I´ve got my first newbie :)

Meet my new companion! Hermana Monica Adriana Osorio Morales! She is super super cool or pila as they say in Guate. We are going to be the best of friends. She is from Guatemala City and has 10 months in the mission. She loves to laugh and work hard...so i think we are going to get along well! I was sad to say goodbye to my mom of the mission and partially terrified and partially excited to have a Latina companion...I still sometimes have a hard time finding the words I want to use, but Hermana Osorio is super helpful! She always does her best to help me do some translating :) I miss Hermana Crowley and wish I could go back and do our time together all over again...but I'm content and feliz to still be here in Turin. I think we are going to have some good success this cambio. We are going to watch a baptism this week. We are going to find a whooooollleee bunch of nuevos. And we already found a couple new families to teach. I just hope I can help my companion in these first few weeks here and do our planning well so we can have some success here. Its kind of scary leading an area. Our area is soooo huge so Hermana Osorio is pretty lost, but she will figure it out soon. We are working a ton with members..trying to have a member at every lesson with us and I think that is making her feel a little better. But we will just keep working hard and hopefully she can adjust to the heat and the people here in Turin. 

ADVERTENCIA: this is going to be a super misionary'ish email...but I learned so much this week and my testimony has been strengthened so so much. So here we go...

NESTOR IS GETTING BAPTIZED IN 2 DAYS. I am soooo excited to finally watch this young man take this step. He has been so excited and has been waiting for what seems like forever and I know he is ready. We had a really really good lesson with him this Friday. We left him the folleto for tithes and fast offerings and told him that we wanted him to teach us the lesson the next day. He read the folleto and a little in the Book of Mormon during the night and Friday morning was all ready to go. He taught a great lesson! And when we invited him to do the ayuno with the barrio on the next fast sunday, he told us he had already done a fast the Sunday before. I can just hardly believe him sometimes. Its just like when we were teaching the palabra de sabiduria and when we invited him to keep the word of wisdom, he told us that  his friend had told him that mormons don't drink cafe...so he had already stopped drinking cafe a couple weeks earlier. It is amazing to see how he has changed and that he really understands the principles of the gospel.And now that he has had the opportunity to repent in the right way, he says he feels relief and feels happier every day. I just hope his good example will affect the hearts of his mom and his sister so maybe they will start coming to church and Karen can get baptized. I talked to Karen this week and she opened up a little and told me she feels uncomfortable about getting baptized because she doesn't feel that she can be strong in keeping some of the commandments. I talked with her about the blessings of the gospel, how they are eternal and how as she strives to keep the commandments and stay fiel, she will receive the help that she needs. She agreed to meditate more in that and told me that she would pray to specifically know if she should be baptized on the 31st of March. We need all the prayers we can get for her. I know she can be ready for that day...she just needs to be able to recognize her answer. 

We are still working alot with the familia Castillo and we have seen soooo many miracles with this family! About  6 weeks ago they were considering separating and i didn't think they would ever be able to fix there problems. They both said they didn't love each other at all, said they didn't have any desire to even be in the same room as each other. But now, they are doing so well! There is a HUGE difference in their home and you can just feel the love when you walk in. All it took was one thing...they started saying their family prayers and now that things are better between the two of them...he...for his own free will and choice...without us saying a thing...went in to talk to the obispo about recieving the priesthood! And we were able to see that happen this week! And now we have plans for the baptism of Jenifer on the 26th of this month.  ahhh. I love these people here. 

