July, 26, 2016

Well, this week was also a long one, but on Saturday we had the privilege
of seeing our investigator, Paola, be baptized! We worked so hard to help
her and lead her. She was super nervous before and she doesn't really ever
show her emotions, but she was nervous for this new commitment, but she
knew that it was the right thing to do. Afterward we could see a change in
her, especially after she recieved the gift of the holy ghost. I think as
we taught her we saw her smily more and feel more of God's love for her,
especially as she kept her commitments to read and pray and come to church.
Her mom said it was such a miracle because she is shy and doesnt really
like interacting with people, so for her to go to church was a huge step.
Her mom was baptized in June and she sent me an email today telling me how
grateful she was that the Lord sent us to answer her prayer---To find the
truth and that we are helping her family to join her in this as well. I
just found it to be such a huge miracle. I feel we have worked so hard and
have done all we could do.

This Family is so cute!

 Another miracle we saw was with a less active. We met him and he said he
had asked for his name to be removed, but I don know if he didn't do the
full process or something because his records still exist. He asking why we
are here, he doesn't need religion. He said that he doesn't need God and
that God doesn't need him. He is a social worker and sees horrible things
done to children and elderly people, so he is just super angry. He at first
said he would never ever call God his Father, but some miracle happened
during the lesson and he ended the lesson with a prayer saying "Heavenly
Father". During the lesson his heart softened more and more. He went from
saying I willl not go to church to I hope someday I can go to church to
where is the church? Maybe I will try to go sometime. I gained a testimony
that day that hearts can change in a manner of minutes if we come with the
spirit, ready to listen to the needs of the people. I also read a scripture
that answered his question perfectly to "Why do bad things happen to good
people" and it basically explained that if God stopped a person from doing
something bad, then that person couldn't be judged and punished for his
unrighteous actions. I found that to be really interesting and actually and
answer for me as well. I think we have all wondered tha before.

Here's what happened yesterday...I have been working really hard in my
companionship to be "humble, patient, full of love". It was going super
super good, but then Well, The Lord put me to the real test. Like, THE REAL
test. Sunday night I woke up at 11:54 to a choking noise, half asleep I
turned around and saw that my companion was having a seizure. I jumped up
and turned on the light, looking everywhere for the phone, crying. I called
the mission pres. wife who is a DR. and she told me to call 911. They sent
a firetruck. She had no idea what was going on and she was kind of
incoherent. all she could say was "Hermana, what happened?" so Id tell her
what happened and she would ask me again what happened. Plus it didnt help
that she doesnt know what seizure is in English and I didnt know what it
was in Spanish and I had to look it up. I had to knock on the Elders door
(they live in our complex) from what Sis. Schmitt told me to do and I was
waiting for them to come outside so they could give her a blessing. The
firefighters had arrived and were attending to me companion. They were also
trying to see if I was lying (I was so annoyed at them) and they told me I
needed to come inside and get off the phone with Sis. Schmitt, pres. called
the elders so they just waited for us outside our apartment. By the way,
did you know firefighters are super rude??? They got sooo mad at me because
I was crying. Then the ambulance arrived (they figured out I wasn't
lying...go figure). She didn't want me to leave her at all and she wanted
me right next to her holding her hand so for the first time I got to ride
in an ambulance! That was actually pretty cool. I mean, it wasnt cool at
the time, but now it is. Well, we stayed in the hospital until 9:15. I went
to the sister training leaders apartment at 8 to sleep and they called us
at 9 to come get them. (by the way, I didnt sleep) then we went home and
she slept a while and I just laid there because I couldnt sleep. well, she
has this thing where she twitches, its not an epileptic seizure like that
night, just little twitches that last less than a second and it only
happend twice while we were together. Well, she woke up and kept having
those, so I had to call Sis. Schmitt again and they told me to get her some
benedryl and turn on some hymns. so , I did that and she fell asleep. The
sisters told me about transfers....my comp is going back to the batallion
and I am in San Ysidro as a Sister Training Leader, so they are giving our
area to the elders. Pres. Schmitt called and said that he was sending a
Senior couple to bring us to san diego (we lived 2 hours from San Diego)
and the Sister Training Leaders are coming to help us pack. So We packed,
mind you I hadn"t slept at all, so towards the end, I collapsed on a bed
and just cried. Then they took us to san diego, I couldnt sleep in the car,
nor on the couch that is in the break room of the battallion. The director
of the battalions wife gave me benedryl and told me to take it as soon as I
get to my apartment to sleep. My new companion and her old companion came
and picked me up, I took benedryl and slept a solid 8 1/2 hours and then we
had to take her old companion to the airport because she was returning
home. It was the longest day of my life and I had to be "humble, patient,
full of love" for almost 24 hours as I took care of and worried for my
companion. When I talked to Pres. Schmitt at the airport he shook my hand
for 2 minutes straight and told me it was killing him that he wasnt there
and he wished he wouldve come, but he thought the hospital would only take
2 hours, but that this is the practice the Lord wanted me to have to be a
sister training leader..some practice, verdad??? Last night I parted ways
with my companion. It was hard to leave her and I felt sooo sad, but I know
I am needed here in San Ysidro. I am actually really grateful for the
experience, because I learned a lot about love and charity.

Hospital Selfie

Car Selfie....just to show the bags under our eyes  :)

I'm in my new area now and I am feeling a lot better today. I'm still a
little tired, but I am soooo ready to get to work tomorrow.

Love,
Hermana Lapp

I forgot to say stuff about my new companion!

My new companion is Sister Leyva. She came in the same day as me, but since
she was only in the MTC for 2 weeks, I am one transfer ahead of her. She is
from Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico and she was originally english-speaking, but
got switched to spanish. This area is another border town, my area is
suuuper close to Mexico again. I live in Imperial Beach (riiiight next to
the beach that we can't go to.), which is just outside my area and I have a
2015 Toyota Corolla, I feel so cool driving that red thing around :) Haha
thats basically all I know about my new area.