Sisterhood of the traveling sisters....

Hello one and all! You are all great and amazing and I love you.

This first week of the transfer has been the fastest week ever! Sister Velasco and I have been traveling to and fro and from sea to sea. on Tuesday we went to Dagupan to study with some sisters. then we went straight to Alaminos. It is about 2 hours away. We attended their district meeting there and also had exchanges with the sisters. So we slept there and from there went straight to Lingayen to have a meeting with the zone leaders there.  On Friday we had exchanges in Lingayen and on Thursday we had a stake activity. A crazy week! I think we had fast food like 4 times because of all the traveling! Everyday this week we have woken up before six so we can travel to a different meeting or exchange. I am feeling tired but because of the Lord's help I am surviving :)

 haha! in Alaminos we got to work in the Hundred Islands area. It is so so beautiful! it is so green and near the ocean. you can actually see some of the islands from the beach. We were there at night so we couldn't get any pics. But someday I will go back. The sisters in that area are opening the area. So they are really trying to get the area progressing. We helped them set a goal to find at least 7 new investigators a week. I love working with different sisters every week I learn so much!

On Saturday we had stake family day! it was so much fun and there was a great turn out! The first part was an open house from 1-4. We gave tours to members and investigators around the chapel where they learned about all the different things we do at church! The best thing was we were able to help a lot of recent converts and less actives get started on their family history work! they were all so so excited. One member Sister Dolores is so so cute. She is so eager to get started but I don't think she has ever touched a computer. We had to teach her how to move the mouse and click on things. She loved it and felt the spirit when she was entering her family names into the computer. In the evening time they had a cultural show where each ward presented a dance number. I wish we could have stayed we hear our recent convert bro Rodrigo was a riot! Oh well. 

So pretty much in our travels we ride buses and vans. They always play the music so loud and it is distracting! ah! That is my weakness...music. But I just try and think of other things. 

We had apartment checks this week so we cleaned like crazy people so the couples can check. Today we will shop. here in Dagupan we have a really nice mall. Not like my first area where it was just a Palengke (like a farmers market.) We have a supermarket. it pretty much is like a Walmart or something. It looks like the states here at the mall. around me right now I see McDonald's, Levi's store, Nike store, and a national book store which is like Borders. It is very nice here. I am blessed to be in Dagupan!

We have been getting a lot of rain and most everywhere is still flooded so we wear our boots a lot

As for investigators, Brother Bong and Jeffrey are so so so oooooo great! They will be baptized on Oct 12. We taught them yesterday and they said they want to be baptize so they can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and be clean from sin. We haven't even taught them about the Holy Ghost yet!!!! They are so so prepared by the Lord. I know they will be stron members of the church. 

I love sharing with them because the spirit is just there. They accept so easily because they feel it is true. They have both stopped drinking coffee and alcohol and feel the difference also! I will keep you updated on them.

We are looking foreword to conference and everything! 

Do they have oats there? yes lots of oats!!

  What about peanut butter? yes!

 Chocolate chips cookies? yes....like processed ones. but noone really makes them from scratch.

 How is your armpit?smelly....joke lang! it is doing fine now.

I love you all and keep you in my prayers I know this church is true!!!! I know Jesus Lives! I love sharing the Gospel!

sister Stapp

Hello my dears!
How are all of you doing? I am doing great and I am not transferred! yay!!! I am still here in Manat B and in Dagupan Zone. I am still with Sister Velasco and we are so so happy :)
We are looking foreword to this upcoming transfer!!! It will be a busy one. Last transfer we were over the sisters in Calasiao and Dagupan Zone. Now we are over the sisters in Lingayen, Alaminos, and Dagupan Zone. These zones are really spread apart so we will be traveling a lot! We are going to the Hundred Islands soon. Hopefully I get to see the beach! ! We are so excited and just have been planning like crazy on how we can help lift, encourage, and inspire the sisters.  We are going to make sure to take our vitamins everyday so that we don't die!
Speaking of vitamins, I have been taking antibiotics for the thing in my armpit. It hasn't come back yet...so i think that is a good sign. With the antibiotics my face has cleared up too! What face stuff did you send by the way?

This week we have seen many miracles. Yesterday for instance, we decided to go to the chapel early. We did not know why. We were there over an hour early! the sacrament meeting of the ward before us wasn't finished yet. we were sitting and thinking of what to do with our time when their sacrament meeting finished. They were all exiting and a sister missionary came up to us. She said "Sisters this is sister Ronnalyn! You can teach her right now if you have time!" Sister Ronnalyn lives in our area. She is a referral that we had been trying to get a hold of her for a few weeks. we were so happy to finally meet her! She was excited to be taught right then and there. She says she really feels the difference between this church and other churches. She is excited to meet again on Saturday. We were so so happy the spirit led us to the chapel early that morning! if we hadn't gone there we would never had met Ronnalyn!
Also this week Sister Velasco and I were supposed to be speakers in Sacrament. Then one of the branch presidency came and asked if just one of us could speak. We did rock,  paper, scissors and I won so Sis Velasco spoke :) She gave a powerful talk on the sacrament.
It is still raining every day and flooded in some areas. sorry no pics I have a virus on my card :( I hope my pics are OK. If I lost them I will cry!!! oh well...
hmmmmm...... OK there is one pic. It is from sister velascos card. I will have someone scan my card soon.
This week I cleaned the bathroom I scrubbed it really hard.....that was just this morning actually. Wow!

