Last Letter

Hey everybody! So this week was interesting. We went on exchanges this week, I got to go with my "granddaughter" Sister Horsford who is from New Zealand. Yup, pretty much. :) Haha! So anyway, we stopped by the Martinez' (who have been around me my whole mission) to see how they were doing. And our investigator Tim was there! I was so happy! We talked for about 45 minutes, and we totally connected. It was so great! We talked about our pasts and stuff, it was just really good. During our conversation he started crying, and went in the house to get his sunglasses, while he was gone, one of his friends came over to the house and started talking to us. He said his name was Cisco, but don't call him that because if we do, then guns will start popping out. He said that he killed people and burned down houses and who knows what else. He said to call him Toast. So anyway, we talked a little but more and set up an appt to go see him. Well, after we finished talking to Tim we left, and I just got this bad feeling not to go see Toast. So we called the ward mission leader, and he said not to go. So we didn't. But we told the Martinez' son to invite him over to the house so we can teach him there. So anyway. I hope it works out. He really does need a change in his life.

Anyway! I will see if I can send pictures of Tim. Anyway! I will see you all next week!

I love you all!

 

Love Sister Stolp

To Annie Again

YAY!!!!!!! I SOOOO want to be there for their court of honor! I was so worried that I wouldn't be there. I hope it's before I go to CA! Man, that seems like forever away, but after I get home, it's only like 2 weeks. So it's really not that bad. So I have to talk on July 17 about how the gospel changed the lives of those I taught on my mission. I have a few ideas, but I really haven't seen to much change in that way. I get moved around way to much on my mission to actually see the results. OH! I forgot to mention in my family letter that I got a letter from a man in Gallup who we tracted into, they were actually being taught by missionaries in Colorado, so they let us in right away. We had dinner with them once and we had some really good discussions and stuff with them. They are baptist, and are very active in their church, but they are willing to listen. I think it's because they recognize the spirit and truth. So it was really cool teaching them. I had actually forgotten their last name, but I remembered the wifes name because it's cool, it's Leisl. :) So anyway, I got this letter and all it had was their last name on the envelope, and for the life of me I couldn't remember who that was! And so I opened it, and it was them! So he was telling me that he was praying the other night and I came into his mind. I had told them about mom dying and how I have seen God's hand in my life. And it touched him so deeply that he remembered that about me. So he wrote me a letter telling me how much he appreciated that I had shared that experience with his family, and he talked about how I need to finish strong (he calculated that I am leaving soon), and how we have a bond through Jesus Christ and a few more other things. They have not joined the church, but they definitely have a strong testimony of Jesus Christ. It was a really neat letter, and I really needed it right now. I will read it to you when I get home. Anyway! I love you!

 

Love Sister Stolp

Father's Day

Hey everybody! So today I am going to the tram for p-day. It's the thing that takes you up to the top of the mountain. Sister Bode set it up, she wants to hang out with me before I go home. I am so excited to see her again and to talk with her! She is in a 3some with Sister Herzog and Sister Gorringe in Ladera/Ventana Ranch/Volcano Cliffs. Sister Nichols went home, so all of this is hopefully temporary, it's so hard to cover 3 wards! I'm not exactly sure why Sister Nichols went home, all I know is that her grandpa died last month? I hope she is ok. Her 3 handicapped brothers weren't doing so well either when I was with her. So I just hope she is ok. I will probably call her when I get back.

Today is Sister Wilsons birthday, so we are excited to be doing something fun. :) So I told you all about Fred, he is a painter from Chicago, and I asked him to paint me a rock, so I'm excited to see what he is going to paint me. :) He is such a cool guy!

How was your fathers day dad? How was yours Jimmy? Sorry I didn't get you a card, I thought a good enough present was me coming to stay with you guys for the summer. :) Happy Fathers day!

How are the eagle projects going? Brenda, I'm sorry to hear about your uncle, I hope the funeral was lovely. How is your brother? I heard he was out of the hospital, but is he doing ok? Anyway, I'm not sure what else to write, nothing to exciting happened this week.

I hope you all have a great week! I love you all!

 

