Week #55 - Investigators SOOOO close and yet sooo far!

Hey Mom & Dad,

I am happy! The work goes well, President Deyro decided to go ahead and put my idea to the test this week starting today. So we had a meeting early in the morning today and so "Relentless Week" begins. I am very excited about it and I am carefully watching and analyzing the statistics to see the results. It is very exciting. I am getting to teach quite a bit, but we had a really discouraging experience yesterday. We have 2 investigators who were really really close to baptism; John Michael and his mom Imelda. They have been doing SPECTACULAR through all the lesson, they have been reading, praying, and coming to church, and all was going great. Then they passed their interview. All was great and they were set to be baptized this upcoming Saturday. BUT the following Sunday after their interview... they didn't come to church.... UHHGGGGG I just wanted to pull my hair out! They were SO CLOSE, but now we have to reset them and take them back another 4 weeks. And these next 4 weeks are going to be significantly harder; that's how it always is. The temptations for them will be stronger. The adversary will be more vicious in his attempt to halt their spiritual progress. Please pray for them. I feel very very close to these two individuals and I have had some very spiritual experiences with them while teaching, it would be hard for me if they cant keep their commitments. Anyway yes MANGALDAN IS NOW A STAKE! That is so great and I am very excited for them, my favorite BML Randy Delo Santos keeps me pretty updated on things happening there. I would do anything to die in that area (relax! "die" just means end my mission). The music has been tough to fit in to the grueling office schedule. We are working with President Deyro to find areas throughout the mission that need it so I can just go there and preform for them to help them get OYM's. I have preformed and a few church activities like FHE's and the homecoming of a local missionary. But for the most part I am taking a break because my responsibilities right now as Recorder and a District Leader have me swamped. I have even been dumb enough to add on to my work load by taking the lead on the Relentless Week program. When people have questions I get a text. And lets just say that I have been answering a lot of questions. Not to mention that being a DL means that I have to go interview the baptismal candidates of the missionaries in my district. This makes my schedule crazy but I LOVE INTERVIEWS. They are the most spiritual experiences. You really get to know who they are just in the short 6 interview worthiness questions. I have already faced some unexpected answers to some of the big ones. Those will have to be stories for after the mission.

Anyway, things there seem crazy. Sounds like everyone is really keeping busy. I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT ETHAN DOING DRUM-LINE. Oh my goodness I miss drum line. Can you email me some of my old drum line pictures, particularly the drum break ones :). YES my companion has a great sense of humor, we get along really really well, he is going to be one of my favorites:). Speaking of favorites, having a car means that on P-Day I can go where ever the heck I want to shop and such and so we went to SM mall today and I had a sweet reunion with Elder Sta. Maria, I miss him tons. He has a pretty tough companion right now so please keep him in your thoughts and prayers. I also get to see my kid (Elder Baldove) all the time, right now he is actually companions with Elder Brown haha, strange how it all works out. President Deyro is so in tune with the spirit in receiving revelation. Honestly, I really loved president Monahan, but he was kinda hard to get close to and really get to know. I feel like President Deyro is one of my closest friend and a father figure while I am away from my Dad. He counsels with me often and gives me advice and asks advice from me and such. I hope to stay in contact with him long after my mission.

Anyway, in other news. THE TEMPLE IS NIGH. A few weeks ago the church architect came to the office and just took a bathroom break after arriving here to scan sites for the temple (The current site wont work because the ground used to be a rice field so the ground is really soft) and he just talked to us for a little bit. He is a church employee and had just arrived from salt lake. I assumed that his position was over the philippines area or asia or something like that. I asked him. Nope. He is in charge of the temples for the whole world haha. 

Anyway, I am doing so good and I am loving the mission and I am scared about how fast this next year is going to go. I am really going do my best to enjoy this last year of 100% dedicated service to the Lord. Mom and Dad. I know this church is true. I want you to know that. For real. I know. And it will always be the guiding light for my life. I love you so much.

Elder Dahle

PS Mom, please keep me VERY updated on your health.

Week #54 - 1 year down & a New Companion

Hey Mom and Dad,

Well this week was also brutal for the office staff. This transfer is a short transfer so it is only 4 weeks. Meaning we have WAY less time to prepare for the transfer (which has a to do list with more that 100 check boxes on it). A lot is happening this transfer,

Firstly! I have a new companion! His name is Elder Raymundo (his name means "king of the world" so thats what I call him) He is way cool. Its going to be pretty hard to part ways with Elder Ansuban, I am not sure I have had a companion from which I learned so much. BY THE WAY, I just found out that Derek's last companion was Elder Ansubans MTC companion haha, its a small world.

My To-Do-List only seems to get bigger everyday.

