August 25

Dear Family,

This week was incredible.

On Thursday we taught a woman named Margo. She's in her 70's and her husband died about a year ago which has been really hard for her. We taught the Plan of Salvation and right from the start when we handed her the pamphlet, she got really excited. She looked at the picture on the cover and said, hold on! She went to the back room and brought a framed poem with a picture of her husband and the same picture of Jesus on the cover! She told us that Cecil had a small card with that picture on it near his desk all his life. He found it in his mailbox! :) That's kind of a side note to what really happened though. As we were teaching about the Spirit World, we opened up to Alma 40:11-12. I read verse 11 and Margo read 12. As she read it, she started to cry. She told us that she had been praying with almost those exact same words for her husband Cecil, with the exception that she asked that he would be in a "beautiful place" and not paradise, but she liked that better. We didn't even bother to read verse 13. As we taught about the kingdoms of glory the Spirit in the room was so incredibly strong. She told us, "What you have told me today has answered questions I have had my entire life. Thank you." We invited her to say the closing prayer and it was one of the most heartfelt prayers I have ever heard. The member that we brought with us was still rejoicing about it on Sunday. Do we realize what we have? Margo was searching for this for her entire life.

Later that day we were knocking on doors and a woman said, "Mormons!" And said, "Come in!" She told us that she had been searching for our number a few weeks earlier, but couldn't find it anywhere so she prayed that we would knock on her door. (The sad thing was we had kind of been looking at her street for a while, but never got around to actually going to it.) She used to go to our church with her mother-in-law, who was a member, and really missed the feeling she had when she was there. She never was baptized because she has a bad back. She was so happy to see us. Her name was Doreen and told us that she wanted us to go meet her granddaughter and daughter as well. (All of Doreen's kids were baptized, but were never really active.) There is more to this story...

Then we went to girl's camp on Friday and just asked the young women what questions they had about missionary service. They got to ask us questions and we just answered them for about 50 minutes and then just shared our testimonies. It was incredible! My favorite part is that some of the young women from my ward in Chilliwack were in my group! Out of 15 companionships, they were in mine!! :) And I had been really hoping to see them, especially Julianna. :)

Then on Saturday we went out to this small town in the middle of nowhere named Youbou. (you-bow) It is a 45 minute drive from where we live and we had never been there, but were close, so we went there. We were going to drop by some less active members. One of them was a single man on the ward list, but we went to the street anyways, hoping that we'd find evidence of a woman living there too so we could talk to him. As we were searching for his house (which was not marked), we noticed a guy sitting out on his porch. As we introduced ourselves, he said, "you've been here before. I recognize you." We assured him that we'd never been to Youbou in our lives, but he wasn't convinced. He pointed at me specifically and told us, "Okay I don't recognize both of you, but I know I've seen you before." He looked familiar, and as we started talking to him he kept telling us that he needed something. His name is Justin and he has the most dangerous job in logging, which is a really dangerous field, which is why he believes in God. He told us that he'd been though some really rough things in his life and he is not proud. He went to war in Afghanistan and said he drinks every day but it's not helping. He finally decided he needed to come to church and really was interested in what we had to say. He had biked from Victoria to Youbou that morning (I cannot begin to tell you how insane that is. It's like an eight to ten hour bike ride up and down a MOUNTAIN) and was planning on biking to church in the morning. We told him, don't worry we can get you a ride. And he really promised to come. But something must have changed his mind because he was not at church on Sunday. The incredible thing was that each and every talk was just for him. The first talk was on repentance, and the next two were on adversity (one was a farewell from a guy that lost his mom two years ago, and one was a homecoming from a guy that just got back from St. Louis, Missouri.) I learned that Heavenly Father really counts on us being at church! He plans on us being there, and whether we go or not is our choice, but he always has a message lined up just for us.

