Week 21

Dear Family,
 
I pre-wrote this email at home today so that I would have more time to think about it. I hope that I can say things to uplift all of you, but I have to admit we hadn't cleaned yet, so no promises. :)
 
My heart is breaking for so many of you. I really just can't believe how many of you are struggling in so many different ways! I really wanted to uplift you in some way, so if this email sounds dumb, maybe read it out loud... I'm not the most terrific "in writing." :)
 
As I reflect on this week, I'm really noticing something that stands out to me. We had some really tough moments. But everything ended up being okay in the end. Jamie dropped us, but we ran into her at Wal-Mart today and she wants to see me again before I get transferred (if I ever do...), Naomi got anti-ed, even though she received a spiritual witness that it is true, and a woman last night knew just exactly how to mock me in ways no one has ever done before, nor had I imagined they would. I don't think that I've ever really cried after leaving a doorstep, but I did then. I had to immediately go to the next door, but after that I just had to go back to our car and cry. I really felt like angels were with us then. And as we were sitting in the car and praying, I heard something inside of me whisper, "you don't know, but I was standing with you the whole time."
 
When we share the first point of the first discussion, we tell people that our Heavenly Father weeps with us when we weep. Last night, I realized He was crying with me as I cried. I know for myself now the truth that He really does cry for each of you and the Savior is really standing beside each of you.
 
In his talk, "The Character of Christ," Elder Bednar talks about the difference between what Christ does when people hurt Him and what others do. Christ always turns outward  while our natural instinct is to turn inward. My advice to each of you is to do the same. As President Monson says, "succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees." In time of crisis, always turn outward.
 
This week we decided to go see one of our investigators that we haven't seen in a couple of weeks. She's having a really hard time. She has been sexually abused since the age of six and had a daughter from a rape. It took her years to tell anyone, especially her daughter. She also is the survivor of a Residential school and has spent a lot of her life trying to recover from that. She has overcome many addictions and almost died from some of them. She recently walked in on her boyfriend of one year with another woman. Many of the family members in her home are still addicts and live in darkness. Yet she still believes in God and His love for her. Seeing her and lifting her up really gave me the strength to go forward. She needs to be baptized so badly! The only thing I can think of when I see her is Christ saying to the Nephites, "Come and let me heal you."
 
I know He will heal you. Reach outward; we really do live in a fallen world and I know so many people out there are silently suffering. I know this week was hard for so many of you, but when I look back, I can't help but feel grateful! I got to clean the chandelier in the celestial room! Naomi hasn't dropped us just yet! After everything yesterday, we still found a new investigator! One woman who I didn't think would be interested really wants to read the Book of Mormon! A temple is being built in Pittsburg!!! We get to see President tomorrow. :) I could go on. God really has been there for me this whole time. He can't stop the adversity in our lives because it needs to be there. But He can make the best moments that much better and He does want to bless us in any and every way He can. He wants to eventually give us His fulness! And He is so pleased with each of you. I know if you look for the signs of His love, you really will find them.
 
"And now behold. if Adam had not transgressed he would not have fallen, but he would have remained in the garden of Eden. And all things which were created must have remained in the same state in which they were created; and they must have remained forever, and had no end.
 
"And they would have had no children; wherefore they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy for they knew no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin  (2 Nephi 2:22-23)."
 
I know this is true. I see it in my own life. There really are hands that hang down and people that are "kept from the truth because they know not where to find it--therefore we should waste and wear out our lives in bringing hidden to light all the hidden things of darkness  (D&C 123:12-13)."
 
I love you all! "Let us cheerfully do all things which lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for His arm to be revealed (D&C 123:17)."
 
Sister Thomson
 
PS. Mady ignore this email--you don't need it. :) :) Mady is going to Europe and the Amazon.
PPS. It took me as long to type this out as it did to write it.....
 

Week 20

Dear Family,

Welcome to the craziest week of my life.

On Wednesday night, Jamie received a blessing. We explained what it was and how it works based upon faith. Brother Larson (who quit smoking himself) gave her a long and beautiful blessing. The Spirit was so strong in the room that I was shaky from the moment we walked in. In the blessing he gave her the strength to overcome her cravings and promised her that they would be week. He told her that she would have answers to the prayers she would ask about what we are teaching her. I guess I can't really convey it, but when the blessing was over the Spirit was incredible. Anytime someone feels the Spirit, we are to invite them to be baptized. So I did. We asked her if she came to know the things we were teaching were true, if she would be baptized by the same authority that just gave her a blessing. We've set a date for March 22nd. When we followed up with her on Friday, she said that she always feels good when we come over and that she has been praying. She said she has decided if she wants to smoke, she'll read the Book of Mormon. (We didn't even suggest that!!) She also said that the cravings are gone, so she is down to 6 a day, but she still has an emotional need. We've only known her for a week and a half so this is happening so quickly for her. I know she's received a spiritual witness that it is true.

