La Torre- Week 65

So, a very uninteresting week. I went to the toe Doctor on Tuesday and she said my toe was bad... so I had to wait a week and take a bunch of antibiotics. But she also said to stay inside all week. There was another Elder in my zone that also had an ingrown so basically we just chilled all week in the house... the week went by super fast.. we just studied and played monopoly all week.. jaja! But it was fun to live as four missionaries for a week. Tomorrow we are going into San Salvador for them to take it out... should be pretty interesting:) jaja but for that reason of being in the house all week, my letter may or may not be a little short:)

 

We had a baptism on Saturday! It was the Doctor. She was so excited. And now she has been bringing her son to church as well so that he can be baptized. The branch president baptized her:) It was very rewarding and I was very happy for her. She has almost finished the book of Mormon for the second time... she will be an excellent asset for this branch.

I finished the Isaiah chapters of the book of Mormon this week... it was a lot easier to understand after studying Isaiah  for about a month... great are the words of Isaiah!!!!

The other family in the picture is the familia Corleto. They used to be a happy family in the church. But the gangs killed the father and set one of  the two sons on fire. The two sons are pretty wayward, but the daughter is super faithful and reminds me a lot of Ashlyn(in case you don't know what that means, that means incredibly awesome) and the mom hasn't been coming to Church for the past month.. They love the missionaries and treat them like their own family.They feed us every Sunday and they are actually taking us out for Boston ice cream tonight. We had a short lesson yesterday and I feel like we helped the mom out a lot... she said that she doesn't have the desire to go to church anymore and she wants more than anything to actually have that desire again. It was days like yesterday during that lesson that remind me of how much I love to do what I do.. helping people. Being a missionary. I love it!

I guess I'll bear my testimony or something... jaja...

Jesus Christ is my King and my Savior. He is my friend, My best friend. My teacher, my advocate. My strength as I pass through this life of probation. I bow to Him continually, especially every morning and night. I worship Him. It is through Him that I may have the gift of Eternal life. I feel his amazing grace every day and I love and serve him. Oh sweet the joy this sentence gives: I know that my Redeemer lives. I add my testimony to many others that have been given of Him: "I testify that He is the Son of the Living God, who was crucified for the sins of the world. He is our Lord, our God and our King. This I know of myself, independent of any other person. I am one of His witnesses and in the coming day, I shall feel the nail marks in His hands and in His feet and shall wet His feet with my tears. and I shall not know any better then, than I know now that He is God´s Almighty Son, That he is our Savior and Redeemer and that salvation comes in and through His atoning love and in no other way" I love Him. and I know that as we begin to understand the atonement, we will use that awesome gift more and more to be made clean. For through Him, that miracle is made possible. In His Holy name, amen.

Mum, I love you and thank you for everything. You are really awesome and I am lucky to have been raised by you.. I love you!

Dad, sounds like the week went a little not according to plan, but that's how life is I guess... trial after trial after trial.. I love you and thank you for being you.

Austin, I had a thought this week that may or may not help you... my comp told me about an 80 year old lady that got baptized and received her patriarchal blessing. It said that she was supposed to have received the gospel 50 years earlier but the missionary that was supposed to find her did not go on a mission. We will be held accountable for what we promised to do in the pre earth life... which led me to start to think about the times that we go on our mission. The age was obviously changed for a reason. And if one doesn't go when they should, think of all the families that they would be missing.. obviously they would be picking up more at the end of the mission, but they could be missing... just a thought:) I love ya bro:)

Ellie, keep on keeping on! always do the right things. And act as if Jesus Christ were at your side everyday.

Brynn, stay super happy all the time! I shuffle every day to stay happy:)

I love you all! SALU!

TTT

La Torre- Week 63

HELLO!!!!

This week went by so freaking fast. Monday, p day. Tuesday, ZL meeting at pres house all day. Wednesday, divisions with assistants, Thursday, zone meeting conference thing. Friday, normal... Saturday and Sunday CONFERENCE!

