Well, I am officially here and have so many things I wish I could share with you. The flights all went well and they weren't bad at all flying for two days actually. It was kind of nice. I didn't pass out as many pass along cards as I wanted to, but I was able to give out a Book of Mormon to a really awesome guy who goes to the Philippines to buy mangoes for a store his friend owns. just for mangos! They are really really really good though! Their fruit here is unlike any fruit I have ever had. It is all half the size though..or a lot of it is, of fruit in the U.S. My companion is a native Philippino, Sister Sabasan, from Manila. So Brother Leslie, your predictions were wrong. Sister Sabasan is a really nice, but I feel like I depend on her more than I should. I am trying to get over that and to work as hard as I can. I met sister Grant! Brother Leslie she says to tell you hello! She is a little fireball of energy! haha! She is hilarious! She thought it was way funny that we knew everything about her already from being here.
So the work is so busy and incredibly overwhelming. I have never felt so inadequate in my entire life. The people here are so nice and they are all really willing to talk to me, but here is the problem...I DON"T UNDERSTAND A SINGLE THING THEY SAY!!!! Our area of Ilanngo speaking only and just today did I get a book so I could see some vocabulary to work with. I try to teach in Tagalog and they stop me and say, "just teach in English, it is hard to understand you." Which of course makes me want to start bawling because I think..."But that's not my call! You have to hear this in your native tongue!" But instead, I do a mix of Tanglish and use scriptures for them to read. We have two wards in our area and it is really really busy. I spoke in both wards on Sunday. One ward the bishop is older and has been a member for awhile, he just had me bear my testimony and introduce myself (which I did in Ilanggo...with the help of my 3x5note card). The other ward, the bishop comes up to us when church is starting and says, "It's the 5th Sunday, every 5th Sunday the missionaries speak!" So Sister Sabasan an I gave talks. She also talked to him how he should be assigning talks ahead of time. It was crazy! Their talks are all in English, so my talk was in English, about faith leading us to do missionary work, but then I did my testimony in Ilanggo to finish it up.
SO I know you want to know about the area, so here ya go...I'll paint a picture for you. It's like Brother Leslie said, its like we are living in a national geographic. I haven't sweat like this in my entire life. I am on fire all the time, which of course makes me feel disgusting, but it is ok. The majority of people are living in bamboo shacks in the middle of the jungle with bamboo floors that you can see through. Sometimes I wonder if the floors are built to hold up the weight of a "curvy" American girl. haha! But they always do. Their are pigs and animals everywhere, and the places don't smell pleasant. But the People!!! OH the people!!!!! They are the kindest and nicest and most genuinely sweet people I have ever met! They just want to befriend everyone and will talk to you. They will give their names and addresses to complete strangers.. (but addresses here are like the areas of the city where you live, not an exact address.). It is remarkable. Today Sister Sabasan and I came into Bacolod City, it's about an hour from our apartment in Bago City, to meet up with some people in our district and zone for lunch at KFC...which is nothing like American KFC by the way. And I was able to see my district members Sister Adams and Elder Foulds!!! I was so happy! I have been really discouraged this whole week. I know I have only been out for like 4 days, but at the same time... I feel like I will never get this language down! I have been really trying to study hard and I feel like everything I thought I knew has been forgotten and ripped apart. But talking to them today I realized that They are all experiencing the same things. Satan in working hard on me...I have had many a night crying, alone in the CR (comfort room or bathroom). But I just keep telling myself.. suck it up princess! you have a love for these people already...now work your hardest and the Lord will bless you. The first night I started to think, just go home. Everyone will understand, you're never going to get this and it is really hard here. You had no idea what you were getting yourself into. But then I snapped into it and thought...Ashley, that is the dumbest thing you have ever thought! Forget yourself and get to work...don't let Satan put those ridiculous thoughts into your mind. Teach these people! And so...I am here trying to do just that. I have no idea what is being said in the lessons, but I do add my testimony to the lessons and I teach as much as I can. Pray hard for me...please. I know you all are, but keep my name in the temple. I feel so lost sometimes, but I know it is possible. If God can create an entire earth and raise people from the dead and perform these mighty miracles, surely He will help a little pathetic girl from Arizona learn a language so she can teach His children who are in dire need of hearing the message. I love you all so much and I can't wait to get some mail from you..hint hint. Paul and Holly, congrats on Kyler's birth!!! He is as precious as he can be. I'm so glad everything went well for you. A couple random facts, there isn't toilet paper here. Yeah...that's fun. Th showers aren't bad at all! We should all shower like this..we would save tons on water! Surprisingly, the heat doesn't keep me from sleeping because I'm so exhausted at the end of the day. Life is so good! I love you! The church is true! Pray pray pray and share the gospel all you can! It's so easy to do it in America!! In your native tongue! Open your mouths!
