May 15, 2017 - Week 99

A shot of Ryan during his Mother's Day call

Mom and Family,

Hey, I feel like I'm getting spoiled this week, talking to you guys two days in a row! Of course, its hard to top a video call with everyone present,but its still always so great to hear from you all!! Yesterday, and the other 3 video calls that I've had, have easily been the highlights of my mission, it's always such a fun time laughing and talking with the people who I love the most! 

Yeah, so the other really great parts of the week.... We continue to work with our investigators, who are super super awesome. They have been going to church, tonight they're actually going to a family home evening at a member's house. Fellowshipping plays such a big role in the progression of any member, especially recent converts because they see how one of the great blessings of the church is the support we receive from others. So I'm hoping that they will continue to progress and if I'm here for their baptism that'd be great. The branch is going on a temple trip in July, and they mentioned how they'd like to go too. 

Well it looks like everyone will be keeping pretty busy in these last few weeks before we reunite. The Lord will always bless those who work hard and that's the plan!! I love you all so much, it's hard to believe how great of a family I have been blessed with. I couldn't imagine it any other way! You all are the best. I hope you have a great week and continue to work hard. 

Love,

Ryan 

May 8, 2017 - Week 98

Mom,

Hey family, what's happenin? What a week jam packed full of weddings! Big congrats to the 3 newly wedded couples, I'm glad to hear that everything went well with the weddings. So real quick to answer your question... Yeah so we know that if we have to leave Choix after like noon, we should pack an overnight bag because we won't make it on the last buses back. But yes, that usually means that we just sleep on the floor of an apartment or that we push the two twin sized beds together and sleep lengthwise across them. Either way its pretty uncomfortable, hahaha.

Yeah, so this week was a good one. It's always fun to get to know a new companion, I feel like I learn a little piece of a new culture too since Elder Cassano is from Peru. It always make me curious to go to places that my friends are from to be able to see all the cool things they talk about. Most everybody speaks very fondly of their home when they've been away for so long, haha. Yeah so we´ve been working hard with the members here. A couple of weeks ago we set a goal with the branch president to get a home and visiting teaching schedule set up, and this past week we were helping some of the members do some of those visits to the other members. And it works, there were 22 people in church including a family of 3 investigators! Haha, it doesn't sound like much, but there have been as few as 7 in church so it is progress. As far as my personal goals that I mentioned to you a couple of weeks ago... I am about to finish the book of Alma, and I figured out that I have to keep a pace of about 6 pages a day to be able to finish. I have read the Living Christ a lot in Spanish and it's pretty hard to memorize it completely but I am gonna try to have a good part of it down! haha 

This week the same organization that the doctors from America came down with last month came down again on Friday. I had been excited the whole month to work with them again, and so on Friday we went and it turned out a little disappointing, haha. The whole team of docs couldn't make it down, there was a little bit of miscommunication and there was just one surgery that day, and a lot of sitting around. It was still a good experience, but a lot less busy than the last time, haha. The surgery that they did was actually a little girl who was born with 6 toes, it reminded me of Abby Belle when she was born. And the doctor who did it was an LDS podiatrist from So California. 

It sounds like you all will have a pretty busy couple of weeks!! I'm super stoked to see all of you this Sunday and talk to you guys!! We will have a lot to talk about haha. I was thinking that we could do the call at like 4:30 Nevada time? That would be 5:30 here and in Utah. We have a pretty flexible schedule, would that time work out for all of you guys? I asked an investigator to let me use her laptop, which is one of the only ones in Choix I'm pretty sure, haha. So I will try to make sure that there will be no technical difficulties but just fair warning, haha. 

I got my flight plans today too... I will forward them to everybody in case you haven't seen them yet!! One more month, pretty nuts!! Well, I love you guys so much and I can't wait to talk to you all on Sunday! I'm blessed to have the best family ever! 

All Love,

Ryan 

May 2, 2017 - Week 97

Mom,

Hey how are you doing?? I am coming in a day late because yesterday was our transfer day and by the time I got back to my area, it was too late to write. So on Sunday we got a call informing us that Elder Wood would be going to Navojoa, and that I would be receiving a new companion, Elder Cassano. So yesterday we woke up very early to catch a bus into Los Mochis and then Elder Wood and I parted ways and he caught a bus to Navojoa. It was really disappointing to have to say goodbye to him but he´ll be a blessing in a lot of people´s life, just as he was in mine. So a few hours after that, Elder Cassano arrived (he was coming from Obregon). He is a really nice guy, he´s from Lima, Peru and has a little over a year on the mission... this is my last transfer, so he will be the companion that I finish with... pretty weird to think about right?

So Elder Wood and I had a good last week together... It was very busy and included a lot of traveling but it was very fun and rewarding. At the beginning of the week we were nailing down the last few details with the baptism (Place, time, date, dress, etc.) which is always exciting. Then after that it got pretty busy. On Thursday night we had to go to El Fuerte to do a baptismal interview for some other missionaries and by the time we finished there were no longer any buses that took us back to Choix, which was kinda to be expected. It worked out alright though because the next day we had a meeting in Los Mochis that we had to go to. So we crashed with Elder Christensen and his companion, who live in between Choix and Los Mochis, haha.It was super fun just chatting with them and then going to the meeting in Los Mochis on Friday.

