Alright well, family, dear family, have I got news for you?!! Let me tell you about the results of this transfer announcement from this mornings meeting. First of all...this whole week was ...difficult to say the least. We were punted (meaning that people canceled on us) more than ever before in my entire mission. It was like 3 days straight. We had a ward half-day mission that only one young man showed up to and then other plans all fell through too. It was "investigators getting drunk" week and I have decided I hate alcohol even more than I ever did before. Talk about Satan's tool for ruining lives and supporting stupidity. It's not even the fact that as investigators are drunk they get crude and they start to mock us and the church, I'll take a hit for the team, they will understand some day...but when I see them drunk and smoking I see images of everyone I love who is caught in that same web of lies. All I wanted to do was pick up one of our investigators and shake him and say, "LOOK WHAT YOU'RE DOING WITH YOUR LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Let us help you...we just want to help." But he won't let us help him, and it kills me. It wasn't just him either.
This was the 3rd week in a row when we didn't have a single investigator that went to church. We had to drop 2 investigators and we're dropping others as well that just aren't prepared for the gospel and they are making it clearly evident through their choices. Emalyn and Recarido are not back from Bacolod yet because they still don't have money to get home. All of our investigators with baptismal dates either moved away randomly without any warning, they are back to breaking the word of wisdom or they don't have enough faith in Christ to live His commandments and witness the blessings.
I was riding on the back of a trik home on Saturday and I was watching the sun set and I just started bawling. Haha...I was looking at the beauty of the area and watching families interact and I was thinking, laziness and idleness will be the death of the Philippines, at least in our area. The tears weren't from frustration or from self pity. I just wish people could realize that wickedness gets them nowhere! And so often we don't want to own up to ourselves being wicked...but if it isn't of God, and if it's not what Jesus Christ Himself would do, then it's of the natural man...therefore it is wickedness. Basically, I dropped to my knees on Sunday and had one of the longest discussions with my Heavenly Father that I've ever had. I love prayer. I don't know if I've ever experienced to much sorrow for another person in my life. Sometime in that moment I remember saying, "Father, help me to prepare myself for the transfer announcements tomorrow and to step up to the challenges given to me."
I assumed I would be staying one more transfer in my area, or transferring to another area and following up a new missionary, but it seems Heavenly Father has other plans for me...AH!!!!!!! hahaha! I am once again being stretched to my limits. There are 3 sisters coming in this transfer. There is an American, a Tongan, and a Filipina (that sounds like a beginning to a bad joke...hahaha). Anyway, it turns out, yours truly, will be training, transferring and...wait for it...white washing an Elders area! Which means...they are pulling out the elders and Me and my Trainee will be taking over their area. I am still in shock. Heavenly Father and President have a little too much trust in me I think. Just when I feel like I am at the lowest of lows....leveled to the dust...I'm gonna put on my big girl panties and deal with it. I have complete trust in the Lord.
I know He is mindful of us and He loves us each. He knows our abilities and He always gives us opportunities to stretch and grow. I just barely read an old quote in a planner that said something to the effect of, "The rising generation today faces the same temptations that the generations of old face, but with different names and titles." It said that Heavenly Father never sets a single one of His children up for failure and that often we are stretched to our ultimate limits, but that we will always be able to overcome IF...we trust in Him. Which is exactly what I will be doing, because lets be honest..if I trust in my abilities...we've got trouble with a capital T!
Buot Silingon.....Magpangamuyo kamo para sa akon ah? Tunghod, kun wa'ay pagpangamuyo, wa'ay pagbulig, kun wa'ay pagbulig halin sa Diyos, wa'ay paguswag, wa'ay kalipayan, wala gid! (translation: Meaning....You all will pray for me, ok? Because if there is no prayer, there is no help. If there is no help from God there is no progression. If there is no progression there is no happiness...none at all!) : ) Alright...moving on.
Sister Ball and Nethercott had a remarkable experience this Sunday with an investigator. I'll give you a small version. They promised a woman who lives in a squatters village, (which means they have like zero money at all, and her husband left her, and she was 3 small children and 2 grown, ages 1,3 and 5....) that if she walked to church (1.5 hour walk) with her babies, she would receive blessings from God so she would have money to feed her hungry children. (Imagine 3 children splitting a ramen pack for their only meal of the day.) So they went there to walk with her, and they started walking. Sister Ball said there was no way they could make it on time for sacrament meeting. Sister Ball was praying like crazy that they would somehow be able to make it to sacrament so she could have a spiritual experience. Sister Ball was holding one of the little kids with a fever and walking, with only 15 minutes until church starts and at least another 45 minutes to go. As Sister Ball is crying, pouring her heart out in prayer to Heavenly Father...enter the tender mercy. A trik driver pulls up and asks if they want to ride. They explain they didn't have any money, so he took off. 10 minutes later, he comes BACK! He asks again if they want a ride and Sister Ball explained they didn't have money and he said he could just drive them for free to the corner...which is still forever away from the church. So they all pile into the trik and the driver ..instead...takes them all the way to church for no fee. I was waiting with my companion at the front of the church as they pulled up outside and Sister Ball was bawling, holding this beautiful little child in her arms. I immediately ran up and grabbed another little girl and carried her into the church. The Lord is so willing to bless us, but so often we need to show our faith first. AnnaLisa HAD to take those first steps to the church, struggling, and THEN...only THEN...the Lord provided a way. I will never forget that experience.
I love this mission! I know this sounds cliche, but there is no where in the world I would rather be than here on the mission. I will miss Sister Ball with all of my little heart. I can't imagine being in another zone from her and not seeing her. We may not see each other again until after I get home. AH! But...let it be according to the Lord's will. I love this gospel. The church is so true! I'm ready for the challenge of the new area and the brand spankin' new companion again, and I have a sure knowledge that through my Faith in our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, miracles will be witnessed. I love you all and think of you often. Stay strong and steadfast, don't do stupid things...don't choose silly Satan over Jesus Christ. Its so not worth it. Just live the gospel! AH! The commandments of God are not for Him, good grief! Every single commandment He has given is for our happiness, our everlasting happiness! He is already all knowledgeable. I love you all and pray for you. Until next week, GOD SPEED!!!!!!!!!!

All my love,
Sister Stadler