[from January 8, 2018]
hey guys. i can`t write too much this week either... i`m on the worlds crummiest computer
i`m doing good... well that`s not 100% true, I am pretty sick actually, but I`m just starting to feel better. I`m living on nothing but pepto and gatorade. I ate something called fried cheese (something i`d never eaten before) yesterday and I think that did me dirty.
Week was good... interviews with president and I had to make a completely new area book from scratch...
I love you guys a ton! Hope it`s a good week! I loved getting to talk to you at christmas.
-Elder Stoddard
Thursday, January 25, 2018
Monday, January 8, 2018
Baptisms During Calamities
[from December 18, 2017]
Everytings going good down here. It´s a little bit scary right now, we have to be vey careful, but we`re doing ok.
I do go a little nuts being stuck in the house. And our current house is a one room apartment! Luckily, when we got stuck inside the first time, we were living with the other two missionaries and at least their apartment is a little bigger. When we move on January 1st I`m gonna be really happy!
The baptism went really well. Adonai is officially a member!
One weird thing about Adonai is his job is that he works in politics (and for Salvador Nasralla; who is the contender for the president, and the one all these crazy protesters want to be president) so if there`s anybody who`s caught up in all this it`s him, but even still he made the decision to be baptized. Pretty cool if you ask me.
I think it`s been pretty cool to see how people want to be baptized. I think it has a lot to do with their humility. Also, it helps that they almost always have a belief in Jesus Crist. One of the biggest problems here is the commandments though. Adonai has had some big problems with the commandments, but he did end up getting baptized!!! I`ll send some photos next time I bring my camara.
I`ve made the same observation that baptisms often happen during times of disasters, and I`m not sure what it means. Sofia got baptized when Lima flooded. Adonai got baptized when there were some giant protests. Weird huh? I don`t want to say craziness=success but that`s almost how it seems.
I am super excited to be able to see Star Wars. It`s ok you saw it without me. How was it? Did anything really cool happen? I love those movies.
I can`t wait to talk to you, it`s coming right up! I hope the politics don`t mess that up... I don`t think it`ll be a problem. Just a little bit ago I talked with a protester who wouldn`t let us pass in the street. I think the protesters are ok, but sometimes... He was a punk, but I bet a lot of members would let us borrow their computers or phones.
Next Christmas I`ll be there with you guys! It`ll be awesome! The mission has certainly taught me a lot. We`ll just have to see how different and weird I seem when I get back huh?
I`m ready to eat some american treats! I like tamales, it`s just that one family will give you enough to fill you up and so wil the next family... and so on until you feel pretty sick haha.
A lot of people really like it when I use words that are slang. I think it makes them relax a little more and they gain just a little bit more confidence in me I think. Rather than being a super heartless lesson teaching robot hahaha. Actually usually the first time I contact somebody I just talk to them and leave a pamphlet. Usually I don`t teach very much until the really get to have a lot of trust and confidence in us.
[Editor's Note: Christian finished off with a part of the email only I could read. I will translate it at the end.]
Pues si, no van a poder enviar los nuevos misioneros acá. Usualmente los cambios pasan los días miércoles, pero esta vez los hicieron ayer. Tuvimos un chingo de problemas llegando a la capilla para escribir. Hay muchos bloqueos en la calle y los protestantes no nos dejaron pasar. Al fin, tomamos un taxi y fuimos a una otra capilla, pero tuvimos que dar una gran vuelta para llegar aquí. No sabia que los presbíteros pueden efectuar los bautismos ahora. Estuve sorprendido y les dije a los otros Elderes que están escribiendo con nosotros, y empezaron a reírse. Ayer leyeron el anuncio en la capilla, pero llegamos tarde porque tuvimos que recoger a Adonai y llegamos durante el himno de la santa cena- o sea después de el anuncio. Nadie me contó esto hasta ahorita. Me gusta que en Centroamérica, todos tienen su propio apodo. Es como en los Estados Unidos se puede llamar a un New Yorker a Yankee. Después de haber aprendido la mayoría de mi español de mis compañeros latinos, pienso que es mejor aprender de un hablador nativo. No puedo esperar hasta que llega mi paquete! Yo iba a recoger los paquetes los días viernes, pero no se que día esta yendo el Elder Gonzalez. No puedo esperar hasta que les puedo llamar! Les extraño tanto! No es lo mismo escribir por correo.
[Translation: Well, yeah, they are not going to be able to send the new missionaries here. Usually the transfers happen on Wednesdays, but this time, they did them yesterday. We had a bunch of problems getting to the chapel to write. There are a lot of blockades in the street and the protestors do not let us pass. In the end, we took a taxi and went to another chapel, but we had to make a long loop around to get here. I did not know that priests could now perform baptisms [in the temple]. I told the other elders who are writing letters with us, and they started laughing. Yesterday, they read the announcement in the chapel, but we arrived late because we went to get Adonai and arrived during the sacrament hymn - anyway, after the announcement. No one told me that until just now. I like that in Central America, everyone has their own nickname. It is like in the U.S., you can call a New Yorker a Yankee. After having learned the majority of my Spanish from my Latin American companions, I think that it is best to learn from a native speaker. I cannot wait until my package arrives! I used to get the packages on Fridays, but I do not know what day Elder Gonzalez is going. I cannot wait until I can call you! I miss all of you so much! It is not the same writing by mail.]
Love you guys! Les amo!
-Elder Stoddard
Everytings going good down here. It´s a little bit scary right now, we have to be vey careful, but we`re doing ok.
I do go a little nuts being stuck in the house. And our current house is a one room apartment! Luckily, when we got stuck inside the first time, we were living with the other two missionaries and at least their apartment is a little bigger. When we move on January 1st I`m gonna be really happy!
The baptism went really well. Adonai is officially a member!
One weird thing about Adonai is his job is that he works in politics (and for Salvador Nasralla; who is the contender for the president, and the one all these crazy protesters want to be president) so if there`s anybody who`s caught up in all this it`s him, but even still he made the decision to be baptized. Pretty cool if you ask me.
I think it`s been pretty cool to see how people want to be baptized. I think it has a lot to do with their humility. Also, it helps that they almost always have a belief in Jesus Crist. One of the biggest problems here is the commandments though. Adonai has had some big problems with the commandments, but he did end up getting baptized!!! I`ll send some photos next time I bring my camara.
I`ve made the same observation that baptisms often happen during times of disasters, and I`m not sure what it means. Sofia got baptized when Lima flooded. Adonai got baptized when there were some giant protests. Weird huh? I don`t want to say craziness=success but that`s almost how it seems.
I am super excited to be able to see Star Wars. It`s ok you saw it without me. How was it? Did anything really cool happen? I love those movies.
I can`t wait to talk to you, it`s coming right up! I hope the politics don`t mess that up... I don`t think it`ll be a problem. Just a little bit ago I talked with a protester who wouldn`t let us pass in the street. I think the protesters are ok, but sometimes... He was a punk, but I bet a lot of members would let us borrow their computers or phones.
Next Christmas I`ll be there with you guys! It`ll be awesome! The mission has certainly taught me a lot. We`ll just have to see how different and weird I seem when I get back huh?
I`m ready to eat some american treats! I like tamales, it`s just that one family will give you enough to fill you up and so wil the next family... and so on until you feel pretty sick haha.
A lot of people really like it when I use words that are slang. I think it makes them relax a little more and they gain just a little bit more confidence in me I think. Rather than being a super heartless lesson teaching robot hahaha. Actually usually the first time I contact somebody I just talk to them and leave a pamphlet. Usually I don`t teach very much until the really get to have a lot of trust and confidence in us.
[Editor's Note: Christian finished off with a part of the email only I could read. I will translate it at the end.]
Pues si, no van a poder enviar los nuevos misioneros acá. Usualmente los cambios pasan los días miércoles, pero esta vez los hicieron ayer. Tuvimos un chingo de problemas llegando a la capilla para escribir. Hay muchos bloqueos en la calle y los protestantes no nos dejaron pasar. Al fin, tomamos un taxi y fuimos a una otra capilla, pero tuvimos que dar una gran vuelta para llegar aquí. No sabia que los presbíteros pueden efectuar los bautismos ahora. Estuve sorprendido y les dije a los otros Elderes que están escribiendo con nosotros, y empezaron a reírse. Ayer leyeron el anuncio en la capilla, pero llegamos tarde porque tuvimos que recoger a Adonai y llegamos durante el himno de la santa cena- o sea después de el anuncio. Nadie me contó esto hasta ahorita. Me gusta que en Centroamérica, todos tienen su propio apodo. Es como en los Estados Unidos se puede llamar a un New Yorker a Yankee. Después de haber aprendido la mayoría de mi español de mis compañeros latinos, pienso que es mejor aprender de un hablador nativo. No puedo esperar hasta que llega mi paquete! Yo iba a recoger los paquetes los días viernes, pero no se que día esta yendo el Elder Gonzalez. No puedo esperar hasta que les puedo llamar! Les extraño tanto! No es lo mismo escribir por correo.
[Translation: Well, yeah, they are not going to be able to send the new missionaries here. Usually the transfers happen on Wednesdays, but this time, they did them yesterday. We had a bunch of problems getting to the chapel to write. There are a lot of blockades in the street and the protestors do not let us pass. In the end, we took a taxi and went to another chapel, but we had to make a long loop around to get here. I did not know that priests could now perform baptisms [in the temple]. I told the other elders who are writing letters with us, and they started laughing. Yesterday, they read the announcement in the chapel, but we arrived late because we went to get Adonai and arrived during the sacrament hymn - anyway, after the announcement. No one told me that until just now. I like that in Central America, everyone has their own nickname. It is like in the U.S., you can call a New Yorker a Yankee. After having learned the majority of my Spanish from my Latin American companions, I think that it is best to learn from a native speaker. I cannot wait until my package arrives! I used to get the packages on Fridays, but I do not know what day Elder Gonzalez is going. I cannot wait until I can call you! I miss all of you so much! It is not the same writing by mail.]
