Dearest Family of mine,
I thought I would mix things up a bit a start with a poem that I make up here on the spot...Ahem...get ready..this is going to be good..I can feel it:
I'm sitting here in an internet cafe,
Got lots to do--cause today is pday!
Transfers were this week, drum roll please...
I'm staying in Bago with Flores.. and the mice ..and the fleas!
Excited I am to see what 6 weeks holds--
"The Lord Will Provide"..that's what we've been told!
So On we go, mid triks and jeeps
to teach the people from week to week!
Life is good, the gospel is true!
Until we meet again, "brethren, Adieu"!
HAHA! Ok...really though. I'm staying another transfer in Bago with Sister Flores! HOORAY! We were so excited when we heard! Here is the other great thing, Elder Foulds was transferred back into my Zone and Elder Scott transferred back to Negros from Panay! I haven't seen him for 3 months. It was crazy. He didn't look good at all, he was super seasick from the trip on the ferry that morning. Poor thing. But it was so good to see him. Sister Adams is staying with her followup trainer too! So we're all one big happy family in Negros! So this week was insane. Somehow we still managed to meet our goals though. Transfer weeks are always crazy, but we had other sisters that stayed at our apartment because they were departing (ending their missions). We also were in a three-some companionship for 5 days with Sister Castro from our district because her companion when home. So Amanda always manages to remind me how much time has gone by in her emails! haha! Um...tomorrow is my 5 month mark in the mission, 3 month in the field. Where on earth does time go? Each week goes by faster. So..this weekend was amazing. We had the Warrior's baptism. I wouldn't say it went by without a hitch. One of our 4 boys who were preparing for baptism will be baptized on March 13th now. 2 days before his interview he was tempted, and fell into temptation. Unfortunately it was with a member too! AH! He watched bold..er..in English, a pornographic film. He was pretty upset when he came out from his interview and had to explain to us that he couldn't be baptized. I'm so glad he was honest though. Sometimes these boys don't want to open up to us as Sisters, so they wait to do it with the Zone or District leaders when they do the interviews. The other boys were completely honest with their past transgressions though. It was amazing what they were willing to overcome to get to know Christ and to follow in His footsteps. I was incredibly emotional this week, partly because I was a little homesick knowing you were all bonding together, partly because I am always wondering if I could give more to my investigators and to the Lord, and a huge part of it was because I realized parts of my patriarchal blessing are being fulfilled with the baptism of these young men. I know, without a doubt that these young men were meant to be taught by Sister Flores and I. They are like our younger brothers. I have such a strong love for them and we have more and more who are wanting to be taught! They keep bringing us more of their friends. It is remarkable. When we meet with their families they are all incredibly supportive of their sons wanting to get baptized and they thank us for having them go to church and everything, yet they are stubborn and unyielding in their own lives. Catholicism has a hold of many of their hearts and they aren't willing to break the traditions of their fathers. We're going to keep trying though. I am amazed how prepared some of these young men are. It is remarkable who the Lord will prepare and place in your path if you pray for it and you do your part, and if the ward members do their part! Amazing! This all started from a referral from Brother Joenero from Batad. His friend, Jeonil told him he saw the change he made in his life and he wanted to change too. So Jeonil started taking the discussions and then he brought his brother Froilan, and his friend Japhet, who then encouraged Aram and Roberto, who then encouraged Richard and Jason and Algene who encouraged JBoy and Jonas and Jehu and Antonio to all come and take the lessons. Now we have 2 other boys that we just met ..I don't remember their names. We haven't taught them yet. But they just keep on coming! Japhet, Jeonil and Aram are amazing examples! They all came in white shirts and ties yesterday for their confirmations and they were the most reverent by far during the sacrament! Many people have come up to us and complimented us for bringing new young men into the ward. They don't get it...we have so very little to do with it. They all were prepared and we were ready to help them come to Christ! I love it! So this Friday Brother Froilan will be baptized and then on the 13th Brother Roberto and Brother Jason will be baptized. Then on the 20th Brother Antonio and Brother Richard will be baptized. We are pretty darn excited. I was watching Brother Aram yesterday as he was teaching with us and his Book of Mormon is already marked up like crazy. I LOVE IT!!!! When we first met with him he wouldn't even look us in the eyes. It would drive us crazy, we wondered if he was hiding something or if maybe he had a bad home life--abuse or something--where he didn't have the confidence to look us in the eyes. Who knows...but now!! BAM! Dead on eye contact. He has confidence like no other and he has gained it through the gospel. I love seeing what the gospel can do for people.
