Week 4: Letter from the Heart‏

Dear Friends and Family,

          Nothing super eventful happened this week so I am just going to write about some spiritual things I learned this week.  I am going to compose it to my mom because she is the only person I fully open up to and everything comes straight from the heart. Hopefully someone will benefit form my ramblings.:)

Mom,

          It´s been so long since I have gotten to just talk. I feel comfortable with my companion, but there isn't any time to just sit and think and talk with someone.  One experience I had was running through the down pour yesterday. Like within minutes the streets and sidewalks were flooded.

Dripping Hermanas!  Loca!!

As we were running to our class, I almost got my foot stuck in a grate. At first I thought that my ankle was going to be a goner, but I had this crazy experience where I felt lifted up from out of the grate and out of this deep puddle.  I think it is one of the most memorable encounters with angels that I have had. I didn't get hurt at all.  There was a missionary that fell and broke his tooth though.           

          I know you are all worried about us down here and there was a day where we felt a little unsafe, but we watched a recorded devotional that night by Jeffery R. Holland. What a winner! It was when he was dedicating some buildings at the Provo MTC.  During the prayer he blessed the walls, the floors, the ceilings, the furnishings, everything in the buildings.  He prayed that no act of violence would come within the walls. He prayed that angels would protect and watch over the missionaries.  A similar blessing was given here in Mexico.  And I know that we are being protected here.

          Something that was totally incredible in that same talk was he told us about how when the Lord needs something done, He calls on His youth.  For a while there I felt inadequate teaching people that are so much older and more experienced than me.  Then Elder Holland, in his way, talked about how the stripping warriors were younger than us and look what they were able to do. He said no other institution, government or company would rely on 18 and 19 year olds to be leaders and change the world.

Yup, we are going to change the world.

          Mom, this work is literally changing people.  Elder Holland said to "cause earthquakes and astonish people. Speak with thunder with the gospel engraved on my soul." He said we are inviting people to come to the Sacred Grove. First, we have to take them by the hand as they go through the Garden of Gethsemane and the hills of Golgotha.  We each have to have a moment at Gethsemane to understand the Atonement and the love that Christ has for us. As missionaries we must have the spirit and teach with the tongue of angels. On Sunday we watched a talk by Uchtdorf about learning the language of love. Oh, it's the best! He explains it so well, so you will have to go and watch it.  

          I just had the thought this week that we really have a great family that is strong in the gospel, but there is so much more we can be doing.  We are so privileged and we are only a few that have the gospel.  We have been commanded to share it with our brothers and sisters. Please, please, please if there is anything that you guys can do to help less active families or reconnect with non member friends, do it.  In heaven, they will ask you why you didn't help them.  And that´s why personal revelation is so important. 

          So I have always known that I could receive personal revelation, but I didn't know how to apply it. We talk about it everyday here. So this is my next challenge.  Pray specifically, with the spirit, with pure intent.  Pray for specific people that aren't in the gospel and for specific missionary opportunities. They are putting so much pressure on us here to be better than any other generation. We don´t have any other options but to be the best.  We have to invite the world to come unto Christ because He is going to come again, soon. I guess I realized the urgency of the work this week.   Here are some good scriptures on Revelation:  Mormon 9: 7-8, D&C 42:61 and D&C 50:24.

          I have seen miracles here. For example, one Elder in my district struggles with English and was struggling hard core with Spanish. Now, he is rapidly catching up to everyone in Spanish. We are doing incredible things here, but we can´t do it unworthily because we have to have the Lord´s help. 

          Sorry if this email seems really heavy, but I have had learned so much and have had a lot on my mind lately.  I hope it can be an answer to someones prayers though. Heavenly Father needs you and loves you. I need you and love you more than you could ever dream of.  I hope everyone has a fabulous week.

Week 4 Challenge:

Con Amor,

Hermana Stoddard

So on the lighter side:

          Time is so weird here! I feel like I have lived here forever, but I can´t believe that I am leaving soon. It really isn´t humid here at all if you were wondering. In fact, my skin was struggling because it´s been dry.  It just rains pretty much every afternoon and night.  We have only had 2 major blow out down pours though. 

