Week 90: Tuesday February 24, 2015

Family,

   As missionaries, we are called to serve the Lord by serving the people in the areas where we are assigned. I'll never forget my first day in the Philippines. I looked around and only one word came into my mind. CHAOS. I was a wide-eyed greenie stepping into a foreign land. We received training at the mission home, walked around the temple grounds, and slept at a hotel. The following day I was given my first companion; my "tatay" and trainer - Elder Woods. My first area was unlike anything that I had ever seen. I had officially moved into the middle of the jungle and began an adventure that I had never anticipated...

   So much has happened since that day almost 2 years ago. Everyday has been challenging, but everyday has been worth it. We begin yet another new transfer this week. Seeing that I have been in this area for 3 transfers now, I was expecting to transfer to my last area. However, the Lord had something else in mind. I must have more to do in the land of sugar cane, because I am staying right here in Escalante with Elder Abraham! While I was initially very surprised, I am excited for this story to continue while at the same time it seems to be rushing to an end. I'm down to my final 2 transfers. When we come into the mission, we are on what is called the "12 weeks program". It is what our trainers use to help us to become a "real missionary". I guess you could say that I am again on my "12 weeks program". 3 months will go by faster that I even have time to think about. While I am excited to return home, I don't want you to think that I am letting up at all. I am working harder than ever. I have 21 months of missionary experience under my belt and in some ways I feel like a retired athlete who has been given another chance to play just one more time. I am tired. My body is sore. And I love it. I know that there are still so many opportunities to help so many people in the next 3 months. I just want to thank you all for your constant love and support during this time of my life. There are probably going to be so many things that are different about me when I get home, but I know that you will love them all. I'm sure you will even get a good laugh over a few of them, my accent and broken English, for example. 

   It's been a crazy ride. Thanks so much for the letters and pictures. They keep me going and remind me why I am out here. I am so grateful for my family - all of you! With love...

Elder Staheli.

Week 89: Tuesday February 17, 2015

Dear Family,

   Another week down. Can you believe that transfers are next week? Many of you have asked about whether time seems to be going faster or slower than at the beginning of my mission. I can see why some might think that it would go slower, but the truth is that the days seem be cut in half or something. As I approach my final two transfers, it's funny to think about my first two transfers. I now know how to speak the language, the humidity doesn't seem to kill me (I'm still looking forward to that dry heat!), I can eat anything that is put in front of me, and any cultural differences that seemed shocking before are now just a part of my everyday life. I believe that the adjustments that I will have to make when I go home will be more difficult than the ones that I made when I first arrived.

   Well, I don't really have much to report this week. It's kind of been an...interesting week to say the least. We've had some problems that we have had to take care of with some missionaries, but luckily we have found some time to still have some great lessons. While we continue to find good new investigators, I feel like much of my success in this area, and really my entire mission, has come from working with less active families. In all honesty, I almost like working with and teaching less active families more than teaching investigators. For me, seeing a father, or a mother, or an entire family come back to church after years of inactivity is just as sweet as seeing somebody enter into the waters of baptism. There are so many families that I am going to miss so much when I transfer and go home. I love seeing the new light and happiness that comes into their life once they find their way back to the church. 

   Just so everyone knows, I bought a new camera. It's digital but a lot cheaper than the one I had before. I figure it will do the job for the rest of my mission. I have already taken new pictures and I am still trying to gather pictures from this area from other missionaries. I don't think that I will be sending any more pictures home, though. I'm excited to sit down and look at all of my pictures with you all! Each picture comes with a special memory. 

   I love you all so much! 

Elder Staheli.

Week 88: Tuesday February 10, 2015

Dear Family,

   I cannot believe how quickly this transfer is going by! Me and Elder Abraham have been busy since our first day together. I'm pretty used to it at this point, though. We traveled to Cebu yet again this past week for more meetings and we had the enjoyable privilege to teach the missionaries in the zone this past Saturday. On top of that, we had another zone conference yesterday in San Carlos. Lots of traveling, lots of meetings, but lots of fun! We were actually given a wonderful surprise at our zone conference. President showed us the new film "Meet the Mormons". It was such an enjoyable watch! It was nice to see some football again... But besides that, it was very inspiring and showed how the gospel is for anyone and everyone, no matter where you are in the world. I'm looking forward to watching it again in the future! 

   Even though we have been busy, we are still finding great people to teach! I just want to share an experience that we had this past week of a lesson that we taught to an investigator named July. 

   July is in his 20's and is a seaman. We tracted his home a few weeks ago and taught him a lesson. The lesson went fine and he invited us back for a return appointment. We returned this past week with the intent of teaching him about the apostasy and restoration of the gospel. As we began to teach him, we felt the distinct impression to change the lesson a little bit and focus on prophets. We taught him about the life of the Savior and the things that he did while living on earth. We taught about the authority that He had and how he established a church here on earth. We began to teach him about the prophets of old who were called to testify of Christ and teach His gospel to all, that all might be partakers of salvation and eternal happiness. As I sat teaching this man, I looked into his eyes and testified that we have a living prophet on earth today, and that we have living apostles to guide the church in these latter-days. I wish that you could have sat in on the lesson! Though you would not have understood a word, you certainly would have felt the spirit that filled the room and his heart. I will never forget the look of amazement on his face. He had never even considered the possibility that there are living prophets on the earth today. As we invited him to pray to know if the things that we taught him were true, he excitedly accepted! 

   I think that sometimes as members of the church we take these glorious truths for granted. The more I ponder the plan of salvation, the more I am amazed at the perfectness of our existence. Though we are not perfect, we can become so, for the plan that Heavenly Father has given us is flawless. I have begun to once again start thanking my Father in heaven for all of the "small truths", so to speak, of the gospel that we have always enjoyed and known. I hope that we do not allow ourselves to take these gospel truths for granted. Let us study and re-study these basic principles and doctrines of the gospel. As we do so, I know that our testimony of these things will inevitably increase.  

   There is a small portion of everything that has happened in the last 7 days. I wish everyone could experience serving a mission. It is the absolute hardest and most enjoyable decision that I have ever made. I send my love to you all!

Elder Staheli.

Week 87: Tuesday February 3, 2015

Dear Family,

   Welcome to February! The days keep on coming and vanishing. There are new lessons to be learned everyday and so much beauty to be appreciated all around us. I hope that we are all taking the time to appreciate all that we have been given, especially the time that is granted us, for there is a "time and a season" to all things.

   Normally we would have had our meetings in Cebu on Tuesday, but a member of the area presidency came to visit with some stake members so the meetings have been moved to tomorrow. Therefore, we are currently in the middle of our travel to Cebu. It's been an enjoyable trip. I love my companion! He is so enjoyable to be around and I feel like I have built a very strong and close relationship with him in a relatively short amount of time. He has been a great blessing to me this transfer. It's always nice to travel with the other leaders of the mission. Some of my favorite memories have been made on long trips traveling to and from places. The past 4 times that we have traveled to Cebu, I have had the great privilege of traveling with Elder Buck. I have made such a great friendship with him; one that I am very excited to continue after the mission.

   Thank you for writing! Again, I feel bad. I feel like my letters are getting shorter and shorter each week. So much to do, so little time! I'll let you know how our meetings went next week. Just know that I love and miss you all!

Elder Staheli.