Week 20

Dear Family,

Welcome to the craziest week of my life.

On Wednesday night, Jamie received a blessing. We explained what it was and how it works based upon faith. Brother Larson (who quit smoking himself) gave her a long and beautiful blessing. The Spirit was so strong in the room that I was shaky from the moment we walked in. In the blessing he gave her the strength to overcome her cravings and promised her that they would be week. He told her that she would have answers to the prayers she would ask about what we are teaching her. I guess I can't really convey it, but when the blessing was over the Spirit was incredible. Anytime someone feels the Spirit, we are to invite them to be baptized. So I did. We asked her if she came to know the things we were teaching were true, if she would be baptized by the same authority that just gave her a blessing. We've set a date for March 22nd. When we followed up with her on Friday, she said that she always feels good when we come over and that she has been praying. She said she has decided if she wants to smoke, she'll read the Book of Mormon. (We didn't even suggest that!!) She also said that the cravings are gone, so she is down to 6 a day, but she still has an emotional need. We've only known her for a week and a half so this is happening so quickly for her. I know she's received a spiritual witness that it is true.

I also think I've never struggled so much in my life. I'm really, really learning to rely on the Lord. Friday was hard. We had 5 lessons scheduled and two of them were with Jamie and Naomi. I felt like I had just had the worst breakup of my life and had to take the MCAT in the same day. But I was really trying to be strong for my new trainee. I have really been thinking about how merciful God has been through all of this. He blessed me with a trainer that has been my best friend and really my support system. I'm realizing now how much I relied on that. In church and in lessons I kept feeling the need to hold someone's hand or for someone to support me, but I realized that I'm the support for Sister Reed now. She is such a good missionary already and I'm amazed by her willingness to be obedient and how she really wants to do anything that is expected of her. I'm learning in this time of feeling so alone, that God really has to be our support and that the Savior needs to be our rock. I'm also gaining a bigger testimony of the need to be married and I'm understanding why it's so important. I know God is carrying me now. I really understand that I am by no means adequate to do all that I have been called to, but I also know that through the Atonement He is qualifying me to do all of this.

I love you all so much and I really know that God will carry you through everything you need to go through. When everything else is removed, He is the only person we can rely on and the first thing we should rely on in every situation.

I'm still in Chilliwack and President Tilleman looked so excited when he announced who I would be training. He turned to me before he announced the trainees and looked like a kid on Christmas when he told me that he knew who I would be training. I love her and am excited to find out what he was so excited about. :)

The Church is true.
Love you all!

Sister Thomson

PS. Sister Allen is opening a ward in Kelowna as a District Leader there. Her nonmember cousins live there and she was praying for a long time she would be transferred there.
PPS. Attatched is a picture at training and a picture of Sister Allen with Sister Schmidt. Apparently she was the bad girl in Saturday's Warrior? If anyone wants to send me a picture of her at a younger age, that would be appreciated! :)
PPPS. Sister Reed is from Albuquerque NM. Coincidence? I think not.
ALSO!! I FORGOT TO MENTION!! :) Elder Christopherson is the apostle coming to our mission in March. :)

On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 11:29 AM, Rebekah Thomson <rebekah.thomson@myldsmail.net> wrote:
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