We´ll start from the top:) Tuesday we had the meeting with the president in his house.. it was super spiritual and changed a lot of what I have been doing. First off, my first kid Brose is a ZL now as well so that was really cool to see him. He is doing great:) I also saw Elder Mehr which was awesome. They gave us breakfast, lunch and desert.... Americanized.. I think I went to heaven that day.. strawberry cheesecake. An unheard luxury in this country. jajaja! The subject was many. A lot of it was about the atonement. We cannot teach people with the hope that they will understand if we do not understand at least a fraction of that principle, or better said, experienced the atonement. So we worked on our invitations touching and bearing solemn testimony of the atonement. It changed a lot. Also, another possible unstated topic was bettering our relationship with God. Something that I have tried to do to better my relationship with God or to know him better (john 17:3) , is to pray to Him as if He were in the room and I were talking with my best friend. Because that is exactly what He is to me. My best friend. Changed a lot... and it has made all the difference this week especially before conference.

So we have changed JAM ON. to an acronym: Just answer my only need. Its basically a huge attempt to answer peoples question: "why do I give a crap about your message?" We as missionaries always hear the phrase: "teach people, not lessons" but it makes it a lot different when you internalize that principle. To try and answer that only need, we try to answer three questions with the investigators: 1. Who is God? 2. What does He do?(his purpose?) 3. And Why does he love me? It hopefully will have some good results

so I received a bunch of letters! WHOOP! Definitely have a bunch to write.. jaja...

also, I have started a dream book in result to Richard G Scott's last conference address in April. I figure if I write them down, I will receive more revelation through my dreams.. So far, I have only received two dreams with revelation... but it has been really cool! in the first, I realized that it was a revelation for JAM ON! it was way cool:)

I traded Elder Mehr for a moleskine pocket notebook.. the ones that I wanted.. I´ll send you pics so you know what its all about:)

Also, something from the presidents meeting, was a new project that I like to call Jump-Roids. where does the name come from? Because it is like a bungee jump lesson... on steroids. Hence the name jump roids. Basically, we go in and bless houses and people and leave. So that they can feel "the power of godliness". Which is the atonement... people can experience the atonement through participating in ordinances. This jump roids comes as a result of DyC 84:21. It has been awesome these past couple days.

So now we have the bomb, bungee, rip tear, jump roids, and jam on... I love them all:) and they all have good results.

Divisions with the assistants... I went with Elder Boj from Guatemala. The other assistant is Elder Naylor that also does cycling.. and I hosted him in the mtc (greeted him out of the car) yup, we have a bond... jaja! But basically what I was able to learn from Elder Boj, is that I have so much to learn. He is awesome.. and he is going home in December. I have so much to learn.

Zone meeting... awesome. I thought I was getting over my tears when I speak of the gospel.. or maybe I thought that I was immune in Spanish.. but they came out for the first time in a long time this time.. mostly when I talked about making Heavenly Father your best friend.

You have undoubtedly heard the incredible news of this conference. Basically I had some tears again.. jaja. This conference was so good. I always love Elder Holland, even though I have heard him give that talk before and I have it on dvd!.. the story is a little bit more powerful when he talks to missionaries.. but then the end of his talk in conference was way more powerful. I loved Pres Eyring´s, Elder Bednars, and Pres Uchtdorf. Very very powerful.. how blessed we are to have the knowledge that there is a prophet. And that God still speaks to his children through them. The news about the change in the missionary age was something seriously spectacular. Austin can leave right when I am back! What an amazing blessing. It would have been so much easier for me to have left right after high school. The missionary age change for women was even more shocking! jaja!.  I love conference and I am so grateful for a prophet.

Mum, thanks for everything! You are so awesome and a wonderful mother. Thanks for everything. I love you!

Dad, thanks for everything and I hope everything is going great! Sounds like it is anyway.. sounds like you are going to be busy for the next couple months with all those races:) love ya pops.. make sure you are doing the small and simple things that I told you about... don't miss a week going to the temple or a day reading the scriptures.. starting today.

