Week 34: Happy Birthday to the Ground

Dear Friends and Family,

          You will only get the title of this email if you have seen that hilarious youtube video....

Anyway, "I had a birthday, shout hooray!"  I am older, still just working on the wiser part of the deal. This week was kind of slow. There was a lot of things that fell through, but Sister Barrett is an enthusiastic and happy companion so we still had a good time:) We did have some interesting experiences though.

Sister Barrett & Hermana Stoddard

         Knocking mansions is fun and all, but I am so drawn to the most ghetto parts of town because there are more people who will listen. This week we started talking to a lady who's from Kenya. Her English isn't very good, but she has 3 Books of Mormon and a whole stack of pamphlets. She seemed so eager to learn about the Book of Mormon. She was clearly Muslim, so I started asking her questions to try to understand why she wanted to learn from us. She got really offended that I was being prejudice and that it shouldn't matter that she is Muslim. She went on a 20 minute rant about prejudice people, but we only understood half of it...her 9 year old tried translating for us, but you know how that goes. Finally, I came to the conclusion that she wanted us to teach her English and she thought that I didn't want to because she is Muslim. Oh man! Glad we got that one figured out! 

          In the same complex we met a family from Iraq. The dad died from a bombing and the mom has a spinal cord injury due to a bomb. The oldest daughter, Gardenea, is 20 years old and she was just in a car accident so she was injured as well. We met her outside and of course she isn't very interested in our church (they are Muslim as well), but this is the first time I have seen people suffering and I just couldn't walk away from them. The next night we showed up on their doorstep and we made them pancakes and eggs and cleaned their kitchen. Gardenea was so grateful. She has so much weight on her shoulders having to worry about feeding her family, taking care of her sickly mother and getting through school. 

Selfie of our Area Map

          It's moments like this on my mission that I feel like I am becoming more Christlike. Sometimes I do things that the 'old me' would have freaked out about doing, while the new me knows it's the best thing to do. I offered my coat to a homeless lady once. She didn't take it, but I seriously had one of those moments where the angel was on one shoulder and the devil on the other. The devil was like, "What are you doing? You need that coat! it was expensive!" but the angel or the holy ghost was saying, "You have two coats. You're fine. They need it more than you." Most of the time I don't see those changes in myself until I look back and reflect. Before, I wouldn't have even considered giving my coat to a homeless person but now it's different. 

Family photo: Hermana Oliphant (sister) 

Hermana Boley (grandma), me, 

Sister Barrett (daughter)

Mission Lingo, gotta love it

          I have been thinking a lot lately about how simple and beautiful the gospel is. As humans, we always want to complicate things and make them harder than they need to be. It's simple:  faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost and endure to the end. They are not easy, but obtainable. It makes me think of the story of Naaman who was told to wash in the river 7 times in order to be healed of leprosy. He eventually did it, but he thought that it was a dumb idea. He was waiting for some grand, miraculous moment. But it's simple. That's how we are as humans all the time. We want to wait for angles to come down and shout in our ears that the church is true, yet God has asked us to do something simple. Read the scriptures and pray daily. It not only shows obedience, but we have our priorities straight when we do those simple things first in our lives. 

Week 34 Challenge:

Well, love you all! Peace and Blessings!

With Love,

Hermana Stoddard

P.S. Our ward mission leader, Brother Ricks, got us Cafe Rio for my birthday!!! So dang good! 

P.P.S. Monica and Temo are engaged! I am going to their temple sealing in a year!!!

I saw these hooligans at the fireside last night.
MONICA AND TEMO ARE ENGAGED!!!! QUE?!!!

Week 33: A Year in the Life

Dear Friends and Family,

          I have reflected back on this year a lot this week because it's been a whole year since I opened my mission call. There are moments when I really wish I could have served foreign, but I know this is where I need to be. 

          This area is the exact opposite of my old area. Yesterday we drove to a rainforesty part of Edmonds and knocked on the doors of mansions. I was waiting for the butlers to open the doors and serve us tea and crumpets. It gives me way more anxiety than knocking normal doors, but it's cool how our message is the same for everyone. I just wasn't sure if I should bow or curtsy when we would meet the homeowners. Of course, it wasn't very successful, but they deserve the chance to hear the gospel too. 

