MTC (Week 5)

So this has been a pretty good week! We got our travel plans on March 14th, so we are so excited!  Especially me, and all the teachers always tease me everyday which is way funny. They always tell me that I finally made it and everything, so it’s been good! There have been some pretty good experiences this week!

The Singapore District

So back to when we leave....  We leave Salt Lake at 8:05 PM on Tuesday, March 26th, and go to LAX and we get there at 9:05 PM.  We then don’t leave for Hong Kong until 1:05 AM and we arrive in Hong Kong on March 28th at 7:40 AM.  So yeah, it’s such a long flight!! Then after that, at 9:10 AM we fly from Hong Kong to Singapore, and we will finally get into Singapore at 1:00 PM.  And for our mission they also included a return flight so that it looks like we will only be there for a few weeks visiting (haha), so my return flight that isn’t real, is from Singapore to Tokyo, Japan then Tokyo to LAX.  When we all saw our travel plans, we all thought they were real!  (Not - haha)  I'm so excited to get over there!

One of the really cool stories that I have that I forgot to tell you for the past two weeks is this story. So I was talking to everyone in my district and when their original date to come into the MTC was and they all told me January 2, 2013, so when I told them the day that I decided to come out on my mission they all told me that about 5 days after I made my decision that they got a letter in the mail from the church telling them that they had been delayed and that they were coming in February 13, 2013, the same day that I decided to come in!  So, I think that is pretty cool!!  Maybe they all got delayed because I was coming in... or maybe it was just a coincidence!

Elder Stahle with his companion, Elder Robbins

[ To provide more information on this story, C.J. talked to President Ostler, our Stake President, around Thanksgiving time.  He asked President Ostler when the next group of missionaries would be going into the MTC, since he was doing really well and feeling close to being strong enough and healthy enough to actually work towards a re-entry date.  President Ostler called C.J. back 1-2 days later with information.  He told C.J. that he could go into the MTC on January 2nd, February 13th, or May of 2013.   He immediately told President Ostler that he felt like February would be the perfect time for him to work towards.  He also told him that starting in February, they would be changing the length of time in the MTC from 9 weeks to 6 weeks, so that sounded good to him too, since he spent 4 weeks there the first time. ]

I sent home my SD card yesterday so that you could hurry and download the pictures then send the card back to me with the last package that you send! I’m going to be mailing stuff home this week with some stuff that I don’t need duplicates of (sheets, towel, etc).  We have to be very careful with our weight in our luggage.  

A cool story that I had with the holy ghost this week!  So it was kind of strange.  Early one Saturday morning, I decided to go and check the mail.  It was 2:00 AM in the morning and as I was walking to my mailbox, I had this feeling that I needed to go into the bathroom, and I had just gone like 5 minutes before, so I didn’t need to go to the bathroom.  I didn’t know why, so I just went because I was prompted.  Inside this bathroom there was this a severely handicap man who worked here.  I don’t know how long he was standing in there trying to get out. He was reaching for the door handle and missing it by about 6 inches and when I opened the door he thanked me and gave me a hug.  It was really cool!  So my advice is to never ignore any prompting, no matter how small or weird or anything that it might be!

We had a pretty good teaching in TRC on Saturday.  It has been very boring in class for the past 2 weeks because they are done teaching us new things.  Oh ya SAYA SAMSENG!!!!!  Elder Kavapalu and I go around saying that all the time!

Hey Dad, that is so cool about all the people that you have been talking to lately about me and how they aren’t members and how interested they are!  Even though I'm not out there serving, those people you have recently talked to you have probably planted a seed with them now! So you are a missionary as well now, Dad! I love you so much and miss you! That's good about my book...I've been waiting forever!!  Yeah.  Everyone here loves Duck Dynasty too.  We always talk about them. I’m doing really good and yes, no more sore throat nor earache.  I’m good.   

