October 27

Dear Family,

This week I have really seen a lot of people going through a lot of really hard things. I really don't know how I could help them, but I've really been trying. I only see one tip of the iceberg and am only there with my companion for a very short time compared to the rest of the really difficult things they go through. I have felt so humbled this week because I honestly know that the things I have gone through are so minuscule to the adversities that they are facing. But I have faced adversity and I do know that there is a loving Heavenly Father out there who knows me and He knows them. I don't know why God has sent me to these people whose pains I can't even imagine, but I do know that He is helping me. I have had to rely so fully on Him in teaching this week.

We taught Nikki and Bryan this week. What a miracle. When we went in on Tuesday, they were so devoid of energy. I thought it was just because they were sick. I could tell that we weren't going to get very far in teaching them, so I asked if we could make them some soup or something. Bryan, surprised, said, "You would do that?" He then told us he hadn't eaten in three days and were out of money. He was choosing not to eat so the rest of his family would have more. They can't go back to the Food Bank until the end of November and the business he is working for is failing. His wife and daughters were planning on eating dry cereal that night for dinner which is what they had eaten for the past couple of days. He was too prideful up to that point to ask for help. To my dismay we did not have time to bring him anything that night or the morning.The next day at a member's house, I asked if we could take the rest of our dinner over to this family. She asked more about the situation and then prepared four boxes of food to take to them. We knocked on their door and Bryan cried. He was not expecting that at all. Nikki's sister Nico was there and she was really touched as well. When we met Nico, she told us "Nikki's not here, and I'm an atheist." And closed the door. That night she turned to Nikki and Bryan and said, you should really take these girls to church. They need to meet more people. I'll come too. I want to meet people at this church. We asked her her beliefs about the afterlife,which are none, (she used to be Christian until her dad died) and she then asked us ours. We were able to teach the last part of the Plan of Salvation and it really touched them. The Spirit was so strong. We all knelt in prayer at the end and I just felt Heavenly Father's love for them so much.

A woman named Cheryl was also having a really tough time this week. We met her on Monday or Sunday and found out that she had broken a bunch of ribs after almost driving off of a ravine when she found out her inheritance money had been stolen. We shared a bit about our message and she wanted us to come back. When we did, she was sitting in her car crying. This woman is maybe five feet tall and weighs next to nothing. A long story short she had just found out her boyfriend had stolen the money and she looked so scared. She was getting up the courage to call the police while her boyfriend was in the house. I'm not trying to be melodramatic but I was honestly worried that she wouldn't make it through the night. I just wanted the police to get there soon. We said a prayer with her and she prayed with us as well. It was one of the saddest, but most humble prayers I've ever heard.

The pinnacle of this week was last night teaching a member family in their home. They lost their son/brother three years ago on November 1st. We went in and you could tell there was a lot of tension in the home. I did not know too many details regarding his death, but sharing a message was really difficult. We invited everyone in and talked about prayer. The father told us he prayed a while ago for something he really wanted and didn't get it, so now he doesn't ask for anything. He said sometimes he'll say thank you for things, but that's about it. His daughter then told us (and she was already crying) that she was crying because they all knew what he was talking about. He told us that he had every religion in the community praying for his son, and members of the stake and a General Authority even came, but he still died. Their son had just gotten over a drug addiction and had been out of rehab for about three weeks when he passed away. The other son said in his mind it was because his brother had repented and it was his time to go. I honestly just cried with them. Sister Brook and I really taught in unity and I just said, I don't know how hard this is, and I haven't gone through anything like this, but I have faced adversity.." I shared an experience from my life and told them about how I prayed for months and months for something to change and nothing did. I wondered if God really knew or cared about me, when I was being obedient and trying to do my best to be like Christ, yet my cross to bear seemed to stay the same. But I've learned that prayer is not to change God's will to mine, but to change me. He also wants us to ask for blessings that He is so willing to give, but are conditional upon us asking. The atmosphere in the room changed. The father opened up and I can't really repeat what happened because I couldn't do it justice. But I can't get out of my mind how he looked when he shook my hand. Every time I pray, I see his face in his mind. I don't think I can ever forget the amount of pain that I saw in his eyes. I've been praying so hard for their family.

What I do know is God's purpose. Moses 1:39  "For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." No matter what is happening in life, this is what God is working for. He wants each of us to be together forever with Him. So what I've learned, is that no matter the trial or the difficulty I can rest assured that He loves us so much. He is working so hard to make my family forever, so come what may and love it I suppose. I love you all. I love this mission. I love God. I know there have been times on my knees, even this week, where I have been so upset, and so frustrated with God and with my situations. But He really is so loving. He really does hear me. He hears you. And He wants us to come back to Him so much. "My son [or my daughter], peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes  (D&C 121:7-8)."

Sister Thomson

PS. I made Sister Brook turtle pancakes yesterday. :)

Also Sonnet dropped us.
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