May 27, 2013

What up Familllyyyyy!

Yo what's poppin! This week has been really really good not gonna lie. It's nice to have my comp be another Zone Leader now as well, I am loving that. Elder Fernandez is great, we have both had some great ideas and we have been able to really brainstorm and come up with some good plans and ideas for the zone. He and I also had a really productive week in our area as well. Tancol is on the rise, people. We had 17 less actives in church, set some new baptismal dates, and found a couple of really good new investigators. Overall it was a really fun week.

First of all, Momma, I am so proud of you for your exercise goals and for completing them! Great job, that is so awesome, I am so happy for the whole fam training for this half marathon! That will be great! You have all motivated me and I have finally lost the gut I developed in Victoria and in the offices from all the tacos al pastor and tortas de la barda that I ate in that time, haha. I have been following your example and exersising every day as well! Ryan's job sounds awesome and I'm happy for him that he loves it so much.

This week Elder Fernandez and I put together our plan for the zone for June. We are focusing on a few different things: First off, we are focusing on teaching all the missionaries in the zone (myself included haha) the importance of the line of authority. This is one of the differences between serving in the US and in Mexico I think, here sometimes the wards fall into a bad habit of being used to the missionaries doing everything in the ward, preparing the sacrament, teaching gospel principles, giving talks very often, organinzing activities and almost literally directing the ward counsel meetings sometimes. The Obra de Salvacion has been great, but it's also kind of fed that perception a little bit I think, so this month we are really focusing and teaching the zone to work more with the ward within our realm and also using the ward mission leader, that way he can learn his responsibility as well and the work can progress at a more even pace, instead of being really good when the missionaries have success and really bad when they don't, does that make sense? So yeah, we are going to teach the line of authority this month and also we've set the goal that all the zone has weekly meetings with their ward mission leader as well. Haha before the mission I didn't even know that calling existed, who is the Fallon 4th ward mission leader? We are also putting an emphasis on praying better as a zone.  Preach my Gopsel says that prayer is something that requires real effort and that is sooooooo true, good prayers are not just kneel down for a minute and then done, it's something that takes work. We're going to look to get better in that area.

This week was interviews for our zone with President Jordan.  The inspiration that that man recieves never ceases to amaze me, I am so blessed to serve in this mission with him. This week I was also reflecting a lot on the plan of salvation and how incredibly perfect it is. It made me think about the Andros family and how that is EXACTLY how the plan of salvation is supposed to work: Two people who love each other make covenants with God, and then those people teach correct principles to their children and so on and so forth throughout time and eternity. 10 children all sealed in the temple to returned missionaries is an accomplishment and I'm so grateful to have been born as a part of that family. Thanks Gma and Gpa!

Well I love you all so much! I hope you all have a great week and that we can all remember how incredibly blessed we are! Love you all!

Love,

Elder Stockard

May 20, 2013

What's Poppin' Family?:

Yo, that is so sweet that Elder Oaks came to the promised land of Fallon, Nevada! That is sick, that doesn't happen that often, what a great experience. Also, way big ups to President Williams on the inviting some recent converts to the meeting beforehand. I'm not sure what the statistics are on that, but I'm sure its a pretty high retention rate for recent converts who get to personally meet and listen to an Apostle. Haha, that is so cool. I'm glad that you all got to hear Elder Oaks. I like him because he is really direct. His talk in October on children was sweet. I always imagine the Quorum of the 12 kind of throwing all the really tough topics to Elder Oaks and Elder Holland due to their incredible power and eloquence when they speak. I would guess that Elder Christofferson is in training to take on that position as well someday soon.

 

I'm so glad to hear that all is going well at home. Have a great last week of school, Momma. Sounds like the marathon training is going really well. Keep up the good work in everything.

 

This week in Tancol was ward conference. It was a really good turnout, it was the highest attendance that we've had since I got here, like 120 or 130 I would guess. Between the two sets of Elders there were like 30ish less actives in church, 3 received callings, one is going to get the Melchizedek priesthood and also we had Paloma's baptism and confirmation this weekend. It was a really successful weekend all in all. Things are on the way up in Barrio Tancol and in all of Mexico really. In the last quarterly report of the church, throughout all of Mexico, church attendance was up 6%. That is ridiculous! There are a million members of the church here in Mexico, so a 6% rise means that an average of 60,000 more members attend church here in Mexico this last quarter each week! How sweet is that?

