Ilopango- Week 35

What up fam?
Dang, biggest news of the week: Katie´s getting married! WHOO HOO! Thats insane. tell her congrats!
So, the Mission Pres called this week. Man o man... he has me train right after being trained. He puts me on a special assignment to help out mi comp. Made me a DL. Now he wants me to train again.... freak... I already have one kid.... I´m never going to have children after the mish.... jajajajjajajaa! just kidding... no but its all good! I dont really wanna train... but you know... whatever... jaja! We had two meetings on friday... one for those who are going to train and one for those who are leaders in the mish... I guess I fall in both those categories but it was really cool! They were about just the importance of being obedient... cool beans... and some things that have changed in the training cirriculum... but you know.. nip whips
 A virus just ate all my pictures and movies on my memory card... nice...
Fotos caption to one I sent.... ¨my missionary´s in a foreign field¨ coldplay... I like.... jajaja!
Yesterday, obra misional was in charge of sac meeting... I gave a talk on being the example... trying to fire up  the ward council that does nothing... I also played a special musical number... oh... I forgot... they told me that they wanted me to speak and play the morning of... in other words, yesterday about 9... ward starts at 10:30.. scary... jaja... but it went well! I think it did anyway....also, 9:30, we started having these meetings for the youth that want to serve missions.. We started training them a little bit in preach my gospel. I was stoked! Our mission leader is awesome! TITO ROCKS.
Got a package today... haven´t opened it yet... but thank you! Speaking of packages, I have one more book request... Mormons and Masons. If you can... que molesto... if its to much of a bother, dont worry about it... and no rush and sending the books... I still have a few books that I need to read before those... thank you! I love you!
Satan is real. Even for missionaries... I´ll tell you a good story about snakes when I get back. jajaja! Freaking bichas locas.(crazy bugs)  Dont let yourself fall into his snares. From what I´ve been studying, it makes me think that the 2nd coming is super super close... and if I´m not mistaken, its going to happen on the Sabbath day.. so like every week, we've got to prepare a little more for Sunday.. when it might happen. And thats how we can progress. Treating every week like its the last week before the 2nd coming. It puts it a little more in perspective. You would try your best to do everything perfect if this week was the last week right? It keeps making me think that its going to happen tomorrow.... wow. jaja
Mum, thanks for everything. You are so awesome. Shirly is not the pretty one in the foto... thats the one that I said was going to be my exaltacion. joking.. jaja. But shes friends with her... I think we are going to visit her tonight.. We tried to last week but her son wasn´t home. so.. whip nips! jaja... but everythings going great! I hope everythings good with you guys! I was just thinking that it was probably just about time for orange juicing! have fun! wish I could drink some.. jaja! love you!
Pops, sounds like everything is going great! Keep riding a ton... sounds like the tour de Mesa is going to be a blast! Cant wait to do it again with you panchos... jaja! not gonna lie... kinda a baggy week... weird... everyone I talk to talks about like how in the mish, you always think about being home... then when you are home, you think about the mish.. Kinda a lose lose in that situation... but everything is going great! Thanks for everything dad. Also,  a band you would probably like that has been in my head this week.. Death Cab for Cutie.. look it up!.. I love you...
Austin, in response to your letter last week, thank you... that was awsome.. I really appreciate it. And congrats on your eagle! But I have some advice for you... reallly, there is nothing that is too hard. The mish? easy. School? easy. Piano? easy. Biking? easy. The only thing that makes those things hard is doing things differently.Get it in your head to change your thinking. Now, being a good person isn't hard... its just doing things differently. Only doing different things.. so if you might struggle in a class in school, think about it in that perspective... what do I have to do different so that it will be easy? Throwing? same thing... just keep your head up and do things differently. Being a missionary isn't really that hard... its just doing things different. I love you stee!
LE, dang girl, you huge! Sounds like this weekend was a blast and that the premire was legit... I hope everything goes great! and the advice I gave austin goes for you as well.
BRYNN! THANK THANK YOU YOU! you are awesome.. thank you for your example and all that you do and say in your letters... they help a lot! I love you! Do different things! Keep it easy.

