And it came to pass in the days of Sister Stadler and Sister Ball, there was much rain in the land of the people of Victorias. In fact, it smells like rain right now, but here..its not that sweet smelling scent that you want to bottle and keep for those hot summer days to smell...does that make any sense? haha! it makes sense in my head. I love the rain though. This week we were coming back from an appointment and Sister Ball asked the trik driver about the fallen sugar cane and he explained it happened because it was raining like crazy and they don't have deep roots. There were tons of them that had just fallen over, it was ridiculous. He said all that cane was ruined and couldn't be used now. SO...I feel a little guilty now whenever I get really happy and it's raining way hard. It's fun for us, but not for all of them. :) Ok, well that was a random way to start my email for the week! This week has been really good. We both have been feeling better. We're not back to your full health yet, but we are doing much better and we were able to go out and work all days of the week, for at least a few hours. Our investigators are doing well. Emalyn never ceases to amaze me. I was watching her at church with her two beautiful little children and I started to tear up. They are adorable children, but not easy to take care off in sacrament meeting...especially when you're alone. She is determined to get baptized on August 14th. She was suppose to go today with her boyfriend, Recarido, to get their marriage license today so they should be able to get married this weekend. We haven't been able to talk to them today, but we hope it works out. As for Annalyn, I can feel her slipping through our fingers. It's killing me. I realize she has agency, and sometimes it's just not their time to accept the gospel, but she knows it's true! She testifies of it! This week we had a cool experience where we had HER teach to US about applying scripture. We had her read and teach from 1 Nephi 3 and she was adorable! She taught just the same as we do, had us read the scriptures, and then asked us some questions. Then afterward, I asked her how she felt when she was teaching, she got really quiet and then just touched her heart and said, "I feel so good sis." I explained it was the spirit and that the spirit testifies when we teach truth. She said she felt in her prayer like she was suppose to wait until the stumbling blocks were all gone before she got baptized...meaning her boyfriend's anti-mormon feelings because he's a baptist minister, and her parents disapproval....I explained to her that there will never be a time in her life where she won't have trials and Satan fighting against her, it's her decision. BUT...since she has the knowledge that the church is true, she is now accountable for it. She didn't come on Sunday. It is so hard to see people turn from the truth, but it's part of the work. I have faith that she will join, it may not be now or I may never know about it, but I have faith she will. Our other investigators are doing pretty well. We may have to drop Sister Rowena. She is so sweet and fun and she liked coming to church, but she isn't progressing. It's so hard to teach deaf people here because they aren't very educated. So, it takes forever for her to understand a concept. It's like...she has a 200 word vocabulary....even simple words like, "still" she doesn't understand. She doesn't quite get the concept of prayer not being a wrote prayer. It's just hard, but she is still very nice and kind. We're still trying to work with her family. We'll see how that goes.
The choir thing is going pretty well. Elder Potter had a good idea today and I had him go with it and take control and he did a great job. I hopefully will just sing with the choir this time. haha! Hey, Amanda, if there are any way good arrangements of hymns you would like to scan and email to me...like duets or something, that would make me way happy. Mom, I have an arrangement in an EFY book of "I know that my Redeemer lives" could you scan and email that to me too? Thanks...I need some other pieces here. SO....we have zone conference this Friday and we will have interviews with President then. I have heard from 3 different sources that President told them in their interviews "Sister Stadler will definitely be training this next transfer". AH!!!!!!!!! We will find out. There is only one American sister coming in and I am the oldest of the Americans left here in the mission. HOW DID THAT HAPPEN? The language is coming and is constantly getting better. It's just a matter of learning and constantly using more words. It's so true, if you don't just throw yourself out there and look like a dork in front of everyone, you never learn the language. :) I am in love with my companion and can't wait for you all to meet her after the mission. You'll all adore her. This morning we both sang the "wake up" songs our mothers would sing to us to get us up for seminary. haha! It was quite amusing...and it definitely made us both a little homesick. I am starting to hear Christmas music already and it's freaking me out a bit. haha!
Life is way good, I don't have much else to add. I'm so jealous you all got to see each other these last few weeks. Hug each other for me. The gospel is so true. I am constantly amazed how much our Heavenly Father loves us. As I have been teaching this last week I have felt such strong love for those we have the blessing to share our message with. The love I feel I could never explain and I realize it is only a small portion of what He feels for each of us. Turn to Him. Spend a little longer on your knees this week. I've learned on the mission that aching knees aren't really a bad thing..haha...if the cause of it is kneeling on tile in prayer. I love you all and I pray for you daily. Don't give up. Stay strong, live the gospel, love others, reach out to others, be obedient and witness the miracles unfold in your lives. Christ lives! He's coming again, and soon! Until next week, GOD SPEED!

All my love,
Sister Stadler

P.S. I completely forgot to tell a story. We are teaching a family, Reponte family, and the father is incredibly receptive, but SOOO busy and the mother wants nothing to do with us. Well, the children are so sweet and kind. One girl, AnnaMarie is very sweet, about 13 years old, and she acts like it. We went to teach her on Saturday and her dad wasn't there. So we prayed the start the lesson and she just goes off about how hungry she is and how she would rather have us teach another day because she is so hungry. Well I just started to get ready to teach anyway and said it would be short, and then she keeps saying she hasn't had lunch. Then her father shows up. He explains that they didn't have money for lunch so he spent the morning walking around other areas in the city until he found a tree where he could get some jackfruit, a huge fruit here, off of it to feed his children. AnnaMarie immediately made some snappy comment about how he was gone forever and she was starving. Then, as this man apologized for being late and opened the fruit, prepared it for his family and then came and offered us a good portion of it...my heart just sank. I had never been so grateful for digestive problems. I apologized, thanked him for the offer and explained we were both sick. I am so moved by these people daily. Here is this man, working so hard to fulfill his duties for his family, to provide, and yet his children aren't even appreciative, constantly whining. Sister Ball said it reminded her of Nephi and his brothers when he broke his bow. I was thinking about it a few days later and thought it is the same with our Heavenly Father. How often does he provide us with beautiful blessings that fulfill our needs, and yet often it is not what we wanted, or expected, or it's not in our timing. We may find ourselves saying, like Anna Marie, "It's been forever! What took you so long?" Instead of being grateful and happy and enjoying the plenty. We have so much. I will never be the same from serving here. Sometimes I get so caught up in the work and how busy we are to look around and notice what is really going on around me. While riding home on the bus tonight I was watching the little homes goes by outside and my heart just sunk. I go home in a few months to a beautifully comfortable home and a family who loves me and needs me and to a place with clean water and air and the children are taken care of. Don't take things for granted. I love you all. Count your many blessings, name them one by one--count your many blessings, see what God hath done.