I also think I've never struggled so much in my life. I'm really, really learning to rely on the Lord. Friday was hard. We had 5 lessons scheduled and two of them were with Jamie and Naomi. I felt like I had just had the worst breakup of my life and had to take the MCAT in the same day. But I was really trying to be strong for my new trainee. I have really been thinking about how merciful God has been through all of this. He blessed me with a trainer that has been my best friend and really my support system. I'm realizing now how much I relied on that. In church and in lessons I kept feeling the need to hold someone's hand or for someone to support me, but I realized that I'm the support for Sister Reed now. She is such a good missionary already and I'm amazed by her willingness to be obedient and how she really wants to do anything that is expected of her. I'm learning in this time of feeling so alone, that God really has to be our support and that the Savior needs to be our rock. I'm also gaining a bigger testimony of the need to be married and I'm understanding why it's so important. I know God is carrying me now. I really understand that I am by no means adequate to do all that I have been called to, but I also know that through the Atonement He is qualifying me to do all of this.

I love you all so much and I really know that God will carry you through everything you need to go through. When everything else is removed, He is the only person we can rely on and the first thing we should rely on in every situation.

I'm still in Chilliwack and President Tilleman looked so excited when he announced who I would be training. He turned to me before he announced the trainees and looked like a kid on Christmas when he told me that he knew who I would be training. I love her and am excited to find out what he was so excited about. :)

The Church is true.
Love you all!

Sister Thomson

PS. Sister Allen is opening a ward in Kelowna as a District Leader there. Her nonmember cousins live there and she was praying for a long time she would be transferred there.
PPS. Attatched is a picture at training and a picture of Sister Allen with Sister Schmidt. Apparently she was the bad girl in Saturday's Warrior? If anyone wants to send me a picture of her at a younger age, that would be appreciated! :)
PPPS. Sister Reed is from Albuquerque NM. Coincidence? I think not.
ALSO!! I FORGOT TO MENTION!! :) Elder Christopherson is the apostle coming to our mission in March. :)

On Mon, Feb 10, 2014 at 11:29 AM, Rebekah Thomson <rebekah.thomson@myldsmail.net> wrote:
▶ Show quoted text

Week 19

Dear Family,

Guess who found out it was the Super-bowl last night when we were tracting? We did. People would answer the door and say, "Seriously? It's the Super-Bowl." And would then close the door. Ha. 

Also, I had a dream on I think either Monday or Tuesday that I started smoking. I've never had a dream like that and it was so vivid! It stayed with me for days and I couldn't get it out of my mind. I remember how horrified and shamed I felt when I realized I wouldn't be able to go to the temple and that I would have to tell my mission president. The thing that stood out to me the most was that I felt so trapped. I have never felt the need for someone else to rescue me so much in my life. I just remember wishing so badly that someone would come to help me quit, because I knew I couldn't do it on my own. It gave me the realization that people smoking really do want to 

On Wednesday night we were finding in a trailer park and a woman came up to us from across the street. She was at her neighbor's house but saw us knocking on her door and something told her to come talk to us. When we introduced ourselves, she told us she was Catholic and after talking some more, she told us her husband passed away in August. Then she asked if we were knocking on every door. We said, kind of, but we prayed about where to go the previous night and this place really felt right. She began to cry and told us, "I think you were sent here for me." The Spirit was really strong and we told her we'd love to come back on Sunday at 3. She said, "Really, you'd do that?" She told us she felt like she'd been getting a lot of messages that week and felt like we were really supposed to be there.

On Sunday we talked more and taught the first lesson. When we were setting up a return appointment for Wednesday at 7, she said she was actually thinking about going to see a hypnotist because she's been trying to quit smoking and can't seem to be able to. I told Jamie we would love to help her quit and immediately began to cry as I told Jamie about the dream I had had. I told her that I'd never had a dream like that before and it was so vivid. I told her about how trapped I had felt and how I just needed someone to help me quit. I told her I had that dream for her. We told her about the Priesthood blessing she could receive because of the Restoration and it was just perfect. I can't explain this really well, but I love her so much. I know that God knows the people we are teaching and loves them individually.