On Friday we got a call from a girl that that told us she wanted to be a Mormon! We called her back and she was willing to get a ride to church on Sunday from people she'd never met to meet us at church. She was so brave! We met her there and she is awesome. She got our number from her grandmother (Doreen) and gave us a call. She liked church and really wanted a Book of Mormon. I was tempted to ask her when she wanted to be baptized (and I should have!!) but I didn't. Tomorrow we'll ask her. :)

More miracles than I have time left to write happened this week. Rachel wants to be baptized! She talked to her son about it, who used to read the Bible every day from the time he was eight years old, and he explained to her that it's a coventant--a two-way promise and she realized she hasn't done that yet. And she wants to! She told us at her church (the Shaker church) they don't use a written text, all answers come through prayer. She told us that she feels like the Book of Mormon has completed this journey that's she's made throughout her life because it has the answers in it. She came to church yesterday too. (Also, her son is an investigator too--we met them together--but his girlfriend won't let us meet with him. She won't even let him see his mom too much. So we're sending the Elders. :) Pray for Craig this week!)

Can you believe it! I know that Heavenly Father lives and is watching over us each and every day. We really don't deserve this and did not work nearly hard enough to earn all of this, but Heavenly Father blessed us anyways. It's like that with everything. He just blesses us because He loves us. Just like parents just feed their kids because they love them. And He also let us go through adversity this week because He loves us. I was sick from Sunday to Wednesday. But we still we able to see incredible miracles! Why? Because He loves us. I know that sometimes we have to pass through really difficult things. And sometimes it seems like there is no light at the end of the tunnel. But there always is. He always outweighs the adversity, whether in this life, or in the next. I know He loves each of us so much. I also know that this work that we are doing is true. I know that this church has been restrored by a prophet of God. We have been called by prophecy and set apart by the laying on of hands by those who are worthy. And we are lead to those that are ready because Heavenly Father is in charge of this work. Sometimes (all the time) I feel like there is not enough time in a day to do all that needs to be done. Miracles lie at every corner! I feel inadequate often enough, but I know that Heavenly Father really is in charge and that He wants His children to come home to Him.

Love you all.

Sister Thomson
forgot to mention--found out Justin used to work in Chilliwack and Abbotsford!
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August 18

Dear Family,

We walked in to a lesson with this girl named Sam that we've been teaching almost as long as I've been here and planned on teaching the Word of Wisdom and Obedience only to meet her hus

We walked in to a lesson planning on teaching the Word of Wisdom only to meet our investigator's husband! The lesson was a miracle. We having been teaching Sam for a while, but she's not sure if God is there or not, but her husband is Christian so she wanted to learn more. JP (Jean-Pierre) works really long days, but we finally got to meet him on a day off! He loved the idea of the Book of Mormon and the prophet Joseph Smith! It made so much sense to him that religion didn't just start in the middle east, but that it was everywhere. And he really liked the need for the Restoration. I felt the Spirit so strongly during that lesson that I nearly cried a couple of times. It really felt like one of God's children was about to come home, and I got to be a part of the process.

We showed our investigator Rachel the Restoration DVD and she really liked it. Rachel is in her 50s probably, and is taking care of her daughter Harriet's son. We taught the Word of Wisdom and she has been living it for three days now! She texted us yesterday and told us she had a headache. We told her to take a Tylenol. :)

On Saturday, this mom and son kept walking by us! We were out finding the first time, and I kind of ignored them because there were other people to talk to on the street, but then we were driving by and I saw them again! I decided not to stop however because I am still a really dull instrument sometimes. But the third time we drove by them,  I finally had to stop, so I parked (somewhat illegally....) and we went to talk to them! They were from CHILLIWACK of all places and were about to move here. I felt like I was being electrified when we were talking to them. Probably because it took me so long to repent of not talking to them the first time. But it was so cool! I was so in shock. I haven't met anyone else from that area yet in the 4 months I've been here.

I have seen so many miracles this week. I don't even know why Heavenly Father has blessed us with so many. I feel like my testimony in Him is growing so much. And I really feel my testimony of the commandments growing so much as well. The Spirit is so strong when we teach people about them.

The cool thing about of all these is that they weren't placed in our lap. Or they were, but we had to go out and find them. Oftentimes we have to work and work without seeing the results and then all of the sudden we cannot believe what you are seeing. I know that this is how Heavenly Father works and "even all this can ye do if ye will. "

I love this church and love you all!

Sister Thomson

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!

August 4

Dear Family,

That last email was kind of a mistake... whoops.

Anyways, this week has been so good. We are in such a good area! I feel like I could be here for two years solid and still have so much more work to do. We just keep finding people who are ready. I don't really understand why. Maybe it's preparing me for 13 kids or something. (Hah. No.) But there are so many people who just need this in their lives. I feel like it's really humbling me because I just have to rely on God to help us sort through all these people that are showing real intent.

