Alma 29:9

Alma 29:9
I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

Wednesday, December 28, 2011

December 28, 2011

Okay i guess i need my cord to send home pictures i thought there was an s-d card thing but i don't have time to run home and get it...sorry one more week tho just imagine me smiling okay,

So the work here is good. i don't know if i told you the rock story prolly not but i was here for like three dyas and me and my companion got like 10 rocks thrown at us but we were like Samuel the Lamanite and nothing hit us just kids tho trying to be tough, but that is an epic anacostia story. need you guys to send me a letter to the mission office then they will send it to me so i can know my physical address so you do that and i will get it. No one knows it off the top of there head. it is on savanna terrace tho Se. side  of D.C. and we are the last apartment on the long turn haha maybe you could get it off of that.

But the work here is good we have three people on b-dates so that is good. Two of them me and my comp put them on. One is Corliss and she is hooked she called us yesterday to tell us it is going to rain because she knew we don't listen to the news lol. She is a really sweet lady and will be an awesome member and she is connecting the dots to why our church is true and why her's isn't so it might take a while for her to think but i am almost certain she will. The other one is Zack and i hope he is not cheese but we will have to see he seems like a good guy tho but does no want to come to church because it interferes with chess lol

i think he might come around think of the positive, and the one i have met only once for 5 minutes is Lottie and she seems like corliss we just have to get her to church. other than that we have district meetings on tuesday's and p day on wednesday and on new years eve we go in at like 3 because everyone gets there gun out that they got on Christmas lol at least that is what i am told so we will play some board games and have fun. Being here is just amazing and the weather here is perfect. Today we went to the stake center and played basketball with other elders and hopefully next week we will take some sunset pictures at the mall if the weather is good. We get to do that once a transfer, go to the mall real early and take sunset pictures so that is going to be fun and we get to go as often as we like on p-day and i really want to go next week.

Glad you guy's had a good christmas and please send me pics. haha i am going to bring my cord next week and i don't know my physical address. Thanks for the e-mails all who send them i read them all and i don't have alot of time right now i am going to have a library card tho next week so i can get on for a longer time. i have to keep logging on when it logs me off the express one right now.  But i will defiantly send pics next week haha maybe if you guys send me a new s-d. card i can send this one home and then we can just keep switching if you want too?? that would make it easier for me then you can have all the pictures i have taken and i might do a couple of video's of my apartment and around my area so you can see how ghetto it is.

There are so many black people here it is kinda crazy, every time we see a white person we hit each other just to let them know lol it is a different world out here and everybody tells us to be careful haha, every time we g-q someone they tell us, y'all be careful now aight be careful, crazy people round here, That is what is happening tho, everything is going good and i have having a blast but i have to go right now sorry for it being so short and no pics but i don't have the time right now sorry but i will get ya a big one next week like the one last week. Have fun and keep me updated on your life's haha Love you all

Love Elder Stoor, or i guess Storr

Friday, December 23, 2011

Mission President's Letter

We got a letter from Elder Stoor's Mission President today.



We also got a photo.
FIRST PHOTO!!!...and it wasn't even from Elder Stoor haha.
But he looks GREAT! :)

(click to enlarge)

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

December 20, 2011

Hi guys i am in D.C!
seen Elder Gleed today that was pretty fun, and my trainer's name is Elder Fawcett, i think i spelled it right but not sure, he is from Canada so when you guy's want to facebook stalk him you can, he is going home next transfer so i only have 6 weeks with him and then i will get a new one! So after i called you i didn't do much cause everything was closed in the airport and then i got on the airplane and flew to atlanta did get a little bit of sleep but the plane landed late so i walked off the plane and caught a train over to the next plane and got on it did not have time to even soak in that i was in atlanta till i was on the next plane and sat there for 10 minutes and then we took off! so i am glad i called dad when i did otherwise i would not have been able to talk to you till sunday lol, i can't skype it is against the mission rules i guess, so just tell me a good time to call. After we got to Dulles, the four i was rooming with...Galuvao, Morris, and Lott all kinda left the group who were at the bathroom and went to go to the baggage claim to see if we could get our luggage and after we walked in the door to the baggage claim, Sister Matsumori came and ran up to us! then we met the Assistants there were three but now two because one went home at 4 today haha, and then President Matsumori met us, tell me if i got their spelling wrong so change it cause i don't want to mess that up.

