Safety Tower

Family and Friends,

"Cool story babe, now go make me a sandwich" The shirt of a girl at church on Sunday

I want to make dried fruit a lot when i come home.. so many good memories there.

Well... every day this week was nuts. Monday... well, missionary experiences are always a surprise... you never know who will ask you very interesting questions. 

Tuesday. Had exchanges with Elder Reyes.. he is super good at teaching. We taught like 11 lessons or something.

Wednesday... learned a lot from my companion about dealing with different people, especially those who may conflict with your way of thinking. My comp is good.

Thursday. Weird situations that are completely correct but sometimes still not the best choice. ill explain that more one day.

Friday.. people bashing with us about doctrine and then them offering us their reading materials. Hmm. Things can get awkward real fast. 

Saturday. Baptized a married couple that is super super strong and humble and faithful. Love it.

Sunday. Miracles through prayer.

Sorry its short... my mind is all over the map. And im hungry. haha. I love my mission. I love my comp. I love my Father in heaven. I love my Savior. Those simple things keep me going daily. 

Stay Golden.

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

Wisdom in Me

Family and Friends,

First. The Prophet will never lead us astray. If you think otherwise, go read the last parts of the Doctrine and Covenants, the declarations and included notes. Thanks.

My favorite The Office moment... "Dwight's Speech". I only say this because someone's talk i witnessed reminded me of it. hhaah. awesome. 

Quote of the Lifetime "The new president of the Mormon church is Napoleon Dynamite" - A random Brooklyn-er at a McDonald's in Bacolod. No i'm not joking. He said this right to my face. haahahahahahahah.

An interesting thought. Yes we are a whole church body.. but the worship is personal and one on one with Heavenly Father. In relation to my first line... if it were not for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints... you could not  have the relationship in the way you do at this moment in time with Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ established his Church for the perfecting of the saints. So to be perfected.. you must devote yourself faithfully and obediently to his Church. Yes.

Random- Red Pants.

I realized in my life, i am "building a house"... this mission is my "foundation".

My companion and I both took a spill in a small creek, one after the other #teambalance.

One of our investigators who was a week away from baptism just moved and isnt coming back. Nuff said. 

I love my area. I am closer with my investigators and the members than in any other area on my mission. I literally find a complaint to you right now. 

I like 2 Nephi 2:5. Give it a read. We are all instructed sufficiently. Do you realize that? The Light of Christ helps all to discern what is right or wrong. Ponder that.

I love you all.... im staying alive and trying to drop my rice weight.

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

Be Not a Forgetful Hearer

Family and Friends,

"Father Forearms" -Elder Morgan

Remember the power of positive thinking.

Its an interesting day when you hear "Open Arms" by Journey about 3 different times. haha.

Well.. let me tell you. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is how miracles happen. I have seen it this week. We had 11 investigators at church... and we finally got a branch mission leader. He is actually one of my closest member friends here on the mission. Him and one of our recent converts (baptized in feb) just received the Melchezidek Priesthood. Wow. The branch is helping like crazy with the work... what a blessing.

Hey. Happy Father's Day to all of you! Especially my awesome father, sure do love ya! 

I love seeing people make changes in their life... its even better when they realize the blessings that come to them through commandment keeping. Its interesting... a trend i see with our investigators is that they recognize the "good" that is happening to them. They feel that they have changed and become nicer people... HEY! that's what the gospel of Jesus Christ does. 

Side note. Long live the San Antonio Spurs.

Scripture Note. D&C 38:28 "And again, I say unto you that the enemy in the secret chambers seeketh your lives." I love the wording of the Lord...secret chambers (kind of like chamber of secrets for all your Harry Potter lovers). My mind started searching... what are these secret chambers? I can think of a lot some examples. Those secretive acts.... behind closed doors, down a dark alley, when the parents are out of town, out in the woods, etc etc. About these... the Lord says it is Satan, seeking our lives. Do we realize that? I would say about 100% of the time that we must do something secretly... it is a tactic of Satan. He wants us to hide our acts.. where as the Lord wants the opposite. He wants us to be a "light on a hill". Do we see that contrast? Think about that. Another thought... think of cords... electrical cords. Could those be "secret chambers" going into our tvs, computers, and cellphones. Hmm. I love the scriptures. More so.. i love the Holy Ghost which allows us to learn.

