My goodness gracious is it really only 12 days until Christmas!? I feel like only last week I was calling home for the first time, one month into the mission. Time is flying by and today someone told me I had a little over 2 months left and I wigged out for a second telling them not to round down, then tears filled my eyes. Ah, the emotions are already starting. This Christmas is going to be absolutely wonderful. We have so many plans and not with gifts or money or food, but with goals we're trying to accomplish in the mission and specifically in our area. Today we had a wonderful Zone Meeting about increasing our faith in finding the elect. It was something I had been studying lately and it wasn't a chance lesson. There have been big changes in the mission and transfers have become completely unpredictable. Its all in the Lord's plan and we're excited to work with our faith, put our comforts out of the way and find the elect.

As for the new companion.... OH MY GOODNESS!!! Heavenly Father answers the prayers of missionaries who are trying their hardest to do His work. Her name is Sister Christofferson and we immediately hit it off. She is perhaps the kindest, most genuine, and humble individual I have ever had the blessing of knowing. She has a strong love for music, a beautiful voice and a rock solid testimony of her Savior. Random fact, her grandmother is none other than Janice Kapp Perry. She plays the flute beautifully as well. Our whole apartment right now is a musical feast. President has created a Christmas devotional for investigators and recent converts and I am in charge of the choir, composed of all hand picked individuals who can sing and read music. I'm pretty excited. Sister Freeman will be playing violin and Sister Christofferson will be playing the flute.

Our plans for Christmas day include Christmas caroling and getting into as many families homes to share a Christmas message about Jesus Christ. Sister Christofferson is honestly an answer to many prayers spent on my knees crying to the Lord for someone who will catch the vision and wear themselves out in the work being led by the spirit. I could not have been happier with the Lord's decision. She had been in the mission for 6 months, but in a Cebuano speaking area. La Carlota is her 2nd area and she'll be learning a new language. :) She's not nervous though and is already doing great. Pray for her and for us. She's from Lehi, Utah and we'll definitely be seeing each other after the mission.

As for Erwin, he just made goals yesterday for his giving up cigarettes and we feel pretty good about it. We'll teach him tomorrow and see how he's doing with his goal. Pray for him to be honest with us. Unfortunately Ricky's baptism did not go through. He didn't pass his baptismal interview for multiple reasons. His understanding of the doctrine is amazing. BUT....as I was asking him questions about his personal information to fill out the baptismal record he wasn't giving me straight answers. SO...turns out he has a past and has to repent of some things. We're trying to find if he's truly accountable for his actions because he has a history of attempted suicide and deep depression. It's been a very sad experience. Elder Scott, our district leader, pulled me aside and asked if I knew about any of it. NO...I didn't. SO, he explained some things to me, very jumbled concerns...I was so confused as to what to do.

As Sister Christofferson and I planned and prepared to teach him she stopped and said, "Well Sister Stadler, we need to be incredibly in tune with the spirit so we can fully discern if he is telling truth and is accountable." Exactly right, and that's exactly what happened. The lesson started off a little rough, we explained about baptism and I was wary to get into questions, but the questions just came. His sister was able to be there for the lesson as well and add greater understanding to the situation, which then caused him to open up. By the end of the lesson my heart was so full and there was great peace in the room. So now we're working on getting some legal verification on things before we give him another baptismal date. Long process, but so worth while. So, thank you for your prayers. Continue to pray for him.

I love you all so much. Pray for me to have the faith to accomplish the work that Heavenly Father has in store for me. I have this overwhelming feeling that something big is on the way. I have such an urgent feeling about this work. At times I feel almost uneasy because I feel this is of such vital importance. The more I read in scripture the more I know it is true. There is such power in the word of God. This Christmas season find a copy of the Book of Mormon and share it with someone. don't chicken out! This is salvation we're talking about. I love this gospel and I love all of you! You're in my prayers. Continue to be a wonderful example to those around you. I look forward to talking to you soon! Press forward ever! We're all called to serve our King. Until next week, God Speed!
All my love,
Sister Stadler