After that we waited for the other elders and then went to the cars and loaded up and went to the Temple. That thing is huge! and it kinda pops out at you from both sides of the freeway and the visitors center is a good place to be. I hope to be able to go to the festival of lights sometime this week. My p-day is normally on Wednesday but it was changed this week because of us arriving i believe, so expect my e-mail next week and please send me a letter would ya i think i have to get one before i can get a library card i am using Elder's Dott...he is Morris's trainer, we are in the same apartment. but back to the story haha, i had the most spiritual experience so far, you start your mission off here by praying on the temple grounds and you get to end it there too before you get on the plane. I love that place! it was an amazing experience. Then we went to the mission home and tell Tonya i think it is the same one it is pretty big place. i hope to go there because i didn't take many pics there and sorry again for no pictures i will definitely remember to get some next week on here. At the mission home, we had an orientation meeting thing the assistants did, and Pres. did interviews to find out where we would go it was pretty fun, he is an awesome man! oh yeah before that we took a nap it was much needed the beds there are amazing. and then we had dinner really good, and also a testimony meeting which was spiritual then pie and go to bed and in between there somewhere they taught us the ping pong round the world thing game haha it was alot of fun. So today, we woke had a good breakfast then went to the Visitors Center on the temple grounds then in a room in there and had a trainers meeting and met the trainers then after we saw other missionaries about 13 leaving same number that came in with two sisters included in that number and that is where i saw e. gleedl, then we went through a session.

D.C. Temple is huge and very pretty, and we get to go once a transfer so i will get to go alot and the President told me to go to the D.C. area as much as i can because it is good, just don't let it interfere with proselyting time. and my area is anacostia, i don't know if i spelled right but the Pres. told me that it is the toughest area in the mission but i have the best trainer so i am glad he is trusting me enough to put me in a tough area. and it is kinda a slummy area so far but i like it.

Traffic here is just plain scary but i am in a bike mission so i do have the Best mission and everyone here are saying i am coming at the pefect time! He said he knows he gets the best missionaries so i hope to become just that! He says that because there are every kind of people here imaginable, embassies from every country, and just plain important people here, so we are kinda the world's sight to the Church or something like that. He explained that the temple in Rome is being able to be build because the top guy came to the visitor's center and the sisters were so nice that they said they would build a temple if they put something like that there, and also other examples. I told him that he did not have to worry about me and he could trust me so i am going to do just that and be as obedient as i can and just take in everything i can to become the best missionary i can be! Also they said to send all the mail to the mission office and i think you have that address already. There is a problem with theft so i only get a package every so often if the zone leaders get them then i won't have to wait till transfers but i will get most of them at transfer day so just heads up on that. I went shoppping just barely so hopefully i will be able to survive on what i got till i figure out what i can cook and what i can't lol

The Zone leaders are going to be Santa Clause so i should get all the packages that you sent me still i just have my sheets package and bike now. we had to leave mine and morris's bike at the stake center where we normally do transfers other than the first time which is at the visitor's center but they said we would have it tomorrow. I am doing fine tho so don't worry about me. I don't think i have seen a white person other than my companion in a while haha We pasted a Denny's and they are like that is the number one denny's for walk in murder's haha right after they said we are eating there soon cause it is just something i have to do lol, lots of sirens and they said we here gun shots once a week so we will see how that is. But i will be fine no need to worry about me cause i am a country  boy haha i am in god's hands so i will be protected. i just hope to serve him and my mission president the best i can. i am about 45 minutes away from D.C. i guess so i hope to be able to go there next p-day, traffic is crazy and people here seem to be nice so far. tonight we are gonna go out and do tracting i guess we don't knock on doors just talk to everyone we see. Meet my bishop tomorrow because he is having dinner, and got a call from a sister who wants a book of mormon to give as a gift my trainer got off the phone and said, this is good haha