          We also have so much fun in our classes. We make up lots of Spanish play on words like "lechuga orar" in direct traslation that means "lettuce pray" you know like "let..us pray"! haha and we say "¡que pasa, calabaza?" which is like "What´s happening?" or "What´s up, pumpkin?" Pretty much our teachers think we are hilarious. But we think their broken English is hilarious.  This week they said "move forwards and background" and "that is a very wide wind".

The random Mayan head that I obviously love!

Photobombing Elder Munson

The Elders think I make the cutest faces!
Jajaja! Actually they are amazed that I can make such ugly faces!

This describes our companionship...me doing all the heavy lifting.
 Jajaja!  Isn´t that the ugliest face?

​I promise not to make these faces when I am out in the real world
preaching the good word.
This is just us being us. There is no other explanation;)

This is the big hill/mountain we live under.
All those houses have fiestas on Saturday nights
and their music is loud!
Like it sounds like it's in 'our house' loud.
But that´s how we are getting a piece
of Mexican culture into our routine!

Week 3: For the First Time in Forever‏

Dearest Familia y Amigos,

          I never thought that it would come to me singing "Frozen" songs, but today they let us go beyond the wall and moat of the CCM into the real world. And guess what? I really am in a foreign country.  It was nice to get a change of scenery, but the CCM is like a piece of the Celestial kingdom placed right in the middle of a crazy, big, worldy city. Anyway, so we just got back from the Visitor's Center at the Mexico temple.

My District at the Mexico City Temple

When my mom and I were Google mapping everything in Mexico, we didn't realized that we were looking at the old MTC that is right next door to the temple. We had to drive from the new MTC (where we are) for about 45 minutes to the temple. Unfortunately the temple is closed due to reconstruction, but the outside was beautiful and of course that landscape is always perfect.  The Visitor's Center was super cool and super nice.

Inside the Visitor's Center

We talked with the sister missionaries there and they gave us a tour.  I also bought some sweet Mexican scripture cases for my Español scriptures.

My new scripture case

          So to clear things up, no I didn't and I haven't yet received the Mexican virus.  I was sick with a cold last week, but I got betta.  No, for reals. Thanks for all your prayers in my behalf because I only felt crappy for like 2 days and now I am feeling so much better.  Hermana Bills has had a rough week, though.  Last Thursday she found out a friend had passed away so between that and having the virus she was struggling, but she is doing better now.  She seriously is the funniest! Sometimes I have to mellow her out, but we have way too much fun.  She does this amazing Bear Grills impression and we walk around being like "We gotta eat this bug, in order to survive". And then of course, the black lady impressions come out in both of us and things just get crazy! Pretty much the Elders just think we are a hoot.

Rachel & Hermana Bills

          Yeah I am kind of getting sick of the food. I will definitely be grateful to have something else. Not that it's terrible, but its basically the same thing everyday.  Except for Sunday...oh..man...oh man... They gave us some bomb steak! Like I have never had anything so delicious placed in my mouth before. Wow! It probably tasted so good because it wasn't bland torquitos with rice and beans. 

          Sunday was the best! THE BEST! Our Branch President is just so inspirational and our days are filled with devotionals and movie night! We have had several Seventies come and we get broadcasts from the Provo MTC. We also had this Elder in our district who is struggling. Hermana Bills has been praying for him and he was saying specific prayers.  And just like that Hermana Bills answered his prayers in one of our meetings.  The spirit was so strong it was tangible and there are just so many miracles happening here it's loco!

          It's been warmer lately and we have had 5 complete days total of no rain so far. But when it decides to rain, it's not kidding around.  We were doing our weekly service project of delivering water jugs to all the buildings and houses when a full blown monsoon came.  Like rivers of water with hail! We were all soaked through, but it was so worth it. 

          My Spanish is coming along. We try to do full days of no English, which is easier than I thought it would be, but after awhile my brain just hurts.  Sometimes I forget what language I am speaking. In a lesson the other day I ended up saying "Will you oreo?"  instead of saying "orar" or prayer.  I also said that Jesus came to the homework instead of the earth.  So that was cool. Haha!