For example, we have been kind of disregarding this woman named Bonnie that was found several months ago because we never seem to make it out to her town, and when we do, we will call sometimes, but not working as diligently with her as we could have. We saw her on Saturday and had the most miraculous lesson. We taught the Restoration to her and she loved it. She even cried and told us about her relationship with God and how personal it was to her. When I invited her to be baptized, she told us, "I feel like I'm ready. I've been thinking and I think I've been ready for about a year now." And she really wants to! She came to church yesterday and loved it. And the most miraculous thing is that she was raised in a home where religion was really forced on her in a scarring way. When she prayed, she told God that she feels like she feels like she's finally found the end to her search.

We also have so many investigators that I have to constantly keep on the forefront of my mind or we might let them slip away. And there are so many more! Irma is down from staying up until 4 or 5 smoking, to going to bed at midnight! She is progressing and she finally opened a page of the Book of Mormon to read it. Our lesson with her was so powerful. We brought a recent returned missionary with us who just got off her mission in New Zealand. The Spirit was so strong you could cut it with a knife.

And Rachel is still reading the Book of Mormon! And we met her daughter Harriet who apparently saw an angel the first time someone gave her a Book of Mormon. We are going to see her on Tuesday.

And I left ten minutes to write my mission president.... but I could go on! This work is incredible. I read "Why We Share the Gospel" this morning by Elder Christofferson in this month's Ensign and it is the most perfect description of why we want to share this! I encourage you all to take the time to read it. I feel like I need to read it again and again to fully understand it.

I love this gospel. I love the Doctrine of Christ. I could be a missionary forever. I will be. :) I love you all and pray for your success in sharing the gospel in your unique ways.

Sister Thomson

PS. A certain country singer who will remain nameless was in Duncan this weekend. But it was okay, because John Bytheway is coming! And he is way better. So, we're going to his fireside in Victoria on Friday.

July 28

Dear Family,

We had an incredible lesson this weekend when we stopped by a potential named Don. We had left him with a Book of Mormon the last time we saw him and explained it a little, prayed with him, and left. We went back on Saturday evening and he invited us right in (his wife was there and sat in on the lesson as well). He asked us to wait for a moment and then pulled out the Book of Mormon again with a small stack of notes that he'd stapled together from what he'd read/researched. He and his wife were raised Catholic, and currently attend a Baptist church but made a point to say, "We're not baptist." He liked the Book of Mormon! He said growing up with just the Bible, it was harder to understand, but also like someone had combined thoughts from Romans and Corinthians and meshed them into a verse. He and his wife were so open and willing to learn. We left them with more to read and they are letting us come back. :)

The miracle behind this is that we talked to so many people that day that seemed so hopeless. They just did not believe in God and were trying to convince us He wasn't there either. We tried and testified with all of our might, and I felt the Spirit so strongly at some points, but it just seemed like they were not getting it and I wanted them to so much. Faith really did proceed the miracle, and Heavenly Father really blessed us all along the way.

I have really seen Sister Kunz changing. She's just "getting it."  I feel privileged to serve with her again this transfer because she is getting closer to the end of her mission. She really is so filled with love for these people and weeps when she thinks about them being baptized. When we were setting our weekly goals, she realized she wasn't just saying, how many baptisms do I want in September, but how many of these people do I want to see in the Celestial Kingdom? She has two transfers left! And we're going to be here together for at least another transfer. I don't really know who will stay or who will go (or if both will stay) after that.....

More miracles to come this week. :)

Love you all!

Sister Thomson

July 21

Dear Family,

This week was kind of intense, but I'm still here, again. :)

We had an experience this week that really reminded me how much I love the gospel and why I want to talk to everyone I can about this. We talked to someone we can't share the gospel with! Our landlady. We've asked (and been denied) to share the gospel with her. But we're going to ask President Burt at transfer meeting if we can.

