May 31, 2016

Driving To San Diego to meet
Elder Jeffrey R. Holland!

The group of Sisters here in the valley after our trip to San Diego.

I learned so many things from Elder Holland this past Friday. I
learned that my mission is the perfect mission for me, that all the
things I have gone through, all the hardships, the miracles, the good
times, the fun times, the failures, the successes, all of it was what
The Lord has planned for me. I hope that I can feel that as I go
through the rest of my mission. Even though it may feel like I haven't
grown or I am suffering, it is all for The Lord, I am doing my best,
and I can know that 50 years from now I will have thought about my
mission every day of my life. As for my investigators, I think I
learned the same thing. Their plan is perfect as well. The Lord has
His timing for them and they need to understand that they need to
always be pleading with the Father to know His will for them, not just
what they want. Elder Holland is so inspiring and even yelled at us a
bit about how we should never go back to our former lives. He did a
question and answer and talked a little about love, how we can feel
our love for others grow when we realize Heavenly Father loves us and
that we are His CHildren. He truly is an Apostle of the Lord. Oh
that's the other thing, he said as missionaries we are apostles with a
little a because our apostleship ends and he is an Apostle with a
capital A because he is going to be doing it for the rest of his life,
so he told us to live up our only chance to be an apostle. He is just
so bold and inspiring and you can truly feel the love that he has for
each and everyone of us. Anyway, I just wish you could've been there
to hear it all!

This Sunday we had a devotional here in the valley with our mission
president. There were 2 of them, one in English and one in Spanish. 2
hrs of singing. Really brought me back to choir days, let me tell you!
My companion and I sang a musical number with one of the other sisters
and sister summers was on the piano (She is soooo good at piano, she
just plays her own arrangement with the hymn book....like, so
talented). It felt good to be bearing my testimony through song again.
We sang I need thee every hour (Te necesito, si in Spanish). Also, I
sang soprano which I always avoid doing, but I had to this time. The
devotional was good and I hope it touched the hearts of all those that
were there.

Today for Pday we went and made pies with some members. Some of the
members here just have stolen my heart and the sister from today
reminds me of aunt Rachie so much! This Ward truly has some special
people and I am honored to serve in their area and to serve them. I
feel that I have met so many inspiration people on my mission, members
and non-members alike. I love being a missionary and having this
opportunity to serve the Lord and Children of God like these people!

Well, this week was pretty normal other than Elder Holland coming,
that definitely wasn't normal. this week we are being visited by Elder
Hamula of the 70! ITs a surprise visit, I guess. 

I'll explain the handshake with Elder Holland before I stop writing. We got to shake
his hand and I've heard that when he shakes your hand he stares into
your soul, but I forgot. As I shook his hand he just stared at me and
I felt weird. It was only after the fact that Irealized he was staring
into my soul! When he got up to the pulpit he told us that the
apostles conduct interviews through their handshakes and so basically
he was getting to knkow us and receiving revelation of our lives as he
was shaking our hands. Long ago he shook hands with President Schmitt
when he was a missionary and knew that he was going to be a mission
president . Anyway, it was crazy !

Love,
Hermana Lapp

From making pies with members on Pday :)

I met a tortoise!!  His name is Tyson and he is not full size yet...

Nasty little dog.....playing with toilet paper....
We see so many gross little dogs around here.