My Testimony

I found my "I KNOW" testimony....
We were at a ladies house who is less-active her name is Diane. Her mom Marlene was there who is also less-active. We started teaching them the Restoration using the cups lesson. We got to the part where Joseph Smith was questioning all the other churches and read in the Bible about praying. After we recited the First Vision, both of them were very quick to jump on it and tell us that NO ONE has seen God. NO ONE. It was a little surprising how...nasty (?) she got, it was actually quit venomous. We told her that people have seen God. We found out that she believes in the Trinity, and thinks God is a Spirit. President, she was a member for 32 years. But her husband wasn't a member, he was a Catholic. So for some reason she hadn't read the Bible, so she decided to read the Bible. She for some reason thinks the Bible is perfect and has all the truth. So that's where she gets her ideas. Diane asked if the Bible talked about the Book of Mormon and if the Book of Mormon talked about the Bible. I showed them Ezekiel 37 and 2 Nephi about the sticks, but they wouldn't listen. They kept asking questions and never waiting for us to answer. It was almost like they were questioning, but not really caring to know the truth. To me it was getting a little anti-Mormon. It was weird. She just kept saying that no one has seen God and that they are all in one, etc...I told her that Heavenly Father was a man and that he was my father and that Jesus Christ was my brother. And that really set her off! She said that Jesus was created and that he was not our brother and Heavenly Father was not our literal father. I said that it was sad to me to think of Heavenly Father as a Spirit, and how I turn to him when I can't turn to my earthly parents.
At this point it was getting a little out of hand, she was getting really mean in a way, just attacking us. So Sis Kavatoe stopped the discussion and told us we didn't have the Spirit. She started talking and honestly I can't remember what she said. But at that point it really hit me...Heavenly Father is really my Father, and Jesus Christ is really my brother. They have bodies of flesh and bones, and they really did appear to Joseph Smith! He is a real person! How sad to think of him as a Spirit! I want a body like he does, I want to be able to hug him when I return home. I got really emotional and wanted to just shout it to her that Heavenly Father has a body! But of course I couldn't do that, so I waited my turn. After Sis Kavatoe stopped talking I think Marlene got back onto the subject of the Trinity, so I turned to her and told her that I KNOW that Heavenly Father is a man with flesh and bones and that He and Christ appeared to Joseph Smith to have him restore this gospel. I KNOW that Heavenly Father is my Father and that Jesus Christ is my brother and I am a daughter of God. At this point I was crying because I was so happy to have that knowledge and so sad that she had lost it. We then had to leave, so Sis Kavatoe said the prayer, and as she was praying I started crying again because I felt it in my heart that she was praying to a person who is my Father in Heaven. I was so happy! When we got in the car I just broke down again because I now KNOW that this church is TRUE and that we DO have a loving Heavenly Father. I just can't imagine how someone who was in the church for 32 years, and had the truth, could go backwards to believing that God is a Spirit. I prayed that night thanking Heavenly Father that I KNOW who He is and who I am. President, I just wanted to let you know that I KNOW that this church is true and that Heavenly Father is really our Father, and he loves us so much that he brought His church back to this earth so that we can succeed as families and as individuals. I am so grateful for the knowlegde and understanding that I have and this opportunity to be His servant.
Love Leda

Ouch!

Hey Annie!
So I'm writing instead of e-mailing because I am pretty much on bed rest. . . I'll explain. . .
If you haven't heard yet, my foot has been swollen for a few months now. I finally went to the Dr because any pressure on top of it(even my socks) hut it. They took x-rays but couldn't find a break and said it could be a stress/hairline fracture. I have not done anything to break my foot! It's crazy! So they put me in a boot brace and on crutches. But my foot swelled even more in the brace. So the Dr thought it could be a blood clot. So I had to get an ultrasound to see, but they couldn't find any clots- thank goodness! So the Dr said to be on complete rest for 2 weeks - he says if I keep hopping up stairs and moving it around too much it could break completely. If it does break it will be jagged and harder to heal. So I've been cooped up since last Friday and I'm going crazy!!! It's so frustrating because the work out here is moving, but I'm not moving! President Anderson came to Gallup yesterday for interviews, but he had to do ours at our trailer because I can't leave the dang trailer. He gave me me a couple of assignments to keep busy and to sharpen my skills. So that was really helpful:)
So Sister Abney and I serve in Gallup 2nd ward on the east side and the district leader Elder Sumpter and his comp Elder Roberts serve in Gallup 1st ward on the west side. So the elders have been out of a truck for about a month or so now - it's in the shop - and we obviously don't need a truck since we're not going anywhere anytime soon. So we got permission for them to use it till their truck is fixed. You have to understand that when we got it, the insides were CAKED in mud! It took us about a week to finally get it shining again. Lame elders - rolling down their windows on the rez. Anyway! We gave the elders specific instructions not to get it muddy again. Elder Sumter asked a stupid (maybe flirtatious) question about what would happen if they brought it back muddy. I told him that if they brought it back muddy I would punch him in the face:) I think Elder Roberts is scared of me, Elder Sumpter is not quite as scared of me I don't think - but in time he will learn not to make me mad, well maybe he already knows. I've blown up at his last 2 comps - so he's probably wise not to make me mad. Elder Sumpter is a good elder:) I'll be sad to see him leave(in June). Anyway! So before I was put on strict rest, I felt like I was doing push-ups all day for 3-4 days. It was exhausting! My one leg is really super buff now! And the other looks like a chicken leg, I look more like Steven now w/my chicken leg! Poor kid.
Oh, and tell Dana Osgood that I'm pretty much in love w/ my district leader too and maybe one day I'll follow in her foot steps and marry mine:) It's actually cool, he's 3 out of 9! We're just made for each other. Haha! But really, maybe one day it will happen. He's a cutie!(And only 6 months to the day younger than me)
I love you! The atonement is real and Jesus can heal anything if we let him.
Love Sis Stolp