When we finally got back to Choix we had a really successful branch activity where we met a lot of the members´ friends and family which is pretty much what we were going for. Hopefully some of them can continue getting to know the church and the doctrine a little bit better and see that it will bring them lots of blessings and happiness in their lives. We are working with one of the families from the branch. Most of their kids are older now and are all really well studied so it makes for some good talks. But anyways, this weekend the baptism was a success and that made it a good week.

Big congrats to Colin & Hanna, Hadley & Shannon, and Travis & Corey! I can't believe that the wedding dates already here, I am excited for those guys. I'll wanna see some pics of the ones you go to.

Well, I don't have all the time in the world because of the transfers, but I will write you guys more next week and we´ll plan out the Mother´s day call - how exciting!!


Love you guys!!


Ryan

April 24, 2017 - Week 96

Mom,

Hey fam, how are you guys?? That is cool that you guys got the yearbook thing that the Myers made for us! They really do do a lot of cool things like that, they also gave us our personal copy of it at a zone conference we had this past week. They also made these little booklets that contain the Living Christ document in them with really cool pictures so that we can memorize that document. Its pretty long but a lot of apostles mentioned it this last conference and I want to at least get a nice chunk memorized. But yeah it is really really nice of them to do things that are so thoughtful, they've made such a huge impact on the lives of so many missionaries.

So for some of this week I worked in Los Mochis with Elder Callens, we originally did it so that his companion could go to Choix to do a baptismal interview, but they couldn't do the interview until today so I stayed here with him for the whole weekend and went to church in his ward. It was a little different seeing a huge ward with 120 people, instead of the Choix branch with 15! But it was super fun, we bonded a lot, met some awesome new investigators here and we have a woman that is going to be baptized which is the best part!! Elder Callens served in Topolobampo, as did I, at the beginning of our mission and it's about 45 minutes away from Mochis. So today we went there for a couple of hours. I really wasn't sure what it would be like, returning to an area after so much time ( I left there over a year ago) but it was pretty awesome! We had a short amount of time, but each one of the members´ and converts´ faces that we saw lit up and they welcomed us into their homes very warmly and fed us well, haha. I am happy I got to take advantage of one of my last Pdays to do something like that it was a humbling, special experience.  

This week will probably be the last one that Elder Wood and I spend together which I'm kinda bummed about, he has been such a good, fun companion. I literally feel like I watch him take leaps and bounds in his progress in Spanish and missionary work, and I am blessed to have this time with him. I've learned a lot from him. It would be awesome if we got to spend my last transfer together but I know the Lord will have us in where he needs us to be. This week we have a very very busy week with all the baptismal preparations and also we are going to be working with some other missionaries in El Fuerte, about an hour away from Choix! 

Well family, I love you all and hope that you are all doing well. I love to hear from you and know that you're well!!! Alyssa's graduation is the next big thing on the plate then right?? Her announcements look super good!! She looks a lot older and I was actually thinking that she looks like Lauren in those pics!! Cant wait to see all of y'all. Love you!!

Love,

Ryan 

April 17, 2017 - Week 95

Mom,

Happy Easter!! How was it for all of you guys?? It's always such a peaceful weekend to be able to spend time with those we love the most and remember the Lord and his triumphant sacrifice, and resurrection and what it means for each one of us! Each day I gain more of an appreciation for the Lord`s sacrifice and His life. This year the dyed eggs and the Easter egg hunts were absent but it still was a great Easter Sunday for Elder Wood and me here in Choix. I tried to read a little bit about Resurrection Sunday yesterday. One of my favorite stories is in Luke 24 when the resurrected Lord appears to the two disciples on the road to Emaus and breaks bread with them, serves as a good reminder of the purpose the sacrament still has in our lives.

Many people this week were out of town because in Mexico they always do their spring break in conjunction with Holy Week. Which is both good and bad. We did the inagural branch activity and had a less than thrilling turnout haha. A couple of members came, but a family of investigators we had came and they really enjoyed themselves, so in my mind it was a success! Haha. The branch is progressing well and we are working hard with the members. This week none of them could give us food, so we had to fend for ourselves.

Working with the members more has yielded some good fruits in the form of great members references. I feel like the people from the tiny towns like Choix are a lot more receptive and know pretty much all of the members of the branch. One of those experiences was when we were working with the branch pres` wife, she introduced us to her friend. I think we caught her at a not-so ideal time cause she was very very tired and was even falling asleep at times. But then all of a sudden she opened up and started telling us about many questions she has had for a long time about her family and God`s plan for them. That launched into a long talk and also her confessing a long time desire to know if God has a church that he has established. So it was a really positive experience. Often times we don't know what will become of things like that, but it never ceases to amaze me the way the Lord answers prayers! We are still working with another family, they were on vacation all of week so we haven't seen them for over a week. Hopefully there will be a baptism in the next couple of weeks!!

