Week 37

Dear Family,

Yesterday when we were eating our lunch outside the church a mother quail walked by with eight quailets. All I could think was, man, if a hawk were to fly by those babies are toast. That poor mom. I bet she's so stressed. She can't protect them! How is she going to choose? So.... that pretty much sums up church yesterday. Miranda came with her four daughters as well as Devin and some part-member families. It was going to work out great. Two girls in the nursery, two in Primary, Miranda free to listen to class and Devin could take care of herself. Not so. But it was okay. By the third hour everyone was everywhere and we couldn't do a thing about it because we were teaching! But the Spirit was really strong in church and our Bishop gave an incredible talk about forgiveness and other things, so I know it will work out in the end. 

Other than that it was a good week. We had a luncheon with Devin at a member's house on Devin's birthday! Devin has really been concerned about the Word of Wisdom, but our member shared a really powerful experience about giving up coffee when she was an athlete fresh out of college. So Devin said she would try it. :)

Nevaeh stayed in Primary the whole time and was singing the songs when they were leaving. She didn't really want to go. So Nevaeh is pretty much holding up the fort for her family. :) We'll see what they thought when we see them this week.

Sister Kunz had a really powerful realization a couple of days ago. She told me she realized if we're prompted to go somewhere that we're scared of or we don't want to go and choose not to go, that's telling Jesus we don't trust him! I know that sounds like an obvious fact, but when you're prompted to go to a Wal-Mart parking lot, it doesn't seem so simple! But it really is. It's something I want to live by this new transfer. Showing my Savior that I trust Him by my actions.

On that note, we saw a little complex on our map that we decided to go to. It was gated, but the gate was open. A car had just pulled in and we thought nothing of it as we drove through as well. Behind us, the gate started to close! It had a ton of no soliciting no trespassing, etc. signs. So we were pretty excited that we got in. We just went to the houses we felt like we should, and the last one was my favorite. The woman answered and said, "Who did you punch to get in here?" She was really alarmed that one of her neighbors had let us in. Hah. God let us in. We've been trying to live by what Sister Tilleman called President Tilleman. "A righteous rebel."

I realize this email could have been better. But all-in-all a good week. Unlike the quail, we have a Father in Heaven that really is in charge. It's really relieving to know that at the end of the day, this work cannot be frustrated. (D&C 3:1) I can't really mess up these people's salvation. But I can be in charge of leading them to our Savior! We heard a song this week in a broadcast that I think is called A Window to His Love. The lyrics said something about how "I want to fade away until the only thing they see is You." It was beautiful. That's really what I want to do. And somehow, no hawks have swooped down yet. 

Yeah. So that's all. Hope you're all having the best weeks of you lives. 

Okay last thought. Belief is such a beautiful thing. In Ether 12:4 it says, "hope cometh of faith." When we have hope, it's because of our faith!  Jesus did not say that we have to know we can remove a mountain to remove a mountain. He said we need to have faith that's as small as a grain of a mustard seed. And relying on that (instead of on the doubts that I am sure will be there as well), we can do anything. So we don't have to KNOW we need to be baptized. We don't have to know that reading our scriptures will make "great things come to pass." We just have to believe. Just a little bit. And we have to rely on that belief as the man who came to Jesus to heal his son did. He said, "Lord, I believe. Help Thou mine unbelief." It was his belief that healed his boy. Just his hope that this Man could work miracles. And He did. Elder Holland says it better:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng

Love you all! Thank you for the updates with Preach My Gospel. :) Keep them coming. :) Chapter 4 is great if you don't know where to start.

Sister Thomson