HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

This week was seriously the craziest week of my entire mission! ET'd sisters back and forth in my little world called R., transfers (Hermana G. is our new companion!) appointment after appointment stacked, splits with members, tears and goodbye-ing, MLC (they invited me to come even though I'm not SSTL anymore. The APs informed me that I wasn't "released"--just "retired" haha!) not to mention I completely lost my voice for 4 days, and THOUSANDS of MIRACLES! 

Let me just show you what Sunday was like:

FIRST. We got a call Sunday morning--we would be teaching Gospel Principles, Primary, and a lesson in Spanish to our new investigator that doesn't speak any english AT THE SAME TIME. Good thing there are three of us. 

SECOND. Everyone and their grandmother (no joke) came to church. They kept coming and coming....10 investigators. We were running around like mad! No one usually shows up for Gospel Principles--so I started to recruit as many ward members as possible while simultaneously throwing members at our investigators so they could be friends and have someone to show them around because we were preoccupied. 

In the end we had this AMAZING lesson about the Atonement, G. (the guy who needed his own separate lesson in spanish) apparently had a vision about the 3 kingdoms that floored us and then committed himself to be baptized and quit smoking before we even told him he needed to--side note: the story of how we met him and our first lesson is pretty miraculous. Ask me about it sometime--the primary kids had fun, and one of our investigators (who we actually just met this week too) sent us a text afterward telling us he left our church with a "confusing feeling" that he really liked. I couldn't believe it! I was so in awe at that--I kept telling my companions "do you realize how significant this text is??" Just feeling the Spirit. 

Did I mention that D. was baptized this week and then confirmed on Sunday? My favorite part was watching him with the biggest smile on his face as he embraced his best friend who had introduced him to the Gospel and this new family.

One of the inactive teenagers we reactivated gave a talk in sacrament meeting that filled my heart. He wants to serve a mission. We had fantastic lessons on gratitude and love. I've just learned so much here.

They asked me to say the closing prayer. I couldn't really get through it all without choking up. 

I love the Lord, I love these people, I love this experience, I love the hard things, I love this Gospel, and I love who I am becoming and will continue to become. 

Hurrah for Israel!

Sister Thompson --always.

WOW!

N.'s baptism was so miraculous! We had a couple of nonmember families there and less-actives that we called up and invited. I can't believe they came and even showed up in sacrament meeting yesterday! The ward really came together and even those that participated couldn't believe what a huge turnout there was! D. came and LOVED it. He told us all about the great feelings he had when he came. I hope he'll be able to feel the love from his new-found family. 

Sis. J. and I felt like we could have N. be baptized as long as our faith in the ward didn't die. His baptism was wonderful! But now the hard work of helping them remain fully active in the ward has begun. We decided that we needed to do something differently in the way we worked with the ward council. We put together a "priorities" list that goes along with the progress record--an idea inspired by our wonderful mission president. It is a short list of the people we are working with in order of priority. It has their status, goals, and a simple action plan of things we need delegated or completed by the end of ward council. It worked out super well! It not only was efficient--but it made ward council effective. Each auxiliary leader has a delegated duty that we can follow-up on to help involve the ward in retention, fellowship, and finding :) I'm so excited to keep using it! I've learned a TON about what makes an effective ward council. Can't wait to use this for the rest of my life! 

MIRACLE! 

Did I tell you about this one yet?? It is SO AWESOME. You know J.? Fun story. He was so happy the other day--and we were so confused. So he told us what happened.... 

This whole story starts with J. having an eye infection. It was very stressful because J. doesn't have funds for eye surgery--but his doctor wouldn't give him any more medication until he went in to an eye surgeon to get it checked. So he finally buckled down and with a lot of heaviness of heart decided to get a loan in order to pay for his business AND surgery check-ups. 

He was given a long list of optometrists in Houston to go see. He picked one name off the list and went in to see him. The optometrist he had gone to see unfortunately was not there and so a different one was assigned to check J.'s eyes. 

J. then proceeded to tell us how incredible this optometrist was. He went on and on about how gracious and kind and wonderful this man was. He told us that the optometrist had given J. lots of medication and looked at his eyes with a minimal cost. He went on and on about how this man saved him so much money that J. no longer needed a loan. 

