Week 62: Tuesday August 12, 2014

Family,

   I'm going to be honest, my time is almost up! Sorry, I've spent time uploading pictures, writing to Casey, & doing other things! This probably isn't going to be the longest e-mail that I have ever sent, but it will be sent with love none the less! 

   First of all, I can't tell you how excited I am to have Casey & Chantyl come to Cebu for a visit! I am so excited to see them, talk to them, & take them around this place that I call home. I am sure it will be an experience that neither of us will ever forget & that we will all hold dear in our hearts forever.

   Teaching has been awesome this week! Last week, the young men's president brought an investigator to the temple for us to teach & it was awesome! Then, he came to church on Sunday. He had some questions that we were glad to answer. We taught him about our Heavenly Father & how he can return back to him. At the end of the lesson, we handed him a Book of Mormon, committed him to baptism, & he accepted! He is set to be baptized on September 6. He is half-Chinese & his name is Shojar. Please keep him in your prayers as he continues to learn about this beautiful gospel! 

   I am so excited for you all to meet Elder Martinez. I love writing to you all about him, but I can't wait for you all to meet him. He is such a great guy! 

   I loved the pictures & videos that you sent of Krue's birthday...especially that video of Axezelle! I watched it several times & laughed every time. The pictures looked awesome & it sounds like everybody had a lot of fun. I can't wait to be apart of the action next year! 

   Again, I apologize for not writing the best letter this week. At least you all know that I am working hard & miss you all! Also, I heard the Robin Williams passed away. That's depressing. Anyway, talk to you all next week! Love you!

Elder Staheli.

Week 61: Tuesday August 5, 2014

Family,

   I certainly received a pleasantly, unexpected surprise this Sunday! It was strange turning the corner & seeing a white guy call me by name, "Elder Staheli, I have a package for you!" He looked like a great guy, but I had no idea what to expect. Anyway, it turned out to be a package full of goodies! Thank you all so much for all of the effort that you put into making this happen. Tell David thanks also! 

   Well, it's been less than a week with Elder Martinez & I have already found myself a new best friend! It's scary how similar we are, from interests, to music, to ideals, to ambitions & passions...it's the full package. We still have a long time together, but I am already dreading the day that we get transferred. At the same time, I am excited to see him after the mission. We have plenty of activities & projects to make happen! 

   This week held in store for us yet another MLC. So good! MLC's are always incredible & so spiritual. I love how productive they are. We learn doctrine & things to teach to our missionaries in workshops (which is tomorrow), but we also discuss problems that we see in the mission & ways that we can improve ourselves. I'm really excited to get home & start going to school & working. I feel like I am really going to enjoy working with others & helping them improve in their lives, businesses, families, etc. I love people. People are amazing.

   We had kind of a scary moment this week however. One of the missionaries that was in my district a few months back contracted dengue fever. Usually they will be sick for a while & have some pain, of course, but this has been extremely serious. Normally our blood platelet count should be around 150,000, but his has dropped to around 18,000 which is life threatening. We rushed to the hospital with President & the assistants on Monday night to check on him. He wasn't feeling well, but is a big, tough guy from New Zealand. We gave him a blessing & left the hospital late Monday night. Things weren't looking too good, but miraculously a donor walked in the door on Tuesday morning. In the middle of the transfusion however, the donor's veins collapsed. Luckily, another donor was there & they were able to transfuse his blood over successfully. He is still in the hospital recovering, but all is looking up!

   Krue, happy birthday buddy! I'm sorry I won't be able to be there, but you know what that means? I'm going to be home before your next party! I can't wait to see you! I love you buddy! 

   I uploaded some pictures to dropbox, so go & see my new companion. There are a couple of nice "selfies" on there. That's what the hip kids are doing these days, right? Anyway, I love you guys. 

Elder Staheli

Week 60: Tuesday July 29, 2014

Family,

   I always take the opportunity to evaluate myself during transfer week. As I have done so these past few days, my heart is filled with gratitude & happiness. It always surprises me to find that I have grown in so many different ways in only a matter of 6 weeks. It makes me so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ. Through the atonement, we are able to repent & be made clean. We repent of sin; mistakes that we have made in our life that distances us from the presence of our Heavenly Father. But the atonement is not only for people who need to repent of big mistakes that they have made in their life. The atonement is here so that we can become perfect, just as Christ is perfect. By using the atonement in our life, which is a daily process, we become "refined". We increase in knowledge. We receive power from on high to lift us to much greater heights than we are capable of reaching on our own. It's difficult for me to think about the atonement that the Saviour made for us without tearing up. I am forever grateful.

