Pictures from Elder & Sister Roberts - Magladan Zone

Week # 34 Buffalo tongue!

Dearest Family,

Well I will start this off by telling you I ate water buffalo tongue. Ha. It was honestly WAAYYY GOOD. This week was challenging and a lot of things did not really work out as we had hoped, worked, and prayed for. I will be honest and say that is seems as if the adversary is working as hard in this area as we are. Investigators are going through an extra onslaught of persecution, we as missionaries are feeling the discouragement and inadequacies of our own efforts. But we know "the Lord qualifies whom he calls" so we have held on to that extra tight the past few days. But no matter what we know we really can do it because of the wonderful insight Nephi gives us in 3:7, that "The Lord giveth no commandment unto the children of men save it be he shall prepare a way".

I hope that all of you are happy, and healthy and not eating water buffalo tongue haha. I am doing great, and we are about half way through my last transfer training Elder Baldove, so about 3 and a half weeks left to go. I feel like I am going to transfer after that, which is sad because I LOVE it here in Mangaldan 2A, anmd I love the members here. But sadly that is much more likely to give E. Baldove a chance to lead the area. I am working hard, we are having a blast and changing this area everyday. I love you all so much and I hope you are working hard to come closer to your savior. He loves you. He knows you. He is proud of you. Have a great week this week and pray always that ye may come of conqueror.

Elder Dahle

Week #33 - Sorry It Has Been So Long . . . I LOVE MY MISSION!

Dear Family & Friends!
Wow I am so sorry I have not updated you all in so long. I am still here in Mangaldan training my first "mission kid" Elder Baldove. He and I have a great companionship. We basically walk around and tell each other corny jokes. I help him with English, he helps me with Tagalog (and sometimes Hiligaynon, his native tongue). He and I are doing the best we can here and have seen this area grow tremendously since we got here. The "open area feeling" has far worn off by now and we feel very close with members and especially our branch mission leader Bro. Randy.

My testimony has grown so much. I feel so much closer to my Heavenly Father and I just love walking around and telling people about it. My Tagalog is improving, I still get a little stressed when I talk sometimes but over all I can carry a conversation intelligently and understand about 99% of what I hear. I love you all so much and I wish I could spend hours telling you about the unending supply of spiritual experiences. It seems as though I never have a normal day, my heavenly father just wont let that happen, because that would be too easy haha. We have had 2 baptisms this month and returned 3 less active members. 2 of which had been inactive for 10 YEARS! and because they came back we were able to help there daughter enter the waters of baptism and make an eternal promise with her heavenly father. Hopefully sending pictures soon but I have to buy a new card reader because mine got absolutely soaked in the storm. Overall I just want you all to know that I love my mission. I have experienced the max level of stress on my body, mind, and spirit but it has stretched me and helped me to grow. Never forget that that is the purpose of trials. I LOVE the Philippines and the people here, I know I will miss it here and there will be tears shed when it is time to leave. This truly is "The Pearl of the Orient" and a really beautiful country. I love you all, I bear my testimony to you that I know this is the work of God. I know that a living prophet called me to this place and I know that We have a Heavenly Father who love us. He hears us ask for strength. Show him you havent wasted it. I bear you my witness that Christ lives and loves us and he died and rose again so we could do the same. Have a good week!

Elder Dahle

Week #29 - Busy Week!

Dear Mom & Dad,

This has been a busy, tough week and I am sorry that I don't have much time to write. Quick update - WE HAVE 6 IBD's! and one of them is being baptized on May 30! She is the most elect human being I have yet to teach. Also there is a member here in our branch who doesn't have a Baptism Record. So we have to re- teach and re-baptized a member who hasn't missed a Sunday of church since they got baptized over 13 years ago. WEIRD. Haha that's way funky. Anyway, I am really really happy here working, please have a good week! I love you!!

Elder Dahle

(Alex explains in a rapid fire email that IBD is "Ivestigator with a Baptism Date")

I will be honest when I say Im not too worried about the competition haha 

"sorry president, the cows joined the adversary and we couldn't get to our appointment"

The Angel by Joseph Beuhler Gustin

This is a story written about my boy, his leaving, his mission and the angels who have helped push him along the way written by his best friend, Joey Gustin. Joey read this to us on Mother's Day after we all said goodbye to Alex again after our wonderful Skype call. While we were already crying with joy (and a little sadness) it further brought me to tears and will you too, I am sure. This is being published with Joey's permission to be a memory for Alex of what he tells us really happened for him, that day, sitting in the airport before he left his home, family, friends and all that he loves, to serve the people of the Philippines for the next 2 years.