We have also been working alot with the familia Pichinte over the past few weeks. Their son Eric is a menos activo  and I just cant figure out why. Over the 3 months that I have been here in Turin, I have heard his testimony several times. He has a good strong testimony and is reading his scriptures every day and always has these really good spiritual experiences that make him want to change, but he just isn't coming to church. We sat down and had a good talk with the whole family this week and I just spent the whole time just bawling. It was so sad to watch his mother and his brother just cry as they shared their thoughts and feelings with him. They understand so well the bigger perspective of the gospel and they know how important living with the gospel is. Eric and his brother Alex were baptized together and when Alex left for his mission, Eric was super super strong in the church, but when he came back, Eric had gone inactive. It just broke my heart to hear him talk about it. Even more in this lesson with them, I came to understand the WHY of the gospel. A person can not prepare themselves to enter into the presence of our Heavenly Father without following the principles and ordinances of the gospel or without partaking of the Sacrament worthily cada semana. That's why this is all so important. We are here to prepare ourselves to enter into the presence of God and the only way that we can do that is through the authority that Jesus Christ established here on the earth. The authority that is found within our church is the most important thing we have in this world. It is literally the power, that through our faith and actions can carry us to the life eternal and into the arms of our loving Heavenly Father. If all people could understand the apostasy and the need of the restoration of this priesthood power through a prophet of God, the whole world would be LDS. I understood more coming out of this lesson the need that we have to esforsarnos (sorry i don't have Hermana Crowley any more to tell me what the words mean in English..look it up haha) every day here to become more like Christ and to follow the commandments just as closely as we possibly can and if we have the need...which we all do...we need to repent. We HAVE to repent. EVERY DAY, if we want to return to our Father in Heaven. And if we don't, the scriptures tell us very clearly whats gonna happen. We either choose eternal life, or eternal death by fire and eternal torment. We get one chance. We´ve got to do the absolute best we can to prepare ourselves and no matter what the sacrifices are to do it...its all going to be worth it one day. Also, I learned that we have to be super patient with people like Eric...although we kinda machetied him in the lesson, every one makes mistakes and every one can be forgiven for their mistakes though the 7 steps of repentance. We have to be just as loving as you can imagine our Heavenly Father is. We make mistakes every single day and sometimes make the same mistakes over and over and over again but he is still standing with open arms waiting for us to  just humble ourselves and let him know whats going on. 

I also read something about a month ago that has completely changed my whole way of teaching here, and I have felt the full power of it these last couple weeks. Harold B Lee said, "The most important thing you can learn to do is talk with God. Talk to Him as you would talk to your father, for He is your father, and He wants you to talk to Him. He wants you to cultivate ears to  listen, when He gives you the impressions of the Spirit to tell you what to do. If you learn to give heed to the sudden ideas that come to your minds, you will find these things coming through in the very hour of need. If you will cultivate an ear to hear the promptings, you will have learned to walk by the spirit of revelation." I have been trying to do all that I can to follow every tiny prompting that I receive in every lesson and throughout the day as we are walking and I have seen this promise coming true.  I feel like it was hard for me at the beginning of my mission to know what to say and now I understand that it was not only for my poor Spanish, but because I wasn't giving heed to the small promptings that I was receiving. I have been trying to do my best over the last month to follow every thought that I receive even if sometimes they don't really make sense and I have really seen a difference over these past two weeks...I feel guided by the Spirit in every moment. I receive several promptings throughout the lessons and have learned to recognize and act on the Spirit. I almost always know what I need to say or what we need to do...and I am teaching alot better with my companion. It is amazing what you can do as you follow the promptings of the Spirit.   

Its sad to see our second home empty...but the truth is that wherever grandma and grandpa are..is just as home to me as grays lake is. I just hope they really love the new house and that you can all get some good rest after the big move! I want to see pictures of the new house all finished and also of course pictures of the prom! Shelb will have fun with Bridger! Its so exciting to hear of all the work that's being done at home for the Project Zion...thanks mom for submitting those names! Hope your all doing well and that your not all too worn out..sounds like there's lots going on at home! We are doing super good...I am really loving my new companion and am super happy to be here in Turín still! We have potential to have 3 baptisms this month and 6 ...not including the new people we will meet...over the next couple months. But mostly the moral of my story is....The church is still true. The Book is BLUE! and God has a work to be done here in Turín. His hand is here! And his angels are here preparing the hearts of the people here for us...and for you at home too! There is so much work to be done...even in our little valley of Grays Lake. Take initiative...and get it done! 

Hermana Stoor

Hard day of goodbyes for Hermana Crowley....especially with our sweet ​KAREN

 ​Elder Glygare and Hermana Crowley got transferred...but we took one last picture as the 4 gringos of Turin! 

​Nestor...Eric and Luis....We´re seeing miracles with these boys! 

​Mynor was a hard goodbye for Hermana Crowley....Hes gonna get baptized.. APRIL 31. 

