HEY!
This week was WONDERFUL. No fires or earthquakes or anything- it was just good. We had a ton of appointments with people, and they turned out really good! We also FINALLY met with a recent convert that we thought had dropped off the face of the earth. She is awesome.
"A" is doing well! We are having a great time meeting with her with the elders, and we finally got her a Book of Mormon in Spanish. On Friday we met a new investigator that is from Australia, but has traveled a TON. Actually we spent most of the time with her listening to her travel stories, but she did tell us she wants to learn more about our message and wants to grow closer to Christ, so we are excited. We met a few other new investigators that are awesome, and one of them is wanting to come to Family Home Evening at the church tomorrow with her mom. Actually, with that one, Sister Han invited her to prepare to be baptized on the street and she said yes! And was seriously interested. Anyway, God has been blessing us with new opportunities to meet and share the gospel with these people. I just love them all so darn much.
One of the appointments we had with another new investigator, a high school student, was really interesting. She is super fun and has a lot of questions, but is particularly interested in ghosts and knowing whether they exist. She told us about when she thought she saw one, and other times when she would get that weird sleep paralysis phenomenon thing. Thing is, in Korean sleep paralysis sounds really similar to "Kao-wee", which means scissors. So the whole time she was telling us these "scary" experiences, I thought she was saying she met some scissor ghost that threatened her with cutting utensils or something. It was an interesting one. Anyway, we taught her a lot about Christ and how our belief in Him can protect and help us, and she really liked it. We'll meet her again next week!
"PYJ" is doing good! On Saturday she wanted to meet in a big shopping mall, so it was really hard to hear and kind of distracting. But we talked with her a lot about her experiences with prayer and the scriptures she read, and she liked it. However, as we started talking about the Plan of Salvation, she suddenly interrupted us and said, "I think I need to go to church tomorrow." We were a little shocked. Last week she told us she wasn't ready to go to church yet, and so this week we were planning on inviting her again, but weren't sure if she would want to go. It was pretty cool! And she came! She was really tired and came a little late (she told us that she actually had a hangover from the night before...) but she really liked church and the members were incredible at welcoming and talking with her. She had to leave early to go home and sleep it off, but it was good! She's learning.
This is the last week of the transfer! So next week things could be different! Sister Han has been here the longest, so we are thinking she will go, but you never know! These weeks have FLOWN by. It's ridiculous. It will definitely be sad if Sister Han is transferred- we've had some incredible experiences together, but I am excited to see what the Lord wants us to do.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what I need to do so that someone can come to baptism in this area. I want it so badly for them- to feel what I feel, to find that joy in the gospel, and to know the Savior as I do. But they don't know it yet, and most do not want to listen. This morning I was praying about it, and opened my scriptures and found Alma 26:21-22. I thought it was interesting how it goes for both the missionaries and the people searching. "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing-unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God...yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance..." Yup. Always back to the basics. But we know that it is through faith that miracles come to pass, that the Lord works through missionaries, that investigators find answers, and that the truths of the eternities are opened up. We repent and are worthy of them, follow Christ in doing good works and become effective, and consult with Heavenly Father in prayer and He will consecrate all for our good. These principles go for everything, and the blessings are endless. I am so grateful for Christ and that we have this knowledge to lead us back to Heavenly Father-where we'll be happy.
I love you!!!
Sister Stapley
This week was WONDERFUL. No fires or earthquakes or anything- it was just good. We had a ton of appointments with people, and they turned out really good! We also FINALLY met with a recent convert that we thought had dropped off the face of the earth. She is awesome.
"A" is doing well! We are having a great time meeting with her with the elders, and we finally got her a Book of Mormon in Spanish. On Friday we met a new investigator that is from Australia, but has traveled a TON. Actually we spent most of the time with her listening to her travel stories, but she did tell us she wants to learn more about our message and wants to grow closer to Christ, so we are excited. We met a few other new investigators that are awesome, and one of them is wanting to come to Family Home Evening at the church tomorrow with her mom. Actually, with that one, Sister Han invited her to prepare to be baptized on the street and she said yes! And was seriously interested. Anyway, God has been blessing us with new opportunities to meet and share the gospel with these people. I just love them all so darn much.
One of the appointments we had with another new investigator, a high school student, was really interesting. She is super fun and has a lot of questions, but is particularly interested in ghosts and knowing whether they exist. She told us about when she thought she saw one, and other times when she would get that weird sleep paralysis phenomenon thing. Thing is, in Korean sleep paralysis sounds really similar to "Kao-wee", which means scissors. So the whole time she was telling us these "scary" experiences, I thought she was saying she met some scissor ghost that threatened her with cutting utensils or something. It was an interesting one. Anyway, we taught her a lot about Christ and how our belief in Him can protect and help us, and she really liked it. We'll meet her again next week!
"PYJ" is doing good! On Saturday she wanted to meet in a big shopping mall, so it was really hard to hear and kind of distracting. But we talked with her a lot about her experiences with prayer and the scriptures she read, and she liked it. However, as we started talking about the Plan of Salvation, she suddenly interrupted us and said, "I think I need to go to church tomorrow." We were a little shocked. Last week she told us she wasn't ready to go to church yet, and so this week we were planning on inviting her again, but weren't sure if she would want to go. It was pretty cool! And she came! She was really tired and came a little late (she told us that she actually had a hangover from the night before...) but she really liked church and the members were incredible at welcoming and talking with her. She had to leave early to go home and sleep it off, but it was good! She's learning.
This is the last week of the transfer! So next week things could be different! Sister Han has been here the longest, so we are thinking she will go, but you never know! These weeks have FLOWN by. It's ridiculous. It will definitely be sad if Sister Han is transferred- we've had some incredible experiences together, but I am excited to see what the Lord wants us to do.
I've been thinking a lot lately about what I need to do so that someone can come to baptism in this area. I want it so badly for them- to feel what I feel, to find that joy in the gospel, and to know the Savior as I do. But they don't know it yet, and most do not want to listen. This morning I was praying about it, and opened my scriptures and found Alma 26:21-22. I thought it was interesting how it goes for both the missionaries and the people searching. "Yea, he that repenteth and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and prayeth continually without ceasing-unto such it is given to know the mysteries of God...yea, and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls to repentance..." Yup. Always back to the basics. But we know that it is through faith that miracles come to pass, that the Lord works through missionaries, that investigators find answers, and that the truths of the eternities are opened up. We repent and are worthy of them, follow Christ in doing good works and become effective, and consult with Heavenly Father in prayer and He will consecrate all for our good. These principles go for everything, and the blessings are endless. I am so grateful for Christ and that we have this knowledge to lead us back to Heavenly Father-where we'll be happy.
I love you!!!
Sister Stapley