Love you guys! Les amo!
-Elder Stoddard
Sunday, January 7, 2018
Political Update 2
[from December 17, 2017]
This letter is directed to parents and leaders of missionaries serving in the Honduras San Pedro Sula East Mission.
We are still experiencing problems here in Honduras resulting from a contested presidential election now three weeks old. Intermittent demonstrations and street closures have required missionaries to remain in their homes on some days with reduced hours outside of their homes on other days.
Though some of the protests have turned violent, most have been isolated to the principal highways and have not affected the proselyting areas.
New missionaries due to arrive tomorrow, December 18th, will remain in the MTC in Guatemala for at least one extra day until we reassess the latest developments here in Honduras. Those completing their missions are still scheduled to travel home on Tuesday December 19th.
Most, if not all of you, should hear from your missionaries tomorrow via email on their regular preparation day schedule.
All missionaries are safe and local members continue to watch after them.
Thank you again for your continued love and support.
President Rex Carlisle
Honduras San Pedro Sula East Mission
Esta carta está dirigida a los padres y lideres de los misioneros asignado a la Misión de Honduras San Pedro Sula Este.
Todavia estamos experimentando problemas aquí en Honduras resultado de una elección presidential disputada de tres semanas atras. Las manifestaciónes intermitentes y el cierre de las calles obligaron a los misioneros a permanecer en sus hogares en algunas días con horas reducidas fuera de sus hogares en otros días. Aunque algunas de las protestas se han vuelto violentas, la mayoria se han aislado en las carreteras principales y no han afectado las árias de proseletismo.
Los nuevos misioneros, que estában a llegar mañana, el 18 de diciembre, permanecerán el el CCM en Guatemala por al menos un día más hasta que reevaluemos los últimos acontecimientos aquí en Honduras. Aquellos que completen sus misiones todavia están programados para viajar a casa el martes 19 de diciembre.
La mayoria, si no todos, deberían recibir correos de sus misioneros mañana en su horario regular de preparación.
Todos los misioneros están seguros y los miembros locales continúan vigilándolos.
Gracias de nuevo por su amor y apoyo.
Presidente Rex Carlisle
Misión Honduras San Pedro Sula Este
This letter is directed to parents and leaders of missionaries serving in the Honduras San Pedro Sula East Mission.
We are still experiencing problems here in Honduras resulting from a contested presidential election now three weeks old. Intermittent demonstrations and street closures have required missionaries to remain in their homes on some days with reduced hours outside of their homes on other days.
Though some of the protests have turned violent, most have been isolated to the principal highways and have not affected the proselyting areas.
New missionaries due to arrive tomorrow, December 18th, will remain in the MTC in Guatemala for at least one extra day until we reassess the latest developments here in Honduras. Those completing their missions are still scheduled to travel home on Tuesday December 19th.
Most, if not all of you, should hear from your missionaries tomorrow via email on their regular preparation day schedule.
All missionaries are safe and local members continue to watch after them.
Thank you again for your continued love and support.
President Rex Carlisle
Honduras San Pedro Sula East Mission
Esta carta está dirigida a los padres y lideres de los misioneros asignado a la Misión de Honduras San Pedro Sula Este.
Todavia estamos experimentando problemas aquí en Honduras resultado de una elección presidential disputada de tres semanas atras. Las manifestaciónes intermitentes y el cierre de las calles obligaron a los misioneros a permanecer en sus hogares en algunas días con horas reducidas fuera de sus hogares en otros días. Aunque algunas de las protestas se han vuelto violentas, la mayoria se han aislado en las carreteras principales y no han afectado las árias de proseletismo.
Los nuevos misioneros, que estában a llegar mañana, el 18 de diciembre, permanecerán el el CCM en Guatemala por al menos un día más hasta que reevaluemos los últimos acontecimientos aquí en Honduras. Aquellos que completen sus misiones todavia están programados para viajar a casa el martes 19 de diciembre.
La mayoria, si no todos, deberían recibir correos de sus misioneros mañana en su horario regular de preparación.
Todos los misioneros están seguros y los miembros locales continúan vigilándolos.
Gracias de nuevo por su amor y apoyo.
Presidente Rex Carlisle
Misión Honduras San Pedro Sula Este
Weathering the Nationwide Protests
[from December 15, 2017]
Sorry, it actually hasn`t been too too dangerous these last couple days, but it`s until today that I`m getting the chance to write. Some stuff happened that`s not really worth the time of explaining, but the good thing is I get to write now... Woohoo!
thanks for all your prayers, everythings been going better in these last few days. we got to leave, but our curfew is still pretty early. Elder Asturias and I got lost a whole bunch of times, our area is way big and the streets are not straight or orderly at all.
I`ve been doing pretty good ajusting down here. I think it was a little bit of a shock to the sistem to leave the office and open an area at the same time. We`re having to work really hard, but I think we`re gonna have a baptism this saturday if all goes well!!!
I´m still learning more spanish everyday. Lots of the stuff I´m learning is honduran slang from the members and guatemalan slang from my companion. After 2 guatemalan companions I´ve spent a lot of time with chapins. In central america every country has a nickname. (chapin-guate, tico-costa rica, nica-nicaragua, guanaco-el salvador, and catracho-honduran.
Things are calming down here a little bit. Still lots of protests, but I think people are losing a little bit of there stamina. You can only come out of your house all night for so many nights in a row...
They do call the riots huelgas, it´s a different level here though. Lots of fireworks and gunshots... especially here in this area. We´ll be teaching lessons and hear gunshots and it won´t even stop the conversation. I hope they never announce the winner haha. People are gonna freak out. Today we had a run-in where some guys were throwing rocks at buildings and cars... we stayed away from all that craziness.
Our mission president had us buy food and water in this last week. Yeah, lots of people want to talk about the election with us. There were some drunk guys that yelled at me this week for being gringo, but other than that it`s just been same old same old. Lots of regular riots at night, we still have our curfew pretty early, but at least we can finally leave again!!!
A new thing we found is a fried chicken place that is really delicious, Also this week we found a house that`s a lot better than the one we have now... We`ll be moving on January 1st. It has air-conditioning. I was able to get the price down a ton so that we can live there.
One of my best friends in the mission who was in the MTC with me tells me I was a weirdo in the MTC, but when he got to know me here, he realized I was pretty cool. I think that happens a lot. When we have to adjust to something new, we act kinda strange.
I finally did find a good milkshake in carl`s jr.s. It was way freaking expensive though 100 lempiras ($5) so I can`t get it all the time, also it`s in the other mission`s half of San Pedro, so I can`t go there anymore :(. I`ll be excited to eat some chick-fil-a when I get back to the USA!
I miss regular Christmas treats. Here during Christmas (and the christmas season) they all eat a ton of tamales and chicken sandwiches. Last year I got kinda sick of tamales. Not that I was bored of them but I didn`t feel very good after eating so many. Hopefully that doesn`t happen again this year.
Love you guys and sorry for the late email. The good thing is that the next time I write is gonna be in a couple days!
I can wait to talk to you guys at Christmas!!!
E Stoddard
Sorry, it actually hasn`t been too too dangerous these last couple days, but it`s until today that I`m getting the chance to write. Some stuff happened that`s not really worth the time of explaining, but the good thing is I get to write now... Woohoo!
thanks for all your prayers, everythings been going better in these last few days. we got to leave, but our curfew is still pretty early. Elder Asturias and I got lost a whole bunch of times, our area is way big and the streets are not straight or orderly at all.
I`ve been doing pretty good ajusting down here. I think it was a little bit of a shock to the sistem to leave the office and open an area at the same time. We`re having to work really hard, but I think we`re gonna have a baptism this saturday if all goes well!!!
I´m still learning more spanish everyday. Lots of the stuff I´m learning is honduran slang from the members and guatemalan slang from my companion. After 2 guatemalan companions I´ve spent a lot of time with chapins. In central america every country has a nickname. (chapin-guate, tico-costa rica, nica-nicaragua, guanaco-el salvador, and catracho-honduran.
Things are calming down here a little bit. Still lots of protests, but I think people are losing a little bit of there stamina. You can only come out of your house all night for so many nights in a row...
They do call the riots huelgas, it´s a different level here though. Lots of fireworks and gunshots... especially here in this area. We´ll be teaching lessons and hear gunshots and it won´t even stop the conversation. I hope they never announce the winner haha. People are gonna freak out. Today we had a run-in where some guys were throwing rocks at buildings and cars... we stayed away from all that craziness.
Our mission president had us buy food and water in this last week. Yeah, lots of people want to talk about the election with us. There were some drunk guys that yelled at me this week for being gringo, but other than that it`s just been same old same old. Lots of regular riots at night, we still have our curfew pretty early, but at least we can finally leave again!!!
A new thing we found is a fried chicken place that is really delicious, Also this week we found a house that`s a lot better than the one we have now... We`ll be moving on January 1st. It has air-conditioning. I was able to get the price down a ton so that we can live there.
One of my best friends in the mission who was in the MTC with me tells me I was a weirdo in the MTC, but when he got to know me here, he realized I was pretty cool. I think that happens a lot. When we have to adjust to something new, we act kinda strange.
I finally did find a good milkshake in carl`s jr.s. It was way freaking expensive though 100 lempiras ($5) so I can`t get it all the time, also it`s in the other mission`s half of San Pedro, so I can`t go there anymore :(. I`ll be excited to eat some chick-fil-a when I get back to the USA!
