Oh my dearest and sweetest family! Have I got a transfer announcement for you! So the week of transfers I totally sat down and tried to figure out who was staying in Negros and who would be going to Panay and where each junior was needed. We only had 3 options open for transferring juniors and my dear, sweet sister Ball was transferring. I thought, "Merciful Heavens, I would give anything to have that girl as my companion! But President would never put two Americans together who are 1 transfer apart." So here comes transfer day and my past zone leader grabs me and says, "you're going to be very happy!" So immediately I am thinking, oh man!! NO WAY!!! This would be way too good to be true! So I was looking at where luggage was, and I realized that I had a 50/50 chance of actually getting her as my companion. Let me preface this by saying we both requested this like 2 transfers ago and the AP's just laughed at us...because of course we said, "If it is the Lord's will to have us serve together, we would love to support the Lord in His will." Elder Potter always just chuckled and said that transfers will happen when they happen. So I also had a hint because I told the AP's about the crazy woman and asked what I was allowed to do IF something went down, and if there was a place I could buy pepper spray. haha! So one AP said to me, "Sister Stadler, do you feel it would be dangerous to have another American in the area?" OH MY GOSH! I about freaked! So then I thought, ah man....I blew my chance to have an American companion because I have 2 random crazy women attacking me in public! COME ON! So....anyway...Fast Forward to transfer day again. We are sitting and waiting for the announcement and my heart was pounding like crazy...it's so silly because I have learned whatever the transfers are, they are the will of the Lord and His will is ALWAYS better than ours...but I was still nervous. ah! So right before Elder Potter brings up the slide of our zone he gets a phone call...ah! you're killing me!! So then he puts up the slide and BOOM BABY!!! Sister Stadler and Sister Ball are officially companions for at least the next 6 weeks in Victorias 2nd ward! AHHH!!!!! We were freaking out...silently..and gave a large high five...which then Elder Potter cautioned us to behave...as he was laughing at our reaction! HOLY ANSWERS TO PRAYER! I would never wanted anyone else to be my first junior and I am already head over heels in love with this girl! We have the most spiritual experiences while having a total blast. The language is really our one huge barrier, but we are being forced to use it like we've never had to use it before! It has been wonderful for us. Keep praying like crazy for us and for the language. I have already witnessed beautiful blessings though on how the Lord will prepare people who are ready and excited to hear the gospel. We had a hilarious experience a few nights ago where we went out to get some load down the street for our cell phone. If you don't have "load" here then you can't text or call and sisters are suppose to have load at all times...Well...the other sister went to bed WAY early because they were sick and the new sister was just exhausted...she's from Wyoming by the way. So we now went from a 1:3 ratio to a 3:1 ratio American:Filipina. My goodness! So sister ball and I went out to get some load real fast and the door has a lock on the bottom that you can only lock in the inside. WELL....FUNNY STORY.....so we'd been companions for like 5 hours and then.. the door locked on us!!!!!! So we didn't get load because the little store was closed early and then we got locked out of our house! So then...we're like trying to break the door down, and throwing rocks at the window yelling the sister's names...it's still like 10. OH my goodness...but It was pouring rain and when it's raining in the house you can't hear a single thing because of the metal roof...and we have 2 stories in this home..its a mansion. SO....Sister Ball decides she can go through the window..which has iron bars and a screen with a little 8x11 sized hole to fit through..YEAH!....But I am her companion and so I supported her in her decision..So then she got stuck in the window with her head and shoulder there. Oh my goodness I was laughing SOOOO hard standing there holding the umbrella over her as it's pouring and she's stuck in the window in our front yard in the Philippines and I almost peed my pants! So THEN...I really had to go...and you all know that I am squatting challenged. Sister Ball gave me a pep talk on how to squat properly...so then I did so for the first time successfully in our back yard! And she did too!!! It was hilarious!!!! The greatest part is that our neighbors were watching us try to get into our home for like 45 minutes! Filipino people are the nosiest people in the world...and they can stare for FOREVER!!!!! They were so concerned for us. But we weren't in any danger cause we still have a huge gate that was locked and our house is incredibly safe. They were concerned because it was raining ad we didn't have blankets or anything. So we decided we needed to fake them out that we got into the house so they wouldn't be watching us sleep outside all night. So...Sister Ball slammed the screen door and I started pretending like I was speaking in Ilonggo to our roommates and the neighbors then asked, "Ari na sila??" "Are they