Sister Sweating like it' going out of style Stadler :)

Oh my goodness family! The day has finally come! I can't believe my little eyes! Tomorrow (Bukas) is the day! We are all kind of experiences a flood of emotions lately. Today I lost it during the last part of the session when I realized it would be my last time to be in the temple for 16 months! I had a really spiritual experience too with the woman I went through for. The Lord is so giving with His tender mercies. Mom, don't worry. I'm trying to be better with my journal writing. I have been writing in it, but there really just isn't time every night! I hear it gets better in the field..but we'll just have to see about that! haha! My goal is to write a little something every day. Good grief I am going to miss the MTC. It has been a wonderful experience and I have been so blessed. It is interesting what Satan will do to try to destroy the work. Sister Ball and I haven't had a lick of trouble our whole companionship and yet this week Satan has been working hard on us. So..through many tears and companionship inventories we are doing really well. We are pumped to place copies of the Book of Mormon and many many many (marami) pass along cards! So one of our amazing Elders, Elder Scott, actually found part of the Philippines Dedicatory Prayer for missionary work in a talk, "Missionary Work in the Philippines" by Elder Augusto A. Lim in the November 1992 Ensign. The promises for the country and the missionaries who serve there are incredible! Sister Ball and I couldn't help but cry when we read it. I would copy and paste it here, but we don't have the pleasure of having that function! AH! One thing it does say is that.. "{the missionaries} may be clean and virtuous, that their examples may be marvelous before the people, that they may be blessed, as it were, with the 'gift of tongues', that they shall speak the language of the people, that they shall work with singleness of purpose to Thy name's honor and glory. that they shall go forth without fear, that none shall stay them, and that they shall declare with teaching and testimony, the restoration of Thy holy work for the blessing of Thy children. Father, give them joy and courage and faith and satisfaction in their labors, and make them fruitful." Then it goes on to bless the people of the land and it says beautiful blessings! So get this... President Hinckley gave the blessing on APRIL 28th 1961!! My birthday folks! Isn't that crazy? funny little coincidence! :) So read it, it is beautiful and gives us such hope. The 2nd coming is on its way and we are so blessed to be a part of the work to help direct people in righteous paths. I was reading yesterday in Peter and I found a scriptures I really liked. 1 Peter 5:5-8 I love verse 7 in particular. It says, "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.." I love that phrase. I don't remember ever reading it before. How beautiful this simple, yet profound, statement is. That Our Heavenly Father, the supreme creator of us all, cares for us! He weeps with us when we weep and He rejoices in our kaligayahan (happiness)! I love verse 14 as well, "Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen" I know we will have peace if we turn to Christ. I know it because I have felt it. We get so lost in our own self concern and pity that we often forget that this life isn't about us!!!! We signed up to come and help our brothers and sisters come to a knowledge of God and come unto Him through the Atoning Sacrifice of our Savior, even Jesus Christ! What are we actively doing at this point in our lives? Are we more concerned about finishing our schedules daily or for looking for opportunities to give and teach and love? Look this week for opportunities to share the gospel. Be bold! We forget that the people we love already know the truth! They have just forgotten it! We are here to remind them of it! It's such a beautiful blessing to be a part of the work! Do it! Push yourselves! Jump into it with both feet and love every second of it!
