Tuesday, August 20, 2013

August 19, 2013

Thank you for your scriptures and thoughts.  As I prepared some thoughts for some family of members that we were going to visit I thought of how much better it would be to be able to share your testimonies as well. If I can bring the Spirit and teach these truths, while showing my love for my family and bringing up another witness it would be so much more effective.  If you come up with any more please share them with me.  I will use them.

We have kept visiting that old less active I told you about.  He is still not coming to church regularly but I have grown to really love him.  He is really poor but he always offers to feed us and finally insisted on it for next week.  He is really lonely and just wants to make us happy.  His house has no air con but he pulled out a hand fan and started fanning us.  I want to make him cookies or something.  He has started coming to English class every week and he stays for the spiritual thought.  Unfortunately he isn't getting much support from the members.  There are so many less actives that there aren't enough to home teach everybody.  We are basically given that assignment for certain members.

Our recent convert is golden.  She is outstanding and always gives us tasty drinks.  We are having FHE there tonight.

How do you replace buttermilk and shortning in recipes.  Is there a way?

Can I just say how proud I am of Emily.  I bet she is a great example to those around her.  I imagine that she inspires and helps out the Sister missionaries so much.  Emily, I want to help you out anyway I can but you already seem ahead of me.  I know that you have a while till you are a missionary but if I can talk about missionary life for a minute.  The eighth chapter of PMG talks about using time wisely.  On page 146 it talks about setting goals and has a quote from Elder Ballard.  Here's my commitment for you.  Read it and think about how to apply it.  I'm sure it is a lot harder to do outside of the mission but I know that I don't want to lose daily goal setting after my mission.  I find it most effective when I do it with my journal writing and nightly prayers.  I have been looking back on what happened today and preparing for tomorrow.  I can see much clearer the things I really need to do and improve on.  Record your long term goals in your journal.  You have many gifts and there is a lot you can accomplish so you should be able to come up with something good to work towards the next day.  There are always ways to progress personally and ways we can help other people out that require planning.  If we take the time we can accomplish these things when otherwise we waste the time and ability we have been given.  Check out the Parable of the Talents.  All we have is from God and we should be willing to give it back when He calls on us.

Wow.  I always learn more from email time than personal study. I'm sure I needed that more than you did. Thanks for being there for me and writing to me.  I'm very grateful for the opportunity to write back.  Sorry this is short.  
I love you,
Elder Stapley

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