You'll never guess where I am!!!

K so you're never going to guess where I'm emailing today!! I'm in Manhattan in the Apple Store!!! So I'm not going to be able to write a very long email today just because I'm in the middle of an intersection haha :)

But I'm doing really well!! I'm going to the temple today which I am SO excited for!!!! This is my first time being able to walk through the city and it's just like everyone sees in the movies...crazy, loud, busy, and dirty haha :) cars are honking ALL of the time!! For like no reason!! But anyway...

This week has been pretty normal...but I've actually really gotta go. There are like people wanting to use the iMacs... :)

I love you all so much and I'm going to try and email more when I get home! (if I have time...we're super far away from the city so I'm not really sure when we're going to be able to get home)

From,

Elder Stafford :)

FIRST BAPTISM!!!!

Hey Family!!!

So this is another one of those super short, unfair p-days where I don't have any time to myself...so I'm really sorry but this is going to be super short. Please don't be mad...

But anyway...GEORGEANNE did get baptized and it was so cool!! :) President Fuller did the baptizing even with a broken toe haha (he never had to get surgery) and it was AMAZING! It was really cool because her whole family got to come, including Brenda, so everyone got to be there! It was just a short, simple ceremony and then me and Elder Rydalch were invited to their home to hang out with them and eat dinner and cake and stuff! Wooo! Oh and we also played basketball in our slacks and white shirts and dress shoes with the two Cardona boys hahaha :)

But yeah...so the verdict is.....I will....NOT be leaving Monticello! :) which I think is good...I was going to be pretty sad that I'd miss all of the good things that are happening here. Elder Rydalch is still my companion. Elder Linton from my apartment is going to Yonkers and Sister Deihl, a sister in our district, is going to Central Manhattan. I'm kind of sad that she's leaving because she's only been here for a cycle and she was super funny and energetic haha. But it is what it is! We'll be getting Sister Lopez and Elder Sherman.

So that's about all folks but I just want to say how much I love you all and pray for you. I might be able to email later today but we'll see. Transfers are just grueling...

-Love your Elder

Elder Stafford :)

Pictures!!

 "The Fortress"

                 

                                         

                                                The Cardona Family at GeorgeAnn's baptism
                                                 

                                                        Brenda, Daniel and GeorgeAnn

                                                   The leaves are turning and it's gorgeous!!

                                                       Elder and Sister Long in our district
                                                                They're going home :(
                                                             

Our district

Me...Elder Stafford

Surprise email!!

Note from Mom:
We received this surprise email from Sister Worthen...


Dear Stafford family,

My husband Rodger and I live in Syracuse, UT .  We were in Boston for business and decided to travel to the church sites.  We were too tired to continue and went to the Monticello, NY branch.

Your son sat by me during sacrament, I noticed his name and wanted to know a bit more....that he didn't know....through chatting he said you are waiting on a picture for his plaque.   So I said lets do it...

If you don't like it I understand, but he looks good, is doing well and things seem to be moving along in the work of the Lord.

I will send separate email with the pic....if you send me your cell number, I will send it to your phone.

Now for the question I asked him...I was adopted by my dad at age 5...my biological father was Edward Michael Stafford.  His parents were Richard and Cecil Stafford.  They lived in Ketchum Idaho, but I don't know where they come from, who is left or what family they may have had.  I do know that Mike passed away in El Paso Texas.  His parents are passed.  I don't have any other info, just curious if there was a connection.

Have a great week....

Connie Worthen
          _______________________________________________________________________

Here is the email and picture she sent to us to put on his plaque on the missionary wall of the church.  We ended up using a different one, but that was awfully nice of her to do that.

   

Dear Stafford Family,

It was enjoyable to meet your son in Monticello, New York.  He was so nice and interested in our visit to the branch in which he is serving.  You all should be very proud of such a nice and gracious young man.  He is doing very well.

It was also nice to speak via the phone the other night.

Sincerely,

Connie Worthen

                 ________________________________________________________________  

This was the reply email we sent back to Sister Worthen:

Hi Connie!

What a surprise to receive your email!  How exciting for us to hear that you were able to sit by our son Cade (Elder Stafford) in Sacrament meeting when you went to the branch in Monticello.  We are all SO jealous!!  Cade is our first child to serve a mission and so this has been a new and exciting experience for our family.   We are all so very proud of him and his decision to serve the Lord yet we all miss him terribly.  I can't tell you how grateful I am to you for taking his picture that Sunday.  I've been trying since he began his mission a few months ago to get him to do that but the little stinker still hadn't done it.  Thanks for coming to my rescue!  As far as your biological father, I shared your story with my husband and, unfortunately, he isn't aware of any connection there unless by chance he happens to be a distant cousin or something that hasn't been traced yet in his family history.  So there still might be a possibility but we just don't know it yet.  We will definitely keep your name and email address in our contacts if by chance we should find out more information in the future.  It's been a pleasure "talking" to someone who actually spoke with our son, Cade.  Our family talks about how much we would love to be a fly on the wall and actually be able to watch Cade in action as a real, live missionary!  Silly, huh?  You can either send his picture to this email address or you can send it to my husbands phone (my phone won't receive pictures).  The number is 208-230-5037. Thank you again, Connie, for taking that picture of him and for going to the trouble of sending it to me.  Finally, he'll have a picture on his missionary plaque!  Yay!