Ok, I have only a few seconds left to type. I can't believe as of hours from this moment I will be surrounded by the shortest and most sincerely humble individuals I have ever met and I won't be able to understand a single thing they say!! hahahaha! I know this gospel is true. I love you all so much. to those who have written and to whom I haven't responded, I'm sorry. Life is busy, but I pray for you and at some point in the future, you will hear from me. May the Lord bless you in your efforts to be righteous and to live the gospel to the best of your ability. The Savior's return is not far off. We can't afford to procrastinate! I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

The one and only (somewhat Tagalog speaking)-
Sister Stadler

A few more MTC pics

Holy heck, I have so much on my mind and the whole email system is being ridiculous today. So..hopefully this works. So I have my flight plans!! AH! It was a super happy day in the class when we got them. Yeah, so we leave on the 24th here, lose a day and get to the Philippines "2 days later". haha! That is just pure craziness. I'll gain 2 days coming back to the states at the end of my mission too. Weird..just weird.
Thanks for getting the first aid kit. I know i will definitely use it there. They don't have any real medical places I guess. Of course the mission has places for us, so don't freak out, but that is just for serious things. We covered medical this week..AH!!!! It was insane! Also..I found out the church has water purifiers that they have specially patented for missionaries. So my water will be completely clear and pure. but we aren't allowed to drink anything else that members make. Weird huh? We will eat on average at 2 members homes a month..maybe less and we can't eat anything unless we actually help to prepare it ourselves and see exactly what is being put into the food and that it is throughougly cooked. ha! mom, as for shoes, Amanda bought me some crocs, and the other sandals, I don't even know. I didn't ever try any on, but I think they run big. I think I will be fine with the others. They give us copies of the Ensign here so I do have the conference issue. Last night I was reading Bednar's about consistance in the home. SO good!!!! Sheri Dew spoke here last night! I was like a foot away from her, it was amazing! She said something that really stuck out to me. She said, "A nation can only be as strong as it's families." It is so true! If we don't have strong families, then the nation will go nowhere! Happy people come from strong, stable families. Look at our families in the United States. If Satan can hit the families as hard as he can and diminish the importance of family in a nations mind, then no one will be happy. Without happiness, people become very self-centered and selfish. Selfishness leads to every sin you can ever imagine and then here we are, a whole nation, just laying our will and freedom in the center of Satan's greedy little hands. It makes me sick to think about it. We must do all in our power to keep our families strong and to speek with others about the importance of family. So I was released on Sunday from being coordinating sister. It feels really weird seeing someone take over, but at the same time, it is nice to not have meetings all the time and take away from the study time I have. I can't believe I only have a few days left. AH! On Sunday the sisters sang Silent Night. We did 3 part harmony in Tagalog, it sounded sooooooo good! Mom, I thought about you when we were singing it. You would have loved it. It was really interesting, there are so many church services here, as you can imagine. Usually you can hear the other church through the folding walls. Well, we were getting ready to sing, a capella, and another musical number started in the service next door to us, a big piano solo. It was so loud! so we started singing and no one could even hear us. But I prayed, "Heavenly father, we have practiced so hard on this and it sounds so good! Help us to be heard and to invite the spirit to the meeting!" And seconds later, the other solo ended. It was right at the critical verse of the song, the last one, where we broke into 3 part harmony and the words just rang out in the air proclaiming Christ's birth. It was absolutely beautiful. I recorded a practice on a tape that I will be sending you within this week. It doesn't do it justice, but it sounds pretty good. I sang the tenor part an octive higher. So fun! So funny story about the Philippino's. When a woman is pregnant she goes around pinching people that have attributes that they want their children to have. They actually think it will give their children those attributes! haha! So Brother Leslie, 3 weeks into his mission was pinched like crazy on the cheek by a woman! HAHAHAHA! Good times. Look forward to random stories like that. So yesterday we also were able to hear Sister Oaks in Relief Society. She said some amazing things. She brought a little down syndrom girl with her, she bore her testimony and sang a song. Earlier in the program another girl sang a musical number. It was amazing the contrast of the pieces. the first girl, while having a beautiful voice, was obviously doing a performance, while the little handicap girl sang with her pure testimony. There wasn't a dry eye in the place. I was amazed at the power that filled the room. The Spirit was so strong. Absolutely beautiful.