'Da Rez

Da Rez! Superman Canyon

Me on da rez still wid ma sheeps.

Me on da rez wid ma sheeps.

Windmill on Superman Canyon Road - da rez!

Me with the Richards Family.

Me and McKenzie kids

Me and Cookie:)

Sis Anderson, Me, Cookie and Bro Ashcroft. Cookie's baptism! My first one ever!

Me and Sis Anderson rocking out in our truck.

Hogan (ho-gone) - traditional dwelling place, not teepees. Teepees are used for ceremonial perposes.

Sis Anderson

Rez mud - it came up to our ankles.

Me! And rez mud - pointing to the spot where sis Anderson fell in da rez mud.

Sis Anderson and rez mud - she actually fell in da rez mud - that's her shocked face.

Vanderwagen mud - the lady driving that truck is CRAZY! She drove forward then backed up to where we were standing and totally was sliding sideways to get to us. It was insane.

Sis Anderson and I celebrating my one month mark w/ an oreo "cake".

Superman Canyon Road sign

Superman Canyon - da rez

Superman Canyon - da rez

Our Trailer (the tree is on the right from the last picture)

The tree in our yard and our field next to our trailer.

Flea Market!

Me and Sis Anderson w/ and investigaroe - Celecia Charlie.

My crazy first district: Elders Thorup, Hansen, Potter(Upside Down), Supter(DL), Sisters Anderson and Stolp.

Flash Back ~ MTC

Miles

This week has been CRAZY!!!!!! so it's week 6, and we get a certain amount of miles each transfer/month. Well we almost ran out of miles. So we had to walk a ton last week. We walked about 9 miles one day and then about 4 the next. It wasn't to hard for me because my legs are still in pretty good shape from climbing the stairs of death at BYU. But sis. Anderson's legs hurt her for a few days. My ankle was kinda hurting me a bit, but it feels fine now. It was crazy, but everyone we walked to go see, was home! There's this one lady we've been trying to get a hold of for about 6 weeks now and she was home! It was amazing! But wow, we were so blessed for trying to conserve miles. It was probably one of our more successful weeks. We thought walking would cut into a lot of our time, but we really didn't suffer in teaching appointments. We got transfer news, and Sis. Anderson is going to Bloomfield...We thought for sure she was staying one more transfer. I'm getting Sis. Abney whose coming from Shiprock up north. Sis. Abney has served in Gallup before but does't know the 2nd ward area which we are in. So some people may recognize her. Now Gallup is my area.....and I've only been with my trainer for 6 weeks! Usually you're with your trainer for 12 weeks. So I feel kinda jipped!!! But whatever, Heavenly Father knows best.

