Goodbyes, Gratitude, and Goofiness (7/16)

[from July 16, 2018]

this week has been weird and there are a lot of things going through my mind. i am gonna miss the mission a ton. i`ve been feeling a little nostalgic looking at all the stuff as i put it in the suitcase. Lots of goodbyes. I`m gonna miss Saba a lot. It is bittersweet. i can`t wait to be home and see you guys though. that`s what makes me so excited to be going home. i`m gonna focus on that so i don`t feel sad haha. It`s gonna be awesome to see you guys again. I`m gonna have to tell you guys a bunch of crazy stories. 

It`s really weird to think I`ve been here for two years! It sure felt shorter. The time flew! All I have in front of me is some last last testimonies and a dinner and interview with President. All stuff that`s cool, but not super exciting haha.

This week there`s been a bunch of last testimonies shared by me. I`m so glad my heavenly father`s given me the chance to serve a mission.  There`s a quote that i shared this sunday in my last testimony in sacrament meeting. it`s in preach my gospel from Lorenzo Snow (arguably the prophet with the best beard) he said that “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children” 100% true. Heavenly Father has helped me in every step of the mission. It hasn`t been easy, but he`s always been there for me. I am so grateful to have a supportive Heavenly Father, just like I have a supportive earthly father. 

it`ll be cool to get to know the people in the branch. i`m sure it`ll feel weird to be in a bigger sized branch after so long in saba. i was ready to give a talk this upcoming sunday but it`ll be fine if not. i am used to last minute talk notifications at this point. i`ve kinda gotten to be johnny on the spot with a lesson or talk, but anytime sounds good. 

I PROMISE to not be like the sister missionary who missed her flight twice. I`m gonna go to the airport in the morning to say a last goodbye to Elder Reyes, so I`m gonna have lots of time to check my bag and get ready to leave. I do have a crazy day of travel. I`ll do my best to rest of the plane. But not too much. I`m not gonna sleep the whole time either. I don`t want to get home a zombie! if anything crazy or weird happens, church travel is always ready. 

farewel-evator

Thanks for getting the blog up to date. I haven`t kept a mission journal, even though i made various attempts. Most times I had other stuff to do or was to tired to write in the evening. 

Tell Emma she better be ready to have a new alarm clock. It`s super big and comes in Big Brother style. He`s loud, annoying and tickles to make sure any sleeping girls have to wake up. 

Not too much longer now you guys! Just three days! Then the star wars marathon begins! Buuuuu buuuu buuu buuu booo bumm bbuuum bum bum bum doo do doo dooo doooooooooooooooooooo do odo do do do do do do do do bum bum bum doooooo. Que la fuerza te acompañe..... [May the force be with you.....]

I love you tons! See you soon!
Elder Stoddard

The Nostalgia Begins (7/10)

[from July 9, 2018]

Whoa, this is super weird. Maybe my last or second to last mission email. Yeah, I for sure am gonna miss it. I´m gonna go right up until the end. I´ve enjoyed it, even the kinda crummy parts. I gotta make the most of it cause it´s about over! 

Yeah Saba is officially a branch. I am branch President, but not for too much longer haha. 

This week was good. Denis is our mission leader of the branch, which basically means that he leaves with us a ton.  He is super cool. We left with him for the first couple days this week, but then he got pretty sick, so he couldn´t on thursday, friday and saturday.  

We had a super contact with the whole district in saba, the missionaries from sonaguera came and helped us out for just 2 hours. 

What else? We had a baptism on saturday (Sara Martinez). A super cool lady who has a school supply shop. She made a sign for the church, but the ex-missionary stake calling guy (the one who´s house i called from) said we had to take it down because it has to be an official church made sign. I think she got a little offended but didn´t show it too much... Alls good here.

Also, while we were in seminary a kid thought it would be cool to stop my fan with his finger. He ended up breaking the thin plastic rotor and now I don´t have a fan anymore. I asked the mission for a new one, but it won´t get here before I leave. Some sweaty nights! 

My companion is super cool I wish I could have been with him longer, but my time is up doh! He is super funny. His english is really good. In the street we speak a weird mix of spanglish. He wants to teach english after the mission so I try to correct him as much as I can. But it´s weird because I want to correct him for the way he pronounces stuff, but I have to think how someone from england would say it. It´s weird. 

