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.

Twin Falls, ID & Lots Of Pics!

Hello everyone!

Things in Twin Falls are really going great! Its pretty cool down here and I've been able to get a lot of work done. We have a baptism coming up this week and I'd like to tell a little bit about some of the miracles we've seen with him. His name is "Bubba".  I don't know how to pronounce his real name and neither does anyone else, so we all just call him Bubba. He is a skinny little guy from Iran, but was actually born in Turkey.  He came to the US because he feared for his life while living in Iran. He tells some of the craziest stories I've ever hear about terrorists and about the things that go on in other parts of the world and it makes me happy to be here in the US. 

Bubba is about 30 and he is seeing the Lord work miracles in his life.  For starters, he doesn't speak English at all. Not even enough to get through a conversation.  He speaks Turkish though and he can also read it so that's the first thing.  We don't speak Turkish and he doesn't speak English so we use a lot of google translate and a lot of prayers to get through the lessons, but he understands so much.  We teach him and he nods his head and I'll try to say something in Turkish and he'll laugh and he'll type out in google translate the answer to what I tried to say.  It's so cool! The second miracle is the smoking, he has smoked since he was 10 and oh man that kid blows through cartons and cartons of cigarettes.  So we asked him if he wanted to stop and if he had faith that God would help him and if he would work hard and he said yes and so we asked for all of it. He gave it all up and hasn't smoked since.  That was about a month ago that he quit.  It's insane and he struggled and it wasn't easy.  He said he couldn't sleep and his head always hurt and he was just really struggling with the physical effects, but he pushed through!!  He was able to do the hard things and suffer a little bit so that he could be prepared to be baptized.  He is so amazing and I have so many more things I could tell you about him. 

I guess I'll turn this into a little spiritual thought. I've been reading in the Book of Mormon.  I've been studying in Mormon and I got to read a little bit about his life. Ammaron gave to him the sacred records to keep and to safeguard with a commission to remember the things that will happen until he goes back and digs them up from the earth. This all happens when he was 10. It impressed me to think about giving more responsibility to the youth of the church. I thought about my life as a youth and what all I had to do and the changes I might have had in my life if I had been given or simply just felt the responsibility of different assignments and callings. I think about when I was a deacons quorum president and "little" things like that. I think of what I did then and how I would strive to do better now. I wish I had known more about priesthood keys and about receiving revelation for my Quorum and the things a priesthood leader needs to know. Do we think of the 12 year old Deacons Quorum president as a priesthood leader? We should! He holds priesthood keys and is entitled to receive revelation, just as does the elder quorum president and the Bishop. Just something that's been on my mind recently. 

I love you all and I hope you are doing well. see you soon!

Elder Noah Stolper

"Big Red"

Well, I owe you all a good letter, so i'll try to come through. 

Monday (of last week) - it was a super busy day and honestly seems like a million years ago haha, but we went and drove all of the elders around to get stuff like we usually do and then I learned some humility when I tried to play basketball.  I got creamed and the sisters weren't even winded after, hahaha.

Tuesday -  Today we had to do a lot of menial things and run a lot of errands. We also got to volunteer at the English Language Center.  This is part of the "schooling" Refugee's receive when they come through the refugee program.  Usually we help with those who are illiterate in their first language and go over the basic things like saying Hi and their names, but this day we went over to the "advanced" class and taught them how to do things like write a check and fill out a deposit slip.  Then we went and had to go in early cause Elder Lyman wasn't feeling good.

Wednesday - We had district meeting with the Boise Central district and it went really good. We did a "District conference review".  The spirit was strong as we heard not only what was shared, but how it changed the course of the missionaries lives. Then we went and did service with a guy who goes by "Big Red", He is about 5'3" has a long red beard and has no joke the worst mouth I've ever heard, haha.  Then we went out to go see some people and had to go in early again...

Thursday - We had interviews with President and it went pretty good, He asked me to pray so I did and then he says "Do you have any questions for me?' and so I asked him a few and then he said I was doing a good job and that was it, haha.  Profound again hahah, but then we had to go and help some other missionaries with some personal stuff for the rest of the day.

