Hey Mom,
Answers to Questions.
No, I did not lose all my mission pictures. I was lucky enough to have had the sense to move all my pictures to my USB when I was in the office just before it got stolen.
About the boat haha. We live on the mainland of the philippines and we have to take a boat to the area. Our apartment is in the ZL's area. There are no apartment complexes on the island (there are barely any concrete buildings actually). The area is just one road that is probably about a mile long. On both sides of the road there are mga palaisdaan or "fish ponds" for miles and miles. Almost all the houses there are just little bamboo huts that hang over the water of the fish ponds. People here make a living by getting the meat out of muscle shells and selling them. I helped a member the other day for fun and I actually got pretty good at it hahaha.
Well. This is downright the hardest thing I have ever done in my flipping life. There are probably 3 times more primary children that attend church than adults. We are slowly making progress.
My companion needs our prayers badly. thats all I will say about it for now. Some things happened that I dont want to write about. I will tell you after my mission.
Thank you so much for taking care of the card and camera and stuff. I still have a pair of glasses so dont worry. I love you so much:)
Elder Dahle
Monday, January 25, 2016
Monday, January 18, 2016
Week #65 The Spirit keeps me on track in the hard times!
Mom,
About the camera. Yes I need you to send me a new one asap. The watch got returned to me. Dont send me new glasses. I will just endure it haha. And there is one more thing I need... You are going to laugh and then probably freak out a little bit. My debit card is going to expire in February. I am not sure the best way for us to handle that. Hopefully if you send one it doesnt take forever to get here:/ I was going to treat my companion to a way nice pizza place on my birthday haha. Just let me know what you and Dad decide to do. Maybe next monday I withdraw a lot of money to suffice till the card arrives?
Anyway. This assignment is darn near impossible. No, its not impossible. But its close. I am just going to go ahead and open up to you right now about it. My companion and I are not doing well. I am really doing my best to be patient with him. But he truthfully doesnt want to be here. He wants to go home. He sleeps too much. Doesnt like talking to people. Sometimes refuses to speak or share in lessons. I often have to give him reminders about the schedule or such. I feel like a babysitter. and that doesnt help considering this are makes San Manuel look like a cake walk.
Its pretty obvious the Lord wants me to learn a lot this transfer. Sometimes when I feel myself getting impatient I can hear those words from one of the Seventies who spoke in conference about a similar situation, and the Lord spoke to his mind about his companion and said "you know, compared to me; the two of you are not that different". That humbling reminder from the Spirit usually keeps me on track.
To avoid a lot of details about it I will just say simply that the ward here is not unified. Leaders are not attending church. When they do come they engage in contention with one another. There is however one family which is the shining star of Dagupan 6. They are truly living the Gospel and reaping the blessings of it. They are helping us so much. Its incredible haha.
Anyway. I have to go.
About the camera. Yes I need you to send me a new one asap. The watch got returned to me. Dont send me new glasses. I will just endure it haha. And there is one more thing I need... You are going to laugh and then probably freak out a little bit. My debit card is going to expire in February. I am not sure the best way for us to handle that. Hopefully if you send one it doesnt take forever to get here:/ I was going to treat my companion to a way nice pizza place on my birthday haha. Just let me know what you and Dad decide to do. Maybe next monday I withdraw a lot of money to suffice till the card arrives?
Anyway. This assignment is darn near impossible. No, its not impossible. But its close. I am just going to go ahead and open up to you right now about it. My companion and I are not doing well. I am really doing my best to be patient with him. But he truthfully doesnt want to be here. He wants to go home. He sleeps too much. Doesnt like talking to people. Sometimes refuses to speak or share in lessons. I often have to give him reminders about the schedule or such. I feel like a babysitter. and that doesnt help considering this are makes San Manuel look like a cake walk.
Its pretty obvious the Lord wants me to learn a lot this transfer. Sometimes when I feel myself getting impatient I can hear those words from one of the Seventies who spoke in conference about a similar situation, and the Lord spoke to his mind about his companion and said "you know, compared to me; the two of you are not that different". That humbling reminder from the Spirit usually keeps me on track.
To avoid a lot of details about it I will just say simply that the ward here is not unified. Leaders are not attending church. When they do come they engage in contention with one another. There is however one family which is the shining star of Dagupan 6. They are truly living the Gospel and reaping the blessings of it. They are helping us so much. Its incredible haha.
Anyway. I have to go.
I love you,
Elder Dahle
Monday, January 11, 2016
Week #64 - Hard area but making progress!!!
Dear Mom and Dad,
This week has been really great. We are very very close with the members here in our area and that has been a lot of help for us as we work to find new investigators.