 

I had a really good first week with Elder Fernandez, he is a really good Elder and now that I'm not the only Zone Leader, it's also fun to share ideas and work together on things for both the area and the zone. Oh another cool bit of news: Zona Chairel is getting 4 new missionaries tomorrow, a bunch of people finally got their visas so our zone is getting bigger which will be really good. In these next two changes, the whole mission is going to get a lot bigger! Only 6 missionaries go home between now and September and like 30ish arrive so there are going to be lots of new areas opening up! It's such an exciting time to be a missionary, the work is progressing everywhere in the world as never before. The Lord is truly hastening his work.

 

I started reading the New Testament along with the Book of Mormon this week. I've never read the New Testament all the way through, but I'm reading 4 pages a day, which will get me finishing it on the 15th of September, and then I'm going to read the D&C at the same pace to finish both before I come home. I'm also reading 9 pages in the BofM everyday which will help me complete my New Year's resolution to read it 4 times this year. I also did what Dad told me and started setting some goals for 1 year, 5 years, 10 years, after the mish and for my life. I've got some really good ones, some that are going to be REALLLLY hard, but really good I think.

 

Well, it's been another incredible week. This week I don't really know why, but 2 Nephi 31:10 really impacted me. It's really so true. I love you all so much and I pray for you all daily. Have a great week and keep doin' work back home. Tell the LeBlancs that I'll be praying for Mitchell. #143 #GMC$ #JakeHeaps

 

Love,

Elder Stockard

May 13, 2013

What's poppin' y'all!!!

 

Yo, so it was great to hear from you all. I can't believe how much Ryan's voice has changed. Haha. It makes the mission that much more enjoyable to know how well you are all doing back at home. I said that yesterday, but it truly is one of the biggest blessings of my mission to have a family that is doing so well. I love you all!!!!. Mom, I hope you had an incredible Mother's Day. I'm sure you did. I just hope that you always know that you were the best mother I could have ever asked for. What you wrote me today about scripture study was maybe the best gift that you gave me of my childhood: the attitude and demonstration of diligence in studying the scriptures. Nothing else has been more of an impact for good on my life that I can think of than the habits that you and Dad instilled in us kids of without fail having daily prayer and scripture study. Thank you so much for everything.

 

So yeah, not a whole lot else to say. I got my new comp today. His name is Elder Fernandez. He is my first Mexican comp that I've had from Mexico City. All my other Mexican Comps have been from the northern part of the country. I'm super excited, this is his first time being Zone leader and this is maybe my last transfer as a zone leader so I'm just really focused on teaching him everything I know and also learning from him. I actually don't know him very well, but he has an excellent reputation as an Elder that is very obedient so that should be really fun. It's always really fun to have a comp who really wants to obey because both just wanna go out every day and work hard. President always told me something that's really true. He always said that for those who commit to obey, there are no restrictions. At first it sounds kinda weird but when I thought about it, I realized it's really true. Think about it, if the rule says get up at 6:30, but you already get up at 6:15, what kind of a restriction is that rule? Cool huh?

 

So yeah, this week should be dope with Paloma's baptism. We are excited for that. I'm also really excited because Elder Parry is in my same ward, and now Elder Grill, Elder Salazar, and Elder Garry are all new zone leaders, so I will see them pretty regularly. I'm excited for that.

Today I finished the Book of Mormon. I love that book. I love it, I love it, I love it. I also set a new goal. I'm keeping my goal that I wanna read the B of M 3 more times this year, but also, starting tomorrow, I'm going to start to read the New Testament. I've never read it all the way through and I want to. I plan to finish it September 15 by reading 4 pages a day and then I plan to start the Doctrine and Covenants and read it at the same pace of 4 pages a day to finish it by the end of my mission. That's the goal. Help hold me to it familyyyyy.

 

I love you all so much. Have a great week and live it up!

 

Love,

Elder Stockard

May 8, 2013

Famillllllia:

Yo, so how fast does the time fly!!! It's straight nuts, right?  Haha, so totally sorry that I forgot last Monday to tell you that I would be writing you all this Wednesday, totally my bad! We changed our P-Day in order to go to the temple today!!!!!!!!!!! It was so dope, so worth it every single time. I also got your package today with the two study guides from Brother Parker's class. Thanks so much, I have without a doubt the greatest family in the world.