I miss regular Christmas treats. Here during Christmas (and the christmas season) they all eat a ton of tamales and chicken sandwiches. Last year I got kinda sick of tamales. Not that I was bored of them but I didn`t feel very good after eating so many. Hopefully that doesn`t happen again this year.
Love you guys and sorry for the late email. The good thing is that the next time I write is gonna be in a couple days!
I can wait to talk to you guys at Christmas!!!
E Stoddard
Good: Becoming a Baby's Namesake; Bad: Being Homebound for 2 Weeks
[from December 4, 2017]
Hey guys,
So this week has been kinda nuts. On Monday president told me my changes. I`m opening an area here in San Pedro, actually my new area is the furthest west that my mission goes. One of the cool things is that in my area, there`s the huge and pretty famous Estadio Olimpico [Editor's Note: Olympic Stadium], so when I was saying goodbye to people and telling them where I was going, everybody knew exactly where I was going. The area`s in Zona Satèlite, the famous "only elders" zone. To be honest, this is probably one of the more dangerous areas in the mission, which is kinda cool.
My new companion`s name is Elder Asturias, he`s my second companion from Guatemala, and he was a bodybuilder before the mission. He kinda reminds me of an Italian guy who works out a ton. I don`t know if that`s a common stereotype, but it makes sense in my head.
Tuesday I just wrapped stuff up in the office as quick as I could. I gave my computer a goodbye kiss and we went to say goodbye to people in the area. We had 5 dinners that night. That`s what happens when you`re in an area for 7 months! Then I went back home to do the very worst part of changes... Packing. I didn`t really bring anything with me. Just clothes and books basically. So I threw all my stuff in my suitcase. I managed to fit all the stuff I wanted into one bag- except for my shoes. I was kinda mad I couldn`t fit my shoes in that one bag! I was so close! Wednesday I drove the truck for the last time. We went to go pick up Elder Asturias in his area and then we went to Luisiana.
Some nearby Elders had found an apartment for us. It is so tiny! It`s just one pretty small room and a bathroom. We spent Wednesday on divisions with the nearby Elders trying to get to know some of the area. We slept in the other Elders house too, because we didn`t have anything in the new house. Thursday morning we went and started visiting in the area, and then while we were eating lunch I got a call from the zone leaders that said we all had to go to our houses.
So the secretaries still hadn`t brought our stuff yet, so we went back to the other elders house again. That night was pretty normal. In this area there`s a ton of gunshots, every time of day and night, so that wasn`t anything out of normal.
That Friday morning the zone leaders called again and told us we had to buy food in the early morning and be ready to stay in our houses for 2 weeks 🙁. So we spent that day in the house. Just studying and eating pretty much. Boring to be honest.
At that time the government put a toque de queda (curfiew, curview, curfew? I don`t know how to spell it and the autocorrect is Spanish) on the entire country from six o`clock at night until six o`clock in the morning. So it got to be about 10 at night and everybody lost their minds. Fireworks, trumpets, burning things, just general craziness. There was a bunch of looting and some banks around here got robbed. The grocery store also got burned down so it`s a good thing we bought food. Luckily, nobody touches the pulperias 😀.
Saturday we studyied until about mid day, and then it just turned into a monopoly tournament in the afternoon. At night, same deal, everybody lost their freaking minds in the street. We went outside (the apartment has a little deck kinda thing with a chain fence) and watched as they burned tires in the street.
Sunday church was cancelled, we had the sacrament in the morning and then we studied/slept/ate all day. Again, at night, we went outside and watched a firework show. This morning we got permission to find somebody willing to let us borrow their device to write families. We`re at a neighbors house and they let us borrow their phone and their laptop (my comp got the laptop, but it`s ok I have fast texting fingers) and we have to be back inside by noon. So that`s been the week. In some aspects boring, in some exciting. I`m personally pretty bored, but it`s ok.
Todays p-day so I think we are just gonna play cards and maybe I`ll do some excersize with my comp. I think if I do excersize with my new companion I`ll get pretty strong. His arms are the size of my neck! He`s pretty cool. You guys will get to talk to him on Christmas.
We`re more bored than nervous. If we have to stay another week and a half in the apartment i`m gonna go crazy. The members helped us with some food and water. I think we`re honestly pretty fine. I think bad things will only happen if we are disobedient. The good thing is we have 4 guys in the apartment. The other companionship is kinda weird, but they`re fun. I think we`re gonna be playing a ton of monopoly in these next couple days. I`m also about to finish Alma. I still haven`t read D&C in the mission. I think now is the time.
Thanks for sending the package, but I`m sure it`ll get here faster now that there`s a guy who`s entire job is the ruta. Also, I`m so close to San Pedro, that the secretaries pass by here all the time, I can probably get the package on their way back home from the office. They`ve been hunkered down in their house too, so who knows when I`ll get it haha.
I tried so hard to leave things in a good shape for Elder Devenport. In the three weeks I was there with those guys I tried to show them all the stuff to do. But when everything went nuts, I started getting a bunch of calls from those guys. I hope they`re doing ok.
I try to keep in touch with the people in my old areas. I try to call the missionaries in Palermo and Montecristo once a change just to see how everybody`s doing. Sometimes they`ll call me when they`re visiting someone I know and I`ll get a little chance to talk to them. Also, Jesus and Nelda had another baby. They named him Christian. It`s cool because Christian is Elder Santillana`s name too. It`s also cool because that baby has the coolest name in the world: Christian Kristoff.
The lady who cooked the Thanksgiving meal had to do a lot of looking for Turkey, and I think it was pretty expensive, but it was so worth it! My favorite thing on thanksgiving was also the mashed taters. I hadn`t had any since the US. The only time I`ve seen potatos down here is in french fries, and that doesn`t count. I think the Latinos were a little bit sad that they paid so much and only got a little bit of turkey, but they were in love with the cream soda. Sweet potatos are good, but they`re better with marshmallows. I think THAT should be enjoyed weekly. I think I`ll be pretty shocked when I get back to the united states. I think America will feel to me like france felt to you guys. I actually feel less sick eating beans and eggs now than I do eating a cheeseburger- talk about weird huh?
Tegucigalpa was cool, but I honestly like San Pedro more. The one thing I really noticed about Tegucigalpa was the temperature. I got off the bus and immediately started shivering. I hope I survive when I get to Ukraine...
I miss you guys, but just think, only three weeks left until the video call. Two more weeks in the house and one more actually in the area. I would have liked to have Elder Reyes talk to you guys. I was teaching him English while I was with him. I think he could have had a really good conversation with you guys. Dang. Elder Asturias wants to learn too, maybe we`ll spent these next two weeks on language study- or if not he can talk to dad.
OK guys, Love you all. Until next week,
E` Stoddard
Hey guys,
So this week has been kinda nuts. On Monday president told me my changes. I`m opening an area here in San Pedro, actually my new area is the furthest west that my mission goes. One of the cool things is that in my area, there`s the huge and pretty famous Estadio Olimpico [Editor's Note: Olympic Stadium], so when I was saying goodbye to people and telling them where I was going, everybody knew exactly where I was going. The area`s in Zona Satèlite, the famous "only elders" zone. To be honest, this is probably one of the more dangerous areas in the mission, which is kinda cool.
My new companion`s name is Elder Asturias, he`s my second companion from Guatemala, and he was a bodybuilder before the mission. He kinda reminds me of an Italian guy who works out a ton. I don`t know if that`s a common stereotype, but it makes sense in my head.
Tuesday I just wrapped stuff up in the office as quick as I could. I gave my computer a goodbye kiss and we went to say goodbye to people in the area. We had 5 dinners that night. That`s what happens when you`re in an area for 7 months! Then I went back home to do the very worst part of changes... Packing. I didn`t really bring anything with me. Just clothes and books basically. So I threw all my stuff in my suitcase. I managed to fit all the stuff I wanted into one bag- except for my shoes. I was kinda mad I couldn`t fit my shoes in that one bag! I was so close! Wednesday I drove the truck for the last time. We went to go pick up Elder Asturias in his area and then we went to Luisiana.
Some nearby Elders had found an apartment for us. It is so tiny! It`s just one pretty small room and a bathroom. We spent Wednesday on divisions with the nearby Elders trying to get to know some of the area. We slept in the other Elders house too, because we didn`t have anything in the new house. Thursday morning we went and started visiting in the area, and then while we were eating lunch I got a call from the zone leaders that said we all had to go to our houses.
So the secretaries still hadn`t brought our stuff yet, so we went back to the other elders house again. That night was pretty normal. In this area there`s a ton of gunshots, every time of day and night, so that wasn`t anything out of normal.
That Friday morning the zone leaders called again and told us we had to buy food in the early morning and be ready to stay in our houses for 2 weeks 🙁. So we spent that day in the house. Just studying and eating pretty much. Boring to be honest.
At that time the government put a toque de queda (curfiew, curview, curfew? I don`t know how to spell it and the autocorrect is Spanish) on the entire country from six o`clock at night until six o`clock in the morning. So it got to be about 10 at night and everybody lost their minds. Fireworks, trumpets, burning things, just general craziness. There was a bunch of looting and some banks around here got robbed. The grocery store also got burned down so it`s a good thing we bought food. Luckily, nobody touches the pulperias 😀.
Saturday we studyied until about mid day, and then it just turned into a monopoly tournament in the afternoon. At night, same deal, everybody lost their freaking minds in the street. We went outside (the apartment has a little deck kinda thing with a chain fence) and watched as they burned tires in the street.
