December 9, 2013

Well went to iron my favotite pants and well the iron was a bit hot..... boooo that 2 pants down and 8 more to go haha

I went on divisions and this is how i found the bathroom in the other area..... ha needless to say i went without a shower that day!

Some district soccer the other day.... and my fat face haha! triste comida mexicana! porque tan rrrrrico!

This week flew by! I spent 4 out of 7 days outside of my area! So we didn't make a lot of progress here in Tanquian but I hope I did something in the other areas that I was in! 

Me and my comp have put an extra focus on the little blessings we receive every day! Its amazing how many we receive in this great work that we have part in! It almost become a normality... like when we pray for what we should teach or who and almost always have the same thoughts after a prayer or how the spirit aligns our thoughts when we are in tune! This work is truly amazing! I am so blessed and hope you all feel the same in this wonderful gospel! 

Well I will have to apologize.... my general letters have been slow. I have lost a bit of my organization over the past few weeks but we are now in a new change and will be better is sharing some of my amazing experiences with all of you! I love you all and have a wonderful freezing week! 

P.S. Who has seen the new Mormon message about cedar breaks! ..... talk about being homesick I love it there and I could almost feel the cool breeze and smell the cedar trees while watching the video haha"!

love you all y nos vemos por la proximo semana!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

December 16, 2013

 

                                                                           bus ride to Valles

                                                      My very pretty Christmas tree this year

 Me and my zone leader who got changed this change. I'm looking a bit more fat no?  Elder Padilla has been my district and zone leader..... and was a great one

 

Alrightly.... well this week was a rough one. I'd have to say the hardest of my mission thus far! We had very little success and did tons of walking. One pair of shoes started ripping... boo.... don't buy Johnson and murphy for walking.

 

We had a variety of things go wrong this week that by Saturday night when our branch president called us to say he wouldn’t be at church and that no one was assigned to talk I had had it.... I found it very difficult to be the smiley joking missionary I usually am... And I know I’m trying my best and that’s what matters but I just couldn’t regain the energy I needed just by knowing I’m working hard because I’m the kind of person that likes instant gratification.... so I began to study to lift the mood.... And I fell upon the topic of grace and repentance as well as the explanation. And this is what I found.

 In the bible dictionary I really like the definition of both repentance and grace.... Repentance talks on not only changing ourselves through repentance or distancing ourselves from sin but rather to be closing the gap between our will and the Fathers. In grace it describes a little on the divine power that we can receive through the atoning grace of Christ. What a gift! We through the atonement not only can be cleaned and purified from sin but also can receive divine help and power to do so! What are we waiting for?!

 I have seen and can bear strong testimony that these two great gifts are real and within our touch, but as a car doesn’t serve for anything without first being turned on we will not receive any benefit of these two great gifts without first starting the process to obtain them.

 

Now as an older brother and a friend to many still at home I would like to add this part, one way that we can start this process of repentance and receiving a divine power is through our service to God. In D and C 84:61 and 62 we read

 

61 For I will forgive you of your sins with this commandment—that you remain steadfast in your minds in solemnity and the spirit of prayer, in bearing testimony to all the world of those things which are communicated unto you.

 

 62 Therefore, ago ye into all the world; and unto whatsoever place ye cannot go ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world unto every creature.

 

so if you don’t understand let me explain quickly...... If you want power from God and to be forgiven make the sacrifice to serve for two years in whatsoever place and receive the most blessed two years of your life.... and if not.... your condemned......

 

 ha no but really think about it.... if you do it for the right reasons you will not have made and better choice in your life!

November 25,2013

November 25, 2013

We were cleaning the water out of this hole where they are going to put a toilet!

A normal house for this part of Tanquian... a lot with grass roofs!

Cleaning the house of prayer Sat. night

Well as always I am short on time but wow this week flew by! We had a few short days here in our area as we spent two days in Tamuin with our district leader and in Tampico for a training for us trainers and our sons haha. It was all really good and we came back to out area riding a spiritual high and went to work..... the fruits of our work this week were miles and miles of walking but with 4 lessons with an amazing spirit and just wow! I love to work here and I could just finish my year and a half more in this area! 