          I am so glad that they sent me here for 6 weeks though, because I am learning so much doctrinally and spiritually too.  Actually, I already knew a lot, but its hard to make it simple and easy to understand for investigators. And even though its hard, I really do love the Spanish language.  I think that everyone should have to learn a new language. (Mosiah 1: 2, 5) You see things, like the scriptures in a whole new light because of the difference between the English and Spanish wording. It is such a humbling experience as well. One of our teachers told us that he loves teaching North Americans because they are so humble when it comes to learning a new language.

Rachel's Art vs 2 Sisters' Artwork

          So a little more about my district.  Elder Shin is our district leader and he is a 22 year old convert.  His companion, Elder Munson is from South Dakota.  Hermana Burnham is from Arizona and then the rest of us are from Utah. All the rest of the Elders are 18 straight from high school.  Sometimes we have to remind them that they aren't in high school anymore and to study harder and to take life more seriously.  They are a lot of fun though.  Elder Ellis and Elder Thompson are going to my mission though so I get to see them for the next almost 17 months! I feel like I have lived here forever, but at the same time, I am going to Washington sooner than I think. 

          Have a happy pioneer day! Oh and I know Kris's birthday is coming up (I want to say the 28th?) so shout out to him! Hope it's all you have ever dreamed of!  I love this gospel so much. I don't know how to live without it.  And soon I need to go and help those people that are struggling without it in their lives. I love you all to pieces!

Abby Road Reenactment

Week 3 Challenge:

Con amor,

Hermana Stoddard

P.S. It takes about 2 weeks for a letter to get here so after this week just send everything straight to Washington.

Giant Book of Mormon Selfie

Week 2: Hey, can't you see this woman is a nun?!‏

Dear Loved Ones,

                                         My Mexican Selfie!!!

          It feels like month 2, not week 2. Overall I am loving the CCM though. Much learning, much studying, mucho español mixed in with some fun.  Speaking of fun, there is a fun little virus going around Mexico City that everyone calls the "fire hydrant bug." Sorry to be indecent, but they aren't kidding.  It is hitting the CCM and my poor compañera has it.  We went to the doctors to get her some pain pills.  Basically the rule here is that if your companion gets sick, you're going to get sick, so I am just waiting for the day for this lovely gift to be bestowed on me.  One of my roommates has been coughing all night for the past week so between the lack of sleep and my immune system....you guessed it! I am sick with a cold.  It's not bad, but I really don't want to suffer through my mission like I suffered through my Senior year so please pray for my health and strength that I will be able to do the things I need to do. Gracias!

                          Me and my companera  Hermana Bills     

          I forgot to tell y'all about the 4th of July. Hermana Bills and I wore red, white and blue (so did all the other Americans).  In the comedor, where we eat, we all sang the national anthem.  That was the first time I teared up here.  It was also the first time that I felt so honored and proud to be serving in the USof A.  My companion is serving in Pittsburg, PA so we both were so stoked that day.  We both can't wait to return to "The Mother Land"! All the missionaries here are going to the USA or Chile.  There are a few random Perus, Mexicos and Ecuadors.

                   Hermana Bills and Me (wearing my red, white & blue)

                                    in front of our CCM Casa

          My companion is very different than me.  She reminds me a lot of my Mel (my freshman roommate). Super outgoing and hilarious.  I just have to practice patience some days.  Other than that we are the perfect match.  We teach really well together. My district is already like my family. I feel like I have known them forever.  We constantly quote Nacho Libre and other greats.  The title of this email is from Nacho and we use it whenever we think that an Elder is flirting with a sister!

                                           Mi Distrito

Elder Lundgren, Elder Cates, Elder Jensen, Elder Wells, Rachel, Hermana Bills, 

Hermana Meads, Hermana Burnham, Elder Ellis, Elder Thompson, 

Elder Shin and Elder Munson

                                         Las Hermanas

          So the food- I will have to sent a pic of it because it's similar everyday. It isn't bad though.  It's like native Mexican food made cafeteria style.  Hermana Bills was so sick the other day and we just had a lesson on specific prayers.  That night she prayed for a hamburger and some fries. Lo and behold, we had hamburgers and curly fries the next day for lunch! I think she told every person on campus what happen. We were all secretly grateful for that prayer. The best day of my life was when they brought in pizza and had a spinach salad! Me gusta mucho! They have lots of super good fruits all the time, but it's a challenge finding vegetables sometimes. 

