The fight of salvation.

Hermana Stoor,
I am confident the Lord will bless you as you continue to work at obedience with exactness. Just a word of caution, don't be compulsive or fanatical about it, but don't be casual either.
Pdte. Spjut

Lots of emotions this week as I read your letters. It breaks my heart to hear about Thayne. He was such a sweet sweet young man. I had the opportunity to sit with him in seminary and he was always so loving and so kind towards me. I will be keeping his family and Shelby and her friends in my prayers this week. After a little bit of crying and a little bit of smiling reading your letters I read this letter to me from President Spjut and I about died laughing. hahahaha I feel like maybe he knows me a little bit now. But I've got my mind stuck to being a little compulsively obedient. I'm hoping for some miracles here in this area and if their going to come....I've got to be more obedient and I've got to study more and I've got to pray alot more. SO....I just pray that President sees my reasoning for things. :) 

It was an excellent and really really hard week here in Los Naranjos! Excellent because we had a baptism. Hard because I was sick with just about everything. (they are thinking Chikunguya or Dengue woohoo) Excellent because we were able to contact a ton of new people. Hard because nobody wanted to listen. :) Excellent because The members are working so well with us! and even more excellent because we put another baptismal date with Nancy Orellana! The Lord is really working along side us here in our area. 

It has been a week full of lots of emotions. Last night, we went to visit some members that decided this week that they don't want to come back to church for some rather scary things that are happening in their lives right now. It breaks my heart to see and hear these things. Satan works hard on the hearts of the people. He knows when we are weak and knows exactly how to do his work. We are in the fight for salvation so we have to expect these things to happen, but it is still so so hard to see. This family has been members for 4 years and have callings as the young women's president, seminary teacher and 1st counselor in the presidency of the branch. They have been such good examples to the whole ward, but with the struggles that they have been having in the past couple of weeks, they have quit making the effort to come to church and to fulfill their callings. We need lots of prayers for them this week. I am praying that the members will continue to visit them because I know we cant do it without them. 

We had a baptism this week on Satuday as well. His name is Alexis Castillo. He is 9 years old and his family are recent converts. His mom is really strong in the church but his dad has gone inactive. The biggest miracle was to see his dad walk into the church again and we are praying that though the example of his son and the feelings that we saw him feel during the baptism will help him to come back to church again. His wife told us that he is really changing so we have alot of faith in him. 

This week we are going to be looking for new people and focusing our efforts in our investigator, Nancy that has a baptismal date for the 18th of June. We were able to discover this week what her struggle is and hope that this week she may be able to fulfill some more commitments and that we may help her to really start to feel the spirit for herself. She has a lot of big potential and loved the church yesterday. I have faith that she will be ready for the 18th. 

I know without a doubt in my heart that this work is the work of the Lord. I know he is here with us fighting for the salvation of the people here in Los Naranjos. I have learned even more this week of the love and the patience that he has with us. I know my Savior knows me and loves me. I know He loves each one of you and that he truly died on the cross for each and every single one of us. I l love you all and keep you in my prayers every day. 

Hermana Stoor

Here's some pictures from the baptism and on google maps of my house and of our little chapel :)

technical difficulty with the pictures - will have to wait for Shelby's help LOL!!!

Un feliz cumpleaños!

We continue with the struggles and triumphs and miracles and blessings from the Lord here in Los Naranjos. I love this area. I love the members and their willingness to help. Last night, we met with a family of members and from the second that we walked through the door, they were asking about our investigators and asking how they could help. Last night, I made a list of all of the antiguo investigadores that we have to contact that had their names as members. I have high hopes for this week! We have plans to contact these people with this family and right now we sit with 17 references that we are going to do our absolute best to contact this week. The search for news continues and i see so much positivity in this area. I have found that if we work through the members, we will find those that are more ready for the gospel. I am praying for some miracles this week and with diligence, faith and lots of prayer, I know we are going to reach success here. We have one investigator named Nancy Orellana. She was a reference from one of the in-actives in our ward here. We visited her the first time about 2 weeks ago and went to her house every day last week to verify her commitments and read the Book of Mormon with her. I have so much faith that as she continues to read that she will find her answer and we are going to do all we can to help her, to follow up and to resolve here desafios. She accepted a baptismal date for the 4th of June, but is super sick and was not able to attend this week so we have decided for the 18th of June. We need the prayers this week for her so that she can come with us to church. She is open to the spirit and ready to learn and I have so much faith that the Lord has led us to her now for a reason. 

