2 -1/2 Weeks Left to Go!

Hey Fam!

Whats goin onnnnnnn! 

Sounds like a more or less normal week in the life of the Lasley fam! That experience you guys had at the Y's family is super cool. i miss Manny, we are good friends. Tearing the ACL is baaaaad news. I hope he recovers and is able to get back to the soccer field. He is super good at soccer. Well at least he was in high school, I'm guessing hes probably only gotten better. Its awesome that you guys were able to give him a blessing. Yeah, Bro. Reber's an awesome guy, I remember when we had a scout camp at Lake Roosevelt and we had a tubing competition and the brackets ended with me and Bro. Reber in the finals, and I beat Bro. Reber and was given the nickname "taco boy" because when Bro. Reber fell off the tube, there wasn't enough weight on it to keep it from catching air because of the wind and bouncing me off a huge wave making me taco ahaha. Thats one to remind Bro. Reber about haha.

Anyways, this week was just fine! It was very similar to last week, just continuing to work hard and be be obedient, which is the cause of a lot of confusion among other missionaries because everyone expects every missionary super close to going home to be trunky and lazy and not work and stuff, but I am the exact opposite! And there is only one reason why honestly. I would be super trunky and lazy and not work BUT there is a promise that says exact obedience brings miracles, and I have really been hoping for a miracle lately! and it is slowly unfolding! The family I have been telling you guys about came to church again and their testimonies are continuing to be strengthened. They are learning more and more and becoming more and more interested in the gospel and just everything! The only problem is, they still need to be married. I have been asking the branch for help with this, but so far nothing has really happened, so this week we are going to take it into our own hands. On Tuesday, we are planning to take the mother and father to the Municipal Hall (like City Hall) and hopefully fix everything in the way of them getting married. I am also going to talk to the Elders Quorum and Relief Society about what can be done to help them pay for their marriage. Elder Matangi and I have faith that they will be able to be baptized on their set baptismal date of July 25th, but we have only just started to try our faith and put it into action. 

Another awesome thing that happened is this past Friday when we went to their house to teach them, the 5 children were kind of hiding and being really secretive and then finally, they all came out of the house and presented me with pictures they had drawn and letters they had written for me thanking me and telling me how much Elder Matangi and I meant to them and their family and I swear I was so close to tears haha. Apparently their mom had told them after church last Sunday that I was leaving to go back to America soon and they all got super sad and stuff. And then this week, in the several days they had no school because of the multiple tropical storms that passed over us, they used their free time to draw me pictures and write letters for me so I would "remember them forever". It was unbelievably cute and made me intensely happy! I am now in the process of thinking what I can give each of them before I go home! 

I remember telling you about one other family that we teach that is extremely progressing and wonderful, and as of this week they are only progressing more and getting more wonderful! They are a young couple with 2 children, 2 years old and 8 months or something, who we have been focusing on for about 3 or 4 weeks now. They came to church yesterday and participated awesomely in gospel principles class and listened and learned in Elders Quorum and Relief Society. We went to their house after church to teach them and they expressed to us how they know with absolute surety that this was the true and correct church on the Earth, and how right after church, the father talked to his mom and told her that he was Mormon now and would never ever leave or look for another church because he had found the truth and questions he has had for his whole life are being answered through his reading in the Book of Mormon and his church attendance and invited his mom to come to church and be taught by us also. His mom actually sat in on our lesson that very day! Brother Lester, is his name, is one of the strongest and most golden investigators I have ever had the pleasure to teach in my whole mission. In gospel principles class, tithing was mentioned because the lesson was about Sacrifice, which I taught :), and Brother Lester raised his hand and shared his thoughts on tithing and sacrifice, and we haven't even taught them about tithing yet! Then the first question he asked when we visited him later that day was "how can I pay my tithing?" to which I replied "you don't actually need to pay tithing until you are baptized" to which he replied "well I would like to now, can I even though I haven't been baptized yet?" holy cow Matangi and I were just in shock haha. If that doesn't give you a glimpse about how awesome he is, that I don't know. He is way too prepared. The only sad part is I most likely wont be here for their baptism because they still need to be married and there isn't a very good chance it'll happen before I go home. But that is the least of my worries, I don't need to be here to see their baptism to have been part of their conversion and for them to stay active and endure to the end. the important thing is that they get baptized. 

So that's why I am still being obedient and diligent and working harder than I ever have in my whole mission and will until the very end. I am feeling more successful as a missionary here in my last area than I ever have throughout my mission. It's awesome, I love it more than anything. :)

Anyways, obviously I still am super excited to come home! Honestly I am totally fine with anything that happens, anything we do! As long as I'm with you guys again it doesn't matter what we do or what we eat or where I sleep ahaha don't worry about anything! If Mom is thinking about dinners to prepare for me, any American food is perfect. Just keep white rice off the menu, I've had enough of that for a while. :) I am so unbelievably excited to see you guys, you don't even know! And everyone else! I am super excited for the family reunion in Sacramento too holy cow! 

I'll finish strong, don't you guys worry about me. I love you guys and I'll see you guys in no less than 16 days because I also don't plan on being sent home early :)

Stay Golden Lasley Family!

Love,

Elder Lasley, soon to be just Adam.

:)

Typhoon Hagupit (Ruby, Ruby, Ruby) coming!

Hey family!

So President Tye gave us time today to email before the typhoon hits because he thinks that we're gonna get smashed but we're probably actually not so theres really nothing to worry about, I am not worried at all. Theres only a 60% chance that it will even make land fall. We'll also get to email on Monday so I really dont have anything to say right now that I wont say on Monday, I'll just wait until then to tell you guys about my week and stuff!

Maddie is pretty worried about me though because of this typhoon, so maybe you guys could like I dont know comfort her somehow! 

