Goonies Never Say Die!

Family and Friends,

Boom! Missionary work. hahah. I literally could just say that and my email would be sufficient.. but i wont do that to you. First off, last P-Day we had a zone activity! it was tons of fun.. went to the ruins! look it up.. its pretty cool! semi popular i guess as well! the best part was just being out of missionary clothes and hanging with Elder Wilstead. hahha! loved it! Took tons of pictures of it. One of my thoughts... thanks to my mother Laura..was man my mom would love to do a wedding reception here! hahah. i am brainwashed. thanks mom ;) hahah! It was fun though.. good relief from the mission life for a couple hours! 

This week was interesting in so many ways. No baptism. Sad Saturday. haha. I realized this week that i am addicted to candy. i start eating and i cant stop. hahah. But on a serious note. The work is so great. I love it more and more everyday. I completely understand what people say when they say you learn things on a mission you cant learn anywhere else. Its just so much adapting and changing and coming closer to Heavenly Father everyday! Its wonderful. Really is.  Love it. Faith with works.. is life.

K. Lots of funny ones this week. First off... i watched a little kid take a poop. Right in the middle of the lesson. Just squatted and let it go. it was disgusting. i almost threw up. ahahahha. and sorry.. no pictures there ;) What else? Classic one liner from Franz again.. during the lesson he kept looking around.. he was staring at a chicken. it had came in the house and he was mad at it! haha. focus franz.. focus. he threw the line, "sabad nga manok!!" or.. the chicken is annoying! hahaha. then he threw his flipflop at it. the kid is nuts. hahah. Found this guy who has a steering wheel attached to his handlebars of his bike.. we are actually trying to teach him. hahah. i got a pic of that, dont worry! So we were walking on the street from an appointment and saw these 2, 16 year olds beatboxing... i started talking to them.. told them i used to rap. hahaha. it was hilarious. Then we taught them. sat down on the street and taught them. full lesson, prayer and all. it was great. We have a deaf investigator right now... thats a battle and a half. almost impossible. We usually write things out, or i try to spell things with sign. its all but ineffective. hahah. but hey, we still try. Oh yesterday this lady was yelling at the bus driver cause he started driving away and the lady's kid wasnt on the bus yet. she was absolutely furious. so hilarious. i was dying. Oh here is a good one.. we had an invalid baptism. The dad was a RC but didnt have the priesthood yet.. we were told he did. we will be doing that one over again. hahaha. What else.. hmm had this talk with a guy from our ward who is all but apostate. This is what i learned.. use Christ. Dont go away from him when times get tough. Please.

So on that note.. Spiritual Corner. I have so much i have learned this week.. and again, me saying it is great.. but its WAY better if you study and learn for yourself. so read your scriptures every day!! buuuuuuuuuuut. here we go. This is just from a few experiences i had this week. Never pin your problems on others.. no matter how much it might have been their fault. Take responsibility for yourself and your actions. Find out your shortcomings and mistakes.. and use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to become better. We can always improve. Give people that opportunity.. be understanding.. be loving.. be Christ-like. Second. An awesome lesson i learned as i taught Gospel Principles class on Sunday. We can find all the answers we need in the Book of Mormon. I taught the principles of a. pre earth life b. creation. c. adam and eve. d. our purpose on earth. e. the atonement.... all based around scriptures from the BOM. The Book of Mormon is such a powerful tool in our lives. We must use it daily! On that note.. sorry. im not gonna put a lot of my studies on here. Just my testimony at about my 5 month mark of my mission. God is very much a part of our lives.. everyday.. in everyway.. He has a specific plan for us. Progression is a part of that plan. I know without a doubt that the quickest and most effective way to progress is through keeping the commandments of God. I know Jesus Christ died for our sins. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is his one and only true church on this earth. I know the covenants in this church are the only way to return to live with our Father in Heaven. I know that obedience to commandments brings forth amazing blessings in our lives. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God for our day. I know that God restored his church through the prophey Joseph Smith. I testify to you.. with all the power and conviction i possess... that he is a prophet of God. And that Thomas S. Monson is the living day prophet right now who guides this world through these times. I know we need to read our scriptures everyday to help us avoid the temptations we all face. God is a God of love. Change. Become Better. Become who He wants you to be!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Keep working hard.. loving others.. and doing what is right.

