Pony Boy Express: You are hereby called to serve in the... EB Magalona, Philippines Mission.

Family and Friends,

Well. If you couldnt tell by the subject heading.. i didnt transfer!! haha! But that's okay.. i love EB Mag. Oh and Elder Albao stayed as well! Good times! It's like my home now. I know all the tricycle and tricicad drivers, I have the price of all the traveling memorized, the works. hahaha. Really though.. i love EB. The people here are starting to grow on me more and more. That's something crazy that happens on a mission. You become best friends with complete strangers! hahah. Whether it be your companion... your bishop.. your ward missionary.. whoever! And you know how it happens? The common ground of the gospel. Your love of the Lord and his work. For me it is wonderful. Really. I come in this random country.. speaking some crazy language.. spending 24/7 with some Elder i've never met in my whole life.. but its not even a big deal. You just do it. hahah. The mission teaches you to just adapt and change always. Its nuts.

No baptism this week. Our girl we had lined up to be baptized just keeps ducking out on church. patay na siya. But thats okay.. sidenote there.. dont pray for me, pray for my investigators!! seriously. haha. im fine. i have the gospel. im doing whats right, they are the ones who need the help.. really. Nothing really crazy or funny jumps out at me about this week. Had a Birthday party for our recent convert Franz.. kid is an absolute nut. Love it though. Tons of fun there! haha. Funny thing was is it was on the 13th.. Zach's B-day. No joke 3 different investigators we went to.. turned us away cause they were having a birthday party for someone they knew. hahah. SO zach, your birthday is popular here! hahah.

Spiritual Corner. We taught and i studied a lot this week about the Plan of Salvation. First off. Wow. The plan is so intricate yet so simple. It all just fits perfectly into one big.. amazingness. Couple thoughts about the Plan of Salvation. Moses 4:3. Satan was cast out because.. he tried to oppose God's greatest gift to us. Agency. God is angry with anything that destroys our agency. that is why satan was cast out.. he wanted the glory but more importantly he wanted to get rid of agency. Let me tell you something right now.. that is what is he doing still. right now. everyday. He tries to inflict vices.. sins.. addictions.. that break our agency. The Word of Wisdom.. Law of Chastity.. is all there to protect our free agency. When we break either of those 2 commandments we give up our agency to Satan or some substance or some one. It also angers God. Remember that. So i fell in love with these verses this week... Alma 34:31-35. Now is literally the day of our salvation. Salvation is a daily task. It doesnt all just happen on the last day when we are resurrected or what not. It is a constant work in progress. The time will end! Then our same spirits will be with us. Do you really except that we will be transformed into a saint if we have been a villain our whole life? Simply... repent and prepare now. We need to progress and try to rid our weaknesses everyday. Remember why you are on this Earth. Really.. remember your ultimate purpose. Progression is real. I see it in people every day. Joshua 24:15... choose you this day whom you will serve. Again.. today.. not tomorrow. Decide now to serve the Lord always! So another note.... The Book of Mormon is true. The End. There are answers for your questions... peace for your troubles.. hope for your despair. Please read the Book of Mormon everyday. I want nothing more than that. I know it will bless your life in such a way that nothing else can. 3 hours of church a week isn't enough. Oh funny note there... did the math and... church service is 1.7% of your time in the whole week. And you get so many blessings in return!! Homework. Read "in the strength of the Lord" by David A. Bednar. Amazing talk.

Well... honestly. i can't explain the joy that comes from missionary work. But i can tell you its amazing. If you happen to read this and are contemplating whether to serve a mission or not.. just do it. Its more important than any job.. girl.. scholarship.. car.. whatever. the lessons you learn on a mission are like nothing else. Well.. i miss you all. dont worry im not trunky. but i sure do miss you all. I love you all. Keep being amazing. I pray for you daily!

Life is freaking amazing. Never forget that!

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

my district!! great people :) love them all!