Week 57: Tuesday July 8, 2014

Family,

   What a wonderful week it has been! This past week includes everything - work, bowling, baptisms, sealings, interviews, sushi, birthdays...it has it all! But to start, I want to wish everyone a happy 4th of July! I think I did last week too. I can't remember...But it sounds like everyone had such a good time. I'm glad. It feels weird when you all say that I'll be home for the fun next year. This week has be so spiritual & uplifting. It has almost brought me to tears a few times this week when I think about leaving all of this. This is my life. My heart is in Cebu.

   So to start, I guess I will talk about interviews. My interview with President McCurdy was yesterday & it was a wonderful opportunity to sit down & talk with him one on one. He is such a great man! I'm so excited to have him here. The work is going to be great. The best part of the interview is that he gave me permission to have Casey come down & see me! He was all for it. I already sent Casey the information so we will keep you updated on when that might be & what exactly is going on. I'm so excited to see you, Casey!

   The coolest part of my week happened when I received a text one morning informing me that a few families from my first area (Pinamungajan) were being sealed in the temple that day & requested that I attend. I had never seen a family sealing before. It was such a beautiful experience! I took a picture outside of the temple & uploaded it to dropbox. I was so happy to see these families that I worked with make the decision to enter the temple as a family. I am so proud of their hard work & dedication to make it happen. It's not an easy thing, but I know that they will never regret it. 

   We went bowling last p-day! I'm not going to lie & say that I bowled an incredible game, but it was so much fun to spend time with the zone. Some of them had never been bowling in their entire life & had a blast! It was really cool to see how much they enjoyed it. It really made me appreciate the blessing that we enjoy back home. Often times it is things that we take for granted & don't even think twice about.

   There have been so many miracles in the work this week! I will start with the best news... I have told you all about John, the guy who is having problems with his family right now. His situation is improving drastically. He has made contact with his family & they are working on the problems that they have. Through it all, it sounds like his wife has felt a small change of heart & may be open to listening to the missionaries again at some distant time. The best part is that because of the progress he has made, he is getting baptized! His baptism will be on July 26. It's such a sweet, peaceful feeling knowing that all of our hard work with him will all pay off. He has such a strong testimony. I love him so much!

   Last Friday was Elder Glines' birthday! Naturally we all went out for dinner & celebrated. Me & Elder Harris were actually on splits that day so you won't see him in the pictures. The huge rugby player from New Zealand on my right is my batch. We were in the MTC at the same time & it was really cool to work with him. 

   Last but not least, I broke my involuntary fast of sushi on Monday. Don't be fooled. Just because I am in Asia doesn't mean that there is sushi all over the place. Very few places have it & when they do it is very expensive. However, one of the missionaries going home had his parents come & pick him up & they took us out to dinner one night. We went to a really nice restaurant & I ordered sushi. It was amazing.

   So much more has happened this week, but most of those things can't be explained. Everything that happens in a mission has to be experienced personally to be fully appreciated. I hope you can receive at least a small glimpse of what happens in my life everyday. There is nowhere that I would rather be. 

Elder Staheli  

Week 56: Tuesday July 1, 2014

Family,

   I am pleased to announce the safe arrival of President & Sister McCurdy! They landed Sunday evening in the middle of a fantastic thunder storm... Welcome to the Philippines! I have actually been spending a lot of time with him since his arrival. We met on Sunday & talked for a few minutes. They are both so nice! He is such a great man. I am really looking forward to finishing out my mission under his direction. It already has a different feel, but that is to be expected I suppose. He is so excited & just wants to get out to work. In fact, he came with me & Elder Harris to a couple of appointments on Mondaynight! We took him into a whole new world. While he didn't understand a word that was being said, he smiled & bore a great testimony to those whom we taught. We also had our monthly MLC yesterday. He joked about how it wasn't fair to throw him right into an MLC when he's only been here for 2 days, but he did a good job. It was a little different; mostly a getting to know you meeting. Afterwards we were able to attend another temple session. Amazing as always. You can tell that they are just exhausted & in a little bit of culture shock, but I am so excited to work with them both & build a strong relationship with them.