          So this is a fun story for the week, especially for those of you who think that people are nicer to Sister missionaries than to Elders. This cute old lady let us into her house and we were just talking to her about how her day was, you know, small talk kinds of things. Then she got a phone call. She answered it, but she couldn't hear the person on the other end very well so she gave the phone to me. It was her daughter. She asked who we were so of course I told her, but then she started yelling and telling us that she was going to come to her mother's house right now and if we weren't gone then she was going to call the cops. We started getting up to go, but the old lady got very sad because she wanted to talk to us and she wanted to hear us sing. I felt really bad leaving, but I would rather not spend my night in jail. Basically there are a lot of haters. You can find out who true Christians are when you knock on their door and say that you are sharing a message about Christ. It's sad that most of them slam the door in our faces. But there are those real Christians who appreciate our efforts and are very kind to us even though they aren't interested. 

          I really love the ward here. It's full of older people, but they are so sweet and so inviting. But we had a very interesting sacrament meeting yesterday. Our investigator and her kids came, but she was just a hot mess. During the Sacrament prayers she kept telling me about all these crazy things that had happened to her the night before and how she is drinking again. Then she was so stressed out that she went outside to smoke. Later we found out that she was out of matches and a member took her to the store to buy some. Obviously we are still working on the whole Word of Wisdom thing. I just feel like my investigators are my children. I am fully responsible for them. It feels like that moment when kids tell someone that they are fat or that they are a bad person for smoking. It's not the parents fault, but you feel super bad. So that's kind of how our day was yesterday....perfection! Nailed it! If we were rating my success as a parent I would for sure get all 5 stars, haha!

          Sister Barrett and I have total comp unity though. We love each other!!!  Well, she is okay, but she really loves me. JK we have so much unity that we have many of the same thoughts...it kind of creeps us out. But my real responsibility is my greenie and she is doing great so the whole 5 stars is achievable. 

          My absolute favorite moments are finding out what "muggles" (non members) think about Mormons and/or missionaries. Today, we were called official Mormons because we wear a name tag...well I guess that is pretty legit. 

          Well, feliz cumpleanos a yo! (Happy Birthday to me!)  This is the last time I will be emailing as a 19 year old! Have a great week everyone! I am on page 71 of the Book of Mormon! Isaiah chapters are beasts, but so so great! Keep reading!

Con Amor,

Hermana Stoddard

​The best card I have ever received in my life...
I don't know why, but I found it so funny!
And our awesome thrift store couch...

Week 32: Signs

Dear Friends and Family,

          I finally learned how to pray in English again. It's quite an accomplishment...you have no idea. Something else that has been the struggle lately is staying upright on my own two feet. You know how my mom always says that I am made for the water, not land. I can testify that that is a true statement. I have slipped and fallen so many times lately, I can't even count.  I think I need soccer cleats or something. It's just so wet here...yes I am fine...no I am not hurt...just my pride. It's a lesson in humility, I'm sure of it. My Greenie finds it hilarious, so I hope all of you do too! (especially Auntie Karen) 

          I am sad to be out of a Spanish area. There are pro and cons in switching cultures. Hispanics are much nicer to your face, but it's nice to have people at an appointment and they are even on time here!  I am just praying that my Spanish doesn't fade away because I don't have language study time.  But I think I have found every Hispanic that lives in this area. Especially while we were tracting during the Superbowl - only Hispanics and one Vietnamese person opened their doors. 

           I have no idea how long I will be out of a Spanish area, it's very...how to best say it...unpredictable around here. We have a whole set of new rules including the rule of staying in sight and sound of my companion, even in our apartment, so shower time has become even more precious to me. But it's fine because Sister Barrett is super cool, super chill. We have already had a lot of fun and success together. She is just an English speaking sister, so I freaked her out when I first met her because I told her we were Spanish speaking. She gave me that 'deer in the headlights' look.