there???" So...I said "Oo Sister! Salamat! Ari na Sila" (while pointing to their room ...so I wasn't technically lying!) hahahaha! So then we hid for like 10 minutes silently and IT TOTALLY WORKED!!!!! They went to bed and shut their light off. So...we have this broken trik in our front yard and it has a little cushioned seat that we used as a pillow and I had luckily just done all of my laundry...so it was all dry hanging up and I laid out my clean laundry on the concrete next to the front door and then we used other laundry to cover us. We had our umbrellas too so we opened them up and set them in front of us so no one could see that people were there if they walked by. It was ridiculous! I kept thinking..man...Elder Potter would kill me if he knew we were out here! haha! So we didn't sleep all night because the mosquitoes were ridiculous..hence the picture of my legs. hahaha! Here is the best part, the new sister totally heard us screaming their names, but it was her first night and she thought it as some crazy ward missionaries that just liked to throw rocks at the missionaries windows! HAHA! oh my goodness. So WHAT ARE THE CHANCES...the next morning Elder Potter calls us right when we get inside and the sisters heard us at 5:30 throwing rocks again....and he's like, "Sister Stadler, when will you two be going out today because we're dropping off new mattresses?" my response.."WELL...funny story..." him: "oh no...what happened?" And then I proceeded to tell him and he was laughing WAY too hard about it. hahahahaha! It really is one of those stories that needs to be told but REALLY????? That would happen to us! So..we are fine now. No worries and we had a lot of companion bonding time and a new appreciation for our super mattresses and wooden beds. :)
Now for updates of the family with the 4 people getting baptized. No, the father hasn't gone to church yet, but we are working on him. also, we will start teaching Emalyn's boyfriend on Wednesday. AH! Life is SOOOOOOO good! Rocky's baptism is this Saturday and I just remembered telling you all that in the last 8 months they had 1 baptism....and now I am witnessing how people are prepared and you just have to have faith and work with the Lord. Pray for Annalyn. She wants to be baptized so bad, and her boyfriend just talked to her and said IF she does get baptized that he will not be a part of her or her child's life anymore. She was sobbing telling me about it and I was too. Sister Ball was praying like crazy that I would be able to understand what all she as saying because the language is so difficult for us. And I did understand about 85% of what she said, which was a miracle! then Sister Ball told me later, "I was praying..Please! Heavenly Father, give my companion the words to comfort her, because I know I don't have the words." And the prayer worked. I don't even remember all that I said, but I did say, "Annalyn, I know without a doubt that when Heavenly Father gives us a commandment, he gives us a way to obey it and we will gain greater happiness than in any other way. We MUST be obedient Annalyn, but the decision is yours. Even if everyone you knew told you not to get baptized and that they would desert you, it is still a commandment from God. A God, who loves you, and knows you and wants your happiness! So when you feel upset or angry or discouraged, pray. Pray like you've never prayed before and we will pray for you too. Pray about being baptized again and give us your answer this next week." SO....she said to me, "Okay I will again. But I know the church is true Sister Stadler. I know I need to be baptized, but this is hard." AH!!!!! She is soooo strong! I love her! Our investigators are progressing and our Bishop adores us and is so patient and helpful! I love you all! The church is true! Live it! Live it like you're dying tomorrow! Share it with everyone!! You're all in my prayers! Until next week, God Speed!
All my heart,
Sister Stadler
P.S. I forgot the best part of our transfer story! So Elder Potter was talking to me about an investigator's baptismal record after announcements and he says to us, "Sisters! Do you know how long this transfer has been in the makings? It was killing me when you requested to be together because President has this planned for the last 2 transfers!!!!!" To which we said something like this.." WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT???? That's amazing!" Then he said something that President said after they made the transfer decision about us that I will NEVER forget...: "The Lord answers the prayers of righteous mothers, and of FUTURE righteous mothers." Oh my goodness..my heart melted! I love President Tobias! He is amazing! That is all, we need to go buy fish and send off a couple letters and some cool looking red spiky fruit that I can't remember what it's called..and then we're gonna go study Ilonggo like it's going out of style!!!!!!!!
To all my lovely friends who I adore and have been quite good at writing so far....the letters are pretty much at a stand still.BECAUSE!!!! I am leaving all things behind and focusing on my studies like crazy. So, I still love you and I pray for you every night, and I will write each of you at least once before I come home. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No really. Alright, well, we're gonna take off. love you all tons! Don't do stupid things...ha.
~Sister Stadler