   I believe I have told you about Kyle, the great investigator that went a little crazy. He is still looking for his family & we are still teaching him, but we still aren't too comfortable baptizing him right now unless something happens & the problem is solved. He always texts us & asks us to pray for him. He is reading the Book of Mormon like crazy! It's so unfortunate that that one decision he made has effected his progress in the gospel. We continue to pray for him & hope that he will be able to fix the problem with his family. 

   I remember telling you about another investigator that we had, Hernando. He is the one that had the dream about the Book of Mormon. Unfortunately, he unexpectedly left for Davou so we haven't seen him in the last few weeks. Before he left he expressed to his mother the desire that he has to be baptized if he finds the Book of Mormon to be true. 

   Finally, the Melon twins! Yeah, their last name is Melon. Their names are Jody & Joed. They are 24 & are so great! They are actually the people that we took President McCurdy to. They have been progressing like crazy as well! They have come to the temple & they read & pray everyday! The lesson that President McCurdy came to, we committed them to baptism & they accepted! They said that they still have a lot of questions but they know that as they continue to read, their questions will be answered. I promised them that their questions would be answered & that they could know through the power of the holy ghost. They are set to be baptized in August. 

   Well, I sent some pictures this week including a picture of my bathroom. I know that you are going to be disgusted when you see it, but so you know: This is the absolutely cleanest bathroom that I have had my entire mission! We spent 3 hours scrubbing & this is the best that we could do. That big garbage can...that's what we shower out of with that little scooper. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the pictures. We are going bowling today so I will take more pictures. It's my first time bowling in over a year! 

   I started to tear up when I heard about Daxton! I pray for you all by name every night, including the kids. I will continue to do so. I am sure that this operation, as painful as it may be, will cure his problem & he will be fine. 

   I love you all so much. Time keeps going by faster & faster. It's scary sometimes. That just means that I have to keep working harder & harder. I love this work & I love these people. I don't know what I did to deserve all of these blessings, but I'm grateful beyond words. I wish you could all experience this. It changes ones life.

   Until next week,

Elder Staheli

Week 55: Tuesday June 24, 2014

Family,

   I have always taken great pride in the fact that I have never been sick on my mission. Every time I have every mentioned it to anyone, I'm always sure to knock on wood so that I will continue on in good health. Well, I must have forgotten to knock one of these times because I have been down for a few days this week! Luckily I haven't been throwing up or anything like that. The sickness that I had is more of just an extreme fatigue. I woke up the other morning & my body just refused to work. I was sore & achy all over, I had a headache, I had a fever & chills, & I couldn't breathe. My body just wanted to sleep & rest, so that's what I did...for 2 days straight! I wanted to work but Sister Schmutz told me to just sleep. I think my body really appreciated it. In all honesty, it was really nice to just sleep & rest for a few days. The mission is extremely wearing on your body & this is the first time that I have just taken it easy for a few days. But there is no need to worry. I am back to normal & already feeling much better! 

   Guess who showed up at church this last Sunday? Kyle! He walked up to us & we asked him how he was doing. He couldn't even answer. He just started bawling. He felt terrible for everything that happened, as he should. I feel so bad for him. He hasn't seen his family since it happened & all he wants to do is be baptized & see his family. He told us that the reason he went crazy is because he wanted his wife to be baptized so that they could be married in the temple someday. When she didn't want that, he went crazy. It turns out that he didn't actually hit her though. He did brake some things inside the house & was taken to jail, but he is out & doesn't have any more problems. Technically he can be baptized right now, but the only thing is he can't get back together with his wife if he is unless they get married. So we are still trying to figure out the best solution for him. But he has returned & is more excited than ever to be baptized!

   As for Hernando (the dream guy), we have taught him a few great lessons this week as well. However, we went back to teach him again yesterday & it turns out that he went to Mindinao & he isn't sure how long he is going to be there. But there is a ray of hope! Right before he left, he turned to his mom & told her that he thinks he wants to be baptized. He said that the Book of Mormon is the best book that he has ever read. He took it with him so that he could continue to read & investigate until he gets back. 