Before I forget, Christina and Lauri!!! Holy congrats on the engagements!!! Lauri..I loved your letter! I was dying laughing. Man I miss rooming with you for sure! Do me a favor and fall down the stairs once for me...just for old times sake! haha! Man I have no idea how many time I fell on those stairs, but it was often. Also..Christina! So much for a mission huh??? haha! Where did this come from? Holy unexpected! I'm so happy for you! You better send me a picture and updates and all that jazz! Good to see the boy knows what he wants! Sister Doone! I totally got your letter and loved it! Tally, yours was the only valentine I got!! It meant so much to me! Thank you so much and I can't wait to do something fun with you when I get back! you'll be so big and grown up! Keep practicing your piano! You never know who could use a pianist! Who knows..maybe some day you could be in the Philippines playing for Stake Conference for the area seventy who is coming :) haha! Like me! Good times. The church is true! Always has been, always will be. I love you all so much. Oh!! MOM I got your package with the scriptures in it. I haven't gotten the first box yet, but be patient. Sister Adam's took closer to 3 months...so there is still hope. I love you tons! My prayers are with you! I'm so glad you all enjoyed each others company in Utah! Only 13 months and I'll be sharing the times with you! HUGS AND KISSES!!!
All my Love,
Sister Stadler
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Dearest family,
Well transfer announcements are this week and I'm feeling like I'll be sent, but who knows. I'll find out on Wednesday. This is going to be a shorter email because we have tons of things to do today for Pday. This week has been wonderful. We had more teachings than I think I've had on any other week of my mission. This Saturday we have the 4 baptisms of the warriors! :) And we have one next Saturday too. This last Saturday Sister Theresa was baptized!!!! FINALLY!!!! She went through like 4 sets of missionaries. It was beautiful. That woman has more courage than most women I know. She came, alone, to the baptism. Her family all came up with excuses last minute why they couldn't go. But she was happy and you could see it on her face. She knows the gospel is true. As for Brother Jessie, unfortunately he didn't show up to church. How do you get people to realize that faith is real???? That it is powerful!! Thank you for your prayers though and your faith. We just need to help him realize it for himself. I'm so glad you're going to be able to go to Utah after all. See....no need to worry! I continue to pray for all of you and I hope you all take many pictures for my when you're there. :) I miss you all so much. Paul, how is the job search going? Where are you looking to go? Sean, are you alive????? :) haha! I miss ya like crazy! Robyn, did you get my letter yet? Amanda, I got your package :) THANK YOU! I wear the shirts every single day. Mom and Dad, be safe driving up to Utah! Everyone needs to give everyone a giant hug when you see each other ..my treat! :) Well, I love this gospel so much and I love being able to share it with the beautiful people of the Philippines. The field is truly ready to harvest...we just need to thrust in the sickle with all our might. After having harvested rice I realized that "thrusting" is indeed a necessity. Gently grazing the rice does nothing...and standing around waiting for the rice to come to me all harvested sure as heck didn't happen! I think too often we do that at home. We just don't look for opportunities to share the gospel. We want people to just walk up to us and ask for a Book of Mormon and an appointment with the missionaries. The gospel relates to any conversation! And most people LOVE to talk about themselves and their families...so bring it up in conversation, then testify...it only takes a few short sentences! The gospel is true, Christ is coming, time is ticking, these are souls we're talking about helping to save. I love you all so much and I look forward to more adventures to share with you. I continue to pray for you. LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Always,
Sister Stadler
P.S. The language is coming slowly, but looking back, I have learned a lot. People compliment me all the time, but I have no idea what they are saying when they compliment me....irony? Maybe. Also...I have decided that you know you are on a mission when all of your jokes come from quoting lines from Finding Faith in Christ and the Restoration movie. haha! Good grief I love my companion.
