Oh my sweet little family...how i miss thee! I am currently sitting in a mall here in Bacolod City after having our Christmas zone activity today. I can hear someone singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" downstairs...but she isn't the best singer. haha! Still...it makes me heart miss you all even more. But...the work is amazing. Things have slowed down a lot this last week. Everyone says they will meet with us and listen to the lessons..and then they just hide from us or don't show up. We're a little miffed, but we press forward with faith, knowing that if WE do everything we can, the Lord will bless us. Rodelyn was baptized this last week and how wonderful it was. Sister Sabasan and I are doing so much better. After much prayer with my All loving Heavenly Father--things have been working out better.

I miss the whole Christmas bash and scarves, sweaters, singing, eating, hot cocoa, and of course our tradition of New Year's Mexican food! AH....how i miss your food. But the food here is nami guid ...er..really good. haha! It took me awhile to adjust, but I'm good now. :)
Kyler, are you staying healthy and crying often to make sure your lungs stay good and strong? haha..just kidding.
Well family, the work is going forward. I have a true love for these people. They would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it. The leadership in one of our wards is definitely struggling, and apparently they have been saying some stories about some missionaries...which is never a good thing. AH...gossip is the downfall of so many good things. I hate gossip. But I'll tell you what I do love..when people keep their commitments that they have made to the Lord. There is nothing like seeing someone get excited when they explain to you what they read in the Book of Mormon and what they understand! AH! I really feel like I am connecting to people better with each day. The language is coming so slowly...but it is coming. I know the Lord will help me. He loves us all so much, even when we aren't deserving of His love. I was reading through the conference ensign for my talk on Sunday and I read a paragraph in the last talk of President Monson that said basically that we are the Lord's hands on the earth and He needs us to do our part to bless others lives. That is so true! We must all do our part! So..my challenge to you this week is to step up to the plate and do your part, until you are to the point of exhaustion. Let us all look for not just one opportunity, but EVERY opportunity where we can be the hands of the Savior and reach out to help. This rarely has anything to do with money either...so those of us that are poor...wait..i think that's all of us right now..haha! Serve serve serve! Smile! Ask someone how they are doing...really doing...and then wait and listen for an honest answer. Do the small things and let people know they are needed and that they are cared for. So much comes from just that. We have a brother we teach sometimes, Brother Freddie, he isn't all there...we usually teach his family, but he has an issue with his mind from an accident. we were leaving the house and I shook his hand and said, "halong ka!" Take care...He grabbed my hand and said, "Mabait ka.." Which is tagalog..well I'm thinking in Ilanggo now and I couldn't think of what it meant..so I just stared at him. haha...and he said in broken English."you're nice. i like you."It was a tender mercy that I needed to hear that day. It means so much to me for people to feel my love for them, and my Savior's love for them through me. How I love being out here, even though it is ridiculously hard. I look forward to days to come. Today I was writing a letter and I realized I have been out for 3 months. I only have 15 months left! I immediately started to freak out thinking..where have I fallen short these last 3 months! Everyone says it gets faster and faster too! AH! So really fast...there was a funeral procession this last week. Well..I saw in a truck 2 women signing to each other. Well..with ASL you are suppose to sign to them if you know ASL so they know..its a respectful thing. So I signed to her, Hi, how are you. She freaked out with excitement! HAHA! So I signed to her for like 3 minutes until her truck was out of sight. It was hilarious and so fun to use it. I hope I will get called to the area her at some point. I have heard rumors that I most likely will later in the mission because it was on my mission papers. The AP's joke about it. Well, I love you tons and I can't wait to talk to you mom. I have some amazing photos coming your way. Get excited! :) I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU! I thank my Heavenly Father often that I have the blessing of being with you for eternity... BUT..we have to do our part! Do the little things, stay strong. No empty seats!! Merry Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! May God bless each of you with the righteous desires of your hearts.

