What? Training?

Hey everybody! So thanks for the package! It totally made my day! I was so excited for the new clothes! And it's so fun to listen to the cd you sent me. Haha! Elder Kasparian...haha! Anyway! Cool pictures! I loved them all! Who was the baby that Jimmy was holding? Was it Ryan and Jair"s? And didn't Ryan our cousin have another baby? I feel so out of the loop. So....next month is my half way mark. Weird. Oh, and by the way, I'm sort of training again. I will have to write a letter about it.. It's a long story. Sigh. Anyway! Julia, I'm so sorry your papers are taking so long! You are on Heavenly Father time schedule, not your own. So when you leave is when you are supposed to. So there's an elder in my mission, Elder Petersen, who is from Yakima (he went to Eisenhower) who is just amazing! His story is crazy! So when he was in high school he had a full time career...he designs websites or something like that and he programs and stuff. Way smart guy. So anyway, he saved up his money for his mission, and then got his identity stolen around the time he was going to leave. So it took$15,000 to clear everything up. So he couldn't afford to go anymore. So he went to his bishop and asked for help, but his bishop said he would have to earn it all AGAIN. So Elder Petersen didn't like that bishop and stopped going to church all together (I don't blame him). So he went on with his life, and bought a house, had a career, etc... Then he found out that they lowered the age limit to 24, so he thought he would never go, so it wasn't like a goal or anything. Then a few years later he found out that they raised it to 26 again, so he still had a desire to go. Amazingly enough. So that day he found out the age limit raised his mom had 2 mini heart attacks, so he told him boss he wanted to go back to Wa to see her. He said they would talk about it the next morning. So the next morning his boss fired him...telling him he wasn't commited enough to the company (just because he wanted to go see his mom...) So he was thinking this was opening the door for him to go on a mission. So he moved back home, which drained his back account AGAIN. So he had about $3000 left. And of course he srtarted going back to church. So he went to his bishop and said he wanted to go on a mission. He was 26 at the time. And he was expecting his bishop to say he has to earn it himself again. But this time his bishop said of course! And there was actually $7000 in his missionary fund that had been sitting there for 6 years!!!! But instead of getting bitter and saying forget it, he went on his mission. Cool story huh? And it's all true! He is an amazing elder. I hope we stay in contact after the mission. So anyway! He just turned 28, and is going home in December.
Well, I love you all! And keep writing me ya bums!

Love
Leda

Awe!

Hi Annie! Long time no hear! Sounds like your neighborhood is crazy! It kinda sounds like my hood in Los Lunas. But I don't think I had it as bad as you. Oh well. I'm just glad you are safe! Don't do anything stupid. Now I'm in ABQ Bandelier ward, Paradise Hills area. It's really nice and higher class, I guess. I am in a district with 2 other sister and 1 set of elders. Soooo I'm pretty much in a sister district...I'm not sure how I feel about that, but so far it's going OK. :) We just moved into a new apartment because the sisters area here just got split, so we are actually living out of our area, out of our zone, and out of albuquerque. We are living in Rio Rancho which is just north of ABQ, sooo it's a little different. The elders from Rio Rancho live in our apartment complex in another building, so that's a good thing! I've never been this close to other missionaries from other zones before, I've always been isolated from other missionaries, let alone from other zones. So it's pretty cool!
We went to the temple yesterday...oh my goodness! It was awesome! I loved it! I can't wait to go again! I'm FINALLY understanding what I'm covenenting too! It's taken me forever! But I think I figured it out. :) I'll have to go with you again Annie, 'cuz remember I was really frustrated when I went with you? Ya, it's all coming together now. :)
So it sounds like Christy is turning into another Vanessa? Haha! I love it! I can't wait to see them next year! You should send me pictures sometime. And thanks to you and all the other girls for doing a care package! I can't wait to get it! :) :) :)
I'm glad you had a good time with Brenda, how is the schoolwork coming by the way? Everyone in Los Lunas homeschooled. It's crazy! And they all did food storage and canned. Man, I really do have a lot of respect for people who do that. You should totally learn how to can and stuff. That's what's going to save you in the end. Anyway! It was good to hear from you! You know I'm coming up on my 1/2 way mark the end of October? Crazy huh? I don't feel like I've been out for that long. I feel like I just started! AH! Time flies when you're having fun! Well, I know this is a little short, but I am kind of in a rush, so I will talk to ya later! I love you! And I'm so grateful, thankful, happy, and honored that you are my sister (and that goes for the rest of you) and that I belong to this family. Love you!