You bet I´m eating lots of baleadas. I learned how to make them so I´ll have to make some when I get home. They don´t come out perfect, but I´ve got the general idea down and I´ve practiced a ton. Whenever we go eat with somebody I offer to help make the baleadas too! The thing that will surprise you is how bad tortillas are for you! SO much fat hahah.

Yeah it´s weird eating with silverware. Like here, any meat is a hands food. 

Those movies sounds really cool. I want to see those, but I want to see Star wars too! I´ve heard there´s a Han Solo movie, sounds awesome! Have you seen it?

Yeah I carry a picture of you guys. Lots of times people are interested in seeing what my family looks like. I didn´t take a picture of the cabbit, but my comp did. I´ll make sure to have him pass me the picture. 

I am gonna make sure and eat some US American food and then some Frankfurters. Sounds good about the stake president and the release. Does he speak english? 

I´m gonna do as much as I can to stay super busy. And I´m gonna try and keep the other kids busy as well. From what I´ve heard they are already bored!? Maybe I´ll make some local friends. I´m not ashamed to look like an idiot with a foreign language anymore, so I´m ready to go! Yeah that sounds cool about visiting with the missionaries! I had no idea that they would be looking for any english speakers in the mission boundaries. That is a way cool assignment and gives them huge areas to look in! That´s cool about chinease people. I didn´t think there would be that many in Ukraine, but CHinease people are everywhere. If they are in Saba, there in Ukraine for sure haha. 

I´m gonna do all I can to appreciate every one of these last few day I have here. I´m gonna miss it, but I´m excited to start something new too!


I love you guys!
-Elder Stoddard

Counting Down the Days (7/3)

[from July 3, 2018]

Haha, I'm excited to see you guys too, I've been trying hard to not count down the days, but it is getting really close. 

Saba is doing good. Denis got a calling in the missionary work, so he's been leaving with us to visit a TON! Elder Bohorquez is awesome. Did I tell you that he already knows english from his house? He learned in a british academy so he speaks almost perfect english, but with an english accent. He's a quiet guy, but once you get to know him he talks a ton and is super funny.

I am excited to see grandma and grandpa too! It will be super cool. I think I'll be fine in Frankfurt. If there's problems I have the church travel number and they'll figure it out.

Oh I'm not too worried. I'll feel super weird I know. But I'm gonna try to be as occupied as I can. I'm gonna see if I can leave with the missionaries too. I doubt I'll be too much help, but it would be cool.

I don't carry a lot of things around with me when i go out to visit. But one of the things i never leave without is the laminated picture of the family you sent me with. I talk about you guys a lot too!

What kind of music are you listening to? I'm gonna need some recommendations after two years out of the loop! I can't wait to hang out with you at home either... it will be awesome.

I have lots of end of mission thoughts. Weird things are always happening, and over the last two years I've started to take them more in stride. Today I saw a bunny cat. A cabbit. Half rabbit half cat. Didn't know that existed but cool anyways.

Questions! (Live Chat) (7/3)

[from July 3, 2018]

Daniel Christian Stoddard

Hey guys!

Yeah there wasn't light on last Monday...

anybody there?

Family

Handsome! How are you?!?!

Daniel Christian Stoddard

doing good!

and you?

Family

We are pretty good. It’s still so weird here, but it feels like we’ve been here a very long time already.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

really?  you getting more used to it?

Family

Getting so, so excited to see you!!!!

I think we are more used to it, but it’s weird. Hahaha!

Daniel Christian Stoddard

hey i have questions for you guys?

Family

Shoot.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

1 sec

sorry somebody is talking to me at the same time....

agaggagaghhhh

a drunk guy just wandered in asking us for money

ok questions.... what the heck should i bring home?

Family

Hahaha!

Daniel Christian Stoddard

who the heck is gonna release me as a missionary?

where the heck are we gonna go after i'm not a missionary anymore... i heard talks of a trip?

Dan

i am working on the release. i contacted our branch president again today.

but it will be under the authority of the stake president.

and we have a couple of trips planned.

Family

Are you concerned about travel? What are you thinking????

