Ilopango Week 47

HOLA!!!!
So this week was so insane! One of the best weeks of my mission! It flew by so freaking fast! I am seriously amazed I made it through this week because it was so busy! So freaking awesome! We did have 2 baptisms, a wedding, and a meeting with a 70 with the 2 missions! and much much more! crazy...but I guess I will start with my list of.... things:
SO I've been studying the bible lately.... I have had a bit of an experience with it... I read, but when I find something that confuses me ...I study it out for a little bit... try and figure out what it means... then I realize, oh wait, there's a JST.. duh.. Its happened many times... its cool that the spirit in your study plays a huge role. That the spirit guides me in my study so I don't mess up.. its cool! then I read the Book of Mormon and realize how much peace is found in the words... anyway, cool beans!
So my zone kinda gets mad at me because everyone is gaining a bunch of weight.. but i'm still mas o menos about the same.. cool right?
I am changing this Wednesday! cool cool cool!  I love 100 percent of my zone.. but I am ready to leave... I feel like I have done all I can for this area... but yep! I'll  let you know where I am at next week! But yesterday I kinda told everyone goodbye yesterday.
So I took about 13 ties to get em skinnied up. So now 50 percent of my ties are skinnies... 30 skinnies... 30 normales... nice:) all different widths of skinnies:)
So, last Monday was p day... then we had a full day of work(Tuesday) but we were put in charge of passing out invitations for the wedding...Wednesday, we were flipping because Stanly still didn't have his papers to get married...so early early we went into the city to go get them with him... got them... gave them to the lawyer. went back to eat lunch.. then had to go back into the city for a meeting with Elder Maynes(70) & with the other mission.. it was awesome... I'll tell you about it.. Thursday we had divisions which makes everything go by faster.. Friday,was normal... Saturday we had the baptisms and the wedding! crazy! then Sunday the sabbath.)

Basically this whole week was waking up earlier to get everything done for everyone.. running around the city and running from area to area to get interviews done and stuff.. but it went so fast! on Wednesday I saw a bunch of people from my old ward, that was really cool to see... everyone was like PANCHO! jaja
The meeting with Elder Maynes:it was about taking the principles that we have memorized and turning them into actions...then the actions turn to testimony... then after all those things, the spirit comes... there was a bunch of stuff, but it was awesome:)
Another highlight of  the week, best letter of the mission so far.. is it weird that I classify letters? but it just made me laugh so sodding hard! It was from ash:)I feel like she makes me want to be a better person... but you know.. whatever) then I got another from Mons and mad me laugh even more:) then from Katie! She told me that she was getting married and was sending me an announcement:) so legit:)
So the wedding with Stanly and Ruth was really stressful, but it turned out really well... I hope my wife is chill about our wedding because Ruth was really stressed this week... jajaja! but if all goes well, Stanly will be baptized tomorrow before I leave, if he passes the interview tonight:) but lets hope and pray! They were very happy with all that:)
Gladis and Noe got baptized on Saturday and her mom is now active. I was very happy with that:) Its crazy the changes that I have seen in all of them... especially the mom, when we started teaching, I thought that she wasn't a member... because she had a lot of doubts, but now she is active and actually takes notes in sacrament meeting:)cool cool beans:)I believe it was only because we started to use members to help us out..please help the missionaries!

I almost cried this morning when I heard the news about Roxy.... actually I did cry a little bit... that's too bad... but if she was suffering, I suppose its best. Its just crazy that she has been alive since I was like 5.... crazy.... I want a puppy lab for my birthday next year. quizas..
Mom, thanks for your letter! I love you! don't worry about changes like you always do, I am in good hands! I love you! favor, when you decide its time to send a package, can you let me know before? so I can let you know if I need something:) Thank you! I still haven't received my year package... but you know, whatever, it should be coming soon:) I love you!
Dad, I hope fathers day went well yesterday! that's so crazy that in like a month you'll be.... 49???? crazy!!!! ride a couple miles for me! I love ya!
AUSTIN, you are such a stud 210 lbs! I am at about 170-175, I think, I haven't weighed myself in a while.... but sick bro! just don't do anything stupid that will mess you up for life! just kidding bro! enjoy the summer and most importantly, your life! its not worth being bummed, just enjoy! love ya!
EL. sounds like you are really growing up! every now and then you send a letter that surprises me! jaja... crazy! remember... don't do stupid stuff! jaja love ya!
Brynn, it sounds like your summer is going great! keep having fun! don't grow any more... you are hereby prohibited. love ya!
I LOVE YOU ALL AND THANKS FOR EVERYTHING!
SALU!