Well transfer announcements are this week and I'm feeling like I'll be sent, but who knows. I'll find out on Wednesday. This is going to be a shorter email because we have tons of things to do today for Pday. This week has been wonderful. We had more teachings than I think I've had on any other week of my mission. This Saturday we have the 4 baptisms of the warriors! :) And we have one next Saturday too. This last Saturday Sister Theresa was baptized!!!! FINALLY!!!! She went through like 4 sets of missionaries. It was beautiful. That woman has more courage than most women I know. She came, alone, to the baptism. Her family all came up with excuses last minute why they couldn't go. But she was happy and you could see it on her face. She knows the gospel is true. As for Brother Jessie, unfortunately he didn't show up to church. How do you get people to realize that faith is real???? That it is powerful!! Thank you for your prayers though and your faith. We just need to help him realize it for himself. I'm so glad you're going to be able to go to Utah after all. See....no need to worry! I continue to pray for all of you and I hope you all take many pictures for my when you're there. :) I miss you all so much. Paul, how is the job search going? Where are you looking to go? Sean, are you alive????? :) haha! I miss ya like crazy! Robyn, did you get my letter yet? Amanda, I got your package :) THANK YOU! I wear the shirts every single day. Mom and Dad, be safe driving up to Utah! Everyone needs to give everyone a giant hug when you see each other ..my treat! :) Well, I love this gospel so much and I love being able to share it with the beautiful people of the Philippines. The field is truly ready to harvest...we just need to thrust in the sickle with all our might. After having harvested rice I realized that "thrusting" is indeed a necessity. Gently grazing the rice does nothing...and standing around waiting for the rice to come to me all harvested sure as heck didn't happen! I think too often we do that at home. We just don't look for opportunities to share the gospel. We want people to just walk up to us and ask for a Book of Mormon and an appointment with the missionaries. The gospel relates to any conversation! And most people LOVE to talk about themselves and their families...so bring it up in conversation, then testify...it only takes a few short sentences! The gospel is true, Christ is coming, time is ticking, these are souls we're talking about helping to save. I love you all so much and I look forward to more adventures to share with you. I continue to pray for you. LOVE YOU ALL!!!
Always,
Sister Stadler
P.S. The language is coming slowly, but looking back, I have learned a lot. People compliment me all the time, but I have no idea what they are saying when they compliment me....irony? Maybe. Also...I have decided that you know you are on a mission when all of your jokes come from quoting lines from Finding Faith in Christ and the Restoration movie. haha! Good grief I love my companion.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
My dearest and most amazing family,
Before I forget, say hello to the Hanson family for Sister Brooklyn Grant! haha! Apparently she goes on the lake with them. She knows Chris. Weird...the world is so small I swear. Ok, so yesterday was one of those days where you just love being a missionary. Where you realize how sweet the fruits of your labors can be! We had 12 of our investigators at church yesterday and Brother Gino Paras bore his testimony in testimony meeting! It was so beautiful! We had to drop Sister MaryGold Dulaca. I was pretty upset about that. Her husband started a business and she gets up every morning at 2 am to help him with it and doesn't get home until 7:30 or 8 at night and then has to get everything ready for the next day to do it all over again. So...she wants to be baptized, but has said that she isn't going to make these sacred covenants and then turn around and not be able to keep them and to go to church, so she said we needed to drop her for a few months. AH! I wanted to walk in to her husband and sit him down and say, do you realize the blessings you are asking your family to miss out on???? COME WITH HER! But...she has her agency.
