I always thought that preparation-days were supposed to be the nice part of your week to relax, but they're actually stressful to make sure that everything is done! Argh!! Oh well! So yesterday we got transfer calls and I'm staying in the Post Falls 1st ward and I'm staying with the same companion, Sister McDonald!!! It's super exciting! I'm trying to remember everything that has happened since I last wrote to you, but I'm having a hard time! We've just had some really cool experiences and I've really seen the members step it up with their missionary work. It's been really great to see them invite people to things. Our bishop gave the whole ward a challenge to each come up with family mission plans. It's been really successful and we've been asking the members that we visit what their plans are. These plans can take a week or they can take a year. They can either focus on a family, or an individual, but they need to invite.
These past couple of weeks we have had investigators cancel on us, but we've been able to go inside homes that missionaries haven't been able to get into for a long time! It's so sad to see people so bitter to the members of the church and to not want anything to do with the church.
The other day we were able to see a baptism and we invited our investigators and two showed up. It was so special to see this lady be baptized and our investigators Ally and Kathy were there. Ally said that she was 99% sure she wants this and that she wanted to see the baptism to be 100% sure. She is and she will be baptized in November!!!!! Kathy said that she felt this warm, giddy feeling inside of her and we were able to explain that it was the Spirit she was feeling. She said that she will be baptized, but she works on Sundays so we invited her to pray to find a job that she doesn't have to work on Sundays. I am so glad I'm staying to see these two women be baptized!! It truly is an amazing thing to watch a person progress and find the truth for themselves! Kathy already knows the Book of Mormon is true and she's only had it for two weeks! It's truly amazing what the Spirit can do!!!
I love you all and I'm so grateful to be here on a mission and to see God's hand in my life and also in the lives of others!
Sister Stolp
Sister Stolp
Called to Serve!
Monday, October 21, 2013
Time Flies When You're Teaching the Gospel
Dear friends and family,
I hope that you all got my last email about the conference talks because it was pretty epic. At least, I think so! The work here in Post Falls is moving forward! Ever since Conference we've been talking to members about inviting and how that is the success to missionary work. If we don't invite, then we don't give those people a chance to accept or reject the gospel. It is hard to invite, but we have the greatest message to share. More important than a football game, more important than a movie, and even more important than what you're going to eat tonight. The message that we share is of Jesus Christ, who is the center of everything! I am so glad for what I've learned on my mission and that I have a hand in sharing this Gospel and helping this work move forward!
Alright, story time! There are lots of people that I have come to love as I have been out! I have seen what it's like to work with members and I have some favorite member families in the ward. We went over for dinner to this one family and they are breeding Yaks.....I have never heard of such a thing. But they already have two and after they breed some more they're going to eat the Yaks. They said it's healthier than cows, so it's logical. It would be cool if they drank the Yak's milk. Once you pick the hairs out it's very nutritious. I have decided that I'm having Yaks when I grow up and have my own farm. That would be cool!
Since we're working a lot with less actives we have several families and individuals that we are working with. Most of the people that want us to come over and teach them are the people who have had an accident or they depressed. It's interesting how most people will find the Lord when something bad happens to them. Most of the less actives that shut their doors to us are happy with what they're doing at the moment and don't want to change. We must not get too hard hearted that we forget the Lord and wait for something bad to happen to us! I have found that we need to acknowledge the Lord in all seasons of life! Whether we are happy or sad, the Lord has His hand in everything. In D&C 59:21 it says, "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments". So it is so important to always have Him first in our lives. God is good and the Atonement is real!
Love you all!!
Sister Stolp
I hope that you all got my last email about the conference talks because it was pretty epic. At least, I think so! The work here in Post Falls is moving forward! Ever since Conference we've been talking to members about inviting and how that is the success to missionary work. If we don't invite, then we don't give those people a chance to accept or reject the gospel. It is hard to invite, but we have the greatest message to share. More important than a football game, more important than a movie, and even more important than what you're going to eat tonight. The message that we share is of Jesus Christ, who is the center of everything! I am so glad for what I've learned on my mission and that I have a hand in sharing this Gospel and helping this work move forward!
