Home on Monday November 9, 2015
Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Last Letter Home
Saturday October 31, 2015
Hello friends and family!
Well I guess this is it... I`m going into my last week as a missionary!! It`s a weird feeling but I feel so happy, so blessed, and also so excited to see my family.
My mission just keeps getting better and better. Last week we were teaching a recent convert and her daughter came in and started listening. Her name is Monse and she almost got baptized about 4 or 5 months ago but wasn't ready yet. We stopped teaching her after that because she wasn't very interested in it and we hadn't really taught her since. When she came and started listening the other day she started asking us a lot of questions and has gotten to a point in her life where she has to make a lot of big decisions. We taught her about reading scriptures and praying and the next time we went over there we taught the plan of salvation and then on Sunday she came to church and then this Tuesday while we were over there we sat down and she started to cry. She said she prayed until 3 in the morning and had the overwhelming feeling that she needs to be baptized and that Heavenly Father wants her to serve a mission. Nine months ago Monse didn't believe in God and felt she had no purpose in this life. A week from today she is going to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am overwhelmed with joy to be able to see this miracle. This is why Heavenly Father needed me to stay just a little longer; to show me that He is a God of miracles.
I have been reading my journal a lot this week and reflecting on my mission. I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity to serve the Lord. I have met so many amazing people, learned so much, and have grown closer to my Savior.
I thank everyone who has supported me during these two years. They have been the best two years of my life and I have felt the prayers of friends and family that have carried me all the way through. I will be eternally grateful for the support of my family, friends, and church leaders.
I know that this is Christ`s church that has been restored by a modern day prophet. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. I know that our Savior lives. I know he paid a price for us that we will never be able to repay Him. I know that families can be forever and I am so excited to be back with mine.
See you soon everybody :)
Love,
Elder Del Toro
Hello friends and family!
Well I guess this is it... I`m going into my last week as a missionary!! It`s a weird feeling but I feel so happy, so blessed, and also so excited to see my family.
My mission just keeps getting better and better. Last week we were teaching a recent convert and her daughter came in and started listening. Her name is Monse and she almost got baptized about 4 or 5 months ago but wasn't ready yet. We stopped teaching her after that because she wasn't very interested in it and we hadn't really taught her since. When she came and started listening the other day she started asking us a lot of questions and has gotten to a point in her life where she has to make a lot of big decisions. We taught her about reading scriptures and praying and the next time we went over there we taught the plan of salvation and then on Sunday she came to church and then this Tuesday while we were over there we sat down and she started to cry. She said she prayed until 3 in the morning and had the overwhelming feeling that she needs to be baptized and that Heavenly Father wants her to serve a mission. Nine months ago Monse didn't believe in God and felt she had no purpose in this life. A week from today she is going to be baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am overwhelmed with joy to be able to see this miracle. This is why Heavenly Father needed me to stay just a little longer; to show me that He is a God of miracles.
I have been reading my journal a lot this week and reflecting on my mission. I feel so blessed to have had this opportunity to serve the Lord. I have met so many amazing people, learned so much, and have grown closer to my Savior.
I thank everyone who has supported me during these two years. They have been the best two years of my life and I have felt the prayers of friends and family that have carried me all the way through. I will be eternally grateful for the support of my family, friends, and church leaders.
I know that this is Christ`s church that has been restored by a modern day prophet. I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father. I know that our Savior lives. I know he paid a price for us that we will never be able to repay Him. I know that families can be forever and I am so excited to be back with mine.
See you soon everybody :)
Love,
Elder Del Toro
Patricia
Saturday October 24, 2015
Hello Friends and Family!
All is well here in Guadalajara! We gave Hurricane Patricia a run for her money! :) It was actually pretty funny because we have a zone on the coast that was supposed to be the only zone hit by the storm and so they were preparing and everything and Patricia threw a curve ball and started heading up our way. I´m not going to lie, we were all jumping for joy when we heard we were going to get a piece of Patricia. I thought it would have made the perfect end of the mission story! Yesterday morning we went and bought food and water for two days and buckled down ready for the storm in the afternoon. It just rained and that was about it. There are a couple fallen down trees in the city but nothing major.
Besides that, this week was pretty normal. We worked a lot and have been having a good time with our good friends Elder Conrad and Elder Gonzalez. They have an appointment in the embassy on Monday. We don't know if we should pray that they get everything figured out or that they have more problems so they can stay with us!
