Week 21: Tuesday October 29, 2013

 Hey friends, family, & fellow blog readers. It's me, Elder Staheli giving my weekly report to you all. It sounds like all is going so great back home! That makes me so happy to hear. Things are going awesome here as well! This past week, we had the pleasure of listening to & meeting Elder Neil L. Andersen. It was great, we took a picture with him as a mission, shook his hand, & he gave a talk. It was a very cool experience. Cebu East was also able to attend, so you know what that means...I had the chance to be reunited with an old high school buddy, Joey Rainey! I will send you pictures. Also, I met Elder Glines from St. George & another St. George kid is here. His name is Kyle Buck. We played on the same little league team! He walked into the chapel because him & his companion were staying at our apartment the night before since they are assigned over on Negros. He walked in with his bright red hair & we started talking. We conversed for about 5 minutes & I asked where he was from. He told me that he was from St. George & that's when it clicked! It was kind of funny. He was like "Dude, we played on the same little league team." It was kind of funny. We just laughed it off. Small world, huh?

   It sounds like BYU is killing it! Are they ranked? I hope they continue to play well & get a good bowl game. It's a shame about Utah, but oh well. Sounds like it's going to be a rough couple of seasons for the Jazz as well. Hopefully by the time I am home they will be a playoff team. I haven't had the chance to go through the temple here yet, but it's our turn in November. So, assuming I don't get transferred, I will be able to go through in November. Starr & Chad, Dax sounds so chubby. I wish I could squeeze his cheeks! That thing where he grabs you & "kisses" your cheek, I remember that Krue would do that all the time when he was little. Darn, I miss the kids. Casey, I hear that you are coming to the Philippines next year?! Do you know where you will be stationed? That would be awesome if you were able to come see me in Cebu. I have heard that my mission president has let missionaries see family members for things like that before. That would be awesome if we could see each other! Side note - Someone is paying for me to get a massage when I get home. As great as it is here, my body is killing. Oh, something kind of funny about the Philippines is that they start celebrating Christmas in September. Apparently it's because it's the start of the "-ber" months. It's a little ridiculous, but who am I to complain about too much Christmas spirit? I have been hearing Christmas songs since September. Last night I was speaking to this girl & we were talking about The Hobbit & she said that the second one comes out in "summer 2013". I asked her if she meant 2014, but she said "No, December 2013." I completely forgot that there are only 2 seasons over here: Summer & Wet season. December is during the summer. I know, I'm in a completely different world. 

   Other than that, it's just been work as usual. We have a new investigator named Michael. We challenged him to baptism on the first lesson & he accepted! We will see what happens, hopefully he progresses. I don't have any crazy stories from this past week, but I just want to share with you an experience that I had last night during a dinner appointment at a members house.

   We were sitting there, we had already taught a small lesson & ate dinner, & I kind of just stopped & took everything in. Here I was, a young 18 year old, American boy sitting in some house in the middle of the Philippines, speaking to people like I have known them for my entire life. I could speak to them & understand everything that they were saying.Though it was loud & somewhat chaotic around me, I couldn't help but feel like the world had paused, if only for those few moments, & tears filled my eyes. It reminded me of something that Chad wrote to me while I was still in the MTC. He wrote something along the lines of "Don't worry buddy. Someday you will be speaking to some short brown guy & then you will just stop & realize that you can say whatever you want to him." Well, I am far from fluent, but I experienced that last night. I can't describe the feeling in any other word other than "miracle".

   I am so happy with where I am & what I am doing. I wish everybody could experience serving a mission. Granted, it's not for everyone. In fact, it's probably the single hardest thing that you will do in your early life. But if you learn to lose yourself in the work & learn to love the people & most importantly, if you learn to love Heavenly Father, you can't help but have the most incredible, indescribable joy that can ever be experienced. I feel so at peace in my life right now. I miss family & friends, of course, but knowing that I am helping others return to our Heavenly Father is something that I wouldn't trade for anything.

   I would love to tell you about amazing experiences, but it is impossible to pick out just a few. It's the small miracles that happen everyday that make this work so enjoyable. The fact that I can speak another language nearly fluently,  the fact that we speak to people everyday who are ready to accept this message into their lives, there are so many small miracles that take my breath away everyday. But perhaps the greatest miracle that I have experienced on my mission is this: The fact that thousands of people pass me by everyday, yet I feel such love for them. I want them to have the same joy that I have. It's amazing. A few months ago my letter would have sounded sad & would have worried you all. Now, I have no lonely feeling. I feel the love of Heavenly Father in my life everyday, even though I constantly fail to live up to His standards. These thousands of nameless faces become my best friends. That, & that alone, is the greatest miracle of all.

