We have a door don't you worry, Mom. This house is one of the worst houses in the whole mission. I went from one of the best to one of the worst. It works though, so I don't really care.
I loved reading the poem that Lane wrote to me, I kid you not. I almost cried. ALMOST HA! Thank you, Lane; it came in just the right moment. I will explain why...
This week was one of the hardest weeks of my mission. Working so hard, contacting in the street, knocking on doors with fake addresses... Trying to find our two baptisms and our other six we have going. I have been working so hard, and I will not lie; I am tired. However, sometimes the Lord needs to test our faith. I failed this one. I was expecting to have at least 5 people to church and 2 baptisms, and I came up with zero. Nothing, people, nothing. I was devastated. I could not believe what just happened. Everything I worked so hard to accomplish? Down the drain. I was so frustrated. Fortunately, we had a stake conference and I got to talk to a seventy and president. They both kinda said "So what?" Do it next week." It kinda slapped me over the head, and well, I felt a lot better.
President also told me we need to get our investigators reading the Book of Mormon more. In my mission, I will not lie, we know the Bible inside and out--mainly because a lot of people don't even care about the Book of Mormon. We have so many scriptures in the bible that it is ridiculous. Sometimes I forget to use the Book of Mormon at all. When President said this to me, I realized why our investigators didn't get baptized. It wasn't because they weren't ready, it was because they were terrified of their family rejecting them. Funny. It sounds a lot like the story of Ammon and his new convert Lamoni and his father. His own father wanted him dead. I think I will use that when we go to visit them again. It is powerful and maybe they can relate to the BofM stories.
I also realized a huge problem I have is pride. I am looking so hard to humble myself, before the Lord decides to humble me--mainly because when the Lord does it, oh, is it so hard. This week did make me realize at how nothing I really am. God is in charge here--not Elder Thompson nor his comp. I need to trust in Him more and work for Him and not for me.
This was my fun week here. However, on a truly fun note,
Mom, I will be face-timing you on the tenth of May, for 30 minutes--nothing more. I am not going to kid, I am so EXCITED TO SEE YOUR FACES!! Do you realize this is my second to last call to you!? I am freaking out because I am at the half way point of this change. It actually does concern me because, well, the countdown is on. I feel like oh man it's time to get going or I will be done before I know it, wishing I could have done more. I hope Dad has been practicing his
Spanish because I will talk in Spanish to him to see how he is doing!
I hope all is well at home and shout out of the day to Anna! Hope you are having fun with your friends!!
Love Your Son
May 2015
Dear Family,
Well this week was just amazing! I dont know if i will be able to
write it all down in the next hour. We as a mission got to hear from a
seventy. His name is Elder Marcus b nash. This man is so inspired i
could not believe the teachings that we got to hear. He just opened
our eyes to a whole new perspective. He told us so many things as a
mission that we could do better. I am so stoaked to go and try this
new teachings. He really did help this mission. I am really excited.
also good news i got some new changes!!! I am now with Elder Parra and
well we are going to take this place by storm. If its the Lords will
of course. However i really hope my companion and i help a lot more
people come unto christ. My days with Elder Mauleon are over so he
went to michoacan. Pure pueblo... it literally has nothing there. I
hope he has a good change. This last week was just an amazing week of
sucess. We had six people to church and eleven as a district. We are
looking at around 5 more baptisms this week and we are hoping and
praying for the best. We have some really powerful elders in our zone
right now so we will see what will go down this next change. I know
that I am going for gold and i hope to achieve my potential. We didnt
have a lot of adventures this week but today i got to see some of my
old companions just to name a few... elder Espronceda Elder romo, and
elder costello. It was really fun to see them all, one has now 20
months and i am scared that it will be me soon. all to soon. I cant
believe how much fun this mission is and hope it gets better and
better. I love you all and i hope you enjoy the photos!!!