Transfer calls are tonight. I am 80% sure I'm training. I bought hair dye. Possibly from stress. I'm turning 20 this month. That is all.

Love you all!

Sister Thomson

Week 18

Dear Family,
 
Naomi is getting baptized! :) We had an awesome lesson with her on Tuesday and the Spirit was really strong. I invited her to kneel and pray at the end of the lesson and ask if the church was true and anything else she wanted to ask. She prayed and asked that and also if the Book of Mormon was true and if He wanted her to be baptized. We were just in her bedroom with our friend Celest (who recently decided to serve a mission :)), but it really felt like the celestial room. She said she felt really warm and a lot of peace, but she wasn't sure about the answer just yet. Sister Allen invited her to be baptized on February 28th (not even remembering that was my birthday :)) and she agreed. Best way to spend my 20th ever. Naomi is 18 if I didn't mention this before, and Christian, but she's had a lot of questions. She broke up with her boyfriend last week (which we were soo happy to hear) and is the perfect example of being teachable and humble. Celest's best friend of 18 years ended their friendship the day we had our first lesson with Naomi and they are becoming really good friends.
 
Also, Sister Allen and I got high on Friday.... But we taught a really awesome native woman named Delores who is a survivor of a Residential school (one in Mission called St. Mary's which was supposed to be one of the worst.) She said she's been sexually abused since the time she was six and almost drank herself to death multiple times. But she has a firm belief in God and Jesus Christ (even after the school she went to!) and has quit the alcohol and drugs. She needs this gospel so much, and I am so happy we found her. We just need to teach her in a different house......
 
Sorry this letter is shorter! I can give you a short recap of the rest of the week:
(1) We taught a lesson with a woman named Shqipe who brought her friend Steve. Steve was trying to sell us on a quick, get rich (scam) he talked Shqipe into, while we were trying to teach the first discussion...
(2) We talked to like 100 people on Saturday because we walked all day. All day.
(3) A member gave us a popcorn machine that can make kettle corn. Guess what we've been eating all week?
(4) We found the cutest Greek Orthodox couple from Syria and Eygpt. They've been married for two years. When I asked how they met, Antoine said, I asked my family to find me a good wife, and they did! She just smiled really wide. They had an arranged marriage and are the happiest couple ever.
(5) We've had almost a whole week of sunshine. It feels like summer....
 
Love you all!
Sister Thomson
 
PS. I read this quote by Elder Holland this morning and am absolutely in love with it. I am really learning about the worth of one soul.
"Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?

"You will have occasion to ask those questions. I have thought about this a great deal. I offer this as my personal feeling. I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy. We are The Church of Jesus Christ, this is the truth, and He is our Great Eternal Head. How could we believe it would be easy for us when it was never, ever easy for Him? It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane. Missionaries and mission leaders have to take at least a step or two toward the summit of Calvary. [...]

"The Atonement will carry the missionaries perhaps even more importantly than it will carry the investigators. When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions. The only way to salvation is through Gethsemane and on to Calvary. The only way to eternity is through Him—the Way, the Truth, and the Life."

Week 17

Dear Family,
 
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
There are really no words to describe this week. There really aren't. To follow up on my email from last week--where I gave a ton of statistics--here are some more! Remember how last week I said,
 
"The work is really, really hastening. An apostle is coming to the mission in March and he wants us to find 1,000. "?!?
 
I was thinking, all right, by March maybe.... guess how many the mission found last week?! 1084 new investigators. That's over 400 more people than our mission has ever found, ever. Remember that this is Canada, not Brazil. I read Alma 26 this morning with Sister Allen and just cried. I can't even describe "the smallest part that I feel." I would have been absolutely shocked just two weeks ago to hear that our mission would find this many new people to teach. I don't think I would have believed it! And that is really the way every week has been.
 
In addition, our zone found 168 new investigators just this last week. (meaning the week ending yesterday.) Just one week ago we found 77 (the same week the mission found 1084). Just one week ago! And THAT was astounding.
 
I can't believe I am lucky enough to be in this mission at this time. I just marvel! Missionaries that are about ready to leave said at the beginning of their missions, the mission was finding probably about 60 new investigators per week. And then President Monson declared that the time for the hastening is now! And look what's happening!
 
I know you may be like, this is great, but they're just numbers. But they're not! Listen to the miracles (and the faces behind some of these numbers) that Sister Allen and I have had this week:  !!
 
