May 30, 2016 - Week 49

Mom,

Hey, what's up family!! How you all doing? So this week was super cool, I'll tell you all about it, but Imma start with the news from the transfers we got yesterday. So after just one transfer here in Villa Bonita, I'm now leaving and I'm going to a city in southern Sonora that's called Navajoa. I won't be going until tomorrow but I'm going to be with Elder Chichia, who is from Puebla. I'm excited because we've known each other for a while in the mission and we've always gotten along really well. I've heard a lot of good things about Navajoa and I'm excited to work there. And Elder Chichia and I are going to be the Zone Leaders down there so that will be a fun part about it too.

So anyway, like I told you there were a lot of good parts about this week. I'll start with Ricardo's baptism. The whole week he was really excited and we went around organizing it all and setting up the program. Usually the investigators want us to baptize them but we thought it would be better to have a member do it to have that connection, so we set up the whole program with members helping. It turned out really great and Ricardo's mom went too and she really liked it... I think she's next haha. We keep working with Victor and we had this really awesome experience teaching him and his wife. They related a lot of financial troubles that they've had recently and so we changed the lesson completely and taught them about tithing and its promised blessings. They both loved the lesson and started to pay their tithing on Sunday, despite the fact that they're struggling financially. Great faith builder, the only way to see if the Lord's blessings work is by trying out living His commandments. 

During the week we somehow arranged the schedule of our food, that we ended up eating with the senior missionaries in our area 2 times this week. The Downs that remind me so much of Grandma and Grandpa, haha. They are 2 of my favorite people in the world because they are so helpful and gave us SOOOO much food, lol. I had almost forgotten how great beef strogonaff and a huge beef roast with dessert of strawberry shortcake were. But I love them because they're like our grandparents for these 2 years that we don't have grandparents and they remind me of how much I love all of my grandparents. So I will be sad to leave this area for the great people like them, and many many other members and investigators that make us feel very loved, but part of the great mission experience is meeting so many new and kind faces in many different parts. So I'm looking forward to more people in Navajoa. 

So you guys did in fact paint the living room huh? That's super cool, and I'm dying to see the pics you are gonna send haha. You're planning to have it all done by the end of June, right? How have the rest of your vacations been? That's really sick that you're going to Hawaii, is that also in July, I assume? Many things are coming up quickly like your birthday, mine, my 1 year mark in the mission, not to mention all the other missionaries that are leaving this month. It should be a fun month haha. Also super random that Jeff Weed got married, why didn't anyone tell me lol. Anyways, I hope you all have an awesome week, that you enjoy your vacations and get a lot of work done in the family room renovations haha. I love you all so much!!! 

Love,

Elder Stockard

May 23, 2016 - Week 48

Mom,

Hey, what uppp, worldddd? How are all of you guys?? I can imagine that the vibe is a little bit more chill all of a sudden, now that you and Alyssa went from busy week of finals and grading and projects, to summer vacation in a matter of a couple days. Now you can occupy your time with more fulfilling things, like repainting and carpeting the living room. So I'm kinda unclear on something... the TV is going to go above that passage way where the wooden rocking horse was?? You will definitely have to send me some pics when you finish with all that.

So this week was really good. Ricardo is getting baptized tomorrow and so we're really excited for that. Tomorrow we're gonna have to make some preparations but all should go smoothly, and he's super excited. Next we just gotta work on his family!! As for Victor, we keep seeing little miracles as well as big ones with him. He opened up more and more about how he's been needing a change in his life and some other things. Every time we go to see him, he has been buried in the Book of Mormon and asks great questions about what he reads, which is great cause he learns a lot. He's started to stop smoking, which is also a big feat considering he's smoked for 40 years of his life. We are teaching this couple named Galletano and Maria and they are awesome as well. They were living together, but after teaching them about eternal families they decided to get married. We taught them like 2 weeks ago, last week Galletano proposed, and this week they're getting married! It's been pretty sweet to see. I studied a general conference talk from President Monson and he talked about seeing people as they can become, and not as they are. It's true, the Lord can and does change people.

This week I worked with another missionary in his area, Elder Funk from Arizona. He's going home in August and so I was able to learn a lot from him. I always enjoy doing companionship exchanges to be able to see other things, and also just getting to know other missionaries better. Our district is really cool, cause there are 8 of us in the ward and we all get along really well. Elder Alvarenga and I work really well together too and he is studying a lot of English because he wants to work in English-Spanish translation after his mission so we are practicing that together. It's a part of the mission I love, getting to make great friends and I'm convinced having unforgettable experiences together, like the ones missionaries have so often, is a key to having a great friendship. 

What are the kids in the ward doing? How are Isaac Kelsey, Dylan Rassmussen, Thomas Robertson, and Thomas Diaz? Anyway, I love you guys and I can't wait to talk more next week. Have an awesome first week of summer vacay!! Love you all.

Ryan

May 16, 2016 - Week 47

Family,

Hey what's up y'all, how are you guys doing?? Everything here is chill, except for the weather. A brisk 100+ every day, but we keep working hard! The saving grace is that in Villa Bonita, there are a ton of trees on the main street that provide shade. But there's also a hot wind that comes in and carries a ton of super fine desert dust right into your eyes and ears and mouth, but it makes it worth it because we are working hard and finding lots of people. That's so cool that you guys are looking for, and finding some really good missionary opportunities. Really when you think about it, there could be no greater favor that we can do for someone else, than to help them find out that Christ`s restored gospel is here for them. Obviously its easier said than done, but the Lord will bless us as we truly seek to be missionaries.

