Week 38

Dear Family,

Writing weekly emails kind of throws me into a complex. I always have to ask Sister Kunz what we did this week. And I still have no idea. I know my faith is increasing and has needed a lot of work!

I hit my half-way mark this week. Sister Kunz bought me a Kinder Surprise! :) I kind of feel like I shouldn't have to write this letter to celebrate. :) I never know what to tell you all!!! But I learned a lot this week so I need to share. 

Yesterday after Relief Society I invited Devin to be baptized on July 18th. It was crazy because people were still leaving and the room was still really loud, but church was so incredible, I just couldn't help but think, why on earth would she not want to be baptized! I bet she's just praying that we will invite her again. So I did. :) And why deny the Spirit? It was great! Long story short she denied the Spirit a little, but told us she'd get back to us. That night she called us and said, "I'm so sorry, Sisters, I have felt so guilty all day! Did I hurt your feelings?" We said of course not, but she still felt a little unresolved and couldn't figure out why. It was because the Spirit has told her this is true so many times and she still is afraid to commit and so the Spirit is telling her that it's not right! We didn't tell her that. We just smiled and know she'll figure it out. She's really intelligent. (She really is--she about knocks our Sunday School teacher over with her comments in class.) So I know you all were hoping for a miracle ending..... So was I. :) Not yet! But soon. 

We have a baptism scheduled for Sunday... and we are doing our best to prepare her. So. Her name is Sierra. :)

I have really changed a lot. More than I thought that I had. President Tilleman is leaving, so a lot of my email time was spent writing him... (and not you. :)) It's really really sad, but also good because I'm excited for what President Burt will have to teach us. 

I feel like this describes the experience better from my email to him. 

One thing that I really think is changing about me even just recently is following the Spirit! Yesterday church was so good, and the Spirit was so incredible. All I could think was, Devin must be crying out in her mind for someone to invite her to be baptized. Why on earth would she not want to be after the Spirit that was here today! So I invited her to be baptized on July 18th. I really felt like I needed to, even though everyone was leaving Relief Society and it was pretty loud. I could just feel that it needed to be then. So I did. As the room got quieter, the Spirit intensified and we talked with Devin about her concerns and testified to her of the truth and how we knew she could be ready. We told her God is a God of miracles and we knew she could be ready by that date. She didn't realize that baptism was a commandment and, (thanks to you!) we were able to show her many scriptures that helped her to see that. One of her true friends walked in and shared her experiences. Ultimately, Devin said she would give us an answer but need time to think about it. She called later that night and was really apologetic. She kept asking us if we'd hurt her feelings or anything, and even though we assured her that she hadn't, she still felt unresolved. I know it was because the Spirit was helping her to feel uneasy about denying it and denying the baptismal date, so even though she thought calling us would make it better, it didn't. She needed to pray about it! We didn't know how to explain all of that to her though, so we just continued to invite her to pray about it. She is a very reserved person, so we know we can't push, but we invite as much as we can and try to help her "come out of her comfort zone" as she calls it."

 I read the best quote today: "We see ourselves in terms of yesterday and today. Our Heavenly Father sees us in terms of forever. Although we might settle for less, Heavenly Father won't. For He sees us as the glorious beings we are capable of becoming." —Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

So that's all! Pictures of the beach to come next week. :) Love you all!

Sister Thomson

PS. Yesterday a panhandler told us, "It's time to say bye now, because I have a quota to fill, and as beautiful as you are, you're cramping my style." :)