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Crazy Week of Traveling


I do not have much time because I am in Ciudad Juarez right now for a conference with the mission president for all of the Branches. So I am going to be short and brief. Friday night we went on an hour bus ride to casa grandes for interviews with the president we had saturday morning. We went back to buenaventura Saturday afternoon. Back to Casa grandes Sunday night. And left at 6 am this morning to Juarez. It was fun to be able to play soccer here with some missionaries. 

Polygamy. So everyone in Buenaventura thinks all members of the church of Jesus Christ are Polygamists, because the capital of polygamy is 20 minutes away from Buenaventura.. a place called Lebaron. And to make it worse they call themselves Mormons and that is what everyone thinks we are. So we explain to basically every contact, that we are not trying to change their belief in Jesus Christ. And that we believe in how families are sacred between 1 man and 1 woman. And that families can live together forever. People still usually turn us down. But that is part of the mission. And I came up with an analogy. I love to fish, you can fish for hours and not catch anything, when you catch that one giant fish you are so happy and it all was worth it. That is the mission. We try to share the gospel with everyone for days with the chance that they will pray to God and ask if it is true. And if they do pray with a tender heart and contrite spirit they will get their answer of the truthfulness of the Gospel.

Mary y Raul - 2 of our baptismal commitments we have right now. Also the commitment for them to get married, because here people usually will just start to call each other husband and wife and never get married. We rode our bikes for 2 hours one way, only 1 hour back because they gave us ride halfway. To get to their house and have our first lesson. It was all worth it because they were so interested in the Gospel and their spirits were so strong. 
Marisol - Her spirit is so strong. And I love visiting her and teaching her. Please pray for her, her son has cancer and she is having some struggles with her husband right now. I love her so much because she has seen miracles in her life from following up on our commitments and going to church. The church has helped her so much and I have seen that so much. It has been great. Another reason I love her is she reminds me so much of my sister Danielle. Which is great because her attitude, her questions, and her faith in the gospel is so similar. And she has a little daughter that is so much like Sterling.. She really reminds me of home.

Elder Rosas - I think I forgot to say that he is from Veracruz, Mexico. Knows pretty good english because he has been here for 21 months but will not spèak it with me because he tells me he wants me to learn spanish quicker. And I feel as if I have been learning really quick so it has been great!

Hopefully these work. A lot of the pictures were too big to send, I will try to share them with my parents and they can help send them next week. I do not have anymore time today.. sorry

But Love You All. Follow the example of Jesus Christ and try to improve everyday. Pray for help when needed. -Elder Stokes


District at the MTC


 Elder Rosas y yo





 Justin Porter - one of my soccer buddies.  (Spencer didn't even know he was there until he saw him the day before he left)


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