Mostly just going to be pictures this week because there are lots and I want to make sure you get them! This first picture is a picture of the family that lives across the street and help us with everything! They are the Alfado Family. She cooks for us every day at lunch and he is serving as the 2nd counselor I belive in the bishopric and does so many things for us every day. We read a chapter in the Book of Mormon every night with their family and it is so fun. They make us feel right at home

From Left to Right : Emily (Baby) Ernesto (Father) Veronica (Mother) Nicole (my bestie) Hermana Crowley and me, Fran (Ernestos brother) Alejandro (Ernestos brother) and Roberto (the baptism from this week and Ale´s friend)

This woman lives down the street from us. We had heard that her mother passed away and one day were lucky enough to talk to her in the street. She goes to the Evangelical (I believe thats Evangelist in English) church so we are reeeeeaaaaalllly lucky to be talking to her. Many people in that church refuse to talk to us and are really generally unkind. She invited us over for Christmas dinner (our 3rd dinner that night) and we are hoping to begin teaching her soon!
​

This was after our first Christmas dinner with the patriarch in our ward and his wife Rosie. They are such loving kind people and we love them very much. This is also the home of the bishop and his wife Marlenny who is the daughter of Rosie. (Everyone EVERYONE is related in Turín)

​This was at our district meeting on Christmas Eve...we made French Toast and....had a flour war.

This is my district leader, Elder Garcia....this was his idea.

We played a game where our district leader read a paragraph in Predicad Mi Evangelio, our companions had to find where it was...and we dug in the flour....with our faces to find the coins to win the game. Good excuse for a shower in the middle of a hot day. 

Just washing clothes....I´m never going to get my laundry done....one hour...and like 8 pieces of clothing.

Also had a good NDH with the Alfado Family  and one of our investigators Mynor. We talked about the things we are thankful for and had marshmallows and hot chocolate on the back patio. I have alot of hope for this kid! 

NDH with the family Alfaro...and a little look at El Salvador homes...I am told they change the paint color of their houses every year. Its so fun!

​About half of the hermanas in our mission after the Mission Christmas party

They thought my burnt crisp marshmallows were funny....nothing better than a burnt marshmallow and some hot chocolate. 

​Ate 6 of these on Christmas....and have to do it again on New Years because everyone wants to feed your...and your a missionary so you have to eat it...we are still recovering..Also, so much for all the weight I lost when I first got here.

Took my first ride in one of the tiny taxis here...it was kinda fun to speed down the streets of El Salvador even though it felt like you were going to fall out and die. 

​It was a good Christmas here in El Salvador...thanks for the package!

And my favorite part about Christmas day....Roberto´s baptism! He was an investigator of the elders...but we claim him too! We read scriptures with him every night....and you can just tell...he has a true testimony! I love this work!

This is kevin...we picked him up for the ward party...and he even brought with him his Book of Mormon...when we went to pick him up on sunday he walked out in a white shirt and slacks with his Book of Mormon. Every time someone says we are going to read something...he brightens up and asks "in El Libro de Mormon?" There is nothing better. 

​Last night we enjoyed making papusas with this sweet family...we have only been doing service for them since we have been here but finally got a chance to do some talking about the church last night...As I was sitting there all I could think is....Hes going to be a great bishop one day.

​Happy Holidays from beautiful El Salvador!

FELIZ NAVIDAD

Feliz Navidad from sunny El Salvador! 

It hardly feels like Christmas because it is so stinkin hot. haha I can hardly believe also that I get to talk to you in just a few days...face to face! kind of....we get to skype! The plan...if everything works out...is to call at 11:00 from a members home! We write in a stake center in Atiquizaya but they don't have cameras..so I really hope this all works out perfectly...I don't have a skype set up...so im going to have to do that and then I will take your username and call you. If not...I will use my companions. So just be on a little while before 11 and I will do my best to get through to you! 

It was a good/rough week in Turìn. Last week, we had an awesome week. In fact, President Spjut even called to congratulate us for such a big week. This week was a little slower because lots of people are gone for the holidays and we had alot of stuff going on so we didn't get as much time to get out and work...but it was still so good! We had an investigator agree to a baptismal date this week...so I guess you could call it a successful week! Her name is Jenifer...she is 10 years old and she is so excited to be baptized. Her family has been inactive for a while...but the have just recently been reactivated and we have been working with her dad to get the priesthood. He hasn't wanted to because he hasn't felt worthy...but we finally got him to agree to receive the priesthood on the 24th of Enero. The little girl doesn't want to be baptized until she can be baptized by her dad...so we got a date! 

We have 4 investigators progressing right now...three of which I am so so so excited about it. I know without a doubt in my mind they were prepared before we started teaching them to hear the message of the restoration. We started teaching them a couple days after I got here and I can already see the difference in them. They are three sisters, Alexandra, Kayla and Karla. They are so sweet...I think we are shooting for the 7th of January with Alexandra and the other two within the next couple weeks after. I am holding out alot of hope with them. I love them so much.