Just in case anything bad happens or we're arent able to email on Monday, I love you all! I miss you guys a lot! 

I do have some pictures to send today though so I'll send some pictures! yay!

I love you guys, I'll most likely email again on Monday!

Love,

Elder Lasley!

Sunset in Cavite

Homes

SS Lasley Maiden Voyage

Bonvoyage

Chillin'

Meal Time

Posting Up

Homes

Super Missionaries

Sharing the Gospel

Baptism

June 8, 2014 - New Area

Hey Dad, Mom, Ben, Sam! 

Family! I'm glad things are going awesome in Flagstaff! First week of summer over and done, only 2 months left ahaha. I wish I could be going to Lake Powell, thats one of my favorite trips we take as a family, I love the lake! I miss swimming and water sports ahaha. Yeah hopefully we can switch our week next year so we can all go when I get home! Its okay if Ben misses the first few days and senior year, and Sam misses the first few days of sophomore year! :) the Skinners rock, I love that family. I bet youre happy youre bringing someone who can drive the boat so you can do some skiing. and I mean, I havent met the Razbolds yet, but theyre probably pretty cool. ;)

I cant believe Ben is losing his attitude and Sam is getting one now! Theyre switching attitudes. I was surprised when I heard Sams voice when we were skyping, hes really gettin older haha. Yeah Harrison is super close to entering the MTC! Thats super cool, I'm excited for him. He sent me a short email so I'm gonna email him back. 

Yes that is correct, I did get tranfserred! ahah but I am in the same city still, Dasmarinas. I mean it is a pretty big city, so I'm not very close to my last area, but I'm still in the same stake ahaha. So my new area is not a whole lot different than my previous area, except, the work is much more progressing here! My last area was very difficult, and here it is a little bit easier. We have members work with us pretty regularly which is awesome, and we have several progressing investigators. School just started back again here, so teenagers are now usually in school until around 6 o clock, but after that time our work really picks up ahaha. Its been raining a whole lot too! Everyday since Wednesday its rained! We're thinking rainy season is starting up, which is great because the temperature is much cooler now. My new companion is Elder Espiritu, from somewhere that I dont know! I mean its in the Philippines, but its a province I havent heard of before. His native dialect is Ilocano, but hes still fluent in Tagalog. And! He speaks very little english! Very little! like, I speak more tagalog than he does english! which is saying something, ahaha. So its a little bit of a challenge sometimes, but my tagalog is definitely getting better because, you know, I've only been speaking tagalog while proselyting. Sometimes its hard because I cant really express what I really want to say in tagalog, but I just fine ways to work around it ahaha. Sometimes it gets pretty quiet when we're walking around because I'm not very good at just small talk in tagalog, but its fine! I know I've been given this companion and that it is a blessing, I will definitely improve in tagalog because of this companionship! Other than that, he is an awesome guy. We laugh and have fun, and I have no complaints! He's been out about 5 months, so I'm almost exactly twice as old as him in the mission (by the way my year mark is in august, I may or may not be expecting a 'happy one year' package. :) ). He has kind of a cool story though, because he was actually called on his mission to Singapore! But was temporarily assigned here while awaiting a visa. The visa never came though, so he was re-assigned here. But hes happy about it because The Singapore mission is english speaking and he didnt have any enlgish training in the MTC, so he probably would have had some trouble with that. He says he still wants to learn English though, so while he helps me in tagalog, I'll be helping him in english! It should be fun ahaha. The house me live in now is not as nice as my last house, but I like it just fine. Its quite a bit smaller, but the beds are more comfortable (lol), and it has a washing machine! but no drier. but thats okay it has a functional washing machine! Alright, washing machines here are very different from washing machines in the states. like this aint no Kenmore Whirlpool, its about 3 feet high and 2 feet wide, made of plastic, and shakes violently when its cycling. but it works and gets my clothes clean so again, I have no complaints. :) Also, one of the rooms in the apartment has a air conditioning! but we never use it because we pay for electricity and its pretty expensive to run. The other two elder in our apartment are our zone leaders! Elder Rindlisbacher, from Highland, Utah (no he doesnt know the Abbotts) and Elder Devinuwara from Sri Lanka! theyre both super cool.

That article that mom posted on her facebook is awesome! I really feel that exact way sometimes! I dont do much crying (like I'm pretty sure I've only cried like twice on my mission, in my first week here), but I totally understand the emotions that author was portraying. Missionary work is hard work. Its hard to stay happy on the outside sometimes, when so many other feelings are going on inside you. But its okay, I love the work and I dont regret it for a second.

Dylan sure did mess his thumb up, holy cow! What happened?! that looks terrible! I bet nurse Jennifer wasnt too happy about that ahah. Did he cry? I wouldnt blame him! Hopefully everything goes well with that, dang.

Whoa! Thats cool that my Mission has the same transfer schedule as the phoenix north mission or whatever we are! cool. anyways, Elder Pratt sounds like an awesome missionary. That is a concept a lot of people have a hard time understanding, the sheer uncondition-ality of Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ's love for us.

Thanks for that though. Dad. I mean I know you love me, but its great to hear it in that way. I know you will love me no matter my choices are. I love you very much too! I will also love you no matter what. 

That is about all I have for this week, but of course I'll send some pictures! 

I love you all, and miss you too! Go hard at Lake Powell! Dad, jump the wake for me! 

Love,

Elder Lasley :)

Elder Lasley enjoying the Philippines

My District

My last Family Home Evening in Dasma 2nd Ward

My final District lunch at McDonalds in Bayan District.

Yeah, we got cake!

Some of my favorite kids in my last area.

The Peenz!

One of our investigators - he's 82 years old.