2 weeks ago we had interviews with President Deyro, and I took the opportunity to share with him an idea I have had for a while now, that will really help our mission achieve our potential; president Deyro really liked that. It has been through a lot of changes but this friday I will give a Workshop with one of the AP's in MLC to all the Zone Leaders to explain it, then the first week of next transfer we are going to do a test run. Hope it doesnt utterly fail, because I have put countless hours into tweaking it to make it work.

In other news. I received some really wonderful news from the Andersons (they are the Self- Relience Couple missionaries here). Albert Raras is my very first baptism in the mission. Shortly after baptizing him, they found out that his wife Diane was pregnant and amidst the joy they had with that news, he unfortunately had to move far away to Maynila to work so then they could support them, meaning that he could not attend church. For a long time they struggled and at times didnt even have clean water for her to drink. But then the Andersons found her. THey worked hard to help her get to better circumstances and even supplied her with a couple jugs of fresh water. The wonderful news is that Diane has now given birth to a little boy, she is an executive trainer of the SRC in Urdaneta Stake and she and Albert are really close to being on their feet to get Albert in a situation where he can come back and go to church.

This was incredible news to me, and I know they are working to get to the temple to be sealed.

I am now out of time and that is disappointing because I have more I want to share regarding that.

Anyway, I love you, I am safe healthy and having a blast.

Elder Dahle

Week #53 - Busy but HAPPY! Almost to the 1 YEAR MARK!

Hey Family,

Wow, I have been ALL OVER the mission this week. Even today, and because of that this one is not going to be long or spectacular or have a tear jerking testimony at the end.

No more storm. Its gone, and luckily the other one went somewhere else. However I still had to get up and some ridiculous hour in the middle of the night and go evacuate the sisters in my district because the government opened the dam and that causes some crazy flooding. But all is well. The mission is just doing A LOT of service right now.

This week was good considering. Earlier during P-Day my companion and I negotiated a contract with a landlord for some sisters in Rosales Zone and then we went bowling with a lot of other missionaries I havent seen in a while. I didnt really notice how many friends I had made until we were all in one place and I was able to hang out with all of them.

Because no one went to church the sunday of the typhoon all of the Confirmations for investigators who were baptized on Saturday got moved the yesterday. Which now means that there are about a bajillion records coming to the office for me to take care of. UHG. Anyway mom, I will write answers to you questions on my lunch breaks this week and send them all to you on monday. But for now. I am happy. I am dry. I am tired. And I am now one year old in the mission. YIKES!

love

Elder Dahle

Week #52 - Typhoon Lando (Koppu) - Pray for the people of the Philippines!

Letter # 1 (A short update so Mom and Dad can breathe a little easier:0))

I am safe.

I am happy.

But those are the only two questions I have time to answer. The whole mission is on lock down, we have to go take kits to missionaries and check on everyone. The winds were brutal. You will see in the picture I am sending. Now it is raining like none other. Dad said they measured it in millimeters on the news there, but there is a meter of water covering some places of Urdaneta and even whole areas in other zones. I have to go help. I love you and might get to email more later today. If there are any other parents freaking out assure them there is nothing to be worried about if their kid doesn't email. They have no power and it isnt safe outside the apartment. All apartments are cement structures and they are all safe. I love you.

Elder Dahle

Letter #2

Hello all,

Well I don't have time to write a bunch, but they say a picture is worth a thousand words. I am safe, everyone in my district is safe and I am checking on them often. Typhoon Lando (Koppu) is strong. We are at a signal 3, and it just doesn't seem like it wants to leave the mission boundaries. No missionaries are hurt. Just a lot of damage to the weaker structures and most trees have been thoroughly amputated. Saw a flying banana tree. Here in the office the phones are off the hook. Many other areas are pretty flooded and it seems like its going to be this way for a while. Its raining really hard here in Urdaneta right now. The winds are pretty strong too but they are stronger in other places as the eye of the storm has left us. From the radar it looks like another slightly stronger Typhoon is just behind this one. Not sure if it will go south or come to us. Anyway, I love you all, pray for the people here please. 

You can see the wind sheared the bark off the tree behind me. all aside, I am safe. Love you all.

Elder Dahle

Week #50 - The Book of Mormon is True . . . Try It!

Hello Everyone,

It has really been a long time since I sent a large email to everyone in my list. (Sooooo if you hear that anyone is upset that they didn't get an email, it because I don't have it and they should send it to me.)

So I spent 3 months in Sta. Maria and my last companion there was Elder Sta. Maria (awesome, right?). There I started using music to do missionary work and preformed in front of a college while my sweet companion contacted over 200 people (incredible, right?) while I sang and played guitar. And now am in Urdaneta serving in a new calling (Mission Recorder and District Leader) and my new companion is Elder Ansuban (The Finance Secretary, I give him a hard time because my phone auto-corrects his name as Suburban) He is a Filipino from Mindanao, and he is easily the best, most inspired teacher in the whole mission. I am so very blessed to be his companion to learn from him.