A few interesting things from this week....ate cow stomach on Friday...so that was gross. My companion and I have been sick ever since. And saw my first reeeeeaaaaally scary thing in El Salvador last night. We were on our way back from dinner last night at about 9:15 and two trucks passed us with a bunch of men wearing all black with black face masks. Freaked me out a little....but then what really freaked me out was they turned around and drove past us again. I have never felt my heart pound so hard. We hurried just as quick as we could back to our house....and all is good...I just hope we never see them again. 

Other than that Turìn is good...the people are all so so nice. I love it here! Its weird to not be home at Christmas time...but I am so happy to be here too. I know without a doubt in my heart that I am supposed to be here. I see ways that people have been prepared for us every day. Love you all so much! Les deseo una Feliz Navidad!

Hermana Stoor

​Here is where we wash our clothes in the back yard

​And here's my bed!

​Our study room 

and our cute Christmas tree :)

​This is our house...its so cute! And that is Ernesto and Veronica's dog (our cocinera who lives across the street)

​Our house is huge! Here is the kitchen..

Went to San Salvador this week to get my official residency in El Salvador..these are the Elders and sisters that came with me from the CCM to the mission. They are so fun!

​ Also didn't have water...most of the days this week...but one day we got lucky and there was still some water coming out of the hydrant where we wash our clothes...barely enough to get our hair washed..but we were soooo happy.

Here I am eating cow stomach...it was gross and I really hope I never have to do that again. But we are so grateful for our cocinera..she is the best! I have loved every meal except this one.

​We sat in the middle of the woods in the dark for a good half hour singing hymns and waiting for a family to get home. Apparently that's considered normal and safe here. haha So I had to take a picture.

I LIVE IN A RAINFOREST

Going to be a short letter because the computers kept freezing up on me...but I will share some of the quick things that happened this week! Mom and Dad you will have to share your conversations on the blog so at least the siblings get the answers to those questions. 

The bus ride here was beautiful from what I saw...It was super windy and I hadn't ridden in a car for over a month...so i was suuuuper sick. I was either throwing up or sleeping trying not the throw up the whole way. But other than that it was good.. customs was scary...but a breeze. I was worried they were going to ask me lots of questions...but they didn't so it was okay! We didn't end up staying the night in the mission home because we were a day late. We just got our companions and they sent us off! I guess you got the email from president about that...but what he said in the email is so right! My companion is wonderful! Her name is Whitney Crowley from Utah. I actually knew her brother Sam up at BYUI! She is a hard hard worker and a super loving, patient person. Exactly the trainer I need! 

Turin is the name of the city I am in. The people are so loving and so willing to help. The members are so awesome! Church yesterday was a scary idea as well, but the members are all so understanding of my Spanish and welcomed me with warm hugs and kisses! Atiquizaya is the name of my zone and i think stake as well. The town is super cute and is exactly how i was imagining...dirt roads...lots of trees. I LITERALLY LIVE IN A RAINFOREST. Probably not what the people around here consider a rainforest..but i do. Its so crazy! Some of the houses and people are really scary. BUT I FEEL SO SAFE. The only thing that scares me is when we walk down the main road at night...there are no speed limits and they drive FAST. The buses are also scary to ride...im sure you know a little about that Dad. They fly around every corner and over every bump...there are all together way too many people on them...you just squeeze whereever you can fit. But I have survived I think 4 of them now...so now im an old pro. 

Its going to take me a while to get used to the insects and little animals. This week, I got attacked by literally hundreds of ants when I apparently sat down in the wrong place. They were biting me all over my legs, inside my shoes...everywhere! I also had a mouse crawl up on my foot while I was teaching. So that was cool. AND I HAVE MORE MOSQUITO BITES THAN I CAN COUNT. You don't even see them here...but they must be everywhere. I also held a brand new born bunny this week...not the one in the picture...it was about the size of my thumb and hairless. Kinda gross..kinda cool.

My house is huge. We are really so blessed. Tile floors...bug nets...a refrigerator..its the life. WE wash our dishes and our clothes out back in a cement wash bay thingy. Guess I will learn today how to wash clothes by hand. We will see how that goes :) I think doing the dishes is kind of fun...never thought i would say that. I think when they sent out that email that said we would have running water everywhere we went...they just tell us that so our trainers have something to laugh about. We have running water....sometimes. If your lucky its in the morning after exercise. It just depends. haha 

My Spanish is....sad. I feel like I forgot everything I learned in the CCM. But i do my best. I taught one full lesson about the Book of Mormon by myself yesterday so I guess its improving. I mostly spend all day just trying to figure out what people are saying, including my companion. haha A little about my investigators....Sipriano Escalante....thought he was going to be getting baptized next week...but he told us last night he isn't even thinking about it. So we will see...Alexandra and Kaela and Karla and Noemi Rivera are my biggest hope right now. Only two of them came to church yesterday...but I really hope we can get the whole family baptized. Noemi is the mom and she is unsure for herself but said she thinks it is okay for Alexandra. Alexandra has been coming to church for about a month now. We just had the first two lessons with the others, but I think they can get there. I'm sure there is potential in some others...we just have to find it. We are doing everything we can...we practically run. Its so great. SOOOOOO HOT. But so awesome. I'm going to have some intense calf muscles by the time I come home if I stay in the mountains.

