HapPy NeW YeAr!!!

December 29, 2015

This week went by super fast! We had our Christmas Conference with the entire mission! It's a weird feeling when most of your mission friends are gone. I don't like being one of the older ones! 

Elder Bernard and I at the Christmas conference

On Christmas Eve we had to be home by 6:00.  We decided we would all open our packages together. We did that and then sat around and talked and had a good time.  It was one of my favorite Christmases that I've had.  I felt like I was a kid again. Everything was so new and exciting. Thank you mom for everything! I loved the surprises. Thank you Missy and Zander for the packages as well:) I loved the family letter, mom! We had a good laugh that Devin wrote me one sentence and Dad wrote me two! Boys.  I think the sisters-in-law wrote more than my brothers did:) so thank you.  I use my foot massager while I study in the mornings. It's wonderful!  The girl scout cookies are almost gone too. I had those for breakfast today:)  The books are awesome! I loved the stocking too:) Every bit of it!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!! I can't say that enough! 

Matching pajamas

On Christmas morning we went to a family in the Elders' ward. There were the zone leaders and the Elders that live with them and us and the sisters that live with us. We had breakfast burritos. There is an elder named Elder Stanley (he lives with the ZLs). He and I act like siblings. We are SUPER sarcastic and rude to each other. Side story: Example.  We were practicing for our skit for the Christmas party last p-day. Elder Stanley kind of took charge.  I was like "Hey Elder Stanley have you ever thought of working at a prison because you would be really good at it!" He said, "No because then I'd meet more women like you!" HAHA! I think our zone gets a little worried sometimes. We think it's funny.  At the breakfast our Christmas present to everyone was that we were going to be nice to each other. I had to bite my tongue the whole time!  We would set each other up for rude comments and so it made it fun not to say anything.  After that we went to the Oblads and skyped.  Not going to lie, it made me super home sick and miss the family and snow.  It's still a little hard but when we are out working I forget about it. I also played Mario Kart with the kids. We had a fun time over there.

Skyping with the fam

We went by the next day and had dinner with them and the Elders too.   After that we took the presents that I bought with the money from Missy and Devin and we delivered those.  We gave them to several people. I got games and puzzles and a bunch of stuff. There are a lot of older single men that we are working with and we took them gifts because they don't have any family. That was one of the highlights of my Christmas. They were all super grateful and surprised that we would bring them a gift. I loved it!

Wrapping the presents we bought

We also met a possessed guy last night. Super freaky.  I'm out of time but I'll tell that story next week. That is my cliff hanger, I guess;) One of the greatest things about missionary work is being so close to the spirit. It is sometimes physically draining to be so spiritually high all the time and when things like that happen it drains you more. It's so hard to describe. You can read people really well as a missionary just based off of feelings. It's the coolest to talk with your companion afterwards and the same thought or feelings you had they had too. 

Christmas fun!

This Christmas was a good one. I hope y'all can say the same! Jesus lives! I'm happy to have had the chance to spend it with those who needed comfort on that day. I'm grateful for the Savior. We wouldn't celebrate Christmas without celebrating an Easter. I'm grateful for the love and support that I have received this Christmas season. Thank y'all for everything. I love and miss you!! 

Love Hermana Thompson   

  

Feliz Navidad and a Happy 10 Months!

December 21, 2015

So I got my greenie! Her name is Sister Castro. It's funny because when I got the call to train I was joking with the Elders and Sister Painter that I wanted a native speaker AND a black companion so I was hoping for a Dominican. And.... My companion is from the DR!!! She moved to America when she was 10. We talked about the Dominican Republic the whole way up to Corpus!  That's all we talk about still. I thought she was going to have a heart attack when I told her that I'd been there 3 times!  During transfers they said that I'd be the one driving the van back up. I felt like the ultimate soccer mom with all of these greenies and luggage everywhere. 

Angelina and Natalie's baptism yesterday

This week has been the longest and shortest stressful week ever though! I feel like I'm losing my brains! Planning who to go by and getting ready for the baptism just about killed me. In the mission we call it "duck ponding" it; meaning the ducks above water appear to be looking calm as can be, but under the water their feet are freaking out going really fast. This week will be much better now that we both are a little adjusted and that I'm not planning a baptism. We have to get up at 4:30 in the morning tomorrow to drive down to McAllen for the Mission Christmas party. This will be the 3rd time in a week I've had to do that! I feel like a zombie.

