[from April 24, 2018]
Hey Family,
I`m doing good! We are still without running water. We filled up the tub out back with water from the river, so we`ve been using that to bathe with and to wash our clothes. So yeah we are kinda clean. About as clean as we can get here in Sabà. As far as food goes... it`s kinda tough to be honest. There aren`t a lot of members here, and we don`t have a cook for lunch. We have to buy the majority of our food, which is tough for a mission budget, but we`re finding dinners and stuff more and more all the time.
Here it is super hot, but it rained today so it`s a wet hot today haha. My schedule is I get up in the morning and eat. Then I go get some water from the tub outside in a bucket. I flush the toilet and take a bath. I study something for about an hour, then my companion and I plan out our day in our agendas. Then we leave and do whatever we planned out for the morning and then we go looking for lunch, sometimes we buy and sometimes smeone gives us something to eat. We go home for about an hour and study language and as a companionship (Elder Chagas doesn`t like learning english too much). Then we continue doing what we planned in the morning, visiting people, finding new people to teach. Then we finish and go look for some dinner. Then we go home, change and start goofing around until it`s time for bed. Wash Rinse Repeat... That is UNTIL P-Day... Where we play soccer and write you guys woohoo.
I think teaching a language helps you learn a little more of the other language too, when you see the difficulties they have speaking english. It`s something that`s truely amazing to me how fast some of my companions have picked up english. I`m just happy for the free tutoring sessions I get to help me get my Spanish better. Everytime I learn something new I kick myself like "How did I not know this before?" But that`s how you learn haha.
This last baptism of Denis almost didn`t happen and it was kinda stressful haha. With the baptism of denis we just need one more, and we`re set to be a branch. there`s another guy with a baptism date coming up, so pray for leonel, or pray so we can find somebody else who`s been prepared to be baptized.
Yeah I`m gonna be an old man. 20 years old. I`m gonna get home with gray hairs and a cane. I feel super old.
Man, I can`t wait to see you guys either! Luckily the phone call is coming up, and then it`ll only be about 2 months until I see you guys in person!
Have you gotten the chance to see the new movie coco? we got permission to watch it with investigators cause it (kinda) talks about family history work. it`s about music too.
Like I said i am excited to see Ukraine but more excited to see you guys. I`m excited to finish the mission. But I sometimes feel like it`s going way fast!
On Sunday the Bishop came. He asked me to talk about education for 20 minutes on the spot. Honestly, without the spirit helping me I know there is no way in heck I could have talked for that long in a foriegn language about education. But it turned out well and I was reminded how glad I am for Heavenly Father`s help. It`s always a nice changes of pace when the Bishop comes though, because it means we don`t have to direct. I just wish he would advise a little earlier if he wants me to give a message.
To be completely honest the end of my mission is comeing at exactly the right pace. Sometimes I feel like "man this stinks, I wish it would go a little faster" and sometimes I think "man I love the mission I wish it would go a little slower" but it`s going at a nice easy pace and I`m appreciating every second of it (even when it stinks).
The mission has changed me a lot, but one think that hasn`t changed (and probably never will) is that I just about never worry about the future. I`m super grateful for dad and mom helping to get me going in the right direction and I know I can always ask my Heavenly Father if I`ve got doubts. Hopefully I won`t mess up too bad, and if I do ("son cosas" "es lo que hay" "es lo que pasa cuando sucede") it`ll be ok and I`ll learn from it.
Love you guys so much, next week I`ll send a pic with Elder Miranda:) ! and a goodbye pic with Chagas :(.
-Elder Stoddard
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