Love Sister Stolp

Tim

Hey everybody! How's it all going? What has your week been like so far? Mine has been fun. :) We have an investigator named Tim Archuletta, he's a tatoo artist and is like 32 and has 2 little girls. He is divorced from his wife of 10 years, she was a member, but I think is excommunicated now. But I'm not sure. Anyway! We have been trying to get a hold of him for a bit, but he has been busy, but finally we have been able to see him! :) Yay! He stopped drinking, and is off drugs, but he still smokes. :( But he definitely wants to quit. So anyway, we were teaching him the other day, and we were giving the first lesson. So after the prayer I asked him who he thought we were praying too, he said God. I said, yup, and I asked him who he thought God was. He said he thought of God as a light (like a disco ball?) with all colors and stuff. It was interesting. Bernalillo is very interesting with the way they think. Everyone thinks of God as something different. In a lot of my areas, people think the same way about certain things. But anyway. We talked about that for a little while, and then we gave him the testimony of Joseph Smith to read, and set up an appointment for the next week. So a few days go by and he texted us and said he was going camping and that we would have to reschedule our appointment. :( (I hate that) So we decided to stop by before he left and see how he was doing and give him some spiritual nourishment. So we asked him if he had read his assignment, and he said he read it the same day we taught him!!!!! NO ONE DOES THAT!!!!!! I was blown away! I was very proud of him. :) We talked a little bit and his ex wife had mentioned that we get to create our own worlds one day, and he totally loves that concept. It is way cool because no one likes to hear that. They think we are going to be angels for forever. Anyway. So we gave him Enos to read while he was gone camping. He doesnt' comprehend things to well, but I know that it makes him feel happy. :) I love Tim! He's so cool!

So you all know about Fred, well, Fred teases me a bit about if he was younger he would totally go after me (as in marriage), and he has mentioned going to the temple with me. Haha! So yesterday in class (and I was sitting behind him) we were talking about the Celestial kingdom and the requirements of getting there. One of the requirements is getting sealed. He raised his hand and said that he has  a problem because he is not married. We told him that there is a chance in the next life for him to get married. So that made sense to him. And one of the guys said that she could  be infront of him or behind him or just around the corner. So Fred turns around and looks at me and was like hmmm....It was soooo funny! I was laughing so hard! Sister Wilson said that I was the reddest shade of red anyone could get. It was so funny! It is totally an inside joke, but everyone was laughing! After class he said it again, that if he could (marry me) he really means it. SOO  FUNNY! All the old men love me...It's because I worked at True Value, I know it! Anyway, Fred is a famous painter in Chicago, so I want him to paint a rock for me before I leave. That way I can have something to remember him by.

Anyway! That is my fun week. :) Oh, and we found a centimede (sp?) that was about 4 inches long in our shower last night. Yuk.

Love you all!

Love Sister Stolp

Hey Annie! Don't worry, I'm still on. :) I emailed you guys first. Anyway! Who said I was trunky???? I am not! :) It's just weird to think that I will be able to do whatever I want to do again in 3 weeks. Weird. I will definitely miss the mission though! We have some great people out here that we are teaching. But it's only the old men...that flirt with me...I think. I don't know. I think Tim might be flirting with me, but it's really hard to tell. I try to not give that part attention. But I am very aware of those things so that I can protect myself. We always make sure to have someone with us when we go see him. Anyway! I know he teases me though. Whatever. He's cool.

I can't wait to see the dresses! I bet they look bueno! I will have to remember to have Christy sing for me. What a cute girl! Does Christy have blond or brown hair? I haven't seen a picture of her since you sent me pictures in October...and I think those were taken in the summer...and she was bald I think! You're such a slacker! But I still love you. :)

Well, I am super excited to come and help you with the girls! Yay! I will keep Vanessa in line, and she will love me, and I will love her, and we will be best buds, and she will miss me when I leave, and I will miss her when I leave, but that's ok, because I will call her and she will talk to me, and we will still be the bestest of buds. :) I'm way excited! And if none of the other girls come out then that is ok, I need to spend of quality time with the Stevens family. And I will have time to hang out with the Stolps when I get back. :) it's all good!

Well, I love you! Keep emailing me!

 

Love Sister Stolp

Almost There

Hey everybody! What is new this week? Are you boys officially done with you eagle projects? I want to see pictures of you at your court of honor, and don't forget I want an invitation!!!!! What are you boys going to do when you are done with your projects?

So have you all heard about the fires in Arizona? There are 3 or something like that, and they are all at about the central New Mexico border, so we are getting the smoke from 2 of them here in Bernalillo!!!! It has been crazy! We had ash on our car the other day, it was crazy! I heard about the tornadoes in Massachusetts and California. Weird! I bet you it is definitely the signs of the times. In gospel principles we are at the end of the book, which talks about the last days and stuff, and every Sunday (almost) we joke around about how the world is going to end in October. It's pretty comical. :)

So what have you guys decided for my trip to California? How am I going to get there and when?

So yesterday we were doing member visits, and we dropped by one house with the name of Whipple, (they might be related somehow). Anyway, so the night before Sister Whipple's mom had a masive stroke. It is kind of crazy how throughout my mission I have done that so many times, where we just make plans to do whatever, and it's exactly where and when we need to be. So we were able to provide comfort for Sister Whipple and Sister Wilson (my comp) shared an amazing scripture with her. It's 3 Ne 9:13. Read it. :)

So Annie, here are my suggestions on a name for your baby if it's a girl. Loretta, Amara (am-uh-ra), Mary, Theresa, Megan. I think that is it. I like Bethany I guess, but anyway, there are my suggestions. Do you have any middle names picked out? Hopefully I will be in Ca before the baby is born! That would be sad if your baby was born before I went out there! :( Christy must be HUGE! I can't wait to see her! I can't believe that I only have 4 weeks left! It's crazyness. Anyway! I hope everything is going well for you!