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

crammed in a jeepney!

 the elder taking a pic while im taking a pic is Elder May

 the ruins!!

handlebar steering wheel! so sweet

that is a fruit! hahah

the craziest lady in the world.. literally a lunatic. 

just holding a chicken.. idk! haha

companionship inventory.. where all the problems get solved

Did that just happen?

Family and Friends,

The subject of this email just about explains my week. Some things that i said that about were good.. some bad.. some sad.. some frustrating.. that's life! haha. It was one of those weeks where the same investigator turns you away.. literally everyday.  We had a specialized training on Tuesday my B-Day! thanks for all the birthday wishes! The training was.. pretty good. We are starting to implement facebook proselyting. Hmm.. you all know how much i dislike facebook. But, our companionship isnt doing it yet.. so thats okay. We have just been working hard everyday... thats missionary work! Obedience brings forth blessings. Elder Wilstead had splits this week! love that kid! so much fun to work with him.. made me miss having him as a companion! Had some great deep talks.. its always interesting to know the same people and we are 1,000's of miles away from them! haha. 

We had the baptism of Rico Bernal Jr. The whole family is now members! so rewarding! Rico's father baptized him.. what an amazing experience. i LOVE that family. They are some of the nicest and most humble people ever. I'm talking no electricity in their house.. small house.. hard workers.. poor.. but amazing. I love their example. So eager to learn. PS- have i talked about Filipino time? basically everything starts an hour late.. its so frustrating cause i hate being late!!! learning patience i guess right? But.. baptisms are great. Especially when the baptizee's bear their testimony. I love every second of that. 

K. Funny things. There was a lot of those this week. I met a lady who literally a lunatic. She would have the weirdest answers for all my questions... like. the. weirdest. answers. i asked her about her kids, and her answer consisted of talking about the mountains and her underwear? wow. hahah. And she kept ranting about Sweet Mother or something.. i just dont know. hahah. Another lady.. she was like 58.. looked like she was 97, spoke almost perfect english.. and was just hammered drunk. She was hilarious. I had a good 20 minute conversation with her about her life. She was hilarious... hahah so great. Those are the moments where you forget all the heat, tiredness, lack of lessons, etc. haha! Another funny thing. So last week we put our number and info on some pass along cards and left them at a computer cafe.. a few days later i realized that i had mixed up the numbers and that i actually put our mission president's number on the cards! hahahaha. wooooops. This one is hard to explain.. but we ride buses all the time.. and they have what is called conductors. To hand out tickets, tell the driver when to stop.. etc. Well the funnest thing to do is imitate the conductors..and yell what they yell.! "Sigeee-A" "pwertahan" hahah.. its hard to explain. when i get home. it will make more sense. haahha. Elder Albao is the best at playing conductor. haha. Life is funny... no matter how hard it is.. its funny.