ELDER THORNTON

Ilopango-Week 46

QUE ONDAS BICHOS? (I guess that translates to Whats Up Guys?- not like what it sounds like haha :) I asked him on Mother's Day, because we wern't sure -Marni
So they are giving Toms to everyone in the schools down here... I think Toms are cool... but are way overrated...
I've got a quote for some people that tell us....., "God knows my heart and that I want to obey... that I want to give up coffee.."Etc. Etc.... here it is.... "Hell is paved with good intentions" pretty good quote...jaja
Yesterday´s church was pretty interesting... it was a classic priesthood meeting... like where no one brings manuals and the teachers not prepared and more than half are asleep...jajaja.... in our investigators class for Sunday school there was a discussion that went down on the fall between a recent convert and T.. that was interesting. The sacrament meeting was a ward conference but it started 45 min late because the stake president showed up late.... I will bet some big money that that would never happen in the states...jajaja...but during the ward conference, the youth sang like twice.. and everyone here is tone deaf... like really tone deaf... mum, you always say that you are tone deaf but you have no idea what really tone deaf is... but..... BUT..... I was still filled with the spirit! The choir sounded bad , but they weren´t singing for anyone in the congregation, they were singing for God... very cool experience.
President Glazier came to my district meeting... I was shaking in my socks.... then he blew them off... machete machete.. sopresa sopresa...

So the family Deras... that family with the picture that has the cake.. the little girl was born with half a heart and all the doctors said she wouldn´t live after 1 year... she just turned ten years old!!!! (priesthood blessing)... it was the family of Niel Thornton´s comp... we made her a pillow.. and though she cant talk, her face lit up like nothing before... I was also filled with the spirit on that special occasion
This week I also went with Elder Winter. I have never had more fun working than I have with Elder Winter... also, I have never worked better with any other missionary than I have with him... we found a family that is pure gold and they come to chruch and are super pilas... I pray that one day we can be comps...:) I feel that we can talk about stuff at home in a very mature way and not get baggy ..... at the same time, we really can work hard when the time comes... I may or may not have figured out my teaching style when I get back:)
Stanly and Ruth are getting marred this weekend! whoo hoo!
Gladis and Noe are getting baptized this weekend! whoo hoo! Changes are next week... I´ll probably get changed... but who knows... at least I will get to baptize twice in this area before I leave...

So follow up on the story of the boy that hugs:la familia Quintanilla. We visited them last Monday. she started telling us about all the changes that she has seen in the family since we have visited... she said that she had never seen her husband pray before in her life and saw him do it on Monday... so when we asked when we could come back, she was like, TOMORROW! I was like,, WHOO HOO! Tuesday, we took Tito and Astrid and the wife starting crying... then I told her about how I felt with her son hugging me and she cried a bit more and the husband is loving every minute of it as well... The president macheted me because they didn´t have a fecha yet... so we are going to put a fecha down today... hopefully:) I also gave the bears that Brynn made to their little girl:) I felt that we had the best lesson of my mission this week with them.)
Hey so I don't have much time, but I love you all! Sounds like this week flew by! Austin and dad had fun! The girls also!
Dad, Happy Father´s day this week! I couldn´t have asked for a better Dad. I have learned so much here in the mission, but I think it all has been basically a review of what you and mum have taught me. I will be forever grateful for all the fun and memories that we have had together and it will only get better! The mission is really short. This time last year I was in the MTC thinking that the time goes so slow... now, I almost have 13 months! next week. We had a ton a fun before the mission and its only going to get more fun! There will be plenty more to do when I get back, but I just want you to know that I love you and really appreciate all the little things that you have done for me. And for always looking out for me and making sure that I´m OK:) Thanks for everything pops!
I love you all! SALU!
ELDER T

Ilopango-Week 45

Hey thanks for all your letters family! Sounds like everything went well this week and that it was sick! The trek was an awesome expierence... I just remember being a baby bearing my testimony before the mission... and especially about the trek.. jajajaja.... but you know.. whatevs...The trek was awesome... i would definitely do it again:)
So I waxed part of my legs... that was a little taste of hell... especially because the strips were really small... so I had to rip it out like ten times just to get my legs from the the knees down in front... I was under the impression that it was going to be a long strip so you only have to do it like once.. whatever... I'll wait till I get home to do that again... jaja!
So some of the ward has been criticizing us lately... we took them out tracting with us... knocked on doors for 2 hours in the hardest part of our area and I think they learned that its harder than they thought :) I was laughing a lot:)
Speaking of the ward.. there has been 0 baptisms all year... so its made everyone really worried..We've had a hard time with getting everyone to help us out.. but... they started asking us when they could come out with us.. so that was a change.. Its kinda dumb that they needed some freak fact like that to start working with us... I love this ward like our ward at home... but they just don't work... they're starting to anyway:) But some great people have come to us and have helped us a ton... a few that have said, come over and I'll show you some stuff that worked in my mish... so that was really cool! Yesterday, we completely macheted the ward in Sunday school... then at the end I used the classic Alma 8:19 to ask the ward for dinners... because we have had to buy dinner for like the past 2 months.... it sucks.. but now we have food until the end of the month:) the trick to getting a ward to work is to get them to feel... we can talk all day long... but the trick for turning that into action is making them feel it.. and that normally comes through a machete... :) love macheting:)
My comp started listening to Christmas music... hmmm... not sure how I feel about that one yet...
We started having some probs with Stanly and Ruth again... but thankfully they were pretty much all resolved.... I got really frustrated this week... but then I remembered what I had learned early in this whole mission thing... I can choose to be fetching frustrated, or I can just choose to be chill about it and whatever happens happens... ya know? I vow that I will live by that principle for the rest of my life.. and if I don't, hit me or something:) jaja