Cookie

Yesterday I went to the Baptist church for a funeral of one of our investigators mom who had died. (Our investigator is getting baptized on Tuesday. Yay!) It was a pretty good sermon, he talked about himself mostly and I didn't really here anything about Cookies (yes, that's the investigators name, she's white, it was her nickname growing up, so she changed her name to that. cool huh?) mom. It was really sad actually. There was cross with thorn crown and some purple cloth drapped around it. It was really sad, it did not make me feel happy or peaceful. It just reminded me about all the hardships I've had in my life. It just brought up to many bad memories/feelings. I honestly don't know why you would want to feel that way every Sunday! I wouldn't! Anyway! The pastor talked about heaven, he was pretty accurate except that he said we get new bodies. I was thinking, "No! I like my old body that I have right now! I don't want a new one!" It was kind of a weird thought. After the service me and Sis Anderson was standing there not really knowing where to do or what to do (the funeral was mostly family) so we waited for Cookie to tell us what she wanted us to do (go with her to the luncheon or leave). While we were standing there the pastors wife pretty much cornered us and asked us who we were and why we were there. It was actuallyu quit funny. In fact, her name was Anne. :) So we talked to Anne for a while and I asked her a little bit about how her husband and how he came to be the pastor. Then I told her I really liked her husbands sermon. She looked at me like I had 2 heads or something! She was totally shocked that I liked his sermon! It was really good, and I wasn't lying, it was just a little off from the truth, but it was good. I heard later from one of the member in the ward out here (we were at their house for dinner) and he said the pastor was almost anti-mormon. Haha! It explained a lot! I talked to Sis Anderson about it later and she said she did not feel any peace when we were there. She lost her grandma right after she came on a mission (a year ago), and the sermon did not bring her comfort. It was a sad realization about how others look at the after life. Anyway! Yesterday was interesting. This week has been really hard for me. We had 2 baptisms scheduled for this week (Cookie's is still on for Tuesday), and the other one was for Friday. But the guy got into a fight with his wife and left. He says he still wants to get baptized, but it may not be in this ward (he moved to Fort Wingate? it's about 20 miles away). I was really excited for that baptism too, and I'm really sad that I may not see it. Sis Anderson told me that once you say yes to being baptized it's like putting a huge target on your back. That day and week have not been good for the people we have scheduled baptisms for. Like Cookie's mom dying and the guy getting into a fight with his wife. And then to top it off, I've met an elder who came on a mission just because he wants the RM badge to get a wife....I was so mad at this elder! I wanted to rip his head off! He's a good person too, but his motives are all wrong! And it makes me mad because I know how important this work is now and I hate to see missionaries here for the wrong reasons. Sis Anderson and I have come up with a good saying: "Don't hang out in the vineyard (Jacob 5). Labor!" I hate missionaries who hang out in the vineyard! Today I was reading in 3 Ne 11 which talks about Jesus visiting the Nephites. Jesus gives his doctrine to the people because some were not teaching correct doctrine. His doctrine is that we baptize people so they can inherit the kingdom of God. In verse 41 it says "Therefore, fo forth unto this people, and declare the words which I have spoken, unto the ends of the earth." Jesus is saying we have to baptize people and the only way we are going to do that is missionary work!!!!! My mission president was telling me that some people think their job or whatever is more important than missionary work, but our most important thing we can do on this earth is bring people to the knowledge of the true gospel! Those are the people who are going to make it to the Celestial Kingdom...because there are a lot of members of the church who are not going to make it to the Celestial Kingdom...and those are the ones who do not do missionary work. We have to be a light to the world so people can see our good works so we can glorify our Father in Heaven....we can't be a light if we are sitting at home on a Friday night when the missionaries need us to go with them to a lesson, or if we aren't going to give them referrals. We have to help the missionaries in their efforts!
Ugh. Sorry, I'm just really frustrated right now. And I'm really learning what it means to be a missionary and how important missionary work is to Heavenly Father. I'm so glad that I decided to go, I probably wouldn't have learned so much in my whole life as I'm learning right now. It's tough, Julia and Helen, it really is. And you're probably going to think "what am I doing out here" but embrace the hard times so you can grow from them. Heavenly Father does answer your prayers. I've been praying so hard to have the Spirit with me so I can teach what Heavenly Father wants those people to hear. And you know, if Dad or your ward mission leader or your companion or other missionaries or whoever doesn't think you're good enough to be a missionary fine. HEAVENLY FATHER KNOWS THAT YOU'RE GOOD ENOUGH. For ANYTHING.
Love
Leda

Mud Mud Mud

Last week we were out on the rez trying to see some people, and the sun had caked the mud over so it looked dry. So we decided we were going to go up this driveway. But we got stuck! Even in 4WD! It was bad! Really bad! So I had to get out and push, but it was really stuck! And then my shoe came off in the mud, and when I turned around to get it, I could hardly see it because the mud was so deep! It was crazy! Two cars stopped to help us, finally a truck came and pulled up out (shoof!). We want to go back and find those people and teach them the gospel! I love the reservation a lot even though we got stuck in the mud! :) My comp and I want to track the rez one day next week. I think it's like 8 miles, but I'm way excited! I love the rez! I will be sad if I'm not in the Farmington mission, but I'll go wherever the Lord needs me. This mission is not about me, it's about the Lord and his work and I'm just an instrument in his hands. I was having some troubles with confidence last week, and I was thinking maybe it was my lack of faith. So I studied faith on Sunday and I found that to have faith is to have confidence in someone or something. I realized that I need to have confidence in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that I was really called on a mission to preach the gospel, and because of that they will help me in my efforts. It's not me that converts, it's the Spirit, and I need to have faith/confidence that the Spirit will guide me in what to say to bring others unto Christ. My comp Sister Anderson pointed out to me that I need to have faith/confidence in myself. That was a real boost to me because I had forgotten that I do need to have faith in myself, especially as a missionary. Man, yesterday was good day for my self esteem. :) It was like someone recharged my battery.
Also, yesterday one of our investigators mom had died. We went over to make sure she was ok, and I can't believe how much comfort the gospel really brings to people in those situations. She is actually scheduled to be baptized next week, but we'll see if that happens, but she is so strong in the gospel already and going over there gave her a lot of comfort. But she still needs to find that peace of course. This is what I really wanted to do as a missionary. Is to help people who are going through death, because I know how to help and I want to help them discover what I discovered. And let me tell you, there has been no shortage of people dealing with death around here. It's awesome to bring people the gospel and show them that they can see that person again! This is where I'm supposed to be!
(Note from the Editor: So Leda sent me a letter that I can copy onto here, but I can't find it, sorry! I'll find it and post it out of order:)