   Well, keep living life back home without me. I will try to send pictures right now. Hopefully is works. I miss & love you all. Until next week.

-Elder Staheli

10.25.13

10.25.13

10.25.13

Missionaries ran to safety during quake

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Sister Bethany Crowley of Clinton, Utah, was sitting at her desk in the Philippines studying her scriptures on Tuesday morning when the LDS Church missionary felt a giant truck passing by her apartment.

Then she realized it wasn't a truck. It was a major earthquake.

"Doorways!" she yelled to her companion as she flipped over her chair and ran. The two young women stood in the doorways of their apartment in Cebu City watching a nearby grocery store sway from the shock of the 7.2-magnitude earthquake centered on Bohol Island, an area where Sister Crowley served earlier this year.

Due in some cases to quick thinking and effective training, Sister Crowley and all of the missionaries serving in the Cebu East Mission and the other 20 missions of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Philippines survived the quake, described by a Filipino seismologist as packing more energy than 32 Hiroshima bombs.

"All missionaries of the church serving in this region are safe and accounted for," according to a statement released by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The quake killed at least killing 144 people, according to officials. The earthquake struck the central island of Bohol near Carmen on Tuesday morning, the Associated Press reported. Carmen is 40 miles southeast and across the Cebu Strait from densely populated Cebu City, which also sustained heavy damage.

Cebu Province, with 2.6 million people at the 2010 census, is the second-largest province in the Philippines. The population of Bohol Province is 1.25 million.

The LDS Church statement said several structures related to the church suffered damage.

“Church leaders are working with local officials to identify and address local needs," the statement added. "Several member homes have been destroyed or damaged, and some church buildings have sustained minor damage from the quake.”

The church's Cebu City Philippines Temple also had minor damage, the Deseret News confirmed. Independent sources said the Angel Moroni statue, which faces east on LDS temples, rotated 90 degrees to face south.

Sister Crowley, who interrupted her studies in chemical engineering at the University of Utah to serve a mission, is serving in the Cebu East Mission, which includes part of Cebu Province as well as Bohol. She wrote about her experience in her regular letter home to her parents, who received her email Tuesday night. The earthquake struck at 8:12 a.m. local time on Tuesday, or 6:12 p.m. MDT on Monday, making for a long day's wait for her mother, Sherri Crowley, who posted her daughter's letter on her missionary blog.

"We're happy that she's safe," Sherri Crowley said.

"The worst that happened in my apartment," Sister Crowley reported in her letter, "was a few cracks in the wall re-opened, and a bottle of shampoo fell over. But in the (grocery store) next door, glass doors shattered, and merchandise broke. One missionary apartment collapsed, but the elders ran outside first."

Sister Crowley wrote that her zone leaders took safety precautions when they saw the cracks in her cement apartment wall. They instructed Sister Crowley and her companion to stay the night with another pair of sister missionaries.

In addition to the minor damage to the LDS temple, news reports said the quake damaged many churches, including the collapse of the roof of Bohol Island's Church of San Pedro, built in 1638, the New York Times reported. Officials said as many as 10 other historic churches were damaged.

Sister Crowley mentioned that damage in her letter home: "Over in Bohol, the big ancient Catholic churches that I walked by every day collapsed. Crazy."

Another missionary, Sister Teresa Davis, arrived in the Philippines to begin serving in the Cebu Mission last week. She, too, wrote home about the experience in a letter her family posted on her mission blog.

"My first earthquake," Sister Davis wrote. "The whole house was shaking but it only lasted for maybe a minute. None of us were hurt and nothing really fell down."

An Eagle, Idaho, family hadn't heard from their missionary yet, because she is serving on in Tagbiliran, the capital of Bohol, site of the quake's epicenter and where damage was worst.