Its funny how the spirit works... I am always surprised for some reason... this week we had a few lessons fall through one day, so we went to go visit a member because another member told us that she was a lawyer and we needed one for a wedding... so we went to go talk to her.. asked her about the whole lawyer thing and then shared a scripture and a thought with her... then she like let it all out to us... saying that she was just feeling so horrible all day and that she was just wondering what she was going to be able to do.. or what she was going to have to do.. and she said that we really helped her out that day... and that she was so grateful for us and for coming... it was just cool because first the spirit must have moved through that member that told us about her being a lawyer, then our appointments falling through... to us casually going to ask her about a wedding question.. moral of the story? You don't have to worry about following the spirit if you are living righteously... things will just happen... and you will realize afterwards that it was the spirit that led you there... awesome:)
Mum, thanks for your letter! And thank you for all you do for me... I am pretty darn lucky to have a Mum like you:) thanks for your prayers and your support. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you:) so thank you and I love you! Sounds like the trek was legit:-)
Dad, my comp was telling me about a bike race in Guatemala that lasts three days and it goes through the whole country... it sounded pretty legit! its called the vuelta de guatemala... I would assume that its like the tour of Guatemala... it might be cool to check out:) sounds like the trek was pretty sick:) especially because of the rhino:) jajaja... I´m sure the youth really enjoyed it all.. and have fun at Lake Powell!  l love you!
Austin,.....sounds like it was awesome... give it a couple days and you would definitely do it again;) hey I have a special request... send a vid of samples of local natives songs.. Winter says, World news...who knows who cares... and stranger things... don't worry I wont be dumb about it... just please oh please! I think that's the thing I miss most... music... you know.... but whatever... I´ll do cool things for you when your on you mish:) love ya bro... have fun at Lake Powell:)
Ellie... you would be a good missionary... don't let that fall away from your list of options... its awesome... and you´ll grow into even more of a spiritual giant:) love ya!
Brynn, don't worry about boys! their icky... but I know what you mean... but it sounds like your weekend was awesome! :)I love you!
Hey thanks for everything! love you all!
SALU
TTT

Ilopango-Week 44

HOLA FAMILIA!
Yeah, so we went to the temple this week! I saw frank there... he lead the session and took me through... it was really cool. Very cool to see someone from home that has a history with our family. You forget how awesome the temple is when you only get to go once every 6 months... jajajaja.... but you know... whatever... jaja.
SO, also, Tito got married this week! So freaking sick.. We were invited as well and we had chairs and stuff... he also asked me to play the piano... it was pretty cool. I asked him what he wanted me to play... he said I dunno.... something! Play Coldplay! So thats what I did for a little bit:) It made me feel pretty good that we were invited and stuff... he actually used one of my ties for the wedding.. he´s got a good taste in ties:)

We were going to have two baptisms last weekend..the little boy in the photos and his sister.. but unfortunately, they drank coffee.. so they have to wait a litte bit... darn it... but they are really cool.. We go over there every day from like 2-3:30 because there´s no one will see us during that time... jaja... but I have really come to love them a lot.. the sister told me that the little boy loves me...his Dad is not in the picture... that made me feel good... you know... whatever...

Fam of the kid that gave me a hug last week... we could only visit them one time this week, but the husband told us that the wife has been carrying around the Book of Mormon everywhere she goes and reads it a lot! That made my day... then we got the husband to pray in the lesson... that was a huge step for him... but anyway! They just need to come to church:)
Finished Doc and Cov yesterday... that was pretty awesome... now I can focus on the bible a little bit more... because I finished BoM, D&C, and PoGP.. ...you know.. whatever:)
Tito and Astrid are awesome... they barely have anything right now and they as so nice to invite us to dinner last night and every sunday after... last night we had PBand J´s...my favorite:)
This week I kinda had a macheting spree... i dont know what was up ...I probably said somethings that I shouldn´t have... but whatever....  relieves my stress.. jajaja....
Mum, thanks for everything mum! I am always excited to hear whats been going on with the ward etc.. Thanks for everything mum! btw, I should get my new nametags this week:) finally :)
Dad, sounds like this weekend should be fun:) lucky duck in the rhino.. if I was home, I would definitely chill with you in the rhino:) keep riding! dont get fat like me!... jaja love you:)
Austin, glad to hear that you like the bands:) how´s local natives?.. Elder Winters always tells me about them.. he says that I´d really like them... how are they? good good? hey good luck on the trek this week! Elder Winters gave me a list of bands like the Shins and Vamp Weekend thats like so long... I´ll try to remember to send a bunch to ya... :) love ya!
Ellie! sounds like everythings going good and that you are hanging out with friends and stuff.. especially cuz schools out:) love ya!
Brynn, sounds like mum´s apron must be insane! good job! love you!
Thanks for everything panchos! SALU!
TTT