 

​We showed up this week to Hermano Horacio and got to meet his son...his companera de vida (was his wife..now his friend) and his only grandchild! Shes sooooo soooo beautiful! And I've almost never seen a happier smile on his face...except for when he stepped in the font to be baptized ;)

::::CAMBIOS::::

Lots of changes happening here as well in El Salvador. We have cambios this week. Hermana Crowley is going to be in Santa Ana and I get to stay here! It is going to be sad to see her go...but I am pretty excited to have a Latina companion so I can learn the language a little faster and better. I feel like I am doing okay....but it is going to be a lot faster when I absolutely have to speak in Spanish all day. I really feel like its going to be a good thing. I love Hermana Crowley alot and am going to be sad to see her go...but I also think I will be able to progress alot faster with the new change. 

Things have been strange here in Turìn over the past few weeks and the next change is going to bring lots of new and exciting things. There has been kind of a sad feeling here, but with reason. Forgot to write about it but...the week before last the 2 year old of one of our menos activos here was killed by their dog. I don't know the whole story but apparently the baby sitter wasn't in the room with her and the Grandma heard her screaming from down the street and when she got there the dog had for some reason just torn into her. Awful awful awful story and we spent all of last week chasing people all around Turìn because there was so much going on with the family. This week, two people died here in Turìn for gang violence and there has just been a weird feeling here. But everything will hopefully pick up soon. There are some big parties going on these next couple weeks and then some big catholic tradition the next and EVERYONE is going to be out in the streets ALL DAY for the next couple weeks with catholic processions and partying...no say how its going to be...so it will be an interesting month. Also the rain is starting! Which I am partially excited for and partially not. Its been way way WAY more humid this week and I have been understand the real heat of El Salvador. It has been pretty miserable...but a super rainy good day today so I am hoping for the best. Excited to experience the rain...and also scared....Hermana Crowley said when it rains there is no avoiding it and you pretty much have water almost up to your knees every day..so that will be interesting...i will try to send you some good photos :)

Nestor is still doing just wonderful! We see changes in him almost every time we see him and he is soooo excited for his baptism! He is going to be baptized on the 16th and he is so ready. Mynor agreed for a baptism date on the 30th of April so I am just praying that I can stay here for that! We found 15 new investigators this week and we are expecting some big things week...I just hope I can do my part with all of them. I need your prayers more than ever with all these changes! But Mom...I am healthy. I am happy. And I am safe. :)

Love you all! Stay close to the gospel. Read your scriptures. And pray to God. BECAUSE HE IS REAL! 

Hermana Stoor

Got this sweet note from president this week! I could have asked for a better president. I really feel like he always knows exactly what we need. 

Hermana Stoor,
I am really grateful for your consistently positive attitude, as tough as things might be at times. Good job.
Pdte. Spjut

​This is Alba Lopez! She helps us so much with the work here and we just love her! Also she feeds us chocolate covered fruit...so we love her even more. haha :)

​Some of my favorite people here in Turìn! I have really come to love the Familia Pichinte over the past few weeks and Hermana Evelin too! 

Hermana Evelin, Maira Pichinte, Hermana Crowley and I, Jessica and Sophie and Eber (nuestra lider misional de barrio)

¡¡MES 4!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARA! I hope you had a wonderful day! And I hope you got my letter this week!

This week was a good week in Turín. I think we have so much potential here, just seems like we never have enough to visit all the people we have. We didn't get as much accomplished this week as we would have liked to, but I am hoping and praying this week that we may be able to move forward with several of our investigators this week. We have a new family, the Torres Martinez family, who we are hoping to set some baptismal dates with this week. We have not had an opportunity to really talk much with the father yet, but the mother and the daughter seem to really like what we are teaching. So we need lots of prayers here so we can progress with them.

