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