The Carrera family came to church again this week if you are wondering. There are progressing so well! yes! We will extend baptismal dates to their kids this week. I will let you know how it goes.

Q and A:
Do you have an address, or how do people find your house? People don't really come to our house, but most people know where we live. Filipinos are like that, they know everyone and where everyone lives.
  Is there branch directory so you know who to visit, or do you just ask people on the street? We have a branch directory but there is rarely a house number and if there is one, it is usually wrong. so we ask and ask and ask. it is a good opportunity to preach by the way.
  Are there many temple recommend holders in the branch? Ya there are! They are planning a temple trip for Oct.
  Any news on transfers? yes we have a ton of new faces in Dagupan zone. and more than half is sisters.
 Has my package shown up lately? not yet :(
 Have you been doing any traveling? Like I said we will be! We will be taking the trip to Alaminos every week.
 How is the work moving along in the branch? So great! there was another baptism last Saturday, and there will be two possibly 3 more in October! ya! I will keep you updated.
  Are all the missionaries as awesome as your and your companion?Yes!!!Do some missionaries find it hard to work when it is so hot? It is not that hot these days. But 
Do you use your umbrella a ton? Yes I don't want skin cancer! I use it for rain and shine.
  How are your clothes, suitcases, shoes, supplies holding up? they are OK. The cloths are running out but I think I can survive until Jan. haha!

Well I love you all so so much! I haven't gotten any letters this week that's OK! I am so happy to be here on my mission. I love the Lord and I love the scriptures and I love my family. I love feeling the spirit everyday. I love helping people recognize the spirit in their life. Keep up all your amazingness.

How are the boys??? Can you tel them to email me? Are they going to seminary and stuff? are they preparing for missions? anyway! Also tell Rach to email me! I love her!
See ya!
Sister Stapp

 

Best Two Years

  The Carrera Family and the Sisters

Heyo! how are you all lovely people this week! I cannot believe it

s Monday again! I think I say that every week. ha ha! the time goes so so fast!!! Anyways... today we had a zone activity and we got to watch "The Best two years"!!! it was so so great to see Kirby again...!! anyways this week has been so so great! we have seen many miracles...I think last week i told you about the carerra family. well they came to church again this week and this time two of their sons were with them! it was so happy!  I think The father is really seeing how going to church is blessing his family. He is realizing that he is helping his kids more by bringing them to church than hanging out with his drinking buddies.  Whenever something like that happens, like someone comes to church I just see the Lords hand in all things. He really is looking out for us and he blesses us when we really are obedient. I am happy for the Carerra family and I know their kids will be baptized soon. 

It is really great, in our branch we have like 6 young men that are preparing for missions. They have been working with us a lot this week and catching the wave of missionary work. Two of them Brother Francis and brother Louie worked with us on Saturday. Just about a month ago bro Louie was less active! he is now so so strong! he was amazed when he worked with us that all we do all day is talk about the gospel. He was really excited when we found new people to teach and when he was able to share his testimony. He and Francis want to work with us every Saturday now! we are so blessed to have so many effective branch missionaries. 

This week we also had a surprise guest! me and sister velasco were studying when suddenly we got a phone call! It was president monahan! he asked me what street we lived on and that he would be at our apt in 2 mins! haha! we were running around the house cleaning like crazy! lol. he came and studied with sister baluyot and sis adasme then he came up and had a little talk with me and sis V. He asked how the sisters in our zones were and also told us we might get another zone next transfer. He also told us very good news that he will keep us together next transfer! yayaya! we are so so happy because basically we love each other :)

So lets see I think I will add some details......This morning we cleaned the house. I swept the whole house! It gets so dirty so quick! sister baluyot cleaned the shower. There was a Butiki (gecko) in the shower and she is scared of them so I got it out for her because i think they are cute and not scary. Cockroaches are scary. The other day we were in our branch presidents car, he was giving us a ride home and suddenly I looked down and there was the biggest cockroach with wings on my skirt!!!! I screamed (of course) and pretty much turned into a  crazy person frantically trying to get it off. finally it scurried away. I couldn't sleep that night.   hmmm also this week it is still really rainy. it rains like everyday at 4pm.  When it rains in pours! it is so strong and has lightning and thunder ! 

Anyways if you wanna know more details just ask me specific questions. 

I am just loving it here so so much. I love this gospel and i love Jesus Christ. I know he is my savior. i know He lives. I am so happy to serve him and i will serve him my whole life. One thing that i am really looking foreword to when i get home ( i don't think of it often don't worry) is working more with them missionaries. I will be a good member missionary for sure! 

I want to hear about your missionary experiences! if you have them let me know. I know the church is true. 

I attached a pic of us and the carerra family! they are so happy and sweet. I just feel the spirit working in them and helping them to repent and come to church!

I love you all!

Sister Stapp

 

p.s. hope this was detailed enough! I love you!