Monday, June 17, 2013

Oh what a week!!

This week has been one heck of a week!  It has been every emotion you could imagine thrown into a week!!  I don't even know how to explain it.....
The sad news for the week is that Landon and Andrew Smiths baptism had to be put off til this Friday night.  Sister Smith is in the Army and her command changed so we hadn't been able to see them, since she had been working about 20 hours a day trying to figure everything out!! It has been crazy.  We didn't get in contact with them until Friday night, and we didn't want to rush their baptism so we pushed it back, and while it was a little sad, and satan definitley interfered with that one, their baptism on Friday will be better than it would have been on saturday.  So I guess that's kind of good news too! haha
The greatest part of this week was on Saturday at 3:00 pm at the 12th and pearl bldg in the Highland Hills Ward.  I got to go back and see Melvin Hershinger be baptized.  I don't even know how to explain the feeling I had when I saw him in the white suit.....I've never felt it before.  We walked in the church and Sister Crosby saw me and said, "Melvin, look who's walking down the hall!"  and Melvin came around the corner in his white suit, with his hair cut and his beard shaved, and said, "What? You came? Thank you sooo much!"  I almost burst into tears, the change that had come over Melvin was incredible....to have been able to see him go from an alcholic and smoker who had almost killed a man a week before we met him....to a son of God, who was willing to give up everything and follow his Savior, no matter the challenges.  This is why I've come on a mission, to help people like Melvin come unto Christ, and to change their lives for the better.  And it doesn't matter how many doors are slammed in my face, or how many times I'm told I'm wrong, because I know that I'm not.  I have seen the change that the gospel brings, it can change lives completely, and it brings such great Joy!!!
The rest of the week has been the typical tracting, visiting less active members, teaching the gospel, WORK!!! It's been good, great actually!
Oh strange thing that happened this week is we had really GOOD conversations with 2 different Jehovah's Witnesses.....yeah I said good conversations.....usually they rip us apart and try to tell us all the ways that they're right and we're wrong, but this week we had some good conversations with them about the differences but more importantly the similarities between us.  I've learned on my mission that you are greatful when people say they believe in Christ, you don't care which church they belong to, obviously you want them to have the fulness, but in the world today to find someone who believes in Christ is a miracle.  I've learned that the world right now is very black and white.  People are either strongly involved in a church and believe in Christ, or they hate religion and don't believe in anything....it's a scary world! It just goes to show that something big is coming, and we need to be ready. 
This next week we have our mission tour....Elder Pieper of the seventy is coming with his wife, and I'm so excited! It's going to be great!
What I'm most excited for this next week though is the broadcast on Sunday at 3, I don't know if you've all heard of that, but Pres. Monson is having the seminar for the mission presidents broadcast to the whole world......there is going to be a big announcement about missionary work, and I can't wait to hear it!!! It will be so amazing I'm sure!!
Well, I love you all, and hope all is well!! I miss you but not too much :)  I'm glad you had fun at the family reunions and I hope you said hi for me!! I love you all sooo much!! Have a great week, and pray and read your scriptures everyday, it will bless your life...I KNOW IT!!!
I LOVE YOU!!!
Love,
Sister Thomas

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