Honestly, its been a hard few weeks here. Its at times frustrating to feel like we are doing so much and not seeing many results. Although, I do feel over the past few weeks that our lessons have improved a whole bunch. So I just try to look at that. I have been able to feel the spirit really guiding us over this past week. That has been my focus over the past few weeks, making sure I am really following what the Spirit tells me to say and I feel it now. I feel a real difference, and I think as we have changed our teaching methods a little, our investigators have felt it more too. It is such an important and sometimes such a hard thing to do, but I am feeling better about it with every lesson. I have also really been focusing this week on charity. We are told several times in the scriptures that if we don't have charity, we aren't anything. In Doctrine and Covenants chapter 4 it says that charity will qualify us for this work along with faith, hope and with  an eye single to the glory of God. And it says it Moroni, that charity is where we have to start to have a true hope and faith in our Savior. And at least in my mind, it is these two things that help us to have our eye single to the glory of God. I feel as I have been focusing on these things, the work has been a little easier, my companion and I are getting along a little better and I have been able to feel the spirit alot more frequently guiding me what to say, where to go, and what to do. 

We are still working with Nestor and Karen. We have had several good lessons with Nestor, where I know he has been able to feel the spirit so strong. He truly loves this. It is so fun to see him with young men, attending seminary and in his white shirt and borrowed tie every Sunday. It is just so sad that his mom does not support him more. Her mom passed away when she was younger and shortly after started receiving the lessons and was baptized. Now she believes that she was tricked in to it and has alot of things against the church. And besides that she is SUPER Catholic (Not that she goes or anything, just because its the church of her family). We talked with the both of them on Saturday night and It was really sad to hear some of the things she said to her own son, especially because he is so excited about this change in his life. He has a different light in him since we started teaching him, and it seems that that goes missing every time his mother is around. But, we are hoping this week that we can have her sign the papers so he can be baptized and he has set a date for his 16th birthday on the 17th of March. 

We saw Mynor a couple of times this week. We aren't working with him much...just praying alot that he will realize the things he is doing are wrong and that he can find the strength to overcome his temptations and remember those things that we have taught him. Its so hard because we were so close with him. He was teaching the lessons himself and inviting all of his friends too. Then he just crashed when we told him we couldnt keep visiting him in his home. But, we are praying that the blessing will come for our obedience and he will be able to understand and search more into the church. We had a reeeeeeeaaaally good lesson with him on Thursday night. We read these verses in 1 Nefi 21: 

14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my   Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not.

 15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea,they may forget, yet will I   not forget thee, O house of Israel.

 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me. 

He sat for a moment and started to cry. He then started to explain to us that he had never felt the feeling he was feeling before. He explained it as his blood was warm and it was like the Lord was standing right in front of him, but even then, he still ignored it. That is the hardest thing out here. To see people have a huge change and to watch them feel the spirit and then watch them ignore it and not do anything about it. But I have faith he will get there. Just need lots of prayer, lots of obediance, lots of trust in the Lord. And I know he will get there. 

Overall things are good here in Turín. Its the last week of the change and we will next Sunday who is getting kicked out of Turín. I am really hoping I get to stay here. I feel like there is so much more work to do here and I really want to be a part of it. And I just love the people here. They are so wonderful. I would be okay if I could stay here for my whole mission. So I'll let you know next week on Monday! I love you all so much! And pray for you daily. Never forget that. But most importantly, never forget how much the Lord loves each and every single one of you. He has you graven in the palms of his hands. And he is always waiting on you, to pray, to search for him. He is real. And his love is infinite.

Hermana Stoor

¡¡¡HORACIOOO!!!

​I have never in my whole life seen anything as wonderful as I did this weekend. I have never felt so happy than to watch this little 75 year old man walk down into the font! I love him sooo much. We didn't find out until Friday night for sure whether or not we would be baptizing him, but Friday night we had a noche de hogar with him in the home of the familia Molina. We watched a video of the restoration and after had a good night of sharing testimonies and reflecting on the experience that had Joseph Smith, we asked him if he wanted to be baptized the next morning or if he had a doctors appointment and he said, sure. He would get baptized. haha  Saturday morning we got to his house a half hour before his baptism after we got every thing in order at the church and got him some clothes, and he was already dressed completely in white sitting in his maka. He had the largest smile on his face when we walked in and had it there the rest of the day (except for in the pictures.. haha) After he got in the font, he turned around and looked directly and me with the biggest, toothless smile I have ever seen. These past few days he has had such a light in him. And he is so so so so happy. TAUGHT REPENTANCE. BAPTIZED A CONVERT. 

