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." :) 

Week 37

Dear Family,

Yesterday when we were eating our lunch outside the church a mother quail walked by with eight quailets. All I could think was, man, if a hawk were to fly by those babies are toast. That poor mom. I bet she's so stressed. She can't protect them! How is she going to choose? So.... that pretty much sums up church yesterday. Miranda came with her four daughters as well as Devin and some part-member families. It was going to work out great. Two girls in the nursery, two in Primary, Miranda free to listen to class and Devin could take care of herself. Not so. But it was okay. By the third hour everyone was everywhere and we couldn't do a thing about it because we were teaching! But the Spirit was really strong in church and our Bishop gave an incredible talk about forgiveness and other things, so I know it will work out in the end. 

Other than that it was a good week. We had a luncheon with Devin at a member's house on Devin's birthday! Devin has really been concerned about the Word of Wisdom, but our member shared a really powerful experience about giving up coffee when she was an athlete fresh out of college. So Devin said she would try it. :)

Nevaeh stayed in Primary the whole time and was singing the songs when they were leaving. She didn't really want to go. So Nevaeh is pretty much holding up the fort for her family. :) We'll see what they thought when we see them this week.

Sister Kunz had a really powerful realization a couple of days ago. She told me she realized if we're prompted to go somewhere that we're scared of or we don't want to go and choose not to go, that's telling Jesus we don't trust him! I know that sounds like an obvious fact, but when you're prompted to go to a Wal-Mart parking lot, it doesn't seem so simple! But it really is. It's something I want to live by this new transfer. Showing my Savior that I trust Him by my actions.

On that note, we saw a little complex on our map that we decided to go to. It was gated, but the gate was open. A car had just pulled in and we thought nothing of it as we drove through as well. Behind us, the gate started to close! It had a ton of no soliciting no trespassing, etc. signs. So we were pretty excited that we got in. We just went to the houses we felt like we should, and the last one was my favorite. The woman answered and said, "Who did you punch to get in here?" She was really alarmed that one of her neighbors had let us in. Hah. God let us in. We've been trying to live by what Sister Tilleman called President Tilleman. "A righteous rebel."

I realize this email could have been better. But all-in-all a good week. Unlike the quail, we have a Father in Heaven that really is in charge. It's really relieving to know that at the end of the day, this work cannot be frustrated. (D&C 3:1) I can't really mess up these people's salvation. But I can be in charge of leading them to our Savior! We heard a song this week in a broadcast that I think is called A Window to His Love. The lyrics said something about how "I want to fade away until the only thing they see is You." It was beautiful. That's really what I want to do. And somehow, no hawks have swooped down yet. 

Yeah. So that's all. Hope you're all having the best weeks of you lives. 

Okay last thought. Belief is such a beautiful thing. In Ether 12:4 it says, "hope cometh of faith." When we have hope, it's because of our faith!  Jesus did not say that we have to know we can remove a mountain to remove a mountain. He said we need to have faith that's as small as a grain of a mustard seed. And relying on that (instead of on the doubts that I am sure will be there as well), we can do anything. So we don't have to KNOW we need to be baptized. We don't have to know that reading our scriptures will make "great things come to pass." We just have to believe. Just a little bit. And we have to rely on that belief as the man who came to Jesus to heal his son did. He said, "Lord, I believe. Help Thou mine unbelief." It was his belief that healed his boy. Just his hope that this Man could work miracles. And He did. Elder Holland says it better:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng

Love you all! Thank you for the updates with Preach My Gospel. :) Keep them coming. :) Chapter 4 is great if you don't know where to start.

Sister Thomson

Week 35 walked and walked and walked

Dear Family,

We had the best week ever. We really, really did. Except we had to walk everywhere for 2.5 days solid. And we didn't really have any lessons. We just had one. So we literally walked for at least nine hours each on Friday and Saturday. In dress shoes. And mowed a beast of a lawn on Friday for an hour and a half. But somehow, it really was the most incredible week. :) We were so blessed! . And my work ethic has increased so much in the past couple of days.

We doubled my record for friends at church yesterday! We had a family with 5 daughters all ages 8 and under sit next to us at church. I really had a hard time concentrating, because I was coloring for all the little girls so their mom could pay attention. Their mom, Miranda, has been reading the Book of Mormon with her 8-year-old daughter every night because Niveah asks her to, and Niveah kept asking her mom to come to church, so they did. :) While I was entertaining the girls though, the mom really had the chance to listen to what was being said. It was Stake Conference, and it was a Canada-wide broadcast with Elder Holland (!) and President Eyring. They left right before Elder Holland started speaking though, which was sad. 