Friday - To be honest, other than District meeting with Boise West District I can't remember this day or the next, but I remember having to say some harsh words to them haha. It's all cool now, but they weren't my biggest fan for the rest of the day.

Saturday - I have no idea haha

Sunday- Church and meetings from 7 until 6.  Then we taught Maggie who is being baptized on the 21st and had a super good lesson with her.  Then we taught a guy who has been less active for a while and he is making some good progress! Also, Vicky came to church, she is another girls we have been working with and its been quite a journey with her, but she sure has my heart as do the rest of these people.

I wish I could tell you all more or if I could just take you all with me for a day. I love you all and love you and will see you guys soon!!

Elder Noah Stolper

Short Blog Post

 Family and Friends,

It is my hope and my prayer that you were able to watch General Conference.  This was a life-changing event and so many things have progressed.  I don't have much time to talk today, but I want to say that the coming of the Savior is soon.  We are in the Last of the Last Days. 

I promise I'll write more next week, but know of my love. 

Elder Noah Stolper 

Boise, ID

Hey everyone,

It's been a while since I've written one of these and a lot has happened!  First of all, we just had transfers and out of my whole zone we only had one sister leave and her companion is training a new missionary.  Her name is Sister Settlemyer and she is super sweet! We are so glad to have her in our zone.

We are seeing a lot of success! We have 2 investigators on date for the coming month and hopefully 2 more by the end of this week! We have been doing a lot of "sifting" through our investigators and that gives us an opportunity to find and focus on those who have been prepared and are ready to receive the Gospel, now.  There is a great work in planting seeds, but the Lord does not state that the field is plowed, already to sew seeds of faith.  Rather, he states to those called to serve that the field is white, already to Harvest. 

As the days and months seem to go ever increasingly faster by, I try to take time to remember. The Lord in His wisdom has provided us with a commandment to write down the spiritual experiences of our lives. He states to Nephi, the son of Nephi "And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them(this was the spiritual experience)? And it came to pass that Nephi remembered that this thing had not been written. And it came to pass that Jesus commanded that it should be written; therefore it was written according as he commanded." Remembering is how we continue to grow our testimony from past experiences. The Lord intends for us to be changed again and again. It is not enough to live it once, have a revelatory experience or an epiphany or change of heart and move on. It is intended to be thought of and remembered again and again. Little wonder why after the first day of the Savior ministering to the Nephites at the temple, asked them to go home and ponder the things which they have received. I wrote just two journal entrees while I was home for that long year and I read them about once or twice a month and I can honestly say that they change me a little more each time I do. 

I've been sick and had to stay in all day Saturday and by so have had a lot of time read and reflect. This May will be the 2-year anniversary of when I came home from Georgia.  It seems so long ago, but so close in my mind's eye. And while laying on the couch Saturday evening, trying to sleep after another dose of Nyquil, I thought of myself 2 years ago today. We had a lesson on Friday night and I felt so inspired to say to this less active member who asked me if I knew how she felt in her current struggle, I said I did not, but then relayed to her in vague detail my coming home and coming back out. She appreciated it and told me to never forget or regret that, because it got me where I am right here, right now. This is in part true and I am so grateful for an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent God who can never be surprised or stumped by my mistakes. He has brought me here. 

I want to end with a reminder to all who read this of my love for you and most importantly of the love God has for us. I've been talking with a Roman Catholic priest who seems to really enjoy my Facebook posts and he always refers to me as his Brother in Christ. I love that! So, my Brothers and Sisters in the fold of Christ Jesus; I leave with you a plea in the name of Jesus Christ, as his ordained representative... Love the Lord. Keep the Faith you have, cherish and nourish it. Live the values you know to be true. Pray and watch always. Read the Book of Mormon everyday! I testify there is Power in the obedient and humble heart. May the Lord walk with you and send heavenly and earthly angels to be with you, is my humble prayer for you, and I know that the Lord hears our prayers.

Elder Noah Stolper