 

I love you all!

 

Love Sister Stolp

Lots of Pics!

Hey so I just sent a bunch of pictures, sorry it's been a while since I've done that, but I've been always short on time when I email. ANyway! So this week we saw a bobcat outside our door. We live in Placitas where all the hippies used to live, so it's kind of out in the open, and our backyard is like the forest. :) But it was way cool! I like died when I saw it! I wish my camera was better! Oh well. Anyway, nothing new happening here. I am with Sister Wilson now. She's been out for about 10 months, so it's kinda nice. We are tearing apart the ward directory. I guess you could say that is my forte, I love contacting everyone in the ward and then letting the ward know what I find. :) I don't stay in an area long enough to see any results, but I love doing it anyway. And we have been trying to get the ward council on board with the 15 names, they hardly know what to do with them! So we have been really cracking down on the ward with getting the 15 names put together in 2 weeks, I want results while I'm still here! Anyway! So ya, nothing to new. I'm still trying to find my family to baptize. :( I don't know if we have any potential families to baptize at this moment, BUT that doesn't mean I won't find them and baptize them. Heck, I could find them when I only have 2 weeks left, and they could be golden and get baptized the Saturday before I go home! How cool would that be? My last Saturday and I get my wish of baptizing a family. I have been praying (but probably not as regularly as I should) to find this family. I know that there is one out there with my name on it! But maybe I'm not supposed to be a missionary when I find this family. :( Anyway! I hope everyone is good and doing well. How are the eagle projects coming? Is everyone done? Have you found out when the court of honor is going to be? I WANT INVITATIONS TO IT! Even if I can't be there, I still want to be informed of when they are. If I don't get an invitation, I will be very mad.

Anyway, what are all your plans for the summer? I love you! Write me letters back!

 

Love

Sister Stolp

To Annie

Annie that sounds wonderful if you could drive me home and show off the baby and stuff. I would love going on that road trip with you! :) Helen should just come and hang out with me. But I can see why Julia would not be able to come. But if I could find a low key job out in CA then that would be fun. :)

That's cool that Lorien has a recital! She's got to be so big too! She's going to be baptized next year huh? CRAZY!!! Oh, and what you said about Christy nursing her baby along side you is so cute! She sounds really sweet. I can't wait to meet her again! She definitely won't remember me! Oh and about your hands. I bet you have ecxema. (or however you spell it) I have had a couple of companions who have that. Their hands look all blistered and they peel and are very tender. I thought about you right away. There is a lotion that you can get for ecxema, I saw it at Walgreens. And that is probably what the girls have, and when you dry out, it gets really bad. So you do good by putting lotion on your hands and stuff. I guess just keep it moisturized. :) Anyway! That's exciting about your garden, it sounds like it's doign really well. I'm so proud of you!

How heavy are you this time? I remember you got HUGE with Lorien, but I can't rememeber the other girls, probably because I didn't get to see many piuctres. Anyway! I have to go, I LOVE YOU!!!

 

Love

Sister Stolp

Bernalillo

Annie:

Man that's a bummer that you can't come to Utah! BUT! I talked to dad and Brenda, and they said that I can come to CA when I get home so that I can help you with the kids and the baby! Yay! Can you work the dates out with them and Julia? I don't really know when school starts, but I was thinking of staying out there July 19 (or 20) - Aug 19. So think it over with those people and that would be great! I would love to come help you out!

So how are things going with you and your little (soon to be big - 6!!!) family? How many dresses are you making? How many sisters does Crystals fiance have? Anyway, my companion Sister Barello is getting transferred to the big city (thank goodness it's not me!) and opening it to sisters (thank goodness it's not me!). I hate being in the city and following after elders. It's the worst! But I'm staying in Bernalillo and I'm getting Sister Wilson. She's way shy, but is so cute! I think she will like Bernalillo, it has issues. :) I love it! I'm not sure what I'm going to do with myself when I get home! It's going to be weird not being a missionary. But I think coming out there will be good for me. So anyway! I love you!

 

Love Sister Stolp

Hey everybody, so we got transfer news, I'm staying in Bernalillo and I'm dying there! Wahoo! I love Bernalillo and there is no other place I would rather be then here to die. :) It's an awesome little town with some pretty cool people. :) My companion, Sister Barello is going to City View Ward in ABQ and is following elders in. :( That's the worst! But she is a good one, so she can do it.