Alright, story time! There are lots of people that I have come to love as I have been out! I have seen what it's like to work with members and I have some favorite member families in the ward. We went over for dinner to this one family and they are breeding Yaks.....I have never heard of such a thing. But they already have two and after they breed some more they're going to eat the Yaks. They said it's healthier than cows, so it's logical. It would be cool if they drank the Yak's milk. Once you pick the hairs out it's very nutritious. I have decided that I'm having Yaks when I grow up and have my own farm. That would be cool!
Since we're working a lot with less actives we have several families and individuals that we are working with. Most of the people that want us to come over and teach them are the people who have had an accident or they depressed. It's interesting how most people will find the Lord when something bad happens to them. Most of the less actives that shut their doors to us are happy with what they're doing at the moment and don't want to change. We must not get too hard hearted that we forget the Lord and wait for something bad to happen to us! I have found that we need to acknowledge the Lord in all seasons of life! Whether we are happy or sad, the Lord has His hand in everything. In D&C 59:21 it says, "And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments". So it is so important to always have Him first in our lives. God is good and the Atonement is real!
Love you all!!
Sister Stolp
Conference and Other Amazing Stuff
Hey friends and family,
This week has been great and full of visiting less actives and members alike and it's been great! So, conference was great and I'm so glad that I've been on my mission for three different conference experiences. For my first General Conference on my mission I was in the MTC, then for my second General Conference I was at Temple Square where it all happens, and for my third and last General Conference on my mission I was outbound. For the last session we watched it at a recent convert's house. It was super epic!! I had several questions in mind and they were answered! I hope that all of you were able to ask questions and through the Spirit I know that they were or will be answered. I want to tell you my favorite talks which will be difficult because they all were my favorite, but I will choose the ones that the Spirit directs me to tell you.
-Edward Dube: I loved his talk because of his story at the beginning about how we should "never look back. Look at what we still have to do." I loved that because sometimes as humans we look back and see all our mistakes and don't look ahead to the future. It reminds me about what President Monson (I think) said how "the future is only as bright as your faith". We need to look ahead and believe. We must "put our hands to the plow and never look back". He also said, "It doesn't matter where we have been, to the Lord, but where we will go."
-Dieter F. Uchtdorf: His was amazing because he talked about the less actives. My whole mission I have been working with less actives and I've always had a special place in my heart for them. I know that they are children of God and that He loves them! I loved what he said how "The church is designed to nurture the imperfect". None of us are perfect and we're not meant to be, because this life is the time to prepare to meet God. (He said many more great things, but for the sake of time I'll shorten it)
-D. Todd Christofferson: I'm sure every woman loved his talk!! I liked how he said that woman bring with them certain virtues when they come down from heaven. It made me realize how much I really do have to give to this world. Sometimes we feel so small and insignificant, but we are children of the Most High and we don't need to feel small. -Jeffrey R. Holland: His talk reminded me of Allen and how we will see him in his perfect body after the resurrection!! It made me so appreciative of Jesus Christ suffering. I don't have time to tell you all of them, but I LOVED all the talks about missionary work and there were like 10 different people who talked about missionary work!! It was super awesome! Oh yeah, and another cool thing that happened, actually yesterday, is me and my companion taught an early morning seminary class. It went better than I thought and I would look into the youth's eyes and all of them at one point would look at me. They were al listening and I hope they felt the Spirit. The underlying theme was that Christ's Atonement is for everyone! We taught 1 Nephi 19-20. The Spirit is amazing!! I just want to testify that we have that Spirit and it's not just the missionaries who can open their mouths, but it's everyone of you as well!! This Conference we were told to work with the missionaries and I would invite you to heed the voice of the Prophet and his Apostles. Work with the missionaries and work with the Spirit to help you open your mouths and proclaim his word! It doesn't have to be a 30 minute discussion. It can just be a 30 second invite. "Hey, do you want to come to a ward activity?" Would you like to come to a scouting event?" or "Would you like to come to a Family Home Evening?" It's ok if they say no because you will have tried! I forget who said this, but one of the General Authorities said that the key to "success in missionary work is the invitation". We need to invite!! I promise you that if you open your mouths and invite and share the word of God that He will help you know what to say and you will be a powerful instrument in bringing souls unto Christ! Just remember this scripture in D&C 18:15, "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" I would invite all of you to pray for those missionary opportunities, but then don't be afraid to open your mouths when that missionary opportunity comes. I love the Lord and I know that this is His work and I'm so glad that I chose to be on a mission to proclaim His gospel!