We finally found Brother Jessie this last week...he has been working out in Busay and we haven't been able to find him. Well, he said he would come to church, and he didn't. So we found him last night and we taught him about Faith and about having it bring hope into our lives and to be an anchor. We were wrapping up the lesson and Sister Flores was testifying and I had the feeling...we're hitting a wall here. He isn't getting that this is real, this isn't just a fantasy that happens in storybooks...faith is real and it is powerful. So she looked at me to close and ask for prayer and instead..I followed the spirit. I said, " Brother Jessie, Pwede ko ihatag ang challenge sa imo?" Followed by the greatest smile I could give. haha...oh..meaning...sorry...i forget you don't know Ilanggo sometimes. OK..I asked if I could give him a challenge. He started to laugh and said, "Pwede!" Meaning, yes you may! I love Brother Jessie, He wants to be baptized, he just has to work on Sundays. For him, it isn't a matter of wanting to work, but if he doesn't work he doesn't have food for his wife and his baby boy, JeroBoy. So I testified of Christ and of His love for his family and for him. I testified about faith and about how I have witnessed miracles in my life by exercising my faith. I testified that like the scriptures say, if God provides for the lillies of the field he will surely provide for his sweet family. Then I extended the challenge for him to pray like he has never prayed before and to act in faith this week and work his hardest and commit now to come to church and actually follow through with it. Then, I testified and extended a promise that if he did all he could, that Heavenly Father would provide for his family. I told him, (sa Ilanggo..) "Brother Jessie, I don't hope this will happen, I don't think it may happen, I know it. I know will all of my heart that it will happen. Brother, Sister Flores and I pray for you and your family every night and morning. We fasted for you and your family today as well. God will provide for you, but you have to show him that you have faith in Him and in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Will you do this?" He paused for a moment and then committed to it!! He said it was hard to go to church when his whole family didn't go with him, and BAM!!!!! ENTER OUR AWESOME WARD MISSIONARY, Brother Reymon!!! DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!!! (powerful music that always happens in movies when the hero shows up to save the day) Brother Reymon, who is usually super quiet and doesn't say much comes out of nowhere with a powerful and simple testimony about how it is wonderful to worship as families, but he is the only member of his family and how he still goes every Sunday and has seen the blessings come to his family as he has done so! I wanted to jump up and down and shout hooray. BEAUTIFUL! This work is absolutely beautiful! Brother Reymon is getting his papers ready for his mission right now and has been able to work with us throughout the last few weeks. He has grown by leaps and bounds and his teaching is becoming so strong and filled with the spirit. I love it! It's like watching a boy become a man right before my very eyes. So he committed himself to come to church on Sunday. LOVE IT. He closed the lesson with prayer and gave a beautiful prayer. I'm so excited to see what happens. So Family, here is my HUGE plea to you. Please pray for Brother Jessie. Mom, Ask your seminary students to pray for him as well if they are willing to. Let us all exercise our faith to bless this little family. His wife if the one in the photo I sent you where we're outside of their home and she's holding their son. Jessie isn't actually in that photo..they are young, but they are righteous and they are starting their cute family together. The Lord will bless them, I know it.
This whole week has been filled with moments like that, where we've been able to work through the spirit and really help solve people's concerns and teach truth. Our investigators are so honest with us and I love it! I have been told that the Philippino people don't want to disappoint you, so often they will say they read when they didn't just so we won't feel bad or upset because of them. Well...our select set of investigators are strong and noble individuals who tell us straight out if they didn't read, or if they didn't understand or if they haven't prayed yet. And then BOOM...they turn around and commit themselves to doing it and then they actually follow through with it. It is beautiful. Mom, as for fellowshippers, we have amazing ones in ward 2. Ward 1...that's a whole different story. Those poor people. I could write a bunch of negative things about ward council yesterday and about how the RS president feels it is a burden to find visiting teachers for new members....and how she tried to delegate that to us....but I won't. Pray for ward 1. Until they catch the vision of the way the Savior has organized His church and why he has organized it that way, they won't get it and they won't act. It kills me. But....the work is so good. I love being here. All of the little annoyances just fade into the background when you are blessed to participate in this great work.