This week we also got to go to the temple. BEST WEEK EVER. It was so needed. It was nice to sit in the temple, receive some much needed revelation for me and for my investigators and be reminded of the reality of the Savior, our Father and the plan that they have for us. I left with a full heart and with a new determination to work harder. And we have really seen the fruits of our labors this week. We only really are close to one more baptism which we wont be having until the 17th of March (hoping I am still in Turìn) but we have so so so much potential for some progressing investigators this week...even with three families! (Which we haven't ever had here.) The work is moving alot here in Turìn and I am so excited for the opportunity I have to be a part of it. 

Unfortunately, I think we have lost Mynor. He just some things that he is going to have to overcome before we are going to be able to work with him more. It absolutely breaks my heart to let him go, especially because he was so close to being baptized,  but I don't think we have any other choice. I have no doubt in my mind that he will get there someday, but I just don't think its going to be with us. We are going to continue to pray for him, call him every day and encourage him, but unfortunately I don't think we are going to be able to continue visiting him. Nestor has agreed for a baptismal date for the 17th of March. We are just working with him to make sure he has a true repentance and conversion before he is baptized. He is such a sweet sweet kid and we are hoping through his example we can get his sister there too. 

Life is good here in Turìn, my spanish is improving alot and I feel alot more comfortable teaching full lessons and answering questions. My testimony is being strengthened every day. And I have already seen a million ways that this mission is going to bless my life. Yo se que nuestro Padre Celestial nos ama, que Jesucristo vive y esta dirijiendo La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultìmos Dìas. Yo sè que mor medio los meritos de Èl y por medio nuestra obediencia en viviendo los principios y ordenanzas de este iglesia, podemos regressar and vivir el la presencia de nuestra Padre Celestial con nuestras familias. Sè que El Libro de Mormòn es la palabra de Dios. Sè que Josè Smith fue un profeta escojido por Dios. Y Sè con todo mi corazon que este es la unica iglesia verdadera sobre la faz de la tierra. Les amo mucho y estoy orando por cada uno de ustedes. Sigan orando. Sigan en la fe. Y acuerdense siempre que Dios le ama. 

Hermana Stoor

​Las hermanas de Zona Atiquizaya menos 2! Hermana Crowley, Sosa, and Evans

​On the way to San Salvador for the temple with half of our zone...Hermana DeLeon, Rodriquez, Evans, Sosa , Crowley, me and two elders....dont know their names. haha

​My first temple trip...wouldn't have wanted it to be with anyone else than Hermana Crowley! 

​We had a noche de hogar monday night with the familia Castillo. We have worked so much with this family and I have come to love them so so much. Hermana Grace and Hermano Albano have been members for a couple of years. They have been having alot of marriage problems lately but with several visits and with helping them say their prayers together and as a family, things in their home have changed so much. They are a wonderful little family with alot of trials, but are the most giving, humble people I know. We are hoping to help him get the priesthood soon so we can get Yenifer (the daughter in the back with me) baptised. She said she wont get baptized until her dad can do it. So we have some work to do :)

​This is Kenneth. My little esposo. He loves me. And agreed to marry me so I can stay in Turìn forever. 

​I love these crazy people. 

​I'm going to miss the nights of standing outside the door of this house singing to Horacio. He loves it when we sing and sometimes when we pass by in the night, we just sing four or fives hymns before we head back home. 

Failure and triumph.

 This was a hard hard hard week. But also a week that we needed so much. Saturday we made sure we went around to every single one of our investigators houses to make sure they were all ready for church the next day and planned out very carefully how we were going to get them to church. Sunday morning....went looking for two of them..not there...went back to church...not a person there. Sometimes its really hard to see everything fall through after you have worked so hard to make it happen. So...we have alot of work to do this week. And I have learned lots of new things this week that I hope I can just keep applying throughout my mission. I am really really loving the new focus that the prophet and apostles have set forth for the missionaries. We are not here anymore to just worry about baptizing and retaining. We are here to preach faith in the Lord to repentance. We are here to teach repentance and baptize converts. We had a multi zone conference this thursday and had a great training from President Spjut. And I have done my absolute best to apply it in our lessons and I can already see a difference. When I left the CCM, President Cox told me to make some goals for my mission. We talked about it for a while and I said some number goals...but I am definitely changing those now. My new goal for my mission isn't going to have to do with how many people i want to baptize and how many menos activos I hope to reactivate but I just want to make sure that every single one of those people that I help convert...that they are REAL repentant converts.That when they are baptized they have already had a true change of heart and have the real desire to stay faithful for all of their lives.

