Pony Boy Express: What a Week!

Family and Friends,

I appreciate all your thoughts, prayers, emails, etc. This week has been great. We had a great district meeting and we helped each other to find new routes to help investigators who lack the progress they need. I also had exchanges with Elder May following our district meeting. It was great! I led my area which was kind of intimidating being that I don't know the area amazingly well and I am still learning the language, BUT it went great. I was able to find the houses of all our lessons and we were able to teach almost all the lessons we planned that day. Elder May and I both learned a lot from each other in regards to teaching techniques, language skills, and missionary life in general. It's always nice to have exchanges and see how other missionaries do their work. I really have enjoyed this week and have become more and more comfortable with the language/teaching/my area. I know it all takes time.. .but sometimes you just wish that time would come quicker! But that's missionary life, so I keep pressing on.

We have had some powerful lessons this week with both investigators and less active members. Its just super difficult sometimes to bring that change in them that you know can happen... thats the battle. I've learned this week that the Holy Ghost truly is the best teacher. Nothing can happen without it. He is who brings the change in these people's lives. It's the same for us to. That is why it is so important to always strive to have the holy ghost with you... its what leads us to repentance and faith. I had my first experience of committing someone to baptism which was powerful and awesome. I loved it. Its so true that if you just open your mouth the lord will fill it with what needs to be said. Oh we also had the baptism of the little 9 year old boy.. i was able to perform the baptism. what a powerful experience! so onto the funny stuff now...

Sweet heavens. The rat saga ended violently (but also continued.. .that will make sense in a minute). Soooo. we set up a trap on our kitchen counter. As we are about to fall asleep we hear it snap. So we go out and see the rat with its nose/mouth caught in the trap. We were so amped! We decided to just leave it until the next morning (trying to be exactly obedient and go to bed on time). So 6;30 the next morning rolls around and the first words that come out of my mouth after prayers are, "im so glad we have a dead rat in our kitchen"... NOOOOOOOOOPPPPPEE! the demon escaped out of the trap. oh but you better believe there was a puddle of blood next to the trap from the blunt force trauma to his head. This thing literally is satan. So we thought it might die from that... So the next night i am writing in my journal while Elder Wilstead is showering. As i'm writing i feel something run across my foot, look down... yep. Demon rat just staring up at me. I run away like a 7 year old girl screaming and run and jump on the kitchen counter. Elder Wilstead comes out of the shower shampoo in hair and all.. and just yells at me to tell him what is going on. After that.. it turned into a war. Oh and keep it mind for this battle elder wilstead is in just a towel. hahaha. So we equip ourselves with permetherane, butchers knives, rubbing alcohol. the works. It ended up in our bedroom so we decided to go head to head with the beast. We locked ourselves in our room and were trying to figure out how to kill these thing. This demon rat survived about 45 sprays of permetherane in the mouth. im serious when i say this thing is evil and possessed. We then attempted to get it out from under our beds and at one point we were throwing knives at it. It was out of control. After about an hour of war.. Elder Wilstead takes the initiative and just starts attacking it with our dust pan. I mean he is throwing this thing around like a rag doll.. smashing it into the wall and everything. the rat isnt phased. Finally he gets it into a bucket and we decide to drown it. so we transport the demon into a bucket of water and put a lid on it and leave it over night for it to drown. Wake up. STILL alive. it treaded water for 8 hours. unbelievable. I had had enough. I took a small container and pushed the thing down into the water for 30 seconds. Just call me the early morning murderer. It finally died. So later that night... another rat scoots around our kitchen. i wish i was kidding.. but im not. Sorry that that is most of my email but it was unreal and ridiculous. hahah. I hate rats with all my heart.

I am grateful for this opportunity. I do want to tell you 2 things that make me trunky as all get out. 1. i miss the days when i didnt sweat at 7 am in my own home... haahahha. 2. i miss carpet like crazy. none here. Things really are amazing here though! i love it tons and seeing the progression in myself and in others is amazing. Love you all.. Rely on the Lord.

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

yes i bought some sweet nike indoor shoes. haha

classic missionary

yes that rat is huge... so the first two is it in the trap, the 3rd is the next morning. yes that puddle of blood is from its head. and it lived on, no big deal.