Week 26

Dear Family,

I have nine minutes to write this. Here's a portion of my letter to President Tilleman:

We also met a man named Nathan this week.  We went to see a less active woman in the hospital, and her long-lost half-brother was there! He is half-Native and grew up Christian. He moved to Chilliwack to be closer to his kids (he's in his early twenties and recently separated from his wife). He said he's had nothing to do, so he's just been reading the Bible, going to the gym, and working. (I don't know how true that is, but he said he doesn't have a lot on his agenda.) We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and explained it's origin and invited him to read it. We read over some of the introduction and asked him if the Elders could come teach him, and he said yes! So we gave the Elders his number, and don't know too much beyond that, but we were really excited about it! :)

We also taught Jeanette this week and I think her heart is softening towards the idea of being baptized. She knows the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a prophet, but can't seem to get over the fact that we believe in being baptized by proper authority. But she has been reading the Book, so I think she will slowly soften.

Sister Tilleman told us at transfer meeting (I'm still in Chilliwack, but we went anyways because Sister Reed is still a greenie.) that we can always have more faith! She said she prays each time before she reads the Book of Mormon that her testimony of it will grow. Man! I thought I had a testimony of the Book of Mormon, but nothing like I have now. It really works! God grants us our righteous desires.

Other wisdom from transfers: "Seeking positions in the church is priest-crafts."--Elder Call

Being exactly obedient means we LOOK for the commandments. "We don't wait to get hit by a spiritual two-by-four at conference" in order to obey a commandment. --President Tilleman. We search out the things we think the Brethren want us to do. That's why we read the white handbook every day.

"An enduring convert is an endowed convert."--Elder Nelson

I love this church and I love God! If this wasn't true, I would have gone home a long time ago. But it is. :)

Love you all!
Sister Thomson

PS. We went to the Seik temple last Monday and ate free Indian food. And then got food poisoning. :) Moral of the story: never eat free Indian food. I'll send pictures next week.