     None of my investigators are there yet...but we are hoping to get three of them there this week. We had to really good good lessons with Nestor and Mynor this week and I think they are both starting to understand what it is that they are looking for by seeking out the gospel. Nestor opened up to us a whole bunch this week. We taught him the law of chastity and we could tell he was just burdened with a ton of guilt. After a good 30 minutes with him, he told us that one day after school, him and his friends went back to one of his friends houses and invited over some girls that he didn't even really know and he did some things that he isn't proud of. He told us how he had felt so much relief when he had told his mom about it and we spent some time explaining to him the relief that come through the power of the Atonement. Then at the end of the lesson, we knelt down with him and had him say two prayers. One to start the repentance process and another to know the truthfulness of the restoration of the gospel. After he prayed, he just looked at us and told us to be quiet and then closed his eyes and kept praying. I think he felt it and as he learns more, I have faith he is going to feel the relief and peace that he needs. We are going to set a baptism date with him this week for the 27th. 

        We also had a super good lesson with Mynor. The people down here are believers in Christ, but they don't understand his suffering in the Jardín. They only understand that he suffered for us on the cross. We shared with him Alma 7:11-12 and Helaman 5: 9-12 and explained to him that Christ came to redeem his people of their sins but not in their sins. We helped to understand better the process of repentance and the power of the atonement in his life as he repents of his sins. He felt the spirit in the lesson. Now we just have to help him to not fight it anymore. He just has alot of pride and hurt feelings to get over. I think as soon as we get through those with him, he will just run into the pila. We hope. The elders in the area are also going to start working with him. We think with someone there to visit him every day he will get there soon. It just breaks my heart that he is struggling so much. We love him so so so so much. 

         Horacio is just as old as ever. The other day we were teaching him and he just stood up out of his maka and started running. for the back door (which he does so he doesn't fall in between walls.) It felt like we were in a movie. He ran out the door and it slammed behind him. We went around the house...in the pitch black looking for him. And when we found him he just turned around and started to follow us back. Said he just had to go to the bathroom. Just funny that he didn't say a word...just stood up as i was talking and started running for the back door. But anyways, he has finally agreed to give up his cafe and is so excited to get baptized. He couldn't come to church because he had a doctors appointment but we are hoping for this next week so that he can get baptized. When we told him he couldn't get baptized this week if he couldn't come to church, he was just about in tears. It was so sad. But hopefully next week we will be good to go. 

      Anyways, life is good here in Turín. The people are as wonderful as ever and we have got tons to do this week. It is amazing to see how the church has moved throughout our little area in the past years from having no members in the year 1980 to about 100 people faithfully attending now. The Lords hand is definitely in this work and we know we have got some miracles coming soon. Hurrah for Israel!  

Hermana Stoor

​Just a picture with my new friend. I love these birds...even though they like to bite me. 

​Last Lunes was Ernestos birthday...we had the Elders call and ask for him to go to Santa Ana to get pizza and while he was gone, we made him a cake. His first ever home made (box) cake..they loved it! And it was a fun 

party and a good way to thank him for all he does. He is such a wonderful person! 

​The cake we made for Ernesto...box cake box frosting and some apples...simple...but meant alot to him! 

​Hello from the deep woods of El Salvador :)

​Karen and Nestor....the best kids I have ever met! I just love them! 

​Just a little picture to show how much I love El Salvador. I'M GOING TO STAY HERE FOREVER.

WHOOOOAAAA

What a week. I have been worried sick all week that someone was super super sick at home. So I am so happy for so many reasons today! Bishop Stoor. How weird. But how exciting! Prayers your way always! I have always been grateful for the example of you, Mom and Dad, in the way you fulfill your callings. And I know with this new calling you will do just the same. Thanks for all the new fotos this week as well! I am so happy you all have such good goals and am excited to hear about the blessing you receive as you attend the temple monthly. There is no better way to receive blessings from the Lord than through service in the temple. I miss going every week like i was able to at school and in the CCM, but we received some exciting news last night...we get to go to the temple on the 18th of this month! The temple in San Salvador is soooo beautiful and I can wait to go inside and do another Spanish session! I loved that in the MTC. My last week, I got to go through a Spanish session....it was an AMAZING experience...and I am sure I should be able to understand everything now  a little better!

