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. :)