Sunday church was cancelled, we had the sacrament in the morning and then we studied/slept/ate all day. Again, at night, we went outside and watched a firework show. This morning we got permission to find somebody willing to let us borrow their device to write families. We`re at a neighbors house and they let us borrow their phone and their laptop (my comp got the laptop, but it`s ok I have fast texting fingers) and we have to be back inside by noon. So that`s been the week. In some aspects boring, in some exciting. I`m personally pretty bored, but it`s ok.
Todays p-day so I think we are just gonna play cards and maybe I`ll do some excersize with my comp. I think if I do excersize with my new companion I`ll get pretty strong. His arms are the size of my neck! He`s pretty cool. You guys will get to talk to him on Christmas.
We`re more bored than nervous. If we have to stay another week and a half in the apartment i`m gonna go crazy. The members helped us with some food and water. I think we`re honestly pretty fine. I think bad things will only happen if we are disobedient. The good thing is we have 4 guys in the apartment. The other companionship is kinda weird, but they`re fun. I think we`re gonna be playing a ton of monopoly in these next couple days. I`m also about to finish Alma. I still haven`t read D&C in the mission. I think now is the time.
Thanks for sending the package, but I`m sure it`ll get here faster now that there`s a guy who`s entire job is the ruta. Also, I`m so close to San Pedro, that the secretaries pass by here all the time, I can probably get the package on their way back home from the office. They`ve been hunkered down in their house too, so who knows when I`ll get it haha.
I tried so hard to leave things in a good shape for Elder Devenport. In the three weeks I was there with those guys I tried to show them all the stuff to do. But when everything went nuts, I started getting a bunch of calls from those guys. I hope they`re doing ok.
I try to keep in touch with the people in my old areas. I try to call the missionaries in Palermo and Montecristo once a change just to see how everybody`s doing. Sometimes they`ll call me when they`re visiting someone I know and I`ll get a little chance to talk to them. Also, Jesus and Nelda had another baby. They named him Christian. It`s cool because Christian is Elder Santillana`s name too. It`s also cool because that baby has the coolest name in the world: Christian Kristoff.
The lady who cooked the Thanksgiving meal had to do a lot of looking for Turkey, and I think it was pretty expensive, but it was so worth it! My favorite thing on thanksgiving was also the mashed taters. I hadn`t had any since the US. The only time I`ve seen potatos down here is in french fries, and that doesn`t count. I think the Latinos were a little bit sad that they paid so much and only got a little bit of turkey, but they were in love with the cream soda. Sweet potatos are good, but they`re better with marshmallows. I think THAT should be enjoyed weekly. I think I`ll be pretty shocked when I get back to the united states. I think America will feel to me like france felt to you guys. I actually feel less sick eating beans and eggs now than I do eating a cheeseburger- talk about weird huh?
Tegucigalpa was cool, but I honestly like San Pedro more. The one thing I really noticed about Tegucigalpa was the temperature. I got off the bus and immediately started shivering. I hope I survive when I get to Ukraine...
I miss you guys, but just think, only three weeks left until the video call. Two more weeks in the house and one more actually in the area. I would have liked to have Elder Reyes talk to you guys. I was teaching him English while I was with him. I think he could have had a really good conversation with you guys. Dang. Elder Asturias wants to learn too, maybe we`ll spent these next two weeks on language study- or if not he can talk to dad.
E` Stoddard
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Political Update
[from November 30, 2017]
This message is directed to parents and leaders of missionaries serving in the Honduras San Pedro Sula East Mission.
Recent presidential elections here in Honduras have resulted in a very close and contested race. Demonstrations today have prompted the area presidency to ask us to keep all missionaries confinded to their apartments beginning this evening pending further developments. All missionaries are safe and local members are helping to watch after them.
We thank you for your love and support and greatly appreciate your prayers.
President Rex Carlisle
Honduras San Pedro Sula East Mission
Este mensaje está dirigido a los padres y lideres de los misioneros que sirven en la Misión Honduras San Pedro Sula Este.
Las recientes elecciones presidenciales aquí en Honduras han resultado en una conclusión disputada. Las manifestaciones de hoy han llevado a la presidencia del área a pedirnos que mantengamos confinados a todos los misioneros en sus apartamentos a partir de esta noche en espera de nuevos desarrollos. Todos los misioneros están a salvo y los miembros locales están ayudando a vigilarlos.
Les agradecemos por su amor y apoyo y apreciamos mucho sus oraciones.
Presidente Rex Carlisle
Misión Honduras San Pedro Sula Este
This message is directed to parents and leaders of missionaries serving in the Honduras San Pedro Sula East Mission.
Recent presidential elections here in Honduras have resulted in a very close and contested race. Demonstrations today have prompted the area presidency to ask us to keep all missionaries confinded to their apartments beginning this evening pending further developments. All missionaries are safe and local members are helping to watch after them.
We thank you for your love and support and greatly appreciate your prayers.
President Rex Carlisle
Honduras San Pedro Sula East Mission
Este mensaje está dirigido a los padres y lideres de los misioneros que sirven en la Misión Honduras San Pedro Sula Este.
Las recientes elecciones presidenciales aquí en Honduras han resultado en una conclusión disputada. Las manifestaciones de hoy han llevado a la presidencia del área a pedirnos que mantengamos confinados a todos los misioneros en sus apartamentos a partir de esta noche en espera de nuevos desarrollos. Todos los misioneros están a salvo y los miembros locales están ayudando a vigilarlos.
Les agradecemos por su amor y apoyo y apreciamos mucho sus oraciones.
Presidente Rex Carlisle
Misión Honduras San Pedro Sula Este
A Thanksgiving Miracle (Pictures Galore!)
[from November 25, 2017]
Doing really good! This week was thanksgiving, ours was pretty good here. We´ve gotten the Christmas music going at 100%.
We got an ok thansgiving lunch. We asked a cook we know to make us some thanksgiving stuff. It was kinda small, but good.
I´m still training both of the new secretaries. That´s really good and it´s honestly way easier for them because there are two of them instead of one doing that crazy General/Ruta job. So I should be getting my package pretty quickly since we have a better ruta secretary now (AKA not me haha).
We went to the (super cool commissary) store to look for some frozen pumpkin pie and found exactly 5 IBC cream sodas. They are the only ones I´ve ever found and the only ones I think I ever will, but it was awesome. E´ Reyes and E´Gonzalez loved them too, so everyone was happy.
We made a little mistake and got a pumpkin pie that you had to cook. Luckily we had an oven, we just had to save it until night time. It was pretty good! It was pretty impressive that we could cook the pie. We debated bringing it back to the store and buying an already made pie instead. I bet it was more delicious there. Last Thanksgiving I didn´t do anything so I had to go nuts this time haha.
So yeah, I´m just wrapping things up here in the office. If all goes according to plan I should be leaving the office on Wednesday. (I still don´t know exactly where.) president told me what he was thinking at the beginning of the change, but he said he wasn´t sure. I like the place he was thinking about. I'm honestly just excited to be a field missionary again. I would be super happy going anywhere. We´ll see what exactly happens, I´ll know on Monday. So next time I write it´ll be from the field.
Also, my new goal is to take a bunch of pics. I´ve been really bad about it, but I´ve done a little better this last week.
Maybe I got a little too excited about the cream soda.
Oh and also, we´re gonna be stuck inside all day tomorrow because of the elections and the craziness that comes with that here. We´re gonna have a boring day, but it´ll be ok cause there´s 7 of us in that house right now.
Love you guys! -E´ Stoddard
Doing really good! This week was thanksgiving, ours was pretty good here. We´ve gotten the Christmas music going at 100%.
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| Thanksgiving lunch w/ the other secretaries (notice my salva vida (double parenthesis: salva vida is the national beer of honduras) tie) |
We got an ok thansgiving lunch. We asked a cook we know to make us some thanksgiving stuff. It was kinda small, but good.
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| Like I said, small but pretty good. Turkey is way hard to find here. |
I´m still training both of the new secretaries. That´s really good and it´s honestly way easier for them because there are two of them instead of one doing that crazy General/Ruta job. So I should be getting my package pretty quickly since we have a better ruta secretary now (AKA not me haha).
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Elder Gonzalez (the new ruta) driving the car for the first time. Look how happy he is.
|
We went to the (super cool commissary) store to look for some frozen pumpkin pie and found exactly 5 IBC cream sodas. They are the only ones I´ve ever found and the only ones I think I ever will, but it was awesome. E´ Reyes and E´Gonzalez loved them too, so everyone was happy.
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| Thanksgiving Day miracle. |
We made a little mistake and got a pumpkin pie that you had to cook. Luckily we had an oven, we just had to save it until night time. It was pretty good! It was pretty impressive that we could cook the pie. We debated bringing it back to the store and buying an already made pie instead. I bet it was more delicious there. Last Thanksgiving I didn´t do anything so I had to go nuts this time haha.
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| Some pumpkin pie and caramel icecream. |
So yeah, I´m just wrapping things up here in the office. If all goes according to plan I should be leaving the office on Wednesday. (I still don´t know exactly where.) president told me what he was thinking at the beginning of the change, but he said he wasn´t sure. I like the place he was thinking about. I'm honestly just excited to be a field missionary again. I would be super happy going anywhere. We´ll see what exactly happens, I´ll know on Monday. So next time I write it´ll be from the field.
Also, my new goal is to take a bunch of pics. I´ve been really bad about it, but I´ve done a little better this last week.
Maybe I got a little too excited about the cream soda.
Oh and also, we´re gonna be stuck inside all day tomorrow because of the elections and the craziness that comes with that here. We´re gonna have a boring day, but it´ll be ok cause there´s 7 of us in that house right now.