Well. Miracles are happening in this great work... I hope you are finding a way to be a part of it!

I love you like a fat kid loves cake.

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

God is a Consuming Fire

Family and Friends,

"Choose what is in the scriptures.. not what will only satisfy me" -President Pareno (branch president of Masville)

Well.... sometimes you receive "the witness" after a few months of a "trial of your faith". I am seeing miracles right now. The branch is really super helpful... they will help if you ask.. thats the secret. 

We had the baptism of Jun-Jun.. he is a 12 year old soon to be priesthood holder... the only in his home. Awesome! We have some miracles happening in regards to investigators progressing... We have a few investigators who due to work/school/other things can only be taught on Saturdays and Sundays.. yet they still come to church. Evidence that Heavenly Father is watching over them and sending the Holy Ghost to direct them.

There is an investigator family here that i love with all my heart.. the Flores family. They are a young married couple (31 and 33 years old).. they have 5 kids under the age of 11 and they are super super poor (like you have no idea)... but boy do they have a desire to follow the Savior. It really is to the point with them that anything we teach they say, "yes i will do it.. its what the Lord wants." They are changing their work schedules, just to come to church. They will be baptized on June 28 and i see them becoming future leaders in this area. Super smart people and willing to learn and change, i literally am so blessed to know them and be able to serve them. 

Oh PS- this week, we were crossing this small little river, like crossing rocks to get across kind of thing.. we have taken this path a million times... we got to the other side, feeling accomplished then i took a magical spill. As in, up in the air, right onto my side.. mud and all... umbrella in the river, the works. hahahahahahahahhahaha. hilarious. i am getting clumsier by the day, not good. haha. Then the next day, i stepped in a huge giant pile of poop.... my life is a circus.. just like always, i love it hahah!

Study note.1 Nephi 21:16 "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands.." (also the footnote Zech. 13:6) Have you thought about that?You are engraved upon Christ's palms. He has our sins upon his hands. He knows our sins and us personally enough that he put them upon his hands. Think about hands... think about how personal and intimate hands are. Think of holding hands with your loved ones... that is a personal and simple yet meaningful act. Think that Christ has put you in his hands. Think also of what you can do with your hands... or what we should do with our hands. Clasp them together in prayer... open our scriptures.. partake of the sacrament... fill out a tithing slip.. acts inside the temple.. raising your hand to the square to sustain our leaders.. placing hands upon someone's head for the Gift of the Holy Ghost. Now think of the evil we can do with our hands... hold a cigarette, type in a not-so-good website, hold a beer can, text hateful words, physically abuse others, hit the snooze on your alarm clock on Sunday morning.. the list goes on. Shouldn't we be striving more to have "clean hands and a pure heart"? Shouldn't we remember the marks on Christ's hands that represent us and our imperfections..? Shouldn't we be always "cleaning our hands" through repentance. Look internally and think of what you must do to be cleaner... its a wonderful experience to repent.

I love you all. 

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

Armies of the Aliens

Family and Friends,

Table manners are important. I enjoy etiquette. 

Man do i love personal study. It is the greatest hour each day. I had an awesome study about the Brass Serpent with the Israelite people... such an awesome foreshadow of Christ. All we must do to be healed is look... its about repentance. We are healed through Christ as we repent.. there is no other way. 

Also had an amazing study this morning about Hebrews 12:5-11. Whom the Lord loves he chastises. The Lord must love me a lot!! hahahah. :P

Sorry, i dont have tons to say this week. My mission is just amazing. Oh ya it really is. The time is going quicker and quicker. We have some real good things happening here in Masville. I am so grateful to be here. Im loving Elder Nery more and more... its interesting how the longer you are with a companion the more you end up loving them, its great! We enjoy our daily jump rope sessions, oatmeal breakfasts, and nightly life chats. good times.

The World Cup starts soon... cheer hard for me! 

My mission is amazing... i learn stuff in crazy ways every day. Our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ is so central to all progress and success. How do we increase that faith? 

Well.. its June. can you believe that? wild! 

I love you all so much.. literally. 

ps- my boy Elder Wilstead is home. Crazy. 

pps- can someone get a hold of my priesthood line of authority? thanks.

Chap well. 