Spiritual Corner. First. God loves us all. He knows our trials, specifically. I promise that is true. Jesus Christ loves us all as well. He laid down his life for us.. but more importantly, he took it back again. He lives. And because of that, we will live after this life. We will all be resurrected. So.. some insights i have gained this week. The gospel, the scriptures, our lives.. are full of a lot of "if statements" and "because statements" A couple examples for you to look up. Alma 22:16 has many if statements. In life.. especially with the commandments.. there exists a lot of IF Statements.. if we do this.. we will receive that. There is a lot to be learned there. God cannot change. If he promises a blessing for keeping a commandment.. it will happen. Remember that. Also... life, and salvation isnt passive. If we want to gain eternal life with our Father in heaven... there is much to be done. Be anxiously engaged in a good cause. Do good out of your own will. Give diligent heed to the words of God. Just be good and work hard. Be diligent in commandment keeping and receive eternal life.. and happiness in this life. I have the strongest testimony of that. My second thought.. the Plan of Salvation. Its so incomprehensible to us as people. But, we do know what we must do for it to take place. Use the Atonement. It's that simple. Repent. Sin exists. To deny that.. is to deny God. To deny God.. is to deny your own existence. Sin exists. I KNOW THAT IS TRUE. Sins always create feeling of sorrow. We need the healing power of the Atonement to over come it. I know how it feels.. heavy.. dark.. no hope. But through repentance and baptism... mangin mamag-an kita (we can become light). It's real! I've experienced it. I do every day and every week. If you have questions about that? send me a personal letter and we can chat there. haha. If you are looking for ways to avoid temptation... pray! pray! pray! Luke22:40. One last thought.. Mosiah 2:5. Who was at the temple?! The WHOLE family... rescue that one in your family who might not be there. help them get back. love them. 

Well... Another email time almost over. Sadness. hahah. I love you all and miss you all! I am especially proud of my wonderful sister Cassie for having her 3rd child and dealing with that madness! Keep trecking. Everyone. Ps... The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.. is the only true church on the earth today. Salvation exists. Never forget that. Pray Hard. Keep Going. Love the Lord. Find His will... and do it. 

Smell ya!

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

bernal family!! wooooo!

the ward tv... est. 1992. hahah

the reason baptisms are great.. hahahah. free soda from the bishop!! 

some ward members

my desk

Give it freely.

Family and Friends,

Boom! Another week in the books. Progression. That's what it is all about. Elder Albao and I are getting more comfortable and used to each other's teaching styles. And each other. Of course, work in progress on all of that! We had zone training this past week.. our zone now has 10 companionships.... 7 of which are sisters companionships!!! they are taking over... haha! Elder Wilstead gave a sweet training about using members to progress the work. That's my invitation to you! help the missionaries!! even if its just giving them food.. attending a baptism.. or whatever! they appreciate it dearly! Weird thought? Do they have Book of Mormon for blind people..? like brail? i was thinking about that for some reason. hahah. Got the package from Mom and Dad! never thought i could be so excited about baby powder and desitin ointment!! hahahahah. #philippinesmissionaryproblems  

So remember when i told you i sang in church? we recorded it the day before and here is the youtube link that Elder (now Brother) Baradi made! haha. Enjoy and don't laugh too hard. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CiCZgPCipZk&feature=youtu.be  

Had the baptism of John Erwin. He is a stud. 18 years old. Literally the most hardworking and obedient kid ever. And just... believing. We give him a commitment and he does it, right away. Plus i love teaching him because he lives with our Relief Society president and she always feeds us! hahha. The kid is a potential missionary so thats awesome. hah... so! i baptized him... and it only took.. um.. 7 tries. hahahaha. he kept resisting at first. then his hair didnt go under. then he started just like falling over like he was trying to baptize himself. oh boy. hahahah. its okay though, it finally worked out. haha. I love baptisms! if you want to feel the spirit.. go to a baptism! serious! 

Couple funny notes. So in Ilonggo the word Sakit means pain or sickness. It is an awesome reminder for the 5 things the Word of Wisdom teaches us to avoid S- Sigarelyo (cigarettes) A-Alak (alcohol) K-Kape (coffee) I- Illegal nga drogas (drugs) and T- Tsa (tea).. so with that in mind here is a hilarious story. We are teaching a 12 year old who is kind of slow... cant read, has trouble remembering things, etc. Well we are reviewing word of wisdom and say.. "Franz, what does the I in Sakit stand for? his response- Ice Cream. In english. Ice cream. I almost died. hahaha. Another one.. after church on sunday, i taught English to some little kids in our ward! English sucks! all the rules are ridiculous and make no sense. hahah. it was an interesting experience. 

