Oh what a week!!

This week was GREAT!!! The highlight was definitely the Baptism of Brother Randolf Ben Bittner! :) I like his name, quite sophisticated! Anyway, it was a great baptism!! Not without stress though, Sister White who had a talk, and Bishop who was baptizing him didn't show up until there was like 2 minutes to the baptism....it was stressful, we were just running around freaking out! The bishop was running late b/c the youth were coming back from up by Seattle, so we didn't get mad at him :) Randy is so sweet!! He just has already changed so much!  We weren't super worried about the baptism, but we were so nervous on Sunday for him getting Confirmed.  If you don't remember he was baptized 4 years ago, but never got confirmed, so needless to say when he walked in the church at 9:59 we let out a HUGE sigh of relief!! He was able to get confirmed, and the coolest part was that Bro. Nielson got to confirm him.  Bro Nielson was the ward mission leader at the time that Randy was baptized the first time, and he said Randy not showing up to get confirmed was the hardest part of being a ward mission leader, he'd always been sad about it, so for him to be able to confirm Randy a member of the Church and give him the Holy Ghost, it was such a MIRACLE!!!

The rest of this week was a normal missionary week!! I'll go through each of our investigators again like last week!!

Rich Dent: Rich is back on date for baptism and should be getting baptized this next Saturday the 1st!! Can't wait for that, he's realized he needs to do it, now it's a matter of getting over his addictions!! He's doing so good!! He came to church yesterday and one of the speakers in Sacrament talked about the 12 steps of the churches addiction recovery program WHAT!! Inspired!!

Brad Baselt: Brad is on date to be baptized on Feb 8 (he's gonna be out of town for the superbowl...like everyone up here, next sunday will be interesting!)  We haven't even taught him about tithing yet, and yesterday at church he asked, "Hey, so how do you pay tithing here? I feel so blessed to be given so much, I want to give back".....WHAT!! It was so cool, we told him he didn't have to pay til he was baptized and he said, well 2 week then!! He is such a sweet man, see service works!! He's the one we met thanksgiving and in dresses and all we help load huge logs from the side of the road to his truck!! God works in miracles!!!

Donny Schmidt: I LOVE THE SCHMIDTS!!!! I honestly love this family so much!! Jasmine is a LA member and they have 3 little kids William (5), Delila (3), and Natalie (19 months, yes she was born on March 27 or 29th, she's like the same age as Avery, it's kind of fun).  We met them ward listing, and since then they have been awesome!! They all came to church yesterday including Donny, the Non-member husband!! He is the coolest guy ever!! He loves the gospel right now and learning about it!! In sunday school he offered to PRAY!!! It was so cool!! The other talk in sacrament meeting was for them, it was about Eternal Families and making it to the temple!! I can't wait to see them sealed as a family!! They are at the point in their lives where he is ready for the gospel, and she is ready for the temple!! I LOVE THE GOSPEL!!!! It truly BLESSES FAMILIES!!!!

Mariela and Jeffrey were both at their other parents houses this weekend so we weren't able to really see them!! They're both doing good though!! we have a lesson with the Molina's tonight, we're gonna paint prayer rocks! It should be a blast!!! Then we have an appointment with brad!! It will be great!!

Well, that was this week!! This next weekend should be craziness with the Seahawks being in the Superbowl!! Everyone is getting ready for their huge parties, we still don't know what they're gonna do with us that night, maybe we'll get to watch the game, that would be pretty sweet!! We'll have to see!!

I hope you are all doing well!  I want you all to know that I know that this church is true, I have never been more sure about anything in my life!! I'm grateful that I have a Savior that can help me through every obstacle of my life, no matter how bad it may be!! I'm so grateful that I have been able to see others use the Atonement in their lives, and because they have I know that not only I can, but EACH ONE OF YOU can too!!

I LOVE YOU SOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!  Have a great week!!

LOVE YOU!

Sister Thomas 

156.8 miles and 7 zones later......

