Week 19

Kumusta!

Sobrang masaya ako! (I'm so happy!) Sorry there was no letter last week. Anyways, transfers were this week and I was so anxious for them because I was the only one from my district being transferred. Psh. What did I have to worry about?? Thank you for all the prayers. :) I feel of your love and I'm so grateful for all the support!
 
It's been a great week! Busy, busy, busy. My new companion is Sister Tumagoy and she's from around Central Luzon (Luzon is the huge top portion of the Philippines). We get along really well (so far haha) and she's an amazing cook. She's already taught me a few things and I told her I'm going to be a gourmet cook by the end of our transfer. Let's hope... I'm only really good at cooking pasta and rice right now. hahaha My new area is in Daet, a little over 3 hours from my last area. Our town is called Mercedes and the work is really progressing here! Sister Tumagoy actually trained Sister Coons, my kasama (companion) in the MTC, and so now I just replaced her. They did amazing work in this area. They had a baptism last week, and then we had the baptism of Jane, a cute 11 year old on Saturday, and this Saturday is Daisy. We've been praying for Daisy a lot and we taught her twice this week because she's been struggling with the word of wisdom. She's been doing amazing though! Obviously, because she's having her baptism on Saturday!!! When we taught her on Saturday night, she told us that she just got a new job and she has to work on Sundays, so she can't attend church. We had just finished teaching about temples (because we were also teaching a recent convert, Mark), and so we explained the big picture to her. To eventually get to the temple and gain exaltation. So pretty much choosing between a temporary job and salvation. haha She already knows everything though. She likes to be taught and then join in other lessons when we teach other people. Seriously though, as we were teaching, the spirit was so strong. And it's so amazing to me because when the spirit is present like that, I understand everything in Tagalog. And that's saying something because I'm still REALLY struggling to understand people. Daisy started crying because she has such a huge desire to be baptized and doesn't want to have to move her baptismal date again, this time for church attendance. Last time, she had a little bit to drink and she was so sad that her baptismal date had to be moved. This is the first time I've seen someone with an extremely strong desire to change. My heart is filled with this love that I've never felt before and I just want to help her and EVERYONE ELSE with all the strength I have. I'm so excited for Daisy. Even though I've only known her for a week, I'm so proud of her and excited for Saturday. Now our district has to come up with a musical number for it. Let's hope we can pull that together. ;)

We're teaching so many people. This week we kind of focused on the recent converts since we have a lot of new member lessons to complete. This week we're going to focus on second lessons with those that the sisters tracted last transfer. We'll see how that goes. We're also teaching a beautiful family who is excited to come to church every week and we're hoping they will get baptized next month. .....and I'm having a hard time remembering the names of everyone else we're teaching because I've met so many people this week!

Even though I still can't really understand people, the language is really coming along now. I can all of a sudden speak more and people are starting to understand me. Hallelujah. It sucks being forced into silence. I think one of the reasons Heavenly Father sent me here is so I would say the things He wants me to say, and not say what I think sounds good. Does that make sense? I really have to rely on the Lord. I think one of the reasons I'm always so exhausted is because I'm constantly having to think really hard about how to say things. But sometimes the words just come and I know that's because the spirit is present. I'm not really worried about it now. I know it will come. I'm just doing my studies and it's coming little by little. Another reason Heavenly Father sent me to the Philippines is so I will be superwoman when I get home. hahaha Just kidding. I'm starting to get used to the huge spiders that run around the house (blahhhhhhh). They still freak me out, but whatever. Missionary life here in the Philippines... I have more things to worry about like getting worms. Whoo. Dad, you were right though. I was saved for the latter days for flush toilets and hot showers. I definitely don't get those both anymore. It's like a continuous camping trip. I love it though. It's definitely an adventure. Oh, we live like a two minutes walk away from the beach! You can hear the ocean from our apartment! Since we live so close it's really humid (oh, it's been SO hot lately) and everything rusts. So my companion thinks it's funny how I keep EVERYTHING in plastic bags. We're having fun though. We work hard and play hard. I think I'm really going to like it here in Mercedes. I love the work and I LOVE being a missionary. It's going by way too fast!!! I love you all! The church is true!

