Hello Family and Friends!!!!
This week has been......INCREDIBLE!!!!!! God is always there, and when you feel like giving up thats when he comes and lifts you higher!!!
President Weaver has started having us memorize a scripture a week. Last week was Joseph Smith History 1: 16-17, which says,
"But, exerting all my powers to call upon God, to deliver me out of the power of the enemy which had seized upon me, and at the very moment when I was ready to sink into despair and abandon myself to destruction - not to an imaginary ruin, but to the power of some actual being from the unseen world, who had such marvelous power as I had never before felt in any being - just at this moment of great alarm, I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me.
It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other - This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!"
This scripture describes exactly how I felt this week. We had been dropped and told we're wrong, and antied, and truly seized upon by the devil so far this transfer, and just as we were ready to give up, God dropped such marvelous blessings upon us.
It all started last Monday!
We went to the Mission office to talk to President Weaver and each talked to him about the different struggles we were dealing with. I told him how since I had been taken down by sickness for so long, my desire to do missionary work had left somewhat, but I wanted it back. He told me some suggestions, and I decided that day that I'm not letting Satan bring me down anymore.
After that we had a message on our phone from a member down in Puyallup that had a referal for us, she said to call her, and so phone tag started, and finally at 7pm we were able to get in contact with her and set up an appointment to meet her aunt Josephine the next day!
We went and met Josephine and had a really good lesson with her, she told us about some struggles she was dealing with, and she told us she had been to church 3 times with her niece and her family, and she liked it. We asked her to pray about being baptized and gave her a Book of Mormon and asked her to read it, she said she would. Then set up an appointment for Thursday night!
Wednesday night we got a call from our Sister Training Leaders, they're like sister Zone Leaders, and they said we were going to go on exchanges. Sister Ryser would stay in Parkland with Sister Bevan, and I went to Lacey with Sister Peruch. I was sad I wouldn't be at the lesson with Josephine, but I knew God did it for a reason so I went ready to learn what I needed to learn. Exchanges always help you learn something.
For me this exchange I learned that I will get my confidence, I lost while sick, back. I just have to be patient, and not give up trying.
So Thursday night we got a call from Sis Ryser and Bevan and they told us about the lesson that they had with Josephine:
Apparently they went, and instead of teaching the Plan of Salvation like planned the spirit told them to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. So they got to Repentance and the spirit was really strong. Then there was a loud knock on the door and a guy had come to reposses her car. They said they were sure that would be a spirit killer, but Josephine came back in and they said she was so peaceful. She told her niece about what happened and then she told Sister Ryser to continue. They taught baptism to her, and testified to her that if she would trust in God she would be blessed. Then the asked if she would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be Baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God. She said a silent prayer to herself and then with tears in her eyes she said yes. Then they asked if she'd prepare herself to be baptized on September 14, and she said yes. It was incredible!
On Saturday some Elders in our district were having a baptism so we invited Josephine and she came with her sister, niece, and granddaughter. We took them, along with another investigator Melissa, on a Church Tour afterward and it was so incredible, the spirit was so strong.
As we were walking out of the church Josephines
Talk about miracle. Our goal as a mission this month is to have each companionship baptize in september, since the entire month of september is in this transfer. October 1st is the first day of next transfer. I didn't expect to have one in September after all our investigators dropped us, but sometimes you have to reach the bottom in order to be lifted up to the top.
We have another solid investigator named Melissa we met the other day, but I'll have to write about her later. Lets just say she went from being anti to wanting to be baptized in the course of an hour, thanks to Elder Holland and LDS.org. Man, I can't wait to get iPad's so we can use those resources so much more!!
Well, I hope you all have an amazing week!!! I know I will, I'm out doing the greatest work anyone can do. A quote I really love about missionaries is,
"A SISTER MISSIONARY LEAVES HER FAMILY FOR 18 MONTHS, SO THAT THOSE SHE TEACHES CAN BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES FOREVER."
What a blessing it is to be called of God to fulfill his purpose to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."
I am so grateful to you all for your love and support, and I'm grateful to my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for their Love and Support as well!!
I love you all!! God Bless!!
I LOVE YOU!!!
Sister Thomas
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