We have a handful of people making progress to being baptized but they didnt come to church yesterday. In fact. Most of the members didnt come to church yesterday haha. The main goal is for us to at least leave this area better than when we found it. Which is challenging, but not impossible because there is plenty of room for improvement.
Anyway, low on time, gotta go buy food for this week haha. Have a good week:)
By the way I love you too! haha
This week has been really great. We are very very close with the members here in our area and that has been a lot of help for us as we work to find new investigators.
We have a handful of people making progress to being baptized but they didnt come to church yesterday. In fact. Most of the members didnt come to church yesterday haha. The main goal is for us to at least leave this area better than when we found it. Which is challenging, but not impossible because there is plenty of room for improvement.
Anyway, low on time, gotta go buy food for this week haha. Have a good week:)
By the way I love you too! haha
Elder Dahle
Monday, January 4, 2016
Week #63 - New kid, new area and a crazy, loud New Year's
Mom,
Haha well, this week has been pretty crazy. On transfer day I picked up my kid (Elder Cañete) and we were taken to our area by the AP's because we didnt have a traveling cell phone. We got there to our apartment (which hasnt had missionaries in it for 5 months) and it was DISGUSTING. Cockroaches everywhere, all surfaces were dirty and dusty. The last missionaries there left a whole pot of rice on the counter which just sat there and molded for 5 months. The area book hadnt even been touched for 7 months. I can honestly say that this is going to be the most difficult assignment I have been given.
We had a curfew that night so we didnt get to go out and work, so we just planned and cleaned and got to know each other the 1st night. then we went to sleep at 10:30. Around 11:50ish we were awakened by about a million (not exaggerating) explosions outside the apartment. They go ALL OUT for new years eve. From 11:50-1:30 or so it was IMPOSSIBLE to sleep because of the war of fireworks going on outside the apartment.
The next few days we finally took the little boat out to our area. When I say "little boat" I mean it. Like for real. Its barely a few strips of wood and bamboo roped together with a little guy in the back paddling us across the water. Sometimes its kinda sketchy hahaha.
The first few days we literally knew nothing so we just OYMed for 7 hours straight to find new investigators. We had little success until the last hour. We met a woman named Jonah. We taught her the restoration, then extended a baptismal date on Feb 6. She accepted, then came to church the next Sunday haha. What a blessing.
Then yesterday we FINALLY met and found the bishop and met all the members. We have been doing all we can to strengthen our relationship with them. They seem to be very grateful to have missionaries again. Especially missionaries who are obedient and focus on their purpose. I have a lot of hope for the next few weeks.
Anyway. I am loving my mission and having a great time. I love you very very much. Keep reading hebrews 11 and compare it to Ether 12. It had a big impact on me reading that.
Elder Dahle
Haha well, this week has been pretty crazy. On transfer day I picked up my kid (Elder Cañete) and we were taken to our area by the AP's because we didnt have a traveling cell phone. We got there to our apartment (which hasnt had missionaries in it for 5 months) and it was DISGUSTING. Cockroaches everywhere, all surfaces were dirty and dusty. The last missionaries there left a whole pot of rice on the counter which just sat there and molded for 5 months. The area book hadnt even been touched for 7 months. I can honestly say that this is going to be the most difficult assignment I have been given.
We had a curfew that night so we didnt get to go out and work, so we just planned and cleaned and got to know each other the 1st night. then we went to sleep at 10:30. Around 11:50ish we were awakened by about a million (not exaggerating) explosions outside the apartment. They go ALL OUT for new years eve. From 11:50-1:30 or so it was IMPOSSIBLE to sleep because of the war of fireworks going on outside the apartment.
The next few days we finally took the little boat out to our area. When I say "little boat" I mean it. Like for real. Its barely a few strips of wood and bamboo roped together with a little guy in the back paddling us across the water. Sometimes its kinda sketchy hahaha.
The first few days we literally knew nothing so we just OYMed for 7 hours straight to find new investigators. We had little success until the last hour. We met a woman named Jonah. We taught her the restoration, then extended a baptismal date on Feb 6. She accepted, then came to church the next Sunday haha. What a blessing.
Then yesterday we FINALLY met and found the bishop and met all the members. We have been doing all we can to strengthen our relationship with them. They seem to be very grateful to have missionaries again. Especially missionaries who are obedient and focus on their purpose. I have a lot of hope for the next few weeks.
Anyway. I am loving my mission and having a great time. I love you very very much. Keep reading hebrews 11 and compare it to Ether 12. It had a big impact on me reading that.
Elder Dahle
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