As for a few things before I close: Mom, the canned meat and food I get is all FDA approved because they ship it to the US as well. :) So no worries there. 2nd, I have a package in the office :) I will pick it up today and I'm 99% sure it is yours! HOORAY!!! 2 months later...IT"S HERE and in One piece!!! 3rd....curses on your seminary students for calling me sickly. haha...and I'm pretty sure I know what pictures they were looking at. I'm sick sweaty in my first sets and super pale too...so of course I look sick. I was sweating my life away here and trying to have my digestive system adjust. But now..I'm dang good looking and even more important...I'm a Sister! WOOHOO! 4th, my insect repellent is OFF with deet. I'm actually going to buy more today because I just ran out. I killed a giant spider this week, screaming the whole time. My comp came out and said, "that is a tiny one" AH! I'm not afraid of spiders...I kill them without any problems..but this sucker was hairy and I would see it's little eyes and pincher thingies....yucks. ha! Um....Oh! Mom...that was a total lie that missionaries from the US don't get paired with other US missionaries. It happens here, and often actually. Transfers are on the 19th of this month. I'm not excited. I feel like I'll be transferred and we have 4 baptisms scheduled on the 20th! They are my warriors too! AH! But it is ok because they are doing what is most important, whether I'm here to witness it or not. OK...BIG NEWS...I can't remember if I told you this in my last email, President Edwards is coming here for their stake conference in a few weeks and he is announcing...dun dun dun!!!!!! The Philippines Bacolod Mission is splitting into 2 missions in the next few months! Yeah! Crazy I know!!! So we have 2 islands that make up our mission, I'm on Negros Occidental and the other is Panay. So Panay will either be called the Philippines Panay Mission, or the Philippines Ilo-Ilo Mission. But...half of us will stay here and half of us will go over there. We don't know where we will go. SO....I may actually serve my mission in 2 different missions. haha. It is crazy ..and I may have a completely different mission president. But..they say it probably won't happen until July because that is when they call new mission presidents. Anyway....hooray for change and for growth and I will serve wherever I am called. I will miss missionaries I have met here if I am sent over there, but they do have the signing program over there which would be awesome, and it is a little cooler in areas over there near the mountains, plus they are near the beach, but the work is way harder because the people are less willing to listen to us. I'm up for the challenge though. The language is coming. It is slow, but it IS coming. I love you all so much and you have the job to take pictures for me when you're all in Utah. I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU and I am head over heals in love with the thought that I will be with you all throughout all of eternity, IF we do all we can now.
All of my love,
Sister Stadler
Before I forget, say hello to the Hanson family for Sister Brooklyn Grant! haha! Apparently she goes on the lake with them. She knows Chris. Weird...the world is so small I swear. Ok, so yesterday was one of those days where you just love being a missionary. Where you realize how sweet the fruits of your labors can be! We had 12 of our investigators at church yesterday and Brother Gino Paras bore his testimony in testimony meeting! It was so beautiful! We had to drop Sister MaryGold Dulaca. I was pretty upset about that. Her husband started a business and she gets up every morning at 2 am to help him with it and doesn't get home until 7:30 or 8 at night and then has to get everything ready for the next day to do it all over again. So...she wants to be baptized, but has said that she isn't going to make these sacred covenants and then turn around and not be able to keep them and to go to church, so she said we needed to drop her for a few months. AH! I wanted to walk in to her husband and sit him down and say, do you realize the blessings you are asking your family to miss out on???? COME WITH HER! But...she has her agency.
