Dec 28, 2015

Christmas Eve..... It didn't snow. 

Christmas Eve we went to a members house for dinner and had tamales.
We also didnt know if people would invite us in, so we decided to just
sing when people answered the door and people actually let us in!
Christmas Day we studied and then talked to you. We went to dinner
with a member and she fed us Tamales as well! Haha so many tamales. We
went caroling with our district christmas night and it started to
rain! Haha we still caroled, but now I am a little bit sick. Just a
little cold.

Not very many people were home this week because of the holidays, so
that was kind of challenging, but I still think we had a pretty good
week. I have been doing a lot better at planning for lessons and so we
have had some pretty good lessons these past couple of weeks. I feel
bad going to a lesson with my companion not knowing how its going to
go since she is new, so I have been trying to really make sure we plan
out the lessons.

This week I was trying to lead by example and talk to everyone we
know. I am trying to stay in the habit of talking to everyone that
passes by. There are definitely enough people to talk to to fill your
day of street contacting, basically! Nothing like Ramona.

I ended up finishing the Book of Mormon on Christmas morning and while
I was finishing it I read this verse,
16 Wo be unto them that shall pervert the ways of the Lord after this
manner, for they shall perish except they repent. Behold, I speak with
boldness, having authority from God; and I fear not what man can do;
for perfect love casteth out all fear.
I have read that verse many times, but it really had an effect on me.
I felt a little discouraged because it was Christmastime and yet it
seemed like every person we talked to wanted to reject us. As I read
that scripture, I realized I had no reason to start feeling
discouraged or fear to street contact. All I needed was to turn my
faith into that perfect love for the Lord. As I do this, I will go
forth fearless of what man can do.

Sister Romero and I get along so well, we are doing great! We have
pretty good communication and we have been really working together to
make this area the best it can be. Its been a bit of a struggle and
during weekly planning we talked about how we want to gain member
trust, but we don´t know how since we never have dinner with them or
see them other than for church. We were brainstorming ideas, but we
didn´tt know what to do. The STLs texted us on Saturday night to check
up on us and we mentioned member trust. They committed us to not leave
church until this week was filled with scheduled dinners! It was a
little uncomfortable, but there is no growth in the comfort zone. We
ended up filling up the week and then some as well! We are going to go
to these appointments and show them that we are here to work and we
need their help. I am so excited for what this week will bring!

I loved Christmas as a missionary and I just love being a missionary!
It really is the best. I have been learning so much that I can´t even
explain all the things I have been learning. We have been able to see
lives change through the Gospel and that is the true blessing of being
a missionary.

Feliz nuevo año!

Love,
Hermana Lapp
Sent from my iPad

The Mexican poncho my mom sent me....I will be wearing it for studies.

December 15, 2015

This transfer was only five weeks because of christmas and plane tickets or something and so I have some news about transfers tomorrow. My companion is leaving and I will be training. Yep. You read that right. I was shocked too! haha Anyway, I am nervous but I am so excited to see what we can do here in Chula Vista. I am excited for all things that I will learn. Its going to be hard, but that's what this life is for, challenges.  

We had a zone conference last week and a member of the presidency of the 70 came, Elder Clayton. It was so great and I learned so much about how I can improve as a missionary. It really called me to repentance! His wife in the sister meeting just talked a lot about how we are way to hard on ourselves as women and I was in agreement with that one. My favorite quote from her that I wrote down was, "Don't ever go to bed at night and think about everything you did wrong or you'll get a lousy nights sleep". She also talked about humility should never hold you back from progressing and guilt should not be paralyzing. It was so good! Then she also talked about a ladder of motivation and the different things that motivate us and it really changed my perspective. 

Then Elder Clayton spoke. He talked a lot about how we should change our roleplays. He also talked about not wasting time on people who are not ready and so we have been working on that a lot as well. He also shared Jeremiah 20...go read it, it is so good! IT talks about our testimonies burning in us so much that we need to go share it! One thing that really struck me that he said was that the 13 planning steps are a process of revelation and he said that if you skip a step, the Lord will have less opportunities to give you inspiration. Wow that really hit me! I need to be more dedicated to the 13 planning steps which is something I have been learning from Sister Benavides, but  I think him staying that helped me learn why I need to be following the planning steps more strictly. So to act upon that, I am going to plan more effectively and stick to the 13 steps to obtain the promised blessings of receiving revelation and as Elder Clayton said, "He will trust you with those people who are prepared."