Being with the new missionaries has made me remember when I first got to the mission. I have been telling them all sorts of mission stories and funny experiences and it has helped me realize how many amazing experiences I have had here. I have enjoyed some funny experiences, some scary ones, lots of spiritual experiences, challenging, sad, faith building... So many experiences that have helped me learn and grow. Sorry in advance if all you hear from me when I get home is mission experiences. I know that not a day will go by when I do not either think of something from my mission or use a skill that I have learned on my mission. I feel like this experience of serving the Lord has become a foundation that I will always be able to rely on when times get tough. I can truly say that the Lord has become my rock and foundation.
I love you all! Have a great week :)
Elder Del Toro
Hello Friends and Family!
All is well here in Guadalajara! We gave Hurricane Patricia a run for her money! :) It was actually pretty funny because we have a zone on the coast that was supposed to be the only zone hit by the storm and so they were preparing and everything and Patricia threw a curve ball and started heading up our way. I´m not going to lie, we were all jumping for joy when we heard we were going to get a piece of Patricia. I thought it would have made the perfect end of the mission story! Yesterday morning we went and bought food and water for two days and buckled down ready for the storm in the afternoon. It just rained and that was about it. There are a couple fallen down trees in the city but nothing major.
Besides that, this week was pretty normal. We worked a lot and have been having a good time with our good friends Elder Conrad and Elder Gonzalez. They have an appointment in the embassy on Monday. We don't know if we should pray that they get everything figured out or that they have more problems so they can stay with us!
Being with the new missionaries has made me remember when I first got to the mission. I have been telling them all sorts of mission stories and funny experiences and it has helped me realize how many amazing experiences I have had here. I have enjoyed some funny experiences, some scary ones, lots of spiritual experiences, challenging, sad, faith building... So many experiences that have helped me learn and grow. Sorry in advance if all you hear from me when I get home is mission experiences. I know that not a day will go by when I do not either think of something from my mission or use a skill that I have learned on my mission. I feel like this experience of serving the Lord has become a foundation that I will always be able to rely on when times get tough. I can truly say that the Lord has become my rock and foundation.
I love you all! Have a great week :)
Elder Del Toro
On the Lord's Errand
Saturday October 17, 2015
Another good week in Guadalajara!
I have been learning so much lately! The Lord has been teaching me so many things during my whole mission but I think I am becoming a better learner or something. Life is just full of little lessons to learn from.
I have good and bad news about the stolen suit case boys...
The good news is that they were able to go to the area that they were originally assigned to! The not so great news is that they had to come back the next day because they found out their passport and visa things still aren't in line. And that´s not even really bad news because that means they will be with us another couple weeks!!
Elder Gonzalez and I had a really sweet experience teaching a family who still hasn't been sealed in the temple. The husband was baptized just over a year ago and so they can be sealed whenever they are ready but they haven't really shown interest about it. The bishop asked us to visit them so we did and we had a 15 minute lesson with them but it was one of my favorite lessons I have been in during my mission. We talked about covenants and the reason why we make them with our Heavenly Father. We then talked about the new and everlasting covenant, which is eternal marriage. We both shared a spiritual experience that we have had with our families in the temple and shared our testimonies. The spirit was so strong! We felt impressed to invite them, as representatives of Jesus Christ, to not procrastinate any longer their temple marriage. They were both crying and it was clear to see that the spirit was telling them that that is exactly what they need to do. As missionaries we always teach in the name of Christ but every once in a while, you get a special feeling that our Heavenly Father is speaking directly through you. It is a great privilege to be a worthy representative of Jesus Christ and to help Him bring to pass His work and His glory. I love being a missionary. It´s the best thing I´ve ever done.
Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Elder Del Toro
Another good week in Guadalajara!
I have been learning so much lately! The Lord has been teaching me so many things during my whole mission but I think I am becoming a better learner or something. Life is just full of little lessons to learn from.
I have good and bad news about the stolen suit case boys...
The good news is that they were able to go to the area that they were originally assigned to! The not so great news is that they had to come back the next day because they found out their passport and visa things still aren't in line. And that´s not even really bad news because that means they will be with us another couple weeks!!
Elder Gonzalez and I had a really sweet experience teaching a family who still hasn't been sealed in the temple. The husband was baptized just over a year ago and so they can be sealed whenever they are ready but they haven't really shown interest about it. The bishop asked us to visit them so we did and we had a 15 minute lesson with them but it was one of my favorite lessons I have been in during my mission. We talked about covenants and the reason why we make them with our Heavenly Father. We then talked about the new and everlasting covenant, which is eternal marriage. We both shared a spiritual experience that we have had with our families in the temple and shared our testimonies. The spirit was so strong! We felt impressed to invite them, as representatives of Jesus Christ, to not procrastinate any longer their temple marriage. They were both crying and it was clear to see that the spirit was telling them that that is exactly what they need to do. As missionaries we always teach in the name of Christ but every once in a while, you get a special feeling that our Heavenly Father is speaking directly through you. It is a great privilege to be a worthy representative of Jesus Christ and to help Him bring to pass His work and His glory. I love being a missionary. It´s the best thing I´ve ever done.