Guess my time is up....just know, I'm happy, healthy and although i struggle and want to cry every single day, there is nowhere else I would rather be. This work is Gods work and his hand is  in every detail. I see little miracles every single day that prove that. God is real. This church is true. And the book is blue. Stay true! I love you all with all of my heart. 

Hermana Stoor

Hermana Schiess, Hermana Franco from Colombia and Hermana Escalera from Puerto Rico...roomies for the last two weeks in the CCM

​My district in the CCM at the Guatemalan temple...these are the best people. Definitely going to be life long friends....Elder Dylan Thomas, Sam Lowder, Riley Sligting, Taylor, Zac Nielsen, Frankie Mattiaccio, Jaden Rock, Ammon Olson, me and Hermana Riley Schiess

This is Pancha...met him yesterday at one of the members homes. So many animals everywhere!

 Elder Galicia, Elder Flygare, Hermana Crowley and me after church yesterday. We are the only missionaries in our area...lots of area so cover so we have lots of work to do!

 Not supposed to hold animals..so an illegal picture. BUT the little boy practically threw it at me...so we took a picture! In the home of one member teaching her 3 nieces who are 8,8 and 12...avoided the men behind me in the picture. They were creepy and drunk.

We are happy to announce that your daughter, Megan Evelyn Stoor, has safely arrived in our mission!

Dear Stoor Family,

            We are happy to announce that your daughter, Megan Evelyn Stoor, has safely arrived in our mission. Soon after her arrival, we enjoyed getting to know her, and we can tell that she is going to be a great missionary. We are grateful for the sacrifices you and your missionary have made that allow her to be here. We pray that our Lord Jesus Christ will pour out his blessings upon your family. We are very happy to have your daughter with us and we know she will bless the lives of many people here in the great country of El Salvador.

She has been assigned to the area of Turin 2 in the Atiquizaya Stake. Her companion is Hermana Crowley from United States.  She is a determined, hardworking missionary who is diligent in the Lord´s work. We expect to see great success from this companionship.

President and Sister Spjut

I made it!

El Salvador is beautiful...so so beautiful! I have never seen so many trees in my whole life. Just writing real quick to tell you that I am safe...don't know much yet. My mission president and wife are so sweet! They just got out the pillows so I don't know how long we will be here but it looks like at least tonight! I love you all so so much! I will talk to you in a few days!

You will never believe who is still in Guatemala. The CCM loves me too much.

Well, i am still in Guatemala. Hopefully leaving in the morning! Last night, the CCM recieved a late call that there are a bunch of manifestations going on in la caille. Many of la cailles (cant think of that word in English)...are blocked and so me and a few other missionaries are stuck here for at least another day. I found out last night that I will be traveling by bus! It will be around a 2 hour drive...plus however much time it takes to get through the borders of both Guatemala and El Salvador. Hopefully all will go well there...Hermano Dubon...one of the administrators here told me that I am going to have to be extra careful, that El Salvador is the scariest place in the whole world for sister missionaries and I am going to have to go through customs at the borders by myself because I am the only Norte Americano...so that's a little scary. But I will be protected I know! Something that has become a real reality to me over the past couple of weeks is the hand of the Lord in our lives. I am saying lots of prayers and know I will be protected. Sooooo...hopefully I will be out of the CCM tomorrow morning at 5:30 and on my way to El Salvador! 

It really is such a blessing in disguise I think, one more day here. We went to the temple this morning as usual and I found a renewed strength as I felt the comforting hand of the Lord. I am so ready for this! I repeated over and over in prayer as I sat in the temple....YO ESTOY LISTA! YO ESTOY LISTA! I feel so prepared..spiritually, mentally and in all other ways to get to the field. I´m going to walk up to my mission president tomorrow morning and ask him to put me in the hardest area he's got. I'm ready to get the baptisms rolling in El Salvador. I may not speak perfect Spanish...but I am going to talk to everyone. YO ESTOY LISTA! Lots of preparedness lessons. Don't worry Mom! When I get kidnapped or robbed, I know just what to do. ;) I feel more spiritually prepared than I have the whole time here!  Ahhh I just want to be there so bad. 