I’m feeling really good about the language.  I feel really prepared and ready to go over!  I have   been trying my best to study and learn everything I can.  I feel that I have gotten a lot smarter with scriptures and everything else!

I will call you from the SLC airport and probably from LAX too.  Possibly from Hong Kong too, if I have enough calling card minutes.  That's good to hear that our family is being blessed.  It’s worth it.  I have to admit, no matter how hard the work is, it is worth it!  I love being out here!  My journal is huge.  I have been writing in it a lot.  

Hey Maddie!  Yes, I'm so excited I get to leave soon.  How fast can you run the 100 M? Love you, and keep going to seminary and doing good in school!

Hey Lydia! How is track and volleyball and everything going for you with school? I love and miss you so much!

Hey Hannah!   Your volleyball team took 3rd in a national qualifier?  That is way cool!  How is school going for you?? I love you so much.

Hey Brooke!  I love you, I love you, I love Yooooouuuuuuoooooouuuuu :) I miss you Brooke!

Hey Mom - Yes another week has gone by, thankfully!  I am so ready to get out of here! I’m  happy you got my book done! So I should get it either today or Wednesday? Send my SD card with my last care package.  You asked what I wanted!  Well, yeah, so you know that I like Andes Mints, Dove Caramels, and oh yeah...everyone loved the chips and salsa!    Send whatever you think!  We will all love it, I’m sure!

My legs, calves, butt, back and everything are doing great and fine!  My stomach has been good and no migraines either, so it is good!  

I love you all so much and I miss you all!  I pray for you all daily!!  And Mom, can you please send me todays letter in a dearelder.com?  I want to share what Dad said about the paper guys he works with, so that I can share it with the people in my district!  When I call next Tuesday, is everyone going to be home between 6:00 and 7:30 PM? That is when I will call!!

Jumpa Lagi

Love, Elder Stahle

After reading our email, here’s a quick response to our letters:

That is way exciting about volleyball! For Lydia and Hannah! That’s good that Lydia’s finger isn’t broken because that would have been bad! I love you girls!  Keep doing good in school everything!  That’s exciting about how Maddie wants to serve now!  It is really fun out here most of the time, but can be super hard too!  But the blessings and life lessons are so great.  I can’t wait to begin this chapter of my life!   When we first arrive over in Malaysia, we learned that you buy a bike over there and you keep the box and if you get transferred to other places, you disassemble the bike and fly it around with you.  Brother Blissett said that it would cost about $300 US, so just a heads up.  

Dad                 Dad                     DAAAAAAAAAD

[this is from the show, Elf.  And C.J. would always say this to Clark to make him laugh]

HAHA that seemed like a good way to start this letter hahaha. Yeah, it is going to be a way long flight! But it is on Cathay Pacific so I'm super happy about that.  That is what I flew over on last time [his 8th grade summer he went to China on a 10-day trip with his teacher and peers, and loved the cuture, people and food]!  The stuff I’m going to be sending home is stuff that they told us.  Like they changed it to 1 pair of sheets, and as little as possible because when you are in Singapore and if you serve in Malaysia, you are only allowed to take 1 suitcase weighing 40 pounds and a carry-on, so I will just leave my middled-sized suitcase at the mission home and lock it up.  But I will send home some of the extras, like toothpaste, sheets, Book of Mormon in Malay, because they will give us new ones there and I am also sending home my Malay bible and a few spiral notebooks that I don’t need.  Pretty much, I just need to cut down on weight as much as possible! I’m going to send home my big Preach My Gospel because I bought a mini one here that is like 6 inches tall instead of 15 inches, so it’s so nice.  It fits in my scripture bag! Yes, please send me a few calling cards so we can talk when I’m in Salt Lake airport, then do you guys want me to call you again when I get to LAX?  We will have a 4 hour layover there.  

Yes, everything does happen for a reason. I am a walking definition of that! I have to go write in journals now and get some sleep.  I’m tired.

I love you and miss you so much!

Love, Elder Stahle