We finally found Brother Jessie this last week...he has been working out in Busay and we haven't been able to find him. Well, he said he would come to church, and he didn't. So we found him last night and we taught him about Faith and about having it bring hope into our lives and to be an anchor. We were wrapping up the lesson and Sister Flores was testifying and I had the feeling...we're hitting a wall here. He isn't getting that this is real, this isn't just a fantasy that happens in storybooks...faith is real and it is powerful. So she looked at me to close and ask for prayer and instead..I followed the spirit. I said, " Brother Jessie, Pwede ko ihatag ang challenge sa imo?" Followed by the greatest smile I could give. haha...oh..meaning...sorry...i forget you don't know Ilanggo sometimes. OK..I asked if I could give him a challenge. He started to laugh and said, "Pwede!" Meaning, yes you may! I love Brother Jessie, He wants to be baptized, he just has to work on Sundays. For him, it isn't a matter of wanting to work, but if he doesn't work he doesn't have food for his wife and his baby boy, JeroBoy. So I testified of Christ and of His love for his family and for him. I testified about faith and about how I have witnessed miracles in my life by exercising my faith. I testified that like the scriptures say, if God provides for the lillies of the field he will surely provide for his sweet family. Then I extended the challenge for him to pray like he has never prayed before and to act in faith this week and work his hardest and commit now to come to church and actually follow through with it. Then, I testified and extended a promise that if he did all he could, that Heavenly Father would provide for his family. I told him, (sa Ilanggo..) "Brother Jessie, I don't hope this will happen, I don't think it may happen, I know it. I know will all of my heart that it will happen. Brother, Sister Flores and I pray for you and your family every night and morning. We fasted for you and your family today as well. God will provide for you, but you have to show him that you have faith in Him and in our Savior, Jesus Christ. Will you do this?" He paused for a moment and then committed to it!! He said it was hard to go to church when his whole family didn't go with him, and BAM!!!!! ENTER OUR AWESOME WARD MISSIONARY, Brother Reymon!!! DUN DUN DUN!!!!!!!! (powerful music that always happens in movies when the hero shows up to save the day) Brother Reymon, who is usually super quiet and doesn't say much comes out of nowhere with a powerful and simple testimony about how it is wonderful to worship as families, but he is the only member of his family and how he still goes every Sunday and has seen the blessings come to his family as he has done so! I wanted to jump up and down and shout hooray. BEAUTIFUL! This work is absolutely beautiful! Brother Reymon is getting his papers ready for his mission right now and has been able to work with us throughout the last few weeks. He has grown by leaps and bounds and his teaching is becoming so strong and filled with the spirit. I love it! It's like watching a boy become a man right before my very eyes. So he committed himself to come to church on Sunday. LOVE IT. He closed the lesson with prayer and gave a beautiful prayer. I'm so excited to see what happens. So Family, here is my HUGE plea to you. Please pray for Brother Jessie. Mom, Ask your seminary students to pray for him as well if they are willing to. Let us all exercise our faith to bless this little family. His wife if the one in the photo I sent you where we're outside of their home and she's holding their son. Jessie isn't actually in that photo..they are young, but they are righteous and they are starting their cute family together. The Lord will bless them, I know it.
This whole week has been filled with moments like that, where we've been able to work through the spirit and really help solve people's concerns and teach truth. Our investigators are so honest with us and I love it! I have been told that the Philippino people don't want to disappoint you, so often they will say they read when they didn't just so we won't feel bad or upset because of them. Well...our select set of investigators are strong and noble individuals who tell us straight out if they didn't read, or if they didn't understand or if they haven't prayed yet. And then BOOM...they turn around and commit themselves to doing it and then they actually follow through with it. It is beautiful. Mom, as for fellowshippers, we have amazing ones in ward 2. Ward 1...that's a whole different story. Those poor people. I could write a bunch of negative things about ward council yesterday and about how the RS president feels it is a burden to find visiting teachers for new members....and how she tried to delegate that to us....but I won't. Pray for ward 1. Until they catch the vision of the way the Savior has organized His church and why he has organized it that way, they won't get it and they won't act. It kills me. But....the work is so good. I love being here. All of the little annoyances just fade into the background when you are blessed to participate in this great work.
