What's good fam! Things are staying fresh down south here in Tampcio! It's been a pretty crazy week down here as it always is at the end of one transfer and the start of the next. But it's been a lot of fun as it always is with new comps and new responsibilities. Sounds like all is well in Fallon! It's always fun when you finish finals and start Christmas break! I remember the feeling very well.
As for me, you are very right momma, I have a new comp. His name is Elder Salazar, from Chihuahua, Chihuahua Mexico. He has 15 months in the mission, baptizes like its hot, and is an ex-comp of the one and only Elder Parry. He was up in Victoria with Elder Parry when we baptized 46 as a zone. He is way cool, he is always really happy, which I really like. It was weird when Elder Mesa left because it was like, OK, now my learning time in the offices is over. But it's been really good. I've been able to learn more by trial and error without Elder Mesa there to help me every step of the way. This week has kind of reminded me a little bit of how I felt my fist week up in Victoria my first time being a senior comp, haha. But you always learn more when you don't have someone to fall back on I think. It's like throwing a little kid into a pool... He either drowns or swims haha, OK my bad, kind of a sick example.
So ya, I was really banking on the end of the world yesterday and all, but here we are, still living and time still moving forward. It was a really fun week all and all. I really like greeting the new missionaries when they get here. That has got to be one of the favorite parts of my assignment. This time, we were supposed to have like 20+ missionaries getting here but... #VISAWAITERS! So we only had six missionaries get here, all Mexicans. We have a ton of visa waiters in Peru and a handful in the US. This is really difficult for us as a mission here because all last week we were planning on having sufficient missionaries to open new areas, and do all these things, but at the end we had to close down some areas because not enough missionaries got here in time. But yeah, it is always really fun to see the new missionaries when they get here, they are all trying so hard to make a good first impression and do everything right. They are also always super wide-eyed with everything about the mission. But yeah, this time I trained the new missionaries all by myself while President and Elder Salazar trained the trainers. Our mission is super young right now all in all so there were some really young trainers in this group, including my beloved son, Elder Garry haha. It was a lot of fun to get to see him and talk to him. He is now opening a new area in Tampico with his new missionary, Elder Garry is an all around stud who I'm sure is going to be spending a lot of time at our house after the mission, I love the dude to death and we are super good friends.
As for our area, I still feel like I'm really new to the area because 4 of the 6 weeks of our last transfer, we were only part time in our area due to trainings and conferences and stuff, but I actually know it decently well. The Lord has really blessed us. In my time in the offices I have learned something... The Lord blesses us according to our efforts, knowing our circumstances. We are involved in the Lord's work down here in our area, and I have learned that when we OBEY, and work with all diligence, it doesn't matter if you have all day everyday or only a few hours each evening to work in your area. Our Heavenly Father can and does bless us within our circumstances. I know this because our success in our area has not been correlated directly to the time we have had to work in our area.
This week we set three pretty solid baptism dates within the Family Cruz de Santiago, with Christian, Berenice and Karen. Berenice especially has progressed a TON in this last week. Elder Salazar and I taught them a super powerful Restoration lesson this week and the spirit was super strong. Since that point, she has progressed at a speed much faster. I learn more and more everyday, powerful lessons all hinge on three points: The questions you ask, the way you listen to their answers, and the way you bear testimony. More than anything it is those three things. All three are done under the direction of the spirit and all three invite the spirit into a lesson. Elder Salazar is a bomb teacher, he's been a member all his life and all his fam has been missionaries which makes it even more fun to teach with him.
Another thing this week is that I am SO SO SO glad I took that Excel and Power Point class at school last semester, because it is helping me a ton! I'm working a lot right now to improve the way that we do our formats in the offices and I'm getting really super good with Excel especially.
Well, I love you all so so much. I can't wait to SKYPE you clowns on Tuesday! I love you, we've only got 40 mins so get ready to make every second count. I am so so grateful to have the family and friends that I do. Each and every one of you mean so so much to me. My friends who are serving missions have been some of the greatest support and examples that I have. I can't put you all by name but you know who you be #GMC$. I straight love each and every one of you, I pray for you daily and think of you often every single day. Family as well. Thank you so much to everyone who has sent me letters and packages, I've got to be the most blessed and loved Elder in the world. I hope I can make each and everyone of you proud. #143 #JakeHeaps
Love,
Elder Stockard
Elder Stockard
Elder Salazar (the new companion) , Elder Mesa (the outgoing companion), and Elder Stockard
Elder Medina, Elder Stockard, and Elder Garry, a previous companion.
Mission Posterity. Elder Stockard trained Elder Garry, who is now training Elder Medina
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