 

The experience in being a trainer has been amazing! I have learned so much and really have been losing myself in the work...... I have so much to do in this branch and with my new elder my mind is in missionary mode 24-7 but I wouldn't have it any other way! I can really testify that is we are heavily involved in the Lords work we will not find any greater joy! 

 

I have been hearing a lot of missionary experiences from friends and family back home and it just warms my soul... haha.... to hear of my family a friends finding joy in the work as well! 

I have been bad at writing these past few weeks but am going to try to be a bit more organized and get out better letters and stories! but por fin (finally) it has been getting kinda cold here! I almost forgot what its like to not be living in my sweat 24-7 ha! one day I even wore a jacket which was a miracle.... and the cold here is like 16 degrees..... celcius bahaha.... but anyways love you all and well chat next week!

November 11,2013

November11, 2013

              

                                                     A little bit of my beautiful area!

 Well it was a good week. Very short and very busy. Being in a pueblo is hard because whenever we have meetings we have to travel a minimum of 1 hour and so it a takes up a lot of time from our work in the area and that’s how this week went... lots of traveling! 

 This week the weather was amazing!!! It is the best I’ve had my entire mission! We got down to a very low 15 degrees .... Celsius ha like 60 in Fahrenheit but it was cold!! We’ve had clouds and a mild 80 degrees all week it’s been great! 

We had an interesting experience this week with one of the families we ate with. No men were in the house as normal so we couldn’t eat inside.  Normally we eat at a table outside of the house but this day it was raining and we had nowhere to eat. So we ate in the pig pen where there was shelter haha.  So we were eating next to their 200 pound pig for our lunch. It was an interesting meal but kinda funny because my new comp is kinda a germaphobe and isn’t used to eating with tortillas (because we don’t use utensils just tortillas) so he was getting all messy and half way through trying to eat his soup with a tortilla he lost his appetite and threw his food to the pig  haha! The life in Mexico!

Not a whole lot of time left but just what to put a little focus on prayer once again! Because once again I’ve reaped the benefits of prayer and see the benefits daily! Prayer as well is a huge part to the day. Satan gets smarter and stronger daily so in turn we need to do the same! I hope and pray all of you pray and read daily so that when the battle comes you will have success! Love you all thanks for the support and have a great week!

 

November 4, 2013

Nov 4,2013

My new district and  new companion

My birthday cake!

                            My birthday meal... it’s what I got with my birthday money ha

They have some crazy wooden masks

 

Some of the dancers of the dia de muerte

 Wow what a week! It was sure different being a holiday week it was really hard to find many people to teach as all were participating in the festivities of dia de muertos and dances called Huehues. It was really cool and interesting but as mentioned made for a hard week of work.

 The settings have changed...  have a new companion who is new so I’m training and still trying to better the language while trying to plan the day and lessons. It was a huge change with a lot more responsibility but it made me a lot more focused on the work and I’m loving it more than ever now haha! 

Had some birthday celebrations with investigators and some members which was a lot of fun! It was hard to remember it was my birthday because we continued in the work and all I wanted for my birthday was a day of success and well... it didn’t come ha.... but I’ve got a lot of hope that things will start progressing rapidly here this week! 

 I don’t have a lot of time left but this week in my study I studied about the life of Jesus Christ and his example for us and found some very interesting and new ideas that I shared with investigators for some powerful lessons. I was looking at his life and the perfect example he gave us. First when he was found teaching in the temple luke 2. 42 to 49. I loved where he states he was only doing the Fathers work. This shows he spared no time in doing his fathers will and recognizing his purpose. Second we find him in the waters of baptism. Luke 3. 21 and 22 where the father says to him how pleased his is that his is doing his will. I liked in 2nd nefi 31. 5 where it talks a little more on his baptism and how important it is for us. The Lord wasn’t baptized to be cleansed but to follow the commandments and continue in showing us the way. Third I found him fasting and suffering for 40 days with temptations to show that even though we live perfectly, life won’t always be easy... but if we will remember our purpose we can conquer anything.... Luke 4. 1 to 8. Also  he is teaching the sacrament Luke 22 15 to 20. So that we might always remember him.... and his example so that we might become more like him. Lastly he showed his love by suffering more than humanly possible for all of us that we might be able to become like him in perfection in being freed from sin and faults. I challenge you to ponder these scriptures and the truly perfect life Christ showed us so that we might be perfect like unto him and our Father and receive eternal life- the greatest gift. 