So one more thing.... hna Glazier called us and wants Elder Escalante to rap a song that he wrote about families and she wants me to play the piano for him... so I did the Lost beat from coldplay.. we practiced today and it was really legit... i'll have to make another video because mine just got erased... jaja! But I love you and thank you for everything!
ELDER TTT

Ilopango- Week 33

Hola familia!  This week flew... just like every other week... I really like don't know what to write about anymore.... its weird... but here´s a few of the things that have happened this week:)
I had divisions with Elder Oliva. our ZL. He´s from the other side of El Salvador and he´s finishing his mission this week. He´s a baller. Not only with futbol, but also with missionary stuff. I really learned a lot. He actually reminds me a lot of Hunter. Kinda quiet but like incredibly funny. He has the same sense of humor as Hunter and I learned a ton with him.
Yesterday were the elections for like the departments here. alcadias. I don't know what it would be in English. But anyway, they changed church to start at 7 yesterday morning for only one hour. So really it started at like 7:15 and ended like at 7:50. in other words? half hour church. sick. like no one came yesterday. We weren´t allowed to leave the house yesterday because people apparently go crazy. So we cleaned the house a bit, and I got a boatload of studying done. Its weird how much I have come to love studying the scrips. weird. mi comp put his mattress outside on the porch..nice

So wedding news.... everything all the sudden got super complicated for the family and it would be a miracle if they get married on the 24. The ward like doesn´t want to help us... or if they do, they don't have the right attitude. But we are praying. We had two other baptismal dates and they are falling through because they are trying to move and they haven´t ever been to church. So its sounding like another month sin bautismos. que cacaso. que chafa. freak...... I don't know what it is... its like satan´s real or something..jaja. did you catch the sarcasm? I dunno.. its like you start to have a little bit of success and then you don't have it anymore with the snap of the finger.
In spite of all these trials and complications, the Lord is blessing us in other ways. We had a baptism of a little 8 yr old girl(doesn´t count for us) from a less active family. They are all active now. Good news:) also, we had a little success visiting another less active family that finally started to realize a little bit with our visit and said they were going to start to come again.. they have a little 9 yr old boy that hasn´t been baptized. It would be cool to have the dad baptize him?? cool beans. also, we are finding a lot of new investigators.
One of the families of new investigators: we made tamales with them. that was really cool and now they said that we are welcome at their house whenever we want to come. (con mi exaltación. véase foto:)) but it was a cool experience to make them... they make them a little different here. With banana tree leaves. It gives them a different flavor and they are better than any tamale I have had:)
So this family that we made tamales with has a stand where they sell stuff right? Well, we went to go sit with them for a little bit and got talking with a señora a little bit. Asked if we could come by another day.. then she was like, no wayI have a church.. but we kept talking... not necessarily about the Gospel... just talking like friends of a relationship of years talk...then she was about to leave and we asked here again if we could come by... she was like, the only day I have off work is Sunday and Saturday... and I want my son to be there when you come.. so like 8 next Saturday?:) She should be a good investigator right? It was just kinda cool that at first she didn´t want anything to do with us but by the end, she wanted us to come when her son is in the house. Only because we talked for like a half an hour... about, really, nothing! Weird how people are sometimes... jaja.her name is shirly.

Mum, thanks for everything! your letter, everything. you sent another package? why? whats in it? I really don't need anything... but thank you! no I haven´t got the one from Austin yet but I´m sure it´ll be this week.. this week is our deal with  70 member:) Elder mehr is from Wisconsin. Yesterday we talked on the phone about the deep doctrine that we were studying. The thing is that during study time, you aren´t suppose to study deep doctrine, but anytime other than that, you can study all you want! Normally you don't have anytime.. but there are little slots of time where you can read. I was going to ask you if you could send me the books ¨docterine of salvation¨ and ¨the great apostosy¨ and ¨teachings of the prophet Joseph smith¨just when you decide to send a package... there´s no rush. please and thank you mum! I love you all the way to space and back. Have fun with the utards!
Dad, hey thanks for you letter.. and the foto of Roxy.. it looks like she´s hanging in there.. just sleeping a lot? I hope she holds up like one more year.. but it sounds like everything is going great! I was going to send you something about sugar and stuff but I haven´t got around to it alright? but keep off the suger! you´re doing great. I love you pops!
stee, have a fun time in Utah! snowboard it up! just don't hurt yourself! love ya
Ellie.. have loads of fun this spring break! don't let it go by too fast!
Brynn, I found your bear.. but here´s the deal... i´m going to give it to a little girl in my ward so you can make another for me:) sound good? it would be cool if you could send them in every package so I could give them to little girls who don't have something like that... sound good? lemme know! I love you!
I love you all! gozátelo mi negro! se la pica! tell grandma hi and that I love her as well!
Elder TTT

