I wont back down!

Mom, Dad, Mara, Seth, Shelby and everyone else that I love,

This week was full of struggles and laughs and tears and miracles. First of all a story...scary at first...funny now. On Thursday, we had branch counsel and after wanted to pass by the house of Raul. We finished the meeting around 8:00 and left running down the hill for his house with our mission leader Nelson. We had a super super good lesson with him and his mom and left a little later than normal so we ran up the hill, freezing cold so wouldn't be late to enter the house. My companion has been sick over the past week with a cold but was a champ and ran the whole way with me. When we got to the house, she looked a little weird, but I thought it was just because it was late. We said goodbye to our mission leader and entered in the gate to our house. I was walking ahead of my companion to open the door of the house while she was closing the lock of our gate. I just heard her say, "Hermana Stoor..esperame. (wait for me)" and when I turned around, she turned around to me, closed her eyes and fainted. I thought she was kidding so I said, "Ba creer hermana! Let go." But when I grabbed her hand to help her stand up..she didn't move one bit and I realized she wasn't kidding. So I ran to the gate and started screaming for help. Our mission leader came running (thinking we were dying for my screams), I called the president of the branch and his whole family came and we were able to get her in the house.I thought I had killed my companion but she was out for only about 5 minutes before she came back and didn't remember a thing. So...no more running.

We have seen miracles here as we were able to hold 2 baptisms in these last couple weeks. I have been so humbled and so amazed by the faith that my two converts have shown. Nancy was baptized the 18th of this month. She went through so much to be able to reach her goal. Her family belongs to all different churches and her mom hates our church. Although Nancy is 23, her mom has alot of power in her life. Normally, Nancy just does whatever her mom says, but she told us a month ago that she was not going to let anything stop her from being baptized. And she was serious! Three or four days before her baptism, she fell and sprained her ankle really bad. She couldn't even hardly walk. I gave her Aleve and we did everything we could to help her and finally it started to feel better and she fell again the day before her baptism. But she told us that she didn't care if we had to lift her into the font..she was ready. The day of her baptism got even worse. She told her mom that she was going to be baptized and she got really really angry. She didn't talk to her all day and when Nancy started to get ready for her baptism, her mom started whipping her with her belt. When we got to her house, my heart just broke for her. She could barely walk, couldn't move her arms for the welts she had on her back and was just crying and crying and crying, but had everything ready and limped to the chapel for her baptism. She understood better than anyone else that there are always challenges that come your way when you start to do something right. Satan attacked her in every way that he could, but she faithfully stepped into the font, remembering the feelings of the spirit that she had received and was baptized and confirmed a member of the church. Nancy and Raul will both be strong, faithful members of the church. I am excited to see what they will be able to do as they serve in the branch and as Raul leaves for a mission. He is so so excited and has been since the beginning. He received his answer a long time ago that the church was true but just didn't have the support to make a decision. He has taught me more than I think I have taught him. In every lesson, he came prepared to learn and teach. He passed through his fair share of difficulties as well. His friends rejected him for his decision, his father in law pushed him in the other direction and his old church said alot of horrible things to him as well. But he was able to recognize the spirit, learn to love the book of mormon and understand that the foundation of the church is the same of that which Jesus Christ built when He was here on earth and that His power and authority doesn't belong in the la iglesia de dios or in any other religion..only here. He held on to that knowledge and was baptized this last Saturday..he will be confirmed this next Sunday in church.

We are climbing mountains right now with the rest of our investigators. This week, the other baptismal dates that we had fell and pretty much the rest of our investigators said that they don't want anything to do with us...so this week we are hoping for some miracles with them and hoping to find some new people to teach here. But the work continues get better and better here in our area. We were able to reach some goals that haven't been met here in over a year and are hoping to have even more successes in this next week. (If the rain doesn't stop us too bad) But we will just keep running like wet chickens until we get there.

I know that this is the Lord`s work. And I know He is preparing the hearts of man to hear our message. And I`m not going to back down until I find them. I love you all. And pray for you a wonderful week!

Hermana Stoor

​This is a random photo...but I have wanted a picture with this truck since I got here. 

​We threw a surprise birthday party for one of my favorite missionaries in the mission on Tuesday. Hermana Ramos has been with me, in my zones since the beginning of my mission...She has been one of my best friends here and has helped me so so so much....I am going to miss her terribly when she heads home this change. So...one last hurrah with Hermana Ramos. There is a tradition in the Latin culture that the birthday person gets the first bite of the cake before it is cut....and its really fun to be the friend by their side when they go in for the bite ;) 

​The hermanas of Zona Juayua! 

​I don't know....sometimes I just miss cows and Idaho. 

​& I am basically an expert at making tortillas....officially salvadorania 

​Soaking in the rain....serving the Lord....loving my mission! The lluvias have officially started...the pictures of the streets with water to our knees isn't a lie...and there isn't a way to leave. So....from now on I will be in rainboots and chumpas. .....and pantalones starting in July. Don't worry Mom! The mission is buying us pants so I don't need a thing :)

Raul Orellana

​BTW...I got my package for my birthday...Thanks mom for my new dress! Its my favorite! And I got so many compliments this day :) Thanks Mom and Dad for a good birthday in June! ;)