I have 5 minutes left! ah!Lets see...Brother Leslie went into more detail about the Philippines. Let me just say it in a few words. No one tells you that Pornography and sexual sin is rampant over there. They say every home you walk into will have porn all over their walls and many times a "Santo Ninyo" doll, a baby Jesus doll, on the same wall. Or a life sized statue of Christ hanging with blood all over Him. Just gruesome things. I could go into more detail, but I don't have time. So..basically....pray...pray hard, especially for the elders. It is a mission where they have the highest number of missionaries sent home. But, it is also the mission with the highest number of requirements for someone to get baptized. These people are so lost, but they are looking, seeking for truth. and guess what the best part is.... WE HAVE IT!!!!! WOOH OOOO!! I'm so excited! I can't wait to get out there, slaughter the language and just get my hands into the work! I know I have people there that I am specifically going to help. As long as I love them, and show Heavenly Father's love through me, they will feel it. The spirit will bear witness that what I am "trying" to say is indeed true. This work is real! It is soul saving! I love you all so much and my next letter will be the last one from good old snow on the ground...it is freezing now PROVO, UTAH! All my love,
Sister Ashley Stadler

Well hello family!
As some of your know, I was put into quarantine for Swine flu this last week and what a week it was! haha! I started having symptoms on Monday night. I went into the clinic on Tuesday and they sent me back to my room and said to gargle with salt water and sleep. So I did. That night I felt amazing! So we went to the devotional and then to class and life was good. Then Wednesday we welcomed knew missionaries, we were host missionaries (yes Mom, the ones we saw waving us into the MTC and helping with bags.) CRAZY Huh? I swear I was just coming into the MTC and now I'm a host..insanity. Anyway, so I welcomed 2 sisters and took them through the whole tour of the MTC and then BAM! It hit me and I didn't look so good either apparently. I thought I was just making up symptoms because everyone was talking about them. So I was trying to just tough it out and make it through class so I could sleep. But...Brother Leslie came over and said, "Have you been to the clinic?" haha! I obviously looked pretty bad. So I went, and they test me for the flu. I guess swine flu tests are like $300 and take 3-4 days to process and you treat it exactly the same. SO....the nurse comes back and says, "Well you hit the lotto! You have won a 7 day all expense paid trip to Isolation!!!" Funny thing is..before she took the test she said, "You probably just need to sleep. But, we'll test you just to make sure." Then they do this swabbing thing in your nose that is perhaps the most evasive procedure! haha! I thought she surely found my brain. So I can hear her talking to the other nurses where my strip is processing and I hear them say.. "WOOO!! Ladies...take a look at this one!" HAHAHA! So I knew then I was doomed. Anyway, quarantine wasn't that bad. It was good to be able to sleep. They almost sent me to the hospital because of my lungs...but I'm good to go now! Prayer works! Mom, I know you were praying hard for me. There was one night when I was feeling pretty down in there and I was thinking about how far behind I was getting on the language and I was lonely..anyway, I started to say a prayer and then I had this image of you kneeling in the family room pleading with our Heavenly Father for me. I don't think I have ever had an image come so vividly. I knew it was going to be ok and I slept better that night than I have in a long time.
So..I'm still a little tired, but life is once again....so good! I could see the most beautiful tree from my window there. The leaves were at their best..tender mercy.
So mom, you asked what the new primary program song is. It is called "I know that my Savior loves me". The words are so tender and sweet. They have the sister missionaries take it with them into the field because many of us will be working in the primaries in the wards where we serve I guess. Definitely listen to it. Last night there was a beautiful musical number with a cello/piano/singer. It was an arrangement of "I feel my Savior's Love". I couldn't help but feel that the chorus's words are truer now in my life than ever before. "He knows I will follow Him, Give all my life to Him. I feel my Savior's love, the Love He FREELY gives me". How beautiful and true! Our Savior is so willing to freely give of His love, but He won't force His love on us. We must be willing to turn to Him, so humble ourselves enough to say, "Look, I can't do this alone. I know I can't. And I know it won't be easy! If it were easy I wouldn't be able to come to know Thee better, or of Thy sacrifice. But, I need Thee. Please help me and comfort me." I am learning more and more about the Atonement every day here. The depth of that act fascinates me. I'm sure I am just touching the tip of the iceberg, but it has made such a difference in my life already. I'm sure as soon as I enter the field I will be even more in awe when I see those investigators that I love so much using it in their lives.