Elder Thompson
May 20, 2015
Dear Family,
Just letting you know i am alive and well dont worry. The reason why i
am writting you this lovely wensday is because we had a seventy come
on our p day. It was so powerful i learned so much about teaching with
the spirit it was insane. He asked us a question what would jesus
christ do in your area? I sat there dumbfounded. I thought miracles
lots of baptisms and a great attitude. I loved this conference because
we got to see him do the teaching and see how he would do it. It was
very fun. I got to shake his hand and he looked right into my soul. I
couldnt handle it it wigged me out. Anyway his name is elder nash. I
loved learning from him and we applied what he did in one of our
teachings with one of our investigators named jessica, we are almost
positive she will be baptised next month. We used the exact same
teaching, we then asked her well sister now that you know going to
church brings so many blessings what would you do with this
information? she paused looked at us for a minute and said i am going
to church. I have never heard that comment in over 8 months. i was so
happy. We then asked her how she felt about the message and she said
very happy and calm. She is very occupied and we knew that it was her
need. She is a orthodontist so of course we get along great. I tell
her dental stuff and she tells me dental stuff and my companion just
smiles. It was a great lesson with her. I love what is going on at
home. The fatten up kyle project hahaha. I laughed in a public
computer station. It made my day thank you. Mom dont worry i am better
at remembering things because well i have a planner... if i dont im
doomed. Well i love reading your letters and i am excited as another
change is coming to an end. I am sure i will stay for at least 3 more
months but who knows where i will go. I love this work i know that it
is the work of God. The more i read the scriptures the more i learn
how amazing Christ and His sacrifice really is. I wish people would
find this hidden treasure in the scriptures, because if they did they
would know our church is the chruch of Christ. But like alma i do sin
in my wish because i should be grateful for what the Lord has given
me. I love you all and share the gospel with someone, especially lane.
Javier is not a member fyi. Share it with him and tell him to read the
book of mormon. It changes lives. Have a lovely day.
love your son
Elder Thompson
May 11, 2015
Dear Family,
I loved seeing you yesterday, I really wished that we could have
talked more. I am shocked that other missions dont do what the white
handbook says but whatever. Its all good i have a mission that is
really good at keeping the rules. I think even when i was a child i
loved rule keeping haha. Anyway I love the senior and mission pics of
my studly brother Lane! Man you need to be careful those girls are
comin after ya! jk but i did love them. Well just to answer a question
about yesterday if i get along with my companion. The answer is no. He
was in the room and i did not want to tell it to him. He can
understand english really well. The truth is no, he is prideful and
does not like listening to others. However, He is a great kid he has a
lot of potential. He is direct and just simple he is a recent convert
so he has a power house testimony. I love the kid but i just dont get
along with his attitude. I did take your advice and i did not get
after my district i just told them that they have done a lot better
than this and i know that they can do it again. I hope i fulfilled the
one scripture in DyC 121 41-45 or something like that. I have not done
much excercise because well i work a lot but i am wasted tired in the
mornings. I am going to pick up the book of mormon reading for this
month and maybe just maybe i will finish it. I hope you are all
reading it, this book changes lives and if you dont have an answer to
your prayers that joseph smith was a prophet i invite you to do it
with REAL intent. I know that answer will come. Maybe not in a way you
would expect but answers do come. I love it here in the mission and i
got to talk with elder costello today and we were both weirded out
that we are going back to get our visas to stay another year. I miss
that kid he is so funny. He has a ton of people in his district and he
is kinda stressed out. However he is doing great. I hope that all is
well at home and I hope you enjoy these awesome pics i took at a
museum which was super cool a little freaky but way cool it was a wax
museum with a bunch of famous people and movies. I loved it! I love
you all have a great day!!!
May 4, 2015
Dear Family,
HOLD UP YOU SOLD THE CAR hahah jk. I knew that was going to happen.
Well this week was insane for me. So full of ups and downs it was just
ridiculous. I was so happy sad angry excited and then just tired. For
your information the drama that is in the mission is so crazy better,
i would dare say than drama concert down in ceder city. My companion
and i struggled to really get inside houses and to just teach. We got
into 5 houses throughout the whole week. Joy right? Well it was better
than last week. We went back to find out what happened to Daisy and
Enrique well turns out they worship that santa muerte.... that is the
devil for your info. I sat there dumbfounded as they told us
everything that had been happening. All i could think was hey look
that is a door maybe i should leave. We quickly left and we dont plan
to go back. However we have two little girls that are obsessed with
frozen. Needless to say we get along really well. One is named myra
and the other is named andrea. They are twins and my companion is
going to baptize them. We are very excited and hope that they dont
fall through but we are sure they wont because well all their family
are members so things are looking up. I am looking at the pictures of
the payson temple and I am excited to return to new temple. I want to
visit it so bad. I cant believe that I get to talk to you all this
week end and i pray all is well in the family. I have learned so much
this week of putting goals down and achieving them. It is really a
decision an effort and success. I love what it says in Preach my
Gospel about goal setting. Our goals show our desire and love for the
lord. I put high goals to show the lord that i want to bring as many
people unto him while respecting others agency. I hope to achieve
them. Well I will save more of what i have to say for my family later.
I hope all is well and enjoy the pics!!
Elder Thompson
No comments:
Post a Comment