My companion and I are doing really well. We are always seeking for better ways to work together and things are getting better and better here every day. I worry sometimes about her. She doesn't have alot of faith in the people here, especially in the references that the members give, and sometimes is ready to give up on them before we even start, but she is praying alot and I feel like her faith is improving. I am hoping for some miracles this week.

I have been really working on my obedience this week. My companion brought to my attention that if we are even 1 or 2 minutes late, it is disobedience. I have always done what I thought was my best to get out of bed right at 6:30 and leave the house right at 10...all these things but I never really thought about it the way as my companion. She has taught me something big that I am hoping to continue to apply...that we are not only awake at 6:30...but that we have already prayed and have left the bed, that we aren't picking up our backpacks at 10:00...but that we have prayed and are leaving or have already left the house. I know these things are small...but for the Lord they are bigger. I have the schedule from the binder we received out on my desk...and have made a promise with myself and the Lord that I am not just here to be slightly obedient but exactly on the minute obedient. And I know with these changes, we are going to see more miracles here! 

P.S. It was such a wonderful wonderful wonderful birthday...My sweet companion planned 2 surprise parties for me...from our district and the ward. It was such a shock to me....I will try to send some pictures but my time is up :) Love you all so much! Take care and I will talk to you next week! 

Hermana Stoor

P.S. Alexis Castillo is getting baptized on Saturday!!!!! In just four weeks in the area, practically starting from 0...we are seeing milagros! Please include him in your prayers!!!!!!

just a lovely picture of me and my comp....

my surprise birthday parties from the ward and from my district.....

annnnnnnd THE COUSIN OF THE NIELSENS....She is such a sweet missionary! You will have to send the picture to the Nielsen family!

And walk and walk and walk aaaaand waaaaallllkkkk.

 Just imagine the pioneer song from primary and how we always felt in primary when we had to walk around the church 5 times singing this song before we got treats on pioneer day and that is how i felt this week. haha In this area, we have to walk about 45 minutes to get to every single one of our investigators...its so worth it...but sometimes we feel like we are dying. haha  I absolutely LOVE my new area. I love the members. I love the cold. I love my new companion (struggles always, but super super awesome). I love the POTENTIAL. President said that it takes alot of faith to be a missionary in my zone and I see why now. The people are sooo hard hearted here. Nobody wants to let us in or talk with us in the street. We get the gate slam every day. We have people that are super offensive every day. BUT I LOVE THIS AREA AND KNOW WE ARE GOING TO SEE MIRACLES HERE. There is so much potential with the investigators here! We were able to set a baptismal date this week with one and I am praying with all of my heart for two more this week! I feel a huge weight on my shoulders this week. We are teaching a young man named Gerson. He is 20 and has come to church practically his whole life but has never liked the missionaries here so hasn't been baptized, but the president of the rama told me this week that he said for some reason I fall well with him. I HAVE ONLY TALKED TO HIM ONCE. But president told me he thinks if i keep doing what I'm doing I can baptize him. But the problem is...I don't know what I did. or what I'm doing right. hahaha But I'm praying that maybe I can keep doing it and we can put a baptismal date with him this week. But we need the prayers...both for me and for him :) haha We are also teaching a sister named Ana. Both of her daughters are members and she agreed to be baptized...we just don't know when. She said she wants to wait until her dad leaves the hospital but it sounds like he is not doing very well. But we had a really really good lesson with her last night and I am hoping she is really going to pray and that she can be baptized before. I know the miracles are available to us...we just have to be patient, work hard and pray harder. We are already seeing them. We had absolutely NOTHING when we started this change and now we are looking to at least 3 baptisms! MIRACLES COME THROUGH FAITH!!!!!! 