Austin, can you believe the news? what a huge blessing...you should put your availability date for may 27.. its a Monday. Get out as fast as you can! and it is so awesome that you know why you have had all of these trials lately.. they were to prepare you to be an awesome missionary. I am sorry I wont be able to call you, even if I really want to... it would be worth more to you if I don't call, something that I would do now would be a few: It will take some sacrifice, but its all necessary; read the book of Mormon at least 15 min a day, study the preach my gospel for at least 15 min a day... that would be 30 min of study a day... no matter how many times you start and finish and start and finish, do that until the day you leave... start the day and end it with a prayer, as if Heavenly Father were in the room. If you can get into mission prep, do it. Don't let anything get you out of your focus. You sure make me proud! Thanks for the nice things that you have written in my letter.. basically almost cried. Theres definitely a lot of stuff that is dear to me. love ya bro.

Ellie, can you believe it? crazy stuff! I am glad that you have loved conference so much and thank you for your example. You are really becoming spiritually mature. Always read you scrips. And pray as if God was in the room:)

Brynn, I am glad that you liked conference so much! And that you are all ready for Halloween! love ya!

Elder TTT

SALU

La Torre-Week 64

 

This week flew by like most other weeks... its crazy how fast everything goes.. this week went alright, it started off not so good at all, but then got a lot better towards the end:) looks like I´ll just jump right into this thing!

It started off bad because of this, last Sunday night, we went to visit an investigator that didn't come to church. She is the one that lives with the less active and was drinking coffee. We get to the house to find out that she wasn't there but the less active girl was there.. then she invited us in and started crying to us about how she didn't have money to get on a bus to get to the district center. And she cried about a million other problems (mostly financial) and we decided that we would talk about tithing.. because if someone is having financial problems, the most important commandment for them is the law of tithing, so we read Mal 3:8-10 and talk about the blessings of tithing. She got really defensive saying that she always pays her tithing, when we left we said a prayer and promised her the  blessings were real. We went back on Tuesday to visit the investigator. We get there and she tells us that we had called the less active cursed because she didn't pay tithing... totally putting words in our mouth right? Definitely not the case, she just took the scripture and directed it towards herself... then we had a 2 Nephi 9:40 reaction. whoops! So long story short, the investigator said that she was going to try to get to the states anyway and she decided that she wasn't going to get baptized and she didn't want us to come over anymore... kind of a series of unfortunate events... but life goes on splendidly!

So we know a father from the catholic church talking about a family where the mother died and left her kids.... said that the mother had to be lost because she wasn't baptized... its such a blessing to know the real plan of salvation.. We are going to see what we can do to teach the family the REAL TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ and that her mother is not lost.

We are teaching a person named prudence... he is an old guy that lives by himself and just super super humble and recognizes the spirit.. we taught him the word of wisdom last week and went to visit him this week that he had kept the word of wisdom completely. A lifetime of drinking it and stopped just like that! He said that he wasn't doing it to be obedient to us, but to God. Just how it should be..

We had interviews with the president. It was awesome. He macheted but with a ton of love. He told me that I was a great missionary and I was going to be a great father, and husband and church leader... I sure hope so, because those things sound like hard jobs.. but it really was awesome. Pres whips is awesome.

After the interview, we had a lesson with the doctor. But we decided that it would be awesome to have the presidents wife to be in on the lesson as well.. it turned out awesome and Hna Glazier was amazed at the doctor and what she has been doing:)

we have been doing jump-roids in Apastapeque... a place where lots of missionaries don't go.... and it has been awesome... we have only knocked two streets and gotten like a bunch of references from it... its like every time we knock a door, they tell us to come in! Prepared people... hopefully

Remember when my toenail fell out like 8 months ago? Yeah it grew back with a bunch of deformities and so I tried to fix it by putting cotton under it... bad idea... got a bad in grown now.. nurse is getting me set up for some surgery... yikes.

