you had a chance to shop for clothing?
We went to the Ukay ukay today!!! The second hand clothing market! I bought three shirts for 50 pesos each. That is like 1 dollar in us money! yay! We broght along with us Sister Lael. She is in the RS presidency and is really good and bargaining at the Ukay ukay. Love her!!! She is also a really good cook :)

6. Did you get any letters/package this week?
I recieved a letter form grandma and grandpa Stapp with a pic of Spencer and his soon to be wife!! yaya!!! I am sending them a reply today. I get all of your dearelders and letters so keep writing! I also recieved dearelders from Melissa Snell and Savannah tell them I will be writing back soon!!!

7. Of course I want to hear about your investigators!!
See above.

8. Do they have any international food (chinese, mexican, American)?
There are not many....well not really at all. Excet for Spagetti!! Filippinos love lov elove spagetti!!!! It is sweet and pinkish. haha!!

10. Are you keeping you journal this week and do you use your umbrella a ton?
I have not used my umbrella much. The rainy season ended. but I have been keeping a journal!!! I will let your read it someday or send it home when I am done :)

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