Daniel Christian Stoddard

no, that was just a fun question

just to know beforehand... or will it be better to be surprised?

what clothes should i bring home?  church clothes?

there's no "going home" packing list

Dan

thinking about going to odessa on the black sea if we can pull it together. then definitely disney. and we are thinking to hit both london and paris in one trip later.

need us to send you a going home packing list?! ;)

Daniel Christian Stoddard

no just kidding

Dan

i know.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

i just don't know what you have there, so i don't know what stuff i should put in the suitcase

and those trips sound awesome

Dan

you should bring a little bit of clothes you like to wear. we have ordered you some stuff but the mail system has been a bit underwhelming.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

ok

Dan

you will want play clothes, but expect to do some shopping when you get here.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

what else did i want to ask?   i had a whole bunch of stuff to ask you

Daniel Christian Stoddard

and the online classes are something i should wait on or start immediately?

Dan

you will probably end up waiting a little bit b/c you start and stop on their schedule, not your own.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

sounds good! 

Dan

so you will have to enroll for january as soon as they let you, but obviously that will be after you have been home a while.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

ok sounds food

*good

man i must be subconciously hungry

Dan

no doubt. speaking of which ... mom mail ordered the ingredients for stuffed shells ... kind of our version of the fatted calf.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

speaking of food

Dan

other kids are excited for that too. been a long drought for all of us.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

of american food?

Dan

stuffed shells specifically. you can get good burgers and decent pizza here.

no mexican to speak of, though. and sadly, no real milk shakes.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

nooooooooooooooooo

i found them though in sps

Dan

mom says she will make you a milkshake.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

awesome!!!!

i found one that was okish

but i'm sure moms are better

i am way skinny

Dan

my mom was worried about me being skinny when i got home. i am sure mom will be with you, too. but she will fatten you right up.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

ok good

Dan

still hard to find food in sabá?

Daniel Christian Stoddard

yeah....

and when we do it's not a lot 

we're not gonna die, but it is kinda tough

Dan

that is a little sad. but for you at least the end is in sight. food is not an issue here.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

we baptised a grandmotherly lady on saturday... she's really good about helping us with food

Dan

awww .... bless the viejitas!
babushkas.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

hahah babushka

Dan

бабушка.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

dang i can't write in russian letters

Dan

i will hook you up on your phone when you get here.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

папа

there we go 

i only know like 4 words

is it still tough for you or getting easier

Dan

haha. you got it!
going to be weird for you to be back to not knowing the language again. but seriously, we live in an english expat world.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

how was the trip?

Dan

i had 4 trips in june. been pretty crazy.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

where was the coolest place you went?

Dan

they were all good. very wothwhile.

i liked all the places for different reasons.

budapest was the last one. never really paid much attention to it. never imagined going there. but i liked it a lot.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

do you think you will ever go back to estonia?

Dan

who knows?! it is not very far now.

and if i can improve my russian it will make touring the former soviet republics even easier.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

thats true

Dan

i really want to go to israel. it might be hard to get there with what is left of this year, but we will save it for when you and allie are back home.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

how are the other kids doing now that they're out of school?

isreal?  is it safer now?

Dan

they guy who survived 2 years in sps is asking if israel is safe?!?! ;)

Daniel Christian Stoddard

ahahah 

Dan

the littles are doing much better now that school is out. it was pretty stressful for them. and it showed.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

but there aren't terrorist here

why was it stressful?

Dan

socially and academic expectations of the school.

it will be better next year when they start from the beginning and know what to expect.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

for sure

have you guys seen the soccer world cup?
that is the biggest thing here in honduras...  i'd bet it would be big there, cause it's going on so close to ukraine

Dan

they do love soccer in europe. they had the european championship here in kyiv right before the world cup. it was nuts.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

champions league

Dan

yeah. real madrid beat liverpool.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

i saw the tail end of the championship game in an investigators house.  the goalie goofed up 

*the replay goals

Dan

my meeting in budapest was with people from all over the world and they wanted to go out and watch the games after the meetings every evening.

so i saw part of several of them.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

soccer is what unites the world... except for the us

my companion was SO SO excited that peru finally went to the world cup... but theyu got eliminated really fast 

Dan

guess you switched over to email to look for it. but it is pretty late here. i am going to have to get some sleep. if you have any time left, the kids would love to read a few lines from you.

great hearing from you.

i love you.

dad, out. XD

The Leader Writes Last (6/18)

[from June 18, 2018]

Ok it´s late here, but i didn´t want another week to go by without writing too much to you guys... we got stuck super far out in the middle of nowhere and no buses were passing by... long story, but we finally got back to the chapel... i am the last guy to write home, and i don´t want to take too long...