This week we started out with my comp talking to his family for the first time in his mission and so he was really excited, it was fun to watch that and hear bits and pieces and be reminded of my call just 2 days before, haha. Other than that, it's been a really normal week as far as our every day routine. We had some really cool experiences though, and met some awesome people. On Wednesday we went with a less active couple in our area, and as we showed up we met another man who was there borrowing something from the couple. We talked to him, and he asked the family if it was okay if he stayed to listen to us and they obliged. So we taught him, his name is Victor and he is now reading the Book of Mormon and went to church with us and has a baptismal date for June 11th. Later that day, we found two other families who had very similar success on the very first visit with them, although they didn't go to church, so we will see how it turns out. But I'm excited to see what happens. Ricardo came to church and is getting baptized next week, and is very excited as well. I liked the story of your friend and her husband. I've heard and seen lots of stories of people who describe themselves as the hardest of hearts, or the biggest atheists or any number of things, but they come around and the Lord touches their hearts. So never rule anyone out for being that way!

So Mom, the Downs are senior missionaries who work in the offices. They speak very basic Spanish, but we always speak English with them. They remind me a lot of Grandma and Grandpa because this is their second mission together. And Elder Downs had previously served in France, then they served in Argentina together, now they're here. The missionary service is always a sacrifice but it brings blessings. I'm always super glad to know that I have other family members who are doing the same thing I'm doing.

So that's cool that you got to see your sisters this weekend. I'm really excited to have Ashley and Brian living in Reno, although my days living there are probably pretty limited, but it will be sick to be able to see more family when we go back over vacations and stuff. I'm sure you're excited with that change, and also with such little time left in the school year! At the end of the next one you will have to prepare my bedroom and start buying me clothes and stuff, so enjoy this peaceful end while you can haha. I feel like in anything, we go about maturing and finding new ways of doing stuff and just settling in more with your new teaching position. But I'm glad that you're gonna finish this year strong. I love you all and miss you lots, it's crazy that my 11 month mark is almost here! The time goes by fast. But I love you all and we`ll talk more next week!

Love,

Ryan

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W

May 9, 2016 - Week 46

Mom,

Hey, what up Mom. Well, today we had to run around to a few doctors appointments for my companion, but he's gonna be alright, but just so you know we don't have as much time to write so it might be a little condensed today. It really was such a treat to talk to you all yesterday. It always gives me a little portal back into our home for a short bit, and although the time never seems to be sufficient, it's very reassuring to know that I have a loving, supportive family that I can talk to back at home. I like the idea of doing the google hangout as a family, but it is always better when you and Dad can go up to Midway and see us face to face lol. Lots of fun memories to look forward to honestly. But as for your questions, the people whose house I was at were there they were just playing games in another room. I will do the same thing for an hour on Tuesday as my comp talks to his family, and no we don't have any sort of technology. Our phones are like Nikon bricks haha. 

But anyways, I'm glad to hear that in the midst of the problems that you've been having, you've been able to focus on the positive. Sometimes I tell the story of the soldiers who gave thanks for the fleas in their jail cell and one day in the future they realized that it was actually the fleas that were helping them to keep the guards away, and allowed them to escape to freedom. You've been an example to me to how to deal with less than preferable circumstances in many areas of life. We can always CHOOSE to find the blessings. 

Today as we were going to various parts of Obregon, one of the senior missionaries, Elder Downs kinda came to the rescue and took us around the city to a bunch of different offices and talked a lot about some of his life experiences. It was a nice act that made me appreciate someone going above and beyond to help us, when really there wasn't much in it for him. Service is a great way to receive blessings and feel and see the love of God in our lives. 

One more time I wanna thank you all for being such a blessing in my life!! Keep seeking for ways to serve and to please the Lord!! He will always repay us more than we can imagine!! Love you all and we´ll talk more next week!!

Ryan 

May 2, 2016 - Week 45

Mom,

So first thing first... I think we can do the video call Sunday or Tuesday. Because Mother's Day here in Mexico is always May 10. I was actually planning on doing it on Tuesday, because I hadn't realized that Sunday is Mother's Day as well. If Tuesday would be possible we can do it then. But if not, we can do it Sunday. I think Tuesday might be easier for us. But anyways, that's super cool that you got to have a few missionary opportunties and hear a cool testimony like that. 

So our week was good. The first week in a new area is always a lot of getting used to the area and meeting people, but this week I felt a lot more comfortable in the area, I know a lot more people. The members here are super cool and love to talk to the missionaries and they're a big help. We found this girl named Sarah this week, who is 14, and has a lot of friends who are members, and so we started teaching her, then her siblings started listening as well, and all of them went to church yesterday. Ricardo, the kid who accompanies us on a lot of visits, continues to learn and have a big desire to grow in the church. We are also teaching this family of 3 generations, and the patriarch of the family is a member, he's also 93, one of his daughters is a member, but no one else in the family is. They really like the church, but couldn't go yesterday. So we'll see how all that goes. 

The weather here is really starting to heat up quite a bit, and so I'm starting to wear long sleeve shirts a couple times a week to keep myself protected from the sun. We get really good at finding every path that has a little bit of shade protection as well, but now that we've entered into the month of May I'm fairly convinced that whatever we do will be pretty futile, lol. But we're prepared for the heat, and don't worry, I'm using lots of sunscreen, haha.

So with Mother's Day this week Mom, I want you to know that even though I had an inexpressible appreciation and love for you while I was with you for the first 19 years of my life, I have gained an infinitely greater appreciation and love in this one year that I've been apart from you. From my earliest years spent in diapers trying to learn how to walk, to my trips to the principal's office in elementary school , my errors and faults along the way, you were always there and the first one to show your love for me unceasingly. I want you to know what all that means to me, and that I would not be justified to try to put it all into words, but I know your love for me and mine for you is divine and Godsent, and you, yourself are divine and Godsent for me in my life. I love you!! 

Your Son,

Ryan