   That's about all that has happened this week. Like I said, I missed a few days but I am back & feeling fine. Happy anniversary Starr & Chad! I hope it was awesome. We've had some nice rainy days over here this week & it honestly makes me miss home a little bit... But I love it over here. I'm not going to be able to keep myself together when I leave. I love you guys! Talk to you next week!

Elder Staheli

Week 54: Tuesday June 17, 2014

Family,

   Another transfer has come & gone which means I am only getting closer to returning back home to America. I say this with more sadness than excitement. The longer that I am out here serving this amazing people, the harder it is for me to think about going home. So I usually just don't think about going home. However, since it is transfer day & I am in the city, I have been around all of the departing missionaries for the last few days. These missionaries who are going home are considered one of the best batches in the entire mission. It is filled with amazing missionaries who worked so hard & really changed the entire mission. I have come to know & love many of these missionaries. As I spoke with a few of them last night, they shared with me the memories of their mission. With tears running down their face, I could see how sad they were to leave such a beautiful place & how hard it is going to be to go home. It was sad to see them go, but comforting to know that they gave it everything they had. This is the vision that I have for myself when it comes time for me to return home.

   As for transfers, I am pleased to announce that I am staying here at the temple for another transfer. I am even more excited that I am staying with Elder Harris! It is quite unusual for zone leaders to stay together for more than one transfer, but I am excited to continue our work. It will also be the first time in my mission that I will be with a companion for longer than 1 transfer. 

   So much has happened this week, so I will just give you a few highlights, first concerning our teaching. You are all familiar with the Mangubat's at this point. It is with sadness in my heart that I tell you that they broke up with us. Really, it was like getting dumped in middle school. We were getting ready for church & talking about all of the investigators that we hoped to have there, when suddenly we received a text thanking us for everything, but informing us that they would no longer be investigating the church. My heart broke. After church we went over & spoke to them about their decision. After a short while, we ended the conversation by telling them that no matter what happens, they know where we are & they are always welcome. 

   The Mangubat's didn't come to church, but we did have Kyle show up! Kyle is a new investigator that we have found & he is so great! Every lesson that we have taught him has been filled with the spirit & he almost always has tears in his eyes. He brought his daughter & son with him, but unfortunately his wife is not very interested yet. After going to a few lessons & a trip to church, he shared with us his desire to be baptized! We were so excited! However, the adversary is very tricky & always finds ways to disrupt the work of the Lord. We went to his home yesterday hoping to discuss more about his baptism, but upon arriving we found his mom & cousin standing outside of the home with broken glass & blood inside. They told us that him & his wife had an argument & he went crazy. He threw all of the glass santos (dolls that Catholics pray to) on the ground, he punched & broke the glass fish tank, & hit his wife a few times before the police finally showed up & took him to jail. I'm not exactly sure what is going to happen at this point, but we are praying very hard for him.

   Another miracle! We were sitting in sacrament & church was about to end. With about 5 minutes left, another missionary comes in & tells us that someone was sitting outside looking for us. We went outside & found another one of our investigators! He has always been good, but he hasn't been one of our focuses (until now)! We took him into a room & asked him what made him want to come to church. He then proceeded to tell us one of the most amazing things that I have heard on my mission. He told us that he had a dream. In this dream, he was looking for a Bible everywhere but couldn't find one. He found all of these different books but none of them were any good. He then told us that he found a blue book. He didn't know what the book was called, but he opened it up. He told us that when he opened the book, the only thing that he could see was the name "Moroni". We had not yet given him a Book of Mormon & he asked us if he knew what his dream meant. Without hesitation, we handed him a Book of Mormon & opened up to Moroni. I wish you could have seen the look on his face when he read that name. Needless to say, he is now one of our most progressing investigators.

