December 13.

haha well Julie that is great six that will be heaps of babys in the house haha the family will for sure have to move now. We saw a miracle this week. Maria Talarico she had been investigating for about 10 years wanted to get baptized but smoking was holding her back. we fasted and gave her a blessing, she was baptized last sunday and so her family has a shot at the celestial kingdom. As soon as she got the holy ghost she was a different person, her home has a different feel in it. Elder Goodrich went home but, he said that is why he came back to the northern beaches for his last transfer to baptize this woman the spirit was stronger this last weekend than usuall. We were able to expirience a miracle. I Know that god answers prayers. We are blessed to have another baptism this weekend. David Israel Perkins he is solid az. Hes going to be a good future priestood holder. He did even though his family was all against him. I will get a new mate on thursday so ill let you know next week who the little gansta is. It will be a new expirience, it will be great anyway much love ill send thaynes and smiths a picture. either this week or next month it just depends on the money situation so no worries. because elder goodrich was leaving this week, he booked like 3 feeds every night...i never want to look at food again.

Trents letter....My Brotha from the same Motha Likisya is indonesian/tongan We went fishing today mate it was awesome. package..i dont think ill ever get it but no problems howz seminary going hows the ward ill right them soon. Howz little pauly wog. anyways the christmas season is coming and my Comp/Brother is going and i will get another but the work will continue much love, your broski elder stoddard

Kamille's letter
yah....the address has changed, to

P.O. Box 2723

Carlingford Court, NSW 2118

Australia

So i probably wont get the thing you sent but that is all good. What is Slap Cheek?? and I have already gained 15 lbs since i have been here... uh oh spaghetti oz Go Jazz they are my nigguhz Elder Goodrich goes home next week the ambillical chord will be cut.. ohhh no. Hez alright.. Just kidding hes way cool and i will miss him we taught pretty good together he was a legend in my life. We got a baptism next week with Maria Talarico who gave up smoking this week.. well we hope haha we went fishing today and i caught 50 fish and Elder Goodrich caught 2. WE ran into some Jehovah witnesses tract and they are letting us come back and teach them the truth. This week was good slow but we had to ladies come to church and they loved it it was looking promising for them. anywayz ill have more for the family next week. keep it real gangster nation aka family.

Gobble Gobble

Thanksgiving was a stuff...not we didnt celebrate it even though we are both american haha money is pretty tight over her so we have to be thrifty az with it. I hear jacki did some way good picture art?? you should get her to email me i havent heard her for a while tell her to email her pictures with it. 29 people ughhh kill me that sounds like a party. The weather here is amazing it not super hot yet so its pretty good. My comp is from St. George Utah he is way cool he is very charitable he always make me food and gives me stuff so i have learned to do the same and shout people stuff hes been a good mate out here on the mission. Investigators, we have given the death family some space just because i knew thats what i wanted when i was going through a hard time. We have an investigator named david the bloke rocked up to church on his own and weve been teaching him hes way solid. we dropped him the baptism comittment and a chapel tour I said Will you.. and before i finished he said yes haha it was awesome the spirit was great and the mate is getting baptized on the 18th of december he said he already knows the book of mormon is true so he asked about the doctorine and covenants and pearl of great price. We baptized a little girl Likisya Efras on saturday it was great big smile when she came up out of the water. We are teaching Yarro and Tashi from tibet, buddhist to the max we got yarro to say his first prayer and after he laughed and was filled with happiness and after Tashi who speaks no english said" that was Wonderful! prayer" haha it was sweet az. The area is pumping now we just need to fill up the teaching pool. Australia is good, but lets just say God Bless America!! we went to the city last week, it was hektek we went to the opera house and the big bridge and walked around the city it was massive az it was like the biggest city ever i felt like the kid on jungle to jungle...ive never seen anything like it before. Alot of the less avtive familys are coming along it is great. the work is moving forward. Im still writing paul and andrew i havent wrote erik for a while so i will get on that. Elder Goodrich is getting a little trunky but he still is working hard and so its all good. anywayz much love to all the famo.

Your Mate, Elder Stoddard

Mate.