Love,

Sister Stettler

Week 18 - letter to mom and dad

Dear mom and dad,

I have a lot to tell you but no email time AGAIN today. :( Oh well. I will explain next week. Quick update. I had a fantastic week! My training is over!!!!! Can you believe it?! I'm being transferred tomorrow. Please pray for me as I am very anxious! And my next companion. That's the main thing I'm nervous for. The ward and area are amazing here and I am going to miss them so so so SOOOOOOOO much!!! My mission is going by so fast. I'm going to cry if I even talk about it. Even though it's hard, I'm loving it. Even if I still can't speak Tagalog well. It's coming along though. Of course they call it "missionary work", not "missionary play", right? Haha. I love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please take care. :)

Love,
Alyssa

Week 17

I got Christmas cards this week! Whoo! It takes a month for mail to get here :) So thank you for the mail and Merry-belated Christmas??... So this week was MUCH better than last. I didn't send out an email last week because it was absolutely crazy and we only had time to write to President and our families. Even though there are discouraging, frustrating, hectic weeks, there is always a turning point. Rose and Jessica were finally able to be confirmed and they are such great examples to their families! We're now teaching two of Rose's sons and Jessica's brothers and sisters. Sometimes her parents listen in. Their mother fully supports her children becoming members of the church, and hopefully she will continue to listen to us. Not much has really happened this week honestly. This is my last week of training and transfer announcements are on Saturday which is absolutely crazy. I am so nervous and anxious! I'm not sure why. I guess it's because I'm still not comfortable with the language and fear of the unexpected. I know it's all going to be fine though. The Lord knows what he's doing. :) Sorry this is so short. Not much to report. The church true! We say that all the time but I really do know this is the only true church.

1st Baptisms

The Falls

Hiking Mount Isarog

Week 15

Maray na hapon po! (Yay for Bicol!)

What an exciting week!!! Rose and Jessica were baptized! I wish you all could have seen how excited they were for their baptism. SO many people we happy to see them go through with it because they were becoming so called "eternal investigators." It's so amazing to see how the Lord and other missionaries prepare certain people for you. Even from the beginning when we took over teaching them, I have seen a dramatic change. They started coming to church and following through with their commitments and I have loved watching their faith increase. I was sick on Friday (can I PLEASE stop getting sick?!), so the Sister Training Leaders came over and Sister Abarabar went on exchanges with Sister Ganzagan while Sister Sanft stayed with me back at the apartment. When Sister Ganzagan and Sister Abarabar went to Bombon to make sure Rose and Jessica were ready for their baptism the next day, little Vea (Rose's daughter) was jumping up and down acting like it was her getting baptized. Too bad she has to wait a few more years until she's 8 years old. hahaha Anyways, Sister Rose was texting us Saturday night telling us how excited she was to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday. Unfortunately, Satan is real and he works so hard. Sunday morning, there was a problem at home and Rose texted us telling us she didn't know what to do because she wasn't going to be able to make it to church. Sister Ganzagan told me right after I finished saying my morning prayers and I rolled back on my knees and started praying again. haha. We suggested she just come to sacrament meeting and she arrived late with Jessica and weren't able to be confirmed!!! Ah!!! So disappointing!!! I really hope and pray nothing happens this week. And I just pray that their faith will stay strong as life really doesn't get any easier. Thankfully the gospel helps us through so much and we can overcome anything through our Savior, Jesus Christ.

This week was crazy because we weren't able to go out one day because it was so stormy. As my kasama (companion) said, "The coconuts are dancing." The wind was so strong and I was so bummed we weren't able to go work. There's only so much studying your brain can take! I hope this stormy weather ends soon. I've honestly been freezing!!!

So the night I was sick and the Sister Training Leaders stayed over, Sister Ganzagan gave me some sleeping pills she had just bought because I haven't been sleeping at all. I found out that sleeping pills and I don't get along too well. I freaked everyone out by talking and whimpering in my sleep from nightmares. haha

Yesterday, Sister Ganzagan and I went to Pili so she could get her patriarchal blessing. We had to leave church early so we could travel there! But let's pretend that never happened. haha It was fun because we got to take a huge bus. Um, I don't know why I wanted to throw that in here. I just love the Philippines! It's so pretty here and I guess it's nice to see other scenery besides Calabanga, Bombon and Naga.

Today is one of my favorite p-days! Our district hiked Mount Isarog and went up to the falls. It was so gorgeous! Some other Americans were touring it and believe it or not, it was really weird to see white people. Sometimes I forget I'm white. Which I don't know why. Everyone still stares at me and sometimes kids yell, "Hey joe! What's your name?" or, "What up man?" hahaha I have to try so hard not to burst out laughing. Usually I just give kids candy and we get along JUST fine. :) Anyways, when the two Americans were coming across the river, I turned to my district and said, "Look! Foreigners!" Haha Good laugh. Then the guy proposed to the girl and I just died and I accidently said outloud, "I wanna get married!" Whoops. Too late. I'm on a mission. And I'm so glad I'm here! Just to clarify. I'm were I need to be! :) Anyways, I love my district and we had a lot of fun today! Wow. We got up at 5 this morning to head to the falls and I am dead tired. And our email time is being cut short. So that's all for this week.

Hopefully we find some new people to teach because we really need a bigger teaching pool! It's so hard to have people lose interest, but everyone has agency, right? Just come to church!!! Seriously!!! I say that every single day and my kasama and I are trying to focus on the importance of coming to church and partaking of the sacrament. So we will see where this week leads.

I love you all! Talk to ya'll next week.

Love,
Sister Stettler