          Lessons are going so much better! Still challenging, but we can teach the whole thing in Spanish. No our grammar isn't perfect, but that's not the important part.  We are becoming much better teachers. Our class room is in the Heber J. Grant building. It makes me feel like there is a little piece of Heber here in Mexico. 

          In my setting apart blessing, I was told that I would become a leader early on in my mission.  Well, it's already been fulfilled. On Sunday, my compañera and I were called as Sister Missionary Training leaders for our zone/branch.  We had to teach Sunday school and I had to give a talk- only in Spanish. It wan't as bad as I thought, but it still stressed me out.  I am grateful for leadership opportunities.  I don't think I am a natural born leader, but I can be an example. It makes me feel like I do have important things to say. 

          So our teacher only learned English from serving with Elders from Idaho and Utah.  So he still says some pretty funny stuff in English.  He told Hermana Bills "you are so high" because she is tall, but we all started laughing. He still can't say "Stoddard", but then we told him to say it in a  thug accent...he could! haha so so funny! But it's okay because in a lesson I said that we live on the homework, not the world. And I made the classic mistake in asking my teacher if he was pregnant... I was trying to ask what his most embarrassing moment was. 

          I love all of you and I really appreciate all your emails and words of love.  I especially like pics and updates on your lives. I don't have a lot of time here to write back so hopefully all of you can look at my blog. Also, the word is that at dearelder.com you can send an email that prints out here instantly like a fax so you might want to try that.  I would love letters! And word on the street is that you can send packages through mydearmissionary.com, but I don't really need anything (yet) so I am not expecting anything.

To be honest, when I first came here I felt like a was making this huge sacrifice in my life to go on a mission.            I felt like I needed to be home with my family, especially my sisters to help them. I just felt like I was abandoning everyone and it made me really sad.  But after thinking about it I am not sacrificing a lot. I am not going to miss tons of major events like some people out here are. I have come to realize that I am still being an example and helping my friends and family while I am out here.  We were talking the other day about how we had friends in heaven.  We were all given mission calls to come to earth. I was given a beautiful calling to be born in the covenant, to live in a free country and to know the truth.  I have friends, many in Seattle, that are waiting for me to come and find them. God always sends someone to watch us.  Whether they be people on the earth or angels in the heavens.  We should always be our best. We represent the Savior. We must be lights upon a hill.

Mucho amor,

Hermana Stoddard

Week 1 Challenge:

Week 2 Challenge:

Best quote of the week (from one of the workers here) "English is for business, French is for love, Spanish is for the Gospel."

   And for you interested people...here is what the rooms look like here at the CCM.

Semana 1 : The CCM‏

Hola Everyone!
        
           First thoughts of the CCM: What am I doing here?  It was a whirl wind of events from riding on a rickety, old bus through a 3rd world country, getting unexpectedly stabbed in the arm with a needle (they made me get a tetanus shot), and changing my life.
           I just wanted to give a shout out first to my little Baby Belle who is 15 and driving! Dang, so much has already happened since I left. Congrats on passing the AP Geography test (I didn't) and passing her drivers permit test on the 2nd try (don't worry it took me 2 trys, too)! I am so happy for you.  I am just tearing up over reading everyone's' emails and I love you all!

          Ok, so Mexico...honestly most of the time it doesn't feel like a foreign country right now.  The CCM is way bigger than I expected.  It was converted to an MTC only 18 months ago, but it use to be an LDS high school.  There is a huge influx of missionaries though so they are already trying to expand. Basically, everyone is white here and it's a nice facility with it's own clean water well so... just the bus ride was a little sketchy...