So now I get to ask questions! Woohoo! I have lots of time this week since I haven't done much in class and don't have a ton to share! For all of you that have sent letters, good grief, heaven bless you!! I love you all so much and I do a little happy dance whenever I get a letter. The world will never know the worth of a letter to a missionary!! HAHA! So Holly and Paul, how is the pregnancy? How is this trimester going? Are you about the burst will the pressure of life right now? Amanda and Joshua, thanks for all you do! Sean, did you get my last letter? How is work going? Is it still pretty slow in Havasu? I keep hearing people say, "the recession is over!" somehow I find that hard to believe...since people still aren't spending money. Robyn, hey lady! I'm still waiting to hear from you! How is the saving money going? How is Sammi? Is she coming for Thanksgiving? Christmas? They are already putting lights in the trees here. They don't mess around! haha! Shelley, I don't even know if you read this, but I love you to death. Give the kids hugs for me and write me sometime. If I had your address I would have already been all over that.
Amanda, you asked me about package stuff, so here ya go. Mom is sending me vitamins I think to try to help me get my energy back. It was super weird talking to them on the phone. I felt like I was doing something against the rules! haha! It was sooooo good to hear their voices though! I lost it..people brought me tissues. ha! Also...To my siblings: When I go to the airport, on the 24th of this month.. hopefully...if nothing keeps us here...I get to call family!!! So I'll let you know better when my flight is, but usually it is around 4:30 that we leave Provo. So...ya'll better have your phones on you so I can talk to you for at least a few minutes! I'm pretty excited about that. So a girl that is in our mission emailed me and told me a little about her experiences. I told you a bit about her last time, the one who speaks ASL now there! Well get this, her mom helps with choir, I went yesterday, and she said Sister Carr and her companion had 12 investigators come to church yesterday! 12!!!!!!!!! That is so exciting! My heart skips a beat to think about leaving here in 15 days. Our language skills are...blah....but we are trying! We have enough to teach with the spirit and to teach truth and testify of truth. Sister Hawkes, a teacher here said that we need to stop worrying. We know way more than she knew when they sent her out and she said as long as you only speak it when you get there it will be fine! So...with faith in every footstep, I wait out these last 15 days. I am starting to feel like we aren't ever actually leaving here, they are only teasing us with that info! haha! But I know soon enough the day will come when I'm flying there. Then I'm sure I will feel like I'm never going home and then BOOM..I'll get my flight plans. What a bittersweet day that will be.
Well, family and friends, I love you all so much. I pray for you all the time. I know I put that in each letter, but it is because it is true! You aren't alone. This week, you should all read Holland's talk, "None were with him" from April conference. I was reminded of our Savior's love for us while reading it. We have no idea what He felt, why he took that upon Him, but how blessed we are that He did. The church is true! It won't ever be false! We better decide who's side we are on now. (its a pretty easy decision!) :) I love you I love you I love you!!! I'll talk to you in a couple weeks. Until next time, God Speed!
