HEY!!!
This week has been SO HECTIC! There is SO much to write. With it being the last week of the MTC, we have packing and all sorts of other things to do, and then a few added complications that came up...
Okay, Grandma Stapley sent me the HUGE box of Lindt chocolates??? Seriously made my day. Thank you so much, Grandma!!! The Koreans especially loved them. Elder Kahng was carrying the box at one point and the native Koreans were taking them from him by the handfuls. He felt really bad for not protecting them more. They have been well loved. Thank you!
One of my teeth has been bothering me the whole time while I was here at the MTC, and I was hoping it would just get better. But, I realized that I needed to get it checked before going to Korea. So I went in and set up an appointment with a dentist. It was super weird going off campus, but fun! The dentist seemed a little concerned, but decided to redo the filling in the tooth and hope it wouldn't need a root-canal. He told me to check back if it was still bothering me. It has still been hurting a little bit so I am going back in tomorrow but I think they just need to adjust the filling a little. It should be okay! It has just added to the stress of running around all week!
We got our Korean name tags!!! SO COOL! Mine is spelled exactly the same as Tristan's, and means so much to me. Love it!
This Sunday was very busy but a great day. The other Sister Training Leader was released and a new one was called, so I will need to train the training leader this week before I get released. I love all the Sisters so much! They are the best. I also was able to teach in Relief Society! It was a really fun lesson, about the Book of Mormon (yup, lots of experience with that one, Mom...) We kind of turned it into a little testimony/share our favorite scriptures that help us grow closer to Christ in the Book of Mormon meeting and I learned SO MUCH from the Sisters. The Spirit was so strong and I had a blast. Also, that night this country band called the Nashville Tribute Band came and played for us for Devotional. Now, I'm not one for country or Mormonized secular songs, but it was actually really good. It was a fun day!
The other day we taught our last lesson to one of our investigators. It was the coolest lesson we have ever done. Even though we know he is not an actual investigator the Spirit was so strong and it was amazing. This was our investigator that "drank" and would show up "drunk" sometimes. We decided to teach him the Word of Wisdom. At first he said it was very hard for him. However, as we discussed with him the blessings of living the Word of Wisdom he really applied it and eventually committed to keep it. That wasn't even the best part. After he committed to keep the Word of Wisdom he told us that he was going to be very busy with school and work for a while and wouldn't be able to meet with us for a year. We were crushed. We tried to explain that if he prayed for help and really worked hard that God would give him time to meet with us and go to church. Sister Allred started turning to 1 Nephi 3:7 to help him understand that through God we can do anything but accidentally gave him 2 Nephi 3:7. It is about some prophets prophesying about Joseph Smith and the great work he would do. When we realized our mistake we started turning to the other but our investigator stopped us. He looked at the verse, at the date at the bottom, and asked when Joseph Smith lived. We answered an explained that Joseph's work was so great that many prophets foretold his work thousands of years beforehand. He was quiet for a little bit and then told us that since this work is so important, he felt he could make time to go to church on Sunday and meet with us. We were dumbfounded. And humbled. Even through our mistakes and as we bore testimony and shared experiences the Spirit testified to him and told him what he needed to know. Coolest lesson yet. I am SO excited to go and see the Spirit teach more!
I am really going to miss the MTC and my branch and district so much. I love them all SO MUCH. Sister Allred is the BEST. I really love her and I wish that I could spend more time with her. We have so much fun and spiritual experiences together. I am so glad that we are both in Busan so that I can see her more! My district is just awesome. I can't even say how much I love them. I am so grateful for the incredible experiences I have had here!
We went to the temple again today in the morning and it was wonderful. I really felt God's love for me and saw several tender mercies. I am getting very nervous for Korea but I know it will be okay and will be an incredible experience. While I do not feel even close to prepared I am excited to finally actually start the work. I have also felt recently that many great blessings will come from having Tristan serve there before me. I feel that there is something I can continue and many things I can start. There is a reason for everything and it brings me so much comfort to know that the Lord has a purpose for me in Korea. There is something there I must do. I pray that I can be worthy enough and in tune enough to accomplish it. I have so many weaknesses and it is ONLY through the Lord that I can do this. When I work with the Lord beside me I can do anything. Without Him, really nothing at all. I say this all the time but I thank the Lord every day that I can have a part in this work. It is challenging and stressful but already I have seen huge blessings. It is wonderful to me.
There is so much more that I want to say, but NO TIME LEFT! Aigo! Oh well! Mom and Dad, I am SUPER stoked to talk to you Monday morning!!! I can't wait!
I love you all so much! You are such strengths to me!