I love this church and for the opportunity to serve i just hope that i will be able to but i am not worried Ibonics is a really different language so it is going to get used to understanding it but i can get the gist of it. I just hope i do good and my time is almost up so i will talk to you on sunday at i think you said noon your time but maybe that was 2 haha i don't know but i will try and get there sometime if i don't call just be around the phone i do not know what time church is yet, so don't know but my comp. said we are going to a members home to party, so that will be good and i have a card with something in it i can hopefully send tomorrow but don't know if i can. I know very little and am just trying to do everything right so that can be a problem. I am the greenest of the greenies but i should get it figured out here pretty soon. The first thing my comp. said is we are gonna have fun together so i am very excited for that. sorry mom but no strictler for me haha he seems pretty chill but i am trying to do everything i am supposed to do. I am still pretty tired tho and it is 5 o'clock here so i think 3 there so i think i am going to be able to get used to that switch here in a couple of days. one thing i learned was that the apostles say that we have the best mission president there is. When you become a mission pres. you are interviewed by one of the twelve and almost all is told that they will get a letter or call sometime, maybe not at all maybe in 5 years, but Pres. Matsumori was told if he didn't get a letter within the week, he needed to call salt lake! haha so he truly is the best i can have and i hope to make him proud and also make you proud. Next week's email should tell you everything about the peple i can remember and include some pictures (sorry mom, love you still). Talk to you on Sunday, send me an e-mail asking me all the ?'s you want answered and i will tell you. just know i love it here and no need to worry about me cause i am on Lord's errand. Love Elder Stoor!

just read you letter mother, elder Fawcett my trainer, anacostia south my aread, dl is my comp., loads of people but don't know alot because i haven't been here only three hours, p-day is on wed. but this week only is today, and hopefully i answered all your other ?'s, oh yeah the best present from the Matsumori's is a little preach my gospel!!!!! that just tells you how cool they are, because that is illegal but don't tell haha. Sis. Matsumori said, i don't know if it is legal but think it will help you guy's not have to pack as much in your backpack haha lover her and him a whole lot but i think my time is up so tty guys next week!! and Sunday!!! Love Elder Stoor...tell everyone i love letters :]

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

December 13, 2011

Hellooooo, good to hear from all you guys keep the letters comin, thanks to all who wrote and especially momma, matt and mary ann for the packages!!! Also to aunt monica and uncle russell for the christmas card! This week has seriously flown by i cannot believe that i am going into the mission field on Sunday!!!! got our travel iteneraries and we leave the MTC Sunday at 8:30 and then catch a flight at 12:55 to Atlanta then to Dolles airport landing about 9 o clock and we are guessing there time so bout a 6 to 7 hour flight so i am excited, feels like i was dropped off the curb yesturday! I get to take new missionaries away from their families on Wednesday for a while don't know how many i am going to get to do but we will see!

I have learned many things and my testimony has grown sooooo much it is crazy. The two most scriptures i use are 2Nephi 32:3 and Alma 37:6-7 so look em up cause they are good. I don't know what the TRC stands for but it is a place that is supposed to have real investigators and try to make it as real as they can, but some of them are real. They get volenteers to come and just feel spiritual and others come to learn the gospel. One TRC i used the Alma one and the lady commited herself to going back to Church and i turned to my comp and was like PERFECT haha. In Class our teachers do fake investagators and one told me that he just needed an Angel to come and see him, go look at 2Nephi one haha was amazed when i read that because i was going to use it to get him to read the scriptures and i answered his ? and got him to commit to reading more.

Thanks to Sis Mazza for giving me that card, Sunday i opened up and read through it and laughed cause the note she left me told me if i run into an Elder Farely who teaches here to give him her love and he is my teacher lol also Sis Mazza there is an Bro. Lybbert here who is training to teach with Bro. Farely so i have met both of them...Bro. and Sis. Moldenhower will appriciate this also, Tis a small world haha

I will send some pictures home next time i forgot my camera again so terribly sorry haha, but i have taken a couple will try and take more and might send a pic of me and my teachers home cause they are pretty cool. Favorite lesson was when we were learning about teaching with the Spirit...Bro Lybbert and Farely taught that lesson and i have never been in a place where the Spirit was stronger, learned alot and it is crazy that you can know every single thing that your investagators need if you have the spirit and are teaching by the Spirit so i learned a big lesson and it was prolly the most important one!