The Angel

"Okay..." The Instructor said, pausing to fabricate the words... "I need you to go down there.... I need you to make sure, he stays on that plane... Keep him there, I need him" Tension rises, the "instructee" stands ready to carry the burden of his mission. Sparks in his eyes, fire in his heart, wings upon his back. The instructor continued, his words boomed like thunder,"he has dreamed the script you shall follow, he dreamed of your arrival but doesn't believe it to happen.... Show him otherwise. Then you wait in the shadows for those who need him to call out. Give them hope, give them signs to stay alive.... NOW GO."

He dove off the edge and plummeted to land of sin. The feathers flickered in the wind... The land below blue and brown in sight, but his internal vision saw black and red in patches, indicating sin and struggle. He searched desperately for a safe spot to land. He then spot his target.... He landed in the safety of his presence. Standing in the shadows, masked as light and air, watching over his target man. Stares on as his man closes his office door, lays his hands on a head of curls, surrounded by people who love him, the man closes his eyes and begins to pray. 

Hidden in the shadows, the one with wings closed his eyes and channeled into his target, allowing the words from his mind to flow through to his man. This provided comfort to the target he could feel. He closed his prayer and released his power, returning to overseeing. He waits patiently for his day to move. 

The day arrives. The winged one feels the struggle within his man....he provides strength and power to stand and press on. He flies over them as they all travel to the airport, feeling the grieve among the souls and faces with his target. They arrive, he remains omniscient and oversees the final goodbyes, feeling the strength of importance his target has within those around him. He follows his target as he waves goodbye, one last time from the end of the terminal. They carry on. 

The winged one feels his man desire to turn back and his hesitance to continue on... Both becoming too strong to combat from the shadows. The winged one closed his eyes and felt the atmospheric pressure of the earth on his face as he did when he was alive. He opened his eyes, he was standing in the terminal, disguised as an old man, he took his place. He watched his target board the plane, he followed suit. 

He sat down beside his target, he was crying and mumbling. The winged one spoke up, " why are you crying young man?" His target looks over at him white as a ghost and covered in tears.... He began his story of mission and loss, pain and power, leaving those he loves to serve. The winged one followed the fabricated dreamed script, "well expect No hug or pity from me..... But you are doing a good thing and they will all be here when you come back" his target looked at him in shock.... He had seen his sign, he had to be here. He had to go. He had to serve. They stepped off the plane and the winged one disappeared into the crowd. He now watches over those who need him most, in the absence of his assigned missionary man. He watches from the shadows, he shows those around the signs of the life of the one they love off in another world, working, sharing the strength that those put in to his heart. Like an endless cycle of support and power. Just a sudden spark in a dark shadow of time that is the mission.

by Joseph Beuhler Gustin

Week #28 - Mother's Day Skype Call!!!

 

 

 

 High points in our Mother’s Day Skype with Elder Alex Dahle
· He LOOKED and IS HAPPY!!!
· Elder Baldove seems really sweet!
· He loves being a trainer!!! Open area is hard!
· Their time is very filled with looking for and teaching investigators.
· Not as much time with service because they are in an “open-area”
· They have 6 investigators on date for baptism right now! PRAY FOR THEM!!!
· Has many scriptures memorized in English and Tagalog. Favorite right now is in Corinthians
· It is 110+ degrees and right now is dry but they have had some big rain storms lately.
· Highest temp was 123 degrees . . . HOT!!! Admitted to NOT wearing sun screen!
· Food – dog (big not small like Ava), ballut egg (egg very close to hatching – bones and all), and blood meat and dip, chicken feet
· Grossest food – chicken intestines very full of waste! L
· Yes Josh . . . he caught a lizard just the other day!
· And they caught a huge spider in their apartment the size of his fist!
· He is now in a much more urban area – and have access to a dunkin donuts and some other fast food favorites etc.!
· He was clearly struggling with English! He told a story of how he and Elder Arrington were struggling and debating for a hour and a half to remember the American word for “oven mit” Hehehe!
· He now uses rubber shoes he bought there during the week – they keep his feet dry and he uses his nicer ones for Sundays
· They have a very sweet, hard working, lady that does their laundry for them.
· He wishes he had not slept through seminary!
· He was blown away by how his siblings have grown!
· He LOVES the people!
· The place is very BEAUTIFUL!!!
· He spoke with his siblings alone – their memories:
              Work hard on getting ready to go on missions
              Do what you believe is right!
· Spoke with Joey, Tori, Ali, Steve & Colby
              Lots of laughter between the bunch of them!
              Song lyrics & lots of teasing!
              Plans – graduation – etc was talked about
· Spoke with Grandad
             He misses going to the temple!
             They have chosen a site for the Urdanetta Temple but he probably won’t be there   when it is finished.
· Spoke with Mom and Dad
            Lots of tears!
            He loves and misses all of us!
            Keep writing letters!