It makes me so happy to hear the the missionary work is going so well back in the 4th ward. Being a missionary has made me really see just what an incredible difference that good supportive members can make in the lives of recent converts. It makes me really happy to hear all the missionary work that you are all doing! Great job.

So the temple was awesome today! I learn so much every single time that I go. I think I'm one of the few missionaries that has been to 4 temples on his mission. Provo, Nashville, Dallas, and Tampico. Pretty cool huh? Temples are some of the most gorgeous buildings on the face of the planet. Temples also are one of the greatest blessings of the restoration as well. It's such a privilege every time I get to go.

This week in Tancol was pretty solid. We have like between 7-10 less actives that either now have a calling or are in the process of receiving a calling just on our HALF of the ward. Tancol B, Elder Parry and Elder Hancock also have a bunch. The work is really going well with the reactivation. As far as with investigators, Paloma will be baptized next Saturday and we were also able to find a few new investigators this week that have some good potential. We will see how everything goes with them. You asked about Ernesto, Momma.  Ernesto served in Chiapas, Mexico like 8 years ago. He is sweet, he is actually now the 1st counselor in the Elder's Quorum presidency.

Thanks for sharing with me about your studies in the Book of Mormon. I love the Alma chapters on the sons of Mosiah. They are some of the most incredible missionaries this world has ever known and their efforts changed the course of the lives of generations of Lamanites. I was actually reading those chapters a few weeks ago and I learned something new that I would like to share with all of you. I hope it has the same effect on you as it had on me: So Mosiah chapter 24 is a famous chapter for the way that the Lord answers the prayers of the people of Alma who are put under bondage by the Lamanites led by the wicked priests of King Noah; but a few weeks ago, a verse caught my eye that I had never really noticed before. Its verse 4. It says that the Priests of King Noah began to teach the Lamanites in the Language of the Nephites. At first I didn't pay any attention to this verse, but at a second thought, it really took my attention. Think about it, this verse refers to a time between the year 145-121bc. Although there seems to be no real significance, this verse shows us something really important: The Lord prepares his people. The Lord was teaching the Lamanites the language of the Nephites 50ish years before a few powerful missionaries came to their children and grandchildren, teaching them the everlasting gospel also in the language of the Nephites. They brought scriptures also in the language of the Nephites. The Lord prepares his people to hear and accept the gospel in grand and mysterious ways, but he always does it and Mosiah 24:4 is evidence of this.

Well, I am doing great, I am really loving being a missionary, its an experience that has and is changing my life. Tampico, Mexico is exactly the mission that I need. I am so blessed to be here and I'm loving every minute. I wish I could say that I really miss you all, but I would be lying. I can say very honestly that I love you all though. I hope and trust that all is well. Have a great week everyone and I'll catch y'all next week.

Love,

Elder Stockard

April 29, 2013

What's poppin' Familllllly:

Yo, so what is up with all the craziness in the Stockard household??? I am almost positive that two letters ago Ryan and Hadley were going to prom with Logan and Baylee and now Ry just went to prom again???? And I'm also pretty sure that last letter you all were telling me about Lauren starting college and the school year starting and now she has just finished her first year?? Fam, I am seriously amazed at how fast the time is flying, how well the work is going, how much I am growing, and at how many times I can eat Tacos al Pastor and they still taste good ;) Lolzz. No but for real, the time is straight blazing. Ryan, major congrats on the Golf Tourney and the ESPN contest. That is some major swagggga boi. Not gonna lie that is way dope. Laur... your a boss in the classroom, nuff said. Whatever guy you marry is going to be very lucky cuz if he ever loses his job, he can just let you go make billions.

 

This last week was our Leadership counsel, which until this past month was called the Zone Leaders counsel, but now has a changed name because it now includes sister Missionaries cuz our mission, just like every other mission in the world, is gearing up to receive a ton of sister missionaries. But it was a sweet meeting. Zone Leaders in our mission are expected to make a plan of action for their zone each month. My plan is one that I really put a lot of time, effort, organization, and planning into and it worked our really well. It maps out 3 weaknesses, 2 strengths, and 4 focus areas that I want us to have as a zone. We presented them in the Leadership counsel and also learned from President Jordan. I really hope that Dad can meet Pres one day because it never ceases to amaze me at how similar they are. The comparisons are endless and both are incredibly observant, intelligent people. But yeah, every chance to learn from Pres is a real treat as Miles would say. We actually had two chances to do so this last week cuz we had the Leadership counsel and then Zone Conference as well.

