January 25, 2016

Dear Parents,

This week was kind of long.  We had exchanges with another set of Elders in the district.  Of course that was the day when all of our appointments fell through.  The other Elder and I got back to the apartment after a long day and after our planning we got a call from our companions in the other area.  They were on the way to the ER!  My companion had been getting over a stomach bug but had suddenly gotten worse.  They gave him a bunch of drugs and we had to take it easy for the next few days.  I spent a lot of time reorganizing the apartment this week.

One of the sisters in the branch challenged me to a chocolate chip cookie bake-off for her brother's baptism this week.  She 'bout to be humbled.  I found some hazelnut extract that I'm going to experiment putting into the chocolate.

The mp3 player hasn't been working well and deleted a lot of music.  Could you send it again just on a flash drive?  I'll get a new mp3 player here.

Both of our investigator families cancelled this week and we weren't able to see much of anyone.  In addition to the time we spent sick I don't think I've ever had a less productive week.  I did feel like I was able to help the Elder I was on exchanges with.  He goes home in a week and he said I am one of the few who has ever done that before.  Leadership assignments aren't a ton of fun but I do feel like I have more opportunities to fulfill my purpose.

I am probably going to transfer on the 5th.

Jack has been plunged headfirst into this church.  He is now our Branch Mission Leader and is feeling very inadequate but we have seen him as he has been continually progressing.  This week he seemed to really understand that we can someday be like our Heavenly Father and that goal gives us purpose as go through this life.  I know that we will one day be perfect in Christ as long as we love God with all of our might, mind and strength.  It makes all of this worth it.

I love you,
Elder Stapley