Well family dear, here we are, another week over and few more to go and life is whizzing by around us. This week we were able to settle in completely to our new home. We don't have tile, its a concrete floor, but it feels like home. We love it. We have a bit of a spider/ant problem, but they are suppose to come spray the house. I don't have a problem with the spiders, but we have found 2 big egg sacks lately...which has send the other sisters into a tizzy! HAHA! But its been fun!

We had our Mission tour on Tuesday with Elder Teh. It was powerfully spiritual. He talked about perfecting ourselves to become better as individuals and therefore, progress the mission. He talked a lot about being worthy to receive spiritual revelation, personal revelation. He talked about the different between standing on edge and the safety from being far from it and not even facing in the direction of Satan's temptations. It is something that I have been applying to post-mission plans also. It seems every time I see President he reminds me of going home and asks about my plans. He keeps telling me to plan ahead to make the adjustment smoother. I think I'm pretty planned. Maybe he thinks I should be more detail. haha!

In the missionary mission tour we had a choir number, the most beautiful arrangement of Love one Another I have ever heard. Then, I sang a solo, "I know that my Redeemer lives." The one that I have sung many times before. I made it until the last verse, just like I always do and I lost it, my legs were shaking ..(Paul Remember when President Wak asked you if you leg was okay cause it was shaking so bad while you were speaking? haha!) I have always had a hard time singing that song because I feel like I am singing my testimony. It's not just any old lyrics, but this time, after what I've seen in the mission, the words hit me so hard. The spirit was strong, and it was hard to finish it, but I did. I was so convinced I would make it through without any problems. Each practice went beautifully and I lost it once in practice, after a particularly difficult day of work. I thought I got the tears all out. BUT. ..sure enough, my tear ducts still react the same way they always did. Well, I sat down thinking, "Stadler....why did you pick that song? You never make it through that song..." But I sang. Elder Teh stood up to share his part of the program. I thought of a scripture, a simple statement, "The song of the righteous is a prayer until God." quoting D&C 25.

Later, during lunch, I had 3 specific elders I had had on my mind that were a little different than other elders. You know, the ones who are incredibly nice, but they just don't clique with the other elders. I had been praying that somehow I could help them to feel the Savior's love for them through me. Each of the 3 came up to me after the meeting and gave some of the most sincere compliments I have ever received. One of them just said, "Sister Stadler, thank you. That is something that I have needed. Thank you.." I love the gospel. Not the way I had planned on helping these elders, and yet, Heavenly Father knows how to help them.

Later in the evening we had the chance to perform a musical number again for a fireside in La Carlota for the members in our district. The member choir sounded wonderful! While I was playing prelude for the fireside everyone was busy talking to their neighbors and chit chatting....not being reverent. THEN...lo and behold, we had a brown out....no electricity and the piano, is electric. So here we are, I wish you could hear the effect when the lights go out. Everyone, no matter where or when we have a brown out ..gasps in unison. Then they all start talking louder. I'm sitting here at the piano, in the dark thinking, how can I help these people prepare spiritually for this message....then it hits me, "You have a loud voice. Grab your hymn book and your flashlight and go invite everyone to sing with you, even though its dark, most of the members have flashlights or they have music memorized."

I hesitated for a moment, but my heart was racing and its one of those do or die moments. SO, I did. I asked the chorister if she felt okay about it, she readily consented and I jumped up and said, "Brother and sisters....(loud talking still...) BROTHERS AND SISTERS....( a slight lull in conversation..) Brother and Sister, hopefully you will listen right now to me. (Silence) Thank you. It is important that we prepare spiritually for this fireside. Would it be okay if we sang some hymns, even though we have no light, to prepare us?" I don' t know what reaction I was expecting, but there was a unanimous "YES!" from the members in attendance. SO here I am, little Arizona girl in the middle of the Philippines, using her diaphragm and lung support to belt out the melody for others to follow in the middle of a dark chapel. The music was beautiful. The spirit was there. We sang "Nearer My God to Thee" and by the end of the song the room was silent and the lights came back on. I returned to the piano and the room stayed silent for the remainder of the prelude.

