June 3rd:

So I got a package from my amazing family this week full of MERICA stuff! It was super sick so shout out to my awesome Mom!  I was reading the letters and they all were saying  see you 12 weeks ...so I turned to me companion and told him that my family sucks at counting because they all keep saying that I have 12 weeks left but I really have 16 left! He just gave me this puzzled look and said, "Elder you do have 12 weeks left..." I stopped and realized that I had "lost" 4 weeks of my mission somewhere in the last few months!  My mind was blown! 12 weeks!  that's not a lot of time left-- that is the same timing as my training in the MTC! SOOO crazy... the time flies by!

Last transfer we started a weekly soccer activity and at first there were not a lot of people who would attend.  We would do it with 3 other companionships but the others would not usually bring investigators. So we were trying to decide if we should cancel the weekly activity or not. Then last Saturday I was able to find 5-6 investigators and we met a bunch of people there so its starting to grow bigger and is a good way for our investigators to get to know other investigators! :) So that was an exciting turn around---- but know my feet HURT because I played for like 4 hours straight in the hot sun!

I love this area and I love this country! I am so grateful for the opportunity to be able to serve a mission! Since I have been out here I have learned one important thing and that is the principle of JOY.  The purpose of this life is mainly 2 things: 1. To learn how to live with God  again and 2. The pursuit of happiness and joy. Not many people know how can we find that happiness and joy. When we ask people on the street how to attain happiness and joy, these are the common answers that I get:  Partying, Games, Money, Family, Friends, Drinking, Girls, Nice cars, etc. Now if you notice, most of those are ways to have FUN for yourself, for the moment only! One thing I learned from my last companion, Elder Minson, is this,  I would see him frequently buy  snacks and treats when they were on sale, but then he would rarely eat them. One day I asked him why he did this and he told me "When I buy this candy I have 2 choices to (1) eat it and have maybe a minute of happiness and pleasure, or (2) I can write a note and give the note with this candy to someone else and then feel happiness and joy for a day or so! Wow! I was impressed. What a great way to look at things. So, with that perspective,  its always an easy choice for me---choose the one that makes me  happy for longer!  If we look at Christs life,  he didn't do anything for himself,  he did everything for others (same with all the  prophets of old). So I have came to the conclusion that in order to find  J.O.Y there is an order. 1. JESUS 2. OTHERS 3. YOURSELF.

 If we use that order in our lives then I promise you all that you can find Eternal and Everlasting Joy because when you are in the service our of fellow beings you are truly serving and acting as Christ himself would if he were here! Anytime you truly follow Christ and walk in His footsteps, you will have Joy in your life!

Love you so much! 

-Elder Stagg


Nathan is teaching English to this adorable little girl