Spiritual High!!

Oh my gosh!! Yesterday was such an incredible day!! I can't even really explain the joy, but I'll try.....here it goes! 

So it all started at 8:20 in the morning when Brother and Sister Wood agreed to drive us to the Stake Center Dedication.  The Gig Harbor has been without a stake center since it was created a few years ago, and they have been waiting for this day!!  And lets just say it was well worth the wait.  We got there around 9 to beat the crowds, and then sat in the brand new, beautiful building to wait for the meeting to start at 10.  They decided that they were going to have the stake as a whole partake of the sacrament, and it was so cool to see the 4 tables of priests and bread, and dozens of deacons worthy to have the opportunity to do so, and it was so organized, it was a shock, most 12 year old boys are too crazy, it just shows the gospel is true when you see them be so reverent and kind during the sacrament.  We found out later in the meeting that 1500 people were able to partake of the sacrament as a whole, that's how many people, members and non-members, that were able to come to the dedication.  It was incredible!

Then President Fields offered the dedicatory prayer and it was incredible the silence that was in there, it was so apparent that immediately after the amen you could hear a rush of sound of the rustling papers, breathing, coughing, whining babies, but during the prayer there was no sound, it was peaceful, quiet, still, and I felt like I was in the temple!  I felt that everlasting warmth and joy that comes from the spirit, it was so incredible!!

After the dedication we headed home for some lunch and then headed to an appointment we had with a referral from a member in our ward, The Sturges'.  They came to the Harvest Festival and we were finally able to meet with Crystal yesterday with Sister Sturges there!

It was so awesome!! We taught the Restoration and she loved it, she doesn't have much knowledge about religion but she wants to be surrounded by good people and have religion in her life.  It was really cool, we shared the first vision and told her about President Monson, and she said,

"Wait, you're telling me there is a prophet, like Noah on the Earth now?"

"Yep" we said

"That's so cool, how have I not heard about that, why do people not know that, why wouldn't they want to know that?"

It was incredible! She said she believed that God would have another prophet, it wouldn't make sense to just leave us, she is so golden, and she is praying about December 7 to be baptized right now, we have an appointment on Wednesday and her fiancé and daughter (Lillia, 8) are going to listen too! Lillia did listen a little bit, but not too much, she was distracted being a young girl and all!  When we invited Crystal to church though Lillia was just like, "YES!!!! WE WILL!" It was adorable!

We also had an incredible lesson with a new investigator named Paula Winslowe.  She is awesome, she let us in when we were tracting and that night set up times for us to come and teach each of the lessons.  We had the one last night and the next three today, tomorrow, and Wednesday! She loves knowledge! haha!

Our lesson yesterday was awesome! We taught the Restoration and were able to bring Sister Seamons, a way sweet member with us! As we asked if she had questions she said, yes, I've been wondering this my whole life.  So I look at God, and how he's our father.....shouldn't there be someone to help him, if we have 2 parents on earth shouldn't we have 2 parents in heaven.  We all kind of smiled at each other and told her how we do have a heavenly mother, and she got a little teary eyed.  Its so incredible when people are able to learn truths on their own, and something they believe so much but people say their crazy.  But I love seeing when they hear that it's not crazy but it's true, and they see that we have something they want.  The spirit was so incredibly strong at the lesson, and Sister Seamons really helped it to be there!  I love having members help with the work, it makes it so much better!!

Well, I think that's all I'll share for now, there were other cool miracles and such, but if I told you all of them you'd be reading for a week straight, since they happen everyday!!

I love you all and pray for you so much!!!

I hope you all know how much your heavenly father loves you and how blessed we are when we keep his commandments and follow in Jesus Christ's footsteps!

I read a scripture this morning that really made me realize that how we end up is our choice, it's Helaman 14: 30-31 and it says,

30 And now remember, remember, my brethren, that whosoever perisheth, perisheth unto ^ahimself; and whosoever doeth iniquity, doeth it unto himself; for behold, ye are ^bfree; ye are permitted to act for yourselves; for behold, God hath given unto you a ^cknowledge and he hath made you free. 31 He hath given unto you that ye might ^aknow good from evil, and he hath given unto you that ye might ^bchoose life or death; and ye can do good and be ^crestored unto that which is good, or have that which is good restored unto you; or ye can do evil, and have that which is evil restored unto you.
I love how it shows us the agency we have, how if we want good, we have to do good.  Samuel the Lamanite is just so awesome.  I wish I could be as bold as he was, he's an inspiration for sure!!  I hope you all can make the choice to do good so that you can have good! I hope your weeks are full of good!!
I love you all so much!!!
Sister Thomas