I just sat there and had a thought. It was one of those "mind filled with pure intelligence" moments that pretty much revealed to me what J.'s answer would be before I even asked the question

"J., what was this optometrist's name?"

"um....Dr. H."

I think I should have been astonished or amazed or surprised or SOMETHING--but it didn't even phase me. I simply KNEW he was going to say Dr. H.  

You are all probably super confused. Let me explain. 

Dr. H. is the ward Elder's Quorum President.  

Let me further explain

J. was struggling to make it to church for a few reasons. Not having friends, stress about finance and one of his biggest concerns was simply he lacks the faith that being a part of this church would help him receive blessings. 

The fact that Dr. H.--who is one of the most incredible people I know--was able to touch and pretty much CHANGE J.'s life is a direct blessing tied to the true church of Jesus Christ--simply because Bro. H. is a member of said church and lives the Gospel. 

Bro. H. in that moment was a walking testimony to J. that living the Gospel creates incredible men and women. Not only that--but Bro. H. is a direct blessing for J. tied to THIS church with these ordinances and THIS priesthood. 

If that isn't a distinct sign from Heaven--I don't know what is. 

Back to the story.

We looked at J. and said "Bro H. is in our ward."

J. couldn't believe it. Not after all that confusion with which doctor to see--not after all the mix-ups and random series of events. How is it even POSSIBLE that out of the HUNDREDS of optometrists in Houston--Bro. H. was the one. (side note: Bro H. is probably the only optometrist in Houston that would have saved J. hundreds of dollars).

I have been so incredibly astonished by the tender mercies of the Lord. J. has completely changed since then. He came to church yesterday FILLED with light. Literally. I can't even explain it. He even told us that he wants to come every single week because of the way he feels here. He also just LOVES Bro. H. 

I just love the Lord :) 

I love this Gospel. It is true. The atonement is real. Relief from guilt and pain are accessible. It doesn't matter who you've been. It matters who you are. It doesn't take someone with the greatest amount of self-determination and will-power--it takes faith in Christ. Anyone can be amazing. Everyone IS. They just need to remember. :) 

I love you! 

-Sister Thompson 

Slow but Sure

I love the Gospel. 

 What else can I really say? I feel so full! Look at what Heavenly Father has made of me! Look at what more I can still become! 

Maybe my investigators aren't progressing the way I want them to. Maybe I don't baptize and see them accept the Gospel. 

Someday they will. Someday I will feel their joy. I know Heavenly Father will help them feel the love I feel! That could be tomorrow or years and years. 

The greatest part is that I can still experience JOY. Even when they are not progressing. 

I just love the Atonement. 

MIRACLE! We had a member ask us to come teach his friend, D., at their house. During the lesson, I was feeling overwhelmed. D. was starting from the VERY beginning. He doesn't know who God is or anything else. He doesn't know what scriptures are and has never heard of a prophet. He can't read. We took a deep breath and started from square one. We taught about the God head and tried to help D. recognize the existence of it in his life. 

We came back and taught him again. He didn't remember much from our first lesson. We talked about his life and what he wanted. He told us that he wants to become an EMT because he loves to help people. We asked him why he loves to help others. We asked him where he thought good things and feelings come from--and suddenly I felt the spirit opening ways to teach him. We talked about the spirit and how to have that more fully in his life. I will never forget the moment he finally understood. 

D.: I love to help people because it makes me feel good. But I don't always feel it when I'm helping them.

Sisters: D! That good feeling is the spirit telling you that what you are doing is the right thing. You can't have the feeling all of the time yet because you don't have the gift of the holy ghost. 

 *explains gift of holy ghost and the importance of priesthood authority/laying on of hands to receive it

--After a ton of questions from D. about how he has already been baptized and etc...

Do you want this gift D.?

D. smiles and says:Yes.

It was a wonderful spirit-filled lesson. He may not have understood much--but I know he felt it.

He later texted his friend and asked him how soon he can become a mormon. I know Heavenly Father has been preparing me to teach him. We've been teaching small children for the past transfer and have had to come up with a million object lessons and creative hands-on learning experiences. We're going to need them all. :)

I love this work and I love the Lord! I'm especially grateful for the good members that invite their friends to hear the Gospel. The best part was the excitement from D.'s friend. He couldn't believe that D. had accepted the Gospel so easily. It was such a wonderful moment! 