We got to do some service this week and help this guy at a quinceñera.. He was a cook in the states and speaks pretty good English... we eat with him about 3 or 4 times a week... something about service that I and my comp have learned is that when we serve, we understand more about the Atonement... its not just academical and reading the BoM.... but John 17:3 to   Mosiah 5:13 to Mosiah 2:17..... connect the dots:)

 

We are doing the BoM challenge that Pres Hinckley gave a few years back to read the BoM before the end of the year.. if we read nine pages a day, we will finish it before the end of the year... we are doing it.. I have started in English and putting where I was in Spanish on hold... I am marking in a new BoM where it mentions Christ, promises, where Christ talks, and atonement. It is pretty awesome and I am really stoked! I am learning so much and I feel like I am learning a lot more about the Savior.

Had a super funny lesson with one sister and two brothers... who were like 70 years old.... and they have lived together for that long as well... it was SUPER funny.. they were like a bunch of kids arguing with one another as brothers and sisters do at times:) but they were all super happy. Happy is a close family.

 

 Mum, I am always in need of like benzoyle peroxide... thanks for sending the package whips! you are awesome and thanks for everything you do for me! I love you!

Dad, stay fresh on the bike! sounds like the vacation was fun! don't gain weight! I love you too!

Austin, Alma 37:37 and James 1:5 will never let you down! use it up! love ya

Ellie, boys have cooties! whoop whoop!

Brynn, Halloween is coming up! have loads of fun!

I love you all}

SALU

TTT 

La Torre- Week 62

Hello family!
So, all I read this morning is that everyone is all fetched off because I supposedly didn't write a letter last week! Throw me a freaking bone! Its like the ms gang is hunting me down now... cuz I didn't write a letter... but little did you all know, I DID WRITE A LETTER! I just forgot to put it in the right address.... whoops!.. SORRY!.. but anyway... come what may and love it, right?
So I guess I´ll just start with my letter for this week..
Elder Scurr is a district leader in our zone and he always has such a great attitude about everything! Even though his area is a little hard and the members live in apostasy... and he is really good at shuffling.. so he tells me and many others that whenever your down, shuffle... everyday, when your down whenever... just keep shuffling! so I try to shuffle every day for a little bit:)
I really like my comp a lot! he kinda seems like he thinks that he knows a lot , I have a lot of fun with him... one, he is experienced, and he knows how to work and he knows how to laugh. The time has been going so much faster since I got put with him, maybe because I don't have to worry about what my comp is doing or something like that, because he already knows what to do! And he is really smart and knows the doctrine:)
So we have been working in a small city called Apastapeque. And it is super golden! We knock like one street and have like 8 new investigators! Its super awesome! So we travel to that area about once or twice a week:) The thing is that at night, there are no more buses that go into San Vicente, so we do a little hitch hiking into the city... its pretty fun:) Lots of people at NAU would hitchhike from the resort, to the campus. super hippie:) Remember when I went to school without shoes for like two months? yep, awesome.. Loved that school.
Speaking of school, one of these days, maybe like in December, you guys will have to talk to NAU so I can get permish to sign up for class from here.. just a heads up.. I was thinking I was going to change my major and still do the pre-med requirements.... I was kinda thinking Spanish, or music production (producing music)... can you look into that please? at least the majors? Please and thank you.
WE HAD A BAPTISM ON FRIDAY! ... he wanted me to baptize him and I was very honored. He has been ready for baptism for a long time, but the president of the branch wanted to wait for a little extra preparation for him for who knows what, but he is very cool and is a teacher in the Aaronic priesthood now:)
For Christmas, definitely don't need socks, shirts, or pants... just so you know:) but I would like the things that I described in my last letter that y'all didn't get... plus, my Debussy piano book porfa:)
So the bomb took a phase two yesterday because we had the third hour of the 5th Sunday of the month. Ít was off the hook! First, we did a bungee lesson.. I think I explained what a bungee lesson was a long time ago, it is basically a short lesson filled with testimony.. So we did a practice with the branch pres (as if he were an inv.) in front of the branch to show them all how we teach as missionaries. Then, the classic RIP TEAR. you know all about that. That has my trademark on it. Then we came with a new little project called JAM ON. (Jam on lee!) Jam on is getting the members to do something.. so we gave them all folletos with a sticky note on it so that they could give the folleto to one of their friends and write the address and name of the person on the sticky and give the sticky to us. We already got one! So I think that I received a little revelation... maybe there are some people that have references ( like the branch pres in this case) that wont give us references unless we ask. Just like God sometimes doesn't give us blessings unless we ask. anyway... JAM ON! Also, DON'T STOP TILL YOU GET E-NUFF. Meaning, you got to follow up with the members and make sure they DON'T STOP. (Also, Elder Cook came up with that to have us always fight for families) But we changed it to fit the bomb.,. so the BOMB is the overall project, but has sub projects to help it... such as the BUNGEE, RIP TEAR, JAM ON, and DON'T STOP TIL YOU GET E-NUFF. So yeah... hope we see some progress there!
I like my area! Its one of the coolest areas I have had for working.. The members, good ... I think Valle Nuevo will be the best in that sense... but also Nuevo Lourdes had the bomb take off! So that makes a little competition... but as for working and cool stuff in our area? This is by far the coolest:)
Mum, I love you and thanks for all you do for me! Thanks for the letter and sorry mine didn't get to you last week:) my bad Thanks for everything!
Dad, sounds like that trip was way legit! Glad you had fun! I hope all goes well with the meeting tomorrow,.,. if the bright family wouldn't have had a son that doesn't know how to type, maybe my advice would have helped! jajajaja... oh well... love ya pops!
Austin,,, to help you with your question, you can read 2 Nephi 4.. its my favorite chapter.. from like vs 15 to the end... take into account that Nephi had seen everything that John the revelator saw and a boatload of things that Isaiah saw.. and he still felt inferior.. basically if you are feeling that, you are felling what you call Godly sorrow, a necessary step for repentance... and it doesn't matter who you are... Everyone will always have a need for repentance. That chapter will help ya I think:) love ya!
Ellie and Brynn, holy crap, when I saw the fotos of your guys, I almost flew out of my chair.. you guys have gotten BIG! Ellie's almost as tall as Austin and Austin is taller than me! holy moly! Definitely haven't seen a picture of you guys in like 6 months! Both of you are huge! Congrats. anyway, love ya!! come what may and love it! (sick talk I read this morning... his last talk before he died)
I love you all and I hope you are not too distraught with the no letter last week:) jaja.. have a good week!
SALU

