HELLO!!! :) I have missed you! How are all of you doing today? I included you all in my fast yesterday. Hey, before i forget, random question, Mom, ask Aunt Vicki if there is anything she knows that helps with hair loss...haha...that sounds really weird. But...I have been losing large amounts of hair each day here when I shower, I'm not bald or anything..but its probably double the amount I used to use each day. Someone told me here it's a lack of zinc in their water, I don't know if that is true, but whatever. So, is there anything I can take to help me with that?
This week was really good, emotional, hard, draining, but rewarding as well. We are no longer allowed to tract at all. Our focus in the mission is retention and reactivation. We are only getting new investigators through members referrals and through part member families. The Bacolod Mission has been the top baptizing mission in the world for many years, it isn't currently, but it has been...the problem is retention. If we can't keep them strong in the church, what is the point of baptizing? So...that is our new focus. We are to have 5 new Melchezidek priesthood holders each week and at least 2 families each month. Anyone who knows anything about missionary work would agree thats a difficult thing to do. BUT...we have faith it will happen. We actually have had 4 families we visited come back to church this Sunday, so we're feeling pretty darn good! Plus we have our 9 regular investigators at church. We are gonna have to drop 4 people this week we think. They are all younger, they seemed really solid and interested in the gospel, but they have stopped progressing. That is one of the hardest things about teaching. You put so much work and effort into someone and then they just don't grasp the concept. But it's ok, they still like coming to church and activities, and they are youth, so hopefully they will continue coming and maybe later the missionaries will pick them back up again. Mom, before I forget, the only beans here are Pork and Beans. So I'm not eating a lot of beans. I tried to go buy some black beans ..they were in this miniscule foil pouch for WAY WAY WAY too much money. But thats ok. I'm eating vegetables. I don't know where you got the "human fertilizer" idea from ...perhaps a dream. haha! I gagged a little when I read that. Um...the vegetables I usually get are ones I can peel because of how difficult it is to really steralize anything here. SO...no worries. Same with fruit, I haven't had an apple with the peel on it for a good 4 months now. Ok...I'm freaking out that I'm a week away from being 1/3 of the way done with my mission. Sister Adams reminded me of that. I told her to stop gyping me of my time! haha! She cracks me up. So transfers are in 3 weeks and its going way too fast to be ok with me. Let me see, what is going on with our investigators? OH!...I spoke with Rodelyn, she was my 2nd baptism here in Bago. She has been missing in action for awhile and yesterday she just showed up at church...I was so excited! She asked if she could speak with me after church about some problems she has been having. So I went to talk with her and she told me all about her Uncle, who is her guardian, and this guy who has been talking to him about marrying her. Everything is so different here. It is crazy...count your blessings for the freedoms you have. Basically, long story short, this guy wants to marry her and she can't stand the guy, but her uncle believes the guy more than her and thinks they are courting. Well, because Rodelyn is denying it, her uncle has cut off all money from her, so she can't take her college exams this week. So..her education is on hold. She asked if I had money to pay for her exam, and she could pay me back. Well, its moments like this where you wonder if it's ok just to break the rules. It's 850 pesos, roughly 10 dollars....and yet I can't do it. Mission rules say we can't lend money. So instead, I explained to her that it isn't allowed, but I would pray for her like crazy. And I said my family would be willing to pray too, So mom, could you put her name in the temple there, Rodelyn Ulberio. Thank you! I asked if she was living the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity completely and the other commandments as well, including tithing. She said yes and started crying, so I testified that if she is doing all she can, the Lord will bless her. It may take some time, but the Lord will bless her. As I sat there comforting her I was thinking, "man...I would give anything to just pull out my wallet right now and give her the money." But then the thought came to me what Elder Oaks said about the Philippines, nothing will help them more than the truths and blessings from living the gospel. She looked at me after we hugged goodbye and we started walking to the waiting shed for her to get a trik and she said, "Sister Stadler! Sagad ka sa Ilanggo na!" Meaning..."Sister Stadler, You're so good in Ilanggo now!" haha! I am definitely not good....but it is coming. I can say so much more than I used to be able to. My trainer complimented me too when I saw her last. So hooray! I knew you would all want an update on the language.