Hey Mate This week was Hektek, We found to really good investigators on p day last week and they came to church. It was sweet az, They are from tibet and very,very budhist we taught them the godhead and they loved it and they had the best foreigner questions i have ever heard. Their names are Yarro and Tashi! it was really good they said the felt good at church and they liked it so were thinking of committing them for baptism before we teach them the rest of the lessons. Im training next transfer and i dont know the area that good im freaking out... but whatever We had alot of success mate. 14 lessons and 4 invesstigators at church it was a solid az week. Hey i already put those 20 lbs i lost back on... crap mate im gunna be fat az but if you want the tongans to like you, you have to eat you little heart out. Its been really good though an im getting a little more comfortable with australia, but i hate there dumb az accent yukkkk. America is the best but i heard its really stinkin it up right now. My Companion elder goodrich only has three weeks left and then he dips its wild az but it kinda sucks cuz all he talks about is going home and what its gunna be like. so it will be good to get someone whos gunna be here for a while. I was walking down the street this week and talked this guy, and he said no and as i was walkin back i but my boot in some fresh az cement haha it was funny az but all is well hoorah for israel thanks for the stuff i will get it fixed up mate. anyways tell the family that i love them, take it ez and if its ez take it twice. Were going to the city today for prep day its gunna be hektek.

Good ay Mateyz

Good ay mateyz! This week was pretty much the bomb. Probably had the coolest expirience so far. Me and Elder Goodrich were talking about how we hadnt had one of those super miracles yet on our mission. But then it freaking happened the next day. We were tracting and this lady was weirded out by us when we said we were missionaries teaching people about Jesus Christ. She said no and just kept looking at us weird like our flies were down or something. We then went on knocking doors and then we started to walk back and she came out again and started talking with us. And then she was like let me talk to my son...then she came back and said we want to hear the message. We went in and sat down and she said my husband just committed suicide 2 weeks ago and its crazy how you came to our street today because Ive been praying for help and wondering about if there is a god and if there is life after death. It was wild I was able to kind of realte with the kid a little bit. She then said before we left. I didnt want to let you in, i dont let anybody just come in my house, But something made me let you guys in i was saying no but someone was saying yes through me it was crazy az. It made me think that what we are doing out here is real az and it isnt just a coinsidence. My comp goes home in a month he pretty cool he teaches good and knows how to love the people the only thing dumb is he thinks hes a little to good haha to good to be obidient sometimes but other than that the work ispeeding up and stuff is starting to come together. Keep it true! Its like the most perfect weather in the world it is sunny in the morning and then it sprinkles almost every day i think god really watches the australia weather. When it gets to hot he turns it down and when its to cold he turns it up.

OY

Oy, The Hindu family...didnt come to church. We dropped Daniel Collins, He said he would be baptized if he knew the Book of Mormon was true. We went and taught him on Wednesday and he said he got his answer and said the Book of Mormon was the word of god. But when we asked him to be baptized. He said just because The Book of Mormon was true doesnt mean the church is true and so i dont need to be baptized into your church im fine with being baptized in my church...it doesnt matter. We then knelt down to pray and he asked if he needed to be baptized in the mormon church and if he needed to be baptized again. after we were done praying He said, "One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism"-ephesians 4:5. But even though he got his answer he was to scared and so we said when you want us to come back you call us. But on the good note. We were Tracting and we ran into a mom and a daughter and we did a normal door approach. They started being cheeky with us and so we were like alright whatever... and then i asked is there was anything we could do for them and she said is there anything i can do for you?? being a smart alic. so i said yah, what can you give me in life what can you tell me that would help me out? something that doesnt even have to do with religion. And then she was like uhh uhh well umm well confidence is key. I said well, do you have 15 minutes. The mom said no, we got some stufff. Then the daughter was like yah we got 15 minutes. We taught them the restoration and we got through the first vision and we asked charlotte and wendi how the felt and they said they felt like they were going to cry. they said they felt warm and peaceful. The Fruits of the spirit. We testified of the truthfullness of the message and they said to come back in 3 weeks. They new it was true. we just got to wait and find out now. Other than that it was a pretty slow az week but stuff will be happening very soon.