This week was good...survived a good earthquake yesterday...two actually. We were sitting in an orientation studying Predicad Mi Evangelio and the whole room started to shake...then it stopped for about 10 seconds and then came again. It was so cool! Then the fire alarm went off and we all had to go outside...that was it. But us Nortes were pretty stoked! The songs went good! It was terrifying but they got me on some new antibiotics that kicked everything out of my system and my throat cleared out. One of the MANY miracles this week! We sang Estrella de Luz and What Child is This. It was scary looking at all the dignitaries..but so fun!  BEST THING FROM THIS WEEK....I taught my first real person a full lesson! He was a menos activo and said that he had not been to church for about three years. I talked to him about his job for a little while because he is in the music industry. SUPER COOL GUY! Then I began to ask him a little about his life. I asked him if he was happy. He said his family made him happy but otherwise no. I then shared this scripture with him: Mosiah 2:41. Then as I started to ask him a question to think about as he read, he put his hand over his mouth. (At first I thought he was laughing, so i was really worried about what I said wrong in Spanish, but then, he started to cry. He was sobbing so much that he could barely finish reading the scripture. The Spirit swarmed into the room. He looked up at me after a couple minutes and I asked him what he was feeling. He looked straight at me and said "I really feel that I need to go to church.I am going to take my family to church and not hold them back from this happiness any more." Then of course I started bawling. I realized in that moment, what they have always said is true. It doesn't matter what you say. It doesn't matter if you don't have perfect Spanish. You are a missionary that holds the power of God. I didn't do anything in that lesson. The Spirit worked through me. He touched the heart of that man. 

Well..just found out we have to get off early..but know that I love you all! And you are in my prayers! Good luck Shelb with your play! I know you will do awesome! I love you...talk to you in El Salvador when I get there!

Feliz Dia de accíon de Gracia!

Looked like a good dinner at Grandmas house! Thanks for the picture Dad! Sad i missed out but they fed us a good meal here on Thanksgiving as well! I have gotten lots of questions about food....The cook here is an international cook. We have food from all over! Hermana Cox says he has been practicing for weeks and we could tell! It was so yummy! The foods almost always good here...hard to get used to eating frijoles for breakfast...but i´m getting there! Theres always way too much food too! Sometimes all I feel like we do here is eat. haha They always have a good meal...and there is a fruit and salad bar to go with every meal! And Dad..the guatemalan food is so good...lots of spicy...lots of tamales...lots of rice and beans.  Anyways...enough about food. I have a lot to share this week! 

The biggest thing from my week was...I recieved a calling as a Hermana Leader and Music leader for my Rama (branch). My main responsibilities are to...care for the medicinal needs of the hermanas...conduct nightly devotionals...choose the music and find piano players and dirigirs (?? directors) for all Sunday meetings and devotionals (which is about 10)...be the eyes and ears for Hermana Cox...shut out lights and make sure the Hermanas are in their beds at 10:30 with lights out each night....and basically just be the right hand lady for Hermana Cox. Its alot. But I am so grateful for this opportunity. I have already had to stretch my Spanish even more. I have gotten to know the new hermanas quickly and very well. I have felt so much love and gratitude come into every day since i started. The new hermanas are so so sweet! They have brought such an awesome spirit into the CCM. I am still working hard on names...I cant count how many times a day i hear my name and my heart just drops because i dont know theres yet. But it will come! The past two nights have been full of hermanas knocking on my door at night...so im going to have to figure out some better time management. But I love this chance to serve them. And im so grateful the Lord and Presidente and Hermana Cox have enough trust in me to have me do this. Its nice to sit down with them and  chat about each of the girls. Makes me realize how blessed I am.

My health has been suffering this week...but Presidente Cox told me to write home and tell you first...that I AM GOING TO BE FINE:) I am happy...and will be healthy soon! I got strep throat again and symptoms of bronchitis as well....they put me on some antibiotics.(Erithmiricin) and It has pretty much gotten rid of the sore throat...but my body is having a weird reaction to the medicine. I am having sharp shooting pains in my stomach...we don't know why...but they are working to figure it out. I spent most of the day yesterday lying in bed, but I asked some of the elders in my district to give me a priesthood blessing and I am already feeling better. I am so grateful for the power in the priesthood. Because of it...I was able to sleep most of the night and attend the temple this morning for my last time before I leave for El Salvador! I know Heavenly Father watches over his missionaries. I have felt him very close over the past couple of days as I have been sick. I know with his help I will be ready to sing tomorrow!  

Kind of crazy to think  I will be in the field next week! My next letter (whatever day that might be.) will be from El Salvador! I dont feel ready yet...but I am so excited to get out there! Im hoping for a good Latina companion that knows a little English and can help me along! I can pretty much understand what the Latinos say to me...just don't know how to conjugate well enough for some of them to understand me. I have Latina roommates again...they are so good! Hermana Escalera from Puerto Rico always tell me i am her favorite English teacher...She and her companion Hermana Franco from Baranquilla, Columbia are so sweet! I just love Latinas! Im going to miss the Latinas that attend the temple with us every week as well. There is one elderly hermana, Hermana Villagín who has been there every time with us. She sat with me today in the celestial room and just cried  and hugged and kissed me. She has such a sweet spirit about her. I was definitely supposed to come to a Latin country for a reason. I feel so much love every day. It is comforting.