The work has slowed down a little bit here in Turin as they all just started school over the past two weeks and it has honestly been a suuuuper hard week this week. But we have plans this week to find as many new investigators as we possibly can. We are running a little thin in our investigator pool. But those we have right now are soooooo good! We were sad this week that Mynor didn't get baptized but we are working with him everyday to rebuild his faith and desire. We had a council with a few of the members and we were told that we cannot teach inside or around his home because three of his family members who live there are gang members and they feel that it is unsafe. So, this week we had Mynor meet us in front of our house so that we could talk with him about it. HARDEST thing I have ever had to do. He was so positive and has been improving and changing every day but this talk knocked him down pretty hard as you can imagine and we have been struggling all week with him. But I think we still have a chance...just need all the prayers that we can get! 

Horacio was also supposed to be getting baptized this coming week, but we are going to have to move his date back a little as well. He is so great though. I only am afraid that he might fall and hurt himself. He really scares me sometime. We are also going to go look today for some stronger reading glasses for him so that he can do more reading in the Book of Mormon. But he loves it! And is so excited. He comes to us with new questions and stories to tell us about is reading every time. It makes me so sad he had to wait 75 years to receive the gospel.He is wonderful! 

Well, my time is getting cut a little short again. But just know I love you all...am so proud of the good decisions you are making and pray for you each individually every day. That's one thing I have learned here....sometimes its okay to just kneel down at night and have an hour long conversion with the Lord...sometimes its very necessary! Hes always ready to listen and always ready to help...we just have to knock! God is real. Jesus Christ is His true son, with flesh and bones just like us. And this gospel is His! Stay close to the rod. 

Hermana Stoor

​Intercambios with Hermana Ramos! There's no better place than El Salvador...and there aren't a better race of people than the Latinos. I love them so much! 

​And there's also some not so good things about  El Salvador...like the sancuros. Just praying none of them that get me have any diseases.

​Recognize Alexandra's dress? I was wearing it last Sunday and she came up and gave me a big hug and asked me how much i loved her. haha She needed a red dress for the stake conference we had this week so she could be in the choir, so we had it taken in a little and she looked just beautiful! We just love this girl :)

​These are the cute kids that live across the field from us...they come over for snacks every once in a while when they see us outside washing dishes and clothes. I just love the kids here!

February 1, 2016

​This week was a very exciting week for me. Alexandra got baptized on Saturday! She is an amazing person! She was one of the first lessons I taught here in El Salvador and you could just tell from the very beginning that she was prepared to receive the gospel. It is though that first lesson with her that I gained a testimony of the work that happens from the other side of the veil. There was a certain light that came into her eyes that night and it has been there every since. She has changed so much and i cant even explain the love that I feel for her. She has had such a desire to change and shes had alot of struggles to get there, but she finally got to make the ultimate change this weekend. She came out of the water just beaming. I asked her after how she felt and she just giggled and gave me a big hug. She is amazing! It has also been amazing to see how her family has changed in just the last couple of days...they are so much more open. Last night, we went over to the house and they welcomed us right in with big smiles. Before her baptism, we were not ever allowed in the house if they were there. So it is big progress! Her mom also told one of the ward members that she wanted to come to church to see what it is all about! This girl is going to do something amazing for her family! 

Not much time to write this week. But things are good here in Turìn! The bugs are gone. Our investigators are moving along well and we are doing good! In all honesty, my comp and i do struggle...quite a bit. She's pretty baggy. But its all just something you have to push through. The good thing is...the people here can't tell and we can work well enough that we are able to get things done. We are working through our struggles and I am learning to love more easily every day. It is amazing what serving people can do. But I am happy, healthy and safe as always. Learning more about the gospel, Christlike qualities and Spanish every day! 

Love you all so so much! And pray for each of you individually every day. Thanks so much for your letters and prayers! 

Hermana Stoor