August 11

Dear Family,

We saw John Bytheway this week! It was great.

Somehow I lost all of the time to email, so I'm going to send you a revised version of what I sent to President Burt. He asked us to share our testimonies with him as well this week. :) I feel like Moroni in Ether 12...

It is going to be hard for me to narrow down my testimony, but I'm going to try. I read a quote this morning by President Benson--"When we put God first, all other things fall into proper place or drop out of our lives." I really know that's true. I feel so undeserving of the blessings that God is pouring out upon me for serving a mission for Him. I have felt so much joy in this service. I have spent so many days recently just marveling at how much I love being a missionary. I am learning who Heavenly Father is and I am learning so much about my Savior. A man this week told us about how he lost his teeth and then said, "Don't look like that, they were my teeth, not yours." (Telling me not to look so sad for him) But I couldn't help it! I really don't know if I can express how much I really love this mission but I want to. Every time we are just a little rejected or are having a hard time, it's almost relieving because I am so undeserving of all of the blessings He is giving us. He really is providing in every way. I know that He loves us so much. He is letting me learn so many things here I would never have learned anywhere else, and I know that He is so perfect at loving us. His love is so perfect that He lets us (as people and as missionaries) go through incredibly hard things because He wants us to be like Him and enjoy the joy that He feels. I have faced adversity on this mission. But even that has been a blessing; I have been able to realize first-hand the power and authority of my calling. I love this service. I know that Jesus Christ's Atonement is real and for each person on this earth. I know He wants us to declare this to everyone.

To give you a quick update on this week, we were kind of disappointed when all the investigators that committed to come to church exercised their agency to not show up. (One did come, but he doesn't like to make commitments. He'll keep them, but he won't make them.) I felt the Spirit so strongly on Saturday when we invited them to church though, so I know that God was pleased that we were really working hard to promise blessings and testify and invite and etc....

We taught so many lessons on Tuesday that we had 5 minutes for lunch and about 25-30 for dinner. We were running around all day and I really liked it. It is so satisfying to work!  Sister Kunz has been thinking about wanting to sacrifice more for the last little bit of her mission. I'm excited that I can be with her right now to run with her to the finish line so to speak. :)

So that's all for now. Love you all!

Sister Thomson

PS. We're going to a provincial-wide girl's camp for an afternoon in a couple of weeks. :) We are so excited!