Sister Stapley
This week has been SO HECTIC! There is SO much to write. With it being the last week of the MTC, we have packing and all sorts of other things to do, and then a few added complications that came up...
Okay, Grandma Stapley sent me the HUGE box of Lindt chocolates??? Seriously made my day. Thank you so much, Grandma!!! The Koreans especially loved them. Elder Kahng was carrying the box at one point and the native Koreans were taking them from him by the handfuls. He felt really bad for not protecting them more. They have been well loved. Thank you!
One of my teeth has been bothering me the whole time while I was here at the MTC, and I was hoping it would just get better. But, I realized that I needed to get it checked before going to Korea. So I went in and set up an appointment with a dentist. It was super weird going off campus, but fun! The dentist seemed a little concerned, but decided to redo the filling in the tooth and hope it wouldn't need a root-canal. He told me to check back if it was still bothering me. It has still been hurting a little bit so I am going back in tomorrow but I think they just need to adjust the filling a little. It should be okay! It has just added to the stress of running around all week!
We got our Korean name tags!!! SO COOL! Mine is spelled exactly the same as Tristan's, and means so much to me. Love it!
This Sunday was very busy but a great day. The other Sister Training Leader was released and a new one was called, so I will need to train the training leader this week before I get released. I love all the Sisters so much! They are the best. I also was able to teach in Relief Society! It was a really fun lesson, about the Book of Mormon (yup, lots of experience with that one, Mom...) We kind of turned it into a little testimony/share our favorite scriptures that help us grow closer to Christ in the Book of Mormon meeting and I learned SO MUCH from the Sisters. The Spirit was so strong and I had a blast. Also, that night this country band called the Nashville Tribute Band came and played for us for Devotional. Now, I'm not one for country or Mormonized secular songs, but it was actually really good. It was a fun day!
The other day we taught our last lesson to one of our investigators. It was the coolest lesson we have ever done. Even though we know he is not an actual investigator the Spirit was so strong and it was amazing. This was our investigator that "drank" and would show up "drunk" sometimes. We decided to teach him the Word of Wisdom. At first he said it was very hard for him. However, as we discussed with him the blessings of living the Word of Wisdom he really applied it and eventually committed to keep it. That wasn't even the best part. After he committed to keep the Word of Wisdom he told us that he was going to be very busy with school and work for a while and wouldn't be able to meet with us for a year. We were crushed. We tried to explain that if he prayed for help and really worked hard that God would give him time to meet with us and go to church. Sister Allred started turning to 1 Nephi 3:7 to help him understand that through God we can do anything but accidentally gave him 2 Nephi 3:7. It is about some prophets prophesying about Joseph Smith and the great work he would do. When we realized our mistake we started turning to the other but our investigator stopped us. He looked at the verse, at the date at the bottom, and asked when Joseph Smith lived. We answered an explained that Joseph's work was so great that many prophets foretold his work thousands of years beforehand. He was quiet for a little bit and then told us that since this work is so important, he felt he could make time to go to church on Sunday and meet with us. We were dumbfounded. And humbled. Even through our mistakes and as we bore testimony and shared experiences the Spirit testified to him and told him what he needed to know. Coolest lesson yet. I am SO excited to go and see the Spirit teach more!
I am really going to miss the MTC and my branch and district so much. I love them all SO MUCH. Sister Allred is the BEST. I really love her and I wish that I could spend more time with her. We have so much fun and spiritual experiences together. I am so glad that we are both in Busan so that I can see her more! My district is just awesome. I can't even say how much I love them. I am so grateful for the incredible experiences I have had here!
We went to the temple again today in the morning and it was wonderful. I really felt God's love for me and saw several tender mercies. I am getting very nervous for Korea but I know it will be okay and will be an incredible experience. While I do not feel even close to prepared I am excited to finally actually start the work. I have also felt recently that many great blessings will come from having Tristan serve there before me. I feel that there is something I can continue and many things I can start. There is a reason for everything and it brings me so much comfort to know that the Lord has a purpose for me in Korea. There is something there I must do. I pray that I can be worthy enough and in tune enough to accomplish it. I have so many weaknesses and it is ONLY through the Lord that I can do this. When I work with the Lord beside me I can do anything. Without Him, really nothing at all. I say this all the time but I thank the Lord every day that I can have a part in this work. It is challenging and stressful but already I have seen huge blessings. It is wonderful to me.
There is so much more that I want to say, but NO TIME LEFT! Aigo! Oh well! Mom and Dad, I am SUPER stoked to talk to you Monday morning!!! I can't wait!
I love you all so much! You are such strengths to me!
Sister Stapley