A little short this letter...but I want to send pictures...and I will talk to you on SUNDAY!!!!!!!!! BTW....I HIT MY 6 MONTH MARK THIS WEEK. The time here goes way too fast. Love you all and talk to you next week! 

 ​LOOK WHO CAME TO VISIT ME!!!! Nestor (my recent convert from Turin), Eric (investigator from Turin) and Nestors uncle came to Los Naranjos Sunday to visit me...BEST DAY EVER. I love this kid with all of my heart.

​Here is one of the waterfall pictures I promised mom! I have a mountain of pictures to send....just don't have the time to do it :) This was our goodbye trip with the Familia Alfaro in Turin.

​Claudisa is always so good to leave with us...even in the rain when we have to walk for an hour through the fincas to find our investigators. I LOVE THE MEMBERS HERE. 

LOS NARANJOS

It has been such a marvelous week this week! My new companion is Hermana Gamarra from Peru!  I was super excited for this change and am really happy to be here in Los Naranjos. I am freezing cold...but I had a good welcoming here! The members are so wonderful and loving. They take really good care of the missionaries and I already feel so so much love for the people here in this area! I am really excited to work with the members here in Los Naranjos. They seem to be more willing to help and to contact their friends here. Also, there is so much potential here in Los Naranjos! When we did our weekly planning, I asked Hermana Gamarra if she would make me a list of all of the people that they are teaching right now and we set goals to set 11 baptismal dates in our first change here with the investigators that we have and we are working to find even more people. I am hoping to see some big things happen in this area over the next six weeks. We are going to work as much as we possibly can to leave with the members. Right now we have plans with at least one member every day. We need the prayers that they wont fall through!

My companion is a good missionary. We made the goal day 1 here that we are going to be exactly obedient and that we aren't going to let these investigators fall through without a good fight first. My faith is bigger that it has ever been and I am so so excited to start in this new area and see success! We definitely have our differences that we are going to have to overcome but I am expecting a good change here and hoping that we will have 2 changes together so I can send here home :) haha I have always wanted to kill someone in the mission...and now I have a chance with my companion as she heads home in July :) Also I am hoping I can stay here in Los Naranjos for a while...the cold is cold but nice for a change and i don't mind having to wear thick tights and a sweater all day :) :)

One thing that I have learned through out this week is the importance of the book of mormon in conversion. Hermana Gamarra teaches with the book of mormon in every single lesson. I wish that I would have applied this more in Turin. I feel like the investigators that we had in Turin only kept their commitments for their commitment that they felt that they had to us. I have learned that if we share our love for the book of mormon from lesson 1 they will grow to love it too and will keep their commitments to read out of love for what they are reading and love for God.  The Book of Mormon is the keystone to conversion.

My time is going to be shorter to write in this area as we live an hour from the city of Juauyua where we write and the bus only passes every 2 hours, so we are limited on our time. But I will do the best I can to send pictures and write every week :) But we also get to talk in a couple of weeks for skype!!!!!!!! I need you to tell me a time and what day you want to skype. President said we can skype on the 8th or on the 10th...so it is up to you!!!! But I need to know for sure this next Monday...and if we can do it exactly like we did the last time...if Mara can send me a link...that would be super chivo. I love you all so so very much. Take care and enjoy this week! And never lose sight of the tree of life. There's nothing that's worth losing your salvacion. Love everyone. Serve others. Read in the Book of Mormon every day and have faith in the Lord. He is our best friend and our greatest apoyo if we will just let him into our lives! 

DECISIONS DETERMINE DESTINY.

