Cheeseballs & Photos

Yesterday we had a stake conference and Elder Garret W. Gong, an apostle of Jesus Christ was there and was able to speak with us. An apostle is called to go unto all of the world and to preach the gospel and to bless the people. They also are " special witnesses" of Jesus Christ. It was a choice experience and one that I will remember for a life time. In a private moment we were able to visit and share with one another things that matter to us as individuals and as a " Companionship". I was surprised to hear his remarks and those of other apostles on how they see the missionaries as companions. What a privilege, to be able to be involved in the same work as apostles and prophets. I will never come close to the caliber of men that make up the council of the 12, but I aspire to be like them and to follow after their example as they follow Jesus Christ. 

On a less serious note, I was able to eat a whole bucket of "Cheese Balls" in 2 days and about 40 eggs. No one talks much about the missionary diet, but I think I will. I bought 2 loaves of bread and a family size packet of turkey and pounded through that this week. I also got a thing of popsicles 2 weeks ago and finished them off this week. For breakfast I eat 8 egg whites (literally every day) and then for lunch I take a shower and eat 2 turkey sandwiches and cheeseballs and 2 popsicles and maybe another sandwich. For dinner (we didn't have any dinners this week) I made 2 cups of rice, 8 egg whites and more cheese balls and popsicles. at the end of the day I shower again (its literally like 100-110* everyday) and then I eat more food until I write in my journal and go to bed. It's a good time. 

Back to the spiritual, I am making my way through the standard works and will make myself accountable to you all. I plan to finish the standard works by the time I get home. I have 113 days left and about 700 pages... Wish me luck. 

This week I finished the book of 2 Kings, the stories of Elijah and Elisha are pretty amazing. I dont have near enough time to type out the powerful lessons and principals I have taken from there, but maybe in 114 days we can sit down and talk about it. As I read the Bible I am inspired by the examples of the men and women I read about. when we can see such lives play out in our mind, we are drawn to our higher ways. 

I want to close with my testimony of the prophets that God has called since the world began. He loves us and wants us to be happy and to know the way back to him. In the Bible we read that He is the same "Yesterday, today and forever". I testify that he is. It would only make sense that a perfect God would love and care for you and I just as much as he would for His children in the times of Elijah and Elisha and Moses and Noah. However, more than things making sense in my mind, I know by the power of the Holy Ghost that God is real. He loves us and knows us and gives us men who are called of God to lead and guide us back to Him. They are servants of Him and His son, Jesus Christ. I testify that the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit are three separate and distinct being and that our Father and Jesus Christ have bodies of flesh and bone as real and as tangible as mans. One of the greatest herrisies and false doctrines is that The Father, Son and the Spirit are one "spirit essence" without body and without space. Any individual who reads the scriptures and has the spirit will know of the true doctrine. I've spoken with many men and women who believe latter to be true, I testify that there is no salvation in believing a false doctrine. God is real and in all reality He lives. I know this to be true. 

I miss you all and whatever you believe and whatever choices you make, know that you are loved, respected and admired. I pray for you and your success and joy. see you all soon!

Elder Noah Stolper

District Leader, Again... More Photos.

Hey everyone,

It's about that time again that I fill you all in on vague details about my mission, haha. 

Things have been going really well. I finished my "special assignment" and I am back again as a District Leader.  I'm in my same area and the old DL is still here too, but he's training a new missionary. I am still with Elder Morgan and that is going pretty well. I have a lot of love for Elder Morgan and am learning so much from him. 

The area is doing good too, we have a lot of families that we are working with and should have some baptisms in the near future. 

Moving from me to something much more important, I want to tell you all about a scripture that has been on my mind. 1 Thessalonians 1:2-4 "We give thanks to God always for you all, making mention of you in our prayers; Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, and labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, in the sight of God and our Father; Knowing, brethren beloved, your election of God."

I hope you know that I truly do give thanks to God for you all and that you consume my thought and my prayers. I hope that you feel the Lord building you up in your work of faith and your labor of love, remembering in your and in others hour of need, to have patients of hope in Jesus Christ. He is our savior and our redeemer. I feel this becomes more and more real to us as we reach for him out of the extremities of life. In this our moment of vulnerability, we may for a passing moment, feel his compassion and love in an extraordinary way. YOU my brothers and sisters are the elect of God. You have been saved for this time and each of you (LDS or not) has a work to do. The Lord and others are counting on you to recognize and act. I love you all and support and sustain you in your work that you have been called to do. Don't delay, the day of this life is growing dark and the hours left are few. Be a light in the world. God will walk with you.

Love,

Elder Noah Stolper

Character & Top Hats. Lots of Photos Too.

Hey everyone! 

So this week was pretty awesome! We had a baptism!  I looked so fat in the jumpsuit and I had to wear the XL one because the smaller one gave me one of the worst wedgies I've ever had, haha! So please bear with me because I look like a giant marshmallow in the picture. I don't want to dwell too much on me or Bubba or on Elder Morgan, instead, I want to talk about character.

I want us to think on the word Character and to reflect on what it means. Character to me describes the consistent response to problems and to situations. I pray that we may seek to have the selfless and loving character that Jesus Christ has. Even and especially in his hour of need, the Savior of the world looked outward to address needs other than his own. This is so purely expressed in his great intercessory prayer Jesus said "neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which believe in me". Hours before he makes his great atoning sacrifice, he does not think to pray for himself or for his own strength, but for those who in times that for him lay far ahead would suffer for his name. This is just a small touch of the character that is in Christ and in our Heavenly Father. I pray that we may, in our greatest hour of need, look to those who may be struggling also and come to them in the love and fellowship and succor that a disciple of Jesus Christ is expected to have. Surely heaven stands waiting, hoping and praying that you will hear the Lords call to "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees", such is my prayer as well. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ. Amen.