Fred got the priesthood yesterday during priesthood. It was awesome! In the ordination blessing, it said that his ancestors have been praying and waiting for someone in their line to become a member of the church. And it's Fred! He can do their work for them! It's so cool! I want to come back when he goes through the temple. He is one special person. :)

I'm getting Sister Wilson, she was trained by Sister Barello. Haha! Because me and Sister Barello were companions, we connected ALL of the english sisters. It's pretty cool. We were thinking of that the other night. Anyway, Sister Wilson is kind of quiet, but she's pretty sassy when she wants to be. So I"m pretty excited about getting her. She makes my 15th companion. Man. I am sick of getting new companions! But I have learned a lot from each one of them.

I hope everyone is having a great week! I love you all!

 

Love Sister Stolp

7 Weeks?

Hey everybody! How's it all going? How was your week? Helen, how was your birthday? Did you do anything fun? I can't believe you're 20 now! Wow! :) When does school get out for you all? It's weird that school is getting out again! I remember last year when everyone got out, it was weird. I hope everyones school year was good!

So we had a baptism on Saturday, I forgot to tell everyone. His name is Fred Semmler and he was a famous artist in Chicago. He's like 70 years old, and is just the sweetest guy! He is gay, but he doesn't live that lifestyle anymore. Infact, he knows that marriage is between a man and woman and nothing else. He's so cool! He lives across the street from Peter and Laurie Webb, he is in the stake presidency and she is just the coolest lady! Pres Webb calls her his trophy wife, so we tease her about it. :) Fred is so cute, we went to his house a few days before his baptism and we were talking about something and then all of a sudden he was like, "how do you say your last name? My mom would have LOVED you! You're not fat, but you're...(I said plump) a nice plump german girl. Oh my mom would have loved you. She would always point out the german girls and say 'Freddy, don't you like that girl?' and his reply would be 'no mom, I like him!" HAHAHA! I just laughed and laughed and laughed! It was so funny! So I tease him about calling me a plump german girl. :) He always tries to backtrack and take it back, but I love it, it describes me. And I can't deny it! HAHA! So since he's gay, we get to hug him, and lately he has been kissing me on the cheek whenever we leave, which I think is so cute! Yesterday after his confirmation we were standing a little ways away from Fred, and I looked over at him and he puckered up his lips and gave me an air kiss. It was so funny! So I air kissed him back and then he started smootching the air! HAHAHA! It was funny! Then we were over by him later that day and he was saying something, and then he said something about marrying an angel (me), it was hilarious! Haha! He is such a cute old man. :) He makes my day.

ANyway! So it was a pretty good week.

Annie, what was the name that you were thinking about for your baby? I get home in 7 weeks, are you coming to Utah or not? I need to know!

I love you all!

 

Love

Sister Stolp

Theresa 5-2-11

Hey everyone! So this week has been crazy! I remember I was going to tell you about Theresa. Ok, well she is a police officer and was in 9/11 and had to see all of that, and then she came to New Mexico, and worked in Rio Rancho area. She was mostly a school cop, like she brought in her dog and told the kids not to do drugs. So she was a pretty low key police officer. She had no real training on like combat or shoot outs or whatever. So anyway, for some reason the department put her and her partner Joe, in the Jemez (Hay-mez) mts. to try and catch a thief. They called him the cookie bandit. So anyway. They were plopped in a cabin to wait for this guy to break in, so that they could arrest him. Well, the dept. goofed up. They didnt give them a working radio, there was no back up, there was nothing. It was just them and Theresa's boyfriends (her guns). So what they didn't know was that this guy was a serrial killer too. So when he broke in to Theresa's cabin, the bandit fought Theresa and Joe for about 45 mins of hand to hand combat. Which they weren't trained for. But Theresa is a man, so they fought him off pretty well. But in the end, Joe got shot a couple of times, and was bleeding to death. The bandit shot at Theresa, but missed her 3 time at point blank. God was watching out for her! But the gun she picked up to kill the bandit with malfunctioned and didn't work! So Joe (who was dying) grabbed the gun, did something with it, and then shot the bandit dead. Then Joe died himself. Theresa suffers from survivers guilt. It is really sad, and she feels very empty and alone and that God has abandonded her. So we are helping her understand about Jesus Christ and His Atonement, and about God's love for her. It is really sad. But I love her so much! She is an amazing woman! I hope you guys meet her one day. :)

