Tuesday, March 22, 2016

Week #74 - Better late than never! A Baptism & a time to talk about the future!

Hey Mom and Dad,

MOM I AM ALIVE!! haha. I will explain. Long story short I got SO SICK yesterday and I could not even stand on my feet without vomitting let alone make the trip to the computer shop. Sorry I couldnt email yesterday. I was way sick and got permission from sister deyro to email today. I am better now:)

Anyway, that makes me so happy that Steve would choose me as one of his mentor pins. I hope he is making progress towards a mission. 

The geography of my area is exactly as you said it. Water. We are just surrounded by water. The Island isnt like a normal island with a beach outline, but there are these little paths called Pilapils that lead you from fish pond to fish pond. There is 1 road in the whole area. Just one. Which honestly makes the work pretty tough be cause we just walk back and forth the WHOLE DAY.

As far as the sewage pit is concerned. We were walking and it was night time. I saw a wall that was kind of off to the side of the path that had a lot of tall grass along the ground in front of it. Here in the Philippines public urination is not the least bit unacceptable. Both my companion and I had to pee. So we went up to the wall. My companion went first and nothing strange happened, then I came up to the wall about 10 feet away from my comp and took a step towards the wall. I felt solid ground under my feet so I knew I was okay. Then my next foot followed and sank into a hole which they call here an "imbornal" (I know even the name sounds disgusting). The homes here dont have disposers in there sinks and they honestly dont even have plumbing. Its just a tube that goes outside to the wall and lands into the imbornal canal. And it just sits there and festers forever till some poor chap like me come along and puts his foot in it. I know, gross.

Anyway. YES! Jonah was baptized! She bore her testimony at the end and she told her story about the months leading up to January before we met her. She talked about how she was really losing hope in life and felt like God was not answering prayers. Feeling a little guilty for her lack of faith she decided to make it here new years resolution to "get to know god"...
Then we showed up on her door on January 1st. All because we followed the spiritual prompting to do a magic trick for her little brother who then took us to meet his sister; Jonah.

Another success was that 141 people came to church on Sunday. Which is 1 over the goal we set with the ward council when we arrived here. I remember telling them in PEC that "if we trust in the lord and his ability to change people, 140 people will attend church before my companion and I transfer out of this area". And we did. By trusting the lord we saw that miracle happen.

Anyway Mom and Dad. I have been thinking a lot and as dangerous as that is I think maybe it would be an okay time to try to talk to you about some things.

I want to do music for my career.

I know this probably is not a shocker, but I want to talk about it.

There is nothing set or planned because I am still a ways out. But I want to know your views on it. I still want to study music and audio engineering, but I dont just want to be behind the mixer board my whole career.

I know that you are well aware that this has been my dream for a long long time. And I know that before I start anything like this I need to make sure I have all my ducks in a row. I need to be sure that the communication between Austin and I is clear and that he understands how important it is to me to be a force for good in the world, and to keep my standards. I believe that these things are compatible.

It hit me really hard the other day when I was sick and my companion was watching "Im a mormon" videos. He watched Brandon Flowers and Elaine Bradley (both very successful Mormon musicians). I also have been prayfully studying my patriarchal blessing and there it mentions that I would have "many opportunities to share my talents both in the church and in society".

Especially having done a lot of music in my mission I feel like the Lord wants me to continue to magnify and amplify this talent. To continue to nourish it and work on it. I am also well aware that the blessing of keeping the commandments in my life will entitle me to the Lords help and blessing with that. I have seen that in my mission in the simple fact that I am twice the guitarist and twice the singer that I was before I left.

I want to know what you think. I am going to need your support (I am not referencing financial help or support) but I am going to need your help in the sense that you are in my corner and you are there to cheer me on. I would like to eventually speak with Matt and Will ( being that they have some experience in this field) and see what advice they have to offer.

I cant imagine myself doing anything else. I really cant. And I feel strongly that if we approach it prayerfully and obediently the Lord can help me accomplish my dream. He did after all give me the talent.

I love you and I hope you are doing well. Talk about it. Let me know what you think.

Elder Dahle

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