My companion is super cool and the branch is going really well, we had a baptism last week, and i think we´ll have another this week. I haven´t had to give a talk in two weeks so it´s going good.

It would be really cool to go on a little trip when i get home. It will be good to be a real boy again.

I am gonna take avantage all i can for these next couple of weeks. I´m gonna do all i can to finish strong!

I did get a verification from BYUI we´re all set! I think i forgot to forward it to you guys

I actually have just one more month left! Pretty crazy huh? I can´t wait to see you and it´ll be awesome to have everyone around while they´re on summer vacation!

The school sounds like a lot of fun! Lots of cool trips and activities! Here they don´t celebrate the same holidays the mexicans do, but they do have a lot of holidays here to celebrate. Sometimes people invite us to food, and sometimes we have to buy! I can´t wait to eat some american food!

I try to do all I can to have a good time and write some good funny stuff that happens, I´m gonna have to tell you guys TONS of stories in a couple weeks. It will be awesome to see you guys again and hang out.

Bye Guys I love you all so much!

How NOT to End Your Mission (Live Chat) (6/11)

[from June 11, 2018]

Daniel Christian Stoddard

hey guys! 

Allie

Hey, Urchin! How are you doing? We’re about to send the letter out. ;)

Family

How’s the new companion?

Daniel Christian Stoddard

hey guys, i`m doing good.   my new comp is really cool

he`s quiet, but when you get him going he is super funny

Family

Oh, that’s great! I’m so glad you like him! How’s the branch (almost)?

Daniel Christian Stoddard

going good.  yesterday we baptised josel`s little brother (enrrique)

*enrique

Allie

That’s awesome!

Daniel Christian Stoddard

we`ve got another potential priesthood holder that`s probably gonna get baptized before too much longer too

so things are going really well

Family

Oh, that’s just fantastic! Yay!!! I’m so happy for that little area!

Daniel Christian Stoddard

little by little

i had to run last week... a missionary did something dumb

Family

What kinda dumb?

Allie

Now you’ve got me curious- what did he do?

Daniel Christian Stoddard

a missionary who was finishing his mission left his companion stranded in saba with no telefone.  so we had to run and go look for him.  we spent pretty much all day looking for him, but we were finally able to find him.

he didn`t stay put and he didn`t borrow a phone to call us either..

Family

Ha! What did he think he was going to do? Just wander around till Elder Stoddard found him!?!

Allie

That’s a whole string of bad decisions right there. Thank goodness they’ve got you!

Daniel Christian Stoddard

yep it was a heck of a day his reasoning was that some member would see him alone and call somebody... what he forgot is that the church is super small in saba the chance of a member seeing him are like 2% and just about everybody that is a member is a recent convert and doesn`t know mission rules!

Family

Some people. Just not thinking.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

well his companion got a HUGE earful from president on his last day... that must`ve stinked

Family

Oh! Yes. That would be an awful way to leave the mission. :(

Allie

Yikes.

Family

Oh, and I don’t think Dad got a chance to write. He’s traveling somewhere today. I don’t know exactly where. Because, you know, everyday is an adventure!

Daniel Christian Stoddard

hahah, yeah he did get to write a little something

what`s an example of an adventure?

you said you were gonna let it be a surpise?

suprise?

Family

Well, I think allie told you about the truck almost dumping a ton of dirt on us. That is just like an everyday thing. And getting out of the driveway and our neighborhood is so hard. You will see!!! I’m trying to keep an open mind.

I hope I don’t sound too negative! Usually I end up laughing, but it is a unique environment all around.

Daniel Christian Stoddard

huh, it sounds like honduras

i think i`ll get used to it quick

Family

I think a lot of the craziness will be very familiar to you!

Daniel Christian Stoddard

we`ll see... good luck with all that stuff, it must be kinda tough to get used to!

Family

It’s a challenge, that’s for sure!