Palangga,

Elder Stagg

Selah

Family and Friends,

"Give me your eyes, i need sunshine!" -Wolfparade

"Sometimes my life feels like the movie Bad News Bears" -my own thoughts

Asking for referrals from a 75 year old lady... "Sister Jan, oh wait she's dead.... Sister Kim, oh wait she's bedridden" #everysoulisimportantinthesightofGod ahahha!!

Wow. What a week. When you pray for miracles, and do your part.. .they happen. I will relate a quick story. We have a mother who works with fellowshipping in one of our barangays. Sister Flores. She is great, always inviting people to church and finding us referrals. Her son.. is going deaf. Another church (which I wont name) was offering to give her son a hearing aid if she would join in on their "caravan services" on Friday. She felt very threatened by them. On Tuesday i gave her son a blessing (he also had a terrible fever), and i felt inspired to bless him to be fine once nighttime came. That was the first time in my life that i felt inspired to give a specific time of healing. Next day, we showed up... he overcame his sickness the previous night, just as he had been blessed. She had no more need to join the "caravan services" of that other faith. Her faith was tested, as was mine. it was a literal miracle that i saw. I dont relate this story to give any glory to my blessing or anything like that, promise. I want to glorify our Father in Heaven... especially the Holy Ghost for putting into my heart what to say. Our Heavenly Father is very very concerned with our day to day concerns and problems. We have to come unto him and ask for the divine guidance... but when we do, he will put miracles into our lives. I testify of that. 

Also. Fasting brings forth miracles. Not always right away... but always. 

I also love seeing things in my patriarchal blessing coming forth on a day to day basis. Heavenly Father loves us all. 

I love my mission. It is crazy how much its just... my life now. Nothing else seems like... real. Its weird... daily you love it more, but also miss normal life more. Its an interesting dynamic. Im getting fat... but im trying to drop the Kgs... pray for me there. haha.

I love you all.

Palangga,

Elder Stagg 

Captain of our Salvation

Family and Friends,

"No sister thats a business ad" -Crishalyn Flores

What a week... miracles happen when we do what the Lord asks.

Our companionship has improved a lot. We have found a lot better unity in our teachings. This week we saw miracles with new families that we have found!! we had 2 of the wives come to church, still workin on the husbands. Our baptism hopefully for this week (Clydine, 15 years old) has been pushed back because she is not yet being allowed by her father. We are trying to teach and get to know him but he wont give us time. We are praying fervently to see a change in his heart. Clydine has such a strong testimony but is scared to disrespect her father. Her mother is 100% okay with her being baptized its just still waiting on the father. Through our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, i know her father's heart will be softened. 

Had exchanges with Elder Morgan this week. He's from Australia (but is from new zealand originally). He is a huge rugby player, and a stud missionary. He is just full of energy and hope.. loved our day together. He has had some crazy experiences with evil spirits and what not... some of which may have transpired during our time together. Remind me to tell you about it once i get home. 

I really do love my area. It has so much potential and the ward is great. Always things to try and improve, but thats what life is all about!! 

My mission is wonderful. Its going fast, thats for sure. Once next week comes i will have 3 companions who are home now.. crazy. I feel like there is still tons to do here, im excited about it! 

I love the scriptures. I have been studying a little bit about Job. He is an amazing man... go read his book in the Old Testament, its full of many great insights. The scriptures really do soften hearts. Mine included. I love my personal study. I hope you are reading your scriptures. I know you are busy, but i also know it will help with your inner peace and happiness. 

I love the gospel.. mostly repentance. It really changes the way we see the world. Most of it changes the way we see God. We learn through repentance that He really has the best intentions for all of us. Heavenly Father is my best friend. I hope you can all say the same. That's something that happens on a mission. You start to put Heavenly Father's wants first.. because you grow to love Him. Love. There's that word. Its interesting huh? That's another thing the gospel of Jesus Christ has done to me... helped me better understand love. Its like, back then in high school... people threw that word around like it was nothing. But it had no backbone. It had nothing behind it. Whereas Christ's love... its full of everything. Its complete. its what the world needs. it's what will increase your love for; yourself, Him, your spouse, your children, your companion, your investigators, your parents, your boss, your neighbor, your lazy home teaching companion, and even your dog (maybe.. thats just kind of a joke). But really. Charity is awesome. We should all try to develop that more. 

I love all of you.

Ps... i love vegetables and oatmeal, not together though.

Palangga,

Elder Stagg