This week was a very fun week!! My title refers to our Sunday excursion! Sister Scott received permission from president to be able to go back to Elma for a baptism of a family she was able to teach down there!! Now Elma from Belfair is 1 hour and 15 minutes south.  So we got there at 4.  That night we also had an incredible musical fireside in Gig Harbor, which is 1 hour and 15 minutes North-East of Elma, and we had to get there by at least 6:45.  We ended up making it, it was close though.  We realized as we were driving that we drove through 7 of the 11 zones of our mission, which means that we pretty much took a mission tour!! :) It was fun to be able to see my past areas....so fun!!

The rest of the week was just awesome!! I'll tell you about each of our progressing investigators:

Randy Bittner:  Randy is doing SOOO good!! He's getting baptized this Saturday!! I'm so excited! In his own words, "I'm going to do it right this time."  He's the one that was baptized 4 years ago, but never got confirmed, but we've helped him overcome what stopped him before and he's so excited!! It is going to be a joyous day!!

Rich Dent: Rich is finally starting to do better! This whole last week he has been in SOOO much pain! His back is really bad, he has some disease, I can't remember the name, but he has been in and out of the ER, it's been bad.  Friday night we were able to take a couple priesthood brethren (Brother Russell and Brother Shumaker) and they were able to give him a blessing! It was incredible, immediately after he said that the majority of the pain was gone! He felt relief!! He is so incredible!! He came to church on Sunday and said afterwards that he felt like everyone was talking directly to him, it was cool because Sister Scott and I kept saying, "Man, this is for Rich!"  He's at the doctor today to see how they can help him! We're praying it can get better so that he can get baptized, he really wants to!

Brad Baselt: Brad has been out of town this week, we should meet with him in the next couple days, He's still on date to be baptized on February 1st!! It will be AWESOME!! And he'll be way happy because the Seahawks made it to the SUPER BOWL!!!

Mariela Hernandez:  Mariela is the daughter of a LA member who we've been helping to come back to church.  She's 14 and is so sweet! She LOVES young womens and has started playing on the basketball team, and she's good!! They won their game on Saturday!!! She actually brought a friend with her to church on Sunday, who is going to join the basketball team!! I love when investigators are missionaries before they're even baptized!! It's so awesome!! Now if she would just read and pray about the Book of Mormon she would have the desire to get baptized...right now she's just kind of chill about everything!!

Jeffrey Bishop:  Jeffrey is such a sweet little boy!! He's 9 and wants to be baptized so bad.  This family in our ward just adopted him, and he LOVES church and scouts!! The hold up right now is because the wife is not a member and she doesn't want anything to be rushed, which is good.  He is so sweet though, we have an appointment each Thursday with him, and he should be getting baptized in March sometime!! I love teaching kids, it reminds you how simple the gospel is!!

Those are our main investigators at the moment!! We actually had 7 investigators at church on Sunday!! It was incredible!!

Today we're meeting with Donny Schmidt!! He is the husband of a LA member Jasmine! We met them going through the Ward list and they are such a special family!! Jasmine really wants to come back, she called sister Hall and I her angels when we came and met them, Donny is in the Navy and said since he got back from deployment he has wanted to learn more about religion and he wants to learn more about our church specifically to keep their family together!! We can do that!!! We're going to teach the Restoration tonight!! It should go really well!! I'm excited!!!

Those were the main highlights from the week!! Oh and also, the Seahawks made it to the SUPERBOWL!!!!! I'm so excited!! My first week out here I decided that I would forever make the Seahawks my team, and looks like I made a good choice! :)  The Weavers are trying to figure out what they'll do with us that night, since people here are crazy about their sports!! They seriously are incredible fans!! Every Fridayis BLUE FRIDAY, and I swear EVERYBODY is wearing Seahawk gear, it's pretty cool!!

Oh, we also had a fireside again on Sunday!! I love the firesides!! They are so spiritual, to be able to sing songs about Christ and help to strengthen others testimonies through song, it's such a great blessing!! I LOVE IT!!!

