December 22nd

Dear Family,

What a week! So stressful and so great all at the same time. I feel like choosing to be happy is the key to everything. It really is a choice we have to make all of the time! We had some incredible days and some hard days and happiness is the key to persevering.

We had some awesome lessons with Jimmy and Neca this week, but then they didn't respond to us on Saturday too much and weren't at church on Sunday. My heart was breaking for them! So I fasted for them and we dropped by. I was so nervous walking up to their door. Neca was pretty cold when we walked in. She had alcohol on Saturday night with her family and her mom told Neca that she should talk to the Catholic priest in town and that Neca's aunt was severely beaten by her grandpa when she tried to join this church. Neca and Jimmy said they were willing to try in the New Year to quit alcohol but it was too hard now. Sister Manaso and I, along with the member with us, were so unsure what to say, but the Spirit took over and the entire room changed. Jimmy showed us a suit he bought for church in Prince and they said they really know this is true and want to join, but it is so hard. Neca said, I don't want to just come, I want to be baptized and be a member!" We told them to pray about their decision (we didn't condone it, they knew how we felt, but we told them to take it to Heavenly Father) and left them with a talk by Elder Ballard about addiction and also the arp.lds.org website. Just before we started emailing you today, Neca texted us and told us, Jimmy and I have decided not to wait. We're going to start today to quit alcohol. Sister Manaso and I screamed-- we were so happy! Jimmy said the closing prayer last night and it was incredible. They have so much faith and I love them so much. A member of the bishopric (without us even having to talk to him or anything!) offered to bless their home, and he's having them over on Christmas Eve. The ward is so supportive. I wish I could tell you all they've done.

I love Heavenly Father so much. I am so blessed to be here with Sister Manaso. She has such an incredible testimony and I know she was sent here to share it with the people here. Last week a member asked her how on earth she could know the sealing power is real if she's never been sealed to anyone. She said, "I've never seen God or Jesus Christ, but I know that they're real. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet even though I never heard him either. The Spirit has confimed to my heart that the sealing power that was restored is real and one day I will have the chance to be sealed to an eternal companion and my family." She said more, but the member had no idea how to respond after that. "Oh, okay." Haha. She is so incredible.

Something I know is true is that “Now, this is the truth. We humble people, we who feel ourselves sometimes so worthless, so good-for-nothing, we are not so worthless as we think. There is not one of us but what God’s love has been expended upon. There is not one of us that He has not cared for and caressed. There is not one of us that He has not desired to save and that He has not devised means to save. There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning. We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes and in the eyes of others, but the truth remains that we are children of God and that He has actually given His angels … charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping.” (George Q. Cannon)

I know that is true. Each person I talk to, each person I share the gospel with is a way the I become part of the means by which God has devised to save His children. He has a personalized plan for each of us, and for each of His children, to make it back to Him. Each time we open our mouth and share the gift, we are part of that plan that God devised to save His children. He loves us so much and He wants His children to know that and to return to Him and experience the joy the gospel brings. Let us open our mouths and spare not this season. I love you all so much and know that this message is true. For those of you who haven't seen this video yet, go watch it!

Love you all,
Sister Thomson

http://www.mormon.org/christmas  

and this one too http://www.mormonchannel.org/christmas-videos?v=2919740155001