Glad to here that you will have a post season Shelb keep up the good work! and let me know everything that happens
how is meg doin int he play? don't even know when it is so let me know
mara thanks for the letters appriciate everyone
Dad thanks for the letters i need them
Momma i love ya and sad to hear that pepper misses me but i liked that story cause i miss everyone too but i know i am where i am supposed to be and if my mission goes as fast as these last week has gone then i will be home before you know it! I am looking forward to coming home but i am trying to focus as much as i can here. I really have not time to think of you guys back home exept when i am reading my letters and right before bed but i am so tired by the time i get to bed that i just crash. The spirit is so strong it is crazy and it wheres you out soooo much i have never been so mentally tired in my life Think soo much here please don't make fun of my spelling again i am just trying to type fast and try to remember everything. You should send me an email on monday night with all the ?'s you asked me so i can get them all cause i never remember to bring the letters to the computer lab all i think about is getting to email you guy's.
We only have a half hour too and like everything else it goes by fast but i want to be able to do it in a half hour to be obidient, so yeppers

Had a BYU Men's Choir Devotional on Sunday it was just pretty cool. They are awesome singers and had the best finally i have ever heard had the Spirit there so strong and then we all stood up and gave them and ovation after the prayer it was a sight to see. love music and speaking of music try to get my ipod done and also if you can get as many watch faces as you can on there so i can accesoritise you know haha and also just because i am a nerd. and tell me if you can find every hymn if you can't there is one in the bookstore that is green that has every hymn on it i can get it if i have too and send it home also, everything in there is 40% off and i need to quit going in there but time is up so ta ta till next week in D.C.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Elder Stoor

Monday, December 12, 2011

December 9, 2011

Hey family!
     So these c-ds please put them on my ipod then you can enjoy them too :).
My comp and I had a really hard TRC.  The TRC is like the place where they are supposed to be real investugators.  Our guy's name was and is Daniel Limon and to make my story short and sweet it was terrible.  He made fun of my comp and in the real world I would have just gone away but, he was just rude and wouldn't listen to anything we had to say.  He was trying to get us to talk science with him and nothing about religion.  Took us 15 minutes to get inside the door, and  my comp who is a pretty stout kid was almost to the point of hitting him, but he was really good and held his composure which I am thankful for because I wouldn't know what to do if he did.  but the biggest and most important lesson is you cannot teach anyone or anything unless you have the Spirit.  It is impossible.  That was our first TRC so we talked about it and we are not letting this get us down, so no worries, but that was a valuable lesson learned.  Must need the Spirit.
     I pressed the new look button on the email and learned that one to be a mistake.  Tell Bishop thanks for the e-mail and about that scripture  momma :)
     And for stuff to get here don't need much.  They have my journal here for like four dollars so I am going to get like 5 if I have the room and see how long they last and if I can because my bags and only weigh 50 lbs each.  So 100 lbs total plus carry on so I should be able too.  Just letters is all I can ask for and Dear Elder works the best prolly.
     Today is P-day and everyone else is napping but I can't sleep very good at this time of day and not when I haven't done many physical activities.  Gym is the best and I have played alot of ball in just two of those.  Should have gym everyday exept Tuesday and Sunday.  Played against this Mongolian kid he is wicked fast.  Never seen anyone so fast and I am serious.  Handle and Passes the ball better than anyone I have seen.  Good shot too but is super slow at getting it off buy gym is a good stress removal.  Wasn't stressed until the lesson last night by Bro. Farley about stress, then I was stressed lol.  Bro. Farely served under Pres. Modenhower haha don't make fun of my spelling.  You will have to tell them tho because he is my favorite teacher.  Bro. Anderson is the other one he is good but don't like him as much as the other one.
     All I can say is it is really fun.  We go around singing all the time haha pretty embarrisny I know but I am having fun.  It is weird tho cause I feel like I know everyone in my district from before.  Almost like the veil was lifted and we know each other from before this life.  They are fun and I will send ya a pic next time if I figure it out on the email.  Would ave today but forgot my camera and was shorted 15 minutes out of the 30 we get.
     I really want that pic of bre and the one of you guys, sen me multiple of you guys and the tie tacks.  I better go it seems like the days are just starting to get very short anytime is picking up.  Laundry time wish me luck mom.  Devotional tonight too so super stoked for that.  I love and miss all you guys but I love it here too.
Love,
Elder Stoor