So Sister Kunz and I decided to have a picnic in our backyard on Thursday. We live in a basement suite, and our landlady (who is probably 40 or so) was sitting out back with her nephew. We started talking, and eventually she told us about how the anniversary of her husband's son's death is coming up. (He was 27 and died from overdosing on drugs in a motel room.) The worst part was that he was starting to change before he had died. She told us he had found God and was making huge changes. She said that is what has caused her to believe in God. Because he really couldn't change himself without outside Aid. She told us that it was especially hard for her because the last conversation she had had with him was locking her step-son out of the house after a terrible argument where it was just not safe to have him in the house anymore. And when she was talking to us my heart really broke. I wanted so badly to tell her about the Spirit World and the whole Plan of Salvation and I really wanted to testify about how the Atonement can heal that relationship, even now. And I couldn't. And Sister Kunz couldn't. We did teach her a little bit because we wanted to help her so badly, but we can't sit down with them and have a lesson. And it breaks my heart. But I know God has a plan for them and He is going to help them in His timing. And I know this world so desperately needs the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I just want to share it with everyone now.

We brought our bishop to a lesson with us yesterday. It was incredible. It was with Irma and her friend Chelsea. We walked up to them as they were having their first smoke of the night. But Irma looked so guilty that I know she really wants to quit. So we have complete hope for her.

That was all. We saw a lot of miracles this week and answers to prayers. I've been sick. I really am not okay with it. Which is probably why I still am. But I'll figure it out I guess. Transfers are this week too.

Love you all,

Sister Thomson
*We asked our Sister Training Leaders if we could teach her. Not our landlady. And they said no. Sorry if that was confusing.
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July 14

Family!!!

This week has been one of the hardest ever so I don't really know why I'm so excited to write you. :) :) But I am. So. Our investigators are great though. Mostly. It's kind of hard to keep track actually because we have so many and it is so hard to meet with all of them regularly. It is seriously an uphill battle. We just found out that Devin DID try living the Word of Wisdom for three days but felt super tired so she gave up. Who knew? Not us. Why? Because will never seem to meet with us! She said she's in an anti-social funk. So we went and mowed her lawn and she finally let us teach her.

IRMA. I'm so excited for her. And for Iris. And for Darcy and Chelsea and Phyllis and all of the rest of Irma's family members and friends. She and Iris are committed to be baptized on the 16th of next month, and are trying the Word of Wisdom out! Now Irma needs to get married.

So. We set a goal of 15 new investigators at church on Sunday. We had 2. But it's actually really cool because in Ether 12:19 the people had so much faith in Jesus Christ that they saw Him! "They could not be kept from within the veil." Why? Because they saw Him first with their spiritual eyes ("an eye of faith") and then they saw what they had already seen. Like Elder McConkie said. "I shall not know any better then than I know now that He is God's Almighty Son, my Redeemer, the Atoning One." (Which he said right before he died.) What does this have to do with faith? We ALMOST had that many people at church. But they just slept in/went to Alberta/dad died. Next week we will.

Miranda was on a camping trip this weekend and was busy all week. Hopefully we'll see her tonight as planned.

I've still been reading the Book of Mormon with the rest of the ward in the 90 day challenge. Even though the Isaiah chapters still baffle me sometimes, I am at least coming to know what to expect. This morning I knew that the coal was going to be picked up with tongs off the alter and put in Isaiah's mouth so he could talk........ Sister Kunz explained to me that it was representing the sacrament. I'm still skeptical, but I'm sure she's right. It was actually a really cool parallel if she is right. Maybe someday I'll get it..... I still know the Book of Mormon is true and it strengthens my faith in Jesus Christ. I really feel renewed each time I read it, no matter how many times I've read it.

Our mission is getting ipads in September.....

Love, Serve, Obey. :)

Sister Thomson

PS. A woman yesterday told me that I looked like I was about 16. She said I looked way too innocent to be wandering around talking to people. My dear companion will not let me live it down. :)
I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU! AGAIN. One of the women we were teaching in Chilliwack is getting baptized in August! She's 86 and feels that this is true, so she's getting baptized! She's incredible. I met her in December with Sister Allen. She became a new investigator in APRIL. It was a miracle, because it was the weekend of General Confrence. President Tilleman had asked us to bring a friend to confrerence with us otherwise we couldn't go. He wanted us to work super hard to find someone, but it was so hard! So we had to miss half of the Saturday morning session because we had no one. We still wanted to be obedient, so we went out finding, because the lesson we had set up fell through. Tina walked by with her dog and she finally let us pray with her and we were able to schedule a time to see her. I was so happy when I found out. More to come eventually. :)
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