God is really funny sometimes!!

So this week has been interesting.  I have been feeling SOOO much better, I had a migraine one day and that was it, but, God is really funny so he decided to give me a deathly sick companion.....yeah, I'm finally healthy and then Sister Ryser comes and she happens to have a super bad cold, cough, throw up thing.  So we had to stay at our apartment for 3 days......I don't know what God is trying to teach me, any help with that would be appreciated.  It was good in the fact that I got to study a lot though.

I started reading Jesus the Christ, and can I just tell you, that book, as hard as some of it is to understand, is INCREDIBLE!!!!  I have learned so much about my Savior, and have come so much closer to him, and I'm only on chapter 11!!!  I can't wait to learn more and have my testimony in Him strengthened even more!!

So like I said I got a new companion! Her name is Sister Ryser, she is from South Jordan, UT, and she's only 19, and she's what you'd expect of a 19 year old girl, she is boy crazy (aka Elder Crazy)!! But she is a really good missionary so, I'm excited for this transfer, I think it will be good, we'll be able to help this area so much, I know it!!

Yesterday we were asked, 2 minutes before it started, to teach Gospel Principles....gotta love being a missionary :) It started out pretty rough, but by the end the spirit was so strong, and everybody in the class, including Kaale our investigator, committed to bring a non-member to church next week!! I'm praying that actually happens, we have a rough time getting investigators to church, if the ward can help then it will be soooooooo awesome!!

This week my love for the Parkland ward has just grown, I'm scared for when I get transferred, its going to be like leaving home all over again!! They have truly become like my family!! I love them so much, and they take such good care of us! I think I would have gone home by now if it wasn't for this ward, and for the senior couple, The Chaney's, but God sent me to them to uplift and strengthen me and I'm so grateful!!

I wish I had more exciting and miraculous news for you guys, but it was just another week in the life of a missionary.  I love you all so much!  Have a great week!!

I love you!!!!

Sister Thomas

Just another week!

This week was just another week here in the WA-TAC!!

We were able to see a bunch of people, and uplift a bunch of lives with our message of Jesus Christ.  One of the most spiritual experiences we had this week was on Friday when we were tracting.

We knocked on this door and a lady named Heidi opened the door.  We asked if she was familiar with the church, and she said yes, her friend was a member.  She said she was actually a week or so ago with that friend and she had a cool experience.  She told us that her husband just recently found out he has luceimia, and its been really hard on both of them!  One day she was with a bunch of her friends which consisted of mormons, lutherans, jehovahs witnesses, and catholics.  They decided to say a prayer for Mad Dog  (thats for real her husbands name) and she said it was incredible seeing all these different faiths come together to help their friend.  She said it helped her to see how good God was. 

She then went on to say how we had been sent to her door because that day had been one of the hardest in a long time.  We talked for a bit and then we offered to say a prayer with her, she went and got her husband and we said a prayer, asking God to help them have peace and to stay optimistic through all the surgeries.  When we were done saying the prayer Heidi and MadDog were in tears, and they thanked us.  We told them that God was very aware of them, he had truly sent us to their door because they needed the spirit to come into their lives right at that moment.  They didn't want to be taught more, but I know that we were able to plant a seed in them that in the future they will be ready. 

That experience helped me to see that being a missionary is more than just teaching and baptizing, yes that is very important, but we are representatives of Jesus Christ.  We are out here to bring people closer to their Savior, and we are to do what the Lord would do.  He didn't only talk to people that were going to listen and follow him, he talked to everyone and invited them.  He had Charity for all men!  That is one thing I'm trying hard to get better at is to have charity towards all of Gods children, especially those that yell at you for not reading a sign that they're standing in front of......yeah it happened!  I wanted to say, sorry, next time I'll use my x-ray vision to see your no soliciting sign, my bad, oh and fyi, we're not solicitors, but have a nice day!!

As you can see I need to work on that! :)

I have seen God in the details of my life alot this week as well.  One example is yesterday Joe, our investigator who I told you about last week, was able to come to church! He was only able to stay for sacrament meeting because he forgot it was 3 hours long, and he had somewhere to be.  He promised he'd go to all 3 next week.  Anyway, it was incredible because everything that the speakers talked about in their talks was exactly what Joe had been asking us about, and wondering.  It was incredible afterwards, he loved it so much, and he said he couldn't wait for our next appointment.  I am so glad that God doesn't leave it all up to us, because we are just two twenty something year old girls that are, without God, nothing! So I'm grateful when investigators are able to feel of the spirit in many different ways and from different people! 

Oh man, funny thing....so there is this guy at our apartment building that everytime we walk out there, he's like, "Hello, beautiful ladies!" now this would be creepy, but let me describe this guy to you.  He's about 4'11" maybe 5' tall, he's black, and has a legit afro complete with a comb pick and all! It always makes me smile and laugh. 

Well, I guess that is about all I've got for you this week! I'm just out doing all that the Lord asks of me, and trying to enjoy each and every minute of it!!

I love you all so much!!  Have a great week!!

 

Love you!! Love,

Sister Thomas

Hallelujah!!!

So my title this week could be for many reasons:

 

1 - We met this super awesome baptist lady who was so AMAZING.  She loved Jesus so much, and asked us to come back, so we're going to bring Finding Faith in Christ and ask if she wants to take the lessons.  She said 'Hallelujah' after almost every sentence she spoke, it cheered us up!

 

2 - Sister Downs got her Visa!!! She gets to go down to Brazil on the 20th of August!!! I'm gonna miss her, but she is going to rock it down there!! She's so excited, but I can't even imagine how hard it will be for her, we've both gotten so attached to this ward, she says its gonna be like leaving home all over again!! I know she's going to love it though so we're both super excited. (Plus I get to have awesome Brazilian mission grandkids, that's pretty exciting!)

 

3 - I am finallly getting BETTER!!! I was able to go to the Doctor, and discuss everything thats been going on.  And we finally figured out that it was IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrom).  So he put me on Bentyl which helps with the pain, and told me to eat more fiber, and try as best as I can to have a balanced diet, which being a missionary is hard to do.  So far it has helped so much! I'm still not completely healed, but I'm on the road to recovery, and soon I will be 110%, and I can't wait for that, that will be a glorious day!

 

4 - We were finally able to find a solid investigator, or should I say investigators.  We knocked into this guy named Joe and set up a return appointment.  When we went his friend Bobby came and listened too.  Then we set up to give them a Church Tour.  When they came they brought a friend named Ashley.  So our 1 turned into 3.  We took them on the tour, and then in the baptism room, we put them all on date for the 31st of August.  They said yes, but they needed to pray about it.  We're meeting with them again tomorrow, so hopefully all goes well, and who knows maybe there will be another friend, that would be pretty cool!!

 

Well, those all my hallelujah moments for this week.  I am so blessed to be on a mission, and not just in any mission but in the WA-TAC!!! Whatever anyone says, it is the greatest mission in the world!! We were able to have a mission wide BBQ (or Zone meeting they called it) today and get together and sing and do skits and eat food, and best of all feel of the great spirit that comes when we are able to all be together enjoying eachothers love and service.  It truly is like one big happy family!!

I realized the other day that I have less than a year left, and I seriously started freaking out....thats not very much time, and in mission time its even shorter.  I can't believe it, I need to take advantage of EVERY SECOND that I'm here!!

Well, that is all for this week!! I hope you are all doing well!  I pray for you every night!! I love you so much!! Have a great week!!!

I LOVE YOU!!

 

Love,

Sister Thomas