The spirit has been so close this week at the CCM. This week I have gained a true testimony of the power of the priesthood and of the reality of the Atonement of my Savior. If you come to know the Atonement, it will carry you. It has carried me, especially this week. We all have trials, but we have every reason to stand tall. We have the Savior and our Heavenly Father on our side. ETHER 12:27 Please pray for my investigators. Thank you for your prayers for me, but dont forget my investigators. I know there are angels there preparing their hearts to recieve my message of the restored gospel. I know with all of my heart that this gopel is true. I wish everyone could recieve it and feel the true joy that comes through it. My life would be nothing without the Savior. Thank you Mom and Dad for teaching me the truth, and for binding our family as an eternal family. I love you all. And pray for you at least 20 times daily. 

Hermana Stoor

So....mom doesn't speak Spanish, but I gather from emails that this link will connect you to a press release from the church about the change in the time that native speaking missionaries will spend in the MTC.  Megan's smiling face is front and center in front of the Guatemala MTC!


http://www.saladeprensamormona.gt/articulo/ahora-los-misioneros-estar%C3%A1n-tres-semanas-en-capacitaci%C3%B3n

Happy Thanksgiving

Buenos Tardes! 

Another good but super hard week at the MTC. The Spanish is improving...but its been slower over the past few weeks as we have been working more on our teaching skills. My companion and I did a companionship inventory and it really is making all the difference... Our teaching has improved alot! Good thing too...we went out on the street for our first time this week! It was a little frightening..the streets here kind of scare me. It makes me nervous to get out there but I also cant wait to leave and start teaching real investigators! We placed two Book of Mormons though! We saw these two men fixing their tire on their car at the gas station down the street and after a few minutes of hesitation decided they were our guys. We understood only about half of what they said but enough to be able to place a book of mormon with each of them! They seemed interested so that was a plus! Then we headed down towards the mall on the other side of the CCM and saw a nice looking woman...that we then pretty much ran after to catch up...first mistake. We tried to talk her into taking the Book of Mormon at least four different ways...but she kept coming up with an excuse so we had to give up. Kinda put us down...but Im hoping Leandro and Cesar will enjoy their Book of Mormons. Also got their numbers..so hopefully they will be getting a call from the missionaries in Guatemala Central soon! 

Happy Happy Birthday to Grandma Petersen. I didnt realize until right after I got offline last week that I didnt have another Pday before your birthday! Love you so much and hope you had a good day! 

It is hard to believe I have been here four weeks. Two of the elders in my district informed me yesterday that dogs still probably speak better Spanish..but ya know. Its coming. haha We are doing our best to do solo Espanol. Hermana Ball is our Hermana Training Leader and she has really been pushing it. I can already see a difference. It has been hard to remember this week though because the CCM is pretty much just Norte Americanos ahora. El latinos salieron por su misions,...uhhh...last week on Friday...5 days early because the mission presidents have some big meeting all week this week and wanted to be there when they got there. SO since they left...it has just been the 20ish i flew in with, the 10ish Queqchi elders and like 3 other people. But the quietness will die this week. WE ARE GETTING 97 LATINOS THIS WEEK. and also roommates...which me and Hermana Schiess are kinda bummed about.But we will love them I am sure! I love the Latinas. They are the sweetest people. I just really need to work on conjugating my verbs. The vocab isnt hard...just the grammar. Sometimes when we feel our heads are going to explode all 5 of the hermanas I flew in with and me run out on the volleyball court and sing our hearts out to Taylor Swift or One Direction at lunch. Its a good stress reliever. We also sing Nearer my God to thee in place of the cup song...its a thing now here. haha 

We have had some really good devotionals all week as usual...my fav was a video devo with elder bednar. He talked about how we all need to TURN OUT when we think our lives are getting hard. He talked about how the Savior after He suffered in Getsemane, he healed the ear of the soldier and then worried about his mother as he was being lifted on the cross. And then while on the cross...he was still more worried about the men hanging by him. That is true selflessness. I gain a stronger and stronger testimony every day of the Atonement of the Savior. If there is one thing I would want you to all know, It is that I love the Savior with all of my heart. Yo se que Cristo sufrir en la cruz y en la Jardín por cada una de nosotros. Yo se que si nosotros seguir el ejemplo de Jesucristo en la tierra, nosotros podemos regressar de Dios y vivir con Dios para eternidad! 

Love you all!

 Hermana Stoor

November 17, 2015

Buenos Dias!