All my love,
Sister Stadler

Oh family, I just typed a phatty email and guess what? Yeah..it shut down and I lost it and now I'm really pressed for time. AH! Ok, let me see if I can remember what I said. I miss snow Amanda, so I would give anything to trade places for a day. This week has been really hard. Pray for people's hearts to be prepared for the gospel and that we will be spiritually in tune to find these people wherever they may be. Our area is really really BIG and it seems we can't go and do the things we need to as missionaries because our leadership here isn't even functioning. It has been really hard and I can see it weighing in Sister Sabasan. I had my first baptism on Saturday with Sister Honesty Bienvenido (14 years old). Rodelyn was suppose to be baptized as well but she missed our last teaching appointment and her baptismal interview. She is going to be baptized this coming Saturday though. Let me tell you...the Lord knows what He is doing when He organizes a church. If the leadership in the church isn't performing their duties, then the ward doesn't function, the stake doesn't function and the whole area suffers because of it. Missionary work takes a hard hit for sure! Especially when the Ward mission leaders and ward missionaries are missing in action! AH!!! Let me paint a little picture of the baptism this weekend. Our bishop of the ward didn't even know there was a baptism..even though he announced it..he showed up in jeans, didn't fill up the font..didn't do a single thing. Then he winged it welcoming her into the ward..sometimes I'm glad I can't completely understand what people are saying. Sister Sabasan was just sitting here shaking her head. haha. Um...Mom, I promise I don't purposefully ignore your questions. I have limited time on here and I try to answer all that I can remember. Have you gotten any of my letters yet? You should have 2 coming your way that should answer more of your questions. :)
As for toilet paper, it isn't common for people to use it. Even their malls here don't have tissue. But I bought some :) I couldn't take it anymore. people here just wash with water instead..or use their hands I'm assuming...which is another reason that we are suppose to carry rubbing alcohol with us at all times. hahaha! Oh...the Philippines. How I love thee. People are so matter of fact here. They don't hide anything. Like...example: We went to meet some investigators for a lesson. We walk into their little hut and there is a brand new mom and baby, she is nursing and the entire family is sitting there looking... ENTIRE family. The dad of the girl is trying to help her out....AH! I was like.. "man I'm so glad I'm a sister Missionary." haha..the poor elders. OH! So I wasn't able to see the Christmas devotional..because the cord was missing..but I was able to hear it! Although here everyone feels the urge to talk all the time so I literally had to close my eyes and lean forward and really really concentrate on what was being said. I wanted to just burst into tears and cry..either that or stand up and scream..."WHAT ON EARTH COULD BE SO IMPORTANT that you think what you say is of greater worth than what these brethren are saying??????" But as soon as the prophet started to speak there was a hush in the room..the spirit was strong. Oh how I love the prophet. His words truly bring peace to the weary soul.
So my challenge this week for you...in the mission we are reading the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. Now..granted, most of the mission has been working on this from June, but I am determined to finish it! So..I am in Alma 20's....I'm reading all about the sons of Mosiah! Such amazing men! I was laughing hysterically when I read about Ammon. That man was so funny, powerful, but humorous! You can just tell when reading about it and his whole plan of action for getting the kings attention. (ex. Alma 18:22.."yet being harmless") So..those of you willing to step up to the plate and take the challenge..read the Book of Mormon in one month! Cover to Cover! I have come to love the book like I have never loved a book before! There is true power and comfort in that book and message of hope in this world of noise and chaos and panic and fear and pain and total despair. How blessed we are to have this truth! I know with all of my heart that the gospel is true! It is continually made manifest to me that it is true. I love you all with all of my heart. My companion and I have had a big tiff here this last week...but the power of prayer is incredible. I have a firm knowledge that our Heavenly Father knows the intents of our hearts and we will be judged fairly. Pray for me with the language please. It is hard, and my companion has basically no desire to help me with it at all. Which is...stressful. I'm hanging in there and working hard and praying and reading and studying and just loving the people to death all that I can. I love you I love you I love you!!! Have a cup of hot chocolate for me and throw a snowball or two at each other! haha! The church is true! Truth will prevail! This is the Lord's work and it will continue to go forth and not fail! May the Lord bless you with the righteous desires of your heart!
All my love,
Sister Stadler

Have the fam send pics! I miss pictures..and I have some with me..but I want some new pics!