   I'm sure you are all anxious to hear about transfers! After 3 wonderful months with Elder Harris, I am pleased to announce that I will be staying here in the city. However, Elder Harris will be transferring to the "promised land", Dumagete! His new area is such an incredible place. It's on Negros & it is such a beautiful place. The people are incredible. I am so happy for him. Since he is transferring, that means that I am going to have a new companion. My new companion's name is Elder Martinez. His name may sound somewhat familiar; I have mentioned him in previous letters. I cannot tell you how excited I am! He is probably one of my best friends in the mission. He's from Spanish Fork & arrived in the mission 1 transfer after me. This will be his first transfer as a zone leader which means I will have to train him & "show him the ropes". We have talked for a very long time about being companions & now the day has finally come! 

   As I mentioned last week, we had a baptism on Saturday! What a great way to end the transfer, right? It was such a cool experience & he has such a strong testimony of the church, especially the Book of Mormon. He has already read the whole thing! I have never seen that in my entire mission. He is receiving the Aaronic priesthood this Sunday & is excited to start working with us. He is going to make a great future leader in the church. Don't be mad, but I forgot my cord this week so you will have to wait until next week for pictures...sorry!

   Well, that's about all that has happened. It has been such a spiritual week. I am grateful for this time that I have had to serve with Elder Harris & I am so excited to continue on with Elder Martinez. 

   I love you all!

   Elder Staheli

Week 59: Tuesday July 22, 2014

Family,

   New pictures! Go check them out. We had a couple of service projects this week & some other fun things so go & look at them. 

   Well, we've been quite busy as usual & I'm really tired, so it's kind of hard to think straight. If some things don't make sense, just keep reading & act like I didn't type it. Like I said, we had a couple of service projects this week which were great & lots of fun! I really enjoy doing service projects & helping others in ways that we don't typically get to because we are out proselyting. I also sent some pictures of a delicious Filipino dish! The food here is amazing. I'm really going to miss having fresh fish, fresh fruit, & other yummy foods here in the Philippines. 

   On a more spiritual note, we have a baptism on Saturday! Elder Harris is going to baptize the investigator that we found last transfer, John (Kyle). I'm sure you all remember his story, but it has been the most incredible journey with him. He has come so far & he is so ready to be baptized. He told us that he went out knocking doors by himself the other day! We had to talk to him a little bit about that... Anyway, he is super excited to start working with us once he gets baptized. We also have some really great new investigators that I am really excited to teach.

   Can you believe that it's already transfer week again? This Monday is transfer call & then Thursday everyone will be traveling. I'm sure Elder Harris is going to transfer. He's been here for 3 transfers & there's no way that we are staying together for another one. Which means I'm probably staying right here in Kamputhaw! I have loved every single one of my areas in my mission, but I think that I have come to love this one the most so far. The work has been incredible, the temple has been amazing, & the people are the best! I hope I stay here another transfer. But if I do end up transferring, I can say that I gave it everything that I had.

   I feel bad, I feel like my letters are getting shorter & shorter each week. It's kind of hard to find new things to write about when you are doing the same things for 2 years. But even though it's the same schedule, you always seem to find unexpected surprises around every corner. Everyday is a new adventure!

   Love you guys,

   Elder Staheli

Week 58: Tuesday July 15, 2014

Family,

   Rainy season also means stormy season. I know that I've mentioned it before, but I love the rain. It's been really strong for the last week or so, & I think we are in the middle of a pretty good storm. It's nothing like the storm that hit last year, I'm sure. Me & Elder Harris already have some pretty fun experiences of not finding shelter in time & just getting soaked. I feel like you haven't lived your mission to the fullest unless you have a couple of stories like that.

   Well, I don't have much to report this week. The working is progressing. The only challenge we have at the moment is that we are working on getting a couple married so that she can get baptized. It's a big part of the culture not to get married over here, but often times people really want to get married, they just don't have the money or means to do so. This couple that we are working with has a great desire to get married & I am really praying that everything is able to work out. She is set to be baptized on August 9th but if they aren't married, we will have to move it back. Pray that everything will fall into place!

   We went on splits yesterday with a companionship & I was able to work with an Elder that I have always wanted to work with. His name is Elder Diamse. He's from Nephi & has been out for about 8 months. I don't think that I have ever met a happier, more positive person in my life! I have yet to see him without a smile on his face. It was such a great experience. Working with other missionaries is one of my favorite parts of the mission. I love seeing how missionaries change throughout the course of their mission as they give everything that they have to this work & as they allow the Lord to change them. Maybe I love it so much because I have personally experienced it & have seen it happen within myself. I also love helping the missionaries in anyway that I can. However, it often times seems that they are the one that ends up helping me & I always learn so much from the younger missionaries. Whoa, that's weird to say. I guess I'm finally considered an old missionary...

   I loved hearing about everyone's holiday! I'm glad Maddie's family was able to go down to St. George for a few weeks. This is actually one of the times that I'm glad I wasn't there. It sounds like it is uncomfortably hot right now! But I miss you all so much & I can't wait to join you all again for things like that. 

   Talk to you soon,

   Elder Staheli