Love the letters...thanks so much! We got out of the temple late and went through our letter time today but luckily our teacher is suuuuper nice and snuck us in after lunch. The weeks move so fast here. It really doesn't seem like it has been a whole week since I last wrote. But it is so nice to get your emails...sounds like lots of good things happening around home. Congrats Dad on the new job with the school board...that is so exciting. Wish I was there to celebrate the news with you. Sounds like from a few emails I got this week it is starting to get a little chilly in the valley. Everytime we see or hear anything about snow me and my companion freak out a little. In fact, today in the temple I cried a little because of how much I miss Idaho. I have now seen all 4 of the videos that they show in the temple. And the one that we watched today had quakie trees all over..I shed a few tears. But I also love Guatemala. The weather is so perfect here all the time. I love the rain..and i love looking out the windows at all the trees. The mountain by the CCM looks like a true rainforest....with great and spacious buildings all over it. haha 

We got to go last week to the little market down the street and it was so humbling. The people are so nice and they have so little. Also a little scary. I feel like the guys with machine guns are always staring at us....maybe because our elders in our district like to stick us right in the middle of them. Its kinda cute...and partially annoying. haha But my district is so good. I am so blessed. Hermana Schiess and me were talking the other night about how it felt like when we got here, we had known them all for years. We just switched district leaders..his name is Elder Taylor and he is already doing such a fantastic job...I have been amazed how much closer we have gotten with each other because of some of the things he has done. Elder Rock is my favorite elder in our district...not that anyone but him knows that....but we are about on the same level with our Spanish and he reminds me of some of my good friends at school. He is literally my ROCK some days. This week has been more of a struggle than any of the rest of them...mostly because me and my companion have not been getting along. Elder Rock has helped me so much with that...through him and my teacher I think we have mostly worked things out. We had a "companionship inventory" and told each other all of our feelings...and I think its going to all go up from here. We are great friends when we don't have to work together. hahaha but as soon as we start preparing or teaching a lesson...we get super frustrated. BUT we both have things we know we need to work on now and it is already getting better.

This week there isn't too much that is new...its hard to know what to write because it is literally the same thing every single day. I did have to speak in sacrament meeting this week which was TERRIFYING. You are supposed to prepare a five minute talk for every Sunday and they call you on the spot. My district also sang...then as soon as we sat down he started calling out the names....He always announces the mission and then the person....i just heard him say "El Salvador Santa Ana mission" and then he was fumbling through his papers trying to find my name but I knew it was me because I am the only person going there. I sometimes wonder if my mission actually exists. haha Pretty scary giving my first talk in Spanish...but President Cox said he thought I gave a really good talk. Whether or not the Latinos could understand me or not I don't know,,,but he could so that's all that matters. haha :) 

Today I did get some pretty exciting news! Hermana Cox came and asked me if I would be willing to sing at the Christmas lunch we are having at the CCM on December 2nd. Don't know all the details yet but I'm pretty excited. Most exciting part...the Guatemalan dignitaries..the whole government for Guatemala City and our area 70 and who knows else are going to be there...guess I better start practicing up on my Spanish Christmas songs! 

Sorry I haven't been good at answering questions...wrote some down this time so I could remember so here we go! We have devos ALL day on Sunday...we had one big devo a couple weeks ago with Elder Ochoa of the seventy...we have another seventy coming tonight...and Elder Nelson...like THEE Elder Nelson is coming I think next week! Most of our Devos are with the senior couples that serve around Guatemala...they all come to the CCM for church and it is so so wonderful. I love LOVE  LOVE the senior couples. Annnnd Box....I want pictures...just get all the pictures you can and print them off...I didn't bring near enough. The other stuff I have thought of I could get here....but if you want to send it that's great too....a waterproof watch...mine are both soaked from just the few times i have been out in the rain....a gray or blue cardigan....and PEANUT BUTTER M&MS. I would kill for some of those right now. Also in an email if you can....the lyrics to Follow Your Arrow wherever it points and Family is Family...I miss those songs. haha Love you all so much! SIEMPRE! 

Hermana Stoor attached these 2 pictures & wrote:

These are the only pictures I am allowed to send...but you will get more in three weeks when I'm in El Salvador for sure!

That is my RAMA (branch). there is a whole other Rama...those pictures were from the first week here..so half of them are gone. The Mtc is alot smaller now...but next week we have 97 Latinos coming in so its going to get pretty crazy...we will be the ONLY Nortes here....6 girls...and about 16 elders.

Nuns, Guns, and tons of fun

Hola mi Familia! 
  Things are so good here in Guatemala. I think it gets more and more beautiful here ever day! I love the rain..the weather is so perfect..I would guess somewhere around 70 degrees every day. We go outside any chance we get (which isnt much but at least a few times a day). The MTC is so great...I wish I could send you pictures but we are not allowed to have our camera in the building unless we are going outside...I will ask about bringing it to send some pictures next week. We did take some with our district at the temple last week and I have a few with a couple of my good friends here. 