Devin also came to church again this Sunday. Last Sunday she went a different church that her friend invited her to... she didn't like it very much. :) Some of her friends have also been telling her that we're not a Christian church and this and that, and she found a website, etc. But she was still interested in meeting. Our lesson with her on Wednesday was a bit disappointing because she had been anti-ed a bit. She hadn't given up on us yet, but her faith and intent had definitely decreased. So Sunday was an absolute miracle. She loved Sister Burton's talk and she cried when Elder Holland spoke. Afterwards she said she was really happy she came and that it was crazy how they said something just for her. She said it was exactly what she needed. The Spirit really spoke to her. And she wants to fast this Sunday! We haven't even explained that to her yet. :)

We also ran into a lot of miracles because we were walking everywhere. We met a woman who's just moved here from Alberta because of a recent separation out walking her daughter who is excited to learn more. She had told her friend three days before that she really wanted to start going back to church.

The Elders in our ward were talking to some people on the street and ran into one of the investigators that we've only seen a couple of times and she had kind of dropped us, but they were able to set a baptismal date with her and she is really excited to read the Book of Mormon and come to church! We're seeing her on Tuesday. 

We are also working with a girl who is turning 14 soon. We're trying to help her be ready to be baptized at the end of this month, because her uncle is flying in to baptize her then. It's kind of hard when her mom doesn't seem to have a firm belief in God yet. But we have faith in Sierra. :) And her mom. :)

I really love people. I love this work. Sometimes I'm surprised at how many people I really can love. I know my faith in Jesus Christ is increasing. I know we have been so blessed this week, and this transfer! I don't even know why. But I really love my mission. One of the prophetic priorities that Elder Ballard has asked every missionary in this area (Alaska, BC, Oregon, California, Washington, etc.) to do is to have a quality gospel conversation with at least 20 people every single day. Each missionary should be having at least 10 of these personally. We count how many each companionship has in this mission to make sure we're doing it. I know that's really where this starts. I really love talking to people. And eventually we find those souls who are ready and prepared to be baptized. And I love it. I know each missionary can't begin to imagine all of the miracles we're working and the effect we're making. I just don't know how I'll feel this much direction and purpose when I go home. Ha. I probably won't for awhile. 

Anyways, I love you all. I know you are all being watched over and that God is with each of you. I know He has a plan for you, and that He's already prepared a way for each of the struggles you're facing. I know He's anxious to support you in all of you practical and personal challenges.

Sister Thomson

PS. Just following up......

"Brothers and sisters, can you imagine the impact if family and friends included things they are learning from their personal study of Preach My Gospel in their letters and emails to theirfull- time missionaries? Can you picture the blessings that will come to families when they know and understand better what their sons and daughters will be studying and teaching on their missions? Can you even begin to fathom the extraordinary outpouring of atoning grace that will be ours, individually and collectively, according to the Savior’s promise to all who bear testimony in the process of inviting souls to come unto Him—and then following up on those invitations?"

..... There are some pretty powerful statements there. :) I also learned last week that PMG was originally intended to be a tool for returned missionaries to stay active in the gospel after they got home. So write me something!

Week 34

Dear Family,

This week we have more people progressing than I've had in months! It's only three, but it's still really exciting. Our investigator named Devin came to church last Sunday, and when we taught her on Wednesday I could see the difference. She really is having a change of heart. In our first lesson with her, she was full of doubt and concerns about so many things. Our second lesson went better, but after coming to church and learning about faith, her whole attitude changed. She was so much more trusting and filled with light. She really liked Alma 32 and we invited her to read the Book of Mormon every day for fifteen minutes. We also invited her to be baptized, but she said she needed time to study this out and think about it. She really understands that she has to be the one making and keeping commitments and that is the only way she is going to know for herself.

We also tracted into a man named Fred who has a member daughter in Texas and grand kids that are members as well. We would have given him to the Elders, but he's leaving on the 30th to go commercial fishing, so we only were able to have the one lesson with him yesterday. His grandson is going on a mission right after he spends the summer with his grandpa Fred on the boat. Fred really believes the Restoration is true and when we were talking, I kept praying to know how to invite him to be baptized, especially since he's not coming back until September. Finally, I just invited him. He's never been baptized, but I think he is curious about it and his desire to is increasing, so we wrote down a few doctrine of Christ scriptures in the Book of Mormon for him to read over the summer with his grandson. And he agreed to pray and ask God if He wants Fred to be baptized.

We also taught a part-member family. The husband's name is Craig. They have been married for 15 years, and this Mother's Day, he told his wife he would read the Book of Mormon. It's the first time he's read it, but so far so good. :) 1 Nephi 10:20-22 really spoke to his soul. 

