Sorry I'm so slow in emailing you all. We have preparation day on Monday's,, but since yesterday was Columbus Day we weren't able to email becuase the libraries were closed. By the way I'm sitting in the biggest library you've ever seen. Definently puts the good old Grace library to shame. WE only ended up staying in the mission home for one night.
I LOVE President and Sister Merkley. President doesn't believe in handshakes- only hugs. But I loved being with them for only a few short hours. We headed straight to the mission home from the airport and recieved training that night, had interviews with president, ate dinner, and headed to our new areas early the next morning around 7am. Well I'm in Tulsa for my first transfer. It's not downtown, but it's in the South part. It's the Tulsa Spanish South area. Also called Red Bud Valley. I'm still confused so I'm not sure the official name. They say it's the most-if not most 2nd most- spanish speaking area in the mission. I'm with an Elder Easton Roberts from Ogden, Utah. He seems to be a good elder. Always obedient and we spend every minute of our day doing what we should be doing. He's a health freak and we don't eat much. I miss my licorice! He's not much of a 'sweet eater.' But I've got to have my little sweet something every once in a while! But, he doesn't let me buy that kind of stuff. Oh well! He sometimes isn't the most patient with me. Hopefully that will change. But things are going alright.
So my address for the next six weeks:
7311 S. 99th E. Ave. Apt 1305
Tulsa, Oklahoma 74123
I hae NEVER seen so many churches in my life. There's one that looks like the great and spacious building, also one called GUTS church where they scare people to death to repentance. Our first day we went out tracting and guess what? We found a new investigator on the 4th door we knocked. His name is Manuel Estrada. He reminds me SO much of Chicho. WE shared the first lesson with him and gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon. WE returned Saturday and showed him the Restoration DVD and answered questions he had and he came to church on Sunday. He seems to be really promising. WE also have another investigator with a baptismal date of October 30th. He's been coming to church for 4 months now. It's just a matter of getting his girlfriend to move out.
The members in the branch are super nice. They ALWAYS feed us, but the funny thing is that I haven't gotten any authentic mexican food yet. The thing I've gotten the most of is Pizza. We've only eaten over at one members home. We usually go and pick up dinner and bring it back to the apartment because the members are busy or what not. But they are super nice and willing to help with the language. The MTC does NOT prepare you in any way to speak the language. People here speak SO fast. But I'm trying to catch as much as I can and then get teh real story from my companion later.
So far as I've been out tracting I've been sworn at, doors slammed, and gotten a double bird a few times. But I know it's all for a good cause. It's kind of hard feeling rejection for the first time. In the MTC when we would practice tracting, they would ALWAYS let us in so we never experienced rejection. The first few days here have been ROUGH. I'm not going to lie. Not getting mail, being in a new place with someone I don't know, trying to understand a language that I've only been learning for 9 weeks was rough. I believe everyone now when the say this is the HARDEST thing you will ever do. I agree! But I'm hanging in there.
It's definently a change from the MTC, that's for sure. But I will be emailing every Monday from now on. Oh, someone asked about a release date- as of now- September 19, 2012. But I'm not thinking about that right now. Just focused on the work ahead of me. I wouldn't be anywhere else at this point. I love seeing the change in people lives. Well, take care and I'll talk to you all next Monday.
Love----- Elder Stoddard
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