As for a few things before I close: Mom, the canned meat and food I get is all FDA approved because they ship it to the US as well. :) So no worries there. 2nd, I have a package in the office :) I will pick it up today and I'm 99% sure it is yours! HOORAY!!! 2 months later...IT"S HERE and in One piece!!! 3rd....curses on your seminary students for calling me sickly. haha...and I'm pretty sure I know what pictures they were looking at. I'm sick sweaty in my first sets and super pale too...so of course I look sick. I was sweating my life away here and trying to have my digestive system adjust. But now..I'm dang good looking and even more important...I'm a Sister! WOOHOO! 4th, my insect repellent is OFF with deet. I'm actually going to buy more today because I just ran out. I killed a giant spider this week, screaming the whole time. My comp came out and said, "that is a tiny one" AH! I'm not afraid of spiders...I kill them without any problems..but this sucker was hairy and I would see it's little eyes and pincher thingies....yucks. ha! Um....Oh! Mom...that was a total lie that missionaries from the US don't get paired with other US missionaries. It happens here, and often actually. Transfers are on the 19th of this month. I'm not excited. I feel like I'll be transferred and we have 4 baptisms scheduled on the 20th! They are my warriors too! AH! But it is ok because they are doing what is most important, whether I'm here to witness it or not. OK...BIG NEWS...I can't remember if I told you this in my last email, President Edwards is coming here for their stake conference in a few weeks and he is announcing...dun dun dun!!!!!! The Philippines Bacolod Mission is splitting into 2 missions in the next few months! Yeah! Crazy I know!!! So we have 2 islands that make up our mission, I'm on Negros Occidental and the other is Panay. So Panay will either be called the Philippines Panay Mission, or the Philippines Ilo-Ilo Mission. But...half of us will stay here and half of us will go over there. We don't know where we will go. SO....I may actually serve my mission in 2 different missions. haha. It is crazy ..and I may have a completely different mission president. But..they say it probably won't happen until July because that is when they call new mission presidents. Anyway....hooray for change and for growth and I will serve wherever I am called. I will miss missionaries I have met here if I am sent over there, but they do have the signing program over there which would be awesome, and it is a little cooler in areas over there near the mountains, plus they are near the beach, but the work is way harder because the people are less willing to listen to us. I'm up for the challenge though. The language is coming. It is slow, but it IS coming. I love you all so much and you have the job to take pictures for me when you're all in Utah. I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU and I am head over heals in love with the thought that I will be with you all throughout all of eternity, IF we do all we can now.
All of my love,
Sister Stadler
Saturday, February 6, 2010
I miss you all so much! This week has been one where I was a little homesick, and I'm not sure why. I had a night where I actually had 3 separate nightmares about terrible things happening in the family and different people dying. It was weird, I woke up really upset and it took awhile for me to feel ok. Is everyone doing ok? I assume you all are, or someone would have hopefully told me about it in an email. Weird that the same night I had a hard time Sister Flores also had a really bad nightmare. She actually woke up crying. Anyway...maybe Satan is just working really hard on us. We have had a super successful week. We had 9 investigators at church yesterday and all are solid for baptism. We just had two of our investigators, Brother Joenil and Brother Japheth commit to be baptized on February 20th last night! I was so excited for them. I love that feeling when you go into a lesson, having prayed to follow the spirit to know when to extend the invitation to be baptized. We were going to do it in our last lesson with them, but neither of us felt the prompting to do so. Something just wasn't right last time, the mood was a little more lax with certain ward members that were there with us. But last night...it was perfect! I love that rush of excitement and adrenaline! It is WAY better than any roller coaster you could ever go on, because the outcome is so much greater! People are changing their lives through the Atonement of Christ and I get to be a part of it! I LOVE IT! I love this work and I can't wait to meet more people to help them as well! So, this Saturday was Sister Jennifer's baptism. She is 13 years old and the girl who is the "mom" in her family now. Her father has completely changed his view of us, you can tell. He welcomes us into his home and even invited us for dinner one night! I was shocked! We didn't eat there for multiple reasons..