Can you all believe it's almost February once again? I really can't believe, and I really can't believe it even more because cold weather legitimately does not exist in Tampico. We are talking about the nicest weather I have ever experienced in the month of January down here. I think the coldest that it's been since I got here last April is like 55 degrees and that's happened like twice. It has been really nice and I can't imagine how cold it must be back in Provo or Fallon, haha. Wow, Travis and Alonzo are gonna be entering the MTC this next week! That is huge, I'm sooo excited for both of them. They are about to start the greatest, hardest, fastest, and funnest two years that they have ever imagined, I'm really excited for them. Momma, I loved your story about trying to get to the temple, great job for not throwing in the towel when things looked tough. That is a great mentality for all of us to develop and keep in mind: Almost every time, things that bring us blessings and are worthwhile will require a good amount of problem solving and effort on our part. Alyssa, Lauren and Ryan sound like all is well.  I think that I have received a total of like 5 letters since the Midway house was finished that hasn't mentioned some member of my family up there kickin' it hard core. Needless to say I will be very excited to finally see that crib, considering that the last time I saw it, it was pure wood and cement.
This week has been a really good, really busy week. It is week 6 of the transfer, which is the last week, which means that we have had a lot of time spent in the offices. It's been good, transfers many times become like a huge, 170 piece, missionary puzzle, haha. Many times, just when you think you have it almost all figured out, the last piece or pieces of the puzzle don't fit quite right and you have to go back to the drawing board and start moving other pieces around until finally everything fits just right (My mission has taught me to teach things by using examples, haha). The good thing about this missionary puzzle is that the mission is in a really great place as far as the missionaries. The Tampico Mission is really really young right now, 50 new missionaries arrived within the last 4.5 months. These young missionaries have all impressed me sooooooo much by just how hard working, obedient and prepared they are. When this outgoing generation leaves on Monday, there will only be 15 missionaries that go home between February and October. How crazy is that? Like I said, the mission is crazy young right now. But yeah we finished up the transfers last night and today once again we don't really have much of a P Day, just a little time to write you lovely people. Also to make this week busier, we gave a training, planned two more, and we had the Zone Leaders counsel yesterday as well. There is never a lack of work in the offices that is for sure! I really like that, I have come to find out that I really enjoy working, the worst is when there really isn't much work in an area. That's when Elders have to get creative haha, they have to make their own work if they wanna have success. But yeah my point is that Elder Salazar and I don't have that problem here in the offices haha.
Even with all of the other stuff that we have to get done, the Lord has really blessed us in our area as well. Chris and Ber are like 100% ready to get baptized, but Zion prospers with la Familia Cruz de Santiago still. Besides that we had an awesome day this last Sunday. We brought, 3 investigators, 2 recent converts, and 15 LESS ACTIVES to church!!!! Our ward, which usually has about 70 people in attendance, had 101 PEOPLE!!!! It was sooooo great! As a mission, we had 536 less active members in church! That is a HUGE number and the Obra de Salvacion is really working wonders down here in Mexico, now we just gotta make sure that all these less actives and new members, get callings and get visits. That is the key. But yeah, this last week was the first time in my entire mission that I attended a ward, or branch that had more than 100 people in attendance. It was sick not gonna lie. But yeah, we have been finding lots of new menos activos and some new good investigators and it was a really awesome miracle to see the chapel much fuller this past week. I would be curious, about how many people attend Fallon 4th ward? I wanna say it's probably between 150 and 200 but I would actually have no idea.
I'm doing pretty well with my goals. I'm going to finish the Book of Mormon this next Saturday and then Monday, February 4th we start reading it as a mission. I've also set the goal and have been faithfully doing what Elder Ballard spoke on in the October Conference with praying for, and then doing one simple act of service for someone else every single day. I love this goal as well and it's been really working.
I'm really hoping that when I leave the offices that I have the chance to just be a trainer and a district leader again for the rest of my mission. That was just such a fun time doing that up in Victoria. I have some great memories from those days haha. There are some Elders I would still love the chance to serve with. 
Well, that's about it from this part of the continent. I really love you all so so much. I feel your love and support for me and I am so grateful for it. I hope I can make you all proud every single day down here. #143, #GMC$ #JakeHeaps.
Love,
Elder Stockard