Kumusta po kayong lahat!

An dito pa rin ako sa pilipinas! sobrang saya ako :)

I am so happy to be here in my new area of Manat B. it is challenging opening an area, but it is also a very good experience. Sister Stokes and I are finding lots of new investigators and looking for LAs everyday. It is very very hot here! I am sweating more than I ever have in my life. But they say the rainy season is coming soon, so hopefully it will cool off soon.

 

So this week basically what we are doing is  trying to get familiar with our area. We went all the way out to the furthest neighbourhood which is really far. This neighborhood is basically all water. the peole live on little man made islands or houses on stilts. so we had to take a boat! It was so beautiful and stinky. We contacted a less active member out there named Mercedes. She is very very old! She is the house keeper of a house and her boss won't let her come to church :(   So so sad but we told her that we love her and miss her.

Out doing the Lord's Work!

This week was really great fast Sunday. all the youth in our stake had youth conference this week and bore their testimonies in sacrament about it. the youth conference emphasized serving missions and temple marriage. All the young men in our branch are inspired and have gained a greater desire to serve. We visited a family last night the castillio family who are semi active. Their son came home from the conference and said "Mom, I'm going on a mission next year" the mother was so so happy. She has been praying that her son would gain a desire to serve and now he has! he is starting to prepare and will be working with us soon.

This week was fiesta! All the neighborhoods are having fiestas which is like their celebration of summer. So we were going to visit a member on fiesta night but he wasn't there, so his neighbor said "Just come in here and eat!" We can't turn food down so of course we went in! They were so so nice they served us rice, shrimp, tilapia, and veggies. So so good. I think Sis Stokes was a little scared because the only part of the fish they served was the head. haha! Delicious though!

We ended up teaching one of the sisters there about the restoration. She is very interested. She was asking questions and wants to learn more. She is not from our area so we will refer her to the elders. I am just so grateful for the spirit, because of the spirit we were able to meet this family and teach this sister who wants to know the truth. We are being led by the spirit every day as we teach.

We saw a monkey! yay! He was someones pet I think...out side of a restaurant....maybe he is dinner.

Other good news one of our investigators came to church! Yes Bro. Samuel. We met him the other day and before we started teaching he told us he would come and he did :) Very happy for him. He was an investigator years ago but the missionaries left and never came back to him. He is happy that we are teaching him again and is starting to read the BoM again.

Great things are happening in Manat B! We are praying for guidance and for patience.

Sister Stokes and I love missionary work so much and we are so happy that we are members of this true church. I know it is true. I cannot wait for conference this weekend! I know Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet!

I love you all!

Sister Stapp

More INFO:
We go to church in Binmaley! We live in Binmaley, in Barangay Naguilayan.

Sis stokes is great!!! She is working hard and is not as homesick as I was. She is dilligent and humble  and she worked at disneyworld. We bond over the gospel and Disney. Our house is really nice and I will send a pic next week. Love you !!!!! I love all your pics keep sending please. I can't wait to read your conference notes!