Thank you all for being such a big support!
I love you all!!!
Sister Stolp
This week has been great and full of visiting less actives and members alike and it's been great! So, conference was great and I'm so glad that I've been on my mission for three different conference experiences. For my first General Conference on my mission I was in the MTC, then for my second General Conference I was at Temple Square where it all happens, and for my third and last General Conference on my mission I was outbound. For the last session we watched it at a recent convert's house. It was super epic!! I had several questions in mind and they were answered! I hope that all of you were able to ask questions and through the Spirit I know that they were or will be answered. I want to tell you my favorite talks which will be difficult because they all were my favorite, but I will choose the ones that the Spirit directs me to tell you.
-Edward Dube: I loved his talk because of his story at the beginning about how we should "never look back. Look at what we still have to do." I loved that because sometimes as humans we look back and see all our mistakes and don't look ahead to the future. It reminds me about what President Monson (I think) said how "the future is only as bright as your faith". We need to look ahead and believe. We must "put our hands to the plow and never look back". He also said, "It doesn't matter where we have been, to the Lord, but where we will go."
-Dieter F. Uchtdorf: His was amazing because he talked about the less actives. My whole mission I have been working with less actives and I've always had a special place in my heart for them. I know that they are children of God and that He loves them! I loved what he said how "The church is designed to nurture the imperfect". None of us are perfect and we're not meant to be, because this life is the time to prepare to meet God. (He said many more great things, but for the sake of time I'll shorten it)
-D. Todd Christofferson: I'm sure every woman loved his talk!! I liked how he said that woman bring with them certain virtues when they come down from heaven. It made me realize how much I really do have to give to this world. Sometimes we feel so small and insignificant, but we are children of the Most High and we don't need to feel small. -Jeffrey R. Holland: His talk reminded me of Allen and how we will see him in his perfect body after the resurrection!! It made me so appreciative of Jesus Christ suffering. I don't have time to tell you all of them, but I LOVED all the talks about missionary work and there were like 10 different people who talked about missionary work!! It was super awesome! Oh yeah, and another cool thing that happened, actually yesterday, is me and my companion taught an early morning seminary class. It went better than I thought and I would look into the youth's eyes and all of them at one point would look at me. They were al listening and I hope they felt the Spirit. The underlying theme was that Christ's Atonement is for everyone! We taught 1 Nephi 19-20. The Spirit is amazing!! I just want to testify that we have that Spirit and it's not just the missionaries who can open their mouths, but it's everyone of you as well!! This Conference we were told to work with the missionaries and I would invite you to heed the voice of the Prophet and his Apostles. Work with the missionaries and work with the Spirit to help you open your mouths and proclaim his word! It doesn't have to be a 30 minute discussion. It can just be a 30 second invite. "Hey, do you want to come to a ward activity?" Would you like to come to a scouting event?" or "Would you like to come to a Family Home Evening?" It's ok if they say no because you will have tried! I forget who said this, but one of the General Authorities said that the key to "success in missionary work is the invitation". We need to invite!! I promise you that if you open your mouths and invite and share the word of God that He will help you know what to say and you will be a powerful instrument in bringing souls unto Christ! Just remember this scripture in D&C 18:15, "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" I would invite all of you to pray for those missionary opportunities, but then don't be afraid to open your mouths when that missionary opportunity comes. I love the Lord and I know that this is His work and I'm so glad that I chose to be on a mission to proclaim His gospel!
Thank you all for being such a big support!
I love you all!!!