 

As for the work, things are going well. It is a huge adjustment for all missionary work in Mexico because so much of the success was based on contacting in the streets and knocking doors before the obra de salvacion and now all of our finding efforts are done through the active and less active members of the church. We are really seeing good progress in doing it... It's a matter of diligence.  You really have to ask in EVERY lesson and opportunity if you wanna get references. But we are doing it. The reactivation is going really well also. We have been reactivating a ton of priesthood, one really cool guy is named Ernesto. Ernesto is an former missionary who fell away a few years ago when he had to work on Sundays.  Now his work has changed, but he continued with the bad habit of not going to church. But Ernesto is the bomb, we showed up and really didn't even need to convince him to come to church, we just taught him, invited him, and he came. The Bishop has really been supporting our coordination efforts as well.  He has been constantly interviewing and paying attention to all of the less actives that we are working with. He interviewed Ernesto and Ernesto gave a talk yesterday in church, is going to receive a calling next week, and has been going to church for a month straight now. It really is cool to see how the Lord prepares people, members, non members, recent converts, whatever.  The Lord prepares people to accept or re-accept the gospel in all part of his vineyard. Paloma is going to be baptized next week so she will have her interview this week with Elder Parry.  Patricia didn't go this week, but every lesson with her has been off the CHAIN! The spirit has been crazy strong so I'm holding on to hope that we are going to get her to the water still!

 

I am so grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. I can't explain it, it is a priceless, wonderful gift. I'm so grateful for my family and group of friends who have helped me to live it and appreciate it all my life. I'm so grateful for this time that I have as a missionary. I am straight loving this time here in Tancol with Elder Quiñones and Elder Parry in the same ward. It's like heaven on earth, not gonna lie. I hope Pres keeps us all together here in Tancol cuz its just raining blessings here. I love you all. Have an incredible week and know that all is better than well down here in Tampico. #143 #GMC$ #JakeHeaps

Love,

Elder Stockard

April 22, 2013

Que Onda Familia!

How is everything up north?  Yo, so Ryan's story that he sent me about the whole ESPN thing is pretty dope. I would love to hear more about that. Sounds like Zion prospers up north in Fallon. Ryan, respect to the just planning to go out and run 13 miles instead of training, that totally sounds like something that I would do. #TMS.

 

Yeah, but everything is poppin' down here as well. Elder Quiñones and I are killin' it here in Tancol, not gonna lie. The Lord is blessing us like crazy. So yeah, the story about Patricia gets better. She looks like she should be pretty solid, she also has a daughter named Fernanda. We taught them twice last week and in the second lesson we set a baptismal date with both of them. Elder Quiñones did it, and he was really nervous, but he did it really well. It's funny how the things that are new to us are usually the things that scare us as well... Once we know what to expect, the fear usually goes away, I think that one reason Mormon funerals aren't the saddest thing in the world, because we have the plan of Salvation. But yeah, they look pretty solid.

 

This past Tuesday was one of the best days of my mission. We taught a few really good lessons, in which the spirit was really super strong and then on top of that, I got a call from my boy Elder Agren, who is one of the assistants right now saying that he was up in Victoria working and he was with the Elders in Mainero. He was also working with Christian, one of my converts who was out working with the missionaries. Christian has all his mission papers done and is just waiting on his interview with the Stake Pres and then he will turn his papers in and get his call!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That made me soooooooooo happy! So SO happy. Besides my fam, I can't think of anything in this whole life that has made me happier than hearing that the people that I was blessed to come to know and see the change in their lives, hearing that they are doing well and enduring to the end is the happiest, best feeling in the entire world. It's something very hard to describe but it is something that I will never forget. I can't wait to hear where he gets called to. I hope to do something similar to what Brandon does for me, and write him, or at least email him every week for his entire mission.

 

Barrio Tancol continues to be blessed as well by the Obra de Salvation.  Two less actives that we have been working with received callings yesterday and another was advanced in the Priesthood. The wards are realllllly growing here and I come to know more and more every day that this plan is truly inspired for this time and place. It is a blessing to be apart of it.

 

I can't explain how much I love being a missionary, and how much it scares me to see how fast the time is moving. It seems as though Elder Quiñones and I are busier and busier every week and that every week is faster than the last. My focus is just maximize the time that I have and love every minute. Happiness is truly a decision and not a circumstance or a place. I love y'all so much. #143 #GMC$ #JakeHeaps

 

Love,

Elder Stockard

April 15, 2013

What's buzzin' FAMILY!