We go to the LeBarons every Sunday and have fun over there with their family. They loved my wings;) 

Annie and me

The YSA elders in our district got emergency transferred (I'm not allowed to say why) and so we all had to sing in their sacrament meeting for the Christmas program. Sister Castro and I were sitting there and sacrament began to start. I realized we were the only missionaries in there and I may have freaked out a little on the inside thinking that we would have to sing just the two of us. I texted the zone leaders and they hurried and showed up. Then I texted the sisters because they were supposed to be there but they decided not to go because they thought it was a practice. I told them it wasn't and they made it just in time. Then I texted our district leader and he didn't even know about it!  They literally just barely made it.  The first song, silent night, not too shabby. The second song literally none of us had ever heard of! On the start of the third verse the piano player decided to be Beethoven or something and busted out with this I don't know what you would call it and so we all slowly one by one stopped singing until one of the sisters was forced into a solo! Then we all awkwardly started to join her but realized the words weren't matching up with the song! It was honestly hands down the most horrible song ever! We all found out REAL fast that none of us are musically talented!  

New district, minus the two Elders

4 Generation Picture

This transfer I want to teach Sister Castro about service.  I have been trying to plan at least one a week that we can do for people. This week we went to a lady's house and climbed on the roof and in a tree and picked her oranges. That was the first time I've done that! I was praying that I wouldn't fall through the roof this time and into their living room like i did in La Joya;) 

Picking Oranges

I'll talk to you all in four days so I wont say too much. Remember what this Christmas season is about and take the time with the family to tell your testimonies:) I love you all! Enjoy your holidays:) 

I took a picture of this house on Candy Cane Lane......

Look closer.........
Creepiest thing of my life!

Love, 

Hermanita A. Thompson 

I'M PREGNANT!!!

December 14, 2015

So, Thursday night at 11pm I woke up to a lovely call from the Assistant to the President. He told me I had to be in McAllen at 9:00 in the morning for a training meeting.... I'm getting a "greenie". Everyone in our zone now calls me Mama Thompson and they all love to remind me that I'm pregnant with my "baby" (I hate mission lingo). I knew it was coming though, one of those weird intuitions, mostly because I DO NOT want to train and so I knew the Lord was going to make me do it. I still don't know whether i am staying or leaving. There is a high chance I'm staying but we will find out tonight. I wrote the president and told him I wanted to be in a trio with Sister Painter and my "greenie" haha! I doubt it will happen but I still can hope. I'm just nervous because it is so close to Christmas and thinking of how homesick she already is. I'm not good at dealing with things like that and I'm sure telling her to rub some dirt in it will make it worse! Maybe that's what I'll be learning these next 6-12 weeks. Our area has blown up so much the past week and a half. Sister Painter and I  have worked hard and we have so many prepared people we are teaching. We are having another baptism this Sunday as well. I'm just stressed because we have SO much to do and it's all on me. (the Lord too obviously) But I'm the only one who will know how and what to teach, where to go, who needs to be visited, etc. So I not only have to train,  I have to teach these people. We have so many great people and I want my "greenie" to learn by letting her make mistakes and so I'm just worried for this area now!  I'm going to learn a lot more than she will that's for sure.

These are the girls who are getting baptized this Sunday

Natalie

Hahahaha! There is this kid here at the library, he is black and has the BIGGEST fro I have ever seen in my life! It's distracting me! It looks like cotton candy; soft and luscious.
 

Ok... focusing. This week has been a really good one though! I love the Christmas season and how loving everybody is and their hospitality towards us as missionaries. The whole ward feels like our family. We had a Christmas singing fireside last night and that was really good. Sister Painter was in it and Ally Oblad conducted a really good piece with the stake choir.

Our Zone

We had a service project at the Hull's house. They are an older couple in our ward and they both have a lot of health problems. The elders set up lights and carried heavy things to the garage for them. Sister Painter helped with the tree and I dusted their house for them. It reminded me of the days of having to go and clean with you mom at your visiting teaching ladies houses and how much I hated that at the time, but being a missionary I loved every second of it. This is the lady that makes blankets for all of the sisters.  Also, while we were there we always hold hands before we eat with them and they bought us pizza so when we prayed for the food we all got in a big circle in the kitchen and were holding hands. I had to hold Brother Hull's hand and Elder Felix's hand (the most action I've gotten in 10 months haha! jk)  During the prayer I rubbed Elder Felix's hand with my thumb to try and make him laugh. I'm horrible. It was really funny! He held it in pretty good! I usually do it to Sister Painter every week. I think he was too embarrassed to correct me, so he just shook his head at me and laughed.  I need to stop being so funny.