Ilopango- Week 34

HOLA! wazzup panchos?
So this week flew by like every other week. Hey thanks for your letters... I think this week has been the best week, letters-wise... everyone said something awesome and it was like exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you!
So first thing on the docket. We had a meeting with Elder Amado from the 70 and the area presidency of central America. Legit right? He was so awesome. We all took a picture with him and then we all got to meet him and shake his hand and tell him a little bit about ourselves. I told him where I was from etc etc. Then he asked me how many baptisms I had had this month. I had to tell him none. Then he asked about last month. none. Then he asked when the last time I baptized was. I said December. Then he said something that  I´ll never forget. I know you are working hard and being obedient, but baptizing is important. Then he talked a lot in his talk about how a lot of times the obedient don't baptize but the disobedient do... we should not expect the Lord to bless us with a baptism for being obedient. He said that the Lord will never take the agency away from anyone. Then he went into his point... that we need to always keep a prayer in our heart and constantly be asking for help and guidance to help THEM MAKE THE DECISION. DyC 82:10.  But Heavenly Father is not obligated to take the agency away from people. Something that I understood, but didn´t really understand, if you know what I mean. He kept asking us throughout the meeting: do you still have a prayer in your heart?... it was a really good lesson. He also talked about when we are teaching and preaching the gospel, we forget about everything else... if we´re hungry or tired etc... and its totally true! Its insane... but you know.... por alli vamos..he also reminded us that we always need to be animated and happy and excited. (i´ll talk more about that in a second) but it reminded me of something that Elder Martino said: you have permission to be unanimated for 5 min... every 6 months... jajaa....He also talked about Latinos learning English and said that most only know how to say:WHAT TIME IS IT MISTER?! It  was really funny! Then he said that when you dream in the language, you´ve dominated it... I thought: well, I started dreaming within my first 3 months in the mish... but I don't feel like I´ve dominated it! jaja... but you know... whatever.
Also, one more thing that I learned from Elder Amado... that the primary is the largest organization in the church and one of the most important... He said that they always put the best teachers in the primary... so in other words, good job on being an awesome teacher, pops! jaja

So, that stand that we started to hang around...that sells tamales? sent a pic... but anyway, we were trying something a little different with them... trying to serve them before teaching... Ammon right? Then when the ask where we are, the servant's will say:feeding the horses. jajajajajaja... but we were eating tamales at their stand and the pastor comes by... starts telling us about our own church.. jaja.. saying that we worship smith and what not.. starts like chewing us our right? that happens on almost a daily basis, but that's not the point.. he was like: you do not have permission to teach them.. so do not share anything with them...(tamale friends) I was like: what happened to agency? right? jaja... but anyway, next day,  we tried to teach them a little bit, just so they would know the truth about the church right? instead of all the gossip.. but, they weren't very receptive. :0
So we started teaching this woman and a kid who has friends in the church... it was a legit lesson! She was so in tune and was asking fantastic questions and would never take her eyes off us. At the end of the lesson, she was like: I don't have any questions, but I want you to know that I am going to read this book. and I´m going to pray. and I´m going to find out if it really is true. I will do it!. .... so legit... she has a great story.... but I´ll tell it if she decides to get baptised:) but when we started the lesson, she was like: no missionary has ever been in this house. I always see them, but they seem like always way serious. But when I met you two, you were very animated and fun loving and just happy! But at the same time, very respectful and educated. That's why I wanted you to come to my house....... I talked about her last week in my letter.. she was the one who at first didn´t want anything to do with us, but by the end wanted her son to be there. Her name is Shirley and her son is Marcos. :)
mal cae. see attached foto with the hermanas:)
Hey I don't have much time... but I want to say that I love all of you! And thank you so much for the letters! and I got the package this week! thanks for the legit shirt Austin! that was legit:) I love you all!
ELDER T