          I'm not going to lie, it's so hard here.  Like I am content and happy, but that first few days before Sunday were not so easy to endure.  Everything is scheduled out like crazy, but I have a pretty awesome distrito.  Ah, this is hard speaking only in ingles! Mi compañera es Hermana Bills from Utah. Well, lets be honest. Nearly everyone is from Utah. Only two Elders from my district aren´t from Utah, but they are going to Salt Lake on their missions! Oh, and two Elders are going to Seattle and Elder Cates is from our stake...who knew?!

          The hardest thing was our first investigator on our 2nd day here.  Sure, fine, I will teach someone, but to teach them fully in Spanish...lets just say that's been the hardest moment so far. Hermana Bills and I had to comfort each other that night because it was like taking a beating. We were like "Where are our moms?" Just one of those times when I needed to talk to my mom.

          But, good news. Our teacher, Hermano Garza, taught us to not worry about Spanish. We are here to learn the gospel, have a testimony of all its principles, then learn Spanish. Its just difficult to have faith that I can teach a lesson in Spanish mind you, without worrying about the Spanish part.  But I am so grateful that I took Spanish in High School.  That plus the gift of tongues has allowed me to understand at least 80% of what everyone is saying to me.  I understand way more than I thought.  Our teachers only speak to us in Spanish.  My compañera and I speak a pretty descent Spanglish to each other. We are on about the same level of español which has been so great. She is way outgoing and keeps my spirits up.  Actually, my whole district is hilarious. It take a lot of will power to focus sometimes.  But we have taught 3 lessons since then, with another one tonight and they are going much better.  No, my Spanish is not perfecto, far from, but we had the spirit there so strong and it was one of the most incredible things I have every witnessed. The gift of tongues is real. The espiritu santo is very real and totally awesome. We committed him to baptism last night so things are lookin better. 

           That weather though....so I though Mexico in July was going to burn me alive, but I am so glad I brought some cardigans and some warmer stuff.  For the most part it's pleasant, but it has rained.  Not Utah rain, like really down pour rain every afternoon and night (except for one day).  For those of you going to the CCM in the summer: bring rain coats and umbrellas. But like I said most of the time it's nice like when we go outside for gym time.

            Speaking of gym time, our district is already like family.  We do mostly everything together, including playing volleyball and messing around at the gym.  The hermanas are amazing and we do do everything with them. Everyone is soooooo nice here. Like indescribably nice.  A way to describe the CCM or MTC is spiritual military training with caring instructors. Haha for real! 

             Ah, I don't have lots of time, but I just wanted to tell you what I learned spiritually this past week. We watched a devotional by Elder Holland on Sunday.  You know how that man can speak with power and authority... He got in our faces, more than just a little bit.  He told us that it's not about us.  We are disciples of Christ.  When He was on the Earth people rejected Him.  He was spit upon, whipped, betrayed and cursed at.  As disciples of Christ, we will have to pay a price.  We have to experience just a little bit of what He went through to understand the Atonement and to be able to bring others unto Him. It was a harsh, but loving talk.  I don't know how that's possible, but it was. It just gives me such comfort in the fact that there is a whole army of missionaries out here, at other MTCs and in the field that are willing to go through these hardships for our Savior. It is truly so incredible.  

           I want to do like monthly challenges for any of you who are up to it. I encourage you to do it as a family. First off read 2 Timothy 2:1-3.  I know that the church is true and the Book of Mormon is true because I have prayed about them and have gotten an answer. Something that I have not done until now is pray about the truth of other aspects of the gospel like tithing, the Plan of Salvation and the Word of Wisdom.  I encourage all of you to pray about things to gain a personal testimony of all of them.  

          I love you all so much. It's crazy how you realize how much you love someone when there is distance put between you.  I am so grateful for your support, and I am praying for you.

Con Amor,

Hermana Stoddard

FYI:  Apparently the name Stoddard is super hard for Hispanics/Spanish speakers.  My teacher is like "Will you read Hermana Stoooooah....I don't know."  He is an RM that went to this high school.  He is so funny and very inspirational. We told him that he speaks English with an accent and he said "I don't know what you guys talking about. I speak Englsih" (said in a Nacho Libre accent) Haha so hilarious!

Oh, and one of the pics is Mitchell and me going to see Tony on his mission in Anaheim 3 days before I left.  I love my cousins!!! I love my family!!!