Well, I believe that is all for this week!! Belfair is INCREDIBLE!!!! I love it so much and the work is going so good!!! Which means that I'll probably get transferred :( but I don't want to!!! I want to stay at least one more, I've felt I'd be here 6 months since I got here, It's got to happen!!! :)

I hope you all have a great week, and that you're doing well!!!

I miss you and I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!

Love,

Sister Thomas

Another Missionary Week!

This week has been a good one! We have been able to see miracles and see happiness, of course mixed in with some sadness, as is life.  Besides getting the beginnings of the flu which I've tried to kill with vitamin C, this week has been great! We had exchanges on Tuesday, Oh exchanges....they are one thing I'm learning so hard to love more in the work! But this one was good!

I stayed in Belfair and got reunited with an old friend, Sister Crosby! It was fun, we talked about how much we had changed in the almost year since we had been companions! It's been quite the change! We had a jam packed day! The day started with a lesson with Randy!! He's still so excited to get baptized, we have to move it back since he didn't come to church yesterday :( but he's excited to get baptized and to get confirmed this time! It will be so great!!

We then had lunch, and then had a lesson with Grandpa Rich!! Oh how much I love Grandpa Rich, he's so awesome!! We talked about tithing, and he was so willing to pay it! He's so willing to do everything, the Word of Wisdom is still rough for him, but he's working through it! He should still be getting baptized on the 18th!!! I'm so excited!!! I will bawl like a little baby!!

We then had dinner, saw some potentials and ward list members and then we went tracting...aw man, the people were so mean to us that night, I don't know why.  Then we had a lesson with Brad, and it was a MIRACLE!!!!

We went and taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ! When we talked about baptism he was still pretty iffy about it all.  We told him it was up to him, no one would force him, but it was a necessary step.  Then we invited him to be baptized and he said YES!!! Then we invited him to be baptized on the 25 and he said YES! again!! It is such a miracle when you can see the spirit working in someone!! SO AWESOME!!!!

Then we met with Bishop and had a great meeting and went home!! It was a great exchange!!

The rest of the week was just sort of a regular missionary week!! Busy, awesome, and full of miracles!!

I wish I had more brain memory right now...I swear everything leaves my head as soon as I sit down and begin typing to you!

Oh, it was my year mark this week, that was CRAZY!!! I have so little time left, I can't even believe it, it's going to fly by before I even realize what's happening!!

Sister Scott and I went and got Ice Cream to celebrate! It was pretty fun! I reflected on the past year and realized just what a blessing it has been, and how much I've been able to grow!! There are still some things I struggle with, but I have a goal and drive to overcome them, because I can overcome anything through the Atonement of Christ!!

I know with all of the fiber of my being that this church is true, and it can and will change you IF you let it!! I know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us so much that he has blessed us with families and with prophets and with the Gospel! I know that Jesus Christ's church that he set up when he was on the earth was Restored to the Earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith!! I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that church, and that The Book of Mormon is evidence of that! I am so grateful to be a missionary for my Heavenly Father, and I strive each day to follow his will more than my own.  I am weak, and I mess up, and I make mistakes, but I know that because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ I can be forgiven if I'm willing to turn away from the sin and turn to God and follow his example!!  I'm so grateful for you guys! God sent me to such a wonderful family, and provided me such wonderful friends because he knew that I'd need you in order to make it through this life happy. 

I hope you all have an amazing week!! I hope you will all repent in some way each day, there's a lot each of us can repent of each day, just DO IT!! Repentance is just a fancy word for change.....so change for the better!!!!

I love you all so much!! I miss you like crazy, but don't be offended when I say, I wouldn't wanna be anywhere but here!!

I hope you have a great week!! I love you!!!!!!