Hurrah for Israel and for the miracles that God provides! We are being blessed daily.

--Sister Thompson

More Miracles!

Hello everyone! 

I just want to give you a list of miracles this week! 

First off! J. CAME TO CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!! It only took 6 months to get him there--BUT HE CAME! :) I'm so happy!

So we've been struggling to know if we should continue to teach L. and N. one night this week we decided we weren't going to go over to their apartment. Suddenly--we got a text from one of our members telling us that they were AT THAT MOMENT over at L. and  N.'s having a lesson from the Friend and eating brownies. They said they were waiting for us to come over to have a prayer with them. Every time we consider dropping them--the Lord keeps us going over through some small thing. L. and N. came to church yesterday. It was awesome. 

I guess I don't know what more to write about. As always we are seeking for people to teach! 

Can I just tell you how much I LOVE having studies with President A.?

I love it. 

Today we read the story found in Helaman Ch. 5. This has become one of my absolute favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon--and today just added more! We are literally bringing the Gospel to those that are in darkness. We are called to cast the devil from their midst and help in the healing process. I don't know--during the whole study I kept thinking about being someone the Lord can rely on. Being so completely humble, selfless, purpose driven, and full of faith. It takes praying until we believe together. It takes improved teaching skills. It takes constant sacrifice so that our faith will grow. It takes studying the scriptures and understanding the Atonement. It takes--simply giving it over and loving the people. 

I'm grateful for repentance and the ability to continue growing. Step by step--line by line. I love this Gospel and I love the trials this work brings. How else could we obtain salvation? I'm so grateful for my Savior. 

We've been on a Christmas kick this last week because it was ALMOST CHILLY for a couple of days! It reached as low as 72 degrees! :) 

Have I ever told you how much I enjoy family history work? I did. But I want to say it again! I love family history work! I am committed to it when I get back! Everyone that can--please hold me accountable for this. Thanks! 

Love you ! Hurrah for Israel! 

-Sister Thompson 

MIRACLES!

I don't have much time today because one of our computers isn't working--so we have to switch off pretty soon! 

There are so MANY miracles I don't even know how to begin or what to really say. I just feel in awe and full of light and love from Heaven. Like Heavenly Father is just opening the heavens and pouring out goodness. I really don't have any room to receive them! 

Miracle 1:

That family I told you about? The one that invited our investigator family over? They totally had a family home evening and didn't even tell us!! That was the BEST news ever! We just felt prompted one morning to go over and see the family and leave a little message--but they sat us down and told us that they had just had an fhe with L. and N. and A. the night before! I just sat there--stunned--and then this HUGE wall of spirit hit me and I couldn't express enough gratitude! I KNOW that it was exactly what our dear investigators needed. We try to see these investigators every day. When we went over that night--they (L., N..etc) couldn't stop talking about that fhe lesson! They were SO excited to tell us about singing "Jesus wants me for a Sunbeam" and learning about faith being like a seed and planting it....I can't stop smiling right now. AMAZING. So L. prayed OUT LOUD for the FIRST TIME this last week. AND THEN we had a lesson at this same family's home on Sunday night. It was all about the Plan of Salvation. L. cried as we talked about how A. (her daughter that has birth defects) will someday be made whole. L. expressed to us how she was feeling. She told us that when she first came to the church--she thought "no." I asked her what changed and why she came again and was still listening to the lessons? N.--the 10 yr. old who is normally SUPER loud and distracted--said "well everything's changed. We never used to pray as a family or read the scriptures. But now we do....and it feels different." L. said she is still trying to find her answer! Pray that she will find it! We're trying to help her recognize the change in her family as the answer. :) 

Miracle 2:

J. is going through such a rough time. He told us that he couldn't remember the last time he felt happy. We role played him and suddenly knew what we needed to do for him. He needs to be loved into the Gospel. We invited him over to a bbq...and it was perfect. The people were perfect for him. They loved him. They loved his niece. They had him go shooting with them (which is coincidentally one of J.'s absolute favorite things to do...) and the weather was perfect and the Temple Pres. was there and had his son be friends with J. and I can't tell you how beautiful it was. Like I stepped into a piece of heaven. Sis. J. and I looked back as we walked down the small-town country road at the scene of a bbq picnic at sundown underneath the trees. Those beautiful, loving members just welcoming someone that needed some joy....isn't Heavenly Father wonderful? We took a picture in our hearts of that small perfect moment. 

