Week 24

Dear Family,
 
On Saturday afternoon we asked our dear ward member Sister Schmidt if she'd had any missionary opportunities recently. This is what she said.
 
First she proceeds to tell us a story about how she decided to share the gospel with her friend Janice who is Buddhist and then about how she is sharing the gospel with the guy that played Jesus on Son of God. I was really starting to feel trunky about this area..... 5+ months in the bible belt.... but then we visited her and I remembered why I am here.
 
So she watched this movie with a girl in our ward and the girl was like, Sister Schmidt, now would be such a perfect time to share the gospel with him. He just played Jesus. Sister Schmidt looked on her facebook and remembered her friend Penelope Streisand happens to be the agent for Aaron Eckhart. Or something. Anyways she got them to have lunch. I don't know how effective it will be and I don't think half of you are even going to believe this, but it's true. Sister Schmidt used be in the entertainment business..... she says she wandered in the desert for 40 years.... anyways. Sister Reed and I thought it was the greatest thing ever. And we're teaching Janice this week. When we ran into Janice outside the apartment about a month ago, she was semi-interested, but didn't want us to come back. So pretty much I just love this woman so much. There's a reason President Kimball blessed her to be a missionary....
 
So. On that note. We taught a Seventh Day Adventist woman this week because we talk to everyone! She was walking by when we were on our way to an appointment and she told us she was strong in her faith, but then she started to cry. She asked us to pray for her husband because he's been struggling with a drug addiction and had gone missing the previous night. I was like, of course we will pray for you! Can we come back later this afternoon and pray with you in your home? :) :) So we did. And shared a Book of Mormon. And we're going back on Wednesday.
 
Also Sister Reed and I went on exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders this week. Sister Reed and Sister Facer went to a street that Sister Allen and I went to a month-and-a-half ago. There is a guy that is born-again and asked us a bunch of questions like, "Who is God? and "How did you come to know your church was true?" He hung on our every word looking for flaws, but we weren't confounded. :) This was the guy that got kicked out of temple square. Anyways, when Sister Reed and Sister Facer knocked on his door, he didn't even bother!!!!!! He told them Joseph Smith wasn't a prophet and the Book of Mormon was false, and before they could get a word out, he just started to pray for them. He said, "Oh God, I know I can't convert them, but you can!" Please save their souls... or something. Anyways. :) It just made me sooo happy. Sister Allen and I were in there for an hour with him and his wife wanting to attack everything, but this time he just gave up! Somehow this was so ridiculously satisfying.
 
Sister Reed is getting better at testifying. She is really amazing me all of the time. She is just so good at things! She has so much faith, and doesn't let fear get in the way of sharing the gospel, even if they aren't very nice. I'm so proud of her. :) She is seriously the best. Pre-trained.
 
That's all. The church is true. The Atonement works. Pray that I am transferred next week. Just kidding. I love Chilliwack. ish.
 
Okay quick thought about the Atonement. I really am struggling with the whole training thing. I'm just trying to be humble enough to believe that I can do this. (PMG teaches saying you can't do something the Lord asks of you is a sign of pride.) So on Sunday, (and Saturday, and Friday, and Thursday.....) I was feeling really inadequate and by Sunday I couldn't take it anymore! After letting a couple walk by while I was sitting in the car, because I was too weighed down to talk to them, I went home and repented. And it felt so good! I had strength for the rest of the day, and I really  know it's only the Adversary that wants me to be weighed down and feel like I can't do this. The Atonement is so real. It takes care of all everything.

Also I know this church is true. It's such a miracle to literally see people's faces change as we testify of the truth. People will be so mad! but as we testify of the truth, their hearts really do soften.

Love you all!
Sister Thomson

PS. Someone showed me a picture of our new mission president yesterday. No. I don't want a new one. Who is this person and why is President leaving us. Only two more transfers........