Developing New Skills

[from July 8, 2017]

Hey Family,

So pretty much everybody asked how court went.  It was fine but underwhlming, it was just WAY different than what I expected it to be like from TV or whatever notion I had of the american court system.  So beforehand I had done a lot of prep I think.  I had looked at some Honduran traffic laws.  I called the insurance company the church has and asked if one of the lawyers would come with me.  He said yes.  I prepared a statement about what happened.  I was prepared for anything.  I showed up to the transit building with one of the new AP´s (Elder Ontiveros).  I went with him because I know that in Honduras, you aren´t a legal adult until the age of 21, and Elder Ontiveros is 22.  Like I said I was ready.  So we showed up and they invited me into the tiniest room ever, said it wasn´t my fault, gave me a huge stack of papers to fill out so I could pay the 200 lempiras to get my license back, and sent me on my way.  I was SO suprised.  I was so ready for anything I really didn´t expect nothing to happen.  I was like "where´s all the arguement?"  I felt like the kid in school who had done my homework and then the teacher didn´t collect it.  But it´s all good.  The car´s already all fixed up and everything (our insurance had to pay for it anyways).  I´ve been a way more careful driver now.  When I got hit I was absolutely not ready for it.  Pretty crazy, but that´s how it all went down.  So...

Yeah being in the office is crazy.  I´ve gotta worry about stuff I didn´t think I would have to.  One day I´m gonna be in a job interview and they´re gonna ask me "how are you with microsoft office?" and I´ll respond "in fact I excell at it." they´ll be so shocked "did you just make a pun?" and I´ll respond "Word."

Yeah the transfers were this week.  20 missionaries went home and only 6 came.  Lots of my really close friends went home.  It was kinda weird.  We were at the airport all day but there were no problems so it was much less stressful.  

Sometimes I have a hard time knowing which language I´m supposed to be talking.  I´ll pick up the phone and it´ll be a latino and I´ll start talking to them in English.  Or the other way around.  Yesterday I just had a complete conversation with a gringo who refused to speak to me in English.  I say stupid things in English sometimes.  Especially cause when you talk with other missionaries they all know all the spanish words, so it´s ok if you say a couple here and there.  

The delivery thing isn´t too much of a big deal, it´s basically being a mail man with too too much customer service.  

Yeah Nelda and Jesus are doing really well, I think they´re pretty active in the church now.  and we do have a baptism maybe in the near future, her name is Jeimy (pronounced like Jaimy). I think she´ll get baptised before too long, she just needs a little more help.

The House we have over here is pretty big.  I think lots of people think we live really nice cause we´re americans in a big house, but it´s full of folding tables and chairs, and a bunch of cruddy stuff missionaries leave when they´re leaving the mission.  It´s pretty cool. 

The one thing I have not been able to find here in Honduras is 5 hour enegy.  I haunts me.  I´ve found reeses puffs!  How is it that I can´t find 5 hour energy?  This last trip to the airport I drank a Monster energy drink which made it a much more pleasurable experience. 

It´s so cool being able to talk about how dad and my missions are kinda similar.  I think that when I get home in a year I´m gonna feel pretty weird seeing people again.  I´m doing my best every day. I´m learning lots here.  Things I didn´t think I would learn sometimes, but I know these things are things my Heavenly Father wants me to learn.  

Once agian I Love You All!

-Elder Stoddard