 Love you all and may God be with you! 

 

Oct 29,2013

Oct 29, 2013

Getting ready for the day of the dead!

My branch the day my comp went home!

I found a pet deer!

 

Well another week gone.... its amazing how fast time goes by! Im super short on time but have been super busy! I sent a comp home last week and got a new this week! Ive been called as a trainer to Elder Soto! Im super excited to be training but at the same time I hope my spanish is good enough to lead and teach haha! 

 I spent all my time reading birthday letters. Im out of time but love you all and thanks for the b day wishes! Hope to share more this next week!

October 21,2013

October 21,2013

 

We found a cool plant outside of a house we were contacting and well I was feeling pretty!

 Me in my area of Tanquian!

 Me and my comp in our zone meeting!

 

Wow what a great week... I have so much to say and so little time to say it. But first off thanks so much for the letter and questions ! I hope I have answered them all.  I love you and thanks for the support!

This week was interesting but good! I received the grand opportunity to go to the temple and it was wonderful and wow I received the strength needed for the week! I encourage all that can to take advantage of the temples you have easy access to and use them!!

First off this week was a little funny as I felt as I was in a novela (soap opera) all week. So much drama and  my comp kinda likes the drama so we were immersed in it! Some people are crazy! But it sure makes things interesting!

 Second and lastly for the sake of time... This was a week of answers for me and how grateful I am.  I have had several questions of the Alma (soul) that I have been looking for.  As they are personal I have only shared them with my journal haha but it has lead me to want to testify to you all that we truly have a wonderful great and powerful Heavenly Father who knows and cares for each one of us. I encourage you to try his Love with a question or several. I wrote out several questions and put them on my desk as I study and even though it took about three weeks to receive answers I got them and with a powerful and overwhelming feeling of the Lords love for me personally. These answers can be found in the BOM, bible, D and C and church magazines. I encourage you to study in variety and for your personal needs. All we must do is ask and then act... with this we can receive any answer! The Lord loves you all and wants to be a part of your life. Allow him to be with you and you WILL receive the help and strength you need.

 One thing I found and particularly liked in my study this week is found in D&C 84:61-62 with a commandment and a promise to give us all hope.... That if we will remain obedient and serve him in preaching and sharing the gospel we will be forgiven! How great a promise. So with this I encourage you all to clean what sins you have and resort to sharing  this wonderful gospel with all! Because as I have found in the mission through these types of services we will become truly converted and receive a true and lasting forgiveness as we put away our sins and move forward. (conference talk by Edward Dube)

 

Love you all!
Elder Stoor

Oct 14,2013

October 14, 2013

 

Me and my comp in the field

This is how I wish I could leave the house to share the gospel ha

  Great week but with tons of sun. Mexico doesn’t know what winter is haha. Anyways not a whole lot of exciting news to share and I’m short on time.

 However some of the things I had written down to share are- first off  there is a lot of coke a cola here in Mexico. I’m getting fatter and I know why haha. I started paying attention and I’m pretty sure in this area we drink about a liter of coke a day! That along with the tortillas has not been the best of diet..... but oh well it’s my time to enjoy free food haha. 

 Second off I still am without a baptism but one of my investigators from Mate is getting baptized this week! We found her by way of MEMBER REFERAL and she was progressing well and was only waiting for a firm response of confirmation that this was the true church. Well on conference Sunday we went into valles to watch conference and who would have guessed but she was the in valles! And not only that, but she was there looking for me to tell me personally that she had received an answer and is getting baptized this week! One happy moment for me in the mission. 

 Well I’ve used up all my time on other letters today but hope all is well and let you prayers go out to the family of Elder Kunz!