My schedule has changed an awful lot, but it is still focused on my purpose. And we actually get to work way more effectively considering the fact that I have a car assigned to me. My new responsibilities as Recorder include creating the Urdaneta Newsletter, Recording all Baptismal records of convert baptisms, reporting the statistics of the mission to Salt Lake, editing all pictures and photos of new missionaries or activities and such. As a passing comment the records are a complete DISASTER. It is safe to say that I am never bored or without anything to do.

The music is going well and me and the supply manager, Elder Dromey (who was also just assigned a guitar) are preparing for a performance at the church for a church tour activity for investigators.

Honestly I have so much more I want to say but I am out of time.

I just want to close with my testimony of this work, this belief, and the undeniable blessing it has been to come here to the Philippines and meet these wonderful beautiful people, in this beautiful country. I have undoubtedly gone through changes as I have worked shoulder to shoulder with incredible people and worked with them to bring smiles to discouraged faces, and hope to broken hearts. This past week I saw the power of this message bring a grown man to tears as he read promised blessings from the Book of Mormon. I know that book is true. To who don't know anything about or have doubts concerning the 6 words in the previous sentence; I boldly yet lovingly invite you to read it (get a copy;its free and you all know a Mormon). With sincerity. Not just curiosity. With an open heart and mind. Then I invite you to pray and ask your Father in Heaven if it is true. It took time for me to TRULY know. But I will never regret the patience with which I took the steps to find that truth. I love you all so much and I wish you all happiness.

With Love,
Elder Dahle

A brush with Home . . . The Dahle Elders finally meet in the Field

When Alex's Uncle Marc and Aunt Tammy decided to go pick up his cousin Derek from his mission (a neighboring missing to Alex's) I knew I wanted to send some things with them to get to Alex. We had just assumed they would drop it off at the mission home in Urdaneta and he would eventually get it.  But by divine intervention Alex was transferred, a week earlier than transfer week, to be a District Leader and Mission Recorder in the mission office in Urdaneta! And what do you know . . . they got to see him!!! Here are the pictures from their meeting! Tammy reports that he is doing wonderful, looks wonderful and happy! This mom couldn't feel more blessed that this worked out the way that it did and he got a Mom hug from the next best thing, Aunt Tammy!

Elder Derek Dahle, Emma (cousin), Uncle Marc, Elder Alex Dahle & Aunt Tammy

Elder Derek Dahle on his way home & Elder Alex Dahle at the half way mark!

And the 2 cousins meet in the Philippines! Don't you know their conversations were fun!

Elder Dahle with his new companion, Elder Ansuban

Week #49 - Early Transfer, New area, New Companion, New Responsibility!

Hey Family!

Well SURPRISE!!!!! I got early transferred haha.

I am now in the Mission Office and I have been called as a District Leader. So my new area is Urdaneta 1B (I think? I am still not sure where I am) and my new companion is Elder Ansuban, the Mission Finance (once again I have been blessed with a really wonderful companion' he is such a good missionary).

This time President didnt even wait till transfer day (*its still this next thursday haha), he just had his Assistant call me and have me pack my bags and get ready to be picked up by the mission Supply Manager because I was given a new assignment.

I now have a Philippines Licence, and a mission car (yeah its a new Toyota Corolla, imagine that haha). My new companion is Elder Ansuban the mission Finance Officer (he is so great). My calling involves a lot of new responsibility and I will have to tell you more about it next week (because I honestly dont know all of it) but I will just list a few things that I do as Mission Recorder.

> I receive all BCR's or Baptism and Confirmation Records and I check them and input them into the Church Records System

> I photoshop and edit all incoming photos of new missionaries and batch pictures

> I photoshop and create the mission Newsletter "Urdaneta.net"

> I create programs for Baptisms and other activities

> I help prepare the transfer list for the rest of the office Elders

> And about 5 other things I havent been taught yet

As a District Leader

> I interview all the missionaries of my District to check on their areas, their relationship with their companions, and their overall well being (those under my stewardship are actually ALL the Mission Leaders; AP's, Zone Leaders, and the Sister Training Leaders). So actually that means I am under the direction of all those in my district but they are under my responsibility, weird right? The Prophet has a home teacher, so its kind of the same principle.

> I give an instructional workshop to the district every tuesday.

> I join the Zone Leaders in a meeting after District Meeting to discuss and find solutions to specific problems of missionaries in my District

> I receive the stats of my district and send them the Zone Leaders (who then send them back to me as mission Recorder haha)

So basically there is a lot of new change in my life as a missionary. Some, really relieving (Air-conditioning office, Car, the big house, washing machine, The mission Secretary is a Culinary Arts student haha so he cooks all the time) And then also some really stressful new responsibilities. But President interviewed me when I got to Urdaneta and told me that he trusted me to have "little to no problems adjusting to the new calling" YIKES!

Anyway, I love you so very much, I will be anxiously awaiting the package :)

Love, 

Elder Dahle