Sister Stolp
Greetings from Northern Idaho
Hey everyone,
it's getting cold here in Idaho and I'm not liking it! Especially having to ride a bike! But oh well, it's all for the glory of God! This week has been pretty awesome! I don't know if I told you about our new investigator and the less active who are friends, but we met them last week and the new investigator, Kathy is so prepared! She had a choice to either go to the Baptist church or the LDS church and she just had a feeling to come to the LDS church. So on Sunday, she was there! She felt the Spirit and she has been reading the Book of Mormon. Her less active friend, Brother Batt also came to church and he felt uncomfortable there, but he loves church. He knows it's true and he wants to come back. We are so excited to be teaching them and helping them come unto Christ! Another thing that we've been doing in this area is teaching active members the lessons. It's kind of this new program that they want so to bring the Spirit into member's homes and to help them to trust us as missionaries. That has been really fun! We're teaching this one member family who has 8 kids so it's like coming home and they're such a great family! Their testimonies are so strong and it's been really cool to come and teach them the lessons. Our next lesson with them are the Commandments. The work is slowly progressing, but it's progressing! I just want to share with you a quote given by Joseph Smith. It's the Standard of Truth, which I love! "The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecution may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." I know that is true and God is preparing His people to receive this gospel. Some people might not be prepared in this life, but they're being prepared for the next life. I know that this work is the greatest work that we can do! I love when Jesus tells His Apostles to "Feed His Sheep". That's what He's telling all of us to do. He wants us to do missionary work. I would invite you all to pray for a missionary experience and maybe you can invite one of your friends to watch General Conference with you! That would be awesome! Thank you all for your support!
Keep me posted on what's happenin'!
Love ya!!
Sister Stolp
it's getting cold here in Idaho and I'm not liking it! Especially having to ride a bike! But oh well, it's all for the glory of God! This week has been pretty awesome! I don't know if I told you about our new investigator and the less active who are friends, but we met them last week and the new investigator, Kathy is so prepared! She had a choice to either go to the Baptist church or the LDS church and she just had a feeling to come to the LDS church. So on Sunday, she was there! She felt the Spirit and she has been reading the Book of Mormon. Her less active friend, Brother Batt also came to church and he felt uncomfortable there, but he loves church. He knows it's true and he wants to come back. We are so excited to be teaching them and helping them come unto Christ! Another thing that we've been doing in this area is teaching active members the lessons. It's kind of this new program that they want so to bring the Spirit into member's homes and to help them to trust us as missionaries. That has been really fun! We're teaching this one member family who has 8 kids so it's like coming home and they're such a great family! Their testimonies are so strong and it's been really cool to come and teach them the lessons. Our next lesson with them are the Commandments. The work is slowly progressing, but it's progressing! I just want to share with you a quote given by Joseph Smith. It's the Standard of Truth, which I love! "The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecution may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done." I know that is true and God is preparing His people to receive this gospel. Some people might not be prepared in this life, but they're being prepared for the next life. I know that this work is the greatest work that we can do! I love when Jesus tells His Apostles to "Feed His Sheep". That's what He's telling all of us to do. He wants us to do missionary work. I would invite you all to pray for a missionary experience and maybe you can invite one of your friends to watch General Conference with you! That would be awesome! Thank you all for your support!
Keep me posted on what's happenin'!
Love ya!!
Sister Stolp
The Atonement is Real!
Hello people of the world,
It has been really great here in Post Falls, Idaho! I have my first preparation day with elders last Monday and it was really weird. We went to a stake center to play sports and I just wrote letters, but it's just different. I'll get used to it, though. We have been teaching some really strong members in the ward the lessons just so they can get excited about missionary work. It has been really good to go in their homes and I love to see how much members really do love missionaries! I have seen many members just not want to talk to us and maybe it's because they've had bad experiences with missionaries, but this ward is really nice and they love us! We haven't had many appointments this week. We are just trying to visit with more less active members and we're also trying to meet members in the ward. Something really cool happened, though! We were going to visit a potential investigator and we got up to her door, but there was a lady and this man who was sitting on the grass a ways off and the lady said "Hey you! Where are ya from?" and I said "We're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" and she wanted us to come over and she told us that she has been wanting to come to the LDS church for a while, but she works on Sundays. We found out that the man with her was a less active that wasn't on the ward list. He got really excited for the lady when she said that she wanted to come to church. He wants to go as well! This just goes to show that we need to be in the right place at the right time, but sometimes we don't know what the right place or right time is. That's why we need to be doing the work of the Lord at ALL times! We were doing something good and we planned for it, but we found something better on the way! That will happen in life as well. We can be doing something good, but then God will put in our path something better and we need to always follow what God wants us to do. I have learned that it can be hard, because you don't know what to do all the time even on a mission. But if you continue to have Faith in Christ, repent, listen to the Spirit, take the sacrament, then you can endure to the end! It's the only way we can get back to the Father. In 2 Nephi 31:20 it says, "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."
