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