A couple of weeks ago we were having a really rough week and just were not finding anyone to teach. At the end of a long day, we had about 10 minutes left to find. We decided to go to a different street and knocked on probably one or two doors. Behind one of the doors was a man named Pierre. He was so receptive and just golden! We were so excited to give him to the Elders, because the day before, absolutely every one of their investigators dropped them. They have been teaching him and all we've really heard is that things are going great. On Saturday night, we went to the baptism of a woman named Jane where the Spirit was soo strong. Our mission president was there, and halfway through the evening, Sister Tilleman came up to me and said, "did you know that Pierre had been praying/pleading with the Lord for Him to send Pierre someone with the truth an hour-and-a-half before you knocked on his door?" How amazing right? God answers prayers. Except Pierre told us more of the specifics of his prayer and now I have to pray to be transferred, but it was a miracle none the less! :)
 
So the specifics were that he was engaged to a woman for 7 years and then found out she didn't want children. He was so upset because he just wants a virtuous woman to be his wife and have children for him, because he's the youngest of ten.... so he prayed (begged) that God would send him a virtuous woman and an hour later we knocked on his door. So... that's awkward. But he's progressing really well, and even though he was a little upset when the Elders came to the second lesson instead of us, he really likes both of them and is loving the discussions.
 
We also knocked on the door of this man named Stephen (what is it with single men?!! I don't understand....) and he thought it was crazy that we knocked when we did, because he'd just been texting with his friend about God and had all kind of questions that he didn't think could be answered. We were talking about the gospel for a while and I just started to testify of the Atonement in my life. I didn't know if any of it was really setting in until I looked in his eyes and saw a tear running down one of them. He told us how he had been numb for so long because he has lost so many people in his life and gone through a lot of hard things. I can't explain it. When I looked at Stephen, all you could see was darkness in his face and countenance. But I promise him that he could feel again and that the Savior could heal him. I told him about how a couple of years ago I looked in the mirror and wondered if I would ever feel anything ever again either. I was so numb to everything, and I didn't know how to fix myself. But I know that the Atonement healed me. I told him that in this church we make covenants that give us full access to the Atonement of Jesus Christ and we can literally be healed of every pain we go through. The Spirit was so strong. We taught him again on Saturday evening and the Spirit was again there so powerfully. He slept through church... but there's always next week.....
 
This mission truly is incredible. President told us a couple of weeks ago that he thinks there will be three types of missionaries in this time at the beginning of the hastening, 1) those who make the hastening happen, 2)those who watch the hastening occur, and 3) those who have no idea the hastening is happening at all. I really think this applies to everyone that is a member of this church, not just the missionaries! I don't want to be a 2 or 3 missionary (and I really really hope that I won't be!) and I hope you are all praying every day to fall into the first category as well! I love you all so much and I know that this is really is the work of salvation. There are so many starving souls out there who need to know about our Savior and need to have full access to His Atonement. Let's find them together!
 
Love you all and have the best week yet!
 Sister Thomson
 
PS. I have to admit something. I tried poutine about a month ago.... it was really good. That is all.
PPS. I am in love with Nanaimo bars.
PPPS. Perogie is now a normal part of my day-to-day conversation.
PPPPS. If anyone is reading this and thinking about a mission, just go!!!! There has never been a better time to serve.

Week 16

Dear Family,
 
This is the Best. Mission. Ever.
 
This was the best week ever. Really, it was. Our Mission President had an interview with both Sister Allen and I which was probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. (He has 280 missionaries and is insanely busy). We just sat there and listened to him talk. I really wouldn't want to do anything else. He told us so much and gave us so much advice. He told us about his accident at the beginning of his mission. He was attacked by a dog and then cracked his skull on a cement wall after passing out from loss of blood. He was parapalegic and doctors told him he would never be able to sit up again, let alone walk. I'm sure the story is online somewhere if you want to look it up. He got a Priesthood blessing, however that said he would completely recover and be fully healed. He was talking about discouragement, and this is what he said. He told us he had hundreds of emails to respond to from all the missionaries and a whole mission to run, but he could wiggle his finger. So he put all his energy into wiggling his finger until he could sign a baptismal record. And progressed from there. He focused on being able to wiggle his finger though, and didn't focus on all he couldn't do.
 