Sister Jocelynn Clegg's mother Sandra posted this Tuesday night: "We were pretty anxious waiting to hear but were relieved to hear from her mission president last night in the middle of the night. 'She is okay!' She has been moved to stay in a home of the senior couple serving in that area and will stay there until the aftershocks have stopped and her apartment can be assessed for safety. We are feeling so blessed. Today is her p-day (preparation day) and the usual day that we get her email, but the mission office emailed today and said that it might be a few days until we hear from her because there is no power on the island right now."

The sister missionaries are representative of the biggest part of the LDS Church's missionary surge — the number of sister, or female, missionaries soared from 8,100 in October 2012 to 19,300 this month, according to the church. That is an increase of 140 percent.

The LDS Church has 21 missions in the Philippines, including the two in Cebu. The church created the Cebu East Mission on July 1. The church added 58 new missions this year as the number of missionaries jumped from 58,700 in October 2012 to 80,000 this monthfollowing church President Thomas S. Monson's announcement lowering the minimum age for missionaries.

There are more than 660,000 LDS Church members in the Philippines.

“A magnitude 7 earthquake has an energy equivalent to around 32 Hiroshima atomic bombs,” said Renato Solidum, director of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology, during a televised press briefing. “Compared to the 2010 Haiti earthquake — that had a magnitude of 7.0, this one had a magnitude of 7.2, slightly stronger.”

Week 20: Tuesday October 22, 2013

Family,

   I want to start this week by expressing my sorrow for the passing of Joy. I can't even imagine how hard that would be for a family to lose someone. It makes me so sad thinking about it. I don't know their family extremely well, but I still can't help but feel a deep sorrow for her death. It's comforting to know that she will be seen again. It's amazing that we have this knowledge & understanding that death is just a temporary separation from those you love. This is the greatest blessing, in my opinion, that Heavenly Father has given to us.

   Well, earthquakes & aftershock continue. They are of course much smaller, but they are still lingering none the less. Nothing to worry about though! We haven't had any service projects to help with the damage, because as you all know, the bulk of the damage was in Bahol which is another Island & the Cebu East mission. Things are very bad over there compared to here. There were many deaths there as well as a few deaths here. My area is right here in the city, but like I said, it's nothing incredibly bad. We are all fine over here.

   You will all be pleased to know that things are going great with my companion! As I stated last week, we talked it out after our dispute. Since then, things have greatly improved. We are more comfortable around each other (maybe it's just me) & we are having a good time. We are working hard & trying to find more people to teach. Unfortunately, we are having a hard time finding investigators. Almost everyone is willing to listen to us, but nobody wants to here more than our small explanation. It's very hard, much harder than my first area. I think that it's because I am in the city. The people here are much more stubborn & everything is just busier. We are, however, making good progress with the less-active members here. We are gaining their trust I think & more than anything I think we are just being friendly to them & they are really responding to that. Shining moment for my companion - he is the single most generous missionary I have ever met. He is truly here to serve the people & help them. His testimony is amazing. I think that since he is from a very small, poor country with similar circumstances (Tonga) he can relate to the people. He has been out for about 6 or 7 months & I feel bad saying this, but his language is not very good. He understands everything that is said, but he really has a hard time speaking it. But that doesn't stop him. Chad, you asked about the English in the city. It's true, everyone understands English. Most people are terrible at speaking it, but almost everyone can understand it. This is great for my companion because he mostly just speaks in English because he has such a hard time speaking. I have learned a lot from him & I have really tried to humble myself & be more charitable. As I have done this, I feel like I have been blessed to see these people differently & that was something that was really hard for me before. I would have said that I was humble, but I really wasn't. I am learning what it means to really be humble & take myself to their level. It's so incredible. The people here have nothing, yet they are happy. I think of how spoiled I was in America & how the people there wouldn't last 2 months here - I barely did! As you learn to really love & serve the people, the work becomes easier. And not only easier, but more enjoyable as well! I really feel that I have received so many blessing, especially lately. It never ceases to confound me. I feel extremely inadequate & unworthy of all of the blessings that I have receive here. It has really been a testimony to me of how unwavering the love of Heavenly Father is for us. If we will but strive to do what is right & be humble, we will be blessed so much.