Love
Leda

Just Goofin'

(note from the editor: I didn't get a letter for these pics. But I did find a letter at my dad's house while I was visiting him that I hadn't seen, so here it is!)
July 19th, 2010
Dear Family,
What's up? How's everybody's summer? Do you boys have jobs yet? So where was the Wilson reunion? Are the Stolps doing one this year of next year?
Dad, missionary work is like a garden. But we full-time missionaries almost never plant the seeds. It's usually the members or acquaintances who plant the seed. Every member a missionary! We missionaries are the harvesters. Like in D&C 4 "the field is white already to harvest." Without the members we would have no harvest! I've noticed that people who do not have or had association with people from our church are less likely to listen to us. But the people who have had some sort of friendship with a member - they are more likely to listen to us. It's not always the case, but they are more likely. So yes, missionary work is like a garden, and EVERYONE is involved - not just full-time missionaries. I like how you said rain is like the spirit. We as the "gardeners" can only do so much to help the "plants" grow. The "rain" or spirit has to touch, "water", the growing seeds. Anyway, the members are just as important in missionary work, it's your church too! So if you give the elders a referral, ask if you could go with them to contact the person you refer them to. It's more effective that way. Just a tid bit:) So my companion, Sis Oborn, had to go tot he Dr. on Saturday, in ABQ. It was interesting. She found out she has a cyst on her kidneys! The Dr said it was like having a freckle. So we'll see. But he just said to stay away from acidic foods like green chili's and tomatoes. Sad! She did really really good the other day though, she has a hard time tracting for too long. But yesterday we trackted for almost 2 hours in 103-106 degree weather. We were both sweating like pigs! It was gross! But she was awesome! She pushed herself so hard and didn't faint! I was so proud! Of course I don't faint, so I was good.:)
Love Sis Stolp
P.S. Valerie, you have to read "The Hidden Spell" by Kimberly Griffiths Little. The bishops wife here in Los Lunas wrote it. She's awesome!

The Zone

Dear family, sorry I was not able to write a letter home, I didn't have time. Tomorrow Sister Oborn is going home to Wisconsin. She has been having to many health problems and will not be able to continue her mission. It is better this way for her, so that her health does not get worse and then suffer the rest of her life from the effects. So I'm getting Sister York who is serving in ABQ right now in a 3 some, so I'm hoping everything will work out. Sister Oborn is really sad to be going home, but she knows it will be beneficial to her health. It has been a struggle for both of us these last 2 transfers, and it will be better this way. She is a good missionary and did everything she could in her power and that her health allowed her too. She is definitely going to continue to be a member missionary and continue to do the Lord's work. We are both really sad about this, but it needs to be done. I have learned a lot about patience and how much I need Heavenly Father's help when it comes to charity and love and patience. I had a blessing from President Miller about everything I've been struggling with and he said in the blessing that Heavenly Father knows how strong I am and that's why I came here to Los Lunas...He knew that I could do it. There have been so many people here that we've met who have brain tumors or that had a family member die...and I just could not handle it last week. I was so close to having a mental breakdown. But to hear in the blessing that Heavenly Father knows how strong I am and that I can do it...just gave me hope and a renewed strength to keep going here. President was afraid that I wouldn't be able to handle this area for a few more weeks, but I told him that I know I can do it. I have learned a lot on how to rely on Heavenly Father and prayer. It has been quit the journey, and it's not over, but it will just make me that much stronger in the end. President was afraid that I was angry at Heavenly Father (and I was afraid of that too), but when he asked me if I was, I was surprised to find out that I wasn't. I felt like I actually relied on Him more than I think I ever have. It has been interesting to see myself now and what I was 3-4 years ago. He also said that there are many many people here in Los Lunas who are waiting for the gospel and that me and my new companion will find these people now that I have the capability of going out for a whole days work (I can count on 1 hand how many full days of work I've had since the end of June). So I'm really excited to see where I can take this area! But like I said, Sister Oborn was a good missionary and did the best she could.

We have Zone Conference tomorrow and I'm really excited! I really need some spiritual boosters and some training to help me with my work in Los Lunas. It is a really hard area and we have stepped it up in the mission, and it will be so nice to get some training! Anyway! That has been my week, nothing to exciting. Dad, the guy who was going to get baptized on your birthday (Miguel) is going to have to postpone his baptism date. Sorry, I tried. But we have 2 more scheduled baptisms, so it's exciting! Hopefully they will happen. :)

I love you all!

It's not Halloween yet, what's the deal!?

Hey everybody, so transfers are coming up this next week, and I'm so nervous! I have a really good companion right now and I"m afraid to lose her! But I know there are plenty of good sisters in the mission. So I guess I'm not to worried. I'm just worried to open another area! It's so hard! But you learn a lot from doing it that's for sure!
Oh and I called Sister Miller today for something and she said there was a package in the office waiting to be sent to me...yay! Thanks for the package, I'm excited for my birthday. :) EVERYONE was tight on miles this month...except us. Because we are just that good. But anyway! The elders BEGGED us for extra miles to get them to zone conference and back. So we gave them 100 miles out of our 900 miles...which isn't a lot in the first place...but we gave it to them anyways, and one of the elders as he was begging said he would do ANYTHING for me. So I told him he could make me brownies for my birthday. He said he would totally do it! And he said this would be the first time he will every really make something like that....but I'm pretty sure it will be good. :) Haha! So it's pretty cool. And I'm having my birthday dinner at the Stake Presidents house on Friday, so I'm way excited for that! Our stake president goes to Europe ALL THE TIME to shoot Mormon Messages for the church website. So he's pretty much famous. :) He's way cool, he kind of looks like Jim Carrey, only totally better! I'll send you pictures next week. I think. Anyway! OH! Can someone please send me somemore black trouser socks? I have holes in all of mine. I guess I just walk to much. :) That is if it's not in my birthday package. Anyway! I love you all! And I hope I have more exciting news next week. We have a baptism scheduled for Sept 11, 18, and 25. So we are praying that they will keep! But hopefully I will have more to say next week.

Love
Leda