Fancy new email, huh? How do you pronounce Mahwhinney? I have been speaking
Spanish too long.
Sounds like a fun walk down memory lane. I remember when I was in North
Carolina and actually took a walk down Memory Lane.
That is the first time I have heard you say ´´when I´m retired´´ like its
something in the near future. I can´t see you as retired, for some reason.
That makes me picture you being lazy and doing nothing, and we both know
that is not you. Being on the mission has made me realize I never asked you
very many specifics about yours (or I just don´t remember). So I have a few
questions. How many companions did you have in total. How many areas were
you in and for how long? Did you ever train a new missionary? Who was your
favorite companion and why, and your least favorite and why? Who do you miss
most as far as members/converts? Missionaries? What was something you
learned from your Mission President? You were a district leader, right? for
how long? What is the grossest thing you had to eat. What is your favorite
thing about Italy? about Italians? Least favorite?
I don´t know if you know this, and I´m sure you won´t agree, but I see you
as a near perfect example. You have a life I aspire to have. You have a big
loving family, an amazing wife (hi mom), and are happy. (I´ll do without the
cancer and legal problems though, thank you very much.) You are deeply
centered in the gospel, and have amazing faith (helped again by mom!) Now
having said that, I know you must have weaknesses and personal struggles,
obviously.
Ok, so now that we are around that bush, I would like you to tell me just an
example or two of trials or struggles you had on the mission (other than
with the language, cuz I already mostly got over that one).
I had an interesting experience today. Normally we have our weekly office
meeting on Mondays here at the offices, but today President Stapley asked us
to come over to his house. I am sure it is because he is busy with
transfers. So anyway, after the main meeting, he was talking with Elder
Jones while we waited. We were talking with Hermana Stapley about various
things, and the started talking about how she sees slightly different shades
of color out of one of her eyes. So I cracked a joke about how everything is
blurry out of one of mine. She then asked me what had happened. I was
shocked I hadn´t told her yet. I had had countless little talks like this
with her, and I was sure I had told her. So it was a cool chance to tell
someone my story (and she is one of the few people who don´t go ´´huh?´´
when I mention Hartman Rector Jr.) So then President came in and I told them
all about my many surgeries, and placentas, and mouth graphs (Elder Jones
runs hospitals and President Stapley ran the churches insurance company,
Deseret Mutual) So they like to talk about medical stuff. Then I come to
find out that President was a little dangerous as a kid, and started fires,
and cut open bullets, and made bombs, and things like that. It was an
interesting light to see him in. (He grew up in Paraguna, UT I think its
called, and didn´t have anything else to do for fun apparently.)
So about how long I will be here... Transfers are next week, which means I
will know on Friday. I had assumed that I would be a getting a new Elder to
train as registrador this transfer, and leave on my birthday. But today,
when we were discussing transfer scenarios, Elder Jones threw out a ´´so
with Elder Stobbe training a new office elder...´´ and President said, ´´and
if Elder Stobbe stays in there for another transfer?...´´ I told him that I
was willing to do whatever he needed. So I am not sure what is going to
happen. Whether for good or for bad, I may have made myself be
indispensable. There are surprisingly few missionaries with computer skills
in our mission right now. If I don´t train a new Elder this transfer, that
means I will most likely be leaving the offices about the 5th of November.
This last week we had a little surprise. An Elder has been having problems
with his knees, and hasn´t been able to work in his area, so President
Stapley pulled him out and put him with us. He has an MRI scheduled for
tomorrow and may have to have surgery. That mean he may have to go home, so
it is a sad situation. The bright side is that he just happens to be one of
my best friends in the mission! His name is Elder Johnson, from Canada. He is the only Canadian in the mission, but one of four Johnsons! (Fun fact,
how do you say Canadian in Spanish? Answer: Canadians, eh. haha its
canadiense (cah-nah-dyen-seh) So it is fun having him around. He is kind
of my little assistant in the offices, doing all the easy tasks like sorting
mail so I can work more focused on the new system.
About Collins College, I would appreciate it greatly if you forward anything
they sent. I don´t know when the cutoff is or anything for applying. Could
you get a hold of them and see what we would need to do? I am now under 10
months from coming home, and it would be great to get all that taken care of
on time (It could be that application cutoffs are before I get back). I´m
sure you know, but my plan is to start the fall semester of 2012. I assume
that starts in august, but I´m not sure. I´m also not sure what I am going
to do about housing. Elder Johnson was actually going to be going there the
same semester, and we were going to be roommates, but he found out he has to
do a bunch of stuff first to be able to go to school in the states, so he
will be a year late. I think they have a system for housing, and putting you
with a compatible roommate and stuff. Could you look into that too? If
possible, I would like my own room. I think all of that can be figured out
later, but maybe just ask. Gracias. Also, if you think of any other things
that would need to be figured out for going to college, can you look into
those as well. (Side note: I know plans always change, but my current plan
is to stay in Arizona when I finish school. I have always wanted to live
there. I will be coming home the summers in between years at college.) And
its only a 12 hour drive or so to come visit... oh, wait. That´s far.
anyway...)
On Sunday, I got a little surprise. I received a call from a random number,
and when I answered it, the guy said: No sé si se acuerda de mi, pero soy el
Hermano Arocha. I about screamed, and told him of course I remembered him.
Him and his family are my favorite family I have met in my mission. They
were baptized in May of last year, so just 3 months before I got there, and
they are the coolest people ever. They had had Stake Conference that day,
and he went up to shake President Stapley´s hand. When he saw him, he told
him that he wanted to talk with a missionary who served in their ward but
didn´t know how to get a hold of him, or what was allowed. When president
found out it was me, he said they could just call me! So I got to talk to
them for about half an hour on Sunday night. They told me that I was their
favorite missionary who had passed through that area, and how much I meant
to them. I felt like they were just describing how I felt about them! When
you guys come down we are going to spend pretty much a whole day with them.
Maybe more. I obviously didn´t baptize them, but we went by more than once a
week to teach them, and I was able to see some amazing progression. Right
around the time I left Gustavo (Hermano Arocha) got the Melchizedek
Priesthood. They both just got their patriarchal blessings, and are working
to be able to go to the temple. (Financially. They are ready spriitually.)
So it was a way cool treat, thanks to President Stapley.
Hunter- Thank you so much for that picture! The Graham Cracker Monster is
awesome! You drew it so good! I love the yellow eyes! Is he a nice monster,
or a mean one? Does he make people laugh like in Monsters Inc.?
That reminds me of another thing that happened on Sunday. There is a little
girl in our ward (about 3 years old) who has become my little friend. She is
so cute, and always comes to sit by me and talk to me. (even though I don´t
know her name!) I had my study journal out taking notes and she wanted to
draw. So she drew a little mark, that looked just like a scribble. So I
asked her what it was. A cow, she said. So she drew another one, and asked
me what it was. A horse, I told her. So she kept drawing little marks, and
would say What is it? then answer herself. She went on saying dog, cat,
leaf, bird, penguin, and then she started on the face. She said ear, nose,
mouth, eye, then with out skipping a beat she drew another one and said it
was a burned eye! haha. I love how she just accepted it as normal and wanted
to draw it. I about died laughing. Then she had me draw Shrek, Donkey, and
Puss in Boots. They didn´t turn out very well, but it was fun.
I will be waiting anxiously for that package. My pants are pretty much done
for.