Love you guys! -E´ Stoddard
And Now for Some Weird Traffic Pics
[from November 25, 2017]
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| There's an ambulance with its lights and sirens on but still stopped at a stoplight. |
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| That's not the right place to put a license plate. |
Surprise Trip to Tegucigalpa
[from November 18, 2017]
Hey Family,
So I haven´t been transferred still, but last week was so hectic. Um, well to start things off, my replacement is here (his name is Elder Devenport) and I´m showing him how to do my job. It´s pretty fun to have him doing all the work while I just kinda help him out and show him what to do. They also finally called another Ruta secretary, so they have Elder Devenport, Elder Gonzalez (the new ruta secretary), and I in a trio so I can show both of them what to do. I think it´ll be good thing to have them splitting up the work. So yeah, but I´m getting ready to head out of here pretty soon. Also, this time all the changes were in one day, so I was pretty occupied during that week getting things set up for that craziness of picking up new missionaries, sending off old ones, and helping set up the transportation of missionaries with changes and opening three new areas. All in one day.
Also, during last week I had the opportunity to go to the temple here in Honduras. That almost never happens for the missionaries here in this mission so I got really lucky. I´m gonna do my best to explain, but I could do it way better talking than writing. So what happens in that a lot of cases, when a Young Man/Woman from Honduras receives their mission call, they have to wait quite a bit and have to jump through a lot of administrative hoops in the government to be able to leave here and go serve their mission in a different country. And lots of the time, when the time comes for them to leave on the mission, their visa isn´t ready yet. So what the church does, is they assign them to a mission here in Honduras while they wait, and their visa becomes the problem of the migration secretary (my old companion E´ Reyes).
So usually when that happens it´s an Elder who´s here for a change or two, and then they leave on their real missions. This time it was a Sister missionary who got called to Brazil, so she had to go to Tegucigalpa to fill out the last couple of things for her visa. Usually if it ´s an Elder they go with the Migration Secretary just the two of them. But because this time it was a sister, she went with her companion and I went with Elder Reyes. So we took the journey down there, visited the temple, visited the biggest mall in Honduras and waited forever in the Brazilian embassy.
It was pretty fun. Also Elder Reyes and I (and those two sisters) are the only missionaries from this mission who are currently serving who have visited Tegucigalpa. I told Miles I was went to his mission, but I didn´t get to see him :(. But anyways- a cool experience that I didn´t think I would get to have, hahah.
I think it is a really good idea (not necessarily to memorize) but know where the scripture mastery verses are in the book of Mormon. I brought that little seminary flash card on the mission, and even though I don´t have them all memorized, knowing where they are and more or less what they say has been a huge advantage for me.
I´m not super sure about the pictures for Christmas cards. I might just send the pics from the temple and you can pick your favorite.
Yeah for this Skype call I´ll be out of the office. I don´t know where I´ll be but we´ll be finding out pretty soon! It´s been fun, and I´ve learned things here that I don´t think I would have been able to learn anywhere else.
Everything went great with Javier, he shared in his testimony how grateful he was for our diligence with him and never giving up on him. It was really cool.
Our other baptism for this week fell through, it was a little sad how that happened, but I hope he still gets baptized in the future.
I was talking to Javier the other day. He was playing soccer and hurt his leg pretty bad he had crutches and looked like he was in pain. He said basically, it´s all psychological. So if I think my leg feels fine it feels fine. I was super impressed with that, and I´ve honestly been thinking about it a lot. It´s honestly really weird that Dad said that too, seems like Heavenly Father might be trying to tell me something. I hope I can always keep the happy state of mind from here on out!
I was a little bit weirded out about how I felt about Grandpa Joe´s passing. I feel like he´s at peace and in a better place now. I don´t feel sad at all, and I think it´s the knowledge that I have about the plan of salvation.
I have a lot of good memories from that last trip when Grandma and Grandpa visited us. I remember we went to go buy a jack so that the RV would stay level. I also thought it was pretty funny when Grandpa Joe took the personality test, I can't remember what color it was but I remember he was almost 100% that one haha.
I´m glad I´ll be able to drive the marshmallow again when I get home. I really liked that car, and I´m so grateful that Shawna gave it to us to use. I hope I can figure out how to not drive like a crazy person when I get back home haha.
I´ve realized something weird about myself these days. The food that makes me sick now, is not Honduras food. I can eat a thousand baleadas and feel just fine. but what makes me sick is american fast food like Burger King or Wendy´s. Pretty strange, I hope it´s not that way when I get home.
Love you.
E. Stoddard
Hey Family,
So I haven´t been transferred still, but last week was so hectic. Um, well to start things off, my replacement is here (his name is Elder Devenport) and I´m showing him how to do my job. It´s pretty fun to have him doing all the work while I just kinda help him out and show him what to do. They also finally called another Ruta secretary, so they have Elder Devenport, Elder Gonzalez (the new ruta secretary), and I in a trio so I can show both of them what to do. I think it´ll be good thing to have them splitting up the work. So yeah, but I´m getting ready to head out of here pretty soon. Also, this time all the changes were in one day, so I was pretty occupied during that week getting things set up for that craziness of picking up new missionaries, sending off old ones, and helping set up the transportation of missionaries with changes and opening three new areas. All in one day.
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| You can use this for the Chrismas card |
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| My plaque is still white. Haha. |
It was pretty fun. Also Elder Reyes and I (and those two sisters) are the only missionaries from this mission who are currently serving who have visited Tegucigalpa. I told Miles I was went to his mission, but I didn´t get to see him :(. But anyways- a cool experience that I didn´t think I would get to have, hahah.
I think it is a really good idea (not necessarily to memorize) but know where the scripture mastery verses are in the book of Mormon. I brought that little seminary flash card on the mission, and even though I don´t have them all memorized, knowing where they are and more or less what they say has been a huge advantage for me.
I´m not super sure about the pictures for Christmas cards. I might just send the pics from the temple and you can pick your favorite.
Yeah for this Skype call I´ll be out of the office. I don´t know where I´ll be but we´ll be finding out pretty soon! It´s been fun, and I´ve learned things here that I don´t think I would have been able to learn anywhere else.
Everything went great with Javier, he shared in his testimony how grateful he was for our diligence with him and never giving up on him. It was really cool.
Our other baptism for this week fell through, it was a little sad how that happened, but I hope he still gets baptized in the future.
I was talking to Javier the other day. He was playing soccer and hurt his leg pretty bad he had crutches and looked like he was in pain. He said basically, it´s all psychological. So if I think my leg feels fine it feels fine. I was super impressed with that, and I´ve honestly been thinking about it a lot. It´s honestly really weird that Dad said that too, seems like Heavenly Father might be trying to tell me something. I hope I can always keep the happy state of mind from here on out!
I was a little bit weirded out about how I felt about Grandpa Joe´s passing. I feel like he´s at peace and in a better place now. I don´t feel sad at all, and I think it´s the knowledge that I have about the plan of salvation.
I have a lot of good memories from that last trip when Grandma and Grandpa visited us. I remember we went to go buy a jack so that the RV would stay level. I also thought it was pretty funny when Grandpa Joe took the personality test, I can't remember what color it was but I remember he was almost 100% that one haha.
I´m glad I´ll be able to drive the marshmallow again when I get home. I really liked that car, and I´m so grateful that Shawna gave it to us to use. I hope I can figure out how to not drive like a crazy person when I get back home haha.
I´ve realized something weird about myself these days. The food that makes me sick now, is not Honduras food. I can eat a thousand baleadas and feel just fine. but what makes me sick is american fast food like Burger King or Wendy´s. Pretty strange, I hope it´s not that way when I get home.
 |
| The America shrine in our house. |
E. Stoddard
Come Heck or High Water
[from November 4, 2017]
Yeah we´re all better from the flood. The waters pretty much gone. Our house is pretty much ok. Some water got in but there wasn´t any damage. Everybody´s OK. The missionaries were all fine, even the sick sister. We´re having changes this week and she´s gonna be put as companion with the mission nurse, so they can go to the hospital together if anything else happens. Neighbors and members are all ok, but there are a lot of damaged houses and stuff. Some people are still basically camping out because they can´t go back to their houses, but it´s fewer people every day. It´s true, it does feel really good to help people out and get them to a place where they can feel the spirit.
It was cool to have a baptism, we all got pretty wet on our way to the chapel. I haven´t performed the ordinance of baptism myself in a long time. Since I´ve been in this area actually. Now that I think about it, the last person I did the ordinance for was Aylin back in Montecristo. It´s been a long time haha.
Yeah I wasn´t super into singing. They spent 3 hours practicing this thing in a regular day. I just thought it was kinda dumb and my companion didn´t want to go either.
Pink eye stinks, but I was able to keep the pink eye contained to that one eye and nobody else got sick. I´ve been wearing glasses for the last week, but it´s pretty much gone now. Thank goodness.
Yeah it was actually really nice to be in Presidents house. He lives in the nicest penthouse I have ever seen. All there water was filtered, so I took advantage of the opportunity to drink the shower water.
I´m really glad we were able to get Sofia´s baptism in. I was kinda worried we weren´t gonna be able to get the baptism done because of all the flooding. I suppose we could´ve done it in the middle of a super full street if it came down to it though hahah. Would´ve been really gross.
We have another baptism planned for today. He´s another teenager named Javier. We had a hard time getting his mom to sign the papers. In fact we thought it was gonna fall through for today, but I just got a phone call from him that said she had signed them. So we are a GO! Maybe you´ll be getting some pics of that today!
I love you guys!