   I'm sorry that I missed birthdays & fathers day! To everyone who had a birthday, happy birthday! I hope it was great. I loved the questions that I received this week, but I really have to go so I will try & answer them next week. Love you!

Elder Staheli

Week 53: Wednesday June 11, 2014

Family,

   This week has been somewhat bitter-sweet. The work is going so well & we continue to see so many miracles & successes in our work, but at the same time President & Sister Schmutz are coming to an end of their mission. Yesterdaywe had the final zone conference with President & that's why I wasn't able to send an e-mail. It was very different than the typical zone conferences that we have had in the past. Usually what will happen is we will be given a workshop by President. It is always very spiritual. This time was no different, but it was more of a farewell conference. Him & Sister Schmutz gave a talk & final remarks. It was so good. Everyone was in tears by the time it ended. I'm very sad at their departure, but I am also very excited for our new mission president. I am confident that things will continue to progress just as the Lord would have them & that he will lead us by inspiration. I am not worried at all. I am also looking forward to seeing President & Sister Schmutz after the mission. I hear that they are having dinner at their house every Sunday night & all return missionaries are invited. 

   Things are still going well in the work. The Mangubat family is going through a little bit of a struggle right now, though. It's frustrating because they have such a strong testimony of the gospel, they are just afraid to act on it. Last night we taught them about the Book of Mormon. It was such a powerful lesson & the spirit was so strong. One of the daughters told us that she started reading the Book of Mormon & she watched the restoration video online! If only they would all be as excited as this one girl, they would be baptized in just a few weeks. However, I do believe that it is only natural  to have fears when making this kind of life-changing decision. I really hope that they continue to progress & ultimately decide to be baptized. They are such a wonderful family. 

   This past week, we taught a group of about 6 people from South Africa who are here on a humanitarian service mission. They were such kind people! To be completely honest, they are the epitome of hippies. Not the hipsters that we have now, but the real, 1960s hippies. They are going to 13 countries in one year. The Philippines is the 8th country that they have been to & they seem to love it here. I really admire anybody who is willing to give up time in their own lives to serve others who are in greater need. They were nice & willing to listen to the gospel. In fact, they shared a little bit of what they believed with us in return. I always enjoy hearing other peoples beliefs & views on life. After the lesson, we gave them all copies of the Book of Mormon & told them to search for themselves. Hopefully they will run into the missionaries when they return home & will be willing listen & learn more about the gospel. 

   The work is going great! I hope you are all doing things to improve yourselves everyday & feel the spirit in your lives. That's why we are here; to improve ourselves until we reach the day that we become like our Father in Heaven. I love you all.

p.s. I have pictures downloading as we speak...go check them out!

Elder Staheli

Week 52: Tuesday June 3, 2014

Family,

   Everyone keeps congratulating me on my 1 year mark, but I think you all must be confused because it feels like it's only been a few months. Regardless, thank you all for your love. I would not have made it to 1 year or even out of the MTC if it weren't for your constant love, support, & encouragement. So thank you all so much!

   I can't tell you how relieved I am that Weston is doing well. I know that he still has a long way to go during his recovery process, but I am filled with so much joy knowing that he is going to be alright. I have prayed for him & his family constantly. We had the chance to attend the temple again last night & I put his name on the prayer roll. It sounds like he is inspiring many people & still be a missionary in unique ways. He has never been one to be sad or upset, & I know that he has such a solid testimony of this gospel. The entire family does.

   Well, my week has been incredibly busy & filled with nothing but the spirit! Last Monday, we found the Mangubat family. I'm not sure if I told you about them or not, so here's a quick run down. There are 7 people in the family, including the parents. The youngest child is 9 & the oldest is 20, so all of them are able to be baptized! We taught them a great first lesson on Monday & invited them to do a temple tour on Wednesday night. They agreed. Me & Elder Harris arrived at the at the appointed time, but they did not show up. After waiting for 30 minutes, we decided that we needed to go to their house & see what the deal was. When we arrived, the mom was taking a nap & the kids were just hanging out. The husband wasn't even there. We went inside & asked them why they didn't show up. They told us that they didn't think we were serious. We assured them that we were & that we really wanted them to go to the temple. Sister promised us that they would all meet us at the temple the next night. So once again, we arrived at the temple at the appointed time & they are nowhere to be found. We sat hoping that they would show up. After waiting for about 10 minutes, guess who walks up to the gate of the temple? We toured them around the temple & went into the waiting room to allow them to feel the spirit & peace inside. When we exited the temple, they were in tears. They shared with us that they had never felt anything like that before. We testified to them that it was the spirit telling them that it was true.