OY!!

October 31, 2010

Oy! hey famo look like all is well az. Sounds like all the kids are doing good thats great! well my week Elder goodrich says that he has never seen a kid eat as much as I can... I dont know what happens, but once the Tongans say the word "Feed" i just turn into a disposal! but then right when we eat just us, i cant eat very much haha I think God gives me a second stomach when im with the tongans. When you eat alot they like you, also when you eat with your hands. They straigt FOBS haha they are cool az and teach me Tongan and stuff. We have been finding some people to teach and have succeeded. We are teaching and indian family straight from India haha they are really liking what we are teaching them. They are hindu and so they have a hang up on only praying to one god...but we quickly resolved that. They are solid az, they are like pumped for coming to church and they ask really straight az questions. We have a aussie named daniel and he is 27 he knows the church is true but he doesnt think he needs to be baptized by the proper authority? hmmmm go figure... Everything is like three times expensive az here. So a big mac combo meal= 15 dollars which in america is probably 14.25 dollars so it is money town. This country is very very lost they only think you need the beach, girls, alcohol, and drugs. It is bad. We cant go anywhere by the beach anymore because when the sun gets hot, the tops get popped haha. Everything is going well but if you send me a package with stuff I need a watch. because the cheep rubber ones are 70 dollars so im not about to do that. Earlier this week we were at the top of a mountain and we had to get to the street to catch the bus. So we had to go on a bush walk where we climbed down in the jungle part haha it was insane. We were planning that night and elder goodrich let out a scream and punched his chest and he had some ticks on him. how they got under his garmets? who knows haha The spiders here are super dangerous and deadly so you have to be extra carefull. But other that that the work is progressing people are accepting. Hoorah for Israel!

October 24th 2010

Oy, so ya i can send pictures and i will get right on that ay, Congrats to Jaxynn good on you mate. No i didnt get a letter from blaine?? I need a photo album of the famo and some pics of the cabin and stuff and some dreadlock pics cuz no one believes me ay. sounds like every is doin good az! Man its so different than the states here mate. The People here are always in a hurry az and it make me bugged. You have to hurry and get your point across to catch em before they leave. It is hard to find people i was getting pretty down and annoyed the other day, and Elder Goodrich said "its not about your expirence here mate, its about the peoples expirience ay!" its changed my mind about it all and i realized that i just got to open my mouth and be obiedient and if they dont listen thats their problem and God will pick out the ones who are ready. Im in the Tongan ward and they make me eat my freaking guts out because the more you eat the more of a man you are. We had two people show up at church the other day because they got a pamphlet from us like a week ago and they just thought the church was true because of the name "The church of JESUS CHRIST of latterday saints." They said that no other church has that. It was cool az that they just came to church and nobody even told em too. We are currently just trying to find people to teach But its hard az to find these people but were going strong and never giving it ay! I Love all of you and everyone stay stong oy

Aussie!

good ay mate how youz going!? im in a town called fresh water, It is called the beach ward it goes up the tasman coast. we cant go to the beach though because there is naked az people there. Im in the Tongan Ward! haha they make me eat alot...i mean alot. My Comp is Elder Goodrich hes the man, he goes home in two months so he knows what hes doing. The mission here is alot different then colorado its more about teaching for the persons needs instead of baptize, i know thats what were here for. But its alot more teaching by the spirit. There is every race you can possibly think and the language is almost a different language. If you thought i talked like a bum, that was nothing. Here you have to talk the slang or they wont know what you are saying. I got pretty Home sick the first three days just because it was a drastic change but then Elder Goodrich just told me too quit being a poofter and make yourself at home so thats what i did. The Girls here dress like strippers here its funny az, The toilets will never ever clog. Hell, Damn, and Dammit arent swear words here. so yes i say them haha also you say nigguh alot haha its good to finally be here. also after every word used to to show excitement you say az like cool az, sick az, bad az, And Hektek everyone say Hektek and Shivvers mate haha. It is surf town, its pretty much wild az it gets ay. The driving on the other side is pretty weird. We take the bus everywhere out here. It is very,very fast paced out here. But thats about it ay well the church is true and the atonement of jesus christ is real.

