Halo Halo

Kumusta Family!! I love you.

I just ate a halo halo! it was delicious! Halo halo is a Filipino dessert with coconut, shaved ice, jelly things, bananas, ube ice cream, beans, rice crispies, pineapple, it is called halo halo because that means mixed! it has every thing mixed into one! I forgot to take a picture :( Eating here is the phils is really a pleasure. Usually when we eat it is with a spoon and fork but when we eat at places like the Lorenzo's or just at home we eat with our hands! You know I love eating with my hands! It is an art here in the Philippines to eat with your fingers.  When I first got here, I despised tuyo, which is dried fish. Now I love it! My taste buds are adjusting!

Anyways this week has been great! We have 5 new IBDs!! Three of those are the children of Sister Domingo. She is a less active member that is returning! She really loves the gospel and wants her family to be eternal. Her daughters are 9, 11, and 13. She has two older children but they work in Baguio. They are so excited for their baptism!

We are also happy becuse our long time investigators Mark and Donna are getting married  and so we have given them a date. They just had their first baby, Jet, in January he is so stinking cute! I wish I could hold babies! Anyways I am so happy for them. They are active in coming to church and reading and praying. They know this is true and have been investigating since before I got here in Caba.

This week we started teaching a lady named Emie. She is the sister of a recent convert. probably in her late fifties and not married. She is so so so sweet. She is catholic. We shared a message about her Heavenly Father. She started crying when I told her that we love her and that she has a Heavenly father who loves her. I discerned that she hasn't really heard someone tell her they love her in a while. I felt the love of the Father for her. I know she is so special to Him. I love feeling that for the people here. I want to feel that for everyone.

Today we had a Zone activity which was a picture scavenger hunt. We had to run around Agoo preaching by the way and taking pictures of random things and of course be creative. My team was the most creative, I wouldn't say it was all because of me but I will say I have won many picture scavenger hunts at school. Haha. It was fun but sweaty.

I have a small ear infection this week but it is not holding me back and I have canker sores of course.
I love the gospel so much. I am so happy to be here!
Sister Stapp

Mark, Donna and Jet!
 

ps. The tobacco's as high as an elephants eye! Wherever there was rice a few months ago is now tobacco. It is everywhere and it is stinky!

 

 

ps. If you ever send another package, send razors like good ones. There are no good razors here!

ben:
What color was Mary's little lamb's fleece?
As White as snow! Duh. haha!

Weeks are rushing by...

Hello again family and friends.

I cannot believe it is Monday again! The days and weeks are going by so so fast!
Happy Valentines day and all that jazz. I forgot to say that in my last email. I hope you all know that I love you so much and pray for you everyday. I am grateful every day for your example to me and for your love and support.

This week was great we have been increasing our new investigators and investigators with baptismal dates. By the end of this week we should have 7 investigators with baptismal dates! Very exciting. Three of those investigators are the children of Sister S____. Sister S_____ is a less active member who was offended years and years ago by a member and stopped coming to church. We visited her and she seemed hesitant but knew it was time to let go and go back to church. She told me she had a dream that her first child, who died at the age of 5, was standing next to Jesus and told her to go back to church. She said she is scared but wants to improve her family. She has great faith and this week she attended church with her 3 daughters! We are so happy and are focusing on her and her family.

We have been preaching by the way like crazy! We talk to everyone just like PMG tells us to. We meet people that are interested and some that are not so much interested. It is interesting to see how different people have been prepared by the Lord. Usually the people we talk to have friends who are members or family. The most common belief here is that all the churches are the same so we use the Book of Mormon to teach them why there is only one true church and how it is different from any other church on earth. We are very excited because Aringay branch is having a temple trip on Feb 28! It is only once a year that they have a temple trip and everyone is very happy. They are preparing and saving their monies.

Our leaders in Aringay branch are improving. They are now holding PEC without being reminded and ward council. There is progression here in the Phils and it is very exciting. The attendance in sacrament meeting is up also. The branch members are getting more involved in missionary work and are fellowshipping the new faces at church. I am so grateful for them. They are still learning how to be leaders but they are willing to learn and follow.

The transfer is comming up! Who knows what will happen! We will see.
I love you all so much!
Sister Stapp

Send me more pics and vids!

A Cow!

A Sunset!

A Happy Missionary!

questions:

How is the weather? Rainy, hot still?
It is hot! Getting hotter every day. haha! It is also rainy a little.

How is your companion doing?

She is doing great! She is so talented and powerful She is positive and funny.
I look up to sister dacuno and love her so much!

When are the next transfers?
Transfers are on march 1 and march 28. There is a short transfer because of the shift.

Any letters this week?
I got a dear elder from you and sister savannah! :)

How is your health? Any new foods this week?
Hmmmmmm I am healthy! No new foods :( I am just eating and eating and eating.


Mom my friend sister sheila said she sent a friend request of FB so check and approve!
Daddy I just want to know that I think of you whenever "Oh come with me to primary" comes up on my playlist:) I love you so much my daddy!

Packages, Interviews and Dogs, oh my!

Kumusta po kayong lahat!?

I am doing great and have had an eventful week! First of all some very sad news...the companion of Sister Fernando was called into the mission office on Tuesday. We think she is going back to Pakistan. We don't know why. I do know that Sister Fernando was having difficulties because her companion would not listen to her. Because of this I was the one assigned to stay the night with her the night before she left for the mission home to help her pack. It was sad to see another missionary leave the field early. Anyway we were a tri-some again! For the third time, but only for a week this time. Sister Fernando has a new companion now and we are happy for her. Now she can rest because her new companion has been here for a while.