Christmas District photo

Last week at church we had Stake Conference and afterwards this lady in the Zone Leader's ward came up to me and told me that her friend is going through a hard time and so said that we could go over there and pray with her. I got her information and told Sister Painter about it and last night we went over there. She was the most prepared and nicest lady ever! Her name is Angie. She has two girls; Emma and Addie. She is a teacher and divorced. Her mom just had surgery and there were some complications but it scared her. The mom is okay now. When we called her on the phone she told us that she wanted to make sure that her girls would be there because she knows that this was something important. We went over and shared a little message and she started to cry and told us that we were the best gift that she has ever gotten from somebody and that she was grateful for her friend to offer to have us come over. It touched my heart and made me think that we should all feel that way towards God for sending us his Son. A mission allows you to be immersed in peoples lives and problems and see how choices have affected them, how the gospel would help them, how they are missing something and most of the time they don't even know it. I love that "ah ha" moment when people feel the spirit and want to hear more of the Gospel. It makes all the bad days good and the good days better. The gospel has turned my life around 180 degrees and I love sharing our message with others. I love you all. Thank you for your love and support! 

Love Hermana Thompson 

Be HaPpY!!!!!

December 7, 2015

Howdy y'all!!!

This week has been a good one! It's starting to warm up again which is nice! I think it was in the 70s. I can't believe that it's December already and Christmas is right around the corner. People have their lights and trees all up and it just seems all too wrong! 

Last Monday night we got a call that our investigator Robert was in the hospital. I mentioned him the first week I got up here. We went by and gave him a visit on Tuesday. He has lots of kidney stones. We taught the plan of salvation in his hospital room and I let him borrow my mini Book of Mormon in case he got bored after we left;) He actually read a good chunk of it so that made me happy. I asked him if we could do anything for him and he said he wanted us to bring him a Gatorade.  On Thursday when we went by I bought him an orange Gatorade.  He told me he had forgotten all about it and was glad I didn't forget. Our lessons are really good with him. The spirit is always so strong and he is very prepared to hear the gospel. We teach him on his patio in the back yard because he is a single man and we can't go inside.  Before we started the lesson I was asking him about his life and things and we were all just talking. I asked why he had a metal bucket of water sitting out in his lawn and he told me he burnt a painting that brought back bad memories and that it was his way of moving on.  I thought it was super great of him.  As he continued to describe why he burnt the painting, he started to tell us that he had oil that he put every where on him and the painting and then he held the mini Book of Mormon while it burned. I would have been fine not knowing that detail. Robert tells us how happy he is when we come over and how he knows that this is what he wants because he can see it in us. It's people like Robert that keep me going. Helping someone find hope and happiness can make a person just as happy themselves. 

This was outside the hospital

Matthew got baptized yesterday!  During Stake Conference we had the Elders go and fill up the font. When we got in there to prepare for the baptism 45 minutes later it was only 2 feet full.  We figured the plug wasn't in all the way.  Sister Painter kept the sliding door closed while I took a swim to plug it. That felt a little weird. I'm hoping it washed a few sins away;) Matthew was such a good example to his mom and sister. We are going to go by tonight and visit them. I hope that his mom will push a little harder to be married now that she has seen her son take those steps into eternal happiness. 

Matthew's Baptism

His Primary teacher baptized him

We asked for the keys to the font and this is what Brotha Johnson handed us

My shoulder still hurts all the time and I hate having to carry a bag. The other day it hit me that Jesus Christ carried a cross a lot heavier. What we do as missionaries is such a little thing compared to what we share as missionaries and that's the message of the Atonement and true happiness. It doesn't matter the trials, afflictions, heart ache, happy times and joyful moments, without the Atonement none of them would matter. Without Jesus Christ none of us would matter but because we have a Savior, He can help us through the hard and the ugly and he celebrates with us the happy and the joyful moments. Invite the spirit of Christ into your homes this Christmas season because he is the best gift of them all. 

Sister Painter wanted to celebrate Sinter Klaus (a Dutch holiday)

Elder Felix gave Sister Painter and I a committment to buy a stuffed animal and put it in the car for "Animo." Ha ha!
This one is mine.  His name is Beevis.

I love and care about y'all very much! Have a joyous week and brighten someones life! 

Love 

Hermana Thompson