So anyway, the other day we were tracting and we knocked on the door and a girl answered. She looked kind of nervous, and we asked her if she believed in Christ, she said no she didn't think so. So there was some hesitancy, but then her grandma came home, and then she got really scared. The grandma came up and stood between us and our escape. She was a big woman, and asked us what we wanted. We told her who we were and then she said that she did not want any solicitors (I wanted to say we were not soliciting, but I couldn't open my mouth), and then she moved a little closer, and got more nasty. She asked me if I had a permit, and I looked her in the eye and I said yes. I think that might have intimidated her a little, but as we were walking away, she left the door open long enough for us to hear what she told  her granddaughter. She said "I don't want you opening this door to anyone! Especially to those freakin' religious idiots!" It was so full of hate! I was so scared! Seriously, I have been at some pretty shady doors, but this was the first one where I actually felt like I was in some danger. I thougth for sure she was going to grab me and yank me across the yard into the street. Sister Barello felt the same way about her. So we think it was the spirit telling us to keep our mouths shut or else we would have gotten hurt. It was scary. But I was proud of myself for looking her in the eye and telling her, yes I have a permit to be on your doorstep telling you about Christ. And boy did she need some religion in her life! Poor old crabby lady. Anyway! That is all. I just found out like 5 mins ago that we are getting a new car!!! Wa hoo!!!! I am so excited! We have a dumpy Malibu. Anyway! I love you all! I hope you are doing great and I will see you on Mother Day! I hope that you guys can do skype. And SIster Barello said that she is going to be skyping at 5 on SUnday evening. So I will be doing the same sometime around 4 or 6pm. I love you all! Sorry that you will be having to look at me, the fat slob that I am, so make sure you have blind folds ready! :) Love you all!

 

Love Sister Stolp

Mother's Day Arrangements 5-2-11

Hey everyone! So I can skype for mothers day...so if you want to we can do that. I will have the member that we live with call you guys sometime on Mothers day and have her call you through the skype. So anyway! Let me know what you guys think. I guess you will have to send me a letter to let me know. So ya, Julia and Helen, you better be there so I can see your faces. :) I love you all!

 

Love Sister Stolp

 

ps. I went to a chiropractor today and I found out a lot of my problems are from me being SO out of wack! Yay! Dad, he said he would give me the name of the chiropractor in slc. He said he was really good, and it's not like one of those spiritual chiropractors. So anyway. It might help with your back again, and Nathan's too. :)

Elder Cook 4-25-11

Hey everybody! So this weekend we got to listen to Elder Quentin L. Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, along with Bishop Keith McMullin, and Elder Claudio Costa (the area authority for our mission). It was fantastic! Elder Cook talked to us about the Savior and the restoration. He said that it is important that we teach our less actives the importance of Joseph Smith and how is was foreordained to be a prophet. It will help them remember their own conversion. It was really cool. He said that he helped write Preach My Gospel, and that they never taught dispensations before, or Adam and Eve, but they felt very strongly that in order for people to understand the importance of Joseph Smith they needed to see the importance of the previous prophets. It was pretty cool! He talked about the Atonement, and that they felt very strongly that we needed to teach that the atonement makes up for all the unfairness of this life. Or something like that. I will have to look at PMG again. I was going to do that, but I keep forgetting! Anyway! It was cool. He also said that because of our willingness to serve missions, we will be blessed for eternity, and that everyone that we come into contact with in this life will bless them also. I never thought about it that way, that we will be blessed for eternity. It was cool!

Bishop McMullin got up and he said "Elder Cook will never say this, but I will. You are in the presence of a 12 Apostle. He is a prophet, seer, and revelator. He is a prophet." When he said those words, I knew that he was indeed an Apostle. I was thinking about his the other day, but Elder Cook is a witness of Jesus Christ, just like I am right now, I am a witness of Jesus Christ. I am not comparing myself at all with an Apostle, but it is cool that we have the same job right now. :) Elder Holland couldn't make it because he just made a 2 1/2 week trip to the middle east, and President Packer said that he wasn't going to go to ABQ, and that he needed to rest and take it easy for a bit. I guess he looked really worn out. So anyway, that's why we had Elder Cook. But did you guys know that Elder Cook and Elder Holland were mission companions? Cool huh? :) Anyway! It was a great conference! We had Bishop McMullin come to our stake conference yesterday. It was really good! He talked about Jesus Christ and the atonement. We 2 investigators to come yesterday. They are married. Their names are Doug and Theresa. I will have to tell you about Theresa sometime, her life is messed up! She has gone through A TON! It is a cool story. I will have to tell you when I have more time. Anyway! I love you! Thanks for the letters and the Easter package!

 

Love

Sister Stolp

Easter 4-24-11

I hope the picture comes through. President and Sister Miller are standing on the righthand side of the picture. And the couple on the left is the temple president, President Shumway. Anyway! It was a great conference!

 

Love

Sister Stolp

Hold the Phone 4-25-11

Hold the phone Annie! So Crystal is getting married! Wow! So who died of cancer? And is this guy Shawn Harmons son? I'm really confused! But I hope he's a good guy for Crystal! That's kind of weird that she's getting married. Someone else is joining the family. I think it will be weird when one of us gets married too. We are all so used to having Jimmy being the only in-law! So what are her colors, and when is she getting married? You have to remember that this is the first time I'm hearing any of this! You should start at the beginning. Anyway!