    Dad, that's so funny that you are playing in the Senior Games. I'm glad though! I wish I was there to watch you tear it up on the court. If that happens next time, just demand the ball & show them that you are the best on the floor! Starr, I'm sorry, but no pictures this week! I have them on the way, though! Lots of them! Also, that Google thing sounds great! I have been stressing about how I am going to speak to you all. Find out more, I would love to do that! That's a shame that it's Boston & St. Louis in the World Series. I don't really care for either of them. Oh well, I'm not that upset. The food is pretty much the same here, there is just more options. I actually haven't had McDonald's yet because it's so expensive & the portions are tiny! It's not worth it. I don't mind the  food here actually. It tastes good. Chad, let's be real. The Bears season was over before it started. I have started to read Teaching of the Prophet: Joseph Smith, & I have really enjoyed it. It's incredible. I have learned a lot from it.

   Well, things are going fine here & time seems to be getting faster. It's so crazy to think that it's almost been 6 months! Wow, half a year. That's crazy. Oh, Elder Niel L. Anderson is coming Saturday, so I'm pretty excited about that! It should be awesome. That's about it. I love you all & hope all is going well!

-Elder Staheli

10.17.13

Week 19: Tuesday October 15, 2013

Family,

   I know you are all worried about the earthquake! I am fine & so are most of the people here in the city. Where I am at, there was a quite a bit of damage, but it is much worse in some other places. In all honesty, it was pretty awesome being in my first earthquake. It was so weird! When the initial earthquake hit, it was about 8:10 in the morning over here & we were doing our studies. I was sitting at my desk reading & all of a sudden I felt my feet start to move. I had no idea what to think. My thought was something like "why the heck are my feet moving?" The thought that we were in an earthquake didn't even cross my mind at first. I thought I was just going crazy & after about 5 seconds I look over at my companion & he looked over at me & he yelled "EARTHQUAKE!" We stood up & yelled to the other companionship who was upstairs to hurry & get outside. They ran down & it was pretty funny because one of them had to jump right out of the shower so he hurried & threw some clothes on while he was dripping wet. So, we just stood outside for a little while & our zone leaders texted us to meet at the chapel. We went over there & hung out for maybe 3 hours, feeling aftershocks every few minutes or so. I think that they said the initial earthquake was maybe around a 6.2 or something? Is that right? I don't know, but honestly I wouldn't have guessed that. Don't get me wrong, it was way intense feeling the entire earth shake beneath your feet, but seeing that there was no damage or anything, I wasn't even really worried,........HOLD ON! WE ARE IN THE MIDDLE OF ANOTHER ONE RIGHT NOW! I think it was just another aftershock, but that one was pretty aggressive as well. Man, this earthquake stuff is crazy! 

   Besides that, things have been an adjustment. It is taking some time for me & my new companion to get used to each other. I thought that we were doing alright, but then last night we got into an argument. We talked/yelled it out so hopefully things will be better now. Only time will tell I guess. As for being in the city, there are benefits as well as disadvantages. We have a lady in our ward here who does our laundry so I am so excited about that! It's awesome. Also, there are many more options for eating, shopping, etc. I also get to attend the temple & do temple tours as well, so that's cool. Also, my language is coming along so well! I feel like I am nearly fluent, the only problem I have is that I still have trouble sometimes understanding people. Other than that, I feel as if I can say pretty much whatever I want & I am happy about that. It's so weird knowing a different language. So the city is nice. I miss the ocean & the nice breeze that we had in Pinamungajan. I also kind of miss Elder Walker. We were getting along well & had a great time together. 

   Well, I hope you all are not too worried about me. Things are fine & if there is another earthquake & it kills me, well, I guess it's my time to go! Seriously though, I'm fine. Love you all. Miss you all so much.

-Elder Staheli 

Week 18: Tuesday October 8, 2013

Family,

   Transfer week is here! We got the call on Monday after District Meeting & it turns out. . . I'm getting transferred to Labangon! Labangon is in Central Zone, which is in the city. I'm excited to be going to the city. Honestly before we received the transfer call, I didn't care if I stayed or transferred. I have enjoyed Pinamungajan, but I am also excited to see more of the Philippines. I am going to miss Elder Walker, though. We have had a great time together this transfer. But, all good things must come to an end I suppose. I'm excited about my new companion as well. His name is Elder Tolutau, a giant Samoan (so I hear). I won't have to worry about any Filipinos trying to jump me with him around, not that I was worried before. I'm 6'2'' & everyone here is maybe 5'. I'm excited also because this mean that I get to do temple sessions & temple tours! It should be awesome.

