Estoy felizzzzzzz!

Another beautiful week in Turin! The week started off pretty rough, but by the end, it turned out to be really good week!  We had lots of success in finding this week...we talked to 141 new people and we have lots to do! Also, I felt like this week, alot of our investigators really opened up to us. We learned alot and have alot of work to do again this week. We found a new family this week that I am really excited about. Saturday we were looking for a reference of some menos activos from the Bishop. We knocked on a door of a house to ask if they knew who they were. An old man answered and because he couldnt hear us very well, he opened the door and told us to come in thinking we were looking for him. After a good 20 minutes we found out that they were not members and that we had the completely wrong family. So we taught a little about the restoration and left them the pamphlet to read with another return appointment for Sunday night. We almost never expect the investigators that we only get in one lesson with to come to church on Sunday.  But we received a miracle. Right after the meeting started, i turned around just as the old man and his grandson walked in the door. And, the grandpa stayed for all three meetings. It was amazing! We went to their house last night, but only the grandson was home. He said he really liked church and that they read the pamphlets that we gave them. We are going back in a couple days to hopefully be able to teach the whole family. It is amazing to see every single day how the people here are prepared to hear our message.  

I`m not sure if I have talked much about Maira. But we have a investigator named Maira who is around 28ish years old with a husband, a 3 year old and we think she is pregnant. She has taken the lessons before from the missionaries and told us on our first visit with her that she has a testimony that it is all true. Her desafio is that her and her esposo are not married and because of that they cant get baptized. They also really don't want to get married because they believe if they do they are just going to get divorced even though right now they are perfectly happy.  Some "curse" or something. Anyways, she called us last Sunday and told us she didn't want us to come back anymore because she had gone to the Christian church and really really enjoyed it and we would just be "wasting our time". Well, of course we went back. I really am not sure whats going to happen with her right now, but she agreed to let us come back and teach more. We just have got to figure out how to get her and her husband to get married. 

We also met a new man this week...who we are really excited about....which makes me laugh. The first lesson we had with him (Horacio) was on the street and i came out wondering why in the world Hermana Crowley set another visit. He is this old oooooooooold old old man with no teeth and who is suuuper sick so I could barely understand. But all I did understand of what he said was that he cant read, he wouldn't come to church and that he didn't want to hear our message. As we walked away Hermana Crowley turned to me and said, " Now he is a good investigator." I was sooooooo confused. But we went back again on Viernes and I finally understood why. All those things I had understood were lies that he told us just to try to get us to go away. He had read the pamphlet. He had prayed. He agreed to come to church with us on Sunday as long as he didn't have to walk to get there. Everything! Hes golden! And our hearts are filled with so much love for him. 

We work with alot of menos activos here in El Salvador, because everyone seems to get baptized and then quit coming right after. But we have so many coming to church now that I am so excited about! We work with the Alfaros brother Alejandro casi cada noche. He is fourteen years old and is just a regular teenager. Doesn't want to listen to his brother (who is his guardian, long story), doesn't want to go to church, wants to be "cool" which is not good in El Salvador, and is just kinda a rebel. BUT, we read scriptures every night with him and he is really starting to change. He wants to be better and he is getting better every day. He has been coming to church and staying for the meetings thanks to his new member friend Roberto and i don't even know how to explain it. Hes just happier. We gave him the goal of preparing and becoming worthy to receive his patriarchal blessing...he fasted, has started praying and idk...hes just different. I love the way this gospel can change lives. 

Not really any fun stories to tell this week...just excitement about the investigators...which is fun for me! I never really know what to share in my letters because so much happens every week...so im going to try to do better about answering questions..so if you have got questions...shoot them at me! Kind of a short week this week really....cant believe it is Pday again. But everything really is so good! We really are safe here. As scary as my last letter was, i'm never really all too scared. Something about this tag...its a promise of proteccion! So no need to worry! Every one seemed worried about my health this week too....really no need to worry! My body is achy and sore...but you just have to expect that running in the mornings and climbing up hills all day. I am starting to feel a little sick...with possible a flu...but its been going around the mission so I don't think its anything to worry about too much. I am happy and healthy! My health is good and my Spanish is coming along! I feel pretty comfortable. Some people I cant really understand because of their accents but for the most part...I understand everyone and almost everything. So just got to keep practicing talking! But Elder Galicia...my zone leader...tells me I talk bien rapido for a gringo...so i feel pretty good about that. :)

My time is wrapping up fast so....just know I love you all, that i am happy and healthy! And that I know without a doubt in my mind that this church is true, Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that the Lord's church is on the earth today! Its such a blessing to be here in El Salvador and to have the opportunity to share the joyful message of this gospel! How great it is to know that the priesthood keys to seal families forever is on the earth again and that through our faithfulness in living the principles and ordinances of the gospel, we can return to live with our loving Father in Heaven. I love Him. I love his son, my Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. And I love this gospel. 

Hermana Stoor

​Just had to send a picture of this cutie. Don't remember his name...we just stopped in to help his mom make tortillas.  I love the kids here!

​This is Yenifer who we have a baptismal date with for the 24th! When we were teaching the other night, she ran back to her room to show me her new red dress she had bought just like mine. So we wore them together on Sunday. She is such a doll!