La Torre- Week 61

HELLO,

Wow this week flew like a mother... I am really shocked that it is Monday again, but I am so grateful for it!!! jajajaja. So first on the docket, HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIM!!!.. don't know how I remembered that one... I got sick one day this week where I felt like throwing up all day, and I did just a little and it was gross, so I stayed in the house for a few hours and slept:) but now I am good! sick whips gone. I had a dream when I was sleeping that day that I was home. I woke up and thought, I CANT GO HOME! I LOVE THE PEOPLE TOO MUCH! The thing about the mission is weird. Like, we pay to work where other jobs, we work to get paid... but nothing could be more rewarding than missionary work! crazy.

Apostasy of the week: "Jesus Christ came and changed the law of moses because it was too strict and now we are all saved by grace."

This area is really cool.. it kinda has that small town feel, like the last Saturday of the month the whole city has this party thing. Weird stuff like that. I like my comp.. I finally got a comp that actually is experienced and knows how to teach. so BONUS! Our house is cool... we have a washing machine that's broken. We Wash our clothes by hand.. which is actually a lot easier than what one would think. I like our house a lot.. its a little older but it is one of the better houses I have lived in in my mission:) The area is covered with catholics, something unique in this area... I call it catholic town:) And theres some tranvesties... I don't like to walk by them,... they always say something stupid to me.

Theres a guy in my area who is 126 years old. wow!

So that Doctor that I told you all about last week has read the book of Mormon once already. And is reading for the second time... she is super smart! She doesn't like TV even... she read the book in about a month. crazy.. some people are just ready.. most members don't even read like that... an investigator should have a spiritual experience every day... and most members don't have that???? what the??? Even a lot of missionaries don't have that.