He also told us he would trust us with anything. It was the best thing to hear ever. It really was. Because he is very intense, and probably the hardest-working person I've ever met, and if you need correcting, he will give it. He's not here to babysit as he says, but he is the perfect leader. As a mission, we really follow him wherever. He told us the average mission finds on average 120 new investigators per week, and when he got here, this mission and some of the lowest numbers in the world. But on Christmas, which is historically the lowest finding week in missions around the world, we found 641 new investigators!!!! The work is really, really hastening. An apostle is coming to the mission in March and he wants us to find 1,000. :) I know these seem to be just numbers, but behind every number is a name and God numbers his children. :) I feel so blessed to be a missionary right now.
 
We met an awesome girl named Naomi this week. She is 18 and Christian, but having a rough time because her parents just split up. We found out she is the daughter of a woman who is best friends with Sister Schmidt! The mother said we could teach Naomi anytime, because when the mom got home from work, Naomi was happy and nice, whereas she's normally angry.
 
I don't even know what to tell you all. We find so many people to teach I don't know which to tell. But I love my mission. This is really the best time of my life.
 
Love you all!
 
Sister Thomson

Week 15

Dear Family,
 
I love you all so much! You are seriously the best. I'm saying this now in case I don't get time to tell you later in emails to all of you personally.
 
This week has been so great. Sister Allen almost got eaten by a dog yesterday. Not that those are related.
 
Also, we weren't hit by a car on Tuesday! It was the biggest miracle. The light turned green and Sister Allen started to go, but she just put her foot on the break, without even thinking about it. At that moment, a little silver car came flying by and hit the van next to us. It luckily only took of the bumper, but if Sister Allen had gone, she would have been hit so directly. After we pulled over and gave them our witness information, we decided to pray and say thank you. Neither of us realized what a big deal it was until we prayed, and then we realized angels were totally looking out for us. You know your family is praying for you when....
 
We also had a potential investigator come to church yesterday. Her name is Shannon and she brought her two kids. It was one of those testimony meetings where every member of Relief Society gets up and cries. Shannon was kind of horrified, and kept asking why everyone was so sad. Luckily her son's football coach got up and shared his testimony and addressed Dmitri (who is autistic) and told him the testimony was for him. It was perfect. They all went to primary together and enjoyed that though! :) She said she'll come back next week and we told her church isn't normally that sad. She hasn't had any discussions and doesn't even know about the Book of Mormon yet, so she had a ton of questions all through Sacrament Meeting. It was scary to try and answer all of them, but I was so excited they came.
 
We also had a Navite man named Sheldon come to church who legally can't be in the building because his foster daughters are there, but he has so much real intent. He told us about his culture and how in his culture, everyone has gifts. He said his was to know the Creator is there. He told us about a dream he had had about a river and people trying to discourage people and blind them from choosing the right course; I don't remember the whole thing, but it was just like Lehi's dream in the Book of Mormon! Really it was amazing. So we had him read 1 Nephi 8. He talked about how in his culture, when they pray to the Creator, they have their ancestors talk to him--kind of like Jesus is our Mediator with the Father. He said when he was in his treatment center (he got out a couple of months ago--he's a recovering drug addict/alcoholic) he just wanted to talk to God directly, so he did. We talked about Alma 22 and how the king says he would give away all his sins to know God. It was an awesome lesson. He won't be coming back to our church, but the Elders will teach him at home and we'll try to get him to the building 40 minutes away.
 
I'm really coming to know the purpose of baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost better on my mission. All of these covenants that we make give us full access to the Atonement of Jesus Christ so He can fully heal us. That is why it is so important that everyone make these covenants through the proper authority. When we do so, we can truely be washed away of all our sins when we are baptized and the guilt and shame that come from sin can be healed and leave us completely. Then we can be cleansed with the gift of the Holy Ghost, which can really be there in every instant. Because of the Atonement, the Holy Ghost can comfort us when we are down and heal our hearts when things go wrong that we cannot control. Our first counsellor last Sunday described a man and asked everyone to think if they would want to invite this person to church. He said he swears every other word, he drinks, his morals aren't great, he's had a couple of minor run-ins with the law, gets in frequent fights, and he smokes. Then he said, that was me. Before he was a member, our bishop had to kick him off of his (the bishop's) property when our first councelor was sent to be his electrician because he kept swearing so much. Everyone was in shock. Our first councelor seems perfect. He's just this happy, young dad who is so happy and strikes you kind of as real-life teddy bear. He has a sweet wife and his kids are just awesome.
 
Love you all!
 
Sister Thomson