OH!!!! MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Guess what I got yesterday?????????????? Your package you sent 4 months ago! HAHAHAHA! I was so excited! You should have seen my happy dance! It was intense. The toilet paper came just in time..we just ran out and it was Saturday night. And twizzlers and peanuts!! Good grief...I haven't had twizzlers in forever. My comp figured they must be pretty good when I freaked as I pulled them out of the package. She grabbed one to taste it...HA! You should have seen her face...I told her she didn't have to eat it if she didn't like it. Her response.."....ok...yeah ..I don't like it." haha! I was laughing so hard. she's so dang cute. I would do anything for this girl.
Mom, we get the Liahona, not the Ensign. I miss the Ensign for sure. Everything is like....abreviated versions. Send your articles...I love the articles you send. They are usually inspired too, because they always help me with something I'm currently dealing with. So..the message from Monson was about a firm foundation of faith too....that's a common topic lately. Yesteday I realized how close general conference is again... I was a little too excited I think. I can't wait to hear from the Prophet and the apostles. I just started reading the 2008 general conference magazine again. I just started at the beginning and everything has related perfectly..although I guess that can happen with any talk you read when you're trying to follow the spirit. Di ba? OK, so ...Sean, thank you for the mission support! Britton, your son is so stinkin cute! He totally looks like you too! I love it! Amanda, I haven't read your email yet, except the first line..and you're not boring! Good grief...I miss ya like crazy! I was walking to our next appointment last week and I saw some girl burst out laughing with her sister walking down the street and I teared up a bit. haha! But...then I lost it and just started laughing and my comp I'm sure though I was insane. I remembered the night I went through the temple and then we went to Olive Garden with mom! haha! Holy heck...I don't think I've ever laughed that hard in a public place in my entire life. Mom's response was awesome! I felt like I was like 10 years old again! I loved that day. It is probably one of my favorite days of my entire life so far. I was thinking about it yesterday, my last 2 years of life are so far from what I ever planned, and yet I wouldn't change a single thing. We have had some really hard things we've dealt with as a family. I never thought I would be opening my mission call in Havasu with Paul and Holly on one phone, Mom and Amanda on another phone, Sean and Dad and Dallin there with me in the living room. I never thought I would be going through the temple with mom in a wheel chair...but because of that I was able to have Amanda and Mom there with me--which has been a dream of mine since I was like 12. The blessings of the temple are remarkable. My comp and I taught our beloved Brother Aram about the temple this week and you should have seen his eyes light up. The desire he has to go in undeniable. We both shared our love of the temple and how much we missed it and he was so excited and asked all these questions. These boys are so solid. There are 5 of them that are so solid! Aram is probably the most solid though. He has been doing an in depth study of the scriptures and has questions for us every time we teach him. His last question was about who the Gentile nations are. haha! AND..then he asked about why Nephi was commanded to kill Laban when the 10 commandments say not to kill. HE's just so...AH! He's a future leader in the church. I love this work! I love that I can work with people every day to bring them the gospel. Paul was right. In a letter he wrote me he said, "it seems there are no normal days on the mission." It is so true! They are either SUPER awesome and spiritually high or you're just exhausted and you wonder if you'll ever have a good day again. haha! I know the terrible sorrow and "devastation", as preach my gospel puts it, when your investigators don't keep their commitments, and I know the sweet joy that comes when they do. I love this gospel. I know this church is true! Christ Lives! We need to be firmly rooted in the gospel, because there is no doubt in my mind that big things will be happening in the next few years or so. I miss you all like crazy and you are on my mind often, mostly at night, when I lay down and everything gets quiet and I begin to think and pray about each of you. Let's all be a little better this week that we were last week! Raise the Bar. Until next time, I LOVE YOU!!! God Speed!

All my love,
Sister Stadler

P.S. MOM! Awesome job with the produce man! Definitely get his name and number, maybe his address and see if you can set up a time to go with the missionaries to visit him. They always are more successful with members present. Just see if he has a time to do it. Even if it's on his lunch break some day or something. His wife may not be receptive at this point, but if he embraces the gospel, she will see the changes, and the spirit will be felt through him. Keep it up! The Lord provides opportunities to teach daily! We just don't notice them. Love you tons!