Elder Staheli: Week 30: Tuesday December 31, 2013

Family,

HAPPY NEW YEAR! You all still have a few hours to go, but for me 2014 is officially underway! As we start this new year, I have taken some time to reflect on the many blessings that have been placed in my life over the past year. As I have done so, I have remembered many, many trials & hardships. However, I have considered these hardships, I have been able to see the blessings that they have been in my life. As I have served for these past 7 months (so crazy) I have come to really understand how Heavenly Father gives us trials not to tear us down, but to build us up, even if he must tear down initially. Besides the trials, I look back & am amazed at the many blessings that I have received. I often feel as though I am inadequate for many of the great blessings that have been placed in my life, but somehow they just keep coming! I know that I am not perfect & I falter far to often than I should, even as a missionary, yet the Lord understands that. I marvel at His patience & love as He continues to bless me despite of my inadequacies. When I get a few moments, perhaps tonight, I want to sit down & make some realistic goals for myself for this upcoming year. Goals that will stretch me, yet allow me to grow & become a better person. I would challenge you all to do the same!

As I have stated in my last paragraph, I have been blessed with much love & many opportunities while serving as a missionary. And to start off the new year, I have received yet another great blessing as the Lord & my mission president have blessed me with the privilege of being a TRAINER! It seems like just last transfer I was walking off the airplane into this strange new world, wondering how I was going to survive. Now, I feel as though this is my home away from home, & I have the special opportunity to make some new missionary feel the same way. After e-mailing, I will travel over to Cebu where I will stay the night & pick up my "anak" (kid) in the morning. I am so excited! At the same time, I am sure this is another "stretching moment" that I am about to go through. Though I feel very comfortable with the language, it's still a little scary to think that if my companion is an American, I will be the only line between our work & the people. I have heard that there are 31 new missionaries coming in this transfer (which is crazy!) 25 of which are coming from Provo. If this turns out to be true, chances are that I will be with another American. Fun fact about my mission so far: I have not yet had a Filipino companion, nor have I stayed with a companion for longer than 1 transfer yet! Both of these things are extremely rare this far into a mission. I do not care if my companion is American, Filipino, European, or whatever. I will be grateful for the opportunity that I have to serve & train him. I am just a little bit disappointed however that I will not be with Elder Andus for another transfer. He has been my favorite companion so far & I have really enjoyed this transfer with him. But, I am needed elsewhere & so is he!

I would also like to say how grateful I am for the chance that we had to speak last week. It was a great comfort to me & I could not have asked for a better Christmas present than the privilege that I had to see you all (even though it was pretty chaotic!). For New Years, we were able to go to the apartment of the senior couple who lives about an hour away. There, we enjoyed food, drinks, & each others company. We did a gift exchange & I received this awesome wooden necklace from another Elder in my zone. I will for sure be wearing it when I get off the plane to see you all again after my mission! We also were able to watch 2 movies! We watched Up & Monsters University. I love Up. The soundtrack is great & the movie is sad. I'm not sure why, but I like sad movies. They are touching. Monsters University was also enjoyable. It's a pretty funny show.

Well, I still have about an hour & then I will be off to Cebu to pick up my greenie! Wish me luck! I love & miss you all. Happy New Year!

Elder Staheli

12.23.13