Have a great week everyone!
Love,
Elder Del Toro
A Convert from Stolen Suitcases
Saturday October 10, 2015
Hello Friends and Family,
It`s been a great week! I am still a trainer! Elder Gonzalez and Elder Conrad still don't have their passport and visa stuff worked out so they are still staying with us. It`s been so fun. The missionaries that were supposed to train them called us this morning wondering if Elder Gonzalez and Elder Conrad are ever going to make it down to Zamora. Poor guys! We robbed their sons!! They should be on their way down there sometime this week though.
This is kind of a cool story about their suitcases getting stolen... A policeman came to do the report that day of the accident and we were all talking to him a little bit. A few days later he stopped by the mission office to drop off some paperwork for President Egginton and told him that while he was talking to us four missionaries he felt something that he has never felt before and wanted to know more and also wanted his brother to know more about the message we share. President Egginton took down the info and sent the missionaries to visit them. The brother of that policeman received the missionaries and accepted a baptismal date and the policeman is receiving the missionaries in his home with his family. If those two Elders` things never wouldn't have gotten stolen, those people never would have been able to hear this message. Who would have thought that so much happiness would come out of stolen suitcases? Elder Conrad and Elder Gonzalez have had a rough start to their mission but they said that getting all their stuff stolen is all worth it if through it all someone comes to know of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and is able to make sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father.
It`s amazing to me how our Heavenly Father works. The experiences that he gives us help to shape us and become what He knows we can become. I love being a missionary because I feel closer to my Heavenly Father than I have ever felt in my life. I am so happy :)
Have a great week everyone!
Elder Del Toro
Hello Friends and Family,
It`s been a great week! I am still a trainer! Elder Gonzalez and Elder Conrad still don't have their passport and visa stuff worked out so they are still staying with us. It`s been so fun. The missionaries that were supposed to train them called us this morning wondering if Elder Gonzalez and Elder Conrad are ever going to make it down to Zamora. Poor guys! We robbed their sons!! They should be on their way down there sometime this week though.
This is kind of a cool story about their suitcases getting stolen... A policeman came to do the report that day of the accident and we were all talking to him a little bit. A few days later he stopped by the mission office to drop off some paperwork for President Egginton and told him that while he was talking to us four missionaries he felt something that he has never felt before and wanted to know more and also wanted his brother to know more about the message we share. President Egginton took down the info and sent the missionaries to visit them. The brother of that policeman received the missionaries and accepted a baptismal date and the policeman is receiving the missionaries in his home with his family. If those two Elders` things never wouldn't have gotten stolen, those people never would have been able to hear this message. Who would have thought that so much happiness would come out of stolen suitcases? Elder Conrad and Elder Gonzalez have had a rough start to their mission but they said that getting all their stuff stolen is all worth it if through it all someone comes to know of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and is able to make sacred covenants with our Heavenly Father.
It`s amazing to me how our Heavenly Father works. The experiences that he gives us help to shape us and become what He knows we can become. I love being a missionary because I feel closer to my Heavenly Father than I have ever felt in my life. I am so happy :)
Have a great week everyone!
Elder Del Toro
Another Gonzalez
Monday October 5, 2015
Hello Family!
This week has been crazy! We sent off all the old missionaries and got in all the new missionaries on Monday. Something kind of funny happened.... We went and picked up two american elders who got here on a later flight and then went back to the mission home for them to be interviewed by President and when we came out a couple hours later, we jumped in the van and started driving and one of the new elders said "has this glass always been like this?". We turned around and the back window was smashed in and all of the suitcases were gone. EVERYTHING they brought to the mission was gone. They both took it like men. We went to the mall and bought them new everything and had to go report the crime so they could get new passports and it was just a big hassle. They were supposed to go work in Zamora but they have to stay here in Guadalajara until they get their paperwork in to be legal here in Mexico so I was very quick to volunteer Elder Raya and I to be their temporary trainers. I´m a trainer!!!! I am training Elder Gonzalez from Mesa Arizona and Elder Raya is training Elder Conrad from Provo. They will probably be heading to their new areas sometime this week but it has been a lot of fun to be showing them the ropes this week. The first missionary I trained was also Elder Gonzalez! I´m two for two on Gonzalezes!