Event 1:

Transfers came and went. President A. called me and asked if I would serve as one of the Senior Sister Training Leaders. I now have my own phone--which is surprisingly stressful--I have STLs to be over--AND I get to study with the APs and President A.! That's my favorite part really. I love it. And I feel so overwhelmed and so inadequate and grateful for Grace--all at the same time....

Event 2: 

Our toilet flooded uncontrollably. We were covered in water and desperately trying to plunge. Thus came the parable of the toilet. We asked God what needed to be done. He said "flush half way and plunge." So we did. And we did again. And even though the change was gradual...we began to see results. Until the results stopped. We went back to the Lord and asked "What's the next step?" Answer was clear. "Flush." NOOOOOOOOOOOO. That was the last thing we wanted to do...it happened anyway and the toilet was magically restored! 

AND THUS WE SEE that the Lord gives line upon line due to our faithfulness to the first instructions. And by VERY small and simple things are great things brought to pass....

I love this work

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL! 

-Sister Thompson 

BEING LED!

(You can write Sister Thompson at michaelah.thompson@myldsmail.net)

August 18, 2014

This week was WONDERFUL! 

I went on a couple of exchanges--talked with SO MANY people and got super burned ;)

I just wanted to include a little story about how exact obedience and faith work together:

It was 8:30 pm. We decided to go try an investigator that lives in our apartment complex. We had everything ready and knocked on the door.....no answer. It was now 8:40. 20 minutes before it was time to be in. That isn't enough time to walk back to the car and drive off somewhere--so we prayed. Praying is the best. thing. ever. 

There we were--standing out in the super humid night trying to know what to do in our complex with just a few minutes. I've always struggled knowing exactly what the Lord's will is--but our prayer that night was so full of faith. I knew that Heavenly Father would help us make our time productive and open a way. I had a little thought of the direction we needed to go and just started walking. I suddenly envisioned a door that Sis. W. and I had tried once about 5 months ago. No one had seemed to live there--but this time I felt like Heavenly Father was urging me to go. On the walk over--we passed apartments of people that I had met briefly 5 months earlier and thought "maybe we need to go there..." but then I would see the door in my mind again and felt like I needed to get there right away. We walked straight to the door--and the lights were all off. I felt confused and dumb for coming all the way over here--but then remembered Pres. A's words about faith. I thought about what a person of great faith would do at this moment. Did I believe God could allow someone to be home even if the lights were all out? Yes. He's Father. He can do anything and send me anywhere I am needed. I felt like He had sent me here--and there was only one way to find out. I ran up the stairs and knocked on the door. I suddenly heard voices and a voice yelled out "who is it?!" "The sister missionaries!" The door opened and there stood a woman holding a child in her arms. The whole family was standing right at the door. She told us that they were just about to run to the hospital because their son was really sick. I can't tell you how badly I wished I had the priesthood at that moment. We simply offered if we could pray with them. They let us in, introduced the family, and then invited us back afterward! 

As they ran out--I looked at my watch. Less than 10 minutes left. Where to now? I thought about those apartments we had passed. Why not? We walked over and said another prayer--which one? I felt like we needed to see one of them and knocked on the door a few times. No answer. No lights. We waited and waited and got eaten alive by mosquitoes. We only had a couple of minutes left and started to walk home--but I couldn't shake the thought "what would someone with great faith do in this moment?" Knock again. So I did. And waited and waited--and she answered! Turns out her mom is a mormon and had put her name on the prayer role. She told us that after her mom had done that--she found a job! She told us we could come back and teach her. 

We ran all the way back to the apartment. Father is so merciful and pours out blessings to those that wish to be exactly obedient! 

Isaac's baptism was wonderful! His non-member mom came and cried. She came to church yesterday!

I love this Gospel and I love the Lord! 

Love yall! 

-Sister Thompson