Also an investigator Sister Reed and I found in Chilliwack is going to be baptized on June 21st! (Hopefully :)) Her name is Ingrid and she lives in the complex we lived in. I went and taught her with Sister Black, because she was in the 2nd ward and she was so ready to be baptized!! But after that first lesson, they weren't able to get a hold of her. Apparently yesterday they did, and set a date with her! :) I was so excited when I found out yesterday. I almost cried.

We had a Zone Conference this week. It was probably the last time I'll see President TIlleman and Sister Tilleman face-to-face before they go home, but the Conference was incredible. All I can say is "Did our hearts not burn within us?" I also was able to have an interview with President Tilleman which is probably one of the spiritual highlights of my mission. I will write more about that next week.

Love you all and I know that this church is true. There is no doubt in my mind about it. 

Sister Thomson

PS. Did you know Preach My Gospel was originally intended to be written for RMs? It took 9 years to write. We should definitely be reading it!!

Week 33: Exercise Every Day and You'll Die Healthier

Dear Family,

This week has really been a week of miracles. I cannot believe it's already the third week! I had the horrible thought last night that I might only have three weeks left with Sister Kunz. But that would be silly. So I stopped thinking about it. :)

Sister Kunz had an experience in her last area that she told me about on Saturday, so we've been sharing that with a couple of people, and it really is incredible. So I'm sharing it with all of you. :)  They were teaching a woman in Maple Ridge and invited her to pray and ask if the Book of Mormon was true. She said, I will if you will. Sister Kunz thought that was fair enough, so she said, alright. I'll pray every day this week after I read it and ask if it's true. So every morning after reading the Book of Mormon for half an hour, she would pray and ask if it is true. And every time she got an answer! She said she received a spiritual witness every single time. What a miracle! So she went back and told the woman about her experience. The woman hadn't read it. So moral of the story is that we need to ask! And more than that, put in some effort first to show that we're going to be willing to act on the answer we receive. That's what real intent means. Really intending to act on the answer that we receive. And part of the faith is acting. Acting in faith means doing something without knowing the end result but hoping that it will be good or will lead where you want it to.

So I love that story. I had a really sacred experience on an exchange this week. I don't know why, but whenever I go on exchanges, I feel like I discover these sister's deepest concerns and questions. Not that I mean to. But it is really special. She was telling me about some boy at home and I was silently praying HELP me change the subject!! I had the thought a couple of times to ask this sister, How do you know that Joseph Smith was a prophet? So I did. She said, actually I don't know that he was. So I asked her, how did you gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon? She responded that she didn't have a testimony of that either. But then she told me she believes they're true, and she feels the Spirit when she shares the First Vision and the Restoration. I don't remember everything that was said, but I did share my recent experience with her. Sister Tilleman told us at a transfer meeting that she has been applying Moroni's Promise each day by praying for more faith in the Book of Mormon and that her testimony of it will increase. So I decided to do that too! One morning about a week later, I was really concerned about something at home that has been concerning me my whole mission and really isn't something I can resolve, it's just something I need to put on the back burner for now. But it was really eating at me! I had prayed for more faith in the Book of Mormon, and was really trying to focus on the message I was reading. I slowly did start to focus on it and by the end of my thirty minutes my heart was literally healed. Stress and worry had really washed away. It amazed me! The page I was reading wasn't even that spiritual. But I know now that anyone can read any page of the Book of Mormon regardless, and gain a testimony of its truth and divinity. I know I did. I know every single page has power. I shared that story with this sister (who has been out for 11 months) and the Spirit was really strong in the car. I was just really happy to share that with her. I love the Book of Mormon. 

Funnier story. We met a guy named Bruce yesterday who goes to the Nativity every year that our church puts on. When he answered the door, I immediately wanted to had him a mormon.org card and run because he was really attractive... Luckily I have a companion. :) Sister Kunz started talking to him and asking him questions. Eventually she asked him if he believed in the Bible. He said he believes that it probably has some overall truths and is really good, but he believes that some things have been changed and he can't believe that people haven't taken things out of the Bible after the years of translations. Sister Kunz immediately said, "Are you sure you're not a Mormon?" Bahaha I love how bold she can be. But she explained the Book of Mormon and he was really excited to read it. 

Also Devin came to church and she really liked it!

Also I've spent way too long writing this email.

Also my subject heading was a little plaque in Bruce's home.

The work is great! I love it and love this mission. I get to see President Tilleman tomorrow! And (hopefully) have an interview with him. The Book of Mormon is true. :)

Love you all,

Sister Thomson

Week 32

Dear Family,

I have had so much trouble writing this email! I don't know why. But I really love this work. Best scripture ever: "Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord." It's so true! Everything else is a gift! Actually even the fact that we're here is a gift. 

