Baptisms!!!

Hello and Merry Christmas!!! Every day it gets more and more Christmasy over here...

This week has been another wonderful wonderful week.  We started the week with going to hundred island sisters to study with them. There are so many cute new sisters in our zones. Sister Lao from Utah. Ssiter Gustaphson from New Hampshire. And sister Fronk from Utah.....They are all so so great! Of course some have culture shock but they are excited and ready to work! We have been traveling almost everyday this week to meet them all and study with them. We wake up early almost everyday.  I dont know how we do it!

We studied in hundred islands just to check and see how they are. They are so far away sometimes we don't have much contact. but we try to make it out to see them at least twice a transfer. They are all doing great. Their area is so beautiful! When we travel there we get to see the beach and the waves crashing on the rocks....I want to come back and vacation here.

We also studied with another new sister, Sister Roberts from Idaho. She is so amazing! She is a convert and the only member in her family. She is having some struggle adjusting but she is relying on the Lord. Working with the new sisters has given me much time to ponder on my first days in the mission. I have thought about how I felt then and how I feel now. I realized how much of a miracle it is that I made it through those first few transfers!!! I thought I was dead! It is so hard. I am so grateful I was able to experience that. I just remember feeling so alone in my own little world. I didn't feel like myself. I was questioning why I chose to come here in the first place...but I remember I knew one thing was sure and that was My testimony of this church and of Jesus Christ. I really have learned to rely and trust in the Lord. This would never be possible without his help. He is the reason me and all the missionaries are still here. He is my strength. 

This week ended with the baptism of sweet sister Glyzel. She really is the sweetest little girl I have ever met. Her parents were less active then returned and now their daughter was baptized. She said she felt so happy afterward and she is so excited for her older brothers to be baptized next. Even though she is only 11 years old, she really gets emotional and feels the spirit so strongly when she talks about her family being eternal one day. I know this is the start of great things for the Carrera family, this is the start of their journey to salvation.

 

 

Glyzel and her Sister

Next week naman there is another baptism! This is the baptism of sister Ronna! She was interviewed yesterday and found worthy for baptism. She is 22 and looking forward now to a temple marriage in the near future ;)

We have a great new investigator named sister Jonna. She comes to church regularly and wants to be baptized! She sells meals and snacks to tricycle drivers. We went last night to teach her and ended up helping her for her next day of business. We wrapped grated Kamote in banana leaves to be boiled....not sure what kamote is in english...it is a root crop. very yummy and healthy...I think! it is great to serve! Because of our service we were able to meet the husband of sister. Maybe next time we will be able to share with him! I love this work!!!

I have not gotten any letters from you yet mom. got one from rach. Can't wait to see the package! I usually just here from you and Rachel and grandma Stapp :) tell everyone that I love them!!! and I mean everyone....

thank you for taking care of Kara! I trust her in your care :) tell her I really love her and she is a strong woman! I think she should serve a mission...hmmmm :)))) I just think everyone should serve. We learn so so much while serving others and serving the Lord.

I am so happy to hear about your Halloween celebrations. For our Halloween which is nov 1 and 2 we had early curfew. We came home at 6 because the streets get pretty crazy! It is the Fiesta of the patay. or day of the dead. They party at the cemetery. we just partied at home....well we partied the way missionaries do and wrote in our journals!!! ha!!! I am really trying these last few months to be more diligent at my journal. 

I am so grateful to be here and to still have time to serve the Lord in his great and marvelous work. 

  I love you all!!!

Sister Stapp