P.S. Hearing my first name is weird now.  I am finally getting used to the fact that I am a missionary.  The first couple of days is just felt like I was just seeing them EVERYWHERE lol, realizing I am one of them tho.  3 Nephi 5:13

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

December 6, 2011

Hey Guys, Hope all is well

Right after you dropped me off i went through a line and got all my crap then that elder took me to my room and then to my classroom to meet my companion, Elder Galuvao, He is an awesome guy and we have so much in common it is crazy, He is from Anaheim California and he is Somoan, i learned the first day how many somoan's there are here when he went missing lol He has a strong testimony and i can feel it. We went to class and was right into learning, We learned more the first day than all four years of high school, go to the first page in pmg and go look at our purpose and you can know what we have been doing and learning since then.

The spirit is so strong here, we had mission conferance where the mtc pres. spoke and it was really good, then the christmas devotional, it is really awesome to be with so many missionaries in one place. We live in 3m on the fourth floor so i get to hike some stairs every day. Mattresses are little and not very comfy but the elders next door who are in my district will tell you there names later had an extra mattress and i kinda sorta stole it with there permission. But last night was good with those two mattresses, we will see today if i have to put it back haha but last night i slept better cause it wasn't so hard.

My day consists of teaching, learning, teaching, teaching, personal study in between. You are so busy here it is amazing. I haven't had time to think about anyone so i have not gotten homesick too bad, but i do miss al you guys, Those Dear Elder Letters are the way to go, tell everyone about it because it gives me comfort to get mail and to read it before i go to bed. Mail is the best and i love you guy's for writing me and tell matt and maryann thanks for the candy, journal, and oil. was good to get some of that. Food is excellent here tho, not as good as your cooking tho momma

The store here has excellent stuff i bought two c-d's that i am going to send home, it is just like deseret book but i get everything 40% off so it is nice. I want them on myipod tho if you could wait to send that.

I want pictures something terrible so if you can send me pics of you guy's and that one of bre that i talked to you about mom, passsed that just letters every day would make me not feel homesick. Let everyone know that i can get mail and be super happy. also if you could find me those tie tacks i would appriciate it cause i really want that one.

The Elders in my room are my comp Galuvao, me, Elder's Lott, and Morris (DL) all of us are going to DC, Sisters are Schank, Brown, and Cox going to New York, other Three Elders are Weidner, Zollinger(marine he is big lol), and Anderson going to San Diego

Tell you the Elders in my zone next week if i get there names down buy my comp sister is in our zone and branch and they came on the same day. Everyone here says that is a first so that is pretty cool

I will try and send a pic next time too but i don't have time and i had some tech problems so i lost about 15 minutes trying to get it back up so next one may be longer too but i am trying to be as obidient or however you spell it, as i can

I am just trying to take your advice dad and Start to lose myself in the work, remembered that one from the prophet as well and it has been working...Before i didn't think it was going to be this fun, but teaching people is soo much fun, exept this one guy but i might write ya at home.

Love you all so much and miss you

Elder SToor

Monday, December 5, 2011

1st letter!!!!

I was at work all day and checked the e-mail a dozen times.  Jim beat me home from work and found a letter in the mailbox - I honestly had not even though of mail, just looked for e-mails.  But who cares!!  We got a letter from our missionary!!

Friday, December 2, 2011

Goodbyes

Every goodbye makes the next hello closer!


Family photo after Seth was set apart

Mara had to head back to school

I think they love each other!

Seth got up early to give his little sisters a hug before the bus came.




Grandma & Grandpa Stoor

Grandma & Grandpa Petersen

In front of the Provo Temple - just before the MTC
It was quite an experience saying our goodbyes to Seth - oh ya, Elder Stoor.  It is hard to explain the mixed emotions of sadness & joy, knowing that we had to say goodbye, but knowing that he is exactly where he should be.  I just can't wait for that first letter!

How Lucky I am to know someone who is so hard 

to say goodbye to.