Hermana Stoor

​Los Naranjos is how I imagine Dads mission in Colombia...hiking through fincas of coffee all day long! I LIVE IN THE LAND OF COFFEE...and those who break the word of wisdom.

​We got lost in a finca yesterday and then got caught in first rainstorm of the season as we ran more than a mile to the house of a member. We were soaked from head to too...but happy as ever :)

​Here we are crawling under a fence to get out of the coffee field...my companion thinks I'm crazy :)

SORRY.

I have to start by saying sorry for the length of this letter...but i have to go....BECAUSE I HAVE CHANGES THIS WEEK!!!!!! They are closing our area so we are both leaving and we have alot to do today...my companion va for Santa Ana...and me....FOR LOS NARANJOS. The most beautiful area in the entire mission and also the coldest place here in El Salvador...I'm scared of the cold especially with the lluvia coming...but super excited to get there and start working in a new area!! I will let you know more next week!! Love you so so so much!!!! 

I am happy to tell you it was a much better week here in Turin. I feel so blessed and have seen the hand of the Lord here with us this week. We were able to have intercambios this week with the Hermanas and they helped us so much! We were finally able to talk somewhat of the problems that we have been having and we both had to humble ourselves, but I know things are going to get better from here. I learned alot this week about how better communication and patience can make all the difference. I know that the Lord is answering my prayers and I am praying that we may be able to find lots of nuevos in this week and know that through diligence and obedience the Lord is going to help us reach our goals. I am hoping in this week that we will be able to find three new families and that we may be able to help those investigators that we have this week start keeping their commitments. Its really disappointing to work hard throughout the whole week and then only have one or two investigators at church. That is my focus this week, to bring more investigators to church, by helping them understand the blessings and helpìng them overcome their fear of this change in their lives. So many people here are so worried about making the decision to come to church and be baptized and then falling away. It is a good worry, but sometimes keeps them from coming at all. I learned this week that these people really really have a need to understand the atonement. They have so many problems and so many worries and literally every one of them can be fixed by an understanding of the atonement. I am learning more and more every day about the difference that it can make in my life. I learned alot in my studies this week. I was focusing alot this week in the Book of Mormon and how we can teach the plan of salvation better through the Book of Mormon. Every thing that I read, always brought me back to the atonement of Christ and I also read over the the scripture in 1 Nefi 21 that talks about how the Savior has nail prints in His hands to remind Him of us. He knows us perfectly and he knows everything that we are going through. We never have to be weak, unenthusiastic or feel faint. He knows perfectly how to help us and we can rely on him through His Atonement. I have been relying on Him so so much during this change and I have no doubt in my mind that the Savior is real and he really does know each of us individually. 

The move was super good and we are happily settling in to the new house. I am sad to not be as close to Ernesto and Veronica because they are my family here, but we are still able to see them every day and sometimes in the night as well so i will survive. haha plus, i feel my time is limited here in Turin. I will let you know next week for sure about the changes...but i have a feeling i need to pack my bags this week and say my goodbyes. Breaks my heart to leave...but I know the Lord is preparing my next area for me and I know He will be here to figure things out here in Turin. Im sad that I wont get to see some of our investigators start their new lives, but I know they are in good hands with the Lord. 

Sorry I don't have more time to write...but know that I love you. Know that I'm safe and as hard as it is here sometimes, I wouldn't be anywhere else...even in New York with all of you. haha Enjoy the trip...stay safe! And send me pictures...and buy me a shirt...my only requests :) haha Thanks for your love and your prayers...they were much needed and did exactly what I needed. Until next week!

Hermana Stoor

​I`m not kidding....I'm never leaving....:)

​The bridge to Guatemala with my best friend, Nicole :)

​I LOVE THESE PEOPLE. 

​Veronica...my big sister at heart. She is the strongest most beautiful person I have met here yet. 

​My heart will always stay here with this family.  Alfaro Quesada Familia...28 Marzo....Guatemala-El Salvador border.