Elder Stoddard
Yeah we´re all better from the flood. The waters pretty much gone. Our house is pretty much ok. Some water got in but there wasn´t any damage. Everybody´s OK. The missionaries were all fine, even the sick sister. We´re having changes this week and she´s gonna be put as companion with the mission nurse, so they can go to the hospital together if anything else happens. Neighbors and members are all ok, but there are a lot of damaged houses and stuff. Some people are still basically camping out because they can´t go back to their houses, but it´s fewer people every day. It´s true, it does feel really good to help people out and get them to a place where they can feel the spirit.
It was cool to have a baptism, we all got pretty wet on our way to the chapel. I haven´t performed the ordinance of baptism myself in a long time. Since I´ve been in this area actually. Now that I think about it, the last person I did the ordinance for was Aylin back in Montecristo. It´s been a long time haha.
Yeah I wasn´t super into singing. They spent 3 hours practicing this thing in a regular day. I just thought it was kinda dumb and my companion didn´t want to go either.
Pink eye stinks, but I was able to keep the pink eye contained to that one eye and nobody else got sick. I´ve been wearing glasses for the last week, but it´s pretty much gone now. Thank goodness.
Yeah it was actually really nice to be in Presidents house. He lives in the nicest penthouse I have ever seen. All there water was filtered, so I took advantage of the opportunity to drink the shower water.
I´m really glad we were able to get Sofia´s baptism in. I was kinda worried we weren´t gonna be able to get the baptism done because of all the flooding. I suppose we could´ve done it in the middle of a super full street if it came down to it though hahah. Would´ve been really gross.
We have another baptism planned for today. He´s another teenager named Javier. We had a hard time getting his mom to sign the papers. In fact we thought it was gonna fall through for today, but I just got a phone call from him that said she had signed them. So we are a GO! Maybe you´ll be getting some pics of that today!
I love you guys!
Elder Stoddard
Who Ever Heard of a Tropical Depression?
[from October 28, 2017]
Hey family, so this week was kinda one of the crazier ones I´ve had- and I think it´ll be one of the craziest ones I think I´ll ever have. Sorry this email´s gonna be pretty self centered this week- I don´t have a lot of time, and I want to say a ton!
So Sunday President Carlisle came to our church meeting. I confirmed Antony (the 16 year old who got baptized last week) and then we went to eat lunch and go do some visits. The zone leaders got kinda mad at my companion and I because we didn´t go to the choir practice for the zone conference, but it was ok, Elder Santillana didn´t get too mad at me, he knows I don´t really like singing. Pretty normal day actually.
Mondays are always super busy, I was running around all day doing crazy stuff for president. He basically gave me the schedule of everything that´s gonna happen for a long time in the mission. One thing we have to get ready for is that a 70 is gonna visit our mission, which will be cool. But yeah, Mondays are P-day for every other missionary so we get lots of phone calls and emails on Monday.
Tuesday was zone conference- we ended up singing haha. It was pretty good. One new rule that´s gonna be kinda hard to follow is that we have to get haircuts in church clothes. I might just start to convince another Elder in the house to cut my hair.
Wednesday was the beggining of crazyness. We woke up like normal and it was raining super hard outside. So we went to the office and it was all normal. Then we got a phone call from the AP´s that the river was probably and was entering/going to enter lots of homes. So we went back and yeah the river was super high. The stick that says how high the water is was under water. We put on some helping hands t shirts and started helping people put all their stuff in garbage bags so it wouldn´t get wet. Then we got a phone call from the nurse and said the same sister missionary who had an asthma attack before had another one and needed to be taken to the hospital. So we rushed over there (all 4 of us secretaries, we left the assistants in the Lima). While we were with them in the hospital the Ap´s called us and said that yeah, the river overflowed. So we tried to get back, but the water was making it really hard to drive and it was coming to a point where we didn´t think we were gonna be able to get home safely. So we turned around and went back to San Pedro where it was all good pretty much. At this point everybody in Lima was calling asking what to do. We told all the elders to go to our house (which is two stories) and all the sisters to go to one of the apartments where they live on the second floor. In a couple houses the water got in. So we were just in the office . President was in a Zone conference in Progreso and he got back to San Pedro around 6 o´clock at night. He came into the office and we talked with him about what to do. About that time the AP´s called again to tell us that water was really high and had gotten into the house. So we told them to move everybody to the Zone leaders house in la Planeta. It would be cramped, but maybe a little safer. We were planning on sleeping on the floor in the office, but President invited us to come stay in his house that night. Pretty crazy, because as far as I know, nobody else has ever stayed the night in President´s house. While we were there he had us calling all the missionaries (mostly in the Lima) to make sure they were all safe. We also had a little problem with some missionaries who were in the process of travelling getting stuck in a bus in Ceiba. It rained over there really bad too and they ended up closing the roads east of San Pedro completely during the night. They just had to sleep the night in the bus and wait, because there was no safe way for them to sleep in a missionaries house. So pretty crazy stuff. We didn´t have any clothes or anything but it was kinda cool to sleep in President´s house.
Thursday morning we woke up and headed straight back to the office and President had me write the letter. We basically spent the morning answering phone calls and telling missionaries what to do. In that time it stopped raining and we were able to get back into the lima. It was pretty bad. Lots of flooding and at times, we thought we weren´t gonna be able to make it back. We saw some people walking in neck high water pulling a plastic garbage can with their stuff in it behind them. Cars were 100% underwater. People were putting up stick and tarps to make houses in dry parts of town. It was pretty crazy. There were goverment lines of probably 200 people waiting to get food. So we starting helping distribute stuff and we basically did that all day.
Friday we went to the office in the morning and then we just came home and started visiting again. We made sure that Sofia got her baptism interview so she could get baptized. Then we just helped an older lady get her house back in shape. She didn´t have a lot to begin with- but when something like this happens... So then we filled up the baptismal font for the baptism today and cleaned the chapel so it´ll look good. We also went looking for somebody with a white skirt because the one we had was way too big. So we went to a member family´s house and got the skirt. One important thing to remember is that they had pink eye.
Today I woke up with pink eye. Gosh dangit. So I called the nurse and bought some drops. The good thing is that I got it now that things have calmed down a little bit. And it´s only in one eye... we´ll try to keep it that way. Maybe I´ll squint while we take baptism photos today hahah. We just went to eat and now we´re emailing. We are all pretty tired from this week.
The funny thing about all this is that this was a tropical depression or basically nothing huge. Nobody´s ever heard of a tropical depression. Honduras isn´t super well prepared for things like this.
Anyways guys, happy Diwali. Launch a firework for me.
Elder Stoddard
Hey family, so this week was kinda one of the crazier ones I´ve had- and I think it´ll be one of the craziest ones I think I´ll ever have. Sorry this email´s gonna be pretty self centered this week- I don´t have a lot of time, and I want to say a ton!
So Sunday President Carlisle came to our church meeting. I confirmed Antony (the 16 year old who got baptized last week) and then we went to eat lunch and go do some visits. The zone leaders got kinda mad at my companion and I because we didn´t go to the choir practice for the zone conference, but it was ok, Elder Santillana didn´t get too mad at me, he knows I don´t really like singing. Pretty normal day actually.
Mondays are always super busy, I was running around all day doing crazy stuff for president. He basically gave me the schedule of everything that´s gonna happen for a long time in the mission. One thing we have to get ready for is that a 70 is gonna visit our mission, which will be cool. But yeah, Mondays are P-day for every other missionary so we get lots of phone calls and emails on Monday.
Tuesday was zone conference- we ended up singing haha. It was pretty good. One new rule that´s gonna be kinda hard to follow is that we have to get haircuts in church clothes. I might just start to convince another Elder in the house to cut my hair.
Wednesday was the beggining of crazyness. We woke up like normal and it was raining super hard outside. So we went to the office and it was all normal. Then we got a phone call from the AP´s that the river was probably and was entering/going to enter lots of homes. So we went back and yeah the river was super high. The stick that says how high the water is was under water. We put on some helping hands t shirts and started helping people put all their stuff in garbage bags so it wouldn´t get wet. Then we got a phone call from the nurse and said the same sister missionary who had an asthma attack before had another one and needed to be taken to the hospital. So we rushed over there (all 4 of us secretaries, we left the assistants in the Lima). While we were with them in the hospital the Ap´s called us and said that yeah, the river overflowed. So we tried to get back, but the water was making it really hard to drive and it was coming to a point where we didn´t think we were gonna be able to get home safely. So we turned around and went back to San Pedro where it was all good pretty much. At this point everybody in Lima was calling asking what to do. We told all the elders to go to our house (which is two stories) and all the sisters to go to one of the apartments where they live on the second floor. In a couple houses the water got in. So we were just in the office . President was in a Zone conference in Progreso and he got back to San Pedro around 6 o´clock at night. He came into the office and we talked with him about what to do. About that time the AP´s called again to tell us that water was really high and had gotten into the house. So we told them to move everybody to the Zone leaders house in la Planeta. It would be cramped, but maybe a little safer. We were planning on sleeping on the floor in the office, but President invited us to come stay in his house that night. Pretty crazy, because as far as I know, nobody else has ever stayed the night in President´s house. While we were there he had us calling all the missionaries (mostly in the Lima) to make sure they were all safe. We also had a little problem with some missionaries who were in the process of travelling getting stuck in a bus in Ceiba. It rained over there really bad too and they ended up closing the roads east of San Pedro completely during the night. They just had to sleep the night in the bus and wait, because there was no safe way for them to sleep in a missionaries house. So pretty crazy stuff. We didn´t have any clothes or anything but it was kinda cool to sleep in President´s house.