That's cool that you are fixing up the backyard and stuff! I can't wait to see it all! You are too creative for you own good. :) Anyway! I am suffering from major allergies. I have a runny nose and a cough. Blah. But I'm taking allergy pills, so I'm hoping by sometime this week I can kick it!

So the coolest thing, we live with members, but they are hippies! They are so cool! They are the Volkmans. They did a lot of hard drugs when they were younger, but then they found the gospel and changed their whole lives around! About a week after they joined the church, their daughter who was 5 was in a horrific fire that almost claimed her life, but she lived, and is now 30 years old and is going strong! But even with all the trials they faced with her and stuff, they stayed strong to their new found faith. They are awesome! They have a dog named Dylan. The #1 rule in their house is "it's Dylans fault" Hahaha! It is so funny! We have a Bro. Volkman quote wall, it's hilarious! He once gave me some ginger soda, and he said, "it will make you cough the first time you drink it" I asked why and he said "there's 12% alcohol in it" Hahaha! I laughed so hard! Their basement is totally a flashback to the '60's, they have a bunch of posters of bands and stuff like that and a bunch of...junk. But it's so fun! I wish you could meet them. :) They're awsesome!

Anyway! Thanks for emailing me! I really appreciate it! I love you!

 

Love

Leda

Quick Update

Hey everybody! I'm doing much better emotional wise. I think I just had my mental breakdown last transfer (for reals), but I'm doing much better now. :) So we were at a referrals house yesterday, the ladies name is Barbara, and she is about 80 years old. She is so cute! Sister Barello was sitting by her (so sweet!) so that Barbara could hear the scriptures being read, and Barbara looked at Sis Barello's name and said it sounded like a song! So cute! Her name is Italian, so anyway! She looked at me and asked me my name. I said Stolp. She was like, "that doesn't sound like a song" It was sooo funny! :) Stolp is such a harsh sounding name! But oh well. I like it. :) Anyway, I don't have much time to write. But I just wanted to let you all know I'm doing well, but suffering from some major allergies, but I'm slowly getting over it.

 

ELDER HOLLAND COMES THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

But yes, I will call sometime after 12noon on Mother's Day. We get out at 12noon. So that will be perfect! I don't think we can do skype, but that's ok. I'm seeing you all in like 11 weeks anyway. So ya.

Annie, how are you doing? How is the pregnancy? Let me know how you are!

 

Love you all!

 

Love Sister Stolp

Freak Out 4-11-11

Hey everybody! GUESS WHAT?!?!?!??!?!?!? The general authority coming to my mission on April 23 is going to be....

 

 

                                   ELDER HOLLAND!!!!!!!!

 

 

 

Crazy huh????? OH MY GOODNESS!!!! We ALL freaked out in the library just now when we read it!!!!! AHHHHH!!!!! We are all soooo excited!!! I know EVERYONE was hoping it was going to be Elder Holland, and it came true! Oh wow! :) :) :)

By the way, I'm getting transferred again, up to Bernalillo with Sister Barello. She came out last May, so she is almost as old as me here on the mission. I have been demoted back to junior companion, but I think that's only because Sister Barello has been in Bernalillo for 6-7 months, so she knows the area like the back of her hand. Which I am OK with being junior. I was a little shocked at first because I thought maybe I had done something, but I know I haven't done anything to make it a bad demotion. It's just that I think she needs it, and besides, she knows the area super well. SO anyway! I'm moving on to my 6th area and my 14th companion! Crazy! But Sister Barello is cute, I've seen her around almost my whole missions. So it will be fun to be with her. And Bernalillo is in the Rio Rancho/Santa Fe zone, so I will be able to go to Santa Fe!!!! Yay! I'm excited!

So this week has been crazy. I got the stomach flu and had a fever of about 100.2 for about a whole day. It was bad. And then I got a little bout of hives, I think I'm allergic to green chile (I had some soup with it in it.). But I'm doing ok now. I feel a ton better! The elders all came and gave me a blessing. Wow, they have seen me in my WORST! But whatever. OH! And Sister Bode is coming to take my place here with Sister Nichols. I love Sister Bode! I miss her a ton! I'm excited that she is coming to Albuquerque. We have a great district leader up here, Elder Fraughton. So anyway! It will be a fun change. I will be living with members up in Corrales, which is just a little south of Bernalillo. But you will hear more of it next week! Love you all!