The fireside was spiritually powerful. Elder Teh loves these people and it is evident. His beautiful wife had a strong spirit with her as well. They are a remarkable couple and they work beautifully with each other. Its a couple you look at and think, "That is what I want to become with a best friend some day." After the fireside President Tobias came up to me and said, "Sister Stadler...do you know how many days you have left?" I just made a furrowed my brow at him, ha...then he said, "I've been thinking. Do you think you could extend for just another....6 months or so?" hahaha! I laughed and said "Sure! no problem!" and then he furrowed his brow at me. haha! I love President so much.

On Sunday we had the pleasure of having Ricky Yanson interviewed by President. With joyful chord, we would like to announce that RICKY CAN BE BAPTIZED!!!!! We plan for having him interviewed again by our district leader this weekend and next weekend, right before I go home, he'll be baptized!!!! I am so excited! He...HE is SOOOO excited! We're really happy for him. This week was a good week. We were busy and we were rejected by many many people, but ...if that doesn't happen daily, then you're not a missionary. I'm eating up the moments I have left here in the field.

This week we were punted by every back up plan we had, and we had a TON Of them. We even went to other less active members and no one seemed to be home. So we were walking down the street trying to find SOMEONE who would listen and we ran into a group of young boys (15-25) that we had talked to before. They never really listened before, they are always joking around and trying to flirt. WELL....you've all seen a little glimpse of the wrath of Ashley.....but the wrath of Sister Stadler is a little more....polished??? If you will? So here I am, picture this with me for a moment....rejected all day, just found out another investigator got a new job and works Sundays now, poor Sister Christofferson is sick and in a daze with her cold and I'm thinking..." WHERE ARE WE SUPPOSE TO GO?!?!?!" And then I see this group of boys. This is a busy street. Trikes are driving all over the place, weaving in and out of traffic, people are trying to sell fish and shoving it in your face, people are making cat calls to us all the time. We walk past these boys and say hi and then I think..Nope! We're gonna talk to them again.

So I walk back. AH....the walk back. People react 1 of 2 ways, they run away or they look shocked, like a deer in headlights and then start laughing. SO..they chose the latter of the two. So here I am, I look to Sister Christofferson and she looks at me like..."I don't even know why we're here right now...you take it.." So I start inviting them to come to church and explaining truths for the Restoration and the whole time they're giggling and shooting looks back and forth and given ridiculous answers to my questions. THEN.. small miracle...a drunk man we know who used to come collect our trash on Thursdays walks by. NOW....normally a drunk many walking by isn't a blessing, but in this case, it was. So he walks by and starts to talk to me and the boys all laugh, thinking its hilarious that he's trying to hold my hand and get close to me. I controlled the situation and told him to take off. He did, and they all laughed and shouted as he walked away. For a split second I thought, stop now. What's the point? The moment is ruined, they are not ready to listen. they are young boys, but then...another thought came...use it! Use an inspired question! Apply training. So I did.

I asked, "Why are you laughing?" they laughed again, so I asked it again, "Why are you laughing? Honestly, why is that funny to you?" They got quiet and they could tell I was serious, then they said, "He's drunk! Really really drunk sis! He can't even walk." And I said, "Where is that man's family? How can he provide for them if he's drunk?" They thought for a second and said, "He can't. His family is probably at home right now." "Exactly! HE can't provide for them. He made a choice that make him drunk. He chose alcohol over his family. Now if He can't provide for their needs ...their temporal needs, how can he provide for their spiritual needs?" They stood there silent and one boy finally said, "He can't. its not possible." AH! I wish you could have seen their faces!!!!! I taught a little about the love of God for us and blessings for our families and then I asked them what their purpose was here on earth and they couldn't give me an answer.

One boy, was 17 was smoking hahaha.... I've been a little bolder in the Philippines than I would be at home. I went to grab the cigarette and said, "Ew! Why do you have that? That's gross and your body is holy!" He got embarassed and hit it. We talked about what they wanted in the future and we have a lesson this week set up with them. We're hoping to get them into smaller groups, or teach them individually. BUT...we'll see if they are serious about it. They know we're serious, that we're not there to flirt. It was funny...later that night as we were lying in bed started to fall asleep Sister Christofferson broke the silence and said,"Hey, remember when you went off with love on those boys today? HAHAHAH!" I love her so much. They reminded me so much of friends from high school. I can't stand to just be silent.

The Gospel is true! I have 2 weeks to work my hardest and wear myself out full time for the Lord. Then I have a lifetime to figure out how to continue doing that every day in my family. Until next week, teach the gospel, know that I love you and...God Speed!!
All my love,
Sister Stadler