#1 being we would have probably been sick the next 3 days from eating the way they prepared the food..haha...but he invited us! Plus he sits in on our discussions now too. I have hope there. We also found 14 new investigators this week. It is amazing what can happen if you work hard, be obedient, follow the spirit and let the Lord guide you to those who are prepared. So funny story last night...actually more embarrassing for me, but funny none the less. We got done with a successful evening of teaching and were walking from Batad back to the street to get a trik to get home. Well I saw a boy with a pedicab (which is like a trik, but instead of a motorcycle, it is just a bicycle...hence the Pedi...cause you peddle it) haha! Anyway..So I was feeling pretty good and asked if I could ride it just a few feet...so even though I shouldn't have..I did, with Sister Flores in the cab. After starting to peddle I realize...there aren't any brakes on this thing. Yeah...so I start screaming cause we're coming to a speed bump and we're going on a little down hill slope. SO..Crismark runs and saves us with his body weight stops the cab. (don't freak out mom...We weren't going fast enough to get hurt or anything..and when I say downhill I don't mean like even as steep as our driveway). Anyway...so I go to turn the cab around and drive it back to the kid who owns it....and I hear..."CLANG!!!!" and I realize I'm not sitting on anything anymore. Yeah...I broke the seat off of the bike. THE SEAT!!!! And I'm not talking it fell off and I put it back on..no..the metal bar snapped! you should have seen the kid's face! I felt so bad! It had broken before, you could tell because it had been welded and it was a weak point..but AH!!!!! Here I am thinking...and this is one of those moments you want to hide the nametag. Anyway...I took care of it and asked him how much it would be to repair it. And I figured in how much business he would miss the next morning going to get it repaired. I gave him 100 pesos..which is roughly equal to $2.30ish...And that was more than enough to get it all taken care of. He looked worried until I offered to pay for it to be fixed and then he was fine..told me his name and had a big smile on his face. I still felt terrible though..and super FAT! Good grief! Ok...let me put your fears to rest mom. A little birdy told me that you think I look sickly. hahahahahaha! I am reminded of that picture of Paul on his mission in the baptismal clothes where we thought he looked anorexic. I like him, will explain. (I just had a little girl come up and poke me in the side..haha..kids here are hilarious..she doesn't even know me.) Anyway...um...oh! I'm not even close to being sickly. No matter how tan I get I look super white next to these people. And the only makeup I wear here is my mascara...so that doesn't help in the photos either. Also..I eat more than I ever should here, and I've gained a couple pounds back. Yeah...not my goal..but I'm healthy and eating like you wouldn't believe. My companion is a good cook..and she's healthy about it..hence the reason I am eating this transfer. I'm cooking more too, which helps. Other than that..I don't know what else to tell ya. Don't worry about me though. k? Alright, I will find out this week if I got your packages, don't worry though..they are on the way. I can feel it in my bones! Well I have to cut this short because we have a zone activity to get to today and we need to go grocery shopping before. I love you all so much! The work is continuing to go forth, just like it has been prophesied. I have been reading in The Miracle of Forgiveness and what a miracle it truly is. I love this gospel! It is true! I have no doubt about it and I get the joy of sharing it with people and seeing them change! It is remarkable watching light come into people's eyes, into their countenances. I am amazed every time. I love you all and continue to pray for you. I can't believe it is already February. Where does time go?????? AH! Love you, keep writing, I promise to do the same!
All my love,
Sister Stadler...still sweating ;)
P.S. I sang at the baptism of Jennifer and of Brother Gino..the spirit was strong and it was so fun to sing again. i sing often here...even if it is just in my apartment. :)
All my love,
Sister Stadler...still sweating ;)
P.S. I sang at the baptism of Jennifer and of Brother Gino..the spirit was strong and it was so fun to sing again. i sing often here...even if it is just in my apartment. :)
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