          So white-washing and training has been fun, but super hard. I was frustrated at first to be out of Spanish, but I have been able to focus on my teaching skills more which has made me a better missionary. Also, there have been a lot of crazy "signs" that I am receiving- almost like the Twilight zone kind of "signs" that have made me love my area and connect with the people here.  So instead of knocking trailer parks, we have been spending the last few nights knocking on these mansions that are down by the water. So gorgeous, but they give me so much anxiety, because these people are smart. They know what they are talking about and they often want to find fault in our doctrine. So we always try to soften them up by praying or singing a song to them. 

           So the first "sign" happened about a week ago. This guy opened his door and his rat terrier dog ran out. He started calling after it, "Lucy, Lucy get back in here!" I started freaking out! I was like, "NO WAY MAN! My dog is a Rat terrier and her name is Lucy." He was like, "Get out of town!" and I was like, "No really, I am being serious," and he was like, "No really get out of here. I am Catholic."  Haha okay I get it. No, it was cool to have that one connection with this random stranger until he told us that he was not interested at all.

          Now for the best part! We found a woman named Michele. I was like that's cool her name is my middle name. Then she said her birthday was coming up and I said, "No way, so is mine." She said her birthday is Feb. 20. Yet again I was like, "No stop! This isn't possible." Freaky right? Turns out that Michele is hands down the most prepared person ever. We have seen her a few times this past week and she and her two kids came to church yesterday!! I already love her and want to be life long friends. She has had a hard life.  She has been battling Crohn's disease since she was 11 and has a whole list of other things that she is trying to put behind her. Already the Spirit and the Atonement are changing her life. She told us in tears that she will do what ever it takes to change. She basically begged us to be baptized.  That's a first! So please pray for Michele. She has a date to be baptized on March 7. Her 10 year old daughter, Bella could also be baptized on this day. 

          We have had a lot of other cool experiences...so many miracles.  I have to tell you though, missions aren't all hunky dory all the time. It's so hard. So, so hard. It's not even the rejections that are that hard, but it the always trying to do your best, even when it never seems to be enough. It's trying to balance all the rules which is so much stress and pressure. It's kind of funny how my mission has been one of the biggest blessings and one of the biggest trials in my life. Right now there are a lot of things I struggle with - like the fact that I am missing out so much of my little sisters' lives. I just pray that my service blesses them and that trying to be a good example is better than physically being present in their lives right now. I love them and my whole family so incredibly much. I love your emails and hearing about your lives even if I never respond, I do print them out and read them. Have a very happy and beautiful and loving Valentines Day! Les quiero muchisimo!

Con Amor,

Hermana Stoddard

PS.  The Edmonds ward is full of older people, but super organized, super loving, super bomb! And you should google earth Edmonds, because it's very beautiful. :) 

Week 31: Good ole Edmonds

Dear Friends and Family,

          Has this week been crazy?  Yes

          Have I been stressed out of my mind?  Yes

          Have I had a blast?  Si!

Celestial Light

Sister Barrett & Hermana Stoddard

          It's been so much fun, but so hard this last week!  I love Sister Barrett. We are a lot more similar than my last comp. We actually understand each others jokes so we have had some pretty funny moments already. There are moments already where I forget that she is a greenie and that I am training her. I just feel like equal companions. She is from Logan, UT and she just turned 19 so she graduated from high school and did a semester of college at USU before coming out here. So I am the 'oldie'who is almost 20. Can I just tell you guys how weird that is? It's probably even more weird to my parents!

My Greenie

          

     

          

          So Edmonds is the exact opposite of my other area. IT'S GORGEOUS! In my first area, I didn't understand all the hype about the beauty of Washington, but now I understand. We have a beach in our area and there have been some beautiful sunny days here...now I am considering moving to Washington one day....just a thought. It's a lot quieter, sleepier here. One guy that we met knocking put it as, "The place where old white people come to die."  There are a lot of old people and most of them are milky white. But I feel like a magnet. I think I am finding every single Hispanic that lives in this area! So I have been getting some Spanish practice in!

West Seattle

          Sorry my letters are so short, there is a lot I have to do in this  1 1/2 hours that we have to email but I so appreciate all the emails that I get. I print them out and read them during the week. Love you guys so incredibly much. Write me letters! I have more time to read and write you back than emails!

Week 31 Challenge:

Con Amor,

Forever and always Hermana Stoddard

Just got done tracting during the Superbowl
#peoplehatedus #heardtheseahawkslost #stillafan