Two months in Colorado

Hey Famo!!
Well I've been in colorado for about two months, winter is coming up...I'm going to freeze my little wiener off! Everything is going well. It has slowed down with teaching, but we have dished out lots of Book of Mormon's with hope and faith in finding someone to teach but other than that its all good. I guess the new mormon.org site is pretty sweet, check it out and let me know. I think it has a lot of blogging for Julie or something. I see all the little kids out here and it makes me miss the little kids. I served the beginnin of the week on team ups with Elder Naulu - a tongan/australian. Funniest kid ever. It was teh best 3 days of my mission ha ha. His bike got stolen and so we had to walk our legs off, until people picked us up on the side of the free-way. We met a guy who thought we gave him the priesthood by shaking his hand. We also ran into 2 satan worshippers it was intense. We were walking home late at night, and we came to a sewage canal...I said, "Elder Naulu, how far is it? Can we make it? so I started running and jumped and slipped! My glasses flew off and I fell in a lot. Elder Naulu started laughing to the point where we were asleep later that night and he was still laughing about it. He did the hakka up and down the streets. He told me Australia was going to love me because of how laid back and chill I was...If that ever happens, maybe I'm supposed to really be here?? who knows besided hum. Conference was awesome! The only conference I have never fell asleep in. Agency, Ben an Example, Be thankful, and slow life down to understand that there is to much to miss. I read Alma Chapter 5 today and I haven't had a chapter hit me like this one did!
Love,
Elder Stoddard

Australia!!!

Just got news that the Visa is in. DJ will be heading to Australia on Monday!! Wow I am so excited for him!

9/27 to Kamille

wow kamille you get mad at me for not emailing you one week and all you say is love you, love you, love you??? come on now i thrive for these emails. Well i got my first baptism on sunday it was awesome the spirit was there! This lady cant drink water because it makes her throw up. So instead she drank coffee and tea. But she knew that the church was true so she gave it all up to be baptized. we had a drive by the other night and Elder Evans called the cops he thought he was pretty cool. People are funnier every day i talk to them because of how dumb some of them are, but you gotta love them. Miss all you guys hope everything is going good!

From Colorado Sept. 27, 2010

Hey we had our first baptism on sunday, 70 year old bessie delo. It was awesome she did it all on her own..well and of course the spirit. We found a 22 year old kid who we taught and committed to be baptized the first vision almost made him cry it was great.other than that i like the hummer quote that is a good one. other than that we are just tracting and teaching. everybody keep doing good and listen to your mom and dad. thanks for getting my background check in and hopefully the visa thing will work and i will call from the airport :) anyways respect love, Elder Stoddard

Hummer Quote...
"God will always continue like a huge unstoppable hummer. Blasting through lakes and mountains. He allows us to participate and be blessed with an awesome ride. If we choose to rebel or be stubborn or worse try to stop the work the hummer keeps on rolling. We can always get back on when we have learned and repented." -Trent Smith

SEPTEMBER 20, 2010

Hey Famo!!! Hey so on Investigator came to church this sunday, Bessy Delo she is like 63 years old and she know the church is true. She will be getting baptized next sunday. Ive seen personallity change as we have taught her. She just seems happier and excited its great. We Placed four book of mormons this week! wooo and they were all to other church members, 2 pentacostles (weird religion the speak in tounges and do crazy run around worship) 1 baptist lady ( hate mormons, loves us and painted her deck) also this guy named bill who said he wants to going to Jesus Christs church haha so yah its going alot better. We saw a lady walking a cow the other day...with a leash?? yah this place is weirddddd! but its kinda fun some of the stuff people say about us. We had this minister that was gunna bash with us, and elder evans just threw down bible scriptures stating that we our childeren of god Acts 17:29 Romans 8:16 haha and he just crawled back in his shell it was awesome. All other religions are lost and it is all about the money in other faiths and i dont understand how these people are so blind about that. But Agency i guess! Well thats sweet you got a hold of the FBI i kinda just thought that i wasnt going to end up going to australia. But yah scriptures are pretty cool i never thought i would like reading them but they are pretty awesome if you get lost in the word. Happy Birthday Abe on the 9th that is great all the little kids stay in school so you are not a fool. and decide now!! Abe, Ethan, Eli, Logan that you are going on a mission. Yah we have agency but sorry little ones you have to do this the prophets said. Maya, Jaxynn, Kate, Quincy, Sami, no kissing boys and say your prayers haha. I had a dream the other night that i baptized Henry B Eyering hahaha and he was like " Elder Stoddard, thank you for baptizing me i have been an apostle for quite a while and have been waiting for that!" hahaha also i had a dream that trent and julie had another kid and i was holding it??? whats up with that. Also everyone needs to get there food storage up to date!!! on sunday ucktdorf and perry spoke at stake conference and the thing that stuck out was Listen to the still small voice, and with the gospel..Walk the Walk instead of just Talking the Talk- Ucktdorf anyways im out, love everyone and miss everyone :)

