Week 22

Dear Family,
 
I have 7 drafts for this email.... I really don't know what to say. I'm overjoyed that Pierre is going to be baptized on Sunday and am so in love with my mission it's not even funny. I wrote about Pierre before, but he was the one that we knocked on his door and apparently he had prayed an hour before really fervently for the truth. He was praying that God would send him messengers and then we knocked on his door! And we found him after a really slow week. (Have miracles ceased among the children of men?!?) I am starting to feel the real power that comes from the authority of my call. When testifying to people, I can just feel it.
 
I also really love the Book of Mormon. I started to read it this week for 30+ minutes every day, and I feel the difference. This morning I just didn't want to put it down. It really is powerful.
 
I don't know what else to tell you all. Look up the New Apostolic church... we taught a 92 year old man from that church this week...
Also, I went on an exchange with a sister who's 30. Apparently sisters can serve regular proselyting missions until they're 46 if they're single. Elder Holland is in her ward. I know where he lives now. :) :) :) So.
 
God loves you. The church is true. Pray that we don't die today. The roads are crazy. But we won't so no worries.
 
I'll put my letter to President here....
 
Dear President,

I know our numbers are so low this week. I can't tell you upset and discouraged I was about it yesterday. At about 1:30 pm, it hit me that we would have to find six new investigators that day to reach standards of excellence, and I felt so stressed and overwhelmed and felt like everything was just coming down on me.  I really didn't even know how to explain to you or what to do say. I was worried that God would be upset with me too, so I got a blessing from our Bishop yesterday because I felt so low. I really just needed the Priesthood. He told me that God really was very pleased with me and the results we've been having. It also mentioned that I would bring many souls to be healed by their Savior and a lot of other things. It really helped me. When I left, I really felt like God was really proud of me, despite the low week that we had had.

I got sick on Thursday and on Tuesday we had a dinner that lasted too long, so we didn't get very many QGCs on those days.

I was able to go on an exchange with Sister ------- in Abbotsford, though. It was really good! She told me that she could tell I was a super obedient missionary and then about how she was trained to be disobedient and still had a lot of bad habits from that. She seemed really upset about it, and seemed to be questioning why she was even here. I don't remember exactly what I said, but I remember the Spirit just took over and I think she felt a lot better. I told her the best way to love this work and to feel the Spirit is to be obedient! So the next day we did a lot of finding and found 4 new investigators together! She is really good at testifying and I enjoyed finding with her.

Also, on Sunday I found out Pierre is getting baptized!!! I am so happy for him. Church was incredible yesterday and I was so so so happy. I know Sister Allen and I didn't teach him, but we found him, so I'm still considering him my first convert baptism.

Sister Reed is adjusting well. I think she's still trying to get over being really shy and sometimes gets frustrated with not knowing what to say. But she really doesn't get discouraged easily and she is starting to leave lessons saying, "I love her! or I love him!" So I think she's adjusting well and starting to love the people. She's really happy in general.

I really love this work. I'm sorry that we had such low numbers, but I know we are can do better.

Sister Thomson