After his skype he was given time to email us as well!
Hello!
Talking to all of you was so wonderful! I wish I could have had just an hour with each of you! Because I can't, I just want to write each of you a little bit.

Dad and Mom.
I just want to thank you and tell you I love you and that I am only who I am today because of my two wonderful parents. You built the foundation for me to reach my potential. Don’t ever regret the hard times. Afterall it is in the furnace that metal is shaped to its form. I needed those hard times. please go review the talk from conference about the music of the Gospel. I love you!!! Please just keep trying. That’s all that is required of you. God will do the rest. You do your best.

Paige:
I just want you to know how much I love you, and that I am so proud of you. I am so proud of your accomplishments in education, in work, in church. I want you to know that you have always been a good example for me, and I know I didnt understand when I was younger but now I think everyday about how strong your testimony is and how close you are to your heavenly father, and how I can follow that example to strengthen my own testimony. Often I read the words you wrote in the first pages of my journal. Those have become true words to live by, and the words I share (not in English) with many of the people we teach.

Ethan:
You are HUGE dude. Like woah. Seeing how much you have grown is ridiculous! What are you eating!? haha I love you man. I just want you to know I miss hanging out with you. I miss playing xbox till the early hours of the morning and driving in my car listening to really really "phat" Dubstep. I miss your goofy impersonations of movies, actors, and really anything your imagination seemed to create. As you grow, please. DO NOT lose your imagination. Everyone thinks when you grow up you have to get rid of that and think more logically, scientifically, and "realistically". But what is "realistic, logical, and scientific" is only the stuff that exists now because someone had the imagination to think it up before. Do not ever lose your imagination. I love you so much Ethan.

Josh:
Joshua. You are sooooo TALL!! Its ridiculous! I dont even think I grew that much! haha. But I also noticed not just your change height. But there is something different about your face. Something different about your face. More mature. I can tell you have grown and taken a step closer towards that young man that is going to lead people. The young man that is going to be a light in dark places. A source of peace in chaos. And most importantly and worthy priesthood holder through which God will visit his people. God will make you an instrument in the next few years. But you have to keep yourself refined. A knife only works when its sharp. A pen needs ink. A machine must be greased with all its parts. Keep your life in order. Do not disfigure or damge your precious spirit with ANYTHING that comes from the adversary. I love you Josh. Though there may be lessons you will learn the hard way as I have. Learn them once, not repeatedly. I love you so much.

Samantha:
Samantha you are so much older! What the freak is happening to all my siblings!! haha Samantha please always know you are loved by your big brother. I miss you. I miss that crazy frenzy laugh when we were goofin off and telling stories. I miss you so much Sam. I love you very much. Keep away from boys, they are not to be trusted. Do good in school, etc. And dont forget that life is GREAT. Life is wonderful. It is supposed to be. The trials and difficulties are there to give up beautiful contrast. I love you Sam.

Love, Elder Dahle

Week #27 - 20 Open Your Mouths (OYMs)!!!

Elder Baldove and Elder Dahle with the kids of Mangaldan

Hey Mom and Dad

Well this week was way intense. There is a new goal in the mission of doing 20 OYM's (open your mouths) everyday. IT IS SO HARD. We set aside 2 hours one day to do it and we could only get 16! Its really time consuming and super exhausting. We do our best to teach all of them and whenever you teach a new investigator you count it in your key indicators as a new inv. at the end of the day. We got 23 NI's!! So now we have no shortage of people to teach. Elder Baldove is a really sweet kid, way humble, teachable. He has a really wonderful depth of Spirit and character. Training is way cool, I am pretty sure I am learning more than he is! We have tons of fun, I feel really close to him as a friend and we are doing some serious work here. I am so excited for the call, feel free to invite colby steve and whoever to come I want to see them. I love you so much!!!

Elder Dahle