 

Love Sister Stolp

4-4-11

Hey everybody! What is new with you all? How is the garden going? Haha! That reminds me. So the other day we did service for an investigator named Pam, and we helped her with her yard and getting all the weeds and dead things out. So as I was plucking and pulling I noticed a smell that I haven't smelled in YEARS...it was mint!!!! I was so excited to smell it again! It took me back to California and the good old days of mint taking over our yard on the side of the house. :) I was so happy! She also had a dead lilac bush that she didn't know what it was, so I told her it was lilac. I know because that was one of mommy's favorite plants. It was interesting how much I knew about plants and gardens, when I didn't know I actually knew that much! It was fun! I should be a farmer. JUST KIDDING!!!! I will not be a farmer, but I will have a garden one day. :) Anyway, it was fun. We also did service for a man who had strayed from the church for 40 years, but is now coming back to church  and is getting his patriarchal blessing, and his son is a little interested in the church, so we talked to him for a bit. But anyway, we painted a shed for a neighbor of his. It was fun! Last week I got to go on exchanges with the Los Lunas sisters...I got to go back to Los Lunas with my "daughter" Sister Hiatt! I was so excited! I wasn't sure how it was going to be, especially with all that had happened there when I was there, but I wanted to go back to see if I could mend a few things in my mind. It was the best experience for me! I got to see so many people that remembered me (I haven't been there for 6 months), and love me. Imagine that. :) I got to see Miguel Flores!!! He was an investigator when I was there, he was so close to getting baptized. He was the one with the date for your birthday dad, Aug 27, but he missed it because he wouldn't listen to me or the spirit and took a job that didn't allow him to take the lessons anymore. BUT he got baptized on Oct 10!!! And I missed it! BUT he gave me a picture of his baptism, which I will cherish forever. Miguel and his fiancee Diane were married shortly after that, and they told me that they will be getting sealed in Salt Lake sometime this year or next year. I told them that I will be in SLC, and they said that they wanted me there!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm soooooooo excited for them to get sealed! It makes my heart so full to know that I could help him along that path to eternal life! :) :) :) I have a special place in my heart for Miguel and Diane. Sister Hiatt and I got to teach a few lessons together, I love her. We went and saw Danielle Hardyman, she is coming back to church and all that, and just loves the sisters! So she had gotten her recommend to go get her patriarchal blessing, but didn't have the guts to call the patriarch. So we made her call the patriarch right there on the spot. :) It was awesome! We are so evil together, but it worked! So she will be getting that within the month.

Anyway! So Annie, are you on bed bedrest or what? What is happening with that?

Well, I love you all!

 

Love Sister Stolp

3-29-11

Hey everyone! Wow Annie, wow. I know everything will be ok because Heavenly Father told you it would be ok. Wow. That is crazy! I will be praying for you and the baby. But please keep me updated on what is going on with you and the pregnancy! Send me pictures of the girls! I can't wait to see your house! I'm sure I won't recognize it. Wow! It sounds like you guys have been busy!

Julia, I am still waiting for the letter. :) I'm so excited to get it now! Yay!

So I went to the temple yesterday, it was really really good! I definitely received some revelation for me. I will be sending a couple of journal entries to the house and Annie, and Julia so that you can all read it. But this might make more sense with the journal entries. So I learned that it is a commandment for me to be happy. Heavenly Father created this earth so that we can find happiness and joy. I mean, He even created it for the animals to find happiness and joy! So of course me. :) 

 I also learned that I think I'm just homesick for my heavenly home. I think I just want to be in the eternities RIGHT NOW! It's so sad to see everything in the world and all the imperfections of this life. I want to see mom again. It's been a long time since I have been able to talk to her. I think it's kind of good being away from home though because it lessens the saddness of mom being gone because all of you are gone right now! I mean I hear from you and stuff, but I don't get to see you. I think it's kind of like when I dream on mom, it's like getting a letter. Anyway, I don't know if that makes sense.

It was really sad though, at the temple there was an older lady that was working at the temple in my session. During the session, she had a bowel movement that I'm sure she couldnt' control and maybe even didn't know it was coming. But as she was walking out of the room, she looked really out of it, and just not there. So I don't think she was feeling to well. But they had to do some deep cleaning because it was really bad, so they made us all go back into the chapel to wait while they cleaned it up. It was really sad. But we heard that she was ok. They were afraid it was a mini stroke, but thankfully it wasn't.

But it was really good to be in the temple and to feel peace, and to know that Heavenly Father talks to me, and that He really does look out for me. We stayed in the Celestial Room for a good long while. I went through an inventory with Heavenly Father and told him about all the bad experiences I've had on my mission, and then I talked to Him about what I learned from them, or what I was supposed to learn from them. It was really good, I really could see the good in all of my bad experiences. I think it really helped me look on the brightside. Which reminds me, I was reading the scriptures before I left, and I was thinking about how sometimes I don't think I have any faith. But the thought came to me that I haven't lost ANY faith, I've always had faith. I just need to have a brighter outlook on my situations. I need to have HOPE! So anyway. You will understand a little bit better after you read my journal. :) I hope it doesn't get you all too depressed. But it has all of my feelings in it.