Thursday morning we woke up and headed straight back to the office and President had me write the letter. We basically spent the morning answering phone calls and telling missionaries what to do. In that time it stopped raining and we were able to get back into the lima. It was pretty bad. Lots of flooding and at times, we thought we weren´t gonna be able to make it back. We saw some people walking in neck high water pulling a plastic garbage can with their stuff in it behind them. Cars were 100% underwater. People were putting up stick and tarps to make houses in dry parts of town. It was pretty crazy. There were goverment lines of probably 200 people waiting to get food. So we starting helping distribute stuff and we basically did that all day.
 |
| Computer Selfie |
Today I woke up with pink eye. Gosh dangit. So I called the nurse and bought some drops. The good thing is that I got it now that things have calmed down a little bit. And it´s only in one eye... we´ll try to keep it that way. Maybe I´ll squint while we take baptism photos today hahah. We just went to eat and now we´re emailing. We are all pretty tired from this week.
 |
| Baptism of Sofia |
Anyways guys, happy Diwali. Launch a firework for me.
Elder Stoddard
Honduran Weather Update
[Editor's Note: We received the following official message from the headquarters of the San Pedro Sula East Mission on October 26, 2017. Then a couple of hours later, we got a message from Christian - which is attached at the end.]
-------------------------------------
hey family,
you probably just got an email from the mission (i wrote it :) ).
we are ok even though we´re in the lima zone. there´s a bunch of flooding and a lot of people are without homes, but we are ok and doing everything we can to help people.
love you guys!
e stoddard
This message is directed to parents and leaders of missionaries serving in the Honduras San Pedro Sula East Mission.
We have been experiencing intermittent heavy rain due to a tropical depression and we are anticipating additional rain in the next several days. Missionaries have been asked to stay at home and prepare themselves with adequate food and water. A few missionaries assigned to La Lima zone have been relocated to other houses further away from the Chamelecón river which has overflowed.
At present all missionaries are safe and dry. We will continue to monitor their health and safety.
Thank you for your love and support,
President Rex Carlisle
Honduras San Pedro Sula East Mission
Este mensaje está dirigido a los padres y líderes de los misioneros que sirven en la Misión Honduras San Pedro Sula Este.
Hemos estado experimentando fuertes lluvias intermitentes debido a una depresión tropical y anticipamos lluvias adicionales en los próximos días. A los misioneros se les ha pedido que se queden en casa y se preparen con agua y comida adecuada. Algunos misioneros asignados a la zona de La Lima han sido reubicados en otras casas más alejadas del río Chamelecón que se ha desbordado.
En este momento, todos los misioneros están seguros y secos. Continuaremos monitoreando su salud y seguridad.
Gracias por su amor y apoyo,
Presidente Rex Carlisle
Misión de Honduras San Pedro Sula Este
-------------------------------------
hey family,
you probably just got an email from the mission (i wrote it :) ).
we are ok even though we´re in the lima zone. there´s a bunch of flooding and a lot of people are without homes, but we are ok and doing everything we can to help people.
love you guys!
e stoddard
Storm on the Horizon
[from October 21, 2017]
Hey Family!
Yeah I got the package! Thanks so much for sending that stuff. The teaching aid is super cool. I´ll put it in use pretty soon. And thanks for the candy and cliff bars. I´ve successfully converted my companion into a cliff bar addict. He was pretty excited to get those too.
I hope to take some photos (of the baptism we have today!) I´ll be sending some photos of that probably tonight with the church wifi.
Sofia´s getting baptized next week, I think everything is all set with her. Her mom is being a lot more receptive and I think she will at least attend the baptism, and she does support her daughter´s decision which is good.
I gave a talk about a month ago- it went well. Now it´s my companion´s turn on this Sunday. Always about missionary work.
I think I´ll be out of the office before too too much longer. Maybe they´ll have me train the new secretary at the beginning of next change. I´ve just started to get the hang of balancing office and area too. It´s been kinda weird- I´ve liked the office, but I´m excited to be headed back out- I´ve been here for a long time!
The presidential elections are coming up next month, we´ll see how that is. It´s possible we won´t be allowed to leave our houses- Crazy huh? [Editor's Note: I would call this last thought a good example of foreshadowing.]
Love you guys! Heads up for some pics tonight!
-Elder Stoddard
Hey Family!
Yeah I got the package! Thanks so much for sending that stuff. The teaching aid is super cool. I´ll put it in use pretty soon. And thanks for the candy and cliff bars. I´ve successfully converted my companion into a cliff bar addict. He was pretty excited to get those too.
I hope to take some photos (of the baptism we have today!) I´ll be sending some photos of that probably tonight with the church wifi.
Sofia´s getting baptized next week, I think everything is all set with her. Her mom is being a lot more receptive and I think she will at least attend the baptism, and she does support her daughter´s decision which is good.
I gave a talk about a month ago- it went well. Now it´s my companion´s turn on this Sunday. Always about missionary work.
I think I´ll be out of the office before too too much longer. Maybe they´ll have me train the new secretary at the beginning of next change. I´ve just started to get the hang of balancing office and area too. It´s been kinda weird- I´ve liked the office, but I´m excited to be headed back out- I´ve been here for a long time!
The presidential elections are coming up next month, we´ll see how that is. It´s possible we won´t be allowed to leave our houses- Crazy huh? [Editor's Note: I would call this last thought a good example of foreshadowing.]
Love you guys! Heads up for some pics tonight!
-Elder Stoddard
Friday, January 5, 2018
Not Much to Say About Halloween and Hurricanes
[from October 14, 2017]
Hey Family!
All good here. Time feels like it´s flying by.
They don´t celebrate Halloween here, but we were thinking we might get somebody to paint our faces that day. One of the things I want to do when I get home (so I don´t forget my spanish) is read books in Spanish. I might start with Harry Potter.
I haven´t heard too much of the hurricane. We haven´t done any disaster relief kinda stuff cause nothing too bad has happened here.
The last night everybody stays in the Secretary/AP house. Elder Reyes (my current companion) and I will be leaving on the same day, so we´ll probably go and visit some people here in La Paz. But other than that, we probably won´t do anything else on our last night. I´m gonna try to sleep, cause all the guys from central america (i.e. Elder Reyes) go at 4 in the morning and I´ll want to say goodbye to him. It´s a long way off though.
Thanks for sending a package. We still haven´t gotten the chance to go to the national mail and pick up packages. I get so excited when I know something´s there for me.
Sofia is doing really well. She´s really had some problems so far in her life, and she´s still got lots of things she needs to work out. I think the church is really helping her though. If all goes well she and another youth (anthony) should be getting baptized this coming saturday (I know... it´s been a long time since there´s been a baptism in La Paz 1). But yeah we´re pretty excited for them.
Cynthia (Nicole´s mom) is still working through some things. She´ll for sure get baptized sometime, I just really hope I´m here to be able to see it.
A family I found and taught in Montecristo (Marvin and Helen) just got married yesterday and baptized today. Good stuff. I put a pic with them in the email. It was my last night in the area and we went to say bye to them. I had recieved my worst haircut of the mission that same day and I was soaking wet, but I wanted a picture anyways because I was 100% sure they were gonna get married and baptized. Just don´t ever let the internet see that haircut. It is hurtful to people´s eyes.
[Editor's Note: My apologies to the internet, but I am honoring Christian's request to protect your eyes from his bad haircut picture.]
Love you guys!
Elder Stoddard
Hey Family!
All good here. Time feels like it´s flying by.
They don´t celebrate Halloween here, but we were thinking we might get somebody to paint our faces that day. One of the things I want to do when I get home (so I don´t forget my spanish) is read books in Spanish. I might start with Harry Potter.
I haven´t heard too much of the hurricane. We haven´t done any disaster relief kinda stuff cause nothing too bad has happened here.
The last night everybody stays in the Secretary/AP house. Elder Reyes (my current companion) and I will be leaving on the same day, so we´ll probably go and visit some people here in La Paz. But other than that, we probably won´t do anything else on our last night. I´m gonna try to sleep, cause all the guys from central america (i.e. Elder Reyes) go at 4 in the morning and I´ll want to say goodbye to him. It´s a long way off though.
Thanks for sending a package. We still haven´t gotten the chance to go to the national mail and pick up packages. I get so excited when I know something´s there for me.
Sofia is doing really well. She´s really had some problems so far in her life, and she´s still got lots of things she needs to work out. I think the church is really helping her though. If all goes well she and another youth (anthony) should be getting baptized this coming saturday (I know... it´s been a long time since there´s been a baptism in La Paz 1). But yeah we´re pretty excited for them.
Cynthia (Nicole´s mom) is still working through some things. She´ll for sure get baptized sometime, I just really hope I´m here to be able to see it.
A family I found and taught in Montecristo (Marvin and Helen) just got married yesterday and baptized today. Good stuff. I put a pic with them in the email. It was my last night in the area and we went to say bye to them. I had recieved my worst haircut of the mission that same day and I was soaking wet, but I wanted a picture anyways because I was 100% sure they were gonna get married and baptized. Just don´t ever let the internet see that haircut. It is hurtful to people´s eyes.
[Editor's Note: My apologies to the internet, but I am honoring Christian's request to protect your eyes from his bad haircut picture.]
Love you guys!
Elder Stoddard
All About Perspective
[from October 11, 2017]
I´ve had a bunch of cool experience, but just this morning I saw a coulple guys at a stop light juggling machetes and balls of fire. Pretty cool looking. I gave them 5 lempiras (about a quarter) cause I thought they deserve 5 lempiras for risking their lives hahah.
Yeah we´ve been all good so far as weather goes. Lots of crazy stuff in the news. Hurricanes, Earthquakes, and a mass shooting in Las Vegas. But down here it´s been pretty calm *knock on wood.* Each transfer there´s some crazy stuff. Especially when areas are opened or closed.