We had a family come to church on sunday! The mom is a member and she recently came back to activity. We have been teaching her family for a couple weeks and the daughter has been reading. We got them to come to church! They looked like they belonged sitting there on the pew! We also got to go to a christmas fireside for the stake on sunday! IT was nice and they sang a  bunch of Christmas songs which was sooo nice! I love Christmas. I love christmas! I am so happy I get to be a missionary at this time and I'm super sad that I only get one christmas as a missionary. Anyway, It was funny because I had to translate all the little christmas stories they told to the little old man that came with us who is a member. He doesn't speak any english. Well, They were going to super fast and I didn't know some of the words, so I kind of had to improvise! I hope he understood! haha it was good though and hopefully the spirit told him the story better than I could. 

Anyway,. thatats about all I have this week!

Love,

Hermana Lapp

December 8th 2015

MTEs were this week and I learned so much! I think the biggest thing I
learned can be put in this one point from my notes:
* Can I say I am one with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost? Am
I doing things their way or my way?
Am I doing what the Lord wants me to do even if it is hard or am I
holding myself back and trying to do things a different way, a way
that the Lord doesn't want me to do them. It really changed my
perspective for this week and I really started to see things change. I
was with Sister Briggs for our MTE exchange and I learned so much that
day. As I talked about the area I was able to get advice from another
representative of Christ and as I pondered that night and the next
day, i was able to overcome my fears and challenge and do the work the
Lords way.

This week unfortunately we have had to drop a lot of people. When I
first got here I though there were a lot of people that we had to
drop, but I didn't say anything because honestly my companion
intimidated me a little. It w as great to go on an exchange with
Sister Briggs because she really reminded me how important
communication is. I was intimidated by my companion and so I didn't
express my opinion. Well, I decided to start expressing my opinion. I
know I am a good missionary and I know that I have talents and ideas
that are needed here in Chula Vista and the more I hold it back, the
more I let satan win. We also had a little talk and she really opened
up to me about how she is feeling which I don't think she has done
with any of her other companions. We had an amazing Monday yesterday
we taught and helped 9 people to come unto Christ and I think it has
something to do with more companionship unity and dropping with faith.
I know the Lord appreciates when we do the work His way. He inspires
us as missionaries to do certain things, try new things and I cant
hold back promptings from the Holy Ghost. It has felt good to strive
to meet my potential as a missionary.

This week we had the opportunity to go to the temple to do baptisms
with a recent convert. I was just pondering and I remembered all those
times I used to go to the temple on Wednesday mornings. I´m grateful
for the opportunity that I had to do that. The convert was having a
hard day and almost didn´t go, but you could tell he felt so much
peace in the temple and he knew that he was in the house of the Lord.
He kept saying que es un privilegio a estar en la casa del Señor and
how true are those words! I am so grateful for the temple and all it
does for my life!

I have my first missionary tour this week as well! Elder Clayton is
coming to visit us this week. It is going to be awesome and we people
help you learn the ways of the Lord
People always talk about the last one they had in April and I never
know what they are talking about, so I am excited to be at one and
able to become a better missionary!

Have a great week!

Love,
Hermana Lapp

December 1, 2015

Good Evening family and friends! This email is going to be a little
short, because I went shopping today and so I am plum out of energy!

thanksgiving was a good one. My companions grandma actually lives in
our ward, so we got to go to her house and have a real thanksgiving!
The food was soooo good! Then we had another dinner at the house of
one of the families that we are teaching. It was a pretty good
thanksgiving and we still have leftovers. haha

My mission president allowed me to take the one hour drive to Ramona
to see Luz enter the waters of baptism! Last weekend Ramona had 3
BAPTISMS in 3 different areas. That is the most Ramona has had in one
weekend for a very long time! Miracles are happening out there and its
great to hear about

MTEs are tomorrow (basically just when everyone does an exchange and
we have kind of like a zone conference, but not really) and i am
taking over the area with MY TRAINER! We are basically the luckiest
sisters in the mission.

The spirit has taught me that when you set goals you need to do all
you can to reach those goals. I have really learned from Hermana
Benavides a lot about setting goals and doing all you can to execute
them, even if it gets discouraging. The field is so white in Chula
Vista though and we have seen so many miracles from our labors! It is
so great to be a missionary here :)

It has been a good week and sorry this is so short! I hope you all
have a great week!

Mucho amor,
Hermana Lapp