Letter from September 13

SEPTEMBER 13, 2010
Hahaha Horny!!? classic.. yah Colorado is cool, I prayed every day at the MTC that I would learn the scriptures better so that i could use them to teach with power. I think this is why I am in colorado, The scriptures are powerful and im getting better at knowing the scriptures so that I can quote them. Elder Evans is a scripture MASTER Honestly I have never met anyone who knows so many. I fell off my bike on saturday, and had hay all in my pants and hair. Were tracting alot trying to find people to teach. Well all is well!

1st Letter from Colorado!!

well, It could be alot worse than canon city colorado... but im warming up to it. hahaha there is 13 federal prisons in the one city. Colorado Springs is most anti mormon city in the world. all the anti mormon literature, and films are produced here. Its the bible belt of the west! My companion is Elder Evans He has been out about a year. He doesnt talk at all really, but he works really hard. My butt is so freaking sore and my legs hurt in the morning from walking so much. But because he doesnt talk very much I think im going to be pretty lonely for the next couple of weeks. He also makes this dumb farting noise with his mouth and it is driving me insane!!! but he works hard and know the scriptures very well and is always on time with everything. My first week we tracted about 20 hours since tuesday, we knock on doors and either no one wants the message or they already have their church. Ive heard of so many different religions. Well I will tell you all about my two awesome stories. We knock on a door and Roger answers, he says he is completely against mormons and feels sorry for us and hopes we find christ in our life. Right Then I have never had the urge to stand up for something like this in my whole life. Evans says have you prayed about it? he says i pray for mormons all the time. Evans says, to the church is true? then he told some bogus story of joseph smith and then told me and evans that we were bad christians and murders. I said who are you to say that you know nothing about this church and you just read filth agaainst the church. Evans said good christian what is that to you?? is a good christian like the ones who murdered joseph and Hyrum Smith, the ones who tarred and beat my ancestors, made their young children leave bloody footprints in the snow?!?!! he had nothing to say.. he started talking and nothing he said made any sense. In the middle of his sentence i said Listen to yourself, you have no Idea what you are talking about, If you werent so hard hearted and would humble yourself and pray and ask god if this church was true you would recieve an answer, because I did and Elder Evans did. He looked at me with rage and said the mormon religion is false and Joseph Smith Claims he saw god!!! I said Joseph Smith Saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ!! and he went inside and slammed the door. It was Insane, Like They say contention drives the spirit away but right then I felt like we did what we were supposed to do and it felt awesome.
Alright, So we were riding our bike and we saw a lady on the street and asked if she wanted to hear a message on how Jesus Christ has restored his church with a prophet, She said that would be the best church in the world!!!! OF COURSE!!! I looked at elder evans and just laughed we probably talked to 150 people since tuesday and 1 lady says yes!!!! HAHAHA I was so excited and filled with joy. We taught her the restoration. and When i gave the account of the first vision.. the spirit was felt. She started crying a little and said i feel calm and at peace..i havent felt this for a long time. Then we asked if she would be baptized and follow the example of jesus christ and she said yes!!! WoOOOOOOOOO September 8th! It was incredible all that work and i thought nothing was going to happen I think heavenly father was testing us. I prayed for rain in this 100 degree weather and it rained. He answers Prayers the church is true and the spirit is real. I love you all