We had a lesson with a part member family.. They just got married and the husband lives in the states but comes to visit.. He is trying to get her papers ready so that she can head up north. His dad was the first member in San Vicente and he is still a member of the branch where I am currently serving. Anyway, we starting teaching her this week and we taught the first lesson. We got to the point about the first vision and she just stared at the picture. Then we sat in silence for whet seemed like minutes, then we asked what she was feeling and she started crying. She couldn't answer but we knew that she knew. We do not fear silence. We teach with it, and the spirit uses it.

We found a pastor this week.. he wants us to come over tomorrow so we can spend all day talking about doctrine... we´ll see about that--- its cool though because he is a humble pastor.. he actually listens to us and understands where we are coming from.

Teaching another chosen one who lives in the same complex as a member.  We taught the word of wisdom and she asked the member, "WHY have you been giving me coffee every morning?! We HAVE to stop" so they have stopped:)

We had the temple activity this weekend! It was absolutely amazing, the first convert I saw was hna Elizabeth! She was so happy and so active! Then when we were about to leave, I saw Rosa and Veronica, two converts from my first area and I asked them if they were there for the activity, and they said, "no! we are here to make covenants in the temple" I was so happy. I cannot tell you the joy that comes to your heart when you see the people you taught: active and going to the temple. I could not even try to explain it. I also saw many other people from other wards that I have served in and it was awesome:)

I gave a talk in sacrament meeting. The branch Pres asked me like 5 min before sacrament started... nice.. but it turned out OK... I looked at it as if I were disassembling their bomb shelter to get ready for the BOMB!

We visited a family in the ward this week that had a family member that had had an accident that very day. We asked if we could do anything and they asked me to offer a prayer.. I felt that when I started the prayer that it wasn't in the Lords plans to keep him living.. so I gave a prayer of comfort and we left.. the next day, We found out that he had died and we had a service for him yesterday. I love the way the spirit works.

This week I prayed for pops and what to say to him so that he could have some added guidance with the business this week.. I got an answer and thought that I would remember it in the morning and write it down to write to him.. yeah.. didn't remember at all about what revelation I had received.. so I asked the same question the next night and realized that I received the same answer as the night before,,, so, when you receive revelation, write it down, or you will forget it. So this is the revelation that I received of what I could write to you pops: The best thing that you can do is pray morning and night and read the scriptures every day... not just read them but study them for AT LEAST 15 MIN. and go to the temple once a week with prayer and ask God for direction. Do it to it pops, I know that I cant receive revelation for you, but that's what I received of what I could write to you to help you out... :)

So a weird story: So after the funeral service yesterday, we walked a member of our ward home, because its dangerous for a woman to walk alone in the dark in El salvy.. so we got within like two blocks of her house and she was like.. well thanks! I can make it from here... so we left and we went to one of our lessons.., about twenty min after we said bye to that girl, she called us crying and told something had happened and my comp asked her where she was and then the call dropped.. so we were like, sorry but we gotta go.. so we left and started booking it towards her house.. thinking like the worst right? like rape, kidnapped.. beat up, everything is going through my head. We finally found her a block and a half from her house and told us that her drunk brother came in and started fighting with everyone in the house and knocked his brother out.. so she left crying and didn't know what to do.. she was telling us what was going on and we just listened and she cried. So we prayed and said bye...she may or may not have cried a little on my shoulder which was really uncomfortable as a missionary. But what was I going to do? jaja

 Mum, love ya and thanks for the letter! I have a small Christmas list now... is that weird? I would like a pair of brown leather Sperry's.. probably size nine.. my skinny RVCA green cords, a skinny tie, and another moleskine notebook but smaller than the ones you gave me:) like a pocket size:) I love you to the moon and back mum! I hope all goes well this week! BTW, started a dream book this week because I had a super vivid dream.. and Richard G Scott said last conference that dreams a a good source of revelation! So if I write all my dreams down, I will show God that it is important to me and therefore receive more revelation! WHOOP!. I love you so very much! If the Christmas list is too much to ask for then don't worry:) I just thought I would tell you now because last year you sent it super early:) I love you!

BROTHERS AND SISTERS: I LOVE YOU ALL! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

SALU!

TTT

Philippians 4:13