So a few spiritual things i have learned.. from scripture study and just life. God wants us to progress. Daily. In all aspects of life. He has given us a guide to know how to do that.. the scriptures and words of the living day prophets. We truly are SO lucky!! you need to read your scriptures every day. thats it. plain and simple. if you are reading this and have never read the Book of Mormon.. or maybe aren't a member of our church.. try it! just read it! its great. You will come closer to Christ if you read the Book of Mormon. I am 100% sure of that. Also this... avoid sin! seriously.. avoid it like the plague. it kills the spirit of Christ in our hearts and puts us far away from our Father in Heaven. This gospel really does bless families.. if you use it. if you follow it. if you live it. if not... there is not point to it. Have family home evening. pray everyday. read everyday. go to church every week. invite others to Christ. i promise you that there is happiness in all of that. Express your faith. Faith without works is dead. Remember that. Jesus Christ.. the literal Son of God.. died for our sins. mine. yours. everyone's. And what does he ask? to follow him. Follow his example. Try to be better, daily. Try to find his will. Repent. I cant tell you how awesome repentance is. You can go from burdened down and heavy.. .to light. its a gift from our Father in Heaven. Jesus Christ lives.. and is our Savior. I know it. Families are so important... love your family with all your heart. And do everything you can to make your family rooted in the doctrine of Christ. 

I love you all! thanks for the birthday wishes! teaching the gospel is one of the best birthday presents there is ;) love you all. .seriously. so much. 

Ahhhh.. Big Gulps huh? Welp. See ya later.

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

Change. Doing It.

So. Interesting Week. Monday was in Bacolod all day.. and I was with the AP's all night/day.. that was weird. hahaha. It was weird.. i sat in the office most the day. then on Tuesday i went to Morchia with another Elder just to wait until transfer day on wednesday cause his comp transfered as well. it was nice. Morchia is way bukid.... just out in the middle of nowhere. hahah. Wednesday was transfer. I met a ton of missionaries while i was waiting for my new comp cause he was coming from way far away. His name is Elder Albao. He is from Quezon City in the 'Pines. He is very nice and a good missionary. The hard thing there is he came from a Cebuano area... so in our mission there are areas where you speak Cebuano instead of Ilonggo. So that's a big battle because he says lots of stuff i can't understand at all. ahahah. It's a work in progress there. No baptism this week unfortunately. But next week, we have another!

This week at church was interesting.. there was a HUGE rain storm the night before and most of Sunday morning also. Wanna guess our attendance at church? total? ummm about 26. ahhaha. It was one of the saddest things ever. hahah. The language gets better and better everyday. Just trying to rely on the Lord and let things work themselves out. hahah. I hope all is well back on the mainland. Sometimes i forget how far away i am. hahaha. So some spiritual moments..

Rely on the spirit in your life. in every aspect. and LOVE. Love everyone and everything... thats something so big that i am learning how to do... its a an everyday work but hey thats life. From Mosiah 16:5. Im realizing how merciful the Lord is. He laid out an amazing plan.. and is just hoping we will use it. But thats the thing.. we have to use it!! We have to repent. We have to use the plan daily for it to have use! His mercy is there.. always. We have to use it though. This plan.. this life.. is not passive. Its active. we must be doing things always! One more thought. Jacob 5:5. At times the Lord cuts us down.. or prunes us back.. but only cause he wants us to be better! I know that is true. I have learned that Heavenly Father will withhold certain things from us so that we can improve and become a better person. Its so true! Remember that always! My final thought.. focus on the temple! Always. If you can.. go all the time! that's the biggest thing i miss (besides all of you of course! haha). The temple is the single most important part of our religion. Its what its all about... all the teaching.. all the classes. point towards the temple. again. USE IT! 

I love you all. Life is great... don't forget that. Spend as much time with your family as possible! if i learn nothing else.. i will def learn that from my mission. its all about family. until next week!

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

the wall of fame and wall of faith! haha 

i hate spiders. hahha.