AUGUST 2, 2010

hey before I start the letter, i need my liscence and my glasses!! my box is #329, please i need my licsence for sure. i Leave for austrailia next monday! haha and i dont know really anything still... but still im getting better with building my relationship with god. I thought it was okay before I left but it is nowhere where it needed to be. Yes im still pumping iron, and running i do an average of 300 push ups every night and 40 pull ups. My schedule is study, eat, study, study study eat study eat with like 50 prayers in all of those. My companion is the least punctual kid ever haha i have to yell at him every morning to hurry up.. its gotten to the point where he has started oweing me red cream sodas. But other than that he is awesome, we work and teach by the spirit well together. He is an amazing teacher and speaks simple but eloquent. A little arrogant but hes canadian, what do you expect!! My P day is on monday i have one more befor i leave. I guess we get to call from the airport so you probably recieve a phone call around 7,8,9. As for singing i guess im starting to like hyms a little more, but luckily i have a surfer roomate that loves bob marley and trevor hall, so we get to sing those hyms oh yeauuuh! that is about it my knowledge is growing, my faith is growing, and my testiomony is growing, and most important my love for everyone is growing.

DJ's first letter from the MTC

JULY 26, 2010
O My gosh!!!! I LOVE THIS!!! this is honestly so cool, its like spiritual summer camp withought the blob...instead you study so much! too the point where im starting to fall asleep in 45 seconds prayers i havent fell asleep in class yet because there so much infor to catch up on. I wish i wouldve been studying this before. The spirit here is so intense i havent felt it like this before its awesome. My companion is Elder Comfort, great last name huh? He is from Canada, hes a celebrity here. When i first saw him i said, o man this elder is going to be a tool, he had the fo hawk and dressed really nice. But now me and him are best friends since wednesday afternoon. I know god gave me him as a friend as a companion so that this MTC expirience not so bad. We study together and get really deep with each other i have talked to him about stuff I havent even talked to my friends at home about. The food isnt awesome but its better than rosemary chicken. Im rooming with a surfer dude from hawaii also and every night we talk about everything that enlightens us each day.. "he told me never mistake beauty for glamour" and also that i have the power to change a mans heart just by looking at them...is that gay? i dunno but it made me happy haha.
My knowledge and testimony are going through the roof i feel as though i am getting revalation through god. But i just want to tell you about the most spiritual moment for me so far. We watch a movie, The lesson i learned as a boy.. By Gordon B. Hinckley. watch it. after you watch then read this next part.


while watching this film I just couldnt hold in the tears and everyon in my district couldnt either. He touched me stronger than anything ever has. I really felt the importance of Jesus Christ and the atonement After the movie we all just broke down and i was the first to say something. I said that i was always the kid playing pranks and i wouldve hid the mans shoes. and I paused and thought that i was only thinking of pleasing my self...i paused again and started crying and said I dont think i have ever done anything nice like that for someone else and i just felt like crap and like Ive done nothing for anyone and jesus christ has done everything for everyone. Then everyone in our district just got so deep with each other and the spirit was overwhelming. And elder Willcock the kid who want to go home in our district who never says anything and doesnt do anything Said, " We can start now becoming and trying to be like the savior" and i could see it change in him that he wanted to start working. willcock hasnt smiled hardly at all. are whole zone prayed for him because he was homesick. And the next day he smiled all day. i asked what had changed he said he woke up and was just HAPPY. Pray is answered and i witnessed that first hand. The most important thing is love... show this to everyone and you can never go wrong. I love everyone, i miss everyone. But Im gunna be honest this is better than Home haha and i tell everyone here that. thanks for the prayers. little ones stand strong! ETTE TAAT
Elder Stoddard

Australia!!!

Well as cool as Australia is and everything....Elder Stoddard is not there yet. But it looks like he passed the background check and the visa will begin to be processed and then hopefully we will start getting letters from Aussieland. But for now we will settle with letters from Colorado Springs, Colorado. This blog is where I will be posting his letters. So get the word out.