I have officially been in the mission for over a week and I'm pretty sure the first week is the hardest (at the beginning at least...until you actually understand people and then you realize the problems they are dealing with in their families.) I kept hearing President Stott's voice in the MTC, "Please..just stay for a week at least. It gets better I promise." And it does!
I don't feel like it is Christmas season at all. Part of that may be the fact that I sweat myself to death every day here. haha! no..i'm starting to adjust somewhat. I still sweat like crazy, but at nights it actually gets a little cold sometimes with the fan on. So...as for this week... besides the 3 mice that I found in the apartment and roaches the size of 2 of my fatty fingers put together, life is good. We had a workshop this last week for hometeaching and visiting teaching for the ward. These wards here are so young. They haven't implemented half of the programs they should be using. Sister Sabasan has to basically lead one bishop through things step by step. It is crazy. but the workshop went really well and some of the members really caught the vision. Things are so impromptu here. In the middle of the workshop I hear, "Now we will have a special musical number by Sister Stadler and Brother Thomas" ...um...what???? So I look at Sister Sabasan and she's just laughing. So I had brought a copy of Come thou fount with me..and I go up and play that on the piano and start singing...Brother Thomas starts right in ...perfect harmonies! He has the most beautiful voice I think I have ever heard from a man here. Most philippino's I have heard sing love to sing, but they don't have the greatest voices. Doesn't matter, their singing has power. But Brother Thomas's voice! AH! so good. So that was a treat. I'm suppose to sing at our baptism this Saturday! It's my first. Woohoo! Too bad I was only here for the last couple lessons, but the girls were amazing. We have a few people lined up for the 26th of December too. We're excited for them. We have some really solid investigators here. I pray for them every day, multiple times. They have so little, and some of them really desire to come to church, but the choice is either to work on Sunday and make enough to put food in their children's mouths or come to church. Pray hard for them. Especially Jennifer and her little siblings and the Cesar family (Jessie, Rowena and Jeroboy). I only have 9 minutes, I would go into more detail about them, but I'll have to do that in a letter and have mom put it up or Amanda or something.
So this week, I heard a song..I can't remember if I mentioned it last time. lol...it's from the Best 2 Years soundtrack. It says, "will I ever learn this language...will it ever come easy for me? Will the people that I meet, on the street, will I ever know what they are saying to me.." It goes on forever...it is hilarious! I died laughing listening to it because it expresses everything I have ever felt. I'll put it on the next tape I'll send..which you probably won't get until February or something. If you get it. I have talked to many missionaries and I have gotten some ideas of how to get this language started. I hear over and over and over that it takes at LEAST at the very LEAST 5 months to get the language down. That is a long long time....patience is something I was not blessed with in the Pre-existence and I am reminded of it daily. But....it will come. Life is good..and the people here are remarkable. Funny experience, so we were tracting and my digestion has not been the greatest here. I have to be really careful what I eat..I'm definitely starting to drop some weight. But..anyway..we were walking one night and we were near a member's home and I said.. "Sister, I need a bathroom now...something is not good." haha...so we go to this member's house, they aren't home. But the neighbor is in their home in the back entrance. So we go to the member's home. I go into the CR...I start to go to ....there isn't any tissue right? SO you use this water bucket thing to clean off...yeah...no water. The toilet doesn't flush, no water in the sink..the shower doesn't work..the door doesn't even shut all the way. IT was BAD!!!! hahahahaha! So I can hear Sister Sabasan outside the door talking to the kids. I'm thinking..ok, do i tough it out and get all sick and just deal with it until we get back tonight...no. Not even a remote possibility. SO I call out to her and she asks the little girl if there is any water. NOPE! hahah..good thing she told me. So she saved me...grabbed a bucket and went and pumped water outside so I take care of it. oh my gosh...I have never felt so scared in my entire life. hahaha!
Well family, Brother Leslie sent an email and included the 4th verse of hymn 85, which is so true. The Lord will never abandon us, no matter our trials or circumstances. I love you all so much. Keep praying for me..hard..i need all the prayers I can get. I pray for each of you day and night. God is in charge. May the Lord bless each of you. All my love,
Sister Stadler