Love,

Sister Thomas

Really President?!? On my BIRTHDAY?!? (from Dec 30, 2013)

So, I'll start out with the BAD news.  Saturday night we had 2 missed calls and voicemails from President Weaver, at 10 pm, who checks their phone then, anyway.  We knew it was important so we called him back.  If only we had avoided it....jk, but it was sad.  He told us that Sister Hall was getting transferred out of Belfair and going to Bainbridge Island :( and she was going to be leaving on Monday, today, aka My Birthday! apparently someone broke into the Bainbridge apartment and it freaked Sister Scott out and she can't stay in that apartment so she's coming to Belfair with me.  It was devastating!! BUT we both know that this is what God has in store for us at this time, and so we are at peace spiritually, our natural man is still pretty sad though.  In case you're wondering why its so tragic, we're in week 2 of a 7 week transfer, so it was 1000% unexpected! 

Now on to the miracles!! So this last week has been incredible, one of the highlights was for sure being able to Skype with you guys!! I loved seeing you, and that you've done so good on Avery knowing who I was, I felt like she really knew me, it was awesome!! 

Yesterday was AMAZING!! We had 5 investigators at church!! They are all so awesome.  Tom and Michelle Werdall, Bryan, Mauriella Hernandez, and Brad Baselt! They loved it! Mauriella is the daughter of a LA member that we knocked into a week and a half ago! She was at the point to come back, and now Mauriella is at the point to learn! It's so exciting.  Another part member family miracle is we were ward listing the other day and we went to this family the Schmidts!

They are the SWEETEST family!!! She's a member and he's not, but he wants to take the lessons.  They have been talking about getting back to church but just hadn't done it! We're now being able to be the instrument God knows they need to not only get Jasmine back to church, but to get Don baptized and their 3 kids raised in the True and Everlasting Gospel!! They are so special to me.  Jasmine called us angels yesterday as she was in tears from feeling the spirit!! I love when you see your part in God's plan!!!

We also got to go to the Kaylor's yesterday!! I love that family so much!! Crystal was crying so hard that Sister Hall was leaving that it gave her a migraine after church, and she had to have us over!!  She also made us the most incredible Pork Chops and Rice....YUM!!  They have a goal of being sealed in the temple in 2014!!! I love seeing the light of Christ in people!! They are incredible!!

The Belfair Ward is exploding right now!! If I could explain the difference between what it was when I first got here to what it is now you guys would flip!! It went from no trust to the missionaries, to these missionaries are trustworthy, give them your friends!! And they have, they have been so good at fellowshipping each of our investigators!! We could have not been at church yesterday and our investigators would probably have never noticed because members were befriending them and showing them around!! That is what you LOVE to see!!

Well, that was this week! Oh, funny story from the week before Christmas....

So we were tracting in Lakeland which is a golfing community and all of a sudden we see this lighted golf cart drive by, and then they keep going.....and they were all yelling MERRY CHRISTMAS with Christmas music blasting!! It was AWESOME!! We actually were able to allow a woman to see it because we knocked on her door just in time.  We thought it would make her like us more, but no, she did NOT want to hear more.

Then, we're in Lynch Cove's another little community and we see siren lights, so we pull off the road.  2 ambulances and a fire truck are coming and we're expecting to hear "Amber Alert a child is on the loose" or something like that, but no, instead the say. "MERRY CHRISTMAS!!" and then just drive by.....WE got to see 2 random parades, and we had to have been in the right place at the right time to see them, just more proof that God loves us, he led us to those places to be filled with Christmas Cheer!! :)

Well, that's all this week!! thank you for all the birthday wishes!! I love you all!!

And make good Goals this year!! If you can believe it, then you can achieve it!! :)

Happy New Year!!!

I love you!!! 

Sister Thomas

What a week!

This week has seemed really long looking back.  Not in a bad way, just in a long way....missionaries will understand :)  I'm gonna go mom style email this week and go by day and share the best things that happened!

Monday:

Monday was a great day, I turned 22 (so old) and it was a great day.  We did regular p-day activities except I picked up my new companion Sister Scott, so that was different.  She is great! She's from Ephraim, Utah and is 21.  She is so sweet, and it's been a fun week so far. 

At 5 we went to the Petersons, a part member family.  They fed us spaghetti and then got brownies and ice cream for my birthday!! It was so sweet.