   I guess I should somewhat explain the title of this email. Sometimes I totally forget I am in a different country because we are in class all day long....until I get to my room at night. My bedroom window overlooks this school for nuns. Every night we hear the Nuns playing basketball...its a super funny sight for a small town Idaho girl. It gives me and my companion a good laugh. The other night after the nuns went to bed I was talking with my roommate Hermana Martinez and we heard what sounded like a gunshot right outside our window on the street. Then about five minutes later we heard a bunch of sirens and saw a bunch of flashing lights. This is DEFINITELY not Grays Lake. 

   This week was busy busy busy. We are teaching usually two if not three lessons a day so lots of planning. By the way, if you have any tips on effectively planning a lesson with your companion please let me know. We are super struggling with our lessons because we can never get on the same page with our planning. I am blessed with a good companion and district that will laugh with me through all of my mistakes. I will tell you the best from this week. Oh so embarrassing. We were teaching Angel (Hermano BAJAN) and he asked how to come to know whether or not the Book of Mormon was true. So I starting digging through my scriptures to have him read Mosiah 10:4, but since I was hurrying so quick I didnt double check myself and handed him Mormon 9:4 instead. I told him to think about how he could apply this scripture in his life and asked him after he read it to say a quiet prayer to know whether this scripture was true. I then bore my testimony of the truthfulness of that scripture in his life and asked him to read it. Well...because my spanish is muy poquito I didnt understand the scripture when he read it. Then he looked at me with this super super angry face. I panicked...he started saying all these spanish words to me i didnt understand and finally I looked at the scripture and realized...rather than the scripture about praying to know whether or not the word was true....He read Mormon 9:4..look it up....I basically told my investigator to pray to know whether or not he was too filthy to live with God. Good thing hes just my teacher and not my real investigator. hahaha

   This week they started bringing in REAL PEOPLE. It is terrifying. We didnt get to teach because something came up....but tomorrow...we will start teaching our first REAL investigator. We know nothing about them...not even how many people will be teaching...all we know is they are less actives. So I will let you know how that goes next week! Our other new investigator this week is Joel (Hermano Abadilló). I felt like it went really really well. My companion has been struggling alot this week with the language so i have really had to take the lead in the lessons. It amazed me when i got out of our first lesson with him how much Spanish I actually know! I love this language..it is so so hard...but it makes so much more sense than English. It is getting harder and harder to remember some words in English already because I have to completely block them out of my mind so I dont use them in class. This week we are also going to the market to do some proselyting..im so nervous Im not going to be able to understand the natives. It really does help though to talk to the Latinos here in the CCM. This week there were several of them who became some of my best friends! Look up Quirian Noreli Tecún and Dinorah Martinez on facebook...they were my roommates..I was so sad to see them leave! Also...Leila Jorquera Chavez and Sarahi Zamudio...my besties! I sit with them at lunch...I have learned so much Spanish from them! I also learn alot of Spanish on the volleyball court every night! Deportes is my favorite time of the night...the Latinos have taught me alot. They now fight over whos team i am on in volleyball. Guess my calling can help me to learn more than just Spanish and teaching skills super quick on a mission. 

   My Spanish has improved alot over the past week. On Wednesday night I was reading my scriptures in Moroni 7 and it was like a brick wall hit my heart. It talks about the things that we need to have before we can have faith. I have strived every day this week to make it my goal to have charity for those around me and to worry about their needs before my own. It has made all the difference. When you devote your time to helping others...the things that you need seem to come alot easier. I have had some super hard days out here on the mission, but I have my mind set on it and I know I can do it. The hermana who taught relief society this week compared missionaries to the pioneers. We leave everything behind...everything we have ever known to come do the work of the Lord. It is hard...but so was it for the pioneers. She then compared us to the Savior. She told us to never quit. She asked a question that I will remember every day through my mission. She said, "What would have happened, if in the most anguishable part of His mission, the Savior of the world would have quit?" This is the Lords work. We have been called to usher the work in the dispinsation of the fullness of times. I am here. I am a missionary with a holy calling from the Lord. And I am so ready to get out there and not let a single person pass me by. I love the Lord. I love the people of Guatemala and El Salvador. And I love YOU!

Much love!

HERMANA STOOR

Tuesday - November 3, 2015

Hola mi familia!

I will start of with...this is the hardest things i have ever done in my whole life...BUT I KNOW [THIS IS R[IGH[T. I love Guatemala....it really does smell so good...so fresh almost all the time. The flight was good...there were 24 missionaries i believe and i made some of my best friends in thos 12 hours! We tallked and laughed the whole time and i am so glad because they are mostly in my district here in the CCM. there are 10 of us in my district...me and hermana Riley Schiess are the only hermanas...all the elders feel like extra brothers. My companion is great! We struggle sometimes but things are always getting better..she is super patient and is a hard worker! My roommates are also such a blessing to me! I am rooming with two Guatemalan Latina hermanas...Hermana Martinez and Hermana Tecum. They help me with Spanish almost every night. It is such a blessing. My teachers here are wonderful...Hermano Bajan and Hermano Abadilló. Yesterday I was having such a hard day..missing home...struggling with the language...just all together dropped to my lowest of lows. Hermano Abadillo  sat down with me for a good half an hour and talked to me about the things that i need to do to improve my spanish and gave me so comfort. We are separated in our classes English and Spanish...but we are also not allowed to use any English...so really it just feels like with latina people all day long. The language is hard....but i am getting so close. I can have full conversations with the latinas at lunch and in the hall ways. I can sit in devotionals and not feel totally lost, I just have to keep reminding myself everyday that Jesucristo struggled every day of his life and he understands me. 

