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