Oh I forgot, earlier in the day after emailing Sister Hall and I, with the Key Center Sisters (Sister Thompson and Sister K (she has a longer name, but she's from Thailand and I don't know how to spell it or say it, so she goes by Sister K)) went to lunch at a Mexican Restaurant called El Sombrero!! It was SO GOOD!! They told them it was my birthday and they gave me Deep Fried Ice Cream and put a sombrero on my head and sang to me, it was way fun!! Then, we were sitting there for a while and we realized we hadn't gotten our checks, so we asked for them, and the Manager said, "Oh, your check's paid for, they said to keep up the good work"  MIRACLE!!! :) 

We found out at district meeting that the manager is the husband of a member and he's not baptized but he loves missionaries...so that was fun!!

Tuesday:

We didn't really have anyone to see, and it was New Years Eve, so President asked us not to knock and to get in between 7 and 8.  So we met some ward members and the Clifford's cooked us ham, funeral potatoes, jello, and rolls....you know, a good old Mormon meal :)  It was delicious!! That was the miracle for that day, because they didn't even sign up to feed us, we just went over and they insisted we eat with them....we didn't argue :)

We got home and sister Scott and I were exhausted and we were in bed asleep by 9:45, quite the new years celebration!

Wednesday:

Wednesday we woke up and realized it was 2014!!! What?  I tried to set goals for the year, but I realized I'd have to set 6 month goals b/c half the year I'll be out here, and half the year I won't....crazy!!

We had district meeting and visited a couple potentials, we went to the Gann's for dinner!! and then we visited with the Kaylors!! They are just on fire!! It's so awesome to see the gospel continue to bless them!!

Thursday:

The main event of Thursday was our lesson with Grandpa Rich!! We were talking to him about Baptism and he was hesitant and wanted a sure answer before he agreed and so on, and then we invited him again and said, "Rich, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the Priesthood authority of God?"  He sat for a minute and then said,

"YES"

The spirit at that moment was so amazing! He said that when he said yes that a weight that had been holding him down for 6 months had finally been lifted from him, and he knew he was led to this point so he could accept the church!! It was such an incredible lesson!!!

Friday:

We met with Rich again and taught commandments and he agreed to live each of them, he is on fire right now. He knows it's true, and he is trying all he can to live it, he's struggling a little, but he is strong!! He's on date for January 18th! 

We also met with Randy, who is what we refer to as a sandbag.  He was baptized in 2009 but was never confirmed a member.  So we have started teaching him and he wants to be baptized on the 18th as well!  Belfair is full of miracles

Saturday:

Saturday was a rough day, I got really sick, cold and migraine, and ear ache, all that fun stuff and so we only went out part of the day.  We met with some investigators and tracted a little bit, it was kind of a rough day, but we were able to share the Book of Mormon with 2 people and we got to see Christina again, who is an investigator who is kind of close to being ready but now quite there, things are gonna pick up when her boyfriend comes back on the 18th.  She's pregnant and she wants to find a religion with him so I'm praying he'll accept it because she wants to be baptized!

Sunday:

Finally, yesterday! Yesterday Randy was able to come to church! Our other investigators couldn't though, it was sad.  Mauriella was sick, Tom and Michelle were sick, Rich's pipes froze and he couldn't make it, Jon was sick, Brad is out of town, and we haven't been able to talk to Bryan.  It was a good day at church though!

Yesterday night we were able to meet with the Mason family again!! It was so cool.  They are really wanting to know if it's true.  They're questions were so inspired, and they're just learning and sinking it in.  It's really cool!! They can't meet for a couple weeks so we're praying they'll continue reading and praying while they're out of town!

Well, that was this week in a nut shell!! It was a great week!! I wish this stinkin Flu wasn't going around, but its just that time of the year I guess, I just hope I don't get it in full force, this week was bad enough!

Well, I hope you all are well, and that your new year is a great one!! I can't believe that on Thursday I hit my 1 year date!!!! AAHHHAHAH!! Where has the time gone?

I miss you and wish you all the best!!!

I LOVE YOU!!!!!

Sister Thomas