I know that this is true!
Love you all!
It has been really great here in Post Falls, Idaho! I have my first preparation day with elders last Monday and it was really weird. We went to a stake center to play sports and I just wrote letters, but it's just different. I'll get used to it, though. We have been teaching some really strong members in the ward the lessons just so they can get excited about missionary work. It has been really good to go in their homes and I love to see how much members really do love missionaries! I have seen many members just not want to talk to us and maybe it's because they've had bad experiences with missionaries, but this ward is really nice and they love us! We haven't had many appointments this week. We are just trying to visit with more less active members and we're also trying to meet members in the ward. Something really cool happened, though! We were going to visit a potential investigator and we got up to her door, but there was a lady and this man who was sitting on the grass a ways off and the lady said "Hey you! Where are ya from?" and I said "We're missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints" and she wanted us to come over and she told us that she has been wanting to come to the LDS church for a while, but she works on Sundays. We found out that the man with her was a less active that wasn't on the ward list. He got really excited for the lady when she said that she wanted to come to church. He wants to go as well! This just goes to show that we need to be in the right place at the right time, but sometimes we don't know what the right place or right time is. That's why we need to be doing the work of the Lord at ALL times! We were doing something good and we planned for it, but we found something better on the way! That will happen in life as well. We can be doing something good, but then God will put in our path something better and we need to always follow what God wants us to do. I have learned that it can be hard, because you don't know what to do all the time even on a mission. But if you continue to have Faith in Christ, repent, listen to the Spirit, take the sacrament, then you can endure to the end! It's the only way we can get back to the Father. In 2 Nephi 31:20 it says, "Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life."
I know that this is true!
Love you all!
Sorry it's been so long ~ Editor
Wow, it's crazy to be here out in the real world! Temple Square was such a bubble and even though I got to see a lot of people from different walks of life, it's different when you can see them in their own homes. My area is Plummer, Idaho and that covers five neighboring towns, but transfer calls were last night so I'll be in the Postfalls, Idaho 1st ward area. It should be great, but Plummer and the surrounding areas are very small towns and there is one branch and now I'll be going to a bigger town. It should be fun! I go back to Temple Square the day before Thanksgiving so I'm only here for two transfers. Some things that I was really excited for to come outbound was that I could actually see my investigators change and that I could see my investigators at church. I've got to experience both of that while in the first 4 days I've been here. I saw two of our investigators at church tomorrow and it was such a great miracle!! I also was able to find a guy while being here. Our area is a reservation so there is this senior center for just Native Americans and we went to visit this lady and this guy was out watering his lawn. His name is Ken and we got a conversation started with him. He grew up catholic, but he's interested in other religions and we gave him a Book of Mormon. We've been over a couple of times to read the Book of Mormon with him and he has been loving it and we helped him to understand Alma 32 and how faith is like a seed. I will be moving to a new area tomorrow and I'm so sad to be leaving Ken and the other people that I've seen these past days!! This is worse then when you get transferred on Temple Square because you keep your investigators throughout you whole mission because you have an online area book. I will just need to trust in the Lord and pray for these people here!
We have been doing a lot of service with some less actives and members and I have seen the blessings that come from service. It reminds me of the scripture in Mosiah 2:17 "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God." I believe that to be so true and I can see the hand of the Lord in my own life and in the life of the people in my area!
The address that you'll all use until the day before Thanksgiving is 820 South Pines road Suite 101 Spokane Valley, Washington 99206. Don't forget the Suite 101 and write a return address so that it doesn't get lost! Thanks so much for all your support!
Love you all!!
Sister Stolp
Love you all!!
Sister Stolp
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