​AND THE MOST EXCITING THING FROM THIS WEEK! Jenifer was baptized this Sunday by her dad! After four months...there is nothing more beautiful. This family has come sooooo far. I have seen the Lord work miracles in their lives...from a broken, unhappy family...to a family firm and founded in the church. When i came here in the very beginning of my mission, I had to pray for patience and love with this family. And God answered my prayers and more. I have never loved a family more in my whole life and i don't ever want to leave them....

...so Hermana Grace has made a plan...i just have to forget about the age difference and I found myself my future hubby. 

I don't really know how to start this letter after the letter from last week...but sorry for my sad letter last week and sorry for my sad letter this week..but I promised you mom I would let you know everything so here we go...just hold out til the end and i will try to leave on a good note :) Its a rough change this change but it is winding down quickly so I'm just holding on until the change. I talked with President and with my leaders about my companion and all that they told me was that I needed to do what I have to do as a senior companion and although she gets mad at me, I have to talk with her about what is wrong and try to work through it. Well, I talked to her again. And nothing has changed except the fact that she hates me even more than before and works even less than before. This week she didn't leave with me for 5 days, slept in through our studies every morning and completely ignores me all day (So you can imagine how well we are teaching together). The members are starting to get impatient with her and the investigators don't want us to visit them, but...prayer and diligence help. ALOT. And although I feel a little ready to leave Turin and go somewhere fresh and new, I am praying with all of my heart that I can stay here during the change, receive a new companion and finish out the work that there is to do here with the investigators that we have and hopefully leave a different companion here that will take care of the area. I hate to leave it with Hermana Osorio, but I also know whatever happens, President will be guided by revelation to know what to do. I cant say it wasn't revelation to put Hermana Osorio and I together, because although it has been fairly miserable, I have learned a TON of patience, charity and have been prepared in many ways to become a better companion. I'm just going to do the best I can do in the next two weeks to try to see her heart and soul as heavenly Father sees her. I'm going to pray more, be more patient and try to put my whole mind into the work. 

Overall as far as it goes for our investigators, it was a better week than last week, but we still have alot of ways we need to help them. On Saturday after the second session we went to Levi, Vilma and Pauolas house to visit them. When we got there, they were fighting and he was super drunk. Vilma (the mom) ran for behind the house crying. We talked with him for a couple minutes before we ran back to check on her. It was so sad to watch her just cry and I was so grateful in those moments for the spirit. As we talked with her about what she learned and felt at the temple, I think she was able to feel the spirit really touch her heart for the first time and she realized the importance of what she is learning right now. As we went back into the house, the spirit followed us and surprising, although he was drunk, we had a pretty good lesson. He talked to us as we finished about how he wanted to regain his wives trust and change his life. We talked with him about how the gospel and living for the principles taught by the prophets could help him and he agreed (bolo and all) to attend the priesthood session so he quickly changed and we sent our drunk investigator off to priesthood session. We haven't had a chance to talk with them since, but i am  hoping he got machetied a little and that he will actually make a change in his life and that it wasn't just his drunk self talking. I love this family so so much. I pray every day all day that they may accept the gospel and make the necessary changes to live it. 

I hope that you all had the chance to watch every session of conference...if not at least watch Sunday..it was my favorite! I cant pick a favorite talk but I really really liked the talk by Elder Waddell and as always Jeffery R Holland...tienen que veerlo! I definitely learned alot of things that I need to mejorar. And I really liked the scripture that Elder Holland shared. I always feel like I am on such a high after general conference and then get super disappointed in myself when I don't reach my goals and am not able to change the things that I would like...but I have faith that this time things are going to be better. I have more faith in my Savior than I have ever had before and I know He is going to help me here to become the missionary that I want to be.

I love you all..and you are all in my thoughts and prayers. Stay safe...and Ill talk to you next week and fill you in on our move and updates here in Turin. 

Hermana Stoor

​I will send more next week...but here is a picture of our adventure to the river divider between Guate y El Salvador! SOOOOO BEAUTIFUL!