 

So no one ever told me if there are any young men from the ward going on missions? Did you all hear that Brieanna Thrall is going to Moscow Russia?!?!?!? COOL! I can totally see her in Russia! She is going to be a great missionary! I will be sad to have missed her by a couple of months! Helen, please call her and tell her good luck for me! I want to send her a letter, but it may not get to her in time before she heads out to the MTC.

Anyway! I love you all! Have a great week!

 

Love Sister Stolp

Sheesh! One thing after another!

Hey everybody! This week Sister Nichols and I got sick with sore throats and gunk in our heads. We got blessings, and I got better, but Sister Nichols got worse. She was afraid that it was pneumonia or bronchitus (sp?). She has had a fever for a few days, and just can't seem to break it. We are waiting for permission to go to the doctor. Anyway!

What have you all been up to this week? I know dad, you asked what was up with me leaving El Paso, I don't know. But apparently I am supposed to be here in ABQ. BUT El Paso can use all the prayers it can get. Sister Bode is still down there, and I'm sure she is still struggling.

So my district is so fun! There is E. Fraughton (DL) and his comp E. Chiu, and then E. Cantey and his comp E. Castano. E. Castano reminds me of me before I left. He's really bubbly and excited all the time. I'm sorry to say that I'm not bubbly nor do I get excited easily anymore. :( I'm actually sad about that, but I've been through quit a bit that has made me more serious. I don't know, maybe when I get home I will be bubbly again. But I kind of doubt it. Oh well. Anyway! I'm just really glad that I have a good district. :)

Next week we are going to the temple! I am so excited! We have to take our concerns and stuff with us for Heavenly Father to help us. So I've been thinking about a  few things to take with me. Also another cool thing is that an apostle is coming to our mission in April!!!!! We don't know who it is yet, but we have to prepare also for his coming. I'm really excited because I have so many opportunities to prepare for his coming. :)

Well, I don't know what else there is to say, this week has been kind of slow. So I hope you all are doing great! 

 

Love Sister Stolp

Write Letters

Hey everybody! Everything is going good so far out here. I got a blessing last Monday and almost right after my lungs stopped hurting and I was able to breath. I'm not kidding when I say it was a miracle. We still had a little carbon monoxide after that in our apartment, but we were able to air it out. We had to get our water heater replaced, so that was good that they found the problem.

Sounds like everyone is doing good back home. Congrats Val! I hope that I can see you in action next year! Boys what are you up too? Any of you found jobs yet? Annie you should send me pictures of your pregnant belly. :) Hey, has Chelsea had her baby yet? How was Allens b-day party?

Things are going good. I was over 2 wards (Ladera and Volcano Cliffs) and 2 Navajo branches (Tohajiilee and Laguna Acoma), but then Volcano Cliffs split and Ladera gained some of VCliffs. VCliffs is going to a different building now, so we had to turn VCliffs over to another set of sisters that meet in that building. So it's all crazy! So now we just cover Ladera, which just got a new bishop and the ward mission leader has been out of town, so we haven't been able to utilize the ward as much as I would like too. But so far it's going, slowly but surely. There is so much work to do here in Ladera. There are 435 members, and 220 households, and 149 households without a Melchizedek Priesthood holder (!!!!!!!!!!!), and 114 single adults/ysa (only 4 come to church...)......There is so much to do. I was so shocked to see the numbers. I am hoping to get this ward more missionary minded and pumped to do the work. So far we have seen a lot of missionary minded people here, and the bishop is a convert, so I think he will help us out a TON! I'm really excited actually, but I feel like time is running out for me. I need to hurry this work along. But the ward is trying to get back on their feet from the split. So we are trying hard. We actually saw that a neighbor of ours was a member, so we decided to knock on their door to see who they were etc. So we found out that they had moved, BUT a lady lives there now and invited us in and talked to us about her family and stuff. It was reallly neat! We invited her to a RS activity tomorrow. So hopefully she will come! :) I love missionary work. I love finding new people to teach! I miss some of the other people I used to teach in my other areas. :( I actually got an email today from Angie in El Paso! I was so excited! She did start going to the spanish branch, which is much better for her, so I'm really excited that she enjoyed it. She has made a few friends. :) I LOVE Angie! I miss her a lot.

Anyway! What is this about the tsunami in Japan? Sister Nichols' mom wrote her about it. And I also heard that the middle east is in turmoil.  Anyway! Just keep writing me! And thanks for the money dad and Brenda, I really appreciate it! I got the money for Valentines' day ($15) but I'm not sure if you sent me any more. I won't need any for a little bit, maybe in April I'll let you know if I need any more. Thanks a ton! Love you all!

 

Love

Sister Stolp