We have been working with a girl who is a recent convert. She was baptized about 8 months ago and moved out here from Calgary a few months ago after she got married. She is getting a divorce now though, and was not coming to church. So we met with her with our Relief Society President and talked and now she is coming out to lessons with us and shared a really powerful testimony of the Book of Mormon. She really felt like she shouldn't read it at first, so she wouldn't. But one day she found herself picking it up and reading it. She said the second she did, she couldn't put it down! She took it with her everywhere--to work, on the bus. She read it every spare moment and quit all of the things she was doing including smoking and drinking. Her parents were really against it, but she knew what she felt was true and even though they threw anti at her, she just knew the Book of Mormon was true. I love her. 

Last night when we got home, the Spirit came into the car so powerfully.... Sister Kunz told me she didn't like my workout book because even though she's barely looked at it, she just said it was really affecting her. And she was lovingly trying to ask me how it must be affecting me. I don't know. I might throw it away. Ha. We'll see. But it was almost an out of body experience. I just really felt His love for us so strong. I really think He is so much more happy with us than we are with ourselves. 

I can't quote President's email, but he told us (as a mission) how amazing we are and the best part is we don't know it. And then he said, if any of you think you're an amazing missionary (because of you and not God), go to the Christlike attribute activity at the end of Chapter 6 and mark 0s for everything on humility, and study it every day.

We are working with a girl named Kelly who can feel the Spirit every time we see her! She hasn't read the Book of Mormon on her own yet, and she didn't come to church yet, but I know she will. She's still a newer investigator.

I really love this work. I know God has really been blessing us so much. I don't even know why. When I've been getting up, I am starting to sense how each day has really been a gift from God. I'm getting a greater appreciation for this life in general and feel like God is so merciful and so full of love just for letting me be on this earth to grow! I really am sincere about this. I wish everyone could serve a mission. I just want everyone to have what I've been given, and I feel like the mission is the only place to learn so many things.


Sister Thomson

PS. We saw a miracle! I was feeling really dizzy during finding time, so we went to the car to pray that it would go away. I wasn't sure if it had after we prayed, but then I realized I needed to have faith and get out of the car. When we did, we knocked on a door where a man's heart was so softened that at the beginning he was leaning on a wall saying he barely believed in God and at the end was crouched down looking in our eyes and hanging on every word and saying he wanted to read the Book of Mormon because he could literally feel our enthusiasm about it. His name is Dean and we're teaching him in two weeks.

Week 31

Dear Family,

I've been transferred to Duncan!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's on the Island. This place is really cool. We have a really large area with lots of country roads that haven't been explored yet, and the people here are so receptive. I feel like I've been able to just let the Spirit speak through me so much more fully without restraint because they're really open. 

Sister Kunz is my companion and she is awesome!!!! She got her bachelors in history at BYU-I and has been accepted to the Reuben J. Clark Law School at BYU for when she gets back. She is really hard working and I feel like we get along well and work well together. I feel like my dream of being able to work myself into the ground has finally come true!! She's the type to work even if she's sick or tired which is so perfect. We run in the mornings together and run door-to-door in the evenings when we're finding too. We found 6 new investigators on Saturday. And on Sunday we invited a girl to be baptized named Kelly at our first lesson and the Spirit was really strong. She mentioned she could really feel something when she is around missionaries. I just feel like God is really pleased with the work we're doing and I feel like I'm finally at the point where I can just work and give everything over to God and focus on this. He really is fulfilling the promise to give us at the very hour what we need to say and I feel like my love for these people is growing. So, I'm happy. I know there will be challenges that I don't see yet, but so far so good.

Downsides to Duncan: this is the weed capital of BC. It is hippie central. When I heard I was going to Duncan, I only knew one thing about it. The two sisters that opened here got really really high on their first planning day from the woman living above them and had to get picked up by their Relief Society president. She wouldn't let them leave her house for about 24 hours because it took a long time for them to come back and they had to live in a hotel for a week while they found a new place. So transfer calls were a little shocking. But it is definitely true. There is a place here that is called the Bong Shop and has a picture of marijuana next to the sign. It's crazy to me that they can be that open about it here!! What is this?! 

But that's okay because we're here to help people overcome their addictions and I am so excited to help free so many people from that. I can't decide how to describe this place. It's like nowhere I've ever been or seen. So I'll figure that out next week....

I would tell you more stories but I have a lot of letters to write today. But the church is most definitely true and I know it. 

Love you all and this work is absolutely the best! If you are thinking about serving a mission, do it! It is the best decision ever and I love it.

Sister Thomson

PS: Almost forgot! I hit Sister Kunz with the car yesterday when she was backing me and knocked her over...... I am a terrible companion.