Anyway we had zone interviews this week also. It is always good to hear from our president and his wife and the assistants. I did not know pres and his wife knew the Willis'! That is funny. Anyway they are so sweet. I asked Sister Monahan about the fish and she said fish is OK as long as it is fresh! yay!!! I can still eat fish! I had a great interview he challenged me to increase my preach by the way. I will do it! Preaching by the way is actually really fun once I get over myself and just do it! haha! He said something really great to me when I told him I get shy sometimes he said, "Sister Stapp, the worst thing that they could do to you is say something that will make you lose your testimony...Will that happen?" I answered "No of course not!" And that was the convo.-- it is true. All I need to do is open my mouth and it will be filled. I will still have my testimony no matter what!

Yesterday we were contacting less active members that we had never met before. We were going to visit the S______ family who lives right by the beach. When we finally got around to visiting them it was dark and we had no flash light! So we walked by faith. All of a sudden all these dogs started barking! it seemed like 10 dogs were surrounding us. suddenly they were charging at us and trying to bite our legs!!!!! Sister Sheila was fighting them off and I was trying to find a rock to throw at them. It was so scary! haha!!! finally one of the sons of the less active came out and walked us to the house with a big stick in hand fighting off the dogs. we got there safe and were able to teach a powerful lesson about enduring to the end. The family we met were really nice and sweet but they have let Satan take control of their family.

Family and friends, do not let Satan take control! he will only take control if you let him. Then you will forget the sacred covenants that you made at baptism and at the temple. You won't forget all at once but little by little. It might start with not reading your scriptures or thinking a bad thought. but when you realize you are doing these things, re-evaluate your self and change right away! Be the stronger one. We are always the stronger ones because we have our loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ on our side. I love you all so so much. I know this gospel is true and there is nothing that can convince me otherwise. I know the spirit I feel everyday is real and that my Heavenly Father loves me so much. I know he loves all of you!!!

 

Sister Stapp

ADDITIONAL MESSAGES:

Mom Got a package from the stapp grandparents tell them I love them and that I love everything they sent!

Also I got a dearelder from you and Savannah! Love you and daddy so so sossos much!

 

Hey Mommy thanks for the email! I am so happy for all your plays and activities! Tell Eliza I say happy bday!

 

Also read this sentance from your email.....read it again.....who did you hold??? haha!!! anyway...

"I had Abbott over yesterday, oh and Rachel came too (I totally ignore her when he is around). Ben was busy taking the LSAT (the test to get into law school). I held him for a few hours while he slept, which put me behind on everything I needed to do."

Let me know how the lumpia goes I love love love lumpia!

How is roberta? and kara? I am hopefully sending her a letter this week. let her know ok?

 

 

Hello Mga Kaibigan

Hello flamly,

I am so glad to have this opportunity to communicate with you again. you all bring me so much happiness. i am still happy and healthy and working hard. Luckily I am still in good health. I have been eating fish a lot ( you know fish is my favorite) and it is not until a few hours ago that I found out that it is forbidden for foreigners to eat sea food! Well that made me sad but I am grateful that the Lord has protected me from whatever might have been in the fish I have been eating. Sorry if my English is weird it is getting very difficult to speak English. Anyway we are having a great pday. We started with a district study. My DL is Elder Gojo Cruz. His Companion is Elder Amataga from Samoa. They are great elders. We practiced preaching by the way today! I love practicing PBW because it is where I struggle the most. After that we had a Zone lunch at the Gatchallians! Delicious!

This week has been challenging. We are searching and searching for a new apartment. I am not sure if I told you this last time. But if so just know we are still searching! We are praying that we find one that fits the requirements. It is so hard though. most houses here are unfinished when people rent them out. Or they are just renting our rooms. We are also searching for new investigators! As always. We had no new investigators this week :( a little discouraging but at least we know we are still doing our best and we have another week!

We do have a success story this week and that is Sister Melinda and Bro Henry. Sis Melinda is an investigator who is so interested. She reads and prays. But she hasn't come to church because she wants to come with Henry who is a Less active member. This week they finally came to church!!! the two of them! Bro Henry said he felt the spirit. He also said he knows that the sabbath is the lords day. We are so happy for them and pray that they will continue to progress.

Also this week we were able to have dinner at sister Lael's house. She is the relief society president. Her husband Bro Larry (former branch president of caba) just got home from working in the middle east for 2 years! we are very happy he is home. he is a strong priesthood leader. He came with us to give a member a blessing who is having problems with her husband. While he blessed her I felt the power of the priesthood. I felt the spirit testify to me that the priesthood is the same no matter where you are in the world :) I am so grateful for the priesthood power that was restored through Joseph smith. I love this gospel and i love all of you! Keep up your missionary efforts back home! Read your Book of Mormon every day ha?
sige po!! Mahal ko kayo!!
Sister Stapp

ps. So grandpa said he wanted me to send a message to him for his sunday school class. Can you tell him if you talk to him that I will send it next week? I have not enough time right now.
Also I got letters from
kate
melanie
cait
schmoekeles
cuvillers (sp?)
I love you so sososososos much. Tell daddy that i love him and sammy and al and rachie and bennie and ab....

ps. also idk if you are planning on sending a package for my bday but if you are i just have a few requests.
Foot socks - none here are sturdy enough
Nail polish - a nice neutural color. preferably a good brand like essie
more gum! - bubble mint.
thans I love you so much!!!!!!!!

ps.  :)))) ummmmmm not to frighten yo or anything but we just had an earthquake. just a little one. sorta scary.

At the Branch Presidents Place for Lunch

 

To market, to market

 

Zone Meeting

 

Beach Boats

 

 Zone Pday Luncheon!