Zacamil-Week 11

Hola familia!
Thanks for your letters and all that! Its good to see that you are all doing well. So I have so much to talk about with just a little bit of time... We are going to the volcano today for P- DAY! Like half of the mission is going with us... so that´ll be really cool.To say the least, this weekend has been absolutely crazy.
First, we made pan dulce again this week. and the hermano gave me the recipe so know I can make some stuff.. jaja. its super good. When I get back, you´ll have to try it:)
El Pato is amazing. I shared a can between four of us and they all said it was amazing. So legit. And yes I got both packages... thanks mum! you´re the best:)
So Sept is over and that means there is no more 2 for 1 donuts. Our final donut count is 62 donuts this month. I´m glad this month is over! jaja. We were going to take a picture next to all our donut boxes, but we didn´t have time... so next week!
So the houses here are really close together and small. They have these weird windows that are always open because no one has air conditioning, I decided that it is extremely difficult to teach a lesson when Coldplays the scientist is playing super loud next door... jaja.
Also, I know that Mons goes into the MTC soon... what info do I need to send a dear elder?
"Si no trabajarás para Dios, Él no trabajará para ti." Good quote. translation for you gringos-"If you do not work for God, He does not work for you."
We were walking one day and these two little girls were sitting on the side of the street. They were  maybe ten years old. They were like,"hey look at the two gringos!" and then the other said, "they´re not gringos, they´re Mormons!" kinda funny story right? maybe.... jaja.
So all the scripture cases came! They look really good. All of them were perfect... except for mine. he spelled my name THANNER. I wont have that...I  know that I will get another set of scriptures in the future so I decided to get a cover for English as well. But they look super good and I´ll work on sending them soon. asap.
So something I say a lot is "OK". Here they don't say OK.. they say "va" So every one thinks its the funniest thing. So now, a lot of the members started saying OK. Its kinda funny because they just use it whenever... I say " Gracias hermana para la cena. Bien amables.." Etc Etc. Then she´ll just say.. OK!  Just one example for ya... It cracks me up! jaja.

So I decided that it is super cool when one of your converts gets a calling in church. Hermana Elizebeth is now the family history person for the ward. How cool is that? It just makes you feel all good inside. The challenge here isn´t so much baptizing... its more keeping them active. I have been very blessed with the converts we have had because all of them are active. And actually, we have 3 set baptisms for this weekend, but the goal is 6. We want to baptize a family of three this week as well. The familia Ochoa. They are a very odd family for El Salvador. And by weird for El Salvador, I mean they´re a normal family. The husband and wife love each other and never fight. In other words, they would be a perfect family for the church. We all wrote letters to each member of their family and I think that helped a lot. The wife and the 14 year old girl came to the first session of conference on Saturday and the husband came to priesthood.  They all came on Sunday. They said they really liked it. The wife wants to get baptized but the husband is just a little skeptical.. but I tell him all the time that there comes no testimony until after the trial of their faith. So he actually started to read a little bit and pray a little bit and decided that there is nothing that could ever be bad in the Book of Mormon.  I hope with all my heart that we can baptize them. It would be my first family baptized.
Another story of two investigators that we have.  Rosa and Veronica. A mom a her daughter.  We are never able to teach them because they leave for work at 6 in the morning and don't come home until 9 at night. They always come to church. You don't normally find people like that here. But they have been here every week since the first time we found them like 6 weeks ago.  We just haven't  been able to teach them the lessons.  They came to both sessions of conference on Sunday.  Elder Coy is really good with people. So he took them into a classroom one at a time to extend a baptismal date for this weekend.  The mom accepted, but the daughter didn't.  We were a little disappointed but it was OK. She said she just need a little more time to figure it out for herself. That not such bad news, at all. So, that night we walked into the house to hear the phone ringing. Elder Coy quickly answered it. It was the daughter. She said that ever since she has said that she needed more time, she felt something bad in the pit of stomach, or something like that... I don't know exactly how she described it... but she said that she would be baptized this weekend. YAY! Miracles happen.
The other baptism we have scheduled was a reference from a member. Her mother in law is a less active and so is her husband. But she is legit. She teaches us everytime we come. Literally. We give her the pamphlets, she studies them with the scriptures and when we visit, she teaches us what she knows. thats very odd for El Salvador also. So we gave her a Preach my gospel.. and she studies that. She started the Book of mormon like 2 weeks ago and already is in mosiah. She is going to be a great teacher in the church.
So conference this year. Crazy good.  Its kinda hard to believe that 6 months ago dad and I just finished the Tour de Phoenix!  weird. It was also cool to know that I was watching conference at the same time as all you! Except maybe mum and dad...being in Ireland and all, but it was really cool. Probably one of the best ones I´ve seen... but I normally say that every time... so I dunno.. jaja. But there was quite a few themes. One that I noticed was missionary work. There was like 7 talks that said something about missionary work. Missions. Missions Missions.   Also, Elder Martino gave the closing prayer in the Sunday morning session. That is so cool that he called! It just stinks that you weren´t there... he was probably waiting until he got to the states to call... I'm so glad that Grandma was there and answered the phone! but that's really cool the nice things he said. So yeah, I watched all ten hours and I have never been more in tune. AMAZING. My favorite full session was priesthood as it normally is.. My favorite talk was by far Elder Hollands.. like always.  Austin, Watch that again and again!  Please watch it. And all you kids watch Boyd K Packers again. Satan is real and wants to take people down with him. Read your scriptures every day! No matter how much homework you have. Get up every morning and plead with the Lord to help you get through the day and then again in the night to thank him. Be thou an example of the believers. Remember the messages. Missions Missions Missions.
"To those of you who are not yet to the season of life when you might serve a couples mission, I urge you to prepare now for the day when you and your spouse might do so. As your circumstances allow, as you are eligible for retirement, and as your health permits, make yourselves available to leave home and give full time missionary service. There are few times in your lives when you will enjoy the sweet spirit and satisfaction that come from giving full service together in the work of the master" Mum, dad, prepare. You have no idea how awesome it is. :)
Psalms 46:10
1 Peter 3:15 => always be ready to give an answer.
Dad, So it sounds like Dublin was awesome! And work will be OK.. just stay humble. Fast. My testimony of fasting has grown so much in these couple months. It is real and it works. Pray. Read your scriptures every day. Something that I have really liked since I got here is the last chapter in John. Lovest thou me more than these? One day when I´m back we can sit around a fire with some Hot Chocolate and talk about  it:) I love you dad. You are my hero.
Mum, sounds like Dublin was awesome for you as well! Thanks for you letters and the constant love you send. Thanks for always making sure I have everything and all that. You do more for me than you know. Just make sure that dad is always doing the basics... as well as Austin and Ellie and Brynn. Make sure that they know that when times get too tough to stand, kneel.
Austin, you stud. It sounds like things might settle down now that football is almost over right? I hope it does. You are an animal. Just remember to always do the basics. There´s 48 half hours in a day... just use one to read the scrips. love you brotha..
Ellie, how was your conference experience? I want to know how you felt and what you learned. Will you tell me? Cross your heart. Cross it! Good. no turning back. jaja I wanna know all about it.
Brynn. I wanna know what you learned as well. Tell me what you're reading about in the scriptures... How´s school? Grades OK? Piano? lemme know! Read Moroni 8:3

I love you all and thank you for all that you do for me! You have know idea what your letters mean to me.
Elder T