Conference weekend was awesome!!! I loved a bunch of the talks but one that really stuck out to me was President Eyring´s about his great great grandfather who was called to be a missionary after being a member for 7 months and then during his mission his President passed away and he became the new mission president. Later in his mission he had a dream that he needed to find Brigham Young so he went and found him and when he got there he told him he had not been called but he felt he needed to leave to find the prophet and he was willing to go right back if that was what the Lord wanted. Brigham told him that he was needed and they were looking for him. President Eyring said that there are many times when we feel inadequate but whom the Lord calls the Lord qualifies.
There have been many times when I have felt inadequete during my mission and maybe right at first of all those times I was inadequete, but looking back now, I can see how the Lord has blessed me and has helped me grow to be able to accomplish the different tasks that he has had me do.
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ! :)
Love,
Elder Del Toro
Hello Family!
This week has been crazy! We sent off all the old missionaries and got in all the new missionaries on Monday. Something kind of funny happened.... We went and picked up two american elders who got here on a later flight and then went back to the mission home for them to be interviewed by President and when we came out a couple hours later, we jumped in the van and started driving and one of the new elders said "has this glass always been like this?". We turned around and the back window was smashed in and all of the suitcases were gone. EVERYTHING they brought to the mission was gone. They both took it like men. We went to the mall and bought them new everything and had to go report the crime so they could get new passports and it was just a big hassle. They were supposed to go work in Zamora but they have to stay here in Guadalajara until they get their paperwork in to be legal here in Mexico so I was very quick to volunteer Elder Raya and I to be their temporary trainers. I´m a trainer!!!! I am training Elder Gonzalez from Mesa Arizona and Elder Raya is training Elder Conrad from Provo. They will probably be heading to their new areas sometime this week but it has been a lot of fun to be showing them the ropes this week. The first missionary I trained was also Elder Gonzalez! I´m two for two on Gonzalezes!
Conference weekend was awesome!!! I loved a bunch of the talks but one that really stuck out to me was President Eyring´s about his great great grandfather who was called to be a missionary after being a member for 7 months and then during his mission his President passed away and he became the new mission president. Later in his mission he had a dream that he needed to find Brigham Young so he went and found him and when he got there he told him he had not been called but he felt he needed to leave to find the prophet and he was willing to go right back if that was what the Lord wanted. Brigham told him that he was needed and they were looking for him. President Eyring said that there are many times when we feel inadequate but whom the Lord calls the Lord qualifies.
There have been many times when I have felt inadequete during my mission and maybe right at first of all those times I was inadequete, but looking back now, I can see how the Lord has blessed me and has helped me grow to be able to accomplish the different tasks that he has had me do.
I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ! :)
Love,
Elder Del Toro
Iguana
Saturday September 26, 2015
Hello Jello..
Another week down! This week was pretty sweet. We had zone conferences in Lazaro Cardenas and Uruapan and stopped by Morelia for a couple of interviews. We have been busy with transfers lately and then next week is leadership conference but after that things should be a little less crazy. I will be spending my last 6 weeks here in my same area with Elder Raya. At the end of this transfer it will be 10 months in this area :P That´s a long time!!! But I love the ward and Elder Raya so it´s ok.
This week I tried iguana for the first time. We were in Lazaro Cardenas and a family had given the zone leaders some iguana so they shared it with us. I know they say this about everything, but it tastes like chicken.
I love being a missionary. These past few months have been a little hard because it´s been different not working in an area a whole bunch but I have realized that the Lord calls us all for different purposes and no matter what the purpose might be, he expects us to serve with all of our heart, might, and strength. It doesn't matter if we are a stake president, missionary, nursery leader, or whatever else. What matters most is that we serve with a willing heart with all that we have.
I love being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am learning so much. I am so grateful for this opportunity and blessing.
Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Del Toro
Hello Jello..
Another week down! This week was pretty sweet. We had zone conferences in Lazaro Cardenas and Uruapan and stopped by Morelia for a couple of interviews. We have been busy with transfers lately and then next week is leadership conference but after that things should be a little less crazy. I will be spending my last 6 weeks here in my same area with Elder Raya. At the end of this transfer it will be 10 months in this area :P That´s a long time!!! But I love the ward and Elder Raya so it´s ok.
This week I tried iguana for the first time. We were in Lazaro Cardenas and a family had given the zone leaders some iguana so they shared it with us. I know they say this about everything, but it tastes like chicken.
I love being a missionary. These past few months have been a little hard because it´s been different not working in an area a whole bunch but I have realized that the Lord calls us all for different purposes and no matter what the purpose might be, he expects us to serve with all of our heart, might, and strength. It doesn't matter if we are a stake president, missionary, nursery leader, or whatever else. What matters most is that we serve with a willing heart with all that we have.
I love being a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am learning so much. I am so grateful for this opportunity and blessing.
Have a great week!
Love,
Elder Del Toro
This is in a little town called Paracho. They make a lot of guitars there.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)