When we close an area we have to get the stuff out of the house and throw it all in the truck. Whn we open an area we have to bring all the stuff you need in a house from our house to a new house. It was hard doing that in a taxi.
This last transfer was just a crazy mess of murphy´s law kinda stuff happening. We did end up finding the keys (just yesterday actually). They were out in the middle of some tall grass in our yard. Nobody has any idea how they got there, but it was good to get them back finally.
My second companion was nuts, but he was fun. His last night he had brought a piñata that looked like a missionary (himself). He also recorded a rap song about being a missionary. He had picture of him in a casket he was giving people (a play on the whole "dead missionary" thing). I had a good time with him, but we had some differences that we had a hard time working out.
My companion right now is great. I like that he likes to work really hard, but he also likes to have fun and goof around sometimes too. I like that we always help each other doing boring office stuff. One time every month I have to staple together about a bajillion peices of paper and put them in binders- he always helps. Whenever new missionaries arrive, he has to cut and laminate and sign a bunch of migratory papers for them- and I always help him out.
We´re probably gonna be having some baptisms coming up on the 21st of this month.
Sometimes listen to myself in lessons, and remember I´m not perfect. Happens a lot actually-especially when giving advice and stuff. Actually, one of the girls we have preparing for baptism on the 21st (Sofia) had some problems in colegio (high school) and dropped out. She didn´t feel like she could be baptized, even though she´s reading her scriptures (a lot), praying and going to church. We assured her that baptism isn´t something we should do when we are 80 years old and otherwise perfect, but that baptism was something we should do as the first step in our path to being better people. She put the baptism goal and I think she´s preparing for it really well.
Love you guys!!!
-Elder Stoddard
I´ve had a bunch of cool experience, but just this morning I saw a coulple guys at a stop light juggling machetes and balls of fire. Pretty cool looking. I gave them 5 lempiras (about a quarter) cause I thought they deserve 5 lempiras for risking their lives hahah.
Yeah we´ve been all good so far as weather goes. Lots of crazy stuff in the news. Hurricanes, Earthquakes, and a mass shooting in Las Vegas. But down here it´s been pretty calm *knock on wood.* Each transfer there´s some crazy stuff. Especially when areas are opened or closed.
When we close an area we have to get the stuff out of the house and throw it all in the truck. Whn we open an area we have to bring all the stuff you need in a house from our house to a new house. It was hard doing that in a taxi.
This last transfer was just a crazy mess of murphy´s law kinda stuff happening. We did end up finding the keys (just yesterday actually). They were out in the middle of some tall grass in our yard. Nobody has any idea how they got there, but it was good to get them back finally.
My second companion was nuts, but he was fun. His last night he had brought a piñata that looked like a missionary (himself). He also recorded a rap song about being a missionary. He had picture of him in a casket he was giving people (a play on the whole "dead missionary" thing). I had a good time with him, but we had some differences that we had a hard time working out.
My companion right now is great. I like that he likes to work really hard, but he also likes to have fun and goof around sometimes too. I like that we always help each other doing boring office stuff. One time every month I have to staple together about a bajillion peices of paper and put them in binders- he always helps. Whenever new missionaries arrive, he has to cut and laminate and sign a bunch of migratory papers for them- and I always help him out.
We´re probably gonna be having some baptisms coming up on the 21st of this month.
Sometimes listen to myself in lessons, and remember I´m not perfect. Happens a lot actually-especially when giving advice and stuff. Actually, one of the girls we have preparing for baptism on the 21st (Sofia) had some problems in colegio (high school) and dropped out. She didn´t feel like she could be baptized, even though she´s reading her scriptures (a lot), praying and going to church. We assured her that baptism isn´t something we should do when we are 80 years old and otherwise perfect, but that baptism was something we should do as the first step in our path to being better people. She put the baptism goal and I think she´s preparing for it really well.
Love you guys!!!
-Elder Stoddard
How to Invite Someone to General Conference
[from September 30, 2017]
Hey family. Pretty crazy week. It was changes this week. Crazy things happened. My second companion was being all crazy in our house the night before he left. [Editors Note: Elders spend the last night of their mission in the large house where the elders who staff the mission office live. Christian and his companion then take them to the airport in the morning.] It was kinda fun to remember some stuff with him before he went home. Even though our time as companions was kinda tough for me, we have always been pretty good friends.
But the thing was that one of the office elders lost the car keys so it was kinda hard because Elder Reyes and I were driving all over the place in buses and taxis. We were also opening and closing areas, and all of that was super hard to do without the truck.
So on top of that when the first group of people who were going home were passing through the migracion in the airport, there was a problem (the security guys made a mistake) and 5 people missed their flights. So my companion and I got way more stressed out than anyone should be a 5 oclock in the morning. What ended up happeneing though was that Elder Reyes just called a member who works in the government to come and they got it all straightened out. They actually got free tickets, the only thing was their families had to wait an extra 3 hours at the airport. Not too bad, just some crazy stuff.
Then the next day my companion and I were super tired cause we were at the airport all day the day before, but we had to wake up early and leave again to deliver an important package. We had to take a bus cause we still didn´t have the car keys.
One of the cool things this week was bringing investigators to conference. We had a lot of people come from our area. Some people we never though would end up coming came because conference is split up into 5 sessions. The converation went like this a lot of times...
Us: Are you able to come with us to conference?
Investigator: No I´m busy at that time.
Us: It´s ok theres one in the afternoon.
Investigator: Still can´t
Us: And tomorrow morning?
Investigator: Still no
Us: How about tomorrow afternoon?
Investigator: OK I give up. Lets go!
It didn´t happen exactly like that, but a lot of times, people were able to go to one of the four sessions, so it was actually pretty cool to go. I watched it in Spanish again this time. I felt weird going into the gringo room where all the US missionaries were watching it in english. But it was a really good conference.
I forgot all my notes at the house, but there was one about the plan of salvation at the beginning of the first session. It was really good for Nicole´s mom. There was also one from one of the newer apostles (renlund/rasband) that I really liked where he talked about the solar eclipse.
I think it was a little weird for me at first to talk about religion all the time, but its something you get used to really fast. It really does come into every aspect of your life. The one thing I try not to do is talk about the gospel in a way that doesn´t apply to people. I basically teach lessons just talking to people and seeing what it is they need and answering questions. I don´t teach like a 100% lesson very much anymore.
There are lots of people here that I really like. I´m gonna be sad to go. Its been an awesome time being here. I think it might be my favorite area if I wasn´t here as a secretary.
Would you believe that my companion knows how to break dance? And my other companion named Elder Reyes knew how to box?
We´re actually having a good amount of success. I think there will be some baptisms in the near future. We are trying hard to distribute our time to the area and the office. We´ve left the office pretty early every day this week.
Love you guys!
-Elder Stoddard
Hey family. Pretty crazy week. It was changes this week. Crazy things happened. My second companion was being all crazy in our house the night before he left. [Editors Note: Elders spend the last night of their mission in the large house where the elders who staff the mission office live. Christian and his companion then take them to the airport in the morning.] It was kinda fun to remember some stuff with him before he went home. Even though our time as companions was kinda tough for me, we have always been pretty good friends.
But the thing was that one of the office elders lost the car keys so it was kinda hard because Elder Reyes and I were driving all over the place in buses and taxis. We were also opening and closing areas, and all of that was super hard to do without the truck.
So on top of that when the first group of people who were going home were passing through the migracion in the airport, there was a problem (the security guys made a mistake) and 5 people missed their flights. So my companion and I got way more stressed out than anyone should be a 5 oclock in the morning. What ended up happeneing though was that Elder Reyes just called a member who works in the government to come and they got it all straightened out. They actually got free tickets, the only thing was their families had to wait an extra 3 hours at the airport. Not too bad, just some crazy stuff.
Then the next day my companion and I were super tired cause we were at the airport all day the day before, but we had to wake up early and leave again to deliver an important package. We had to take a bus cause we still didn´t have the car keys.
One of the cool things this week was bringing investigators to conference. We had a lot of people come from our area. Some people we never though would end up coming came because conference is split up into 5 sessions. The converation went like this a lot of times...
Us: Are you able to come with us to conference?
Investigator: No I´m busy at that time.
Us: It´s ok theres one in the afternoon.
Investigator: Still can´t
Us: And tomorrow morning?
Investigator: Still no
Us: How about tomorrow afternoon?
Investigator: OK I give up. Lets go!
It didn´t happen exactly like that, but a lot of times, people were able to go to one of the four sessions, so it was actually pretty cool to go. I watched it in Spanish again this time. I felt weird going into the gringo room where all the US missionaries were watching it in english. But it was a really good conference.
I forgot all my notes at the house, but there was one about the plan of salvation at the beginning of the first session. It was really good for Nicole´s mom. There was also one from one of the newer apostles (renlund/rasband) that I really liked where he talked about the solar eclipse.
I think it was a little weird for me at first to talk about religion all the time, but its something you get used to really fast. It really does come into every aspect of your life. The one thing I try not to do is talk about the gospel in a way that doesn´t apply to people. I basically teach lessons just talking to people and seeing what it is they need and answering questions. I don´t teach like a 100% lesson very much anymore.
There are lots of people here that I really like. I´m gonna be sad to go. Its been an awesome time being here. I think it might be my favorite area if I wasn´t here as a secretary.
Would you believe that my companion knows how to break dance? And my other companion named Elder Reyes knew how to box?
We´re actually having a good amount of success. I think there will be some baptisms in the near future. We are trying hard to distribute our time to the area and the office. We´ve left the office pretty early every day this week.
Love you guys!
-Elder Stoddard
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