   After that amazing day, we invited them to come to church. They assured us that they would. We believed them, but just to make sure we decided to leave the house a little early & pick them up. Along the way, we ran into them. They were on their way to church. I was so happy! During church, I believe that they had a great experience. Many of the members were right there to befriend them & they were able to feel a great spirit. At the same time, I think it was also a little overwhelming for them. Going to 3 straight hours of church & hearing completely brand new ideas & concepts may have been a bit much for them, but I know that they felt the spirit. We are planning to visit them again tomorrow & we are going to challenge them to baptism. I really hope that it works out!

   There is one problem though. The husband's job is outside of the country, Catar to be exact. He works there for 2 years & then is allowed 2 months back to visit his family & home. His 2 months are up. He went back last Friday. We gave him a Book of Mormon & told him to read & prepare himself for when he returns home again. So right now, we are going to have to baptize the rest of the family & wait to baptize him until he gets back.

   We also had our MLC yesterday & it was incredible! I have never had a more spiritual day in my life. It's difficult for me to explain & would take some time to do so anyway, so I will just say that it was very emotional. President & Sister Schmutz leave in a month so this was the last MLC that they had. We ended the night by having another temple session which was incredible. I learn new things every single time I attend the temple. It was an amazing day.

   Well, nice glasses Starr. You're officially a mom. Sounds like you are all doing well. I pray for you all everyday. I love you all so much. I'll see you in 12 months!

Elder Staheli

Week 51: Tuesday May 27, 2014

Family,

   I am writing you all with a heavy heart. I enjoyed everybody's emails this week & the pictures were wonderful, but my eyes are filled with tears knowing that Weston is in critical condition. I'm not exactly sure what to say. As I sit here, all I can do is think about the trials & struggles that the Cummings' family has been given. Hunter is best friend that I could ever ask for. He has helped me through so many hard times & doubts. I feel an immeasurable amount of gratitude towards him & his family. I feel bad that I did not know his father very well. I heard nothing but incredible things about him & it really shows by the way the rest of their family lives. Liz has a heart of gold & I can't even imagine the pain that she is going through right now. I think about why people like them are given such heavy trials. I think of how hard & painful it must be, but as I think more about it, I believe that Heavenly Father gives the toughest trials to the strongest people. That family is the most spiritual, positive, & loving family that I have ever known. While we sometimes don't understand why we are given the situations that we are, we must understand & believe that God does. He tests our faith & tries even the righteous. I will pray hard for Weston & the rest of their family. I hope that you will all do the same. 

   As I continue to think about their situation, I am reminded of a scripture in the Book of Mormon. I have been studying this chapter for the last few days & I feel prompted to share it with you all. Mosiah 23:21-22 reads: "Nevertheless the Lord seeth fit to chasten his people; yea, he trieth their patience and their faith. Nevertheless - whosoever putteth his trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day..." I know that this is a very faith testing time for the Cummings', & I have no doubt that no matter what the Lord sees fit to do, they will be faithful & blessed because of the trust & love that they have in God. 

   Well, other than that I don't know what else to say. This week truly has been an amazing week & we have seen so many miracles in our area. I woke up so happy this morning. I thought about my life before my mission. One thing that I could not do & wished that I could was wake up happy. I always woke up with some sort of feeling of regret, sadness, anger, etc. I finally found the antidote. 

   I love you all. I'm sorry I'm not being more specific this letter; my thoughts are elsewhere right now. Thank you again for the letters & pictures...I love them so much!

Elder Staheli