The day we got here...we put our stuff in our rooms...ate breakfast...wrote to you...and got some time to clean up after our flights. Then we started right away with class. When they said this would be hard...i had no idea just how hard it would be. You wake up...study...start classes at 8ish and work work work until about 9 every day. BUT IT IS SO SO WORTH IT AND SO GREAT. The blessings are already starting to flow through the door. We taught our first lesson on Friday...our investigators name is Angel Lopéz. We struggled through the first two lessons with him...mostly because of the language barrier. We invited him on Saturday to be baptized, but we hadn't even thought to explain to him what baptism was..so he asked. I looked at my companion..she looked at me..we shrugged our shoulders and with all my knowlege of the language I said, "Bautizmo igual felicidades." yup. that was it. haha it was so so so embarrassing. I prayed and prayed and prayed that i could find the best way to explain it to him in our next lesson....and yesterday morning my prayer was answered! I was reading in second Nefi 31 and found my answer. Go check it out! So yesterday (monday) we explained to him baptism and he agreed! We are baptising him on November 28th....after we work through his drinking and smoking problems. (by the way...hes just our teacher pretending to be an investigator.) 

I love the Latina people...they are so loving! Lots of hugs...lots of kisses..lots of comfort! We went to the temple today and it is thee most beautiful temple i have ever been in for the spirit and the cleanliness. You will have to look up how long ago it was built but when the church leaders came down to decide whether or not it needed some restoration...they told the templo president that it was in as good of shape as the day they built it. The apostle told the presidente that he had never seen a temple so taken care of anywhere in the world. And it is so true! 

The CCM is beautiful! It is like a super super nice hotel. I love my CCM president and his wife...there names are Presidente and Hermana Cox! We have had the opportunity several times to learn from them and they always bring the spirit in so strong. They love us...you can just tell. Presidente Cox tells us over and over there are three things we need to remember to become a missionary..."work. work. and work." ...also ice cream. He is a big fan of ice cream so it is never is short supply here. The food is AMAZING. We are so blessed here! I love meal time when we get to meet with both Norte and Latino Americanos. It has helped me so much at lunch to just sit in a group of a bunch of Latina sisters and listen and pipe in when i actually understand and can say something in Espanol. I dont know if we are allowed to have favorites...but my favorite Hermana is Hermana Zambudio...she is from Chiwawa (however you spell that), Mexico and she had found my instagram before we even got here..I walked in the door of the CCM and she yelled out my name. We are besties. Unfortunately there is nobody else in the CCM going to my mission,....but hopefully some Latina sisters will come soon! Elder Sims is a legend here...better tell his mom he was well loved! He is so cool! he left his flashcards that i am sure took him HOURS to make with the Presidente Cox for me. I just got them on Sunday...they are going to help me so much. Tell his mom to give him a HUGE thanks from me.

I loved reading all of your emails and hearing what is going on back home..I am more homesick than I ever thought i would be, but as long as I keep myself busy (which is impossible not to do here) I am okay. The temple was a good refreshment for me and i cant wait to be able to go back again next week! I need your prayers as always. I pray every night that the gift of tongues will be given to me. I know I have it somewhere deep inside...and through my patience in waiting on the Lord and through my hard work, I will get there. I also keep having to remind myself that I have only been here for 6 days...and i can do way way more than i ever thought possible in just that short time. This is the Lords work. Thank you Mom and Dad for having faith enough in Christ and in me to help me get here. I know my letter may seem like im not having a good time here...but i really really am. The comforter has been so good to me. 

Yo se que el iglesia es verdadero y Jesucristo es el Salvador. Dios es bien! haha  Never forget it.

All my love,

     Hermana Stoor

First Email from Guatemala!

Hi family! I only have five minutes. My P-day will trade around days so you are asked to write me on Sundays. I made it obviously i guess to Guatemala! IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL. THERE ARE TREES AND OLD BRICK BUILDINGS ALL AROUND US. The weather is actually so wonderful. and it for real smells good here. haha no joke! My companion is Sister Shiess..she was the girl mom talked to in the airport..long brown hair...black striped shirt and pretty smile..that's her :) She is from Provo...two in my room...don't know about district. Santiago district is all i know...one of my counselors is from caribou county originally! Presidente Lloyd. Temple on P-day whenever that is...flight was good...i have met so many friends! have to go...love you all! send to siblings!