Yo, what's good up North?  Hope it's as good as things here down south! Things are going better than I could have ever imagined at this stage in my mission and in my life. A year ago today, I would have never ever guessed that I would be sitting here where I am today having had the experiences that I've had so far, meeting the people, learning new doctrine, and having eaten so many delicious tacos and tortas, ha ha. I have been so blessed in my mission up to this point and my only goal is to keep having such incredible experiences and meeting such incredible people in the time that I still have left. Time is really flying, I can't even believe it!

I'm so happy to hear about all of you doing so well with all your fitness goals, Momma and Alyssa 6 miles in an hour is very impressive. Congrats! Dad you as well, keep going on it. If only fitness were like the doctrine of Christ in that once in gets into our hearts, it can bring about instant changes that are permanent. Unfortunately, it doesn't quite function that way. ha ha.

Things are going super well here in Tancol, I'm so happy with the work and the members and the way that things are progressing. Our focus on finding, teaching, baptizing, and reactivating priesthood holders is really paying off. A former missionary that we are teaching and helping get active named Ernesto accepted a calling as the 1st counselor in the Elder's Quorum last night, and Bernardo is going to receive the Melchizedek priesthood in 2 weeks and is going to get a calling as well. The other callings are being issued weekly and the ward is really growing. Even with church starting this year at 8am, the attendance has gone way up and we are having like 110 members every week in sacrament meeting. We also are having a TON of success with finding new investigators right now as well. When Elder De Hoyos of the 70 came to the mission, he taught and focused on how we can find new investigators through the members now that contacting is off limits. Elder Quiñones and I have really been trying to apply these principles and it's really been working, this week we found 6 new investigators that really have potential.

We also had a TOTAL miracle! Check this out homies: So we finished a lesson at 6:30 in the farthest part of our area and we had another lesson close to there at 7:30, so we had an hour with no real solid plan. Not having a ton of viable options of people to visit in that area for an hour, we decided to look for some former investigators that we had a list of that other Elders had taught. As we were doing that it was BLAZING hot and we weren't having any type of success. It almost felt as though we were just killing time... but we kept at it, looking and looking, when we decided to head up one street. As we did so, a lady getting out of her car says, "Hi Elders, how are you, I'm Sister Prado from Barrio Modelo... Oh and by the way, my friend who lives here at this house wants to get baptized, let me introduce her to you!" SICK!!!! How crazy is it that?  At the exact moment that we were walking up that street, la Hna Prado also pulled up to her friend's house, to visit her, who lives in our area, who had wanted to be baptized for a while? #MIRACLE. Her friends name is Patricia and we set an appointment to go teach her tomorrow so we will see how it goes.

In other news, President Jordan called me yesterday and said he wanted to come by and drop off something for me... It was a little weird but I was just like, whatever. So he shows up with a red bag that had a tag saying "Love, the Swapps" Hahaha, they had had a mission president conference in Mexico City and the Swapps had made some AWESOME, American, chocolate chip cookies and had given them to the Jordans to give to me. That was so nice of them, I want to thank them so much, Grams if you can call President Swapp and tell him thanks so much and also pass me their email address I want to thank them. They are super busy I'm sure, but that was so nice of them to do and I loved the cookies.

In other news, word had it that my convert Christian, the 18 year old guy that was a miracle baptism of Castillo and I in Victoria, HAS TURNED IN HIS MISSION PAPERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so stoked for him, it makes me so happy to hear how well he is doing. Also, I got a letter from la Familia Preza this week... Let me just say that every hard day, every drop of sweat, every tear, every appointment that falls through, every second that I haven't wanted to work hard or obey, but I've done it anyway, IT IS ALL WORTH IT. It's all worth it for these wonderful people who have humbly listened, studied, prayed about, and come to know the truth of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ and all the blessings that come from it. IT'S ALL TRUE and it's all for our happiness. The gospel changes people, I feel it changing me and I see it changing others. I am so grateful for my mission and what it's teaching me. I love you all so much but I'm so glad that my time as a missionary isn't up yet. I'm so grateful for the atonement of Jesus Christ and for the blessings of the gospel. I'm so grateful for all of you, my family and friends that support and love me. Thank you all so much. Have a great week. IT'S ALL TRUE! #143 #GMC$ #JakeHeaps

Love,

Elder Stockard