This week I will be in Los Mochis working with Elder Callens, who is one of my good friends who started the mission the same time as me. We had Pday today, a zone conference tomorrow, and then a couple days to work together so I'm really looking forward to it. Hopefully I'll have some good experiences to write to you guys about next Monday! I can't believe that those 3 are getting married. It's coming up soon, if only you could be in more than one place at once. Really poor planning by them, they should've been more considerate. (hopefully my sarcasm rang through in text). Lol. Well, I hope you guys have a great week.. how many weeks are left of school, there cant be too many right?? I hope you guys know how much I love and pray for you all!!

All Love!!

Ryan

April 10, 2017 - Week 94

Mom,

How y'all doing, fam?? I hope all is well back at the crib!! I like what you were talking about the concrete action, since General Conference always leaves one reflecting for a time. Another concrete thing that I would like to do when I get home is to start being a little more diligent and knowledgeable in the family history department. I also want to keep up my journal writing habit that I've developed on my mission. I've written in my journal every single day of my mission, and I'm glad to have all that info!! And I also am trying to memorize The Living Christ which was another theme from General Conference. I remember you and dad were working on that awhile back, how did that go??

So this week was interesting!! There was one day where Elder Wood was really sick and was told that he had to be resting the whole day so I was cooped up there with him haha. But then the next day we got back to work and the area continues to progress. We´re really trying to help strengthen the branch and get a solid base so that the investigators we bring can have a good spiritual experience when they go for the first time. We´ve been doing branch FHEs that have been working out well. This week we have a branch activity on Wednesday and we´re hoping some investigators can go there too. We are hoping to have a baptism next weekend of a family member of a less active family who is in the reactivation process.

So that service project we did was super awesome!! A great team of plastic surgeons and anesthesiologists from So. California came down and I got to translate for them. We started very, very early and ended late, with very few breaks in between but it was such a cool experience. They let me scrub in on a lot of the complex surgeries that they did, such as babies with cleft palettes, a woman with a cancerous finger that they amputated, and numerous others. Basically it was a clinic where anyone who had a problem that required a plastic surgeon came and was evaluated by the doctors, then they fit in as many as they could with the limited time they had. It really was so sick though, I'm glad I got to help out in any way I could.

Today we had a zone activity too. We´re super far away from everyone in Choix so it was nice to get together with friends, other missionaries, and old comps and hang out. We went down to a river and had a barbeque and tossed around the football and all just hung out for a couple of hours. Gets me excited for this summer!! Sister Lee was there and we took a pic together and said she'll send it to her family so it'll probably end up in your hands by the end of the week, haha.

I'm blessed to have you all as my family!! You really are the best and help me feel blessed and motivated to share with others the simple truths that have brought us so much peace and happiness! I hope you all have a great week and know you're always in my prayers!!

All Love,

Ryan

April 3, 2017 - Week 93

Mom and Family,

Greetings from Choix!! (Pronounced Sh- oy- x) I was thinking about how awesome it was that you guys, and we, and millions of other members from all over the world were watching the same counsel from the living Prophets. I was told before the mish that GC weekend would be like the Superbowl during the mish, and I can definitely say that is so! So we watched every session in English except for the Sunday morning, because that was the only session that members and investigators showed up for. The uplifting spirit that is felt is very motivating to make necessary changes in one´s life. I enjoyed the Prophet Thomas S. Monson´s message about the Book of Mormon as well. And Elder Cook shouting out Malcom Gladwell the Outliers 10,000 hour principle, haha. I set a goal to finish the BoM one more time before I finish in June and I'm determined to complete it too. I would love to hear some of your notes from the messages and if you have any ideas that were born during the conference. 

The conference obviously was the highlight of the weekend but it was a really good week too. We got to see and start spreading the word of the new Easter initiative that came out. It's called the Prince of Peace, who is obviously the Lord Jesus Christ. It´s a really great video, and it also gives 8 principles of peace, that are simple and we should all put them into practice. There, we got to talk to Pres and Sister Myers which is always a highlight too, since I always feel very uplifted after talking to them. We found 2 new families who are super awesome. One is a man and his daughter, her 2 kids. They all seem like sincere truth seekers which is so nice. The other one is a younger couple who also seem very interested. 

There's also a service project that we have this week that I'm super stoked about! A team of doctors from the USA come down to El Fuerte (a touristic-ish town about an hour away from Choix) every month to give free medical service. We are going to go this Friday to help them translate and also be like a medical assistant. I'm super stoked to get some first hand exposure to what I'm interested in doing the rest of my life and hopefully help some people out. I will let you all know how it turns out!!

I'm so glad to hear everyone is doing great there. Wow, I had no idea Travis was going to Johns Hopkins, that's super awesome, big time congrats. I hope all the other busy things you guys have going on turn out great, I'm sure they will you are all the best!! I love you, hope you have an awesome week

All Love,

Elder Stockard