   It's kind of crazy to think that by the end of next transfer, I will have been out for about half a year. At times it seems slow, at times it seems fast, & at other times it feels true. I see how big Dax is & it kind of blows my mind. We're only a month apart, so to say, & that helps me realize the time that has past. 

   So, on Monday night I go to get in the shower. I turn the water on, go to get in, & I see something move in the corner. It was the biggest spider I have ever seen! I didn't even turn the water off, I threw my towel around me & ran out! I told Elder Walker to kill it, but he, like me, does not do well with spiders. The spider was about the size of my hand, fast as can be, & it only had 5 legs which means it has been in fights before & won! We spent the next half hour, maybe 45 minutes devising & executing several plans to end the life of this unwanted creature. After a bottle of windex & one broken broom later, we finally came out victorious. Needless to say, I did not shower well that night.

   Chad, I'm sorry I didn't express my devastation about your loss last week. I'm so sorry, that must have been so hard! Keep your head up, champ. Good things come to those we push through the tough times. Jazz, I'm very impressed with your Visaya! You could very easily hold your own over here. Sounds like you & Seager are keeping busy. If you send those books, you could definitely send them all together in one box. If it's that expensive, you don't have to send them to me. In fact, probably don't. I don't want you to spend so much money. I am kept plenty busy over here anyways. One of the things that upsets me the most about being here is missing Jazz games. I'm so upset. Let me know how they do every week! I can't believe basketball has already started up again! The finals were going on while I was in the MTC, now it's the regular season again? Crazy. Casey, I enjoyed your e-mail this week. I'm glad someone can relate to what I am going through. It's crazy, but it will for sure make an awesome memory. It sounds like you had amazing experiences on your mission as well. I appreciated hearing about them. Don't worry about being at dinner. I'm not upset about it at all. It's always good to hear from you, Grandma! Sounds like things are going well back home. Who is in the playoffs right now? I imagine the Cubs came up a little bit short as usual. Dad, I also appreciated your story. It's pretty sad, but inspiring as well. I laughed a little bit when I heard Kortnee is going to SLC Visitors Center. That's a bummer, but I'm glad she's positive about it. I had no idea she was planning on a mission. That would be hard being so close to home. I would have you guys come see me all the time. Bring me food, come say "hey", etc. Anyway, General Conference is a little different over here. Because of the time difference, the sessions are this weekend for the Philippines. I'm excited to watch them. It will be a good change of routine & obviously it will be good to hear from the Prophet & apostles as well. 

   Well, wish me luck in the city! I'm sure it will be great there. Love you all!

-Elder Staheli

10.2.13

10.3.13

 10.6.13

10.7.13

Week 17: Tuesday October 1, 2013

Family,

   I am sending pictures this week, sorry for the long wait! Hopefully you will be able to see them all. They are loading right now so be patient. Also, last week we e-mailed earlier because of the power outage. It has been better this week, but we came early again just in case. 

  
   We get transfer calls this Monday. My companion thinks that I will stay here another transfer to finish up my training, but I bet I get transferred. But who knows? I wouldn't mind staying here one more transfer. The place is alright, it's not very hot, & my companion is an alright guy. I also wouldn't mind getting transferred either, so we'll see. My biggest worry is if I get a companion I don't like.

   So, I know that I say this every time you send pictures, but seeing all of you & the kids makes me almost cry every time. I long so much to be there with you all. This mission life is fine & I'm pretty much used to everything here, but I still wish I was able to be home with you all. I miss you all so much.

   On October 26, there is a mission wide conference, including the Cebu East mission which means I will be able to see Elder Rainey! I'm pretty excited about that. Besides that, Elder Neil L. Anderson is coming & speaking so it should be pretty good.

   That's about it this week. We had some investigators come to church so that's good! Nobody would come so we went to their home's at 7 a.m. to remind them all & we got a few to come with us. Also, there is this little girl we have been teaching since I first arrived & we have been trying to get here baptized, but her mom is in-active. We have been pleading with her to come so she can be baptized, but she never did. So one night, I sat her down & told her that we can't keep coming over & teaching if she doesn't come to church. I said some other things as well, but it was pretty much make it or break it. That Sunday, she attended church! She has been 2 weeks in a row now, & if she comes 2 more weeks in a row, she is considered "rescued" & we can baptize her daughter. She seems so much happier when we come over now. Hopefully she keeps attending.

-Elder Staheli