Ilopango- Week 32

HOLA HOLA COCA COLA!
This week went by amazingly fast. Wednesday I went on divisions with Elder Mehr. (one of my new responsibilities) and it was really fun! Not only is Elder Mehr a great elder, but he is so fun to be around. We stayed up late talking about deep doctrine.. go figure right? but you know.. whatever... then...ON Friday, we had divisions with the hermanas... I went with an hermana Mendoza and my comp with hna Jones......................jajajajaja just kidding.. my comp and I went to go work in their area with them for a day. Those sisters are insane. Way good teachers... but the ZL´s sent me to work with them to help them baptize this month... and now they have a baptismal date so that's good... now we just need to baptize right? jaja
So my new study... its so freaking legit.. I am learning so much. What I have started is I have written all the questions I have about the gospel, or things that I really don't know much about,and I study it, write everything down, until I´m satisfied with the answer that I have.. legit. I really consider myself to not know much about the gospel... so i figured that I needed to change stuff up. I´m really excited to be studying more. I started reading Our Search For Happiness on Thursday in my free time and I finished that this morning... M Russell Ballard wrote it and its a really cool book. You should read it.
So there were some major changes in the mission this week. Great changes. Its not necessarily major changes but it was enough change to think, wait what? when I talk to you sometime I´ll tell you more about it...jajajaja
Contacts in the street are weird sometimes... sometimes no one wants to give you the time of day and other days people are all smiley and want to listen and are actually interested in what you have to say. We had one day this week where we got 0 references... then the next day was like a complete 180... its just weird...
Today for P day we played some Basketball and futbol and we started practicing for a special musical number for a meeting we have with a 70 member in a couple weeks... it should be good! But... wait for it......................................................................................i´m singing alto.... yes..... in other words, one of the women´s parts...  why am I singing alto? no one else can... apparently... its just weird how my voice has kinda changed.. in high school I was a baritone.. college a tenor..... mission an alto. usually for boys your voice gets lower... i´m going up.. i don't get it.. is there something wrong with me? jaja but its cool. I like it:) We are singing  the song Nearer my God to Thee.. so its not insanely high for the alto.. but you know whatever.
So, Tito, our mission leader is legit. So we are not having that much success in the ward right... why? one reason would be that the members don't help us. So our lider misional had this great idea to start training the ward to use preach my gospel. For the 3rd hour of church he talked about PMG and the blessing it is. The idea is to train the members to be missionaries also.. like yesterday was just an intro, but most people don't know how to be a missionary, but all the answers are in PMG. What a blessing it really is to know that you can know the lessons you will teach before you enter the MTC. Most people think in the MTC, you learn all this new stuff and how to teach etc... NO... no es así. Everything that they teach us in the MTC is in PMG. PMG is a chance to make an MTC in the home with our families. So that we can be more prepared as members to share the gospel. legit right? Most members don't realize the difference they make in missionary work. Just being present in a lesson makes a huge difference. Mum, offer the sisters in our ward your help when they need it. It really helps them a ton. (and feed them:) members aren´t really feeding us right now...jaja) But anyway. the training was legit yesterday. It was a big PowerPoint thing and legit. We invited our president to come to one in the future. I am excited:) Tito called it our mission plan for the ward. (he´s also teaching me a lot about how to study more effectively:))
Last night,after we finished our fast, we visited with Stanly and Rud. The family that we have been working really hard with. The family that I was sent here to Valle Nuevo for. We talked about them getting them married. I talked about the qualities that they both have and compared them to Dad and Mum. Told them some of the dearest stories to my heart to them about Mum and Dad. And then talked about the temple and the blessing to being sealed to one another and to their family. Then mi comp  talked about how he loves it when I talk about the blessings I have with a sealed family, because he doesn´t have that blessing. And how he wishes his family to be sealed. But then he talked about what he now knows he will do when he decides to get married. Temple Time... jaja. So then we put the date of the baptism and wedding for the 24 of this month. Then Stanly asked Rud to marry him. He said that we wern´t just having a discussion like so many times before, about marriage. He said that today he was going to talk with his family and tell them that he has made a big decision in his life and that he would be getting married. Rud, wanted to wait another month to plan it all out nice and pretty... but we told her no.......jajajaja... in a nice way. And we told her that we would be planning everything and be putting together everything. Reluctantly, she put her trust in two missionaries. one negro and one blanco. (i´m negro). So as of yesterday, we are officially in wedding plan mode.. other words, experience for something I definitely wont have to worry about when I return... jajajajajajajajajajajaja! I´m hilarious. My wife will be in charge of everything.
That's the most recent stuff..jajaja... I´m pretty excited:)
Mum, thanks for your letter and your conversion story:) loved it. Did you get newtons? sick. Keep learning Spanish:) love you!
Dad, I love you too, but you still owe me your conversion story. Keep riding and have fun this week!
Stee, keep up the good work and finish off the quarter strong! love ya.
Ellie, sounds like everything is going great and that you are enjoying choir:) Did i tell you? I´m singing alto in a small choir:) jaja... love ya!
Brynn, I honestly haven't looked for the bear..I´m sorry! I just forget..I´m really really sorry... I promise that I´ll try to remember! I love you!
Hey.... I have the most legit family of the world. I´m so darn lucky... I love you! and Mum, don't be baggy...I´m almost half way done already... crazy right?  Just listen to every coldplay CD from parachutes to Mylo Xyloto. all the way through without breaks and without distractions:)
Hey I love you all!
Elder TTT