All my love,
Sister Stadler (aka peanut, booger, jimmy-dean, astads)

Hinihello Family! :) (sometimes the Philippino's congigate "hello")
How wonderful this week has been. I feel bad for being so "Debbie Downer" in my last email about the language. Heavenly Father is definitely testing me, but I am constantly amazed at how He will bless us if we are obedient. I have so much I want to share with you this week and I hate that my emails are timed. BUT...oh well. Here it goes. This week has been a spiritual feast in the MTC! Our Tuesday devotional speaker was none other than Elder L. Tom Perry himself! AND!!!!!! The one week we decided to sing in the choir, he came!!! I was so excited to have that opportunity! We sang, Lead kindly light. It was absolutely gorgeous. He actually based most of his talk off of a talk given by Jeffrey R. Holland before. He spoke about how teaching is the greatest call, and what it requires of us to have the spirit as the senior companion as we teach. Amazing! So..take the time this week to read these talks, "Blessed are the Peacemakers"- Elder Theodore M. Burton, "Abide With Me"- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Both amazing talks! I wanted to quote them on here, but I don't have time to get everything else on here that I want...but powerful! If you haven't had a chance to read Monson's from priesthood session, and Eyrings, read those too! These men speak with such power and their authority is evident! I had the chance to listen to a devotional given by Jeffrey R. Holland and Sheri Dew in the last 2 days. In these talks they spoke of the Savior and the importance to follow him, exactly. Sister Dew said, "Be obedient, be MORE obedient than you need to be! When you are, Satan loses his power to affect you. Watch as spiritual power will flow into your life!" I invite each of you to be more obedient than you need to be! I testify that if we are really striving to be obedient, to pray sincerely, to emerse ourselves in the scriptures, to keep our covenants completely and faithfully, to have charity towards those around us...that we will see blessings come into our lives that we couldn't have imagined before. I know this because I have seen it in my life as I have been on this mission. It is powerful! If God didn't have great power, He would NEVER be sending 19 year olds and 21 year olds into the world to teach His word! Haha! Remember as you set out to accomplish this goal that the Lord never, NEVER, asks too much. He does ask a lot, but if we try our hardest, Then..and only then, do we witness the miracle. I have been studying Alma 36 this week and I love verse 24 when Alma is teaching his son, Helaman about the his experience. He says, "I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance." We must ask ourselves, are we truly laboring without ceasing? Elder Holland said at a friend's funeral, "We spend too much of our lives acting as though we're going to stay here--when we aren't, we can't, and we won't!" How true that is! How concerned we become with the trivial. He also said, "The battle from heaven still wages, the arena has just changed!" Pick your side! So..this week, let's all choose to be stronger, to be more obedient, to delve further into our scriptures and come to Christ. Not just for a day, or a week, but to come and stay! I'm sure you want to hear about my week instead of my lectures..lol...but this is what happens in the week. It's not that I want to preach to you, but I want us to be better, together! So, that being said, here is a quick update on my life at the MTC and then I'll share a remarkable and tender experience I had this week. We realized this week that we only have 3 weeks until we are surrounded with tiny little people in the Philippines and how excited and anxious we are! We are trying our hardest to stay completely focused in the work and to learn as much of the language as we can. To those of you who have prayed and fasted for me, I can feel the power of the prayers and I thank you. Keep praying! I have so far to go..but the language is coming. I still love my companion to death. I don't know what else to tell you!! I'm so blessed! I went to the temple this morning and it was a powerful experience. I have been really focusing on prayers and making them more meaningful. 3 days ago I felt the need to pray...just kneel and pray. And so I did. That night I knelt down after all the sisters were in bed and I pled with my Heavenly Father. I spoke of all my concerns, my weaknesses, my shortcomings, the desires of my heart for my family members, each by name, gratitude for the many blessings I have been given, and the most amazing thing happened. I have found there comes a time on our knees when revelation starts to flow freely. I did not hear a voice, I did not see a vision, but I did know that my Heavenly Father was communicating to me openly. I lost all track of time and have never before prayed for that amound of time. The amount of time I spent on my knees is not important, but my point is, WE are the ones who decide the amount of time we spend directly communicating with our Heavenly Father! I would encourage each of you, when you feel you should, to kneel down in a secret place and pour your heart out. Cry unto your Heavenly Father. When pauses come, let them come! Don't be afraid of lulls in the prayer. I promise you that as you do this, you will have a great sense of peace and you will feel your Heavenly Father's love for you stronger than you can imagine. It doesn't matter if you haven't prayed in years, He is waiting to hear from you. I have a few minutes left, I just want you to know that I know that this church is true. This is the restored Gospel of Christ on the earth in it's fulness! I know it! I don't believe it, I know. I have witnessed too many blessings to sit here and deny the truth of it. Christ lives!! Joseph Smith is a true prophet and we have a living prophet on the earth today to bless us! 10 years ago President Hinckley spoke in the Priesthood session of conference and told us to get our debts out of the way and to put money into savings because if there was a financial crisis it would being much sorrow to the world. What is happening today? We would be very foolish to not pay close attention to Thomas S. Monson's counsel to us today. I love you all more than you know! Be Strong! Do what you know is right and the Lord will send down the blessings of heaven! Till next time, God Speed! Always, Sister Stadler

The first of many pictures...